12/09/2025, @wolfstarmicrofic, prompt 12 -moving staircases, word count: 292
No one can quite agree on the exact moment Remus fell in love with Sirius.
Peter’s sure it was the day Sirius told them they had become Animagi. “It was very cute,” he smiles. “You looked ready to fall to his feet.”
Mary believes it was just innate. “I mean, you two are quite literally made for each other,” she says, much to Sirius’ delight. “It’s sickening. That’s how it’s always been. The sun rises, the earth rotates, Remus loves Sirius. It’s just the way it is”
Marlene’s version of the story is quite unremarkable. “Once in fourth year, Sirius nearly tripped over the edge of the moving staircases, but he played it off like he did it on purpose like the most obnoxious fool ever.” Sirius shoots a pillow at her. “I saw Remus with glazed eyes like he’d seen the most amazing thing on the planet. I remember feeling hopelessly sorry for both of you.”
Lily got to see Remus come to terms with it. “I was literally counseling this manchild. Sirius was dating some random girl and Remus was having a mental breakdown. I had to hold his hand and guide him through it and explain he’s jealous. Naturally, he burst into tears, fled to the dorm, and didn’t resurface for like 20 hours.”
“16,” Remus mutters as all their friends laugh uproariously. “Don’t exaggerate.”
James’ version though, is the one that Remus likes best.
“Today,” he says simply. “You got to hear from everybody else every single time they saw you fall for Sirius, and you’re getting to fall in love with him all over again just by revisiting those memories. That’s what’s so special. Falling in love isn’t one moment you freeze, it’s something continuous and endless. That’s the beauty of it.”
sirius waddled across the commonroom, drink spilling from his cup and all over his hands. he grimaces at the sticky feeling and attempts to wipe it away with his other hand, only transferring the golden liquid onto his fingers. he shook his hand out in disgust and stumbled backwards, falling on his ass at the bottom of the staircase.
sirius let out a whine, rubbing at his lower back and almost spilling more of his drink again. he’s so fucking drunk it’s crazy; the rooms spinning, everything’s blurry, he feels sick and dizzy and so, so fucking sad.
sirius doesn’t want to feel sad. he wants to feel very happy. gryffindor just won the quidditch cup, mary and marlene were celebrating three months tonight, and james was over there full frontal snogging regulus - which sirius has his reservations about, but so long as they make eachother happy he’s okay with it.
sirius doesn’t know why he’s so sad.
well, he does. he just thinks it’s stupid.
it all started when everyone around him started making out with eachother. sirius wants to make out with remus really badly. he’s wanted to make out with remus for a really long time, but it’s all so confusing and conflicting and it seems like remus is interested in lily and sirius doesn’t want to get in the way of that.
he can’t even find remus in this massive crowd. he’d probably gone to bed early, with a headache or something. poor remus, sirius wishes he could kiss him better, if that’s the case. but that will never happen.
he progressively got more and more shitfaced in attempt to cover the hole he had in his heart, watching everyone be young and in love and snogging. to try and make himself feel okay without remus right by his side.
but it didn’t work!
all it did was make him sad and nauseous and really fucking clumsy. he just wants remus.
he wants remus so bad.
“you alright?” a voice came from beside him, a few steps up.
sirius turned his head and squinted his eyes at the boy, he was reading a book… at a party… that’s something remus would do. who does this fake-remus think he is, reading a book at a party? that’s something only his moony can do, thank you very much.
“yep.” sirius muttered and swayed as he tried to stand, “just… okay.”
“just okay?” they asked, and sirius nodded.
“do you need something, sirius?”
“how… how do you know my name?” sirius slurred, taking another sip of his drink, slumping against the wall as he looked at the mystery person.
“because we’re friends, sirius.”
“oh…” sirius scratched his head, “are we good friends?”
the person with a blurry face smiled and set their book down on their lap, “i’d say we’re pretty close.”
“okay…” Sirius nodded and swung forward to get closer to them, and in a harsh whisper he asked, “can i tell you a secret?”
“why don’t you tell james?” they asked back in a regular voice.
“he’s… busy.” sirius waggled his hand about in the general direction of the party, “got ‘is tongue halfway down my brothers throat.”
