So this one is a bit longer...I really hope you like it!
Please let me know what you think so far :P
"Sirius?"
It's raining out.
It's raining out and Remus is wearing his nicest dress coat which is made purely for looks and not warmth and he's shivering in the cold london air as he stands outside of the apartment building waiting for Sirius to buz him in.
"Sirius...come on..."
He tucks his hands under his armpits in an attempt to keep warm and contemplates just turning around and leaving, but then he hears the click of the lock.
Sirius lives on the top floor, renting out the same shitty apartment he first got when he was broke and homeless after leaving the Potter's in sixth year. Even though now he's got an inheritance that's more money than half of Hogwarts has got, he refuses to move, giving a bullshit reason each time.
The stairs are dim and damp and there's an infuriating dripping coming from somewhere and the light keeps flickering and Remus is actually afraid to touch the handrail it looks so filthy.
When he finally makes it to Sirius floor he pauses, because Sirius has been in a fowl mood for a while now, and the holiday season has never sat well with the Black, and as much as Lily insisted that everyone needed to come to Christmas dinner Remus isn't sure she really wants Sirius Black at his worst. No one does.
A man in dark jacket shoves past him and Remus' shoulder hits the wall in the small corridor, a ripple of pain running through him. The man doesn't look back or apologize.
"Sirius, we're going to be late." He calls at the adjacent door to Sirius' apartment, pushing it open fully as he walks in.
It's a one room apartment with a small kitchenette and a bathroom, Sirius' bed sits on the floor across from a small muggle television set, his prized possession. Clothes are strewn everywhere, mixed in with textbooks left over from their schooldays and pieces of tattered parchment with strange diagrams and half written spells scribbled on them.
Sirius has his back to him, hunched over something on the old tom drum that he uses as a side table. He's surprisingly dressed, and actually looks decent, wearing a pair of nice slacks and an expensive dress shirt that must have cost a fortune.
Remus checks his watch and grimaces, Lily hates when people are late.
He's about to say something about it again when Sirius stands and turns suddenly.
Blood is flowing freely from his nose, dripping down his face and onto his white shirt.
"Do you know how much this shirt cost?" Sirius says slowly, trying in vain to stop the blood.
"What happened!?" Remus nearly shrieks, as he tries to comprehend what he's seeing.
"It cost me nearly 300 pounds."
"Sirius, what happened?" Remus repeats slower, with a sharp emphasis on each word and he pulls his wand out of his pocket, grabbing Sirius' arm.
"Oh nothing important, just a gift exchange."
"Sirius." Remus snaps harshly, "Let me see."
He takes the taller man's face in his hands and taps his nose with his wand, the bones snapping back into place with a sickening crunch.
Ripping himself free Sirius stalks into the kitchen and returns with a wet rag, mopping up his face.
"Who did this?"
"Reg, he was just here."
"Regulus?" And then Remus remembers the man in the hallway who shoved past him and kicks himself for not recognizing the dark hair and darker eyes and unapologetic manner.
"Yeah, better?" He asks, gesturing to his now blood free face.
"Much, why was he here?"
"Not important, can you hand me that shirt?" Frowning Remus passes a clean white shirt that was laying on a chair, averting his eyes slightly as Sirius stripped off the blood stained one.
"Alright, can we go now?"
Remus is about to say yes, please, let's go already, but he pauses. "Why was your brother here?"
"It doesn't bloody matter Remus!"
"Yes it does! He's a Death Eater Sirius! He's dangerous!"
Sirius rounds on Remus. He'd always been taller, infuriatingly so, and even though Remus has the wolf blood in him, he's tired and still hurt from the past full moon and Sirius is strong and he shoves him roughly into the wall, slamming him into it hard, an arm at his throat.
Pale grey eyes dance wildly in the dim light, glinting madly and it's only now that he's so close, breath hot and heavy on Remus' face that he smells the whiskey on Sirius' breath.
"I'm dangerous too Remus." Sirius whispers, voice unusually calm, juxtapose to the look in his eyes and Remus chokes and Sirius let's him go.
Suddenly he's back, standing a few feet away, fixing his hair in the broken mirror on the wall and tucking his shirt in.
"Do I look alright?"
"I...yeah."
Neither man says anything on the trip out to the country, both equally aware of that they were very late for dinner now.
It's only on the doorstep of the Potter's house that Sirius pauses, gripping Remus' arm tightly.
"Look, back there." His eyes flicker, reflecting the sunset around them and it's like he's a completely different person. "It's Christmas Moony, family time."
"I thought we were your family now, not them." Remus says coldly, throwing Sirius' own words from long ago back at him.
Sirius' eyes harden and his mouth thins, his grip on Remus' arm tightening ever so slightly.
"Not all the time Lupin."
The tone is like ice and the words send shivers down Remus' spin and he's about to retort, something hot and heavy and angry, because what the fuck happened to them? When had all their conversation been angry words and hidden meanings and half veiled insults?
But then James is throwing the door open with a big stupid grin on his face that falters when he sees them.
"Mates-" He starts, hazel eyes worried but Sirius just flashes him a brilliant smile, because all of a sudden he's all charm and warmth and he's Sirius again.
"Sorry we're late Prongs, bit of wardrobe trouble." He laughs and James laughs along with him, stepping back out of their way.
"No worries mates, Merry Christmas by the way!"
Sirius releases Remus' arm suddenly and smiles at him, the same lopsided, mischievous smile he used to wear at school. But it doesn't reach his eyes anymore.
"Yeah, Merry Christmas Remus." He says softly, almost a whisper as he shoved past Remus into James' house. Just as dark haired and dark eyed and unapologetic as his brother.
Standing there on the doorstep Remus can feel the warmth of the fireplace in James' living room leaking out as the wind whips through him and he shivers.
"Yeah...Merry Christmas."
The door closes sharply behind him.
So...review? I'd love to hear what you guys think!