writers_muses: 19.6. Stairway
1976
The castle was quiet. Everyone was back in their common rooms already, and soon Remus would start heading back as soon as he finished checking the corridors for any student that may still be roaming the school even if it was already past curfew. Of all the things he had to do as a prefect, this really had to be his favourite one. Having to take away points from other students was something he dreaded, but taking walks on his own when no one else was around allowed him to wind down after the day.
Just as he was about to pass by the stairway, a hand suddenly took a hold of the front of his robes and quickly tugged him into a dark broom closet.
He really didn't need light to figure out who it was. Nonetheless, he used his wand and muttered Lumos so he could see Sirius looking extremely proud of himself.
"Sirius," he hissed in an urgent whisper, "I'm supposed to b--"
But before he could finish he was already getting tugged towards him and being pulled into a kiss. A kiss that Remus certainly didn't fight nor stop, even if a little voice in the back of his head kept reminding him that he was a prefect and probably shouldn't be doing this. Instead of listening to that little voice, however, his free hand immediately moved towards the side of his neck, bringing him close and his fingers very softly toyed with his hair.
After a moment Sirius pulled back just slightly, enough to look at Remus with a devious glint in his eyes as he smirked. "I'm sorry, you were supposed to be what?"
"Git," Remus muttered, trying to keep a straight face but unable to do so as his lips tugged slightly at the corners. "You know, if we get caught..."
"We won't get caught."
"How are you so sure?"
Sirius held up the Marauder's map for Remus to see, chuckling. "Merlin, Moony, don't worry so much." He grinned. "Although next time we should probably meet somewhere a bit more romantic than just a broom closet. Perhaps the shack?"
"Oh yes," Remus responded with a straight face, eyes twinkling, "the destroyed furniture makes it such a lovely sight doesn't it?" Taking a hold of Sirius' already loose tie, he tugged him close to him and kissed his lips again. Slowly at first, teasing him, until Sirius let go of the map so he could bring Remus as close to him as he could. As the kiss deepened their hands roamed along each other's bodies, pulling out carefully tucked in shirts, loosening ties to the point where they simply fell on the floor, fingers passing through each other's hair...
Remus had been pinning Sirius against the wall as they kissed each other hungrily when the sound of footsteps made them stop almost at once. Looking over at the door, he stared at it until the footsteps seemed to get farther away and Sirius' lips on his neck made him turn back to him. "We should probably go back," Remus murmured before stealing another kiss. He knew what they should do, but actually doing it was a whole other matter, so when Sirius kissed him again he didn't bother to stop him.
As they tried to fix their hair and clothes, fighting back laughs at the sight of each other's disheveled appearances, Remus couldn't help but grin. This could probably be another reason why checking the corridors this late at night was one of his favourite things of being a prefect, he thought.
"All right, you start heading back," Sirius said quietly as he started to open the map. "I'll go after you."
With a nod, Remus stepped out of the broom closet as carefully and quietly as he could. Almost as soon as he did, though, the sight of Dumbledore walking past him made him stop short. Oh bloody... "Hello, sir," Remus managed, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. "I'm heading upstairs now. Corridors are all clear."
"Are they? Oh, good." Dumbledore's tone sounded casual as he passed by him and towards the stairway. "Good night, Mr. Lupin." A beat, and then he added a little louder as he headed upstairs, "Good night, Mr. Black."
Remus' cheeks reddened even more, and Sirius emerged from the broom closet. "Er, good night." Dumbledore turned to glance at them, and Remus prayed that the earth could just open up and swallow him up right there and then, but he just gave a small sheepish smile and scratched the back of his neck.
===========================
1995
Stepping out of the kitchen, Remus fought back a yawn while briefly pinching the bridge of his nose. A meeting for the Order had ended minutes ago and, even if almost everyone was still at the table talking, he needed to catch some air. All the talk about war made his head hurt even if he always managed to keep himself calm and collected, but... Merlin, he hated this. He hated it more than the others could see.
