Pairing: Sirius/Remus
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: OotP

Disclaimer: Sirius and Remus belong to J.K. Rowling, although I'll never forgive her for what she did to Sirius in canon. I'm in denial, so THAT scene will never happen.

Note: I started this story before OotP came out. In the first version, this story had a rather dark main plot dealing with Pettigrew and Voldemort. I reckoned that I didn't have the time to write that fic (it was way too complicated and would have taken me a year to write, a real EPOS), so I simply took the subplot of that first version and made it into my mainplot.

Then, OotP came out and I adjusted my second version to the slightly altered fanon.

Note 2: past events in bold (set in the Marauder's 6^th year)

Present events -> not emphasised. (set a view days before the Order of the Phoenix comes to join Sirius and Remus in the headquarters -> I consider this canon...)

Summary (Challenge): Sirius and Remus go back to their school days.

************************************************************

 

Remus couldn't help but stumble once he felt solid ground under his feet again. The Time-Turner had drawn them into a whirling maelstrom, a lot like using Floo Powder, but much more powerful, and for a brief moment he had feared they'd been lost in time. It was frightening, the way the device ripped his feet out from under him, propelled him upwards and around. A hand on his upper arm prevented him from crashing straight into a wall; instead, he stumbled backwards against a solid body. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, then extracted himself from the arms that helped him stand and shook his head to clear it.

Behind him, Sirius rubbed his temples. "What a ride!" he said and Remus couldn't do anything but agree heartily. He tried to shake off the feeling of disorientation and took a look at their surroundings. They found themselves on the stairway between the third and fourth floor of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, laughter ringing to them from a distance. Involuntarily, they both exchanged a look and smiled. It was early morning on the third of April 1977, and Remus had chosen the date very carefully, a date that would be imprinted in his mind forever. He remembered, vividly, as if it had been yesterday, but Sirius couldn't.

He had to bring Sirius to this time and place, because Sirius couldn't remember. Azkaban had burnt the good memories from his mind, burnt them away without even so much as a trace left behind, leaving him void and empty. When Remus had first learnt of Sirius' disability to remember, he had finally understood why Sirius reacted to him the way he did, why he'd smiled when Remus made a joke to lighten up the mood, but why that smile never reached his eyes.

There were things Sirius remembered. Growing up at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, in that cold house under the constant screams of his mother and the bickering of his brother Regulus. That one time in fifth year when, in a moment of recklessness, he had told Snape how to get past the heavy branches of the Whomping Willow. Sirius remembered the day they had lost the Quidditch cup to Slytherin. He remembered having detention and cleaning all the portrait frames in the gallery by hand for hours. He remembered when James had been so violently ill that they'd feared he wouldn't make it. But he didn't remember the good times they'd shared at school. Didn't remember the laughter, the pranks and jokes they'd played, didn't remember the countless times they had snuck out at night to fool around in the Forbidden Forest, didn't remember coming back from Honeydukes with bags full of sweets, but most importantly, he didn't remember them. Realising this, Remus had finally understood. He'd understood why there was a barrier between Sirius and him, why every time he had made a remark about their past together, Sirius had flinched and frowned.

He had to bring Sirius here, in hope that Sirius would regain his memories, in hope that they both would regain what had been lost. Remus knew that he needed it, needed Sirius to remember. He yearned for Sirius with every fibre of his being, desired to hear him laugh out loud and carelessly again, but what he most longed for was the love they'd shared, a love Sirius couldn't remember, burnt from his mind completely.

Another war was on the verge of erupting, a second war with a repowered Voldemort, risen up from the dead, and they had snuck some time from the preparations of reuniting the remaining members of the Order. It was Remus' task to restore Sirius' memories, for both of them. Even if Sirius couldn't relate to the memories, couldn't love him again, he wanted to give him – both of them – back what Azkaban had taken from them. At least the memory of love and joy shared. They both needed it to steel themselves for the dreadful times to come.

It had been Professor Dumbledore's idea to use the Time-Turner to transport them back into time, and he had given it to Remus, though not without a list of warnings. Use silencing and invisibility spells. Don't interfere. Only watch.

And now they were here, April 3^rd, 1977, at the end of their sixth year. Remus remembered quite well. The summer before, Sirius had left the Black's ancestral home and had hid at James' place, where both Peter and Remus had joined them later for the rest of the summer holidays. The group had grown even closer, until that dreadful full moon night in November, when Sirius had let Snape in on the secret surrounding Remus, infuriated by certain remarks Snape had made about Remus, and Sirius' status of an abomination in his own family. It had taken them a long time to overcome their difficulties, despite the fact that Remus was quite eager to forgive Sirius, hating the way Sirius had suddenly lost his normal confidence.

Remus took a look at his companion, who let his eyes drift over their surroundings. Sirius's eyes were wide, and unconsciously he grazed his bottom lip with his teeth, kneading it, lost in thought. The little gesture reminded him once again of the Sirius he had known back in school, and he was positive that this little trip was the right thing to do.

Sirius caught his gaze and released his lip from in between his teeth. "To Gryffindor Tower, then," Sirius said, and nodding, Remus followed him. As expected, the hidden doorway protected by the Fat Lady was closed and so they stood outside, waiting patiently. Even if they had remembered the password, which was absolutely unlikely – after all, it had been years since they'd used it, and the passwords changed every few weeks – the Fat Lady would have found it very strange to hear a password being delivered from a person she couldn't see.

They didn't have to wait long until finally the portrait slipped open and a tired-looking Andrea Bletchley crept out of the hole, rubbing her eyes under her thick glasses. Remus grinned when he saw his former fellow classmate. Andrea was a lot like Hermione Granger, a bright and dedicated student, a bit bookish and silent, but with a fierce will to pass with distinction in all her subjects. He suspected that she was sneaking off to the library to study an hour or two before going down to breakfast. They both slipped past her, careful not to step into her way and entered the Gryffindor common room. This early in the morning the common room lay quiet and peaceful. A patch of light was streaming through the curtains that veiled the huge, gothic windows, falling across the comfortable armchairs arranged around the fireplace and against the walls.

"Good to be here again," Sirius whispered, and Remus nodded. Remus walked over to the staircase that led to the boy's dormitories.

"I'd better cast a silencing spell on us," Remus murmured and reached into his pocket to draw out his wand. Sirius nodded in agreement and stepped closer, waiting for Remus to cast the spell.

He felt strange when they climbed up the familiar stairs together, Remus ahead, Sirius only a few steps behind him. In front of their old dorm room they stopped, listening for noises coming from the inside. When they both heard nothing for a long time, Remus carefully and quietly opened the door and they both slipped inside.

