Chapter sixteen – Exhaustion
A few days passed by in a romantic daze for Sirius and Remus. Soon enough, it was the morning before the rest of the school were set to return and the two canines were rather disappointed.
"Don't worry Rem, we'll have other opportunities to be alone together" Sirius said to his boyfriend whilst they both lay naked in his bed. "I know but it won't be the same. We were able to walk around the school holding hands and acting like a real couple" Remus said sadly.
Sirius was silent for a moment and Remus noticed the uneasiness in his eyes. It was obvious that Remus was ready to tell everyone about his relationship with Sirius, but Sirius clearly wasn't. Remus swept the awkwardness away with a kiss which Sirius obliged to.
The kiss began softly but grew deeper as the two boys brushed their tongues over each others mouths. Once the kiss was finished, Sirius smiled at his boyfriend and they began talking once again.
"I love your tongue, Remus" Sirius said to him, licking his lips. Remus blushed slightly but smiled in return. "I mean, it's so delicate and I adore the taste of you in my mouth" Sirius added, winking at him. Remus blushed further as he realised his meaning.
"Come on then" Sirius said to him and Remus looked up rather confused. "What?" He asked innocently. "I just told you what I like about you, you have to do the same for me" Sirius replied. Remus pondered this for a moment before he settled on an answer.
"I love your hair. It's so silky and soft, I love to run my fingers through it" Remus replied, stroking Sirius' soft mane. Sirius smiled at him and gave him a brief kiss. "As much as I like this game, we have to get ready to meet the others" Sirius stated. "I need to shower" Remus announced, getting out of bed.
"I'm not surprised" Sirius said with a wink. Remus made his way over to the bathroom and Sirius' cockiness vanished as he was transfixed by Remus' naked body. His thin but slightly tanned body was covered in small, dry cuts but Remus still looked amazing. Sirius was content to realise that Remus and his body were not only his own, but they were Sirius' as well.
Sirius was too busy admiring Remus that he didn't notice when he walked towards him and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello Sirius? Did you hear what I said?" Remus asked. Sirius snapped out of his trance and looked up at Remus. "Sorry I was admiring the view" He replied with a smirk. Remus smiled shyly and repeated his question.
"Would you like to join me in the shower?" He asked. "Do you even have to ask?" Sirius replied, jumping at of bed and making his way to the shower with Remus.
After a long shower, the two boys emerged wet and tired. They got dressed quickly and went down to the Great Hall for a quick breakfast.
"What time does the train get here?" Remus asked Sirius. "About ten I think. We should go and greet them at the station" Sirius suggested. "Yeah that sounds good" Remus replied, continuing with his breakfast. Sirius noticed the sadness in Remus' amber orbs. "Don't worry, love. We can spend tonight together in my bed if you want. Not that we don't usually anyway" Sirius said comfortingly.
"It's not just that. The full moon is in a few days" Remus whispered. "I know" Sirius said, reaching under the table and grasping Remus' hand. "But we'll all be there with you" Sirius added. Remus smiled weakly but he didn't seem very reassured.
Sirius gave Remus' hand a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry about it too much, love. It will be over for this month in a few days" Sirius said softly. "I know but then there's next month, and the month after that and etc" Remus replied sadly. Sirius couldn't stand to see Remus so unhappy; he needed a way to cheer him up or to get his mind off of things.
"Come on, we better get going" Sirius said to him. Remus nodded and they exited the Great Hall and walked outside into the soft wind. Sirius took Remus' hand but there was no reaction out of him. Sirius sighed and stopped walking. Remus was rather surprised at first and looked up at Sirius quizzically.
He opened his mouth to speak but before he uttered a word, Sirius' lips were pressed against his. Remus was stunned for a moment but then he relaxed and returned the kiss gratefully. He knew Sirius was not only doing this for pleasure, but also to cheer Remus up, and it was working.
When their lips parted, Remus smiled sweetly at Sirius. "Thanks" He said and he took Sirius' hand when they started walking again. Sirius smiled triumph fully at a job well done.
They arrived a while later on the platform and awaited the arrival of the train. Sirius gently rubbed Remus' fingers and kissed up his neck. He stopped abruptly when they heard the sound of the train pulling into the station. They both stood and waited for the train to stop. When it did, the students started to file out and they looked over the heads of the students in search for their friends.
Tylon and Amanda said hello as they went past but the last few students to appear where Peter, James and Lily. "Hey" said Sirius and Remus in unison to their friends. They returned the greeting and the five of them walked back up to the castle.
"Did you have a good Christmas and New Year you three?" Sirius asked them. "Yeah" they all replied. "Hey Padfoot, I even got a bit of Quidditch in" James said to Sirius. "Cool. I had a bit of a fly around as well" Sirius replied. "Did you two have a good time?" Lily asked them. "Of course they did, they've been alone in their dorm room" Peter said, smirking. Sirius and Remus smiled shyly. "We did have an amazing time, Lily" Remus replied. "I bet you did" Peter muttered.
They spent the rest of the day talking about their Christmas' and New Year because tomorrow they would be returning to classes and wouldn't have much opportunity to. After dinner, the marauders were seated in the common room finishing off homework (except for Remus of course who had done his already).
"I don't want to go back to lessons tomorrow" Sirius said to the other three. "Neither do I" James said, closing his Transfiguration book. "Lets do something more interesting than this" He suggested. "Like what?" Peter asked. "How about another prank on Snivellus?" Sirius replied.
