About My Friends

ABOUT MY FRIENDS

It was a howling night, no doubt about it.

James was glad to be inside the snug little town-house in London, with its triple-glazed windows and weatherproofed door. On the one hand, sometimes he liked storms; really, all the time. But he pitied anyone caught out in this one. The rain drummed against the glass, and drenched his dad's rosegarden, flooding some of the empty pots.

"Going to be an all-nighter, this one," his father said, coming to stand near him. He'd been staring out the glass door that led into the garden, and his father's voice startled him. "Jumpy, are we, James?"

"You snuck up on me," James said with a smile. His father ruffled his hair, and laughed.

"I'll be upstairs, if you need me. There's a copy of Magical Places And How To Get There with my name on it," his father said, and James heard him in the kitchen, pouring himself some tea before ascending the stairs.

He didn't blame dad. He'd rather like to be upstairs himself, right now. But the sight of the rain falling dismally on the garden was riveting, somehow. It was almost as if --

He jumped and nearly cried out at the sound of a pounding on the door.

"JAMES!" his mother cried. "TELL THEM WE'RE NOT INTERESTED!"

"GIVE THEM SOME TEA, THERE'S A LAD!" his father added. James nodded. They always gave tea to passing Muggle salesmen, on evenings like this.

"All right, dad," he called, running to the door. Outside, through the window, he could see a blurred shape in brown. It didn't look like --

"For the sake of Gryffindor's freezing toes, let me in!" someone shouted, and James let out a whoop, throwing the door wide.

"Remus!" he beamed. The other boy stood, head covered in an enormous, ridiculous hat, soaking wet.

"This decree against underage wizardry on hols is bloody annoying," Remus announced. "Here, I'm soaked through. Let a chap in and give him a chance to dry off, would you?"

"IS THAT SIRIUS?" James' mother called down.

"REMUS, MUM!" James shouted back. His mother appeared at the top of the stairs, smiling.

"Hallo Remus, what on earth are you doing out in this weather?" she asked.

"Getting drenched, Mrs. Potter," Remus replied respectfully. "I was in the neighbourhood -- well, I was over at the Magical Bakery Shop and got caught out in the rain. I was hoping I could shelter here till it lets up."

"Won't let up tonight," she sniffed. "You're welcome to the spare room, though. James, lend him some clothes. There's cocoa in the kitchen," she called, returning to the bedroom.

"He's taller than me," James complained, but led Remus, who was shedding a damp jacket and shirt, to the spare room just behind the stairs.

"I've got cake," Remus announced, handing James one of three bakery boxes he was carrying. "I was picking something up for dad, and I thought I might as well get us some dessert. Guess I can donate it to the man letting me wear the shirt off his back," he added, with a grin. James laughed.

"Stay put, and keep the cake dry. I'll go get some clothes and a towel," he replied, dashing up the stairs to his bedroom.

He'd hardly pulled a fresh t-shirt out of his bureau -- it would be loose on Remus, who wasn't quite as broad-shouldered, but that was fine -- when there was another knock on the door.

"Funny, Lupin!" he yelled down the stairs. "Very funny!" he added, as he descended. He was met with a blast of cold air.

"Oh, bugger," he said.

Remus stood, barefoot, shirt off, at the half-open door. On the other side of it stood a completely drenched Sirius Black, with his hair hanging in his eyes and his trunk sitting on the walk behind him.

"Hello to you, too," Sirius said grimly. Remus cast an imploring look up at James, who noticed that Sirius' left cheek was bruised, and there was a gash on his bare forearm. He was, James was dimly aware, wearing clothing entirely inappropriate for this sort of weather. "Sorry not to call, but I hadn't any floo powder."

"You're soaked," Remus stammered.

"I didn't know you'd moved in," Sirius replied.

"What're you doing here, Sirius?" James asked, passing the shirt to Remus, who held it limply while they both stared at Sirius.

"JAMES, CLOSE THE DOOR!" his father roared.

"Cor, get in here," James said suddenly, and Remus darted forward to grab Sirius' trunk. Sirius stepped inside, hesitantly, while James hoisted the other end.

"I'll drip on your carpet," he said.

"Don't worry, Remus already has," James replied, struggling under the weight of the trunk. "What, have you got your whole life's possessions in here?"

Sirius turned a shade paler, if that were possible.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of his clothing dripping water onto the rug and the fall of his trunk hitting the floor. Then Remus sighed.