As his train of thought continued, he didn't notice when, out of nowhere, a hand pulled him into a corner by the stairs. The lights were off in the hallway, but he really didn't need the light to see that it was Sirius. Pressed close together, it was impossible to not recognize the way their bodies simply seemed to fit against each other.
"So this is where you ran off to after the meeting?" Remus asked quietly, brushing back Sirius' hair. Before he could answer, he brushed his lips against his. "I'll come back soon. It's a quick mission, I should be back in a couple of days."
With a small nod Sirius looked up at him and Remus felt his heart clench at the thought of leaving him. It wasn't as if he could be picky; he had to do it and there was really no other choice. And even if a part of him wanted to take Sirius with him, because he knew how frustrating it was for him to just stay home, he knew well enough that Grimmauld was the safest place for him. Here he wouldn't get caught, and he'd be safe. That was all that mattered.
Now it was Sirius' turn to kiss him, hands grasping the front of Remus' sweater. "I'll be fine," he assured him just as quietly as how Remus had been. "Be careful, all right?"
Remus nodded, lips tugging into a small smile. As he looked at him through the darkness and stood there with him by the stairs, memories of late nights in school corridors were recalled at once. "...please don't tell me this is your idea of romantic, Padfoot."
Sirius blinked, and after a brief moment he smirked. "You shouldn't complain, at least it's not a broom closet this time."
"Or the shack."
"Exactly." A beat. "You know, I think there could be a broom closet upstairs we could...explore. Before you leave, I mean."
Keeping a straight face, eyes twinkling, Remus nodded. "Or a room equally as charming, I'm sure. It'd be a pity to not do so."
Just as they heard footsteps approaching the hallway, Sirius took Remus by the hand and led him upstairs while Remus more than gladly followed him along. As amusing as it had been for Sirius to see Remus so horrified after getting caught by Dumbledore, the idea of them sneaking off somewhere privately was more appealing, which was something Remus would always be very thankful for.
The castle was quiet. Everyone was back in their common rooms already, and soon Remus would start heading back as soon as he finished checking the corridors for any student that may still be roaming the school even if it was already past curfew. Of all the things he had to do as a prefect, this really had to be his favourite one. Having to take away points from other students was something he dreaded, but taking walks on his own when no one else was around allowed him to wind down after the day.
Just as he was about to pass by the stairway, a hand suddenly took a hold of the front of his robes and quickly tugged him into a dark broom closet.
He really didn't need light to figure out who it was. Nonetheless, he used his wand and muttered Lumos so he could see Sirius looking extremely proud of himself.
"Sirius," he hissed in an urgent whisper, "I'm supposed to b--"
But before he could finish he was already getting tugged towards him and being pulled into a kiss. A kiss that Remus certainly didn't fight nor stop, even if a little voice in the back of his head kept reminding him that he was a prefect and probably shouldn't be doing this. Instead of listening to that little voice, however, his free hand immediately moved towards the side of his neck, bringing him close and his fingers very softly toyed with his hair.
After a moment Sirius pulled back just slightly, enough to look at Remus with a devious glint in his eyes as he smirked. "I'm sorry, you were supposed to be what?"
"Git," Remus muttered, trying to keep a straight face but unable to do so as his lips tugged slightly at the corners. "You know, if we get caught..."
"We won't get caught."
"How are you so sure?"
Sirius held up the Marauder's map for Remus to see, chuckling. "Merlin, Moony, don't worry so much." He grinned. "Although next time we should probably meet somewhere a bit more romantic than just a broom closet. Perhaps the shack?"
"Oh yes," Remus responded with a straight face, eyes twinkling, "the destroyed furniture makes it such a lovely sight doesn't it?" Taking a hold of Sirius' already loose tie, he tugged him close to him and kissed his lips again. Slowly at first, teasing him, until Sirius let go of the map so he could bring Remus as close to him as he could. As the kiss deepened their hands roamed along each other's bodies, pulling out carefully tucked in shirts, loosening ties to the point where they simply fell on the floor, fingers passing through each other's hair...
