August, 1979

Remus sighed as another one of his colleagues passed by him with a scowl on her face and her eyes looking straight ahead. He should have been used to this by now; after all, it was his fourth week on the job as a Runes Translator. What an accomplishment it was too; this was the longest period he'd ever been able to hold a Wizard's job.

Mr. Samuel Pickering, the Head of the company, hadn't been too keen on hiring Remus initially. His dislike for werewolves and Remus, in general, had shown quite clearly on his face the minute he'd read Remus's credentials. However, the company had desperately needed a translator and who better to choose than Remus Lupin, who had straight O's in every NEWT subject he'd given. To some extent, Remus liked Mr. Pickering; he was harsh but kept his personal biases out of the workplace and didn't treat Remus any differently from the other employees.

'It's completely incompetent; I don't know why the boss keeps it anyway.' Remus heard someone whisper.

He looked up to see Mr. Pickering's secretary, Loudon Ploy, sitting only a few desks away from him and talking to two other people that Remus recognised from the Charms Department but didn't quite know their names. In his own head, he had named them 'Pimples' and 'Greasy' for obvious reasons. They were sharing a cigarette between themselves and would occasionally glare at Remus with the subtlety of a rampaging Hippogriff.

'I don't know, Ploy, the boss seems to think he's quite efficient.' Remus inwardly thanked Pimples for standing up for him.

Greasy snorted. 'Doesn't matter, does it? Half the staff is scared it'll rip their throats out, and the other half is just plain nauseated.'

Ploy nodded agreeably. 'I heard Jake's threatening to resign if Pickering doesn't fire the beast soon.'

The three of them scowled at Remus in disgust, and Remus quickly looked down, concentrating too hard on the parchment in front of him. He fought the lump steadily rising in his throat, his hold tightening on the quill he'd been writing with for so long. Ploy and the others were still talking, but Remus effectively tuned them out. He didn't need to listen to them anymore.

Remus didn't care. This sort of treatment wasn't new to him anymore. He'd grown up with it after all. His parents had sheltered him as much as they could; shifting to a Muggle town after he was bitten and taking care of him after every full moon. Yet, they were never able to avoid the regular trips to the Werewolf Registry; back then, Remus would cry into his parent's arms, screaming about the unfairness of it all. That was back when he was six; eleven years had passed since then; Remus didn't care anymore.

It looked like Remus's fourth week was going to be his last. Remus didn't care and mostly, he wouldn't blame Mr. Pickering if he decided to fire him. Pickering had given him a chance that many others had refused Remus at first glance: a chance to work according to his credentials. It didn't matter how qualified Remus was though or even how hard he worked on every task. Once people would start resigning and leaving the job, Pickering would have no choice left but to get rid of the root of the problem, namely, Remus.

He didn't care, not really. Remus just hoped he'd last the month, just enough to get his salary. Sirius's birthday was coming up, and Remus had caught him eyeing some kind of motorcycle gear (that only Sirius could name without getting his tounge caught in a knot) put on display in a dingy Muggle shop.

Remus didn't care, but the quill in his hand snapped into two.

Remus stared at the remains of his broken quill and shrugged, simply picking out another one from the holder. He had people who didn't treat him like an invalid or a monster; people who cared for him and treated him like any other human being; people who taught him to laugh at the face of his ailment; people he'd give his life for. He had his family, his friends, and the Order; and there was no way he was going to let Loudon Ploy or anyone else dampen his spirits today. No, because today was James's stag party, and he, Sirius, and Pete had spent a week planning for it, and he was going to have fun, damn it.

Remus dipped his quill in ink and began to write.

XxxxX

Sirius tipped the last of his drink and leaned back in his chair, balancing it precariously on its back legs. He couldn't stop laughing as James and Frank Longbottom drank shot after shot, competing to see who could hold his alcohol best. The party had turned out better than he'd planned. It was a small gathering, smaller than Sirius had wanted it to be, with only the Order members and a few of their old school friends invited. However, the bar itself was small, making even those handful of people look like a raging crowd.

'Moony!' James cried out suddenly, arse over tits drunk, half jumping, half toppling out of his seat. 'Just in time!' He pushed Frank Longbottom out of the way as he scrambled to get to Remus who had just entered through the front door.

Sirius's chair fell back on its front legs as he leaned forward to get a better look. He couldn't help but admire the way the dim lights of the bar reflected on Remus's honey brown hair and deep amber eyes. The werewolf looked a little tired and lined but happy nonetheless. Sirius wished Remus didn't have to work so many hours a day; it seemed to be really taking a toll on his lover.

'Guess what Padfoot got me, Moony!' James cried, slinging an arm over Remus's shoulder and practically balancing his entire weight on the werewolf.

Remus smiled knowingly. 'I don't know, Prongs. What did Padfoot get you?'

Remus was just playing along of course; he knew perfectly well what Sirius had gotten James. In fact, Sirius had suggested the idea to him the very first day they'd started planning for the party. While Remus had been reluctant then, he'd conceded after a lot of cajoling on Sirius's part; after all, no bachelor party was complete without-

'EXOTIC DANCERS!' Frank cried out, practically falling over his stool as a line of scantily clad women entered the scene.

