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It was tense. The atmosphere in the great hall was as dim as the cloudy night sky portrayed by the enchanted ceiling, and hushed voices hummed across the tables like the buzzing of angry bees. The wind howled angrily along arched windows that glinted in the flickering candlelight. It is this moment that marks the beginning of this story—with three boys huddled close together at the Gryffindor table, heads bent low, speaking conspiratorially under their breath.
“What do you think happened this time?” Sirius whispered. “Prongs? Hello, earth to Jamie?” He turned around to follow his friend’s gaze at the absence of an answer. “Oi, will you stop ogling my brother, you perv,” he chided lightly, poking James in the ribs. “You’re being bloody obvious.”
He threw another glance at the Slytherin table where Regulus was seated—looking terribly smug in Sirius’ direction—Remus sitting next to him. A violent fluttering unsettled his stomach as the latter of the two boys caught his eye and winked at him.
“Well, look who’s being obvious now. You’re blushing, Black!” James sniggered.
“Am not,” Sirius replied indignant, trying to hide a soppy grin in his hair.
“You’re both being idiots,” Peter supplied from the other side of the table. “You should be more careful, you know.”
“Like we didn’t see you slipping that note in Dorcas’ bag during potions this morning,” Sirius countered, though the annoying little voice in his head knew Peter was right.
“That’s beside the point,” Peter spluttered but his protest was lost in a sea of whispers as Professor Dumbledore stood and addressed the room.
“I have an announcement to make,” he began solemnly as the room fell quiet and all heads turned to face the headmaster. “In light of recent incidents arising from house rivalry, I must call upon you all to put your differences aside for once and for all. This school needs to be a safe space, a place of developing and sharpening one’s mind. There is no room for clashes between our houses, and so they must come to an end.”
A few students hummed in agreement but were ultimately drowned out by sniggers and taunts thrown across the hall between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.
“Let this be a warning to all,” Dumbledore emphasised as he put up a hand to urge the students into silence again. His blue eyes gleamed dangerously behind the half-moon spectacles and his gaze lingered pointedly on the Gryffindor table before shifting to the Slytherins. “Duelling or using magic on your fellow students in any way is now punishable on pain of expulsion. I advise you to not test my patience.” With a last sharp glance, he sat down and the hall exploded in chatter again.
“I heard some third years talking about a Slytherin kid that got cursed into next week,” James told Sirius and Peter. “He’s in the infirmary and will probably need to stay there for a while.”
“Do they know who did it?” Peter asked.
“No, but my money’s on Florence. Have you seen her blasting curse? You don’t want to be on the receiving end of one of those.”
“Prongs is terrified of her,” Sirius grinned at Peter.
“Rightfully so!” James added as they laughed. “Don’t you remember that time when…”
But the rest of James’ argument was lost in a flurry of wings and feathers as owls carrying the evening post swooped into the great hall. Sirius eyed the stately-looking eagle owl that landed in front of his plate warily and a feeling of dread washed over him as he took the heavy parchment emblazoned with the Black family crest.
His stomach sank as his eyes flew over the letter. Disbelief, anger, hurt and nausea all fought for dominance as the words settled in his mind. He crumpled the parchment in his balled fist and stood so quickly that James uttered something in surprise but he couldn’t hear what; his ears were ringing with the sound of his blood rushing through his veins, like waves in a thunderstorm crashing violently on shore. He needed to get away.
Professor McGonagall looked up, alarmed, as he tore out of the great hall but he paid her no attention. He glanced over at Remus in his way, trying desperately to convey the message that was burning in his eyes.
His footsteps echoed through the abandoned hallways as he made his way through the castle in a fashion that felt eerily similar to the empty feeling in his chest. He started pacing through one of the abandoned classrooms. This couldn’t be happening. Not now—not to him, he thought miserably.
“Moony! I’m so glad you’re here,” he breathed as Remus slipped through the door after what felt like hours, but in reality couldn’t have been more than five minutes. “Were you followed?”
“No, we’re good,” Remus said and spelled the door shut. “What’s wrong?” he asked as Sirius pulled him into an embrace and clung to him as if he were a lifeline. They stood quietly for a moment and Sirius savoured the feeling. He inhaled the familiar scent that reminded him so much of the happiest moments in his life. It was grounding.
