Title: This is You and Me

Artwork: Done Forby by myprettycabinet

Warnings: Muggle AU

Part 3: How We Pieced Together

3.11: Understanding Your Heart

It was the most awkward hour of Dorea's entire life. 'I don't know what to say,' she confessed to her husband, who was sitting beside her and looking similarly uncomfortable.

They had both come to the hospital to visit Sirius before the final procedure on his legs, but somehow, the easy rapport between them had changed. Dorea knew it wasn't the boys' faults; it was hers and Charlus's. James had insisted again and again that both the elder Potters talk to them about the whole affair that she had walked in on the other day, and Dorea agreed. The problem was that neither she nor Charlus knew exactly what to say. Looking at the two of them, Sirius on the bed and Remus sitting close by but still keeping his distance, she still didn't understand it. She just didn't understand why. Why each other when they were both such strapping young lads who could have any girl they wanted? It wasn't as if she'd never heard of homosexuality, but until now, she had always assumed it was something more common in the media than in reality.

'Are you ready for your big procedure, Mr. Black?' The nurse in charge of Sirius walked in, finally breaking the tension in the atmosphere. 'Why, hello, Padfoot!' Padfoot, who had now become something of a ladies' dog among the hospital staff detached himself from Remus to be petted by the nurse. His tail wagged and his tongue lolled, and the nurses could not help but be amused by his overtly affectionate nature. 'We'll be taking you in after fifteen minutes,' she informed him as she snapped on a pair of gloves and performed all the final checks on Sirius's vitals. 'We'll need you to change into the gown over there.' She momentarily glanced up at Remus as she laid out the instruction, automatically knowing that he would be taking responsibility for them. Dorea wondered if she knew about them and how she felt about it. 'I'll be back shortly, shall I?'

Both Sirius and Remus nodded.

'Let's grant them some privacy,' Charlus whispered when Dorea did not get off her seat.

Dorea looked between Sirius and Remus, and somehow felt reluctant to go. It felt…odd. In her head, it didn't make sense for Remus to take charge of something so fragile and intimate; something that only a mother or a wife would have done under any other circumstance. She felt Charlus pull her by the arm and grudgingly left the room, glancing one last time at the boys and still feeling a certain sense of discomfort. They had barely sat down on the bench outside for a few minutes when Dorea heard the first sounds of crying. Her heart lurched in her throat and she pushed off her seat quickly, only to be stopped by her husband yet again.

'Dorea, sit down,' he instructed her sharply.

Dorea could barely hear him; her ears only rang with Sirius's sobs and it evoked an unbearable feeling within her. It was a feeling only a mother understood; a pain that overtook everything inside of her whenever she felt any of her children were hurt. And blood or not, Sirius was as much a son to her as James. 'He's crying,' she argued with Charlus, trying to pull her hand out of his grasp. 'He's probably scared or hurt, Charlus. I need to go in there. He needs me.'

'He has Remus,' Charlus disputed.

What could Remus possible do, she wanted to challenge. But she kept her thoughts to herself and tugged out his hold, almost rushing to push past the door. She stopped midway, however, when she realised that she had walked in on yet another intimate moment between the boys. Only this time, they were not kissing, but were wrapped in a tight embrace with their arms wound around each other and foreheads resting together. Remus was sitting on the edge of Sirius's bed, taking care not to jostle Sirius's legs; and despite the obvious awkwardness of their positions, neither of them seemed willing to move away. Dorea moved a little back, that feeling of wrongness plaguing her mind again. The more she looked at them, the more she felt that they just didn't fit with the things she knew and understood.

'There's nothing to be scared of,' Remus hushed, cupping Sirius's cheeks within his palms and brushing away the tears that fell with his thumbs. 'It'll be over before you know it.'

