30 reviews for the last chapter! Did I ever mention that I love my reviewers!! I especially love the following people: Rachel Molko and Cecil (who are to be thanked twice for reviewing twice! Double love to you both!) I r8ped riddle, ScullyCat Marie, Vela-Chan, Fran, The Demonic Duo, Mishi, Jasina, Wicked Chic, Lady Sundig (an especially lovely review- thanks!), Fimbrethil (yes, I love you too…), Demus (hugs and kisses babe), Lizzy, Bunny, weltenauge (another happy chapter right here), Gypsy Lupin-Black, Roz, Gwen Potter, freakyfairy, Louis, madkornfan, Chloe-Wagner, Genny, Yukerei, I give it all to Mr. Black (great pen name!), CarpeNoctem17 and Erfaciel (actually Sirius isn't going to be wearing leather pants for two more chapters… but there will be cute fluff to make up for it!) 

~ Sirius' POV, Wednesday 24th September~

           

I'm having one of those dreams that are so good that you never want to wake up. Remus and I are alone on a deserted tropical beach- the sound of the lapping waves is soothing and the spectacular pulchritude of the sunset sweeps across the sky in a thousand dazzling shades of red and orange. Remus and I lying side by side in the soft sand and are hands are entwined together. Remus sits up and leaning over me, he kisses me tenderly.

"Sirius!"

            "Go away," I mumble. I hate it when people disturb my sleep.

            "Are you awake, Sirius?" hisses James.

            "I am now," I say and open one eye to find James Potter kneeling over my bed, inches away from my face. "What is it?" I growl.

            "I wanted to talk to you. Alone. Please…"

            I open my other eye and glare at James. "Go on then."

"Remus is back, Sirius! Remus is here!" James grins at me.

 "I know- I saw him last night," I reply, but this time I can't quite keep the smile off my face.

"Did anything happen?" asks James with an even bigger grin.

"No. Professor Death sort of interrupted us, if you know what I mean," I say dryly.

James is still grinning. "So if the charming Professor Death hadn't interrupted do you think something would have happened?"

I think about it. Remus was kissing my hair last night. This can only mean one of two things: either Remus likes me or my shampoo smells really good. I actually think Remus likes me! James is waiting for an answer to his question and I nod. "Yes, James, I think something would have happened between us."

"Duelling club's on tonight," says James.

I don't quite see what that has to do with Remus or me. I smirk. "Your going to duelling club? How sweet, Jamsie-boy."

"Nah, I'm not going to duelling club, Siri-baby! I'm running duelling club. And Peter's my assistant."

"That's nice for you," I say.

James looks at me as if I'm stupid. "Don't you see? Pretty much the whole of Gryffindor is going to duelling club except you and Remus. You're going to be alone with Remus for nearly two hours! And the dorm will be empty!"

James is right. It presents me with the perfect opportunity to tell Remus how I feel. I'm nervous already. "It isn't that simple, James! I… well… it isn't just… erm…" I sigh. "You know I've had a lot of girlfriends? Well, I've never had a boyfriend. I've never kissed a boy or anything. What if it's different? What if I'm no good?"

James nods sympathetically. I begin to realise what a great mate he is. "Just tell him, Padfoot. You'll be great and he'll love you for who you are."

"Thanks James. I'll do it tonight."

I roll out of bed and stand up. The time on the muggle alarm clock next to my bed reads 06:59. I'm about to get dressed when I notice that James is still standing awkwardly next to my bed. "Well, what is it now?" I ask. But James doesn't say anything. Instead he steps towards me and plants a quick kiss on my lips. Then he steps away from me and he no longer looks awkward.

"What did you do that for?" I ask incredulously. Until a couple of weeks ago, I thought James was the straightest man on earth.

"Nothing, really. I just wanted you to have kissed a guy so that you wouldn't be so nervous tonight." He smiles. "Can I copy your muggle studies homework now?"

~Potions With Professor Death~

Only ten minutes of potions left. Ten long minutes and then it's the end of school. After that it's four hours to duelling club. And then I'm going to tell Remus how I feel.

I steal a glance at Remus. His face is bathed in the green light from his softly simmering potion and he's looking at me. As soon as we realise that we're looking at each other we both look down. This has been happening all day. Except at breakfast and lunch when Remus didn't turn up. He says he was busy but I don't know if I believe him. I'm beginning to have doubts about how he feels about me. What if when on the station platform he held me to him like he never wanted to let go, and again when I hugged him after his nightmare, he was just being friendly? What if when I nearly kissed him as I pierced his ear, he was oblivious to my advances? What is he only kissed me goodbye because the taxi driver told him to? And what if he kissed my hair because that's what the French do to their friends?

I have to tell him how I feel, though. I promised James I would.

There's only two minutes of potions left. As if on cue, Remus decanters some potion into a bottle and neatly clears away his cauldron. A few seconds later my potion explodes, covering me in green slime.