“I received a letter from home,” he eventually mumbled against Remus’ collarbone, swallowing around the lump in his throat. Sirius handed him the offending piece of parchment and Remus smoothed out the creases while a frown settled on his face. It was quiet for a moment and he could count every heartbeat that hammered in his chest. Then he felt Remus stiffen against him and the arm around Sirius’ waist tightened its grip.
“But she’s your cousin!” Remus spluttered incredulously, running a hand through his wayward curls.
“That’s in line with family tradition,” Sirius sighed. “My parents are cousins as well.”
“They can’t be seriou—wait, what?” Remus faltered with a furrowing of his brow. “Does that mean you’re cousins with your brother? Brothers with your cousin?”
“Thrice removed. But we don’t talk about that.”
“That’s… an unsettling thought,” Remus said but caught the miffed look on Sirius’ face and quickly added, “I won’t let them marry you off to Narcissa, okay? We have until summer. There’s time. We’ll figure something out.” He cupped Sirius’ face in his hands and their eyes locked in a fervent gaze, forest green meeting icy grey and Sirius let out a shaky breath, nodding briskly.
”You’re mine,” Remus murmured and there was a hint of a growl in the back of his throat. He leant in, his breath tickling Sirius’ lips and it released a shiver that crept all the way down his spine, settling somewhere deep inside him. Remus punctuated his words by brushing their lips together, a feather-light press of skin on skin that instantly deepened in an urgent kiss that left Sirius completely breathless.
“Yours,” Sirius hummed against Remus’ mouth and in that moment he truly believed nothing could ever come between them.
“Are you thinking about the letter?”
“No.”
“Then why are you brooding?”
“I’m not brooding.”
He was brooding.
Days had passed since his family’s letter had disrupted his life and it still held him in an iron grip. Sirius was spending most of his free time hidden away in the library, occasionally accompanied by James or Peter, researching magical marriages—and how to prevent them—and it was starting to take its toll on him. That afternoon, Remus had convinced him to leave the books for what it was and they had spent their free period on the astronomy tower, talking quietly and kissing softly. Remus had felt warm against him, despite the cold October wind. It had felt good to not worry for a moment.
“You look like you’re brooding.”
“I look like I’m getting ready for a party,” Sirius said with a pointed look in James’ direction via the mirror in which he was braiding his hair.
“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” James assured, putting a hand on Sirius’ shoulder. “Just know that we’re here for you if you need us, okay?”
Sirius glanced at his friends for a moment before returning to his hair. “Thanks, Prongs,” he said after clearing his throat with a little hum.
“You’re going as Little Red Riding Hood, Padfoot?” Peter piped in from the other side of the dorm, subtly changing the subject. “Isn’t that a bit grim?”
“It was Remus’ idea.”
“You do know the Big Bad Wolf tries to eat Little Red Riding Hood, right?”
“What makes you think Remus doesn’t do that as well, from time to time?” Sirius asked with a sly smile.
“Oh, gross!” Peter winced. “That’s even more disturbing.”
Sirius grinned wickedly at Peter, sitting down on James’ bed to put on his shoes. “What are you supposed to be?” he asked, eyeing the green tights his friend was wearing.
“I’m Peter Pan.”
“No, you’re Peter Pettigrew.”
Peter rolled his eyes with a mock-exasperated sigh that did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm. “I mean I’m dressed up as Peter Pan,” he continued excitedly. “He’s from this Muggle fairytale and he can fly and never grows up. He lives in Neverland with his friends and there are fairies and pirates and mermaids as well.”
“Really, pirates?” James snorted, looking sceptical. “Muggle stories are absurd,” he added with an amused shake of his head.
“At least I’m not dressed as an odd-looking mole,” Peter said with a shrug.
“Oi, I’m a niffler!”
“Yes, you are a very cute niffler,” Sirius cooed as he tickled James under his chin. “Be a good boy and bring us a treasure?” James batted his hands away and shoved him off the bed.
“My treasure is waiting for us in the dungeons,” James said with a glance at his watch, “so hurry up or I’ll leave without you two.”
“Gods, you’re such a soppy git,” Sirius groaned from the ground. “Please don’t refer to Reg like that ever again.”
James kicked him in the shin, the tips of his ears turning pink. “It’s literal, you prat. He’s dressed as something shiny.”
“You’re only making it worse, mate,” Sirius taunted while Peter burst out in laughter.
As they descended into the dungeons, huddled together under the invisibility cloak, the atmosphere seemed to change with every flight of stairs that separated them further from the ground floor. Sirius had that unmistakable feeling someone, something, was watching them and he frequently threw nervous glances over his shoulder. He regarded his friends for a moment but they didn’t seem to share his discomfort.
