Title: 'Just This Once'
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Sirius/Remus
Word length: 400
Notes: This fic was written for Ballyharnon's 400 word challenge at her sbrl_Glovesmack LJ community. The challenge was for us to write a cookie consisting of no more than 400 words. It had to include two items (I used three) from a selected group, and the first line had to be 'Oh hell, I didn't mean it like that'.
The items I used were: whisky, leather manacles, and cigarettes.
Disclaimer: I own not of the Harry Potter universe. For now…
***
"Oh, hell, I didn't mean it like that," Remus Lupin laughed nervously as he started disposing himself of his school robes. They fell to the dusty floor of the Shrieking Shack in a crumpled heap.
Sirius Black held up two pairs of leather manacles and an iron muzzle clutched in his right hand. "Please don't tell me you're asking me to do what I think you are. We're only a month - two, tops - away from completing the final Animagus spell. I refuse to chain you up like some wild animal, Remus!" Sirius threw the restraints to the floor. Remus sighed, standing bare naked in front of his friend without shame.
"Sirius," he said tiredly, rubbing his temples. "In case you have forgotten, I am a wild animal. I want to know if restraining myself during the full moon will stop the wolf from doing more damage. I want to try it, just this once."
He walked past his friend toward the other side of the room, where he crouched down and pulled up a trap door. From inside the secret hide-away, Remus rummaged around for a moment before taking out a dusty bottle of whisky and a dirty packet of fags. He extracted a cigarette from the box with pre-moistened lips and lit the end with his wand.
"Fag?" Remus offered Sirius the box, uncorking the whisky bottle with his teeth and taking a careful sip.
Sirius slowly walked toward his friend, trying not to look below Remus' waist, ignoring the stirring he felt below his navel. He slid out a cigarette and stuck it in between his lips, leaning close to Remus' face, lighting the end with the other boy's fag. Sirius inhaled and exhaled slowly, bluish-grey smoke billowing around their faces.
"Why me, Remus. And how do you know those restraints won't break?"
"The manacles won't break; I cast an Anti-Breakage charm on them." A pause. "And as to why I wanted you to put them on me," he took a long drag from the burning cylinder then blew out, "because I know you will. You'd do anything for me."
Sirius nodded slowly, dropping his half-burned cigarette to the floor, stamping it out. "Yes, you're right. I would." He took a half step forward and pressed his dry, cracked lips roughly to Remus', then pulled back.
"Sirius – what?"
"I wanted to try it, just this once."
Fin