Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. The rabbit and J K Rowling own it all. Though I DO wish (very often) that Sirius and Remus belonged to me.
Warnings: This is GRAPHIC SLASH (meaning male-on-male interaction of the sexual kind) Please don't read it if you don't like it and then flame me. I'll just laugh, because I have warned you. It'll only show how stupid you are if you do.
Notes: This takes place just after the Marauders have left Hogwarts. I like happy endings so I'll just ignore what it says in the books and make them all impossible anyway.
Chapter 3 - Happy Holiday
"Padfoot, pass me those beads would you?" Remus called over his shoulder, draping the end of a string of beads over the end of a branch. Sirius grabbed a handful of red beads and passed them to Remus, who was standing on a chair so he could reach the top branches. Sirius then went back to the baubles, none of which were Sirius'. The Black household had never really been big fans of Christmas, and they wouldn't have given Sirius any ornaments for a tree even if they were. "Remus is your mum going to be on her own this Christmas?"
"No, she's going to see my aunts in Devon. Should be fun. They're all batty," Remus replied, reaching up to straighten the angel on top of the tree. "I think we should have a party."
Remus laughed. "That was random."
"No, seriously, I think we should invite everyone to a party."
"What, here?" Remus asked, grabbing Sirius' shoulder while he stepped down from the chair. "Yeah. It's be fun, Remmie. A Christmas party. Or New Year, maybe. What d'you think? Can we? Please?"
"I'm not organising it," Remus grinned, couching beside one of the boxes of decorations.
"Oh, well, forget it. I'm not either. Organising is boring! Oh, Remus, did I tell you about my early Christmas present?"
"No."
"It's on the kitchen table."
Remus walked into the kitchen and saw an envelope. Frowning he picked it up and looked inside the envelope. Remus read the letter. He didn't believe what he was reading so he read it again. "Sirius?"
"Yeah?"
"Well done."
He walked back into the living room, still holding the acceptance letter from the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team. "So when's the first game?"
"January sometime. James got in too - Seeker. And they're letting me on as beater."
"Why didn't you just tell me?"
"You wouldn't've believed me."
Remus grinned. He walked over to his mate and kissed him. "Well done."
Remus turned and started to hang baubles onto the tree again. Sirius grinned and started to play with some leftover tinsel. "Oh, grow up, you!" Remus laughed, spotting him. Sirius flicked at him with the end of the tinsel and laughed, "Make, me, Moony!"
"You always were giddy at this time of year," Remus retorted, grabbing a stuffed Santa Clause and throwing it at Sirius, who dodged.
"Yeah, but this year I have more than enough excuses!" he replied, leaping towards the toy. Remus scrambled to his feet and tried to stop him from picking it up. He didn't manage it. "Hey, no fair! You've got two weapons; I have none!"
Sirius pulled the tinsel from round his neck and said, "You can have this if you want …"
"Only if you let me strangle you with it!" Remus grinned. Sirius dropped the stuffed Santa and threw the tinsel around Remus' neck so that it made a loop and caught the other end. He jerked the tinsel forwards, making the werewolf stumble right into his arms - exactly according to his plan. "Love you."
"Love you too."
Sirius kissed Remus, holding him close. Remus pulled back first, looking up. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"We definitely want some more of that stuff …"
Right above them was a large bunch of fresh mistletoe.
---------
Remus cracked open one bleary eye. He could hear someone being sick in the bathroom. What a wonderful thing to wake up to on the first of January. He remembered arriving at Lilly's flat for the New Year's Party. Then James and Sirius had got so drunk they couldn't walk properly. Then it had been midnight and then … and then …
Jesus, it had been good. Sober Sirius was better, but not by much. He recalled that James had dragged a giggling Lilly into the bedroom before Sirius had managed to make him melt. Then it was a blur of heat and pleasure.
He lifted his body by his arms and looked around. No wonder his neck was killing him - he had apparently slept on his stomach with his head twisted sideways on Sirius' shoulder. He looked down at the man lying next to him on the floor. The man he loved. He was sure they had been on the couch before he fell asleep … his memory of last night wasn't exactly clear. He didn't really need it to be.
Sirius started to wake up. He opened his eyes and groaned. Remus chuckled. "Was that the hangover talking, or am I just that bad a sight to wake up to?"
