After the first week of January, the school and the Gryffindor tower once again became full of noise and other students. Remus didn't mind too much; he enjoyed having Lily, James and Peter with them, and Sirius had seemed so happy to have James back that he found he couldn't be upset when they had immediately slunk off together to plan their next big prank. But after nearly two weeks of not having much alone time with Sirius, Remus was starting to feel cranky, and more than a little tightly wound.

The trouble was, he was finding it hard to come up with a good excuse to get Sirius on his own. Whenever they walked together in the corridors or sat in the Gryffindor common room, there was always someone around who wanted to chat with the Marauders, to ask Remus a question about homework or to flirt with Sirius or to try and wheedle the next prank idea out of James or Peter. Remus would often find the attention over-stimulating, and would reach out to subtly brush his fingers against Sirius' when it got too much. The boy always responded instantly, by winding his arm around Remus' waist and inventing a reason for them to get away, or by creating some rowdy distraction that would re-direct everyone's focus.

But even when they managed to escape, it would still be with Lily or James or Peter, or some combination of the three. Nothing he could think of would rationally explain why someone else couldn't be with them, and Sirius didn't seem to be able to come up with anything either. They'd both tried the 'just nipping down to the library' tack, but invariably they would be joined by an over-eager Lily. Then had been the 'sneaking to the kitchens' opportunities, only to be foiled by an always hungry Peter. Out of desparation, Sirius had even tried following Remus to the bathroom a couple of times, but they could never seem to shake James, who seemed to view these trips as the perfect chance for further planning meetings and to get what he called the 'Moony Perspective' on their progress.

There was no respite in the dorm room, either. Although James and Peter had claimed not to be affected by their relationship, and had practically insisted that Sirius and Remus continue to share a bed even while they were there, it still felt a little awkward. Over the Christmas break, Remus had gotten too used to being able to walk around the room in as little clothing as he liked, too used to being able to nuzzle at Sirius' neck while he stood in front of the mirror and fussed with his hair or his clothes. But somehow it felt wrong to do these types of things in front of the other boys.

Which also meant that, ah, intimacy was out of the question. They had tried once, with heavy silencing and privacy charms cast around the closed curtains of Sirius' bed, but Remus had been unable to relax into it. He'd been so convinced that the charms would fail, and he didn't know how he'd look the other boys in the eye ever again if they knew the details of what he and Sirius got up to.

All of this meant that Remus hadn't felt true release for almost a fortnight now, and he found that he was practically chain smoking, and he felt hot and itchy and more irritable than usual. There were days when he couldn't even look at Sirius without irrational anger flaring in his chest, and he would have to take himself on long solo walks around the lake, just to burn off some energy. But he finally decided that he'd had enough when he noticed that Sirius was also feeling the affects of their separation.

It started with little signs, small enough that nobody else would have noticed. He began with picking at the sides of his nails, something he hadn't done since he and Remus had gotten together. And although he was good at hiding it, it still made Remus' heart hurt when he saw the raw flesh on his boyfriend's fingers. But soon after the picking came the chewing. Sirius would chew the nib of his quill, the tines of his fork, even small pieces of parchment that he tore from his books and snuck into his mouth. The last straw came when Remus saw him scratching. At his scalp, at his arm, at his neck, until his skin was red and raised. Remus knew that he had to do something, before one of them physically tore themselves apart.

He finally came to the conclusion that he would probably end up doing something that he considered extremely reckless. He knew that he had to get them into a situation where they would be parted from the other Marauders, but he had to make it as inconspicuous as possible. Luckily, the opportunity presented itself one afternoon in the middle of the third week of term, when they were all in the library, studying for their upcoming end-of-year exams.

Sirius and James had been busy distracting themselves for most of the afternoon by flicking small balls of paper at each other, until Lily had threatened that if James failed his exams, she would never allow him within five feet of her ever again. Suddenly, the usually scatter-brained boy had miraculously become entirely devoted to his studies, and Sirius, having lost his playmate, had followed suit. Peter, as always, was inconsolably worried about being the only Marauder to not pass the year, and had surrounded himself with open books from every topic in the hopes that he would absorb the necessary information somehow.