“lovely,” they sighed, “good for, james.”
“mhm.” sirius grunted, “bloody good for him… s’not good for me though.”
“no?” fake-remus asked.
“nup!” sirius shook his head, “can i pleaseeee tell you my secret? not even james knows yet.”
“sirius… do you really want to tell me?”
sirius nodded and poked them on the nose, “if you keep it a secret… i’ll… make sure you’re safe from pranks.”
the other boy sighed, running a hand through his soft looking hair and smiled, “yeah, alright…" he stage whispered to sirius this time, "go on then, what’s your secret?”
“pinky promise?” sirius said, holding his finger out to shake with.
they shook it, locking their finger over sirius’ own and grimacing with the stickiness on his skin.
“so…” sirius said, swinging around to sit next to them, “you know my friend remus?”
the boy stoped for a moment, looking at sirius with suspicious eyes. he swallowed and hesitantly nodded.
“well…” sirius sighed, “im bloody well in love with him, i think.”
“you’re…” they said, going silent again and looking away from sirius for a moment.
sirius only noticed how hot it was in here, due to the pink flush in the other boys cheeks. sirius decided to strip off his jacket, and started undoing the buttons to his shirt to cool down.
“he’s just so… perfect, you know?” sirius went on, slurring each and every honest word, “think he’s wonderful, don’t you? i just wanna kiss him so bad, sometimes. and you don’t know half of what i’d let him do to me-“
“okay, sirius.” they said, plucking sirius’ cup from his hands (not without a protesting whine) and pulled sirius' hands away from himself as he started to unbuckle his jeans, “up we hop. you’ve had a bit too much to drink, i think. off to bed now.”
“off to bed…” sirius sighed, letting this lovely (copy cat) stranger lead him up the stairs as he tripped and swayed, his shirt gone now and in the mystery persons hands, “time for sleepy-bies, sirius… go to sleep, or the boogie man will get you!”
“alright, pads.” they said with a heavy sigh, petting sirius on the back a few times as they helped him to walk.
once in the dorm room, sirius realised it was empty, “where’s my moony?”
“...he’s busy.”
“oh…” sirius sighed, moving over to his bed and allowing this person to help him remove his shoes, “he’s probably off with lily again… lily, lily, lily.” he poked his tongue out and blew a raspberry, making dumb sounds as he spoke, “perfect fucking lily, who’s a girl. she’s a bloody girl. she’s so fucking wonderful, ands everything m’not.”
“what are you yapping about?” they asked, laying sirius down in bed, pulling the covers up to his shoulders, just how he likes.
“s’lily.” he pouted, rolling onto his side and curling in on himself, “he loves her, i think. never stood a chance against lily bloody evans.”
there was a long silence, and sirius closed his eyes, basking in the comfort of his pillow. it smelled lovely, different to usual. it smelled like remus, and that was enough to lull sirius to sleep almost immediately.
“he’s not in love with lily, sirius.” the voice whispered as they stroked a hand over sirius’ hair. only remus and james were allowed to do that, and it feels like remus’ hand, so he supposed it’s okay for now. “i’m in love with you too.”
sirius barely registered that though, and he hummed before passing out completely.
**
sirius woke to a sharp light poking into his eyelids. he opened his eyes eventually, rubbing them to find the curtain of his bed frame pulled back. only, he wasn’t in his bed, he realised. he was in remus’.
merlin, how’d he end up there?
his head is pounding and his mouth's dry.
“morning.” remus said with a smile, walking out of the bathroom and over to the bed, “sorry, forgot to close the curtains after james went for his run this morning.”
“how’s’e not hungover?” sirius mumbled, stretching out his body and flopping back down. he feels kinda ill.
“the sun shines out of his ass or something.” remus smiled and climbed into the bed beside sirius, drawing the curtain closed behind him.
sirius groaned and shuffled over before realising that remus was actually lying under the covers with him. remus was reaching out and pulling sirius in closer.
“what’re you doing?” he mumbled, his face much too close to remus’.
“admiring you.” remus said softly, “you’re fucking gorgeous in the mornings, you realise?”
sirius felt himself flush from head to toe, “what?”
