'Hey Remmy,' James cooed, sitting gently on Remus' bed.

'Cut it out, you know I hate when you use that voice.' It was his gentle tone, meant to soothe, but over the years had grown annoying. Especially when it was used after the full moon.

James knew this since he straightened from his gentle bend and plastered the smuggest look he could garner on his face. 'I know, it's why I do it. You being able to tell me off makes me know how well you are.'

Remus shoved him slightly, as well as he could anyway. The past few days had been a tiring mess. Between potions he'd had a few visitors to his bedside, mainly James who came by to keep him company. Sometimes he would fight through the potion to talk to him. Most days, he just lay there and hoped James wouldn't leave if he thought he was sleeping. He should have told them he was awake on some days. That he could hear them. But, then he would remember what they said the first time they'd come to see him at the hospital wing. He had hoped that something along those lines would be said again. However, all he heard were pranking preparations and complaints about their schoolwork. At this point, Remus wasn't sure it had actually happened. For all he knew he was so drugged he could have imagined the whole thing. Although why his brain would tease him with the thought of Sirius liking him was baffling.

'So, how's your dick?' James asked, not beating about the bush at all. Remus was seriously going to have to teach him tact at some point in his life.

'Still there.'

He let James take a peek when he lunged for the covers, figuring he should be somewhat self conscious, but there were so many bandages surrounding that area it was hard to get a good look at anything. Sure enough, James sat back seconds later grumbling about Pomphrey's good wrappings skills.

'Any idea why it happened?'

Remus shook his head. Pomphrey had a few ideas, but nothing certain yet. What she was most worried about was the fact this was the second fatal injury the wolf had attempted on Remus in the same number of months. To her, and her research, this was unusual enough for her to grow worried. The wolf was vicious, and sure it took it out on the human when there was nothing else to bite and chew, but the wolf also had a preservation instinct. It never delivered anything purposefully fatal, and sure, a missing limb hurt, but the wolf usually could survive until morning with it gone. A torn neck, and trying to chew its own genitals off, that wasn't normal. She had told Remus that she was going to look over the shack in the coming week to see what it could be. Her main suspicion however, was perhaps there was some part of a human scent on his body when he changed that had the wolf riled more than usual. Bloodlust could overrun anything after all.

James didn't have any explanation when Remus asked, instead, he had a solution to one part of Remus' problem. Chocolate. Not just any chocolate either, Honeydukes chocolate. 'Smuggled it from Hogsmeade just for you Remmy.'

'You shouldn't have,' he said around his third bar. Merlin he'd missed chocolate. Being trapped in the hospital wing meant when he was able to eat past potions he was given nothing but nutritious meals meant to help his body recover. Sure, it had only been a few days. But a few days full of boredom, sleep and pain meant that it felt more like weeks since he'd had anything tasty in his mouth.

Overall, the visit lasted an hour. Mainly because he had his own dinner to get to in the great hall. James left a few chocolate frogs under Remus' pillow for later consumption before skipping out.

Remus only thought about it for a second before he was calling 'Wait,' and asking, 'Can I talk to Sirius? Promise I won't maul him.'

'Alone?' James clarified. Remus nodded. James pursed his lips, 'I guess. Might take some convincing though, he's still a bit squeamish about the injuries.'

'Tell him I'll make sure I'm covered up.'

James laughed, that strange look back on his face that Remus could now pin point as amusement when he promised he would ask him.

The day dwindled with more potions and little to do. The other kids in the hospital wing didn't bother to talk to him. Save for the cursory questions each of them asked as they came in with one malady or another about whether he was a eunuch or not, they left him alone. Three of them had already changed beds when they got the ones on either side of him. Two had even piled into the same one when Pomphrey said there weren't any more free. It was a bad week for those with injuries, and quite frankly the only source of entertainment in Remus' long confinement.

The chocolate bars were gone by the time lights out was called. Those who were forced to spend the night in the infirmary cast one last warning glare at Remus before turning their backs to sleep. Remus figured if they were really that scared of him they would know better than to turn their backs. Everyone knew that was a sign of challenge to a wild animal, they were practically begging Remus to eat them. Idiots.

Something landing in his lap shocked him out of his doze an hour later. It was a book, the title too dark to be seen in the dim night light. Sirius appeared seconds afterwards, shedding the invisibility cloak with one last look at the snoring beds.

'James told me to give you this, said you looked bored. You wanted to see me?'

He took a good look at Sirius. He didn't look too different than usual, all hesitant fidgeting at the side of Remus' bed. But maybe that had been Remus' problem. He'd started seeing Sirius looking like this as normal, when in actual fact, it wasn't. Sirius, he'd seen, was a pretty confident guy. When Remus saw him in the halls when he was running errands for Hagrid, he was joking and messing around with everyone. Everyone. He didn't back down from confrontation, James telling Remus more than one story about him going up against seventh year Slytherins when he was only a first year. He was the first to try looking for the giant squid in third year, to steal a niffler in fourth. He was fearless, is what Remus had heard. Yet, there he was, looking like he would bolt at any moment. But maybe not out of fear.