Remus had been pinning Sirius against the wall as they kissed each other hungrily when the sound of footsteps made them stop almost at once. Looking over at the door, he stared at it until the footsteps seemed to get farther away and Sirius' lips on his neck made him turn back to him. "We should probably go back," Remus murmured before stealing another kiss. He knew what they should do, but actually doing it was a whole other matter, so when Sirius kissed him again he didn't bother to stop him.
As they tried to fix their hair and clothes, fighting back laughs at the sight of each other's disheveled appearances, Remus couldn't help but grin. This could probably be another reason why checking the corridors this late at night was one of his favourite things of being a prefect, he thought.
"All right, you start heading back," Sirius said quietly as he started to open the map. "I'll go after you."
With a nod, Remus stepped out of the broom closet as carefully and quietly as he could. Almost as soon as he did, though, the sight of Dumbledore walking past him made him stop short. Oh bloody... "Hello, sir," Remus managed, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. "I'm heading upstairs now. Corridors are all clear."
"Are they? Oh, good." Dumbledore's tone sounded casual as he passed by him and towards the stairway. "Good night, Mr. Lupin." A beat, and then he added a little louder as he headed upstairs, "Good night, Mr. Black."
Remus' cheeks reddened even more, and Sirius emerged from the broom closet. "Er, good night." Dumbledore turned to glance at them, and Remus prayed that the earth could just open up and swallow him up right there and then, but he just gave a small sheepish smile and scratched the back of his neck.
===========================
1995
Stepping out of the kitchen, Remus fought back a yawn while briefly pinching the bridge of his nose. A meeting for the Order had ended minutes ago and, even if almost everyone was still at the table talking, he needed to catch some air. All the talk about war made his head hurt even if he always managed to keep himself calm and collected, but... Merlin, he hated this. He hated it more than the others could see.
As his train of thought continued, he didn't notice when, out of nowhere, a hand pulled him into a corner by the stairs. The lights were off in the hallway, but he really didn't need the light to see that it was Sirius. Pressed close together, it was impossible to not recognize the way their bodies simply seemed to fit against each other.
"So this is where you ran off to after the meeting?" Remus asked quietly, brushing back Sirius' hair. Before he could answer, he brushed his lips against his. "I'll come back soon. It's a quick mission, I should be back in a couple of days."
With a small nod Sirius looked up at him and Remus felt his heart clench at the thought of leaving him. It wasn't as if he could be picky; he had to do it and there was really no other choice. And even if a part of him wanted to take Sirius with him, because he knew how frustrating it was for him to just stay home, he knew well enough that Grimmauld was the safest place for him. Here he wouldn't get caught, and he'd be safe. That was all that mattered.
Now it was Sirius' turn to kiss him, hands grasping the front of Remus' sweater. "I'll be fine," he assured him just as quietly as how Remus had been. "Be careful, all right?"
Remus nodded, lips tugging into a small smile. As he looked at him through the darkness and stood there with him by the stairs, memories of late nights in school corridors were recalled at once. "...please don't tell me this is your idea of romantic, Padfoot."
Sirius blinked, and after a brief moment he smirked. "You shouldn't complain, at least it's not a broom closet this time."
"Or the shack."
"Exactly." A beat. "You know, I think there could be a broom closet upstairs we could...explore. Before you leave, I mean."
Keeping a straight face, eyes twinkling, Remus nodded. "Or a room equally as charming, I'm sure. It'd be a pity to not do so."
Just as they heard footsteps approaching the hallway, Sirius took Remus by the hand and led him upstairs while Remus more than gladly followed him along. As amusing as it had been for Sirius to see Remus so horrified after getting caught by Dumbledore, the idea of them sneaking off somewhere privately was more appealing, which was something Remus would always be very thankful for.