Work Text:
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that was divided into three sections. The wizards lived in the center and were the largest group. Werewolves lived to the east and vampires to the west. Each group feared the other. They told their children stories handed down through generations about the others so they would not want to mix.
And so it went for many years.
A young boy, who had reached his destiny as a werewolf, listened as his mother told him, “You must stay away from vampires, Remus. They are dangerous and want to steal your blood. Werewolf blood is strong, and will make them able to rule over us with an iron fist.”
Another young boy, a vampire who lived far across the kingdom was told by his mother, “You must stay away from werewolves, Sirius. They crave our noble blood and want to turn you into a monster.”
Both boys nodded solemnly as they listened to their mothers.
One evening, some years later, Sirius was out riding his horse, Comet. It was a new moon and everything was darkening without the lunar beacon in the sky. He went off course and found himself far from home.
Remus was fetching water from the stream when he saw the other boy, with skin as white as snow and hair as dark as a raven’s wing. He thought about the story his mother told him about an enchanted mirror, and believed that this boy would be the fairest in the kingdom if he ever looked in such a mirror.
“Hello,” Sirius said. His voice was musical and drew Remus in at once.
“I have never seen you here before,” Remus said. “Are you lost?”
“My horse, Comet, went off course. She needed some water.”
The two boys regarded each other for a moment. Sirius was taken with the luminous gold of Remus’s hair and skin. It seemed to radiate its own light in the growing darkness.
Remus took his bucket and dipped it into the babbling stream. He offered it to Sirius, who drank from it before offering it to Comet.
“Where do you come from? Perhaps I can direct you home,”Remus said.
“I come from the House of Black. I am Sirius Black, the heir,” Sirius said slowly, flicking his eyes toward Remus.
“You are far from home,” Remus replied, though his heart was beating quickly. The House of Black was one of the large vampire clans that ruled the western part of the kingdom. They were known for being ruthless and cunning as snakes.
“I know. I wanted to explore. I have heard tales of werewolves in the woods and wanted to see if they were true.”
“It is not a full moon,” Remus pointed out. “A werewolf will be naught but a man until the moon is bright and fat in the sky.”
“Are you sure? I’ve heard-”
“I am sure,” Remus said, cutting him off. “For during the full moon, I become a wolf. But now I stand before you as a human boy.”
“Oh,” Sirius said. He looked confused, as though the world as he knew it had changed. He wondered what else was different from what his mother told him.
“And if you are a Black, you may not steal my blood,” Remus said, standing up straighter.
“I have no desire to steal your blood. I am not thirsty at present,” Sirius said, earnestly.
They watched each other warily until Remus said, “I will direct you, if you like.”
Sirius cocked his head at Remus. “It seems that we are not as different as the stories would have us believe.”
Remus had been thinking the same thing and nodded. “It is true. We are but two boys.”
“May we meet again?” Sirius asked, mounting Comet.
“I would like that,” Remus said, as he gently guided the horse back to the path and told Sirius which direction to travel in order to find his way home.
“Till we meet again,” Sirius said. “I did not learn your name.”
“Remus, of the House of Lupin,” he said with a sweeping gesture.
And Sirius rode off into the twilight.
The two boys began meeting often. Playing in the woods, climbing trees, riding Comet. Not a moon cycle went by when they didn’t meet.
And soon the boys grew into men. But the attachment between them did not change; it only grew stronger.
One day, when Sirius was eight and ten years of age, Sirius’s father, Orion Black, called him forth into his study. “You are becoming a man,” he said. “We will consult the Oracle at the next new moon to see who your bride should be.”
Sirius closed his eyes. He did not like the sounds of this plan at all. But he was the heir, and had to play the role of the dutiful son. “As you wish, father,” he said softly.
The Oracle arrived as expected when the moon was new and the sky was dark. Sirius sat between his parents in the drawing room of Black Manor. He was uncomfortable but he dared not shift in his seat. Even though he was becoming a man, the punishments from his parents were still swift and cruel.
A tall woman with long sandy hair and a dreamy expression entered, leading a small child with the same coloring by the hand. The mother and child moved as though one, both clad in turquoise tunics and colorful pantaloons. They were barefoot, with tinkling bells around their ankles.
Orion and Walburga Black stood and gestured to their son. Sirius stood as well, slowly drawing himself to his full and considerable height.
