Author's Note: I'm skipping November because I decided I could. :-) So…on with the chapter.
Chapter 15 A Year in the Life – Part 3
Remus was riding the lift at work when two wizards got on talking excitedly.
"…last night. Lucius Malfoy was caught completely by surprise."
"And did they find anything?"
"Some poisons that are outlawed and a dark gazing ball, along with a few other things."
"So Cassius didn't tell his brother?"
"They didn't tell Auror Malfoy about the raid – don't be daft. He's still a Malfoy for all his airs of hating the dark arts." The wizard spoke with scorn. Remus felt himself get angry. The lift doors opened and the wizards got off on the same floor as the auror department. Remus got off the lift too – he suddenly decided to stop by and say hello to Kingsley, or at least that would be his cover story. The two wizards headed towards the auror department and Remus followed but they just started talking about a case one was working on. He headed towards Kingsley's desk.
"Malfoy! Where'd your brother get those poisons?" A voice called out. Remus turned, trying not to look too curious. He could see Cassius across the large room and the black haired wizard from the lift was walking towards him.
"Why should I know?" Cassius' cool voice carried clearly across the floor.
"I bet you helped him, eh? You're still loyal to him in spite of the fact he's a Death Eater." The wizard sneered. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were one."
"What?" Cassius' green eyes narrowed.
"You disgust me."
Remus saw Kingsley stand up and walk towards the two wizards. Remus walked slowly in the same direction.
"I didn't seem to disgust you when we were together." Cassius' voice had dropped to a sexy drawl. Remus felt warmth pool in his stomach as his body reacted to the familiar tone. Cassius' voice became quieter but it still carried across the room. "When you would moan my name while I fucked you."
"I…I…" The wizard's face turned pink and there were some muffled laughs from the aurors standing around. Remus couldn't breathe as he felt a wave of jealousy sweep over him. That wizard had been with Cassius…he'd touched Cassius. Remus's hands clenched into fists as he fought to calm himself down. It had to have been years ago, Cassius wouldn't cheat on him now.
"Hill, Malfoy, that's enough. If I hear anything more from either one of you, you'll be suspended for inappropriate behavior." Kingsley said, an edge in his voice. Hill walked past Cassius, glaring furiously at him. "All right, the rest of you, back to work."
"Never you mind Hill, Cassie." A red-headed wizard thumped Cassius on the back as he walked past him and sat down at his desk. Cassius shrugged and walked away.
"Hello, Remus." Remus jumped, he'd been concentrating on fighting the urge to follow Cassius and re-claim him. "Didn't mean to startle you." Kingsley smiled.
"Oh, no…sorry, lost in thought."
"You need anything?"
"I just thought I'd say hello." Remus said, knowing it sounded like a weak excuse.
"I'd love to chat, but there's been another attack at Hogwarts. I've been called in by Dumbledore, he wants a bit of an investigation."
"Another attack?"
"They found a 2nd year Hufflepuff student – another muggle born, just like the one last month – and Nearly Headless Nick. Both petrified."
"Nearly Headless Nick was petrified?" Remus was astonished. "How is that possible?"
"I don't know. Cass is going to help me find out. If you'll excuse me."
Remus nodded and Kingsley walked away in the same direction Cassius had.
That evening, Stevens stopped by.
"I heard about the raid on Malfoy Manor. How's Cassie?"
"He's fine. He's at Hogwarts – there was another attack there."
"He's fine?" Stevens sounded stunned.
"Yes, well…I did see one of the aurors say something to him about Cass being loyal to Lucius even though Lucius is a Death Eater. But he didn't lose his temper or anything." Remus said.
"Remus, how long have you been with Cassie?" Stevens was looking at him unbelievingly. Before Remus could answer, Stevens continued, "Never mind, it's just…you know he hides his feelings sometimes."
"I know that."
"Well…all I'm saying is sometimes when he seems fine, he's not fine."
Remus suddenly felt like an idiot. He tried to defend himself. "But…"
"Especially when he's at work. Moody says he's never seen Cassie blush or lose his temper or smile or anything. He's like a muggle robot or something."
"There wasn't a lot of talk – I told you it was just one wizard." Remus said, trying to explain.
"Cassie thinks it's more, he's sensitive about it. He was always judged at school for being a Malfoy – a lot of people didn't look past the name."
"It was like that for Sirius too." Remus said sadly, remembering how Sirius was always lumped with all the other Blacks, who loved the dark arts.
"Black deserved to be judged, it was his true nature, wasn't it?" Stevens said with a hatred and contempt that Remus had never heard in his voice before. "Tell Cassie I stopped by." And without another word he Apparated. Remus sat down suddenly feeling horrible.
Cassius got home later that night. Remus was already in bed since it was past 11.
"How was Hogwarts?" Remus asked, getting out of bed, crossing to Cassius and hugging him tightly. He'd been upset with himself all day for not trying to talk to Cassius to see how he was.
"Brilliant…except we couldn't find anything." Cassius said, rubbing Remus' back. "Dumbledore says if there's another attack they'll close the school."
"Well, no one's been able to find the chamber for hundreds of years." Remus said as he stepped away from Cassius.
"Probably because you have to be Slytherin's heir to access it…or speak parseltongue." Cassius said. "At least that's what I think."
"Cassius…" Remus started.
"Hmm?" Cassius was chewing on his fingers, deep in thought.
"I overheard what that auror, Hill, said to you today." Remus tried to keep the jealousy out of his voice and succeeded slightly.
"Oh?" Cassius arched an eyebrow at Remus and stopped chewing his fingers.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Cass – "
"Remus, I'm fine. It's not the first time someone's accused me of being a Death Eater."