“I think this is it,” James whispered as they neared a bare stretch of wall that was supposed to be the entrance of the Slytherin common room. He glanced around to make sure they were alone and slipped off the cloak, putting it in his pocket.
“It’s a bit cold here, isn’t it?” Sirius asked as he eyed the corridor cautiously. They must have descended far into the dungeons. The torches on the walls flickered ominously, casting long shadows that seemed more profound due to the lack of moonlight reaching these depths. He tried to suppress the shiver between his shoulder blades, feeling awkwardly out of place.
He was startled by a quiet rustling as a cat with fur as black as night, and striking pale blue eyes slipped out of the darkness and shifted into the form of a boy.
“Maybe you should have worn trousers that cover more than just that tiny bit of upper thigh,” Regulus drawled as he looked Sirius over with a raised eyebrow. Sirius felt somewhat relieved to see his little brother, even though he would never admit that out loud. “You look utterly ridiculous, brother.”
“Lovely seeing you here, Reggie. You look quite absurd yourself,” Sirius returned, taking in Regulus’ all-gold and sparkly outfit, a stark contrast to his pale skin. “You better stick to silver next time, gold is not your colour.”
“Be nice,” James grumbled, elbowing him in the ribs. Turning to Regulus he said, “I think you look wonderful,” a soft undertone to his voice and he reached out to slip an unruly lock of hair behind Regulus’ ear.
“Oh, I see how it is! You traded me in for a younger model!” Sirius spluttered, pointing accusingly at James. Regulus rolled his eyes as Sirius continued his melodramatic antics, throwing himself at Peter and sobbing heavily into his shoulder. “I thought you loved me,” he wept while Peter patted him on the back with an indulgent ‘there, there’.
“I was hoping I didn’t have to share you tonight,” came Remus’ voice from a door in the stone wall that hadn’t been there moments ago.
“Don’t worry, he’s your problem now,” James laughed, putting an arm around Regulus’ waist.
“Moony,” Sirius smiled, looking up from Peter’s shoulder and feeling that familiar flutter as he drank in the sight of Remus in his wolf costume. He bounded over and pulled Remus into an embrace. “I missed you,” he purred.
“You’re lucky you look so cute tonight,” Remus murmured against the spot behind Sirius’ ear in a way that made his whole body shudder. “I might get hungry later.”
“Okay, none of that now,” Peter interjected hurriedly and Sirius reluctantly released his hold on Remus’ waistband. “Let’s go inside.”
“Don’t forget your mask, Pete,” Regulus said as he peered into the common room to see if they could slip in unnoticed. Sirius pulled his hood a bit further over his face and followed them in.
The evening passed in a haze of chatter, music and dancing. The dimly lit common room was decorated with pumpkins and cobwebs and was positively vibrating with excitement. The three Gryffindors seemed to blend in with the Slytherin crowd nicely and enjoyed themselves after the initial awkwardness dissolved.
“I wish we could do this more often,” Sirius panted, grinning widely while swaying his hips to the sound of the beat.
“Me too,” Remus smiled, a little out of breath himself. He ran a hand through his sweaty curls, looking decidedly flushed from dancing. “I could do with a breather, though. You’re wearing me out.”
“We can’t have that,” Sirius laughed, taking Remus’ hand and ushering them through the mass of students. They made their way to a quiet corner of the common room, waving at Peter and Dorcas on the makeshift dance floor.
“They look happy,” Sirius voiced as Peter twirled Dorcas around and she threw her head back, laughing.
“So do you,” Remus said, putting his hands on Sirius’ hips and drawing him close.
Sirius reached up to softly place a kiss in the crook of Remus’ neck. He tasted of salt and smelled like musk and sandalwood. “I am happy,” he affirmed, breathing all of Remus in, “how could I not, when I’m with you?” He laid his head against Remus’ shoulder, burying himself in the embrace. “Thank you,” he said after a moment, “for today, for everything. For making my life better.”
“Don’t thank me,” Remus murmured, “just love me.” He tugged on one of Sirius’ braids and he canted his head, taking the hint and allowing Remus to bring their lips together. Just one heartbeat and he was floating, drifting gently, like the first snow on a winter’s day, carried by the currents of the wind. Sirius melted into the kiss, sliding his hand over the small of Remus’ back and willing their bodies impossibly close. It was enough and not enough at all, all at the same time. It was hot and cold, careful and reckless, harmless and dangerous. He could get lost in this feeling forever, forgetting his presence, his worries, himself. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, nothing except this. Them. Love.
