I Have to Say I Love You in a Spell
Author: Along Came the Spider
Summary: Remus has something to say.
Part Six: Landing on Your Feet is not Just for Cats.

The full moon was closing in, Remus could feel it all around him. The urges that the wolf imposed upon him. The new Wolfbane potion was helping, but being near Sirius was not. Especially when Sirius came home from functions smelling of perfume and smoke.

It was getting harder to control himself when Sirius came home with a thousand scents that weren't his littering the air around him. Female scents, meant to ensnare a mate, to hold him almost against his will, until he would do anything for her. Remus just wished that they wouldn't use it on his mate.

There was another scent, that he smelled more and more around Sirius. This wasn't an overly cloying sickly sweet scent like those that the witches were fond of. This was a darker, muskier, scent. One that a man might wear - or have naturally. He wanted to ask Sirius's about it, but that would most likely lead to questions about why Remus was noticing things like that, and that wasn't a discussion Remus wanted to have at the moment.

Remus smelled the visitor before he knocked. The smell brought a small smile to his face and he opened the door to welcome his former classmate.

"Remus!" Peter blinked at him, "I thought this was Sirius's apartment."

"Come in," Remus grinned. "Sirius is out for the night, I don't expect him back until late."

Peter gave him a puzzled look but entered the apartment anyway. "So you're living with him now?"

"Just until I can afford a place of my own." Remus shrugged. "This way I can work, and not have to worry about where I'm living this week."

"I guess," Peter sounded dubious. "I did hear that they've passed laws that make it harder for a werewolf to live by themselves."

"Hopefully the new wolfbane potion will ease some of the worries that the ministry has on that score." Remus sat down on the couch and looked at Peter expectantly. "It's amazing how much calmer I am when I take it."

Peter gave him a surprised look. "That's good," he looked around nervously. "When did you say Sirius was going to get back?"

"Late," Remus replied, he studied his friend, Peter was paler than normal and looked to be shedding a lot of excess water. "Is there an emergency of some kind? There are ways to get in contact with him..."

"No!" Peter jumped off the couch.

Remus's brow furrowed. "Peter, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Peter sat back down slowly. "Nothing is wrong, I'm just a bit skittish is all."

"I hadn't noticed," Remus joked wryly. "Can I help you in place of Sirius?"

"No," Peter said more calmly. "It's probably nothing, I just wanted to ask him a question."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like." Remus offered. "I really don't know when Sirius is going to be back."

"I don't think I'll stay." Peter looked at the ground for a few moments before looking at Remus full in the face for the first time that night. "Remus?"

"Yes?" Remus leaned back, glad that Peter had finally gotten to the point where he would just spill out whatever the trouble was and he could help him deal with it.

"What do you know about Antonin Dolohov?" Peter asked.

"Not a thing." Remus admitted. "I'm fairly certain I read somewhere that he's going to be marrying Impetua Malfoy, but that is it."

Peter nodded at this news. "Impetua Malfoy is one of Sirius's closest friends is she not?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Remus snorted. "I think you, James and I are Sirius's closest friends, with Lily coming in behind us. I would say that they were close once upon a time, and that they are friendly now, but I wouldn't say she is his closest friend."

"Huh," Peter frowned. "There is a lot of talk about a love triangle between the three of them."

"I hardly think that Sirius is out to marry her." Remus rolled his eyes. "He had his chance, and he refused to take it."

"Sometimes it takes someone else stepping on your shoes to show you what you have," Peter murmured.

Remus stared at him. He'd been thinking of that just the other day, how it had taken Sirius going back into the marriage mart to bring himself to the conclusion that he wanted to be near Sirius. Here was Peter saying nearly the same thing, only this time about Sirius and Impetua Malfoy. Could that be it? Remus wondered.

"It's probably nothing," Peter said as if Remus hadn't just stopped cold. "I just wanted to talk to Sirius and see if something was up."

"I haven't heard him mention Impetua overly much," Remus said slowly. "Or Dolohov for that matter."

"See?" Peter said triumphantly. "It's nothing."

"Yes," Remus agreed softly.

"Well, that's cleared up." Peter smiled and stood up. "Thanks Remus, you were a big help."

"Glad to have helped," Remus said somewhat automatically as he followed Peter to the door.

"I don't think Sirius needs to be worried over the fact I came by," Peter said as he stood in the doorway. "I don't think he'd like to know that everyone is talking about him like that."

"You're probably right," Remus smiled. "He's an intensely private person."

"Bye now," Peter pulled his wand out and disappeared.

Remus stared at the spot where Peter had been for a few minutes. The other man had given him much to think on.

Sirius hummed as he let himself back into the flat. While the party had been absolutely awful he had found himself a mildly intelligent companion for most of the night. He might not have been strictly following his set goal of finding a wife, or appearing to do so; but he had been moving amongst the Pureblooded looking for those who expressed discontent with Lord Voldemort's machinations.

It looked like the cream of the crop was going to fall into Sirius's lap. Impetua Malfoy's tastes seemed to run true, Antonin Dolohov didn't seem quite like the fanatical purists that populated the Pureblooded society. He was calmer and more analytical.

