Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts…

Remus looked at the door in front of him and took a deep breath. This was it. He was back at Hogwarts, standing in front of the boy's dormitory. It was a Friday night and everyone was probably in their respective rooms, James, Sirius, and Peter included; and judging by the noises coming from the other side of the door, they were probably playing Exploding Snap.

He wondered if they'd missed him as much as he had them. He gripped the handle tightly, sighed and finally turned. The silence that met him was almost deafening. All three of them (who had been sitting on his bed, Remus noted), froze in their positions almost comically and stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.

Remus tried to put on his best smile. 'Hey, guys,' he said shakily, trying not to blush at the awe filled stares.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth that Remus found himself enveloped in the warmth of too familiar arms – the same arms he'd both missed and tried to avoid for the past few days. Instinctively, Remus's own hands moved up, one to rest at the base of Sirius's neck and the other on the small of his back.

'You're back,' whispered Sirius into his hair, holding him tighter.

Over Sirius's shoulder, Remus could see both James and Peter tense, and he smiled reassuringly. It's okay, he tried to say, and the message must have gotten across because James suddenly broke into a large smile and urged Peter to get off the bed. Remus watched quietly as they walked across the room to where he and Sirius were standing.

'Took you long enough, you stupid sod,' said James, punching his shoulder lightly. 'Welcome back.' His eyes shifted to Sirius who was still clinging on tightly to Remus and shook his head. His mouth opened as if wanting to say something but closed again almost instantly. Instead, he chose to wind his arm around Peter's shoulders and walk out of the room.

As the door clicked shut, Remus felt Sirius rest his forehead against his shoulder. 'I missed you,' he whispered against Remus's shirt. 'So much, so much…'

The hand that Remus had kept on Sirius's back fisted his t-shirt. 'You hurt me, Sirius.' The words had meant to come out as spiteful, but Remus had forgiven his friend so long ago that such accusations came off with little relevance.

Sirius's hands wandered down his back, pulling him closer. 'I'm sorry…so sorry.'

'Why did you do it?' asked Remus, already succumbing to the soft butterfly kisses being trailed down his neck and shoulders. Hardly any time had passed since he'd come and already Sirius was rendering him helpless.

'I don't know,' breathed Sirius against Remus's neck, pushing away his shirt from his shoulder in search of skin and kissing gently.

It was only when the back of his knees hit the bed frame, did Remus realise that Sirius had been pulling the both of them closer to the bed the whole time. 'I don't know if I can trust you again, Sirius.'

Sirius slowly lay down on the mussed sheets, bringing Remus on top of him. 'I know,' he whispered looking down. He grabbed the werewolf's hands and brought them to the base of his shirt, guiding them over his head. 'But I trust you,' he finished, resting a hand on Remus's cheek and pulling him closer into a kiss.

Remus hesitated, wanting to move away and submit himself to those soft insistent lips at the same time. Finally, their mouths crushed together fiercely, tounges instantly sliding together in a well practiced rhythm and Gods, how had Remus stayed without this for so long? There was no time for words, no time to–

Now…now it was only about Remus straddling Sirius's stomach, and Sirius's trembling fingers buried into Remus's hair, and the way their bodies shook as they parted every so often, only to delve deeper, hold tighter.

Clothes were discarded in frenzy, pure unadulterated need consuming them, as Sirius ran his hands up Remus's bare chest, stopping to feel the frantic racing of his heart. Remus's hips ground into Sirius's in reply and they both gasped, kissing hungrily. He felt Sirius move his hands down, groping Remus's arse, crushing their bodies harder together and wrapping his leg around his waist.

'I'm sorry,' Sirius moaned, letting his head fall back into the pillows, as Remus licked the column of neck below him, sucking and biting gently.

His eyes fell shut as Remus's teeth grazed softly against his skin, getting bolder by the minute and traveling lower - mouth sliding hotly and tounge teasing until Sirius was left whimpering and moaning loudly.

