Written for:

AU Challenge. Prompts: Fairytale!AU, Nervous, "Please, don't interrupt me." Fireworks, "Is there really such a thing as a happily ever after?"

Build a Cube: "I'm scared that I'll wake up and this will all have been a dream."

Endless Possibilities Challenge - Remus/Sirius, Emotion: Love, Answer, Object: broomstick

Shop for a Prompt: Sirius Black

Wishes Do Come True

Remus loved watching the royal parade heading down the street. It was the highlight of his month. No matter what was going on in his life, he would find a way to watch the event.

He didn't know what the royal family looked like, but sometimes coins were thrown and Remus would scramble to the edge of the road and gather what he could. The few gold coins made all the difference to his life and Remus had stopped caring about how people looked at him when he rushed for the coins. Sometimes pride had to be put aside with the need for money to live on.

He clutched the small handful of coins against his chest, his eyes scouring the ground, desperately searching for more. More would mean he didn't have to steal. More meant that he wouldn't go days with that ache in his stomach that was almost always there. The ache would be dulled.

When he was sure the streets were clear of coins, he turned his attention to the direction the carriage had gone. Towards the castle in the distance. The carriage was already out of sight and Remus sighed. He hadn't managed to get a glimpse of the prince. Again.

But he at least had enough to eat for a handful of days if he made the coins stretch somehow.

...oOo...

He was debating to use his last coin on a loaf of bread or not when it happened. A man with a hood over his face handed the loaf that Remus had been eyeing to a hungry child and then turned away, only for the stall owner to catch him and grab his arms. Remus saw the weapon, saw the panic on the man's face and rushed forward, wanting to stop someone getting hurt.

The coin was quickly handed over for the bread and Remus dragged the man from the market so he couldn't do anything else to get hurt.

"You saved me back there," the man said, once they were away and safe. "Why?"

"I see people hurt all of the time. For once, I had to means to save someone from that hurt. Why not," Remus said.

The man nodded. "It was only a loaf of bread. The man surely could spare that. It cost… what? One coin?"

Remus sighed. "One coin is a lot of money to someone who doesn't have any," he replied softly. "Do you know that some of us go days without a single coin to buy food."

"Not many of you. You handed that coin over easily enough?" The man wasn't rude, he was just uncertain now.

"That was my last coin," Remus explained. "I managed to get six coins from the prince's return. I've lasted two weeks with those coins. That was my last coin. My last coin saved you so it was well spent. A life is more valuable than a loaf of bread."

The man was silent for a long time. "Then I'm in your debt," he murmured softly. "I owe you my life."

Hazel eyes stared intently at him when he didn't answer. "I'll find a way to reward you," he added.

Remus swallowed nervously. The man in front of him was very attractive and he was staring at Remus as though he would do anything Remus asked. Remus' mind immediately decided to ask the man for a kiss, but Remus held the words back. There wasn't a chance he'd ask that.

The guy's lips curved into a smile. "You don't believe me?" he guessed wrongly. "Well, I'll have you know that I can get you anything you want. You'll see." He grabbed Remus' hand and Remus' eyes darted down to the joined hands. "Whatever you need, I've got your back."

Before Remus could say something stupid, they were suddenly swamped with guards, led by the King's advisor, Lucius Malfoy. "Here you are, My Prince," he said to James, causing Remus' eyes to widen in shock. "And you." He turned to Remus. "You're under arrest for the kidnapping of Prince James."

"Hey, he didn't do anything," James shouted as he was dragged away. "He saved me. He didn't kidnap me."

The last thing Remus remembered seeing was Lucius' cruel smile as the man looked down at him, before everything went blank.

...oOo...

It was insane, Remus knew. The only escape he had was from the help of an old man who seemed… off. The man offered him freedom in return for Remus' help and Remus knew he had a debt to fill. Especially since he had been sentenced to death the following day.

The man offering him freedom meant that Remus owed him a life debt. He wasn't one to walk out on a debt like that. Even though he had hoped that the Prince would have found him freedom, he couldn't be certain that it would happen in time.

The pair travelled with a horse through heavy winds and away from the Kingdom Remus had called home for almost twenty-one years. When he looked back, he could make out a few lights in the darkness but nothing else.

He knew he'd return soon. Well, he hoped. The man had a request from him and Remus would do what was asked of him and then get back to town as quickly as possible.

As he pushed on, Remus found his thoughts drifting back to Prince James. The Prince had offered him anything he wanted. He knew now that the man with him would never want him—what Prince wanted a beggar?—but he could have asked for a home. The Kingdom owned many homes. There must have been one that was empty? Maybe gold. Maybe even a job at the castle would have been enough. A job at the castle meant that he had somewhere to live, gold, food, and he'd get to at least see his Prince from afar.

Yes. If he saw the prince again, he'd request a job at the castle.

...oOo...

Remus woke up once more to darkness. This time it wasn't locked in prison awaiting execution. It was in a cold dark cave with no way out. Well, he assumed no way out - he needed to have a proper look around.

He vaguely recalled the journey and entering the cave. The Sphinx type creature had given a riddle which Remus had answered, and then replied that: "Only one may enter."

