Title: Get on with it

Author: Damin Wolfblade

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: As per normal.

Well here is the second instalment, I hope you like it.

Chapter Two: Meanwhile, upstairs…

Soft, warm jets of water were hitting his back, washing away the pain in his tight muscles after yet another 'fight' with Sirius. Remus didn't know why they wrestled so often, but they did. Of course he wasn't exactly complaining, who would complain about being pressed up against Sirius Black? Remus shrugged to himself and stepped out of the shower. After wrapping a towel around his waist he headed into the dormitory he shared with his friends. Upon open the bathroom door, he found himself looking into stunning midnight-blue eyes. Sirius' mouth was hanging open as he took in the beautiful sight before him; wet, semi-naked Remus Lupin. His eyes followed the trail made by a lone rivulet of water running down Remus' lean chest, it was mesmerising.

"Padfoot, I, erm," Remus struggled to find something to say; surely he must be imagining that look in his friend's eye. Sirius' head snapped up and he looked at his friend as though he had just been broken out of a trance.

He stepped back and mumbled his apologies before turning and practically running out of the dorm. Sirius didn't go anywhere once he reached the hall; he just flopped against the wall, panting like he had just run a marathon. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. You are such an idiot Padfoot! Probably just fucked up your friendship with the most special person. Fuckin' idiot! He covered his face with his hands and kicked out backwards against the wall.

Desperate to escape the morose thoughts that were threatening to consume him, Sirius put all his concentration towards breathing deeply. He had to apologise to Moony, but what the hell was he supposed to say? I'm sorry that I'm attracted to you? He ran his hand through his shoulder-length black hair and growled, in a way much akin to Padfoot. "Fuck! Fu…"

"Sirius, are you out here?"

Shit, Remus…

The hall way was badly lit, the only real light was spilling out from the ajar door leading to the dorm .It took Remus a while to spot the hunched figure leaning against the wall. He quietly crossed the distance between them and placed his hand on his best-friends shoulder. "Sirius what's wrong? You ran out of the dorm like there was a cave-troll on your heels" Remus grinned slightly as he pictured a cave-troll actually chasing Sirius, his more sombre mood returned, however, as he felt Sirius stir beside him.

"Look Moony, I'm sorry about back there, I um, just blanked out, you know. Probably just tired and all." He gave what he hoped was a tired, convincing smile. Remus looked unsure but nodded anyway.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, you know that don't you?" Sirius nodded silently and glumly watched Remus retreat to the dorm. You cannot inflict your perverse feelings on such an extraordinary soul, kind, gentle Moony. Tomorrow, yeah, tomorrow…

As sun began to filter in to the sixth year boy's dorm, the young werewolf was already up and about getting ready for a Friday full of lessons. He had Ancient Runes first whilst the others all had potions together. Remus hated Potions; it was the only class he had struggled with (other than divination but that was different), this being the reason behind his dropping it as soon as he could. Remus heard a stirring beside him and noticed that the bed next to James' was empty. What the hell was Padfoot doing up this early? Did he even go to bed? By the look of the sheets, Remus didn't think he had.

James who had been slowly waking up suddenly found himself being roughly shaken by the worried werewolf. "Wha…" James squinted up at the blurry figure standing over him and groped for his glasses on the bedside table. "Remus? What's wrong?" he asked after he was actually able to see Remus' expression.

"James, did Sirius come in with you and Peter last night? His bed doesn't look slept in." Remus had taken a seat on James' bed, now that James was awake and began to fiddle with a loose thread on his blanket, as he was wont to do when he was worried.

James frowned and replied groggily, "Nah, he was heading downstairs when Pete and I came up, looked more determined than anything, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, I think." James sat up and absently rubbed his abused forehead, "Oow" he pulled his hand away and dropped it in his lap. "I'm sure he's fine, Moony. You know Sirius, probably off on some hair-brained scheme."

Remus nodded before moving off to wake Peter. He was surprised to find him already awake and looking rather attentive. "Good morning Pete" Remus said and turned to get his books, when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked back at the keen-eyed blond with a puzzled expression on his face.

"He'll be alright mate. He ended up sleeping on the couch for some reason." Remus looked even more confused, so Peter amended, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I went for a late night scamper, and when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I saw Padfoot asleep on one of the sofas." Remus sighed and thanked Peter, before grabbing his books and hurrying off to the library, in need of a solitude that only his own thoughts could provide.

When James and Peter entered the Great Hall they couldn't see Remus anywhere. They could, however, see Sirius flirting with…okay…shoving his tongue down the throat of some random Ravenclaw. Immediately the two came to the assumption that something had happened between Moony and Pads last night, but what? It was a ritual for the morning after one of their little wrestling sessions for Remus to retreat to the library and for Sirius to chat up as many girls as possible, but never had it advanced to this stage before breakfast. Normally snogging wasn't on the agenda until lunch time at least, he generally had some compassion for people eating breakfast.

Peter and James sat with their backs to the Ravenclaw table and made a show of filling up their plates, even though neither was very hungry. "Do you suppose they'll sort it out?" Peter asked breaking the silence that had descended on their small section of the Gryffindor table. James shrugged, "They always do. Hopefully, by tomorrow, everything will be back to normal, it generally works like that." Peter nodded and glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look at the huge doors at the end of the Great Hall and saw Remus standing there, stock still and glaring in the direction of Sirius and his latest conquest. Peter nudged James in the arm and tilted his head in the direction of the doors.

Remus stood there for no longer than a few seconds before he turned and walked, in a deceptively calm manner, over to where James and Peter were sitting, pretending that they hadn't noticed a thing.

No one said anything for a while, until Remus asked James to pass the butter. As well as being given the butter, Remus was bombarded with more information than he ever wanted to know about the after-match goings-on in the boys changing rooms. It seemed that James felt the need to fill the silence, even if his topic was a little…disturbing.

"…And there was this one time when…" He cut off mid sentence, when he eventually noticed the wide-eyed looks Remus and Peter were giving him. He gave a weak laugh and looked ready to launch into another random and probably equally vulgar topic when Remus intervened, "Look I have a feeling this little education session has something to do with me, is it because Sirius is sitting over there with that Ravenclaw in his lap?"

"She's in his lap?" Peter choked; he spun around and then turned back with a disgusted expression, "Have they no care for us poor souls trying to keep the food we eat in our stomachs?" James and Remus both grinned at their friend's little acting display, Peter grinned back and the three got up and trouped off to their first periods.

That night three of the four Marauders were sitting on James' bed, drinking some cheap red wine that James' had conjured up in an attempt to cheer Remus up. This was also part of the ritual following one of Remus and Sirius' 'fights'. Sirius would be off, probably shagging that Ravenclaw, who, by tomorrow, would dumped.

"James, mate, I have to say that this wine is rougher than hessian undies." Remus commented a little happier because of the copious amounts of wine he had consumed. At the mention of the word 'undies' the slightly inebriated, sixteen year old boys fell into fits of laughter.

A/N: What do you think of Remus' saying about the wine? I love it, I heard it on the radio this morning and had to incorporate it some how.

Anyways I hope you liked this chapter. Again reviews and comments are always welcome.

Damin xxx