Remus's fingers dug painfully into his skin, and Sirius's hands buried into brown hair, urging him upwards before he could move any further. For one blissful second, they simply look at each other – Sirius with his dark hair strewn haphazardly across the pillow and eyes glazed over as overbearing pleasure rippled through his body; Remus bent over him, long hair dripping with sweat, lips wet and gleaming in the light as he panted from sheer need.

And then Sirius turned to lie on his stomach, and Remus felt his eyes widen.

'Sirius,' he whispered. They'd never done this; never gone beyond snogging and some heavy petting. They were scared perhaps or maybe just not ready but now Remus understood the gesture. Sirius was giving himself up to him; trusting in him completely to do whatever he pleased.

Suddenly, the room felt oddly cold.

'Please, Remus,' gasped Sirius. 'Please…please…'

Remus wasn't sure what he was pleading for, but there was only so much control he could keep, and he sighed against Sirius's hair before moving to kiss it and stroke it; traveling lower, trying to touch him everywhere as an overwhelming heat enveloped them. The springs screeched and moaned in time with Sirius's guttural groans, only serving to fuel Remus's moves as their sweaty skins pressed together.

And then, Remus was inside him, around him, over him, and it hurt, despite the generous preparation. Remus could tell by the way Sirius clutched at the sheets. But soon, bearable pain dissolved into intense pleasure and then it was just, fuck and Remus and pleaseohplease. Until finally, Remus found himself falling into an endless chasm of bright lights and absolute darkness. He was screaming, but without sound; the silence spelling the I love you he would never have the nerve to say.

XxxxX

Sirius sighed contently at the feeling of a warm, comfortable weight on his back and the soft puffs of breath against his cheek. Remus was still sprawled on top of him, he realised, and judging by the occasional dance of fingertips across his skin, he was also very much awake.

'You stayed,' whispered Sirius sleepily.

Remus's hands slid upwards to rest on top his on the pillow. 'You didn't think I was going to bang you up and just leave, did you?'

Sirius didn't answer and breathed heavily when he felt Remus roll off his back to lie on his side so that they were both facing each other.

Remus cupped his cheek gently. 'Did you?'

Sirius looked into curious amber eyes - the window to Remus's heart, expecting the contempt and scorn he'd prepared for and finding none. 'I wouldn't blame you if you did,' he said softly. 'Only, I need you to know that I didn't mean any of it. I didn't want anyone to get hurt, least of all you and-'

He was cut off by Remus's hand slipping on top of his mouth. 'I forgave you, Padfoot…a long time ago.'

Sirius reached up a hand to entwine with Remus's, relishing in the feeling of them being together again. 'Gods, Moony, you're just so…' Beautiful? Gorgeous? Wonderful? All these words seemed so insignificant. He let Remus pull him closer and leaned into the inviting warmth, digging deeper in an attempt to mold himself into that incredible body. 'I don't know how you can forgive me after all that I've done.'

Remus closed his eyes as he felt Sirius's long fingers caress his hair and face. 'I didn't want to at first,' he whispered. 'I wanted to know what I'd done for you to hate me so much; why you'd want to hurt me like that-'

Sirius looked up so suddenly that their noses bumped together. 'I didn't, Remus-'

'I know, Padfoot,' he chuckled, rubbing his nose. 'I just needed some time to understand that, I suppose…'

Sirius kissed the corner of his mouth. 'I've missed you so much.' Another teasing kiss on the bottom lip. 'I thought you'd never come back, and I just…I couldn't…'

Unable to express what he'd been feeling these past few days, he captured Remus's lips in a fierce kiss that slowly dissolved to something slow and beautiful, and left the both of them wondering how they'd managed to stay apart for so long.

XxxxX

Lily stopped in front of the boy's dormitory door and rapped her knuckles on the wood. She'd seen Potter, Black, and Pettigrew frolicking in the corridors, so she was confident she'd be alone with Remus for a while. Maybe now she could get some proper talking done with that thickheaded pillock.

'Remus, are you decent enough for me to enter?'

There was a snort from the other side of the door. 'Define decent.'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Remus!'

The voice burst out laughing. 'Come in, Lily but don't blame me if you're scarred for life. I think James left his underwear lying around the floor somewhere.'

