FIC: Once in a Blue Moon - Ch 63 (WIP)
Start of the story, including full ratings, warnings, pairings etc. Here
Summary for the new readers watching my journal: An AU Remus/Sirius story set in a world where an eleven year old werewolf named Remus Lupin never got his Hogwarts invitation, and where Sirius Black was not accepted by the rest of the Gryffindors. The two outcasts form a friendship despite overwhelming odds, but will their friendship survive when Sirius finds himself falling in love with his best friend...his friend who wants nothing more than to be 'normal', despite the passion he feels for the heir to the Noble House of Black.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise. J K Rowling retains all copyright.
Always Something Magic (PG15)
“Are you going to tell me what happened at the full moon?” Sirius asked quietly as they walked one of the more visible paths through the Forbidden Forest.
Remus ducked his head.
“You said you’d done something stupid,” Sirius prompted. “And when he found out you’d been arrested, Romulus said something about being reported and the full moon.”
Remus sighed and sat down on a tree stump, dropping his head into his hands and shuddering at the memory.
“Remus?” Sirius asked as he sat down on the ground, looking up into Remus’s partially hidden face.
“I didn’t get to the basement in time,” Remus whispered. “I passed out in the kitchen and didn’t wake up until I was transforming.”
“Are you all right?” Sirius asked. “You’re not ill, are you?”
“Ill?” Remus echoed.
“People don’t just pass out for no reason,” Sirius pointed out. “Maybe you should see a healer?”
“It wasn’t that sort of passing out,” Remus replied with a snort of humourless laughter. “I was drunk.”
“Oh.”
Remus felt his face burning in embarrassment as he waited for Sirius to say something else. He wondered how long it would be before Sirius decided that Remus didn’t deserve to have him, or that he deserved better than a selfish werewolf.
“Aren’t you going to say anything else?” Remus finally asked. “Aren’t you going to yell at me?”
Sirius shook his head. “No. I imagine your brother has already done more than enough of that.”
Remus nodded. “You’ve not heard the worst about it.”
“What else is there?” Sirius whispered. “Did you bite someone? Is that it?”
Remus shook his head. “It was close, but she got away in time.”
“She?”
“Cecily,” Remus whispered. “She crept out of her house and came here.”
“How did she know where to come?” Sirius asked.
“Rom will have told her,” Remus explained. “You know he’s always worried about what would have happened to me if he hadn’t made it home in time after I was bitten. He’ll have told Cecily how to get to him - to safety - in case she finds herself on the wrong side of our parents, too.”
“Is she okay?”
“I scared her so badly,” Remus admitted.
“Oh, Remus.” Sirius sighed as he reached out to take one of Remus’s hands in his own. “I should never have left you alone.”
Remus’s head shot up. “It wasn’t your fault. Come on, Sirius! This has me and my stupidity written all over it.”
“You’re not stupid,” Sirius argued. “Just…”
“Selfish?” Remus supplied. “Thoughtless? Dangerous? A monster?”
“Stop it!” Sirius snapped. “You’re not a monster.”
“I know you don’t think so, but…”
“You’re not!” Sirius insisted.
“I want you to promise me something,” Remus asked quietly.
“Depends what it is,” Sirius replied with caution.
“Romulus said that if anything like this happened again, he’d turn me over to the Ministry himself.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” Sirius said. “No matter what you’d done.”
“I know,” Remus agreed. “Which is why I want you to promise that you will.”
“I won’t promise anything of the sort,” Sirius argued, shaking his head vehemently.
“I don’t want to turn into Greyback,” Remus whispered.
“You won’t.”
“But I might.”
Sirius shook his head again, but Remus cut of his words with a raised hand. “I want you to promise that if a day should ever come where you see me as a monster, that you’ll either turn me over to the Ministry or kill me yourself.”
Sirius shook his head again. “You can’t ask that of me, Remus.”
“Please, Sirius?” Remus begged, the tears starting to fall as he pleaded quietly.
Sirius didn’t reply as he took Remus into his arms and held him close. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Remus didn’t say a word as they made their way back through the forest, eventually arriving at the Lupin house.
Sirius guided Remus into the living room and settled him down on the sofa.
“Romulus?” he asked turning to the ghost, who was lingering near the window.
“Yes?” Romulus replied.
“Do you think you could bring Cecily here?” he asked. “Just for a short visit.”
Romulus frowned. “I might be able to persuade her to sneak out. What do you have in mind?”
Sirius moved to the window and whispered his plan to Romulus, who then disappeared to do his bidding.
“Why did you ask him to do that?” Remus asked. “Cecily’s scared of me. She doesn’t need to be put through any more.”
Sirius shook his head. “She needs to know that she doesn’t have to be scared of you,” he argued. “And you need to know that you’re not a monster that scares small children.”
Remus sighed. “I can’t believe I let things get so bad that I was too drunk to get to the basement on the night of a full moon.”
“I can’t believe that Romulus wasn’t pestering you to get there for at least an hour beforehand,” Sirius countered.
“It’s not his responsibility to get me to the basement,” Remus pointed out. “It’s mine. I’d give anything to be able to go back and do things differently.”
“It’s no use wishing for the impossible. We just need to learn from our mistakes.”
Remus nodded. “And I’ve made some huge ones the last couple of years. I’ve hurt so many people…”
“Remus, don’t do this to yourself,” Sirius begged.
“I could have killed my little sister. I should have learned my lesson after Charlie, but I still managed to screw up.”
“What happened to Charlie was an accident,” Sirius told him firmly. “It was out of your control.”
“But what happened with Cecily wasn’t.”
The fireplace suddenly burst into flames and the girl in question stepped into the room, with Romulus re-appearing beside her a moment later.
“Hello, Cecily,” Sirius said with a smile.
Cecily smiled and whispered her own greeting. Her eyes flickered nervously to Remus, who couldn’t seem to stop himself from flinching.
“It’s okay,” Sirius said, reaching out a hand and waving her over to the sofa. “It’s just Remus.”
Cecily moved cautiously to sit in the space between them, and Remus felt his heart sink at the way she edged closer to Sirius and away from him.
“She can’t stay long,” Romulus told them.
“I had to sneak out,” Cecily confided with a nod.
“Is that so?” Sirius asked. “I used to have to sneak out to visit Remus, too.”
“You did?”
Sirius nodded. “All the time.”
Cecily turned to Romulus, who nodded that this was indeed the case.
“Remus has missed you,” Sirius told her. “And he has something he wants to say to you.”
Cecily turned to her brother.
“I’m sorry,” Remus whispered, knowing he had said it before, but also knowing that no matter how many times he said it, it would never be often enough to make up for what he had done.
