Under the Full Moony

Scroll 16: Slow Hand

"Here we are!" said Sirius, throwing his arms up in the air and jumping off his recently acquired bike.

Remus looked up at the lonely white house with it's peeling paint and cracked shingles, "Wow, it's nice!"

Sirius regarded him for a moment, "You think it's crap."

"No, no! Really, it's better than I expected! And anyway ... being what I am a new house wouldn't last anyway ..."

Sirius nodded, "Very, very true!"

He picked Remus up, bridal style and walked to the front door of the house, "Um ... Moony?"

Remus looked at him, "Please say you're not going to drop me?"

"No, um, can your reach into my pocket for the keys ... I'm a bit tied up at the moment ..."

Remus laughed and reached over to dig Sirius' keys out. He shifted a bit in Sirius' arms and unlocked the door.

Sirius grinned, "And now, my sweet, we enter out new, crappy yet comfy, nest of forbidden love!"

Remus laughed as Sirius made a big deal out of walking through the doorway of the front door.

"We are now taking the first step towards the doorway, we have taken the second step, third ... we have just received confirmation that we are standing ON the doorway!"

"Sirius! Stop being silly!"

"And, we ... are ... in!"

Sirius smiled at Remus while carrying him into the living room, "How do you like it?"

There were two couches and a big reclinable chair in the living room, crowded around a small table with a television on it, with the fireplace to the side.

Remus looked around, "It's nice ... really nice, yes ..."

Sirius beamed and carried him to the kitchen where a few pots and pans had been arranged and held in place, no doubt, with magic. It was cramped and the refrigerator barely fit, but Remus was pleased.

"And now, dear BOYFRIEND of mine-" began Sirius with a flourish.

"Stop it, Sirius! When you say that word it makes me feel ..."

"Like a girl?" asked Sirius with a teasing wink.

"Squeamish, was the word I was looking for!" replied Remus, reproachfully.

"In any case! We pass the tiny bathroom to the bedroom! And I will now drop you on the bed because I'm tired!"

Remus landed heavily on the soft bed. He bounced a bit, testing the springs.

"It doesn't squeak," he observed.

Sirius stretched and rubbed his eyes, "that's a very good thing ... wouldn't want to wake the neighbors."

Remus laughed, "WHAT neighbors! We're on top of a hill, miles from Godric's Hollow!"

Sirius pounced on Remus, kissing his neck slowly, "All the better then ..."

The two made themselves at home within the hour.

"And do you have experience teaching children?" the uptight-looking headmistress asked him.

'If experience is getting turned down by the last two schools I've applied for ... but maybe tutoring Sirius and James counts ... after all, they're the silliest grown-children I've ever met.'

"I do."

She regarded him a moment and looked down at the application, "But you've never taught at a school?"

"No."

"I see ... hmm. Then I guess ... "

She looked over at a green poster near her desk, with tiny purple letters on it that Remus could not make out.

"One last thing ... if you would please sign the form," the headmistress held out a pen.

Remus took it, but dropped it immediately in surprise.

"Ah!" he looked down at his red, raw fingers.

The woman's eyes narrowed, "What's wrong?"

Remus blew on his fingers, "It burned me ..." It suddenly dawned on him, "It's silver ..."

He had a sudden vision of a toad-like woman smirking at him.

The headmistress frowned, "You did not mention you were a werewolf. You must understand we cannot risk exposing our students to ... "

"People like me," finished Remus, standing up.

She nodded and pointed to the poster, "It's a routine check. I personally would've never thought of you as- well, in any case, are you registered?"

Remus dug in his pocket for his W.I.D. When he'd found it, he thrust it at the headmistress who only nodded at him.

"Another routine check, I'm afraid. We can't let werewolves run around unregistered. That would be unthinkable!"

Remus just pocketed his card.

"Well then, have a good day. I'd shake your hand, but seeing as how-"

Remus left the room, slamming the door behind him.

"How'd it go, Remmy?" said Sirius, flipping absentmindedly through channels with his wand as the remote, as Remus locked the front door.

He walked over, sat next to Sirius and shook his head, "They ... got me. Handed me a silver pen and ..."

Remus showed Sirius his burned fingers. Sirius jumped up and ran off to their kitchen. He returned with a bottle of purple liquid which he dabbed on Remus' fingers. The burning stopped immediately and was replaced by a cool feeling.

