Title: There is no real title
Rating: K+, I think
Warnings: more like pre slash, angst, a canon death, but none of the boys
Beta: Once again the fantastic Hannah
Disclaimer: HP is not mine
AN: This story was written for the BlackLupin. org Spring Challange. A small R/S get together
Spring Challenge
The Marauders wandered down to Hogsmeade on a sunny, but still cold Saturday. The last weekend of February happened to be an official Hogsmeade weekend and so lots of other students joined the four boys on their trip to the small magical village.
Sirius felt nervous as he and his three friends walked down the narrow road to Hogsmeade. Not only was Remus walking next to him, and more closely than one perhaps would consider appropriate and Sirius had known for some time now that he felt a lot more for the fragile-looking boy than mere friendship, but there was also his upcoming visit from his Uncle Alphard.
The old wizard had asked Sirius to meet him in the Three Broomsticks at 12:30 so that they could have lunch together. Of course Sirius wouldn't let the opportunity to see one of his favorite relatives slip by him. Especially Alphard, who he knew was gravely ill. This could be the last time he would be able to speak with him in person.
Reaching the Three Broomsticks, Sirius bid his friends goodbye and told them that he would meet them in the Hogs Head later on.
The four boys had learned the last time they went to Hogsmeade that they could get some Firewhiskey there, even though they weren't yet of age. Needless to say, they therefore coped with the less than homey interior of the dingy pub in promise of something stronger than Butterbeer.
The old, wooden door of the Hogs Head swung open two hours later, revealing Sirius's tall figure. He entered the dimly lit pub and soon found his friends in the corner, huddled together around a small table, all of them clearly no longer completely sober. Sirius walked over to them and saw that the only available seat was next to Remus on the worn wooden bench. Sliding into the space next to his secret love, he was happy that he could squeeze up to Remus without giving anything away.
Remus smiled brightly at Sirius, but the smile that the other boy returned to him wasn't reaching his eyes. Apparently lunch with Alphard had been a sad affair.
Seeing the missing sparkle in his friend's eyes, Remus pushed his newly brimming glass of Firewhiskey to Sirius. Immediately he lifted the glass to his lips and downed it in one swig before knocking the glass loudly on the dirty table top and demanding a refill from James, which was consumed just as fast as the first.
Remus watched Sirius with sorrowful brown eyes, and James's and Peter's faces also showed that Sirius's bad mood didn't escape them. Still, none of them asked what had happen during the lunch with his Uncle Alphard. But if Sirius's mood right now was any indication, things weren't looking good for his uncle.
James refilled Sirius's glass once again, letting him drown his sorrow in alcohol until he was ready to talk. They all had learned really fast that Sirius would only get angry when pestered to talk about something he didn't want to talk about. So, they waited.
Sunday morning, Sirius was greeted by the first warm rays of sunlight and a gigantic hangover. The moment he opened his eyes, Sirius pulled his blanket over his head, trying to block out the light and James's laugher. Muffled, he could hear that James was sending Peter to fetch some hangover potion, and then silence filled the room.
Groaning, Sirius stuck his head out from under his blanket and carefully sat up. James watched him with a gleeful smile from his place on his own bed, which made Sirius direct a deadly glare at his best friend.
James didn't seem too impressed; he only told Sirius that Remus had gone to the library an hour ago to catch up with his schoolwork, since he had missed two days of school because of the full moon.
Sirius understood what James was trying to say: that, if he wanted to, they could talk about the events of the previous day. Taking the indirect offer from his best friend, Sirius started to talk while he collected his strewn-about clothes from the floor and put them back on. In one of his jeans pockets he found a small vial with a watery liquid inside. It was a present from his Uncle Alphard.
Sadly, a few days later a letter reached Sirius, telling him that Alphard had succumbed to his illness and that he had now inherited a fair deal of money. Without a word, Sirius left the table and the Great Hall, hiding from his friends and the world for the day. He didn't want to have to explain to anyone what had happened, or why his eyes were red and puffy.
Sirius left the old hidden classroom he had secluded himself in for the day when the sun started to set and most students were at dinner. He wasn't hungry, he only wanted to go to his bed and be left in peace.
When he reached the dorm room, Sirius found Remus, James, and Peter waiting for him. None of them spoke a word as he entered, but the looks of sympathy on their faces told him enough. They knew what had happened, even without him telling them.
Smiling and thankful for his friends' silent support, Sirius walked over to Remus's bed and lay down next to him. He didn't care what the other might think of his behavior and was only trying to ease his pain. And where could he do that better than near the one person he truly loved?