Lily sighed exasperatedly and opened the door, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the figure at the windowsill, just in case Remus was right and Potter's undergarments were in plain view to wandering eyes. Remus was sitting on the ledge, face turned away from her and feet dangling in the air. There was an occasional breeze that played with his hair, blowing it to the side and twirling it in a gentle caress, and was that a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth?

'Didn't know you smoked,' said Lily, carefully seating herself beside Remus. She tried not to look down and briefly wondered how any sane person could sit so high up without developing a severe case of vertigo.

'I didn't - until a week or so,' Remus looked at her, the amber of his eyes swirling in a mysterious dance. 'Watch this.'

He inhaled deeply and then exhaled in three alternate puffs, which, to Lily's surprise, seemed to mold into the distinct shapes of a dog, a deer, and a mouse? She couldn't help but laugh. Trust Remus to make something like smoking an art form.

'Took me ages to get the stag right,' he said, inhaling again.

Lily frowned. Well, the deer bit had been close.

'So, what brings our dear Miss Evans to the smelly but humble abode of Remus Lupin?'

Lily almost didn't hear the question. She was busy watching Remus, searching for any change in his appearance or demeanor as such; anything that would point out to the events of that fateful morning, but she found nothing. He looked a little older, more mature perhaps and he'd filled out a bit more, but that only enhanced his features. There was no sign of distress or a need for comfort of any sort. He looked almost…happy.

'Just wanted to know how my good friend was doing,' she replied finally, wondering if the expression on Remus's face was just another façade.

Remus raised an eyebrow. 'So, what are you really here for?'

Lily mock huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. 'I can't believe you, Remus Lupin! Here I am, worried about you, and you have the audacity to accuse me of having a means for my concern.'

Remus looked up at the stars. 'I'm sorry, Lily.'

Lily smiled. 'It's quite all right.'

He exhaled. 'So, what are you really here for?'

Lily sighed. Might as well ask it. 'I wanted to know, why?' She watched as swirls of grey rose above Remus's head, giving him an even more mysterious air. 'Why you and Sirius are back together again, not just as a couple, but as friends as well?' she finished quickly.

Remus inhaled. 'Didn't think you knew about us,' he said calmly.

Lily nearly choked on her own spit when she noticed her slip up. 'Er…yeah. I sort of walked in on you guys kissing - before you left.' There was a steady blush rising up her cheeks. 'It was really late, and I didn't think anyone would be in the common room and er, yeah,' she finished lamely.

If Remus was even remotely embarrassed over being caught necking his best friend in the common room, he didn't show it, nor did he try to deny it. He simply stubbed the last of his cigarette against the wall and laid a gentle hand over hers. 'Appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone.'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Of course not! But that still doesn't answer my question. Why did you let him back in, Remus?' It wasn't that Lily still harboured a crush on Remus. Quite the contrary, she'd gotten over him a long time ago but he was still her friend and she cared for him a lot.

Remus shrugged, a slow, serene smile spreading across his face. It was one of those smiles that very few were graced with – the one that appeared more through his eyes than his lips and left the lightest of dents on each of his cheeks; it spoke of contentment and joy and something else entirely that Lily was yet to decipher. 'I love him,' he said softly.

For some reason, Lily was not the least bit surprised, and she felt her grip instinctively tightening around his hand. 'He doesn't love you, Remus.'

Remus's smile never faltered. 'No, he doesn't.'

He didn't deserve this. Remus needed someone who could love him back. 'Look, Remus, I know you're not going to tell me what really happened between the two of you, but I've never seen Potter this angry. If we hadn't stopped him, he would have killed Black for sure and if I understood the situation right, then he's bloody well using you.'

Remus's expression hardened as his smile fell. 'Then I'm sorry to say, Lily that you haven't understood at all.'

'Haven't I?' Lily challenged and drew back a little when she saw the colour of Remus's eyes change from soothing amber to a fiery gold. 'He's hurting you, Remus, and you're letting him because you're too blinded by your ridiculous notions of love to see through him.'

Remus removed his hand from Lily's ever tightening grip. 'I think I should be the judge of his character, especially since I've actually taken the time to get to know him.'

