Fifteen Miles To The Loveshack
The Gryffindor Common room was full of students in various stages of avoiding homework, chatting, filling the room with excited talk about the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. The Marauders sat in their usual corner, chairs pulled around a table groaning with manuscripts and quills, all of which were being studiously ignored. James leaned back in his chair and grinned, his hands waving through the air as he demonstrated the movement he'd used earlier that day to expose Snape to the grinning crowd.
"...and his face!"
Sirius sniggered from his chair, crossing his feet on the table and narrowly avoiding a precariously placed ink-well. Beside him Remus slouched, a faint look of boredom on his face as James launched into yet another rendition of the tale. Peter picked up a quill and gestured it in the air excitedly. "And, and, with all those girls looking! How embarrassing!" He broke off into a peal of laughter that dwindled out when Remus snapped at him.
"Yes, Peter, we are all just as impressed at James as you are. No need to give him an even bigger head."
James, oblivious to the sharp tone in Remus' voice, merely grinned and started to fold a paper dart, but Sirius tilted his head slightly to give Remus a quizzical look.
"What's eating you?"
Remus shook his head. "Nothing. Just... twitchy right now. Moon and all."
Sirius nodded, accepting the explanation at face value. "Yeah. Speaking of which, who's with you tonight?"
Remus closed his eyes briefly.
"Ah... no-one's volunteered. You're all scared." He grinned with teeth, making his eyes wide and bulging.
Sirius thwapped him over the head. "You? Scary? Maybe to the first-years over there, mate." He turned around to the other two.
"Give us a sickle, Wormtail, let's see who's up for babysitting tonight."
With a mutter, Peter dug around in his pockets before separating a coin from some fluff. "Why is it always me who stumps the coins up? I want it back this time!"
Sirius laughed, tossing the coin up into the air. "Yeah, yeah. Between you two first. Heads or tails?"
"I'll be heads then." said James.
"Right." The coin flicked up into the air, spinning once before Sirius caught it and turned it over. "Looks like you'll get that Charms essay done tonight, Peter. And this time, I'm heads."
"Fine."
Sirius flipped again, caught, and scraped his fingernail over the face before slapping the coin on the table, heads up.
"Why, Merlin, why?" he moaned, planting his face in his hands and heaving his shoulders until Remus leaned over and poked him.
"Cos you deserve it, you idiotic git." Remus stood up and pulled on the back of Sirus's chair, making him lose his balance and flail, clutching at the table. "Come on, we'll have to go soon, and I'm starving. Let's see what we can nick from the kitchens."
Turning to Peter, Remus ignored the muffled thump that signified Sirius loosing his battle against balance and gravity. "Meet us at the usual place in about half an hour, yeah? James?"
James shook his head. "Nah, I'm gonna try get back in Evans' good books."
Sirius made a whipcracking noise and Peter snorted in laughter.
James spread his hands and looked pained. "I don't see any of you lot being successful with the ladies." He gathered up his books under one arm and pulled at his tie to loosen it. "Girls can't resist the Potter charm," he said airily, peering over his glasses at Sirius, who was disentangling his robes from the chair leg.
"Charm my arse, Prongs," scoffed Remus. "More like bullying. Or maybe terror."
"'s pity!" added Sirius, getting to his feet.
James sighed sorrowfully and declined to respond to their laughter. "I shall see you lot later. Have fun."
Sirius tugged his robe back into place and headed for the door. "We ready then?"
"Have been for ages." said Remus, following Sirius to the door. Behind them they could hear James's jovial cry of "Evening ladies!" and the girly giggling that followed it.
Sirius glanced back and snorted. "Jammy sod."
Remus reached over and ruffled Sirius' hair. "Don't worry, Padfoot, one day you'll get somewhere with a girl. Maybe after you have a bath."
"Oi! I'll have you know I snogged Miranda behind the greenhouse last week."
"Yeah, and then she slapped you."
"She was overcome by my manliness! It wasn't meant-"
"Give it up, mate." Remus held up a hand. "She left a mark, remember?"
Sirius looked a bit rueful. "Bloody hurt, that did."
