Speechless

Oh, yeah, and the name of the thing Moony's discovered was something that I pulled out of my arse at the last moment. If the story wasn't just an excuse to have them alone and flirting, I'd probably take the time to work on it, and flesh it out and have long descriptions that would be scribbled on various scraps of paper all over the place. However, since it is an excuse, um, it's not fleshed out. Sorry. =)

* * * * *

Speechless
By: Maple Tide
[email protected]

* * * * *

"Remus, wait... what was that again?"

Sirius Black stared at one of his closest friends with something much like shock as they sat together in the library pouring over books during Christmas Break. Remus Lupin gave him a slight, but mischievous grin over the top of the thick book that he was reading and avoided answering his question. They were both in their fifth year, and for the first year so far, they were the only ones left behind. In what Remus had referred to as a move of sheer desperation, they had found themselves in the library together, pouring over books about various charms and potions that they normally didn't even have the time to even glance at, no matter how interested in it they might be.

Currently they had the time, as well as the inclination, and had started nosing through the books in search of something that they nearly always tried to discover whenever they had enough time to spare away from classes and the solemn duty of the Marauder to play as many pranks, and get into as much mischief as it was possible to get into without being killed. A cure, or at least an easing of the condition that transformed the quiet, shy, and subtlely mischievous Remus Lupin into Moony, the werewolf that would have torn his three friends limb from limb by now if they hadn't taken animal-shape to run beside him on those nights.

However, in the midst of their searchings, Sirius had found himself distracted by how the torches set at low-light had played along Remus' skin and glinted off the gold reading glasses that he had been wearing. It was very distracting, very flattering to him, and made Padfoot want to be the one to eat Moony alive, instead of the other way around. In a nice way, though, and one that both of them would enjoy, if he had his way about things. It had only been something about the transformation that he had found in one of the books sprawled out in front of them having the effect of turning the person into the opposite gender on the night of the full moon that had brought his attention back onto what he was saying.

"Mooony...."

He could hear his friend chuckle at his moan that was as much whimper and whine as it was moan, "Well, if you wanted to hear about it, you should have been listening closer the first time."

Sirius let out a low growl in response and speared a hand through his hair. "I was distracted."

"If you tell me what you were distracted by, I might consider having mercy on you," Remus told him, peering over the top of his glasses at him.

He just looked at Remus, his mind working a thousand miles a minute before finally commenting, "I was thinking?" without specifying exactly what it was that he had been thinking about.

"That's a new concept for you, isn't it?" the teasing tone grew more intense, as did the mischievious look behind the glasses. "It didn't hurt much, did it?"

"This is your revenge on me for all those times I accused you of thinking too much, isn't it? Have mercy on me, Remus, please? At least tell me that I didn't mishear the part about sex-change."

Remus grinned, lowering the book before propping his elbow on the open book and his chin on his interlinked fingers. After a moment, he dangled the glasses from one hand and asked, "May I assume that I have your undivided attention now, Mr. Padfoot?"

"Indeed, Mr. Moony. Enlighten me."

"Apparently, the Raida Einmos transfiguration is a very complicated, but plausible solution to some of the more difficult aspects of the effects that the lycanthropy has on me and other werewolves. It involves an intricate combination of Charms, Transfiguration, Potion making, and other things that are more advanced than our learning is at this point. It also takes two years to accomplish."

"Hmm. That's one less than the Animagus transformation."

"Yes. And it's pleasant to know that I have your full attention this time."

Sirius pondered for a moment telling him that he had actually had his full attention when he had mentioned it before, but it couldn't have been considered undivided. With a mental shake of his head, he allowed a slow smile to creep up on his face as he asked, "And so what is this transfiguration supposed to accomplish?"

"Even that the transfiguration was successful, on the night of the full moon," Remus began before returning his glasses to his face and peering at the book to find the exact passage, "I would be transformed into a female version of myself, yet retain some of the specifics that are overwhelmed by the amount of pain that the actual transformation causes."

Sirius pondered the idea of Remus Lupin as a female, and had to resist the temptation to groan. As though his friend didn't already leave his senses in chaos, there would be another version to torment him. He didn't know if he could continue to resist, particularly knowing what mind would be behind that body. The same mind that was taking great joy in teasing and frustrating him now.

Somehow, while he was pondering, Remus had slipped the chair around the table, and placed the book in front of both of them. The first awareness he had of it was feeling him lean in to ask, "Does the idea bother you, Sirius?"

He squirmed slightly, "I don't know..."

"Are you afraid of me, Padfoot?"

"No, not at all. I never have been."

"Maybe you should have been. Maybe you should be, now. I can be rather dangerous, as you well know."

A silence stretched between them, one laden enough with tension that it made it slightly uncomfortable. After it had stretched over several minutes, it was broken by the sound of Remus' breath in his ear.

"Wow, I managed to strike the infamous Sirius Black speechless. I should try and uncover things like this more often, if that's the case," he murmured with a teasing grin that Sirius could see out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, so I'm infamous now..."

Remus didn't comment, but rather spent a moment studying him over the rims of his glasses as he had done half of that afternoon. After a moment, his tone turned serious while still maintaining the low undertones that had been testing his willpower. "Really, though, Sirius, what are you afraid of? That I might seduce you?"

The tone of his voice reminded Sirius of the thoughts he had had earlier, only it was starting to sound as thought it would be Moony eating him alive after all. With barely another thought, another reason to pretend that the entire afternoon hadn't just been spent in some long flirting session between the two of them, he leapt.

"But Remus, aren't you doing that already?"

"What would you do if I said yes?"

Deciding that a verbal answer wouldn't be adequate for the situation, Sirius impulsively leaned in and pressed his lips against his friend's. With barely a moment of hesitation, Remus returned the pressure and, after a moment, increased it. Ever so faintly, he could almost hear a low growling before they both withdrew due to a sudden lack of oxygen. Pressing his forehead against Remus', he exhaled sharply before pulling away slightly to look at him.

"Is it safe to assume that you've thought about doing this before?" there was an out-of-breath tone to his voice, and Sirius smiled.

"You could say that."

"When?"

"It was distracting me earlier."

Their eyes met for a moment, and identical grins crossed their faces. The tension that had been present between them most of that day seemed to ease somehow. It was still there, but it wasn't as intense as it had been.

"Oh, and Moony?"

"Yes?"

"It wouldn't matter. Whether it was you in female form or you now seducing me, I'd still respond. It's still you."

"Do you think it's worth thinking about?"

"It's worth keeping in mind," Sirius said, but reached out a hand without looking to close the book. "However, I think I think we need to get out of here before someone gets the wrong idea..."

The mischievous grin had returned to Remus' face, "Or the right one?"

"Precisely. Meet you in Gryffindor Tower?"

"I'll be waiting."

As Remus slowly rose and returned the book to its shelf, Sirius caught himself watching him unashamedly. It somehow felt easier to do it now, even though there were still so much that needed to be said, and even more that would be done. However, as he watched Moony leave the library, Sirius could almost see a transparent image of a woman laid over the form that he had known so well since they had become friends as first years.

With a grin, Sirius waited until the doors closed to follow. After all, he didn't want to keep him waiting. Or at least, he amended on his way out the door into the cold wintery air, he didn't want to keep him waiting too long.

* * * * *

~End~