This is my little tribute to Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, my two favoritest (not a word, you say? It is now) characters from Harry Potter. I just finished reading PoA (for the bazillionth time) and felt inspired to write a little reunion piece. This was originally intended to be a one-shot, but I think I'll drag it out. And maybe (gasp) even develop a plot!
In case you missed the summary, let me clarify. This is SLASH, people. Sirius/Remus pairing. Yes, romantic pairing. So if this isn't your cup of tea, don't read. That said, please read! (I'm a shameless beggar.)
Any and all critiques/comments/questions/suggestions are welcomed. Flames are okay (you can't please every body) but please don't get violent.
Disclaimer: The characters all obviously belong to the gifted and talented JKR.
Setting: This takes place right after the night at the Shrieking Shack after which both Wormtail and Sirius (and Buckbeak) escape. Remus has just resigned his DADA post and is going home.
Remus trudged his way up the circuitous gravel road toward his house. The road wound steeply up the forested mountainside, crawling toward a cozy brick cottage nestled in a tree-less alcove. The only garden there was to speak of, a square patch of ground near the door, boasted a myriad collection of wolfsbane and other herbs competing for dominance with alien weeds. Night had begun to fall as the last traces of light filtered through the blanket of dusk.
Lupin sighed. The events of the previous night had left him with an onerous burden of dread. He shuddered to think what could have happened had Sirius not been able to stop him. The transformation had been horrible—the first time in years that Remus had not taken the Wolfsbane Potion. And what was worse, his carelessness had let Wormtail escape. Nonetheless, Remus felt a flutter in his stomach when he thought about Sirius. He had been delighted to discover that Sirius was innocent. When Sirius was convicted twelve years ago, Remus had wept for weeks, mourning the loss of not only Lily and James but also the Sirius he knew—or thought he knew. Sirius, the friend and lover he had come to depend upon. Remus had been devastated, finding Sirius's conviction hard to swallow. His mind condemned Sirius for his betrayal, but his heart stubbornly refused to find fault with his beloved.
Sighing, he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a heavy, rusty key. Coaxing the lock to turn, Remus heaved open the door and entered his home. Everything seemed to be just as he had left it, except for the thick layer of dust that had accumulated during his ten-month absence. The tiled landing split into a welcoming sitting room on the right and a small kitchen through a door on the left. A winding staircase led up to two bedrooms and a bath. Everything, from the floor to the ceiling was painted in muted earth colors, a scheme that Remus found soothing.
As tired as he was, Remus decided to make himself some chamomile tea. After unpacking and showering, he sunk into his favorite chair in the sitting room, his hands curled around a cup of tempting, gold liquid. He sniffed it eagerly. But no sooner had he lifted the cup to his lips—
CRASH!
Startled, Remus abandoned the tea and ran to the door. Throwing it open, he witnessed a sight that immediately converted his shock to elated happiness. Sirius was dismounting a thoroughly vexed-looking Buckbeak. The tree they had nearly uprooted lay next to the hippogriff's paws.
Remus chuckled, but sobered quickly when Sirius turned around to face him. Lupin inspected his friend closely. The darkness of the Shrieking Shack had mitigated the changes in Sirius's appearance, but in the fading light Remus could clearly see the gauntness of the face, the ragged state of the clothes, the matted clump of the hair. It was a very different image from the one Remus remembered—the confident Sirius that radiated an aura of casual beauty and striking luster. The only remnant of the old Sirius seemed to be the pale blue eyes that Remus had more than once lost himself in.
"Remus," Sirius croaked, his voice swimming with fatigue and emotion. He staggered toward Remus, who stood glued to the spot. "Moony," he said again. Remus gasped in surprise. How long had it been since he had heard Sirius call him that?
Sirius, now standing less than two feet away from Remus, smiled sadly down at his friend. Remus lost track of time as they stood there, staring into each other's eyes, feeling the thirst of twelve loveless years all at once. Then, before he realized what was happening, Sirius had pulled him into a desperate embrace, face pressed into the side of his neck.
Remus was too stunned to move. The familiar scent of his friend stirred his memories, his heart, and his soul. Gradually he wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist, breathing into his friend's collar.
Sirius was home.
TBC…
I know. It's short. But this is as much as I could get done in a school day. More updates coming very very soon. Please review, pleople. Any suggestions would be welcome. More fluff in the next chapter, I promise.