Thank you ShatteredDesire, Lucky Moony, Nikufei, Queen of the Paperclips, Achava, Demus, Tanya J Potter, checkmarks and DragonHunter200. Have I mentioned how much I adore you all! Probably. I should also mention that I'm not telling this story in any particular order- I intend to jump forwards and backwards a bit. Finally, I can't believe that nobody guessed the letter D! Although, having said that, the suggestions were very good!
D is for Dancing
Maybe there won't be marriage, maybe there won't be sex, but by God there'll be dancing!
-George, My Best Friend's Wedding
Beautiful boys on a beautiful dance floor
Michael, you're dancing like a beautiful dance-whore
-Franz Ferdinand, Michael
One
Remus Lupin did not dance.
It was the Yule Ball in their seventh year when Sirius first asked him. They'd only been together a fortnight back then, yet, suffice to say, it felt like much longer... Longer in a good way, of course.
"Dance with me, Moony?" Sirius had asked, standing before the werewolf, looking a picture in midnight-blue dress robes. "Won't you dance?"
Not here… Not in front of the whole school. I couldn't.
"Dancing just isn't something I do, Sirius." Remus had tried to give a reason for his refusal- a reason that was better than because I'm afraid. "When a person dances they relax and - sort of - become one with the music… I just can't do that. I can't afford to let my guard down; I can't let the wolf get the better of me." Remus sighed, running a hand through his tawny-gold hair. "You do understand, don't you, Padfoot?"
Sirius shrugged. "I guess."
However Sirius' expression told a different story. He had looked at Remus with big puppy-dog eyes... Eyes that held the infinite wisdom only a seventeen-year-old can possibly possess.
Remus, who was normally the paragon of self-restraint, had suddenly become angry: heatedly angry, irrationally angry… It was nearly the full moon and besides, how much of Sirius Black's relentless sulking could one boy take?
"Oh just… Bugger off, Sirius! I'm not in the mood! Dance with that girl over there; she's dying to be asked." Remus' eyes had flashed darker for a moment, his face had become flushed and his whole body had trembled.
Oh God.
He hated losing control.
Remus had looked down at the ground and caught his breath. Avoiding Sirius' big sad eyes, he'd begun to calm down. He'd even opened his mouth to apologise.
But Sirius had already gone. A closer inspection of the Great Hall revealed him dancing with some nameless, faceless girl, his body pressed against hers as they moved in time with the music.
TwoThey were on a break at the time of James' wedding; a break that followed several months of fighting like cat and dog, or rather wolf and dog. Remus had moved out of their shared flat and was living round the corner with Peter. Sirius, on the other hand, was left achingly, heart-breakingly lonely. This time all the nameless, faceless girls – and boys – in the world were no substitute for the love of Remus Lupin.
At the wedding reception Sirius didn't dance with anyone. He remained seated at the largest table, just a seat away from Remus and trying desperately to provoke a response of more than a word from his former lover.
"Weather's been good, hasn't it?"
"Yes."
"Doesn't Lily look lovely?"
"Beautiful."
"Good turn out at the reception, don't you think?"
And something in Remus must have just snapped. "Of course there's a good turn out! There's free alcohol, isn't there?" As if to prove his point, he drained his glass of wine, before continuing in a calmer tone. "These last few weeks apart haven't been easy, Sirius."
"Tell me about it."
"I have a lot of ghosts that need to be laid to rest before I can even think of moving forward…"
"I know, Moony, but-"
"…But right now, darling, I'd appreciate it if you'd shut the hell up and dance with me!" Remus was smiling all of a sudden; smiling like neither of them had smiled in months.
But you don't dance… You were always too afraid…I'm not afraid anymore, Sirius.
Remus led him on to the dance floor, steadfastly ignoring both the wolf whistles and catcalls from James and the indulgent smiles of Lily.
And this time, they danced.
