Title: It Happened Like This

Rating: NC-17

Pairing:b Remus/Sirius

Summary: AU. Remus was never bitten. His time at Hogwarts is marked by a somewhat antagonistic friendship with Sirius as they both compete over the years for James' attention.

Contains: adult language and sex

Author's notes: Written for harry_holidays 2010 on LJ. I'm less than fully pleased with this. I mean, I love the idea, but as I was operating under a deadline and didn't get started until the last minute I didn't execute in the way I would have liked.

The four boys sat on James Potter's bed, surrounded by discarded sweets wrappers and jittery with sugar and excitement as James recounted their earlier adventures on the Hogwarts Express.

"Well, if you'd rather be brawny than brainy." His nasal imitation of Severus Snape brought a fresh round of laughter. He regarded them with a benevolent air and passed around more pumpkin pasties.

"So how does it feel to break tradition, Black?"

Sirius gave James a cheeky grin. "Brilliant, though ask me again in the morning, after I've gotten the Howler my mum is sure to send."

"Will she really send you a Howler?" Peter asked with horrified curiosity.

"Count on it."

"First Black ever sorted into Gryffindor, eh?" Remus, wearing a little smirk, made a show of looking Sirius up and down. "We'll have to keep an eye on you."

Sirius bristled, but he arched an eyebrow and smiled coolly. "You're a half-blood, aren't you Lupin?"

"What of it?"

"Nothing." Sirius shrugged innocently. "Just asking."

James looked uncomfortable for a moment, and his mouth turned down in a small frown, but Peter perked up. "Isn't your dad a wizard, then?"

"Yes." Remus frowned at Peter. "And my mum, too. My grandfather on my mum's side was muggleborn."

'I've heard of your dad, I think," James broke in, trying to diffuse the sudden awkwardness. "He works for the ministry doesn't he?"

"Yeah." Remus looked at James and smiled. "He's head of the Werewolf Capture Unit."

Even Sirius leaned forward, eyes glittering with interest.

"Excellent," James breathed. "I bet he's got some stories to tell."

"Well." Looking from boy to boy, Remus bit his lip, considering them carefully. "This is supposed to be rather hush hush, but when I was five I almost got bitten by one."

Peter gasped, and both James' and Sirius' eyes went wide.

"You never!"

"Yeah, have you ever heard of Fenrir Greyback?"

The boys shuddered. Greyback was the bogeyman of many a childhood tale passed around in furtive whispers.

"You mean-" began James.

"Yeah. They covered up a lot, but he went after other kids, too. Some of them died. He wanted them to join his pack. Get them under his thumb young." He paused to make sure everyone was paying rapt attention. "Well, back then, he got mad at my dad because he had caught a couple of werewolves helping him do his dirty work. So, he worked out a plan to bite me at the next full moon."

"Merlin," Peter moaned, shoving his hands up against his mouth.

"Apparently, he'd gotten his hands on an experimental potion that some crazy old potions master had been working on that let werewolves keep their human minds while in wolf form."

"Why would anybody want to do that?" Sirius cried out in disgust.

Remus shrugged. "It was supposed to keep the human side in control rather than the wolf. Whatever. It worked for Greyback, that's how he managed to control himself, mostly, when he was a wolf, just biting the kids and turning them instead of killing them."

"Yeah, that worked out really well," Sirius said scathingly. James and Peter looked ill. "Give the monsters a potion to make it easier for them to tear someone's throat out. Brilliant."

"Yeah, well, the potion was experimental. Was only in the testing phase, but Greyback didn't care. Good thing for me, too, because the last time Greyback took it something went wrong. Too much wolfsbane or something and he snuffed it. They found his body underneath my window."

"Bloody hell, Lupin."

James was looking at him with a mixture of excitement and respect. Sirius felt an unwilling measure of the same, but he also felt a stab of jealousy at the way James seemed to be so taken with him.

His own stories of his harpy of a mother and the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black couldn't compare with werewolves. He met Remus' gaze for a moment, unable to keep from thinking it looked suspiciously triumphant, and he wondered if tales of beheaded house elves before bed would go over well.

"I think I've a real chance this year." James wore a cocky grin, but his nervousness showed as he raked a hand through his messy hair.

Peter nodded, proudly carrying James' broomstick over his shoulder. "Especially since Stebbins is gone this year."

"Third times the charm, eh, Potter?"

