A/N: Began: 3/7/13 End: 3/10/13

Remus and Sirius. Remus. And. Sirius.

All day, every day, I ship them forever.

Been in the dumps lately, kind of have severe mood shitness going on and I'm in a constant state of melancholy. So, it looks like this chapter will be a little sad as well. Which is okay, considering I left it off with James being a jealous butt.

Longer A/N later.

Harry peeked into the office of Remus Lupin, who was hunched over something lying on his desk. He appeared to be weeping a little. It was confusing, seeing his own teacher show any real emotion, most teachers kept a professional front in front of students, to look upon a teacher showing any emotion besides that was almost surreal.

"Professor?" Harry stepped into the office, not saying much more. Remus looked up, looking his usual tired and haggard self. He quickly blinked away any tears threatening to fall and smiled

"Ah, Harry! I simply must show you a preview of tomorrow's lesson. I've found a Red Cap." The professor stood, completely ignoring the fact that he'd been a near emotional wreck not two seconds ago. Harry wanted to push the subject, and as Remus rushed out of the office to obtain his creature, Harry looked over at the picture, seeing to young boys holding each other at the waist. One looked a lot like Sirius Black; the other was no doubt Remus. Why Remus would cry over criminals was beyond Harry, or why the moving picture seemed to have them getting extremely cozy, Picture Sirius going as far as giving Picture Remus a quick peck on the cheek, Picture Remus blushing like mad.

"Who-What?" Potter managed before looking up, seeing Remus place a giant tank with a small impish creature right on top to the desk, covering the picture.

OoOoOo

Click!

The photographer at Hogsmeade took a picture of Sirius and Remus; Remus paid him three Knuts and looked at the finished photo.

"Sirius, your hair is dreadful in this." Remus said. Sirius shook his head, making it even messier, just to spite Remus. "Oh stop it! We're in public."

"You're so fussy, and easy to rile up." Sirius grinned, shaking out Remus' own hair with his hand. "Come on! It's how the rock stars wear it."

"I don't even listen to rock." The werewolf muttered. He grabbed Sirius' hand and made his way toward Zonkos. "Come on, we still need to check off James and Peter."

"They're easy Christmas presents. We can get James a mirror and Peter a weight loss plan." Sirius cracked. "Ow! I get hit for that one, but not for pelting snowballs at Snivellus?"

"As a prefect, I am aware I maybe should have given more of a damn about that, but I simply didn't on the count that Snape is a dirty git who turns a blind eye whenever his gang pokes fun at us." Remus stated simply. "However, neither Peter nor James did anything particularly wrong this week, and I consider them good friends. I shall protect their honor."

"An honorable speech indeed, Mr. Lupin." Sirius squeezed his hand, resting his head on Remus' shoulder.

"I'm a very honorable werewolf, Mr. Black." Remus peeked into the window at Zonkos. "It's packed. I think I might just give James some gum and a toothpick."

"Of all the items in the world, why would you choose those?" Sirius inquired.

"They're the few things in my trunk I'm willing to part with." Remus grinned sheepishly. "Have I ever told you that you're the nicest guy I ever dated?"

"Well first off, I'm the only guy you've ever dated." Sirius shivered, leaning closer to Remus in the cold. "Secondly, that's really, really sad, considering I'm not really all that nice a boy."

Remus bit his lip, smirking. "You're right, you're very naughty."

"Remus Lupin, making an attempt at flirting? Someone call the Daily Prophet!" The rebel let go of his hand, mocking surprise. "He isn't the clueless wolf boy we all thought he was!"

The werewolf rolled his eyes and made his way into Zonkos. "Shut up; let's find something cool enough for the likes of James Potter." Sirius followed after and they met the crowd.

Somehow they managed to weave through the people crowded in the tiny job to get to the actual merchandise. Sirius looked at screaming ink bottles while Remus' eyes paused on jinxed parchment. He picked it up, looking at it. They used a pretty basic charm on the parchment to make it a joke one and it could be reversed or skewed in some way. Remus remembered James constantly going on about how he was someday going to make a map of Hogwarts.

"We'll make it have all the secret passageways, and I'll give it to the kid I'll have with Evans, and we're going to name him…. Umm… Harold! Yeah, Harold!" James once said.

"Harold, do you want him to be hexed in school?" Sirius had asked in response. Remus smiled at the thought and took a bulk load of the parchment. He paid for his merchandise, grabbed Sirius, and out they were.

"You got him parchment? You don't know your friends at all, Moony!" Sirius wrapped himself around Remus' arm as they walked out. "Who wants parchment for Christmas?"

