Disclaimer: For the disclaimer, warnings, etc., please see the first chapter.

Black

Chapter 2 - Second Meeting

Saturday mornings were the best, Remus reflected. His mother, father, and sister had gone off to visit Remus' eldest brother, Guillaume, who lived in Wiltshire - leaving Remus free to lounge around the house in his pajamas, eating cold cereal and watching the telly. A nice, relaxing change from the usual hectic, nerve-wracking days of school. And a nice change from the older students.

After watching several hours of cartoons, Remus was ready to get up and stretch his legs. He put his bowl in the sink and went into his room to get dressed. He pulled on a plain white t-shirt and a pair of jeans, then rummaged around in his blazer pockets for his wallet and keys. It was a nice day; a walk to the library would be lovely.

As he walked, his mind turned to the night before. Getting lost.... the strange young man... the kiss they had shared. Why was it almost impossible to stop replaying that kiss in his mind? What had been so good about it? Why had the stranger turned him on like that? Normally, Remus avoided anyone who made a move towards him - he was very shy, and the girls somehow scared him even more than the boys. But that young man had been different... very different.... there was just something about him. He was just.. so mysterious.

Blimey, I feel like a character in one of Mum's cheesy romance novels, he muttered to himself as he trudged up the steps of the library.

Plagued by memories of a dashing stranger.... a kiss so fabulous Remus couldn't get it out of his head.... and the nagging desire to see that man again.... it was an awful lot like a romance novel, almost sickeningly so. Besides', Remus mused as he browsed through the historical section, He said he never wanted to see me again. And it was like... he gave off an aura. It felt like he hated everyone. Not just me... it was like he hated the entire human race.'

After choosing the books he wanted, Remus checked out and headed for the park - it was far too nice a day to read indoors. (Watching the telly was an entirely different story.) He settled himself on an empty bench under an apple tree and opened one of his books, but he didn't start reading right away. Instead, he gazed around at the other people in the park - couples holding hands; elderly women knitting, feeding pigeons, and chatting amongst themselves; young people walking dogs.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand fell onto his shoulder. He looked up to see Williams smirking unpleasantly down at him. Three or four of his friends, probably the same ones from yesterday, were grouped behind him.

Fancy seeing you here, Lupin, Williams sneered. Catching up on your reading, are you? Or are you keeping an eye out for a new boyfriend? He bent over so their noses were barely an inch apart. That's it, isn't it? Looking for some fun tonight? I'll bet you can get some real weirdos on Saturday nights. The fruits, the glam crowd, right?

Leave me alone, Remus said, twisting out of Williams' grasp and scooping up his library books, hugging them to his chest. He took a few steps back, but Williams grabbed him roughly by the wrist.

You know that's positively revolting, right? Blokes sleeping together? There was a menacing light in Williams' eyes. Sodomites burn in hell, Lupin.

Get away from me! Remus tried to pull out of the other boy's grip.

You're not listening, are you, you little bitch? I think you need some manners beaten into you. Williams' fist struck Remus squarely in the jaw, making him cry out in pain. He pulled away but stumbled and fell, his legs getting entangled in each other and his books spilling all over.

Williams was on top of him in an instant, gripping both of Remus' thin wrists in one large, ham-like hand. But maybe you'd like it right here. You'd love it, wouldn't you, you sick pervert? Right out in the open, where everyone can see? He was panting almost directly in Remus' ear now. Remus cried out again as Williams' hand crept between his legs, groping roughly and painfully.

Stop it, please -!

That's enough of that, lads, drawled a voice to their left.

Remus looked at the speaker, his mouth suddenly going dry. It was the strange young man, once again dressed entirely in black clothes and wearing makeup. A cigarette jutted from the corner of his mouth. In the daylight, he somehow looked more threatening than he had at night; there was also an androgynous boy/girl look about him that Remus hadn't noticed before.

Who the hell d'you think you are? Williams hissed.

Nobody particularly important. But you'd better let that kid up, before I decide to use you as an ashtray. He took the cigarette from his mouth and raised an eyebrow.

I'm not afraid of you. Williams glared.

The stranger sighed, smushed his cigarette, and stepped forward. Then it all happened so fast Remus couldn't be sure what had been done - one moment, he was pinned under Williams, the next, Williams was having his arm bent back by the stranger. Tears of pain were starting to spring into the upperclassman's eyes; he struggled, but couldn't move an inch. His burly friends looked both scared and bewildered.

The stranger pushed Williams away. Get out of here.

Williams muttered sullenly to his cronies, rubbing his arm. He strode off, the others trundling in his wake, still looking baffled.

Embarrassed and slightly ashamed at being unable to fight back, Remus kept his head down as he gathered his scattered books and brushed grass from his clothes. But manners and habit were stronger than any feelings at the moment, so he finally looked up to thank the stranger, who had plopped down on the bench after lighting a fresh cigarette. Erm - thanks. A-again, I mean.

The stranger snorted. You sure can get yourself into messes, kid.

Remus sat back down on the bench, eyeing the young man nervously. It's... They're always after me. I don't know why.

You dense? the stranger chuckled. Kid, you're way too naive. Haven't you realised he just wants to screw you?

