Disclaimer: Sin Wildsmith is mine. The world he inhabits and the people he meets belong to J.K. Rowling.
When Moony Met Sin
Chapter Two- Gibbous Moon
February 1983
As he passed through the Leaky Cauldron on his way back from Diagon Alley toward his flat in Muggle London, St. John glanced at each of the pub's patrons, looking for a friendly face. A man in Muggle clothing, sitting alone at a small table near the fire and writing in a notebook, caught his eye.
"Sort of a familiar face—someone I met at Hogwarts? Someone I met at work? Someone I slept with?" Just then, the man looked up and scanned the room until he locked eyes with St. John. A trick of the light created the momentary illusion of gold flashing from his eyes, like the flash of light from the eyes of a nocturnal animal. "Gold eyes? Oh—Remus—the one that got away." Sin smiled at the younger man and was rewarded with the shy smile that had intrigued him several years earlier. He made his way through the room to Remus's table.
"Remus? I don't know if you remem—"
"Hello, St. John. Would you like to sit down?"
Sin grinned. He was flattered to be remembered so many years later. "Very much. Just let me go get a drink first. What can I get you?"
"No, I'm fine," Remus replied. An empty teacup sat near his elbow.
"Let me buy you one drink," Sin coaxed. "You don't want Tom to toss you out because you aren't having anything, do you?"
Remus glanced at the bald innkeeper and then smiled up at Sin. "If you put it that way, something warm would be nice. I'm having trouble thawing out today."
Sin ordered two butterbeers and returned to Remus's table. Remus had put away his notebook and was ready to give Sin his full attention.
"How have you been, Remus? I haven't seen you since the first time we met, and so much has happened since then."
Remus held the warm glass between his palms and stared down at it sadly. "I won't complain. I was the lucky one, remember? How have the Pettigrews been since Peter died?"
"They're doing much better now. Prudence was devastated, of course; Peter was her baby. But a new grandson—named Peter—has been the best possible medicine"
Remus looked up and smiled when he heard that his friend had a namesake.
"I was surprised you weren't at the funeral."
Remus's smile vanished, and he took a large sip of his drink. Sin's heart sank as he realized how tactless he had just been.
"Oh dragon's bollocks, that was the wrong thing to say. I'm sorry, Remus. I guess the funeral would have been hellishly uncomfortable for you, considering everything."
Remus shook his head slightly. "No, I wanted to go. I couldn't."
Sin understood. "Prudence."
"No, not her." Remus seemed to be trying to decide whether or not to explain. He took another sip of the butterbeer and continued to look at it as he spoke. "The Ministry. I was 'brought in for questioning' on the day Peter died. They thought I might have been Sirius's accomplice. By the time I was cleared and released, I had missed the funerals." He looked up expectantly at Sin, waiting to see his reaction to the news that Remus had been a suspect.
Sin nodded and smiled encouragingly. "I guess it would have been strange if he hadn't been suspected."
Remus seemed emboldened to continue. "After I was released, I went to Mrs. Pettigrew's house to offer my condolences, but she wouldn't see me."
Sin nodded again. "Understandable. Unfair, but understandable. Your lover killed her son."
Remus shook his head and sat back. "No, she didn't know that—doesn't know that—unless you or Simon told her. Peter never knew about Sirius and me. We stopped sleeping together before we got up the nerve to tell Peter, so we never told him."
"Then why wouldn't Prudence talk to you?" Sin asked. The question was as much rhetorical as it was addressed to Remus.
"As a matter of fact," Remus said, smiling slightly again, "Sirius and I broke up in your place in Switzerland."
"Really?" Sin realized that Remus was shifting the subject away the depressing topics discussed so far. He needed to capitalize on this shift. "Well, I hope that fact hasn't soured you to the charms of that particular location."
"No. In retrospect, that was probably the only time I ever made an intelligent decision regarding Sirius." He rubbed at his wrist absently.
"Good," Sin said with a smile as he leaned forward and put his hand atop Remus's. "Now I have a fighting chance of talking you into going there with me."
Remus didn't reply, but he didn't pull his hand away either.