Remus entered safely so assumed that he was the 'one' that was allowed to enter. He couldn't really send the old man with the snake-headed cane in instead. The man could barely walk a few steps and had to ride the horse all of the way there. He had seen some amazing sights. A broom that could fly on its own, piles of gold and jewels and rivers of what looked like pure gold.

He had picked up the lamp, but, on his way back, he had been distracted. His eyes had fallen on a crystal the same colour as Prince James' eyes and he had reached out for it, just wanting to examine it. He had heard the rules - touch nothing but the lamp - but he hadn't been planning to take the jewel. He had only wanted to see if closely.

The place had fallen apart and Remus had been knocked back from the entrance by the old man, but had grabbed for him at the last second. The lamp had fallen back into the cave just as the man knocked Remus away. If it wasn't for the broom which Remus managed to grab, he wouldn't have survived the fall.

As he sat in the dark cave, he massaged his sore wrist. His head was aching from where he hit it as the broom tried to get him to safety. As he looked around, willing his eyes to adjust to the dark, his eyes fell on the lamp that he had risked his life for.

He stumbled towards it, feeling very off balance when standing. He dropped to the floor and reached for the lamp and examined it. The item was beat up and old. There had to be something special about it. It was guarded in a cave and the man had been after it.

He was certain that there was a pattern of sorts under some of the dirt and rubbed at the lamp with his fingers, trying to get the mark off.

A red and gold swirl came from the lamp and Remus dropped it in shock, scooting back. He winced at the pain in his wrist.

"Hey. It's about time I had a new master."

Remus looked up in shock at the voice, his gaze falling on a man dressed in clothes that were as fine as the Prince would usually wear. The man was looking around, before glancing back at Remus.

Remus could only stare. The man hadn't been there before he rubbed the lamp, and he realised in shock, that where the man's legs should be was just a swirl of red and gold, connecting the man to the very lamp he had just been holding.

"Who are you?" Remus found himself asking.

"Genie of the lamp, at your service," the man replied, watching Remus carefully.

"Genie?" Remus murmured. "You're a genie?"

"Yeah. So, what do you wish?"

"Is your name actually genie or what should I call you?"

The genie blinked a few times. "You know, you're the first to want to know my name. Sirius. Sirius like the stars."

"I'm Remus," Remus offered. "So I get a wish?"

The man nodded. "Three wishes. You of course can't wish for more wishes because that's sneaky and I don't approve, but me and my wishes are going to rock your world." He winked at Remus. "I promise you that."

Remus watched the man move closer, the lamp in his hands. Closer allowed Remus to take in the man's features. Long black hair hung past his shoulders and Remus knew this was the most beautiful man he had ever seen in his life. Stormy grey eyes were fixed intently on him and plump red lips were curved into a smile. The high cheekbones made Remus think that if the man had legs, he would have easily mistaken him for royalty. He had an aristocratic look about him.

"I was sent to get the lamp for someone else. A man saved me from prison and I owe him a debt. But he also tried to kill me."

"So that cancels the debt," Sirius replied. "The lamp is yours. Three wishes and take as long as you want. When you're finished, I'll be sitting around in my lamp, bored, so please, take your time in picking."

"Okay," Remus replied, nodding. "So, what sort of things can I wish for?"

"Anything you want. Well, you can't wish for more wishes. You can't make someone fall in love with you and you can't kill someone. Some things can't be done. So, what do you want more than anything in the world?"

"Freedom from here," Remus began. "I…"

"You what?" Sirius moved closer, sensing that Remus had been about to blurt out a secret. "Tell me," he demanded.

"I met someone. Someone I'd never have a chance with. I'm a beggar. I'm homeless and I'm nothing. He's the Prince."

"You know I can't make him fall in love with you," Sirius began.

"I know. But… but maybe I can do that?" Remus asked. "Maybe if I was on more equal footing. I've seen carriages going to the castle so many times with princes and princesses alike, all wanting Prince James' hand. Maybe if I was a prince, James would give me a chance?"

He stood up quickly. "Sirius, is that something I can use a wish on? Can I become a prince?"

Sirius grinned. "And the first wish has been decided," he replied. "That's certainly a wish that you can make. Tell you what. Don't use a wish to be free of here. I'll have to get us out of here to make you a prince. Let's call it a freebie."

Remus smiled at him. "Are you sure?"

"I am. So you have to say the magic words. Tell me what you wish for."

"Sirius, I wish to be a prince," Remus said.

Sirius rolled up his sleeves. "Your wish is my command," he replied with a grin.

...oOo...

Fingers smoothed his hair back when it kept trying to move into his face and Sirius frowned. "Remus, what's with your hair? It won't behave."

"I'm sorry," Remus muttered. "I've stopped caring about it to be honest."

Sirius shook his head. "It just needs a quick cut to tidy it up, otherwise I like it. The problem is that right now, it's not very prince-like."

"You can cut it," Remus offered. "Whatever you think is best. I mean…" he gestured to Sirius who looked more like royalty than even the king. "You clearly know what a prince should look like."

Sirius glanced down at his clothes. "I'm going to come into the castle as your… I'm not quite sure at the moment, but I'll be at your side to help you."

