What's Behind the Curtain?
Cassandra Sunn
Rating: PG for homosexuality and slight potty mouth.
Genre: Drama/Romance. I also put some humour in. But all my stories are like that.
Summery: It's been two months since Sirius fell through the curtain. Remus has completely lost it. Then his roommates tell him there's a chance Sirius could be alive. SiriusRemus. R+R!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters associated with it. I do, however, own Phoebe, Meg, Kaili, and Ashleigh. Mine! Piss off.
Warnings: Not too bad. I have no lemons, limes, or any of the sort planned. Mainly sweet stuff. But it will be between two men, so if you don't like that, go away.
Mindless Dribble: Okay, I just read through how Harry & Co. got to the curtain. It's straight from the book, so no bitching.
"Words" – talk
Words – thought
(-)(-) – scene change
(+)(+) – story start/end
Remus stood outside the curtain. He couldn't remember how he got there. But he was there. He was helping Sirius. And he was going to greet him with a big kiss.
He parted the curtain slightly. It was dark. He slid his wand in and whispered, "Lumos." He then walked through.
It was a small square room. No windows or anything. There was no one there. Disappointment rushed through his body. He took a step forward and was suddenly faced with a corpse. Not fresh, but not old. Best he could guess was...
Horror sank in as he realized the corpse was his beloved Sirius. Still rotting. Chained to the wall. He'd died here alone. Tears fell down Remus's face. He felt the urge to embrace the body. He lifted his arms and...
(-)(-)(-)(-)
...woke up to Meg shaking his shoulder.
"Remus, you fell asleep!" Meg said. "Come on, it's dark!"
"Come on, sleepyhead!" Phoebe poked his chin. "Time to rescue your damsel in distress!"
"What?" Remus muttered groggily. "My what?"
"Remus, you talk in your sleep," Ashleigh said.
"I think it's cute!" Kaili said. "In love with your best friend. And he doesn't even know it!"
"I'm not in love," Remus growled. He threw his pillows at Kaili and Phoebe. "And Sirius is not a damsel in distress."
"Whatever," Meg said. "Just go."
(-)(-)(-)(-)
Remus stood in front of the phone booth entrance to the Ministry of Magic. He remembered what happened the last time he was here.
When Sirius fell through the curtain, Harry had tried to go after him. Remus himself was the one who held Harry back, told him Sirius was dead. Told him there was nothing he could do. Holding him back. Giving up. Right away. No second thoughts. No time for second thoughts. Just... nothing. He did nothing.
Fresh tears came. He remembered the look of fear and surprise on Sirius's face. It hurt to think anymore. He stepped into the booth and dialed 62442.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," a female voice spoke. "Please state your name and business."
"Remus Lupin. Rescue mission."
"Thank you. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robe."
Remus did as he was told.
"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."
The booth sank into the ground. When it reached the Atrium, the woman said, "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening." The doors opened and Remus hurried to the desk. The security man went through the procedures and Remus was off again.
He practically ran to the lift. He stabbed at the down arrow and waited impatiently for the lift to arrive. Inside, he pressed the number nine and let the lift take him.
While in the lift, sounds came back to him. Harry yelling Sirius's name. Bellatrix's laughter. His own voice telling Harry Sirius was gone.
Gone.
No.
No, not gone.
He's there. He has to be!
He remembered how happy Sirius looked back in the action. Fighting again. It was like a game. He'd been winning for a while. But then...
The voice saying the floor, "Department of Mysteries," stopped his painful thoughts. Once he had Sirius in his arms, the hurt would go away. Sirius would make it all better. He always did, even if he didn't know it.
Oh, great. More tears.
He went to the plain black door and into the circular room. Before shutting the door, he muttered, "Flagrate". A red X appeared on the door as the room spun, mixing the doors. Now to find the room with the curtain.
It took him a few tries, but he soon was in that room. That terrible room that took his Sirius from him. But he would get him back.
The curtain flapped and fluttered.
Remus bravely strode up and peered at the cloth. Whispering noises came from the other side. Was one of those whispers Sirius? No. He'd never known Sirius to whisper. He was always the first one you'd hear in a room. Him and James both.
Once again, images flowed into his mind. Sirius falling. The terrified look on Harry's face. The anger at Bellatrix. Remus trying to stop Harry from killing her. Why? He couldn't remember. It didn't matter. She didn't kill Sirius. Sirius was alive. Behind the curtain. Waiting for him. He suddenly wished he'd brought Harry with him. No, he wanted some time with his Sirius, to tell him the truth.
Remus was in love with Sirius.
The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. In love. Yeah, that was it. You only cry, truly cry, for those you love the most. And Remus had cried more in the last two months than in his entire life. He wished Kaili was there, so he could say proudly that, yes, he was in love. In love. With Sirius. His Sirius. It sounded so nice. His Sirius. No one else's. His.
One thing bothered him. If Sirius could get out, why didn't he? Two months! Maybe when he was a teenager, but not now. Not with Harry. He wouldn't do that to his godson. Especially during a fight. He'd want to protect Harry. Because in Sirius's mind, Harry came first. Because James and Lily died for him. The least he could do was the same.
What had happened? What could detain Sirius so long?
His dream came back to him. He pushed that horrid image from his head. That couldn't be it. He refused to believe. Not when he was so close.
Remus realized he had been backing away from the curtain. Not long. He wasn't but a few steps away. He couldn't back out now! Sirius needed him. He needed Sirius. And he needed Sirius to know.
He remembered something in the paper. Sirius had been pardoned. Found innocent. That would make him so happy! He could take Harry away from those Muggles. The three of them could get a place together. Maybe. If Sirius liked him back.
That hadn't crossed his mind. What if Sirius thought it was weird? Remus couldn't remember if Sirius had ever taken an interest in guys. He remembered Sirius and James had fooled around a little once in their second year. Nothing much. Just experimenting, like all young boys do. Remus had done the same thing with a Hufflepuff third year the very next night. That didn't mean Sirius was gay.
Remus had never really liked girls. James had Lily, so he was obviously straight. But Sirius never had a relationship. Remus had heard about dates, but never who they were with. And they never lasted more than the second or third date.
No! Not now! No second guessing. No time for that.
Maybe he wouldn't greet him with a kiss. Just a "best-mates" hug. Mates in the human sense, not the wolf sense. Though that would be nice...
His mind had wandered again!
Remus took a deep breath. This was it. Now or never.
Now.
Remus stepped through the curtain.
(-)(-)(-)(-)
Yay! Another short chapter!
Review!