"Sirius Black, you are a right sodding git." The words hung in the air emptily, for they had no ears to fall upon. Remus J. Lupin, resident werewolf, aged 17 was standing alone in the dorm he shared with the other seventh year boys, including none other than his best friend. His own reflection stared back at him from the mirror, reminding him of just how flawed he was, and how nobody would ever want someone like him.

Why was Sirius a git? That, at least, was something simple that could be easily explained. Padfoot was the one responsible for making Remus feel like he could want someone and even possibly be wanted back. But no! His best friend had betrayed him without even knowing he'd done anything wrong. Strutting through the common room door with a Ravenclaw girl on one arm and a lazy, content smirk on his face, that look had cut Remus deeper than any scratch, scrape or insult ever had.

"I hate you so much… that I'm afraid I might just be in love with you."

No. That sounded horrible. The werewolf ran a hand through his still-damp hair and shook his head, attempting to purge the thoughts of a certain animagus. Such a feat was near-impossible, though, when you've thought of nothing else for the past three years. Never turned your head to glance at another person, nobody catching your eye quite like he did.

And it wasn't just his looks, either. Sirius had captured Remus's heart as well as his eye, and therefore held every fiber of the boy's being wrapped around himself, completely oblivious to such power. That power was greater than any the seventh year had ever even considered able to exist. Just a single, rough laugh from the raven-haired teenager could set his head to spinning and his knees to buckling. It simply wasn't fair, but Remus had gotten used to life not being such.

He'd never forget the day he was told that because of a new law passed by the Ministry, he would never be able to hold a well-paying job, much less have a fair standing in the wizarding community. And who else had been there to comfort him but Sirius Black, his infatuation and his savior. In a private moment they'd never shared with anyone, the ex-heir to the fortunes of the most noble house of Black had gotten on the floor with him and held him as tightly as he could, promising him things that he'd never thought he could have.

But now, he reminded himself, he knew he couldn't have those things, no matter how much he wanted them. Sirius had made his choice, and not been subtle about it either. Remus flashed himself a smile in the mirror, but it didn't meet his eyes at all; they were brown, empty and soulless. Perhaps Sirius, in all his near-sighted ways, wouldn't notice.

The young man slipped on his top-most robe and headed down the stairs into the common room, where he found several students playing chess in the back, though they didn't concern him at all. His main interest was currently lounging on one of the comfortable sofas before the fire, reveling in the warmth it provided against the freezing cold outside the castle.

The aforementioned teen glanced up when he saw Remus come down the stairs, and offered a bright grin. "Moony!" he greeted, seeming completely cheerful. How could he sound so happy when just last night he'd completely crushed the werewolf's world right in front of him? "You slept late, you lazy bugger."

Remus attempted a weak smile in response. "Only because you made me do all your homework last night, you lazy pig." A feeble retort, but it would do for now. He sank into one of the chairs, grateful for the warmth and comfort of their common room, which so many took for granted. He could only imagine what winter would be like in the dungeons for the Slytherins… The werewolf shuddered at the thought, and the idea was quickly banished from his brain.

"Do you remember," Remus wondered out loud, tilting his head as he stared into the fire, "back in our fifth year…"

"-When I swore on the moon to stay with you forever?" Sirius finished for him, and Remus sent a glance in his direction, expression mixed somewhere in between relief and dread. "Of course. I wouldn't forget a promise like that, Moony. Honestly, what do you take me for?"

"A very cruel person, my dear Padfoot," he returned, a sad smile falling into place.

"Cruel? Mister Moony, I'll have you know that although I may be sadistic and charmingly cunning, I will not have myself be described as cruel. I demand to know what led you to such a conclusion!"

Of course. Sirius thought that this was a game. Everything was a game with him… "The way you toy with me, all the time. Pressing my buttons just to see if you can get a reaction out of me. Sooner or later, Sirius, I'm not going to be able to just laugh everything off!"

That was unexpected, and it was evident on Sirius's face that it had taken him by surprise. All laughter had faded, replaced by serious (no pun intended) confusion. "What? Laugh what off?"

"All your jokes! Your playful seductions, your pretending to care!" Remus's voice had risen angrily on the last syllable, and at this point they had the attention of most of the people currently occupying the common room. And for once, he didn't care. "Do you have any idea what it can do to a person? I don't know if you really meant all those things you said, or if you were just screwing with my head!" Tears were welling up, but they didn't fall, and Remus was half certain they were more from frustration than anything else.

Then Sirius did the unthinkable. He laughed.

He laughed that gorgeous, raspy laugh that Remus had grown to love, and all anger simply melted off him, leaving him slightly dazed. The tears he'd been holding back fell like rain, and he averted his eyes in shame.

"Not care about you? Moony, for such a genius, I'd say you were pretty bloody thick!"

Not the response Remus had been expecting. His head snapped up, and the werewolf fixed his friend with a long, hard gaze. "I don't see what's so funny," he growled. Again, the flare of anger was extinguished rather quickly as the animagus stood from his spot on the couch and came to lean over his distressed friend in a taunting manner.

A smug smirk was plastered in his lips, "I love you, you stupid wanker."

Without any time at all to process what had just been said to him, Remus found himself completely swallowed by the raven-haired teen's mouth, though he was quick to return the favor. Three years of desire, previously pent up, escaped and proceeded to wreak havoc on all coherent thought, which earned several whistles from the growing crowd in the common room as more students came to see what all the fuss was a bout.

That was, until Remus pulled away quickly, holding Sirius at arm's length. "What about the girl?"

"I just wanted to see you pout."

Thwack.

"Ow! Moony! What was that for!?" Sirius demanded, rubbing the side of his head where Remus had cuffed him.

"For being a right sodding git. So I demand that you make it up to me right this instant."

"Here? Now? On the chair? Moony, I had no idea you were so –"

THWACK.

-Fin-