Plot twists, as promised
"Stop laughing."
Lily bit her bottom lip, her eyes dancing with mirth. Remus growled and got off the couch, stomping into the kitchen. Lily took a deep breath, squeaked out "Nice boots," and dissolved into a paroxym of giggles.
He growled again, shoving the kettle under the spout. "Stop laughing or I swear I'll hex you."
"You will not," she sniffed, struggling for control. "So, then what happened?"
"I called you." He set the kettle on the burner and moved back to the living room, sinking down onto the couch. He leaned against the arm, one foot planted on the cushions, boot and all, the other on the floor, his hands between hsi legs. "Sirius disappeared and I called you."
"You really do need to learn to be more gracious, Remus." She pulled her feet up onto the couch, tucking them beneath her skirt. "He was just trying to be nice. It is your birthday, after all."
"Still," he shook his head. "It was odd."
"Of course it was," Lily grinned. "He was trying to seduce you."
"What?" She got to her feet as gthe kettle started to whistle. Remus grasped her wrist loosely. She sighed and smiled down at him expectantly. "What?"
"He was trying to seduce you, Remus."
"Bollocks, he was. This is Sirius."
"That's right." She nodded and perched on his knee, her eyes flashing brilliant green. "And he's been in love with you forever, though I doubt even he's figured it out completely."
"You've gone daft, woman."
She got up and went into the kitchen. "Do you want tea?"
"I want you to explain what the bloody hell you're talking about."
Lily sighed and turned off the burner, pulling two pints of butterbeer from the cupboard instead. He looked and her and she sighed, putting them both back. "It's self-explanatory, Remus. Sirius has fancied you forever. Why d'you think he always tags along with you?"
"Because James is busy shagging you?"
"Sirius hates his family. He hates even more that sometimes his breeding comes through and he says or does things that his family would condone, would approve of. Hates it because he doesn't want to be that man."
"I still don't see..."
"Because he knows that's not the type of man you want."
"I don't want any man." He caught her wrist again as she came around the sofa, tugging her gently into his lap as he stretched his leg along the cushions. "I want you."
"Yes, well." She kissed him lightly on the lips and climbed off. "We're talking about Sirius."
"He doesn't fancy me."
"Remus." She sighed and shook her head as he looked up at her. After a few moments of silence, she ducked her head and settled back on his lap, his arm around her, fingers resting lightly against her shoulder.
"So, what's given you this idea?"
She shivered, his voice like thick syrup, an insistent tide, pulling her under. "I've watched him."
"You have, have you?" He pulled her closer, his breath warm on her neck. "Should I be jealous of Sirius as well as James then?"
"Watched him," she gasped spoftly as his tongue pressed against her rapid pulse, "watch you." She shifted slightly, facing him, seeing his mouth out with hers. Remus groaned as she kissed him, her deceptive fraility falling away as her tongue commanded his, controlled it. "He stares at you," she murmured between kisses. "His eyes dark and mysterious and possessive."
Remus broke the kiss, his hand curved around the back of her neck, his eyes smoky with desire. "He doesn't own me."
"He wants to."
"And I want you." He drew her in, his tongue slipping past her parted lips, the warm scent of her overloading all his senses. She clutched at the thin silk shirt, moaning at the sensation, her hands curling into fists, the delicate pain of her ring digging into his chest.
Remus pulled back, gasping desperately for air, his hands shaking as he pushed her away. Lily pressed a hand to her swollen lips, swallowing hard. "We're not supposed to do that."
"No," Remus laughed, the sound almost harsh. "We're not. We've stopped."
"Right."
"Sirius believes we're sleeping together. Did I mention that?"
"And what did you say?"
"I reminded him that you're marrying James in two weeks."
"A very non-commital response."
"I believe I said no as well. Since we're not."
"We're not allowed." She moved her fingers from her lips to his, her hand trembling.
Remus nodded, closing his eyes, absorbing her touch. "You should go," he whispered against her hand, his eyes closing tighter as the fingers of her other hand played with the top button of hs shirt. "Lily."
"I should," she agreed, replacing her fingers with her mouth, both hands unbuttoning his shirt, easing it off his powerful shoulders. Remus moaned in quiet desperatoin, pushing her away with the last of his control.
"Does he know?"
She didn't say anything for a long moment, finally dropping her hands from his chest to her stomach, fingers splaying over the flat surface. "No."
"When will you tell him?"
"After the wedding."
He nodded, covering both of her slim hands with one of his. "And what will you tell him?"
"That we're going to have a lovely boy named Harry."
"And if it's a girl?"
"That we're having a lovely girl named Harry."
He smiled, chuckling as he removed his hand. "You know I'll know, don't you? As soon as little Harry's born?"
She didn't look at him as she nodded. Finally she met his eyes. "Yes."
"Sirius may as well."
She looked away, wrapping her arms around her. "Do you fancy him at all, Remus?"
"Sirius?"
"Yes. I mean, Wizards aren't like Muggles, are they? They don't worry about gender so much. Have you ever..."
"No." He said the word softly.
"Ever thought about it?"
"I lived with three other boys, two of whome were the most popular lads in the history of Hogwarts, Lily."
"Is that a yes?"
"Fantasies only. Nothing more."
"He does fancy you."
"He's not interested in me."
"He is. He loves you. You deserve someone who loves you, Remus. Only you." She was silent for a long time before looking at him again, smiling, composed. "In fact, I'm sure Sirius fancies you."
"Sure, hmm?"
"So sure," she moved back to him, straddling his legs, "that I'm going to make you a wager."
"Oh?"
"I say Sirius makes a play for you at some point during the party tonight."
"Yes, after you put him up to it."
"I wont. I swear." She placed her hands over her heart, her eyebrow lifted in challenge. "Well?"
"And if he does? What do you get?"
"Your soft-core werewolf porn."
Remus laughed. "All right. And if I win? What do I get?"
"What do you want?"
He eased her off his lap and stood up, buttoning his shirt with fingers he didn't quite trust. "I can't have what I want," he reminded her with a rueful smile. "but I'll settle for the matching set of classics you got for your birthday."
"But..."
"I'll loan them to you," he assured her, mimicking her voice, the conversation they'd had the night of her party. "Besides, you'll have your hands full for a while soon enough, won't you?"
"You'll read to him?"
Remus didn't smile as he looked at her, caressed her stomach with his gaze, a light in his eyes. "As if he were my own."
This having three fics going at once is kind of confusing, and I'm not even typing up the third one yet.