"Full speed ahead," Sin thought. He glanced at his watch. "Almost quarter of six." "You know, I hate to eat alone. Why don't you come over to my place for dinner tonight, and we can continue this conversation?"
Remus pulled his hand back. "No, I don't thi—"
"I've been told that I'm a very good cook. And if you're worried about my dishonorable intentions, I rarely sleep with anyone on the first date, so you should be safe from the big bad wolf, at least tonight." He gave Remus his best flirtatious grin.
A strange look crossed Remus's face as he considered. "Actually, I was more worried that you might not be safe from the big bad wolf, but if it's just dinner—I accept."
At Remus's words, Sin felt his stomach give a nervous flip, and another more familiar sensation just below. When he did finally get this one into bed, things might go a bit differently than he assumed. Remus might not be the shy thing he seemed to be. Sin found the uncertainty quite an exciting prospect. He pulled out his calling card and pushed it across the table.
"Good. I have a few errands to run on my way home, but I'll be there by six-thirty at the latest. I'll aim to have dinner ready at seven-thirty, so you can arrive anytime between the two."
Remus read the address and nodded. Sin finished his drink and stood to leave.
"Sin? Um, this is going to sound bizarre, but—" Remus bit his lower lip nervously.
"Let me bite your lip, Golden Eyes," Sin thought. He was quite glad that he was wearing a loose robe today instead of tight Muggle trousers. He shifted his cloak in front of himself, just in case. "Try me. I doubt you could say anything that I'd find bizarre."
"If I get there early enough, would you mind terribly if I took a bath? You see, where I'm living now is kind of cold and drafty, and I'd really love to take a warm bath in a warm room."
Sin smiled, both at the cute way Remus had rushed through the explanation and at the very, very appealing idea of Remus nude in his bathtub. "No, I don't mind. I'll get out my best towels."
* * * * *
Sin actually had only one errand to run before Remus came over, to the market for a few dinner ingredients. He wanted the extra time to straighten up his flat and make it seduction ready. Although it was true that he didn't generally sleep with someone on the first date, he had no rule against it either. Clean sheets on the bed seemed wise. "Navy blue. Remus's pale skin will be beautiful against the dark sheets." He double-checked the contents of the wooden box on his bedside table—various massage oils and lubricants, both scented and not.
A few candles were already in the bathroom. What wizard's home didn't have candles throughout the house? Sin added a few more. The flat was in a Muggle section of the city and had electricity. He hoped that if he provided enough candles, Remus would forego the harsh electric lights and stay with mood setting candlelight. He hung up some large, soft towels, mentally thanking the former lover whose love of baths for two had prompted the purchase. He hung a silky dressing gown on the back of the door and ran his hand down the folds of fabric, imagining the feel of Remus's hard body beneath the slithery fabric. But the fabric felt cold to the touch.
"A warm bath in a warm room," Remus had said. There was no way Remus would put this on after his bath. He'd put his warm clothes back on instead. Sin returned the dressing gown to his bedroom and selected a cozy terry cloth dressing gown instead. Remus might put this one on after his bath. "Warm, cozy, safe—those are the key words for seduction tonight."
Sin had just opened a bottle of red wine when he heard a knock on the door. "Hello, Gorgeous. You're right on time."
Remus blushed, smiling, at Sin's greeting. He hesitated outside the doorway. Sin decided not to crowd him, literally or figuratively. He headed back toward the wine and called over his shoulder, "Come on in. Hang your jacket beside the door. I just opened some red wine. Would you like a glass? You can take it in with you for your bath." He heard the door close as he spoke.
"Yes, I would. Thank you."
"It hasn't had time to breathe, but—" Sin turned, holding a glass of wine and watched Remus approach. He was wearing the same Muggle clothing that he had been wearing in the Leaky Cauldron, a large navy sweater with a gold stripe across the chest and a pair of not-quite-tight-enough jeans. Sin enjoyed the way men looked in Muggle clothing, but he was disappointed on two counts. First, the jeans weren't tight enough to hug Remus's ass, and second, Muggle clothing posed a few more obstacles to actually getting to that cute ass.