James remained unruffled by Remus' teasing. "Precisely."

"You are lucky there's a wide open chaser position, mate." Sirius gave James a friendly shove. "We've got to go up against McClaggen for beater."

"And each other," Remus looked over his shoulder, tossing Sirius a challenging grin.

"No worries there." Sirius smirked. "I can take you out any day, Lupin."

"We'll see about that, Black." Remus turned about so he was walking backwards. "Please do try not to cry when I knock you off your broom today."

James and Peter laughed, and Sirius, with a growl, lunged playfully toward Remus. Both their grins turned fiercer, though, as James jogged away from them, eager to get to the Pitch.

The underlying aggression came out full force during tryouts.

The whistle sounded again. Spinnet looked aggravated as he swooped down to hover level with Sirius and Remus. "You two are meant to be working on the same side. If you're just here to have a laugh, then you can leave now."

"Sorry," they both muttered, shooting glares at each other as Spinnet peeled away from them and zoomed back to the edge of the Pitch.

"Now, let's try the play again."

They batted the ball at their targets for several minutes, performing to the satisfaction of Spinnet, who then instructed everyone to do a few drills while he worked with the chasers for a bit. As soon as he was off at the other end of the field and engrossed in the chasers' passing exhibition, Remus sent a bludger whizzing past Sirius' right ear. He lurched on his broom, whipping his head around and narrowing his eyes as Remus clutched onto his broom in laughter.

His own lips curved into a smirk, and he corralled the bludger and sent it back, probably more forcefully than warranted. Remus was forced to do an awkward roll at the last minute, which sent Sirius into his own bout of sniggers. He went on alert when Remus righted himself, though. Recognizing the mulish, calculating look on Remus' face, Sirius knew he was in for a ruck. He lifted one eyebrow in challenge.

That was it. Remus swooped and batted a bludger full force at Sirius, who dove down to avoid it, then did a quick reverse to corner the bludger and beat it back straight at Remus' head with all his strength. He barely ducked in time, and that earned Sirius a real glare. A flurry of furious attacks followed until Remus finally got a lucky shot, clipping Sirius on the shoulder, which made him see red. Ignoring the yells distantly registering in their ears, they both swept low to the ground, and without thinking Sirius veered close and dove off his broom, tackling Remus to the green turf of the Pitch.

They rolled together, fists flying until they were pulled apart by Spinnet and McClaggen. Spinnet was apoplectic. "Get. Off. My. Pitch."

Nursing their bruises, they trudged off the field, brooms slanted over their shoulders. Neither one of them said a word until Peter wandered up to them.

"Interesting strategy." He was fighting down a grin.

"Shut it, Pettigrew," Sirius said sullenly, pushing past him with a deliberate jostle.

"Don't take it out on him." Remus snarled. "If you hadn't leapt off your broom like a nutter-"

"Me? You're the one who started this!"

"Ha, like you weren't deliberately targeting me the entire time."

"You were doing the same!"

"You don't even really want to be on the team, Black." Remus kept walking, but looked over his shoulder to see James flying a victory loop around the goal posts. "You like to have a lie in weekend mornings more than anyone I know. You just wanted it so you could spend more time nursing your little crush." He turned his head to give Sirius a vindictive smile.

"What?" Sirius blustered. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Merlin, you couldn't be more obvious. It's clear you fancy James."

Sirius looked swiftly over his shoulder, making sure they'd made it far enough away that nobody could hear them. He grabbed Remus' robes in his fist. "Say that again," he growled in warning.

"You. Fancy. James." Remus stared back at him cocky assurance.

Sheer panic kept Sirius standing when his legs felt like jelly, though his face went white. Speechless, he stared at Remus, unable to get the words out he should to deny it.

For a second, Remus' expression seemed to soften just a bit, then he rolled his eyes and shrugged out of Sirius' grip. "Oh forget it." He began walking toward the castle again. "I won't say anything."

Still silent, Sirius watched him walk away, his heart beginning to beat again. "Wait." He caught up to Remus, clutching at his robes again to stop him. "Wait..."

He was confused, still in the throes of mild panic, and he hadn't the slightest clue why Remus wouldn't use this against him, why he wasn't acting revolted. What normal bloke wouldn't be disgusted? They were friends, of course, but when it came to James, all bets were off.

That's when it clicked.

"Oh," he said. A knowing smile began to spread over his face as Remus turned to meet his eyes. "You fancy him, too."

