Disclaimer:  Sin Wildsmith is mine.  The world he inhabits and the people he meets belong to J.K. Rowling.

When Moony Met Sin

Chapter Four- Gibbous Moon

March 1983

            The next two weeks had been even better than Sin expected.  Not only was the sex fantastic—Remus became less inhibited, wilder, with every passing day—but Sin enjoyed his company just as much for reasons that had nothing to do with sex.  He loved Remus's dry, and slightly twisted, sense of humor, and he was glad that Remus appreciated his.  They worked well together in the kitchen; Sin appreciated a good sous chef.  Remus was also good company when Sin was working at home as he often liked to do. Some boyfriends couldn't stand being together and not being the center of attention.  Remus, on the other hand, was content to merely sit beside him on the sofa or in the bed and occupy himself with his own work or research.  The quiet companionship was soothing.

The only thing troubling him was the fact that Remus was leaving tomorrow on a one-week trip, and he wouldn't tell Sin where he was going.  Sin was worried.  He wasn't jealous-worried.  They had never discussed dating exclusively, nor was Remus inclined to see more than one person at a time anyway.  He was fear-worried.  Remus had seemed somewhat agitated all evening, and Sin couldn't shake the feeling that Remus would injure himself while he was alone.  He had mentioned this premonition to Remus earlier in the evening.  Remus merely smiled faintly and said, "Stranger things have happened."  It was not reassuring.

Sin was supposed to be doing some paperwork, but he found himself watching Remus instead.  Remus was gazing out the window while tapping his quill on a Muggle notebook.  Even the fact that he was sitting in an armchair near the window rather than on the sofa was unusual.  Sin felt like Remus had been keeping his distance all evening. Suddenly, he wanted confirmation that Remus really was coming back from his trip.

"Simon and Kitty will be back from Switzerland tomorrow.  Why don't the four of us go out to dinner when you get back?"

Remus looked away from the window.  The gold in his eyes caught the light for a moment and flashed, just as his eyes had done in the Leaky Cauldron.  "Probably not a good idea," he said.  "I'm not the Pettigrews' favorite person, remember?"

"You're not Prudence Pettigrew's favorite person," Sin corrected, "but Simon is fair.  He's my best friend.  Either he'll like you, or he'll pretend he does to make me happy."

Remus smiled and tried to go back to work.  "Maybe, but if he dislikes me even a fraction as much as his mother, you're asking too much of him."

"He owes me.  Every time he and Kitty invite his mother over for dinner, I get invited too.  I used to be his barrier against, 'When are you getting married?' and now I protect him from, 'When are you giving me grandchildren?'"

Remus chuckled and closed the notebook.  "I'll think about it, but don't make plans until we talk about it again.  In fact, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention me to Simon at all."

Sin closed up his own work as well.  "I don't keep secrets from Simon."

"Please?  Just a little longer."  Remus's brow was furrowed with worry as he looked at Sin through the shaggy fringe of his bangs.  Sin had to laugh.

"Augh—he's using the dreaded puppy dog eyes!  How can I resist?  All right, Remus Lupin, you just coerced two weeks of my silence.  If you want me silent longer than that, you'll have to make me hoarse from screaming your name."  He stood up and held out a hand to Remus.  "Care to get started?"

"Love to," Remus said as he gathered his things, "but I can't.  I have to get an early start tomorrow, remember?  I warned you that I wouldn't stay tonight."

Sin tried to use his 'secret weapon.'  "You don't really want to go home to your cold and drafty flat, do you?  Wouldn't you rather stay here and have me keep you warm all night?"

Remus did not give in.  He gave Sin a quick peck on the cheek and headed for the door, but Sin grabbed him from behind. 

"Uh-uh, Gorgeous.  You aren't leaving for an entire week without giving me a real kiss good-bye."  He slowly circled Remus, stroking one side of his neck while he kissed and licked the other.  By the time they stood face to face, Remus's eyes were closed and his breathing had quickened.

"I don't think—" Remus began to say.  Sin kissed his lower lip, catching it in his teeth momentarily.  "—would be—" Sin continued to kiss him even as Remus tried to speak.  "—good idea."

When Sin licked inside Remus's mouth, Remus whimpered, and his books slipped from his hand.  Sin found himself being pushed toward the sofa as Remus fumbled with the belt buckle of Sin's Muggle trousers.  Sin took over unfastening his own clothes, leaving Remus free to unfasten his own.  However, as Remus was wearing a robe, and Sin was in Muggle clothing, it was a very unfair race.  Remus growled in impatience.

"Aren't you the wild one tonight?" Sin laughed.  "I think I know who's on top.  You'd better get the lube."  But Remus did not obey.  He had pinned Sin against the sofa, rubbing against him.  His hands slipped behind Sin and gripped him so hard that for a moment, Sin wondered if he'd have bruises the next morning.  Sin tried to kiss him, but Remus buried his head against the base of Sin's neck beside his shoulder.  Just behind the collarbone, he bit—hard.

"OW!  FUCK, REMUS!  What are you doing?  That hurt!"  Remus instantly recoiled and stood staring at Sin.  His eyes were wide with shock and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Sin put a hand to the bite, but when he pulled it away he didn't see blood.  He looked up at Remus again.  "What were you thinking?" he demanded angrily.

"I'm sorry," Remus said breathlessly.  He grabbed his robe and dressed quickly.  "I'm sorry, Sin.  I'm so sorry."  He murmured apologies again and again as he grabbed his things and made a hasty barefoot retreat.  Sin was too angry and too shocked to stop him.

* * * * *

An owl arrived the next morning.

