Remus felt dizzy, and exhilarated, and amazed all at once. His head spun as he walked back to the common room with Sirius after the latter had just completely snogged his brains out. Remus's mind was racing a mile a minute, and a ghost of a smile whispered on his face.

Sirius frustrated Remus so much because Sirius was a do-er but Remus was a talker. And when Remus couldn't put into words what he was feeling, he found this strange lurking hole in the pit of his stomach. His head was somewhere up in the clouds, not down on earth as it should be. As it always is. And this thing he felt for Sirius – well it was frustrating when he was so wound up with energy and excitement by the other boy that he simply just could not think.

Sirius was so imperfect which made him gloriously perfect to Remus. They both knew what it was to hurt. Because the cuts on Sirius's wrists that appeared a year ago did not go unnoticed to Remus. The hurting in Sirius's eyes when he caught sight of his brother in the corridor also did not pass Remus's sight. And Sirius was there. Ever present and ever irresistible to him. With his stupid canine senses and beautiful thick, soft, fantastic hair. Hair that Remus not five minutes ago had clutched so tightly he was surprised it had not been ripped from Sirius's skull.

And with that thought, a low flush rose up the back of Remus's neck and his head was spinning once again.

'What are you grinning about?' Sirius winked and nudged Remus with his shoulder. Remus hadn't even realised the grin on his face was splitting him until Sirius had spoken and, indeed, Remus's cheeks had a dull ache in them.

'As if you don't know,' Remus rolled his eyes and nudged Sirius back.

'You know Moony, I never thought such filthy sounds could come from your mouth.'

Remus felt the blush in his neck rise to his cheeks as Sirius roared with laughter. They were silent a moment more, and the thoughts running through Remus's head finally began to slow, and he began to process. His bubble somewhat deflated and he remembered. James. Peter. He did not exactly wish to cause his friends to suffer heart attacks resulting in premature death. He also did not want to see James's head implode or for Peter's eyes to pop out of their sockets. And how was this going to affect his friendship with Sirius? And what were they? Friends that snog behind troll tapestries?

'Well now I have to say I don't like this look quite as much,' Sirius quipped, pulling Remus out of his thoughts.

Remus's grin had indeed slipped from his face and he gave Sirius a rueful smile. 'I just don't want our friends to die of shock.'

'No, I wouldn't fancy that much either,' Sirius said.

'But maybe we just don't tell them? Not yet anyway. Is a snog such a massive thing to make a fuss over?' Remus suggested.

Sirius's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. 'If I'm not mistaken Moony, you were every bit as present as I was just there and so you will be able to recall as well as I that those are the result of more than a snog.' Sirius had pointed to the now bruising marks on Remus's neck.

'Okay, okay I see your point,' Remus bit his lip. 'But I still don't think we should tell them just yet. Not until we see if there are more illicit secret corridor snoggings.'

'So that is to suggest that there will indeed be more snoggings, illicit secret corridors or otherwise,' Sirius waggled his eyebrows at Remus, and Remus could not surprise the laugh in his throat at how wonderfully ridiculous Sirius looked.


Within the next three weeks, Remus was extremely pleased that there had indeed been a significant amount more than just illicit corridor snoggings. They had not done it, but they had done more than Remus thought he would be comfortable to do. But that was just the thing with Sirius; everything was comfortable and wonderful and perfect. Certainly different from what they had been, but an amazing change from stolen looks and brushes of arms, wondering if there was perhaps something more behind brooding eyes.

One cold November day there was a harsh frost on the grounds outside and piercing winds that penetrated through the thick walls of the castle. It whipped round people's faces and made for hurried walks in between classes. The bubble of Christmas was growing and although there were many articles in the Daily Prophet of disappearances in the world outside Hogwarts, it was easy for Remus to pretend that was almost a figment of his imagination. Because what he was reading positively did not beat to the same drum in his head. Which right now, was Sirius.

It was the day of a full moon and the low thud in Remus's head was getting stronger with every hour that passed. He could feel the animal pull waiting at the back of his thoughts, eager to be released. His senses were on fire; he could hear every small creak of floorboards, every bought of laughter from fellow students was like a loud claxon in his ears. He was twitchy; everything felt sensitive. And he could not concentrate. This being the first full moon since he and Sirius had been together, Remus found that other senses were definitely heightened. He had not spared much thought to how he may react, but this was not unwelcome.

Remus sat in the Great Hall, inhaling a slice of cottage pie and trying to concentrate on his Arithmancy textbook in front of him. And then he could sense him. Sirius and his silly boyish presence. He could sense him in the room before he could even comprehend that it was him, and he was burning. And then he heard his bark of laughter, and then he could smell him. Then he allowed himself to look up, seeing Sirius and James making their way over to him.

'Alright Moony,' James greeted him with a smile as he sat down opposite Remus.

And Sirius, to Remus's utter pleasure and disgrace at once, sat down beside him. He purposefully let his entire side press against Remus's for a second before resettling a few inches away from him. Remus's wolfish side flared up at once.

'How's it going,' Sirius grinned at Remus and Remus did not have to be a skilled Legilmens to know exactly what Sirius was doing.

Remus continued to stare at his plate and did not respond to either of his friends.

'Well I don't know about you two but I am excited to make some mischief tonight,' James said conspiringly.

'And what mischief would that be?' Lily had now joined the group and sat at James's side.

Great, thought Remus. Another person he would have to control himself in front of.

'Nothing of great concern to you, my Lilypad,' James replied easily, putting his arm around Lily's shoulders and kissing her.

'You will seriously put me off my food if you continue with this –' Sirius waved a sausage in their direction, 'disgusting show of filth.'

