—Two Years Later—

A long sigh parted Remus' lips as he fiddled with the lock on the door. How he hated the stupid thing; no matter how hard he tried, or how gentle he tried to slide the key into the lock, it would always take forever to get the door open. In the beginning, the lock had managed to get on his nerves so much, that he had resigned to using magic to open it. However, this did not bode well for the werewolf, for he found his hand being electrocuted. Why, he wondered, out of all the ways Sirius could have protected the house, why enchanted keyholes? At last the lock gave way; Remus then re-shouldered several bags and pushed the door open. "I'm home!" He called out, pulling off his scarf, and then set the bags on a small table near the door.

Within only a moment, Sirius had bounded into the front room and had swept Remus up in an embrace, planting a kiss on his lips. "Happy Birthday, Moony!" He grinned, releasing him, but soon taking his hand. "How was work?" He asked after a moment.

"Alright, I guess," the honey blonde said with a shrug, the blush still vivid in his cheeks. They had been living together for almost two years, but Sirius' kisses never failed to put some color into Remus' cheeks. "Nothing too exciting." The now-nineteen year old Lupin boy had taken up a job at Flourish and Blotts, and enjoyed it very much. Even if the day was uneventful, he could still spend it reading.

"Then you should have stayed home with me. I mean, come on, who works on their birthday? Even I took the day off."

Remus laughed as Sirius began pulling him into the kitchen. "Sirius, you always take days off; I'm surprised they even let you keep your job."

Shoving the shorter with his shoulder, Sirius snorted. "Oh, hush, you." He then pointed to the kitchen table, which sat a pile of presents and letters. "Those are for you. And James said he and Lily would come over later. Oh!" Releasing his hand, Sirius hurried over to the table, grabbing a cream colored envelope. "I think you should read it now; it's from Dumbledore, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't usually send birthday cards."

Remus nodded, taking the letter; inside contained a letter from their former headmaster, and a smaller envelope. Deciding to read the letter from Dumbledore first, golden eyes began scanning over the words.

Dear Mr. Lupin,
I certainly do hope this letter finds you well, and very close to your nineteenth birthday, I believe. You're probably wondering why you're receiving this letter, and unbeknownst to you, you have been causing a great disturbance with some of the current students here at Hogwarts. Do not be alarmed, though; it really is no fault of your own, but that of your former professors. Since I am probably only adding to your confusion, this old man will draw to a close. I hope you enjoy the enclosed letter.
Sincerely Yours,
Albus Dumbledore

P.S. Have a wonderful nineteenth birthday.

He blinked a few deliberate times, obviously confused at the letter's contents. "I'm causing a disturbance? How?" Remus asked, looking over to Sirius who had taken the letter and was reading it as well.

Sirius looked up, placing the Headmaster's letter on the table. "We'll never know until you open the other letter..."

"Oh, right..." Remus tore back the envelope opening, his nose twitching at the vaguely familiar scent of pine. A smile crossed his lips as he unfolded the second letter.

Dear Remus,
I don't know if you know who I am, but I'm Romulus Lupin and, apparently, your younger brother. I didn't even think I had a brother. But I guess that explains a lot of things, like the room down the hallway at home. I wondered why it was always locked, but I guess that was because of you. Did you not want to meet me? All right, I know that's not true, Dumbledore explained a lot of it. He said that mum and dad didn't want me to know about you, but still...I have a brother!
Haha, all right, so let me tell you how I came to find out about you.
When I got to Hogwarts, I stood in line waiting to be sorted. Professor McGonagall called my name, and looked very surprised to see me, but she nevertheless put the Hat on my head. And then it started talking!
It said "Ahh, another Lupin. Good mind you have, like your father...but also like your brother, yet you and he have such strong hearts. My, this is a close one. Gryffindor? Or Ravenclaw?"
I'm not really sure if I said it or thought it, but I said "What brother? I'm an only child, there must be some mistake."
The Sorting Hat laughed. "This seems like a good decision," it said.
"What are you talking about?"
The next thing I knew, it was shouting "Gryffindor!"
It's really cool, being in Gryffindor. Everyone's really nice, and I think I'll try out for Quidditch when I'm older. And that is, if I can ever get the hang of all of this schoolwork!
Oh yeah...back to the story.
Once we got back to the common room, I noticed Professor McGonagall was still staring at me. I finally asked her if there was something wrong.
She apologized, saying something like "You definitely look like a Lupin...you even have his eyes." Which, I thought was crazy, because dad's eyes are green, not gold, like mine.
Things settled down for the night, and I went to bed feeling nervous. But the next morning in my classes, all of the professors mentioned how much I looked like you, or how I was as smart as you were at my age. I tried to convince myself there was no way I could have a brother, and tried to push it out of mind; the professors did eventually stop bringing you up, but I still wondered if I really did have a brother. I decided over Christmas Holiday to ask mum and dad about it.
When I asked them, they got really upset; mum started yelling in French and dad went upstairs and I heard a lot of crashes and booms. (I really hope they didn't find you during the holiday.) But they denied ever knowing about you. So, when I went back to school, I started asking abut you, and finally in mid-February, Dumbledore finally consented to tell me.
So...yeah!
I wish I could meet you sometime. Maybe you could come see me at Hogwarts, if it's allowed. I'm pretty sure it is, but I'll go double check with Dumbledore.
All right! He said it was fine. So come see me soon, okay?
Your little Brother,
Romulus

