Pairings: Remus/Sirius, James/Lily
Rating/Warnings: Sexual situations, language, descriptions of violent acts/deaths
Notes: Magical AU written for the Marauder Big Bang at Livejournal. This is complete and will be posted in 10 parts. If you'd like to read the whole story at once, please see my profile for a link to my LJ page. From there, you can find the post leading to the Marauder Big Bang. Thank you to my beta and inspiration, dogsunderfoot for her help and support, and to brighty18 for going above and beyond the call of duty to get this fest back on track.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all characters, places, objects, ideas, and related material are the property of JK Rowling and her various publishing entities. Neither the author, the artists, nor the marauderbigbang are in any way making a monetary profit from this posting.

'Aren't you supposed to be organising surveillance?' Moody asked, coming up behind Sirius in the Ministry research room.

Sirius sighed and marked his page before turning to face his supervisor. 'I've already organised the surveillance,' he told him, unable to keep the impatience out of his voice. 'We're set to go in tonight and see if there's anyone immediately recognisable as a known troublemaker, but chances are this bloke is going to be Glamoured right down to his eyelashes.'

'So what's all this then?' Moody asked, gesturing towards the pile of books on the desk behind Sirius.

'I'm trying to figure out if there's another way to go about this,' Sirius said wearily, bracing himself for Moody's reaction. 'Or any more evidence to support the theory that werewolves sometimes target and hunt specific prey. I've got one case study, but...' He shrugged, irritated that he hadn't been able to find more examples.

Moody was quiet for a moment then he sat down in the chair next to Sirius, rubbing his face tiredly while Sirius stared at him. 'Are you alright?' he asked, a little disturbed at the sight of the usually indestructible Alastor Moody showing weakness. 'Is there something...?'

'I remember there was a case several years ago of a werewolf attacking the son of a Ministry worker involved in trying to bring charges against him...' Moody said slowly.

'That's the one I'm talking about,' Sirius interrupted. 'The family disappeared after the attack. I'm trying to find any other cases that might be applicable but that were swept under the carpet.'

Moody stared at the open pages of the books scattered across the table and exhaled long and slow. 'I knew him – the father and the child. Not well – back then I was younger than you are now, just a trainee - but...'

He cleared his throat and jabbed a finger at the nearest book. 'This is why I agreed with the Ministry's attempts to curb werewolves during the full moon, Black. There is so much we assume about their behaviour. We think the worst thing they could do is go on an uncontrolled rampage if they change too close to civilisation.' He shook his head. 'If they can hunt specific prey... If they can somehow consciously choose a target in animal form... It's a terrifying thought.'

'You believe that the wolf can act independently then? That this could be deliberate tracking?' Sirius asked, surprised Moody was agreeing with him.

Moody looked at him, his brown eyes almost black with a cold anger. 'I held that little boy after he was bitten,' he said bitterly. 'I've never believed the attack on him was just a coincidence as the official report claimed. This is why we need to round up the werewolves and register them, why we need to have them in secure, locked cells for the change...'

'Those people you're locking in the cells are the ones who are doing the right thing,' Sirius argued. 'They aren't the ones forming feral packs, they aren't out hunting and attacking. It's the packs and the rogues we needed to concentrate on, not the werewolves doing the right thing, who don't want to hurt anyone.'

Moody stood up, his chair scraping along the floor with a screech. 'Registration and lockdown is a start,' he said, his tone indicating the discussion was over. He inclined his head towards the books. 'Forget that for now. Go and get a few hours rest before the stakeout.'

Sirius, shaking with frustration, watched him go then turned back to the books and continued to read.

Remus yawned, closing his eyes as he reclined on his bed. It was only early evening, but he ached from last night's strenuous, but pleasurable activity as well as suffering the usual, and not as welcome, pre-moon pains. He stretched gently, relishing the stretch and pull of his bunching muscles. There was a knock on the door of his tiny hut and he called out, 'Come in', thinking it would be Molly trying to tempt him into eating using her incredible chicken pie as bait.

It wasn't a flurry of fussing admonishments and wild red hair that entered, but dark seduction in the form of Sirius Black. Remus sat up, eyeing Sirius with a combination of delight and suspicion. 'What are you doing here?'

Sirius smiled, taking in the small lean-to that Arthur had magicked onto the main house for Remus. 'Molly told me you were out here,' he said, his voice sending a shiver down Remus' spine. 'Said to send you in for something to eat.'

'I'm not hungry,' Remus said automatically then his heart began to beat faster as Sirius moved closer.

'I am,' he said, lowering himself to the bed and touching Remus' cheek lightly. 'But not for food.'

Remus swallowed hard, his physical discomfort forgotten at the feel of Sirius' skin against his own. 'Do the cheesy lines ever work?' he asked hoarsely.

Sirius chuckled as he lowered his head. 'Always,' he boasted before covering Remus' mouth firmly with his own.

