Author's Notes: In honor of Valentine's Day!  I will try to do some future chapters from Cassius' POV. I hope I answered the question about what Cassius sees in Remus in this chapter. And bonus points for anyone who catches a reference to the BBC show "Are You Being Served?" :-)

Chapter 5

Making Up

After two weeks, Lupin went to talk to Moody, he needed some advice and he had nowhere else to go. It was the winter solstice, the day before Cassius' birthday. Remus desperately wanted to be reconciled with Cassius for his birthday, he missed him terribly, but he didn't know what he should do. He still didn't think it would be good for Cassius to be his mate.

Moody had ushered him in the door and into the kitchen.  He set a cup of tea and a sandwich in front of Remus. Remus ate hungrily, he hadn't had a proper meal in over a week.

"Is Cassius still mad at me?" Remus asked between bites.

"He can't stay mad at you, Remus, he loves you."

"Why?"

"Haven't you ever asked him that?"

"No…" Remus suddenly realized he'd never asked and Cassius had never said.

"Well…I don't know . Cass and I haven't ever talked about that.  But what I do know is that he wants you to marry him. And he thinks you're being an idiot about the whole werewolf thing. He's thought everything through - yes, Remus, everything – he's a Malfoy. Tell him 'I'm sorry for being an idiot and I'll marry you.' That's what he wants to hear."

"Really?" Remus couldn't tell if Moody was joking with him or not.

"Aye, told me so the other day. You might not want to admit it, but you're as good as mated already, my boy. If you think you'll be able to live without him, you're as mad as they say I am." A smile twisted his scarred face.  Remus looked at Moody – suddenly realizing that Moody was right. He hadn't realized just how much Cassius had become a part of his life. He missed talking to him about what happened during his day, about what happened when Cassius was at work. He missed sharing his life with Cassius.

"I have to go." Remus stood abruptly. He needed to fix this right away.

"Floo Powder is in the purple pot up on the mantle." Moody said still smiling.

Cassius was sitting at the kitchen table eating when Remus arrived by floo. Tabby yowled in surprise as Remus stepped out of the fireplace, she'd been sleeping curled up on the rug.  

Remus had barely gotten "I'm sorry" out of his mouth when Cassius had thrown his arms around him and started kissing him. "I love you." Cassius had murmured between kisses.  Remus realized with a jolt just how much he had missed him, they'd been apart a month due to the fight. It was the longest they had been apart. He could feel his blood start to pound in his ears. All the times he had fooled around before, he had never felt like this. The urge to…he couldn't even put it into words…he just knew what he had to do. This was what he had read about - he knew he'd found his mate.

"Bed." He growled as he took Cassius' larger hand in his and started up the stairs.  Cassius followed right behind him, kissing his neck, reaching under his shirt to make contact with his skin. "I missed you." Cassius whispered, his breath hot against Remus' ear.  He couldn't respond.  He could barely think. His blood was pounding louder in his ears, beginning a chant: 'Mine, mine.' He pushed Cassius onto the bed, pulling off his own clothes.  Cassius finished pulling off his clothes moments before Remus laid down on top of him on the bed.

"You're sorry for being an idiot and you'll marry me, right?" Cassius murmured with a seductive smile. Remus could only nod before kissing Cassius deeply, sweeping his tongue inside. 'Mine, mine, mine.' He could hear the wolf's voice in his head, urging him to claim his mate. He turned Cassius on his stomach with strength he didn't know he had. He heard muttering but couldn't understand it, his blood was rushing so loudly through his veins. He slid into Cassius. 'Mine, mine.' He could hear the chant in his head, nothing else mattered except being with his mate. He turned his head and searched along Cassius' neck and shoulder for the place, the place, he found it and bit down hard.  He heard Cassius cry out in pain, it seemed come from far away. 'Mine, mine, mine.' Cassius' blood filled his mouth, it tasted sweet and he swallowed it eagerly. He shuddered and collapsed, bearing Cassius down to the bed. After a moment, he rolled off Cassius, and stared in horror at the bite mark on Cassius' left shoulder. He had tried for so many years to contain the wolf in him and now… Blood flowed freely from bite.  Cassius turned his head and looked at Remus, who almost cringed, anticipating hatred or pain in the eyes he had grown to love.  Instead, they were glowing and Cassius smiled, he looked predatory. "My turn." 

"What?" Remus responded breathlessly. 

"I want us to be double mated."

"What are you talking about?" Remus was confused.

"When a male werewolf mates with another male, they can be double mated…because…um…you know…I can do the same thing you just did. And I want to." Cassius' face was red.  Remus was always amazed at how Cassius easily could blush around the people he loved, according to Moody his face remained impassive when he was working.

"I didn't know that."

