Title: Remus Gives a Speech
disclaimer The characters do not belong to me. They belong to JKR and the various publishing houses. I use them as I wish.
Summary: To his dismay Remus has been chosen to give a speech in front of the entire school. His friends do their best to calm him and help him through this trying time.
Here is the story:
It was the end of the class and Remus sat silently, waiting for Professor McGonagall to hand him his graded essay. These essays were important, they were end of term essays. End of term essays were required for each subject you took. The person handing in the best essay in a subject would sit at the head table during a special banquet. They would read their essay aloud to the entire school.
As he watched McGonagall walking up and down the aisles, he wondered whether it would be James or Sirius who would give the speech. They were the best transfiguration students in the school and always got top marks. How wonderful it would be to see Siri up in front of everyone. He deserved it, after all. He was so wonderful and so talented. He was Padfoot. Remus imagined Padfoot's warm tongue licking his face and ears. Yes, no one deserved it more than Siri.
"Good try Mr. Potter. However, you may want to check a few facts". She said as she handed James his essay. "Just an 'E', I'm afraid."
She handed Sirius back his paper and scowled, "Mr. Black, the points you made were very good. However, an essay is to be written in complete sentences. I expect this to be rewritten and handed back to me in one week. You are just fortunate I felt a bit generous when I read this. I have marked it as adequate."
As she walked towards Remus, her face brightened and she smiled. She actually smiled! "And here is the reason that I felt generous. There is one person in this class who really spent the time on this assignment. It is the best essay I have read in years. Mr. Lupin, an excellent essay. I have informed the headmaster that your essay has won the contest. The only outstanding that I gave for any of my end of term essays."
"No!" he thought to himself as he stared at the O at the top of his paper. How could he have won? He and Siri had done their essays together. It was Siri who read it over and corrected it. It was Siri who should be at the banquet, up at the head table giving a speech, not him. He shuddered as he thought, 'giving a speech'. He closed his eyes, leaned forward, his face flat on his desk blocking out everything that was happening around him. He needed to concentrate, come up with some reason he should not have received this grade. After the class was dismissed, he would go up to Professor McGonagall and explain. She would choose someone else for this 'honor'.
The bell rang, and, as usual the students gathered their books and hurried from the classroom. Remus stood up slowly, going over what he was going to tell the professor.
"Lupin, I would like a word," called McGonagall in a voice loud enough to be heard above the students.
Lupin laid his book bag back down, put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly up to her desk. He felt nauseous.
"And Mr. Black, you will wait for him outside, if you please."
Sirius must have walked out the door, but Remus didn't look to see.
As you know, the banquet is tomorrow night. That will give you ample time to memorize your essay. You will be allowed to read from your paper, but will find it easier if you have put it to memory. You should also practice reciting your essay aloud to another student. Do you have someone who will listen to you recite?"
Remus nodded, looking at the floor. The hands in his pockets were now fists and his nails were digging into his palms. He needed to say something. He cleared his throat slightly.
"Yes, Mr. Lupin? You wanted to say something?"
"It's about my essay. I don't deserve the grade, professor."
Professor McGonagall look at him, puzzled. "Go on Mr. Lupin."
"Well," Remus wished he had a gift with words the way that Sirius had. Sirius would know exactly what to say. "I had help with it. Sirius and I worked together. He knows lots more that I do about transfiguration. He should give the essay."
She leaned towards him, her voice quieter, softer. "Remus, I know very well how much you know about transfiguration. And I know how well Mr. Black usually does in my class. But it is you who turned in the winning essay, not Mr. Black."
Leaning back her voice back to normal. "So I am expecting you to give your essay, not Mr. Black." Remus thought he detected a sigh of relief in her voice. He couldn't imagine why she would be relieved at that. Why would she be? Siri deserved to be there. He imagined Siri sitting at the table next to Professor McGonagall, bored with everything. But Siri wouldn't pull anything at a banquet. Or would he?
His friends met him as he stepped outside the room.