'EXOTIC DANCERS!' James echoed, disentangling from Remus in favour of getting a better view.

The werewolf shook his head, smiling fondly. Sirius watched intently as Remus walked towards him and settled down on the seat beside his. Their hands brushed briefly. 'Lily is going to kill you when she finds out.'

Sirius raised a cocky eyebrow. 'Who's going to tell her?'

Remus laughed, a deep sound vibrating against his throat. 'How drunk did you get Prongs anyway? He could hardly stand straight.'

'Not drunk enough; it took me ten whole minutes to convince him that this was a good idea. That woman's got him whipped.'

'Mm…' Remus reached out for the glass of whiskey in Sirius's hand, making sure to place his lips exactly where Sirius's had been as he downed what was left of it in one gulp. 'Never seen Frank this wild either; who knew?'

Sirius was just about to comment on exactly how wild Frank had gotten in the last hour, when suddenly he found himself knocked back into the chair, on the receiving end of a very generous lap dance. Sirius blinked up at the woman on top of him; she smiled coquettishly but did not stop her little jig, instead pushing up her sizeable breasts against his chest. Sirius grinned, looking over her shoulder to see Remus in a similar position. Remus had been dragged to the floor by another dancer, and the bastard had actually scored larger knockers than Sirius. He glanced helplessly towards Sirius as the woman rubbed against him erratically. Sirius, in reply, simply smirked and winked at him in return.

Sirius could almost hear Remus trying to make polite excuses.

'Loosen up, Moony!' But only have eyes for me, Sirius didn't mention but made sure that they maintained unwavering eye contact, even as the girl on his lap pressed up against him.

Sirius could see Remus's eyes darken slowly in response, first in worry, then disapproval, and then just desire. It was obvious that Remus was oblivious to everything except Sirius, and the favour was returned just as well. The women aroused them; they would be lying through their teeth if they denied it, but Sirius neither indulged in the girl on his lap, nor discouraged her. This was only a part they played to keep from questions being raised; Remus knew where Sirius's allegiances lay and vice versa. In the end, all they wanted was each other.

Their intimate moment was only broken by Caradoc Dearborn suddenly thumping Remus on the back. 'Looks like you scored a good one, eh, Remus?' He screamed unnecessarily. He didn't seem very drunk, but one could never tell with Caradoc, who was known for his eccentric and odd behaviour.

Caradoc seemed unmindful to the fake smile Remus gave him or the obvious discomfort Remus was feeling at being pressed up against and forced into getting an erection by an unknown face.

'So you going to take her to home or what? You know, sweeten the deal and all?' Caradoc winked playfully at Remus.

Sirius felt his insides boil. He looked at Remus and to his surprise, found him smiling. Smiling! Like it wasn't a matter at all. Like Remus was actually considering the option of taking that sleazy bint home to fuck her. Sirius glared at Caradoc hard enough to burn holes through his skull.

'Padfoot, mate,' James slurred, pushing off the girl on Sirius's lap and settling there himself. 'You are the best friend anyone could ever ask for!'

XxxxX

Remus stubbed the last of his cigarette before switching off the lights. He made his way to the bed through memory and the small sliver of light that came from the bathroom door being left ajar. Sirius was taking a shower inside, and Remus could hear him tunelessly humming to a song that had been playing back at the bar. The success of James's stag party had put them all in a very good mood, especially Sirius, who had even smiled through Lily's scolding after the both of them had dragged a very inebriated James back home.

'Padfoot?'

'Hm?'

Remus pulled the blanket up to his chin, bracing himself to ask the question that had been plaguing his mind since the morning. 'Do you think – I mean, do you think it shows? That – that I'm not human? I mean, can you look at me and tell…that I'm a werewolf?'

Sirius stopped humming. 'What kind of bloody stupid question is that, Moony?'

'I – does it?'

'I think the answer's obvious, Moony, and I'm not going to humour you with a reply,' Sirius replied tightly, 'I don't want you asking me ridiculous questions like that again, you get that?'

Remus traced the wrinkles on the sheets with his fingers. 'I just-'

'It's those people at work, isn't it?' Sirius asked angrily. 'Fuck, Moony, I don't understand why you tolerate them or even listen to them to start with? I really don't get it. Do you actually enjoy demoralising yourself like this?'

'It's not about demoralising myself, Padfoot! To me, it seems like all of you are pretending to ignore what is so bloody obvious! I mean, everyone else sees it and all of them can't be wrong!'

Remus heard a dull 'thud' as Sirius hit the tiles. 'Fuck everyone! You're human, and that's the end of this discussion! I want you to go up there and quit first thing tomorrow; bloody bastards!'

Remus snorted derisively. 'I won't have to. I overheard a couple of people talking; I'll be fired in a few days.'

'Yeah well, all for the better! Who gives a fucking damn?'

'I do!' Remus yelled suddenly, his hands clenching the sheets tightly. 'For once, Padfoot, I'd like to be able to get a job and keep it! Is that really too much to ask?'