'You must think I'm so stupid,' Sirius sniffed, 'I should be grateful that I'm even alive at this point, but I don't want to lose my legs, Remus. I-'

'Hey,' Remus scolded, his voice so gentle that it seemed out of place. Dorea could not remember ever hearing his voice take on that timbre. While Remus was not a loud speaker, the streets had made his speech a little rough around the edges and as a result, his voice was often hoarse and gruff to the ears. 'That is not going to happen.' He brushed Sirius's hair behind his ears. 'It's okay to be scared; there's nothing stupid about that. Losing your legs is equivalent to losing your life for you, I understand that, but that is not going to happen. I promised you that you would ride again, didn't I?'

'And you?' Sirius asked, unconvinced. 'Do you want to be with a cripple?'

Dorea's heart lurched at the vulnerability of his question and she was transported to that time when she had found them finally making peace with each other over their injuries.

'Do you want to be with a cripple?' Remus asked challengingly, looking pointedly at Padfoot, who was watching them with wide, confused eyes, and then back at Sirius.

'It's not the same,' Sirius shook his head. 'There are things I won't be able to give you…needs I won't be able to fulfil.' A fresh wave of tears fell past his cheeks, as if just the thought of not being enough powered his despair even further.

'The only thing I ever need, Sirius, is you,' Remus whispered, kissing Sirius softly on the lips.

And suddenly the why became so ridiculously clear that Dorea felt stupid for even questioning it. She had always felt that much of Remus's mannerisms took after Charlus, more so than James. But for the very first time, she saw a little bit of herself in him.

Because why would their why be any different from her own. Hadn't she felt the exact same sentiment with Charlus, despite his past, even during the times he had wronged her?

'Don't leave me again. I can't live without you.'

Even when he hadn't loved her, she had loved him. Even on the days she had felt inadequate compared to his past, she had loved him with everything she had.

'Never.'

Her friends had questioned her. Her family had questioned her. But she had never questioned herself.

'I love you.'

Dorea closed the door, giving the boys the privacy they deserved. She turned towards Charlus, who was already standing with his posture tight, as if he had been readying himself to jump in and stop her from doing anything stupid. She smiled, glad that he was here to keep her grounded. 'Sorry,' she apologised, almost sheepishly, and he relaxed. 'You're right. He has Remus. He'll be fine.'

She let him wind an arm around her shoulder and steer her back to the bench, where they waited until the nurses arrived and wheeled Sirius out. Dorea was only allowed seconds to kiss Sirius on the forehead and wish him luck, before they took him away. Remus had hung back behind both the Potters, his hands and feet fidgeting; and for the first time since she had found out, Dorea felt sorry for both of them. Sirius had clearly wanted Remus to be at his side and vice versa, but they were keeping their distance, possibly for the Potters and also the staff. The whites of his eyes had been rimmed red.

'Sweetheart, why don't you go home and rest for a little bit?' She suggested, taking Remus's hand in hers and startling him.

'Ah, no,' he replied, a little flustered, as he swiped at his dry eyes roughly as if checking for moisture. 'I'm not really tired. I'd rather stay.'

She led him to the bench, forcing him to sit down in between Charlus and her. Padfoot sat on the other side, leaning his weight against her like he always did when he wanted to be pet. 'It's an eight hour procedure, Remus. Sirius isn't going to notice if you're gone for an hour.' She fussed with his wayward hair, brushing the curls out of his face until they were parted neatly to the side. His face looked almost surprised by her affection; as if he'd been expecting her to push him aside after all these years. 'You haven't rested properly since you came back from Conwy. You're going to make yourself ill like this.'

Remus shook his head, looking back to the end of the hallway where Sirius had been moments ago. 'I promised.'

Dorea exchanged a glance with Charlus, who shrugged in a way that told her he wanted her to let it go. They fought silently for a while, her eyes communicating her reluctance and Charlus's asking her to stop pushing and let Remus do what he felt was right. Finally, she sighed, knowing it was a lost cause. 'All right,' she acquiesced. 'But how about you get some sleep? I'll wake you up when it's all over, I promise.' She patted her lap with a smile, urging him to rest his head.