That came as something of a shock. W- what?

You are dense, the stranger said in mild amazement. You're very pretty, you know. Isn't a person alive who could resist you, I'll bet. And rich snobs like him are all the same way. Doesn't matter if it's a girl or a boy - they'll take what they can get. The amazement and slight amusement in his voice had been replaced by contempt. He stopped talking and took a long drag on his cigarette.

Remus summoned up his courage. Erm - if... if you don't mind me asking - what's your name? He quailed as the stranger glanced at him, the expression in his dark kohl-lined eyes totally unreadable. I mean - you've come to my rescue twice already... I ... just...

Sirius. Sirius Black, the young man replied, looking away and tapping ash from the end of his cigarette.

I'm Remus Lupin, Remus said shyly. He thought of offering his hand, but figured Sirius wouldn't bother to shake it.



Pardon me?

Your name. You're French, aren't you, kid?

Um - well - yes - but I was born here. My mother and father moved to London after my second-eldest brother, Henri, was born. He hesitated. And - would you mind - would you mind not calling me kid'? You can't be that much older than me...

Sirius laughed. I'm sixteen years old, kid. How old are you? Thirteen? Fourteen?

Remus bristled. I'm sixteen!

Come on. You're taking the mickey, aren't you?

No, I'm not! I'm really sixteen. My birthday is July second.

Talk about jailbait, Sirius said mildly, grinding out his cigarette and immediately lighting another one. You sure as hell don't look sixteen.

Remus blushed and looked down at his feet. I'm telling the truth. Why would I lie?

Why does anyone lie? Sirius muttered, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

An odd question; Remus assumed it was rhetorical, but he couldn't help thinking about it. They sat in silence for a few moments, Remus struggling to think of something to say; finally, he blurted : Why did you kiss me last night?

He expected Sirius to deny it, or not answer, but the young man considered. I don't know. It just seemed like I deserved a reward for helping you, and a kiss was better than forcing you down and shagging you in the middle of the street, especially since we had just met and didn't even know each other's names.

Remus blushed again and looked away, slightly embarrassed. Sirius had a blunt way of putting things that made him squirm.

Do you want me to do it again? Sirius asked.

Remus looked at him with wide eyes. What did you say?

I asked if you wanted me to kiss you again, Sirius said with a shrug. You're bright red. I figured you really liked it. I mean, you didn't hit me or yell at me.

I - er - I - The truth was, Sirius was right. Remus did want to kiss him again. But he couldn't bear to admit it. I - I don't care. I don't want you to kiss me.

Sirius said, amused. He leaned forward and kissed Remus firmly, an arm sliding around Remus' waist and making escape impossible. Remus whimpered and tried to pull away, but Sirius held him tightly. Remus stopped struggling. Who was he kidding? He liked kissing Sirius, didn't want to stop. He closed his eyes and kissed back, putting his arms around Sirius' neck. A fleeting thought of what would happen to him if anyone from school happened to see crossed his mind, but he pushed it away. He let Sirius slip his tongue between his lips, let himself be pushed back onto the bench, Sirius on top of him.

They ended the kiss, gasping for air; Sirius smirked down at Remus from behind stray strands of hair. Don't want me to kiss you, my arse.

I -

Shut up. Sirius got off of Remus and stood, tossing his hair back. His lipstick was smudged, giving him a slutty, exciting look. You'd better be glad we're in the park, or I might just want to go all the way. He winked. Cheerio, luv.

Remus sat up, panting slightly as he watched Sirius stride away. He was dimly aware that his heart was pounding and he felt weak and shaky; he realised he was sweating. How was this possible? How could a complete stranger excite him enough to do things like this in public? Go all the way'? Remus swallowed hard as he ran a shaking hand through his hair. As frightening as that thought was, it was also... strangely appealing. Sex with another man? Not just any other man, but Sirius?

The thought made him shiver. It was the very thing he was frightened about; the very thing that, according to Sirius, the bullies at school were after. Remus bit his lip. He really was a very innocent boy, and he only had the vaguest idea of what another man could do to him, and never cared to find out what it was like. But... Sirius... the thought made his stomach cramp in a not unpleasant way.

He stood on shaky legs, gathering up his books and starting to head for home. He kept one eye out for anyone from school who might see him - mussed hair, his t-shirt half untucked, and probably with some of Sirius' lipstick smudged on his face - but most of his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Sirius, and what his parents would say if they knew what was going on.

He went straight up to his bedroom when he got home. He dumped his library books on his desk and flopped back onto his bed, suddenly feeling older and more tired than he ever had in his life. He put an arm over his eyes and dozed off, moaning softly, sweat beading his forehead as vague dreams of a raven-haired young man wearing lipstick, nail polish, and not much else played in his head.

Finally he rolled over in his sleep, unconsciously tucking his knees up to his chest as he moved into his favourite sleeping position, falling silent. But Sirius remained with him, cavorting through his dreams, nude and blackly exciting.

And not far away, the real Sirius lay awake in his bed, a cigarette in one hand and a glass of liquor in the other, staring up at the ceiling and completely unable to banish thoughts of a certain brunette from his mind.

It was the beginning of an obsession, for both of them.

To Be Continued...