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 11 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.

'What were you thinking?'

Remus opened his mouth to answer Sirius' shouted question, but the other man continued before he could get a word out.

'You could have been killed! You could have been caught! What would have happened if Peter hadn't gotten you out before Magical Law Enforcement got there? Or the Improper Use of Magic lot?'

He paused to take a breath and Remus opened his mouth again.

'You could have been jailed, Remus!' Sirius continued, ignoring Remus' attempt to defend himself. 'You could have been put to death! You're unregistered, for Merlin's sake. I would have thought you'd be a bit more careful about pulling out your wand in a roomful of Muggles...'

'Okay, I think he gets your point, Sirius,' James said loudly as he entered the living room. 'Any louder and you're going to wake Harry and the baby.'

Sirius' teeth clicked as he shut his mouth, settling for glaring at Remus as James spoke. 'You'll have to share the spare room – Pete's taking the couch,' he said, glancing warily from Sirius to Remus then back again. 'Keep your clothes on and your bits in your pants, please. Those sheets are expensive and they stain easily.'

'I can Apparate to 'The Burrow'...' Remus began but Sirius shook his head.

'No, I want you here where I can keep an eye on you,' he said sharply. 'That bloke tonight knew who you were, knew who we were. I don't want any of you to be alone until we catch him. It's too dangerous.'

Remus threw up his hands. 'Fine,' he snapped, spinning on his heel and stalking towards the staircase. 'Thank you for letting me stay, James. Where...?'

'Second door to your left,' James directed. 'Bathroom is to your right. Pete's in there now.'

James watched him until he disappeared then turned to Sirius. Before he could open his mouth, Sirius spoke defensively. 'Don't tell me I was too hard on him,' he warned, glaring at his friend as he paced agitatedly. 'I told him not to come, and he could have been found out...'

'Does this mean you aren't going to turn him in after all this is over?'

Sirius jolted to a halt and stared at James. 'You thought I was going to?' he asked then his face blanched. 'Do you think Remus thinks I'm going to?'

James shrugged. 'It has to have crossed his mind if it's occurred to me.' He cocked his head curiously. 'All that time you spent with him over the last couple of weeks, you two never talked? At all?'

Sirius shrugged. 'Wasn't sure what to say,' he admitted.

James was quiet for a moment then said softly, 'Do you know now?'

Sirius closed his eyes, confusion and fear roiling inside him, confliction tearing at him. 'I know what I don't want to say,' he hedged, and James sighed.

'That's better than nothing,' he said.

Sirius didn't say anything and, a second later, heard James' footsteps receding as he climbed the stairs.

Sirius sat in the kitchen for nearly an hour before he followed in James' footsteps, hesitating outside the door of the spare room before cracking it open. He made a face when the hinges squeaked, and glanced towards the large bed centered against the wall opposite. A beam of light from the lamp in the hall fell softly across Remus' face, and Sirius forced back the surge of mingled affection and desire that stirred his loins – and his heart. As he stripped and crawled carefully into bed, the domesticity of the situation made his stomach tighten.

'S'rs?'

He started then chuckled softly at his own jumpiness. 'Sorry,' he said as Remus stirred. 'Didn't mean to wake you.'

'Didn't.'

Sirius let his head sink into the soft pillow and exhaled slowly. His mind was still working through the plans and scenarios he'd put to Moody tomorrow, and he lost himself in his thoughts so thoroughly that he didn't feel Remus roll over, didn't feel the tentative touch to his arm, didn't realise Remus was shifting until his face loomed over him and his thighs were cradling Sirius' own.

'Hi,' he said, voice cracking in surprise.

Remus smiled a little sleepily down at him. 'Hi.'

'Don't think that this is a complaint,' Sirius murmured, very aware of the proximity of both Lily and James' bedroom and Remus tight arse which was currently grinding slowly against his prick; his attention and loyalty swinging wildly between the two warring factions. 'But what exactly are you doing?'

'Have I mentioned,' Remus whispered, leaning over and crushing his - fuck - already hard cock against Sirius' rapidly swelling dick, 'that as much as you ranting about my safety annoys the hell out of me, it also makes me hard enough to drill through brick?'

Sirius' throat went dry. 'N... no,' he croaked out, all thoughts of James and Lily sleeping just a thin wall away dissolving. 'I wish you had, though. I wouldn't have taken so long to come up here.'

Remus chuckled softly and wriggled his hips, his hands tugging his briefs down far enough to allow his erection to bounce free. 'I think that, since you created it, you should fix it,' he rasped, rising to his knees and shuffling forward to straddle Sirius' chest. He grasped the base of his cock and rubbed the sticky head across Sirius' lips. 'Suck me.'

One of Sirius' hands scrabbled across the bed, searching for another pillow – which he quickly shoved under his head - while the other wrapped tight around Remus' thigh. He moaned and parted his lips obligingly as Remus slowly fed him his cock.

