Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: Look. Look at what you made me do, you lovely, persistent reviewers. I wrote more. I want you to know that this caused me great pain. I mean, after not updating this story in—how long has it been? Over twoyears! Merlin's knees—it is very hard to get back into the writing cycle. But I did it for you, my sweet, sweet reviewers, because you begged and pleaded and begged and pleaded and begged and some threatened, but basically you all asked so nicely that I thought I should give you something. After all, the pups do deserve a little happiness and even though I utterly loathe fluff at this point I thought I should give them a break as well. So. At long last, I present to you, chapter four!

"Secrets of the Heart"
By
Padfootwolfboy
Chapter Four: The Russle and Tussle of Feminism

Sirius!" Remus called frantically. He turned a corner of one of the Potter's winding halls. An empty tunnel with identical wooden doors greeted him. "Sirius!" he called again, allowing his voice to stretch down the obscenely long hall. There was still no reply. What could have happened to him, Remus thought anxiously.

It wasn't like Sirius to simply disappear quietly, not a word to anyone. That is, of course, unless he was up to something. Surely, though, he wouldn't be planning a prank of any sort without alerting at least James to the idea. Except that James was with Lily, admiring how their fingernails clashed so nicely with each other's. Perhaps Sirius was with Peter in the kitchen, bothering the house elves for food. Sirius did have an insatiable appetite. It was plausible. Peter had been missing for nearly the same amount of time as Sirius. They were probably together, which meant Remus had climbed three flights of stairs and scoured a massive amount of rooms with nothing to show for it.

He decided a nice, soothing mid-day snack would do him well. To the kitchen is where he would travel.

Down two flights of stairs, walking past his bedroom (since the only way he could orient himself in such a giant house was to begin from a starting point he knew), he saw a light creeping from under the door. On a whim—because he had looked everywhere else, so why not here too—Remus called, "Sirius?"

Again there was no reply. Remus slowly pushed open the door to find a very asleep, very disheveled Sirius Black sprawled on his bed. He lay on his back, his arms outstretched like wings. His fingertips were stained with ink and his fingernails were a glittery silver. Remus let out a chuckle and went to sit on the bed by his friend. Sirius grunted as Remus' weight transferred onto the mattress, rolling the exhausted boy against Remus' side. He nudged Sirius' shoulder.

"Hey. Hey, Padfoot." Sirius grunted again and murmured something that sounded distinctly like "peanut butter and bologna sandwiches". Remus laughed again. "Yeah, come on, food. Get up."

"Nngf," Sirius sighed. "Gotta take off th' egg costume first."

"Okay, you take that off," Remus replied consolingly, trying to smother the smile from his face, "and I'm going to keep bothering you 'til you get up."

"Mmrg," Sirius agreed and suddenly peeled off his shirt.

Remus sat looking daze. Sirius, the boy he professed to love—if he could ever get those stupid words out of his mouth without sounding like Peter—was suddenly lying on a bed with him shirtless. That was, Sirius Black, the Sirius Black, was lying next to him, poor little Remus Lupin, with no shirt, bronzed muscle in sight. Remus couldn't help but stare.

Sirius poke one bleary eye open and caught him watching him. "Moony?" he asked tentatively, his voice still groggy from sleep. "You okay there? You're eyes have gone all funny."

Hearing him speak, Remus seemed to snap to. "Er, I, yeah," Remus responded, still dazed and feeling groggy himself. His eyes met Sirius'.

Sirius sat and stretched. Then, realized, belatedly, that he lacked one shirt. "Why's my shirt off?" he asked, finding it lying next to his left hip. He seemed to have no intention of replacing it.

"Nrgf, um, er. You took it off," Remus said, quite eloquently he thought.

"Oh." Sirius studied the shirt for a moment then his eyes narrowed at Remus. "You were secretly trying to rape me or anything while I took a nap, were you?"

Remus shook his head adamantly, eyes wide, though he had to admit the thought crossed his mind.