'Is this-' he asked, eyes wide but not unwilling as he let her guide his head to her lap. 'Is this okay?' Padfoot, now jealous and fighting for affection, rested his own head beside Remus's on her other thigh. Their combined weight was far from comfortable but she found that she couldn't complain.

'Why? Do you think you're too much of a man to sleep on your mother's lap now?' She chuckled, pinching Remus's cheek and making him laugh.

'Do you need to talk about…anything?' He asked, circling the patterns on her skirt with his forefinger nervously. 'About Sirius and me?'

Charlus raised an eyebrow. 'I believe we already gave you the talk when you were fifteen, but Dorea and I will be glad to rehash that lovely memory for you if you're that keen.'

Remus groaned and shook his head, but Dorea could detect from his smile that he was secretly very pleased. She realised that the best way to accept them was not to question them. They didn't need to talk about it, only love them with everything they had. She watched as Remus closed his eyes and snuggled into her lap, lulled into a peaceful sleep as she stroked his hair gently.

3.12: Moving On

'I'm sorry. I-' Frank wrung his hands together, still not looking Charlus in the eyes. 'I didn't know who else to talk to and Remus told me about your…' He stopped, searching for the right words and clearly trying not to be intrusive or inappropriate. 'Your past with his mother. I felt that maybe you would understand and not judge me for the way I'm feeling right now.' The last part came almost as a question and a plea, and Charlus felt sorry for the young Longbottom who was clearly fighting with himself just to be here. 'I just…don't know what else to do or where else to go.'

He looked exactly like Charlus had many, many years ago, after moving to London from Conwy.

So Charlus did what he wished someone had done for him that time: he sat down beside Frank on the sofa and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. He looked him directly in the eye and then asked a question he was sure he already knew the answer to. 'Is it Remus?'

Frank looked at him startled, and then afraid. 'No!' His laughter was as fake as the smile he'd been wearing when he'd come in. 'No, of course not. Why would you-'

'Frank,' Charlus interrupted sternly. 'You don't have to protect him. I know.' When Frank still look worried, he tried to reassure him. 'He and Sirius came out to us last week. Its fine, I promise. No one is getting in trouble for anything and I am not here to pass judgment. You can trust me.'

Frank nodded, his breath easing. 'That's good. I'm glad,' he whispered, looking away and back at his own knees. 'Remus was miserable for a long time and Sirius was-' He shook his head and Charlus was left in the dark about exactly what Sirius was. 'Thank you for accepting him. Remus thinks the world of you and Mrs. Potter, and I know he'd be devastated if you hadn't.' His smile this time was genuine and infectious, but fell quickly as he took a deep breath. 'It's Remus,' he admitted and all the times Charlus had wondered how the two boys had become such close friends finally felt explained. Charlus felt that Frank's bravery was commendable. He himself had not been able to admit his feelings for Hope until many years later, when it was far too late. 'I'm in love with Remus and I don't know what to do.'

'What do you want to do?'

Frank laughed bitterly. 'I want to go back in time and change everything. To just stop and give myself enough time to figure out everything I was feeling at that time, instead of rushing into things.' He rested his head in his hands, elbows on knees. 'God, I feel so stupid. I never once questioned why it took me so long to ask Alice to marry me, why my own bloody wedding felt like a condemnation, why the only time I felt happy was when Remus was with me. I justified my actions with excuses about family expectations, about social judgement, about the wrongness of the whole affair. And all it achieved is me drowning in this endless pool of misery that is only broken by Remus's presence.' His hair fell in front of his face, shielding his eyes. 'I must sound so pathetic to you.'

Charlus was all too familiar with that very feeling. 'You don't,' he reassured, more so because he wanted to think that he hadn't been pathetic also when he had been in the exact same situation all those years ago. 'But Frank, before I say anything to you, I need to know: are you…' Charlus searched for the right word; words that rose out of the derogatory terms he heard all too often and breached the subject respectfully. '…gay?'