"Remy, great work! Knew you could do it!" Siri beamed and walked beside him.
"Ye, great work," laughed James, "And you giving the speech. I can't wait to see that." Sirius smirked, a tear coming from his eye as he tried not to laugh.
"Ouch!" exclaimed Siri, having just been hit across the back of the head. "Remy, why'd you do that?"
"Why?….Why?…. You prat. You…" He couldn't find the right word. "Well you know."
"What did I do?"
"You know. Just leave me alone!" and he walked quickly, outpacing the other three.
"Remus?" asked Sirius speeding up walk along side him. He had not realized how upset Remus actually was. He turned around and gave James a nasty look as if to say, "would you shut up?"
"Remus, what's wrong? Tell me what I did." And he put his arm around Remus, paying no attention to Peter and James' whistles. When would they grow up?
"Remy, talk to me." Siri whispered as he reached down and put his finger to the place where the dog star tattoo was burned into Remus' skin, the material in Remus' robe between him and the tattoo. Remus sighed, a bit less nervous now. He belonged to Siri and knew that Siri would help him through this.
"Get a room Sirius," snorted James. Peter was almost doubled over.
When they reached the entrance hall Sirius made a hard right and headed for the front door rather than following Peter and James down the stairway to their left. "Don't take too long, Siri. You'll be late for potions."
Remus was being led out the front door and across the grounds. "Sirius, we can't be late for class."
"Hang class," said Siri quickening his pace and holding more firmly to Remus. He didn't stop until they reached their favorite beech tree. Sirius sat down taking Remus with him. Remus sat cross legged in front of him, leaning on Siri's chest. "Now, why are you upset at me? Tell me what I did." He wound his fingers through Remus' hair. When Remus didn't reply, Siri ran his fingertips through the crevices of Remus' ear and pulled at his lobe. "I must have done something. What was it?"
"Yes hang class," thought Remus and he gently removed Siri's arms from him. Siri's face fell. What had he done to make Remus so angry at him?
His arms now free, Remus reached back and, through Siri's robes, firmly stroked that crescent moon tattoo. Taken aback for one moment only, a smirk came onto Siri's face. He turned around to make sure no one was around. Remus sensed Siri checking for onlookers and he immediately turned and knelt in front of him, entangling Siri's hair in his fingers and pulling his head around, cradled his head in his hand and forced Siri towards him, kissing him. Siri reached up and grabbed Rumus behind the neck, sinking nails into skin. He trembled, meeting Remus' tongue as it entered his mouth, caressing it with his own. Then he felt Remus' hand at his collar, tearing the tie from his neck…..
A while later,Sirius sat, back against the tree, smoking. Remus sighed and sat in front of Siri, curled up with his head under Siri's chin. It was only then that they realized classes had just finished and students were coming outside. "Oh bugger," Siri reached down and picked up Remus' robe, covering them both. But neither of them moved. Siri held Remus' head tightly under his chin. "I have a bit of gold left. Think there is enough for some new dress robes. You will look wonderful up there. Nothing but the best for my werewolf." At the words 'up there' Remus trembled. Siri wrapped his arms tightly around Remus. "Not to worry luv, not to worry." Remus smiled. Everything seemed much better now.
A few seconds later his head was shaken by a rumbling in Siri's chest. Siri was laughing. "Remy, you gotta admit. It is a bit funny."
The time had come. The banquet in the great hall would soon be starting. Remus was been very thankful to his friends for doing their best to keep him calm and to Siri for helping him with his essay, but he felt sick. He was unable to get comfortable in his favorite cushy chair in front of the fire. He sat cross legged on the ground, scratching the finish from the wooden floor with his thumbnail.
The portrait door opened Sirius came inside. "Ta da da da !" he exclaimed, holding out his arm. A royal purple velvet dress robe was draped over it. In his hand, he carried a brown paper sack.
"You are gonna look fine tonight, Remy, show them all up," he said. And he took two bottles of butterbeer from the sack. "Something to give you a bit of on."