With James pinned to Lily's side and Pete thoroughly distracted, Remus realised that if there was ever going to be a chance to leave the others behind, then now might just be it. And he thought that he knew just how to get Sirius' undivided attention, too. He carefully looked around the library, checking for the proximity of Madam Pince. He could hear the librarian about two stacks over, shelving books and grumbling to herself about inconsiderate students. If he could just get her to come closer somehow ...

'Padfoot.' Sirius didn't respond, either from being too focused on his work or because Remus had spoken too quietly for him to hear, despite them being sat right next to each other. Remus quickly checked that the others around their table hadn't heard either, then leaned slightly closer to Sirius and tried again, a fraction louder. 'Hey, Pads.'

'Mmm?' Sirius didn't look up, his eyes and finger still scanning the words in the book in front of him. Remus surreptitiously looked around once more. No-one gave any indication of noticing their interaction, so he sucked in a deep breath to gather his courage and took the plunge.

'As-tu une plume de rechange, s'il te plaît?' he whispered, then grinned broadly at Sirius when the other boy's head snapped up. His eyes were wide as he gazed at Remus, completely non-plussed for a moment. Then he shook his head as if to clear it and reached into the bag at his feet, pulling out another quill and handing it to Remus.

'Here,' he breathed, and a shiver visibly ran through him when Remus reached out and gently stroked Sirius' fingers as he took the quill from him.

'Merci, mon amour,' Remus whispered. A delicate pink flush crept into Sirius' cheeks as he narrowed his eyes at Remus, a clear warning in his glare. Remus raised his eyebrows, feigning innocence, then bent his own head back over his work. Soon the sound of quills scratching on parchment filled the air once more, but Remus noted with delight that the quill next to him was definitely stuttering in its flow. Sirius cursed under his breath as he crossed his third sentence out, then screwed his parchment up and pulled a new piece towards him.

Remus couldn't stop himself from huffing out a near-silent laugh when Peter leaned over the table and murmured, 'Alright there, Padfoot?'

'Fine,' Sirius grunted, but Remus saw how his knuckles had turned white as he grasped his quill, seemingly to stop his hand from shaking. He must be very close to the edge, Remus could smell Sirius' frustration mingled with the intoxicating scent of his arousal. A thrill went through Remus as he wondered which emotion was winning the apparent war that was currently happening inside his boyfriend. Remus very carefully leaned over, shifting subtly in his seat to be nearer, then he turned his head and breathed into Sirius' ear.

'Tu sens tellement bon aujourd'hui.'

The effect was immediate. Sirius gasped, his cheeks turning bright red. He jerked in his seat, and in doing so he knocked his inkwell over, which proceeded to spill all across the desk and both of their essays. The now empty glass pot rolled across the table-top and off the edge of the desk to smash against the floor, causing Lily and James to jump and stare at Sirius. But he didn't seem to notice their attention as his eyes flicked up to meet Remus', and there was a definite fire within the molten silver. Remus licked his lips, feeling suddenly very thirsty, and nearly moaned when Sirius' eyes dropped to stare at his mouth. Sirius made a soft sound, like all of the air had been punched out of him, and he swayed towards Remus.

'Mr Black!' The two boys sprang apart so fast that Remus hissed in pain as his shoulder twinged. Sirius shot him a concerned look, then turned to glower up at the culprit. Madam Pince stood over them, surveying the state of the table, her hands on her hips and her brows furrowed in fury. 'What is the meaning of this mess?'

'Excuse-moi, Madame Pince,' Remus interrupted loudly, trying to ignore how Sirius stiffened beside him and how James, Lily and Pete gawped at him, not knowing whether it was due to his sudden lingustic prowess or his uncharacteristic disregard for authority. 'Je ne comprends pas. Quel est le problème? Ce n'est qu'un peu d'encre.'

