A/N: Hi guys. Hope you allliked chapter one. I won't waste any time and I'll get on with chapter 2! Bythe way, I'd really appreciate it if you could spread the word somehow that I'm posting again! But most importantly, ENJOY!

Chapter 2

Remus & Belle

It took quite awhile to fly back to Belle's house, and getting there was most uneventful. Sirius found that flying overseas was not as entertaining as he originally thought, and wished that he had been smart enough to stay on one continent.

But as the days past, he found he was very excited to see his fiancé again. Sure, he had gotten innumerable letters from her, but it just wasn't the same as seeing her beautiful face smiling back at him.

So one night, after flying all day, an exhausted Buckbeak collapsed in Belle's small backyard, among the trees. With a yawn equally big as Buckbeak's, Sirius made his way to the backdoor. He tugged on the handle, but found that it was locked. Sirius looked down and saw that Belle's cat-door was waiting to be used. Sirius transformed into his Animangus dog form and crammed himself through. The door flapped shut behind him.

He sniffed around the kitchen for a moment, hoping that all of Belle's "cats," that were actually Animangi, weren't home. But, not sensing any strange smells, Sirius transformed back into a human and scrambled to his feet.

The crescent moonlight filtered in through Belle's curtains, giving them a ghostly glow. Sirius made his way to the refrigerator, excited to gobble down anything that wasn't fruit-related. He pulled it open, and its fluorescent light spilled onto the tiled floor. He pulled out a jar of milk and took a long swig, relishing the taste. He wiped off his mouth, and returned it to the fridge.

He knew that Belle was probably asleep, and he contemplated waking her. Sirius looked up at the kitchen clock. It was 1:56am. After a moment's hesitation, he decided that Belle would be happy to see him, and wouldn't mind being awakened at almost two in the morning.

So, Sirius made his way out of the kitchen, and into the dark living room. Sirius turned the corner and was about to start towards the stairs, when he heard a sleepy grunt from the living room couch. Frightened of being caught, Sirius popped immediately into a dog.

Cautiously, he edged his way back into the living room, his big, black paws hardly making a sound on the carpet. He inched right up to the couch, and peered at the sleeping bulge that was resting upon it.

Sirius's eyes grew wide in confusion.

Remus Lupin was sleeping on Belle's couch.

"No way," Sirius whispered as he transfigured himself back into a human. He stared at Remus, not sure whether to be puzzled or outraged that his best friend was sleeping on his girlfriend's couch.

Remus finally rolled over, and slowly opened his drooping eyes. When he at last registered that someone was staring at him as he slept, he let out a loud shout, and sat up, stick straight, clutching his wand.

"Oh—Sirius!" Remus breathed, once his wand was lit. "It's just you… I thought you were in hiding—what are you doing here?" He let his wand fall into his lap, and the light was dimmed slightly as the tip of his wand settled into the folds of his blanket.

"I could ask the same of you!" Sirius exclaimed grouchily. "Why are you here? You have your own house! I was going to stay on the couch!"

"Come on, Sirius. I've got just as much a right to be here as you do," Remus said calmly.

Sirius wanted to shout, Oh, no you don't! She's my fiancé! But he quickly remembered that Remus knew nothing of Belle and Sirius's engagement. In fact, nobody did—not even Harry or Albus Dumbledore.

"Look," Sirius said, taking a deep breath. "I'm the escaped convict here—you've got your own place—I need to stay here."

"Yes, well, about that…"

"What are you doing here, anyway? Been hanging out with Belle, have you?" Sirius demanded, trying to control his temper. Remus wouldn't realize he was doing anything wrong if he was flirting around with Belle… But honestly, could my luck BE any worse?!

"That's not it, Sirius—"

"Oh it isn't, is it? Then what? Because I'm pretty confused as to why you'd be sleeping on her couch if—"

"I don't have enough galleons to pay my bills, Sirius," Remus blurted. Sirius fell silent.

Remus had never really been 'well off', but Sirius had always thought he made enough money to get by—at least enough money to keep his house. Sure, Remus was a werewolf, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold a job, or that he was dangerous. Dumbledore had been nice enough to allow Remus to work at Hogwarts last year as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but Remus had been forced to resign once Severus Snape let it slip that Remus was a werewolf.

"Thanks to Dolores Umbridge and her racism against half-breeds, the Ministry is keeping my house and everything in it, until I can come up with enough money to pay my debts," Remus continued with a sigh. He leaned back on the couch in defeat. "I don't know what to do, Sirius."

Sirius really didn't know what to say. Remus had always been the one with the good advice when they were younger—Sirius had only been the one to go to when you needed a laugh.

"I could pay them for you," Sirius suggested. He had plenty of money… so much that sometimes he didn't even know what to do with it. His whole stupid bloodline had been rich.