Romulus moved closed and crouched down in front of the sofa. “You remember when I told you about werewolves?” he asked, and Cecily nodded. “What did I tell you was the most important thing to remember?”
Cecily chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “They’re only dangerous on the night of the full moon,” she answered.
“And it’s not a full moon now, is it?” Romulus continued. Cecily shook her head. “So, since Remus isn’t dangerous at the moment, I was wondering if you could do something for me…”
“Okay,” Cecily replied, after only a moment of hesitation.
“Could you give Remus a hug for me?” Romulus asked. “Just like you did when you first met him.”
Cecily smiled and nodded. A moment later, Remus found his arms were full of his younger sister and he was sobbing uncontrollably. “Don’t cry,” Cecily said, sniffling herself. “I’m sorry I was scared of you.”
Remus shook his head. “I’m sorry I scared you. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“We’ll make sure of it,” Sirius added.
“Does that mean I can come and visit again?” Cecily asked with a grin.
“Not on the full moons,” Romulus said. “But I’ll see what I can do to sneak you over now and then.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Remus asked. “Mum and Dad will go nuts if they find out.”
“I think it’ll be good for you to get to know your sister better,” Romulus explained. “Since Charlie you’ve done your best to shut everyone out of your life, but we’re not going to let you.”
“Damn right,” Sirius agreed.
Romulus glared at him. “Cecily, could you do something else for me?” he asked.
Cecily nodded.
“Smack Sirius for me,” Romulus said.
Cecily giggled and did what he asked her.
“Hey, no fair,” Sirius complained as he rubbed his shoulder, wincing dramatically at the imagined pain for the small tap she had given him.
“Next time watch your language in front of my little sister,” Romulus scolded. “Now, where was I?”
“Telling me that I’ve been shutting everyone out,” Remus said.
Romulus nodded. “And it ends now. Okay?”
Remus ducked his head.
“Okay?” Romulus repeated, firmer this time.
“It doesn’t change the fact that I’m dangerous,” Remus said in a quiet whisper.
Romulus scowled. “Cecily, when is a werewolf dangerous?”
“On the night of the full moon,” she replied.
“Sirius?”
“On the night of the full moon.”
“Remus?”
Remus ducked his head again.
“Remus?” Romulus repeated. “When is a werewolf dangerous?”
“On the night of the full moon,” Remus finally replied. “But-”
“When?” Romulus interrupted.
“On the night of the full moon,” Remus repeated, not trying to argue this time.
“And don’t you forget it,” Romulus insisted. “Now, come on Cecily, we need to get you home.”
Cecily turned to give both Sirius and Remus one final hug, before stepping into the fireplace and flooing home once more.
“I’m such an idiot,” Remus said as he scooted along the sofa and wrapped his arms around Sirius.
“No, you’re not,” Sirius replied as he pulled Remus into his arms. “And you’re not dangerous. Don’t deny that you’re still thinking you are. I can tell.”
“I killed someone,” Remus whispered. “I could have killed Cecily, too. I can’t just forget about it.”
“I know,” Sirius whispered back. “But that doesn’t make you a monster, that just makes you human. You’ll only be a true monster if you find yourself not caring about what happened.”
Remus sighed and closed his eyes. “You make things sound so simple. I really do love you, you know?”
“I know,” Sirius replied. “I love you, too.”
“She knew I loved you,” Remus said.
“Who? Charlie?”
“Hmm,” Remus murmured. “She thought I was an idiot for not telling you sooner.”
Sirius chuckled. “You managed it in the end though.”
“You’ll stop me from becoming a monster, won’t you?” Remus asked, opening his eyes and looking at Sirius earnestly.
Sirius ran his finger along Remus’s jaw and brushed his thumb over his lips. “Some people call the Black family monsters. Do you think I’m a monster?”
Remus shook his head. “That’s different.”
“Is it?” Sirius asked. “There are a lot of people who would disagree with you. Just believe me when I tell you that you’re not a monster, no matter what’s happened.”
“I want to believe you, really I do,” Remus replied quietly. “But then I remember what I’ve done and what I could have done differently.”
“Don’t go there,” Sirius told him. “It doesn’t do any good to worry about what might have been. We have to live with what happened.”
Remus gave a humourless snort. “You think I don’t know that?”
“Of course you do,” Sirius replied. “But you can’t get on with your life if you don’t learn to move on and not dwell on what happened all the time.”
“I’ll try,” Remus said.
“And I’ll be right here to remind you that you’re not a monster, every time you look like you’re about to suggest that you are.”
Remus smiled and put his head back down on Sirius’s shoulder. He was right where he needed to be, and in that brief moment he knew that as long as he had Sirius with him, things would be all right.
-o-xXx-o-
It was still dark when Sirius woke up, and for a moment he wondered where he was. Then he remembered.
He was with Remus, in Hogsmeade.
Or at least he would have been if Remus had been beside him in the bed. The rumpled sheets were cold, and there was no trace of him.
Sirius climbed out of bed, pulled on his robe and set off in search of his missing lover.
He found him in the study, surrounded by books, many of them opened and resting on the desk. Remus was fast asleep with his head resting on a particularly uncomfortable looking volume.
Sirius watched him fondly for a moment or two, until he realised that Remus was twitching and moaning in his sleep, and clearly in the middle of a nightmare.
He hurried to his side and gently urged him to wake up.
“What time is it?” Remus mumbled.
“Just after three,” Sirius replied. “What were you looking up?”
“Nothing,” Remus muttered, quickly closing the nearest books.
“I thought we’d agreed on no more lies?” Sirius accused. He picked up one of the books and realised it was all about memory spells. “And whose memory were you planning on tampering with?” he asked. “Mine?”
Remus shook his head. “My own.”
Sirius gave him a questioning look. “What are you wanting to forget?”
“What do you think?” Remus replied sadly. “Every full moon I’m going to wonder if history will repeat itself. I’m so scared of hurting you.”
“Removing the memories of what happened, won’t change the fact that it did,” Sirius pointed out. “You can’t deal with it by pretending it didn’t happen.”
Remus sighed. “I know. I just thought that maybe it would make it easier.”
“Time will make it easier.”
“Will it?” Remus asked doubtfully. “Only it’s been months, and I’m still having nightmares about it. I’m still thinking that if only I’d done things differently, she might still be alive.”
“I’ll whip you up a dreamless sleep potion,” Sirius promised. “But please drop this idea of removing your memories.”
Remus looked as though he was about to argue, but he gave a reluctant nod.
“Come on, let’s go back to bed,” Sirius said. “You’ll be like the living dead tomorrow if you don’t.”
Remus shrugged as he followed Sirius out of the study. “It’s not like I’ve got anything to do tomorrow anyway.”