The position was awkward and, after allowing Remus to grip his hair and fuck his mouth fast and dirty until he was teetering on the brink, Sirius put his hands on Remus' taut stomach and pushed him away. Remus fell heavily onto Sirius' hip and Sirius took advantage of his instability to shove him down onto the bed and roll on top of him.

'Arsehole,' Remus panted, and Sirius laughed breathlessly.

'Says the man who almost choked me with his cock after little more than a 'suck me' in greeting.'

Remus grinned and lurched up, kissing Sirius with a heat Sirius eagerly matched. He nudged Sirius' thighs apart with a knee then thrust insistently against him. Sirius broke the kiss, sitting up and straddling Remus' hips as he stared down at him.

'You want to fuck here?'

'You'd prefer to go elsewhere?' Remus retorted, canting his hips once more. Sirius groaned as Remus' cock slid along the cleft between his buttocks then reached for his wand.

'You are taking the blame if the sheets are stained,' he muttered in delighted defeat before he cast a hurried preparation spell and aligned their bodies.

Remus' fingers bruised Sirius' thighs as Sirius took him in inch by inch, rocking his hips gently as they both closed their eyes and lost themselves in the quakes of pure pleasure that shuddered through them as their bodies joined. He heard Remus' breath hitch then a calloused hand was sliding up his sternum and hooking around his neck, dragging Sirius down until he was stretched across Remus' chest. Sirius opened his eyes in time to see Remus' blown out pupils before his mouth was claimed in a slow, wet kiss that made him grip Remus' shoulders in a desperate attempt to hold on, to not drown in the waves of emotion and sensation that crashed relentlessly over him.

The hand at his nape trailed down Sirius' spine to curve around his buttocks, holding Sirius in place as Remus bucked up into him, pushing his cock deep into Sirius' body. Electricity sparked with every thrust and Sirius' eyes rolled back in his head as Remus found his prostate and hit it with unerring accuracy over and over.

Their kiss went on as their bodies strained for release - desire and heat surging between them as they greedily took everything the other offered - then it ebbed into light, teasing bites, breathing in short, sharp pants into each others' mouths.

Sirius felt rather than heard his name as it was mouthed against his skin, and responded with a breathless, 'Remus,' as a twist of Remus' hips sent his body into spasms of ecstasy, his climax pulsing from him, hot and powerful.

A sudden loss of equilibrium added to the exquisite rush of release, and Sirius found himself on his back, Remus bracing himself above him. He reached up with a shaking hand and buried his fingers in Remus' damp hair, tiny whimpers escaping his lips as Remus' cock drove deeply inside him.

'Gods, you are so beautiful when you come,' Remus whispered harshly, his rhythm stuttering before his head dropped to Sirius' shoulder. 'Sirius...'

With a fierce shudder, Remus came, his hips pumping jerkily as he worked out every second of his orgasm before he fell heavily onto Sirius' chest. Sirius turned his head and kissed him on the temple, hands tracing the contours of Remus' torso and back until Remus chuckled and twisted out of his embrace.

'Ticklish,' he muttered, giving Sirius a playful poke in the ribs with a finger before he rolled them onto their sides. 'Thanks.'

'What for?'

'I just... needed this tonight,' Remus admitted, fingers drawing abstract patterns on Sirius' bicep. 'I needed you.'

Sirius didn't say anything for a time, concentrating on the movement of Remus' fingers, the rise and fall of the other man's chest against his own. 'I won't tell the Ministry about you, you know,' he said eventually. Remus' swirling touch paused for a heartbeat then the concentric motion continued.

'Thank you.'

Sirius frowned. 'You knew that, right?' he asked, peering down at Remus' face, but it was in shadow, unreadable. 'I... I couldn't do that.' To you.

Remus nodded against Sirius chest then edged closer. 'Sleep now,' he murmured, reaching up blindly and rubbing his thumb over Sirius' mouth. Sirius licked the digit, and Remus huffed out a laugh, warm air rushing over Sirius' nipple and tightening the bud.

Sirius smiled and, despite himself, curled into Remus warmth. 'Sleep,' he agreed, closing his eyes as Remus' respiration slowed and evened out.

His eyes snapped back open in what felt like just a few seconds later, but the light streaming through the open curtains told him it had been longer. A throat was cleared noisily and Sirius lifted his head to peer blearily in the direction of the doorway.

'Potter,' he groaned, head falling back onto the pillow.

James grunted. 'I'm more sorry about this than you are, trust me, but Moody just Flooed looking for you.'

'Shit.'

'I told him you were chasing a few leads on the murders, but you shouldn't be too much longer.'

'Thanks, James.'

James nodded then looked from Sirius to a still-sleeping Remus before turning serious eyes back on his best friend. 'I hope you know what you're doing.'

Sirius turned his head and smiled softly as Remus mumbled under his breath and snuggled closer. 'Not a clue,' he murmured.

'You're sure about this?'