Sirius said nothing, but Remus could tell that he was furious. If there was something the Animagus was good at, it was expressing his anger theatrically. Remus could hear the taps squeaking as they were forcefully turned shut; the whining of the steel railing rolling on its hinges as Sirius grabbed his towel; the banging of cabinet doors as Sirius took out his toothbrush and paste; and the mutinous scrubbing as Sirius brushed hard enough to make his gums bleed.

Remus sighed regretfully and turned on his back. He shouldn't have brought the topic up; he knew how much things like this agitated Sirius.

Even through closed eyes, he could tell Sirius had entered the room by the slapping of his bare feet against the floor. Remus knew his lover's routine by heart: Sirius would change into a pair of boxers and a borrowed t-shirt from Remus; he would then spend a good five minutes in front of the mirror combing his freshly cut hair back diligently; and then finally slip into bed beside Remus, falling asleep with a final kiss on the lips.

However, there were no tell tale signs of Sirius going on about his daily rituals and a part of Remus – the part that always thudded loudly against his chest in Sirius's presence – told him that Sirius was coming closer to the bed. Standing in front of Remus. Placing a soft damp hand on Remus's forehead.

'I'm sorry,' breathed out Remus, as Sirius stroked his hair out of his face and behind his ears. 'I ruined your good mood. I'm an absolute prick.'

Sirius chuckled, stroking Remus's cheek with his knuckles. 'You didn't ruin my mood, Moony,' he whispered softly. 'I just…I really hate it when you say things like this. I hate it.'

'I know. I'm sorry.'

'Tired?'

Remus hummed quietly, leaning a little into Sirius's touch. 'Just a bit.'

'Pity.'

Remus made a soft noise of discontent as Sirius's hands moved away. He pouted unconsciously and opened his eyes questioningly only to have them pop out of his head. Sirius was standing in front of him, blissfully naked and aroused, only a towel draped around his shoulders. Remus watched as droplets of water from Sirius's hair trickled south in a steady stream.

Remus swallowed; Sirius grinned, cocking his head to the side unabashedly. 'I was kind of hoping we could have a little celebration of our own.'

'Come here,' Remus said hoarsely, pulling Sirius into the bed by the towel.

Sirius kissed him then, hot and hard; lips soft but tounge insistent; teeth nipping but hands gently twining into smooth brown hair; knees nudging between Remus's thighs until they parted. They broke apart only when the need for air became too great to ignore.

'Not that I'm complaining,' panted Remus, as he raised his arms to help Sirius pull off his t-shirt. 'But what brings on this little celebration of ours all of a sudden?'

Sirius trailed butterfly kisses on his jaw; his neck; his shoulders; his hands moving down to work on getting rid of Remus's pants. 'We need an occasion to have sex now? What are we: fifty?'

'No.' Remus gasped as Sirius gently bit into his navel. 'So, this has nothing to do with you being nervous about James and Lily's wedding tomorrow, eh?'

Sirius snorted, kissing his way back up Remus's chest. 'You should know by now, Moony love. Sirius Black never gets nervous.'

'Ahan, then you should also know by now, Padfoot, that Remus Lupin can tell when Sirius Black is brooding over something and when he just wants to fuck for no reason.'

Sirius face scrunched up in distaste even as he fumbled in the drawer beside their bed. 'Must you make it sound so crass? I'm trying to show I love you here.'

'I already know that, you idiot.' Remus grabbed the lubricant from Sirius's hands, simultaneously flipping them over so that he was now straddling Sirius's waist. 'You topped last time; it's my turn now.'

Sirius complied, wrapping his legs around Remus's waist and pulling him closer. 'I just really want it to mean something, that's all. I mean, it's so easy for James and Lily-'

'So this is about them after all,' said Remus, as he sheathed himself inside Sirius. He couldn't help but moan at the overwhelming feeling of being inside Sirius; hot, wet, and tight.

'It's easy for all of them,' Sirius gasped as Remus brought up a hand to fist his straining erection. 'I mean – ah – all James has to do is give Lily a ring and she knows. The whole – fuck, harder, fuck – the whole world knows she belongs to him.'

Remus stilled in realisation.

Sirius growled in dissatisfaction. 'You stopped! Why the fuck did you stop?'

Remus looked at Sirius, debauched and disheveled in front of him; sweat and water pooling at the hollows of his body; panting with sheer need. 'You, Padfoot, are the daftest man alive, you know that?'

Sirius pulled Remus closer by the small of his back. 'And I'll also damage something vital if you don't fucking move already!'

Remus laughed and kissed Sirius lightly on the lips, before setting back the rhythm between them. 'It doesn't matter, Padfoot. The people who matter already know: James, Lily, Peter, my mum and my aunt – we don't need anyone else.'

'I know that. Just, I'm not ashamed of this, Moony,' said Sirius, reaching for Remus's unoccupied hand and twining their fingers together. 'I'm not ashamed of us.'

'And neither am I - ah - but we can't. You know very well that we can't. The world doesn't understand us, Padfoot, it never will.'

