"Remus? Remus?" Sirius calls, knocking on the door.
No answer. Sirius frowns. It isn't like Remus to just disappear and shut himself in. He might enjoy his quiet time, but a week with no contact has Sirius worried.
He knocks again, more urgently now. Still, no answer.
Swearing under his breath, Sirius opens the door himself. Remus will probably be mad, but Sirius can live with that.
"Remus?" he calls as the door shuts behind him. "Remus, are you here? It's me!"
"Sirius?"
He doesn't like the panic in Remus' voice. His body instinctively tenses, preparing for something terrible.
"You shouldn't be here. You- What are you doing?"
Something rushes past him, a blur of color.
"Why are you wearing a cloak?" Sirius asks.
Remus ignores him. He pulls at the door, swearing loudly. "No, no, no! You idiot!"
Sirius winces as though the outburst has physically harmed him. "Remus?" he asks, placing his hand on the other boy's shoulder.
Remus tries to pull away, but as he does, his hood falls. It takes every ounce of strength for Sirius not to scream.
Only the eyes, those strange golden eyes, are the same. The rest of Remus is covered in thick fur, and his teeth protrude, sharp as fangs.
"Remus?" Sirius whispers, unable to comprehend the thing that stands before him.
"You can't leave now," Remus sighs, slumping against the door. "The curse won't let you."
"Curse?" Sirius repeats, not sure that he's heard correctly. After all, curses are the things of storybooks. Abracadabra, now you're a frog. Surely Remus, with all his logic, couldn't believe in curses.
"I think you'd better come with me."
…
Sirius stares at the giant hourglass, half amazed, half baffled. The structure towers over him, sand pouring from one end to the other. "You have a sculpture in the library," he says.
"Not my doing. Greyback. A little gift to go with the curse."
"What curse? Curses aren't real."
Remus gestures at the fur, his eyes rolling. "Curse. Right here," he says dryly. "I tried shaving it, but the fur grew back in seconds."
He throws himself into a chair behind his desk, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You know my father took Greyback to court. He got off because of a technicality. But he hated my father for throwing suspicion his way. I don't know how he did it, but he cursed me. He said that I would become the monster that he is."
Sirius frowns. It doesn't seem possible. And yet the evidence is staring him in the face. "Curses can be broken," he says carefully.
"True love's kiss," Remus says bitterly. "Bit fairytale, isn't it?"
"I love you. Maybe I…?"
"I highly doubt a platonic kiss will do."
Sirius leans across, putting everything he has into the kiss, careful not to cut his lips on the fangs. When he pulls back, he holds his breath, waiting.
Nothing happens. Sirius exhales with a groan. "Maybe I could bring my cousin? She fancies you."
"You can't leave. Part of the curse. When it becomes permanent, I become a monster in both body and spirit. I will end up ripping you to shreds."
"Oh."
Sirius steps back cautiously. "So, uh, how long exactly do you have until you…?"
"Not sure. The sand is halfway down, and it's been a week. But it's falling faster now. Could be days."
"Days," Sirius echoes grimly. "Well, that's pleasant."
"I don't want to hurt you. I'm going to my room."
Sirius tries to stop him, but Remus is out the door before he can even think of anything that might make him stay.
…
"I made you dinner," Sirius calls.
The charred food is barely recognizable, but he assumes it's edible, even if it has a heavy smoky taste.
"You need to stay away from me," Remus says, but he still opens his door.
"Not bloody likely."
"I could become a monster any minute, Sirius. I don't want to hurt you."
"So you've said," Sirius says dismissively, pushing past Remus and setting the plate on his desk. "But you're not suffering alone, got it? I'm not going to let you."
"Have you always been this annoying? Am I just now noticing?"
Sirius grins. "You call it annoying, I call it charming."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I do love you, Remus. It may not be the love you need to break the curse, but it's still love."
Remus doesn't argue. He picks apart the blackened meat and takes a bite. "You're a terrible cook."
"I make a mean ramen, but someone is too sophisticated to have noodles."
Remus laughs, and his lips twist into a ghost of a smile. Sirius feels his heart rate accelerate ever so slightly. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me."
"Shut up and let me express gratitude."
Sirius salutes. "Yes, sir!"
…
"I don't need your help in the bath," Remus groans.
"Sure you do. You're all furry now. You can't leave it unwashed, and I know you aren't flexible enough to reach your back."
Sirius is certain Remus is blushing beneath the heavy fur on his face. "Fine," he relents, stepping into the bath.
"Just like washing a dog," Sirius chuckles, jumping back as Remus tries to smack him. "Excuse me for having a sense of humor!"
…
"I didn't think you'd be up," Sirius says as he enters the kitchen.
"After you massacred dinner last night, I thought I might make breakfast," Remus says, dumping an egg onto the plate. "Sorry if there's hair in it."
