This is definitely my favourite chapter so far and I must say a big, big, MASSIVE thank you to my lovely beta Louisa Caraballo (URL: ff dot net /u/1306635/ ). I usually get far too excited when I write a new story and am wont to publish it immediately which isn't the best idea (and is why I'm not too pleased with Chapter 2) but now I have a beta whom I can bother yaaayy. Tremendous.

I hope you all like this chapter as much as I do. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and story alerted me!

Enjoy!

"Remus, I'm so sorry!" Sirius howled as he lay prostrate over the werewolf's lap. He looks rather pathetic, a smile tugged at the corners of Remus' mouth.

"Ow, Sirius that hurts!" Remus groaned. He was always tender after the full moon.

"Sorry, sorry!" Sirius gasped backing away with his hands raised as if Remus were a china doll. "And it's all my fault!" Sirius said distraught, his grey eyes wide between his fingers.

So dramatic, Remus sighed internally. "Well my aches and pains are a regular occurrence, Sirius, so don't you worry your little head about that."

Sirius nodded fretfully.

Remus leaned back on his pillow, silent for a while. He had gleaned the events if the previous night from James a couple of hours ago. Severus had been trying to discover where the Marauders disappeared to every month for a while now. His morbid fascination was probably due to Sirius' and James' constant bullying. The greasy haired boy seemed so very miserable that Remus supposed that seeking revenge was the only form of joy he could find. The four of them hadn't seen how he could possible find out. Ever. Their loyalty to one another was such that the very idea of betrayal seemed preposterous.

Unfortunately, Sirius had been very sporadic as of late; ever since the confrontation. For the first week, his laugh had been too loud and his public displays of affection at an all-time high. Sirius seemed to grab random girls out of the air to shove his tongue down their throat in the middle of hallways which landed him in quite a few detentions. He was whacking Bludgers with venom at the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match which caused their house to win 290 to 50 making him Gryffindor's hero for the rest of the week. He also became wont to get up first and then wait down in the common room whilst the other boys were getting ready, ploughing his way through Remus' battered copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. Remus hadn't even told him to read it; he'd picked it up of his own accord. Something definitely wasn't right.

In the second week, aside from acting up more in class much to McGonnagal's chagrin, Sirius decided that it was necessary to prank Snivillius as much as was humanly possible. A total of 38 dungbombs, a hair removal charm, an outbreak of boils amongst the Slytherins and a very angry pink and green striped Snape later, you could say that the Marauders appeared to be back in full force. From the outside that is. Pranking gave the impression of a close bond, best friends forever, but Remus, James, and Peter could feel Sirius' discomfort.

The third week was the week of the full moon. Moony could feel the dread in his stomach as the day came ever closer. Remus had always felt a bit down when he thought about his upcoming transformation but this week was worse than usual. Where was his best friend? Sirius was always the one who kept him company when he was feeling worse for wear. Sirius was the most fun, the most creative and daring. Sirius spoke French and Latin with him and was happy to delve into Ovid or Dumas and even Proust. In short, Sirius would do anything to try and cheer Moony up. Many thought that James and Sirius were attached at the hip, but it was Remus to whom Sirius would come to talk to about his hopes and fears, it was Remus to whom Sirius had confided all about his horrid family, and it was Remus' bed that Sirius would slip into when he had a nightmare. Remus missed the dark haired boy deeply. And not just because he was his best friend …

The boys had tried broaching the subject of his sexuality again but this just saw Sirius storming off in a sulk. Remus chuckled at this. For someone so gifted and intelligent (albeit lazy) Sirius Orion Black sure could be incredibly thick at times.

And not so very good at concealing secrets, a dark little voice said.

Only his secrets, whispered back Remus.

Unfortunately for all involved, Sirius had a special hatred for one Severus Snape. He was everything Sirius despised, especially a constant reminder of the family he shunned. Severus was steeped in the dark arts and full of pureblood pride. It sickened Sirius. And so last night, when Snape had uttered a cutting jibe about Sirius' questionable sexuality, though Remus doubted Snape even had an inkling, Sirius' patience had worn thin,

"Why don't you go down to the Whomping Willow and press the knot of the trunk? You'll find a nice surprise at the end of the tunnel eager to meet you." Sirius spat.

It didn't take long for Sirius to realise his hideous mistake. He and James took off running.

I could have killed him, Remus swallowed a lump in his throat.

The wolf would have killed him, said the small voice in his head.

Yes, but the ministry don't think like that, do they? Remus retorted.