"Hangover," Sirius replied, rolling onto his front. Remus reached out and picked up his boxers. He pulled them on and went to see if whoever was in the bathroom - probably James - was OK.
James was leaning over the toilet, groaning. "I did tell you not to drink so much," he commented. James growled something unintelligible and threw up again. Remus shook his head and went to wake Lilly up. She was sprawled across the bed, the covers - thankfully - drawn up across her chest. Remus walked over and shook her shoulder. She stirred and opened her eyes. "Remus!"
"Expecting James?" Remus smiled. "He's not feeling too well."
"Bloody right!" James called from the bathroom. Lilly laughed. "'S not funny!"
"I'll look after him. I suppose Sirius is just as bad?"
"Headache-type-hangover, I think. That I'm glad about. Less messy," Remus replied, heading for the door. By the time he got back to the lounge, a half-dressed Sirius had his head under a pillow and was groaning, lying flat and face down on the couch. Remus crouched beside him. "That won't help."
"I know," Sirius said flatly. "But it makes me feel slightly better."
Remus chuckled and dressed quickly, leaving his robes over the back of a chair. Hepulled the pillow off Sirius' head and rolled him over onto his back. He kissed him gently on the forehead and stroked his cheek. "I hate to say this, but I told you so."
"I know. You're right, as always."
"Can you remember anything? From last night?" Remus asked quietly after a moment. Sirius smiled weakly.
"Yes, I do remember the reason why my arse is aching this fine January morning, Remus my love…"
Remus smiled, looking at the floor, embarrassed. Sirius touched his shoulder and asked, "Hey, it isn't like I care. It was good. Now, can you get me something for my headache?"
Remus nodded, standing up. When he reached the door to the kitchen, Sirius called him back. "Remus? Promise you'll be like that every night?"
Remus blushed, which made Sirius smile, despite the pain in his head. Remus muttered, "I promise," and left the room. Sirius leaned back on the couch, his smile fading. His head was really pounding and everything seemed louder and brighter than before. "Remus?" he whimpered. "Hurry!"
Remus returned with a shot-glass full of something clear. "Drink that."
Sirius did so. It was sickly sweet but left a vinegary aftertaste. However, his hangover left him almost immediately. "Better?"
"Much, thanks."
"Good. I hate it when you're in pain."
"Aww, really, Rem?" Sirius replied, pulling Remus close to him and kissing him hard. Remus sat down on the sofa next to Sirius and snuggled up to him. When they parted, Remus murmured, "I love you, Sirius."
"Love you, too."
Remus kissed him, forcing his tongue into his mouth. Sirius groaned, leaning into Remus' arms. Lilly, dressed in her dressing gown and a nightdress, appeared in the doorway and saw them. "Guys, either get a room, or stop."
Sirius pulled back and, looking straight into Remus' eyes asked, "Can we borrow your room, Lilly?"
She put her hands on her hips. "I don't think the bed could take it!"
Remus smiled. "Knowing the way you wriggle, Sirius Black, she's probably right!"
Sirius growled, pulling Remus closer. "Was that an insult, Moony?"
"I wouldn't dare insult you."
Sirius pulled away from Remus and twisted his body so that he was lying with his head in Remus' lap. He looked up at him coyly. "Not even when I'm like this?"
Remus smiled and stroked Sirius' forehead. "No. Wouldn't want to. You haven't got any faults I can pick up on to use as an insult. Apart from the fact that you have endless energy - "
"You've never complained before!"
"You have endless energy," Remus continued slightly louder, frowning disapprovingly down at Sirius, "And when I want to be quiet you always end up bouncing around the room being loud and asking to either play your guitar with the volume on full, or listen to your rock music with the volume on full."
"MY rock music! Who, out of the two of us, has two CD racks full of it!"
Remus glared. "Who always wants to listen to it!"
"Who puts it on in the car so loud that they've been booked for it, like, five times!"
"Four! At least get the number right!"
"Four then. It's still ridiculous! And you, the rock music junkie, object to nose rings or studs, pierced ears, my leather outfits, my bike - my beautiful bloody bike, how can you not like it, it's gorgeous! - and my guitar! My guitar!"
"Of course I do! The leather I'll come back to. The bike is dangerous - it is, Padfoot, the way you drive it! The guitar is loud; you never turn the volume down. And I haven't got anything against pierced ears - on women. And nose studs are plain daft. You'd look awful wearing so much metal I wouldn't dare bring a magnet within a mile of you!"