"I really hope you put on that dressing gown after your bath," he thought. He handed Remus the wineglass, but Remus managed to take it without touching Sin's hand. "This isn't going to be easy."
"Thank you," Remus murmured before taking a sip. "Are you sure you don't mind if I take a bath? I know it was really a strange thing to ask. I mean, you barely know me, and—"
"Of course I don't mind." Sin smiled and poured himself a glass. "I won't be very good company for a little while anyway, ingredients to prepare and such. I'll be less distracted from making dinner if my handsome dinner date isn't in view. Then, when you feel warmed up, you can come back out and keep me company." He held Remus's gaze as he took a sip of his wine. "I'll flirt with you while I add the finishing touches to dinner."
This time, Remus did not blush nor did he look away nervously. "I can't figure this one out," Sin thought as he let his eyes travel down Remus's body and then back up to find Remus still watching his eyes. "One minute his body language says go slow, the next minute—"
Sin took a few steps backward toward the bathroom. "Let me show you where the bathroom is." Remus began to follow him, and Sin turned around to lead the way properly. "Actually, you aren't the first man who has come here wanting to use the bathtub," he pushed the door open and stepped back to allow Remus to see the candlelit room, "but he always used the tub with me."
Remus stopped in the doorway and looked into Sin's face again, not speaking. He couldn't enter the room without brushing against Sin's arm—Sin hadn't been foolish enough to step that far back. Something about Remus's silent stare was unsettling—and very exciting. Sin laughed nervously. "Sorry, didn't mean to imply anything." "Like hell, I didn't." "No strings attached to the use of the tub." He backed away another step, giving Remus free access to the bathroom. "I'll be in the kitchen, and you can have your privacy. But, um, if you want someone to wash your back, or anything else, just call." Sin dropped his eyes and hurried back to the kitchen.
Remus did not call, nor did he choose to wear the dressing gown. "So much for hoping that taking a bath was a ploy of his to shed a few layers of clothing. At least the sweater's off." He entered the kitchen wearing his jeans and the white button-down shirt that had previously been beneath the sweater. It looked almost freshly-pressed, and Sin surmised that Remus had performed a cleaning charm on his clothes.
"Feeling warmer?"
"Much. Dinner smells wonderful. What can I do to help?"
"Why don't you toss the salad, and I'll check on the pasta and the veal. You aren't philosophically opposed to eating veal, are you?"
"No." Remus chuckled at some private joke. "The sauce smells wonderful. Oregano, red pepper, anchovies—" He identified a few ingredients by scent alone. "Are you following a recipe or improvising?"
"A little of both. It's puttanesca sauce; legend has it that Italian prostitutes used it to lure their customers." Sin openly leered at Remus for a moment before returning his attention to the stove. "The first few times I made it, I used a recipe. Now I do it from memory and fudge on the ingredients and the amounts a bit. Hand me the pepper grinder, will you?" Sin put his hand partially over Remus's as he took the tall wooden grinder from him. Remus returned his smile and then carried the salad bowl to the table. "Well, it seems that my leaving him alone while he was in the bath has put him more at ease." "Tell me about yourself, Remus. I don't even know your last name yet."
"Lupin, but we already talked about me at the Leaky Cauldron. What do you do for a living, Sin?"
Sin finished tossing the pasta with the sauce and began to put the food on the plates. "Well, I was expected to go into the family business, Great-Great-etc.-Grandmother's invention." Remus looked faintly puzzled. "Remember your History of Magic—Floo Powder—Ignatia Wildsmith." He put the plates on the candlelit table, and they each took a seat.
"Oh! It's hard to remember anything from that class. Just staying awake was an achievement." Remus refilled Sin's wineglass for him.
"Wasn't it, though? Anyway, Simon pointed out that my brother, my cousin, and I couldn't agree on anything, so running a business together was not a wise idea. I reconsidered and went my own way. I currently work for the Nimbus Racing Broom Company. We recently achieved the coup of getting the entire English and Scottish National Teams, and all the Magpies on our broomsticks. League Champs—it's great publicity."
"Congratulations," Remus said as he toasted Sin with an almost empty wineglass. Sin grabbed the bottle and refilled Remus's glass.