'Where did you say you got these scars?' Sirius asked, craning his neck to try and see the mess of scars he could feel under his fingers. 'Accident, wasn't it? What kind...?'

'I don't like talking about it,' Remus muttered, pushing Sirius' hand down to rest on his arse. 'I much prefer your hand there.'

Sirius curved his hand over the swell of Remus' bare buttock, index finger stroking along the crease, and squeezed. 'Mm, so do I,' he said, angling his head so he could kiss Remus, his spent cock twitching a little at the taste of his own come on Remus' tongue and Remus' on his.

Eventually, he pulled back, finally remembering the reason he'd come to see Remus today (before he got distracted by the beautiful long lines of his body). 'Why does Lily think we'd be... messy?' he asked, watching a crease form between Remus' eyes.

'Huh?'

'I told Lily we'd fucked and she went mental. So? Why does she think we shouldn't be doing something that is so much fun?'

Remus licked his swollen lips and cleared his throat. 'Probably because I don't do casual very well,' he said honestly, avoiding thinking about what other reason Lily might have for warning Sirius off. 'It's one thing to pick up the occasional bloke in a bar – there's only so much celibacy a bloke can take, after all - but I generally don't like casual arrangements. I'm usually a relationship type of bloke.'

Sirius considered him for a long moment before he spoke. 'No wonder she told me to leave you alone,' he murmured, absently curling a lock of Remus' hair around his finger. 'You're my complete opposite.'

'I know what this is, Sirius,' Remus said hastily. 'And I'm not getting attached. The rules are very clear.'

'I told her that,' Sirius murmured, scratching a fingernail over the light stubble on Remus' jaw. 'She still wasn't happy.'

Remus rolled onto his back, careful not to fall off the single-sized mattress as he did. 'Do you always do what Lily tells you to do?' he asked mildly, discomforted by the gnawing feeling in his stomach and not wanting to think too hard about the exact reason for it.

Sirius propped himself up on an elbow, smiling down at Remus. 'Nope,' he said, dragging a hand over Remus' chest, watching as the touch raised goosebumps over the fair skin. 'Never, in fact.' His hand drifted lower, over Remus' stomach. 'As long as we both follow the rules, we'll get along just fine.'

That strong hand closed expertly around Remus' swelling cock and, when Sirius leaned in to trace the shell of his ear, Remus desperately hoped that he would be able to stick to the rules.

Remus wasn't particularly surprised to see Lily Potter at his door the next morning. 'I know what you are going to say, Lily,' he began, but she interrupted him.

'No, I don't think you do,' she retorted, pushing him gently back inside his little shack and shutting the door behind herself. 'Remus, there's something you should know about Sirius.'

'Look, I know he's a 'shag 'em and leave 'em' kind of guy,' he said with a shrug. 'But I can handle myself...'

'He's an Auror.'

Remus froze, his breath catching in his throat. 'He... what?'

Lily's green eyes were sympathetic as she put a steadying hand on Remus' arm. 'He's an Auror,' she repeated softly. 'That's why I was trying to chase him off. Not to protect him, or protect your heart – although he will break it if you give it to him, Remus – but to protect your life.'

'You didn't tell him...'

'No,' she whispered. 'I promised...'

Remus' knees gave out, and he fell heavily onto his bed. 'It was just... It was one quick fumble at a club,' he told her, his voice faint as he tried to come to terms with the fact the man he'd been having such an amazing time with could cost him his freedom, his life. 'But then he appeared here and he asked me out...'

He looked up at Lily, begging her with his eyes to understand why he deceived her friend. 'I know I should have refused him. That I should have at least tried to warn him about what he was sleeping with...'

'Remus.' Lily sat beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders. 'I'm worried about you. Sirius is big enough to take care of himself. But every time he's with you, the greater the chance that he'll start piecing the puzzle together. And he's smart, Remus. He will work it out eventually, and he'll feel honour-bound to turn you in as an unregistered werewolf.'

'And Molly and Arthur will face charges for harbouring me, won't they?' Remus put his face in his hands. 'Merlin, do I pick the wrong blokes or what?'

Lily chuckled half-heartedly, and Remus looked up, smiling wanly before he hugged her. 'Thank you,' he said into her hair. 'I'll tell him it's over if I see him again.'

'You'll see him,' she said, her face sorrowful as she pulled back. 'I'm sure of it. I've never seen him like this before. He told me this morning that he intended to see you for as long as it suited you both and I could shove my opinion.' She scowled. 'I'll make him suffer for that.'

'I suppose our arrangement will no longer suit me then,' Remus said, trying to smile, but the thought of not seeing Sirius again hurt more than it should have.

Gods, this is happening just in time. He's starting to get under my skin.

'I'm so sorry, Remus,' Lily murmured, and Remus nodded, feeling nauseous in a way that had nothing to do with the impending full moon.

Oh, who am I kidding? He's already under my skin. Damn it!

'Yeah,' he whispered miserably. 'So am I.'