They pressed their foreheads together when they broke apart. Remus’ thumb graced the sensitive skin just below Sirius’ ear and it made him squirm. “Now I definitely need a breather,” Remus hummed, eyes twinkling mischievously. “I’ll go and get us some drinks.” He turned around with a last caress of Sirius’ cheek.
“Remus?” Sirius called after him.
“Yeah?”
“I do love you.”
Sirius let his gaze linger on Remus’ back until he had disappeared into the crowd, then turned to the dance floor. It had been a while since he’d last seen James or Regulus. He craned his neck to see if he could discover them, but it seemed futile; even Peter and Dorcas were nowhere to be seen. He wondered if he should go and look for them but before he could make a decision, his hood was pulled away.
“Well, well, what have we here?” Sirius hurled around and was met by two pairs of hands that grabbed him and roughly shoved him up against the wall, pinning him in place. A third pair of hands tore his mask away and there was nothing he could do to stop it from revealing himself. “Looks like a lost little lion wandered into a snake pit,” Snape said, smirking triumphantly down on him.
“Snivellus. Great.” Sirius rolled his eyes. “Just the person I didn’t want to see.”
He struggled against the fingers digging in his arms and chest and tried to reach for his wand but Snape was faster; he stepped forward and pressed his wand against Sirius’ throat. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he hissed and Sirius stilled his attempts of breaking free, eying Snape warily. “Avery, grab his wand.”
“What do you want?” Sirius spat as his wand was retrieved from his cloak and disappeared in Snape’s outstretched hand. “Don’t you have some third years to torment?”
“You’re going to tell me how you got into our common room, Black,” Snape began, sounding completely casual, as though they were merely discussing the weather. “I don’t believe for a second you found this place on your own. It looks as though we have a betrayer in our midst, someone on the inside helping you, and I want a name.”
Sirius was thinking, fast. Of three things he was absolutely certain; he, first of all, hated Severus Snape with a burning passion and he would be damned if he ever gave him what he wanted. He was wandless, secondly; it made him feel vulnerable and he did not like it one bit. He could try and make a run for it, but even if he succeeded in dodging Snape, Avery, Mulciber, and their hexes, he couldn’t afford to cause a scene—he very much did not fancy the idea of facing at least two hundred angry Slytherins in their own common room.
The third thing was that he was massively and undeniably screwed.
“No one’s helped me,” he lied, “I just overheard a bunch of first years talking about how to get in.”
“In that case, you wouldn’t mind telling me the password, would you?”
Sirius opened his mouth to answer, remembered he’d never heard the password, and closed it again.
“That’s what I thought,” Snape chuckled while Sirius glared at him. Snape pressed his wand deeper into Sirius’ skin and smiled down at him, sweetly. Sirius couldn’t help but notice the slight hint of lunacy in his dark eyes. “I bet it’s dear Regulus. He tries desperately to keep up the façade, you know. But I can see him for what he really is,” Snape mused. “A blood traitor, just like his disgraced brother.”
Sirius gritted his teeth, staring Snape down.
“You better start talking before I lose my patience, Black. I want to know why you’re here and depending on whether I’m satisfied with your answer, I’ll let you go,” he said. “Or not,” he added with a dark grin.
“I have nothing to say to you, Snivellus. Go ahead and do your worst,” he goaded, not sure if he was feeling brave or stupid. “I’m sure you can curse me if you try hard enough. I believe in you.”
“Are you serious? You rather take the fall than tell the truth?” Snape asked mistrustfully.
“I think you’ll find that I’m always Sirius,” he grinned. Yeah, he was definitely feeling stupid.
“Suit yourself,” Snape smiled menacingly, lifting his wand to Sirius’ face. “I’ll make you talk one way or another.”
Sirius raised his chin defiantly, prepared to take everything Snape would throw at him but before Snape could curse him, he got distracted by some ruckus unfolding in the common room. It was the sound of a few surprised yelps here and there; it rippled through the crowd and caused a wave of movement in its way. It spread quickly, gaining strength, and soon the music was drowned out by panicked screams. Avery and Mulciber seemed unsure of themselves, turning to Snape for direction but Snape faced Sirius again.