Frank shook his head. 'I'm…me. I don't know what category that fits in for you. I loved Alice. I still love her, but she's not Remus. She's not…' He clenched his fists tightly and said no more.

He didn't have to. Charlus understood. 'Do you plan to talk to Remus about this?'

Frank shook his head again, his eyes sad. 'I want him to be happy and right now, with Sirius, he is. I love him, but I can't take that away from him. Maybe that's why I'm here, asking you what I should do.'

Charlus wondered if he would have shown such maturity at Frank's age. When he thought about it, he realised he hadn't. He had dated Hope despite being aware of Lyall's feelings and a part of him knew that he would have not hesitated to try again, had it not been for circumstances.

'Frank, what I am going to tell you is perhaps not the best of advice, but I believe it's the right advice.' Charlus sighed and looked Frank in the eye. 'This feeling you have will never leave you, but eventually it will fade. As humans, we are programmed to regret our actions; dwell on the "what ifs" of our lives.' He placed his hand upon the other man's. 'But what you need to do is not allow it to consume your life. Think about the wife you have back home; does she not love you?'

Frank nodded miserably, as he confessed, 'More than she should.'

'Then accept it.' Charlus smiled kindly. 'The problem in your relationship is not her; it's you. You are comparing her to something she cannot be and asking her of things she can't possibly give you. You need to learn to accept her for who she is and allow her to love you in her own way.' Charlus thought of Dorea and all the ways she had accepted him, despite his flaws. Yes, he had married her because of an arrangement made by his father, but he had stayed because she had somehow managed to make him happier than he had ever felt his entire life. 'There are things Alice can and is giving you: patience and understanding of your situation; unconditional love; and most of all, a child that I know you love with fibre of your being. Think of those things, Frank, and you will find yourself falling in love with her because you will realise that no one in this world can do as much for you as she already has.'

Frank looked at him with glassy eyes, and Charlus knew that while he still didn't comprehend the advice fully, the realisation would eventually strike him in his own time. It was not something that came quickly. However, Charlus took it as a good sign that Frank was not denying the guidance given to him and at the very least trying to accept it. He was struck again by awe of the maturity Frank was showing; it was a measure of the man he had truly become.

'But the very first part of loving her is realising that you need to let Remus go.'

The glassiness in Frank's eyes shattered and before Charlus could prepare himself, the boy was sobbing into his hands with his whole body curving into itself in a small ball. It was difficult to watch and even more painful to hear, as Frank's cries echoed in the otherwise quiet study. Charlus didn't know how to comfort him; didn't know whether Frank wanted to be hugged or left alone as he let his grief out. So Charlus could do nothing but watch helplessly as gut wrenching sobs wracked through Frank's body and he shivered and shook in a way that spoke of more than just a heart being broken.

'It'll be okay, I promise,' Charlus managed to say, a hesitant hand on Frank's shoulder. 'It'll be okay.' He didn't even know if Frank could hear him past his own crying, but it was the only thing he felt he could say without sounding patronising and insincere. It seemed like Charlus really had been Frank's last resort and Dorea's complaints about his lack of tact rang clearer than ever. He wondered how he could have approached this differently and been less cruel.

'Sorry,' Frank sniffled after a long and awkward moment. 'I'm sorry. I didn't want to lose him. I'm sorry,' he hiccupped, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, only to have more tears leak out unbidden. 'I'm really sorry.' He apologised again, his voice breaking. 'This…it stops hurting, right?' He looked so small as he met Charlus's eyes; small and hopeful. 'Eventually, it stops hurting, doesn't it?'

'Yes, it does,' Charlus lied.

3.13: Madness in Fury

'Remus?'

Remus turned around, papers cups filled with tea for the Potters in each hand. 'Fabian?' Before he could process the figure standing in front of him, he was being hugged so tightly that he nearly overbalanced. The tea in his hands sloshed and spilled to the floor, where Padfoot took the opportunity to lap at it happily.