Apparently Sirius had kept vigil at Remus' bedside from the moment he had been brought back from the Shack, until James had shoved him out the Hospital Wing door yelling, "He doesn't want to see you anyway, you unfaithful git!" Unfortunately for James, Dumbledore chose that moment to make his appearance and reprimanded him, "That is Remus' decision to make, Mr Potter, and would you please be so very kind as to not direct such unsavoury words towards your classmates."

"Sorry, Professor," mumbled James, and he and Sirius had both backed out of the hospital wing looking shamefaced.

"You'll be glad to know that Mr Snape has been sworn to secrecy, Mr Lupin. Albeit with some difficulty."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"Oh you're most welcome." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Now I think a certain Mr Black is rather desperate to see you. Indeed the way he's been hovering all day makes him look like he's about to wet himself."

Remus snorted with laughter, "Is that so, Professor? He really must feel awful."

"Yes, I believe he does." Dumbledore's blue eyes seemed to pierce Remus. He hated it when he did that, it was as if he knew exactly what you were thinking. "Now, Remus, I hope you're not too hard on him.If you wanted advice from an old man, I would say that you might want to take into account the hardships of the past few weeks and maybe take some pity on him?"

Remus was broken from his reverie by the nervous throat clearing from Sirius. He turned and noticed that Sirius was still staring at him avidly. Remus looked at him for a while. Sirius' eyes filled with fear and finally the tension was too much for the Animagus and he slid off his chair to kneel on the floor.

No one got hurt at least. I mean the consequences could have been dire, but I'm safe. I'm safe.

Are you sure you can trust him again? The little voice whispered.

Sirius grasped Remus' hands in his, pleading softly. "Please don't hate me Moony … I'm so sorry. I wish I could turn back time … please forgive me … please be my friend again … I'm so sorry … be mine … I don't know what I'd do without you … Moony …"

Be mine? thought Remus, bemused.

The dark haired boy's muttering became mumbled as his bent his head and placed kisses on Remus' knuckles, his palms, his wrists.

"Moony." Sirius whispered, looking up at him, his eyes shining with tears. Remus brought his eyes back up to the other boys' and silver met gold.

"Padfoot."

And then soft lips were pressed against his.

In his surprise, Remus was slow to react and Sirius pulled away looking admonished but his hands still gripped the golden haired boy's forearms.

"I'm sorry – I -"

And then Remus cut him off by tugging Sirius back to him and their mouths met again.

Their kiss was soft and languid, as if they'd been kissing each other for years. Remus smiled into the kiss as he reached up to run his hand through Sirius' hair. It felt so right, so perfect. Why they hadn't done something so wonderful sooner was beyond him.

Sirius pulled away, "Moony, are you thinking?" Remus felt his mouth curve into a smile. "Sirius I'm always thinking. Now you stop thinking and concentrate on kissing me…" Sirius growled and clambered up onto the bed. And then Remus found himself caught up in a warm embrace. Sirius' fingers brushed past a sensitive spot on his neck and the golden haired boy arched up to the kiss. Sirius' hands were mussed in Remus' hair and –

"Boys! Stop that at once! This is a hospital wing not a brothel!"

Sirius promptly fell off the bed in shock as Madam Pompfrey's voice permeated their romantic bubble.

"ARGGH! Oh, sorry, Madam Pomfrey!" Remus yelped. Sirius peered over the side of the bed trying to avoid the nurse's scrutinising gaze.

"Out, Mr Black. Mr Lupin needs his rest." For all her sternness, Remus saw a quick knowing smirk pass across her lips, quickly replaced with a frown as she turned and headed back to her office.

Sirius made meekly to leave, when Remus grabbed his arm: "You know I would've forgiven you anyway, you didn't need to make such a big performance out of the whole thing."

Sirius gave him a winning smile, 'Really! Honestly I never would have guessed," his voice dripping with a playful sarcasm, "I think you rather appreciated it actually."

Remus pouted, "I wish we could have finished, anyway I think you appreciated my forgiveness if that is any indication," Remus said pointing to the other boy's rather tight trousers, smirking at Sirius' flushed face, "but you're still not gay, right?" He added as he picked up the book on his bedside table as Sirius started to leave.

"Sod off." Called back Sirius, half-heartedly, before turning round and blowing a kiss in the werewolf's direction.

To be continued...

Add me to story alert if you haven't already and please review. I like reviews, they help me grow as a writer. And all that.

See you next time :) RahRah