'I hate Caradoc,' Sirius replied completely off topic, a petulant pout forming on his face. The pout was quickly transformed into a moan of gratification as Remus hit the right spot within him again and again.

Remus captured Sirius's lips before he could say anything else; putting in all the love and passion he was feeling into that one kiss. It was messy, with too much tounge and spit, but they had come to a point where it didn't really matter. They kissed until the pleasure between them had intensified so much that all they could do was breathe into each other's mouths.

'What we have is special, Padfoot,' Remus panted out, his toes curling. 'It's exhilarating and wonderful because in the end, there's nothing like you and I.'

Remus could tell that Sirius wasn't entirely satisfied with the explanation, but he never got a chance to protest, as his orgasm took over him. He came hard and fast between them, Remus filling him only seconds later. No words were exchanged except Remus's name, which tumbled from Sirius's lips like a prayer, even as they fell into a deep slumber – a tangle of limbs.

XxxxX

'You may kiss the bride.'

Mr. Evans, Lily's dad, wiped a stray tear from his eyes. He smiled when he caught Sirius looking at him. 'They grow up so fast,' he said as a way of explanation.

Sirius just smiled back, a little embarrassed.

'Smile for the camera! Ready, one, two, three-'

FLASH!

Sirius blinked, seeing spots in front of his eyes.

'How about a better picture for me, Padfoot? Best man and all?'

Sirius recognised the voice immediately and sure enough, he could see Remus smiling with his own camera in his hands.

'Moony! You're late!'

Remus nodded, his smile growing wider. 'I came just in time for the vows. Can't not attend my best mate's wedding now, can I?' He grinned at James and Lily, who winked back in reply. 'I was sitting at the back.'

That explained why Sirius hadn't seen him during the ceremony. He nodded, throwing his arms around both the bride and the groom and smiling widely. There was another flash as Remus took two more pictures of them simultaneously.

'Come on up, Moony!' James yelled, already pulling Remus by the hand. 'You too, Wormtail! I'm not going to stand here and be blinded alone!'

Sirius smirked, pulling Remus by the waist until their sides collided painfully. 'I've never seen you in dress robes before,' Sirius murmured from the corner of his mouth. His eyes traveled across Remus's body, taking in the obsidian black robes and the light gold embroidery at the cuffs and collar. The robes were made of thin, flimsy material, falling to reveal Remus's hard contours perfectly despite being a tad too loose.

'I rented them; never been much for robes,' Remus explained, swinging a hand over Peter's shoulder for the picture. 'Had a hard time finding my size. That's why I ran a little late.'

'Hm, they're nice robes,' Sirius declared, turning back to look at the camera. 'They make you look incredibly-'

'Ridiculous? Stupid? Trollish?'

'Fuckable,' finished Sirius, enjoying the blush that crept up Remus's cheeks. In all honesty, the robes made Remus look beautiful, but Sirius preferred keeping this bit of information to himself really. He wasn't that much of a ponce.

'Will you two stop talking and SMILE!' snarled Lily, looking back. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her flowing wedding dress and her hair tied up in an elegant bun. Loose strands of hair framed her face perfectly and her emerald green eyes were sparkling like never before. 'These are my wedding pictures, and I want them to be PERFECT. You hear me, Sirius Black, PERFECT?'

'Don't you just love her?' James asked dreamily. His hair was lying flat for the first time in his entire life; something only copious amounts of hair gel and determination in the form of Sirius Black could truly achieve. It was odd to see scruffy little James looking so immaculate and proper, but one could not deny that he also looked quite handsome.

'Lily's a bit on the edge,' explained Sirius to Peter and Remus. 'She thinks I'm going to blow up the hall, or even worse, that I'm going to get drunk and screw up my speech.'

Peter giggled.

Remus raised a sardonic eyebrow. 'And are you?'

'Screw up the speech? Nah!' Sirius winked mischievously. 'Get drunk and blow up the hall? Maybe…'

'I heard that, Sirius Black!' Lily scolded, while somehow smiling radiantly for the camera. 'Don't you dare! I'm warning you! For the sake of your bollocks, don't you dare!'

'Don't do it, Padfoot,' Remus whispered so that only Sirius and Lily could hear him. 'For the sake your bollocks and mine, too.'

Sirius burst out laughing; Lily simply groaned.

Once the camera men had shooed them off of the platform, so that they could take pictures of the bride and groom with their parents, Sirius, Remus, and Peter went to occupy the main table

'Have you seen my mother?' asked Remus leaning up in his chair and trying to look over the crowds.

Sirius and Peter looked at each other. 'She didn't come, Moony,' Peter said slowly, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

Remus looked puzzled. 'Why? She got the card, didn't she? I know she did, 'cause I helped Lily write most of them.'

Sirius nodded. 'She did. I asked Wormtail to call her up and ask if she needed a ride; she said she was sorry and that she had work and couldn't come.'

'Oh,' Remus said slowly, the disappointment in his voice showing clearly.

'She sent over a gift though,' Peter tried. 'I think it's a blender. James and Lily seem to have gotten a lot of those from all the muggle guests.'

