Cage | Chapter 2

A Harry Potter Fanfiction By Majokai Yukiko

Pairing: Remus + Sirius

Warning: Slash.

This is an amateur effort and does not intend to infringe on the rights of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books and their associates.

A/N: To say the truth, I am a very insecure girl. I need reassurances…regularly. So 5 reviews for a new chapter, fine with you guys?

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"I can't believe it!" Arthur Weasley shouted, tossing his bag down onto the couch in the Gryffindor common room in frustration. "Does the Sorting Hat need mending? Sirius Black?! In Gryffindor?!"

Remus remained silent, all the while digging into his pockets for a Chocolate Frog. His smooth forehead creased into a frown.

"Hey, any one have got a bit of chocolates to spare?" The young boy asked, now relocating his hunt to his luggage. He was sure he had a stash somewhere; surely he had not finished them on the train just now.

"Here, you can have mine."

A bright smile spread across Remus' face, not realizing that the entire common room had fallen into an uncomfortable silence. He looked up, about to thank his chocolate supplier when he realized just whom he was.

Sirius Black grinned uneasily, shifting his weight from one foot to another in an unconscious gesture. One hand was tucked protectively into his jeans pocket, another was holding out a container with the red words NUTELLA painted on its label. His ebony hair was tussled, lips red and swollen. Sirius had removed his cloak, but the muggle clothing he wore underneath it was heavy with the sick scent of thick perfume.

"Whoa! What happened to you?" James Potter pushed his glasses higher up his nose and stared at the mess the other boy was in. The rest of the common room was staring too, a soft 'Tsk Tsk' could be heard from the portrait of the Fat Lady at the door. "You looked…shagged."

"Er…" Whatever image Sirius had created earlier in the First-years' minds were banished at once when he blushed. A bright pink tint colored his cheeks as he pulled his hand out of his pockets and started to tug at the collar of his shirt, trying to savage as much of his decency as possible.

"My cousin Bellatrix had just decided to er…"

"Give you a very warm welcome." Remus completed for him, finally taking pity on the embarrassed boy and coming to his rescue. It was just not like him to leave someone in the lurch. Even if they really do deserve it.

Sirius nodded. Remus cocked his head to one side as if in puzzlement and then took the NUTELLA from the boy's hand.

"What's this?" Amber eyes blinked unfamiliarly at the label, successfully distracting the common room from Sirius' elusive session with his cousin as everybody began to crowd around the pair, wanting to know what the curious looking bottle hold.

"It's a muggle chocolate product. I bought it at London before I board the train. Heard that it's just chocolate though."

Arthur's eyes brightened up like that of a child who had just seen Santa. He jostled himself closer to Remus, taking a long hard look at the bottle with the red and white label on it. Would it be rude to ask Remus if he could have some of it?

Sirius Black bit lightly on his lower lip, looking like he was contemplating something before he pulled out a thin slice of aluminum-wrapped something from his shirt pocket and held it out to the redhead. 

"Another muggle sweet I got from the store. It's called chewing gum, apparently, it tastes sweet but you are not supposed to swallow it, just chew out all the sweetness."

The gum was placed in the middle of his palm. The invitation was obvious.

Arthur glanced down from the outstretched hand to the sincere but nervous smile on the Black heir's face. He took it, wrapping his hand around the other in a handshake and accepted the gift graciously.

"Friends."

"Friends." They grinned.

From then on, Sirius Black became one of the most popular in Gryffindor and in Hogwarts itself. His clean cut good looks and easy going smile had won him many heart shaped glances from the female population of the school. Even some of the professors took on a certain dreamy tone when talking to him.

Sirius never talked to his housemates about his family, his wealth, or the friends that he had grown up with. He made an effort never to be seen around Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, Narcissus or any of the Slytherins whose family he was familiar with before. It was as if some sort of a truce had taken place between he and them too. He would not bother himself with them, and they would not talk to his family about his 'wayward' behavior and earn the heir some ill-deserved Howlers.

James Potter and Sirius Black soon became fast friends. They were almost joined at the hip, never seen far apart from each other. Together with them most of the time were Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

One week passed. And the second week of school was about to come to an end. Remus noted with expected misery the rounding of the moon. Soon, it would be the full moon. Friends come and go with fashion. They never lasted. Not for him, at least.

