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.

Remus groaned as he fell onto his bed, the frame creaking in objection. His whole body ached, but thankfully, he didn't seem to have sustained any injuries that would require more than a Healing spell and a day of rest.

'Remus? Alright?'

Remus forced his eyes open and saw Arthur Weasley's blurred form in the doorway of his room. ''m fine,' he mumbled, his heavy eyelids drooping. 'Not bad.'

He felt rather than saw Arthur enter the room, felt the dip of the bed as he sat down beside him. He was half-asleep when he felt the first tingle of the Cleansing spells, and had drifted off the by time Arthur began to heal his wounds.

'Floo James,' was Peter's greeting for Sirius, who frowned uncomprehendingly at him.

'What?'

'James is frantic about you,' Peter told him as he and Fabian uncovered the body. 'Floo him to let him know you're still alive.'

Fabian chuckled. 'Didn't know you had a wife, Black.'

'Fuck off,' Sirius muttered, giving Fabian a half-hearted shove before he headed for the nearest fireplace.

When he returned, Peter had his wand out and was dictating notes to a Quick Notes Quill. 'Magical signature is identical to that of the body of Ben Holland, Case Number 57384, also found near 'Skin' nightclub. The wounds are also very similar in depth and technique to that of the previous victim.'

Sirius caught sight of the man's face – now cleaned of blood and muck - and his mouth went dry. 'Shit,' he breathed. He looked up at Peter and a curious Fabian. 'I've seen him before.'

He straightened his shirt, watching Remus stop and stare at a frotting couple before he continued out into the noisy club. Sirius ran his hand through his hair and followed, his own eyes momentarily catching those of the brunette who was pressed against the wall. They eyed each other then Sirius followed Remus out of the corridor.

'At the club?' Fabian asked, and Sirius nodded, his mind whirling. Remus had seen the man too. He'd stopped to watch them...

Sirius spun on his heel and stalked towards the door. 'Tell Moody I've gone to talk to a possible witness,' he called over his shoulder.

'Sirius, don't go alone,' Peter warned, guessing where he was headed. 'Take back up...'

'Where are you going?' Fabian asked as Sirius disappeared through the door.

As he quickly walked back to the Floo, a distracted Sirius barely heard the bellowed, 'Black!' from his frustrated colleague.

Remus stirred, wincing in his still-sleepy state as his aching muscles shifted. He rolled onto his back, a yawn cracking his jaw.

'About time.'

Remus gasped, his eyes snapping open as he recognised that voice. He turned his head, and his heart skipped when he saw an outline of a figure sitting in the shadows. 'Sirius?' he mumbled, rubbing at his tired eyes.

He struggled to sit up as the figure stepped into the muted light. Remus' mouth went dry when he saw the crimson robes Sirius wore, and when he looked up at the other man's grim, pale face, he knew.

'Lily told you,' he said, not bothering to make it a question.

'James did,' Sirius confirmed, face unreadable as he stared down at Remus. 'Why didn't you?'

Remus raised his eyebrows incredulously as he carefully swung his legs one by one over the side of the bed. 'You're an Auror,' he said, flicking his hand at Sirius' robes. 'I'm an unregistered werewolf. Why do you think I didn't tell you?'

He slowly pushed himself to his feet, grimacing as his body complained about the movement. 'So, are you here to arrest me? Got some silver cuffs in your pocket for me?'

He held out his hands, wrists up, but instead of clapping handcuffs on him, Sirius slapped his hands away. 'I want you to answer some questions,' he said harshly, dragging a chair from the small desk and placing it beside the bed. He gently shoved Remus back onto the mattress then sat down on the chair.

'Where were you last night?'

Remus frowned. 'Why?' he asked then his face hardened. 'Molly and Arthur don't know what I am. They have nothing...'

'That's bullshit,' Sirius snapped angrily. 'Don't you think you owe me a little fucking honesty now, Remus?'

'Not if it means seven children losing their parents because they were trying to help out a friend,' Remus retorted, his own temper sparking. 'You won't get me to say they knew...'

'I'm not bloody interested in Molly and Arthur and what they do or don't know,' Sirius said impatiently, shoving the chair back as he stood. 'I'm interested in knowing if it was you tearing apart Muggles last night.'

'Wh... what?' Remus stammered, anger fading as confusion took its place. 'Muggles? What are you talking about?'

Remus' genuine bewilderment seemed to calm Sirius slightly, and he sat back down. Remus listened carefully as Sirius explained about the killings and the conclusions they had reached.

'And since all registered werewolves were accounted for...'

'You're looking for an unregistered werewolf,' Remus finished in a hushed tone, staring at Sirius' fingers as they distractedly twisted the fabric of his cloak. 'Like me.'