"How could you not know that?" Cassius looked at him incredulously.

"After…I didn't plan on mating, I figured I didn't need to know about it." Remus felt his own face flush with embarrassment now.

"Well, good thing I did my research."

"Moody would be proud."

"Mention him again and the mood will be broken." Cassius glared. He reached over and pulled Remus' slender body into his arms. "I love you." He kissed Remus deeply.

Twenty minutes later, Remus had a matching bite mark on his left shoulder.

"Ugh – blood. Blech!" Cassius made a face. Remus giggled. "You liked it, didn't you." Cassius looked at him. Remus felt his face get hot. "You did! The werewolf comes out. I didn't know you were so kinky." Cassius arched a fair eyebrow at Remus.

"Neither did I."  Remus whispered as he felt his face get hotter.

"I read that the bite becomes an erogenous zone. Do you think I could make you come just by touching it?" Cassius leaned close to Remus, Remus gazed into the emerald eyes he loved and shivered.

"Yes." He pulled Cassius in for a deep kiss. After a long time, Cassius separated from him breathlessly.

"So, today you will sell your parents' house and move in here with me." Cassius said sounding very authoritative.

"You're not going to try the bite – thing?" Remus felt slightly disappointed.

"I have to save something for my birthday celebration tonight." Cassius wiggled his eyebrows.

"Your birthday…" Remus looked over at the clock, it was about 5 minutes after midnight. He jumped out of bed, remembering his present.

"Where are you going?" Cassius asked, bewildered.

"Where are my pants?" Remus searched frantically around the room. Finally he found them in the far corner, he didn't remember throwing them that far. He reached in the right pocket for Cassius' birthday present. He had gone home after talking to Moody and had gotten the present out of his mother's jewelry box. Pulling the small box out, he returned to the bed and knelt down on it.

"Here. Happy Birthday." Remus had had a whole speech worked out but he couldn't remember it – and it didn't matter now – they were mated. Cassius sat up and took the small box from him. He looked at Remus curiously and then opened it. His mouth fell open and he stared at the contents of the box for so long that Remus was certain that he didn't like it.

"It's a Lupin family ring – it was my father's.  My mother gave it to me after he died, she told me I should give it to the man I wanted to marry. And I thought – if you still wanted to marry me – that you should have it – because you're the man I want to marry – I mean we kind of already are married, more than married, because werewolves mate for life, and we're double-mated, even, but the ring would be a symbol of our commitment and the fact that we're mated so we're basically married and I thought we – mmph." He was finally, thankfully, cut off from his inane babbling by Cassius' mouth covering his own.

"I love it. Of course I still want to marry you. I bit you, didn't I?" Cassius' green eyes were twinkling and he was grinning from ear to ear. Remus blushed and looked down at his hands. His own family ring was on the index finger of his left hand, where it had been since he was 17, when he had come of age.

"Why do you want to marry me?" Remus suddenly needed to know the answer, even though, he reflected, it was already a moot point now they were mated.

"Because I love you."

"Why?"

"Because I have a soft spot for prematurely graying werewolves." Cassius gave him a sly grin as his hand brushed through Remus' hair, which had several strands of grey intertwined with brown.

"No, really, why do you love me?"

"I…because…well, at first I liked you because you didn't judge me for being a Malfoy…and then I liked you more because we could talk about anything, you became my best friend…and you're smart…and handsome…your eyes are this beautiful gold color…and I love being with you…the world just seems…better somehow when we're together."

"Oh…" Remus thought that was the nicest, most romantic thing anyone had ever said to him.

"And you're great in bed." Cassius smiled.

"You just ruined a beautiful romantic moment." Remus pushed at Cassius' shoulder, laughing.

"Really? Was that romantic?" Cassius looked ridiculously pleased.

"Yes." Remus smiled lovingly at his mate.

"Give me your ring." Cassius held out his hand.

"Why?"

"So I can give it back to you when we get married."

"When are we getting married?" Remus asked, pulling off the ring and handing it to Cassius.

"Well, I was thinking right now. Mr. Lupin, are you free?"

Remus looked around the room. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy." He smiled.

"Now, because of various reasons – mainly to keep you safe from my father, I thought we shouldn't be married publicly." Cassius looked at Remus waiting for his reaction. Remus nodded. "Good, so we'll just exchange rings and consider ourselves married. Since we're already mated, this is just a formality anyway, right?" Remus nodded again. "And our anniversary will be yesterday because I don't want to share my birthday and we mated yesterday, that ok?" Remus nodded once more. "Ready?"

"Yes." Remus wondered wildly if they should get dressed for the ceremony, but before he could suggest it, Cassius started.

"Remus Josiah Lupin, do you take me, Cassius Julian Aurelius Malfoy to be your husband?"