"MR BLACK! HAVE YOU NOT BEEN CONCENTRATING AT ALL! YOU SHOULD HAVE ADDED POWDERED NEWTS TAILS BEFORE BOILING!" screams Professor Death.

Oh dear.

"Detention tonight, Mr Black!"

I stare at Professor Death. James stares at Professor Death. Please no, I think. Not tonight.

"Actually, I am busy with the Hufflepuff detentions tonight, Mr Black. I think tomorrow night would be far more convenient," says Professor Death with a cruel leer. I let out a sigh and hear James doing the same next to me. "Class is ended," says Professor Death.

James starts to decanter some of his potion into a bottle. I look at my green slime. "Bugger this," I say and casually wave the wand so the mess vanishes.

"Sirius, you won't get any marks at all for your potion now," protests Remus, as he appears between James and myself.

I shrug and try not to stare at his beautiful face.

"About duelling club, James, I-" begins Remus.

"YOU CAN'T COME!" snaps James.

"Well, actually, I was going to apologise because I can't come, James. There's no need to snap at me. Why don't you want me there?"

"Because I'll get embarrassed," lies James as the three of us head to the common room.

~Later~

James was right when he said that nearly every Gryffindor would go to his duelling club. The common room is almost empty except for the slight figure of Remus Lupin hunched over a herbology essay.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask him.

Remus looks up at me and nods. "I actually wanted to talk to you-tonight when we could be alone."

We move to an old settee near the huge blazing fire.

"I have to say-" I begin.

"I want to tell you-" says Remus at the same time.

There is a moment of heavy silence. You first," says Remus eventually.

I have my speech prepared. I just have to be brave and say it. "Remus, we've been friends for over five years and that friendship has always meant a lot to me. And whatever happens between us, whatever, I hope that we'll always be friends. James once described us as 'brothers' and until the end of last year I thought that was true but now- now, I can't help but think that maybe there's something more to be had. I'm gay, Remus. I first realised that when I began to fall for my best friend. When I began to fall for you, in fact, and I hope against hope that you feel the same way for me."

I try to read what Remus is thinking but his expression is thoughtful and calm but he's looking at the floor and not at me. At least he hasn't run away screaming, I think.

I decide to just kiss him and see if I get a response. I gently lift up his chin with my index finger and force him to meet my eyes. Then I slowly lean forward and prepare to kiss him. At the last moment Remus stands up, looks at me for a second, then turns and sprints up the stairs.

I watch him go with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Can I leave it like this? Leave our love and friendship hanging in the balance? No. With a few furtive glances at the only occupants of the common room- solely comprising two timid first years who are staring openly at me with wide eyes, I follow Remus up to the dormitory. 

I knock on the door. "Remus?" I call.

"Come on in, Siri." It's funny- he doesn't sound remotely upset. When I enter the room my eyes immediately fall on Remus' four-poster bed where he is lying. Only my view is obscured by a shimmering mass, which as I peer closer I discover to be a constant falling of millions of tiny pieces of purple glitter from the ceiling. The effect is magical. Each piece of glitter vanishes just before it hits the floor or the highest object in its path.

"How did you-" I begin to ask.

"I bought a tub of purple glitter at Hogsmeade, though at the time I didn't know why. Then I charmed it to fall in a continuous shower from the ceiling using the 'snow charm' we were taught last year. And I've used the 'protego incantation' in conjunction with the 'vanishing charm' to make each piece of glitter vanish before it hits the bed or-" he blushes sweetly- "the people on the bed. It took me all day."

I laugh. "Actually I was going to say 'how did you get to be so beautiful?'"

Remus laughs too but he sounds nervous. "I'm sorry I ran off. It's just that I'd worked hard and I wanted this to be perfect," he says seeking my approval.

"It is," I reply. Then I walk the remaining three strides across the room and sit down on his bed. Remus sits up next to me, I rest my hand on his, and then we just look at each other. I try to print in my memory how Remus looks right now- with thousands of pieces of glitter disappearing just before they hit him, his liquid eyes staring at me, amber forelock trailing across soft milk and honey coloured skin, and a shy half-smile playing on his lips.

The half-smile turns into an impish little grin. "Are you going to kiss me then? I've been to all this trouble and-"

He doesn't finish his sentence because my lips are pressed against his. I kiss him softly at first, then more earnestly and then almost frantically. His lips are soft. I feel one of his hands snaking up my shirt and tracing the muscles of my bare back, while the other lies dormant under my own hand.

"This has to be right," Remus gasps as we break apart.

"It is. Definitely," I say and flash him a reassuring smile, which quickly turns into a broad, ecstatic grin. "Even James said we were meant for each other: the moon-child and the boy named after a star."

Remus laughs. "Well, if James said so…"

He kisses me and soon I'm lost as his tongue dances with mine and he lowers me down on top of him, while his warm hand strokes my back and my free hand runs though his flame-coloured hair.

And that's that.