"I can pick it out."
"You're eerily adaptable," Remus notes. "James would have found a way to break a window, and Peter would have wet himself."
"They don't love you like I love you," Sirius teases.
Remus winces.
"Sorry."
"It's fine," Remus mumbles, returning his attention back to the stove. "I think I'll take my breakfast in my-"
"Oh, no you don't. We don't know how much longer you'll be human. No shutting yourself away. Got it?"
Remus sighs. "Did I mention that your stubbornness is annoying?"
"Charming. You mean charming," Sirius corrects.
Remus rolls his eyes, adding eggs to his plate and joining Sirius at the table. "You aren't tempted to run?"
"Not at all."
He can't explain the flutter in his chest when Remus smiles.
…
"We could try knocking it on its side. Then two of us can push it back so that it's flipped the other way."
Remus doesn't even look up from his book. "We don't know what would happen, and my humanity is at stake. Not really something I want to risk."
"There has to be a way," Sirius insists, trying to fight back the helplessness as the sand spills into the bottom. "I'm not going to just give up."
"I know you're scared. I don't know how long I will be able to control the monstrous nature when it sets in. You could-"
"I'm not scared for myself. I'm scared for you, okay?"
Remus sets his book down and crosses the room to stand beside Sirius. "I'm scared, too," he admits.
Sirius groans. He wants nothing more than to shatter the hourglass. It isn't fair. Remus doesn't deserve such a burden. Sweet Remus, who has always been so kind. Shy Remus, who has never raised his voice, even in anger.
"There has to be a way," Sirius insists, but his words sound empty, even to his own ears.
"If nothing else, at least you've made my last few days enjoyable. Thank you for that."
…
"What are you wearing?" Remus asks as he joins Sirius for dinner.
"A suit. I wanted this to be special. The sand-"
He stops himself. Of course Remus has noticed the sand. Of course he's aware that the top of the hourglass is almost empty. He doesn't need Sirius to state the obvious.
"I never thought I'd see the day Sirius Black wore a suit," Remus muses. "Burnt chicken?"
"Fish. The oils are good for the fur. Gotta have a luxurious coat, right?"
"Sirius-"
"I know. My jokes aren't that funny."
"They're really not. But thank you for trying."
…
"Dance with me," Sirius says after putting the dishes away.
"There's no music."
"I could sing."
Remus makes a face. "No. Please don't," he protests.
With a grin, Sirius pulls Remus close, leading him in an awkward waltz. His dancing skills are only slightly better than his cooking skills, but Remus doesn't seem to mind.
As he dips Remus gently and leans in, he feels a fresh fluttering in his chest. The urge to kiss him takes him by surprise, and he nearly drops Remus.
"Sirius? Is something wrong?"
Sirius shakes his head, righting himself and pulling away. "Nothing. I'm tired. I should-"
"Yeah. Well, goodnight."
…
Sirius paces his room. He doesn't understand. Remus is a friend. Just a friend. A friend who isn't even himself right now. He shouldn't think about kissing him.
Besides, he's already tried. The curse hadn't broken.
But he can feel his emotions shifting. Is it really possibly to change so quickly? Is it really so sudden?
He can remember swimming with his friends years back. When Remus had taken his shirt off, he'd felt a stirring of curiosity. He hadn't acted on it, hadn't even given it a chance to flourish.
But Remus is his friend. He shouldn't have thought of him like that back then, and now…
With a huff, Sirius climbs into bed, his head swimming.
…
"Remus? Remus?"
Sirius pushes open the door to the library.
"Get out, Sirius! The hourglass!"
Heart heavy, Sirius notices that last few grains of sand. How much time is left? Seconds? Minutes? There's no time to lose.
"Remus, I love you."
"Lock yourself away. Maybe a window will give if you try hard en-"
Sirius pulls him closer. "I love you, you idiot. Or at least I'm falling in love. God, let that be enough."
He kisses him without fear. The fangs tear at his lips, but he doesn't stop, even when he tastes the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.
Please, let this work. Please, let this save him.
At first, nothing happens. Sirius pulls away, staring in horror as the final grain of sand falls. He braces himself, ready to be ripped into shreds.
Remus gasps, dropping to his knees. The fur on his body shortens as it's pulled into his skin. His fangs shrink and dull. And suddenly, there is a boy shaking and panting, gripping the carpet as he exhales sputtering breaths.
"Remus!"
Sirius pulls him to his feet, unable to fight a grin. "It worked!"
"That was completely irresponsible! You could have been killed! I could have- I- You love me?"
"Wouldn't have worked if I didn't."
"But-"
"We were twelve. I saw you shirtless. Fancied you a bit, but you're one of my best mates. I couldn't- I forced it away. But I guess I didn't really."
"You're an idiot."
With a laugh, Sirius kisses him again. "So I've been told."