“This is your work!” he snarled, eyes shooting daggers. “I knew you were up to something! What did you do? Tell me!”
There were flashes of light bouncing off the walls now, followed by a series of loud bangs.
“I would get out of here if I were you,” Sirius bluffed, adopting his signature haughty expression.
The Slytherins shared another uncertain glance amongst each other; they were about to make up their minds when three bolds of red broke from the crowd, blasting the Slytherins off their feet and they toppled to the ground, petrified. James appeared a moment later, looking incredibly smug, hair wild and eyes blazing like smouldering embers.
“Padfoot! Thank the gods! Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine,” Sirius laughed, relief and excitement flooding him at the same time. “What did you do?”
“Not me,” James grinned, ducking effortlessly as a piece of fireworks hurled itself over their heads. He seemed completely at ease in the middle of the chaos, buzzing with pent-up energy and eyes set on trouble. It was infectious. “This has your boyfriend written all over it.”
Of course, Sirius thought in awe while his heart soared with impish glee. Remus had been the brains of their marauding ventures for a reason. James pulled on his sleeve, “we really need to go now, old Sluggy will be on his way. Reg and Remus will keep the Slytherins busy.”
Sirius grabbed his wand from where it had fallen on the floor and they quickly made their way through the tangle of students to the hidden door, ducking and dodging the wayward fireworks as they went. The space now resembled more of a battlefield than a common room; furniture was knocked over, paintings and empty glasses lay scattered all over the floor and the Halloween pumpkins were destroyed. Students tried to avoid the hissing and exploding projectiles by hiding underneath tables and desks while others decided to seek their reprieve behind shield charms. Sirius nudged James in the side and nodded towards Barty Crouch, who was being chased by a particular nasty piece of firework. They watched, amused, as Crouch threw himself behind a tapestry with a force that caused the whole thing to come down, leaving him a wriggling heap of fabric on the floor.
Amidst this chaos they found Peter, the three of them slipping out into the hallway like thieves in the night.
It was later, in the quiet refuge of the maroon curtains of his bed where he found himself unable to sleep. Away from Peter’s exhilaration and James’ boundless energy, the victory of their escape seemed hollow, tinged with black. They shouldn’t have to hide, shouldn’t be afraid to breathe in the sunlight. And for what? A century-old feud no one could even remember how it started? It seemed hardly fair.
Add to that the ideas of his bigoted family and resentment was flaring up in his chest like a flame held too close to a piece of parchment. He stomped his pillow, once, and because it didn’t make him feel better, twice.
He flopped on his back with a sigh and closed his eyes to drown out the noise inside his head. Except… there was no noise inside his head? It was coming from the window?
He peered his head around the curtains and his jaw almost dropped to the floor at what he saw. He hurried out of bed and quickly opened the window.
“Moony!” he whispered, careful not to wake the other Gryffindors.
“Hi!”
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Can I come in? It’s cold out and your dorm is really fucking high, I can’t even look down.”
“But… how—,” he spluttered, hundreds of questions crossing his mind. “Whose broom is that?” he decided on eventually.
“Borrowed it from Regulus.”
“Why are you here?”
“To see you, of course! I wanted to know you were okay,” Remus breathed, his eyes gleaming wickedly. “Now will you please let me in?”
“Oh! Yeah, sure thing,” Sirius said hurriedly, moving back so Remus could crawl through the window.
They settled on Sirius’ bed and he silenced the curtains with a flick of his wand. It was a bit silly but the idea of Remus in his bed made him a little giddy.
They talked, at first. Remus told his version of the evening’s events. Sirius described his. And they kissed. It felt nice, to have Remus close. His lips were soft and pliant and wet. His hands strong. What began as tentative touches and cautious movements soon turned into something hungry and heated. It set his skin on fire, turned his blood into poison. He urged himself closer and Remus answered him with the press of his own body. He wanted this, had never wanted anything more. He gazed up at Remus, entranced by the way he had thrown his head back and how he gasped, quietly, Sirius’ name on his lips. It captured him, grabbed at him, firm and tender at the same time, and Sirius let it take him, ready and willing.
Afterwards, they lay side by side, unwilling to move, afraid to break the spell. Sirius’ head was propped up on Remus’ chest and he listened to his rapid but steady heartbeat as he tried to catch his breath. Remus’ fingers trailed circles over Sirius’ ribs in a pattern only he could unravel.