"Ah—but that's not what I'm most proud of." He paused dramatically to eat a few bites of food. "You see, it's easy to win over most of the players. Run a few speed trials, prove you have the fastest broom of the moment, and the Seekers, Chasers, and Beaters all want your broomstick. The trick has always been winning over the Keepers. They don't need or want fast, they need maneuverable and responsive."
Remus nodded and continued to eat.
"For years, all the major broomstick manufacturers have modified their top-of-the line brooms on a case by case basis in order to make them better suited for the professional Keepers. Then they can do what we just did, boast about having an entire winning team on our broomsticks. But the truth was, the brooms we provided to our chosen professional Keepers had only a cosmetic similarity to the ones we were selling to the public."
"Why didn't you create a line of broomsticks designed for Keepers?"
Sin sat back and laughed. "Steal my thunder, why don't you? It was the obvious thing to do, but apparently either I was the first one to suggest it, or I was the first one to follow through with the idea. The prototypes are being used by various Keepers all over the League, and we're preparing for a spring launch of the line." Sin shook his head and laughed again. "Promise me you'll never work for one of my competitors, Remus. It took me a few years to have that brilliant idea, and it took you five minutes."
Remus smiled and looked down at his plate. "No, it was just the way you explained the situation—that's what made the answer clear." He looked up again still smiling. "You are the one who identified the problem and turned it into an opportunity."
Sin reached across the table to touch Remus's hand. "My bruised ego and I thank you." Remus turned his hand over and grasped Sin's fingers for a moment before pulling his hand away.
"Has Simon moved out, or did you tell him to disappear for the evening?" Remus asked as he laid his flatware down on his plate.
"Are you wondering if we'll be alone all night?" Sin wondered. "Simon moved out. He eloped last summer with a former classmate of ours, Kitty Whitaker. Dear Prudence was a bit miffed that Kitty is Muggle-born, but the fact she's female more than made up for it." Remus genuinely laughed at that, and Sin grinned. "Yeah, Simon knew exactly what he was doing when he tortured his mother with me."
"Dinner was wonderful, Sin. Whoever told you that you're a good cook told the truth. May I do the dishes?'
Sin shook his head and emptied the remainder of the wine bottle into their glasses. "My mother insists on sending one of their house elves over here every night. If I don't leave something for the poor little dear to do, she gets quite frantic. Just leave everything where it is and come join me on the sofa."
Sin grabbed his glass of wine as he stood up and was pleased to see Remus following suit. He left enough room to his right that Remus could choose whether or not to sit close to him. "O.K., he isn't sitting nearly as close to me as the time we sat by the stream, but he isn't to the extreme right either. Within easy touching distance." He summoned a large heart-shaped box from a nearby shelf. "Don't laugh. Simon and I always buy each other these just after St. Valentine's Day. We started doing it as a joke when we were kids and now—" He shrugged.
"And now you do it because it's your tradition."
"Exactly. I didn't make any dessert, but maybe you like chocolate?"
"No thank you."
Sin selected one and then put the box on the table behind the sofa. "Things to remember about Remus Lupin: he does like veal, but he doesn't like chocolate."
Remus laughed. "Actually, most of the time, I adore chocolate. Just every so often it stops appealing to me for a few days." He looked down at his hands sadly. "It was one of the things my friends always teased me about. They'd steal and eat my chocolate frogs on those days, saying that since I couldn't eat them anyway—then a few days later, my chocolate frog supply was always replenished. They always put back more frogs than they took."
"They were good friends."
"The best." Remus's left hand slipped under the edge of his right sleeve as if he was feeling for a watch. Sin held his breath hoping that Remus wasn't about to say he had to leave already, but Remus merely stroked his wrist and looked into Sin's face again.
"Would you mind if I kissed you?" Remus asked.
"I thought you'd never ask."
