Merry Christmas, rinnington
Title: A Christmas Present of Sorts
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros.
Author's Notes: Many thanks to my lovely beta. I can't say who it is, because that might give me away, but you know who you are. Happy Christmas to rinnington, I hope you like this!
Warnings: none.
Prompt #18: Hogwarts-era or post-Hogwarts
but before things start to go really bad. Sirius and Remus are not a couple, but Remus' parents might know/suspect he is gay, whether or not Sirius does is up to you. Sirius is invited to spend Christmas at the Lupins and he and Remus get together somehow, without acting too soppy or girlish about it. I like G as equally as R, so write it where it takes you but I don't want PWP. Also, I like fluff (although not too over the top) or flangst with a happy ending. Remus is an only child and his parents are very nice people.
To: rinnington
from your Secret Santa
It wasn't that he went out of his way to assume things, not really. It was just that Sirius Black operated under the knowledge, reinforced by years of experience, that today would be much the same as yesterday, minor details aside. Today's lesson might be different from yesterday's, or Snivellus might be on the receiving end of a new and brilliant hex, but the fact was that there were always lessons and hexes.
Which is why he was rather disconcerted when Remus invited him to spend Christmas with his family, when everyone knew that Sirius was a regular at the Potter's house every year since his parents had stopped making him return home for stuffy pureblood parties.
"But…but…James…spiked punch…Never-Ending Hiccup Charms…" Sirius sputtered.
"Padfoot," Remus said reasonably, "I know you're used to spending all the hols with James. But this year may not be the best time for that."
"What?"
"Lily," Remus reminded him, "will be spending most of the hols with him. You don't want to spend, what, two and a half weeks weeks with your best mate forgetting you're even there, which he will. You know what he's like." There was no criticism in Remus' voice as he said this; it was just how James was. When Lily was in the room, everyone else became mere background details. Unimportant ones, like what kind of wood the baseboards were made of.
***
So Sirius found himself accompanying Remus and his parents to their house instead of going to Godric's Hollow with James. He'd been there a few times before; during the summer he and James would usually go there for a few days, when Mr. and Mrs. Potter just couldn't take the two of them anymore.
As soon as they arrived, he followed Remus upstairs to his room, neither of them noticing the look Remus' parents exchanged. After taking care to make sure their trunks thumped loudly on every stair, they collapsed backwards across Remus' bed, they very picture of end-of-term relaxation and contentment. For about five seconds.
"So, Moony, what are we going to do?"
"Do? Why do we need to do anything? Isn't this good enough?" Remus replied, wishing the bed would just swallow him. This term had indeed been difficult, and next term would be more so, since they had to take NEWTs in June.
"Of course we don't need to do anything," Sirius told him. "Therefore, we have to do something. It makes perfect sense, you know."
"Yeah, if you're you," Remus snorted.
"Which I am."
"Brilliant observation."
Sirius watched as Remus folded his arms up behind his head and drew his legs up until his feet rested on the bed, not the floor. He recognised the pose; it was how Remus always lay when they were under the tree down by the lake at school. He kept looking as Remus' eyes drifted slowly closed, and supposed he must have dozed off himself, since the next thing he remembered was Mr. Lupin calling upstairs that dinner was ready.
Sirius always liked dinner at Remus'. It was so different from dinner at his old house, which was all chilliness and stodgy formality, but different from din ner at James' house as well, where any meal was mostly a competition to see who could eat the fastest or push the farthest without getting sent away from the table.
They ate in the kitchen, which was very warm and cozy, Sirius thought, with its copper pots hanging on hooks. The meal passed in pleasant conversation, mostly Remus' parents asking them questions about the term, which they answered more or less truthfully. After all, there were some things parents just didn't need to know.
After dinner and hot chocolate and game of Exploding Snap in which Mr. Lupin soundly trounced both of them, Remus and Sirius headed upstairs, this time with the actual intention of going to bed, if not to sleep.
"Oi, Remus, where am I going to sleep?" Sirius asked. When he'd visited before, they'd never slept in Remus' room; instead, all the boys would sleep on cots up in the loft or in a tent out in the yard.
"Well, I suppose…" Remus began, and then broke off quickly.
"Suppose what?"
"Never mind. Here, just take my bed and I'll sleep on the floor. There's plenty of blankets."
"Honestly, Moony, don't be like that. Here." With a wave of his wand, he Transfigured Remus' squashy reading chair into a rather squashy but perfectly serviceable bed which unfortunately made moving around in the room rather difficult.
"Well, I guess that works," Remus said, sounding rather skeptical. "As long as you change it back in the morning."
***
"You boys sleep all right last night?" Mrs. Lupin asked at breakfast the next morning. "I'd have thought it would be a bit cramped, two grown boys in the one room. Maybe Sirius should sleep in the guest room."
Remus bit his lip and suddenly became very interested in his pancakes.
"It was fine, Mrs. Lupin," Sirius assured her. "I just changed that chair Remus has up there into a second bed. Bit of a tight squeeze, but it worked out."
"All right, as long as you're sure. Now, we're going to Diagon Alley today, got some last minute shopping to do. You boys like to come along?"
"Sure," Sirius answered immediately. It had been ages since he'd been to Diagon Alley, not since before the school year started.
***
Diagon Alley was crowded; all the shops were packed wall to wall with people. Remus and Sirius quickly separated from Remus' parents, heading off through the throngs of people, shouting over their shoulders promises to meet at three.
