Remus sat silently in the corner of the Common Room, despair permeating through his body as if a thick fog had settled on him. A huge celebration was unfolding around him, but he was oblivious to it; his entire attention was focused on Sirius and the beautiful girl laughing next to him. A thick blue-black veil of hair cascaded down her back, and she had large, upturned eyes that were a piercing light blue. Her face was delicate, with a slightly upturned freckled nose and thin, high cheekbones. Her movements were languid and slow, as though she was under water, and her skin radiated eternal moonlight. Remus felt hideous and ungainly just looking at her.
The girl bit her lower lip and glanced sideways at Sirius, then said something and grinned slyly; the words seemed to trickle slowly over her lips. Sirius laughed. His hand was now on the small of her back, and they were so close that Sirius' breath was making the wisps of hair around her forehead tremble. Remus drank Firewhiskey straight from the bottle, his hand clutching the neck so tightly that his knuckles gleamed white. It burned on the way down, but it was nothing compared to the jealousy pounding through his veins like fire. He quickly rose from the armchair he had been sprawled over and hurried stiffly up the steps to the dormitory, pointedly not looking in Sirius' direction.
After a few minutes of lying on his bed, gazing blankly at the canopy, the door swung open and Sirius staggered in.
"Moony!" he called and collapsed on Remus' bed.
"Why aren't you at the party?" Lupin asked softly.
"She wass pretty, washn't she?" Sirius slurred. He was thoroughly drunk.
"Yeah."
"Funny, too," Sirius added, nodding delightedly.
"Sounds like you were enjoying yourself," said Remus carefully. A silence fell in between them for a few minutes, in which Remus nervously noticed Sirius lying against him, sweaty and inebriated, in his own bed and Sirius giggled drunkenly.
"You're a good friend, Moony," Sirius said finally. "Shuch a good friend. I wanna – heehee – I wantsta give you a kiss."
Remus gave him a questioning look, which he didn't notice.
Suddenly, he was on top of Remus, pinning him down onto the bed. He long legs were wrapped around his friend's hips, his knees creating depressions in the mattress. He gently lowered his face until it was just above Lupin's. Lupin grinned sublimely, feeling Sirius' breath mingle with his own. Then Sirius slid his tongue into Remus' mouth.
Confused but elated, Remus kissed him back. He felt as though he entire body was filled with pure white light, obscuring everything in the world but him and his love.
Sirius' lips moved confidently but very sloppily; his breath tasted of stale alcohol with undertones of mint. As Remus tangled his hands in Sirius' long hair and Sirius traced patterns on his chest, Remus had no difficulty believing that this love was real and that it would last far beyond his final breath. His long fingers found their the buttons of Sirius' pants, and Sirius did not protest.
Outside, the night was deep and thick, completely still.
The silent earth did not recognize Remus' bliss, nor did it hear the lovers' ragged gasps. Night continued on as two friends became closer than they had ever been before. The inconstant moon hid her face behind a passing cloud and choked in its stifling gray form.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked.