Chapter Two: Christmas Moon

The 'muggle writer' that is mentioned in today's chapter is Mark Twain. ... Just thought to say that, because it isn't mentioned. And, as usual, pardon my usage of French. Mere, though it doesn't say it anywhere, means mom. French will be done in bold.

Ta-ta! (I think I say 'pillow' about twelve times in this chapter. Weird.)

The hall was decorated in the very essence of the season, with great big trees and floating candles. Tinsel and holly hung everywhere and the ceiling showed that it was snowing lightly outside. James was gone with Lily that snowy afternoon; he had been spending all the time he could with her, in apology that he wouldn't be going to the Yule Ball. The marauders were to leave for Remus' house that day, right before the ball in the evening. If it had been any other night, Remus would have waited till after the ball, but with the full moon and everything... Remus wanted to spend it at his home, and not in a shack in a village. Peter was over at the Hufflepuff table, quite alarmed to be trapped by a cute girl bearing the sign of the badger. She was obviously trying to talk him into going with her to the ball, and Peter, with little experience and little grace in such departments, was stuttering and panicking. Sirius and Remus watched from the Gryffindor table, half way across the hall.

"Maybe we should help him." Remus said, half heartedly flipping through a novel.

"Nah." Sirius looked at the cover of the book. "He's doing fine." He was dressed, again, all in black. It seemed to be his clothing trend of the year; the black nail polish, though questionability out of the dress code, worked well for him. Many of the new first years were sighing over him, if not for his looks, then for his taste in fashion. Sirius, strangely, didn't seem to notice. He and Remus watched as Peter knocked over a cup, and it sloshed on the floor. "What are you reading?"

"A book." Remus said, with a smile. "You heard of them?" Unlike his tall, almost gothic, friend, he wore soft, warm sweaters and comfortable slacks. Comfort was his clothing trend, though not as dramatic as Sirius' choice of wardrobe, made him just as attractive if anyone cared to look.

"Just because I don't pretend like books are an extension of my arm doesn't mean I don't know what they are." Sirius stuck his tongue out at him, lightly running his fingers across the cover of the book and over Remus' hand. "You read too much."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "What would you rather I be doing?"

A grin like the Cheshire cat bloomed on Sirius' face. "Oh, I don't know..."

"Sirius!" A piercing voice echoed in the hall, causing Sirius to drop his head on the table.

"Hullo Narcissa." Sirius sat up and turned with a sigh, facing three girls who all looked remarkably the same.

The fiery lass stood with her hands on her hips. "I heard that you are going to be leaving Hogwarts for Yuletide!"

"Yes, cousin of mine." Sirius said in an overly exaggerated tone. "I am leaving Hogwarts for Yuletide."

Another of the girls crossed her arms. "Why? Are we supposed to go to the Black manor or something? Why weren't we told?"

"Because, my dear Bellatrix," Sirius said, and Remus looked at him with sympathy. "I'm going to Remus' house in France and my dear, darling mother does not know. So have fun at Hogwarts."

Narcissa looked angry. "Ooh..."

Bellatrix glared curiously at Remus. "You're French?"

Remus opened his mouth to reply, but was sharply kicked in the knee by Sirius. The third of the sisters smiled and sat down with the two marauders, much to the other two's dismay. "Your mum's not going to be pleased, Sirius." She said.

"I know." Sirius said with a wink. She shook her head.

"I'm serious. She hasn't been happy with you lately."

"Good."

"She might even disown you."

"The horror, Andromeda, the horror!"

The girl grinned impishly at him, ruffling his hair and standing. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"I won't." Sirius said. Andromeda waved at him and pulled her two sisters along.

"Have fun in France, Sirius." She looked at Remus. Keep an eye on him, will you?

Remus' eyes widened slightly. Of course.

And the three sisters were gone, and Sirius and Remus were left at the table, alone. "I didn't know Andromeda spoke French."

"That's funny..." Sirius said, smoothing his hair down. "Neither did I."

Remus nodded, absently rubbing his knee. "Why'd you kick me?"

"Hmm?" Sirius said. "Oh – it's just that Bellatrix has this thing and...yeah..."

"And yeah, what?" Remus asked.

Sirius looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment. "It's...just that I don't want her hitting on you."

"It is because I'm half French?" Remus raised an eyebrow for a second time that afternoon. "That's a bit paranoid, don't you think?"

"No..." The boy, who was a dark featured as his cousins, said. "It's because you're French, sensitive, devilishly handsome and intelligent." Sirius fidgeted a little. "I'd assume, from her point of view... and...she always zeros in on my friends."

Remus smiled gently at Sirius, passing a hand over his momentarily. "I can take care of myself. Thank you, though."

Sirius nodded silently. "I'm watching her anyway."

A few days later, up in the Gryffindor dorm room, Sirius watched as James neatly packed a pair of jeans into an over night bag. Sirius had done his packing the night before, shirts and pants and a questionable amount of black make-up thrown carelessly into a backpack. The blue-eyed boy lazily followed the tall seeker's movements. James glanced sideward at him.

"What?" He said, taking his precious broom out from under the bed.

Sirius played with the hem of his mesh shirt. It was thin and glossy, and it shimmered in the light. "Do you think Moony's been...weird lately?"

"Yeah." Hazel eyes carefully assessed the condition of the Skylark 380, looking for imperfections or misplaced twigs. "But you've been weird lately, too."

Sirius looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror recently?" Sirius opened his mouth and James raised a hand to cut him off. "No, wait – don't answer that."

"Nothing wrong with a little wardrobe change." Sirius muttered. James nodded.

"No, but..." James hesitated. "It's not that it doesn't look good on you, it does and all, but it's a little..." He paused thoughtfully. "Gothic. Drastic, even."

"So?"

"So, my point is that I think you're trying to prove something to someone, and I don't know what it is or why."

Sirius sighed, lying across James' bed, feet propped on the pillows. "I'm not trying to prove anything. I just wanted to try something different, and I happen to like it." He snorted, staring at the ceiling. "You sound like my mother. "

"Bollocks. You haven't talked to your mum since the beginning of the year. I doubt that she knows your dressing habits."

"Why are you analyzing me?"

"You're my best friend." James replied. "And it's easier to analyze you than it is to analyze Moony."

"So." Sirius said quietly. "You have noticed something."

James nodded. "There's something wrong. Something...up."

"Something that he's not telling us." Sirius said.

"Yes." James said, placing his broom into it's case carefully, and shutting it firmly.

"I thought so." Sirius said softly, closing his eyes. "I thought so."

The bed dipped slightly as James sat down. "I'm sure he's got his reasons."

"I'm sure he does." There was a silence as James stared down at his friend. It dragged as James stared harder. "Stop that."

"Do you mind if I asked a question?" James inquired.

"Has it ever stopped you?" Sirius asked wirily.

"Good point." James hesitated. "Are you...well..."

"Spit it out, Prongs."

"Are you bi?" James said bluntly. "You've been with a lot of girls, but lately you don't even bat an eye at them; there's someone else on your mind."

Sirius' eyes opened to stare into hazel orbs. There was no ridicule or disgust or even embarrassment in the look he examined. Still, Sirius felt that he had to look away. "I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"I just can't."

"... Why not?"

"I..." Sirius sighed, sitting up. "I mean, I think that..." He trailed off, pretending to have some sort of interest in his hands. One of the nails had been hastily painted, and it was starting to peel away. Sirius picked at it, making a neat line across the middle.

"It's Remus, isn't it?" James asked gently.

"Can you tell?" Sirius said.

"Well..." James said slowly. "You're joking around with him a lot, lately."

"I do that with everyone."

"It's different when it's with Moony." James adjusted his glasses, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do you think he knows?"

"Moony?" James said, gathering his stuff to dump on top of Sirius'. "I don't know."

"Maybe that's why he's been weird lately."

"He's not shallow, Padfoot. I doubt that's the reason." There was a pause. "When are you going to find out how he feels about it?"

Sirius made an indistinct noise. "When it seems right."

There was the slamming of a door, then the rapid sound of someone running up the stairs. The door flew open and revealed Remus, hair askew and a smile on his face. He was breathless and he grinned at Sirius and James. "Ready to go?"

James glanced at Sirius. "Is now right?"

Sirius made a rude gesture at him. Remus watched, confused. "Is now right for what?"

James grinned at Sirius, waiting to see how he handled the situation. Sirius glared at him, but smiled at Remus. "To do...THIS!" He threw a pillow at Remus, rolling off the bed to hide from him on the other side. Remus blinked at the offending pillow in his hands; had be been any slower, it would have hit him up the side of his head. James shook his head, mirthfully, but was then knocked over as Remus chucked the pillow at him and dived behind Peter's wardrobe. There was a flurry of pillows and blankets for a moment, and the door opened.

"Guys?" Peter said. He was immediately bombarded by bed stuffs, disappearing under balled up sheets. Sirius made a run for the door, but was tackled by James. They fell into Remus and the three of them tumbled out the door, stumbling against the wall and rolling down the stairs. They landed in a great heap at the bottom, all tangled up, one of Remus' pillows bursting on impact. Feathers exploded into the air, and they stayed, sprawled there for a still moment.

Someone poked James in the side, and the boy burst out laughing, glasses pushed up into his hair. His elbow went into Sirius' back, which caused him to yelp and lean into Remus. The boy gasped, and Sirius vividly saw his pupils dilate quickly.

"GET OFF!" He cried, wriggling about. James and Sirius both thumped on the ground, rubbing various parts as Remus scrambled up the stairs, past a disheveled Peter and into the dorm room. The door slammed and there was silence.

"What happened?" Peter asked uncertainly.

The three of them went back up to the dorm, shrugging off looks from other Gryffindors that were watching the entire scene. They went in carefully.

"Moony?" James called. Remus was standing in front of the half mirror, demolished beds strewn around him. James shoved Sirius forward, watching with amusement as the lad tripped over someone's pajamas. Sirius approached Remus carefully.

"Moony?" He said warily. "Are you okay; you weren't hurt, were you?"

Silence.

Sirius looked back at James and Peter. Peter shrugged, and James waved him on. Sirius tried again. "Is there –"

"Your earrings are silver, aren't they?" Remus said evenly.

"Yes, why-"Sirius stopped, eyes widening. "Oh. I'm so sorry, Moony... How bad—"

"Not really." Remus said, reaching for Sirius' hand. Taking it loosely by the wrist, he guided Sirius' hand to a place on his neck. Sirius ran fingers down the spot, shivering as he felt a set of warm lines on Remus' neck. The russet haired boy turned and Sirius could see two half circles, the larger outlining the smaller. They were red, a terrible imprint on his skin.

"Remus..." Sirius said softly. "I'm sorry..."

Remus dropped Sirius's hand and shrugged. "It'll fade." He waved his wand at the room, and sheets began to fold themselves onto their appropriate mattresses. Remus bent down to pick up a book and he set it on the shelf beside him.

"Moony..." James said, having heard the whole thing.

Remus looked up at him and grinned. A floating pillow thwacked James in the side of his head, and Remus dashed out the door crying, "Meet you out front!" Then all the sheets and bed makings started to fly about.

James grumbled at Sirius, hanging upside down from the top of the bedposts because a sheet had wrapped around his ankle. "This is his idea of revenge, you know..."

Sirius was trapped in a mountain of shivering pillows that were trying to stuff him between the mattresses of his own bed. James watched as his glasses dropped off his head, landing on Peter, who was trying to get away from two pillows that were trying to eat his legs.

"He hates me." Sirius sighed, throwing a pillow out the window.

'Remus! You did come!' A young man ran up, hair sticking in all directions because of the wind. 'I was worried that you wouldn't find transportation or that you hadn't been given enough notice, or—'

'You're babbling, Romulus!' Remus laughed, embracing his brother warmly. 'I've brought a few friends; do you think mum and dad will approve of them?'

Romulus looked at the other two boys. James waved, hair as messy as it usually was, burgundy robes flying behind him. Sirius stood beside him, high collar of his black jacket showing under his dark robe. Shamefully tight jeans hid the tops of high boots. Although Romulus couldn't see it, Sirius' eyes were lined with black. 'I don't think so.' Romulus said jokingly, patting Remus on the shoulder. 'Don't worry. Aquila is here and they welcomed her just fine.'

'She's French, though.'

'So? Father's English.'

'So?'

"Um..." Sirius looked at James and then back at the siblings. "Non-bilinguals, here..."

Romulus looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry." He said in an accented lilt. "I forget sometimes." He slung an arm around Remus and both faced the marauders.

Sirius and James stared at he two brothers. "They're twins?" James murmured. Remus looked momentarily confused. He and Romulus were indeed alike, though very different at the same time. Remus' hair was a rich russet brown, while his brother's was a deep chocolate. Both were the same height with almost the same build, but where Remus' eyes were amber, Romulus' were a honey-hazel. They blinked in unison, and gave the other three quizzical looks.

"You didn't tell them we were twins?"

"No." Remus glanced back. "Didn't think about it, really..."

Romulus raised an eyebrow. "Not once in six years?"

"Not really...we're just us."

"Hmm. I guess."

'Oh, shut up'

'You shut up!'

"You know..." James said, thoughtfully. "They sort of sound like us."

"Yeah." Sirius said. "Except we don't need subtitles."

"Oh, well there's that."

"Come," Romulus said to Remus, hefting his brother's suitcase like it was a pillow. "I want you to meet someone." James and Sirius grabbed their bags and followed suit through the front courtyard, walking down the stone path that lead to the house. It was a large place, just short of a mansion; comfortable without being too extravagant. Everyone's luggage was swept away by house elves in the front hall, and they were taken into a cozy living room, where a girl sat by the fire.

'How lovely!' The petite blonde girl said, clapping her hands at the sight of the marauders. 'How are you?'

Romulus placed his arm around her shoulders. "Remus, this is Aquila. She, unfortunately, is only learning to converse in English."

Remus smiled at his brother's girlfriend. 'It is a pleasure Mme Aquila.'

Aquila looked to Remus and then to Romulus. 'Your twin?' She asked. Aquila glanced back at Remus, smiling brightly. "Frere. Brother."

"Oui." Remus said. "Yes, I am." He gestured to his two friends. "James—"

"Jacque." Aquila said.

"—and Sirius."

Aquila looked at Sirius sideward, before saying his name. "Sirius."

James elbowed Sirius in the ribs. "Too bad, Padfoot, no nickname for you..."

Sirius batted at him. "I don't want one, Jacque."

"Liar."

"Fiend!"

The two boys were suddenly mock fighting; throwing playful punches and jabs to the stomach.

"Ah...the sound of roughhousing." An elegant voice floated into the parlor. "How it's been a while since I have heard such a thing." Sirius and James stopped, somehow managing to get the other in a headlock at the same time. They released each other as a tall woman came into the room. "Remus. You have finally come home."

"Mere." Remus said, going to hug the woman. She was slender and light, with fair blond hair and sparkling hazel eyes. She nodded to each of the boys as Remus introduced them to her. She shook hands with each of them.

"Remus has told me much about you two..." Remus' mother said. "I am happy that he has been able to find comfort in your presence, despite his unique condition." She smiled broadly, her English heavily accented with a French tilt. "You may call me Rhea..." She turned to Remus. "Your papa is on the balcony...he waits for you."

Remus waved at the group, bounding through the open doors to the balcony. Rhea indicated that they should all sit down. "Martin will join us later, after he and Remus have had the chance to speak with one another. Come, let us eat."

Sirius and James grinned at the same time. "Can't say no to that!" They clamored together.

Remus approached the man on the balcony. "Father?"

He turned. Martin Lupin was a tall fellow, with rich brown hair streaked with white. A broad grin greeted Remus as he swept the lad into his arms. "So my youngest boy has come home again!" They laughed, and Martin held Remus by the shoulders. "Let me take a look at you." He examined his son quickly, eyes straying on his neck. "What is that?"

Remus's hand flew up to cover it. "Nothing." He said quickly. "I forgot that my friend wore silver earrings."

Martin's brow furrowed. "Does it still hurt?" He asked. "How long ago did this happen?"

Remus's gaze was cast downwards. "It happened before we left Hogwarts... It doesn't hurt anymore. It's nothing, really, Father."

"Are you sure?"

Remus grinned up at him. "Do I have a tail once a month?"

"Remus, do not joke about such things." His father said sternly. "You know that you must be very cautious. It is a serious thing for you."

Remus bit his lip, reddening slightly. "Yes, father."

"Good." The man said, moving into the house. "Come, let me meet your friends. Have you met Aquila?"

"Yes, she's lovely." Remus followed his father into the house.

Romulus pulled Sirius aside sometime that night while Remus was occupied with his parents. "I need to speak with you." He led the other boy out onto the balcony and closed the glass doors behind him. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Go for it." Sirius said.

Romulus shot him a side-glance before looking up at the sky. "What are your intentions with my brother?"

Sirius stared at him. "What?"

Romulus laughed shortly. "I apologize if that sounded too old fashioned and protective. What I meant is, what does he mean to you?"

Sirius scowled at the railing. "I don't see how that is any of your business."

Romulus shrugged. "A muggle writer once said that, 'everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.'" Romulus's voice deepened a shade as he narrowed his gaze at Sirius. "My brother has no dark side, for the wolf was taken that impulse from him. If I hear any wind of you hurting him, I will be forced to show you that I am not as such."