“mhm…” remus said, smiling all dopey. his eyes were heavy lidded and he nudged his nose against sirius’, “are you feeling okay, love?”
oh for fucking merlin’s sake! what was happening?
“are you?”
remus chuckled and nodded his head, “i feel amazing, sirius… can i kiss you?”
what?
“are you joking?” sirius muttered, “is this some joke?”
“nope.” remus grinned, “i just had a realisation last night, and decided to do something about it.”
“what realisation?”
“that we’re in love.” remus smiled, “and that you want to kiss me. can i kiss you?”
“you’re…”
“are you feeling okay, sirius?”
“i’d feel bloody perfect if you kissed me, moony.”
remus smiled and laughed, pulling sirius in closer until their lips brushed. and sirius lost it. he sunk into remus’ hold and kissed him. he kissed him so much he thinks he might have lost some brain-cells.
“you love me?” sirius muttered against his lips.
“yes, sirius.” he smiled, “lily is my friend, i like men.”
“oh…” sirius furrowed his brow, he had no idea what bought this about, or how remus knew of sirius’ feelings but he was kinda feeling too high on remus to care right now.
he kissed remus again. and some more. and even more, and then- then he was rolling over the top of remus and running to the bathroom, thankfully reaching the toilet before spilling his guts out into it.
"how are you feeling?" remus asked, once sirius pulled back from the full toilet bowel, chest heaving to get the air back in his lungs.
he felt like fucking shit, he’d had far too much to drink last night. but that hardly mattered because remus kissed him. and now remus was here, holding his hair and stroking his back and kissing the top of sirius’ head, and everything was going to be just fine.
sirius smiled and rested his head against the toilet bowel, looking up at his moony, "perfect."
@wolfstarmicrofic - prompt: olive - post PoA in a world where Sirius finds Remus
The first winter out of Azkaban should feel warmer than this.
Sirius sits outside, the snow-draped garden is blinding in a winter sun that does nothing to warm him, and he is too numb to move. He stares at the willow in the corner, every single of its frost-coated branch a dangling harsh whip in the wind. It's been a whole day since the full moon, and Remus has just come back, barely dragging his feet to the sofa before collapsing.
Sirius doesn't know how long has passed before Remus comes to sit by him.
"You shouldn't have gone to the ministry cell alone." Sirius says, even though they both know there's nothing Sirius could have done. He is barely held together himself, and only because the parts are frozen in place.
Remus shakes his head in mute understanding. He snaps his fingers a few times, curses when the familiar blue fire doesn't come, then sighs, withdraws his wand and tightens his brows with the incantation:
"Expecto patronum."
The form of the large dog that bursts forth surprises him. He turns to Remus, question in his eyes.
Remus smiles wryly, and says, "I've been hiding the corporal form from myself, even. Padfoot's never left me, wherever you were."
It shields them with the force of its etheral glow. It's not warm. But familiar, consoling.
"I've lost mine." Sirius confesses quietly.
Remus doesn't reply, only takes his hand and squeezes. And Padfoot— Remus' Padfoot, comes to sit at their feet, resting his head comfortingly on Sirius' knee.
-
By late spring, Sirius finds more strength in his frame. He could run with Moony again, and let Remus lean against him the next morning, while waiting for Remus to wake. This time, they cuddle at the foot of a lone great oak, somewhere in the depths of English woods. It's the only tree in sight that hasn't yet joined the riot of bursting green. But even from its worn knotted and knarled trunks, baby green shoots are just starting to emerge.
The wolf is still vicious, but has learned to be tamer, more trusting, after months of company by someone who'd loved him once, in old memories distant as a dream. Padfoot is not yet strong enough to scuffle with him as they used to, but neither does the wolf scuffle much now.
Sirius twirls his new wand in his fingers, hesitates for a moment longer before enouncing,
"Expecto Patronum."
The space around them glows for a moment, then fades away. He swallows his disappointment. At least it's brighter than it was a few days ago.
Remus' patronus is still Padfoot. He saw when they had the run-in with Dementors let loose.
"Expecto patronum." He whispers again, and watches the same blue wisp of light rise for a moment then fall. He can hardly explain to himself the obsession with this spell. Maybe there's just something he wants to prove to himself. To Remus.