He looked up in time to see the flash of pain streak across Sirius' face, and felt a corresponding surge inside his chest. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you,' he whispered, mortified that his voice cracked with an emotion that he didn't want to examine too closely. 'In my defense, this – thing – between us was only ever supposed to be a one-off. I didn't know that you... that we...'

Remus bit his lip, not wanting to confess to the disturbing depth of his longing for Sirius. There was a time and place for declarations and this – while he was trying to convince Sirius that he wasn't a murderous monster – wasn't it.

'You're really not going to report Molly and Arthur?' he asked, low and defeated. 'They were only trying to help me and don't deserve...'

'I'll keep them out of it,' Sirius said quietly, his own voice dull, but with an undercurrent of tension. 'Just... give me an alibi I can believe.'

Remus stood shakily, Sirius hastily jumping to his feet and reaching out to steady him when his legs threatened to give way. The firm touch made Remus' breath catch, and he was sure he heard Sirius suck in a sharp breath before he let go of Remus' arm.

Remus swallowed hard then said softly, 'I'll do better than that. I'll show you.'

As the ground firmed under his feet again, Sirius let go of Arthur Weasley's arm. His hands shot out to grab hold of Remus as he saw the other man's legs crumple. Arthur was also clinging to the pale man and, together, they held Remus until he regained his equilibrium.

'I'm okay,' mumbled Remus, abruptly shaking off Sirius' hands then extracting himself from Arthur's grasp with a bit more care. 'Thank you.'

Sirius ignored the irritation he felt at Remus' rejection and looked around. They had Apparated to the middle of a thickly-populated grove of trees, the grass tall and wild around their legs. A small, but tidy-looking shed sat between two of the largest trees Sirius had ever seen. He looked at Arthur for an explanation as to why they were here.

'This is where Remus was last night,' Arthur told him, indicating the shed. 'It's reinforced with all kinds of wards and protection spells, and only Molly and myself know the password. Remus doesn't know,' he added, seeing Sirius' doubtful glance at Remus. 'Molly or I change it each month. He never knows it.'

'You locked him in last night?' Sirius asked, and Arthur shot a look at Remus, who nodded.

Arthur sighed heavily then turned back to Sirius. 'Come on,' he said wearily. 'I'll show you.'

They trudged through the undergrowth towards the shed, Sirius noting that there did seem to be a flattened trail through the grass, indicating regular use. Arthur pulled out his wand as they neared the door, but Sirius touched his elbow to stop him using it. 'Wait,' he said quietly before casting revealing spells. The wards shimmered, Sirius quickly identifying layers upon layers of protection spells that made this shed virtually impenetrable.

'Okay,' he said, letting Arthur's arm go.

Arthur inhaled deeply and murmured, 'Brace yourself,' before flicking his wand and muttering something Sirius couldn't hear.

The door clicked open. Arthur glanced at Sirius then waved his hand towards the unlocked entrance. 'Go on then,' he said, unable to hide the slight edge of resentment in his voice.

Sirius frowned and looked over his shoulder. Remus hadn't moved from where they'd Apparated. He was watching Sirius, his arm outstretched as he supported himself against a tree trunk. Sirius turned back to the shed and stepped up, pushing open the door and ducking through the gaping entry.

He blinked, taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. A softly murmured spell lit the end of his wand and Sirius lifted it high so he could see into every nook and cranny. The shed's interior was pretty much what he'd expected – a tight square of space with some kind of coarse matting on the floor. What he wasn't expecting to see were the four manacles chained to the furthest wall, or the long, deep gouges in the wall around them. Nor had he been prepared for the dark splatters all over the walls, the floor, or the metallic scent that assailed him when he sucked in a stuttering breath tainted with blood and pain and fear.

Sirius staggered back, hand searching desperately behind him for the doorway and, when he felt a draft of cooler air, he headed for it, almost falling out of the shed in his haste to get away. Strong hands caught him as he stumbled over a gnarled bush, and he seized the closest body part he could find. 'Fuck,' he rasped out, bending at the waist with the force of the nausea that coiled in his gut.

That was Remus' blood.

He dragged a hand over his eyes before he looked up, realising for the first time that the arm he was clutching so tightly was Remus'. Sirius straightened, trying to slow his ragged breathing as he stared disbelievingly at the other man.

'You... you chain yourself...?' His voice broke ,and he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. 'You hurt yourself?'

Remus held Sirius' gaze, his blue eyes burning, as Arthur answered. 'I chain him,' he said quietly. 'Remus asks me to do it for him so that, if the wards fail, he still can't get loose.'