"You think that I would hurt Remus?" Sirius demanded, wiry frame shaking with rage. "That I would hurt him in any way?! He is my friend! One of my best!"

"It is not as a friend that I am worried you will hurt him." Romulus said bluntly. If it weren't for the fact that he looked too much like Remus, Sirius would have probably hit him then.

"I will never hurt him."

The French boy raised an eyebrow. "And the earrings?"

Sirius looked at him, aghast. "It was an accident!"

"And yet you still wear them."

Sirius' hand drifted to his ear. After battling pillows that morning, he had changed the loops in his ear. "No. These are white gold."

"Mmhmm." Romulus nodded, opening the doors back into the house. "I certainly hope so." He smiled at his twin, who was coming out as he was going in.

Remus looked puzzled. "What were you two talking about?"

"You."

"Oh." Remus blushed and muttered, "I have to get going, Sirius..." He glanced at the sky. "Moon rise is soon."

The other boy nodded, shifting so that he was standing right next to Remus. "I'll get James and we can go."

Remus looked hesitant for a moment. "Look – I don't want you around when I transform, okay?"

"What? Why not? I see you turn back to human and you don't care."

"Sirius, I appreciate that you are there when I turn back human, and that makes it all that much better, but when I have to surrender to the wolf... It's worse, all right? I'm not reverting back to a form that is rightfully and wholly mine, I'm being forced to morph into some creature that makes me lose my morality and sense of self. I have to leave my body to an animal that gets to run around in it without me knowing what it does."

"Moony..."

"It's bad enough that I have to go through that, Padfoot, I don't want you to watch me while I do it."

Romulus stared out the window, eyes fixated to the two boys who where sneaking out of the house to cross the grounds to a cabin near the lake. Perhaps it was the moonlight, but their images seemed to flicker and change, shifting into something more animalistic. A stag and a dog then bounded across the grass, vanishing into the slowly falling snow. Romulus yawned and drew he curtain closed, waving a hand at the lantern beside his bed. Going out of his room, he crossed the hall, opened the door and climbed into that bed. A light sleeper, Romulus would be out and gone before Remus got back in the morning. Right now...he just needed to be around something that was totally his brother, because it was incredibly lonely that he couldn't help Remus like Sirius and James could.

Remus groaned as he reverted back to human form, fur slid off his skin, curled claws straightened into slender fingers. The scratched wood of the floor was strangely cool against his back and Remus shuddered as he subconsciously curled into a ball. He was aware that James was forcing his limp arms into a robe, silver clasps being done up afterwards. James said something, and then left him. Remus shivered, tasting a coppery flow in his mouth that wasn't his. The half formed thought made his stomach heave and he coughed wetly. Strong arms lifted him from the ground, carrying him over to the four-poster bed in the room. There were no blankets or sheets, and he was set on the bed in only a thin robe.

"Rest, Moony," A voice whispered in his ear. "I'll make sure you get back all right."

Remus grunted a reply before drifting off to sleep. The last thing he saw before his eyes fell shut was Sirius' face, warm arms winding around him, a tender expression in his sapphire eyes.

Under fading starlight and absence of moonlight that meant the moon had set, Remus sat comfortably on the bench on the hill behind the winter house. He was wrapped in a blanket and cuddled up to someone just as equally warm. A hand stroked his hair, drifting over his shoulders, pausing only a moment at a recent mark on Remus' neck. Remus snuggled closer to the source of heat, and the hand dropped to rest in the small of his back.. Remus played with a long lock of hair, breathing in a scent that almost reminded him of wild mint and rain. Resting his head on the other person's chest, he listened to their heartbeat, smiling as he heard them beat in time with one another. The weather was nippy and the snow had stopped falling, but Remus didn't care.

"Moony." The person whispered. "Go back to sleep...the morning will come soon enough."

"Okay." Remus replied hazily. He frowned. Moony?

"Moony." Remus rolled over in his sleep, throwing his arm across the bed. That was the same voice again. "Wake uuuup, Moooooony. "

"No you vache – cow." Another voice said. "This way – reveiller, Remus. Joyeux Noel!"

"What did you just say?" Was a third voice.

"Wake up. Merry Christmas!" The second voice said again.

Remus groaned and opened one eye. "Is there a party in my bed and I wasn't invited?" His room, though it used to be the one across the hall with Romulus, had been changed to the current one because of his growing amount of books and papers. There were several bookshelves, a large oak desk, and a wardrobe and mirror off to one side. The décor was in blue and brown, with soft warm blankets on the bed, and a nice fur mat on the floor. A fireplace burned merrily.