"It won't be just parchment; we're going to make it into a map of some sort. You know his whole give a map to his son fantasy? Weird one, if you ask me, but so is James." Remus pulled the parchment out of the bag and examined it. "I can warp some of the charms, make it real cool."

"It's still parchment." Sirius yawned. "Where is James anyway? Haven't seen him since our last animagus lessons."

"Scheming of ways to get Evans. What's so great about birds anyway?" Remus looked at the rebel and smirked. "You're cute enough."

"Cute enough? I'm he cutest, Mr. Lupin! I'm wounded, hurt even!"

"Oh hush, Mr. Black." Lupin put the parchment away and decided on getting Peter a bag of candy. It was all he ever needed anyway. Sirius made their way back to the castle and went up to their dorms. Sirius sat down at his four posters. Remus stashed away the gifts, catching Sirius looking at him like he was a snack. He licked his lips and smiled, sitting on the rebel's lap and kissing him. Sirius put his hand to the lycanthrope's cheek, smiling into the kiss. They broke away after a moment.

"You're very friendly today." Sirius said. "Is a full moon close or something?"

Remus sneered "There you go again, blaming my mood changes on the moon!" he said. "You're thick."

"I get by on my good looks?"

"I hope you don't starve." Remus said casually. Sirius swatted him.

"Alright, alright! Now you can't sit on me anymore! Bad Remus!"

"You can't shoo me off!" Remus pushed Sirius back, so he landed on his bed, Remus scooted down, on top of Sirius.

"Ah, get off me Remmy!" Sirius rolled his eyes. "I don't wanna wrestle you right now!"

"And just who said anything about wrestling, sweetie." Remus chuckled kissing Sirius again. At that very moment, James came bursting into the room

((The Author of this story would like to apologize for the inconvenience of cock-blocking))

Remus looked up and ever-so-casually rolled off Sirius on to the floor. "James!" he said, getting up.

"Ew! You guys weren't about to—"James began

"Oh Merlin no!"

"No! Not at all, no!"

James pushed up is glasses, frowning "Whatever, find a broom closets, assholes. I don't want to see that."

"James, will you be down for the animagus lesson?" Remus asked, composing himself. James snorted.

"What's the damn point, the mate I was doing it for has been too preoccupied with his boyfriend." James muttered, kicking open his trunk.

"Excuse me, James?" Sirius asked, getting off his bed.

"You heard me, while you two have been in La-La Land, I've been stuck defending the both of you, dealing with Peter, and being the third wheel the few times we DO hang out." James pulled out his broomstick. "Why bother learning magic to help a friend when they don't even act like a friend anymore?"

Remus could not believe what he was hearing, and was very much offended. "Say the one who practically willed this relationship to happen in the first place!"

"Yeah, well maybe I'm not too sure about it!" James yelled back. Remus glowered at him while James glared back.

"James, we don't have any time for a temper tantrum on your part." Said an exasperated Sirius.

"You don't have time for me ever!" James shot back.

"Well the world doesn't revolve around you!" the rebel growled, clenching his fists.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, Remus is practically your entire freaking world. So very romantic." James said in a flat voice. "It isn't even just me, Sirius! You've abandoned your grades, you've made no effort to look into the news that's been about. This Volde-whatever guy, he's slowly rising to power, and your cousin Bellatrix is on his side. So is the rest of the Black family, for that matter, this guy preaches pure-born superiority like it's his daily prayer. Have you once considered the fact that you have a brother thinking of joining that idiot? Have you considered that you have a brother?!"

Sirius' face went dark, and Remus looked at James like he was a mad man. "Don't mention Regulus… EVER!" the Rebel snapped.

"He's your family, Snake or not, and he's probably the first to sign up, how does that NOT concern you? Oh yeah, you've been bust with your boyfriend! Too busy to care about your friends or family!"

"HE'S NO FAMILY OF MINE!" Sirius snarled. "YOU SHUT UP, JAMES POTTER!"

"WHERE I COME FROM, IF YOU'RE A BROTHER BY BLOOD, YOU'RE A BROTHER TILL THE END!" James shot back. "I've been talking to Evans more, not that you would even notice! And you know what she said; her own sister hates her guts just because she's a witch! Calls her a freak and she never writes! Just because of one small difference between the two. I know you and Regulus have way bigger differences, but shit, I'd hate to be disowned like Evans was by his sister!" James looked at Remus. "I get it; you two are in love or something. And it's cute, adorable even. But Remus, please say you're just as worried as I am about this."

Remus looked between the two a moment. "James holds a good point…" he said gently.

"Oh, so you want me to befriend that snake!? That asshole? My whole life, he's been the special one to my parents; he's the heir, the one they didn't screw up! The way he walks around, like he's something important, because he hates muggles just like Mommy!" Sirius motioned with his arms. "That fucker doesn't need me as his brother, he's humiliated of me!"

