Gaming Season

Remus was aware that since his friends had mastered their animagi gifts, they were a lot more in tune with the seasons. There was nothing immediately obvious to the untrained eye, but during the autumn after the initial comfort of being back in the dormitory together had worn off, there was a distance between James and Sirius. Remus called it gaming season, the time of year that society allowed humans to hunt and feel like predators. This meant that Prongs, the stag, felt instinctively like prey. However it also meant that Sirius was being called by the carnivorous side of his nature. Remus doubted that it actually had an affect on the rat as he hadn't noticed any change in Peter's behaviour.

This just meant that, although they played and laughed and had fun, Sirius was getting more intrepid, more adventurous as James was being more reticent and guarded. It had happened twice now, during fifth and sixth year, and Remus was sure that it was starting again. James had gone off to talk to Lily more than their roles of Head Boy and Head Girl required. Sirius was spending nearly all his free time in the Forbidden Forest. Poor Peter was stuck on his own, as Remus did not like to study with people around. Remus was conscious of the fact that he would be taking his NEWTs at the end of the year. He was slightly envious of James and Sirius as they were so much more intelligent, and had a natural gift of being able to succeed without doing any kind of work or revision the way Remus did.

Remus had found himself a little alcove in the library where he was concealed from virtually everyone. He had set up a desk and chair with a sofa near by if he needed a rest. No-one else went near it because no-one knew it existed. Remus had moved certain bookcases to hide it from view. He would not get in trouble from any librarian since Madame Libre left last year and Dumbledore still hadn't found a replacement. One of the chores for the prefects this year was to keep a check on the book status of their house. Technically that was what Remus was meant to be doing at the moment, as well as keeping people quiet and making sure they maintained the rules. Remus however had not been all that good with rules after six and a bit years in the company of James and Sirius. He was the most popular prefect at the moment because of his "flexibility". Besides, he was rather proud of his little hideaway and spent most of his time there. Sirius had once accused him of having a secret girlfriend because he had spent so much time away from the rest of the Marauders. Remus was certain that would never happen.

That was the other reason that Remus was always away from his friends. Sirius. Over the past year Remus had been harbouring thoughts about Sirius that were so forbidden that if thoughts could be mapped then they would near a corner of an old muggle map saying "Thar Bee Dragones" and "Goe Ye Notte Thise Waye".

Remus knew, deep in his werewolf heart, that the thoughts about his friend, which he'd been keeping secret, were a betrayal of their friendship. There had been a rule throughout school for the Marauders. Well not a rule, as the Marauders were legendary for not obeying the rules, but a Code. You did not mix up girls and friends. If you wanted to see a girl, you had to check how your friends felt about it first. You NEVER ever decided to go out with a girl if you had a prior arrangement with your friends, like Full Moon. And you never tried to mix the two. Girls and the Messrs were never a very good mix. Peter had once brought his Hufflepuff girlfriend of the time on a trip to Hogsmeade. James and Sirius had been a disaster area trying to scare her, shock her, intimidate her and flirt with her all at the same time.

Remus supposed that you also didn't mix guys and friends either, but of course that had never come up in conversation. Remus would never tell his friends just how he felt because he was scared. They had done everything to support him throughout the past seven years. He wasn't about to jeopardise that for a crush that he was certain would go away after a while. Sure it hadn't done so yet, and was getting closer to its first year anniversary, but that was beside the point.

Remus had a gift, which he assumed was something from his condition. He could sense everyone in the general vicinity. He knew that there were three Hufflepuffs around the corner discussing their transfiguration essay and a Ravenclaw reading a potions textbook near the door eating a blood-flavoured lollipop. He was, just within the last few minutes, attentive to the fact that there was a large black wet dog on the prowl.

He waited until the dog got a little closer before looking up from his book and looking around. The dog froze and waited until Remus went back to his reading. The dog started walking down an aisle, and had to make a dive behind the nearest bookcase as Remus looked up from his book again. Remus stared blankly at the empty space before going back to his reading with a small smile. This happened every time Sirius got a little closer. He had to dive behind every bookcase on the way to Remus' alcove, and every time the smile on Remus face got a little wider.

Remus was feeling just a little playful now and Sirius blatantly wanted to distract. Remus waited until Sirius was making his final leap to pounce on him before grabbing the dog and tickling him unmercifully. Sirius transformed mid tickle, desperately trying to wriggle away from Remus' fingers.

"Gah, Moony get off. Stop it!"

"Make me, Padfoot."

With a mild growl Sirius grabbed Remus by the shoulders and flipped him, effectively swapping their positions. Remus found himself under a dishevelled Sirius and struggled to control his racing emotions. Sirius paused, looking into Remus' face with his hands firmly wrapped around Remus'. It seemed to last a millisecond but in that time Remus could see a flicker of an undecipherable emotion in Sirius' face. Then Sirius slowly got off of his friend. He flung himself on the sofa and looked around, his face blank. Remus got up with a silent sigh, equally as stonefaced.

"This is a nice little corner, Moony. What did you do, re-arrange the bookcases?"

"Something like that," Remus got out his wand and transfigured a spare bit of parchment into a towel, "Bloody hell, Padfoot, did you go for a swim in the lake?"

Sirius chuckled, "Believe it or not, whilst you've been shut away in your little library it has been absolutely pissing it down out there."

Remus chucked him the towel, "So you thought that once you were wet through you would come and allow me to share your experience?"