James grinned at him, a ridiculous Pere Noel hat on his head. It blinked and shimmered and threw off red and green glitter. He stuffed a candy cane in Remus' mouth. "Someone's feeling better."

Romulus appeared next, throwing a robe at him. "Come on, mama and papa are waiting for you, sleepy head."

Sirius popped up last, perched on the edge of the bed. "Happy Christmas, Moony."

"Happy Christmas, Padfoot." Remus yawned, throwing off the blankets and putting on his robe. On his way by Romulus, he passed off the candy cane and bounded out the door.

Ten minutes later, all four boys, the Lupin parents and Aquila were gathered in the parlor, unwrapping presents under a large tree. Romulus and Aquila were in one corner, no doubt making sure that the tradition behind the floating mistletoe wasn't abandoned. Sirius was examining a mirror that James had given him, one that was identical to the one that James kept in his pocket, and Remus was taking out a little box that Sirius had handed him.

Remus opened it, pushing the flimsy cotton aside and pulling out a long gold chain. On the end was an amulet, shaped like the sun. When Remus touched it carefully, gasping with delight as it came alive in his hand, the flames dancing around the center and licking around Remus' fingers. "Mon Dieu!"

Sirius leaned over his shoulder. "I take it that means you like it?"

"Yes...it means 'dear me.'" Remus tilted his head back to look up at Sirius. He stared into deep blue eyes, knowing that he should have blinked or something a long time ago. They were so close... Sirius bent in and pressed his lips lightly to Remus' before backing off.

"Mon dieu, then." Sirius said, moving away. Remus stared up at the ceiling, slowly registering the mistletoe above him. It floated away and Remus sat up properly. Romulus was putting his wand away, waving at him cheerfully. Remus shook his head, slipping the amulet over his head. A piece of paper fluttered out of the box. Remus picked it up. 'I like the moon, but I know it pains you, especially when it's at it's fullest, when it's most beautiful. So here's the sun, which you love so much. It will always burn for you, and you will never be truly be alone with the moon. Sirius.'

Remus smiled to himself and put the scrap of paper in his pocket.

"PRONGS!!"

"Yes?" James said innocently.

Sirius waved something in his face. "What's this?"

"Your...gag gift..." James said.

"Fishnet gloves?!"

James snagged the tag, turning it over carefully. "It clearly says, 'for the dashing, for the daring, for those loving black.'" James stuck his tongue out at Sirius. "There you go, Mr. Black. Be true to your name; you certainly have been without my help! Have fun!"

"WANKER!"

"Remus..."

Remus turned around slowly, still a little delicate from his ordeal a few nights previous. 'Rom. I thought that you had left already.' Two days had passed, and the boys were all heading home.

Remus' twin shrugged, crossing the entrance hall to meet him. 'I wanted to see you leave. Aquila's gone on ahead.'

Remus smiled. 'She's a delightful girl.'

Romulus laughed, embracing his brother tightly. 'You have no idea how much it relieves me to hear you say that.' He said. 'I was worried that you wouldn't like her, or something.'

Why wouldn't I like her? Remus asked, puzzled.

'I don't know...' He waved a hand. 'It was a silly fear I had. It's nothing.' The two of them stood there for a moment, not needing to fill the silence with anything but their presence. 'I can't believe that we must part already.'

'I know...I wish you'd come to Hogwarts...'

'And I wish that you'd come to Beaubaxtons.' Romulus smiled impishly. 'But we are in love with two entirely different places...'

'True.' Remus said sadly. 'I'll write often, okay?'

'Not if I write first.' Remus gave him another quick hug and picked up his bag. Romulus made a face, and then sighed. "Remus..."

"Yes?"

"I know you love him, but if things get bad...you'll have to let him go."

Remus paused, nodded and started again. "I know."

Remus: Hey, you want to know about your name, Sirius?
Sirius: I already know.
Remus: You do?
Sirius: Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, part of the constellation, Canis Major, the dog constellation.
Remus: Huh. You do know.
Sirius: ::grins:: Why else do people call us, 'the one named after the star and the child of the moon'?
Remus: People call us that?
Sirius: Yup.
Remus: Weird.
Sirius: ::shrugs::

This chapter was edited because of a spelling mistake with one of the British terms. (Thanks for pointing that out!) And it looks different because of the formatting change since original posting. Also, my double cross signifying French usage is no longer supported, so bold means French, bold and italic mean flashbacks. Cheers!