'What was that, Mr Lupin?' Madam Pince's eyebrows had risen as he spoke, and she watched open-mouthed as Remus waved his wand over the table. The pot repaired itself, then leapt back onto the desktop, and Remus moved his wand slowly over the ink stain. Even Sirius let out a low whistle of amazement as the ink was slowly siphoned into the tip of Remus' wand before appearing once again in its jar. When he had finished, Remus blinked up at Madam Pince. She stared at him for a moment, then seemed to remember where she was and drew herself up to her full height. 'Well ... well, regardless, you are both still creating a disturbance in my library.'

'Pourquoi travaillez-tu dans une bibliothèque scolaire, alors que tu n'aimes visiblement pas les enfants?' From the corner of his eye, Remus saw Sirius' jaw drop comically, and he had to bite the inside of his own cheek to stop the laughter that threatened to bubble out of him. Unfortunately, Madam Pince also saw this, and it did nothing to improve her temper.

'I don't know what you're saying, Mr Lupin, but I suggest that you and Mr Black leave at once, before I'm forced to ban you from this library for the rest of the term!' She stood over the boys, tapping her foot impatiently as they collected their belongings. James and Peter just stared after them, bemused. For a moment, Remus worried that one of them might be tempted to get up and follow, out of loyalty to the group.

Lily, however, gave Remus a knowing look over her stack of books, and swiftly asked both boys a very intricate Transfiguration question that Remus knew definitely was not on the upcoming test. They fell for it, though, both scrabbling through their text-books with fear etched on their faces. Lily sent Remus a sly wink, and he discreetly blew her a kiss, silently thanking any God who might be listening for Lily Evans.

Madam Pince led the boys to the entrance of the library, and heads turned to watch their procession with interest, but Remus found that he couldn't really care. He could feel Sirius practically vibrating behind him, and the scent rolling off the slender boy was incredibly distracting. Remus made himself act as nonchalant as possible as they left the library, letting the door bang shut behind them.

He walked in silence for a couple of corridors, trying to pretend that he couldn't sense Sirius' gaze burning into the back of his head. Remus knew that he had to get them somewhere quiet, somewhere safe, before Sirius imploded. So he kept walking, leading them down corridor after corridor until they'd gone down at least three in a row that were devoid of other students. And then he was being pushed roughly against a wall, his bag slipping from his shoulder as Sirius pressed his lithe body against Remus', standing on his tiptoes so that he could nip at Remus' exposed collarbone.

'Speaking French and using it to rebel against authority?' Sirius' voice was deep, gravelly, and when he looked up, Remus could see the desire burning deep within those rapidly darkening grey eyes. 'Fuck, Moony ... '

In seconds, Remus had spun them so that he had Sirius pinned to the wall. He stooped to slide his hands down the backs of the boy's thighs, gripping behind his knees, and lifted. Sirius' legs came up to wind around Remus' narrow waist, locking his ankles against his arse. Sirius let out a needy whimper, and wound one hand into Remus' curls, the other clutching the back of his jumper in an effort to pull him closer.

Remus lurched forwards and kissed Sirius, opening his mouth eagerly when something wet skated across his lower lip. Sirius tasted of his peppermint toothpaste, and Remus growled softly as their tongues twined together. Sirius dug the heel of his heavy black boot into Remus' arse, causing him to buck forwards, and their hips ground together with a delicious, teasing friction. Remus' eyes rolled in his head when Sirius did it again, this time also pulling somewhat roughly at the hair clasped in his fist.

'Merde, mon couer ... ' Remus' knees almost buckled, and he had to shift his position to keep them both upright. He pressed his hips against Sirius, holding him in place, and dropped his head to the boy's neck, nibbling gently up the soft skin of his throat towards his sharp jaw. 'Mon Dieu, tu as un goût divin.'

'Moony,' Sirius groaned, even as he tipped his head to give Remus better access to his neck. 'You've got to stop that, or - '

'Qu'est ce que le problèm, mon chèr? Tu n'aime pas le français maintenant?' Remus panted, leaning back slightly and grinning when Sirius' breath hitched. The pale boy sighed as his head fell back against the stone wall behind him, his eyes closed, and Remus watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard. Remus' body was tingling with pent-up lust, and the thought that his words alone were doing this to Sirius ... it was almost too much. But still he pushed on, wanting to see how far he could take this before Sirius lost it. 'Regarde-moi, Sirius.'