Remus smiled weakly, the twinkle in his eye that had been there only minutes before dulling considerably. 'She's been working a lot lately.'

A waiter stopped by them with a platter full of hor'dourves; Sirius helped himself to a handful. 'Well, a psychi- psycho- the job that your mother does is very demanding.'

'Do you think something's wrong with her? I mean, she hasn't been the same since dad…you know…'

Sirius heard Peter swallow his food loudly and frowned. 'Give her some time, Moony. You can't force yourself upon her all the time.' Sirius used his toothpick to poke Peter in the bum to see how thick skinned he was; Peter seemed too engrossed in his food to notice. 'Tell you what, we'll take the motorbike this weekend and go visit her. How does that sound?'

Remus smiled, biting into his egg roll. 'Yeah. Yeah, that sounds all right. Don't eat too many of those, Padfoot, you won't have space for dinner.'

Dinner was a pleasant affair; the Marauders and Lily all sat together while the parental units sat opposite to them. The food was excellent, if the way Peter was shoveling pudding into his mouth was any indication; and Sirius felt great to be having dinner with the Potters again. They were, after all, practically like his own family and better parents than his own had ever been. It was almost like being at Hogwarts again; talking about irrelevant moments of their daily lives, the war put aside to the back of their minds. James and Lily couldn't look happier, and Sirius felt an odd bubble of happiness rise inside him every time he saw them look at each other with glazed over eyes.

The Evanses and Potters were getting along supremely well too; especially Mr. Evans who seemed at awe with everything magical and kept asking questions like 'but where does it all come from?' and 'did you magic the food as well, simply fascinating!'. Lily's sister, however, was an entirely different story. She scowled at everything and everyone, particularly Sirius's robes. It peeved Sirius to no end, especially considering that the robes had cost him a fortune and was of the finest quality. There was no way he looked anything less than handsome, and he certainly did not appreciate being looked at like he was some kind of troll.

Sirius thought Petunia Evans looked like a horse that had gotten the shoveling fork stuck up its arse, and he was about to turn to Remus and say so when he heard Mr. Potter mention his name.

'Sirius!' Mr. Potter repeated jovially, patting Sirius on the hand. 'Now that James is finally married and settled, don't you think you should follow suite?'

Sirius felt Remus stiffen beside him. Even James, Lily, and Peter stopped talking.

'Do you have any pretty little lady in mind?'

Sirius shrugged, attempting a careless smile. 'You know me, Mr. Potter, only girl I can stand being with long enough is my motorbike.'

Mr. Potter winked. 'Ah, Sirius, ever the player; you'll have to settle down sometime. Best start searching now. I don't think you'll have much of a problem either, the ladies are cramming for you back there.'

Sirius felt Remus's hand settle just above his knee, and Sirius rested his own on top of it, squeezing lightly.

'I think it's time for a toast!' Sirius said suddenly, standing up. He didn't really know what else to do to break the discomfort that had fallen between them. He cleared his throat, a little unsure of what to say but looking confident and relieved to have something else to do.

'Two years ago, if anyone ever told me James Potter would be marrying Lily Evans, I would have laughed at their faces. I think, most of us have lost count of the number of time Prongs came back with warts all over his face; an after effect of asking Lily out for the umpteenth time, no doubt.' The crowd laughed, but Sirius was mostly concentrating at just James and Lily now. 'Oddly enough, our Lily flower was as quoted "more willing to date the Giant Squid before she ever went out with Potter". I can't blame her though; the Giant Squid had the nicest suckers I'd ever seen.'

Sirius heard Remus's soft laughter and smiled, swirling his wine glass for show. 'But I don't think anyone can be more grateful than us that our dear Ms. Evans finally conceded. It was the end of a lifelong torment of "Padfoot, why won't Evans go out with me?" and "do you think it's because I have a fat arse?"'

James showed him the finger and Sirius laughed.

'More than that, though, Lily Evans completed the Marauders and filled the void among us that craved a female touch. She cared for us, cooked our meals for us, even cleaned our houses for us; she crept into our lives so subtly that it was almost impossible for us to realise just how much she had become a part of us and our little family.'

'Hear, hear!' cried Peter, making Lily blush to match her hair.

'She is truly one of the most wonderful women I've ever met. I don't know how you did it with a mug like yours, Potter, but I think it's an excellent tactic: sealing the deal before she got away. Now she's stuck with you till death does you apart.'

The crowd laughed; James grinned and winked slyly.

'So, here's to my brother, James Potter and his wonderful wife, Lily Evans because they are obviously the beginning of something truly wonderful. Cheers!' Sirius raised his glass before gulping down his drink in one go.

'That was beautiful, Sirius,' Lily whispered, kissing him on the cheek.

XxxxX

Lily frowned disapprovingly as Sirius twirled her mechanically, his movement fluid with practiced ease. 'You know, Sirius, I know I'm not exactly up to your pureblood dancing standards, but you could at least try and look like you're enjoying yourself.'

Sirius didn't respond; in fact, he wasn't even looking at her.

'Sirius!'