"Serves you right." Remus's stomach grumbled, loud in the stone hall. "Honestly, I'm so hungry I could eat a sorting feast. I hope we can wangle something decent out of the kitchen elves."
"As long as that Hodge creature isn't there, it should be okay," Sirius said gloomily as they surveyed the stairs to the kitchens. "He hates me after the meringue episode."
"Aye, I don't know what he did to it but I found sticky meringue in my pockets for weeks." Remus' expression was wistful. "I wouldn't mind some of that right now."
"Woah, no. I'm not dealing with you on meringue. We'll get a sandwich since we're running out of time."
Remus sighed heavily. "Yeah, alright. Cheese and pickle for me!"
Sirius looked disgusted. "Just. Ew."
"You're the one who eats cucumber." Remus shuddered. "Ergh. Revolting vegetable. I'm sure it's the result of Dark Magic." They peered around the kitchen door. No Hodge in sight.
Sirius closed his eyes and smiled. "Oh. Cucumber sandwiches. With pepper. Truly a great snack."
"Odd, you are."
"I'm your friend, aren't I?"
Remus rolled his eyes and cornered a passing house-elf. A few minutes later, he was clutching a parcel containing two sandwiches and a unexpected flagon of pumpkin juice.
Sirius glanced back from his vantage point on the stairs. "Uh-oh, here comes Hodge! Quick!"
Laughing, they legged it up the stairs, Remus already tearing into his sandwich as they ran. "How much longer?" he asked, muffled through a mouthful of cheese and pickles.
"I can see Peter down the corridor now. Hurry up and eat, would you?"
"Muppff-upff," Remus swallowed. "It'll take Peter the same time to get there as us, with those wee legs."
"Wee-wee-wee all the way to the Whomping Willow," laughed Sirius, cracking open the side door to the grounds. He sniffed the air - snuffled, almost - and breathed in. "It's a nice night, Moony. Might rain later."
Remus winced. "Mmmmm. Wet dog smell."
Sirius grinned and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "You love it, mate, you know you do."
They skirted the south side of the castle, peering down over the cliffs at the lake, which was quietly lapping in the breeze. Remus stuffed the last of his sandwich into his mouth and wordlessly offered the flagon of Pumpkin Juice as he chewed.
"Ta," said Sirius, drinking deeply.
Remus finished chewing and yelped. "Oi! Leave me some!"
They reached their usual meeting spot - a large clump of bushes within running range of the Whomping Willow - just after Peter, who was desperately trying not to look like he'd run a marathon to get there.
"I don't think I'll ever look at that tree in the same way again," Peter scoffed, looking over to the clump of trees where they had been that afternoon. "Ergh, underpants."
Sirius made a vomiting sound, nodding. "Gray and all. Revolting, just like the rest of him-"
"Are you two finished?" Remus broke in, clearly impatient, stealing occasional glances at the sky. "Do you think we could go now, please?"
Sirius shot Peter a look and rolled his eyes. "Alright, Moony. No need to get your knickers in a knot." His laugh subdued a bit when he saw the frown on Remus's face. "Get a squeak on then, Wormtail."
The other two stood in silence as Peter closed his eyes and transformed into his rodent shape; the air wavering as he shrunk down to rodent-size and his robes collapsed around him. Remus gulped down the last of the pumpkin juice and left the flask on the ground for Peter before they ran up to the tree. The rat had already pressed the small knot in the roots and the opening was visible.
"Ta, Wormy," Sirius said, jumping in.
"Thanks, Peter." Remus followed.
They slid down the slope, one after another and landed with a thump at the bottom. Remus crashing into Sirius who groaned. "Ow. I always forget that part. Can you get some light?"
The tunnel was dark and dank and their landing at the bottom was already promising bruises. Remus fumbled in his sleeve for his wand and finally located it halfway round his sleeve. This was not improving his mood at all. "Lumos!"
"Cheers, Moony. I think I landed on mine."
Remus growled his reply and stalked off down the corridor, ignoring Sirius' annoyed "What's eating you?" and muffled cursing. Sirius fumbled around a bit before realising that the light was fading quickly. Remus was already ten paces away and Sirius still hadn't found his wand.