He held a beer towards Remus. Remus took one, popped the cap and took a drink. He did feel a bit better. Putting the bottle to his lips again, he finished the rest in one. Sirius held out the other bottle. Remus stood up, took the robe from Siri, grabbed the bottle and ran upstairs to get ready.
The head table had been covered with a white linen tablecloth that reached to the floor. There was a garland of ivy draped across the front. The plates were of fine white porcelain, circled with gold. Everything looked very festive.
Remus sat at the table, Professor McGonagall to his left, the headmaster to his right. He wished that the feast would hurry up and begin so that he could just get this over with. Why did Sirius choose such a hot robe? He was burning up. Maybe he would feint from the heat.
Finally, the headmaster stood up and smiled, "Welcome everyone. I have been told to say a few words before we start our banquet. But, first it is my pleasure to introduce the additions to our table this evening." He turned to his right, "Severus Snape, who submitted a most excellent potions essay." Clapping came from the Slytherin table, and a few boos and what sounded like someone vomiting came from the Gryffindors. Professor McGonagall gave a stern look towards the students from her house and they became quiet. "Remus Lupin, whose transfiguration essay was outstanding. I learned a few new things when I read it." There was an outpouring of applause, not only from the Gryffindors, but from the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws as well. Above the clapping Remus heard a whistle, then an 'ow ow ow' , as if a dog was yelping, and then feet stomping. Dumbledore smiled and went on. "Cecily Trumble for her….."
The introductions complete, the headmaster sat down and food magically appeared on the tables. Everyone was happily eating; everyone except Remus, who had his essay in his robe pocket, continually pulling it out and unfolding it so that he could reread. But all he saw were words on paper. They didn't make sense. He thought he would vomit if he opened his mouth.
He felt feint, as if he were going to pass out. Maybe he would. His whole body felt funny. Even his ankle felt warm.
Wait a minute. Only one ankle felt warm and it felt a bit wet too. The warm wetness seemed to be moving up his left calf, a blunt scratching moving along with it. "Oh no," he thought. "He wouldn't. Not here." Hands grasped both his legs, pulling them apart. The warm wet something had passed his knees and was moving up his thigh. "Oh yes he would." He had to stop this, he couldn't allow this to continue, but he could think of no way to prevent Siri from doing just what he wanted. His face hot, he bit his bottom lip and let out a loud sigh.
"Mr. Lupin?" came McGonagall's voice. "Are you ill?"
Remus nodded.
"Well then go and lie down for a bit. You have an hour before you need to give your recitation. Mr. Potter can get you when it's time."
The hands released Remus' legs. He readjusted his robes, leaned against the table to steady himself and stood up, making his way slowly across the room. As soon as he crossed the threshold, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the staircase. "Excellent! Let's go Remy."
Remus laughed as they ran towards the dorms. This was one of the things he adored about Siri. He could never predict what he would do next.
"Didn't think you would last another minute up there, luv."
They nearly fell through entrance to the common room took a few steps and stumbled to the floor, not even attempting to make it up the staircase to the dorms.
This time, when that 'something' moved up Remus' leg, it didn't stop at his thigh. In fact soon Remus was literally surrounded in warm wetness as Siri took him in. Reaching down with his right hand, Remus dug his nails into Siri's shoulder, wrapping the fingers of his left hand tightly in Siri's hair, literally pulling it from its roots. He cradled the back of Siri's head, following his every movement. He longed to bite Siri, to possess him, to turn himself around, to make love to him…..
Fourty minutes and a few clothes cleaning and pressing charms later, Sirius, Remus and James walked through the opening to the hallway, the portrait closing behind them. Sirius was staring at Remus as they walked. "What?" asked Remus.
Sirius smiled and winked at Remus, "I picked out the perfect robes for you Remy. You look wonderful."
Remus sighed and reached out, taking Siri's hand. Calmed, they walked together, forward, facing the inevitable