"But everyone will know what you are," Remus pointed out, gesturing to the swirl of colours that connected Sirius to the lamp.

Sirius shook his head. "I can make it appear as though I'm not connected," he replied. He frowned in concentration and the swirl quickly disappeared from the lamp, leaving Sirius standing on two legs. He stumbled, unable to hold himself up and Remus rushed to catch him before he fell.

"Thanks. I've been in that thing for so many years, I think I've forgotten how to stand."

"Why are you in there?"

"Cursed," Sirius replied with a shrug. "I was cursed to be trapped as a genie in that lamp until freed."

"And how can you get free?"

Sirius snorted, his eyes falling to the ground. "A wish. How else would I gain my freedom? I can't just stop whenever I want. Someone has to be kind enough and selfless enough to use their wish for my freedom. I was a selfish man all of those years ago and I wouldn't have used a wish to save someone else so I have to hope that one day, I'll meet someone who is more selfless than I had ever been. That's the only way for my curse to break."

Remus nodded his head. He knew what it was like to feel trapped. Yes, he had the whole of the kingdom to do whatever he wanted in, but he had nothing. No family, no friends. If he died, there was no-one who would mourn him or even know his name to put on his grave. He felt trapped in the life he had been living. It was a different trapped, but he understood Sirius all the same.

He opened his mouth to ask Sirius more, but Sirius just smiled at him. "Let's get this hair sorted, should we?" he asked, twisting his hand and causing scissors to appear. "Remus, you're going to steal your prince's heart. I mean, who could resist someone with such wonderful eyes?"

...oOo...

Remus sat on a horse as it moved towards the castle. Sirius was tossing coins with vigor to the townsfolk and Remus could see one of the boys he had often given food or coins too, creeping closer to gather what he could.

Being small, he was pushed out of the way and Remus stopped his horse as the boy hit the ground, his eyes tearing up, though none fell on his cheeks.

He got off his horse and Sirius was at his side in a flash, as though he knew exactly what Remus planned. A pouch was in Remus' hand and he approached the boy, holding his hand out to help the boy up.

The boy just stared at him.

"Take this, Teddy," Remus murmured, holding out the coins and the boy's mouth dropped open as he realised that he knew Remus. Remus just smiled and placed his finger on his lips and the boy grinned.

"I'll be back to help you soon. You can stay in my place until then," Remus whispered. "Stay safe, okay?"

Teddy nodded his head, took the coins and ran.

"Friend of yours?" Sirius asked.

"I've shared coins and food with him before," Remus explained. "He's only small. He'd have died if someone didn't look out for him."

"You're a good sort, Remus," Sirius murmured. "There should be more people in the world like you."

Remus smiled and turned back to his horse. The pouch had been quite heavy and Remus knew that Teddy would manage a few days without him. Though he'd have to find a way from the castle to help the boy again at some point. He got back on his horse and Sirius walked to the one behind and the pair carried on to the castle. Sirius continued to leave a trail of coins behind them, and for once, Remus wasn't scouring the streets searching. He was the one heading to the castle.

They got closer to the castle quickly and the gates opened to let them in. The horses were taken away to be tended to, and the pair were led inside to the throne room.

The King and Queen smiled as Remus approached. He bowed. "I'm Prince Romulus from Ilvermorny," he stated. "I'm here to seek the hand of your son."

"Welcome, Prince Romulus. I'm King Charlus and this is my wife, Queen Dorea. You are welcome to stay at the castle until the prince has decided—"

"My king," came a silky voice from across the room and Remus almost jumped. He turned to look, spotting an elegant man with long blonde hair walk towards him, a cane in his left hand.

"Ah, Lucius," Charlus said, smiling warmly at the man. "Can this wait?"

"Not at all, Sire," Lucius replied, his eyes darting to Remus briefly. "Do you not recall us discussing the laws? The prince must be married by his twenty-first birthday or he must give up the throne forever."

Charlus' smile dropped. "I recall now, thank you, Lucius." He turned to Remus, looking him over. "My son is in dire need of a husband or a wife. It is less than one week until his birthday. I suggest you work fast." He looked around. "Frank. Please set the prince up in our finest guest-room and his companion in the closest room possible."

The man by the doors bowed and Remus thanked the king and the pair left the room after the servant. As he left the room, he saw the prince rush past him. "Father! Please don't do this. Let me have more time."

"James, it's the laws of the kingdom," Remus heard as the doors shut behind them. Though he was eager to know what else was said, he heard nothing more and the three of them headed to the rooms.

...oOo...

Remus was tired of learning to be a prince. Sirius had taken ages to teach him the way royalty ate at a table. Whilst Remus remembered his table manners, it was a very big difference from how a prince should eat. The lessons had been intense with Sirius trying to get Remus to learn as much as possible in a short time. From the way he walked to the way he nodded his head or waved his hand. Remus had to relearn everything he knew.

But it was all worth it. Prince James was worth it.

A knock on the door broke them from the lessons and Remus headed to the balcony as Sirius walked over to the door to answer.

"My prince is ready," Remus heard Sirius tell someone. "He'll be along shortly."

The door closed and Sirius walked over. "Are you ready?"

"Not at all," Remus replied, nervously.