"Oi!" he yelled, "Wandless, here. Mind waiting?" The ground was cold and Sirius didn't really fancy scratching around in the dark too much, knowing what they'd found in the tunnel on previous occasions.
He closed his hand over his wand - ash, twelve inches - and stood up, brushing the who-knows-what from his clothes. "Moony!" he yelled, but Remus was already out of sight, a faint glow in the distance the only evidence he was in the tunnel.
"Bloody idiot," Sirius muttered, half to himself.
Something grabbed at Remus's robes and he turned around with a growl. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Sirius fell backwards onto the floor with a thump, his eyes bulging with shock and a little bit of anger. Remus sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Don't do that to me, you idiot. You know what I'm like right now." Remus prodded Sirius with his foot and watched his eyes roll wildly. "Fine. Finite Incantatum."
The sudden paralysis and the nasty thump reverberated around in Sirius's head for the ten seconds he was unable to move. For a few moments he was dazed, until his vision went red around the edges and he became absolutely livid at Remus, full moon or not, snotty bastard, bloody precious bastard too, thinking he was so--
--and then he could move again and he didn't even think, just launched himself up and forward and shoved Remus as hard as he could.
"What. Is. Your. PROBLEM?" Sirius shouted.
Remus' shoulders connected painfully against the dirt walls and he slithered down the wall, gasping as the air left his lungs in surprise. Where Sirius' hands had caught him, he could feel tenderness and possibly a bruise forming. He stood up and hissed with pain. Sirius' shout echoed through the still air and Remus snarled and pushed forward, his hands griping Sirius' robes as he shoved him backwards. "I'm tired of all this. I'm sick of trying to smooth over where you lot fuck up. Do you know why I was made a prefect? Do you?" He yanked on Sirius' robes, pulling him closer. "I was made a prefect, not because I was suited for it but because Dumbledore thought I could keep you lot under control. But I can't, can I? Because you lot won't leave things alone."
Sirius narrowed his eyes to focus on Remus, who was staring him down, not moving his gaze away even as his hands clutched unsteadily at Sirius's robes. Deep breaths, Sirius thought, but it didn't work, never did stamp down his temper enough.
"YOU LOT?!" he shouted. "IN CASE YOU HADN'T NOTICED, YOU PRICK, 'YOU LOT' ARE YOUR FRIENDS!" He shoved at Remus's shoulders but couldn't dislodge him. "Not some bloody first-years for you to babysit!" He took a breath. "You don't have to smooth--no, fuck you, look at what we've done for you, don't give me that BOLLOCKS--"
Sirius's next words were muffled, because Remus had clapped a hand over his mouth. "Shut. Up. Now, Black." Remus spoke quietly, but it was obviously with great effort. "Today was a perfect example of what I have to deal with. I'd try stopping you but I know it'd be like talking to two brick walls because you're both thick between the ears." He stepped backwards, away from Sirius and removed his hand. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have somewhere I need to be."
Sirius blinked and watched Remus stalk away down the tunnel and around the bend before pushing off the wall and setting off after him.
"Thick between the ears!" Sirius muttered to himself. "Thick between the ears!" Sirius kicked at the dirt while he walked, peevish, tugging his robes back into place, trying to count to twenty... to ten... past three, even, but Remus's scolding tone--what I have to deal with--grated like fingernails on a blackboard when it replayed in Sirius's head.
"Ow, BLOODY HELL!" Sirius stubbed his toe kicking a lump of dirt that turned out to be a rock. A very immovable rock, and it caused enough pain for Sirius to kick it again in frustration. "This is YOUR FAULT!" he yelled down the tunnel, although he'd long since lost sight of Remus. A hollow-sounding noise came floating back.
Sod this for a game of gobstones, thought Sirius, and kicked off his shoes, yanking his robe over his head. He'd rather not think about Moony right now. If he did, he might punch him.
Padfoot couldn't throw punches, at least.
Remus glared down the corridor in the direction of the snuffling and climbed up into the downstairs room of the Shrieking Shack, raising a small cloud of dust in the process.