"Was it your mum or your dad?" he asked, taking Sirius' wrist and holding it up so that he could see the gash clearly.

"Dad," Sirius replied. "Never raised a hand to me before. Guess I said the wrong thing, eh?" he asked, his tone trying too hard to be light.

"What happened?" James asked.

"We had a fight," Sirius shrugged. "I told him..." he glanced at Remus. "I told him I thought he was...wrong. About people. About non-Wizards...and other folk."

Remus stared at him, hard. "He was talking about werewolves, hm?"

"Not just werewolves."

"And you, you stupid git, couldn't bite your tongue," James added.

"I wasn't going to hear them say those things anymore," Sirius said defiantly. "Not about my classmates and friends."

"So they threw you out?" Remus asked, horrified.

"I left, didn't I? Not going to live under that...roof...another night," Sirius answered, slicking his hair back. Water ran down his neck.

"Good on you," said a voice from the top of the stairs. All three boys turned to see Mrs. Potter standing there, hands on her hips. "Good on you, Sirius," she repeated. "You'll stay here, of course."

"Course you will," James added. "You can't go back."

"I just wanted -- just for a night or two. I've a little money," Sirius said. "Just until I find a place -- "

"Nonsense. You'll stay here. We have a room to spare. You and Remus can share it tonight, and in the morning you can unpack," James' mum continued, reaching the bottom of the stairs as she finished. "Now. You two are frozen. We'll have tea," she said decidedly, as if that settled things.

Mrs. Potter was gifted with the same talent James possessed, of instantly making anyone feel at home. She filled the small kitchen with an absent sort of talk that both comforted the boys and did not require listening too carefully. By the time she'd kissed James on the forehead and said her good-nights, the three were clustered around the small kitchen table, heads together over tea and chocolate cake, talking as if they hadn't been apart for the four weeks of summer thus far.

Finally, James' father called down that it was past bedtime, even for growing boys of sixteen, and James rolled his eyes.

"You'd best get some sleep," he told them. "Or you'll both be ill in the morning."

Remus and Sirius nodded, taking their tea with them into the guest room as James bounded up the stairs, calling down a good-night. When they finally closed the door and turned on the lights, Sirius flopped onto the bed with a sigh of exhaustion. Rain pattered against the windows, and the wind howled under the eaves.

"What a day," he muttered. "What a bloody day. You want the bed? I'm going to have it for the rest of the summer, sounds like..."

"I'll be fine on the..." Remus glanced around. "Floor?"

"Nuts to that. Tell you what, you take the bed and I'll go doggy and sleep in the chair."

"You know Mrs. Potter hates it when Padfoot sleeps on the furniture."

"I do shed," Sirius said thoughtfully. "Listen, though, maybe you take the bed, I'll go sleep on the couch."

"This is ridiculous," Remus snapped. "It's a bloody big bed, why don't we just share it?"

He stopped at the look on Sirius' face, a strange mixture of hurt and confusion.

"Been a long day for me, too," he muttered. "Didn't mean to shout."

"It's logical," Sirius shrugged. "Trust you to think of the best solution, Moony."

Remus shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets, aware that he was feeling irritable with Sirius, and not really sure why.

"If you want some pyjamas, I brought mine," Sirius offered, apparently also aware of his friend's bad temper. "It's no good, sleeping in those clothes," he added, indicating James' t-shirt and the still slightly-damp khakis Remus had arrived in. He dug about in his trunk and tossed them to him, meanwhile pulling off his own shirt.

Remus turned the pyjamas over and over. They were maroon-coloured flannel, with little golden moons and stars on them. "What'll you wear?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't, normally -- but if we're sharing -- " Sirius dug again, and came up with a pair of black pyjama bottoms. "These'll do."

"Wouldn't have to share a bed if you'd come to my place," Remus said quietly, apparently talking to the pyjamas. "I told you dad's got three spare rooms."

Sirius looked up at him sharply. "James was closer," he said.

"Of course."

"Remus, don't be like that. Moony, come on," Sirius said, as Remus turned away to let him change his clothes in privacy. "You know I'd have come to your place in a flash, but..."

"But I'm a werewolf," Remus said bitterly. A hand clamped on his shoulder and turned him around.

"Yes you are," Sirius said, soberly. The muscles in his chest were clenched with tension. "And I didn't want to get you in trouble, all right? If my mum and dad come looking for me, they can't lift a finger against the Potters. They find me on your dad's farm and your secrets get out, it's all over for you. I did put more than ten minutes' thought into this, you know."