“We have summoned you here today, Pandora, to seek guidance about our son, Sirius, and his future,” Orion said.Sirius was frozen as he watched the mother nod.
“We will confer with the fates. Come, Luna,” she said, gesturing toward the child. The little girl nodded.
Luna pulled a scarf out of her sleeve and closed her eyes, her movements ethereal and fluid. She moved slowly. As though in a trance, making figure eights with the scarf. After a few minutes,Pandora took a crystal ball from her bag and waved her hand over it. She handed the crystal ball to Luna, who ran the scarf over the crystal. The fog inside the crystal ball began swirling more quickly as Pandora tapped her foot, jingling the bells as Luna examined it.She fixed her unearthly gaze on Sirius. Walburga sniffed with impatience and Sirius flinched, knowing his mother thought him difficult normally so it stood to reason that it would be difficult to determine his match, too.
“Your heart already belongs to someone,” Luna said, softly Sirius’s stomach dropped. No one else knew of his visits to Remus.. “Someone who lives in the eastern part of the kingdom.”
Whatever color was left in Sirius’s face drained, as Luna made her pronouncement. Walburga turned her beady glare on her son. “What is this? Only werewolves live-” She stopped, her eyes growing round. “You’ve been consorting with a werewolf? My son ?” Sirius flinched, but said nothing though it was as good as an admission. Her lip curled.
“That will be all,” Orion said pointedly to Pandora and Luna. They stilled and nodded, walking slowly toward the door.
Luna turned and looked at Sirius over her shoulder. “You will have black fur. It will match your hair,” she said cryptically.
Once they were alone, Walburga turned on Sirius. “I thought you understood you were to stay away from the werewolves. They want to-”
“Turn me into a monster,” Sirius intoned. “Except you’re wrong, Mother. This one doesn’t. And maybe none of them do.”
“You don’t know anything about them,” she spat.
“And you do?” he challenged. “You’ve actually spent time-” Walburga wheeled around and delivered a stinging slap to Sirius’s cheek. Or it would have been a stinging slap if he was human. It barely registered upon his vampiric skin, but the meaning was clear enough.
He didn’t flinch. “The time has passed for us to fear werewolves, Mother. They are but human every night of the moon cycle except one.”
“I have heard enough. I will not allow you to besmirch the name of Black any longer,” she snarled, shoving him out of the drawing room and down the hallway. She didn’t stop until he was in his room.
He heard the key turn in the lock.
It was only then, when he was alone, did the tears come. Red drops fell from his eyes like rubies as he thought of how good Remus was, of their adventures in the woods together as they grew into men. Of the unspoken but very real connection between them.
He stayed locked in his room for the next day and night. He was not like the wizards in the center of the kingdom that could do magic at will. None of his preternatural powers worked to open a locked door. For the first time, Sirius sincerely wished he was a wizard so he could escape this prison.
By some miracle, on the second night, he heard the lock open. He was huddled by the window as he watched the thin light of the crescent moon. Now he turned and saw a slight figure sneak into his room. His footsteps were so light, they could barely be heard.
“Regulus,” he breathed as his younger brother came into view. “What are you doing here?”
Regulus looked at him with wide, scared eyes. “You must go. Now, Sirius.”
“How did you…why?” Sirius asked, still befuddled by the situation.
“They are going to disinherit you. I heard them talking,” Regulus said urgently. They both knew what followed a disinheritance.
Sirius stood up and strode to his dresser. He took the saddle bag he had in the closet and filled it with extra clothes and any sentimental belongings, including his uncle’s pocket watch. It had the moon cycle etched on the top. Remus would like it.
“What about you? Will you be safe here?”
Regulus didn’t answer right away. They both knew the answer to Sirius's question.“It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters,” Sirius said, incredulously. “Come with me?”
Regulus stopped in his tracks. “You…want me to?”
“Of course. I cannot leave you here with them.”
“You’re a fool,” Regulus said, but he said it with a small smile.
They stole out of Sirius’s chambers and Regulus led him down to the stable in the shadows. Sirius found Comet saddled and he offered a hand to pull Regulus up behind him. He figured it would be more glaring if two horses were missing instead of one.
With that, they rode toward the center of the kingdom.
As the sun rose, they came upon a warm cottage. A young woman with red hair was outside pumping water. She didn’t shrink from them or seem to fear them at all. “Hello,” she said, kindly. “Would you like some water?”