"Yeah. I'm so sure. Don't give me that innocent little Prefect act, Moony. I know you. You're viscous." Remus tried to explain what happened, to deny that it wasn't act, he was an innocent little Prefect for the most part, but Sirius seemed comfortable to simply stumble on with his imperfect logic. "Well. Fair's only fair." With that, he leaned over and lifted Remus' shirt above his head.

Now they both were shirtless, sitting on Remus' bed. Remus felt a blush rise from his stomach and decorate his cheeks. He was sure his entire body was completely red in embarrassment.

"There. That's better," Sirius said decidedly. He leveled his gaze at Remus for a moment before moving his eyes down to Remus' fingernails. "That's a lovely shade of green Lily got on you," he commented smugly.

If it were possible, Remus blushed more.

"Um, oh yes. It is," he said meekly, studying the lime color of his nail with more scrutiny then they deserved. He had spent the hour after Lily had finished with him examining them and felt with prim sincerity that he had found every interesting detail about them already. His eyes drifted again to Sirius' ink stained fingers, with the glossy coating of silver and glitter. "That's quite a lovely look on you as well," he said, not without some contempt.

Sirius looked at his nails as if he just remembered them—in fact, he might well have just remembered. He studied them with abstract amusement before smiling shyly and holding his hand up his face. "Lily thought they went with my eyes. What to do think?"

Remus didn't know what to think. The color was dead on, but the glitter subtracted from any beauty it might have brought out in Sirius. He looked rather ridiculous sitting there with glitter on his nails.

Remus's expression must have tipped him off before Sirius snorted. "My sentiments exactly. Not a very manly thing, glitter is." He turned his hand to study his nails again. "At least," he said as if in serious contemplation, "not for a manly man like me. Though I do suppose it could bring out my feminine side." His eyes once more rose to meet Remus' and a cheeky grin was shining through them. "What to do think, Moony?" Sirius inquired, barely hiding his smile through the self-imposed seriousness. "Do you think I need to get in touch with my more feminine side?"

He tried to imagine Sirius doing just that. Immediately the image of Sirius with a pink bow in his hair, skipping merrily through the Great Hall erupted in his head. He was wearing a matching skirt. Remus' mind soured at the idea and he answered Sirius is complete honesty.

"Frankly, Padfoot, I think it will be an absolute horror for all us to see you get in touch with the more feminine aspect."

Sirius barked a loud laugh at Remus' comment and the proceeded to tackle him into the bed. A scuffle ensued between the two shirtless boys. Limbs were pinned, fingers were battened (accidentally, of course) and knees and elbows found their way into unnecessary places. At one point Sirius tried sitting on Remus to stop him from squirming but Remus simply bucked him off and curled behind him, forcefully pining his arms to his chest and locking his legs with his own. Sirius was trapped. Remus was the clear victor.

Breathlessly laughing, Sirius turned his head to look at Remus. His hair was disheveled and his eyes bright. The flecks of gold swimming in the rich pool of brown never looked so alive… or beautiful. Sirius caught his breath and then let it out slowly, calmingly, but his body remained anything but calm. It tightened in Remus' grip. Slowly, the atmosphere of the room was changing.

"Moony…" was all Sirius could whisper before Remus leaned over and pressed his mouth to Sirius'.

End Author's Note: Er, so that wasn't too terribly painful, was it? It's very hard to have the same atmosphere after not writing this for two years. I tried to keep Remus and Sirius consistent, but I think they changed a little. And I do hope the segue wasn't too bad. I really didn't know how to make the transition. I forgot what I was planning on doing. Never fear! I still know the plot of the story and I do believe two more chapters are needed before completion. Now. I'm not promising them right away. You may be forced to wait another two years, I'm not sure. I don't even know if this still has an audience. In any case, I would just like to say: THANK YOU from the very bottom of my degraded, black, withered soul. You guys really have made me feel special.

Please review.