Sirius led the way from the room and Remus followed behind, trusting that Sirius knew the way. Remus had never been somewhere so big before and was trying to stop himself feeling overwhelmed, which was hard to do. He managed to walk like Sirius taught him, keeping his head high where he usually kept his gaze on the ground. It was hard to remember he wasn't just a homeless street-rat anymore. He was now a prince. He was now where he never imagined he could be.

He entered the dining hall and approached the royal family, nervously shooting a glance at Sirius who stopped by the door.

"Prince Romulus," the king said with a smile. "This is my son, James."

Remus turned to James. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said softly.

James gave a small smile though Remus could tell it didn't quite reach his eyes. "The pleasure is all mine, Prince Romulus."

The queen looked delighted at the exchange. "Now, let's have supper. We have a lot to discuss."

As the food was brought out, Remus tried to keep his gaze from the table. He knew if he watched the plates being brought out, he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else. He had never seen that much food in his life. In fact, he had probably never eat that much food combined in his entire life, let alone in one day.

He watched carefully to see what James and his parents served up before taking a similar amount and he ate slowly, though the smells and the taste made him want to shovel the food into his mouth as fast as possible.

Finally dinner was finished and Remus realised he had never felt so full in his entire life. He thanked the family for his meal and the pair looked at each other and smiled.

"Prince Romulus - this morning you told us that you are here for James' hand. We decided today that we accept your offer to wed our son."

"What?" James sounded shocked. "Mother? Father? Are you… I thought…"

"James," Charlus said sternly. "We can discuss in private later. Now, Romulus—"

"But I thought—" James tried.

"James, you have only a few days until your birthday. Prince Romulus arrived just in time," Queen Dorea replied. "We did inform you that if you failed to pick someone, we'd have to pick for you. Prince Romulus appears to be a very nice man and we've had to take the choice from your hands."

James barely glanced at Remus. Instead he gave his parents looks of disbelief. "If you'll excuse me, I need some air," he said, before quickly leaving the table and the hall.

"He'll come around, dear," Dorea said soothingly. "Our laws state twenty-one. James is a bit of a free spirit and I think he believes that if he doesn't marry, nothing will change. That he can marry at any age. That's not the case."

Remus nodded, his eyes on the doors that James had left through. Once enough time had passed, he excused himself from the table too, wanting nothing more than to go and talk to James.

...oOo...

"Prince James," Remus said, his eyes briefly on the redheaded woman who was rushing away at the sight of him.

"It's James," James muttered from the stone bench he was sitting on. "We're to be married. You can call me James."

Remus nervously sat down on the bench next to him. "I came here to… to get to meet you, get to know you. I hoped to be considered for your partner. I didn't realise that the deadline was so soon and that you'd be pushed into something you don't want. I'm so sorry, James."

James turned his head and took in Remus' expression. "You really are, aren't you?" he said. "But it's not you. I'm sorry I was rude before. It has nothing to do with you, Romulus. I guess I just didn't expect my parents to go behind my back like that. They did warn me before that they would do this, but I thought it was an idle threat."

Remus smiled softly. "There's still a few days. Maybe a prince or princess who you'd be more interested in will turn up?" he said.

James turned his head away again, staring into the nearby fountain.

"It's not like that. It's not about a matter of interest or anything, I'm just… I can't talk about it, but I… I don't want to hurt you, Romulus. I don't like being the cause of hurt and upset."

"I see people hurt all of the time," Remus began. James' head spun around quickly and the man seemed to be studying him intently. "You're not hurting me by telling me the truth. It'll hurt less this way."

"You have amber eyes," James whispered. "Romulus, my parents have already accepted your offer. I accept your offer too. On my birthday, we'll be wed."

"Please don't do this because your parents chose me for you," Remus murmured, his heart beating against his chest.

James shook his head. "It's not because of that." He reached for Remus' hand and clasped it tightly causing Remus to look down at where their hands were joined. "I've made my mind up. We will get married. Maybe we start with building a good friendship. Once we have that, we can see what more we could have."

Remus couldn't help but smile at the Prince and James smiled back, the smile reaching his eyes this time. With a brief hesitation, James leaned in and pressed his lips to Remus'. It was chaste and over quickly.

And Remus felt nothing.

...oOo...

"How did it go?" Sirius asked, lazing on Remus' bed with his arms behind his head.

Remus smiled. "I'm engaged to Prince James," he said, climbing onto the bed next to the genie. "Our wedding will be in a few days." The smile slipped slightly. "I'm happy, I am. I just… maybe it needs time to sink in or something?"

"Maybe," Sirius agreed. "Or maybe it's not what you really wanted?"

Remus turned his head. "What do you mean?"

"A lot of people make their first wish and find out it's not what truly makes them happy. I don't mean to say it's the case here, but it's happened so many times that I hold concern for you. I want you to be happy. I want your wishes to make you truly happy."

"I am happy," Remus insisted. "I'm a prince now. I have a horse and gold… I can help people now. I can make a difference in the world. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"Because you became a prince to be with Prince James yet you mentioned everything but him."

Remus glared at the genie and turned away from him, intending to sleep. A couple of minutes passed before he heard the clink of the lamp lid. He wondered if he should take the lamp and put it away rather than keeping it with him, but decided not to. He needed to know Sirius was close. In this new, scary life he had entered, Sirius was his safety-net, protecting him and grounding him.