The moment the door closed behind them, a yawn was heard from behind one of the purple curtains surrounding the four-poster beds, then the rustling of sheets. Moments later, two bare feet landed on the soft carpet and James battled with the curtains, pushing them aside, struggling to sit up. The boy yawned again, stretching his arms over his head, mouth agape, showing a row of healthy, white teeth. Sirius and Remus exchanged a look and smiled. It was good to see James again, even if Remus' heart almost broke at seeing his friend alive and well. It had been so long, and for a moment he had to contain himself from leaping forward, enveloping the boy in a tight hug. James would be scared beyond imagination, receiving a hug out of thin air.

James reached for his glasses blindly, then stood up on shaky legs, stretching and yawning again. Groggily, he walked over to another four-poster bed and pushed the curtains aside. "Padfoot, get your lazy arse out of bed. As captain of the Quidditch team I would expect a bit more discipline from you!"

A growl was heard from behind the curtains, then Sirius stuck his head out, glaring at James menacingly. "Can't you leave a body in peace? It's early on Saturday morning and Quidditch practice won't start until 11 o'clock. Besides, you don't have to train today -"

"You're only up that early because you haven't slept a bit, tossing and turning in your bed all night. A bit nervous about your date with Lily, aren't you?" a sleepy voice called from the other bed, interrupting Sirius' rant, then Remus pushed the curtains aside, his hair in sleepy disarray, grinning widely at James.

Placing his hands on his hips, James rolled his eyes. "No, you git. And it isn't exactly a date...," he said, ruffling his hair. "I was up all night listening to you twisting and turning in one of your nightmares."

Sirius laughed, sticking out his tongue at James. "Strange. I was awake as well, but the only twisting and turning I heard was coming from your bed. Remus here slept like a baby. He even snored, so don't make him feel guilty."

"Whatever..." James snorted, then turned around and walked over to the bed on the south end of the room, pulling aside the curtains. "Wormtail, get up!"

A sleepy Peter, his mousy-haired head buried in his pillow, blinked twice, then his gaze settled on James and he smiled. "James, you're one hell of a bastard, waking us all this early," he said good-humouredly.

"What with you all being such lazy gaums," James complained, then turned around, stalking towards the door. Sirius and Remus jumped aside so he wouldn't walk into them.

A cheerful looking Remus crawled out of his bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with the heels of his hands and walked over to Sirius.

"Siri, get up. Didn't you listen to James? Quidditch practice," he said, nudging the boy into the ribs.

Sirius squirmed and groaned, trying to evade the tickling fingers. "Remus, you're as much a bastard as James is."

Remus grinned, then leapt onto the bed, sitting astride Sirius, his fingers dancing over the writhing body below him. "Get up, Paddy!" he said, emphasising his words with a tickle to Sirius belly, his fingers pushing the shirt aside to get to the sensitive skin beneath. Sirius released a loud war cry, then launched his counter-attack, throwing a laughing Remus off, who didn't seem to mind landing on the floor rather roughly on his backside.

"I'm awake, now. Thank you very much, Mr. Prefect!" Sirius said when he placed his feet on the chilly floor next to Remus, but his words held affection.

Remus chuckled, wiping some strands of his tawny hair out of his eyes. A hand reached down and pulled him up and they both tumbled a bit from the force of Sirius' pull. Sirius released his hold on Remus' hand and wiped his own palm on his pyjamas.

"Sweaty werewolf, yuck," Sirius said and Remus stuck his tongue out at him. "A sweaty werewolf is always better than a wet dog. May I remind you of how you stink when you were out in the rain? Not even all the shampoo in the Prefect's bathroom can wash away that mind-boggling stench. Someday somebody should give you a good rubdown."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and grinned. "And you're the man for that job, Moony? I so don't believe that..."

"Race you to the bathroom, you filthy dog," Remus answered, his eyes twinkling with humour. He leapt aside, evading Sirius' nudge only by inches, then pivoted and sprinted for the door.

"Take that back, you equally filthy..." Sirius shouted, running after him.

*-*

It was strange to watch themselves, Remus thought, seeing the tell-tale signs they both hadn't known back then they were sending out. It was so obvious to him now, the small glances that passed between them, the smiles, the frequent touches, Sirius' hand on his younger self's shoulder, the way they walked with their bodies almost brushing, too close to signify mere friendship. He wondered if Sirius could see it too, and shot a glance at his companion, who was standing behind the younger Sirius' chair, watching the boys eating breakfast, biting his bottom lip again, not noticing when Remus looked at him, too absorbed in the sight before him.

"So, you're meeting Lily at the lake at eight tonight?" Sirius asked, stuffing a fork piled high with scrambled eggs into his mouth, not quite looking at James, who flushed slightly at the question.

James nodded when Sirius looked up from his plate, then ducked his head again, trying to prevent the blush from creeping up into his face. Sirius shot Remus a knowing look. Remus hid his chuckle behind his hand, then nudged James, who was sitting next to him.

"It'll be alright, Prongs, you'll see. Right now, unnoticed by you, Ms. Lily Evans is staring at you from a distance. I can tell she's as nervous as you. I still don't know when she changed her mind and started liking you," Remus said, grinning when James squirmed on his seat uncomfortably.

Readjusting his spectacles, James murmured, "Thanks to you guys, I'm even more nervous now than before."

"Ah come on, Jamie. The worst thing that can happen is for you to eat too much sweets from Honeydukes and puke over her robes while you're holding hands down at the lake," Sirius said cheerfully, taking a sip from his pumpkin juice.

His eyes gleaming, James looked up. "Well thank you, bastard. Now I've lost all my appetite." With that, he pushed his plate back and got up, not sparing them a second look.

Remus watched as James left the Great Hall, his walk fast, arms buried in his robes, shoulders tense.

"That was mean, Sirius," he chided softly, but Sirius simply shrugged and took another bite from his eggs. With the fork still stuck in his mouth, he mumbled, "Glad that Lily isn't in Gryffindor. Just imagine how annoying it would be if they stared at each other moonily over the breakfast table, and James wouldn't react to anything you'd say because he'd be too engrossed concentrating on..."

Sirius took the fork from his mouth and tilted his head, obviously thinking about something James would concentrate on. "... say, sliding his foot up her thighs..." he finally said, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Remus squirmed, blushing scarlet, and pushed his chair back a bit. "You don't need to prove your point by harassing me with your stinky socks."

At that, Sirius threw his head back and started to laugh, pleased that he had managed to offend Remus, drawing the attention of the other students at the table.

Remus smiled, despite feeling a bit embarrassed for his younger self, who tried to will the blush from his face. He remembered suddenly feeling Sirius' foot sliding up between his legs teasingly and he also remembered the bodily reaction it had evoked quite well. Sirius was staring at his younger, still laughing version with a contemplative air, and Remus wished – not for the first time either – to know what was going on in his head.

