Yet again I apologise for my lateness in updating- I almost forgot I had this running until a couple of days ago. So sorry, thanks to all the reviewers- you are all brilliant.  I was hoping for some reviews- but the reception this has had has been heart-warming.

"And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover…

I am determined to prove a villain."

Richard III, William Shakespeare.

They both awoke in the early hours of day when the sun is just tickling its rays over the high hills and mountaintops, to the sound of banging and cursing.

Still clutching each other, the pair stared one another in the eye, a single word on their lips. "Sirius." Remus was the first to break the silence with the name.

Harry scowled stubbornly. "He can't see us, Remus. We ought to just let him bang around for a bit. He'll get bored after a while."

The cottage had good wards on it; it would take a far more powerful wizard than the drunken Sirius to break them. "I cannot understand the man," the werewolf growled, rolling out of bed despite Harry's pleading.

"First he is in the mood for killing himself, then he settles for banging on our door at whatever ungodly hour it is! Perhaps I should have let him fall…" Remus trailed off, leaning against the dresser, and raking his fingers through his hair.

"Don't say something like that," Harry hushed him, rushing to the man's side and clasping his hands. "Sirius is unbearable at the moment, but he's still your best friend."

"I'm beginning to wonder whether its not just the alcohol- whether he is truly insane," Remus mused, a thoughtful expression on his tired features. "I wonder if St Mungo's might have him…"

"You told me yourself that it would do him no good!" Harry cried, annoyed by the defeatist tone in Lupin's voice.

"Did I? Oh, I don't remember that. Well they do have wards for the magically insane… we could just say that this was the effect of… um…"

The werewolf flung his hands down as the banging drew closer. "I can't think like this!"

"Shush," Harry murmured, grasping both hands in his before wrapping Remus in his arms once more. "You need to relax. I think I'm the only one that sees that you're going to have a nervous breakdown if you continue like this."

Remus nodded, his head jittery. "I've got to do this though; make him see that it's pointless to carry on like this. Come with me, will you?" he groped frantically for a pale hand in the semi-darkness.

Harry nodded and followed the man into the hallway, pausing to snatch a coat. Remus didn't need one; he was still dressed from the daytime and was warm enough.

They quietly opened the door, padding out onto the veranda. Somewhere behind them was a wild yell and then a resounding thud. "Who put an effing wall there?" Sirius growled at no one in particular.

Harry glanced upwards to study his Professor's face. It was pale but calm, as it had been the night of the Shrieking Shack. He squeezed Remus' hand and earned a distracted smile.

They stared into the sudden silence, listening carefully for any sound of Sirius then there was another wild yell and the man ran in front of them. His hair was in disarray and his clothes looked as though they had been thrown on him.

"Oh sorry, did I disturb the lovers?" he asked mockingly, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Yes, you did disturb us," Remus replied, deceptively cool. "Would you mind going back to your home and leaving us in peace."

Sirius snorted, crossing his arms. "Is that it, Moony? Where's the condescending speech about morals and all that goodness bullshit? Eh, where's the 'that was wrong Sirius', and puppy dog eyes?"

"I don't know, Padfoot. Where are they?" his voice was annoyingly calm.

Sirius tore at his hair, dancing from foot to the other, his bare feet springing on the damp grass. "There's no Padfoot any more!" he bellowed.

"Yes there is… you've just got to find him." Harry was slightly scared by the blankness of Remus' demeanour, and confused by the affection that still shone in his eyes.

"There. Is. No. Padfoot."

"Yes there is; there's always Padfoot." Now the werewolf's tone was cajoling, slightly patronising in its insistence. "There's still a Moony, so there's still a Padfoot."

"Yeah, there's still Moony. He was that pathetic little runt that went off sleeping with people he shouldn't know that well"-

"It's just the drink talking. You don't think that."

"Yes I do, but Remmie. Please… believe me- I still love you. I could forget all of that stuff and we could start afresh- just the two of us."

Harry felt his mind burning as he silently screamed at Sirius, but he forced himself to stand stock-still and just support Remus. The Order member's cheeks were flushed a pale pink with indignation although he listened as Sirius continued.