“I think Romulus will be able to find you something to do,” Sirius pointed out with a chuckle.
Remus smiled as they climbed into bed. “Actually, I can think of something we might be able to do tomorrow.”
“Hmm?” Sirius mumbled sleepily as Remus snuggled up against him.
“I’ll tell you in the morning,” Remus replied.
“Tease,” Sirius accused with a small chuckle, before he drifted off to sleep once more.
-o-xXx-o-
“Tell me again, why are we here, instead of in bed?” Sirius asked as they waited for someone to open the gates to the centaur camp.
“You’ll see,” Remus replied with a smug smile.
It was clear that Sirius was getting no more information out of the stubborn werewolf, so he contented himself with pulling Remus into his arms and kissing him thoroughly.
“Good afternoon, Cub,” Firenze greeted Remus as the gates opened. “Sirius, it’s been a long time.”
Sirius nodded and let Remus tug him inside.
“What brings you both here?” Firenze asked as they made their way through the outer buildings towards the homes, further back from the wall.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Sirius told him. “Remus has been acting all secretive and mysterious since last night.”
Remus chuckled and turned to Firenze. “I wanted to ask you about the centaurs’ bonding ceremony,” he said.
Firenze frowned whilst Sirius just looked confused. “What do you want to know?” the centaur asked curiously.
“Erm… well, specifically, is it only for centaurs?” Remus asked.
Firenze shook his head. “No, but it’s rare that any other race would bother with it. For business arrangements, like my own bonding, there are legal contracts that hold much more weight in the wizarding world, and for marriage contracts, the witches and wizards have their own ceremony.”
“Then it is possible for wizards to be bonded like centaurs?” Remus questioned, and suddenly Sirius knew why they were there.
It seemed that Firenze had also caught up with Remus’s thinking and he smiled. “Ah,” he said. “Same sex marriages are not legal in either the wizarding or muggle worlds, and you wish to know if you and Sirius can be bonded the centaur way, instead.”
Remus nodded and reached out for Sirius’s hand. “Can we?” he asked.
“It won’t be legally binding in the wizarding world,” Firenze warned.
“That’s okay,” Remus replied. He turned to Sirius with a shy smile. “That is, if you want to?”
Sirius grinned back and hugged Remus close. “Do you even need to ask?” he whispered.
Firenze smiled as he looked at the two of them. “How soon do you wish to be bonded?”
“Now,” Remus immediately replied.
Firenze rolled his eyes. “I’m afraid the ceremony cannot take place this instant. The bonding always begins at sunset, and ends shortly after sunrise.
“Tonight then,” Remus amended.
Firenze turned to Sirius. “Is that okay with you?”
Sirius nodded. “Better get him bound to me before he changes his mind again.”
Remus turned to him with a frown, and Sirius realised that perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say. “I’m just teasing,” he assured him. “I promise.”
Remus nodded and chewed on his lip. “I know.”
It was something of a relief to find that they had time to prepare for the ceremony. Remus sent word to Romulus, and was pleased to find his brother arriving just in time. Sirius would have liked for Regulus to be there, too, but unfortunately there just wasn’t time.
Just as Firenze had explained, the bonding ceremony began at sunset, in an open clearing, with an unobstructed view to both the east and the west.
Firenze had agreed to officiate the ceremony for them, and had guided them to the clearing, the other witnesses following behind them.
Remus and Sirius knelt down in the clearing, facing the setting sun, whilst Firenze stood behind them, explaining the ceremony.
“You watch the sunset together, on this final day before your bonding, and know that all future cycles will be seen with the other at your side.”
Remus watched Sirius out of the corner of his eye and smiled. Sirius, who was concentrating on the sunset, felt his hand being enclosed in Remus’s and squeezed back. He was still not used to Remus being openly affectionate with him in public, and felt a small thrill of delight at the knowledge that everyone present could see them holding hands.
The sun disappeared beyond the horizon and Firenze urged them to stand up and follow him again. He led them to the stream and directed them to strip off their clothes and step into the water.
Both Remus and Sirius were relieved to see that the rest of the crowd had returned to the camp, instead of following them to the stream. Only Firenze remained with them, explaining that his role as officiator also required him to be a chaperone for this part of the ceremony.
The water was icy cold and both men were shivering as they made their way to the deepest part of the pool.
“You bathe each other in order to wash away any lingering doubts, resentments or harsh words of the past. When this is done, there will be nothing further to apologise for, and you both begin your new life together with a clean slate.”
Sirius scooped up a handful of water and poured it down Remus’s back, trailing kisses down his spine as he whispered his apologies for every transgression he could think of. Firenze coughed from the bank of the stream, reminding them of his presence, and Sirius promised they would do no more than exchange kisses.
Then Remus took his turn, apologising and running his hands over Sirius’s body as he washed him, his fingers tracing the contours of his chest and dipping lower beneath the surface of the water.
“I know you’re sorry,” Sirius whispered into Remus’s ear as Remus begged his forgiveness for everything he had put him though. “It’s over now; we’re together, and that’s all that matters.”
Remus nodded. “After today it’s a new start for us,” he said. “But please, let me apologise one more time for everything I did?”
Sirius smiled and brushed Remus’s hair out of his eyes and kissed him softly on the lips. “You’re forgiven,” he said, pulling Remus into his arms and burying his face in his neck.
Below the surface of the water, he could feel Remus’s hand teasing him and stroking him, but he could not bear to pull away, even knowing that they had an audience. Remus teased Sirius for as long as he could, right up until Firenze realised what he was doing and reminded him that the purpose of this part of the ceremony was to wash away the past, and not to consummate the bonding.
“Later,” Remus whispered as he stepped back.
“Promise?” Sirius whispered back.
“Promise,” Remus replied as they began to make their way back to the bank.
Sirius was rather relieved that the water was so icy, it helped to make sure that he wasn’t as noticeably hard as he might have been in warmer waters.
“What now?” Remus asked as Firenze passed them each a set of sleeveless robes to wear as they walked back to the camp.
“Now, we feast,” Firenze replied. “The others will have been serving the food, and the meal will be well under way by the time we return.”
Remus’s stomach growled at the mention of food, and he quickened his pace a little, tugging Sirius along by the hand once again.
Just as Firenze had said, the feast had already started, and he directed the two of them towards the final three places at the table. He took the place in between them, to the disappointment of both of them, since this meant they had to release each other’s hand, and served them both food from the numerous serving dishes.
“You eat from separate platters at this final meal before you are truly bonded,” he explained. “Afterwards you will share your platters at all future meals.” He looked ruefully at his own platter, before adding in a whisper, “unless you’re officiating a ceremony.”