'Is it some kind of kink?'

'Huh?' Now it was a little fear.

'I heard you and James talking when you came to see me after the moon.' He didn't even have to specify which time since Sirius was already thinking of that occasion. Remus could read it in the way he was holding the cloak. Maybe he should have waited until he was out of the hospital wing, where he could actually chase Sirius down should he try and run. But he was trying to be as least threatening as he could. At least so the Ministry wouldn't get involved. 'About how you like me. Was Hogsmeade a date?'

The cloak pulled up to his neck, before throwing itself on top of Remus' covers, Sirius pulling some courage from somewhere as he straightened up. 'Yes, it was. Or it would have been.' If Sirius had actually asked him, and if Remus actually hung around the whole day.

'So, what, you like me, or you like that I'm a werewolf?'

'Er-'

'It's not a hard question Sirius.'

Sirius looked like he wanted to argue with that. Eventually he settled on, 'You?'

'You don't sound so sure.'

'Maybe that's because it's kind of a trick question,' Sirius countered, sounding much more like the boy in the hallway than the one that would studiously avoid Remus' eye whenever they were in the same room.

'What's tricky about it. Do you like me, or is it a kink?'

Sirius squinted like he was still trying to figure out a potions problem. 'How can liking you be a kink?'

He sounded sincere enough in his confusion for Remus to take some pity on him, dulling his tone down as he explained, 'You know, the whole dark creature thing. I know a few wizards over the years that have indulged in sullying themselves with us.' He'd been approached by a few his first time in Diagon Alley, one of them even having the gall to ask Mr and Mrs Potter if he was on loan. He didn't even want to think about the other werewolves in similar positions to himself. The fact he was only one in a long list of dark creatures that often found themselves being exploited for a wizard's pleasure didn't sit well with him.

Thankfully Sirius seemed to be on the same page as he visibly gaped, 'That's a thing? Oh Merlin so many things are making sense.' And they didn't seem to be good things either. He seemed to remember Remus' question, 'Oh Merlin, I don't. I mean, I like you, but I don't like you just because you're a werewolf.'

Remus scrutinised him to make sure, Sirius meeting his gaze head on. After a moment, he relaxed back into his pillow. 'Well I'll think about it then.'

Sirius deflated, his eyebrows drawing again as he asked, 'Think about it?'

'Us.' Remus clarified. 'I mean, I don't know if it's legal first of all. And then I have to actually think about you. Don't know if you've noticed but I haven't exactly had much experience in this department.'

'Wait, so you're not turning me down?'

Remus shrugged. 'Haven't decided yet.'

Sirius didn't look as downcast about that as Remus thought he would be. 'But you're thinking about it?'

'Once I work past your weird signals,' Remus nodded.

Sirius chuckled, grabbing the invisibility cloak, 'James said I should've just told you.'

'Yeah, well, don't tell James this but he was probably right.'

Sirius grinned, tugging on the invisibility cloak and hightailing it out of there most likely before Remus changed his mind.

Remus wasn't kidding about needing to think about it. To begin with, he had two years' worth of memories to shift through, wondering where exactly this infatuation began and how he was so blind to it. He blamed the fact he'd never had this attention before on the latter. It wasn't his fault that he'd never been allowed to think of himself as desirable. Werewolves weren't allowed to mate, it was part of the law, he wasn't allowed to contemplate outside of the perverse the idea that one day someone might want him like an ordinary person. But those laws were generally aimed at werewolves going for the opposite sex. He didn't know what the laws were about two of the same gender.

When he thought about it, he could see instances now where Sirius wasn't scared of him because of what he was. Like, the comments that James would make to him, the ones that Remus had cast off as James being his usual weird self. The fact he stayed with Remus after the full moon, makings sure he didn't bleed out on his sheets. The date, obviously, where it wouldn't be fear that had Sirius hesitant but nerves. This had been going on for a while. Although, to be fair to Remus, it was hard to differentiate nerves from fear sometimes.

When Remus had exhausted his mind making sure that Sirius, indeed, wasn't having him on, wasn't just saying it, he turned to the other problem with giving Sirius a chance. Whether he actually wanted to.

James was around at breakfast with more contraband and the biggest, smuggest grin Remus had ever seen on his face. 'A little birdy tells me Remmy and Sirius might be going in a tree very soon. Maybe doing something they shouldn't be.'

'Finish that song and I'll find this Lily you've been pining over and really make sure you never stand a chance,' Remus threatened.

Despite James saying he was done with her, it worked, a comical pout pursing his features as he hopped up next to Remus. 'Fine. But it's true right? You said you would think about Sirius?'

Remus nodded, accepting the bone crushing hug that came with only minimal wincing, he still couldn't sit right. 'Tell you what, I am not gonna miss trying to woo you. Just hearing about some of the things come out of Sirius' mouth…' he shuddered, accepting the elbow when it came. 'Not that you aren't pretty Remus, it's just, you know, you're family, I don't want to think of you in that light.'

'Don't think I want to think of myself in that light yet,' Remus confessed.