“Sirius?” Remus said eventually. His voice was hoarse and it was the most beautiful sound Sirius would ever hear. Remus stilled his hand and shifted underneath him. He hesitated a moment then drew in a sharp breath. “I think we should get married.”
Sirius jerked his head up. He wanted to laugh but as his eyes flitted over Remus’ face, the furrow in his brow and pinched cheeks, he realised he was sincere. “What?” he squawked, his voice unnecessarily and embarrassingly high.
“I think we should get married,” Remus repeated, his voice now steady. “Look,” he uttered, “I love you. You’re the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last when I go to sleep. I want you, always. I want you when I’m happy and I want you when I’m down. I want to share my everything with you, now and forever. And I hope you feel the same.”
It wasn’t a question but Sirius answered nevertheless. “I have never loved more truly.”
Remus smiled softly at him and resumed the stroking of his ribs.
“Your parents can’t force you to marry Narcissa when you’re already married to someone else.”
Sirius considered this. Moony was right, of course. He was surprised, was all; he’d never imagined his problem would be the solution as well. And even though the idea of marrying someone to spite his parents and escape his family’s clutches felt wrong, the idea of marrying Remus felt incredibly right. It was like he had always known that this would eventually happen, even when the thought of marriage had never crossed his mind before.
“When school is over,” Remus mused, “we can do it then. We’ll run away and find a place to live, just the two of us. Somewhere in the countryside, where we can see the stars at night.”
He reached up and cupped Remus’ face in his hand. “Yes,” he breathed, “a thousand times yes.” And they kissed, a thousand times more.
The following morning came too soon and Sirius watched, feeling homesick, as Remus left through the first watery rays of sunshine. Still, he felt lighter than he had in weeks. It was as though a weight had lifted from his chest. He leaned out of the window and his cheeks stung from the cold morning’s wind, but he didn’t mind; the air was full of promise. He took in the smell of the autumn leaves and the earthy forest. He could breathe again.
He didn’t tell James and Peter about the night. He wanted it to be just their secret for a little while longer. The Marauders might have noticed something about him but were too polite to bring it up. Probably wrote it off as an aftershock of their shenanigans in the Slytherin common room.
They went down for a late breakfast. It was as if everything had changed while it was all still the same. Remus and he were back to secret glances and fleeting touches in passing. Professor McGonagall took points from him—while unsuccessfully hiding the tiniest hint of a smile on her stern face—for charming the jugs of pumpkin juice to spout their contents in the faces of unsuspecting passersby. James and Sirius attended Quidditch practice while Peter watched from the stands. Some Slytherins harassed them on their way back to the dorm. Again, everything was completely normal.
Until Snape decided to stick his abnormally large nose in their business again, that is.
“Black!” he seethed, storming down the hall with his wand pointed at them. “I’ll make you regret the day you boarded the Hogwarts Express!”
“Really?” James laughed, placing himself between Sirius and Snape. “You want to do this now? You might not have seen this through that mop of greasy hair, but you’re alone and there are three of us, Snivellus.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” Snape hissed.
“We’re sooo scared,” Sirius drawled, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Now walk away, before you hurt yourself.”
But Snape didn’t walk away. He hurled a curse at them which Sirius could narrowly dodge. It soared over his head and exploded off the wall behind him.
And that was all it took. The Marauders moved as one; they drew their wands and shouted “Expelliarmus!” while Snape uttered a protective charm. The first two beams of red bounced off his shield but the third one broke through and sent his wand flying.
They burst out laughing while Snape bristled with rage.
“Is that all you got?” Peter cackled.
“Come on,” Sirius huffed with a snooty grin, “I’m bored. Let’s get out of here.”
They turned around and made to leave but before they could round the corner of the hallway, a crackling sound and a metallic tang filled the air. A split second later and Peter crumbled to the floor, groaning in pain.
“You bastard!” James roared, kneeling at Peter’s side. “Attacking someone from behind?! What’s wrong with you, you spineless piss stain!”
“You’ll pay for this!” Sirius hissed through bared teeth. His throat was dry and there were hazy spots edging his vision. He held his wand in a tight fist while moving towards Snape, slowly and deliberately, a hound stalking his prey.
Snape met him with a foul smirk and Sirius wanted nothing more than to wipe it off the twat’s face.
One steadying breath and they were gone. Curses were flying, illuminating the hallway in eerie colours. Yet all Sirius could see was black. He was dodging, firing, deflecting and countering spells with blood-curdling precision, he was flying.