"I don't care what people say about you, Remus. You're a slut, yes, but you're my slut. Me and James hated you for sleeping with Lucius, but I always stood up for you"-

"No you didn't," Remus bit in frostily. "You never stood up for me. It was never in your nature, Black, to ever stand up for anyone apart from James. You publicly disowned me… don't you remember?"

Remus glared at Sirius, as if trying to summon the memories into the other man's head. It did not seem to work and the drunken wizard just shrugged. "No."

He gave a snort, scuffing the ground with his foot, before glaring upwards. "Go home, Sirius. You're drunk and you're acting stupidly."

"I'm not going back without you!" and with that Sirius lunged forward drunkenly, grabbing onto Remus' arm and tugging him backwards. At the same time Harry leapt forward, holding onto the other.

~ Interlude 2, or Help Your Fallen Angel ~

I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, so much. How long have I KNOWN you? And how long has he known you?

All of FIVE years or however many since 1993…

I've known you since you were little more than 12. Twelve. Zwölf. Douze. Doce.

By RIGHTS you're mine. You always will be. I was the first boy you ever kissed. I'm the one that gave up a good two months of HIS life to find out how to become an animagus.

What have you ever done?

Held him while he cried about how awful big-bad-SIRIUS was?

I want to hate you so much. So much that I feel like a big cleaver has slashed right through my heart and soul. I want to place my FAULTS and FAILINGS on your blue-eyed problems.

I want to hit you and hit you until blood runs down your face like tears, I want to grab you by the hair and shake you – SHAKE YOU! – until all that's left is your hair in my hands.

I want to punish you. Bent you over my knee and spank you like the naughty little puppy that you are. I want to slap you so hard that my handprint is marked on your pale, pale skin.

And then I want to kiss. I want to kiss- so much- kiss your tears away until all that you can see is me. Me. I should be the one to hold you in the dark of the night when the demons gather around your snowy body.

Why can't you see this? You waste your time with him?

He doesn't deserve you. He is pure like any child is. I am tainted – YOUR FALLEN ANGEL – save me before I fall like Lucifer.

"And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer/ Never to hope again."

Henry VIII. Harry wouldn't know that

Resurrect me. Raise me up on your PALE hands and offer me to the Almighty Jury in the Sky. No one else can save me- won't YOU?

We are the same, me and you. No one else. Not even your other fallen angel – Lucius (so similar, so very similar to Lucifer) – truly understands you like I do.

THROUGH hardship comes wisdom. Then I must be the wisest man alive.

My saving grace, help me now before it is too late. None can hear my pleas but you.

~

A cool voice rang through the night air, disturbing the three as they pulled and tugged. "That's enough, children."

There was one voice in the world that Sirius would never disagree with and luckily for the other two, it was the person speaking. With a disgruntled noise he dropped Remus' wrist and folded his arms.

Harry looked up to see the impressive sight of Dumbledore hovering a couple of metres in the air. The old wizard was attired in a brocaded dressing gown with a bed cap placed jauntily on his silver hair. "By Merlin, how did you get here?" he whispered.

Dumbledore looked down at his student with a disappointed mien. There was no twinkle in his periwinkle eyes. "I think I've had enough of your games, Remus, Sirius."

He slowly and severely looked between the two. "Both of you go to bed. Remus go back into the cottage and Sirius… you can return to Grimmauld Place (the password hasn't been changed)."

Harry turned as if to follow Remus in but a ghostly hand stopped on his shoulder. "Stay with me, Mr Potter, I'd like to speak with you for a while, if that is all right."

Glumly he nodded his head was superfluous, knowing that he wouldn't have any chance. There was a loud pop and he left alone with the pearly Dumbledore. After a few moments the wizard nodded his head. "Walk with me."

Harry trailed behind Dumbledore as they walked into a field, lit only by the moon and the stars, although the headmaster's body did glow slightly. "You've had a very busy week, I gather."

He didn't answer.

"I cherish Remus very much almost like a nephew it could be said; however even I acknowledge the dangerousness of him"-

"He is no more dangerous than you or I!" Harry burst out.

"Yes he is, now be quiet and let me carry on. Remus is a werewolf; you must never forget that. You don't know him as well as I do, he's an extremely complicated person. You haven't seen all sides of him yet."

