"I want to show you that I'm strong." Lupin thought.
~~~*~~~
After a few tense moments Rem's breathing slowed to a comfortable rate. Sirius slowly released the breath he'd been holding.
"Sorry about that, Padfoot. I'm okay now, I don't know what that was all about."
"It's alright." Black said with a relieved smile. "You had me scared for a second there, man. Don't do that again!"
"Believe me, I'll try not to." Moony grinned.
"So what did you wanna show me, huh? The proper way to have a heart attack?"
Lupin narrowed his honey-colored eyes. "No! Would you just drop it, Sirius? It's embarrassing enough."
Black raised his arms in defense. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry! I forgot how moody you can get, I'll try to be more careful from now on I swear!"
"You better!" Rem warned. Padfoot laughed openly at the empty threat. "Seriously, though, let me do this. It's been a long time since I had any one to show off to, ya know."
"Show away, buddy!" Lupin nodded.
~~~*~~~
Rem turned to face Billy once again. And once again he circled his 'victim', his eyes clearly conveyed deep concentration. The muscles in his legs were tensing and relaxing, rhythmically getting pumped up.
Suddenly Remus crouched down. His eyes were focused directly on the punching bag; he seemed to have forgotten he wasn't alone. Without a seconds warning he jumped, his feet were nearly a foot above the ground. At the height of the leap, he kicked out and up with his right foot.
At the exact moment he landed back on his right foot, the left shot up and out from behind, striking the bag right on target. Poor Billy didn't know what hit him.
~~~*~~~
"See here?" Rem asked, frozen in place. He was in an odd position, leaning forward with his left leg shooting straight out behind him. "I'm in the perfect position to run away, if need be." He straightened up and strode over to his astonished housemate.
"The first kick was to get a feel of the enemy's size and possibly confuse them by barely brushing them with your foot. That second kick was to actually injure, or at least stun the attacker to give you a chance to get the hell away."
"I see." Black said softly, still looking at his friend in awe.
"Come off it, Padfoot. It wasn't all that spectacular." Rem said, modest as always. And with that he exited the room as if nothing at all surprising happened.
Black was still staring at Billy, watching him swing strongly to and fro. It was a few seconds before Sirius followed Lupin's example and left the room.
"That was quite a kick." He thought as he cut off the lights and shut the door behind him.
~~~*~~~
The following hours passed far too quickly for Remus. There was a growing unease in his gut. He knew time was running out for him to tell Sirius he had to go. Sirius had just gotten out of the shower and was in the kitchen getting himself a snack. Rem was lounging on the couch reading. Well, actually, he was pretending to read. What he was really doing was working up the nerve to tell Siri of his plans.
An owl flying in through the open back door, however, interrupted Lupin's planning as well as the peaceful scene. The owl landed on Remus' lap, dropped the note, and was off. Sirius watched it go and then turned to Rem.
"Is it from Dumbledore?" he asked swiftly.
Indeed it was. But it concerned Moony's mission. The mission Black was, as of yet, unaware of. Not knowing what else to say, Remus spoke in a rush.
"Well, it is. But not about what you're thinking. You'll find out soon, though. Don't worry." He smiled.
"Well, can I read it?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'd rather tell you myself. But the time isn't right yet. I will tell you, though. Just not now, you'll know everything soon." He put the letter in his pocket and picked his book back up, struggling to act like nothing happened.
Sirius' eyes darkened slightly with suspicion. "What's the big secret Rem? Aren't you all out of those by now? What are you hiding?"
"I'm sorry, I'm just not ready to tell you yet, alright? Why can't you wait?"
Blacks' voice began to rise. "Wait? I've been waiting days for you to open up! And now I find out something else is being kept from me? It's like you don't trust me or something."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Sirius. I'm hiding nothing."
"Bull."
"Ok, maybe I am hiding things. But believe me, it's not because I don't trust you. Its just that." Here he sighed, annoyed. "It's hard for me to get used to sharing things with anyone. It's hard to explain. Just give me a little time, please."
"I think I know what's going on here." Black said lowly. "You still think of me as a murderer, don't you? You're still suspicious of me after all you've seen. I can't believe you." His voice dripped with disgust.
