Word count: 1,712

Chapter 13

A Secret Revealed

Encountering antagonistic Slytherins in the hallways of Hogwarts was becoming a staple for many Hogwarts students, particularly those deemed to have a bit too much Muggle heritage. Remus wasn't a primary target, with his father being a relatively well-respected half-blood, but he had taken to keeping one hand wrapped around his wand in the pocket of his robes when he was walking down the corridors alone. The fact that his mother was a Muggle wasn't all that difficult to figure out if one really wanted to know.

Finding Snape in a corridor alone like him was enough to make Remus' blood run cold in his veins. The boy's sneers had turned crueler in the years since he'd faced Remus as a werewolf, but after listening to Dumbledore's threats, he'd never said anything to Remus' face aside from a few allusions to his condition when not many others were around.

Remus still wondered what the headmaster had said to Snape to ensure his silence. He'd never been able to escape the feeling that Snape was a ticking time bomb who would go off one day and ruin what Remus had managed to accomplish in the process.

"Filth," Snape snarled as Remus tried to pass him, his eyes firmly in front of him.

He looked angrier than he had the day Remus had stumbled upon him with his pack of future Death Eaters. Perhaps that was because he was free to use the insults he really wanted to without his friends around.

"Snape," Remus replied, trying to keep his voice civil.

Taking the high road would leave him more satisfied in the end than sneaking to Snape's level, he reminded himself. He didn't relish making fun of Snape's appearance like his friends often did, and the insults he would have used were far too serious to use lightly. He wasn't sure what reaction they would garner from Snape, and all Remus wanted to do was make it back to the common room in one piece.

Snape looked at Remus' bag, bulging with books, as if it were a rotting corpse Remus was dragging behind him.

"Bet you're dreading June, aren't you?" Snape sneered. "Your days under Dumbledore's protection are numbered. We'll see how the real world treats you once you're thrown into it with nowhere to go. Do you really think your friends will stick around once they see how pathetic you actually are?"

Remus shrugged, keeping a blank face even as his stomach twisted. He found it easier to keep a cool demeanor with Snape than he did the other Slytherins. Perhaps it was a side effect of having seen the complete and utter terror on his face when he'd seen Remus in his wolf form. That was the only image from that night which Remus had retained, and it had been seared into his memories since he'd woken up the following morning. His brain would never let him forget how close he had come committing murder.

"I suppose we both will," Remus said. "You might want to learn how to be more civil with werewolves though, Snape. I imagine you'll be working with a few come this summer."

Snape actually laughed.

"If you're referencing the Dark Lord's servants, he doesn't work with werewolves. He uses them as pawns when they're handy. You can't possibly think they'll still be around once the wizarding world is finally under his control? They know their place, and after they've served their purpose, they'll be disposed of. If you're interested, though, I'm sure he'd be happy to have you onboard."

Remus didn't doubt that Snape's words were all true, but his frankness had unsettled him and left him struggling to breathe. He hadn't expected the Slytherin boy to be so upfront about his allegiances. If he was that bold, he clearly didn't think Remus' word would amount to much against his if anyone with authority questioned him about where his loyalties laid.

"Right," Remus replied. "How silly of me to imply that You-Know-Who has followers who are more than pawns. Enjoy your game of chess, Snape. Try not to get sacrificed by your queen."

He stalked off before Snape could formulate a reply.

When he got back to the dormitory that evening, Remus had every intention of sharing everything that had happened between him and Snape with his friends. He wanted to tell them that he was worried about Snape revealing his secret to the entire school. He wanted their advice, but he never received it.

As soon as he entered the dormitory, he could tell something was up. Sirius was pacing the room like he did when he was nervous as Peter and James watched him from the ends of their respective beds.

"Remus, you're back!"

Sirius' voice cracked as if the excitement in his voice was masking nerves. Remus raised an eyebrow as he sat down on his own bed, depositing his bag beside him without bothering to empty it.

"What's up?" he asked.

James shrugged.

"That's what we were hoping Padfoot would tell us once you got here."