"Ah….AHHHHHHHHHH!"

"REMUS! Wake up! It's just a nightmare…a bad dream…Wake up!" Sirius Black watched in worry how his friend tossed and turned in his dreams, tormented by inner demons that he could not reach, could not protect the soft-spoken boy from. He gritted his teeth painfully and reached out to try shaking Remus awake again.

A hand snaked out from beneath the covers and pulled Sirius down onto the soft bed. "Oof!" Sirius let out, his head coming in sudden contact with the pillow. Strong hands held him firm and unmovable, knees pressing down ruthlessly on his thighs.

"What are you trying to do, Black?"

"Nothing! Remus, I swear. You looked like you were having a nightmare. I just want to wake you!" Sirius defended himself, struggling uselessly against the strong grip.

Damn, why have I never realized how strong Remus is? He will be a darn good Beater if he uses this strength on that damn Bludger…

The dark haired boy stopped when he found himself looking into Remus' eyes. That was another thing he had not noticed about Remus until now. The boy had beautiful eyes. Amber gold orbs with flecks of preternatural silver in them; ginger brown hair falling over his brows, framing a heart shaped flawless face. Sirius could not believe that an introverted shy Remus Lupin could have such wild eyes, like that of a wild beast.

Almost feral…

The silver bits dimmed a little as Remus readjusted him, releasing his iron grip on his friend. A guilty expression crossed his face for a moment, so fast that Sirius thought he had imagined it. But no, it was definitely that. Eyes of melted gold glazed over in hurt and remorse, casting a weak vulnerable shadow on the boy. Sirius wanted to gather his friend into his arms and help him keep his demons at bay.

But he did not.

"I'm sorry, Siri." Remus lowered his head and whispered. "But you won't tell anyone what I just did, right?"

Sirius Black was never the sort to tell tales. But even if he was, the pleading tone in Remus' voice could break any cold heart into small smithereens.

Sirius pushed himself off the bed and ruffled Remus' hair affectionately. "Your secret's safe with me, Hercules." He teased with a cheeky smile tugging at the edge of his lips.

***

"Have you heard it?" Peter asked Remus anxiously as they made their way into the Great Hall. Remus shrugged uncomfortably, conscious of the strange glances he was receiving from the rest of the student population, especially those from the Gryffindor table.

The full moon was tonight. Tonight was the night if he lost his friends if he were unlucky. If he was lucky, the relationship might be able to last till next month or the month after. But Remus was certain that by the end of the first year, he would no longer be able to look at James, Peter or Sirius and smile inhibited again.

He had nearly attacked Sirius the night before. Wait, he had attacked the other boy. It was pure stroke of luck that he had not caused Sirius any permanent injury. But who could guarantee that he would be as fortunate the second or the third time?

"Heard what?" Remus turned his attention back to the small boy beside him. He had either a day or a month. Till then, he would treat his friends as well as he could.

"Sirius nominated you on the Quidditch team as a Beater this morning!"

Remus' eyebrows shot up and disappeared under his brow. A 'WHAT?!' was hanging right at the tip of his tongue, waiting for him to yell it out for the entire school to hear. All his friends should know he was the earthbound sort, uncomfortable with flying as much as a fish was with being out of water. What was Sirius thinking?

The dark haired boy's nickname for him came to mind immediately. Hercules…wasn't that the name of a superhero with abnormal strength in Greek muggle mythology?

Oh God…

Remus grabbed tightly onto a white pillar. His entire world was spinning out of focus. It was over. All was over. Sirius…he knew.

The first thing that came to Remus' mind was to run. Run far away from Hogwarts and make sure he was never seen or heard of again. He would have bear with anything and everything, but scorn and hatred in his friends' eyes. This…this was practically betrayal!

What do you expect? A dark inner voice spoke up from within him.

He was a Black after all. Do you really believe that he could be a friend to you?

"Remus…you okay…?"

"He promised…he promised he wouldn't tell…" The brunette muttered confusedly to himself, stumbling over his own feet as he bolted off, leaving behind a disorientated and very frightened Peter in the corridors.

He should never have been to Hogwarts at all.

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End of Chapter 2

To Be Continued