Remus' fingers closed around Sirius' wrist – gently, carefully. His thumb pressed against Sirius' pulse; their hearts thumping in tandem as Remus said softly, but unequivocally, 'It wasn't me that killed those men, Sirius. I swear on Harry's life. It wasn't me.'

Molly and Arthur had taken the children somewhere for the afternoon, giving Remus and Sirius some space to talk. Sirius fixed some tea, refusing Remus' help when he saw the way he was gripping the counter for support. He took the cups through to the living area, pausing in the doorway when he saw Remus – grey-faced and trembling – curled up into a ball on the couch. His eyes were open, though, so Sirius stepped into the room and placed the steaming, fragrant tea on the low side table.

'Before she left, Molly told me to use this blend,' he explained, when Remus looked at the cup in surprise.

Remus nodded and sat up, rolling his shoulders before reaching for the cup and taking a sip. Sirius sat down beside him and sniffed the pleasant smelling, but unfamiliar beverage.

'What's in it?' he asked warily.

'Willow bark, licorice root, and cinnamon,' Remus replied, taking another mouthful of tea. 'Molly makes it for me for after the full moon. The willow bark helps with muscle aches, the licorice bark and cinnamon help with the nausea and make it palatable.'

An uncomfortable silence fell as they sipped at their drinks, Sirius achingly aware of the close proximity of the long limbs that had so recently been wrapped around him, the fingers curling around the tea cup that had stroked him, that had been inside him. He exhaled a shuddering breath, and tried to focus on the things Remus had withheld instead.

'Did you ask Lily to lie to James about you?' he asked suddenly, recalling James' hurt and furious face last night. 'You realise the position you put her in?'

Remus looked shame-faced and stared intently into his cup. 'I know,' he said softly. 'I didn't ask her to lie; in fact, I asked her to tell him, but she told me that Harry was in no danger from me so there was no reason to tell her husband. I tried to insist, but... ' His lips pressed tightly together for a moment. 'But it was nice – to have someone believe in me like she did. To have someone trust me.' He let out a bark of laughter that sounded more mocking than amused. 'Guess I've blown that. Does Lily think I'm a killer as well?'

'As far as I know, Lily doesn't know anything about this,' Sirius said. 'James insisted she tell him what was going on between you two. He thought you were... shagging or something.'

Remus looked startled. 'Lily knows I'm gay,' he said. 'Why didn't she just tell him...?'

'She did,' Sirius said with a burgeoning grin. 'James just doesn't really believe there's a man out there that could resist Lily's charms.'

Remus smiled, chuckling quietly as he looked down into his almost-empty cup. 'She is lovely,' he agreed, 'but the distinct lack of cock is a bit of a turn off.'

They shared a subdued laugh then the tension returned as Sirius asked, 'Why aren't you registered? You know the penalties?'

'A good stretch of time in Azkaban,' Remus replied promptly. 'A silver bullet if I put up a fight... or just for the fun of it.'

Something dark and bitter pervaded Remus' voice and Sirius frowned. 'So why didn't you register?' he asked, watching the other man closely. 'You've gone to all this trouble to make sure you're contained, why not just go to the Ministry?'

Remus worried his lip, his brow creasing as the silence lengthened. Just when Sirius didn't think he was going to answer, Remus turned to look at him.

'Why do you think the Ministry is suddenly so interested in containing werewolves during the full moon?'

Sirius gave him a puzzled look. 'To keep track of them,' he replied. 'To ensure public safety.'

'Has the rate of werewolf attacks reduced since the lockdown laws were introduced?' Remus asked.

Sirius' frown deepened. 'I... I'm not sure,' he said slowly, trying to recall the latest statistics he'd read. 'I don't think so. Not a notable reduction, anyway.'

'So the statistics don't support the argument that they're spending all that money housing werewolves during the full moon for public safety purposes?'

Sirius shifted in his seat, twisting so he was facing Remus. 'I suppose not,' he murmured, wondering where Remus was going with this. 'When they first introduced the legislation, I suggested they spend the money tracking down the werewolves that were giving them trouble, the unregistered ones. I'm sure they're responsible for most of the deaths.'

'Not all unregistered werewolves are vicious killers,' Remus scowled. 'But you're partly correct. Any werewolf who bothers to get himself registered is already taking precautions during the full moon. I would bet my life on it. There's no reason to round them up like cattle and herd them into the Ministry cells. It doesn't make sense for the Ministry to do this rather than spend the money hunting the packs that take pleasure in turning or killing.' His face darkened. 'Unless there's another reason for introducing the law.'

'What do you mean?'

Remus' jaw clenched, and Sirius could see the debate raging in his eyes for a long moment before he said, low and hard, 'Do you know the mortality rate for registered werewolves during the full moon? How many enter the Ministry but don't come out?'