There was a scrabbling sound behind him as Padfoot hauled himself through the hole and sneezed. Remus ignored him, concentrating on removing his robes before he lost control of his fingers.
The air was complicated and it tickled the dog's nose. Up through the hole and he could smell a little bit of the wolf but mostly just the boy and they were both angry smells, and they made the dog hot and growly too. So he growled and ran and jumped, and his paws felt the solid weight of the boy's (the wolf's) body tumbling beneath him.
Remus hit the ground with a strangled yell-growl, twisting violently against the floor as his hands turned to paws and his bones slid fluidly from one form to another until all that was left of Remus was too-big robes on the wrong-shaped body. Now there was no boy apart from the cloth between them, just the wolf, and the wolf was on his back and snapping.
The dog knew that he had to keep the wolf on the floor, because the wolf was quicker and sleeker and all the dog had was weight, so he kept his paws where they were, over the wolf, and he flattened himself with all his weight and butted his head hard against the wolf, hot angry snarls coming from deep in his throat.
The wolf growled, teeth flashing in the dim dusty light as it twisted under the dog's weight. The robes that covered the wolf ripped where his paws scrabbled as he pushed his way out of the fabric and out from underneath the dog.
Lunging forward, the wolf howled, teeth snapping at the dog.
The dog's fur was thick and he had muscle and sinew to cushion the needle-points of the wolf's teeth but it still burned, the bite, and when the wolf wrenched his jaws from side-to-side the dog's skin tore a little, a ripping pain, much less than deadly but a warning, and the dog knew it.
Sometimes the wolf was bigger than he seemed. Now he was huge.
Dropping his neck, the dog whined, a small sound, a friendly sound.
The wolf growled quietly and turned away, claws scuttling across the cold floor as it padded towards the window, leaving the dog to sink to its knees by the empty fireplace.
The wolf's claws clicked against the stone floor as it paced back and forth in front of the window. The moonlight shone, highlighting the dust on the wolf's fur as it howled.
Later, when the sky was lightening, the wolf howled again, but playfully, running around the dog on the wet grass. The dog jumped up, butting the wolf over bumpy ground, and they slid, dew-covered and exhausted. Leaves and earth caught in the planks over the gap in the wall as they squeezed back into the shack. Inside it was warm, and the dog turned around only twice before he sank his paws into the mattress.
The sun shone in through the dusty cracked window, creating a bright square on the ancient bed. Curled around each other, the boys stirred. Remus blinked bleary eyes and tried to remember why he hadn't closed the curtains around his bed when he'd gone to sleep.
Beside him Sirius mumbled and turned over, squeezing his eyes closed against the light and the previous night slowly filtered back into Remus' conciousness. Pushing himself up against the wall, Remus poked Sirius' bare shoulder with a finger and waited for a response.
In his dream, Poppy Pomfrey was sharpening her wand and prodding Sirius's back, repeatedly.
"Ow," he muttered, half awake, and then he realised it was a dream, but his shoulders hurt; they felt bruised and he didn't know why. Or why, opening his eyes, he was here--oh. And behind him was. Oh.
"Remus," Sirius propelled himself around, "you alright--fuck, sorry, sorry," as Remus winced, Sirius's elbow catching his forehead.
"Um." Bare elbow. Arm. Down, and everything. "Hi."
Remus jerked backwards. "Oof. Ow. I'm ok. Ow. Honest."
Sirius was turning a faintly pinkish colour and looking somewhat...naked. Oh. Remus looked down. Ah. Well.
"Um. Ah. Sleep well?"
Remus said something, but Sirius didn't really process it. Maybe, he thought, he should just close his eyes and pretend to go back to sleep.
Then he brushed something against... something. And squeezed his eyes shut. Oh, bloody hell, this was. Not good.
Don't notice, don't notice, Sirius's mind chanted. "You in a better mood, then? Not planning on thumping me?"
Remus twitched as Sirius's thigh brushed against his. His. Oh. Bugger.
The voice in his mind started telling him to think abut cold showers with Snape but then Sirius shifted again and Christ. Down there, Little Remus was ignoring the extremely offputting images he was trying to concentrate on and was instead replacing them with, well, Sirius. Naked. And it wasn't helping one little bit.