-
It's a night at the height of summer when he finally gets it. In the shade of a new moon, the sky-full of pinpricks of stars are burning bright as ever. Sirius sits on the olive stump, whose new shoot has itself become a fully-grown tree. Its bristling branches, full with ripening olives, hides away almost half the sky. Under his feet, the grass is dry and warm even long after sunset. But he can't help but be sceptical of warmth, despite it having been so long.
As if sensing his unease, Remus finds him, and tacitly sits down on the ground, his back against Sirius' legs and head resting on his knee.
"What's wrong?" Remus asks.
"Nothing." Sirius says reflexively.
Remus leans further back, and catches his eyes. In them, Sirius can see the whole of the sky.
Sirius hesitates still.
"Go on." Remus encourages. "I've noticed, you know, you and the spell."
"Since when have you learned to read minds?" Sirius lets out a breath in wonder. But he finds his resolve, and casts.
"Expecto Patronum."
Padfoot greets him once again. The feeling in his chest is a mad swirl of pride and a strange sinking. Shouldn't it have been— if Remus' patrnous is—
"Funny." Remus only grins at Padfoot with unadulterated joy, "I noticed something a while ago." And wordlessly, Remus swishes his wand for the same spell, and the four-legged animal that jumps to meet them is—
"Moony." Sirius barely murmurs. For a moment his head rings with the rush of emotion and it all becomes clear, clear as the moon-less night sky. And he remembers. James' patronus was never the doe, neither was Lily's ever the stag.
"I've missed seeing him," Remus says, as they both watch the two patronuses leap and chase and play all around them, leading a dance of light bright as the whole of the sky.
whatever you do don't think about the marauders singing the story of tonight from Hamilton when they decide to join the war, then the story of tonight (reprise) at James' and Lily's wedding and do NOT for any reason whatsoever think about Remus post Halloween 81, returning flat he used to share with Sirius and sitting alone at the dining table and singing to himself empty chairs at empty tables from Les Mis... don't do that
Wolfstar Prompt: Pining Sirius trying to flirt with Remus, who feels sad because he’s secretly in love with Sirius but thinks the flirting is a joke. Fluff and getting together?
Okay, okay! I think I did the fluff thing?!?! A tinsy bit of hurt/comfort slipped in cause it's me but otherwise I promise all the fluff and the good feels. Hope you enjoy and thanks for the ask!
Remus was exhausted. Prefect duties last night meant he'd been woken up at an ungodly hour after some students thought it was a great idea to hide contraband items by flushing them down the toilet. It was almost like they forgot they were wizards and could just vanish them away. Hell, that's what he did. By the time he got it cleaned up there was no point going back to bed, so now here he was in the Great Hall mindlessly running through everything he needed to get done today before he crawl back into his room and go to sleep.
"Pass me one of those cherry danishes Pete. I'm gonna need something sweet to get through the day," Remus said, as he poured himself a cup of tea and blinked sleep out of his eyes.
"You know Remus," Sirius said smiling at him slyly. "I'm right here. You can have me."
And this was a very different type of tired that Remus was experiencing. Remus got it. Sirius was just naturally flirty by nature. It would have been no problem if Remus wasn't so hopelessly in love with him. If every time Sirius teased him it didn't feel like pouring salt into the open wound of his heart.
"Buzz off Pads."
Sirius frowned looking put out.
"Damn," James said. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."
"Didn't get to wake up on any side of the bed thanks to nitwit first years," he swivelled to look at Sirius and pointed his danish at him. "If you make one comment about waking up in bed with me, I will stuff this danish in your mouth just to get some quiet."
Sirius pouted, turning his puppy dog eyes on full blast.
"I'm sorry," Remus said. "I'm just tired."
Sirius grinned. "From running around in my mind all day?"
Remus groaned and let his head fall face first onto the table.
Remus managed to make it through his morning classes but by potions he could already feel himself waning. Sirius really seemed to be turning the dial up on the flirting today and Remus wasn't in the mood. Normally, it just left him with a dull ache in his chest, but today he felt like he might burst into tears if Sirius kept it up long enough. Every time he said something sweet to Remus, Remus had to remind himself that it wouldn't last. That sooner or later Sirius would find someone else and all that sweetness would go away and Remus's world would turn bitter.