"You have two middle names?" Remus realized he hadn't known Cassius' full name before now.

"Yes, and I hate them both…does that make a difference?"

"No, no." Remus shook his head.

"So? Your answer?"

"Yes.  I mean, I do."

"Good. So then this ring is a symbol of our love and that you're stuck with me." Cassius smiled as he slid Remus' ring back on his hand.

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer." Remus added.

"There's no 'for poorer', I'm rich." Cassius interrupted.

"Shush, it has to be said. In sickness and in health. Till death do us part." Remus finished.

"Now your turn." Cassius handed his ring to Remus.


"I don't know if I can remember all your names." Remus suddenly felt very nervous.


"I'll help."

"Cassius Julius…"

"Julian."

"Cassius Julian Al..."


"Aurelius."


Remus took a deep breath, determined to get all four names out correctly this time.

"Cassius Julian Aurelius Malfoy, do you take me, Remus Josiah Lupin to be your husband?"

"You bet."

"You have to say 'I do.'" Remus said sternly.

"I do."

"This ring is a symbol of our love and means that we're married and we love each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. Till death do us part."  Remus moved to put the ring on Cassius' hand.

"Wait."


"What?"

"Well, I can't wear it on my hand in public but I want to wear it all the time. So I found a charm." Cassius leaned over and picked up his wand from the nightstand. "Hold the ring out. Pentrifico halocomas." He pointed his wand at the ring and then made a complicated flick. Remus looked down at his hand, the ring was gone.

"Where…"


"Ouch." Cassius was rubbing his chest.

"What happened?" Remus cried out in alarm. Cassius lowered his hand revealing the ring piercing through his left nipple.

"Does it hurt?" Remus couldn't see any blood but…


"No, it doesn't hurt anymore, it just stung at first." Cassius smiled.

"When did you find that charm?" Remus asked curiously.

"A few months ago." Cassius flushed.

"So you knew I'd marry you?" Remus tilted his head at Cassius.

"I hoped you would…" Cassius looked down at Remus' hand which was now caressing his chest.

"It's pretty hot." Remus gazed at the gold ring shining on Cassius' broad muscular chest.

"Really? I hadn't thought about that…you are kinky." Cassius leered at Remus.

He should have known that Cassius wouldn't have asked him to marry him if he hadn't thought through all the steps – he was a Malfoy after all. And now he was Remus' mate, his husband.

"We need to kiss." Remus said suddenly.

"What?" Cassius' eyes clouded with desire as Remus' fingers brushed over the bite mark on his shoulder.

"To finish the marriage ceremony. You need to kiss me."

"Oh, I'll do more than that." Cassius leaned towards Remus.

"Wait! You have to say we're married first!" Remus pushed against Cassius, he didn't want to mess up their wedding ceremony, however untraditional it was.

"What?" Cassius froze when he heard the rising panic in Remus' voice.

"When James and Lily got married, at the end the minister said 'I now pronounce you husband and wife' and then they kissed."


"I now pronounce us husband," Cassius pointed to himself "and wife." Cassius pointed to Remus. "And I give myself permission to kiss my bride." He smirked at Remus and tackled him, forcing him down on the bed, kissing him passionately. After a moment his mouth traveled down Remus' jaw, towards his neck.

"I don't see why you couldn't say husband and husband. After all, I gave you the ring, you joined my family." Remus said. "So…oh." Cassius' mouth had found the bite mark and he was licking around the edge.

"What were you saying?" He lifted his head for a moment,


"Now you're going to call me wife, and I don't…Oh….Mmm." Cassius had started sucking at the bite mark.

"You don't want to be called wife?" Cassius mumbled against Remus' skin before starting to lick and bite and suck alternately at the mark.

"I…Oh….Mmmm…Uh…." Remus squirmed breathlessly under Cassius. He could barely remember what had he been saying.

"Yes, you do want to be called wife?" Cassius mumbled between licks.

"Mmmmm….Yes….Cass….Oh." Remus rocked his hips towards Cassius. He couldn't think. Massive, shocking jolts of pleasure were starting from the bite mark and radiating through his body. He'd never felt anything like it. Cassius' hands skimmed down his sides as he settled between Remus' legs. Remus moved his hands over Cassius' shoulder blades and down his back, feeling the familiar scars under his fingers. Remus felt himself start to go over the edge.

"I can't – I have to…" Cassius pulled his head from Remus' collarbone, and pulled Remus' legs up around his waist….

A hour later, Remus lay across the bed, he was sticky and drenched with sweat. He didn't know if he would ever have the strength to get out of bed again, but he didn't care.  His hand searched for Cassius', once he found it he laced his fingers together with his mate's.

"This is the best birthday I've ever had." Cassius said softly. "And it's still got 22 hours to go."