Remus grinned now as well, his blush having subsided a bit, and his eyes were sparkling as he watched his laughing companion.

"I don't think James would be quite as bold as you," he finally said and Sirius mock-pouted at him, his facial expression one of played offence.

"Bold?" he asked and placed a hand over his chest. "Me?"

Remus nodded, trying to look serious, but failed. A smile was tugging at the edge of his mouth. "Prongs would be more subtle in his advances."

"Are you trying to say sliding my foot up your thighs isn't subtle enough?"

The blush on Remus' face returned in full force and he glanced around nervously, lest anybody overheard their conversation. "Your damp, stinking sock creeping its way... there..." he hissed, then interrupted himself. He didn't know what he wanted to say anyway.

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. "I can be subtle."

Remus rolled his eyes, trying to hide his irritation. "Sure!" he said sarcastically and reached for the salt to spice his second helping of scrambled eggs. He sprinkled some salt over his plate, then put the saltshaker back onto the table. He made the mistake to look at Sirius just at that moment, in the process knocking over the saltshaker, spilling its contents over the table.

His mouth agape, he stared at the display in front of him. Sirius was devouring a strawberry quite suggestively, the sweet juice of the fruit dripping from the corner of his mouth. He swirled his tongue around it, licking up the juices, sucking on the mangled fruit. Remus finally remembered to close his mouth and swallowed around the lump in his throat.

With a last suck at the strawberry, Sirius bit the fruit of its stem and chewed. Giving Remus a knowing look, he said, "Subtle enough?"

Speechless, Remus just stared as Sirius tossed the left over stem on his empty plate and stood up, licking his sticky fingers clean.

"See you at the pitch, " he said while stalking off, leaving a dumbly staring Remus behind at the table.

*-*

"I can't remember being so careless," Sirius mumbled when they left the Great Hall and made their way outside to the Quidditch pitch. "And I definitely can't remember being such a brat!"

Remus chuckled softly, trying to keep up with Sirius' fast stride. "Oh, yes, you were quite the tease."

Sirius stopped, turning to him, a small smile around his lips. "He feels so strange to me, and so familiar at the same time. It's frightening. He's so... lively."

Remus nodded, knowing exactly what Sirius felt. "That's why..." he interrupted himself before he could finish the sentence. "That's why we liked you that much," he corrected himself and looked at his feet, hoping Sirius wouldn't notice his slip.

A group of first year students trailed past them and they both continued across the meadow towards the pitch, where a group of students in ruby-coloured robes were cruising in the air on their broomsticks. Sirius was one of them, his robes fluttering behind him. A lone figure was sitting on one of the stands, wrapped tightly in a brown robe. "I'm sitting over there..." Remus pointed at the boy and Sirius nodded, following him with a last look at the Gryffindor team riding their broomsticks. They sat down a few feet from Remus, alternatively watching the students on the pitch and Remus sitting alone on the stands.

"I've always watched your training. Only missed it twice that year, after full moon nights. Come heavy rain or storm or snow, I was out here, watching you," Remus said, fiddling with the hem of his robe.

"I think he knows..." Sirius said as an answer and pointed at his younger self out there on the pitch.

"I always hoped he would."

The sixteen-year-old boy next to them waved at Sirius, smiling a bit when his presence was acknowledged with a wave back. 

"I was so in love with you. I would have done anything for you. I still would," Remus added softly, suddenly not caring that he had just now revealed what he hadn't wanted to say earlier.

Sirius kneaded his bottom lip between his teeth again, not looking at him, and Remus suppressed a sigh. He had to be patient. He couldn't expect that everything would be coming flowing back the moment Sirius saw how it had been.

Two boys climbed up the stairs towards where they were sitting, and Remus could make out James and Peter, both huddled into their robes, shivering a bit in the chilly April air.

"Remus, I've suspected you would be here," James greeted the boy, letting himself drop on the bench next to him.

"Peter, James..."

"Hi Remus," Peter chirped, his nose twitching as always when he was cold.

"Bloody rat!," Sirius hissed between clenched teeth, his hands closed into fists. Remus agreed wholeheartedly, wishing to strangle the boy himself, but they were not allowed to interfere, he reminded himself sternly.

"How's your foot, James?"

"Better. But still not fully healed. If Pomfrey knew that I'm climbing up stairs, ..." James said, trailing off with a wave of his hand. He had broken his ankle two days ago and the nurse had insisted that he refrained from attending training this week. "Anyway... We want to go to Honeydukes immediately after lunch."

"Yes, we need to stock up on our supply of Feezing Whispees," Peter added, his face lightening up at the prospect of buying sweets.

Remus grimaced. He hated Feezing Whispees, they made him feel sick to the stomach. He had no idea how anybody could eat something that disgusting. "I'll stick to chocolate frogs, thank you."

"You're the chocolate type," James concluded. Everybody knew that Remus had a liking for chocolate, the darker the better.

They watched the training for a while in silence until Peter got up, claiming that he wanted to meet with Elisa Enders before lunch, a Ravenclaw classmate he was studying with frequently.

Once Peter was out of sight, James turned to Remus, looking at him sympathetically.

"Anything on the Sirius-front?"

Remus shook his head, sighing. "Not really. We're apparently still dancing around each other, as usual. I never know if he's flirting, or just being... Sirius."

James nodded, picking a lose thread from his robe. "I know what you mean. He reaches out to you, as if he wanted to give you his hand, and all you get is a brush of his little finger before he draws back again. He's always been like that."

"Yes. You should know, you're his best friend."

"Give him time, Remus. He'll come to you eventually."

"It's just so frustrating. Today at breakfast, after you were gone, he joked about you and Lily, about how you would slide your foot up hers if she was sitting at our table, and... he kicked off his shoe and felt his way up my thigh..."

James laughed out loud. "Bastard!"

They both looked over at the pitch, where Sirius had just evaded a bludger with a breakneck manoeuvre.

"He'll kill himself someday, he will," Remus said, sounding rather proud despite his words.

"Not before you get your hands on him," James answered, chuckling when Remus turned his head away in embarrassment, not wanting to meet James' gaze.

"You've thought about it, right? How it would be?" James suddenly asked out of the blue, and Remus had to turn to him again, a dark shade of red tinting his face. Remus groaned, hiding his head in his hands.

"Of course I have. I'm not asexual or something," he mumbled from between his fingers.

James smiled gently at the hunched figure, then raised his arm to pat Remus' back. "Does it feel awkward talking about it to me?"

The tawny head nodded slightly, but Remus still couldn't look up. James laughed softly. "My cousin is homosexual. I'm used to talking about boys. He's still trying to convince me that boys are better in bed..."

At this, Remus lifted his head and laughed along with James. "Are they?" he asked when their laughter had subsided and he was able to take a deep breath again.