Dimly, though the haze, he could hear Sirius speaking and he struggled to form a coherent sentence. "Uh. Yeah...no thumping. Uh."
"What are you," Um. Um, um. Going to do. "Going to. You know. We. We're here." Sirius wondered if he'd ever finish a sentence. All he could do was focus on a little gathering of freckles on Remus's chest.
The freckles were extremely interesting. Shapes and sizes. Sirius had never noticed Remus had freckles. A werewolf, with freckles. Maybe, he thought, it was just dirt. Best to check.
Sirius tapped lightly on the dirty freckles, made sure they were stuck to Remus's skin. Remus had warm skin. Sirius' fingers - all three of them -stayed stuck to the freckles.
Remus gulped and squeezed his eyes shut. Sirius' fingers were warm against his skin and the warmth seemed to be spreading along his chest and curling down his spine in a most peculiar but pleasant way.
"Uh."
When he opened his eyes again, the fingers were still there and his own hand had risen to touch Sirius' jawline.
The touch of Remus's hand on his jaw made Sirius shudder, vibrant through his shoulders. "Sorry," he muttered, spreading his fingers out to cover all the freckles, scraping the heel of his hand upwards over the skin, and the strangest thing happened.
Remus made the smallest sound, a sound from the very back of his throat, but it was a clever noise and it caught Sirius by the scruff of his neck, and before he could think about it he was leaning forward, just in, and he had covered Remus's mouth with his own mouth.
Remus's fingers slipped up along Sirius's jawbone, catching in his hair as Sirius's mouth covered his own. Sirius's eyes were closed and his eyelashes cast spidery shadows across his cheekbones in the sun.
Sirius's hand was still against Remus's chest, a comforting warmth against his skin and the kiss felt like it had happened before.
Remus was oddly ok with that.
Girls didn't. Weren't. Never, couldn't feel like this, because Remus was strong even though his mouth was warm and wet, and Sirius could press his teeth down on Remus's lower lip, squeeze into the flesh like a mandarin while his hand curled up and gathered in Remus's hair, his fingers tugging and his skin going hot, and girls were not like this.
And they were here, Remus and him, naked, morning, alone, kissing, on a bed.
"Nngghh," Sirius said.
It hadn't felt like this when Remus had kissed Carrie Mossfoot behind the drapes at last year's Yule Ball. That kiss had been warm and soft, she'd been pliable under his fumbling fingers. This wasn't anything like that. This was hard and wet and Sirius was all muscle and bone under Remus's questing hands.
And naked. Very naked. Completely naked.
"Mrrghh!" Remus mumbled in reply.
Whatever the sound was, Sirius decided he'd take his chances that it was a good sound, and it meant that Remus wasn't going to suddenly thump him for this... whatever this was. Good, was what it was, and he rubbed his fingers into Remus's hair again and tried to haul him closer, and that worked for the top half, closer, yes good.
Sirius had never contemplated wriggling around his friends before, but wriggling his hips got him close to Remus. In a very good way. And Remus sortof shifted back, into Sirius, his belly and hips and thighs dangerously, perilously close and then--
--Remus's eyes shot open as their (holy shit) cocks brushed together when Sirius wiggled closer. That was. That was. Uh. He tried it again and Sirius yelped, his fingers twisting in Remus's hair. Remus paused and pulled back slightly. "Er."
"Moony...if you don't do that again I'll..."
Remus leant forward again, marvelling at how the sparks that shot along his spine felt when they came in contact with each other. "You'll, uh, do what?"
"Something." Sirius kissed Remus hard. "Something nasty. Just--yeah, move, there." He sloped his hand down, all the way down the curve of Remus's back, patchy warm and cold skin under his hand, molded his hand around Remus's hipbone and grabbed him so there was no chance of a getaway.
Then Sirius had an even better idea, and he pushed Remus back and down and rolled, ungracefully and heavily, right on top of him, and that was so bloody good it was probably outlawed by the Ministry, and he gave an experimental rub, his cock hard against Remus's belly, against so much bare skin Sirius could hardly stand it.