In the next moment, time seemed to slow down. They watched, enthralled, as Snape’s wand was forced from his grip and hit the stone floor with a clattering that reverberated in Sirius’ mind.
A jolt in his midriff set him in motion again. A sick kind of pleasure wafted over him as he eyed Snape, wandless and defenceless, and he raised his wand once again. James’ scream of ‘Sirius, no!’ was lost through the relentless pounding in his ears and the incantation of the blasting curse rolled off his tongue before he knew what he was doing.
It was Professor Dumbledore who intervened, quick as a flash, and defused the spell before it could hit.
“Mr. Potter, would you be so kind as to escort Mr. Pettigrew to the infirmary?” Dumbledore asked calmly, and it did nothing to lessen the sudden feeling of dread that choked him. Then Dumbledore turned to Sirius and he felt incredibly small under his intense gaze. “Mr. Black, to my office please.”
His parents were there. They regarded him like he was a nasty stain on a robe, or something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of their shoe. They yelled at him for a bit, until Professor Dumbledore took pity on him and stepped in. Then Walburga and Orion Black shouted at Professor Dumbledore some more.
Sirius argued. Pleaded and begged.
It didn’t change anything, in the end. Sirius was expelled from Hogwarts. Was made to leave the castle, his home, for good. An hour was all he got. An hour to pack up his life and leave.
Sirius left Professor Dumbledore’s office feeling like his whole life had collapsed in on itself. James was there waiting for him, his mop of jet black hair looking more dishevelled than ever, as if he’d ran his hands through it repeatedly. He looked as helpless as Sirius felt.
“Guess I don’t have to worry about NEWTs anymore,” Sirius droned, humourlessly.
James took him in with pity in his eyes. Sirius couldn’t bear it. He averted his gaze.
“But… they can’t just send you away,” James began, as if he was trying to convince someone. That someone being himself, most likely. “Isn’t there something we can do? I could go talk to Professor Dumbledore! It wasn’t your fault, I’ll tell him Snape came onto us and you were only defending yourself.”
“But I wasn’t,” Sirius reasoned, sounding utterly miserable. “He was wandless and still I went in for another blow. Besides, Snape will be expelled as well. Dumbledore’s bringing him in now.”
“He deserved all of it,” James insisted with an irritated huff.
They were quiet for a moment. Something words couldn’t describe passed between them.
“How’s Peter doing?” Sirius asked eventually.
“He’ll be fine. Snape hit him with a nasty curse but Madame Pomfrey said he’ll be back up in a jiffy.”
“That’s good.” Sirius shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “My parents are moving up the wedding,” he mumbled, swallowing painfully around the lump in his throat. “Said there was no point in waiting anymore, since I’m done with school now.”
“No, they can’t!” James blustered. “That’s seriously messed up!”
“Well, you know me,” Sirius tried, smiling weekly.
But James didn’t seem to hear him. “Ok,” he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Sirius. “Ok. We’re doing this.” He ignored the confused look on Sirius’ face when he turned to him and started ushering him down the hallway. “Go pack your things and meet me in the Transfiguration courtyard in half an hour.”
“What? No, I need to see Remus before I go.”
“Just trust me and do as I say, ok? I’ll get you your Moony,” James urged, shoving him again for good measure before turning around and taking off in the opposite direction. “Wear something nice!” he shouted over his shoulder as he rounded the corner, leaving Sirius staring after him, dumbfounded.
Sirius dawdled a few more moments, then made up his mind and headed for Gryffindor tower.
When he bounded through the castle, he didn’t even stop to think this would be the last time he walked the hallways. His mind was preoccupied. He felt lost. Uncertain. He wasn’t ready to have his heart broken, wasn’t ready to lose Remus.
James was already waiting for him in the courtyard, as were Remus and Regulus.
“Moony, I’m so—“ he started but Remus cut him off.
“No, don’t be. It’s okay. I’m coming with you,” Remus hushed, drawing Sirius close.
“What?”
“I’m coming with you. We’ll run away, like we wanted to. It’s just a bit early, is all.”
“But… You have Hogwarts. You have NEWTs, your study group, you are Head Boy.”
“And all of that means nothing when I can’t have you,” Remus urged, catching Sirius by the chin and tilting his face up to meet his eye. “Besides, who needs NEWTs? I can do without them.”
Sirius huffed a breathy chuckle despite himself. Then he just gaped at Remus, wondering what he had done to deserve this love.
