A History of Romance

Year 5: Sweet Seduction; Part Two

Remus awoke to bright sunlight streaming through the curtains hanging by a few threads from the four-poster and found himself facing Sirius. He tried to sit up but was prevented from doing so by Sirius' arms wound tightly around him.

'Dear God, what am I … what am I supposed to do? Where's James to wake Sirius and tell him to get off me? He's got to be somewhere in here.'

"Peter?" he whispered softly. "Peter, where's James?"

He only received a snore in response.

'Oh dear, what now?' Remus thought helplessly.

He tried to move Sirius' arms off him as gently as possible, so as to not wake him up, but Sirius just tightened his hold and muttered, "Moony, don't go."

"Sirius," Remus whispered and nudged him softly. "We have class. I don't even know what time it is. McGonagall with take points off for us if we're not in Transfiguration by the time she gets there."

Sirius' arms did not loosen from around Remus' waist. He murmured something Remus did not hear and pressed his body tightly against the other boy's.

"Sirius, please, what are you doing?" Remus asked, panicking a bit as Sirius' hands moved lower and traced the waistband of his pants.

"Sirius! Sirius! Wake up!" Remus yelled and twisted away, jumping from the bed as if it were on fire.

Sirius' eyes snapped open. "Wha?"

"M-morning," Remus said with a smile, trying to smooth down his hair and hide the faint blush that had crept onto his cheeks.

"Ugh, my head feels like it's bloody going to explode!"

Remus laughed a bit. "Well, you do have a hangover."

"Wait, what? Hangover?" Sirius asked, confused, as he sat up and rubbed his head, trying to run a hand though his tangled hair.

Remus nodded and said nothing more; he began getting ready for class.

"Oh! Yes, I remember now. By Godric, Moony, I'm sorry for whatever I may have done to you."

Remus' ears turned red. "We didn't do anything you should apologize for."

"Oh," Sirius said, what sounded almost like disappointment creeping into his voice.

"Right," Remus said and a very uncomfortable silence followed.

Sirius cleared his throat and looked around. "This isn't my bed!"

Remus turned away, walked over to his trunk, and looked for his school clothes. "Yes, well, you were that drunk last night."

"This is James' bed!" Sirius continued, looking around wildly.

"And so it is!" James announced as he strode into the dormitory, hair (for once) not mussed to the point of what James thought girls would like, his tie hanging loosely from a shoulder, and his glasses askew.

"Sirius, mate, do I have a surprise for you! Come on, let's get going!" James said and promptly walked over to Remus' drawer and pulled out his moon chart. He studied it and grinned.

Sirius threw himself onto his bed and pulled the covers over his head. "I don't wanna go to class."

James gritted his teeth and pulled Sirius out of bed. "Come on! I have something to show you."

Sirius groaned. "James, come on! Hangover, remember?"

"This is important!" James insisted, and shot a glance at Remus.

Sirius' eyes widened. "Ah, alright. Let's go."

Remus watched them go and sighed; he looked over at his full-moon chart.

'Three more days until the full moon. I wonder if Sirius will come see me after … I won't be able to fend him off if he does.'

"WHAT do you want, then?" Sirius whispered exasperated as they sat at the tables as far back from Madam Pince as possible.

"Start thanking me, Sirius. You're gonna like this. Mind you, eventually we won't need wands, okay?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and nodded. "Go on, go on!"

James stood, straight-backed and grinning, in front of him, raised his wand, and got that far-off, mad look on his face like he did whenever he was thinking hard, what Sirius called his "Idiot's Face." Sirius' eyes widened as James' features were carefully molded into that off a stag with slightly darker fur on its head, rather small antlers, and black circles around its eyes.

He bit his lip to not laugh as James turned back.

"I'm an utter genius, aren't I!"

"You … bloody wanker! How'd you do that!"

"Oh, don't tell anyone else, but it was an accident! But, more about that later. You have three days to get yourself an animal form. We have to help Peter, too."

"Yes, yes, Peter. C'mon, spill, what do you have to do? Tell me."

"Chill, Sirius. Imagine the look on Remus' face when he sees us. He'll be so happy," James said as he pulled a book out from behind another book on the shelf. "I hid it here, see?"

Sirius nodded and chewed on his lip impatiently as James flipped through the pages.

'Maybe then he won't pull away … maybe he'll see I'm serious.'

"Okay, look," James began, and Sirius pulled his thoughts away from the mental image of Remus, reading glasses askew, smiling, and concentrated on what James was saying.

Three days later

Moony paced in his room at the Shrieking Shack. He was restless, angry, driven mad with the four walls that entrapped him. He froze, suddenly, when he heard voices.

'Humans! Those human voices!'

He waited patiently as the voices drew closer as the humans walked up the creaking steps.

'That's it, humans … come to Moony.'

The door burst open and he prepared to pounce, but was taken completely aback when he saw three other animals standing in the doorway. One was somewhat of his own kind, only black and a bit larger, the other was a strange creature with what looked like branches to Moony on his head, and on those branches was a tiny brown creature with watery black eyes. Moony stared at them for a long time, wondering where the humans had gone, and wondering how the little creature perched on the branches tasted. He studied the dog intently, finding a sense of comfort and familiarity in him, but growled in warning when the dog stepped forward.

"Moony?" the dog asked and Moony retreated, shocked that this one knew who he was. "Moony, it's me."

the dog asked and Moony retreated, shocked that this one knew who he was.

"How you creatures knows Moony?" the wolf asked, hostile and ready to bite whoever made a wrong move.

"We're friends," the dog explained.