P.S. Happy Birthday!

—Later that Day—

Lily handed the letter back to Remus with a warm smile on her rosy lips. "That's so sweet, Remus; are you planning on going to see him some time soon?"

"Pfft, of course he is and we're going to tag along too." Sirius said, shoving another forkful of cake into his mouth. "There's no way I'm missing a chance to meet this mini-Remus, plus, I'm sure the teachers will be thrilled to see me again. You and Lils should come along too. Wha'd'you say, Prongs?" He twirled his fork absentmindedly between his fingers while looking expectantly at James. "I'm sure McGonagall has been missing us."

"Sirius, it's not your pla—"

James nudged Lily, grinning. "Oh, relax, Lily. They've obviously talked about it, and you can't honestly tell me that you don't want to meet Romulus." Looking up, he then nudged Remus with his foot. "What do you say, Moony?"

Remus, who had been re-reading the letter for what was probably the thirtieth time that day, finally looked up. "Pardon…what?"

Letting out a laugh, Sirius ruffled his honey blonde hair, and then asked "Do you want all of us to come with you?"

Moony's face suddenly fell, flooding with worry. "Y-Yes! Of course! I'm so worried, what if he doesn't like me? Or what if my parents told him to hate me? Or what if he just hates me? Ughhh…"

The other two Marauders sighed, giving a sympathetic smile. Of course, leave it to Remus to worry about something such as this. Lily laughed softly, placing her hand on Remus'. "He'll adore you, Remus. You are probably the best brother anyone could have."

"Thanks…" Remus mumbled, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

A moment of silence fell over the four of them, each lost in their own thoughts. They were only drawn out of their silent repose when the clock donned eleven.

James stood with a sigh, looking genuinely unhappy. "Merlin…is it really already eleven?" He then held out his hand to Lily, who took it and got to her feet as well. "Damn work…well, anyways!" Suddenly brightening, he clasped Remus' shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Happy Birthday, mate."

Standing, Remus smiled again. "Thanks, James."

"Thanks for having us over Remus! I hope your birthday was nice." Lily embraced him, and then returned to James, who was speaking with Sirius by the door.

"Oi, Moony, just let us know when you want to go. We'll be there; promise." A large, boyish grin suddenly spread across James' face. "I solemnly swear…"

Sirius grinned, his nose wrinkling. "That I'm up to no good."

They turned to look at Remus, who was trying to hold back a laugh.

"No, I will not say it."

"C'mon, Moons. You have to."

"I do not."

"Just for old time's sake?"

Remus finally let out the laugh. "James, do you really consider two years ago 'old times'? And besides, no thanks to you two being ridiculously careless, we don't even have the map anymore…"

Poking him the ribs, Sirius sent him a kicked-puppy pout— a look he did quite well. "Oh, come on, Remus! And besides, it's not like it'd be much use to us anymore."

"Oh, fine!" He let out a loud exaggerated sigh, then broke out into a childish smile. "Mischief managed!"

All three of them laughed after Remus had finished, all the while Lily watched, smiling and shaking her head. They said another final round of 'Happy Birthday's and goodbyes before Lily and James apparated home.