"No," Remus shook his head, "I don't want any charity money."

"Don't be so thick—it's not charity money! I want to help!" Sirius argued.

"Sirius, no… please, I don't need it."

"Just a loan, then," Sirius fought back, though Remus showed no signs of cracking. "You can pay be back whenever you want…"

"Sirius, I can't do that—and I won't let you waste your money like that," Remus said, the volume in his voice rising slowly.

"How is it a waste of my money, Remus?!" Sirius cried, his voice rising to a shout. "I want to help you!"

"Because!" Remus bellowed at the top of his lungs, causing Sirius to stumble back. Remus literally never shouted. Sirius couldn't even remember the last time Remus had even spoken to him with a stern voice. Usually, Remus was "disappointed" in you, which was almost worse than shouting.

Remus took a deep breath. "The last time I borrowed money from someone, it was James, and now I can never pay him back."

His words dangled in the air, a taunting reminder of that tragic Halloween night when Lily and James were killed. The picture of James lying facedown by the sofa resurfaced in Sirius's mind. Remus put his head in his hands. Not knowing what else to do, Sirius clapped his hand on Remus's shoulder.

"I miss them so much sometimes…" Remus's voice nearly unmanned him, and Sirius felt on the verge of tears and he gulped.

"Me too," Sirius breathed.

"And when I think of Harry… he never knew them, Sirius," Remus said, looking up and staring in the darkness.

"I know."

"Why did it have to happen, Sirius?" his voice wavered. "Why did You-Know-Who have to take them?"

But the three simple words 'You-Know-Who' burned in Sirius's ears. He took his hand away from Remus's shoulder and stared at him. "How dare you! How dare you call Voldemort You-Know-Who! Only the cowards call him that! You're braver than that, Remus…"

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Remus said, taken aback. "I didn't even realize—"

"We were marauders, Remus. You were the one who said 'marauders aren't afraid of anything'!" Sirius said angrily.

"Were marauders? If I remember correctly, it was you who said 'once a marauder, always a marauder'," Remus said, with the smallest hint of a smile.

"Sounds familiar," Sirius sighed, his frustration instantly escaping him.

He slunk into a chair opposite his friend. Sirius had had too many outbursts over the years for Remus to take any of them seriously. Sirius sat there in silence for a moment or two in contemplation. Through the dim wandlight, Sirius could see that Remus was watching him intently.

"Why did you never tell me about all of this?" Sirius asked him. "When you wrote me, why didn't you ever say that you needed money or that you were here at Belle's?"

"I don't know. Didn't seem like it mattered," Remus said softly. "I mean, what was I going to say? 'Oh, by the way, I'm homeless'? Not exactly a pleasant start to a conversation, if you ask me."

"Guess you're right," Sirius muttered.

At that moment, the living room light flickered on, making Remus's wandlight obsolete. The men both looked towards the light switch, and saw Belle standing there in her pajamas and robe, staring at Sirius in awe.

Sirius rose to his feet, looking at her. In that fraction of a second, Sirius felt more at home than he had in his entire life.

"Sirius! What—what are you doing here?!" she cried, her dark black curls bouncing as she ran to his arms. He embraced her strongly, never wanting to let go. He wanted to kiss her, to tell her how much her letters had meant to him—how each one was folded up carefully in his pocket at that very moment, and how much he had missed her…

But with Remus sitting directly behind him, he knew that he couldn't mention a word of it, and Belle seemed to feel the same. They both had agreed at the beginning of the summer that no one was to know of their secret engagement. For if someone found out, Belle would most likely be hauled into the Ministry for questioning of Sirius's current location, and then her reputation in the wizarding world would be crushed.

Sirius released Belle unwillingly, though the both of them were all smiles.

"I suppose Remus has told you why he's here?" she asked him, masking a small chuckle. Sirius didn't doubt that she had heard every word of his jealous accusations.

"Yeah…"

"He's staying with me until he can get a handle on things—" Belle replied, "or until that asshole of a Ministry decides to back off."

"Now, now, Belle, no reason to swear," Remus laughed from the couch.

"Honestly! It's so vulgar!" Sirius shook his head at her and clucked his tongue. "You'll never find someone to marry you with a dirty mouth like that."

With a glare, Belle elbowed him painfully in the stomach.

"I was just kidding!" Sirius whimpered.

"I know," she said simply. She raised her eyebrows at him, and made for the kitchen. Sirius made a face at Remus, and sat back down across from him. Belle reentered the room holding a milk bottle.

"So, who drank three-quarters of my milk?" she asked, shaking the bottle.

"Er, wasn't me…" Sirius said easily.

She rolled her eyes. "Want the rest?"

"Why not?" Sirius shrugged. "Not that it was me who drank it in the first place. It was probably Remus…" he sniggered, accepting the bottle from Belle, and chugging the rest of the liquid.