Chapter 3: Easter Break
Remus woke up next to Sirius again. Ever since the first nightmare, Sirius had slept in his bed. Even if he didn't start out there, he'd always end up there. Whenever Sirius started the night in his own bed, the nightmares came back. It was always the same dream, over and over. Sirius would wake up to hear Remus thrashing around in his bed, so he would slip into bed next to the amber-eyed boy. As soon as he was there, Remus' sleeping body would relax. It happened so often that Sirius began to just go to Remus' bed instead of his own when it was time for him to go to sleep. Remus never said anything about it, so Sirius assumed it was okay.
The first time Peter and James noticed, Peter had been really confused. Sirius told him shortly that Remus had nightmares and that it was really none of his business. James hadn't even asked. Remus supposed that Sirius and James had talked about it over Christmas Break.
Remus wasn't going to complain. The nightmares were horrible, and he felt incredibly warm and safe when Sirius lay down next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. His bed also started smelling like Sirius. When he had free periods, and none of the other Marauders were around, he would lie on his bed, bury his nose in his pillow, and just breathe in deeply.
Sometimes, if he and Sirius had a free period together, Sirius would walk in and catch him. Remus would turn red, mumble some excuse about thinking about taking a quick nap, and Sirius would just raise one perfect eyebrow and flash Remus a knowing smile, making Remus turn an even darker shade of red.
Remus couldn't help but wonder if Sirius knew how he felt. If he did, he clearly didn't mind. However, Remus really hoped he didn't know. Remus wasn't so much concerned about things being awkward, but if Sirius did know, then he wasn't doing anything about it. Which would mean that he didn't feel the same way.
Sometimes in class, Remus would look up to catch Sirius staring at him, head tilted to the side, exactly like James had looked that one day at breakfast. Then Sirius would know Remus saw him looking, and an easy smile would flash across his features, hiding whatever it was that had been on his mind moments before. Remus was beginning to be a little worried, but he let it go. Sirius was just a strange guy. He'd approach Remus about whatever was bothering him when he was ready.
Other than these minor details, everything was normal between the Marauders. The classes were getting tougher, but since all of them (with the exception of Peter) were extremely bright, this wasn't an issue. James and Sirius still found plenty of time to prank. Sometimes, if Remus was feeling particularly mischievous, he would help out, and his pranks were usually the best. They were well planned, extremely chaotic, and were basically untraceable back to the Marauders. Unfortunately, the teachers still always knew who it was. But since Remus was so clever, he never got caught. And when Sirius and James would try to throw him under the bus, no one would ever believe them; after all, it was James and Sirius speaking. Remus would just give them an impish smirk as they got assigned detention after detention. James and Sirius, of course, always took the detentions good-naturedly.
James was also still trying to get Lily to go out with him. And he was, of course, failing miserably. Unfortunately for James, Lily knew a fair amount of curses, and had very good aim. Remus made a mental note to congratulate Lily on her latest curse; the tentacles James had instead of arms were very amusing.
All was as it should be amongst the Marauders. Sirius continued to sit next to Remus, and they were always partners in Potions now, but the rest of the school had just chalked it up to the Marauders liking to mix things up a bit.
It was already almost Easter Break. Remus couldn't help but wonder where the year had gone. The fifth years were already studying feverishly for their O.W.L's, and the seventh years for their N.E.W.T's. Although the sixth years did have difficult exams coming up, they were enjoying the fact that they had this year to relax.
When the list came around as to who was staying at Hogwarts for Easter, Remus signed his name as usual; surprisingly, so did Sirius. James and Peter would be going home for break like always, but Remus had assumed Sirius would want to go back to the Potters' with James.
When Remus asked him about, Sirius had just replied, "There's a full moon over Easter. I don't want you to be alone for it." Remus, although touched, assured Sirius that he would be fine, and that he'd been on his own for ten years before the Marauders became Animagi for him. Sirius, however, refused to take no for an answer. Remus was secretly pleased that Sirius was staying; he hadn't been looking forward to the first full moon by himself in 2 years. Having Sirius all to himself didn't hurt either.
The full moon fell on the night before Easter. When he woke up in the hospital next day, he was shocked and slightly hurt to find that Sirius wasn't sitting in the chair next to the bed waiting for him like he usually was. As soon as Madam Pomfrey noticed he was awake, she bustled over and began giving him is standard check-up that came with full moons. She deemed him well enough to go, which was a happy surprise; Remus was usually forced to stay a full day in the hospital wing. On his way out, Madam Pomfrey stopped him at the door. She handed him a small package of Chocolate Frogs from his parents, a box of Bertie Bott's from Lily, a tin full of fudge from Peter, a package of Easter eggs from the Potters, and a bar of Honeyduke's finest from Sirius. Then, on top, there was a card with no name on it.
"Who's this from?" he asked confusedly. He knew of no one else who would send gifts to him.