Shutting the door after them, Remus suddenly found himself slung over Sirius' shoulder, being carried up the stairs. Laughing, Remus squirmed around, only to find Sirius' grip on him tightening. "You know, I'm quite capable of walking by myself."

"Yes, I do know; but Heaven forbid the Birthday Boy walk." Sirius fell quiet as he continued on his way, eventually ending at his destination— his room— and gently flopped Remus onto the bed. Nimble fingers began undoing the buttons of the black button-up shirt he had been wearing, then he gently shrugged it off, earning a curious glance from Remus.

Only a moment later, the Lupin boy sat up, wondering why the other had gotten so quiet. "Sirius, what are you do—" However, his inquiry was cut short by his sweater, which was trying to force itself up, over his head. "You could have just asked," Remus said, helping the sweater along, and then tossed it on the floor.

"I don't know," Sirius replied, tapping his wand against his chin. "It's sexier this way because I get a say in it."

"But you always have a say—"

"Remus," the taller boy began, tossing his wand onto the dresser. A sudden playful grin appeared on his lips as he strode over to the bed, gently untying the ribbon that kept Lupin's hair off his face. "Just shut up." With that, Sirius cupped Remus' face with his hands, pressing his lips to the smaller boy's.

The two of them fell back on the bed, both hardly daring to breathe; breaking the kiss wasn't worth the air. It wasn't long before Padfoot's tongue was tracing his lips, seeking entry, which was instantly granted. Sirius' arms were wrapped about Remus so tightly, Remus wondered if Sirius was worried about suddenly losing him. But why would he be worried about that? He certainly didn't plan on leaving; he would stay as long as Sirius wanted him. And even if he did leave, for whatever reason, it wouldn't be like he would be able to stop loving him.

At last Sirius relinquished his lips' hold on Remus', his stormy gray eyes filled with some internal conflict. "Remus…" He almost moaned, pressing kisses against the boy's neck and collar bone. "Can I?" His question dropped to a whisper; the self restraint in his voice and actions was beginning to slip.

That subject had been rarely touched upon over the course of the two years. When it had, however, Remus found his way around it, but usually hated himself for doing so. While it seemed as Sirius was all right with his decision, Remus knew better— how the friendly conversations were just a temporary façade to cover his feelings until the rejection had finally left his mind. But it wasn't only awkward on one side; oh no, no, no. While Sirius could some how muster enough self dignity to carry on pleasant conversation, Remus could hardly stand to be in the same room as his friend. But…they had been together for a while. And Sirius had done so much for him. It was only fair, right?

Propping himself up on his elbow, Remus brushed the waves of ebony away, leaning close to Sirius' ear. Despite his ever-growing nervousness, he still managed to laugh. "Go easy on me, 'kay?" He whispered, and then let himself fall back on the bed, trying to smile. It was a lot harder to do so when one couldn't hear their own thoughts over the rapid thudding of their heart.

"What?" Sirius asked, caught slightly off guard. However, from the shock of the answer, the conflict in his eyes was beginning to dissolve. "Remus, are you sure? It's all right, I just…it's getting—"

"Sirius, think of it as my birthday present," grinning, Remus continued. "Just shut up and give it to me."

Despite Remus' outward calmness about it, Sirius cradled his friend, laying his head on Remus' shoulder. "You don't have to try to be so brave…" He whispered, his lips moving against the other's neck.

"Is that what you call this?" Remus asked, trying to hold back a nervous laugh. After a moment he fell quiet, trying to muster every bit of courage his nineteen year old body could give him. "Sirius, I love you. I love you more than anything I could ever have; I'm yours…and…a-and I'm ready."

Shoving himself up, Sirius raised a brow. "Remus, don't lie to me…"

"I'm not lying…" He said feebly, but somehow managed to say it.

He smiled and shook his head. "Oh, God…Remus Lupin, I'm glad you're ready…because I can't tell you how long I've waited for you to say that!" The characteristically Sirius grin appeared on his lips as his nimble fingers went along undoing Remus' pants in only a matter of seconds, then tossed them to the floor, joining their shirts.

With the sudden lack of fabric on his lower body, he shivered, biting down on his lower lip— hard.