"Moons?" Sirius said.
"Hmm?" Remus mumbled, being pulled out of his half asleep daze.
"You're hurt."
"Right. Right, yes it did hurt when I fell from heaven. How did you know?"
"No Moony, look," Sirius said, gesturing down at Remus's cutting board. He'd been so distracted that somewhere through chopping the mandrake root he'd cut his hand as well. Sirius took one look at Remus who was standing there just staring at his hand and decided that he needed to get his friend out of here. He loved Remus and it hurt him to see him this worn out when it wasn't even a full moon. "Professor Slughorn sir?" Sirius asked.
"Yes Mister Black," the professor said.
"Remus cut himself. Permission to take him to the infirmary?"
"Is it that bad?"
"He was working with one of the more toxic ingredients. I just thought it might be best to see Mme Pomfrey just in case."
"Alright, you two are excused."
"Thank you sir."
Sirius gathered up both his and Remus's things before grabbing Remus gently by the arm and steering him out of the classroom.
"Mandrake root isn't toxic," Remus said once they were outside the door.
"I know that. We're going to get you bandaged up and then you're going to take a nap before next period. Not that you need the extra beauty sleep."
Remus didn't have it in him to fight Sirius and simply followed him back to their dorm rooms. Sirius sat him down on his bed before pulling up the sleeve of Remus's robe and taking out his wand.
"Nothing major," Sirius assured him, "but if you need to fall remember you can do so into my arms." He winked as he cast a quick healing spell and Remus's skin quickly knit itself back together. "Want me to kiss it better for good luck?" Sirius added, but as he looked up at Remus he was surprised to see tears springing to his eyes. "What's the matter? I didn't hurt you, did I? I know I'm pretty but I didn't think I was gorgeous enough to make you weep."
"Stop," Remus choked out. "Please."
Sirius started to run his hands up and down Remus's arms, massaging them gently as he tried to soothe him. His heart twisted painfully as he thought about the possibility that he might have caused Remus to feel this way. All he wanted was for Remus to be happy, and he hoped that he might be happy with him, he thought he'd made that clear with his very overt flirting these last few months.
"Why do you keep doing that?" Remus asked.
Sirius paused his movements. "Touching you?"
"No. The flirting," he paused. Forget it," Remus said, pulling his hands away from Sirius's to rub his eyes. "I already know. You do it with everyone."
Sirius frowned. "No I don't. "
"Yes you do. It's all just part of another joke. It's fine. I love your pranks Sirius but I'm tired of being the punchline. Especially when I'm also quite physically exhausted."
Sirius sat back, confused. "Remus, do you... do you think I'm flirting with you as a joke?"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Yes? That is what you've been doing for these past few months and I can't take it anymore especially not when I l-" Remus cut himself off, realizing in his half-asleep state he almost let his feelings spill.
"Finish that sentence," Sirius said.
"What? No."
"Fine," Sirius said. "I will. I can't take it anymore especially not when I'm desperately in love with you."
"Not funny," Remus said, turning his head away from Sirius so he couldn't see him crying.
"No," Sirius said, reaching up to cradle Remus's head in his hands as he turned his face towards him. "You don't understand. I'm desperately in love with you."
Remus's eyes went wide. "You... you mean you've been really trying to flirt with me?"
"Moony, I've been pining after you forever."
"But I..." Remus trailed off, all the sadness in him blooming into something new.
"Please say something Remus. If you want it to just be a joke then it will be a joke and I promise I'll stop but I meant all of them. You're beautiful and so kind and okay, maybe I'm not that sweet or pretty but I love you and I care about you and I want - "
Sirius was cut off by the imposition of Remus's lips on his own. He froze only for a moment before leaning back into the kiss. When Remus pulled away, he only did so a little bit so that their foreheads were still touching. "I love you too. I couldn't take it anymore. All the flirting, I couldn't stop imaging what it would be like to actually be with you and to have you so close but think it was all a joke. I felt like I was dying."