Sirius pulled the reins on Comet and dismounted. He helped Regulus down so they both could drink from the bucket. The woman offered a bucket for their horse, who was grateful for the cool beverage. “Thank you, miss,” Sirius said, going back to Comet.
“You are far from home,” she said.
Sirius wasn’t sure where the line of conversation was going. “Yes.”
“Would you like to eat with us before you continue your journey?” she asked, looking back and forth between them. They sometimes ate human food and needed it on occasion to balance their diet.
“That would be lovely, thank you,” Sirius said, nudging Regulus forward. “I am Sirius, and this is my brother, Regulus. Of the House of Black.”
“Oh,” she said, understanding dawning on her face as she took in their pale skin, preternatural silver eyes and silky black hair. She’d clearly heard the stories of their clan. But still, she showed no fear. “I am Lily, wife of James. He will be along soon with some trout from the stream. But…I wonder if that is your preferred diet?”
Sirius and Regulus glanced at each other, weighing exactly how much to tell her about their dietary habits. “Water will do for now,” Sirius said. “Thank you, Lily.”
She invited them into the cottage, where she went to the corner and picked up a baby. “Hello?” a voice called. Sirius and Regulus went still as a tall, jovial looking man with messy hair and spectacles entered the cottage. “Lily?”
“I’m here, James,” she said, poking her head out.
He grinned widely and kissed her. “Oh hello,” he said, realizing they had visitors.
“James, this is Sirius and Regulus. They’re travelers, passing through the forest.”
James looked from one to the other. “You’re welcome here.”
“Thank you,” Sirius said softly. He wondered at this man’s easy manner. James had no reason to trust them. They were all strangers to each other.
James deposited his bale of fish on the counter and set about gutting and scaling the fish. “Where are you two headed?” James asked lightly.
“The eastern part of the kingdom.”
“Oh,” he said. “That seems like a long trip.”
“It is,” Sirius said.
“Are you familiar with the werewolves?” James asked.
“I am in search of one in particular,” Sirius got up from the table and joined James at the counter. James regarded him for a moment.
“Are you an animagus?” he asked.
“A what?”
“A wizard that can turn into an animal?”
“No… Alas, I am not a wizard,” Sirius said, softly. His parents always admonished him that he should not speak of their family’s secrets or ways. But they were behind him now. “I am… a vampire. I do not perform magic,” Sirius said. His instincts told him he could trust James.
“But I am. I can turn into an animal,” James said thoughtfully. Lily came back into the kitchen. The baby was fussing as she tried to reach into a cabinet one handed.
“Why is that a necessary spell among werewolves?” Regulus asked, curiously though he would not meet Sirius’s eyes, when Sirius looked over at him.
“I do not believe werewolves…or your kind, for that matter, are as dangerous as we are told,” James said, simply. “It seems foolish to be governed by fear.”
Sirius did not know many wizards, but he’d never met one quite like James. It crossed his mind that Remus would probably like James too. Maybe it would be possible for the three of them to become great friends. “Are werewolves dangerous to vampires?”
“I do not know of any who have been among them on a full moon,” James admitted. “But I do know that myself, and my friend Peter are both animagi and were able to go with a pack of werewolves in our animal bodies and return unscathed.”
As Sirius considered this, Lily approached him holding the crying baby. “Can you take him?” she asked Sirius. Sirius nodded. He had never held a baby before but he held out his hands. The baby stopped squirming and peered earnestly into Sirius’s eyes. “I think he likes you. Have you made a new friend, Harry?”
“Hello, Harry,” Sirius said, letting the baby clasp his finger. He felt something warm blooming inside his chest.
Later that afternoon, James went behind the cottage to chop wood. Both Sirius and Regulus followed him, hoping to repay some of James’ and Lily’s kindness. They both had the exceptional strength of their kind, so chopping wood was easier for them than a human, and Sirius hoped to repay James and Lily’s kindness.
“Can that spell work on a non human?” Sirius asked.
“The animagus spell?” James asked, handing Sirius the ax.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know,” James confessed.
“It can,” Regulus piped up.
“What? How do you know?” Sirius asked. His brother had never shared such information with him. But in their household, they all kept secrets from each other. It was part of their way of life. He looked around and there was a black cat where Regulus had been standing.
