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Remus sunk far into his arm chair, absent-mindedly digging his fingers into the moth-eaten holes, pushing them into the yellowing stuffing. His fingers ached. Every bone screamed for relief that he could not give them. His knees pulsed with a dull pain. He had taken his wolfsbane, but as every month passed, it seemed the potion offered him less and less reprieve. He wondered what the danger might be if he were to increase his dosage per month. Perhaps not much, other than maybe relaxing him into a bed ridden oblivion. A small price to pay. Maybe even a welcome one.
The moonlight streamed in across hid feet. It was terrible that he could not appreciate it. It was threateningly close to full. He thought of the couples who would enjoy it that Valentine's Day, walking hand in hand down by the lake. Valentine's Day could be bad enough without the terrifyingly blaring light in the night sky.
He stared into the fireplace, cursing his inability to sleep, and cursing his inability to enjoy the night due to the impending doom of the next evening, and cursing his entire existence.
It was two a.m.
He had less than twenty-four hours, and he could do nothing with them but be filled with dread, the ache of his bones reminding him of the upcoming transformation.
He had been alone, staring at the common room fire for nearly two hours. Everyone had long since gone to bed - he had as well, tiptoeing back out after the snores of his friends surrounded him. This was why he was taken by extreme surprise when he heard an all too familiar padding on the floor behind the overstuffed chair.
Just as he prepared himself for what was to come, a giant black dog jumped into his lap.
"Hey, Pads," Remus smiled. Though he had thought he wanted to be alone, the warmth that spread through him suddenly told him that he preferred this far more. He scratched behind the dog's ears, noticing there was something in his mouth.
"Get that out of your mouth," Remus said. "Dog's can't eat chocolate."
Still, he was glad for the chocolate all the same. It was better than wolfsbane.
Sometimes.
Sirius dropped the chocolate bar out of his mouth and left a wet dog kiss on Remus's cheek.
"Oh, stop, you. You're going to get caught and then we'll all be done for. I can't believe how often you transform in the cast -"
Sirius cut him off with more dog kisses on his cheek, and neck, and a brief flick across his now laughing lips.
Remus hugged him around his soft, thick neck, stroking a hand down the sleek black fur of his back, reflecting off the fire and moonlight.
"Thank you, Pads..." He paused, holding the dog to him for a moment longer. "I love you."
His hand on the dog's back got shakier - maybe from increased ache, but more likely from his confession.
Suddenly, the dog changed, and Remus was hugging a beautiful boy in his lap instead, conveniently smaller than him, and fit snuggly between his own legs and the arms of the large armchair. He was a better cure than the chocolate and wolfsbane combined.
"...I love you, too, Moony."