Black's eyes were bright with anger. The legendary temper of his was threatening to take over. His hands were tight fists, shaking at his sides. Lupin got to his feet.
"Padfoot, you know that isn't true." But Sirius ignored him.
"You know, Moony, you're acting pretty suspicious yourself." He snapped coldly.
"What?" He said softly.
Sirius' voice started out barely above a whisper at first but gradually grew in volume and ferocity.
"You heard me. You gave only sketchy details of your past. You've been so secretive, edgy, lately. Receiving unmarked letters that are for your eyes only. If I weren't such a trusting friend I'd think you were in with the Dark Lord himself!" By now Black was literally roaring.
Remus gasped as though he'd been struck.
"How could you accuse me of such a thing, Sirius? Nothing could be further from the truth. Please, you don't mean that do you?"
..
"Do you?" He repeated.
"I don't know." Black looked down and away. He truly didn't know what to think. He looked up when he heard a loud thump. Lupin had out of frustration punched the wall.
"Shit." He said softly, looking at the hole he had made. Remus then began pacing in a small circle, obviously not sure what to do. When Sirius still did nothing, though, Moony seemed to get angrier.
"Damn! What do I have to do gain your trust, huh? Huh! Oh, great, gone catatonic on me, have you? Well fine, since you don't seem able to move and I can't even stand the smell of you right now ... I guess I'll be leaving."
Too enraged to even remember that he could Apparate, Rem stormed out into the blue-ness of quiet country dusk.
~~~*~~~ Hours passed ~~~*~~~
It took a while before Sirius was calm enough to start worrying about Remus. It was getting late and he still hadn't returned.
"Maybe he's not coming back at all." He thought. "No, he as no where else to go, not that I know of, anyway. If he's not back within the hour I'm going to go look for him."
It was then that Black caught site of the small calendar on the table beside the couch. His breath caught in his throat. It was the full moon tonight. Seconds later a huge black dog was running from the house and into the trees, howling his apologies and regrets.
~~~*~~~
A/N - Longest chapter ever! ~Happy Dances~ Please review!!!!! I'd especially like comments on the argument. Did it seem realistic at all? Oh yeah, please no flames. ~K 4/1/03
~~~*~~~
After a few tense moments Rem's breathing slowed to a comfortable rate. Sirius slowly released the breath he'd been holding.
"Sorry about that, Padfoot. I'm okay now, I don't know what that was all about."
"It's alright." Black said with a relieved smile. "You had me scared for a second there, man. Don't do that again!"
"Believe me, I'll try not to." Moony grinned.
"So what did you wanna show me, huh? The proper way to have a heart attack?"
Lupin narrowed his honey-colored eyes. "No! Would you just drop it, Sirius? It's embarrassing enough."
Black raised his arms in defense. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry! I forgot how moody you can get, I'll try to be more careful from now on I swear!"
"You better!" Rem warned. Padfoot laughed openly at the empty threat. "Seriously, though, let me do this. It's been a long time since I had any one to show off to, ya know."
"Show away, buddy!" Lupin nodded.
~~~*~~~
Rem turned to face Billy once again. And once again he circled his 'victim', his eyes clearly conveyed deep concentration. The muscles in his legs were tensing and relaxing, rhythmically getting pumped up.
Suddenly Remus crouched down. His eyes were focused directly on the punching bag; he seemed to have forgotten he wasn't alone. Without a seconds warning he jumped, his feet were nearly a foot above the ground. At the height of the leap, he kicked out and up with his right foot.
At the exact moment he landed back on his right foot, the left shot up and out from behind, striking the bag right on target. Poor Billy didn't know what hit him.
~~~*~~~
"See here?" Rem asked, frozen in place. He was in an odd position, leaning forward with his left leg shooting straight out behind him. "I'm in the perfect position to run away, if need be." He straightened up and strode over to his astonished housemate.
"The first kick was to get a feel of the enemy's size and possibly confuse them by barely brushing them with your foot. That second kick was to actually injure, or at least stun the attacker to give you a chance to get the hell away."
"I see." Black said softly, still looking at his friend in awe.
"Come off it, Padfoot. It wasn't all that spectacular." Rem said, modest as always. And with that he exited the room as if nothing at all surprising happened.