“You…you’re…” Sirius sputtered.
James laughed. “Well done!” he said, and turned into a stag.
Sirius marveled at the two animals. “And this will make it safe to be among werewolves during a full moon?”
“Yes,” Regulus answered. An understanding passed between the two brothers and Sirius did not query him further though he was burning to know where and how Regulus attained such knowledge.
It was a complicated spell, one that had many steps and had to be performed between the first quarter and waxing gibbous during the moon cycle. So Sirius set about collecting the items for the potion he would have to drink. James already knew the incantation, which he and Sirius said together. They said it each evening at sunset, with James’ wand on Sirius’s right shoulder.
Soon the day came for James to cast the spell. Sirius woke up early in a fit of anxiety. What if it did not work? Would he really be able to offer himself to Remus if he had to avoid him on full moons? Would his vampire strength be enough to fend off a werewolf?
But then Lily placed Harry in Sirius’s lap as she made breakfast and holding the baby calmed his jangled nerves. He felt a connection with Harry that he did not fully understand but it made him want to protect him at all costs.
At night, when the moon was high in the sky, the adults gathered in the clearing behind the cottage while Harry slept. Sirius had the vial of potion, which glowed pearly white.
“It doesn’t taste very good, but you’ve got to drink it all,” Regulus told him as he uncorked the vial, and an odd scent emanated from it.
Sirius nodded once and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and thought of Remus as he’d last seen him in the woods. Remus, with his golden curls and crooked smile. His friend, his everything.
He took a sip. He almost gagged, but managed to keep it down. Thus emboldened, he downed the rest in two gulps.
Then the world shifted. He was closer to the ground. There were scents he’d never dreamed of meeting his nose. He had four legs instead of two, and a great deal of black fur. The Oracle’s words about his fur came back to him. He tried to speak but all he heard was a sharp bark.
He realized the bark came from him. He could turn into a dog.
“You did it!” Regulus cried, showing more emotion than Sirius had ever witnessed from his reserved brother.
With that, Sirius took off running through the forest. He could run as fast as his vampire self but he was much closer to the ground this way.
He rejoined James, Lily and Regulus, and thought about being Sirius again.
Once he was back on two legs, he looked around at the others. He felt lighter than he had in a long time.
“Thank you,” he told James and Lily sincerely. “I will not forget this.”
The next morning, he readied himself to leave. Regulus watched him, his hands in his pockets.
“You are not coming,” Sirius said. It was a statement rather than a question.
“My path has led me here,” he said. “You must find where yours will go.” Sirius nodded and pulled Regulus into a hug.
“You unlocked the door,” Sirius said, choking up.
“And I would again,” Regulus said. “Now go.”
Sirius went. He was never sure how he found Remus again and again; it was as if Remus was calling to him from across the kingdom. So when he entered the werewolves’ domain, he rode on pure instinct.
Along the way, he was met with some suspicious glances or odd sniffs, but it did not bother him. As long as Remus accepted him, that was what mattered.
“Sirius.” He heard the familiar voice emanate from the forest. He turned and saw this golden figure, this wood nymph, coming toward him. “It has been many days. I have not seen you since the last moon cycle,” Remus said, his eyes shining.
Sirius dismounted Comet and took Remus’s hand in his. It was wider than his, and his fingers were callused. “I wanted to come sooner. I have a great deal to tell you.”
“Come, let’s go to our hideaway,” Remus said, taking the reins of the horse.
The hideaway was a small shelter that they’d built when they were children, when they’d first made each other's acquaintance. They’d added to it over time, and it now had an appearance of a small house. But it wasn’t more than a shack really, Sirius thought. He wondered if he would live here now that he’d left his family behind.
Once they settled, Remus poured dandelion tea from a kettle that was over a small fire just outside. Sirius cupped the mug with his hands, feeling the familiar smoothness of it.
“My parents called forth the Oracle,” Sirius said.
“And what did the Oracle say?” Remus asked, watching him closely.
“That…that my match will not be among the vampires because another has claimed my heart.” Sirius looked at him earnestly and took his hand again.
“And who is it that has claimed your heart?” Remus whispered. Sirius brought their hands to his lips, and brushed Remus’s knuckles with them. He watched SIirus, his lips parted as he stared in awe. “You mean…”
“It’s always been you, Remus,” Sirius said, using the hand he already had to pull Remus closer. He kissed him softly on the lips this time.