The meal was long and drawn out, and Firenze explained that it had to last the night. He added that this was another reason - along with the cold water of the stream - why many centaurs chose to bond in the summer months, rather than during the much longer nights of winter.
Firenze left the table towards the end of the meal, and Remus took all of two seconds to slide into his place next to Sirius.
“You’ll be ordered back to your own seat when he comes back,” Sirius warned, even as he slipped an arm around Remus’s waist and pulled him closer.
When Firenze returned, he didn’t send Remus back to his own place, but merely placed two strangely shaped goblets in front of them. “For the wine,” he explained. “And I should warn you, it’s very strong, much stronger than anything you’ve tasted before.”
Remus and Sirius nodded as Firenze reached for the skin of wine and poured a liberal amount into each of their goblets. He directed them to pick them up and take a sip each.
Sirius was very glad of the warning of the strength of the wine, because even the small sip he had taken was causing a rush to his brain that normally only occurred after at least an hour of drinking. Remus, on the other hand, seemed to be handling the wine quite well, and he guessed that was due to his Lycanthropy.
Firenze then stepped back and urged the two of them to sit closer. “Now, link arms and take another sip,” he advised.
They did as they were told, amidst cheers from the onlookers.
“Now, place your goblets together, so that they become one,” Firenze told them.
Sirius looked at his goblet and saw that the goblets were two halves of the same one. It looked as though someone had cut through a large goblet, making an S through the middle, and then enclosing each split side in that pattern.
Remus, who had clearly noticed the same thing, turned his goblet around, so that the two of them slotted together.
Neither of them had seen true centaur magic before, but as they looked at the goblets they saw the S disappear as the goblets sealed themselves together, and became one.
“Now, each of you take a final sip from the new goblet,” Firenze said, and the two of them complied. “The goblet is your bonding gift from the herd; it is yours to keep.”
Then the feast was over and everyone made their way back to the clearing for the final part of the ceremony. Sirius kept his arm around Remus as they walked behind Firenze. If anyone had asked, he would have said they were holding each other up after the strong centaur wine; honestly, he just wanted to hold Remus close at every opportunity he could. Now that he had him in his arms, he had no intention of letting him go.
Remus and Sirius sat in the same place they had before, this time facing each other, their right arms clasped together, their hands at each other’s elbows. Firenze had taken a long thin vine and had tied it loosely around each of their wrists, holding them together. Both of them had been prepared for this part of the ceremony and knew what was coming.
Firenze stood beside them, facing east, and performing some sort of centaur magic on the vine. When he was done, he turned to Remus.
“Remus Lupin, how do you enter this bonding?”
Sirius drew in a sharp breath, wondering, despite everything, whether Remus would, now that the moment had arrived, back out and flee.
Remus, seemingly reading his mind, smiled up at him reassuringly as he rubbed his thumb against Sirius’s arm and gave the appropriate response. “I, Remus John Lupin, enter this bonding of my own free will.”
Firenze nodded and turned to Sirius. “Sirius Black, how do you enter this bonding?”
“I, Sirius Orion Black, enter this bonding of my own free will,” Sirius declared, his voice strong and confident. Remus’s smile stretched wider and Sirius caught the fleeting look of relief on his lover’s face. He knew in that moment that Remus had been just as nervous as he was, and just as scared of Sirius changing his mind.
Firenze nodded and turned back to Remus again. “Remus, what do you bring to this bonding for Sirius?”
Remus looked Sirius in the eyes and took a steadying breath. This was really it, it was really happening, and the last thing he wanted to do was mess it up.
Sirius nodded at him encouragingly and he felt the last of his nerves disappear.
“I, Remus, offer you my loyalty and protection, my heart and my love, and my body and soul.” With each word and each promise, shoots sprang from the vine that was binding their arms. The shoots stretched into vines and twisted round their arms in an intricate pattern of swirls.
Firenze turned to Sirius. “Sirius, do you accept what Remus offers?”
Sirius nodded. “I accept the offering,” he replied, adding his own addendum to the formal response. “With all my heart.”
“And, Sirius, what do you bring to this bonding for Remus?”
“I, Sirius, offer you my loyalty and protection, my heart and my love, and my body and soul.” Again, each promise was punctuated with more vines sprouting from the main vine, until the swirling shoots surrounded their arms.
“Remus, do you accept what Sirius offers?”
Remus nodded. “I accept the offering… with all my heart.”
They had timed it almost perfectly, and a couple of minutes later the sun rose. As the first rays of the sun hit the vines on their arms, they disappeared with small bursts of cool flames, leaving behind a dark red pattern on their arms that mimicked where the vines had been.
“The pattern is caused by a combination of the vines, the sun and the wine you drank,” Firenze explained. “Each of you carries half of the pattern, but only when you are together, as you are now, can the true beauty of the design be seen.”
Both Sirius and Remus could see that many of the centaurs in the camp bore similar patterns on their arms. They had certainly seen them before, but until now they had not known the full meaning behind them. Some, like Firenze’s, were less intricate, showing that fewer promises had been made. Others had more than one colour to them, and one mare later explained that her first partner had died and the second pattern was that of another stallion who had claimed her. It was clear to both of the young men that the bonding was truly permanent, and they would not have had it any other way.
Arm in arm, they returned to the table, where breakfast was now being served, and this time, just as Firenze had told them, they were sitting beside each other from the start and eating from the same platter.
“I’m actually not that hungry now,” Remus admitted as they nibbled at their food.
“The bottomless pit is actually full,” Sirius teased, popping a piece of fruit into Remus’s mouth. “Or is it?”
Firenze laughed. “You do not have to eat it all,” he said. “Few humans have the appetites of centaurs. A few token bites from the same platter is more than adequate; you can retire whenever you wish.”
“Retire?” Sirius questioned as he took a drink from their shared wine goblet. “But it’s morning.”
Firenze laughed. “Although it isn’t an official part of the ceremony, when the bonding is made out of love, and is not merely a business contract, it is customary for the parties to retire alone in order to consummate the bonding.”
Remus grinned as he took the goblet from Sirius and took a drink. Firenze turned and pointed to a lavishly decorated hut behind them.
“Shall we?” Sirius asked.
Remus nodded and rose to his feet.
“Take the platter and the goblet with you,” Firenze advised. “It will save you having to emerge any time soon.”
Both of them laughed as they stumbled towards the hut, neither having realised exactly how strong the wine was until now.
“What the hell do they put in this stuff?” Sirius asked after he had put down the platter and goblet and collapsed onto the bed, pulling Remus on top of him.
“I don’t know,” Remus replied. “But I’ll bet we could make a fortune selling it.”
His idea was met with a loud snore, and he chuckled as he pulled a blanket from the end of the bed over the two of them. There would be plenty of time to consummate things later, after they had slept off the centaur wine.
