Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A.N – The latest instalment, hope it is satisfactory. Meant to post it yesterday, but all hell broke loose in Australia and I was too busy and ranting and freaking about my future in general to be in the appropriate headspace for the loveliness of this story… But it's here now. Huzzah!
Part Four – A Kind Of Magic.Remus Lupin knew a lot of things. He knew that the average lifespan of the common housefly is 15 – 30 days. He knew that no president of the United States had ever been an only child. He knew that it was illegal in Baltimore, Mariland it is illegal to take a lion to the pictures. He knew that Winston Churchill was one-sixteenth Cherokee and he knew that he was more likely to be killed by a flying champagne cork than a poisonous spider bite. He knew all this, and more, but it faded from view the day he learned something different. Something stranger, scarier and greater than all of this.
Remus Lupin knew that Sirius Black loved him. Or, more to the point, that Sirius Black loved him back.
Remus had known for a long time of his own feelings, the realisation fell upon him one day and it fit so well that Remus knew it had always been so. He had searched and hoped for signs that his feelings were reciprocated but only had uncertainty. It was when Remus caught Sirius giving the almost-full moon hate-filled looks and muttering to himself that he knew for sure, because he knew that was how he looked at Regulus. The younger Black just served as a reminder to Sirius of everything his family was, and everything he had never had. Every morning in the Great Hall Remus would seethe at the boy, over his porridge. His mouth a thin line, his eyebrows knitted together and his fists clenched. He would mutter to himself how stupid they all were, and then marvel at just how wonderful Sirius was in spite of his horrible family. This line of thought inevitably lead to a pleasant daydream. The result was, of course, that by the time Sirius was done arsing about in the bathroom and emerged from the dorm for breakfast he would invariably find Remus staring off into space, drooling into his forgotten breakfast.
When Remus learned that Sirius loved him he waited patiently for the raven-haired boy to make the first move. It became increasingly obvious, blindingly and frustratingly apparent that he wasn't going to do a sodding thing. Remus took a deep breath, screwed up his Gryffindor courage, set his jaw in what he assumed was a determined angle and did what any self-respecting Marauder would do.
He schemed.
He Plotted.
He hatched a plan.
When that was done, he sought an accomplice.
It was either very late, or very early. Remus and James were playing a game of chess. They had been for some time. They always spent ages playing, because they were both terrible. By now they were the only ones left in the common room and Remus saw the perfect opportunity to enlist James' help. His amber eyes gazed across the board at his friend. He decided that the direct approach was in order.
"He loves me." He said simply.
"Hmm?" said James, still focused on the game before him.
"Sirius. He loves me." He said, a little louder now. James stayed silent, suddenly still, the game forgotten already.
"I love him back." He clarified. James' face split into a smirk. It grew to an impossible grin when Remus added.
"I have a plan."
"Thank Merlin! He's too chicken to do anything."
Remus smiled, "I know…"
A week later James reclined upon the crimson covers of his bed, a feast of baked goods surrounding him. Sirius walked into the room and did nothing but stare at James who chewed at him in reply.
"Well?" He said, finally snapping out of it.
James made a muffled noise that Sirius knew to mean "What?"
"You gonna share?" He asked wide-eyed.
James merely shrugged and threw a pink-iced cupcake to Sirius who retreated to his own bed. He was about to ask James what the deal was with all the baked goods when his vision began swimming. Before he passed out, he was sure he heard James snicker.
It was dark when Sirius awoke in the empty dorm. His head felt fuzzy and he wondered what James had been playing at. He soon realised that the clothes he was wearing were not the ones he had on when he fell asleep. His black hair was no longer swept up, it cascaded onto a crisp, white, collared shirt, and heavy woollen, grey trousers. He then saw that there was a line of floating candles leading out of the door. Hmmm he thought.
"Hmmm…" He said before he shrugged and cautiously followed the path made by the candles. As he past them they would extinguished. So behind him there was only an inky blackness and glowing, caramel candlelight before him. The candles led him down the dormitory stairs, through the common room, out into the winding hallways of Hogwarts, to the giant entry doors, outside and around the corner of the castle. He came to the end of the path, it seemed to end suddenly, and in the middle of nowhere. Just as he was past the final candle and it plunged him into darkness a low, slow tune began playing somewhere and a totally unfamiliar lamp post ignited before him. Beneath it, in a pool of golden light was a slim figure. It was clad in a pin-stripe suit, one hand in a pocket, the other holding a cane. A fedora on his head plunged his face into shadow.
A smoky voice started singing.
At last. My love has come along.
As Etta James crooned, Sirius' feet were taking him forward, when the figure looked up and Sirius recognised Remus. The werewolf had an intense look upon his face. He took the hat off, and left it and the cane next to the post.
My lonely days are over. And life is like a song.
Sirius soon found he was hand in hand with Remus. He felt Remus' other hand warming his lower back. He found that Remus' amber eyes were clamped upon his Storm-grey ones. It took him a long time to realise that they were dancing, and even longer for him to remember that he was holding his breath.
Oh, yeah, at last. The skies above are blue. My heart was wrapped up in clovers. The night I looked at you.
Sirius' body was on fire, his heart hammering in his chest as he danced with Remus. He felt light-headed, his fingers almost numb. He finally tore his eyes away from Remus' to look around. He discovered that their feet had, quite literally left the ground.
He was dancing.
Mid-air.
With Remus.
I found a dream that I could speak to. A dream that I can call my own. I found a thrill to rest my cheek to. A thrill that I have never known.
His eyes flew back to Remus'.
"But, Moony… I – I don't understand…" Sirius said with the desperate look of a man who thinks he could wake up at any moment. Remus kept time and chuckled as he rested his forehead on Sirius'.
"This is a kind of magic." He whispered with a smile before he brought sirius' trembling hand to his lips and kissed it.
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile. Oh, and then the spell was cast. And here we are in heaven.
For you are mine. At last.
Under the glow of the lamp Remus' hair shone like gold. His eyes sparkled with a myriad of emotions as his lips sought Sirius'. Sirius' hands snaked around his neck, and Remus' hands heavy and firm weighed on Sirius' hips. Sirius felt a warm, silky, electric thrill when Remus' lips met his. He whimpered at the slow, meticulous sensuality of Remus' kiss. His mind abuzz with thoughts of Remus, his nose tingling with the delicious scent of the boy, and his body afire where it was pressed against Remus' firm frame. Sirius whimpered and Remus used this as a sign to escalate the kiss. He licked and nibbled at Sirius' bottom lip. The soft tongue tickled him, the teeth caused an animal need to growl within his belly. He whimpered as the love and shock and lust would send him mad, he felt Remus' tongue on the inside of his cheek. Sirius' tongue responded in kind until all he could taste was Remus and the heat built up around them.
Sirius had kissed his fair share of girls, but he had never been kissed like this before, so magical, and electric and powerful. As Sirius was thinking these thoughts the light globe in the lamp post blew. Remus laughed his honey laugh into Sirius' mouth and brought his hands up to Sirius' face.
"Love you." He said, rubbing noses with Sirius.
"Love you too… sneaky bastard."
They laughed then. Together in the dark.
Remus and Sirius, together in the dark, always.
Another A.N – This is the first time that I have ever had to write a kiss. Fanfic or original work, never done it before, so feedback would be ace.