James shrugged, looking out at the pitch thoughtfully. "How would I know? I've never... with a boy. Or with a girl," he added, frowning. "But according to Steve, boys are... well..." he broke off, searching for the right words.

"It must be really weird..." Remus mused, staring at his shoes. "... but pleasant. I'd like to... with Sirius."

He looked up, wanting to see James reaction at declaring that he wanted to have sex with James' best male friend, but James merely grinned, nodding, not saying anything.

Braver now, encouraged by James smiling silence, he added, "Often, when I come back from the bathroom at night, I stop at his bed and look at him. I'm always frightened that he'll wake up and see me standing there. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, and so vulnerable. I wish then that I could crawl into bed with him and rest my head on his shoulder. I'd breath in the scent of his skin and his hair and I'd be able to sleep just as peaceful. I'd like to hold him when he sleeps, watch him. I'd like to touch him and I'd like to feel him all over me..."

Feeling he had revealed too much, Remus stopped talking, nervously fiddling with the cords of his scarf.

"That's how I feel about Lily," was all James said, apparently not offended at all.

They both exchanged a smile, then James pointed towards the pitch, where one player after the other landed on the meadow gracefully, stepping off their brooms. "Looks like they are finished for today. I wish I could train with them. Bloody Pomfrey, keeps me from flying with them."

"You'll be alright again soon, scoring one goal after the other, Prongs. You're one of the best Chasers Hogwarts has seen in years."

"Right I am!", James said proudly and with not a trace of modesty, "I'd say you wouldn't do bad yourself as a Beater."

"I'd get hit by a bludger all the time myself, because I wouldn't be able to take my eyes of a certain Chaser. Be glad I'm not on the team."

"Yeah, you might even fly straight into one of the stands while you turn your head to oggle Sirius' arse in his Quidditch trousers," James smirked, playing along with the joke.

"They are lovely, those trousers. Really tight, and –"

"Oh my, a werewolf with a fashion sense. Who would have thought?" James teased, nudging Remus softly.

"Hey, you two, what are you talking about? And Prongs, why are you hitting poor Remus? Did he say something nasty?" a voice chimed in and both boys refrained from shoving at each other, ducking their heads at Sirius' question.

"Err..." James started, searching Remus' face, "we were talking about those Quidditch trousers."

Remus couldn't help but chuckle at the confused expression on Sirius' face. Sirius lifted his Quidditch robes, staring at his trousers with a frown. "What about them?"

"They're nice," Remus said, still grinning.

Understanding dawned on Sirius face and his smile turned into a wicked grin. "You like them, eh? Understandable. They are lovely, those trousers. Really tight, and... my bum looks great in them."

James and Remus rolled their eyes at him, suppressing their laughter when Sirius turned around, presenting them with his trouser-clad butt. Looking over his shoulder, Sirius' grin grew even cockier. "Of course, it pales in comparison to my bare arse."

He winked at them, then shot a "See you later," over his shoulder and hopped down the stairs, leaving them staring after him speechlessly.

"He surely doesn't lack confidence," James murmured, shaking his head. 

Remus rolled his eyes, taking them of the two, turning towards Sirius. His friend was sitting with his head in his hands, shoulders shaking slightly.

"Brat!" Remus said to him, delighted to see that Sirius was amused.

"I did have a great arse," Sirius said, lifting his head, meeting Remus' eyes. Swallowing around the dry areas in his mouth, Remus could do nothing but noddingly agree.

*-*

Remus decided against asking Sirius if he already remembered something, although the question was nagging at him. Still, Sirius' mood had increased tremendously during the course of the day, despite the fact that he was complaining a lot about his younger self, claiming he had been "cheeky, obnoxious and shrill" and apparently didn't know modesty back then.

So it came as quite a surprise when later that day, when they were at the Three Broomsticks watching Sirius, Remus, Peter and James drinking butterbeer and counting the rest of their money after their shopping tour at Honeydukes, Sirius suddenly grabbed his arm, twisting him around, a rather excited expression on his face.

"I remember that..." he said, pointing at the boys sitting at the table. "I remember sitting at the table across from you that day."

Smiling, Remus inquired further. "What do you remember?"

Frowning, Sirius licked his lips and tilted his head, his eyes squinted shut. "I remember thinking how beautiful you looked and I wanted to tease you, to let you know how I felt without revealing too much."

"Now that James here is as good as married to Lily, and Peter is practically attached to the hip of Ms. Disgustingly-Intelligent-Ravenclaw...," Sirius said, receiving an angry look from Peter, "it's only us two bachelors left, Remus."

"Looks like it," Remus said, wiping the foam from the butterbeer off his upper lip with the sleeve of his sweater.

"You're so damn stupid, Sirius," Peter said, shaking his head.

Sticking out his tongue at Peter, Sirius continued. "I can see it clearly, mates," he announced, reaching out with his arms dramatically, "despite my fine arse and Remus' rather cute looks, we'll be sitting in a dingy hut, getting really old and sexually frustrated, while you tell your grandchildren stories about our Hogwart's school days."

Throwing a peanut from the bowl on the table at Sirius, James scowled. "Don't be silly, Si."

Sirius caught the peanut and popped it into his mouth, chewing. "That's just the way it is. We'll just have to do with each other. Right Remus?"

Remus nodded, confusion clearly evident on his face, a small frown building between his brows. He looked at James for help, but James only shrugged almost unnoticeable, frowning back at him.

"What if somebody snatched Remus away from you and you had to spend your bachelor days alone in that dog-piss scented hut of yours?" Peter asked, sticking his tongue out back at Sirius, acting rather boldly today, something which earned him a strange look from James.

Tilting his head, Sirius thought about an answer. "I wouldn't let them," he said after some time. "I'll bark at them, fletch my fangs and chase them away. One of you has to stay with me and comfort me when I'm old and without a family."

"Awww... poor Sirius," Peter said cheerfully, obviously enjoying the banter.

"Poor Remus," James said. "Get yourself married right away, Remus. To anyone. Or you'll have to spend the rest of your life with that brainless fool." His eyes betrayed the content of his words, sparkling with mischief.

"I could have strangled the three of you. I was so embarrassed and that was the last topic I wanted to talk about," Remus murmured, not taking his eyes of the boys.

"What good would it do spending the rest of my life with Sirius? He's an awful cook, completely sloppy, never does anything you tell him... I would be a bloody fool to agree to that willingly," Remus said, taking another sip of his butterbeer.

"I can cook!" Sirius said, sounding disappointed and a bit disgusted.

"Yeah, right." Peter chuckled. "Scrambled eggs in the morning, at lunch, at tea time and for dinner."

Remus and James joined in the laughter, all three of them making faces at Sirius, who grew a bit red in the face.