-
Chapter 64
Summary for the new readers watching my journal: An AU Remus/Sirius story set in a world where an eleven year old werewolf named Remus Lupin never got his Hogwarts invitation, and where Sirius Black was not accepted by the rest of the Gryffindors. The two outcasts form a friendship despite overwhelming odds, but will their friendship survive when Sirius finds himself falling in love with his best friend...his friend who wants nothing more than to be 'normal', despite the passion he feels for the heir to the Noble House of Black.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise. J K Rowling retains all copyright.
Always Something Magic (PG15)
“Are you going to tell me what happened at the full moon?” Sirius asked quietly as they walked one of the more visible paths through the Forbidden Forest.
Remus ducked his head.
“You said you’d done something stupid,” Sirius prompted. “And when he found out you’d been arrested, Romulus said something about being reported and the full moon.”
Remus sighed and sat down on a tree stump, dropping his head into his hands and shuddering at the memory.
“Remus?” Sirius asked as he sat down on the ground, looking up into Remus’s partially hidden face.
“I didn’t get to the basement in time,” Remus whispered. “I passed out in the kitchen and didn’t wake up until I was transforming.”
“Are you all right?” Sirius asked. “You’re not ill, are you?”
“Ill?” Remus echoed.
“People don’t just pass out for no reason,” Sirius pointed out. “Maybe you should see a healer?”
“It wasn’t that sort of passing out,” Remus replied with a snort of humourless laughter. “I was drunk.”
“Oh.”
Remus felt his face burning in embarrassment as he waited for Sirius to say something else. He wondered how long it would be before Sirius decided that Remus didn’t deserve to have him, or that he deserved better than a selfish werewolf.
“Aren’t you going to say anything else?” Remus finally asked. “Aren’t you going to yell at me?”
Sirius shook his head. “No. I imagine your brother has already done more than enough of that.”
Remus nodded. “You’ve not heard the worst about it.”
“What else is there?” Sirius whispered. “Did you bite someone? Is that it?”
Remus shook his head. “It was close, but she got away in time.”
“She?”
“Cecily,” Remus whispered. “She crept out of her house and came here.”
“How did she know where to come?” Sirius asked.
“Rom will have told her,” Remus explained. “You know he’s always worried about what would have happened to me if he hadn’t made it home in time after I was bitten. He’ll have told Cecily how to get to him - to safety - in case she finds herself on the wrong side of our parents, too.”
“Is she okay?”
“I scared her so badly,” Remus admitted.
“Oh, Remus.” Sirius sighed as he reached out to take one of Remus’s hands in his own. “I should never have left you alone.”
Remus’s head shot up. “It wasn’t your fault. Come on, Sirius! This has me and my stupidity written all over it.”
“You’re not stupid,” Sirius argued. “Just…”
“Selfish?” Remus supplied. “Thoughtless? Dangerous? A monster?”
“Stop it!” Sirius snapped. “You’re not a monster.”
“I know you don’t think so, but…”
“You’re not!” Sirius insisted.
“I want you to promise me something,” Remus asked quietly.
“Depends what it is,” Sirius replied with caution.
“Romulus said that if anything like this happened again, he’d turn me over to the Ministry himself.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” Sirius said. “No matter what you’d done.”
“I know,” Remus agreed. “Which is why I want you to promise that you will.”
“I won’t promise anything of the sort,” Sirius argued, shaking his head vehemently.
“I don’t want to turn into Greyback,” Remus whispered.
“You won’t.”
“But I might.”
Sirius shook his head again, but Remus cut of his words with a raised hand. “I want you to promise that if a day should ever come where you see me as a monster, that you’ll either turn me over to the Ministry or kill me yourself.”
Sirius shook his head again. “You can’t ask that of me, Remus.”
“Please, Sirius?” Remus begged, the tears starting to fall as he pleaded quietly.
Sirius didn’t reply as he took Remus into his arms and held him close. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Remus didn’t say a word as they made their way back through the forest, eventually arriving at the Lupin house.
Sirius guided Remus into the living room and settled him down on the sofa.
“Romulus?” he asked turning to the ghost, who was lingering near the window.
“Yes?” Romulus replied.
“Do you think you could bring Cecily here?” he asked. “Just for a short visit.”
Romulus frowned. “I might be able to persuade her to sneak out. What do you have in mind?”
Sirius moved to the window and whispered his plan to Romulus, who then disappeared to do his bidding.
“Why did you ask him to do that?” Remus asked. “Cecily’s scared of me. She doesn’t need to be put through any more.”
Sirius shook his head. “She needs to know that she doesn’t have to be scared of you,” he argued. “And you need to know that you’re not a monster that scares small children.”
Remus sighed. “I can’t believe I let things get so bad that I was too drunk to get to the basement on the night of a full moon.”
“I can’t believe that Romulus wasn’t pestering you to get there for at least an hour beforehand,” Sirius countered.
“It’s not his responsibility to get me to the basement,” Remus pointed out. “It’s mine. I’d give anything to be able to go back and do things differently.”
“It’s no use wishing for the impossible. We just need to learn from our mistakes.”
Remus nodded. “And I’ve made some huge ones the last couple of years. I’ve hurt so many people…”
“Remus, don’t do this to yourself,” Sirius begged.
“I could have killed my little sister. I should have learned my lesson after Charlie, but I still managed to screw up.”
“What happened to Charlie was an accident,” Sirius told him firmly. “It was out of your control.”
“But what happened with Cecily wasn’t.”
The fireplace suddenly burst into flames and the girl in question stepped into the room, with Romulus re-appearing beside her a moment later.
“Hello, Cecily,” Sirius said with a smile.
Cecily smiled and whispered her own greeting. Her eyes flickered nervously to Remus, who couldn’t seem to stop himself from flinching.
“It’s okay,” Sirius said, reaching out a hand and waving her over to the sofa. “It’s just Remus.”
Cecily moved cautiously to sit in the space between them, and Remus felt his heart sink at the way she edged closer to Sirius and away from him.
“She can’t stay long,” Romulus told them.
“I had to sneak out,” Cecily confided with a nod.
“Is that so?” Sirius asked. “I used to have to sneak out to visit Remus, too.”
“You did?”
Sirius nodded. “All the time.”
Cecily turned to Romulus, who nodded that this was indeed the case.
“Remus has missed you,” Sirius told her. “And he has something he wants to say to you.”
Cecily turned to her brother.
“I’m sorry,” Remus whispered, knowing he had said it before, but also knowing that no matter how many times he said it, it would never be often enough to make up for what he had done.
Romulus moved closed and crouched down in front of the sofa. “You remember when I told you about werewolves?” he asked, and Cecily nodded. “What did I tell you was the most important thing to remember?”