Remus felt his stomach lurch unpleasantly. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Sirius? I mean, he's going to start getting annoyed" Remus said. "Plus, he already hates you for taking his Remus away from him" James added. Sirius pulled Remus onto his lap and put his arms around him protectively.
"He was never his. He's mine" Sirius stated, kissing Remus' cheek. "Aww" Said Peter and James, smirking at him. "How soppy" James added. Sirius smirked at them before continuing. "But you're right; I don't want to piss him off too badly. Let's do a prank on another annoying Slytherin" Sirius said.
The Marauders continued plotting until they became restless and decided to go to sleep. Remus slept in Sirius' bed that night as promised but they talked a little before going to sleep. "Am I really yours?" Remus asked Sirius, who was facing him and stroking his hair.
"Of course you are" Sirius replied, giving him a quick peck on the lips and bringing him closer to him. "And you always will be".
The next few days passed in a sort of blur for Remus. The only person who distracted him from the upcoming full moon was Sirius whom kept trying to comfort him whenever he was down. But even Sirius couldn't distract Remus from his never ending fear of the full moon, but that was his burden and he was going to have to face it.
Saturday evening arrived and Remus felt a sick sense of dread in his stomach as Madam Pomfrey took him down to the shrieking shack. The other three Marauders where coming later, when Remus was in his werewolf form and they were in Animagi form. Remus removed his clothes and put them into a corner. Remus stood in the bedroom of the shrieking shack and he suddenly felt his muscles tense. He felt pain shooting through his arms, legs and back and he knew this transformation was going to be a painful one. His back arched and he felt like his whole body was being stretched.
His shoulders broadened and his arms and legs grew. Hair began to sprout all over his body. Pain was flowing through him and he gritted his teeth as more pain shot through him. More excruciating minutes later, the transformation was complete and Moony ran around the shrieking shack, ripping various objects to pieces.
Eventually, he found his friends Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail. He started to play with Padfoot a little and chased Prongs around for fun. Wormtail stayed out of Moony's way and climbed on the bed. The animals ran around and played for a long while until they left Moony alone because his time was ending.
Remus awoke the next morning lying naked on the old bed. His bones and muscles were aching and he couldn't lift himself up. Madam Pomfrey usually waited at the hospital wing for him in case it wasn't safe but Remus couldn't seem to get himself to move towards the door.
He tried to move his legs but pain shot through him and he gritted his teeth in agony. He knew if he tried to get up, he would collapse so he merely lay there, unable to move and wishing someone would come and help him.
Sirius sat waiting in the common room for Remus. He's usually back by now he thought worriedly. After a while, he couldn't take the waiting any longer and he went to the hospital wing to find him. He entered and saw Madam Pomfrey at her desk.
"Have you seen Remus?" He asked her innocently. She turned around to face him and appeared to be slightly worried as well. "No I haven't. I was just about to go to the shrieking shack" She replied, standing. "I'll come with you" Sirius said and he led the way before she could object.
They prodded the knot of the Whomping Willow and practically ran through the passage. They opened the door and as soon as they entered, they heard a disgruntled moaning sound coming from the bedroom. Sirius ran into the room and saw Remus pale and sweating.
"Remus! Are you ok?!" Sirius asked, running to his side. Remus stared up at Sirius and weakly replied. "No, I can barely move". He grabbed Sirius' hand and kissed it. "Help" He said faintly. Sirius was petrified. "Madam Pomfrey!" He yelled.
The young witch rushed into the room and ran over to Remus and Sirius. She ignored their entwined fingers and felt Remus' forehead. "Your not hot. But why are you sweating?" She said, more to herself than to him. "Pain" He choked out. Sirius gave his hand a gentle squeeze whilst Madam Pomfrey checked him over.
"You're going to have to come back to the hospital wing for a few days" She told him. "Can't walk" Remus muttered. "I know, I'll levitate you there" She replied. Soon enough, Remus' body was being levitated back to Hogwarts by Madam Pomfrey whilst Sirius kept a hold of his hand.
When they arrived in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey gave Remus a sleeping potion and ushered Sirius out of the room. Sirius wandered around aimlessly for a while, concerned about his lover. He went back to the common room to inform James and Peter what had happened and then went for a little sleep.
When he awoke, it was already lunch but Sirius wasn't hungry so he wandered around for a while outside, gathering his thoughts. He felt so much worry for his boyfriend that he could hardly contain it. He needed to see him, to touch him. But he knew Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let him. But maybe she would… Sirius suddenly thought.
He rushed back up to the castle and ran to the hospital wing. He stopped outside the door and opened in carefully. He walked over to Remus' bed and looked at his sleeping beauty. He started stroking his hair gently and he kissed him softly on the lips.
"I never knew you cared so much, Black" said a voice from behind him. Sirius spun around and was faced with Severus Snape. "Get out of here, Snape" Sirius snarled. "I merely came here to see Re- Lupin" Snape replied. "Well you can't, I'm visiting him" Sirius replied, turning back to Remus.
Snape moved to the other side of the bed and placed his hand in Remus'. "Get away from my Remus!" Sirius growled. Snape laughed and kissed Remus on the head and left before Sirius could say another word.
"He won't be yours for much longer" Snape said when he was out of Sirius' earshot.
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A/N: Another chapter finished! And I decided to end it on a cliff-hanger. Dear little Sirius is so overprotective isn't he? But can you really blame him? Review and tell me what you thought please!