Bed Warmer
Theme #22 Cheer up!

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"Remus!" someone hissed.

Remus winced inwardly, closing his eyes tight as the musical notes of Sirius' voice invaded his peaceful almost-slumber. Maybe if he ignored the other boy, he'd go away.

"Remus!" Sirius sounded louder now. Closer.

Remus should have known. Ignoring Sirius was like ignoring a group of elephants in a tightly enclosed area. He should have known that never worked with Sirius.

"Remus," Sirius whined, his voice louder still. Now accompanying his pleas was the steady shaking of Sirius' hand on his shoulder. Remus sighed and dragged the covers down, staring fuzzily in the dim light the moon created in the empty dormitory.

He blinked slowly, trying to bring his world into focus before he found his eyes looking up at Sirius. The boy looked down at him eagerly, looking cold. As hearing Remus' observation, Sirius began to shiver, punctuating this truth. Remus' eyes narrowed for a moment.

"What is it?" He didn't bother looking for his glasses. He didn't always need them. After years of reading books with tiny print, his eyes were failing him. Sirius claimed having glasses made him look even dorkier than he already was. For that reason, he was hesitant to go look for them.

"My bed's freezing," Sirius' fuzzy face complained, pulling at Remus' covers.

"And what do you expect me to do about it? You're the one who wanted to stay in this bloody cold castle for Christmas." He turned away, muttering to himself about the indecency of his roommate.

"I did. But… not for the frostbite! Scoot over, I'm getting in."

"This is my bed," Remus protested half-heartedly. Despite his protests, however, he moved over, giving Sirius room to slip into the bed with him.

"I'm wide awake," Sirius said flippantly, stretching out on his back in the bed. "How can you sleep so soundly?"

"I just do," Remus said after a thoughtful pause. He never slept the week before the full moon. He had to catch up on his sleep afterwards.

"But it's so windy outside. It's loud," Sirius proclaimed. "Can't you hear it?"

He hadn't before. He was usually a very deep sleeper. Now he could. It was a woeful, poignant sound that really was rather distracting to someone who wanted to sleep. Listening to it made Remus feel nervous, and he could sympathize for Sirius' inability to fall asleep when listening to that mournful sound. It didn't help they were in a practically empty castle. James and Peter weren't here with them. James was off visiting his grandparents. Peter's mother wanted him home. The two other boys had been invited, but Sirius claimed he wanted to spend Christmas at the castle, since he hadn't yet done so. He asked Remus to stay with him.

"Sometimes I think you're deaf, Remus. Half the time you don't even seem to be listening when I'm talking to you."

The teasing note was there, masking the thinly veiled metaphor in Sirius' tone. It had been there now for months, creeping into Sirius's voice. And Remus didn't know how he should feel about that teasing manner. He wasn't sure what they were gravitating towards, but it couldn't be denied that they were gravitating towards something.

"Hmph. Thanks a lot. Now I'm awake, too." He sat up in bed and reached for his glasses, stretching over Sirius thoughtlessly. But the other boy went still beneath him, his breath catching in his throat, and there was a brief strange moment where both boys paused and their eyes locked onto one another's. Then Remus moved back to his side of the bed, glasses in hand and blushing furiously.

"What should we do?" Sirius turned onto his side, his hair shining in the moonlight. He watched Remus' profile for a long moment. "It's really cold in your bed, too."

"What did you expect?" he muttered, cheeks losing their pink color. Remus slipped out of bed, his bare feet touching the ground. He shivered as he touched the cold stone floor.

"Where are you going?" The worried note in Sirius' voice didn't escape Remus.

"Getting something," was all he said in response.

"Now it's all cold again." Sirius sat up, pouting. Remus found it strange and disconcerting to look back at his bed and see Sirius in it, as if belonging there. It sent a strange flurry of butterflies in his stomach, and he almost faltered in his step as he moved away. His entire being wanted to return to Sirius' side, and sit in that bed—belonging.

"Just a minute," Remus said, bending to open his trunk. He dug around until he pulled out one of his heavy sweaters. It was well-worn, with a hole in the elbow, but a good sweater nonetheless. It kept Remus warm on cold nights.

"Oh!" Sirius brightened up considerably when he realized what it was Remus was doing.

"Now stop complaining about the cold."

"Remus…"

"You're going to whine and protest all night, aren't you?" Remus asked coldly, returning to his bed. Sirius reached for the sweater, fingers brushing Remus'.

"Your hands are cold," he muttered, letting his fingers rest against Remus' hands, as if they belonged together.

"They'll warm up." Remus pulled his hand away, his cheeks feeling warm. "Don't worry."

"Don't be silly!" Sirius grinned, grasping Remus' hands tightly in his own before Remus could shout out any protest. "I'll just give them a little help."

"Sirius…" Remus said, looking skeptically at their joined hands.

But Remus didn't pull away his hands. He left them there, trapped between Sirius' palms. And he tried not to think about how soft his skin was, or how slender his fingers were.

"Cheer up," Sirius advised, looking quite pleased. "Just think if I weren't here to keep you company. You'd be cold and all alone."

"No, I'd be sleeping," Remus muttered sarcastically, still starting at their hands.

Sirius was still grinning widely, his eyes crinkling at the corners in his pleasure. He always looked so delighted and so carefree when he smiled. It warmed Remus' heart, even on this cold night. Sirius' hands were as warm as his smile.

"It's romantic, isn't it?"

It wasn't the words that surprised Remus. Probably because he'd been thinking the same thing, too, but hadn't planned on voicing that opinion. No. Really, it was the way Sirius said the words. There was no teasing, no shyness, no playfulness. The words were spoken wistfully, a soft murmur in the silent night. Hopeful.

Sirius was looking at their clasped hands, a small smile on his lips. And there it was, out in the open. After all the timid glances and playful flirting, it was as simple as that. All it took was one simple sentence, whispered in the dark of the night, their hands touching. Remus didn't know how to respond to the openly raw and honest expression on Sirius' face.

"Put the sweater on," Remus said, pulling his hands away gently, and instantly missing the warmth Sirius' hands provided.

"Remus…" Sirius began.

"It's going to get colder, you know. I'd reckon it will start snowing sooner or later." It was a clear night outside. The moon glowed brightly in the sky.

"Do you want me to go back to my bed?" Sirius asked inquisitively, unable to hide the tiny thread of fear in his voice. Unable to hide the tiny veil of hope in his voice.

"No." Remus pulled back the covers, slipping beneath them, looking slightly miserable. His feet were cold. His hands were cold. And he missed the warmth Sirius' hands had given him. "You're not to blame..."

"Blame?"

"I've never discouraged you." Remus sat back, lying against his headboard, speaking as if he hadn't heard Sirius speak. He knew his cheeks must be a bright red and he turned his face away, unwilling to look at Sirius and see any expression there. "It's really… more like the opposite. I mean… I really kind of… I kind of… liked it. I do like it."

Sirius was silent for a long moment, staring at his empty hands and the sweater in his lap. Finally, he muttered, "Really?"

"I would think the answer would be obvious, Sirius. We've known each other a long time."

"But you…" Sirius began.

"Put on your sweater. I froze my feet off to get it for you," Remus muttered and slipped off his glasses. He inspected them for a moment before cleaning them with the sheets, ridding them of fingerprint smears and dirt.

"Sometimes I don't understand you, Moony." Sirius sighed and slipped on his sweater, the pet-name comfortable and familiar.

Remus laughed quietly. He shifted, leaning slightly against Sirius, feeling the scratchy wool of his sweater stretched across Sirius' chest.

It was out in the open now.

Remus felt warm and cheery all night.