"I'm glad that you and Antonin are getting along." Impetua had told him as he danced with her that evening. "It will make things so much easier on us both once we're married to our respective choices."

"Why should it?" He had asked.

"Sirius Black!" She had rolled her eyes. "Are you saying that I mean absolutely nothing to you? I, for one, missed you when you were no longer among society. I would miss you awfully if you were to gain a wife and disappear all over again. Not to mention that any wife you found here would expect you to dance attendance on her at one or two of these events."

He had nearly tripped over his feet at that statement. He had forgotten that fact when he started this endeavor. If he actually got married to one of these women, they would expect to be kept in the manner to which they were accustomed. They would also have certain expectations stemming from marriage into the Black family. Impetua was right, he would have to be out and about in society again.

He stopped humming, 'Just thinking about this is making my head hurt.'

"Sirius?" Remus called from the living room. "You're back early."

"After Macnair challenged three different men to a duel just for dancing with his wife I thought it best to get out of there before he challenged me because he didn't like the color of my socks or something else equally trivial." Sirius called back as he put his coat away.

"Who could object to puce socks?" Remus said as he leaned against the door frame.

"Puce?" Sirius looked down and pulled up one of his trouser legs. The socks on his feet were indeed puce in color. "I swear to you I put on navy blue socks before I left the house." He looked up at Remus. "Do you think my mind is going?"

"It must be all that perfume," Remus scrunched up his nose. "Otherwise you would have realized that there was no way for me to have known the color of your socks..."

"Unless you had chosen that color." Sirius finished. "Some friend you are. Please tell me I didn't go to the party with puce socks on."

"I changed them mere minutes ago," Remus assured him.

Sirius pulled out his wand, pointed it at the werewolf and muttered something under his breath.

"What did you do?" Remus asked as he glanced down at his clothing suspiciously. He started patting himself down when he found nothing outwardly wrong.

Sirius gave him a smile and breezed past him to collapse on the couch.

"What did you do?" Remus repeated as he followed Sirius into the room.

Sirius raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"Sirius." Remus attempted to sound threatening.

"Yes Mooney?" Sirius blinked at him.

Remus groaned and sat down on Sirius's legs. "You didn't do anything, did you."

"Nope," Sirius agreed.

Remus looked at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"The best pranks," Sirius said in a lecturing tone. "Are the ones that you don't do, but make other people think you did."

"I remember," Remus choked out.

"So how was your evening in?" Sirius asked.

"The usual," Remus replied. "I worked on my book some, Peter came to visit, not much else. How was your night out?"

"The usual," Sirius groaned. "I went, I danced, I talked."

There was silence in the room while the two wizards watched the fire brightly.

"Peter stopped by?" Sirius sat up suddenly dumping Remus onto the floor.

"He did," Remus picked himself up. "Wanted to talk to you, was very surprised that I was here too."

"The last time I talked to him was a few months ago, right before you moved in." Sirius said. "He came here, got drunk, and slept it off in the spare room."

"That's our Wormtail." Remus smiled. "Never really could hold his liquor could he?"

"Not so you'd notice," Sirius mused. "Not that he really drank while he was here. He had a beer - we both did. Then I went to bed and I believe he was headed to the same."

"Well," Remus shrugged. "You know his mother."

An image of Mrs. Pettigrew flashed through Sirius's mind. She was stuck up, always inspiring to be close to those higher in society than she. They, for the most part, tolerated her.

Sirius sighed. "Did Peter leave a message?"

"No," Remus shook his head. "He mentioned Antonin Dolohov and that there are rumors of a love triangle between you, Dolohov and Impetua. Then he left."

"A love triangle?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Between Impetua, Antonin and myself?"

"That was my reaction too," Remus grinned.

"Weird though," Sirius said slowly. "I guess it's because of how much time I'm spending with them."

"Really," it was Remus's turn to raise his eyebrow. "You haven't mentioned it."

Sirius looked thoughtful. "I guess that's because I don't really think of this whole business and you in the same way. I mean, you aren't in society right now, and I don't really want to deal with all that when I am not there. I just don't like mixing the two parts of my life."

"And when you finally find a woman and get married?" Remus asked. "Are you even going to invite us all to the wedding? Or would that be to much mixing?"

Sirius stared at Remus in surprise, "Of course you'll be at the wedding, if there is one. I could hardly have a wedding without my best friends!"

Remus was silent for a few moments, Sirius was about to break the silence when Remus spoke again. "I'm sorry," the werewolf said contritely. "The full moon is soon and that always makes me a little irrational."

"It's okay," Sirius brushed off the feeling that he was missing something.

"Maybe..." Remus trailed off and began to study the carpet.

"Maybe what?" Sirius prompted.

"It's nothing," Remus whispered. He got up still avoiding Sirius's gaze. "I'm still tired, I think I'll head to bed."

"Remus," Sirius stood up as the werewolf nearly bolted out of the room. Remus stopped at the doorway but didn't turn around. Sirius started to go towards him but stopped. Remus waited for a few more moments before walking away.

Sirius's heard the door down the hall shut firmly as he sank back onto the couch.

End Notes:

I finally know how this is going to end. Yay for me!