'He's ruining you, Remus! Look at you - ever since you've come back, you've started smoking, you've given up your prefect badge-'

'Those are decisions of my own and has nothing to do with him,' interrupted Remus. 'I am capable of free thought.'

Lily shook her head dejectedly. 'I'm trying to help you here, Remus. Why the hell can't you understand that?'

There was a sudden gust of wind and Remus's hair blew into his eyes, covering any emotion he felt. 'People make mistakes, Lily, it doesn't give you a right to judge them.'

Lily snorted sardonically. 'He's a Black, Remus, and rebel or not, in the end he will treat you the exact same way. You forgive him now, and he's going to do it again and again until finally, he has you broken and at his feet.'

Remus pushed his hair out of his eyes, leaning dangerously close to her. There was a passion in those amber orbs that bordered very close insanity. 'I'll tell you something I learnt this summer, Lily, and I want you to listen and think it over, because it just might determine your whole life. Don't let your pride get in the way of better judgment.' His eyes shifted towards James's bed and then back at her, making sure she'd understood the double meaning to his words. 'It might feel like the right thing to do now, but you'll regret it later.'

'Remus, I-'

Lily was cut off mid protest when the door banged open, and Sirius entered, practically bouncing into the room with barely contained enthusiasm.

'Moony, you won't believe what Prongs and I-' he stopped when he caught sight of Lily, sitting close to Remus in what looked like an intimate discussion. 'Hello, Evans,' he said stiffly. He didn't even try to conceal the hatred he felt for her.

Lily didn't really blame him. If someone ditched her best friend as much as she did James, she'd be spiteful of them too. Besides, the hatred was quite mutual. 'Black,' she strained to keep her tone civil, if only for Remus.

Sirius came up beside Remus and put an around his shoulders. To a normal observer, it would have looked like a casual gesture, but Lily could tell that Sirius was branding Remus as his in front of her. 'Whatcha doing, Moony?' he asked playfully, tactfully ignoring her.

Lily watched as Remus's posture changed completely from furious to love struck. That slow smile was back and the expression in his eyes as he looked at Sirius was enough indication to exactly how he felt; and maybe it was her imagination, but she thought she saw a reflection of that very look in Sirius's eyes as well.

'Just talking,' said Remus simply.

Sirius smiled back, and Lily noticed his hand twitching slightly, wanting to make its touches more intimate and only restraining so. 'Hm…well, me and others are going down to the lake, and Prongs asked me to drag you along, irrespective of what you say.' He glared at Lily at the mention of Prongs. 'So, do I have to carry you there or are you going to come willingly?'

Remus looked at Lily. 'You don't mind, do you? I've been gone for two weeks, and I'd like to spend time with the guys a bit.'

Sirius's chest puffed up at that, and he looked at her mockingly.

'No, it's okay. I have work to complete anyway.' Lily kissed him lightly on the cheek before getting up. 'Take care, is all I'm saying.'

'I will,' whispered Remus.

And as Lily walked out the dormitory, she heard an enraged yell and what sounded very much like Sirius screaming, what the fuck did she kiss you for? and I don't care if she's your friend. She smiled mischievously. Perhaps, Remus had been right, and she'd been too quick to judge. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't keep an eye on him.

XxxxX

Sirius lay on his bed, staring up into the heavy drapes and watching as the fabric folded and blew in rhythm with the gentle night breeze. It looked ethereal as different shades of moonlight played across the smooth velvet.

It was quiet, too quiet, thought Sirius. There was the occasional whistling of the wind and Peter's incessant tossing and turning but there was something missing; a silence that he was yet to get accustomed to, despite Remus's absence for almost two weeks.

The Marauders had been fooling around all day and by evening, they had all been exhausted. James had volunteered to nick food from the kitchens, while the rest of them had collapsed into their respective beds. But, here was Sirius, wide awake. James was yet to come back, and Remus had obviously disappeared off somewhere.

He slowly stretched his legs, groaning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with his right hand. Already, he was remembering Remus's face, every line, every crease, those expressive amber eyes, his smooth cheeks, and those lovely parted lips. This happened even more often ever since Remus came back to school. Sirius would hardly get up and his mind would start supplying him with images of the werewolf, leaving him with an insane urge to just see the object of his visions.