"I've no idea," Madam Pomfrey replied. "It was sitting on top of your gifts when I brought you in this morning."
Remus thanked her and walked out of the hospital wing, deep in thought. He couldn't figure out who would give him the card, or what was inside it. He arrived at the common room and walked up the stairs to the dormitory, expecting to find Sirius asleep after a long night. The room was completely empty.
"That's strange," Remus muttered to himself. He dropped his presents on his bed, taking the card from the top of the pile. He opened it cautiously, expecting something to pop out as a trick from James or Sirius. After a few seconds, when nothing had exploded yet, Remus reached into the envelope and pulled out a single piece of parchment with a picture attached to it. The picture was of him and the other Marauders, all laughing and waving under their favorite beech tree. He smiled fondly at the old memory, and then glanced back at the card to read what it said.
I'm sure you're wondering why I wasn't in the hospital wing this morning when you woke up. I was setting up for today. I thought you'd enjoy something different this Easter, so I'd like to welcome you to Sirius Black's Easter Egg Hunt. I've placed Easter Eggs all over the school at specific places; each egg will have a clue attached that will lead you to the next egg. To keep you interested, I have a special surprise for you at the end of the hunt. The eggs will only appear once the previous egg has been found, so don't try to be clever and just skip to the end- no cheating allowed! Your first clue is the picture. Good luck!
Remus smiled and got up, heading out of Gryffindor Tower and down to the Marauders' tree. When he got there, he found a bright red Easter egg with a scarlet lion on it. He opened it up to find a large piece of toffee. He sucked on it happily as he read the next clue.
Congratulations! You have found Clue Number Two. This time, I have a poem for you.
From up here you can see me,
But I don't mean my face.
I'm always shining brightly,
You need only find the place.
Good luck!
Remus laughed affectionately at the poem. He headed back into the castle, the Astronomy Tower as his goal. Leave it to Sirius to bring up the star that was his namesake. When they were younger, the two of them would sometimes sneak out and go up to the Astronomy Tower to look at the stars. Sirius would always point out "his star" excitedly. It was on one of these nights that Remus realized he'd had a crush on Sirius.
"Look, Remus!" Sirius had said eagerly. "There I am!" Remus had just laughed. Then, Sirius had become strangely sober. "I'll always be there, up in the sky, watching over you and the rest of the Marauders. I'll always be there to protect you. You guys are the closest thing I've got to a family." Sirius had been so sincere in that moment, and it had made Remus melt.
Remus was shaken out of these memories when he arrived at the top of the tower, slightly out of breath. He saw a midnight blue egg with little dots of white all over it. Realizing it to be the night sky with twinkling stars, he smiled widely to himself. He opened the egg and a clue popped out.
I hope you liked the toffee from the tree. Here's your next clue: You're always there to cheer me on. You've never missed a game. You're like my lucky charm, so here's one for you.
Taped to the bottom of the letter was a small bludger attached to a thin chain. Remus laughed and slid the chain around his neck, and then headed back down the stairs to go to the Quidditch pitch. He couldn't believe the amount of trouble Sirius had gone to just to make sure he had a nice Easter.
By the time he got to the Quidditch pitch, he was slightly tired and more than a little bit hungry. He saw a brightly colored egg sitting in the stands. The egg was painted sky blue and had a picture of a broomstick on it. Next to the egg was a picnic basket. Remus decided to open the egg first.
Congratulations on finding egg number four. I figured you're tired and hungry by now, so I made this picnic just for you; it has all your favorite foods in it. You're next clue is at the bottom of the basket. Enjoy!
Remus opened the basket eagerly. Inside, he found a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra peanut butter, just the way he liked it. He quickly polished it off and washed it down with a glass of pumpkin juice. There was another bar of Honeyduke's chocolate for desert. He picked up the clue as he was licking the last of the chocolate from his fingers.
I hope you enjoyed the picnic; after all, it was made with love! You should be excited, because the next clue is your last. You'll find the next clue at a place you go to relax. Here's a helpful hint; a pretty young mermaid is keeping watch over it for you. Good luck!
Remus had to stop and think about this one. The hint about mermaids pointed to the Black Lake, but he didn't go there to unwind, and those mermaids certainly weren't pretty. The real mermaids were nothing like the images that came to mind of young pretty blondes smiling happily and flashing their fins at you. Suddenly it clicked. There was a mermaid exactly like that up at…
…the Prefect's Bathroom. He was slightly sweaty by the time he got there, for he had run all the way back in his haste to get to the end of the hunt. He found an egg, painted ocean blue with bubbles on it, a soft fluffy towel, a set of clean robes, and the bathtub filled with steaming water and foam. He opened the egg and found a small amber stone as well as his next clue.