The bed felt empty all of a sudden without Sirius there next to him. Remus closed his eyes and tried to sleep but Sirius' words came back to him.

Was he really truly happy that he was going to marry Prince James?

"Sirius?" he whispered.

"I think I'll stay in here. Wouldn't want to offend you and ruin your happily ever after," came Sirius' voice.

Remus knew that he could force Sirius from the lamp by rubbing it, but he couldn't force Sirius to spend time with him. It was bad enough that he had so much power over Sirius already. Forcing Sirius to do something he didn't want to do was a line he knew he wasn't going to cross.

"Is there really such a thing as a happily ever after?" Remus finally whispered.

He was where he wanted to be, getting what he wanted. But a nagging voice in his head told him that this wasn't right. This wasn't the life for him. Maybe he just wasn't supposed to be happy.

...oOo...

Remus was sick of waking up in places he shouldn't be. He was sick of being knocked out because he was certain that at some point, he was going to get brain damage.

He looked up from the ground, spotting the King's advisor and a couple of tough looking guards who were sneering down at him.

The cane prodded him in the stomach. "Prince Romulus," the man said coldly. "To think, a boy like you could have put a damper in all of my plans. The prince needs to be married by his birthday. I made sure that no-one stuck around before, but you… you've managed to get the king and queen to give you their son's hand. I will not have you foil my plans. He will marry me when his birthday comes. I will be king."

Remus struggled against the bonds holding him and Lucius just watched, amused. "I think that's enough," he finally said, nodding at the guards. The two men started forward and grabbed Remus, tossing him into the water.

Remus fell quickly, still struggling against the bonds and his side hit a rock as he sunk to the ocean floor. He tried to keep his mouth shut but couldn't help but open his mouth when he ran out of air.

'This is it,' he thought to himself as he struggled not to swallow water and failed. Before everything went dark, arms grabbed around him, making him immediately feel safe and protected. He was pulled against someone's chest and knew exactly who was holding him.

They raised out of the water and Remus felt himself being lowered onto the ground and lips quickly covered his, breathing into his mouth before hands pressed down on his chest over and over again.

The kiss left his lips warm and Remus wanted them back on his, but the man chose to keep pressing down on his body instead.

Remus coughed up water, and felt it dribbling down the side of his face. He gasped for a real breath - one that wasn't filled with water.

The compression on his chest stopped and he opened his eyes, looking up at Sirius. "Remus, thank… I thought you were dead. Remus, I almost lost you!"

"You… don't you use magic for stuff like that?"

"I can't bring people back from the dead. I used my powers to get you out of the water but I couldn't use them to get the water our of your lungs." He took a shaky breath. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, love. I was terrified. What if you died?"

"Your lamp would be at the bottom of the sea," Remus rasped, his throat hurting.

"I don't care about my lamp. I care about you," Sirius said, reaching for Remus' wet hair and pushing it off his face. "I'd take a thousand more years in that lamp without complaint if it meant that I could protect you. In fact, maybe you should save your last wish when it comes to it and that way I can always be with you."

"Always?"

"Well, you're a little accident prone. Today, you almost drowned. The cave where my broom saved you. You're not good at all this, Remus. I can stick around and make sure nothing like that happens again."

Remus stared up at Sirius in surprise. He never realised that Sirius was eager to stick around. He just assumed that he was one of a long line of people with the lamp and that Sirius would treat him like the others. To find out that Sirius truly cared about him. That Sirius cared more about Remus than his own imprisonment in the lamp.

Well, that meant something. In fact, it meant more to Remus than he cared to admit.

Remus tried to sit up and Sirius' hands were on him, helping him, pushing the wet hair back once more, stroking the water from his face. "Remus," Sirius whispered. "I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

Remus' skin felt warm from where Sirius' hand had stroked against it. He knew it was nothing to do with Sirius' magic. It was the feeling of something that was so right.

He could only stare up at the other man. Sirius' clothes were hanging off him, drenched in water too, but Sirius didn't seem to care in the slightest. His gaze was fixed as intently on Remus and he looked like there was something on his mind. Remus waited, wondering what Sirius wanted to say.

"What's going on here?"

Sirius moved away, turning. "King Charlus," he said, bowing. "There was an attempt on my prince's life tonight."

"Prince Romulus? Call the doctor immediately. Romulus, are you alright? Who did this?"

"Lucius," Remus said, getting up from the ground and stumbling slightly. Sirius caught him and Remus looked around, seeing the king, the queen and Prince James all looking concerned. "He admitted that he had been making sure no-one stuck around long so James would be desperate come his birthday and Lucius could swoop in and marry him. I was in the way so he had two guards bring my here and threw me in the water. If it wasn't for Sirius following and jumping in after me…" he looked at Sirius. "I owe you my life."

Sirius just smiled. "Anything, my prince," he murmured. "You know I'd do anything in my power to keep you safe."

"I will deal with Lucius myself," the king said, furious at what he had heard. "Prince Romulus, come with me to identify the guards. I will not have guards in my kingdom that I cannot trust with my life."

