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After a night of hard drinking, Sirius Black was very glad to find his way into Remus' bed, cuddling into the large sheets contemplatively as he prepared for his friend's arrival the next day. Sleep came quickly, and he couldn't help but bask in his friend's relaxing scent as he drifted into an easy slumber.
"Who's been sleeping in my bed?" Sirius shuddered as hot breath shot across his face, heat spreading across his body as his eyes tore open to meet the sparkling golden globes above him. The face smiled softly, before moving from its welcome position above Sirius, and the dark haired teen rolled over to locate where it had retreated to.
His eyes were greeted to the sight of his missing friend, crouched over his trunk as he placed his wares on the bedside table. "Remus!" He whispered with a smile, pushing the boy's shoulder. "You told me you wouldn't be here until tomorrow, you sneaky devil!"
"Technically, Sirius, it is past midnight, making today tomorrow. Honestly, anyone would think that you were upset at my early arrival." The lupine smiled, placing his parchment in a drawer before resting on his haunches to gaze at his friend, ruffling the dark hair in front of him.
"Never." Sirius responded, a ghost of a smile tracing his lips as he leant into his friend's bony hand, letting the long fingers scratch him as if he were in his canine form. "I just can't believe my moonikins is back. You've been gone for *way* too long." He finished, grabbing Remus' wrist and squeezing lightly.
"I know" Remus sighed, leaning back to sit on the cold floor. "But I came eventually, didn't I?" Sirius smiled fully now, his white teeth glowing in the soft natural light.
"Yes, you came eventually. You came eventually at some godforsaken hour of the morning, which I only normally witness if I'm pulling an all nighter." Sirius laughed, propping himself up on Remus' bed.
"Well then you could have been a bit considerate and pulled an all nighter for me, now, couldn't you?" Remus responded with a smile, patting Sirius' knee softly through the sheets.
"If someone had told me they'd be arriving at..." Sirius leaned over to see the clock, wincing as he saw 3:42 flash repeatedly. "... 4 in the morning, then I would have stayed up until the Hippogryffs came home." Remus laughed silently, rolling his eyes. "Actually, if someone had told me they were coming home at all I would be happy. Instead, I had to learn that my favourite werewolf was coming home through some overgrown deer. That hurt, right here." Sirius sighed dramatically, clasping his hands over his heart.
"Poor little tortured Padfoot. Since you are so tired, diddums, I shall let you get some rest. And since a certain someone seems to have taken refuge in my bed, I do believe I shall have to find somewhere else to sleep." Remus stood to leave, before a firm arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him onto the cramped bed.
"Don't be a silly pumpkin. This bed is big enough for the both of us." Sirius mumbled against the tawny locks in front of him, briefly inhaling the lupine scent. He concealed a yawn haphazardly, before turning his attention back to the teen in front of him. Sirius rolled across the bed, giving his friend some room. "Sides, the only other free bed in this room is mine, and unless sleeping amongst cake, melted chocolate, 3 years worth of notes and a few unidentified living organisms floats your boat, you don't want to be going over there."
"Unidentified living organisms, eh?" Remus smiled, throwing the covers over himself and propping himself up on one elbow. "That could make for an interesting night's sleep, I'm sure."
"They can't have you. I'm having you tonight." Remus raised an eyebrow at this statement, amused at the turn of phrase. "Well, not *having* you, having you, but keeping you in this bed. I mean sleeping with you. I mean sleeping in a bed with you, without bumping uglies. Unless, of course, you want-"
"Pads. I know what you mean. I think I'm going to stay here, thank you very much, in my bed, which you also happen to be sleeping in." Remus yawned lightly, raising a hand to cover his mouth. "'Sides, I'm too tired to move now, so I guess I'll be sleeping here. With you. Without 'bumping uglies'." Sirius couldn't help but smile as Remus wrinkled his nose at the euphemism.
"I didn't mean to call them ugly. Mine are very pretty. I'm sure yours are pretty too."
"As lovely as this conversation is, I'm shattered. Night Padfoot." Remus stated through another yawn, leaning into the pillow and closing his eyes. Sirius lay there, staring at the peaceful form by his side with a smile, until one golden orb popped open and glared. "I know I'm irresistible, Pads, but really, you don't need to stare. Go to sleep, I'll see you in the morning."