"I can cook bloody well!" he said forcefully, shoving his butterbeer away, crossing his arms across his chest. "And besides, Remus would get the chance to live with the most beautiful arse in England," he continued, his cockiness returning.

"Most beautiful arse, me arse!" James rolled his eyes. "If your arse is so bloody gorgeous and so many people fancy having a piece of it, why do you have to live with Remus? I mean", he shot a small side glance at Remus, "not that there is anything wrong about living with Remus, mind you?"

"He caught you, he did!"

"Bloody bastard that James," Sirius murmured, grinning approvingly.

At the pout Sirius displayed, Remus gave him a small smile. "Well, I could think of worse than having to eat scrambled eggs all day long and benefiting from the gorgeousness that is Sirius' arse."

"Oh bloody hell, you two! It's getting really old. The Slytherins are already placing bets. Just shag each other so we can move past this!"

The table fell silent after Peter's outburst and James' eyeballs almost popped out of their caves, while Sirius and Remus simply stared at each other, neither of them able to say anything.

The first sound that broke the silence came from Remus, a small gasp that flew from his lips. He pushed his chair back and without looking at either of his friends, he stood up, grabbed his robe and left the Three Broomsticks. It took Sirius about ten seconds during which he stared after his friend to get up and follow him.

"Brilliant job, Peter," James said, patting the other boy's shoulder, chuckling.

Peter grinned happily, basking in James' attention for once, then took a long swig of his beverage. "It really was getting old." 

"That was about the only good thing that awful rat has ever done," Sirius murmured when they made their way out of the door.

*-*

"Remus, wait!"

A hand clamped down onto Remus' shoulder almost too hard and he winced, closing his eyes. He was roughly turned around and shaken.

"I'm sorry, Remus. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Remus sighed, then finally opened his eyes. Sirius was watching him with an anxious expression on his face, bottom lip trembling slightly. "I didn't mean to... didn't mean to push you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Remus said, shaking his head. He realised that Sirius' hands were still on his shoulders, gripping him almost a bit too hard.

"Is it that bloody obvious?" Sirius voice was shaking a bit, all his confidence suddenly lost. Lifting his eyes, not able to squash the stupid smile, Remus nodded. "I hope it was."

They stood in front of each other for a long time, neither daring to move. The weight of Sirius' hands on Remus' shoulder, his moist, excited breath washing over Remus' hot face were so real, it almost frightened Remus.

Surprisingly it was Remus who lost control first and crushed Sirius against the nearest wall, not really thinking when he pressed his lips against Sirius'. The reaction was immediate and passionate. A hand left his shoulder, fisting into his hair instead, drawing him closer. Their teeth clashed against each other clumsily and Remus drew back, wincing. Sirius was looking at him with dilated pupils, breath coming in short gasps, wet lips slightly parted. The second kiss was softer, slower, and Remus could feel Sirius melting against him. 

A hand reached for Remus' and when he looked down, Sirius had intertwined their fingers, squeezing softly, before letting go again. All Remus wanted to do in that instance was to mimic the actions of their younger selves, pressed against each other, devouring each other's mouths. He remembered that kiss, remembered it so well, and he hoped Sirius did too. Remembered tasting Sirius' flavour, the soft, sloppy slide of a tongue against his, ticklish and arousing at the same time. It had been heady and beautiful, and he had felt weightless, the butterflies in his stomach somersaulting, his heart beating too loudly in his chest.

He watched the boys kissing, remembering the kisses, but also feeling like an intruder. Turning to Sirius, he saw that Sirius had watched him all the while, his expression thoughtful.

"What is it?"

"There is still so much, I can't remember."

"You need to have patience, Sirius," Remus said softly, reaching out and resting a hand lightly over Sirius' heart. He felt the steady pounding through the garments Sirius wore, a beat matching the drum of his own heart.

"But I want to. I want to remember everything. Every single bit of it. Every single bit of you," Sirius said, his voice laced with pain, a pain that echoed the despair Remus felt, and he ached in sympathy.

Reaching out, Remus drew the other man into a hug, resting his head on the other's shoulder. It struck him that this was the first time they had embraced each other since the night in the Shrieking Shack, over a year ago. The feeling of Sirius in his arms, clutching at his robes felt so perfect and natural, so right, and he closed his eyes, breathing in Sirius' scent. He never wanted to let go again. All those nights when he had lain awake, alone in his bed in his small cottage, remembering the nights he had shared with Sirius, entwined in his arms, suddenly came back to him and Remus realised, that this trip wasn't merely for Sirius, but for himself as well.

There was a time when he had thought that Sirius really was the murderer of thirteen Muggles and he had asked himself again and again how he couldn't have seen Sirius' real persona, Sirius, the murderer. Still, even when he had resigned himself into believing that Sirius was truly responsible for the deaths of the Muggles, that Sirius was the traitor, betraying James and Lily and causing their death, he couldn't stop loving him. He had wanted his feelings to go away, had asked himself how he could still love Sirius, despite everything that had happened. After some time he had stopped worrying about loving a convicted murderer, because he had been sure that if Sirius was truly responsible for what he had been convicted for, there was no way Remus would still feel this way about him.

Despite the crushing evidence against Sirius he still had loved him and continued loving him. And he had been lonely. Before, there had been Sirius, James, Lily and Peter, but then everything had been taken from him. Sirius imprisoned, Lily and James dead, Peter dead... He'd had nobody in the whole world.

He didn't allow the tears to spill, so he simply hugged Sirius, letting himself be healed by the simple touch. It was Sirius who drew back first, releasing him gently.

"They are gone," he said.

"Yes," Remus confirmed, not needing to turn around and look at the spot where the two boys had been. "Do you know what happened then?" Remus asked softly, taking Sirius hand in his.

Looking at the small scar on the back of his hand, Sirius nodded hesitantly. "We broke into the greenhouse."

"You cut your hand on a piece of clay from a flower pot when you tripped."

"You brought my hand to your mouth and lapped the blood away, claiming that now I was forever yours."

*-* 

"You belong to me now," Remus whispered, gently releasing Sirius' hand. The wolf in him savoured the copper taste, but he didn't feel thirsty for blood.

The air in the greenhouse was damp and warm and they both shrugged out of their robes, spreading them like a blanket on the hard floor in a corner. Remus pulled Sirius down with him onto the makeshift bed, content when Sirius curled up beside him, resting his head in his lap. Remus reached down, winding his fingers into Sirius' curls, letting the soft strands slide through his fingers.

"How long?" Sirius asked, "How long have you been feeling about me that way?"

Smiling, Remus continued playing with Sirius' hair. "A year. Maybe two." 

"I never knew whether you would like me or not..."

"Stupid fool," Remus said gently, sliding down and shifting sideward so that he was able to rest his head in Sirius' lap as well. Curled up like kittens, they grinned at each other, their fingers softly stroking over each other's faces, throats and arms.