Remus inhaled sharply, his teeth sinking into his lip as he arched under Sirius, pushing up against him with a stifled curse. Sirius groaned and pushed down, catching Remus's bottom lip with his own and sucking it, fingers splayed possessively across Remus's shoulders as they rubbed together.
"Merlin's sainted aunt!" he muttered as he trailed his mouth along Remus's jawline.
Maybe it was the change, lingering canine traces from the night, but Sirius felt an overwhelming urge to sink his teeth into the juicy flesh of Remus's shoulder; bite, and worry, and lick, and he almost did it, groaning as he held back, a tingle in his jaw muscles.
He held his weight on his forearm, the hand curled under Remus's neck, which was arched back as Sirius pushed and pressed his weight back down against him, skin sticking where the sweat hadn't sprung yet. Remus's eyes were closed and his mouth was open, and Sirius gulped in a breath, utterly transfixed by Remus's still-sharp incisors. Before he could stop himself, he had the fleshy pad of his thumb in Remus's mouth, push-pulling his thumbtip across the sharp point, and his hips canted against Remus in time, spikes of urgent friction pulsing through his cock, and there was nothing that Sirius could compare to this.
Remus could feel the blood rushing from his head. Sirius's fingers, pressing against his teeth as their hips jerked together - it was pushing him dangerously close to the edge.
The sheets were twisted under his fingers, old and weak cloth fraying under his nails as he ground back against Sirius's thrusts with a growl.
Remus's mouth closed around his thumb, grasping but not biting, and Sirius had to squeeze his eyes shut because it was so unreal, and his brain couldn't process anything except the need for friction.
He was wordless when he came, the shudder shocking through him as he thrust against Remus so hard it must have hurt. His cock pulsed with it and Sirius was caught still, his back arched, with the sheer pleasure of it all. Remus grunted as Sirius slammed against him and came, his fingers leaving red marks against the scars across Remus's hips. Remus untangled his hands from the shredded sheets and ran them down Sirius's back, tugging him down for another kiss as he sought for the final bit of hot skin against his that he needed, and he came with a wordless gasp against Sirius's mouth.
"Fuck, Remus, I didn't--" Sirius realised he was a deadweight against Remus, and his fingers are still clutching hard at Remus's thin skin. "Sorry. Um. You, okay?" He rolled away, rubbing the heel of his palm over marks he'd made.
Remus looked at him with a deadpan expression, inbetween his quiet, devolving gasps.
Sirius realised his own breathing was pretty erratic. And his heartbeat. And his fingers were doing something that might be called shaking.
"That was... uh, unexpected." Remus's voice was dry but he was obviously having a hard time controlling both his breathing and the urge to smile like a lunatic. Sirius's hand was still resting against his hip and his lips were bruised. Remus couldn't keep his eyes off them.
Sirius flopped back onto the bed, tugging the ripped sheet out from underneath him. "But well, nice. And I er." He paused, finishing his sentence in a rush. "wouldn'tminddoingitagain. um."
Remus gave up on his attempt to stop smiling like a idiot and just grinned.
"Except, shit oh shit oh dear," Sirius blinked rapidly, "it's probably late o'clock and halfway through Transfiguration and," he scrubbed at Remus's stomach with the sheet, cleaning them off, "we will be chopped into small pieces and not ever have the chance to do a bloody thing ever--oomph."
Remus pulled Sirius's head down and kissed him, smacky, firmly.
"Shut it."
"'Kay."
Stretching, Remus got up and padded over to his robe and picked it up. Part of the sleeve fell off in his hand. "Ah."
Sirius snorted and wrapped the remains of the sheet around his waist "I take your 'ah' and raise it by a bugger. My robes and stuff are half way down the tunnel."
Remus examined his robes sorrowfully. "At least they're intact. There's no way I can fix this one in time for Potions."
"I have spares. We've just got to get to them. This is going to involve a lot of cunning and more than likely a few hexes. You up for it?"
Remus pulled the robe over his head and glanced down at the rips decorating the front. "If I don't see the hexes, I can't deduct points for them."
"Noted."
Remus grinned.