"Mmkay. Night night my moonikins."
"Night night Padfoot."
Sirius heard the rustling of sheets before he had the energy to open his eyes and discover why it was that they were moving. He felt the bounce in the bed as someone moved in between the sheets and the duvet, but it was only when he opened his eyes and watched James' head emerge from the sheets between himself and Remus that he fully understood what was going on.
The be-speckled boy had crawled under the sheets, placing himself between the two canines, and now lay with his head at shoulder level to the two, in an utterly childlike fashion.
"Mooooonyy!" James sang, tugging on Remus' outstretched arm. "Mooooonnyy! Wake up you fool, I want to say hello!" He gave the arm one final tug, but stopped immediately when a low groan left the lupine's throat.
"James! What did you do?" Sirius asked, sitting up to see over his friend. James rolled up Moony's sleeve, wincing as he revealed a deep, infected gash to the air. Remus himself awoke at the cold air on his sore arm, hissing quietly as the sheets brushed the cut. "Looks like someone is in need of a visit to Mme Pomfrey." Sirius stated lightly, a frown marring his features.
"I know, but I'll live this time." Remus replied, before turning his attention to the gangly boy in the middle of the bed. "Hello Prongs, how've you been?"
"I've been fan-flipping-tastic." James answered, his eyes turning from worried to excited in a matter of seconds. "Guess who smiled at me yesterday? Lily Evans! Sure, she was technically smiling at Gideon, but he was standing behind me so I got the full blow of the smile! It was amazing, her teeth are all shiny and white and strong..." James sighed, leaning his head dramatically on his friend's shoulder. "Padfoot? Is there a reason why you're starkers?"
"I always sleep starkers in my bed, Prongsie boy, you know you love it."
"Yeah, but you're not in *your* bed, you're in Moony's bed." James shuddered slightly, rolling away from the naked boy towards Remus. "You know, Moons, if he tried putting the Siri-moves on you, you can tell me, and I'll contact childline-" Sirius let out a bark of laughter at James' melodramatic display, ruffling his friend's hair affectionately.
"Moony's a big boy, Prongs, he can handle himself." Sirius laughed, winking in mock seduction towards his lupine friend.
"Besides, I think you'll find my distinct lack of tits would prevent Padfoot from ever making a move for me, Prongs!" Remus laughed, rolling out of the bed silently. Sirius watched his lean back as he stretched, before he leant over and began rifling through his trunk.
James smiled knowledgeably. "Well actua-" He started, before a firm hand cut him off, muffling the sound of his voice under strong fingers. James turned to glare at the hand's owner, but Sirius merely shrugged in reply, before shaking his head.
"I don't want him to know yet." Sirius whispered quietly, assuming Remus would not hear his low level of speech. It was on occasions such as this when James couldn't help but question his friend's supposed intellect.
"What don't you want me to know?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow as Sirius looked at him in shock. "What? Come on Sirius, you should be used to my enhanced hearing by now."
"He didn't want you to know that he has given up with romancing the human race, and has instead moved on to having relations with centaurs and unicorns." James stated calmly, throwing Sirius a look as if to say 'you will explain this later'.
"But fear not, Remus, I will let you keep your house elves for now. I find that the creatures of the woods are a much more thrilling bunch." Sirius winked, wrapping the sheets around his waist and stepping out the bed. James raised an eyebrow at his friend's modest behaviour, to which Sirius laughed. "Well, I wouldn't want you ogling my foot long companion now, would I?"
"Foot long? You're having a laugh." James retorted, finally climbing off Remus' bed. "An inch, at the most."
"I think you're being generous." Remus quipped, smiling at the affronted look that Sirius threw his way. "I'm going to get over to the hospital wing before breakfast, I'll meet you guys outside the great hall." Sirius watched as the boy dressed gingerly, frowning slightly and humming at Remus. The tawny haired boy turned and smiled at the Black teen as he observed the worried look on his friend's face, stating "I'll be fine, honestly." before he strolled out of the room.