Tracing Remus' lips with his index finger, Sirius laughed when Remus snapped at it. More seriously, he said, "I was afraid you wouldn't feel that way and I'd make a fool out of myself."

"Siri, you've been a fool for flirting with me for so long and not telling me what was going on."

"Well, you could have said something as well..."

"We're here now. I've wanted that for so long," Remus confessed, his fingers lightly skimming over Sirius' stomach. He found the hem of the sweater and started to push his fingers under it, delighted at the trail of coarse hair and the silky warmness of Sirius' bare skin he found there. Sirius' stomach hitched under his touch and he laughed, then slid upward, lifting his head from Sirius' thighs and pressing a wet kiss against Sirius' bellybutton.

"And I always wanted to do that," he mumbled against the soft skin, "you outgrew your shirts a while ago and they slide up above the hem of your trousers all the time. You have no idea how tempting that is..."

"You've seen me naked a million times in the shower," Sirius said, frowning.

"Yes, but this is something completely different." Remus kissed the soft skin on Sirius stomach again, this time tasting the salty flesh with the tip of his tongue. Sirius shuddered, gasping.

Resting his head on Sirius' lower stomach, Remus closed his eyes.

"Your stomach makes funny sounds," he said after listening for a while.

"It's pleased because you kissed it."

"I'll kiss it again, all the time. I'll gratefully spend the rest of my life kissing your stomach, if you want me to."

Sirius chuckled, rubbing his cheek against Remus' thighs. "I hope you kiss other parts of me too."

"Oh well, if I have to..." Remus said, mock-disappointed.

Laughing, Sirius swatted him over the head with his hand. A content silence ensued in which Remus listened at the sounds being produced by Sirius' stomach and concentrated on feeling the other boy. He was very aware of the hot, damp skin under his cheek, of his arm curled around Sirius' waist, of Sirius' head in his lap, and the warm spot where he breathed. It felt perfect, and for a moment he wished that they could always lie like that, curled up around and in each other.

He was aware of the change in his breathing patterns before he even felt the sudden arousal, which had calmly and secretly snuck into his body, slowly but gradually replacing the mere feeling of comfort. It was but when Sirius shifted, nuzzling his face into his lap, softly breathing against his erection, that he was really aware of it.

"Sirius..."

Another nuzzle, then Sirius pressed his face into his lap, breathing in harshly. A shaky hand skimmed down Remus' stomach, over his belt, fingers lightly gracing the fabric under which his arousal lay hidden.

Sirius shifted, causing Remus' head to slip from his stomach. Kneeling next to him, Sirius' hand reached for Remus' zipper. Sirius looked up, begging for permission with his eyes and Remus nodded, too overwhelmed to utter a single word, mere breathing something he had to remind himself of. He bucked when Sirius took him into his hand, a moan spilling from his lips. The next instance, his lips were taken in a soft kiss, a tongue was sliding into his mouth, searching for his own.

Willingly, he gave himself over to the new sensation. 

*-*

Resting his head against the tree, Remus softly played with the strands of Sirius' hair. They had settled down under a tree near the greenhouse, having decided against going inside, but reluctant to move somewhere else.

"We used to lie like this all the time, my head on your stomach, yours in my lap," he said, stroking the dark strands that still hadn't greyed a bit.

Opening his eyes, Sirius smiled. "You were completely enamoured with my belly."

"I'm still," Remus confessed.

"When I was in Azkaban, I used to pretend that I was with you when I went to sleep at night. I pretended to feel your arms around me. After some time, I couldn't tell if I had been simply wishing for it, or if there had been a time when I'd actually had you in my arms."

Remus swallowed, then bent down and pressed a kiss on Sirius' forehead." I used to do that too. 12 years is a long time to pretend."

Lifting his head from Remus' lap, Sirius looked at him searchingly. "Do you still feel the same way about me?"

"Do you need to ask, Siri?"

*-*

Shakily, Remus reached out for Sirius' steady presence, feeling strangely reassured when his hand connected with warm skin. Sirius mirrored his movement, resting his hand on his chest. They were both flushed and breathing heavily, their breath mingling in the air between them. It had grown dark outside and still they hadn't gone back to their dorm. The greenhouse was quiet and warm, the air smelling fresh and tropical. A thin sheen of sweat covered their naked bodies.

They had fooled around for hours, touching and tasting, kissing and licking. Remus' senses were full with Sirius, but still he wasn't sated, still he couldn't get enough. A small trickle of sweat found its way down Sirius' neck and Remus leaned forward, running his tongue over the wet trail, groaning when he could feel Sirius' pulse beating under his tongue.

"James is going to meet Lily soon," Sirius said, pulling Remus closer, pressing his flushed face into Remus' shoulder. "Do you think they'll have a nice evening?"

Remus interrupted his ministrations to answer. "Surely not as nice as ours."

"No," Sirius said, his voice coming out muffled.

Remus drew back and rested his forehead against Sirius', looking at him, their noses softly pumping against each other.

"Remus?"

Sirius' words were a soft brush of air against his damp face.

"Hmm?"

"Would you sleep with me, if I asked you to?"

Closing his eyes and taking a deep shuddering breath, Remus rubbed his nose once more against Sirius', then slid his lips down his cheek. "Yes."

"I thought about it so often in the past. You feel so much better than I imagined," Sirius murmured, reaching up and cupping Remus' head, stroking his thumbs over his temples, brushing the tawny hair out of Remus' face.

Flushing slightly, Remus looked down. "I thought about it often, too. Anyway, reality is so much better."

"How... Who..." Sirius started, but Remus placed a finger over his lips, indicating him to be silent. "Let me," Remus said.

When Sirius nodded, Remus softly pushed him onto his back, kissing him on the mouth before he licked his way over the now familiar chest down to the waiting erection. Sirius arched under him, whimpering softly.

Remus took his time, drawing lazy circles onto Sirius' stomach with his tongue, occasionally biting, enjoying the sounds Sirius made. Finally, he drew his tongue up the underside of Sirius' erection, tasting and mapping it again, before he took it into his mouth. It didn't feel that awkward anymore, although he was far from being an expert and he had to remind himself to cover his teeth with his lips.

Sirius protested incoherently when he pulled back, lifting his arms blindly to draw Remus back down. For a moment Remus revelled in the knowledge of how he could drive Sirius to incoherence, then he moved forward, straddled his lover and moved down. Sirius eyes flew open in surprise and shock, and he surged upwards. "What in blazes...?"