Sirius leaned in to lead the kiss this time, pressing an apology into it, trying to explain how sorry he was for making Remus sad, even if unintentionally, but that he had lots of time now to kiss those wounds better. "Never again. You need to know, they're all for you. It's all for you Remus."
Remus smiled and wrapped his arms around Sirius before collapsing against his shoulder.
Sirius smiled as he started to rub Remus's back. "Come on. Nap time for you."
He scooped Remus up into his arms easily and laid him down in bed. He'd got him settled under the covers and took a moment to admire how peaceful he was before turning to go. But before he could leave, Remus's arm shot out and grasped at his wrist.
"Stay with me?" Remus said.
Sirius smiled and climbed into bed with Remus, curling around him and feeling so overjoyed to finally, finally have him so close.
so!! this is written for @gaeilgelupin who got hit by a BIKE the other day and freaked me the hell out, but she has now recovered and i love her 🥰
“Where is he?” Remus demanded as soon as he’d pushed through the doors of the hospital, whirling around to find the reception desk.
He quickly hurried over, ignoring the strange looks thrown his way at his dramatic entrance and dishevelled appearance- and maybe also because of the strikingly good looking boy that was storming along with him.
“Remus, how do these muggle hospitals work?” James asked, far too loudly all things considered, and Remus elbowed him to shut up as he impatiently hopped from foot to foot to wait their turn at the desk.
As soon as they’d reached the front James near jumped over the counter in his desperation, Remus having to physically restrain him from strangling the unhelpful receptionist despite feeling like doing so himself.
Remus tugged James backwards with a tight hold on his shirt, dragging him over to stand by the elevator door. To the casual observer, Remus probably seemed the face of utter composure and calm, yet his frantic jabbing at the elevator door button and subconscious chewing on his lip as his now darkened amber eyes darted around betrayed him to those who knew him best.
Finally, the doors opened, and the two boys reeled backwards at the figure that emerged from them.
“Oh. Hello.” Regulus Black said a little awkwardly, adjusting his yellow scarf around his neck uncomfortable.
James simply stared at him, having not seen him since they had left Hogwarts, and had no knowledge that he and Sirius were on visiting-each-other-in-hospital terms.
Remus rolled his eyes a little at James’ incompetence, stepping forwards to shake Regulus’ hand rather more frantically than he would’ve liked.
“Good to see you, Regulus. I’d love to stay and talk, but…” Remus trailed off hopefully, not wanting to outright say it but hoping that Regulus would catch onto his meaning.
Regulus nodded with a tight-lipped smile, his eyes darting over to James’ flushed face and back.
“He’s in room seven, fourth floor. See you again, maybe.” Regulus said briskly, smoothly gliding past them and out of the hospital doors.
“Well, at least that means he isn’t dead,” Remus muttered as the two stepped into the now-empty elevator.
He glanced over at James in the mirror, taking quick note of his flustered expression and fidgety hands.
“Do you want to talk-” Remus started saying, but was quickly shut down.
“No.” James replied, simply but firmly. “One thing at a time. Let’s go find Sirius and see what mess he’s got himself into.”
Remus nodded, and James shot him a grateful look, forever thankful for his friend’s ability to understand everything.
As soon as they reached Sirius’ door James pushed right on through, but Remus paused, hesitated before he could follow him.
‘What are you doing? Go on, go to him!’ Remus’ heart yelled, but his feet were frozen by the mantra repeating in his mind.
‘What if he is dead? What if he doesn’t want to see you? What if he’s hurt so bad he doesn’t remember you?’ A nasty voice whispered at the back of Remus’ mind, and he shook his head, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Re?” a voice called weakly from inside the room, and it flipped Remus’ stomach. He hurriedly rushed inside, cursing himself for daring to hesitate.
Inside, Sirius was lying in bed in a spacious but still somehow cramped hospital room, James sitting next to him on a flimsy plastic chair. Remus stood there, his eyes taking in the sight of Sirius wounded, hospitalised.
It was both better and worse than his mind had imagined.
For one, Sirius was alive, sat up, he was speaking, he remembered Remus, he still loved and wanted to see him, and the smile still in his face settled Remus’ worries slightly.