I hope you like the stone; it reminded me of your eyes when I saw it. I'm sure you're in a rush, but how about you relax and take this nice warm bath I've gotten ready for you? The surprise will still be there by the time you're done. Consider this while you're cleaning up:
A many-armed friend waves happily to you where from where your surprise waits.
I know this clue is a bit of a challenge, but think of it as incentive to use the bath. After all you'll be here for a while figuring your clue out anyways. See you at the next clue!
Remus frowned. Sirius was right- he was stumped on the last clue. He decided to take Sirius' advice and pulled his robes over his head. He slid into the tub, relaxing as the hot water washed over him. He contemplated the clue. He sat in the tub for over an hour, going through all the things he knew with many arms. There were the acromantulas in the forest, but something told him that wasn't it. What else had arms? There were couches, chairs, insects, and squids- Remus jumped up excitedly. The giant squid was the last clue! He hopped out of the bathtub and toweled off quickly, pulling on the fresh robes. He hurried down to the Black Lake.
By the time he arrived, the sun was setting and the stars were beginning to appear. When he got to the shores of the lake, Sirius was sitting there waiting for him.
"Hey," Sirius greeted him with a smile. "Why don't you have a seat?" he continued, patting the ground next to him. Remus sat down, looking around for his last surprise. "Don't worry," Sirius laughed, noticing Remus' search. "You'll get you're surprise soon enough. In the meantime, how about some dinner?" Sirius pulled out another picnic basket. Inside was an assortment of the most delicious foods Remus could imagine. "Help yourself to anything you like," Sirius offered with a smile.
Remus, suddenly ravenous, served himself a little of everything, and dug in. Sirius wasn't eating for a change. When Remus asked him about it, he simply commented that he wasn't hungry. Remus ate his fill, finishing off with the most delicious chocolate pudding he'd ever tasted. By the time he was done, night had descended completely. Remus shivered slightly.
"Cold?" Sirius asked. "Here." He scooted over next to Remus and put an arm around him to warm him up. He lit a small fire on the ground in front of them. "Better?" Sirius asked. Sitting in the dim firelight with Sirius' arm around him, Remus found himself heating up very quickly. He nodded, not wanting to ruin the peaceful silence. They looked up at the stars together.
"Look," Sirius said with a smile. "There I am." He pointed to his namesake. "Do you remember when I told you I'd always be there for you?" he questioned. Remus nodded again. "Well, I meant it. And I still do." There was silence for a moment. "Do you remember earlier in the year when we were talking about what wish we would make?" Sirius broke the silence. Remus nodded for a third time. "Well, I didn't tell you my whole wish. The rest of my wish is you." Remus just sat in shocked silence. He had no clue what to say. He'd dreamed that this would happen for three years. "And don't try and tell me you don't feel the same way," Sirius went on. "I've seen the way you look at me. I've caught you smelling the pillow after I've slept there." Remus could hear the smile and tenderness in Sirius' voice.
Sirius removed his arm from Remus' shoulders, turning so they were facing each other. "I never told you why I finally left Grimmauld Place. On the night before Christmas Eve, I came out to my parents. I figured it would be the perfect way to piss them off for the holidays," he said bitterly, looking down into the fire broodingly. "It didn't even faze them. They said that so long as I picked a nice pureblood girl in the end, I could be as much of a bastard teenager as I wanted to. The way they said it made something snap inside of me. I couldn't believe they still thought I was going to be the perfect little heir and marry whoever they decided was a good bride for me. I began screaming at them. I told them that that was too bad for them, because I'd already decided, and I had decided on a half-blood werewolf, and a male one at that. I told them that the only reason I'd stayed at that bloody prison for so long was because of Regulus. That's when Regulus chose where his loyalties lay. He started yelling at me, asking how I could do this to our family. He was accusing me of tearing us apart, and all because I went and fell in love with disgusting half-breed. I lost it. I went upstairs, packed my bags, and left. On my way out, I saw my mother blasting my name off of the family tree." Sirius looked back at up Remus, who had tears in his eyes. "It was all because of you. Don't apologize," he added, cutting Remus off as he opened his mouth to do just that. "I'm glad I did it and I would do it again. You're ten times better than they are, and then some."
Remus opened his mouth once more. "Sirius, I—" He was cut off by Sirius' lips being pressed against his. He felt his bones turn to jelly as Sirius deepened the kiss. Sirius moved down to kiss Remus' neck. "I told you not to apologize," he growled in Remus' ear, sending shivers down Remus' spine. Remus grabbed his chin and pulled it down, pressing his lips against Sirius' urgently. They stopped only when the need to breathe was over powering. Remus moved over to lean against Sirius.
"I wasn't going to apologize," he said breathlessly. "I was going to thank you. Today has been the best day of my entire life, and it's all because of you." He leaned in and kissed Sirius lightly. He then snuggled up close next to Sirius and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep to the sound of the crackling fire and the steady beat of Sirius' heart.