Feeling at ease, Sirius closed his eyes and remembered one of the few people who had accepted him for the person he truly was, and near Remus his loss seemed less painful than before.
Unknown to Sirius, a pair of brown eyes watched him, filled with adoration, love and compassion.
In the next few days Sirius started to accept the fact that he had lost one of his allies against his family, which saw him only as a disgrace to their pure blooded mania. Privately he even started to be glad that Alphard had passed away so quickly and without a lot of suffering. At their lunch his uncle had told him that there wasn't anything the healers could do to prevent his death, and that he could only wait until his time would come.
Of course Sirius wouldn't believe a word Alphard said and thought that perhaps there was still hope. But the haggard appearance of his once good looking uncle had told him that his words were true and that this most likely would be the last time they would spend time together. Remus stayed by Sirius's side most of the time. It wasn't clear if Sirius wouldn't leave his side, or if Remus stayed with him on his own accord.
As sad as Sirius's loss was, James and Peter couldn't help but secretly smile to themselves as they watched their friends. Watching them it was clear how very in love they were with each other, and hope grew in the other two Marauders that the two canines would finally admit their feelings for each other. Neither James nor Peter would mind them becoming a couple, as long as they weren't too lovey dovey in front of them.
One evening while James was walking with Sirius down to the Quidditch pitch for training he couldn't hold his big mouth shut and confronted the dog animagus directly about his feelings for the lycanthrope.
Surprisingly Sirius didn't deny anything; still, he didn't believe that any good could come out of telling Remus how he felt about him. James, of course, saw things differently and told Sirius so. Shaking his head in disbelief, Sirius let his hand dip into the small bag he had snatched from his nightstand and stuffed a handful of crackers with cheese in his mouth. No, he would never tell Remus about his feelings. Too precious was their friendship to him, for him to ruin it with this and he would need more luck than a leprechaun, for the studious boy to ever return his feelings.
Luck?! Suddenly Sirius remembered something. The last present he had received from his Uncle Alpard.
After training he ran up to his dorm room and searched his night drawer for the small vial.
With his heart pounding wildly in his chest, Sirius popped it open and drained the watery fluid without a pause. James watched every move with open surprise on his face and his bewilderment grew even more as Sirius suddenly informed him that he had changed his mind and he was going to talk to Remus now.
Sirius wandered around the school and his feet carried him on their own account to the library. There, in a far corner he found Remus balancing on an uncomfortable looking three legged wooden stool with a plaid cushion on top. He had his nose burrowed in a heavy transfiguration book, obviously studying for their next test. Books, parchment, ink and a quill lay strewn around the too small table next to an untouched extra yummy cinnamon muffin with brown sugar on top. Hopefully, Madame Price wouldn't notice the treat sent by Remus's mother, because the librarian didn't allow food near her books.
On silent feet Sirius walked over to his fellow Marauder and slipped into the chair opposite from Remus.
Minutes later, Remus finally noticed Sirius's presence and he jumped, startled, hitting the table with one knee and sending his reading glasses, which had been perched on a stack of books, flying to the ground.
Sirius felt a little sorry for scaring the living daylights out of Remus and he bent down to pick up the now broken glasses. But he wasn't the only one. Remus did just the same and as they both grasped for the glasses their hands touched. Sirius felt electrified the moment he felt Remus's soft skin under his fingers and time stopped for him.
Remus's hand stilled as well, and, as Sirius lifted his eyes from the floor, his grey eyes met brown. The warm depths mirrored the same feelings Sirius knew shone in his own.
For moments which seemed like hours to Sirius they stared at each other, neither one moving or saying anything, both too afraid to break the magic moment.
Nonetheless, reality called Sirius back fairly soon as his back protested his bent position and he had to sit up properly again, lifting the glasses up with him. Remus, too, sat up straight, watching Sirius with uncertain eyes, still not sure what their shared moment had meant, or if it had meant anything at all.
Sirius placed Remus's glasses in front of him and with a swift tap of his wand they were as good as new. Satisfied with his work, Sirius took the glasses and leaned over the table to Remus, trying not to knock anything else from the over laden table onto the floor, and set the golden frames on Remus's slightly crooked nose.
That close to Remus, Sirius could feel his warm breath tickle his face and without really thinking, he closed the last space between them.
Behind a nearby bookshelf, a slight jingle could be heard as two golden coins changed hands and an angry redhead stormed out of the library, grumbling slightly that she never should have agreed to that bet at all.
The end