"Essence of Murtlap ..." muttered Sirius.

Remus nodded, "Thanks."

Sirius bit his lip, "So, no go ... But, that's okay Remus! I've got gold! We don't need a stickin' job!"

Remus finally broke into a smile, "But that gold will eventually run out!"

Sirius waved his wand around , causing various things to burst into flames or blow up, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!"

Sirius sighed and motioned for Remus to come closer. They sat there, Remus head on Sirius' shoulder, with Sirius running his fingers through the tangle of light-brown locks.

Sirius pointed his wand at the television. He flipped through channels, finding nothing, and slowly, slowly, drifting into a deep sleep.

Many, many, many nights after that, many months after that day, in fact, almost a year later, life found them well enough. Sirius' money had not yet ran out, Remus spent hours in his room reading and writing, and whatnot, stopping only when Sirius called him to dinner or ... whenever a 'Siriusy' distraction arose.

It was the summer of 1978, when Remus came to the living room, for they had no dining room, to eat an averagely cooked meal. But them, averagely-cooked was all Sirius could manage (never being good at household issues), in fact Remus handled everything else: cleaning, sweeping, mopping, dusting, laundry, and the sort.

But Remus could not cook.

At all.

In fact, every time he tried, it was a disaster.

"You're just as good as cooking as you're good at brewing potions," Sirius had once joked with him.

And it was true.

So Sirius had taken over the cooking. Today's dinner included steaks and mashed potatoes with gravy and bread loaves, lightly toasted with butter spread on one side.

Remus sat down next to Sirius on the couch, as was their custom, and watched a strange soap opera called, 'The Age of the Aquarius.'

"The stake's a bit ... rare, isn't it?" said Sirius, staring at the blood oozing out of his with interest.

Remus merely glanced at it and cut off a large piece, "All the same to me, Padfoot."

Sirius shrugged and cut a piece as well.

It would have been a simple, boring evening, had they not have been interrupted at that very moment.

For at that moment, just as Remus was cutting a second piece, their fireplace glowed a light green, and the next thing they knew someone was spinning very rapidly, and landed covered in soot and coughing up ash on the floor in front of them.

"Ack! Hate ... ugh ... ashes!"

Sirius grinned and stood up to help him, "James, old boy! How very nice to see you again! What's shaking?"

James grinned too and nodded at Remus, "Peace, love, and the Beatles to you both."

Remus and Sirius exchanged a quick glance while James was cleaning his glasses, that plainly said: He's crazy or something's terribly wrong.

"Something's terribly wrong!" yelled James once he'd put his glasses back on.

"What is it?" asked the other two in unison.

"It's Lily ... I mean ... it's really understandable ... we HAVE been going out for a year now ... I mean, right?"

Sirius stared at him, "Uh ... huh ..."

"She wants to go to the next level, Sirius! Help me!"

Sirius exchanged another brief glance with Remus before responding, "So, what? You want me to give you tips on sleeping with girls ...? Hey, Prongs ... you're TOTALLY barking up the wrong tree! Me and Remus-"

"No!" James sat on the couch between them, "It's not THAT ... she ... wants me ... to marry her!"

Sirius and Remus gasped in unison, then burst out laughing.

"That's not funny, Sirius, Remus! I'm panicking here!" James yelled.

"What's so bad about getting married?" asked Remus gently.

"Well ... it's ... weird ... it's ..."

"Commitment?" Sirius offered.

"Yes! Then she'll want to have kids, and, and, start a family ... and ..."

"You can kiss your freedom good-bye," finished Sirius harshly.

"Exactly! What-am-I-gonna-do! What-am-I-gonna-do! What-am-I-gonna-do!"

"You're going to go home, and clean yourself up," began Remus.

James nodded rapidly.

"Then, you're going to go to Lily's house and ask her to marry you."

James shook his head just as rapidly.

But Sirius grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye, "Think about it. It's the only way to gat a cool girl like Lily to stay with you for he rest of your life!"

"Yes but, what should I say!"

"Just ask her to marry you!"

"Easy for you to say, seeing as how you two never will!" said James viciously while hiding his face in his hands.

He'd meant it as an insult, but Sirius and Remus just laughed.

"We're as good as ... m-married ... I think," began Sirius. "In any case, James ... let me ask you just three things."