They went back into the castle with Sirius hovering protectively on one side of Remus and James on the other. Once inside, they spotted Lucius immediately. The man was talking with two guards and looked shocked when he turned and saw Romulus.

He lifted his staff. "Kill them all, except Prince James," he said. The snake on the staff head glowed red before the guards turned and started for the group.

"Guards," King Charlus roared, as Remus rushed at Lucius. He was met with the heavy cane knocking him and throwing him backwards, but Remus had no intention of stopping. As he hit the ground, the lamp clattered from his clothes and he grabbed it and shoved it back into his pocket before getting up and trying to get to Lucius again.

Guards had arrived at the king's shout and were subduing the pair that had attacked, and it was Sirius' turn to attack Lucius. He knocked the man down and Lucius stared up at him. "I know what you are," he hissed. "This won't be the last time you see me."

Remus picked up the cane next to Lucius and snapped it. The two guards stopped struggling against their bonds and looked around in confusion. "He's using magic," Remus said, dropping the bits of cane and turning to the king. "I believe he controlled those guards and they didn't do anything of their own free will."

As he turned back, Lucius knocked Sirius away and got up. "This isn't the end," Lucius hissed. With a flash that caused them all to cover their eyes, Lucius was gone.

...oOo...

"How long?"

Sirius looked towards the door of his room. He had heard the knock when he had been in Remus' and it wasn't hard to disappear and reappear in the next room, ready for whatever visitor wanted to see him.

"Excuse me?"

"You're in love with Romulus," James pointed out, walking further into the room. "How long?"

Sirius hesitated, but James' gaze was steady. James wasn't going to back down and Sirius knew that James wouldn't accept any excuses. Unless there was an attack on the castle or James suddenly collapsed, Sirius couldn't hide from the question.

He briefly considered using his magic to make James feel ill for a day. After that day would be the wedding and James would forget about him, but Sirius couldn't do that. From what he could tell, James was a good man and he didn't like hurting good people.

"Since I met him," Sirius finally replied. "Maybe not that first minute, but that day. He's got a beautiful soul and I've never met anyone so kind and caring before. He's smart, so loyal and he'd do anything for those he cares about. I didn't really realise until… it's harder for me to deny it to myself because I almost lost him."

James sighed. "This is all a mess, isn't it?" he asked, taking a seat next to Sirius. "If my parents hadn't agreed our marriage, he could have been yours."

"You're not mad?" Sirius asked.

"There is something special about him," James agreed. "But I don't love Romulus. I care about him, but the same way I care for my friends. Maybe one day it could be more, but maybe there will never be more. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Sirius nodded. "It's how it's meant to be," he said. "Romulus needs more than me."

"Well, you're welcome to stay here after the wedding."

"You want me to stay even though I'm in love with him?"

"You saved his life. I think you'd do anything for him. Romulus trusts you. I can't picture anyone to protect him better than you. You can't help who you fall in love with. Love can appear in the strangest places."

"You've got that right," Sirius chuckled. "I'll stay as long as Romulus needs me."

James got up and Sirius followed. He held out his hand.

Another slight hesitation and Sirius shook it. "Look after my prince and treat him well. He deserves to be happy."

"I'm sure he does," James agreed. "Can you ask Romulus to take a walk with me? I'll be down by the fountain."

Sirius nodded and James smiled before leaving the room.

Sirius sunk down onto the bed, his head in his hands. He really should push Remus to make his last two wishes and pass the lamp on. That way, he wouldn't have to watch the first person he had ever fallen in love with be with someone else. This was more torture than his imprisonment in the lamp.

...oOo...

Remus rushed down to the fountain once Sirius gave the message and left. He had called for Sirius to return, but Sirius had stayed silent in the lamp. He had brought the lamp to his lips and called Sirius' name urgently but Sirius hadn't answered.

He had sighed and shoved the lamp under his pillow. "Fine," he said, before getting up and leaving.

James was waiting, deep in thought, as he arrived.

"Romulus, I realised something before," James started. "I realised that I never actually asked if you wanted to marry me. My parents made the choice but you may not have decided yourself. I wanted to make sure that you were certain this is what you wanted."

"James, I really care for you," Remus insisted. "I do want this."

James nodded. "I just wanted to make sure. The wedding is in two days and my parents are preparing. Do you have any customs?"

"As we're in your kingdom, we should follow yours," Remus offered. "James, as long as we get married, I do not care when, where or how." He took James' hand in his own.

James smiled and leaned in to kiss Remus. Remus closed his eyes in anticipation when they both heard a loud bang that seemed to shake the castle. They pulled away, urgently looking around, trying to work out what was happening as the ground continued shaking.

"Quick," James shouted, grabbing Remus' hand. "Inside before one of the bricks falls and hits us." Remus nodded, allowing James to drag him along. Nothing was falling yet, but it made sense not to be there if something did.

They rushed inside, finding the king and queen in the throne room. Dorea grabbed them both and hugged them. "I thought something had happened to you both," she said. The king looked relieved as he looked around. "Guards, find the source of that noise," he ordered. "Spread out throughout the castle."

The guards all left the room and the doors at the far side were flung open and Lucius walked in, his cane in hand.