Sirius startled. 'Oh, sorry, Lily. You were saying something?'

Lily sighed. 'Go on then, tell me what's on your mind.'

Sirius smiled enigmatically; it would have worked on most women but not Lily Evans. 'Nothing at all, Lily darling. I don't know why you'd ask as such.'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Come on, Sirius, don't insult my intelligence. You've been like this since the beginning of the dance. Earlier, I think. Wait,' Lily said, her eyes widening in realisation. 'Does this have anything to do with what James's dad said?'

'Nah!' Sirius replied nonchalantly, but there was a tell tale flicker in his eyes.

'Sirius…' Lily said, her tone low and warning.

'Look, Lily, drop it. It's nothing you'd understand anyway.'

Lily looked appalled. 'Why ever not?'

'Because you're straight,' Sirius replied dully.

'Oh, Sirius,' she said, her eyes mellowing as she tucked his dark hair behind his ears. 'You're upset because you can't marry Remus, is that it?'

Sirius nearly dropped her on the floor in shock. 'WHAT? NO! Jesus, Lily, I don't want to marry him! Where in Merlin's name do you come up with these ideas?'

'What is it then?' Lily asked, a little disgruntled over being wrong.

Sirius sighed. 'You'd think I was being daft.'

'Try me.'

Sirius rolled his eyes. 'Fine,' he said reluctantly. 'I'm jealous of my niece.'

Lily blinked. 'What?'

'I'm jealous of my niece,' repeated Sirius through gritted teeth.

Lily looked at ten-year old Nymphadora Tonks, her hair a nice platinum blonde today. She was dancing with Remus, not far away from them, and barely reached his waist despite standing on his shoes. Her bright pink dress swayed gracefully with the music as Remus guided them through the dance floor. She would occasionally laugh at something undoubtedly funny that Remus would say; her childish laughter loud and careless. To be honest, Lily had asked Remus to dance with the child, just to occupy her long enough to stop toppling things over. They had already lost a very expensive crystal vase.

'I'm not asking for much, Lily,' Sirius continued slowly, opening up to her. 'I don't want to marry him or something stupid like that. But I wouldn't mind being able to hold his hand without everyone looking at us like we were the scum of the Earth. I mean…' Sirius breathed heavily. 'You and James, you guys can have it off in public, and no one will say a thing. I so much as kiss him on the cheek and there are about eighty people with lighted wands after me.'

Lily stroked his shoulder reassuringly.

'I'm tired of always having to keep it a secret, always having to confine everything we do in a curtained room. I don't even like dancing, but I wouldn't mind too much it if I ever got a chance to dance with him.'

Lily had never truly realised how hard it had to be for Remus and Sirius; to be in a relationship, but never be able to show it in fear of rejection. She realised how restricted they were in front of other people, never so much as sitting together in case people saw something off about them. She imagined being like that with James and found it too hard to even think of.

'I understand,' she said softly after a while. She didn't know what else to say.

Sirius laughed bitterly. 'You don't but thanks for trying. Forget it; I'm getting too sentimental in my old age. Where's James?' he asked, abruptly changing the topic.

'He's dancing with my sister.'

Sirius's eyes widened and a familiar mischievous grin spread across his face. 'No way! That hag?' He stood on his toes, no doubt searching for James.

Lily thwacked him up the head. 'That's my sister you're talking about.'

'Yeah, but you have to admit, Lily. She's a real piece of work.'

Lily huffed.

'Poor, James. Lucky for me, I got you, eh, Evans?' Sirius waggled his eyebrows.

Lily blushed and hit him again. 'Oh hush. Petunia isn't that bad. She can be really nice when she wants to, you know.'

Sirius grinned. 'I'm sure she can, just as I'm sure that you're sendoff is going to be a quiet and peaceful affair.'

'You didn't?'

'You honestly didn't think Sirius Black would leave a party without some kind of explosion, did you?'

'Sirius Black, I'm warning you! If you-'

'Relax, love,' Sirius said, kissing her on the cheek. 'It's just a few fireworks. Made them myself, with a little help from Moony of course.'

Remus, Lily convinced herself, if Remus was involved then there would be nothing to worry about. Things would be relatively risk free. Yes, Remus was a responsible, mature adult, who actually thought Sirius's hideous black bike was the sexiest thing on the planet. Oh, she was doomed.

Lily wouldn't think about it. No, she'd best concentrate on other matters at hand. 'Sirius, about Remus…'

Sirius's handsome face scrunched up in disdain. 'I told you to drop it. It doesn't matter.'

Lily raised a confident eyebrow. 'Even if I told you I had a way to make all those things possible? Even if I said you could not only hold his hand without getting bludgeoned, but could go as far as kissing him in public?'

Sirius twirled her and tipped her back as the song ended, an amused grin gracing his features. 'I'm listening...'

XxxxX

Remus clutched Sirius tightly as the motorbike took another sharp turn to the left. 'Padfoot, I thought we were going home!' he yelled over the roaring sound of the engines. Much to his annoyance, his hair was flapping wildly around his face and kept trying to get into his mouth. 'We just passed by the flat!'