James looked at him and Sirius continued, "Are you ... a true Marauder!"

The familiar glint was back in James' eyes, "Yes!"

"Are you a true Gryffindor!"

"YES!"

"Are you going to go and ask Lily to marry you!"

"HELL YEAH! DIVIDE AND CONQUER!"

Neither Sirius nor Remus had the faintest idea of what the last comment had to do with anything but ... it certainly meant James was okay.

He marched up to the fireplace and threw floo powder in.

"I shall go now ... and ask Lily Evans to marry me!"

Sirius and Remus did not find out how the marriage proposal went until the next day, when they received an owl with the wedding invitation.

Sirius rubbed his eyes and poured milk onto his cereal, "Think he went through with it?"

Remus stifled a yawn, "I do hope so. It's really about time they moved things along-"

At that moment, a large gray owl came soaring through the window. It perched on Sirius' chair and held out its leg, where a white envelope with lace around it was attached to its leg.

Sirius snatched it from the owl and threw it down, "Oh no ... it's an invitation all right ... but I have the feeling Lily charmed it-"

Sirius was cut off by the loud wedding march coming from the envelope. The next second, the envelope had turned itself into a tiny paper wedding chapel.

But louder than the music even, was the voice that announced, "JAMES ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM! ISN'T THAT SPLENDID!"

Sirius covered his ears enough to drown out the shrieks but still hear when and where the wedding would take place.

"And by the way," came James' voice. "Sirius you got me into this, so ... you're the best man."

The envelope then burst into tiny white doves that dissolved into thin air, leaving Sirius dumbfounded.

"I'm the best man ... wow ..."

Remus grinned, "You're James' best friend! It's obvious he'd want to drag you into it as well."

"Brilliant! I'm the best man!" Sirius's grin suddenly faded, "What am I gonna WEAR!"

"Do I look okay Remus?" Sirius fiddled nervously with his nicestblack robes and tie.

Remus smiled, "You look fine."

Remus was dressed raggedly, in the least patched gray robes he could find. There were some loose threads here and there, an uneven hem, and he looked tired, for it had been just a few days after the full moon. Nonetheless he was really, truly happy. Lily and James were going to be married.

And the ceremony began, and when came the time to give their vows, Sirius was, for once, ready and flawless.

Finally they kissed, and the many people around Remus clapped and cheered.

"It's about time, isn't it?" asked Peter, smiling at the two newly-weds.

"It certainly is," agreed Remus.

They all stood up as Lily and James walked past. Once outside the chapel, James grinned at them all, "It's not over yet! Paaaaaaarty time!"

"Wait a moment, James," said Remus, holding up a camera. "Won't you want to remember this?"

James laughed and nodded, "Great, I want Sirius in this too!"

Sirius settled himself between James and Lily. Remus quickly set the camera up, "Smile!"

James and Lily smiled at the camera, Sirius laughed. With a click, the picture was taken.

"What's so funny, Padfoot?"

Sirius nodded towards Peter who was trying to sneak some food from the buffet table.

"Git never changes ..."

It was a happy evening for all of them. Everyone was happy and dancing to the Beatles and random love songs.

Even Remus lightened up a bit after Sirius had spiked his Butterbeer with Firewhiskey.

"Mr. Moony, wouldyou like to dance?" was Sirius slightly slurred greeting to Remus, when he'd come back from teasing Peter for stuffing cheese into his pants.

Remus, a bit intoxicated as he was, could tell that Sirius was much, much more drunk than him.

"No, Sirius. I doubt you'd want everyone here knowing you were sleeping with me. Anyway, that girl in the corner is checking you out."

Sirius turned and winked at her. Then he turned back to Remus, "She's ugly. Besides, who cares! I'm bored, I want to dance!"

"Sirius, you're drunk-"

"Oh, oh, LISTEN! That's SUCH a good song!"

Remus sighed and listened. Indeed, it was a very good song by the Muggle group, Pointer Sisters. "It's one of my favorites too," he commented.

"Great! Let's dance!"

"Are you mad! No ... no, I will not dance with you!"

Sirius pouted and grabbed Remus' arm, "I won't take 'no' for an answer! I'll drag you!"

"Sirius, honestly-"

"I'll drag you!"

Sirius did indeed drag Remus to where various couples were dancing.