Cecily chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “They’re only dangerous on the night of the full moon,” she answered.
“And it’s not a full moon now, is it?” Romulus continued. Cecily shook her head. “So, since Remus isn’t dangerous at the moment, I was wondering if you could do something for me…”
“Okay,” Cecily replied, after only a moment of hesitation.
“Could you give Remus a hug for me?” Romulus asked. “Just like you did when you first met him.”
Cecily smiled and nodded. A moment later, Remus found his arms were full of his younger sister and he was sobbing uncontrollably. “Don’t cry,” Cecily said, sniffling herself. “I’m sorry I was scared of you.”
Remus shook his head. “I’m sorry I scared you. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“We’ll make sure of it,” Sirius added.
“Does that mean I can come and visit again?” Cecily asked with a grin.
“Not on the full moons,” Romulus said. “But I’ll see what I can do to sneak you over now and then.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Remus asked. “Mum and Dad will go nuts if they find out.”
“I think it’ll be good for you to get to know your sister better,” Romulus explained. “Since Charlie you’ve done your best to shut everyone out of your life, but we’re not going to let you.”
“Damn right,” Sirius agreed.
Romulus glared at him. “Cecily, could you do something else for me?” he asked.
Cecily nodded.
“Smack Sirius for me,” Romulus said.
Cecily giggled and did what he asked her.
“Hey, no fair,” Sirius complained as he rubbed his shoulder, wincing dramatically at the imagined pain for the small tap she had given him.
“Next time watch your language in front of my little sister,” Romulus scolded. “Now, where was I?”
“Telling me that I’ve been shutting everyone out,” Remus said.
Romulus nodded. “And it ends now. Okay?”
Remus ducked his head.
“Okay?” Romulus repeated, firmer this time.
“It doesn’t change the fact that I’m dangerous,” Remus said in a quiet whisper.
Romulus scowled. “Cecily, when is a werewolf dangerous?”
“On the night of the full moon,” she replied.
“Sirius?”
“On the night of the full moon.”
“Remus?”
Remus ducked his head again.
“Remus?” Romulus repeated. “When is a werewolf dangerous?”
“On the night of the full moon,” Remus finally replied. “But-”
“When?” Romulus interrupted.
“On the night of the full moon,” Remus repeated, not trying to argue this time.
“And don’t you forget it,” Romulus insisted. “Now, come on Cecily, we need to get you home.”
Cecily turned to give both Sirius and Remus one final hug, before stepping into the fireplace and flooing home once more.
“I’m such an idiot,” Remus said as he scooted along the sofa and wrapped his arms around Sirius.
“No, you’re not,” Sirius replied as he pulled Remus into his arms. “And you’re not dangerous. Don’t deny that you’re still thinking you are. I can tell.”
“I killed someone,” Remus whispered. “I could have killed Cecily, too. I can’t just forget about it.”
“I know,” Sirius whispered back. “But that doesn’t make you a monster, that just makes you human. You’ll only be a true monster if you find yourself not caring about what happened.”
Remus sighed and closed his eyes. “You make things sound so simple. I really do love you, you know?”
“I know,” Sirius replied. “I love you, too.”
“She knew I loved you,” Remus said.
“Who? Charlie?”
“Hmm,” Remus murmured. “She thought I was an idiot for not telling you sooner.”
Sirius chuckled. “You managed it in the end though.”
“You’ll stop me from becoming a monster, won’t you?” Remus asked, opening his eyes and looking at Sirius earnestly.
Sirius ran his finger along Remus’s jaw and brushed his thumb over his lips. “Some people call the Black family monsters. Do you think I’m a monster?”
Remus shook his head. “That’s different.”
“Is it?” Sirius asked. “There are a lot of people who would disagree with you. Just believe me when I tell you that you’re not a monster, no matter what’s happened.”
“I want to believe you, really I do,” Remus replied quietly. “But then I remember what I’ve done and what I could have done differently.”
“Don’t go there,” Sirius told him. “It doesn’t do any good to worry about what might have been. We have to live with what happened.”
Remus gave a humourless snort. “You think I don’t know that?”
“Of course you do,” Sirius replied. “But you can’t get on with your life if you don’t learn to move on and not dwell on what happened all the time.”
“I’ll try,” Remus said.
“And I’ll be right here to remind you that you’re not a monster, every time you look like you’re about to suggest that you are.”
Remus smiled and put his head back down on Sirius’s shoulder. He was right where he needed to be, and in that brief moment he knew that as long as he had Sirius with him, things would be all right.
-o-xXx-o-
It was still dark when Sirius woke up, and for a moment he wondered where he was. Then he remembered.
He was with Remus, in Hogsmeade.
Or at least he would have been if Remus had been beside him in the bed. The rumpled sheets were cold, and there was no trace of him.
Sirius climbed out of bed, pulled on his robe and set off in search of his missing lover.
He found him in the study, surrounded by books, many of them opened and resting on the desk. Remus was fast asleep with his head resting on a particularly uncomfortable looking volume.
Sirius watched him fondly for a moment or two, until he realised that Remus was twitching and moaning in his sleep, and clearly in the middle of a nightmare.
He hurried to his side and gently urged him to wake up.
“What time is it?” Remus mumbled.
“Just after three,” Sirius replied. “What were you looking up?”
“Nothing,” Remus muttered, quickly closing the nearest books.
“I thought we’d agreed on no more lies?” Sirius accused. He picked up one of the books and realised it was all about memory spells. “And whose memory were you planning on tampering with?” he asked. “Mine?”
Remus shook his head. “My own.”
Sirius gave him a questioning look. “What are you wanting to forget?”
“What do you think?” Remus replied sadly. “Every full moon I’m going to wonder if history will repeat itself. I’m so scared of hurting you.”
“Removing the memories of what happened, won’t change the fact that it did,” Sirius pointed out. “You can’t deal with it by pretending it didn’t happen.”
Remus sighed. “I know. I just thought that maybe it would make it easier.”
“Time will make it easier.”
“Will it?” Remus asked doubtfully. “Only it’s been months, and I’m still having nightmares about it. I’m still thinking that if only I’d done things differently, she might still be alive.”
“I’ll whip you up a dreamless sleep potion,” Sirius promised. “But please drop this idea of removing your memories.”
Remus looked as though he was about to argue, but he gave a reluctant nod.
“Come on, let’s go back to bed,” Sirius said. “You’ll be like the living dead tomorrow if you don’t.”
Remus shrugged as he followed Sirius out of the study. “It’s not like I’ve got anything to do tomorrow anyway.”
“I think Romulus will be able to find you something to do,” Sirius pointed out with a chuckle.