"Remus…" A sigh parted Sirius' lips, his demeanor dampening. After a moment he spoke again, placing his thumb on Remus' lower lip, trying to free it from the death grip his teeth was giving it. "It's all right, really…don't push yourself for me, just go to bed, or someth— Oww!" He recoiled his hand placing his thumb to his own lips. "You bit me!"

His expression was torn, as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to be scowling or laughing. "Yes, I bit you. Don't send me to bed, you're not my mother."

"That wasn't what I was trying to say."

Remus rolled his eyes, swiping Sirius' arms from out beneath him and rolled him over, so now that he was sitting on Sirius' stomach. "Well, then maybe you shouldn't be saying anything, and maybe it wouldn't kill you to listen to me. Look, I'm a little scared, all right? But that doesn't mean I'm not willing." He bent over, placing a kiss on Sirius' forehead. "I trust you, so just trust me."

Pulling Remus off him, Sirius smiled. "I do trust you. But look how skinny you are…I could throw you across the room." He suddenly frowned, "Not that I would, I mean—"

"Padfoot…it's all right. Just…yeah…" Words were beginning to fail young Mr. Lupin; what exactly was one supposed to say under this situation?

"Right, right…" Even Sirius had trailed off, but at least he had managed to be productive about it. In that short amount of time, he stripped himself of pants, already turning his attention back to Remus. A smirk rippled across his lips as he briefly scanned Remus' body, once more looking back into the golden eyes. "Are you happy to see me, Remmy?" He asked teasingly, then slid the boy's boxers off, his hands lingering on the werewolf's upper thighs.

"Sirius…" Remus mumbled, looking away. He was already feeling so self-conscious.

Kissing his chest, Sirius laughed a little. "Oh, come on, Remus, you're expecting this to end in some kind of disaster; you need to lighten up. A-And," his voice quivered slightly, "If you really don't want to do this…it's all right."

Shaking his head, he still avoided looking at Sirius. "No…I've already ruled out that option…"

"Good," he said, sounding both pleased and relieved. "Now…um, this will probably hurt a little. If it gets too bad, just let me know, all right?"

What the hell could he have possibly been thinking? This was the craziest idea he'd ever had. Why, out of all nights, had he finally consented to doing the thing he had avoided for two years? It didn't make any—OWWW. Oh, good fucking Merlin, a little?! Was Sirius mad?! A sharp breath was drawn through clenched teeth, fingers curling tightly about the sheets. Maybe it just him…but wasn't this supposed feel good?

"R-Remus…?" Sirius asked tentatively. While there was definitely hesitation in his voice, there was certainly no hesitation in his actions. He hated to see Remus look like this, but it was something that had to be done.

All right, so having Sirius inside him was definitely not as pleasant as he thought it would be. "Not a word, Sirius," he growled, golden eyes misting with pain.

Sirius nodded, taking one of Remus' hands in his free one, lacing their fingers together. "All right, it's going to hurt again…" He said softly, placing a kiss on Lupin's stomach, slowly pressing another digit into the boy's trembling body.

"Nnn!! Sirius!" Remus groaned, his grip on both Sirius' hand and the sheets tightening. "C-Can't you just— nnnn!!"

"Just hold on a little more, Moony…" He whispered, trying to be as soothing as possible. "I don't want to hurt you any more than this…"

He wanted to laugh, oh yes, he wanted to laugh…but Remus hurt too much to laugh. "Sirius…please…" Remus begged, tears spilling down his cheeks, onto the sheets he was beginning to fear was going to rip under his grip.

"Just a little more…" Sirius repeated, cringing as Remus' nails sunk further into the back of his hand. At last, he removed his fingers, his face looking as pained as Remus'. How he hated that look of absolute pain on the werewolf's features. "Are you all right?"

Almost on the verge of not being able to answer, Remus somehow managed to nod his head. "…y-yeah…I'm fine…" No, he wasn't. But he was doing it for Sirius, and that was the only thing he had set his mind on. He had to somehow get through this, just for Sirius. Laying there, trying to regain control of his breathing, he heard Sirius pull off his own boxers before his frowning face appeared above his, the black hair tickling his face. "W-What?" Remus asked, raising a brow.