They each leaned forward to close the distance between them, Sin placing one hand on Remus's leg and cupping his face with the other. Remus kept his hands to himself. The first kiss was tentative, soft. Lips meeting lips and the faintest taste of the warm mouth he wanted to explore. Remus looked down at Sin's hand and clasped it within both of his own, stroking the palm with the fingers of the hand below. As Remus had turned his head, Sin's other hand had slipped from Remus's cheek to his neck. Remus closed his eyes as he rubbed his neck against that hand. Sin's level of arousal had varied throughout the evening as he watched and listened to Remus. Now, as he felt the strong sinews and muscles of Remus's neck and saw the blissful expression on Remus's face, he grew undeniably hard. It was all too easy to imagine that expression on Remus's face as he stroked more of his strong body.
"Kiss me again," Sin whispered.
Remus turned and stared into Sin's eyes. The intense gaze of Remus's strangely colored eyes excited Sin even more than it had earlier in the evening. He wanted to see Remus watching him as they made love. There was nothing tentative about Remus's kiss this time. One of Remus's hands slid behind the nape of Sin's neck and drew him close. Hot and wet, tangled tongues and lips; the kiss of two people who have not yet learned the other's ways, but desire to do so. Sin's hand continued stroking Remus's inner thigh and deliberately inched higher with every stroke, until it was no longer Remus's leg receiving his ministrations. Remus's left hand hovered over Sin's hand as if waiting for a message from his brain to stop what the other man was doing, but the messenger was waylaid on the way.
Remus was suddenly up in Sin's lap, straddling him, pressing him back against the sofa. His tongue was deep in Sin's mouth, exploring, insistent. Sin knew he wanted much more than Remus's tongue in his mouth—and soon. Remus's hands pulled at Sin's robe, pulling it open, trying to get to his skin. Sin tugged at Remus's shirt, trying to pull it free of the waistband of his jeans. Remus grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them back against the sofa.
"No!" Remus growled harshly. He kept Sin's hands pinned while he kissed and nipped Sin's throat. Sin was torn between surrendering himself to the thrill of being controlled and his desire to touch every inch of Remus. He struggled to pull his hands free, but Remus was stronger.
Remus pulled back just enough to stare into Sin's eyes again. He blinked and bolted away from him. "I'm sorry—this was a mistake—I have to leave." Remus had already grabbed his jacket and was about to open the door when Sin caught up to him and grasped his arm. Remus froze in his tracks but kept his face turned away.
"Slow down, Remus. Talk to me," Sin begged. "Did I do something wrong? Tell me what you want."
"I know what I don't want." Remus's voice was only just above a whisper, but Sin listened carefully. "I don't want Sirius Black to be the only person I've ever had sex with."
"No one else?"
Remus shook his head slightly.
"Then why are you running away? Stay the night."
"Not tonight."
"All right, not tonight, I promise." Sin released Remus's arm and took a step back. "Just don't run away."
"I need to leave. I'm sorry."
Sin stroked the side of Remus's neck, hoping to inspire the earlier reaction. "When can I see you again?"
Remus turned to look at him, but his brow was furrowed and his eyes troubled. "Do you really want to know when I'll be able to see you again, or when I'll go to bed with you? Either is fine, but they're two different answers."
Sin really, really wanted to get this one into bed, now more than ever, but it was not all he wanted. He found that he enjoyed Remus's company. "Both?"
"One week, and two weeks."
"Then I'll see you in a week."
Remus smiled faintly and went out the door. Sin wandered over to the window overlooking the street. He watched Remus walk out of the building. Remus paused when he reached the sidewalk and stared up at the sky for several long moments. Sin looked up to see what had gotten Remus's attention. An owl, perhaps? He saw only the moon and the stars, all shining with cold light in the clear winter sky. He looked at the sidewalk again, but Remus was gone. Sin glanced up at the sky one more time before leaving the window. "Full moon? No, not quite. Maybe tomorrow or the night after."
Author's Note: I stole the phrase "tangled tongues and lips" from the song "Say Goodbye" by Dave Matthews. It seemed appropriate since the same song provided the title for the first two stories in this series. And yes, Sin does keep calling Prudence Pettigrew "Dear Prudence" because he is a Beatles fan.
Why doesn't Remus spend the night? The answer is in the last paragraph. Why doesn't he let Sin pull off his shirt? If you don't know, you'll have to wait until Sin figures it out in the next chapter.
-Posted March 2003