'I knew you would come!' Fabian mumbled into his neck. 'I knew you would come for me. Gideon said you'd left. He always lies to me to be mean; he used to do it all the time when we were little.' He looked up at a still startled Remus with teary eyes, his fingers clutching Remus's shirt like a lifeline. 'They won't let me out to find you. Everyone keeps putting me into one box after another, and they won't let me out. You've come to take me home, haven't you?'

Remus stared a Fabian, speechless. A part of him wanted to ask what had happened these past few months, because the person in front of him was definitely not the Fabian Prewett he knew. This person was gaunt, with hollowed cheekbones, sunken eyes, and a shrunken waistline. The clothes he wore hung baggily off his frame and he was shivering and fidgeting, as if uncomfortable in his own skin. His face, while always pale, now looked ill and sallow; and his once well-kept hair stuck together in greasy clumps.

'I still love you, you know,' Fabian wept, burying his face into Remus's chest. 'I still love you so, so much. I can't stop thinking about you or dreaming about you. No one understands, but I know you do. Gideon doesn't know, but I still keep a picture of you under my pillow. They've taken all the others, but I still have that one. I knew you would look for me because you love me, too, right, Remus?' His hold tightened. 'I can show how much I love you now and change your mind completely. I can make you love me.'

'Fabian,' Remus said slowly, not sure what more he could say without causing further damage to the situation.

'I need you, Remus,' Fabian pressed, his frail fingers digging into Remus's skin almost painfully. 'I love you. Nobody understands. Everyone keeps treating me like I've gone crazy, but no one understands. I love you. They can't-'

'FABIAN!'

Gideon Prewett came running in, followed by a gaggle of nurses, who were presumably all looking for Fabian. It took only seconds for the worry in the older Prewett's eyes to be transformed to unadulterated fury, as he stared at the two of them. Remus knew how suggestive they looked, with Fabian hugging him so tightly, eyes filled with tears and still murmuring about how much he loved Remus. But even so, when the nurses came to take Fabian away, Remus instinctively held on with all his strength, fighting against their pulling.

'NO!' Fabian screamed in terror so clear that it chilled Remus to the bone. His fingers scrabbled for Remus's hand, nails leaving bloody tracks across his arm. 'NO! NO! NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO! NO!' he pushed and pulled, his frail body struggling against their hold and his eyes blurred with tears. 'NO!'

'Stop it!' Remus protested. 'He clearly doesn't want to go! Gideon, don't do this! He-' His words were cut short when a hand descended sharply across his face, causing his hold on Fabian to finally loosen as he reeled back in shock.

Within moments, Padfoot was upon the older Prewett, tackling the man to the ground. His hackles had risen, making him seem enormous and foreboding as he bared his teeth in a menacing growl.

'No, Padfoot!' Remus ordered, before Padfoot could sink his sharp canines into Fabian's arm. 'No,' he said again, grabbing Padfoot's collar and forcing light grey eyes to look at him. 'No.' Padfoot looked at him insolently, clearly unwilling to follow through his master's order because he felt Remus was wrong. 'I'm not hurt. It's all right.' Padfoot huffed in annoyance and stepped down, allowing the other man to rise on his feet once again, shaking. Clearly unconvinced my Remus's reassurance, Padfoot took stance right in between the two men, his body tense and ready for another attack.

In between the scuffle, the nurses had managed to take Fabian away, but Remus could still hear his desperate screams echoing through the hallway. He shivered, feeling goose bumps rise to the surface of his skin.

'Why didn't you tell me Fabian was this ill?' Remus asked roughly, still staring at the place Fabian had been moments ago.

Gideon laughed bitterly. 'You don't think I tried? You left, Lupin. I came by almost every day at your door, knocking. I went to your workplace but they told me you didn't work there anymore. I didn't know any of your friends or your family; I didn't know who to reach out to, to find you.' He placed a shaking hand across his eyes, unable to look at Remus anymore. 'All Fabian asks for is you; everyday fucking second of his breathing life. There are days when he doesn't even recognise me; he's so fucking delirious that he thinks I'm you. And you know what, I sometimes fucking let him, because I am that desperate to keep him happy.'