However, the bruising all along his face- a purple cheek, a crooked nose, a split and puffy lip, scrape marks on his chin and forehead, a black eye- were far more vivid than Remus could’ve visualised. His arm had been put in a cast, there were bandages around his waist, and his leg was suspended in a slightly stiff position.
“Baby,” Remus breathed in horror, rushing over to Sirius with anxious hands, wanting to touch, to heal, to hold, but not wanting to hurt Sirius more in the process.
“C’mere,” Sirius laughed, reaching shakily with his unbandaged hand to wrap it around Remus’ waist, tugging the boy to him gently.
Remus gently wrapped his arms around Sirius, burying his face in Sirius’ hair and breathing in his scent. Okay, okay. Sirius was still here. He still had him.
James fidgeted in the seat beside the bed, wanting to join and hold his best mates, but not wanting to interrupt their moment.
“Get over here, Jamie.” Sirius said in a slightly muffled voice, wrapped up in Remus’ arms and oversized sweatshirt.
He let out a happy noise of relief, hopping onto the bed and covering the two with his arms as best he could, feeling as though in some small way he could protect them all from the dangers of the outside world.
Once they had all calmed down a little, James and Remus pulled back to sit in their respective chairs and Sirius smiled a little smugly in the middle- now that he had recovered a little and was with his two favourite people, he was quite enjoying the extra attention he got.
“So. How did you end up here?” Remus said rather sternly, his chin rested on his folded hands, and Sirius squirmed a little in guilt.
“I got hit by a bike-“ he started explaining, but was interrupted by James’ shriek.
“A bike? A BIKE? A muggle did this? By Merlin I swear I’ll hunt them down and-“
Sirius waved him off with a grin, patting James’ frantically moving hands.
“Don’t worry Jamie, they’re the one who found my phone to call my emergency contacts once the am-bu-lance came to get me.” Sirius said carefully, glancing over at Remus to check he’d pronounced it properly.
Remus nodded absentmindedly, trying to piece together the events and work through it logically.
“So you have Regulus as an emergency contact, still?” he asked gently, watching carefully for Sirius’ reaction.
Sirius’ face lit up a little and he nodded eagerly, but not before glancing over at James to check it was okay he spoke about it.
James waved his approval with rather flushed cheeks, and Sirius launched into an explanation.
“It’s great news, really- I never could face removing him from my phone as an emergency contact, and so the person who hit me- their name was Alex- called him as well as you two, and he got here sooner because he’s living in London now, moved out of my parents’ place.” Sirius began saying, and Remus watched with pride as Sirius’ face no longer flickered with hurt at the thought of his parents and the time he’d spent living there. Wizard therapy really did wonders.
“Anyway, he came in to see me, gave me the shock of my life, nearly finished me off to be honest- and once he’d made sure I was alright and laughed at me for getting hurt by a bike of all things, not even a motorbike, he started telling me about how he met this person- their name was-is, but he’s not seeing them anymore- Taylor, and they’re a muggle, and Regulus really liked them and he left my parents’ house once and for all, and moved in with Taylor, and things ended up just not working out, so he’s got his own place in London now, and is focusing on his education- he’s going to university.” Sirius finished breathlessly, his face glowing with pride.
James nodded along with a more sober yet unreadable expression, making noncommittal noises here and there at appropriate times.
“That’s really good, Pads. We can go visit him when you’re a little better.” Remus said softly, squeezing Sirius’ hand.
“How long until you’re allowed out? Lily and the others will probably wanna come see you too.” James asked, and Remus noted with another glimmer of pride that he didn’t stumble over his ex’s name anymore. Hopefully that would make things less awkward at the next Hogwarts reunion.
“Not sure, it already feels like i’ve been here for ages.” Sirius whined, throwing his head back and wincing a little.
Remus reached out and put his hand on Sirius’ neck, tilting it forwards again and putting a pillow behind it.
“Just focus on getting better, love, and I’ll get you back home as soon as possible.” he said, and Sirius softened a little.
“Doctor’s orders, eh?” James grinned, leaning back in his chair with his arms behind his head, and Remus was struck with a very vivid memory of James trying to impress Lily in every class, ever back at Hogwarts.