Sirius looked up from his notes and saw the sceptical expressions on the faces of not only Moody, but the members of the Magical Control unit who were attending the briefing. 'I have evidence to support the theory that werewolves can hunt specific prey rather than indulge themselves in indiscriminate rampages,' he snapped, waving his hand towards the mountains of paperwork and reports spread across the table. 'And he made a threat directly against us.'

He glanced at Fabian and Gideon before facing off with Moody. 'I don't think he realises that we know he is targeting his victims by marking them which means he isn't aware that I know he's marked me as his next meal.'

'How do you know he chose you? Your ego that big?' Emmeline asked, and Sirius grinned.

'My ego isn't the biggest part of me, sweetheart,' he said flirtatiously, but he sobered fast. 'It didn't click until he was described to me, but I suspect it was the same man who was needlessly handsy with me on the dance floor. He fits the description, and it makes sense, given what he said to the witness about having been close enough to scent us and... well, he may have seen me at 'Skin' before last night.'

'Described by who?' asked Benji Fenwick from his seat in the corner. 'You mentioned an informant...'

'Who wants to stay anonymous for various reasons,' Sirius broke in. He glanced at the Prewett brothers who nodded as one. 'We checked him out thoroughly...' There was a soft laugh from, he suspected, Fabian which was quickly - and badly - disguised as a cough, '...and he's reliable.'

Moody snorted and shook his head. 'How do you know the werewolf won't just go elsewhere? Forget about you, find another victim at another club where there hasn't been an incident involving our enforcement agencies?'

'Because it's a game,' Sirius told him. 'He's laughing at us. He thinks that we'll be waiting for him to attack someone random at the club, that we'll be busy watching the whole scene rather than just one person. He doesn't know that we know he's going to be tracking me. He'll wait until he thinks we're frustrated and pissed off and losing concentration then attack.'

'You really believe these animals have that kind of self-control?' asked a senior Magical Creature Control officer, a sneer curling his lip.

'Not all of them, no,' Sirius replied stiffly, instinctively disliking the man who helped enforce the lockdown laws. 'But I believe this man does.'

'If we could legalise a bloody cull on the creatures, we wouldn't have this problem,' the same officer, Bert Tufty, said to an agreeable colleague.

'Isn't that what you've been doing?' Sirius snapped, slamming his fists down onto the table and standing up. He hadn't intended on confronting this issue now, but the man's words made him see red. 'How else do you explain the increased deaths of the werewolves in your custody during the full moon?'

He saw Moody frown and rounded on him. 'Are you in on that little scheme as well?' he snapped, glaring at his mentor. 'Do you think it's justifiable?'

'What the hell are you talking about?' Moody snapped, face reddening with anger as he looked from Sirius to Bert.

'I'm talking about the Ministry-sanctioned cull that occurs at every full moon,' Sirius yelled. 'Those bastards are taking innocent human lives...'

'They're werewolves!' Bert declared, disgust colouring his face. 'Have you been in the cell block at the full moon? Heard the noise as they howl and throw themselves about? There is nothing human about them.'

'You are such a fucking...'

'Sirius!' Moody's booming voice echoed around the room, and Sirius bit back the insults he'd been prepared to hurl at the older man. Moody turned to Bert, narrowing his eyes. 'Bert? Is there any truth to what he's suggesting?'

'These creatures are inherently violent,' Bert said, his dismissive tone grating on Sirius' nerves. 'There are bound to be some deaths...'

'The increase doesn't support accidental, self-inflicted death,' Sirius snarled, shoving several piles of paper aside to pull out a folder. He tossed it down in front of Moody. 'That document shows the number of full moon deaths from the first month of the lockdowns until last month,' he said when Moody looked curiously at the folder. 'Look through it. You'll see that mortality has increased by two hundred percent since the beginning of the lockdowns, and that the number of deaths is consistent each and every month. If these deaths were really brought on by the stress of transformation, the numbers would fluctuate from month to month, not stay almost exactly the same with each moon.'

He scowled at Bert, who was now looking a little stressed under the combined weight of the gazes upon him. 'You didn't think anyone would care,' he said, disdainfully. 'You didn't think anyone would check and even if they did.. well, they're only animals, right?'

'Three Muggles are dead because of one of those monsters,' Bert blustered, rising to his feet and tugging at his robes. 'If this werewolf had been locked up, those men would still be alive.'

'What about the people you've killed each moon who never did anyone any harm?' Sirius cried. 'They weren't animals... they were people! They had families and friends who loved them, who grieved for them.'

'Enough!' Moody ordered, holding up his hands. 'I think we need to concentrate on the immediate matter.'

Sirius turned his furious gaze on Moody who met it with his own steely glare. 'I will look into this, I promise,' he said before Sirius could speak. 'But right now, we need to focus on how we're going to stop the Muggle murders. We've only got a few days to put together a plan.'

Grudgingly, Sirius gave a curt nod. 'Fine, but I'm not letting this go.'

Respect flickered in Moody's eyes. 'I would think less of you if you did,' he said before turning back to the collective of Ministry workers and continuing the briefing.

TBC