Remus felt guilt seep into his lungs and restrict his breathing. 'Why are you keeping him locked up?' he asked, despite dreading the answer.

'He's been hospitalised for attempted suicide,' Gideon whispered miserably. 'This is his third time.'

Remus felt sick. His knees wobbled, threatening to give away until Padfoot took notice and pushed against the back of his legs to provide support. 'Oh God,' he cried, putting a horrified hand to his mouth. 'Oh God. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I never knew. I never meant to-'

'Meant to what?' Gideon asked harshly, brows furrowed in anger 'To fuck him? To lead him on to believe that he had a chance?' He took a step towards Remus, as if wanting to hit him again, but backed off when Padfoot snarled at him. 'You're not sorry enough, Remus Lupin. You are not sorry enough, because if you were, you would dedicate your whole life to taking care of my brother and making him happy. You would try and love him, like he loves you.' Tears pooled in Gideon's eyes and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. 'My little brother is slowly killing himself, Lupin, and all I can do is sit and watch. You empty words mean nothing to me.'

Remus did not apologise because Gideon was right; it was just empty words. 'If there's anything I can do…'

'You can,' Gideon replied harshly, a finger pointing towards Remus's chest. 'Stay the fuck away from my brother.'

Remus wasn't even sure how he got back to the second floor after that, but he knew he owed a large part of it to Padfoot. There was a sense of numbness that was settling deep inside his core and he couldn't shake off the image of Fabian's terrified face from his mind. It was almost as if it had burned to the back of his eyelids.

'Remus, I thought you were bringing us tea?'

Remus tried to smile. 'Ah, sorry, I'll go back. I must have forgotten.'

An unbearable silence swept over the room as all the Potters and Sirius looked at him. Padfoot circled his legs restlessly, a sign of protection and worry, and also that something was clearly very, very wrong.

Remus didn't want to talk about it.

He didn't want to think about it.

'You don't need to go,' Sirius, who had been playing with Harry on his lap, stopped him with a hand on his arm. Their eyes met, grey on amber, and Remus felt small under Sirius's searching gaze. He was the first to look away. 'James will get us some, won't you?' He looked pointedly at James, before handing over baby Harry to Lily who was less questioning. Harry gurgled and dribbled happily, bringing a weak smile to Remus's face. 'Two sugars in Remus's, please, Jamie-boy,' Sirius said distractedly, pulling Remus by his hand and urging him to sit on the bed beside him. 'And don't you dare add any in mine! You know I hate sweet things.'

'Isn't that what you called Remus the other day when you thought no one was listening?' James shot back, dodging a pillow Sirius threw at him and running out the door.

Everyone else laughed and the tension broke. All of it felt normal again.

No one questioned them when Remus dropped his head into Sirius's lap and turned to hide his face in his lover's stomach. He could hear Sirius's still healing legs protesting, but the man didn't say a word; rough, bandaged fingers kneading into Remus's scalp. The conversation continued and if anyone noticed Sirius's hospital gown slowly seeping wet where Remus had buried his face, they didn't mention it.

He knew Sirius would ask later.

But for now, Remus was grateful for the silence.

3.14: To the End of the World

'I'm going to stop looking,' Remus whispered, looking out the window and watching the cars pass by. His grip tightened around the handles of Sirius's wheelchair. 'It's futile anyway.'

'Are you sure?' Sirius asked, tilting his head back to look up at Remus. The bus rattled slightly and Sirius felt the lock on his wheels strain to keep him steady. Remus had widened his stance to centre himself as well, pulling Sirius's wheelchair closer to his torso. Despite Remus's reluctance, Sirius had been insistent about using public transport rather than hiring a private car. The fear from his accident was still fresh and Sirius did not want to spend an hour of commute back home trembling. To maintain anonymity, he had put on Remus's rather plain and unassuming clothing and a pair of sunglasses so large that it threatened to eat his face. It helped that he still had a good few scars on his face from the accident that marred his features and that he had cropped his signature long hair quite short. 'You've been trying so hard and there might be something more if you look further.'