"So, why don't you want Remus to know about your big gay adventure?" James asked minutes later, as they finished getting ready for breakfast. James threw his cloak over his t-shirt and jeans, before carefully clearing a spot on Sirius' bed in order to sit down. "After all, you're hardly one to be all shy and coy with Remus. He's not going to exactly reject you for this, now, is he?"
Sirius tried to form an answer to this question, but found that he could not. For, in all honesty, he did not truly know why he wished to withhold such information from one of his best friends. He was so open with Remus about all other things in life, so why should his sexuality make any difference? "I guess it's because I spend quite a lot of nights in Remus' bed, platonic or otherwise. Me and him are quite touchy-feely, and I don't want that to change just because I have the occasional rendevouz with male members of the Hogwarts population."
"You really think Remus would give a flying monkeys?" James asked, eyebrows frowning lightly. Sirius did not respond, merely shrugging lightly. "Look, its not my secret to tell, but I don't think you should keep something like this from Moony." Sirius leant forward from his seated position on James' bed, leaning directly into his friend's face.
"It is not your secret to tell."
"No, that's what I just said, Sirius. And I'm going to stick by that, but you need to sort your head out, cos if you are going to swing both ways or the other way or become so gay that you go full circle and become straight, he will end up finding out. If he finds out, and wasn't told by you, he *will* feel dejected as you've kept a secret from him, and I swear to God Sirius, if you upset Moony, I will not hesitate to tattoo a clown's mask on your face and throw you in a room with a load of violent coulrophobics who are armed with baseball bats. Capisce?"
"Yeah, sure. Tell Pete not to blab either, ok? That rat's got a gob the size of the Mersey when he wants to. Speaking of Pete, where on earth is that sneaky devil?" Sirius asked offhandedly, cocking his head at James.
"Well, I have it on good authority that our little rodent friend spent last night in a moonlit tryst with a certain short, chubby Hufflepuff." James smiled cheekily. Truly, he was glad that Peter had a girlfriend. Really. Even if it did mean that his sidekick was getting some whilst the proud Potter stood alone.
However, Peter's choice of partner was hardly up to James' high standards. She was a gossipy little thing, who had no idea when the hell to shut her mouth. She was bossy, and controlling, and her red hair was the colour of burnt moss, it didn't shine at all.
In reality, James supposed, she was a cheap impersonation of his Lilyflower. For darling Lily was hardly gossipy at all. Her bossiness was almost always welcome, and her hair shone fire red. Lily was, in fact, perfect, and James had decided long ago that there was no point having the rest when he could wait for the best.
James was also very lucky that the boy on the bed opposite him, Sirius Black, was impassive to Lily's magnificence. For Sirius Black did not understand the meaning of the world 'wait', and would have likely found a way to have Lily in a matter of moments. That was just the way that Sirius-bloody-Black worked.
And James hated him for it.
"A hufflepuff, eh? Is she one of the ones that rooms with Belinda?" Sirius smiled, remembering one of his favourite conquests.
"No, I think it might actually be darling Belinda's little sister. She's called Penelope." Sirius raised an eyebrow at this, mentally searching through his mind for a face to match a name. "She's hardly a girl that you'd notice, Sirius, so I sincerely doubt you know her." Sirius' inability to remember the faces of the unattractive was legendary - although generally noted for his inability to remember names, this effect was increased tenfold when the individual was not the god/goddess that Sirius' standards demanded.
"Fair enough. Point her out to me in the Great Hall, I want to see what our little Pete has been going with." Sirius smiled, his canine teeth glinting in the sunlight. "Now that our little rat has a girlfriend, I guess its time to set you up, Jamie boy." A manic smile graced the Black features, reminding James of Bellatrix Black, Sirius' lunatic cousin who he'd had the misfortune of meeting that summer.
"Sorry Black, I'm saving myself for perfection. You'll have to focus on someone else's love life. Yours, perhaps. If you're really desperate, I'm sure Remus will go and charm some women with you."
"But Moony's dating style is boring! He doesn't pick up chicks, he courts women for long amounts of time until he eventually leaves them when there's a risk of them finding out about the furry little problem. And anyway, I can't think of any girls that are really Remus-y material."
"What about that Deborah, the booky one that was friends with Amigdala? She was nice, and relatively Remus-friendly." James thought, watching Sirius shake his head disapprovingly.