"Who are you creatures? What does you want from Moony!" Moony demanded.

"I'm Padfoot, this is Prongs, and that's Wormtail on his head."

"Get out!" Moony growled at them suddenly; he howled softly as pain shot up his spine. "Moony cares not for friends. GET OUT!"

Moony growled at them suddenly; he howled softly as pain shot up his spine.

"No," the dog replied simply. "We're going to stay and help you."

Moony's patience had worn thin. He advanced on the creatures, baring his fangs and growling. "GET OUT!"

He pounced suddenly, but was met halfway by the large black dog, who immediately pinned him down. He scratched at the dog, biting his neck, trying to throw him off, and although Moony drew blood, Padfoot just growled and held fast.

the dog replied simply. Moony's patience had worn thin. He advanced on the creatures, baring his fangs and growling. He pounced suddenly, but was met halfway by the large black dog, who immediately pinned him down. He scratched at the dog, biting his neck, trying to throw him off, and although Moony drew blood, Padfoot just growled and held fast.

Moony thrashed about and managed to wriggle away. He leaped, bit Padfoot's neck hard, and threw him to the floor.

"Freedom!" he howled and made for the door, but the Prongs creature blocked his way. Before he could jump at the stag and bite a leg or two off, the dog was on him again, this time more aggressively. Padfoot grabbed hold of the wolf's neck, pushed him away, and threw him against the four-poster.

Moony got to his feet immediately, but sank back down from weariness and dizziness. Padfoot looked him in the eye and growled, warning him. Moony sank down defeated and relinquished control to the Alpha male.

Padfoot made his way cautiously to the gray wolf sprawled on the floor and nudged it softly.

"Come onto the bed. You're hurt," he told Moony softly.

The wolf looked up, confused. "Padfoot should throw Moony out of the Shack or kill Moony, not offer help."

Padfoot nudged him again and licked at Moony's wounds, causing the wolf to rise and move away.

"What is Padfoot doing to Moony?" the wolf demanded.

"You're hurt," Padfoot explained. "I was just trying to help you."

"Moony knows pain," Moony replied shortly and jumped onto the bed.

Padfoot explained. Moony replied shortly and jumped onto the bed.

Padfoot followed him and stretched out next to him. He motioned to the other creature, Prongs to come lie with them. Moony had half a mind to protest, but instead allowed the creature with branches on its head to lie down next to him. He turned his head to look at the wolf and whined softly.

Padfoot only nuzzled the wolf's neck and closed his eyes as the wolf studied him silently.

'Yes, Moony can trust this one.'

Remus Lupin opened his eyes slowly to the light. Flashes of the night before came to him suddenly. Surprisingly, it had been less painful than most full moons. He tried to shift on the bed and start looking for the covers before Sirius, James, and Peter came along, but found an arm flung onto his back, he turned his head and almost cried out.

Sirius was sprawled on the bed next to him, mouth open as he snored unbelievably loudly, his hair mussed, bloody, and sticking to his forehead. Remus sat up and faintly remembered a name.

"Padfoot," he whispered and brushed away the bangs from Sirius' face. Sirius closed his mouth and stirred.

"Moony?" he muttered and opened his eyes.

Remus smiled at him and said, "Morning Padfoot."

Sirius grinned. "That's me."

"How on Earth did you manage it? Have you any idea that that's illegal? You could land yourself in Azkaban," Remus said anxiously.

Sirius just laughed as Remus continued rambling on about how many years Sirius could spend in Azkaban, the punishments the Ministry would dish out, on and on about mindless things, it seemed, to Sirius.

Finally, he just leaned close, pushing Remus back and put a finger on Remus' lips. "Moony, I did it for you."

Remus' eyes widened. "Sirius, what-?"

Sirius moved closer and moistened his lips nervously. "Moony, I-"

Remus instinctively moved closer as well, too weary to fight the feeling coursing through his body. Sirius placed a hand on the back of Remus' head and stroked his hair. They were but an inch apart, hot breath on each other's faces …

"Good morning- oy!" James cried as he woke up.

Remus pulled away and drew the covers around him to cover himself.

James glared suspiciously at Sirius. "What … did you-?"

"No!" Sirius yelled, denying anything and everything James could ever think of.

"Just as well," James said. "Well, Moony, what do you think?"

"I think you are all mad," Remus declared and looked at Sirius. "But, thank you."

Sirius grinned and fluffed up some pillows. "C'mon, Remus, lie back and relax. You've had a rough night."

Sirius touched the wound on Remus' neck where he as Padfoot had bitten him just last night. He frowned as his fingers moved to a large, deep, greenish-brown bite mark on Remus' skinny shoulder.

"Moony? Is that where-?"

"Yes," Remus whispered. "Fenrir's bite."

Sirius let his fingers caress the scar slowly, memorizing every part of Remus left shoulder. Remus shuddered after a while and James cleared his throat. Sirius dropped his hand and tried to hide his faint blush.

"Um, Moony … is there anything you want? Hot chocolate or Sugar Quills?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, eventually."

Sirius turned away to go and fetch them.

"But," Remus began and took hold of Sirius' robes, "stay awhile longer."

James caught Sirius eye and nodded. "I'll go get the stuff, then."

Sirius sat down next to Remus again. "What did you want to tell me?"

Remus shook his head. "Nothing," he said softly, and Sirius understood. They stayed like that for a very long time, waiting for James' return.

A/N: Forgive me, dear readers, I have forsaken this story for far too long. But be on the lookout for faster updates! Review please. P.S. Yes, this is the end of fifth year.