"Shhh...," Remus hushed, placing a hand on Sirius chest, to steady himself and to keep Sirius from interrupting what he was doing. Practice was more difficult than theory though, and he hadn't expected it to hurt so much. Biting his lip, he forced himself to relax. He was actually willing to give up, when he finally felt his muscles loosen. Slowly he slid down the length of Sirius' erection, watching his lover's face closely, enjoying the way Sirius' eyes grew wide and small gasps flew from his mouth.

Neither of them dared to move and they simply stared at each other, the expression on Sirius' face somewhat awed and confused at the same time. Slowly, Remus released some of the pressure he had put on Sirius chest, and immediately Sirius sat up, throwing his arms around Remus, hiding his face in his throat. Remus brought his arms around the other boy, taking some careful breaths. The unaccustomed fullness was slightly uncomfortable, but he would bite off his tongue before he voiced that particular discomfort.

Then Sirius was kissing him, a flutter of soft kisses directed at his throat and cheeks, before Sirius' lips found his mouth and a probing tongue slid past his lip. Remus shifted, the movement sending a wave of pleasure-pain through his body, at the same instance producing a growling sound out of Sirius that got lost in Remus' mouth. Braver, Remus rocked down again, having to release Sirius' mouth. Their foreheads met and between pants, moans spilled back and forth. Remus relaxed, moving more freely, his motions countered by Sirius, who involuntarily thrust his hips up, meeting his movement. It was clumsy at first, the way they bucked against each other, but once they had found a rhythm, it reminded Remus of a dance, and fascinated he watched Sirius biting his lower lip, almost drawing blood.

Pleasure seeped through him, almost taking him by surprise, and he cried out, digging his fingers into Sirius' arms. A sweaty hand reached for his erection, stroking it awkwardly, but the touch was enough to send him spiralling over the edge. He really wanted to keep his eyes open, but they fell shut by the sheer power of his orgasm. From a far distance, he heard Sirius cry out hoarsely. A set of arms caught him when he slumped forwards, taking Sirius down with him. Heavily panting, Remus wiped his sweaty hair out of his eyes and lifted himself up on his elbows, not wanting to crush Sirius. The other boy inhaled heavily, face and neck flushed, chest heaving. Remus leaned down again, still supporting his upper body with his arms, placing tiny, desperate kisses against Sirius' open mouth, then drew back, still staring.

It was Sirius, who started to laugh first, but soon they both shook with laughter, until Sirius rolled them over, bringing himself on top of Remus, silencing his giggles with a kiss. 

*-*

Sirius had gone off in the direction of Hogwarts, claiming he had business to do, leaving Remus non-plussed and surprised. He wondered what kind of business exactly Sirius had to do, but he hadn't asked, still overwhelmed by the kisses they had shared under the tree, much like those first kisses they had shared in Hogsmeade, passionate and hungry.

With Sirius gone, he finally made his way into the greenhouse, much about the same way their younger selves had sneaked in. In a corner of the room, on top of two Hogwarts robes lay a bundle of sweaty limbs, not recognisable to Remus where one boy ended and the other began. Rays of moonlight painted bluish stripes on their naked bodies. The air was laced with the musky odour of sex, the scent noticeable even through the flowery perfume of the plants sitting in their pots on the shelves, silent witnesses to the boy's union.

For a moment Remus basked in the love and affection emanating from the boys and he soaked it up, refreshing his memory. He remembered lying there, Sirius' legs trembling against his. His mind had been pleasantly void of thoughts, the overwhelming feeling of happiness taking up all his brainspace.

"We need to go back," Sirius murmured, his fingers lazily gracing Remus' side, tickling along the ribs gently.

"Mpmf..." was all that could be heard, then a pale arm lifted and secured itself around Sirius naked waist, pressing the other boy closer to Remus. "I don't want to leave..."

"It's getting chilly. We're going to catch us a cold," Sirius said, lifting his head from where it had been nestled in Remus' armpit.

Yawning, Remus nodded. "You're right."

Sirius moved, softly disentangling himself from Remus and sitting up. He grinned fondly when Remus' arms flopped down, and Remus moaned in protest.

Shaking his hair out of his eyes, Sirius drew a sticky hand down Remus' sweat soaked spine, his lips twitching with amusement when the soft blonde hair on Remus' neck stood at attention. Leaning down, he pressed an open-mouthed kiss onto Remus' neck just below the hairline.

"We really should get dressed and going."

"Mpmf..."

"Tired, are you?"

"Mhmmm."

Sirius kissed Remus' neck again, chuckling into Remus ear when the boy made a purring sound.

"I thought you didn't like sweaty werewolf," Remus murmured when Sirius licked the rim of his earlobe.

Another chuckle. "I reversed my opinion. Sweaty werewolf isn't that bad."

"What a relief..."

Still Remus complained when Sirius pulled him up and threw him his clothes. They dressed silently, sneaking stolen, amused glances at each other. Remus remembered it so clearly, remembered how he had hated to see Sirius' lanky frame being obscured from his gaze by several layers of clothing.

"My cloak is soiled," Sirius complained, slipping his arms into the wide sleeves, his face a grimace, making Remus grin and blush. Sirius bit his lips as he watched Remus stuff his shirt into his school trousers, then their gazes met and they both looked away, strangely embarrassed all of a sudden.

The awkward moment passed when Sirius offered Remus his hand and it only took a second of hesitating until their fingers laced together, thumb softly rubbing against thumb in a circular movement. 

Remus followed them as they walked out of the greenhouse hand in hand. When Remus shivered, Sirius drew him closer, throwing an arm around the other boy's shoulder, pressing their bodies together. 

With regret, Remus watched them as they walked slowly across the meadow towards the heavy-lit castle and he decided against following them. He wanted to keep this picture in his head, the two of them walking side by side, with their arms around each others shoulders. He settled under the tree they had sat under earlier and enjoyed the silence, only broken by the rustling of the leaves above him.

It didn't take long until Sirius returned, face flushed, eyes sparkling, a mischievous smile on his face.

"What did you do, Siri?"

Still grinning, Sirius reached for Remus' arm and pulled him from his sitting position. His eyes gleamed in the dark and laugh lines made his gaunt face look boyish and young. "You will know when we'll return," he said mysteriously.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "We still have some time to spare, you know..." he said, searching Sirius' face with scrutiny.

"I'd rather go home with you..." Sirius said softly, taking Remus hand and turning his palm upwards, his thumb rubbing over the skin gently.

Remus' heart leapt at the promising look on Sirius' face. He knew that look all to well, an expression that spoke of love and cuddling and pleasure shared. Slowly, with a smile of his own, he nodded.

*-*

Silence greeted them as Sirius and Remus entered their dorm.

"Looks like James isn't back yet," Remus suggested and shrugged out of his robe, throwing it carelessly over the ancient chair next to his bed which served as nightstand and was always crowded with stacks of books.

"I wonder where Peter is, though," Sirius mused and followed Remus' example. Their gazes met and irresolutely they stared at each other, neither of them moving.