"You look bloody awful, perhaps we should st—"

Remus shook his head, "I already…told you…no." A look of surprise crossed the werewolf's face a moment later, as he watched Sirius pause, chewing on his lower lip; something he never did, and was often irritated with whenever Remus did it.

At last, Sirius looked back down to Remus, a mixed expression on his face. "All right…so, I'm not sure how this might work…but…I think it might be a little easier on you." With that, he slid his arms around Remus' back, lifting him into a sitting position close his body. "You'll hate me for this either way, but, you'll have to relax into it…but I can support you, and you can hold onto me…"

Laying his head up against Sirius' chest, he nodded, draping his arms over shoulders. So, even Sirius realized Remus wasn't coping well this, did that give him permission to flat out say he wanted to never do this again?

Without so much as a noise, Sirius lifted Remus by the waist so he was positioned over his ever-growing erection. "Just try to relax, Remus…remember I'm here if you need me…just hold on."

This was never going to work. At the first touch, every muscle in Remus' body seemed to tense. Shaking his head, he bit down on his lip; it couldn't work…it wouldn't work. It hurt too much. "I-I c-can't…"

"You just have to relax, Remus."

"I c-can't!" The metallic taste of blood seeped into his mouth as a few of his teeth had managed to rip the skin of his lip.

Soft concern was suddenly in Sirius' voice as he shifted his weight, so he could take Remus' chin in his hand. "Remus…it's all right, I'm here…I'm right here with you. You can do this…Remus, look at me…" Gray eyes desperately scanned the werewolf's face, trying to hold his gaze. "Please…look at me…I-…I love you, Remus." With that, Sirius gently pressed a kiss against Remus' bleeding lips.

The kiss had distracted him, but it was the words that had completely caught him off guard. His body had relaxed, allowing Sirius to slip into him. However, while the phrase had been enough for a distraction, it didn't take away from the sharp pain that coursed through his lower body. "Nnnngaaah!!" He pressed his face into the crook of Sirius' neck, biting on his lip, willing himself to just somehow cope with new pain.

"Shhh, it's all right…I've got you, mate…just hold on…"

They spent the next several minutes not moving, simply Sirius holding onto Remus, gently rubbing his back. "Hey, why don't we stop, hmm? I'll get you to bed…everything'll be all right." As he shifted his weight, ready to follow through with his word, he felt the frail grasp around his back tighten.

"…n-…n-no…" Remus mumbled feebly, concentrating solely on speaking. "D-don't…give up on m-me…"

"Never…" Sirius turned to look at Remus, and then smiled. "You're still the craziest person I know."

A frown pulled on the corner of Remus' lips, and his eyes narrowed as he lifted his head. "I-I'll kill you…"

"And when, my love, are you planning on doing this?"

"…geh…j-just shut up…"

Kissing the werewolf's forehead, he smiled again. "Then let's finish this. Hold on to me, I'll go slow…"

Sirius had laid him back down on the mattress and he had struggled not to look like he was cringing. Too bad that didn't work. Oh, Merlin…Oh, God…whoever it was…please, please, please let him get through this. A groan had escaped his lips as Sirius had begun moving again. All right, in and out…in and out…it shouldn't be this painful for something so simple. At least he had managed to subdue his vocal pain to simple whimpering. Ugh, this was torture. Remus couldn't get used to the rocking motion…he wasn't even sure if there was even a rocking motion; either way, there was pain, and he was really starting to hate it. "S-Sirius…" Maybe he really should have taken him up on his offer…he could be sleeping right now. Sleeping sounded really nice. "…it's…nnnggg—ahhhhh…"

A large grin rippled over Sirius' lips as he heard the sudden difference in Remus' tone. "Is it better now, Moony?" He asked, his voice now lower and huskier.

The groans of pain had become moans of pleasure; the werewolf was finally starting to appreciate this. Gracefully arching his back, his grip on Sirius' arms tightened, the two Marauders began moving as one. It was a little while later, they climaxed, their cries filling the room, as Sirius slipped out of him, somehow managing to collapse next to the panting werewolf.

Remus' eyes were shut, his body shaking, his bloody, pale lips parted and quivering, every inch of his skin slick with sweat. Blind and needy, his arms somehow found strength to try and reach for Sirius.