'We will, once I'm done showing you something!' Sirius yelled, not quite looking back. The bike took a sharp dive downwards, plunging towards the earth at a lethal speed.

The first time Sirius had done this, Remus had screamed like a girl. Over a hundred rides later, plummeting to the ground towards certain death felt equal to a pin prick. The stunt was just a part of the thrill for Sirius, and the novelty of a new flying charm would probably wear off with time or so Remus hoped. Besides, though he would never admit it, Remus somewhat enjoyed the bike rides; there was a certain excitement to flying on a bike that he'd never felt with a broom; the thrum of the engines beneath his thighs and the risk of being caught by anyone who so much as decided to look up. Also, Sirius's recklessness gave an excellent excuse for Remus to grope him shamelessly.

The bike screeched to a halt, making Remus jerk forwards. 'Is this why you insisted we change back to our muggle clothes? Where are we?'

'I'm not sure myself, but Lily said it would be a block away.'

Beside them, Remus saw a wino staring at them with eyes the size of dinner plates; Sirius wasn't exactly known for his subtlety. Remus tossed a two pound coin to the ground; not that anyone would believe the man's drunken tales of flying motorbikes, but just in case.

'What's a block away?' asked Remus, hurrying to catch up with Sirius, who was now walking in long strides.

Sirius grinned, stopping abruptly. 'That.' He pointed upwards.

Remus felt his jaw drop. 'Queens of London?' he asked incredulously, reading the enormous neon red sign but not quite believing it. 'You must be joking.' The O flashed on and off across Remus's face, making it look comical. Not that Remus could bring himself to care; he was too busy looking at the rather hideous yellow crown on top of the Q.

'Isn't it fantastic?' asked Sirius gleefully, swinging an arm around Remus's shoulder and pulling him closer.

Remus wasn't too sure about Sirius's definition of fantastic. 'It can't be…is it?' The two men walking out of the tinted glass door in a passionate lip lock was all the confirmation Remus needed. 'Blimey!'

'Come on, let's go in!'

Remus didn't have a chance to protest as Sirius bodily dragged him through the inside.

Men: that was the first thing Remus noticed. Scores of men. Men holding hands, men kissing, men flirting with each other, men dancing; it was full blown testosterone. Aside from that, however, Remus noticed that the bar was not so different from the ones they usually went to. He wasn't sure what he was expecting exactly, but the quaint and modest setting had admittedly shocked him a little. There were a row of chairs and tables at the back; a bar to their right; and a platform to their left where a humble crowd was dancing to the band's soulful music.

'Wow,' Sirius said breathily and Remus couldn't help but agree.

'How did Lily know of this place again?' Remus asked, unable to take his eyes of the two men at the corner table sitting close, as if on a date.

'You don't want to know.' Sirius held Remus's hand in his, looking around cautiously, testing the waters. 'Come on,' he said finally, beaming when Remus's hands tightened around his. 'I love this song!'

Sirius dragged Remus to the front to get a better view of the band that called themselves 'The Lazy Layabouts' – obviously one of those muggle bands that covered famous songs. Remus would recognise the opening anywhere; he'd bought the record for Sirius after all, and they'd been listening to it every morning until both of them would actually end up singing word for word while making breakfast.

'LONDON CALLING!' Sirius screamed more than sang, pulling Remus against him, so that every inch of their bodies touched. 'TO THE FARAWAY TOWNS! NOW WAR IS DECLARED-'

Remus couldn't help but grin, as many others joined in, dancing wildly and in Sirius's case, practically jumping on the balls of his feet.

'Come on, Moony! You love this song!' Sirius yelled into his ear, eyes bright and brilliant, and hair flying all over the place.

'THE ICE AGE IS ROLLING, THE SUN ZOOMING IN! MELTDOWN EXPECTED-'

'Oh, this is fan-bloody-tastic!' Sirius cried, as Remus couldn't help but sing along. 'Oh wait, wait…here comes our favourite part…' Sirius grinned, waiting for the last line of the chorus to come, before both of them screamed out together, 'CAUSE LONDON IS DROWNIN' AND I, LIVE BY THE RIVER!"

Both of them burst out laughing, clutching each other for support, tears of mirth pooling around their eyes. None of them exactly why either of them were laughing so hard, just that it was the most relief and joy they'd felt in a very long time. It felt like finally being let of a cage; the bubble of happiness that had settled within them since they'd heard about James and Lily's wedding swelling and filling them throughout.

'Merlin,' Sirius panted out, clutching the stitch on his side.

Somehow, both of them had ended up with their arms around each other; Remus's arms around Sirius's shoulder, while Sirius's around Remus's waist.

Sirius rested his head against Remus's collar bone, still chuckling a bit. 'I've wanted to do this for ages, Moony; can you believe…can you believe this is actually happening? That no one actually cares? Look at these people…they're-'

'It's brilliant,' Remus agreed, unconsciously swaying to the music. He hadn't even realised the music had slowed down to a still upbeat but more mellow tune. It wasn't a song Remus recognised, and he also realised that they were dancing a lot slower than they were supposed to.