Carefully getting up from his bed, Sirius crept quietly to the door and made his way down the staircase. He leaned against the wall, hiding behind the shadows, wanting to catch the werewolf off guard just once. He found Remus sitting on one of the study tables, clad only in his pyjama bottoms and eyes concentrating on the text below him. Remus had been pulling all-nighters for quiet a while now, especially since he still had a lot of catching up to do. He had a perfect grade to maintain after all.

Sirius's bare feet made no noise against the plush red carpet as he walked to stand behind Remus. He also knew that his friend had sensed his presence a long time ago by the way he had stopped breathing just for a second.

'Hey,' Sirius said softly, slowly gathering up Remus's long brown hair in his fist to make a tiny ponytail. 'You sleepy yet?'

Remus shook his head. 'Still have potions to complete.'

Sirius's hands move down to his shoulder, trying to soothe away the anxiety. 'Take a break. Sit with me?'

Remus frowned a little but nodded anyway. He got up and followed Sirius on the couch, stretching his legs in front of him so that the black haired boy could take his usual spot on his stomach.

'You work too hard, Moony,' said Sirius, snuggling into him.

'Hm…' Remus tangled his fingers into his thick black hair.

'I still don't understand why you had to give up on being a prefect…' Sirius continued, randomly trying to fill the silence between them. ''S got nothing to do with your studies and me and James aren't that bad; I mean, you really enjoyed the job and all.'

'No, I didn't, and I needed time to catch up with everything I missed…' said Remus, closing his eyes and leaning against the armrest.

Sirius looked up at him uncertainly. 'It's not because of me, is it, Moony, 'cause I don't think that's a good reason at all. You make a brilliant prefect, and I think you should go on with it.'

'Not everything's about you, Padfoot.'

Sirius's arms tightened around Remus's waist. 'Alright.' They sat there in silence for a long time; Remus's breathing slowly evening out and the hand that had been petting Sirius's hair coming to a still. Sirius didn't want to disturb him, but there was something else he wanted to ask the werewolf, something he'd only got the courage to ask now. 'Moony…' He bit his lip. 'Do you trust me?'

Remus who had been drifting off slightly, managed to understand the question and think through it even through his sleep filled haze. 'I'm not sure, Padfoot.' He shifted to get himself more comfortable. 'I trust your intent…but not your actions…does that make sense?'

It did, to a certain extent, and it hurt somewhat to know that Remus didn't trust him completely, even though he deserved it. 'I'll make things better, Moony, I promise,' he whispered, sitting up. 'I'll do everything I can to get you to trust me again.'

Whether Remus had heard his resolution or not, Sirius couldn't tell, because the portrait hole had creaked open then to reveal James with an armful of treats and a grin so wide that it threatened to fall off his face.

'You will not believe what happened,' he said excitedly, sitting down beside Sirius and handing him a large cauldron cake. He was about to throw one over to Remus when he noticed that the werewolf was already fast asleep.

Sirius bit into the cake. 'One of the house elves asked you to marry them?'

'Oh, ha, ha, real funny, but nothing can dampen my mood today. Do you know why, Padfoot ol' pal? Because Lily Evans, the most gorgeous girl in school, came up to me, James Potter, while I was walking back here and asked if I could help her out in Charms.' He sighed, sliding off the couch and resting his head on Remus's legs. 'She's so falling for me.'

Well, that was certainly a surprise. Perhaps that bint had finally come to her senses. 'I wonder how that happened,' he said, sliding down beside James and mimicking his position.

Remus let out a loud snore and they both looked at each other, smiling. 'I wonder.'