Sirius gasped at the command in his tone, and his eyes shot open to focus on Remus'. Remus bit back a moan when he saw how little of Sirius' grey irises remained. His eyes were almost entirely black, his pupils blown so wide now. Sirius rolled his hips desperately against Remus', seeming unable to break away from his gaze. Remus was about to lean in to catch his mouth once more when they heard a distant rumbling, and both boys turned in the direction of the sound.

'Shit,' Sirius breathed. 'Class is over.'

'We can't stay here,' Remus murmured, his eyes locking onto Sirius' once more. 'Where do we go?'

'I ... ' Sirius chewed his bottom lip, his forehead creased as he thought fast. Then his face cleared and he wriggled out of Remus' grip, bending over to snatch their bags from the floor before grabbing Remus' hand and tugging him down the corridor.

'Where are we going?' Remus panted as he tripped after Sirius.

'Remember that secret room we found last year, the one that disappears and then re-appears with different furniture depending on what you need?' Sirius was breathless with his excitement, and as he glanced back at Remus, his eyes sparkled with mischief. Remus felt a smirk tugging at his own lips.

'Not just a beautiful face after all, Black,' he teased, and Sirius barked with laughter as he picked up his pace, pulling Remus through the halls, away from the hubub of other students. They soon reached the corridor with the disappearing room, and Remus quickly marched back and forth in front of a blank space of wall three times. He heard Sirius gasp, and looked up to find that an ornate wooden door had appeared in the middle of the hallway. Remus held his hand out, and Sirius twined their fingers together before he turned the brass knob of the new door and pushed it open.

The two boys tumbled into the room, and were immediately captured by the decor. The floor was tiled with a geometric black and white pattern, and along the beige walls were mirrors and pieces of art, each intricately mounted in swirling brass frames. The furnite was all dark wood, with a long sideboard against one wall and the tall headboard of a huge plush bed placed centrally against the back wall. A thick white rug peeked out from under the bedframe, and the cream bedding looked incredibly soft. But Remus' eyes were drawn to the intricate glass chandelier that hung from the centre of the ceiling, lit from within by at least 20 candles.

'Holy shit, Moons,' Sirius breathed as he gazed around the room.

'Sorry,' Remus muttered, feeling his cheeks flush as he avoided Sirius' gaze. 'Must have still been thinking in French.'

'I should not have found that sentence as hot as I just did.' Sirius grinned as Remus smiled bashfully down at him, then turned and pulled the taller boy into his arms, his eyes shining as he looked up at Remus. 'I can't believe I didn't think about this place before now. It's been fucking Hell, not being able to touch you how I want to.'

'Tell me about it,' Remus sighed, pulling Sirius in tighter and relishing the feel of the boy's body against his with no prying eyes to make them uncomfortable. He dipped his head to run his scarred nose along Sirius' throat, breathing in deeply. He couldn't resist following the same path with his tongue, and he let out a deep groan when his lips reached Sirius' jaw. 'And I meant what I said earlier. You taste fucking divine.'

'Re ... ' Sirius' mouth was against his in moments, and Remus melted into the kiss, his head spinning with love and lust. He almost reeled when Sirius swiftly broke the kiss, and then the boy disappeared. Remus felt confused for a moment, then there was something tugging at his belt and he looked down. Sirius had dropped to his knees in front of Remus, and his slender hands were furiously working the buckle of his belt.

'Sirius,' Remus panted, not sure what to do with himself, but Sirius just glanced up at him, an almost feral look in his eyes, before he returned to his task.

'Need you,' he croaked, finally getting Remus' belt open and making quick work of his fly. Before Remus' mind could catch up, his trousers and boxers were round his ankles, and Sirius was staring hungrily at his exposed, very erect cock. Remus' knees almost buckled again when Sirius looked up at him and licked his lips. 'Can I?'