"A new record," Remus said drily, but he smiled when he said it, and Sirius smiled back.

"I wanted to come out to the farm. Merlin he knows I wanted to. I like it there. But James...is safer. You understand?"

"I don't have to like it," Remus protested.

"Spoken like a good friend," Sirius answered. Remus put a hand on the arm that was still gripping his shoulder, and Sirius dropped it instantly, cheeks flushing.

"I heard mum say...it was awful. Last year I didn't care so much, but now it's like...now that I'm an Animagus, now that I can change...everything's changing. Those stupid words. They get to me," he said, seeming to pull in on himself. It was Remus' turn to reach out, tilt his chin up until Sirius' eyes met his own.

"They say such awful things," he whispered, eyes wide. "Impure. Mudblood. Half-breed. Undead. Blood-traitors. It's obscene."

"They're just words."

"Not in my father's mouth, they're not. They're like weapons. He throws them around," Sirius said, his eyes burning. "He says these things like they're pronouncements from on high, and he tells his friends, and they all fawn on him...and then he said something about werewolves and I just couldn't -- I took a swing and -- "

"Shh," Remus said. "Every time you talk, your bruise gets worse."

"I don't care. It was worth it."

"Did you win?"

Sirus shrugged. "Sort of."

"Because he said something foolish about werewolves?" Remus asked, with a small smile.

"Not just something. It was what he said," Sirius said, stepping closer. Remus felt the warmth of his body, inches away. "Filth just spewing out of his mouth. Mum standing there nodding her head like -- mmmh..."

What his mum was nodding her head like, Remus never found out. Sirius had swayed forward, and he'd leaned in eagerly to meet the dark-haired man halfway, stretching just a little to reach his lips. He could feel the anger coursing through Sirius, keeping his lean body taut, and willed it away.

It's all right, Sirius, I'm here...

Sirius' hands slowly went to his waist, pushing James' shirt up out of its neat tucks. Remus felt his tongue slide into the other man's mouth as Sirius pulled his hips against him.

What the hell, Remus thought dizzily. His shirt's off, and we won't have to worry about shoes or socks...it's quite convenient really...

"Remus," Sirius mumbled, against his mouth. "This is...scandalous..."

"James Potter's spare room," Remus agreed, hooking his thumbs in the waist of Sirius' pyjama bottoms and pulling them down. "Just imagine what his parents would think."

"Don't want to think about James' parents right now," Sirius replied. He tasted like chocolate.

"Then don't," Remus suggested, fingers straying down Sirius' chest, across his belly. "It's just you. And me." Sirius was still tense, the muscles of his shoulders taut, almost trembling. "We're here now."

"Here now..." Sirius echoed. "But what about -- "

"Shhh," Remus answered, effectively silencing him with his lips. His hands were busy exploring, and Sirius was gripping his wrists, as though to stop him, but he wasn't...not at all...

"Guess we're sharing the bed," he managed, between kisses. Remus laughed and let himself be pushed back against it, shoved roughly down. He heard Sirius growl, saw the muscles knot along his arms as he crawled over him.

"Do you want this?" Sirius asked, in ragged tones.

"What do you think?" Remus answered, gripping his neck and pulling him down.

It was so good, this touching of Sirius Black's body, feeling the strength in his very tension. Better than any...well, not that there had been much, but better than Remus' limited experience allowed for. Sirius was not gentle. He was not kind. He was angry and rough and firm and heavy on top of him and it was so, so good. When he swore and moved his hips like that and gripped Remus so tightly he left bruises, but the anger flowed out of him and in the end...after the roaring in his ears had died away, Remus was the one who pulled him under the covers, held his body and whispered reassurances, wiped away the few tears that came of leaving any family, even such a one as Sirius Black had, entirely behind.

"You understand, don't you?" Sirius muttered, sleepily.

"Understand what?" Remus asked, pressing his face into Sirius' neck.

"Why I had to leave."

"Your parents are horrible people."

"They've always been horrible," Sirius continued, in that half-dreamy voice. "But they were saying things, and I realised...they were talking about you...even if they didn't know it."

Remus felt a thrill run through him.

"And I wouldn't let them say that sort of thing about people I loved," Sirius finished. Remus stayed silent until he felt Sirius drift off to sleep. Then, with a small sigh, he curled his fingers around Sirius' shoulders, and prayed like hell that he'd wake up before James woke them both up, the next morning.

END