Remus smiled as they climbed into bed. “Actually, I can think of something we might be able to do tomorrow.”
“Hmm?” Sirius mumbled sleepily as Remus snuggled up against him.
“I’ll tell you in the morning,” Remus replied.
“Tease,” Sirius accused with a small chuckle, before he drifted off to sleep once more.
-o-xXx-o-
“Tell me again, why are we here, instead of in bed?” Sirius asked as they waited for someone to open the gates to the centaur camp.
“You’ll see,” Remus replied with a smug smile.
It was clear that Sirius was getting no more information out of the stubborn werewolf, so he contented himself with pulling Remus into his arms and kissing him thoroughly.
“Good afternoon, Cub,” Firenze greeted Remus as the gates opened. “Sirius, it’s been a long time.”
Sirius nodded and let Remus tug him inside.
“What brings you both here?” Firenze asked as they made their way through the outer buildings towards the homes, further back from the wall.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Sirius told him. “Remus has been acting all secretive and mysterious since last night.”
Remus chuckled and turned to Firenze. “I wanted to ask you about the centaurs’ bonding ceremony,” he said.
Firenze frowned whilst Sirius just looked confused. “What do you want to know?” the centaur asked curiously.
“Erm… well, specifically, is it only for centaurs?” Remus asked.
Firenze shook his head. “No, but it’s rare that any other race would bother with it. For business arrangements, like my own bonding, there are legal contracts that hold much more weight in the wizarding world, and for marriage contracts, the witches and wizards have their own ceremony.”
“Then it is possible for wizards to be bonded like centaurs?” Remus questioned, and suddenly Sirius knew why they were there.
It seemed that Firenze had also caught up with Remus’s thinking and he smiled. “Ah,” he said. “Same sex marriages are not legal in either the wizarding or muggle worlds, and you wish to know if you and Sirius can be bonded the centaur way, instead.”
Remus nodded and reached out for Sirius’s hand. “Can we?” he asked.
“It won’t be legally binding in the wizarding world,” Firenze warned.
“That’s okay,” Remus replied. He turned to Sirius with a shy smile. “That is, if you want to?”
Sirius grinned back and hugged Remus close. “Do you even need to ask?” he whispered.
Firenze smiled as he looked at the two of them. “How soon do you wish to be bonded?”
“Now,” Remus immediately replied.
Firenze rolled his eyes. “I’m afraid the ceremony cannot take place this instant. The bonding always begins at sunset, and ends shortly after sunrise.
“Tonight then,” Remus amended.
Firenze turned to Sirius. “Is that okay with you?”
Sirius nodded. “Better get him bound to me before he changes his mind again.”
Remus turned to him with a frown, and Sirius realised that perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say. “I’m just teasing,” he assured him. “I promise.”
Remus nodded and chewed on his lip. “I know.”
It was something of a relief to find that they had time to prepare for the ceremony. Remus sent word to Romulus, and was pleased to find his brother arriving just in time. Sirius would have liked for Regulus to be there, too, but unfortunately there just wasn’t time.
Just as Firenze had explained, the bonding ceremony began at sunset, in an open clearing, with an unobstructed view to both the east and the west.
Firenze had agreed to officiate the ceremony for them, and had guided them to the clearing, the other witnesses following behind them.
Remus and Sirius knelt down in the clearing, facing the setting sun, whilst Firenze stood behind them, explaining the ceremony.
“You watch the sunset together, on this final day before your bonding, and know that all future cycles will be seen with the other at your side.”
Remus watched Sirius out of the corner of his eye and smiled. Sirius, who was concentrating on the sunset, felt his hand being enclosed in Remus’s and squeezed back. He was still not used to Remus being openly affectionate with him in public, and felt a small thrill of delight at the knowledge that everyone present could see them holding hands.
The sun disappeared beyond the horizon and Firenze urged them to stand up and follow him again. He led them to the stream and directed them to strip off their clothes and step into the water.
Both Remus and Sirius were relieved to see that the rest of the crowd had returned to the camp, instead of following them to the stream. Only Firenze remained with them, explaining that his role as officiator also required him to be a chaperone for this part of the ceremony.
The water was icy cold and both men were shivering as they made their way to the deepest part of the pool.
“You bathe each other in order to wash away any lingering doubts, resentments or harsh words of the past. When this is done, there will be nothing further to apologise for, and you both begin your new life together with a clean slate.”
Sirius scooped up a handful of water and poured it down Remus’s back, trailing kisses down his spine as he whispered his apologies for every transgression he could think of. Firenze coughed from the bank of the stream, reminding them of his presence, and Sirius promised they would do no more than exchange kisses.
Then Remus took his turn, apologising and running his hands over Sirius’s body as he washed him, his fingers tracing the contours of his chest and dipping lower beneath the surface of the water.
“I know you’re sorry,” Sirius whispered into Remus’s ear as Remus begged his forgiveness for everything he had put him though. “It’s over now; we’re together, and that’s all that matters.”
Remus nodded. “After today it’s a new start for us,” he said. “But please, let me apologise one more time for everything I did?”
Sirius smiled and brushed Remus’s hair out of his eyes and kissed him softly on the lips. “You’re forgiven,” he said, pulling Remus into his arms and burying his face in his neck.
Below the surface of the water, he could feel Remus’s hand teasing him and stroking him, but he could not bear to pull away, even knowing that they had an audience. Remus teased Sirius for as long as he could, right up until Firenze realised what he was doing and reminded him that the purpose of this part of the ceremony was to wash away the past, and not to consummate the bonding.
“Later,” Remus whispered as he stepped back.
“Promise?” Sirius whispered back.
“Promise,” Remus replied as they began to make their way back to the bank.
Sirius was rather relieved that the water was so icy, it helped to make sure that he wasn’t as noticeably hard as he might have been in warmer waters.
“What now?” Remus asked as Firenze passed them each a set of sleeveless robes to wear as they walked back to the camp.
“Now, we feast,” Firenze replied. “The others will have been serving the food, and the meal will be well under way by the time we return.”
Remus’s stomach growled at the mention of food, and he quickened his pace a little, tugging Sirius along by the hand once again.
Just as Firenze had said, the feast had already started, and he directed the two of them towards the final three places at the table. He took the place in between them, to the disappointment of both of them, since this meant they had to release each other’s hand, and served them both food from the numerous serving dishes.
“You eat from separate platters at this final meal before you are truly bonded,” he explained. “Afterwards you will share your platters at all future meals.” He looked ruefully at his own platter, before adding in a whisper, “unless you’re officiating a ceremony.”
The meal was long and drawn out, and Firenze explained that it had to last the night. He added that this was another reason - along with the cold water of the stream - why many centaurs chose to bond in the summer months, rather than during the much longer nights of winter.