'Fuck, yes,' Remus breathed, then yelped when those pale fingers wrapped around his length. Remus reached down, wound his own fingers into Sirius' hair and watched, enthralled, as Sirius leant forward. The other boy looked up at Remus, and he held eye contact as he stuck out his flattened tongue and pressed it to the underside of Remus' shaft, running it up from the base to the slit. When Sirius' lips closed around his tip, Remus' eyes rolled back into his head, and he inadvertently gripped Sirius' hair in a tight fist. Before he could even think to apologise, Sirius was moaning around him, and the vibrations this sent through Remus threatened to undo him. He heard himself whine, 'Sirius, please ... '

He didn't really know what he was asking for, but apparently Sirius did, as he set up a brisk pace almost immediately. His tongue and teeth and fingers continued to tease Remus' shaft, and Remus clenched his empty fist hard when he felt his head hit the back of Sirius' throat. He struggled to find words, to keep talking, but he couldn't think past what was happening. He made himself look down, made himself watch his beautiful boy, on his knees in front of him and apparently very much enjoying himself, if the flush in his cheeks and the glaze in his eyes was anything to go by.

Remus' body was a furnace, heat running over and under his skin as he was filled with an intense pleasure, but then the heat changed, and he knew that this had to stop. He tried to say Sirius' name, but his throat was too dry, he couldn't form the letters needed. So instead, he pulled at the hair wrapped around his fist, tugging Sirius away from him as gently as possible. Sirius groaned, fighting to get back to his task, and when Remus saw his darkened eyes and spit-soaked chin, he nearly let him. But he didn't want this to be over so soon, so he held his boyfriend fast.

'Sirius,' he rasped, his voice broken. It was enough to make Sirius look up, and something in Remus' gaze seemed to still him. He stopped fighting, and kneeled placidly on the floor at Remus' feet, panting slightly. Remus carefully let go of the black hair to offer his open hand, and when Sirius took it he pulled him up and kissed him hard. They both gasped for breath as they broke apart, and Remus rested his forehead on Sirius' as he said, a little hoarsely, 'Getting too fucking good at that, Love.'

'Practice makes perfect,' Sirius quipped, and Remus rolled his eyes in the face of that self-satisfied Sirius Black smirk.

'Alright, alright, don't let it go to your head.' Remus pulled back, and the smile died on Sirius' lips as he took in Remus' expression. Remus made sure he had his full attention before he growled out, 'Besides, it's always much more fun when we cum together.'

'Putain, Remus,' Sirius swore softly, his eyes glazing again as he clung to Remus' shirt front. 'Emmène-moi, s'il te plaît.'

'Avec plaisir,' Remus said, and tipped his head forwards to nip at Sirius' bottom lip. Sirius keened in frustration, his body writhing against Remus', and it didn't take long for both boys to be stripped naked and falling onto the huge bed, Sirius on his back with Remus' hips between his thighs. Sirius wriggled among the sheets, his hands and lips skimming over Remus like he was trying to be everywhere all at once, but Remus clamped a firm hand onto Sirius' hip and held his restless lover to the mattress. 'There's no need to rush, Love,' Remus reminded him gently. 'We've got the time.'

'Right,' Sirius huffed, but he didn't let go of Remus' face, where his hands had landed, as he stared up at him earnestly. 'No, yes, I know that, but I ... I want you so badly, Remus.'

'I know, Pads,' he murmured soothingly, distracting Sirius effectively by trailing his lips across his sharp collarbone. 'I know. Just ... just let me, yeah? Please?' He looked up again to catch Sirius' eyes, and the boy looked so hopelessly smitten that Remus felt that his chest might crack in two. But finally he nodded, and Remus instantly got to work, readying Sirius for him.

He took his time to prep Sirius, using more lube than necessary from the bottle that he found after a frantic search through the bedside drawer. Remus wanted to go slow, to avoid hurting Sirius, despite the boy begging him to just take him there and then. It had been too long since they'd been together like this, and Remus was so thorough in making sure Sirius was gradually stretched that by the time he deemed him ready, Sirius' cock was leaking pre-cum and the boy himself was practically weeping.

'S'il te plaît,' Sirius whimpered, and Remus paused to just look at him. He adored Sirius in this state, so wound up and wanting that he completely forgot his cool facade, and was just a writhing, flushed, needy mess. And it was all for Remus. No-one else would ever - could ever - do this to the boy beneath him. 'Remus, s'il te plaît, je suis prêt.'