"I have seen what I want to see, and that's all I care about."

Dumbledore gave a soft sigh. "I know that you nearly slept with him, Mr Potter, there's no use in hiding that to me."

Harry just gaped at him before kicking a tuft of grass savagely. "I appreciate that for the rest of my life, all you people want to do is hide me away from the Big Bad World, but this is different stuff!"

The headmaster raised one eyebrow. "In what way is it different?"

"No matter what you hypocrites say about him, I know Remus would never ever harm me. Its not like he's going to turn into fricking Lord Voldemort any moment soon! He treats me like an adult; which is more than you lot ever did."

"Harry Potter, all we have done for you is try to protect you from the Dark Lord"-

"If protect means smother and make sure that I don't have anything that remotely resembles a life!" Harry's voice rose higher, gaining a slightly wild sound to it. "Then, yeah, well done Albus. You've succeeded."

He spun around on his heel. "I'm bored of this walk, I'm going back home."

He started walking, his eyes fixed firmly on the cottage to try and ignore the burning sensation in the green orbs. "Harry Potter, at the moment I'm the closest thing you have to a guardian, listen to me- you're going to the Burrow tomorrow morning. Pack your things."

"You're the closest thing to a guardian?" Harry repeated, his eyebrows retreating up his forehead. "And when did you ever get above my drunken Godfather or the werewolf?"

Dumbledore's face fell in disappointment and hurt. "At his current state, Sirius is more likely to abuse you than help you, and Remus… I'm not sure what to think about Remus any more."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked sharply, his tone cold and dismissive.

"Sirius is driving Remus half-mad. I think the stress is getting to him more than anyone could imagine. Why else would he willingly sleep with Sirius when he was drunk?"

"I don't know, and it's none of your business anyway. Just bugger off and leave us alone. I'll see you at the beginning of term." Harry spun around one more and his thin frame soon disappeared from sight.

Dumbledore sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. It hadn't worked out as well as he would have hoped it would.

~

Harry staggered back into the house, feeling as though his limbs had been frozen and then bandaged over. With a mournful sigh he dropped onto the bed and lay for a moment, spread-eagled.

"You've got to leave haven't you?"

The words hung in the air, Remus' husky voice echoing around Harry's ears. He nodded then noticed that the man would not see it in his position hidden under the duvet.

Finally he worked his mouth into action. "Yes," and his words came out hoarse.

"This morning?" Harry felt a stabbing pain in his breast at the sorrowful tone in Lupin's voice.

Again he nodded, feeling unable to speak without embarrassing himself. He allowed himself to be pulled down the pillows and underneath the duvet where he lay in Remus' embrace.

The cover flopped over both of their heads as they clutched to each other with the desperate hold of a man drowning. Harry stared into Remus' large eyes, they being the only feature he could make out in the darkness.

And they stared…

Minutes passed before the need to breath fresh oxygen drove them out of their duvet retreat. Pushing it away with one hand each (the other still holding onto any available limb).

Remus bent back to switch on the bedside lamp and then settled back down onto the pillow, one comforting arm slung over Harry's hip, the other reached up to brush away a strand of hair.

The werewolf's cheeks were flushed a healthy pink and his lips were darkened in the glowing light. He swallowed deeply, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips.

Harry watched the action with the intent of a predator. "I would defy a thousand Dumbledores if it meant staying here," he murmured suddenly, his words poetic to Remus' ears.

"I know," Remus muttered back, his eyes suddenly over bright. To hide the tears he leant forward and kissed Harry's brow. His lips lingered on the skin as he sniffed then he pulled away. "What about a thousand Snapes?"

The Boy-Who-Lived chuckled. "That's a hard task for even the most patient of Saints, love."

The endearment rolled off his tongue without him noticing. All he realised was the slight widening of Remus' eyes then he was grasped in a bone-bruising embrace.

The lycanthropes' lips were on his and he submitted, with a numb sense of joy, to the hands that roamed his body. Gasping for breath their lips parted.

"To hell with morals," were Remus' only words as he started to undress the nubile youth that lay atop of him.

~