Firenze left the table towards the end of the meal, and Remus took all of two seconds to slide into his place next to Sirius.
“You’ll be ordered back to your own seat when he comes back,” Sirius warned, even as he slipped an arm around Remus’s waist and pulled him closer.
When Firenze returned, he didn’t send Remus back to his own place, but merely placed two strangely shaped goblets in front of them. “For the wine,” he explained. “And I should warn you, it’s very strong, much stronger than anything you’ve tasted before.”
Remus and Sirius nodded as Firenze reached for the skin of wine and poured a liberal amount into each of their goblets. He directed them to pick them up and take a sip each.
Sirius was very glad of the warning of the strength of the wine, because even the small sip he had taken was causing a rush to his brain that normally only occurred after at least an hour of drinking. Remus, on the other hand, seemed to be handling the wine quite well, and he guessed that was due to his Lycanthropy.
Firenze then stepped back and urged the two of them to sit closer. “Now, link arms and take another sip,” he advised.
They did as they were told, amidst cheers from the onlookers.
“Now, place your goblets together, so that they become one,” Firenze told them.
Sirius looked at his goblet and saw that the goblets were two halves of the same one. It looked as though someone had cut through a large goblet, making an S through the middle, and then enclosing each split side in that pattern.
Remus, who had clearly noticed the same thing, turned his goblet around, so that the two of them slotted together.
Neither of them had seen true centaur magic before, but as they looked at the goblets they saw the S disappear as the goblets sealed themselves together, and became one.
“Now, each of you take a final sip from the new goblet,” Firenze said, and the two of them complied. “The goblet is your bonding gift from the herd; it is yours to keep.”
Then the feast was over and everyone made their way back to the clearing for the final part of the ceremony. Sirius kept his arm around Remus as they walked behind Firenze. If anyone had asked, he would have said they were holding each other up after the strong centaur wine; honestly, he just wanted to hold Remus close at every opportunity he could. Now that he had him in his arms, he had no intention of letting him go.
Remus and Sirius sat in the same place they had before, this time facing each other, their right arms clasped together, their hands at each other’s elbows. Firenze had taken a long thin vine and had tied it loosely around each of their wrists, holding them together. Both of them had been prepared for this part of the ceremony and knew what was coming.
Firenze stood beside them, facing east, and performing some sort of centaur magic on the vine. When he was done, he turned to Remus.
“Remus Lupin, how do you enter this bonding?”
Sirius drew in a sharp breath, wondering, despite everything, whether Remus would, now that the moment had arrived, back out and flee.
Remus, seemingly reading his mind, smiled up at him reassuringly as he rubbed his thumb against Sirius’s arm and gave the appropriate response. “I, Remus John Lupin, enter this bonding of my own free will.”
Firenze nodded and turned to Sirius. “Sirius Black, how do you enter this bonding?”
“I, Sirius Orion Black, enter this bonding of my own free will,” Sirius declared, his voice strong and confident. Remus’s smile stretched wider and Sirius caught the fleeting look of relief on his lover’s face. He knew in that moment that Remus had been just as nervous as he was, and just as scared of Sirius changing his mind.
Firenze nodded and turned back to Remus again. “Remus, what do you bring to this bonding for Sirius?”
Remus looked Sirius in the eyes and took a steadying breath. This was really it, it was really happening, and the last thing he wanted to do was mess it up.
Sirius nodded at him encouragingly and he felt the last of his nerves disappear.
“I, Remus, offer you my loyalty and protection, my heart and my love, and my body and soul.” With each word and each promise, shoots sprang from the vine that was binding their arms. The shoots stretched into vines and twisted round their arms in an intricate pattern of swirls.
Firenze turned to Sirius. “Sirius, do you accept what Remus offers?”
Sirius nodded. “I accept the offering,” he replied, adding his own addendum to the formal response. “With all my heart.”
“And, Sirius, what do you bring to this bonding for Remus?”
“I, Sirius, offer you my loyalty and protection, my heart and my love, and my body and soul.” Again, each promise was punctuated with more vines sprouting from the main vine, until the swirling shoots surrounded their arms.
“Remus, do you accept what Sirius offers?”
Remus nodded. “I accept the offering… with all my heart.”
They had timed it almost perfectly, and a couple of minutes later the sun rose. As the first rays of the sun hit the vines on their arms, they disappeared with small bursts of cool flames, leaving behind a dark red pattern on their arms that mimicked where the vines had been.
“The pattern is caused by a combination of the vines, the sun and the wine you drank,” Firenze explained. “Each of you carries half of the pattern, but only when you are together, as you are now, can the true beauty of the design be seen.”
Both Sirius and Remus could see that many of the centaurs in the camp bore similar patterns on their arms. They had certainly seen them before, but until now they had not known the full meaning behind them. Some, like Firenze’s, were less intricate, showing that fewer promises had been made. Others had more than one colour to them, and one mare later explained that her first partner had died and the second pattern was that of another stallion who had claimed her. It was clear to both of the young men that the bonding was truly permanent, and they would not have had it any other way.
Arm in arm, they returned to the table, where breakfast was now being served, and this time, just as Firenze had told them, they were sitting beside each other from the start and eating from the same platter.
“I’m actually not that hungry now,” Remus admitted as they nibbled at their food.
“The bottomless pit is actually full,” Sirius teased, popping a piece of fruit into Remus’s mouth. “Or is it?”
Firenze laughed. “You do not have to eat it all,” he said. “Few humans have the appetites of centaurs. A few token bites from the same platter is more than adequate; you can retire whenever you wish.”
“Retire?” Sirius questioned as he took a drink from their shared wine goblet. “But it’s morning.”
Firenze laughed. “Although it isn’t an official part of the ceremony, when the bonding is made out of love, and is not merely a business contract, it is customary for the parties to retire alone in order to consummate the bonding.”
Remus grinned as he took the goblet from Sirius and took a drink. Firenze turned and pointed to a lavishly decorated hut behind them.
“Shall we?” Sirius asked.
Remus nodded and rose to his feet.
“Take the platter and the goblet with you,” Firenze advised. “It will save you having to emerge any time soon.”
Both of them laughed as they stumbled towards the hut, neither having realised exactly how strong the wine was until now.
“What the hell do they put in this stuff?” Sirius asked after he had put down the platter and goblet and collapsed onto the bed, pulling Remus on top of him.
“I don’t know,” Remus replied. “But I’ll bet we could make a fortune selling it.”
His idea was met with a loud snore, and he chuckled as he pulled a blanket from the end of the bed over the two of them. There would be plenty of time to consummate things later, after they had slept off the centaur wine.
-
Chapter 64