With an exhausted smile, he took Remus in his arms, letting his warm breath caress his face. Snuggling closer, he placed a soft kiss on Remus' swollen, bloody, wonderful lips. "I love you, Remus Lupin." He whispered, then kissed his moist forehead. Sirius couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with a feeling of pride, this beautiful werewolf was finally his; Remus had done it, he had gotten through it. "Thank you…"

He thought he had heard thank you, but he wasn't really sure. Everything seemed darker than normal, even with his eyes closed. 'It was all so lovely…maybe if I could just…'

Sirius smiled once again as Remus' breathing steadied, lovingly holding his sleeping Moony. "Happy Birthday."

—The Next Morning—

Stirring as hair brushed his cheek, a soft, drowsy smile came to Remus' lips as he rolled over, pulling the blanket closer to his face. He didn't want to wake up just yet; he was having such a wonderful dream. It would probably never happen, so the longer the dream could last, the better.

"Good morning, my Moony," a voice whispered. A hand then found his, the one that was holding the blanket to his chin, and intertwined their fingers.

Wait.

What?

Golden eyes flitted open, staring into Sirius' smiling face. Wait, so that dream— Oh, Merlin, that would mean— Oh, Merlin. He felt the warmth flood into his cheeks, as he pulled the blanket fully over his head. Wanting to squirm away from the arms wrapping about his torso, Remus felt himself unable to move; each touch was like some sweet intoxicating sensation. It was like the Mind-Numbing Chocolate he loved so much; it did just that. It was so completely mind-numbing, he wished it would stop, but so sweet, so addictive, it would be like he would die without it.

He heard Sirius laugh, his voice huskier than normal, sort of like last night—…Oh, Merlin…. "Why are you hiding, Remus?" He then felt Sirius snuggling closer, his face emerging under the blanket. A smirk appeared on his lips as he scanned the smaller boy's face. "You're blushing…Merlin, Rem, you're so cute." With that, he kissed the tip of Remus' nose, pulling the werewolf closer.

With his face pressed against Sirius' chest, he relaxed as the soft pounding of Sirius' heart reached his ears. Fabric brushed his leg, pulling him out of his reprieve. He didn't remember putting boxers on after—…well that, and the bed smelled like clean sheets. So that would mean… "Sirius?" He asked after a minute, tilting his head up. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Sirius frowned, looking down to meet the werewolf's inquiring gaze. "I thought you were all right with it…"

"Oh, no, no, no! Not that, I mean what happened after last night? This is my room, isn't it?"

"Ohhh," letting out a sigh of relief, Sirius lost his frown. "I figured you'd freak if we fell asleep like that, so I ended up giving us a bath." He laughed, continuing. "Both of us being half asleep, it was kind of hard…but bloody hell, it was fun. So then, I carried you in here, and I was going to go clean my room, but you looked so cute, I just mooched a pair of your boxers and fell asleep with you. Sorry…"

He did what? Something about the whole ritual brought the blush back to Remus' cheeks. Reaching up he took Sirius' face in his hands and smiled. "Thank you, Padfoot." With that, he kissed him, letting his hands trail upwards, his fingers entwining with the soft, smooth black hair. Oh, how Remus loved that man. And he had said it. He had finally said it. "I love you, Remus". Thinking about it now, he could have exploded with happiness.

And apparently, the happiness had been felt through the kiss, because Sirius smiled against Remus' lips.

They stayed like that for what seemed to be forever, locked in each other's arms, playing some sort of kissing tag. It was then that Remus' alarm went off; it was time to go to work soon.

An half irritated, half disappointed sigh passed between Sirius' lips as he released Remus. "I guess you should go get ready, or something…Merlin," he moaned. "That means I have to get ready too…"

Snaking his hand around the back of Sirius' neck, he pulled the Black boy towards him, letting their lips barely touch. "Don't," he whispered, once again kissing Sirius. "We're calling in sick."

"Moony, that's the best idea you've had in a long time."

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A/N.

Wow. So this is waaay over-due. But if you want the truth…I totally forgot I had a fan-fic account. :c I know. I am a fail.

Anyways, I would like to apologize for all of Rem's bitching during the hanky-panky. I re-read it…and I wanted to kick myself in the head. It really shouldn't have hurt that much…but…ahm. I guess Rem's just a pansyass. Literally.