It took several seconds for the implication to penetrate Sirius' brain, but when it did, he felt the horrifying 'click' of a puzzle piece falling into place. 'No...' he breathed, staring at Remus as his stomach churned wildly. 'Oh my God, they can't be...'

'It's a regular, Ministry-advocated culling,' Remus spat, lips trembling with anger. 'They kill off a few werewolves with each moon – telling family or friends that they went mad and attacked themselves, or that the stress on their bodies from the change finally caught up with them. No one thinks to do an autopsy, or question the deaths. After all,' he sneered, 'they're just werewolves. Better off without them.'

'How... you can't know this. Not for sure,' Sirius whispered, throat burning with bile. 'How do you...?'

'Because some of my friends have been victims,' Remus told him, grief suffusing his words. 'They were healthy, they weren't violent or enraged during the moon...' He took a deep breath and looked Sirius in the eye. 'Because, before I was turned, my father was working on a similar plan that was shelved when he disappeared.'

Sirius stared at him in shock, cold creeping over his skin. 'Your father worked for the Ministry?' he asked, his mind working dizzyingly as the puzzle pieces shifted, aligning themselves. 'He worked for the Ministry and you were attacked by a werewolf.' He closed his eyes as realisation slammed into him. 'It's you,' he said, a little breathlessly. 'You were the little boy. Your family disappeared after you were bitten... I've been reading about you!'

Remus seemed a little taken aback, but nodded uneasily. 'Yes,' he admitted. 'After I was bitten, my family up and left. My father...' He paused, his jaw clamping down for a moment before he appeared to wrench the words from his throat. 'My father worked for the Magical Creatures division at the Ministry. He was working on new laws for the regulation of werewolves – including the secret agenda for ridding the world of a few dark creatures – when he got a visit from a werewolf called Fenrir Greyback.'

Sirius hissed quietly. He knew of Greyback; the man would stop at nothing to convert children, taking them into his fold and raising them to be murderers. He targeted children...

Gods, the evidence has been right under my nose. Remus is living proof that a werewolf can target his prey.

Remus, unaware of his mental digress, continued talking. 'Greyback resented the Ministry's interference in werewolf matters and tried to... convince my father to scrap the legislation. When he refused...' He sighed and lifted his shirt, twisting at the waist as he bunched it around his neck.

Sirius winced at the ugly scarring on Remus' back. It wasn't a clear bite mark, but the unmistakable shape was enough to explain why Remus had insisted Sirius only fucked him face to face. Sirius' arm rose, fingers reaching tentatively for the mess of ruined skin. He hesitated for a moment then touched the scar lightly.

Remus spun around as if he'd been burned, pressing his back into the couch cushions. He was shaking violently now, face skull-white and pupils blown. Sirius stood, picking up their discarded tea cups. 'Just... stay here,' he said worriedly. 'I'll get you another tea.'

He didn't wait for the kettle to boil naturally this time, tapping his wand against the spout and making it bubble in mere seconds. This time, he made Earl Grey, putting a generous splash of Firewhiskey in Remus' then, after a moment's thought, did the same to his own. They'd both had one hell of a shitty day.

When he returned, Remus seemed more in control. He took the tea with a grateful, if slightly forced smile, and didn't move when Sirius sat down beside him once more. They drank quietly, both making a face as the Firewhiskey burned its way down to their stomachs. This time, it was Remus who broke the silence.

'Do you believe me?'

Sirius glanced at him, at the guileless face, the sad eyes, and nodded. 'I believe you.'

Remus exhaled softly, closing his eyes. 'Thank you,' he murmured. 'It's important that... I wanted you to believe me.'

Sirius felt the ache inside him – the one he'd been trying valiantly to ignore – expand and it took all his will power not to reach out and take Remus' hand. He clenched his hand into a fist, pressing it tightly against his thigh. He tried to force his mind back to the murders - there was still a werewolf on the loose out there – but it kept slipping back to Remus and that led to thoughts of touching Remus, which inevitably led to him thinking about the times he had touched Remus...

Bloody hell.

'Would you be up for helping me with an identification in a few days?' he asked, gulping down the last of his tea and burning his tongue. He had to leave. Now.

Remus' brow creased in confusion at the abruptness of Sirius' question, but he nodded. Sirius took a deep breath. 'Right. Well, I'll come here and you can Side-Along,' he said briskly as he stood.

He heard Remus mumble an agreement as he bolted for the door then Remus called softly, 'Sirius?'

Sirius stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn around; actually seeing Remus would put a massive dent in his already compromised control. He heard the whispered, 'I really am sorry,' and swallowed hard, clenching his eyes shut tight as he nodded.

Then he got out of there as fast as he could.

TBC