“So let me ask you this once more, Sirius Black,” Remus murmured. “Will you marry me?”
“Lupin,” Sirius laughed, “Sirius Lupin,” before crashing their lips together. They were both grinning like lunatics and it was more teeth than kiss but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. It was just them, now. It was perfect.
“I take that as a yes,” Remus beamed.
“Hell yeah, it is!” James whooped from where he had been eavesdropping. “Let’s go!” He grabbed them both by an arm and pulled them over to the transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall seemed to have been expecting them; she smiled at them warmly and suddenly everything fell into place.
“You had planned this all along,” Sirius said to James, more in awe than accusatory.
“Of course we did,” Regulus interjected, “who do you think gave Remus the idea of marrying you in the first place?"
“I should have known my sly little brother was actually the smart one,” Sirius teased, ruffling Regulus’ hair.
“Yeah, yeah,” Regulus huffed irritably, batting Sirius’ hand away. “Now get on with it before our parents find us and flay you alive.”
And so they did. Sirius and Remus met McGonagall in front of her desk and were joined by James, standing on Sirius’ side, and Regulus on Remus’. McGonagall dedicated a few words to a polite commencement but then powered through to the vows.
She first turned to Remus as they held each other’s right hand and Sirius’ skin tingled under the touch.
“Remus, do you promise to be Sirius’ light in the darkness, to be his warming comfort in the cold, and to be his shoulder to lean on when life’s too much to bear on one’s own?”
Remus met Sirius’ eye and Sirius felt as though he could spontaneously combust from sheer bliss, like his heart was about to explode as Remus said “I do.”
“Sirius, do you—“
“Yes! I do, I do, I do!” he breathed, no longer able to mask his excitement—though he probably wasn’t fooling anyone, he had been bouncing on the balls of his feet the whole time.
McGonagall then waved her wand and conjured coloured ribbons from thin air. She proceeded to wrap the grey one around their wrists. “With this I bind your hands,” she said.
Regulus took the maroon ribbon, winding it along the grey one. “With this I bind your hearts,” he added.
Then James stepped forward and wound the green one in the same fashion. “And with this I bind your lives.” He brought the ends of the ribbons together and tied them in a knot. “From now until forever.”
Another flick of McGonagall’s wand and the tangle of ribbon was glowing. It moved, slithered down their wrists and transformed into two silver and gold wedding rings that sat snugly on their fingers.
It were those wedding rings that glistened in the setting light of the sun, reflecting how they felt on the inside, when they ultimately took off on their brooms and flew away from the castle, just the two of them, the start of their forever after.
“And that’s the story of how your da and I got married,” Remus concluded, glancing at Teddy who was already fast asleep. He reached down and tucked the blankets a bit tighter around him.
“These stories are getting more and more ridiculous by the day,” Harry snorted from where he was leaning against the bedroom door.
“Well, you try keeping a toddler entertained for more than five minutes,” Sirius huffed, bending down to press a feather-light kiss against Teddy’s forehead.
“Speaking of entertainment,” Harry said as they left Teddy to sleep and made their way into the cottage’s living room. “I’m off to Ron’s.”
“What? You don’t want to spend time with your favourite uncles?” Sirius gasped.
“Nope,” Harry grinned, popping the ‘p’ between his lips. “You know I only come here to see Teddy.”
“I’ll tell your dads you said that,” Sirius called after him as Harry stepped into the fireplace.
“Don’t wait up for me,” Harry sang and disappeared in a flash of green.
“Can you believe the cheek of that kid?” Sirius sputtered, turning to Remus.
“Yeah, I can,” Remus laughed, wrapping his arms around Sirius. “Have you met his family? Just wait until Teddy becomes a teenager.”
“Don’t remind me,” Sirius pouted, “I want him to be our little sprog for a while longer.”
“He will,” Remus assured. “But eventually, he'll go to Hogwarts and he will come home with a bunch of NEWTs. I can’t believe you made me say ‘who needs NEWTs?’ by the way; because he does and so did we.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head," Sirius grinned. "I think he was already fast asleep by then.”
They stepped into the garden and huddled together on the patio set, a soft blanket and warm embrace to ward off the cold. The air was heavy; it smelled of rain to come but the sky was clear for now. The occasional hoot of a faraway owl broke the silence of the night. They looked up at the pale crescent moon and the sea of stars littering the sky with a thousand promises that reached as far as their love.
For both were infinite.