XxxxX

Slinky45: Well, I hope you weren't disappointed with the reunion thingy. I didn't really work very hard on it, but I think it came out as I pictured it. I'm not sure. jka1: Yup, Remus is back and better than ever. See, psychiatry works…screw what Tom Cruise says. Tyleet27: I'm afraid your prediction for this week is a little off, but you got the bit about Sirius not having Remus's trust yet right. Forgiving is just the easy part. There's so much yet to come…denial, love, fights, (sighs) the works. RENT-Head-anadian: lol. I aim to please, and Ron and Snape? You must be joking, and no, I don't have the story written out. I just take it as it comes. What I do have is an overactive imagination, and an insatiable urge to write. KawaiiMegami86: Yeah, I wrote the whole thing in Lily's pov for her to notice the change in James, and respect him for it, and I know about dissatisfaction. Sometimes you just feel like you've rushed into things, or maybe not put enough. It's a real pain, because you just can't figure out how the hell to fix it. Muppetmadness: Well, in any case, I'm absolutely ecstatic that you like it. This story's my baby…not a very pampered one, but still…seanbiggerstaffrox: Thnx. Hope you liked this chapter just as much. Black's Crystal: Well, unlike most authors, I've decided to go easy on the pups. It's one of the reasons I included the swing scene in the last chapter. Lady Molko: Well, hope you liked Remus's comeback. mad.hot.love.: those were the days Leonardo actually looked cute. Now he just looks like a schoolboy gone who never grew up. And it's a relief you decided not to kill me…I hear dying is quite painful. Lykaios Nyx: Wow, thanks. I'm flattered to say the least, and here's the confrontation bit. WhiteWolfCub: lol, no, I'm a brit. I'm not Christian either, but this sort of prejudice runs in all religion. Very few people are tolerant of things that are different from them. Holy Virgin: Yep, Remus is back and he never misses a beat. I hope things haven't gotten too easy with them. I tried to keep a small amount of discomfort between them, but not one that's completely noticeable. LunasStar: Yeah, I really do feel sorry for Sirius. Sometimes he can just be stupid, even though he doesn't mean to be. Freakanature: Well, I hope you enjoyed your holidays, and I'll be waiting for your review for this chapter! scarlet locket: lol. I get like that without the bar of chocolate. Heaven forbid, someone gives me one. Messr-Paddifoots-love: Hm…I think I pretty much answered all your questions through this chapter. And spare John, he's misunderstood. Ginny9089: I'm not sure what sort of sound that was in the end of your sentence, but it's addictive! Teeteewhyell! Must have something to do with being insanely happy. MagicalWinry: Thnkx. Hope this one was just as good. Serpent91: Thank you for being such a constant reviewer. Leanna: Well, the confrontation bit is done. Now there's a dilemma about what I can write next. sola-bola: It wasn't a comment, really, it was the truth. I might be an obsessive compulsive liar, but I'm also an incredibly sadistic writer. Goldfish682: Sorry remus took such a short while to forgive Sirius, but that conversation with Del on the swing was a little too inspiring. BlackMercifulFaerie: Two weeks are a long time. It was high time Remus went back, and hell, the boy loves all of them like hell. That's the beauty in Remus Lupin. Illyra: I think Rem is great in this chapter even though most of the sequences weren't written through his pov. Gretch: Touched…absolutely touched. That's all I can say. Woodgie: You have no idea what boiling hot is. It's 40 degrees out here, and the things it does to your hair! jean kitsune: now, I'm confused. Do you want to come off as the most picked on one, or the one who picks on people the most. And I'd love to write to you, but I must be the busiest person on the planet. I sit on the computer once a week or so, just to be able to type in the updates. I hate studying. I should have become a radio dj or something. And I am Drama Queen – nothing is too dramatic for me. I could make a paper cut look like an attempt at suicide. Remo: my grab insists on ending everyone's names with 'o', and it is the most annoying thing in the world, especially when you've got a name like mine. Mysid: I'm partial to the scene with Lily here. I hope you like it just as much. Hpfan4life1313: 'Does happy dance with you'! hope you like this chapter. TheWingedWhispered: Sirius would agree with that comment, especially in the first half on this chapter. Annieboo92: Why have you been crying all night? Not that it's any of my business. Just asking. And don't worry. In this heat, it'll only take you a few more seconds to die of dehydration. Anon: Well, glad the situation was real enough to connect to someone. Alexandria Dunas: Thnk u. I think I managed not to leave a cliffy this time. Lol.