"No no, she is far too conservative and reserved. Remus needs a free spirit to bring out the 'real Remus'." Sirius tapped his chin contemplatively, before clapping his hands upon his legs and standing up rapidly. "No, I shall find someone who is suited for Remus, don't you worry. It will take craft, and cunning, and my fantasmical charm in order to find the ultimate partner for Remus John Lupin."
"That poor poor boy." James muttered under his breath, slowly raising to his feet. Standing a half a head above Sirius, he ruffled the dark shiny hair below him, huffing slightly when it returned to its original flowing shape immediately. "Come on, lets get down to breakfast. I might not be able to muck up your hair, but I sure as hell can try to fatten you up a bit."
Remus' first day back had been relatively uneventful (excluding the moment when Lily had thrown herself upon him, earning Remus daggers from James), and for that he was incredibly glad. The day had been primarily occupied by amusing Sirius and catching up on the work he had missed, two jobs which he was more than happy to do.
However, as the quarter-moon rose, he found himself alone in the dorms, revelling in the comfort of a novel. Knowing the quiet would not last long, he sped through the book, reading as much as possible before the inevitable disturbance.
Before long, heavy footsteps on the stairs revealed the end of the silence. Remus glanced up from his book at Sirius, briefly returning his eyes to the novel before he realised the taught form of Sirius' muscles, and the glint in the animagus' eyes. The werewolf lifted his head once more, barely having time to think before he was flattened by 11 stone of teenager. After recovering from the initial shock, Remus blinked, noting the silver eyes that hovered inches above his own.
"Missed you." Sirius panted, lifting himself onto his elbows either side of Remus' face. "Its hard enough not seeing you for the summer. I can't go an extra 3 weeks without my favourite wolfie." The animagus stated, ruffling his friend's ashy hair.
"I could hardly avoid being late this year, Pads." Remus reasoned, propping himself onto his own elbows as Sirius rolled back onto his haunches, still straddling the werewolf's lap. "Off, Pads. I think you've crushed my copy of Thirty-Three Steps..."
"Not until you promise you wont be late again." Remus rolled his eyes, forcefully lifting Sirius off his lap with his lupine strength, and placing him carefully on the bed. After tutting at his now-ruined copy of Thirty Three Steps, Remus crouched in front of the pouting, dark haired teen.
"Sirius, you know I can't promise that. Even if I did promise, I'd probably be lying. There's two many variables to be able to accurately predict whether or not I'll be late or not next year. Now stop looking at me like that. Want to go down to the kitchens?" Remus took Sirius by the wrist, making to go down the staircase, before the grip was returned by Sirius, rooting Remus to the spot. After a short sigh, the teen turned to face his friend once more.
"Forget the variables and statistics and whatnot. Promise you'll try. Please." Sirius asked, using the leverage of Remus' wrist to pull himself to a standing position close to the werewolf. Golden-amber met Silver, as the pair stared each other out, battling silently for dominance. Finally, the golden orbs closed, as a long arm draped itself across Sirius' shoulders, manoeuvring him towards the door.
"You know I try, Sirius. I always try, and I always will. But I can't prevent the occasional week or two where I can't be here. Ok? Now, come on. You're going to find me some chocolate. I haven't had any in an age."
"Can't have Remmiepoo not having any chocolate, now, can we?" Sirius smiled, throwing an arm over his friend's shoulders. "Now, Moonsy. Tell me what you like in a girl..."
AN: I've written a lottle here, so please review! I brought moonsikins in and everything, so come on, think of it as charity! Also, do people have a preference - rapid, shorter updates or weekly, longer updates?
Reviewers: emuroo, dristi, deciesjo, .girl, chibikuro rose-sama, marauder black, VampiressBlack, Mater motley, YeahYouWannaKnowMyName, touchthemoon985, xrosiex, ellesra, luna nera, niceaspie, lady annikaa, appelmeisje, reivewgrl, ravenclawroyalty, loquaciousgirl, teddybear 8P, Evening 12, LoverFaery, Blackbelt Barbie.
^^ All of the people above are my fave people on at the current time. I just wanted to dedicate this to them, and to anyone else who has been forced to wait for the appearance of Remus!
Love you lots like jelly tots/vodka shots (delete as appropriate)