They looked at Sirius expectantly. With a sigh and a short nod, Sirius sat on his own bed. For close to a minute, there was only silence as the other three boys sat watching Sirius, who seemed to be working himself up to something by staring at a spot on the wall above Remus' bed, and none of the other three could bring themselves to interrupt him. All thoughts of Snape had been zapped from Remus' thoughts as he took in the intense expression on Sirius' face.

Finally, he looked at them, squaring his shoulders.

"I'm gay."

For a few seconds, everything was quiet as the other Marauders processed what Sirius had said. It was as if random pieces of information from the past seven years were being put together to form a whole picture, though Remus had never realized the picture was in pieces before.

"What about all the girls?" James asked with a furrowed brow. "You never shut up about them. I admit I thought it was weird when you suddenly didn't want to talk about them at all this year, but…"

He trailed off, not sure how to word his curiosity. Luckily, Sirius looked amused by the question. Not being faced by hostility had emboldened him, and his smile was wide and posture loose as he spoke.

"I really wanted to like girls because it would've been easier," he admitted. "I told myself that I liked them as much as I told you guys. I tried really, really hard to like them, but it never worked, even when I thought it might be."

"And when you said you 'discovered' yourself this summer?" Peter asked, using air quotes.

Sirius' smile turned soft and his eyes distant.

"I met a boy. A Muggle boy in James' village. We broke up when the summer was over. There was always an expiration date with that one, but everything finally made sense when I was with him."

James gawked at Sirius.

"We thought you were sneaking off with a girl all summer."

"You weren't that far off," Sirius said with a shrug. "You got the gist of what was going on at least. It's not like I was sneaking off to watch paint dry."

"What about all the times you've snuck off since we've been back at school?" Remus asked, running through the moments in his brain as he tried to fit them into the picture he was forming. "Have you been with boys?"

Sirius smile turned into something closer to a smirk.

"Yes," he said. "As it turns out, they're possible to find just about anywhere if you're looking for them." His smile turned a little sad. "None of them are out though, and I doubt some of them ever will be. One of them flat out told me that he plans to marry the girl his parents have set up an arranged marriage with even though he's gay. Miserable bloke, really. I'm better off having called it quits with him. Feel bad for the poor girl he's marrying though."

Though Sirius tried to hide it, there was a sadness in his voice that he couldn't hide. With a sigh, Remus got up and moved to sit beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders in a show of support. Sirius grinned at him and leaned into his side. The fact that Remus was willing to offer him physical affection despite knowing of his sexuality seemed to ease Sirius of what remaining tension he'd had.

James and Peter both followed Remus' lead, piling onto the end of Sirius' bed and offering him pats on the back and one-armed hugs.

"I suppose this is a secret?" Remus asked.

Sirius chewed on his bottom lip for a second before replying.

"For now, yeah. I'm not sure what will happen after Hogwarts. But one day, hopefully, it won't be."

Remus gave him a small smile, squeezing him tightly for a moment.

"I hope so too."

Remus was trying hard to study. He really was, but it was impossible to focus on Transfiguration when Sirius kept humming across from him. He glanced up for the tenth time in several minutes, watching as an oblivious Sirius continued scrawling on his parchment and carrying on with a tune only he knew.

After several seconds, he realized he was being watched and glanced up at Remus, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"What?"

Remus couldn't help but grin as he shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. "Your humming's just distracting me."

"Oh, sorry."

A light blush appeared on Sirius' features. He'd been acting a bit shier at times since he'd come out, and Remus found it endearing, not that he'd ever say as much out loud.

"No, don't apologize," Remus said. "It's nice. I'm glad to see you happy. You've been glowing since you told us."

Sirius' face lit up even as his blush deepened.

"It's just—" He glanced around the common room before continuing in a small voice. "It's nice having people who know, you know?"

Remus nodded slowly.

"I think so."

Sirius' answering smile made Remus' heart tighten. He watched as Sirius returned to his work, humming the same tune that Remus had interrupted.