"Aw, Moony, just one stud in my nose! Please!"
"No. How many times. How did we get from music to studs?"
"It's not my fault! All right, let me wear my leath- "
"NO! You know what that does to me!"
"Yeah, I do. That's why I wear that outfit every chance I get." Sirius grinned cheekily at his lover, making him blush. "You, Sirius Black, are evil!"
"I am not. I'm just saying that I like it when you get all ho- "
"You'd better not say anything I'll regret, or you'll get nothing from me but silence tonight!"
"I was going to say 'hot and bothered'. But you wouldn't dare going silent on me - you couldn't. I'll put my leather stuff on."
"I can resist you, Sirius."
"You can't! Don't lie!"
"Now you've done it, Sirius Black!"
James walked into the room and said loudly, "GUYS! Stop fighting. Whatever he gave you, Sirius, give me some!"
Lilly grinned and dragged him towards the kitchen. "It's in here, you big baby!"
"Am not a big baby."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too …"
Remus sighed. "Will you and James ever grow up?"
"No."
"Good."
Sirius snuggled closer to Remus. "Please let me get a nose stud."
"Sirius, I'm warning you - "
Sirius' puppy-dog eyes cut him off. Remus folded his arms and tried to glare. In truth, his insides melted when Sirius looked at him like that. "Please? I'll love you forever."
"I thought that was unconditional!" Remus exploded. Sirius scrambled into a sitting position. "Well, it is, but …"
"But what?"
"Remus, I'll love you forever anyway. You know that."
Remus smiled. "Prove it."
"Can't without a bedroom."
"I thought the absolutely fabulous sex was only secondary ..."
"It is, but I hardly think kissing my beautiful horny werewolf is going to make him feel loved right now. I'm right, aren't I?"
"Lilly's bedroom has a lock."
Sirius chuckled. "But she said we couldn't!"
Remus' smiled widened. "She didn't, actually. She just said the bed couldn't take it. Locking charm on the doors, silencing charm on the room …"
"Remus, you're … brilliant!" Sirius laughed. Remus shushed him, grabbing his hand. "Come on."
They hurried past the kitchen door into Lilly's bedroom. Remus quickly locked the doors to the corridor and the bathroom and put a silencing charm up around the room. The moment he finished, Sirius pounced on him. He slammed him against the wall, kissing him already, and started grinding their hips together. Remus' breath hitched in his throat. He loved this. He loved Sirius. Sirius knew exactly how to turn him on, how to touch him, how to handle him, how to love him. He knew what Remus wanted almost as though he was in his head with him. In a way he was.
Werewolves mate for life.
Sirius pulled Remus over to the bed, their lips still not parted from that first kiss. He pulled Remus down on top of him on the bed, and the springs groaned in protest. Remus pulled back. "Lilly willkill us if this bed collapses …"
"So we'll fix it after. Shut up," Sirius ordered, pulling Remus back into a long kiss. "I'm not entirely sure this is a good idea any more."
"It is."
"Is it?"
"When have I been wrong?"
Remus shrugged, letting his guard down. Sirius flipped him onto his back and kissed him again. "I love you, Remus."
Remus shut his eyes. He wanted those words to be the last he ever heard. He wanted Sirius to say that every moment. Every sentence. He wanted Sirius to be the last thing he saw. He wanted to be with him every day. Every second.
He was so glad that werewolves mate for life.
When Remus found that out, he had immediately decided never to go with anyone, never to force anyone to be with him forever. He knew, from reading up on the subject, that if the other ever cheated on him, he would instantly die inside or go insane. That was the other reason. Fear. Fear that he would go mad, and if he did, that he would tear everyone around him to shreds or - worse - turn them into monsters like him. He had found out literally days before going to Hogwarts. He must have been the youngest person to have The Talk. That had just been plain embarrassing, for all parties concerned.
Then he had fallen for Sirius, at the end of sixth year. And he had refused to tell him, because he knew Sirius couldn't keep a relationship other than friendship, for more than a few weeks …
(A/N: Whee, another updated chapter. Not a lot I could do on this one without ripping it apart and DELETING it ... I wanted to, believe me.
OK, so it's been over 2 months since Christmas and New year. So? Out of season, yes, I know but I don't care really. Hope you all had a really nice holiday back when it happened. I WROTE this at Christmas, so …)