He sat back a little, still holding Sirius’ hand, and watched Sirius and James get into an argument over whether surviving getting hit by a motorbike or a double-decker bus was more cool, and smiled contentedly. They might be a bunch of barely-alive, struggling for cash misfits, but they had each other, and that was enough.
The snow has been falling for hours it seems. Four, maybe five inches of fluffy powder covers every flat surface they see as they walk the trail through the forest. Bundled up in everything they own, Sirius and Remus walk with their fingers intertwined as much as possible with the thick gloves they wear.
When they come to a clearing Remus stops in his tracks as his breath is stolen by the majestic winter beauty. They stand very still and take in the gently falling snow, the patch of undisturbed white ground, the frozen pond, the icicles, and the surrounding dark tree branches covered in snow-white frost.
It’s so quiet they can barely hear their own breaths.
Remus lets go of Sirius’ hand and walks slowly forward into the large clearing. His footprints are the only sound as they crunch through the white ground that stretches before him. Sirius watches him walk several paces out in front with his eyes on Remus’ bright red hat. It’s a mesmerizing pop of color in the black and white scene before him.
When he’s almost to the middle of the field, Remus stretches his arms out wide, tips his head to the sky, and spins in a slow circle. His face is serene and happy, nose and cheeks tinted rosy from the icy air. His breath puffs up in long, peaceful spirals. Sirius doesn’t move, he’s not sure he could if wanted to as he’s completely captivated by the sight in front of him.
Remus stops when he is facing Sirius again and looks back, arms still spread wide. He flashes Sirius that wicked grin of his. The grin Sirius lives for. The grin that Sirius fell in love with. The grin that says, ‘I’m so happy in this moment, I feel alive, I’m loving this’ — and the best part in Sirius’ opinion — the grin that says, ‘I’m up to no good.’
He catches the subtle flick of Remus’ wrist and the dark flash of his wand tip a moment too late. He barely has time to turn his face before he’s smacked with a fluffy, powdery snowball that hits his shoulder and explodes around him. He blinks the snow out of his eyes and turns back with a slightly shocked, slightly elated expression.
Remus’ belly laugh is the best sound Sirius has heard all day. It’s muffled by all the snow, but it still reaches his ears and warms his insides. Sirius just nods and gives Remus a challenging smirk. He takes off, running straight for him.
Remus gives a half-hearted attempt at dodging, but Sirius tackles him all the same, and they land in a pouf of snow, laughing and holding on to each other.
Sirius raises up on his elbow to take in the glorious sight of a laughing Remus. There’s snow in his eyelashes and in the fringes of curls that stick out from under his red hat. His eyes are joyful and he’s so damn adorable with his pink nose and rosy cheeks tinted to match. He looks like a work of art on a blank canvas of white and Sirius is overcome with a wave of affection, attraction, and awe.
“I love you,” he says breathlessly. “I love you so much I almost can’t stand it.”
Remus’ smile softens and his eyes blink slowly. He raises a gloved hand and touches his fingertips to Sirius’ cheek. His eyes dance around Sirius’ face, drinking him in.
“I love you. I never knew life could feel this wonderful. Not until you,” he responds quietly.
Sirius leans down and kisses him tender and deep as the snow falls around them, peaceful and quiet.
Remus blinks up at him. “The snow looks like fairy dust around your face. You’re so damn beautiful.”
“No need to seduce me, Mr. Lupin. I am already completely and utterly mad for you.”
Remus kisses him in response and then shivers. “Let me up before I get frostbite.”
Sirius stands and then reaches to help Remus to his feet. He brushes the snow off of his coat and kisses him quickly.
“How ‘bout we go home and I warm you up properly, eh?”
“Sounds like perfection to me.”
Sirius takes his hand again as they begin walking back.
today, Remus and Sirius have a movie marathon. they set up a muggle TV in their living room, decked out with snacks and blankets and pillows and everything they needed for a cozy night in. they alternate picking the film, Remus showing Sirius some old Disney movies and Sirius leaning towards action and drama. at particularly tense moments, Remus (who’s been cuddled up to his boyfriend) hides his face in the junction of the other‘s shoulder, a laughing Sirius wrapping an arm around him to keep him safe.