“You won’t…I won’t…if we…” Remus started but Sirius put his finger on his lips.
“I will not try to turn you, Remus. Not even if you wanted me to. For I love the man you already are.”
“I love you, too.”
They both started crying in earnest but they were happy tears, tears that would lead to their future together.
Later, they were lying on the floor in their hideaway, kissing and exploring each other. “Are you thirsty?” Remus asked.
Sirius understood what he meant. “A little. But I’ve learned to control myself.”
“You can drink from me,” he said softly. Remus moved his head to the side, offering his long, beautiful neck to Sirius.
But Sirius shook his head. “That is how we drink from prey. You are not prey, my love.” He put his hand over Remus's heart. “A lover drinks from the heart vein.”
Remus covered Sirius's hand with his. They stayed completely still for what felt like an eternity crammed into a few short, precious minutes. Then Remus moved his hand so he could sit up and shed his shirt.
His bare chest was scarred from his years of full moons and Sirius wanted to memorize each one. Each jagged line was another story, another bit of Remus's life. Sirius could see the blood pulsing through his veins, he smelled it, yearned for it as he yearned for Remus himself.
“I'm yours, Sirius,” he whispered, his eyes never leaving Sirius's. Those silver eyes were etched into Remus’s soul.
Sirius ran his fingers over the vein that lead straight to his heart. He’d be careful. He would never hurt Remus. He lowered his head in reverence and kissed along the path to Remus’s heart.
“It might cause a bit of pain,” Sirius said, suddenly nervous.
Remus shook his head. “It takes a lot to hurt me, my love.”
Sirius nodded, his eyes bright. He slowly sank his teeth in and was suddenly overwhelmed with his warmth, his life blood, with Remus himself.
But he did not lose control. He pulled back and looked at Remus, whose eyes were round. Remus ran his thumb under Sirius’s lip. There was a spot of blood on it, and Sirius took the finger into his mouth and sucked the blood from it. Remus leaned forward and kissed him again, tasting the iron tang on his lips.
“Remus, are you alright?” Sirius asked.
“I’ve never been better than I am now, my love,” Remus said, running his fingers through Sirius’s dark hair. They laid back down on the floor, twined together.
Sirius didn’t often sleep, but he felt the blissful oblivion take over with Remus in his arms. He sometimes longed for sleep, a few hours where he was unconscious sounded lovely. But now, it was something lighter. Not an escape, but a soft pause. With Remus heavy and solid next to him, he understood the allure.
“It is the full moon tonight. Will you stay here?” Remus asked him the next morning.
“Remus, I met a wizard who helped me learn to turn into an animal. Can I stay with you during the moon if I can do that?” Sirius asked.
Remus’s eyes grew round. “Why, I’ve heard stories about that but never met anyone who could actually do it.”
“This wizard is called James. I want to bring you to meet him someday. He is very kind-hearted and he helped me. I can turn into a dog.”
“Can…can I see?” Remus asked, eagerly.
Sirius thought of the great black dog, and immediately he felt it overtake his body. Remus reached his hand out tentatively and Sirius sniffed him and licked his hand. Remus laughed and Sirius turned back into a man.
“What do you think?”
“I think…I don’t know if the other werewolves would allow a dog among us,” Remus said slowly. “But maybe we can spend the full moon deeper in the forest, alone.”
Sirius nodded. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he could understand the werewolves being suspicious of a newcomer who wasn’t one of them.
“Maybe…” Sirius had an idea.
They packed up and rode back through the forest on Comet. Sirius picked up the scent of Regulus and followed it to James and Lily’s cottage. James was chopping wood again, while Regulus was minding Harry. Lily was hanging wet washing on a line between two trees.
James hailed them as they approached. “Sirius! I see you found him, then?”
“Yes, this is Remus. Remus, this is James, Lily, Regulus and Harry,” he said gesturing.
“Your family,” Remus said softly.
“Yours too, if you’ll have us,” Sirius murmured back.
Later, over a supper of fresh rabbit and new potatoes, Sirius explained their predicament. James listened intently and was quiet when he finished.
“I believe I know what is to be done,” he said. “I’ll ward the cottage to protect Lily and Harry. And we can assume our animagus forms when Remus transforms.”
“That is the most viable plan,” Remus said, nodding.
And so it was.