As the midnight moon, was drifting through
The lazy sway of the trees

"Now, then," whispered Sirius, slipping his arms around Remus' waist.

Remus struggled a bit, then gave in and put his head on Sirius' shoulder, "Just so you know ... I'm a horrible dancer."

"Thass okay," was Sirius whispered reply.

I saw the look in your eyes, lookin' into mine
Seeing what you wanted to see

It was a few moment before people started to stare at them. Sirius just glared right back, and announced, "Yes, I'm dancing with Remus! Yes, I'm a POOF! Deal with it!"

Lily and James were amused, but others rolled their eyes, or looked away embarrassed.

Darlin' don't say a word, cause I already heard
What your body's sayin' to mine

Sirius just ignored them all, to Remus' dismay.

Remus did not know how they got home. One moment he was red-faced, dancing awkwardly with Sirius, the next Sirius was whirling him away, shouting good-bye to Remus, and now they were home.

But Sirius did not head to their bed, or to their room, or even inside the house. He pulled Remus down to the grass and claimed his lips hungrily.

I'm tired of fast moves
I've got a slow groove...
On my mind

"Sirius ... what-?"

"Don't you see Remmy?" asked Sirius, leaning close enough that Remus smelled the Firewhiskey on his breath. "It's our honeymoon ..."

On shadowed ground, with no one around
And a blanket of stars in our eyes
We are drifting free, like two lost leaves
On the crazy wind of the night

"Sirius, you're ... too drunk to ..." Remus didn't manage to complete his sentence. He was distracted by Sirius trailing kisses down his neck.

Finally he choked out, "Sirius ... "

Sirius nibbled on Remus' ear and whispered, "I love you, Moony ..."

"I ... love you ... too ..."

They had become quite experienced, Sirius specially, in the art of discarding the robes, shoes, socks, ties, shirts, and trousers. Sirius could even do so without breaking their hot kiss.

Sirius breathed in the lingering scent of Moony's wolf-self on Remus' hair. Remus felt the familiar touch of Sirius' fingers on his skin as they melted into one.

Darlin', don't say a word, 'cause I already heard
What your body's sayin' to mine
If I want it all night
You say it's alright
We got the time

"Slow ..." whispered Remus and Sirius complied.

Outside, under the moon and the stars, lying in the cool grass with nothing to warm each other with but themselves, only whispers and soft panting was heard drifting through the cold night air.

I want a man with a slow hand
I want a lover with an easy touch
I want somebody who will spend some time
Not come and go in a heated rush
I want somebody who will understand
When it comes to love, I want a slow hand

Little did the Marauders know that a black cloud hovered over their lives ... and was getting closer ...

"I am indeed intrigued by this, Severus. Nonetheless I trust your judgment is not clouded by ... other things. I would like to see this Regulus Black."

"Yes, my Lord," Severus bowed low and adjusted his black hood and white mask. He walked quickly to the door and pulled it open.

Regulus swept into the room and bowed before Lord Voldemort, "Your Lordship, I must-"

"I know why you are here, Regulus. And when will your brother be joining us?"

"So not speak of that blood-traitor, sire! He is just an abomination born to the Black family!" shrieked Bellatrix in the corner.

Lord Voldemort only laughed softly, "Hold out your left arm Regulus."

Regulus frowned, but did so.

Cold fingers closed upon his wrist and wrenched it to the side. He put one long, white finger on Regulus' forearm.

Regulus cried out in pain. He was being burnt! He looked up at Lord Voldemort in fear, but the cruel red eyes just stared him down.

Finally the icy hand let him go, "Welcome, Regulus, to my Death Eaters ..."

Regulus looked down at his forearm where the Dark Mark burned black. He turned to Snape, eyes wide with fear, but Snape just looked away.

Regulus bowed slowly and backed away, taking his place next to Severus in the large circle that the Death Eaters had formed.

'This was not ... too bad, I suppose. It's ... just ... a mark ... everything will be okay! You're upholding the Black name ...'

Yet a nagging voice in the form of Sirius told him, "You've no idea what you're getting into ..."

Regulus denied it ...yet secretly knew it was true.

A/N: Well, this fic is going down, innit? I wonder how this chappie will take. But it was worth it, right?

Strange chapter really ... oh well. If you find anything weird or confusing, let me know!

Please review!