"Lucius? Guards," the king roared.

With a flick of his cane, the doors that the guards had left through shut quickly and banging could be heard on the other side. "Oh, they won't be able to get in now," Lucius said smugly. He waved his wand again, causing ropes to appear to tie up the King and Queen.

Remus reached into his pocket, but froze when it came up empty.

"Looking for this?" Lucius withdrew the lamp from his own clothes and held it up, examining it. "I did wonder about you… Prince Romulus. There was something familiar about you. Your servant was also nowhere to be seen when we took you and when you were in the water. He appeared as though by magic. But when that lamp fell from your pocket before, I knew who you were."

With a flick of his wrist, Remus was levitating in the air. The clothes faded back into the rags they were created from.

"Genie. I make my first wish," Lucius announced. Sirius appeared, the manacles bright around his wrists. He watched Remus, desperate to get to him. "I wish to be king."

"Sirius, no!" Remus shouted.

"Your wish... " Sirius muttered, clicking his fingers. The gold and red drapes turned into green and silver with a snake appearing instead of a lion. The crown from Charlus' head floated over to Lucius' and the queen's tiara disappeared.

"You. Away." With a click of Lucius' fingers, James went flying across the room away from where he had been trying to free his parents. "Take a look at your betrothed now."

James looked at Remus floating in the air and Remus struggled against the spell.

"Romulus?"

"Remus," Remus whispered. "I'm not… I'm not a prince. I'm sorry."

"I knew it was you," James replied. "I knew who you were when you came to me in the garden. I don't care that you're not who you say you are, you're still the man who saved me a few days ago." He turned to Lucius. "Let them all go."

Lucius smirked as Remus was lowered to the ground. "You may want to say your goodbyes," he ordered. "I think this is the last you'll see of each other."

James rushed to Remus, helping him off the floor. "I'll save you," he promised.

Sirius rushed over, grabbing Remus and holding him tightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Had I not sulked, you wouldn't have left the lamp, I—"

"Why did you sulk?"

"Please don't interrupt me," Sirius insisted. "Remus, ever since I met you, I've known you were different. I was jealous. I love you and you just wanted James. It was stupid of me to act like that. I know he's a good man and would look after you, yet I let my feelings get in the way of my job. I guess this is goodbye. I've never met anyone I've ever felt like this for before."

Before Remus could speak, Sirius had caught his lips in a soft kiss and Remus couldn't help but bring his hands up to return it. This is what the kiss with James had been missing: the fireworks. The kiss was everything he wanted and he realised something at that moment.

He would give everything he had wished for up, just for Sirius.

"Return, Genie," Lucius ordered. "That's quite enough of that."

Sirius reached for Remus, but the lamp dragged him away.

Lucius snapped his fingers once more and the doors opened. The guards standing there took in Lucius with the crown and rushed forward, but Lucius held up his cane and the snake glowed red. The guards stopped in their tracks.

"You and you," he pointed to the first two. "One of you will take the previous king and queen to the dungeons. The other will take the prince and the fake prince outside to be executed."

Lucius smirked as they nodded. "Unless the prince wants to sit by my side?" he purred.

"I'd rather die," James spat as a guard grabbed him and Remus, holding a sword out.

Dorea and Charlus were forced out and the other two followed and Sirius could do nothing to save Remus. Not until Lucius had used the last two wishes and he wasn't bound to him anymore.

...oOo...

James stared at the redhead who was clutching a frying pan and staring at him in panic.

"Lily, are you okay?" he asked.

"He was trying to kill you," she whispered. "Why?"

"Lucius has the guards under his spell," James explained. "He has a lamp and we need to get to my parents."

Remus stared the way they had come. "If I can get the lamp, I can wish for everything to go back to how it was," he said, turning his attention to James.

Lily stared at him. "You look familiar."

"I was pretending to be a prince but there's no time for that conversation now," Remus said, "We have to save Sirius."

"Remus… are you in love with Sirius?"

Remus froze at the words. "I… I'm sorry, James."

"Don't be. I'm relieved actually. I love someone else too," he explained. "I'll reward you for saving my life before, but I think we should cancel this wedding, Remus. You want to be with Sirius and I want to be with Lily."

Remus nodded. "More than anything," he admitted. "Help me save Sirius. If we can get the lamp, I've got two wishes left… though one of them needs to be to free Sirius. We can use that wish to stop Lucius."

"Do you have a plan?"

"What's the one thing he wants that he doesn't have?" Remus asked.

"I don't know," James replied.

"You," Remus insisted. "You go in there and you seduce him away from that lamp. Lily, you bring him to the door. Say that the guard told you to bring him back as he changed his mind and leave. I'm going to get Sirius' broom from the room and I'll come in through the window."

"I have to seduce him?" James paled at the idea.

"He may be evil, but he's not ugly at least," Lily pointed out. "Whatever you do, I know it's because of you needing to save everyone."

James turned to her. "I will find a way to marry you, Lily," he promised. "I shouldn't have ended things. I should have stood up to my parents."

"I understood why you did what you did," Lily replied. She smiled between them. "Let's do this."

...oOo...

Getting the broom was easy. Remus was used to hiding in the shadows and being invisible. It worked just as well in the castle.