Dear Sin,

            I am so sorry that I hurt you and frightened you.  I'm tempted to say that my going over to your flat last night was a mistake, but I know that the real mistake was allowing you to get mixed up with me at all.  My life is mess, and it was unfair of me to involve you.  I've ruined too many lives.  I hope you can forgive me someday.  I'll always remember you fondly. 

Love, Remus

* * * * *

April 1983

            "All I'm saying is, you've been married nine months now.  When am I going to hear the good news that I have a new grandchild on the way?"

            Simon sighed and grabbed Kitty's hand.  She smirked and stared down into her lap.  Simon glanced at her and then looked across the table at Sin.  "So, Sin, since my mother seems determined to hear about someone's sex life tonight," his mother sputtered in protest, "how's your love life?"

            "It was looking promising for awhile—he was fabulous! a real animal in bed—but it didn't work out.  So now I'm on the prowl again."

            "Pervert," Prudence muttered just loudly enough that she was sure everyone overheard.

            "Guess who I ran into in the Leaky Cauldron not too long ago?"  Sin hoped Prudence would think he was changing the subject, but he knew Simon would see the connection.  "Remus Lupin, Peter's friend."

            "Oh?" Simon cocked one eyebrow and grinned at his friend.  Simon nodded slightly.  Before he could say anything else, Prudence exploded with anger.

            "LUPIN?  THAT—THAT—FREAK?"  Sin stared at her in surprise.  Even he had never gotten that strong a reaction out of Prudence.  Two livid spots stood out on her cheeks and her eyes were blazing.  "THAT was the only thing—the ONLY thing—Peter ever defied me about.  He came home from school spouting all this—this—nonsense—about werewolf rights.  When he graduated, I begged him—positively begged him to stay away from that monster, but he wouldn't.  'He's my friend,' he said.  I told him, 'Monsters don't make friends.  He's just using you.' 

            "I warned Peter that people would think less of him if they knew he was friends with a werewolf.  It would have RUINED his career, RUINED his life.  At least Peter saw the wisdom of keeping what Lupin is a secret.

            "Do you know that Lupin and Black almost KILLED a fellow student during their sixth year?  Poor misguided Peter kept saying that it wasn't Lupin's fault.  But it was—I'm sure it was.  Lupin's the one who turned Black bad.  He was a good boy until he met that monster.  As soon as I heard what Sirius had done—that he had killed my poor baby—I begged Werewolf Control to find Lupin and kill him." 

            Prudence closed her eyes and tears spilled down her cheeks.  "I knew he was involved.  It breaks my heart that they couldn't prove it.  He's still out there.  Someday he'll kill some other mother's son."

            Sin realized that he had clasped his hand over his shoulder at some point during Prudence's tirade.  He tore his eyes away from her and stared wide-eyed at his friend.

            "Werewolf?" Simon mouthed.

            Sin shrugged and whispered back, "I didn't know."  A million questions were in his mind, but one took precedence.  "Um, does anyone know if werewolf bites are contagious when the werewolf is in human form?"  Prudence glared at him sharply.   Sin allowed his hand to drop and forced a weak smile.  "Just curiosity."

            "Of course they're always contagious," Prudence snapped.  "I warned Peter of that a hundred times."

            Ice slid into Sin's stomach, and he thought he might faint.

            "No," Simon said forcefully.  "I remember Peter saying quite emphatically that they were only contagious during the full moon."

            Sin nodded and drank the remainder of his wine.  Simon immediately refilled the glass.

            "Excuse me," Prudence said, sniffling.  She stood up and headed toward the hall. 

            Kitty was a clever girl, and she didn't buy the 'just curiosity' statement.  She reached across the table to touch Sin's hand.  "The full moon was at beginning of the week on Monday or Tuesday.  Does that help?"

            It did.  "He bit me on Sunday night.  I lived through a full moon after being bitten, and I did not change.  I'm not infected." Sin exhaled fully, releasing the weight of his fear.  "Yeah, thanks.  I'm O.K.  I'm really O.K." 

            "He still should have told you," Simon growled.

            Sin didn't reply.  He took another large sip of his wine and put the glass down quickly.  He didn't like seeing the slight tremor of his hand.  "Close call.  Too close.  I guess Peter was right about werewolf bites, or maybe it was because Remus didn't break the skin when he bit me.  Peter probably learned about werewolf bites from Remus. Would Remus tell the truth about that? Or did he tell Peter what he wanted Peter to believe?  Doesn't matter.  I'm NOT infected, and I'm NOT going to get bitten by Remus again."  

He tried to smile at Simon and Kitty. "Next guy I date, I schedule our first date for a full moon—then I'll know."           

Simon smiled grimly. "Yeah, well, make sure the date begins after moonrise.  It might not be a good idea if he suddenly changes in the middle of dinner."

Author's Notes:  There you go, all done.  What do you think?  I wanted Remus to truly be fond of Sin, so he had to be someone worthy of his affection (patient, considerate, loyal friend, sense of humor, etc.)  However, since we all know that Moony belongs with Padfoot, Sin had to be less worthy of Remus than Sirius is (prejudiced against werewolves, his primary interest in Remus is sex, doesn't like children, etc.)  I'd like to think that once he gets over the "He's a werewolf?" shock, Sin would look back on his month with Remus fondly.  However, he'll NEVER dare have sex with him again.  I have a story kicking around in my head in which Sin runs into Remus, Harry, and their pet dog sometime shortly after the last chapter of "Go Back to Being Friends."

According to the websites I checked, in 1983, full moons fell on 28 February and 29 March (a Tuesday), so those are the dates I had in mind while writing this story.  (My husband knows that when he sees me looking up the dates of the full moon, I'm writing a Remus story.)