'Oui, mon cour, tu est prêt,' he murmured, then withdrew his fingers, almost drowing in the small, desperate noise Sirius made as he pulled away. Remus braced one forearm on the mattress by Sirius' head, reaching between them to grasp himself firmly. Sirius gripped Remus' biceps as he rocked forward, the slicked head of his cock rubbing against Sirius' entrance.

Remus looked down into Sirius' eyes, and felt that heat ripple through him again when Sirius' jaw slackened as he pushed gently forwards. He wanted that look to stay there forever, wanted to see how long he could make this moment last. But, impatient as always, Sirius deftly hooked one leg over his hips and abruptly dug his heel into Remus' arse. Remus slid all the way in, both boys letting out sharp cries of pleasure once he was seated entirely inside. It took Remus a few moments of utter stillness, of just breathing, to regain enough control to speak.

'Greedy,' Remus growled, nipping at Sirius' jaw before shifting on his arm to hold himself above Sirius.

'For you, Moony?' Sirius panted, grinning. He looked far too pleased with himself, that mischievous sparkle in his eyes once more. 'Always. Fucking starving for you, Love.'

'God, Pads,' Remus choked, his heart racing in his chest and the blood rushing through his body so fast that he could actually hear it. He rocked back and forwards a few times, watching as Sirius' eyelids fluttered closed. But that just wouldn't do, so he ground out, 'Regarde-moi.'

Sirius' eyes opened immediately at Remus' instruction, clearly trying to focus through the fog of his lust. Remus rolled his hips, and Sirius' eyes rolled again, but after a moment his gaze returned to hold Remus' once more. Remus grunted in satisfaction, and began thrusting in and out of Sirius' tight heat at a maddeningly slow speed. Sirius' nails dug into Remus' skin, his teeth sinking into his own bottom lip, but he kept on looking into Remus' eyes, just as he'd been told to.

'Je t'aime comme ça,' Remus snarled, struggling to hold himself back from just taking the other boy as fast and as hard as he wanted. But he knew that this wouldn't last too long if he did, so he kept on talking. 'Tellement en manque, tellement bon pour moi.'

'C'est tout pour toi,' Sirius moaned, releasing his swollen lip as he spoke. 'Seulement pour toi, mon amour.'

'Bien,' Remus said, and picked up his pace slowly, drinking in the delicate sound Sirius made in response. 'Parce que j'ai réalisé, en revanche, c'est que je déteste devoir te partager avec d'autres personnes.'

'Dites-moi pourquoi,' Sirius pleaded, his eyes bright and his chest flushed. He began to rock his own hips against Remus', meeting his thrusts, and Remus gritted his teeth, holding on to the tight tether of his self-control with all of his might. Sirius' expression changed slightly, became more urgent, and he pressed, 'Dites-moi, Remus.'

'Parce que,' Remus panted, his gaze riveted on Sirius' as he sped up his rhythm once more. 'Tu es à moi.'

'Encore,' Sirius whimpered, his hands slipping upwards to grip Remus' shoulders tighter as he matched Remus' pace.

'Tu es à moi, Sirius,' Remus growled, and his words turned into a familiar deep, continuous rumble as he took in the look of evident love that shone from Sirius' face at his words.

'Oui,' Sirius whispered, his breath stuttering as Remus slid in and out of him, hitting him just right with each thrust. Sirius' hand trailed down Remus' chest to rest against his heart as he panted, 'Seulement ... Seulement le tien. S'il te plaît, Rémus, je vais ... '

'Aller, mon amour,' Remus said, his voice rolling with the steady purr vibrating around his ribs. He reached between their bodies and grasped Sirius' shaft, stroking it in time with their movements. 'Joue pour moi.'