"Maybe." Remus watched him impassively for a moment, before his mouth curved up into a more familiar smirk. "But I'll be the one to get him."

Sirius stared for a moment, then snorted a laugh. "You'll never. There's no way James is bent."

"Makes it all the easier for me if you're giving up from the start. Ta, mate." Remus tipped him a wink and started walking again.

"Oi, I didn't say that." Sirius fell into step with Remus, their shoulders brushing together as they followed the path.

"Bet I snog him before you do," Remus challenged.

"You're on."

After a moment they both started laughing.

"You do know he told me the other day that Evans has a fit arse?"

Remus lifted an eyebrow. "Evans? Well, that's rather a good sign. Her tits aren't any bigger than ours.

Sirius laughed. "True. And he does still think she's a stuck up bint with wretched taste in friends."

"Exactly. There's no way he'll ever seriously fancy Evans."

"How did you know where I was?"

Sirius winced as his voice came out sounding hoarse and clogged up, but Remus only tucked his broom against a tree and settled on the grass next to Sirius. Sirius surreptitiously wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve and didn't look at Remus.

"How do you think?" Remus asked as if Sirius was thick. "Remember that bit of parchment we put our blood, sweat, and tears into?"

The corner of Sirius' mouth twitched up a little. "Peter's the only one who cried over it."

"Yeah, well it wasn't really necessary to point out when MacDonald's marker overlapped with Aubrey's, was it?"

"She was out of his league, anyway. I was doing him a favor."

Remus snorted. "Right."

They fell silent again. Remus seemed content to sit and say nothing for as long as it suited Sirius. It was beginning to grate, actually, because Sirius just wanted to be miserable in solitude. Being back at school was somehow harder to deal with than being at James' place, even with Mr. and Mrs. Potter fussing over him like a lost lamb. He supposed he couldn't deny that was what he was now. Probably it was seeing his brother again that had made things worse.

"So," Remus finally said. "You're living with James now."

"Yeah." Sirius shot him a quick look. "Jealous?"

Remus leaned back on his hands and grinned. "Maybe a bit."

Sirius' eyebrows shot up at the admission, but he managed a tiny grin of his own.

"Been picturing me having it off with James at all hours, have you?"

Remus snorted. "Given his lingering, not to mention appalling, obsession with Evans, I'm willing to bet James will be a virgin until his dying day."

Sirius couldn't help snickering. "No bet."

Remus looked up at the sky, squinting at a couple of birds that circled in the air above them. "Look. James sent me out, you know. Wanted me to come and have a bit of chat with you. See if I could stop you acting so wet. Said he's had no luck."

Sirius scowled. "I don't need a minder."

"Yeah, that's what I told him, but you know how he is."

"Well, you've come out and done your good deed." Sirius said with a sneer. "So you can run back to Potter and report that I'm just fine."

"Nah." Remus just grinned, unfurling his legs and shifting to prop himself on his elbow, facing Sirius. "Have a better idea."

"What are you on about?"

"I didn't come out here to talk to you."

"No? So why did you?"

"To give you something to think about other than your fucked up family. Sod them all anyway."

His chest warming despite himself, Sirius looked at Remus curiously. "What is it?"

"Consider it a belated Christmas gift." Remus moved in front of Sirius and pushed him back onto the grass, a devious smile spreading across his face. He held Sirius' gaze as understanding began to dawn in his eyes. They widened as Sirius stared up at him, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. "What are you-"

Remus' smile got bigger, as he unzipped Sirius' trousers. "Thought I'd suck your cock."

Sirius made a noise in the back of his throat, gasping outright as warm fingers dipped into his pants and circled his prick.

"Think that might do the trick?" Remus' eyes were dancing, and he looked insufferably smug, but there was something more there, too-want, an honest concern, maybe.

Sirius swallowed hard. "So, this is what?" he asked in dry-voiced rasp. "A pity cock sucking?"

Remus only laughed and lowered his head.

"Where's Pettigrew?"

"Dunno. Gobstones club."

Sirius snorted. "Who the fuck still plays gobstones in Seventh Year?"

Remus snickered. "Miss him, do you? Looking forward to a snog and cuddle when he returns?"

"Shut it, Lupin. Don't make me ill."

"But I've seen the way he moons after you." Remus raised up on his elbows and grinned wickedly at Sirius. "You'd make his entire term."