James seemed to see something in that since he said, 'I'll keep Sirius away from the hospital wing the rest of the week. Don't worry, I think he's going to be riding his high for a while so you don't have to decide anything right away. Just, okay, this is the last thing I'm going to say in Sirius' defence and that's it, but if there's anyone who would be great with you Remus it's him. And not just because he's my best friend. I mean, you know him, he's not as brash as he looks. He'll respect your decision no matter what, and if you do say yes he's not just going to molest you right away. So… yeah, that's it.'

'I know. It's not that.' Sirius had proved he was a good guy. Between taking not only James but himself in through the summer, and actually being nice to him whenever they were together he was more than good he was great. It was more to do with actual interest. 'I just don't know whether I like Sirius like that. It won't be fair to him if I say yes and not actually mean it.'

'Well, now you know, and now Sirius isn't being a dick about being subtle, sorry about the name,' he had the gall to pat Remus' crotch as well, as if just the mention of the nearly amputated body part brought back pain. 'he's going to be going all out. You are about to be, I want to say wooed, but you know what I'm like and Sirius is two times as bad so, yeah, good luck.'

Luck wasn't what he needed.

James, sure enough, stuck to his word and kept Sirius away from the hospital wing the rest of the week. It helped, a bit, to get his mind back into focus and start thinking about Sirius as, well, potential romantic material. But, he had to say without Sirius there it was hard to make a judgement. He didn't really know Sirius that well, despite living with him for two years, and he definitely didn't him without being all jittery. He needed a while to just be around Sirius and test the waters.

The time came, on Saturday morning, where Madame Pomphrey finally came around to tell him he was free to go. As soon as she did Remus was out of bed and racing for the door. His legs ached from so many days in bed, and sure, he wobbled a bit. But he was free. Free.

The students weren't expecting him out, and they certainly weren't expecting him unsupervised. The ones already awake took one look and ran. Remus thought they were warning the ones ahead since they were heading towards the Great Hall. Remus didn't care, Saturday meant bacon, and since he'd first woke up in the hospital wing he'd never smelled or seen a scrap all week.

Peter was the only familiar face when he breached the Great Hall, sitting with his girlfriend he looked to be having the most pleasant morning of his life. It wasn't hard to figure out what he'd been doing the night before. Making a beeline for them, Remus remembered what he'd said before the moon, not surprised when the smile on Peter's face dropped and the knife he was using to cut his toast clutched tighter, and maybe aimed a little Remus' way.

'I wanted to say sorry about my attitude. It wasn't your fault and I shouldn't have taken it out on you.'

'No, you shouldn't,' Peter snapped. Remus spied a little pinch from Peter's girlfriend that had him changing tact completely, 'But it's fine. I guess it wasn't your fault either.'

'No, it was. Thanks for trying though. Next moon I'll keep out of your way,' Remus promised, leaving before the quiet peace they'd created was shattered.

Bacon was just as good as he remembered. As were the sausages, and even the toast he piled high on his plate. He may have stayed in the Great Hall longer than he should of, just so he could indulge in the smell of cooked greasy meat for a while longer after his confinement. When he finished, he didn't want to spend the day in the dorm like he should have done. He'd been kept inside for far too long, and right now, he needed a good Winter breeze on his face.

He managed to hobble to the courtyard without running into anyone. He was half sure there were students about but had chosen alternative routes around him. Sure because he'd heard footsteps, even seen a few faces that quickly disappeared as soon as they saw Remus.

The wind was just as inviting and biting as Remus imagined, chilling his cheeks until they were stiff. He didn't care that his fingers were starting to hurt, or that there was literal snow falling in front of his face. He was outside, that was what mattered. Besides, the cold was quite bearable when he had a hat covering his ears.

'Thanks,' he said, James leaning against the pillar beside him.

'No problem, although, you might want to give that back to Sirius soon. I think we have Quidditch practice.' That explained the canine scent if it was Sirius'.

'You think?' James always knew when he had Quidditch practice.

'Not like I'm captain anymore.' That had been hard on James. Sometimes Remus could see James wondering why the professors thought it was a good idea to take his captainship away and give him a head boy badge. Especially since he wasn't exactly excelling in his duties. He was still on the Quidditch team at least, something that James had feared at the beginning of the year would be affected because of his new position. But his passion for the game had definitely dwindled ever since he had to take more late night rounds and attend more meetings than he had last year. 'Anyway, I was also told to give you this when I saw you.'

It was a letter, a very formal letter. It even had a wax seal, with a crest on the front. Inside was an invitation for Remus to join Sirius for a late night snack in the common room that evening. 'He's kidding, right?' Remus had to ask. This was more than over the top.

Yet James shrugged, a familiar, 'told you so,' look on his face as he wandered off, snatching the hat as he went so Remus had to chase him down.

An invitation. At least Sirius was giving him a choice. When he managed to steal back the hat, figuring Sirius had given it away and therefore could suffer through a cold Quidditch practice, he told James to tell Sirius he would be there, wanting a few more hours in the cold before he went in.

He would give Sirius a chance. It would be the only way he could know for sure, after all, if he had even an inkling of interest.