"But everyone knows you aren't." Remus said.
"Not everyone."
"You've proved you're not."
"Some people think it's all an act. It's funny really." Cassius said, not smiling at all.
"Why is it funny?" Remus tilted his head.
"Father would beat me because I wasn't Malfoy enough. But to everyone else, that's all they see, that I'm a Malfoy, so I must be a dark wizard." Cassius shrugged and started to undress. Remus stood by uncertainly. Should he press Cassius about his feelings? He'd said he was fine, did he mean it?
"So you dated Hill?" Damn - he hadn't meant to ask that…he'd meant to make sure Cassius wasn't upset. But he couldn't stop thinking about the other man being with Cassius.
"Yes. For about a year, back in school."
"What happened?"
"It ended." Cassius's tone had such a finality to it that Remus felt like a door had been slammed shut in his face. He stood there, shocked into silence. "Get back in bed." Cassius said as he climbed under the covers. "You must be freezing."
Remus realized his feet were getting numb with the cold and hurried back into their bed.
Cassius was chewing his fingers again. "It has to be a snake…or a basilisk…but I don't understand why no one has been killed…there's something….and who opened the Chamber? I was going to ask Lucius what else he knew about it but I don't think he'll be in the best of moods what with the raid and everything."
"Don't chew your fingers." Remus reached for Cassius' hand and then pulled Cassius' arm around his body. He nuzzled Cassius's neck, breathing in deeply, he could only smell Cassius's scent and that reassured him that Cassius was his.
"Last time, a student died…this time they've just been petrified…and they have to wait until the mandrakes are ready to un-petrify them. That won't be for months. So we can't question them." Cassius lifted his other hand up to his mouth but Remus was quicker. He grabbed it and brought it to his own mouth, licking each finger in turn and then swirling his tongue around each tip. Cassius' mouth fell open as he watched Remus. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"Just trying to see why you're always chewing them." Remus said with a sly grin. He thought maybe if he got Cassius off-balance, Cassius would talk about his feelings.
"I know I'm not supposed to."
"But you do all the time."
"I'm not that bad."
"Mmm…" Remus drew one finger into his mouth and sucked on it.
"Remus." Cassius whispered. Remus released the finger with a wet noise.
"Are you upset about today?"
"What?"
"You never chew your fingers when you think about work – so you must be upset and I want to know if you're upset about today?"
"No." Cassius said, moving one of his fingers to trace over Remus' bottom lip. "I'm fine."
"Really." Remus sounded unconvinced. He flicked Cassius' index finger with his tongue. "You're not upset."
"A…" Cassius stopped breathing as Remus sucked two of his fingers into his mouth, rubbing his tongue along their undersides. Remus stopped and waited for Cassius to take a breath, which he did after a moment. "Little, I was a little upset."
"But you're not upset now."
"No – I talked to Stevens and he said I shouldn't be upset by Corbin."
"When did you talk to Stevens?" Remus felt a small flare of jealousy that his husband had gone to Stevens to talk but then he had known Stevens for longer…he wondered about the history between Corbin Hill and Cassius.
"Today…I stopped to see him before coming home from Hogwarts."
"So you feel better now." Remus said.
"Yeah. Could you…could you do that some more?" Cassius asked in a husky whisper.
"Do what?" Remus blinked innocently at him.
"That thing with your tongue and my fingers."
"How about I do it somewhere else than your fingers?" Remus smiled as he moved on top of his mate.
For the first time in years, the holidays seemed to arrive suddenly. Remus reflected it was probably because he and Cassius were both working. Normally Remus had plenty of time to plan for their anniversary, Cassius' birthday and Christmas.
"Come out to the shed." Cassius said as he pulled on Remus' hand.
"Why?" Remus allowed himself to be pulled towards the front door.
"Because your anniversary present is in there." Cassius said with a smile.
A moment later Remus stood in front of the open doors of the shed. "It's…a car."
"I know! Isn't it wicked?" Cassius was practically bouncing up and down in front of the sleek red car.
"I don't drive."
"I do and I can teach you how. I know you didn't like the motorcycle, so I got this – it has a flying spell and an invisibility spell so we can go for drives, and no one will see us."
"That…that would be nice." Remus stepped towards the car and ran his hand over the smooth hood.
"We could go to the coast and watch the sunset, what do you think?" Cassius started looking at Remus with concern as Remus just stared at the car.
"You'll teach me to drive it?"
"Of course I will." Cassius answered quickly. "Do you like it?"
"It is pretty." Remus said, tilting his head, thinking for a moment. "And we could snog in the backseat, like they do in the movies."
"We could." Cassius grinned at him.
"And it goes with my present – in a way."
"What's your present?"
"Let me go get it." Remus said as he rushed back towards the house. He came out a moment later with a small package. Cassius carefully peeled the wrapping paper away from it, folded the paper, set it down and opened the box. Remus was used to how slow Cassius was, but it always made him impatient. "Come on!"
"Oh! It's a compass…that…doesn't point North." Cassius said as he gazed down at the pocket compass, moving around in different directions.
"It points to Windy Corner." Remus said quickly. "So if you ever get lost, you can find your way home...to me."
"Oh." Cassius looked down at it then turned so he was facing the house. "That's brilliant."
"Happy 7th anniversary, husband." Remus kissed Cassius firmly.
"Happy anniversary." Cassius pulled him towards the car. "Come on, let's break it in."
Author's Note: Yes, I had to make a reference to Pirates of the Caribbean with the compass that doesn't point North. :-) In the next chapter – Cassius' birthday, Christmas and Valentine's Day! And events through the month of May…honest, really!