Sirius hummed against his neck, snuffling a bit. 'Bloody ace. We'll have to get Lily something really good this Christmas for this…'

'Yeah,' Remus said, not really concentrating on much except the feel of Sirius in his arms and the way their bodies moved slowly against each other in perfect harmony.

'Just us now…you and I…and everyone here knows…' Sirius whispered, his hand around Remus's waist tightening possessively. 'You're mine, promise me that.'

Remus looked up into Sirius's deep grey eyes, smiling wickedly as an idea formed in his mind. 'I, Remus Lupin,' he started.

'And I, Sirius Black,' Sirius continued, grinning as he joined in the game.

'Promise to take you as my best friend and fellow Marauder.'

'Lover and wonderful roommate.'

Remus smirked. 'To pick you up every time you fall.'

'And never laugh at your misfortune while doing so.' Sirius dodged Remus's playful punch. 'Also, to always support you in all your endeavours.'

'Even if it involves flying motorbikes and me ending up dead.'

'I'd never let anything happen to you, Moony,' Sirius replied sincerely, holding Remus close to him.

Remus's fingers stroked the ends of Sirius's hair and neck. 'To try and not burn the toast every morning.'

'And to throw out the garbage every other day, and maybe even do the laundry…maybe.' Sirius emphasised when he saw Remus beaming. 'Oh, and have sex at least once a day…let's not forget that important bit.'

Remus laughed quietly. 'But most of all, I promise to love you…'

Sirius smiled. 'For better or for worse…'

'For richer, for poorer…'

'In sickness and in health…'

'From this day forward, till death do us part,' Remus whispered the last bit, feeling unbearably naked as their moment of fun turned into something a lot more intimate. It hadn't meant to go this far, but Remus's heart was beating rapidly as Sirius gazed at him with all the love in the world.

'And the after life reunite us again,' Sirius finished softly.

They were glued together now; hips, shoulder, thighs, arms; looking completely inseparable as Remus buried his face into Sirius's neck and laughed. 'God, we're so queer,' he said, still unable to believe how the night's even were turning out for them.

'Hm...we are…but we forgot the most important part.'

Remus looked up questioningly. 'We have?'

'Yeah,' Sirius said quietly, before capturing Remus's lips in a soft kiss.

XxxxX

Author's note: Yes, yes…sap, complete and absolute sap. But I decided this chapter should be nice and happy, and all loving and everything. It's a wedding thing after all! Oh, and this chapter was inspired by Nothing Like You and I (by the Perishers) and London Calling (by The Clash). If you haven't heard them before, I suggest you do. The book was excellent by the way. I'm going to pretend the last four pages didn't exist, because that bit just really killed a great story; and I hate it when parents name their kids after other old people. I truly, absolutely hate it. As for Ted: don't mean to be hypocritical, but I thought he was kind of cute and was actually ecstatic for Remus when he came in with the news of the baby. I figured, Remus marries Tonks after Sirius died, and he is allowed to move on and try to love someone else. And Tonks is hot…so why not. Besides, in the afterlife, she wasn't there…so ha! Us shippers have the last laugh after all. Now, review and tell me how incredibly soppy this chapter was. Go on…

Antares: Lol…ah, well, the Tonks thing…I know what you mean. I was actually sort of glad that Remus died…I was expecting him to. The Marauders aren't complete without him…and was it me, or was Remus actually trying to get himself killed half the time. He seemed a lot more enthusiastic than before. owlmessenger20: Hm…actually, I think had a bit of a downtime somewhere along there; the chapter was available when I looked it up. Anyway, I hope you liked this one. It was happy! Holly B: Thanks, I hope this chapter kept up to your expectations. Keep reading and reviewing! Tara: Thanks! Hope you liked this chapter too! OEgirl: Lol…I hope I updated fast enough…so, no I guess I haven't stopped there, even though it would make a fantastic ending. I decided it's nice to have some more fluff and RS love, and my inspiration was on a rampage. Hope you liked it! Aclytie: To be honest, I don't know how far I'm going to go, but I think I'll definitely make it to Harry's birth. I hope you enjoyed this chapter…it had the wedding and a really hideous best man speech thingy going on, but ahem…forgive me? YourMomIsTooLazyToLogIn: Well, I tried to detail this chapter to my extent, but I think I have a drawback in that area…I tend to try to put in the main points a bit too much. Anyway, if it didn't work out, I'd really appreciate a few ore pointers since I'm always trying to find ways to improve my writing. Thanks again! Tof: I actually thought the book was quite good; and I guess its okay for Remus to think about his kid a lot. Of course, he'd never leave the child; he's too sweet for that. Is it me, or did it look like he was more concerned about the child than anything else. Like, Tonks wasn't that much of a deal. Hehe…yeah, the r/s fangirl inside me is talking...but seriously. SiriusBlackLover29: Lol, no, I haven't heard of that actually. But my 16 year old cousin wore glow in the dark Harry Potter glasses, and a hideous hat when the movie came out. I can imagine the amount of people looking at you strangely.