"You sound like Lily's sister." James said quietly. "Yeah, your parents are prats, I get it. They favorite him, but never did he ask to be favored."

"LIKE YOU EVEN KNOW, JAMES!" Sirius stormed out of the room. "FUCK YOU!"

Remus glared at James. "The hell was that about?"

"That was me being sick of him ignoring the fact that he's got family. Lily… she said not all Slytherins are bad, okay? Maybe she's right." James looked down. "And I'm sick of seeing Sirius neglect the fact that there're more people in his life than just you. I read the papers; war is inevitable if this Voldy guy isn't stopped. Maybe we can keep the good Snakes away from him; maybe we can keep him from getting a following."

"Oh shut up, James. What is this really about? Stop trying to cover it up with fucking Regulus." Remus crossed his arms "What is this shit really about?"

"Absolutely nothing!" James stormed out. Remus sighed and pressed the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"I hate people." He whined, walking out to find Sirius.

OoOoOo

After the big blowup, Sirius became more subdued, the holidays inched closer and closer, and James apologized for his words. Everyone slowly made up with everyone, and James successfully became a stag during on particular animagus lesson. Soon after, Peter suddenly turned himself into a rat. Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail were born. By December, a full moon came around, and Remus had the best transformation of his life, with friends. But there was still the nagging feeling of regret every time Sirius withdrew from him. There came times when Sirius didn't accept his kisses.

"Not now, Remmy." He would always sigh. Remus knew it was because of what James said about Regulus. None of them really gave him much thought until now. Remus had to agree with some of what James said, not all Slytherins were bad, and Regulus could be a pretty cool guy, he wouldn't know. He just didn't come up in conversation.

All four boys were sitting around (another thing that changed, Sirius began to offer to just hang around James and Peter more again) under their favorite tree, the snow yet to fall, Sirius eating an apple, Remus doing homework, James playing with one of his many caught snitches, Peter was eating.

"Lily agreed to have a butterbeer with me strictly as friends. How about that, guys?" James asked, smirking.

"Prongs and Lily, strictly friends. That's totally working in your favor." Remus murmured, not looking up from his work.

"Not everyone can be as lucky as you, Moony." James said almost bitterly. There were still some harsh feelings of jealousy.

"I need to get something done." Sirius said suddenly, standing up. "See you all at dinner or something."

"I can come with you." Remus offered, looking up. Sirius turned his back to the others and started toward the castle.

"That's okay." He said hurriedly. Remus frowned.

"Okay…"

"See you around, love you." Sirius said, again in a hurried tone. It didn't feel as sincere as it usually did.

"You too." Remus said, going back to his assignment. James looked at Remus quizzically.

"Did you two fight or something?"

"No, we never got in any kind of row, not recently. He's just… distant right now. I dunno." Remus sighed. "Probably nothing, right?"

"Well, he isn't as distant with me anymore." James said, tossing the snitch. "Weird."

"Yeah…"

Later, after dinner, Remus was able to catch the rebel in the common rooms. He sat on the armrest of Sirius' chair smiling.

"Hey."

"Oh hey."

"Sirius… what's up?"

Sirius looked at him "What do you mean?" he said, getting defensive.

"Just been acting off, is all. Anything wrong?" the werewolf said gently.

"I'm fine Remmy."

"You don't act it…" Remus said quietly. Sirius sighed.

"I've just been thinking, okay? I've been thinking about us."

"What about us?"

"…"

"Sirius?"

"I just don't know if I want to…. Dammit." Sirius looked down.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"I—I…" Sirius winced, he had to. "I don't want to be together anymore, okay? We're friends; we've always been friends and not a single thing more. And we should go back to that. It… It isn't working."

"You… You what?" Remus felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"I want to break up." Sirius whispered.

Remus' world went dark for a second. "Oh…"

"I'm sorry…"

"You said you loved me."

"I do! No, wait, I don't! No, no! I do, but… we're on the brink of something. Heard Regulus wants to join Voldemort. James was right. I need to maybe help keep him from that… he's a prat, but he's my brother." Sirius bit his lip.

"You said you loved me…" Remus whispered, blinking back a tear.

"You're my biggest distraction, Mr. Lupin, a very cute and amazing distraction. Right now, I need no distractions."

"Please leave me alone." Remus got up. "Please just leave me alone." He said again, walking away.

"Remmy…" Sirius felt like absolute crap, but didn't follow after him. He had to do it, right?

A/N: I'm the worst person ever, because I posted this out on Remus Lupin's birthday. I'm so sorry, Remmy! He did it for him, and that was selfish and cruel, but next chapter will be happier? Maybe, as happy as I can make it after that.