"Sharing is Caring, Moony."

Remus slumped next to him on the sofa.

"Do you take anything seriously?"

"Do you take everything seriously?"

"No."

"Well neither do I. I just wanted to play."

"I know."

"Yeah, you understand or you wouldn't have played along."

Remus laughed, it was true; Gaming Season affected him almost the same way. Remus, however, was far more used to suppressing his animal instincts than the others. Sirius finished drying himself and applied a heating charm to the towel, watching as the moisture turned to steam and drifted away, before handing it back to Remus.

"Yeah, you understand," said Sirius softly more to himself than to Moony.

And that was how it started. From then on Gaming Season was a time of Sirius and Remus having fun together. Sirius was no longer on his own and Remus was having a more enjoyable time than simply focussing on his work. They would go for swimming trips across the lake, they would climb trees, wrestle, tickle and, Sirius' favourite, play hide and pounce in the library. Sirius never once caught out Remus and he never got tired of trying.

Remus was deliriously happy. His world was clear of angst and he was balancing his work load and his fun properly. Everyone had mentioned how healthy he looked. There were just two clouds on the horizon; he was spending so much time with Sirius that the crush was intensifying. Soon winter would start, Sirius' mood would flick back and he'd spend more time with James again. He wouldn't linger on these things though, wolves live for the moment.

He woke one morning with a sense that there was a huge hulking dog waiting to pounce at the foot of his bed. He tried not to tense, showing Sirius that he was awake and remained perfectly still. Sirius flexed his hind muscles, about to leap when Remus moved, giving the dog no time to change his mind. Remus rolled and the dog landed on the bed. Remus pounced immediately before Sirius even had time to react. He started tickling again. Sirius transformed laughing. "One of these days I'll get you Moony," he said, desperately trying to fight back.

Remus just smirked, knowing that it would never happen. Eventually they got tired and lay down on the now completely rumpled bed. Remus was trying not to think about how Sirius looked in his sheets, breathing heavily near Remus' neck. He looked around the dorm. Peter was asleep, and could sleep through pretty much anything. James bed was empty and it looked like it was still made.

"James didn't come back last night," he said, his voice ragged as he tried not to look at Sirius. Sirius looked bewildered at the topic of conversation, as he had been watching Remus' face.

"Must have stayed with Lily."

Remus nodded, trying not to think of what he'd like to do with Sirius, knowing that they wouldn't be disturbed during the nights over Christmas. Peter was visiting his Mum whilst James and Lily were going away to London for a holiday. It was along a similar vein to what James and Lily had got up to last night.

Sirius must have noticed Remus discomfort because he moved in closer as if to reassure him. Remus looked at Sirius trying to remember how to breathe.

"Sirius, what..."

"Shh...don't squeal so much, you'll wake up Peter."

"Nothing wakes up Peter."

Sirius did not reply but got in a little bit closer. Remus could tell by the way the heat was radiating off him that he wanted something from him and he was hoping that it was exactly what he wanted to give.

It was Remus that closed the gap between their faces by moving his neck in the hopes that, if he was reading the signs wrong, it would just look like an unthreatening gesture. Sirius however took it as a sign that he could continue. Slowly, without they're eyes leaving each others, Sirius brought his lips into contact with Remus'. Remus responded instantly, by brushing his against the roughness of Sirius'.

Sirius had spent too much time outside and his skin was like his lips, rough and weather beaten, but it felt so good against Remus. Remus opened his mouth and licked Sirius' lips. Sirius gasped and responded, letting his tongue brush against Remus They closed their eyes, allowing their mouths to guide them. Remus was hungry for Sirius and Sirius was hardly gentle. They lay there, Sirius propping himself up to give himself better access to Remus, kissing, licking each others tongues, trying to get as much contact from each other as possible.

Remus broke away to breathe and looked at Sirius perched above him, still with his eyes closed, still savouring the taste and feel of Remus. Remus could feel himself growing more and more excited by the sight of Sirius. Sirius was relishing the feeling of Remus and Remus never wanted it to end. He made Sirius open his eyes, rolling onto him and straddling his hips.

"Remus..."

"Shh," Remus silenced him by kissing him softly, "You'll wake up Peter." He moved in for a deeper kiss and worked on unbuttoning Sirius' shirt. He started to kiss Sirius' jaw and neck, rubbing the skin behind his ears. Sirius moaned quietly, and gasped as the sound made Remus rub closer to him.

"Do you want...?" Remus did not know how to voice his doubts, as Sirius had never said that this what he wanted. But the look in Sirius' eyes silenced him.

"I want you to shut up and kiss me again." Remus did as he was told, quite readily, but wanted to make sure that Sirius knew which one was still in charge, moving down Sirius' body, giving his chest the full attention of his tongue. Sirius moaned and writhed against Remus skin. Remus paused before moving lower. He raised his body breaking the contact between them. Sirius groaned as though it was causing him physical pain.

"Do you still just want to play, Padfoot?"

"This is not a game, Moony."

"Good because I don't want to find that I'm the only one taking this seriously."

"Not possible." Sirius sounded partly distressed from having the contact broken, longing for the touch of the lean boy above him, and partly elated from the situation. He grasped Remus' hand and kissed it. Remus sighed happily and lowered his head to relieve the pressure growing in Sirius. Gaming Season might be over soon, but Remus was fairly certain the fun was just beginning.