Sirius yawned as he sprawled across the Potters' couch, stomach full after raiding their fridge for breakfast. 'That was a colossal waste of valuable shagging time,' he declared wearily, rubbing his gritty eyes. 'Never go to a club with Frank Longbottom. He is the biggest fucking downer.'

'Noted,' James said dryly, bouncing on his toes as he tried to rock Lottie to sleep after her early morning rising. 'Don't you have a home to go to?'

'No food in my fridge,' Sirius explained, another yawn distorting the words. 'And I wanted to see Lily before she took Harry to Molly's...'

'He isn't going to Molly's today,' James said in a voice a pitch higher and more musical than his usual tone. He craned his neck to try and see Lottie's face. 'It's his day off. Remus, that is.'

'Oh,' Sirius murmured, watching James breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Lottie's closed eyes then move across to the portable cot in the corner of the living room. 'I didn't know he was having a day off.'

James carefully lowered the baby to the mattress. 'That's because you don't use your mouths for communication,' he said in a singsong voice as he straightened, watching Lottie carefully. 'If you talked as much as you fucked, you'd know he has a few days off every month.'

'I'm telling Lily you swore in front of the baby,' Sirius retorted, in the same pleasant, rhythmic tone James was using.

James flipped a two finger salute at him as he slowly backed away from the cot. 'Lily's really got her knickers in a knot about you and Remus,' he said, lowering himself cautiously into the armchair and exhaling in relief. 'Before she went to the shops just now, she asked me to talk you out of seeing him.'

Sirius struggled to sit up on the soft couch. 'What? What's going on with her?' he asked indignantly, and James shrugged.

'She won't give me a straight answer,' he said darkly. Sirius could see his irritation and felt a shot of guilt that his sex life was causing James trouble. 'I'm starting to wonder if... well, he might not fancy her, but...'

He bit his lip, and Sirius rushed to reassure him. 'Lily loves you,' he said supportively. 'Merlin knows why – you're such a bloody prat – but she loves you. I just... I wish I knew what was going on. I really don't need more mystery and intrigue in my life right now. Sex is supposed to be simple.'

James frowned, but tactfully changed the subject to something less personal. 'How's the murder case going anyway?'

Sirius sighed heavily then told James all about the night he'd spent doing reconnaissance at 'Skin' with a very heterosexual Frank Longbottom. 'You should have seen him, James,' Sirius laughed. 'When I made him check down the passages where... well, you know... I thought he might choke on his tongue. Although, I'm sure I saw a distinct bulge in his jeans when he came back...'

'Shut up!' James yelped, putting his hands over his ears. 'I don't need to hear about Frank's bulges.'

Sirius snorted and stretched. 'The full moon is tonight,' he said around a yawn. 'And we don't have a clue what to do except go to 'Skin' and hope he turns up again.'

'Wouldn't fancy taking on a fully grown werewolf,' James said, voice laced with concern. 'You be careful tonight.'

Sirius chuckled. 'Anyone would think you were worried about me, Potter,' he said then pushed his exhausted body off the couch, yawning widely once again. 'I'm going home to sleep for a week. Thanks for breakfast.'

He heard Lottie wake with a loud cry as he reached the front door, and laughed quietly to himself as he Apparated to his flat.

'Lottie asleep?' Lily asked as she walked into the kitchen an hour later.

'Finally,' James moaned, dropping a kiss on her temple. 'Want a cup of tea?'

Lily nodded, leaning back against the counter as James poured the beverage. 'Where's Harry?'

'Peter's taken him for the day,' James told her, spooning two teaspoons of sugar into the hot, dark liquid. 'He was taking him to Hogsmeade.' He chose not to mention the sale at Zonko's and handed her the sweet tea. 'Just you and me, babe.'

Lily smiled as she sipped the tea. 'And Lottie,' she reminded him. 'And probably Sirius again at some point. That man seems to have a sixth sense for when we're trying to fool around.'

'No,' said James, drawing her into an embrace. 'He left not long after you did, and is planning on sleeping all day. We can make out like teenagers on our own couch.'

Lily pulled back a little, her brow creased. 'Did you talk to him? About Remus?'

James' face went stony, and he dropped his arms, turning back to the counter. 'No, I didn't,' he said snappishly, replacing the lid on the sugar pot a little harder than necessary. 'For Godric's sake, Lily, can't you just let Remus look after himself? If he doesn't want to sleep with Sirius, let him grow a pair and tell Sirius himself.'

'It's not that,' Lily began, but she jumped in shock when James slammed his open hand down on the counter.

'Right,' he said, his voice full of barely constrained anger. 'You are going to tell me exactly what is going on here because it seems to me that you are showing a hell of a lot of interest in a man who isn't your husband.' He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as a sudden thought struck him. 'That's where you went this morning, isn't it? To the Weasley place to see him?'

'James...'

'Tell me what's going on, Lily,' he said furiously, crossing his arms over his chest. 'Now.'

TBC