Black was still staring at Billy, watching him swing strongly to and fro. It was a few seconds before Sirius followed Lupin's example and left the room.
"That was quite a kick." He thought as he cut off the lights and shut the door behind him.
~~~*~~~
The following hours passed far too quickly for Remus. There was a growing unease in his gut. He knew time was running out for him to tell Sirius he had to go. Sirius had just gotten out of the shower and was in the kitchen getting himself a snack. Rem was lounging on the couch reading. Well, actually, he was pretending to read. What he was really doing was working up the nerve to tell Siri of his plans.
An owl flying in through the open back door, however, interrupted Lupin's planning as well as the peaceful scene. The owl landed on Remus' lap, dropped the note, and was off. Sirius watched it go and then turned to Rem.
"Is it from Dumbledore?" he asked swiftly.
Indeed it was. But it concerned Moony's mission. The mission Black was, as of yet, unaware of. Not knowing what else to say, Remus spoke in a rush.
"Well, it is. But not about what you're thinking. You'll find out soon, though. Don't worry." He smiled.
"Well, can I read it?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'd rather tell you myself. But the time isn't right yet. I will tell you, though. Just not now, you'll know everything soon." He put the letter in his pocket and picked his book back up, struggling to act like nothing happened.
Sirius' eyes darkened slightly with suspicion. "What's the big secret Rem? Aren't you all out of those by now? What are you hiding?"
"I'm sorry, I'm just not ready to tell you yet, alright? Why can't you wait?"
Blacks' voice began to rise. "Wait? I've been waiting days for you to open up! And now I find out something else is being kept from me? It's like you don't trust me or something."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Sirius. I'm hiding nothing."
"Bull."
"Ok, maybe I am hiding things. But believe me, it's not because I don't trust you. Its just that." Here he sighed, annoyed. "It's hard for me to get used to sharing things with anyone. It's hard to explain. Just give me a little time, please."
"I think I know what's going on here." Black said lowly. "You still think of me as a murderer, don't you? You're still suspicious of me after all you've seen. I can't believe you." His voice dripped with disgust.
Black's eyes were bright with anger. The legendary temper of his was threatening to take over. His hands were tight fists, shaking at his sides. Lupin got to his feet.
"Padfoot, you know that isn't true." But Sirius ignored him.
"You know, Moony, you're acting pretty suspicious yourself." He snapped coldly.
"What?" He said softly.
Sirius' voice started out barely above a whisper at first but gradually grew in volume and ferocity.
"You heard me. You gave only sketchy details of your past. You've been so secretive, edgy, lately. Receiving unmarked letters that are for your eyes only. If I weren't such a trusting friend I'd think you were in with the Dark Lord himself!" By now Black was literally roaring.
Remus gasped as though he'd been struck.
"How could you accuse me of such a thing, Sirius? Nothing could be further from the truth. Please, you don't mean that do you?"
..
"Do you?" He repeated.
"I don't know." Black looked down and away. He truly didn't know what to think. He looked up when he heard a loud thump. Lupin had out of frustration punched the wall.
"Shit." He said softly, looking at the hole he had made. Remus then began pacing in a small circle, obviously not sure what to do. When Sirius still did nothing, though, Moony seemed to get angrier.
"Damn! What do I have to do gain your trust, huh? Huh! Oh, great, gone catatonic on me, have you? Well fine, since you don't seem able to move and I can't even stand the smell of you right now ... I guess I'll be leaving."
Too enraged to even remember that he could Apparate, Rem stormed out into the blue-ness of quiet country dusk.
~~~*~~~ Hours passed ~~~*~~~
It took a while before Sirius was calm enough to start worrying about Remus. It was getting late and he still hadn't returned.
"Maybe he's not coming back at all." He thought. "No, he as no where else to go, not that I know of, anyway. If he's not back within the hour I'm going to go look for him."
It was then that Black caught site of the small calendar on the table beside the couch. His breath caught in his throat. It was the full moon tonight. Seconds later a huge black dog was running from the house and into the trees, howling his apologies and regrets.
~~~*~~~
A/N - Longest chapter ever! ~Happy Dances~ Please review!!!!! I'd especially like comments on the argument. Did it seem realistic at all? Oh yeah, please no flames. ~K 4/1/03