A shoe flew across the room toward Remus' head, but it veered away at the last second and collided with the wall instead. Remus fell back against his pillow again and twirled his wand casually.

"Tosser." Sirius kicked off his other shoe and sprawled onto his own bed. "You know it's James that he wets himself over."

They both laughed this time.

"As if James would ever take his eyes off Evans' skirt."

"Jealous, are you?"

Unphased, Remus rolled his head and grinned.

"At least I've actually gotten a snog from him. Unlike you."

"That doesn't count! He was arse over tit at the time, and it was a dare. I bet he doesn't even remember it."

"Oh, yes he does. Every time I get within three feet of him and lick my lips, he blushes."

Sirius glared at him a moment, and then they broke into cruel giggles.

"He does do that."

"Want to go down to the Pitch and watch practice?"

"Fuck no. It's colder than a witch's tit outside."

Remus snorted. "Like you'd know the first thing about tits."

Lapsing into silence, they fidgeted on their beds for a moment until Sirius sat up and perched on the edge of his mattress.

"I'm bored."

"If we hex Snape again this week, we might as well pack our trunks and go."

"Stop acting thick and get your skinny arse over here."

"My arse is not skinny."

"It's not bad. Do in a pinch." Sirius smirked at Remus, pulling first his sweater, then his white shirt off as Remus watched.

"I'll give you a pinch," Remus muttered.

"Are you coming over here?" Sirius enquired pleasantly. "Because if you make me go over there..."

"Black," Remus began, mouth quirking into an insolent smirk, "if you think I have any intention of indulging-"

Sirius was a blur, and Remus' reflexes were a tad too slow to roll off the bed and get a proper grip on his wand. Instead he ended up face down, six foot of solid flesh pinning him ruthlessly to the mattress. He fought against the weight, twisting as best he could to throw Sirius off. Sirius dug in with unforgiving pressure, pinning his shoulders and hips with the weight of his body, and laughing mockingly at Remus' efforts.

"Getting sloppy, Lupin."

Changing tactics, Remus went limp, letting his fingers slide slowly toward his wand that had flown out of his grasp and now balanced precariously on the edge of the bed. He cursed when he realized he couldn't quite reach it. Sirius laughed again, flattening over Remus' back as he stretched to take it.

"Looking for this?" Sirius shifted up enough he could run the tip of the wand along Remus' jaw.

"If you wanted to play with my wand so badly, all you had to do was ask."

Sirius huffed a laugh, deliberately tossing the wand over the side of the bed, then he shoved his hand between the mattress and Remus' groin, giving a slow, firm squeeze to the growing bulge trapped in the confines of his trousers. He bared his teeth in a feral grin as Remus groaned.

"I never ask." Sirius gave another squeeze. "Be happy to make you beg, though."

"You wish," Remus said through clenched teeth, gasping as Sirius' fingers tightened.

"A bloke in your position," Sirius began, his lips touching the shell of Remus' ear, "might want to watch his mouth." He wrenched another groan out of Remus, enjoying the way his arse ground up against his own blooming erection.

"Have a better idea." Remus' voice was striving for nonchalance, but Sirius could hear a slight waver as he kept up a rhythmic squeeze and release. "Let me up, and you can watch my mouth around your cock instead."

Sirius let his eyes flutter shut as the words made his prick twitch. Remus had obviously felt it because he gave a low, knowing laugh that was somewhat muffled by the rumpled bedcovers his face was pressed against.

"Don't think I'm not wise to your tricks," Sirius said gruffly, sitting up to straddle Remus' hips. "But since you're offering..."

Sirius settled his hands to either side of Remus' shoulders, caging him in. "Roll over." He raised up slightly on all fours so Remus could just wriggle onto his back. Sirius looked down at him with an arrogant grin. "You want to suck my cock, do you?"

The filthy grin Remus returned sent another jolt straight to his groin, and Sirius knelt up again as Remus wet his lips. leaving them shiny and slightly parted. Sirius fumbled with his zipper, getting his trousers open and pulling his prick out of his pants. He shuffled his way up Remus' body, planting one hand against the headboard of the bed while his other hand guided his cock to Remus' mouth.

Their eyes locked as Sirius brushed the head along Remus' full bottom lip, and then Remus slowly slid his tongue out to curl around the velvet skin, parting his lips more to allow Sirius to push in deeper. Sirius exhaled slowly, holding himself tight as he watched Remus hollow his cheeks around his shaft.