On the way back, he chose to go on the broom and out of the window. He was uncertain on the broom but knew that this was about saving Sirius from Lucius. Of course he wanted to save everyone, but Sirius was his priority.

He made it into the window without detection, spotting James kneeling halfway across the room from Lucius, bowing his head whilst Lucius just watched him. Lily was standing frozen by the door, her eyes wide.

"K… King Lucius, perhaps I should leave. I must get dinner started," Lily said. "I would hate for you to have your first meal as king delayed."

"I'd rather you watch your lover pledge himself to me," Lucius replied, standing from the throne. He approached James, using his cane to lift James' head. "I accept your offer," he said. James' mother's crown flew into the air and twisted itself around, the colour changing to white gold and the ruby stones turning to emerald. "Come, my prince. Sit by my side. "

James stood and his eyes darted to Remus. "Yes, my king," he said, leaning forward and crashing their lips together urgently. Lucius' hand came up to the back of James' neck, holding him tightly in place as he deepened the kiss and Remus silently dropped behind the throne and reached for the lamp.

"Genie, I wish for Lucius to have none of his magical powers," Remus said, causing Lucius to roughly shove James away and spin around.

Sirius appeared quickly. "Done," he said. Lucius dropped to the floor as his magic drained from him. The cane that had been in his hand melted until it was a puddle of silver and shards of wood on the floor.

Remus walked past Sirius and over to James.

"Do you want me to make you a prince again?" Sirius asked.

"No. I think James wants to wish that the laws would change so he could marry anyone he wants," Remus said, handing the lamp over. James grinned at him.

"I wish that the law would change to allow me to marry anyone," he said.

Sirius snapped his fingers. "Done. So... " he looked sadly between Remus and James as Remus took the lamp back.

"Sirius… I wish for your freedom," Remus said, using his third wish up. Sirius stared at him for a long moment, until he realised the manacles that were attached to his wrists were fading away. The golden and red swirls that connected him to the lamp faded, leaving him with legs once more and the flow from the lamp dulled until it was clear it was nothing but an old lamp.

"Remus?" Sirius whispered, stumbling towards him. "Why did you use that wish on me?

"Because I love you too," Remus admitted. "It never felt right with James and I believe it was because I met you and I fell for you. I want to have my future with you, wherever we end up and not in the castle with James."

"But he wants to marry whoever—"

"He's in love with Lily who works in the kitchens," Remus added. "Did you mean what you said - that you love me?"

Sirius nodded. "And you choose me?" he checked.

It was Remus' turn to nod. "Of course I do," he said softly. "Wherever we end up, I don't care. As long as I get to be with you."

"Actually, wherever you end up will be a house on the edge of town. I had planned to give it to you as a reward. Some gold too," James said. "Plus a standing invite to come to the castle whenever you want. I also spoke to my parents the day after I met you about doing something about the people in the kingdom who need help. Things are going to change."

"You'd do all that for me?" Remus asked curiously.

"Yeah. I… I do like you. Maybe not as a future husband or lover, but I care about you. You're my friends. Both of you. It's not often I can trust someone as much as I trust you. You went hungry to help a stranger and that kindness must be paid forwards."

"But I lied to you."

"You did, but you didn't do it to hurt me or out of malice so I can overlook that. Everything has ended well."

The guards entered the room and James quickly issued the orders for them to take Lucius and lock him up, and for them to free his parents.

...oOo...

Remus was riding in the royal carriage towards the house, stealing kisses of his beloved, when he glanced out of the window and saw a familiar face. The young boy was watching, hoping for gold to be thrown.

Remus called for the carriage to stop.

"I can't leave him out there," Remus said, turning to Sirius.

"I know. I saw you with him before. Is he family?"

"The closest I had to one," Remus admitted. "Teddy looks to me for help. It gave me a purpose out there - to have someone to look out for. When I was in the castle, I planned to find a way to get him a job there so he'd never have to worry again."

"James said the house was big and we have more gold than we know what to do with. Why not adopt a kid whilst we're at it." Sirius flicked his wrist and the door of the carriage opened.

Remus smiled and leaned out. "Teddy. Come here."

The boy shyly moved forward to the carriage. "Remus?" he whispered.

"Would you like to be a part of our family?" Remus asked.

Teddy looked at the joined hands. "Are you going to be my dads?" he asked softly, looking at them with hope in his eyes.

Remus opened his mouth, unsure how to answer but Sirius chuckled. "Yes. That's exactly what we plan to be. How about it, kid. We have a house and you'll never have to beg or steal or go hungry again. You'll have a family and you'll come to the castle and meet the prince when we go to see him." Sirius leaned closer to the boy who was hanging on his every word. "We're best friends with Prince James. In fact, you'll get to come to his wedding with us. We're honoured guests."

Teddy nodded his head and Sirius and Remus helped him into the carriage where he sat, staring at the two men in shock.

"I'm scared that I'll wake up and this will all have been a dream," the small boy admitted.

Remus chuckled. "You and me both, Teddy," he replied softly. "But it's not a dream. I promise you that."

This ended up a lot longer than expected. Thanks to everyone who helped and to Lizzy for betaing.

Review Please :)