They went to Quality Quidditch Supplies first, not that they needed to, since Remus didn't play and Sirius had just got a new kit at the beginning of the year. Still, there was a new racing broom out, which was always worth a look, and they had a good selection of team gear, too.
They got separated almost the instant they walked through the door, unable to stay together in the crush of people.
Sirius picked up another pair of gloves for James (not that he hadn't already bought him a present, but still) and finally found Remus standing idly, looking at a poster of the Montrose Magpies.
"Didn't know you were a Magpies fan, Remus," he said, almost shouting to be heard over the noise.
"I'm not, really," Remus told him.
Sirius watched as the Keeper in the poster made a daring save. "Flash bastard," he said.
"Yes," Remus agreed absently.
After leaving Quality Quidditch Supplies, they headed over the Magical Menagerie so Sirius could have a look at the kneazles. He'd always wanted one, but his mother wouldn't have any animals in the house. Now that he had his own place, though, he was considering getting one.
They entered the cool, dark building, filled with rustles and soft noises (and some not-so-soft ones, actually). Sirius made a beeline for the area where the kneazles were kept, Remus following at a more sedate pace. By the time he got there, Sirius was surrounded by five or six cat-like creatures, twining about his legs, sitting in his lap, one even perched atop his long, dark hair.
"Moony. Hallo," Sirius said, in a rather formal tone.
"Sirius," Remus nodded.
"I've got a cat on my head," Sirius said, as though he had just now realised this.
"Yes."
They both burst into gales of laughter at this point, sending the animals scattering.
After many other stops, including Flourish and Blotts, they met up with Remus' parents, who were loaded down with packages, and headed home. They spent a pleasant evening drinking cocoa, wrapping gifts, and listening to Christmas music on WWN. Sirius and Remus stayed up long after Mr. and Lupin had gone to bed, drinking and talking. It was quite late when they finally headed upstairs.
***
It was a recurring dream, one he'd been trying to shake with no success. The night he'd run away from home, his father yelling, his mother shrieking, Regulus sneering. "Never been any son of mine...worthless...shame of my flesh...disgrace..." He woke up, sitting straight up on his Transfigured bed. It wasn't a dream, it was real and that's what made it all the worse. It wasn't terrifying, and he'd had his share of those dreams too; it just made him feel terribly, terribly alone.
He lay back, but sleep continued to elude him. Thoughts chased themselves around in circles in Sirius' head, till they almost made him dizzy. Finally, he got up and walked across the room.
"Moony," he hissed. "Moony, are you awake?"
"No," came a mumble from the pile of blankets that was Remus.
"Remus, please," Sirius said.
Remus turned over and took one look at Sirius' face. "C'mon," he said, sitting up and moving over, patting the bed next to him. "Sit down. It'll be ok."
Sirius climbed into Remus' bed, snuggling under the covers. He leaned back against the wall, Remus next to him, not saying anything, just watching him carefully. It was hard to feel lonely like this, all wrapped up warm, with one of your best friends next to you, who knew you so well you didn't even have to talk to each other sometimes.
Neither of them knew when they drifted off to sleep.
***
When Remus awoke, he thought he was still dreaming. It was one of his favourites, Sirius curled up against him, one arm across his chest, breath soft and warm against his neck. Mmmm, he had to be asleep, and he wanted to stay that way as long as possible.
He sneezed suddenly (he always sneezed in the morning), and knew he wasn't asleep. He froze. Oh shit, when had this happened? Sirius had had a bad dream last night, yes, he could always tell, and had got into bed, that was fine (perhaps more than fine, a little part of him suggested, but he tried to shut it up), and they had fallen asleep. Yes. That was it, plain and simple. No mention of cuddling anywhere.
He turned over and shook Sirius ' shoulder, trying to wake him up.
"Sirius, wake up." No avail. Sirius slept like the dead. He shook him a little harder. "Wake up, you lazy sod."
Sirius opened his eyes slowly, blinked once or twice, and closed them again.
Then he grabbed Remus by the front of his pyjama shirt and kissed him soundly.
Remus relaxed into the kiss, reveled in it, for a few precious seconds. Yes, this was perfect, it was beautiful...
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, pulling away quickly.
Sirius' eyes snapped open. "Remus, Moony, no, I thought...."
"You thought what?"
"Well, you, that you're...you know..." Sirius muttered, waving his hands.
"What? That I'm what?" Remus asked, his voice tightly controlled.
"That you're, you know...gay," Sirius said quietly.
"Where would you get that idea? And even if I am, what gives you the right to go around snogging me?" Remus desperately hoped he was keeping his panic out of his voice and off of his face.
"I don't know how I know," Sirius said, sounding exasperated. "I...just...just a lot of little things, I guess. Like how you never really pay attention when girls flirt with you and how you like pictures of the Magpies even though you don't like Quidditch that much..."
Remus just stared at him.
"And I kissed you, well, because, you're just always thereMoony, and you listen and you take care of me, and you just looked so...perfect, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes."
Remus continued to stare at him.
"Remus?" Sirius asked tentatively. "You all right?"
"Yes," Remus said slowly. "I'm fine. More than fine. I....just....you...and..." He stopped talking and pulled Sirius in for another kiss. It was quite awhile before they stopped. "I have wanted this for so long," he confessed.
"Well, now you've got it," Sirius told him. "As much as you want."
It was a long, long time before they went downstairs for breakfast.