It was an awkward position, but Remus, forced to accept the pace and angle Sirius set, didn't stint on enthusiasm and technique. He moaned as if being choked on Sirius' prick was the best fate he could hope for, and seeing those soft, red lips stretched around his shaft made Sirius hiss in pleasure.

"Such a good little cocksucker, aren't you?" He thrust forward with a vicious little jab, right against Remus' soft palate, that made Remus convulse and moan, sending a shudder through Sirius. "Should give NEWTS for this." Sirius groaned, tipping his head back in pleasure. "Fucking outstanding."

When Remus' fingers slid between the crease of his arse, teasing at his pucker, Sirius gasped and pressed harder against the headboard as his thighs began to tremble with tension. One fingertip slid inside, pumping in time with Sirius' own thrusts into Remus' mouth.

"Fuck. Fuck, Remus."

Remus pushed his finger deeper, and a final hard suck wrung a strangled moan from Sirius. He came hard, struggling to stay upright. After a few heart-pounding moments, he let his prick slip out of Remus' mouth and began to shift back down his body.

"Ride me," Remus said hoarsely, hands going to Sirius' hips to hold him still for a moment. The look in his heavy-lidded gaze made it impossible for Sirius to refuse, and he rolled over next to Remus, kicking off the rest of his clothes, while Remus stripped off beside him.

Remus fumbled in his night stand as Sirius straddled his hips again, finding the jar he wanted and slicking his fingers with the contents. He fisted his cock until it gleamed with the clear lubricant, and then he looked up at Sirius expectantly, holding his cock upright, waiting for Sirius to lower himself onto it.

"Come on, Black-Sirius-fuck yourself on me." His voice was hoarse, and Remus was smiling a little, just the corners of his mouth turned up, lips a little swollen from his earlier activities.

Watching Remus' eyelashes flutter madly against his cheeks, Sirius slowly worked himself down on the slick shaft. Remus moaned as Sirius began to move faster. His fingers dug into Sirius' hips, driving the pace and rhythm. Sirius drank in every gasp and shudder, peering through the curtain of hair that fell across his eyes.

He knew by the deepening furrow between Remus' brows he was getting close. Sirius rode him harder until Remus pulled his hips down roughly and arched up off the bed with a low groan. Sirius had just toppled onto the bed beside him when the door flung open, and James entered on a wave of cold air.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

They made it back to the flat, filthy and too exhausted to even sleep. The sky was beginning to lighten, so Remus put on the kettle, and they pulled off their outer clothing and huddled on the sofa together to wait for the whistle. When it finally did break the silence, Remus just grabbed his wand and flicked it toward the kitchen. Neither one of them got up to make tea.

James stumbled in an hour later to find them still curled together on the sofa. He looked at them a moment and then collapsed next to Sirius. His hands were shaking, an after effect of prolonged battle or maybe just a particular hex. Sirius didn't bother asking.

"Evans is pregnant," James spoke as if he were merely making conversation.

They looked at him, and Sirius lifted an eyebrow.

"Yours?"

James laughed hollowly.

"Word is, Dumbledore wants her to go under Fidelius. The Longbottoms, too. Some prophecy..."

"Is the old man going to be Secret Keeper?"

"It sure as hell won't be me, will it?"

"I'm sorry, James."

"Yeah," James said flatly, looking over at Remus. "Funny how things turned out. Who would've thought my two bent best friends would end up with the happily ever after-"

"I wouldn't go that far."

Remus grunted as Sirius elbowed him in the ribs.

James continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "While I couldn't get in once with Evans. I thought for sure once we were both working for the Order..."

"I always told you she was a stuck up cow," Sirius reminded him. "Told you not to waste your time."

"Yeah." James gave a weary laugh. "You did."

"You've always got us," Sirius said bracingly. He slung his arm around James' shoulder and drew him close, doing the same with Remus on his other side. "We don't mind a bit that you were a conceited toerag whilst we frolicked through our school days."

"Be a bit hypocritical of you if you did," James pointed out.

"That reminds me," Remus said. "You'll never guess who I saw in Diagon Alley the other day."

"Who?"

"Peter."

"Pettigrew?" Sirius grinned. "That little suck up? I wonder what he's up to these days."

"Working at some obscure Ministry job. He mentioned something about cauldron bottoms and international standards."

James laughed, his mood improving. "Now there's a fate worse than being a Death Eater."