"Come here," Sirius finally beckoned, opening his arms. Remus didn't hesitate and they sank down onto Sirius' bed, enveloped in each other's arms.

"I'm so glad I moved out of my parent's home last summer," Sirius mused, his nose rubbing against the tender skin at Remus' pale throat in a circular motion. "Can you imagine what they'd say if they hadn't only to give shelter to the black sheep of the family", he stopped and laughed bitterly at the pun, but his grim laughter died when Remus' didn't join him, "but a homosexual?"

"I don't want to," Remus admitted, "I still shudder at the memory of your mother collecting you once at King's Cross..."

"I actually was the only kid not being disgruntled if their parents didn't show up to collect them at the platform."

"You were the only kid NOT being picked up at the platform at all."

"Right. I pondered moving into my own flat this summer," Sirius suddenly said, nonchalantly. "I can't always stay at James'."

"You could stay with me..." Remus said, almost instantly, a strange feeling rising in his throat.

"Yep, and your parents walking in on us... I can imagine that quite well." Sirius' voice sounded amused. "No, I'll have my own flat, with the money Uncle Alphard left me. Just imagine you visiting me over summer. We'll be on our own..."

Visibly warming to that idea, Remus grinned. "Yes, we'd never leave the bedroom..."

"... except to have mad, wild sex on my kitchen table..." Sirius corrected him, nudging his ribs.

Remus snorted. "Right. Wait, do you have a kitchen? Actually, in my vision I see us ordering Chinese take-out, your tiny, untidy flat soon stacked with pizza cartons up to the ceiling."

"You'd try to keep it tidy, though, but it wouldn't work... I'd sneak up behind you..." he paused, giving Remus a significant look that made Remus blush, "and soon you wouldn't care about the state of my flat. And I'd buy a motorbike and we'd take long flights and we'd be very cold when we'd get back in the evening, so we'd snuggle up under the covers of our bed..."

"Wait, how'd you make it fly? The motorbike?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Awww... you wonder, huh? Well, let this be my problem. Remember, I'm..."

"... the best student at school, right," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"I am, well, maybe besides Prongs," Sirius insisted and raised himself on his elbows, then leaned in to kiss him when Remus continued rolling his eyes.

A small rustling of paper was heard when Sirius slid his hand into Remus' soft hair. Pulling back from the kiss, he frowned, then moved his hand again.

"You've your head on something..." Sirius said, frowning.

Slowly, Remus lifted his head from the pillow, allowing Sirius to pull what ever had been lying under him to be pulled out. They both frowned when they saw the small role of parchment.

"Maybe a note from Peter?" Remus suspected, raising himself on his elbows, puffing away the tawny hairs that fell in his face and constricted his view.

"No," Sirius answered, shaking his head fiercely. "It's not Peter's handwriting. It's strangely familiar, but it's not James' either..."

Encouraging Sirius with a small nod of his head, Remus asked, his voice sounding amused, "What does it say?"

A bottom lip was worried between sharp, white teeth, then Sirius released it, still frowning. "Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've heard that before... " Sirius murmured, still staring at the parchment blankly.

"But who would..."

Sirius gave a soft cry, followed by a slap to his forehead. "Bob Dylan!" he said delighted, a grin spreading on his face.

"Dylan? He surely hasn't written that piece of parchment," Remus said, giggling at his own stupid suggestion.

"That's a quote by Bob Dylan. Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them."

"It's a good one," Remus said.

"Yes. I remember reading it somewhere last year. Probably in the Rolling Stone. I really liked it."

"Muggle music... Anyway, whoever placed that here obviously wanted us to remember our memories," Remus answered, smiling a bit. "Nice touch..."

"Could have been worthy of me," Sirius answered, a lopsided grin appearing on his handsome face.

"Berk! You think you're the best, do you?" Remus shoved Sirius affectionately.

"Yes... Let's make some memories to remember," Sirius suggested, starting to pull on the hem of Remus' sweater.

"What? Again?" Remus shouted in mock-outrage, but didn't complain when he was kissed again. 

*-*

Sighing contently, Remus sank down on the warm, sweaty body beneath him, resting his head in the crook of Sirius' neck. "Mhmmm..." he murmured, then scowled when a rattle from one of the cupboards in the bedroom interrupted the quiet.

He opened one eye, staring accusingly at Sirius. "Another Boggart."

"Bloody Kreacher, should have taken care of the house..." Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just don't listen to it."

"We'll have to clean up more before the others come around."

Sirius sighed again, more deeply now. "Ahhh... remember our little flat. We never cleaned."

Snorting, Remus thumped his neck with his nose. "YOU never cleaned."

"Well," Sirius said, not sounding very apologetic, placing a damp hand on the small of Remus' back, just above the swell of pale buttocks.

Smiling, Remus continued to nuzzle his throat, then licked a way up the sweaty neck to Sirius' ear.

"What exactly did you do at Hogwarts three days ago when you left from outside the Greenhouse?" he asked in a conspicuous voice, then bit down softly on Sirius' ear, making him yelp.

"Do you remember what happened after we made love in there?"

Remus frowned. "We went back to our dorm... and shagged again and..." All of a sudden, Remus' eyes grew wide. "... and we found that note. You took it really seriously, talked about it for days, "Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them"..." Remus stopped mid sentence, then a wide grin appeared on his face. "YOU!" he said, somewhat shocked, but laughing.

Grinning back at him, Sirius nodded. "Yes. It was me who left the note there. And yes, I took it very seriously. For years, I copied my memories and placed them into a Pensieve."

Remus didn't know what to say, and he made much of an effort to chase the stunned look from his face. "You never told me."

"Well, I thought it was kind of stupid to do so, only because of that note." Sirius grinned, shaking his head slightly confused. "You know what the really awful thing is? In Azkaban, I FORGOT that I ever copied my happiest memories. I only remembered when I placed that note on my bed at Hogwarts two days ago."

"Technically you couldn't remember because you never DID store your thoughts in a pensieve BEFORE you laid the note on our bed," Remus corrected him.

"The complexity of time travel," Sirius murmured. "Whatever."

Sitting up, a small smile playing around his lips, Remus said, "That's why you sent me to collect that fragile package from your vault at Gringotts yesterday, wasn't it?"

Nodding, looking a lot like the young Sirius when he had managed to pull a particular challenging prank, Sirius smirked. "The Pensieve, yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Remus voice was soft and a bit raspy, his eyes blinking. 

"I wanted it to be a surprise." A bottom lip was tormented again.

"Mischievous brat..." Remus said softly, then slid back into Sirius' arms, resting his head on his stomach, pressing a kiss on the skin just above Sirius' belly button.

"Mischief managed, I dare say, Mr. Moony."

END