Sirius came, his back bowing off the bed in his pleasure, nails so deep in Remus' shoulder that he knew he'd broken the skin. But he really didn't care, not as Sirius' orgasm triggered his own, and he fucked them both through it, going and going until he couldn't see any more. He collapsed onto Sirius, throwing his forearms out just in time so that he could catch himself before he slammed down onto the other boy's pale torso. They panted and gasped together for what seemed like ages before Remus used the last of his energy to pull out and away, falling onto the bed besides Sirius.

After he'd recovered his breath, Remus rolled over onto his front, and leaned off the side of the bed for his robes. Sirius whined in protest at the loss of him, but Remus hushed him soothingly and, after digging through his pockets, returned to his side, propped up on his elbows with a cigarette and his lighter clutched in his hand. He slid the butt into his mouth and inhaled as his lit the other end, taking a deep lungful before taking it between his first and middle finger.

'Ça va?' Remus asked, holding the cigarette out. Sirius groaned as he reached up to take it from him.

'Please, Re, no more,' he murmured. 'I don't think my fragile mind can take it.'

Remus chuckled at his dramatics, then watched as Sirius placed the cigarette between his slightly pink, slightly puffy lips and inhaled. The tip flared orange, then Sirius pulled it away and gently blew out the smoke, letting it curl lazily from his mouth and up over his face. Remus just stared, entranced. Nearly everything that Sirius did was effortlessly graceful, and Remus had always found this fascinating. Sirius turned his head to look up at Remus, one eyebrow slightly raised and his lips curving upwards slowly.

'So,' he purred, his voice sliding over Remus' skin like silk, leaving goosebumps in its wake. 'Are you going to tell me where you learned all of that French?'

'I started learning from books,' Remus answered, unable to look away from the glint in Sirius' eyes. 'On nights when I couldn't sleep, usually before the moon. I used to just read novels, but I kind of wanted to be a bit more ... productive with my time. It got harder to hide when we started sharing a bed, so I'd have to sneak down to the common room and hope you wouldn't catch me at it.'

'Well, that explains why you'd get all twitchy when I would come down to drag you back to bed.' Sirius' grey eyes became rounded with mock sorrow. 'My poor, tortured Moony - Oi!'

Remus snorted as Sirius clung to the side of the mattress, having almost fallen off when he shoved him for teasing. 'Serves you right for being cruel to me after all the effort I went through for you. Even found one of the castle ghosts that could speak French to practice with in my free periods.' He paused, noticing the sudden change in Sirius. His gaze had sharpened, and his face was suddenly a picture of concentration, and a little disbelief. Remus frowned. 'What?'

'You ... You did this, for me?' Sirius whispered. Remus blushed, but reached out and tucked a lock of black hair behind Sirius' ear, pausing to cup his face gently before letting go to look down, his fingers now fiddling with the label on the edge of a pillow.

'Well, yeah,' he muttered. 'You just ... You really seem to enjoy speaking it, but I figured that the only other people who might be able to converse with you are probably your family, and, you know, I just wanted to give you another option. And,' he added, pausing to take a drag of the cigarette and glancing up to smile sheepishly at Sirius, 'You seemed to find it quite, um, sexy when I first used the little I knew last year. I was - still am, really - so head over heels for you, that I was hoping it would give me a better chance of one day showing you how I feel.'

'Moony,' Sirius sighed, and suddenly he pitched forwards, pressing his lips to Remus' in a deep, passionate kiss. Remus responded for a few moments, then pulled back, one eyebrow raised in silent question. Sirius' expression was soft as he said, 'I am so madly in love with you. French or no French. I need you to know that.'

'I do, Love,' Remus said, his voice a little thick. 'I do know it. I love you, too.'

They lay in silence for a few minutes, finishing the cigarette between them, then Remus rolled onto his back and tugged Sirius against him. Sirius rolled onto his front, his head resting over Remus' heart, his fingers tracing loving patters along his opposite shoulder. Finally, Sirius said, 'We really should find out the name of this room, you know. It needs adding to the map.'

'Can't we keep it to ourselves?' Remus heard the edge of panic in his own voice, and Sirius turned his head to rest his chin on Remus' chest, looking up at him with amusement. 'Just for a little while?'

'Of course we can, Moony,' Sirius chuckled, leaning up to kiss him. 'It can be our secret place.'