Courage

"How do you think they'll react?" Remus breathed, slipping his hand into Sirius' as they stepped out into the grounds of Hogwarts. They were the last two students out of the castle to the Hogsmeade visit, causing Filch to get a little shirty with them for making him get out his list again.

"Who cares?" Sirius said, rolling his eyes, "I love you and that's all that matters."

"Yes, but what if we get beat up by some Slytherins?" Remus hissed. "There are not exactly that many gay people at Hogwarts in case you hadn't noticed."

"Then I shall protect you good sir!" Sirius said, drawing an invisible sword from inside his robes and pretending to jab it at an invisible incomer.

"You're so immature." Remus snorted, swatting at Sirius.

"You love me." Sirius said, planting a kiss on Remus' cheek.

"You're right," Remus replied with a smile, "I do." Remus leaned in and kissed Sirius on the lips, savouring every moment of the kiss. Remus knew that Sirius was all for coming out of the shadows with their relationship, but Remus wasn't sure that he was ready for the entire school to know that he was gay. It was alright for Sirius, he was open and proud, but Remus, he didn't want anyone to know because of his fears of being judged.

The two boys had spent months sneaking into each other's beds late at night and holding each other close. They had hung behind after the last full moon so they could kiss without James and Peter seeing. Sirius hated it, but Remus, being used to keeping secrets close to his heart because of his 'condition', wanted to keep it that way.

"You ready to do this?" Sirius asked as they reached the end of the path to Hogsmeade. Remus gulped.

"No." he whimpered, "Sirius, I don't want anyone to think less of me, I'm head boy!"

"So," Sirius said, shrugging nonchalantly, "I'm the biggest stud in this school and everyone's cool with me. Come on Moony." He whined. "I want to have a butterbeer with you and kiss you over the table, if people have a problem with that then my fist will break their face."

"Padfoot!" Remus said, slightly amused, slightly disapproving, "As head boy, I should really put you in detention for saying something like that, but seeing as you're defending me, I'll give you an extra-long kiss over the table"

"That's the spirit Moony!" Sirius exclaimed, bounding off up the road towards the three broomsticks, Remus laughed after him as he ran, so dog like, half way up the road and turned back to yell at him. "Come on Moony, our butterbeers are getting cold!"

"Hold up, hold up." Remus said, attempting to step towards Sirius, but only to find that his feet wouldn't move. He couldn't do it, he couldn't walk into the three broomsticks holding hands with Sirius, he just couldn't. There was just something about being different from others that made you not want to be any more different than you already were.

"Come on," Sirius said, the joyful smile still remained as he shook his mop of black curls out of his face.

"I can't." Remus whispered, "I can't do it Sirius."

Sirius' face fell as he saw Remus' expression. He bounded back down the road.

"What's up?" Sirius said, "I thought you were going to kiss me extra-long over the table."

"I'm too much of coward." Remus muttered.

"You just need some courage." Sirius said,

"Exactly, no courage equals coward." Remus said, looking at his feet ashamedly.

"Well, am I enough to kick your cowardice in the arse?" Sirius said, flashing his thousand kilowatt smile. "Come on, I'll help you." He held out his hand for Remus to take. Remus took it with a smile. "And besides, if anyone does hate on us, we know that they're just jealous of what we have."

Remus laughed. "I wish I could be as cool about all of this as you are."

"It's all an act mate," Sirius confessed, "Act cool and people leave you alone."

"And there was me thinking that you didn't get hate because you were hot."

"That too," Sirius said, pushing the door to the three broomsticks open. Remus was suddenly aware of his sweaty hand in Sirius's, what would people think.

"See, no one's even noticed." Sirius whispered, "They're all too caught up in their own lives." Sirius led him over to a secluded corner where they sat and ordered drinks.

"This isn't really that bad…" Remus remarked, sipping at his butterbeer.

"What did I tell you?" Sirius said, putting his feet on the table, earning himself a glare from Madam Rosmerta. "No one's looking," Sirius said, biting his lip, "So how about that extra-long kiss?"

"You're so impatient." Remus laughed, leaning over the table and planting a deep, long kiss on Sirius' lips. About half way through, he started to get scared that people would see him… but then he realised that Sirius probably looked so much like a girl that people wouldn't be able to tell who he was kissing. When they finally broke apart, Sirius leaned back in his seat and uttered the only words that Remus needed to hear.

"Best first date, ever."

AN: For "The First Date" Competition and the "Mens Boxing" round in the "2012 Hogwarts Games" over on HPFC

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~The Original Horcrux~