'Hi everyone,' Peter had now joined the table at James's other side and began to pile mash onto his plate.

'Please Peter, talk some sense into… this,' Sirius gesticulated to James; Peter laughed loudly.

Talk continued around Remus and it was all he could do to not just completely mow Sirius down and devour him right there. He began to clench his fists around the book he was still pretending to read and half-moon indents were being made into palms to stop him putting his hands all over Sirius. Remus could feel his face getting hot, then Sirius let out another stupid, charming laugh, pushing his shoulder deliciously against Remus's as he did. And that was it.

Remus hard to breathe very hard to keep himself calm as he stood abruptly from the table.

'You leaving without even saying hello Moony?' James joked and Peter was shooting him his worried look that he always had on his face the days of the full moon.

Remus ignored him, gave Sirius a very pointed look and walked away from the group of friends. He heard Sirius excusing himself and sensed him following him the full way down the Great Hall. The whole time Remus tried his very hardest to keep his face schooled. He turned left down the corridor to the kitchens from the Entrance Hall where he knew there was a secret passageway, now able to hear Sirius's footsteps behind him in the deserted hallways. He was there, he was at the painting of a mole poking his head out of his mole hill and then retreating right back into it as am army of headless horses ran over it.

'Moony, are you –'

Sirius was abruptly cut off when Remus grabbed him roughly. Remus dug his fingers into Sirius's hips and smashed their lips together before pulling Sirius backwards, away from any prying eyes.


The next morning, Sirius returned to the dormitory with James and Peter before the weak sun had fully risen. He was quiet as he bent low to fit under the cloak with the other two either side of him. James and Peter were not exactly full of laughs and jokes, being exhausted from the night's antics, but they were still sharing some banter as they walked up the steps from the Entrance Hall.

But Sirius could not stop his worrying. He always worried about Remus, but this was entirely different altogether. There was a crease in between his eyebrows, and he wished he could have stayed longer in the Shrieking Shack. There was fresh blood splattered across the walls of the house and Remus had given himself a nasty gash on his shoulder that was still bleeding when they had left. Remus had still been asleep as the other Marauders were leaving so Sirius was not able to even leave a kiss on his forehead. These emotions were new to Sirius. This worry mingled with affection and something akin to adoration of the strength Remus showed every month.

Sirius briefly laughed at something James said as they walked through the common room to their dormitory, but his heart was not in the joke. His mind was still lingering in the Shrieking Shack wishing he could turn on his heel and go straight back. Sirius wanted to rest Remus's head on his lap and run fingers through his hair until he woke up, undoubtedly in pain but at least he could have fed him chocolate to pick up his spirits.

Sirius found himself in bed before he even realised where he was. He turned and looked at the clock on his bedside table, noting that it would still be several hours before Madame Pomfrey would be going down to see to Remus. He wondered how early he could show up in the hospital wing without it being considered needy.

He tossed and turned and could not sleep, despite his body being sore and exhausted from running around as Padfoot all night. His mind was wide awake and watching the seconds slowly tick away, slumber not even crossing his mind regardless of the fact he had Transfiguration first thing. He rose before both Peter and James, although he knew they would not be up until ten minutes before their first lesson started anyway.

Sirius felt restless. He dressed and went down to the common room to wait there rather than lie uselessly in bed. The hands of the clock finally hit half past seven. People were starting to emerge from the dormitories above him whenever he made the executive decision to go and see Remus.

As Sirius entered the hospital wing he noticed where Remus's bed must be, surrounded in white cloth to give him some privacy. There was a third year Ravenclaw with steam coming out of his ears that was taking up Madame Ponfrey's attention. Sirius used this as a welcome distraction and quickly darted behind the cloths to see Remus.

Remus was sitting propped up by several pillows, the cut on his shoulder heavily bandaged. Sirius had to swallow a bought of worry when he saw blood still seeping through. Remus was awake and a smile flooded his sad, weary face when he saw Sirius.

'Hey you,' Sirius said quietly, stepping forward and planting a soft kiss on Remus's forehead. 'Don't go thinking I care just because I'm here early.' He sat down on the chair beside the bed and set his hand close to Remus's so that their fingers were touching lightly.

Remus started to laugh but then he winced, shifting slightly in a pained way. Worry shot through Sirius, but he kept his face in an easy smile, not wanting Remus to hide from him. Sirius knew Remus's injuries were so much worse than he ever said, not to mention the searing soreness his body must be in from simply transforming. Affection rushed through him, wanting nothing more than to wrap Remus in his arms.

'Well I'm glad to see you, whether you care or not,' Remus was keeping the mood light as Sirius had suspected he would.

'Listen, Moony,' Sirius shifted in his seat, 'I want you to know that I am going to be here for you. And you know, not just in a friends way.'

'I know,' Remus said quietly, looking down at his lap. 'I'm glad.

'Because, you know, that kissing yesterday was seriously hot Moony. You surprise me every day here, between moans and jumping me with kiss –'

'Shut up Padfoot,' Remus whispered furiously. Sirius let out a loud laugh which was shushed by Remus in case Madame Pomfrey would hear.

Sirius sat for a while longer with Remus. They didn't say much, but he knew talking wasn't what Remus wanted to do. Sirius knew Remus was aching for some rest, but it seemed every time he drifted off to sleep the cut on his shoulder gave him bother and made him bolt upright again. So, Sirius just sat with him. Sometimes he would let his fingers trace a circle on the inside of Remus's palm and others he would just let them sit near his hand. It felt so feeble and ridiculous that closeness was the only comfort he could offer this wonderful man in front of him.


Girls I am rusty ! Hope you like x