Remus shook his head. 'Dorea is right. I'm not going to achieve anything from digging up the past. I needed to know about my parents and I did. How I escaped doesn't matter.' He smiled unsurely and Sirius could not help but think he looked like a boy again. Remus had finally shaved off the beard he'd been sporting the last few weeks as a permanent gofer in Sirius's hospital room and it had aged him backwards by years. James had laughed for a good hour when Remus had admitted that he had done it because he had wanted to look nice on his and Sirius's first day back home. 'What matters is that I'm here and I'm alive.'

Sirius hummed, not sure what more to say. He rubbed his palms against his knees, still unused to the feeling of his bare legs rather than a white cast. Deep scars marred his skin from where the stitches from his surgery had come off. 'Will you be going back to Conwy?'

'Maybe to visit,' Remus admitted. 'I left quite abruptly last time. Next time though, I-' he looked at Sirius with a shy smile. 'I'd like you to come with me. We don't have to tell my grandparents about us, but I would like to share this part of my life with you.' His amber eyes shone hopefully and Sirius found it very hard to say no. Remus's eyes had always been his weakness.

'I would never miss a chance to see baby pictures of you,' Sirius chuckled, dodging Remus gentle swat to the back of his head. 'Shouldn't we press the button? Ours is the next stop,' Sirius pointed out, hurriedly grasping for the little red button on the support bar and crying out in alarm when Remus twisted his wheelchair to the left so he wouldn't be able to reach. 'Remus! What are you doing?'

'That's not home anymore,' he replied coolly and Sirius was struck with a sudden fear that Remus would make him go back to his own flat. 'After I noticed that you'd moved in all your things into my flat, without my permission by the way, I realised that my place just isn't big enough for the both of us and Padfoot. Especially Padfoot, since he's still a growing puppy.' Sirius swallowed and unconsciously touched his chest where Remus's key used to lay, hung from a silver chain. The doctors had taken it out after the accident and Remus had offered to hold it for him until he recovered. 'So I decided to give it up and buy a home for us instead.'

Sirius's eyes widened and he could already feel the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 'You what?'

'I bought us a home. I've already moved in all your things, so your old flat is completely stripped bare. Though I had to sell some of your furniture because they were so atrocious.' Remus wrinkled his nose and Sirius was sure Remus was remembering Sirius's orange love seat. 'I just thought we could start anew, with a home that is both yours and mine. And with the memories of Fabian in the last one, I just couldn't…' He looked at Sirius unsurely, his fingertips lightly brushing the back of Sirius's neck. 'You're not cross, are you? I know I didn't ask, but I wanted it to be a surprise. And since you were already living in my-'

'Remus Lupin, I could kiss you right now,' Sirius interrupted, his expression one of unadulterated happiness. 'In fact, I think I will kiss you right now.' He didn't wait for the other man to respond, pulling him in by the nape of the neck and pressing their lips together. He swallowed Remus's noise of surprise and ignored the odd angle of their upside down kiss. He could feel Remus's heavy breaths against his chin and hands gripping his shoulders tightly for support, as they lips slid messily against each other. His fingers tangled in Remus's curls, pulling the man closer just enough to tease Remus with the slightest slip of tongue before parting.

'I thought we agreed…' Remus panted breathlessly, touching his lips with the tips of his fingers. They had agreed to only come out with the truth to close friends and family, but keep it discrete in public. Sirius was still not prepared to make a public statement; however, he had clearly told Remus that if it were to leak out at any point then he would stand by his sexuality and their relationship unashamed.

'No one recognises me here,' Sirius replied with a grin. He felt foolish and silly and deliriously liberated; his rebellious side feeding off of people's shocked stares and disapproving mutters. 'I wouldn't care even if they did.' He felt his heart flutter when Remus's blushed prettily, cheeks rosy against his pale skin. He gave in to the urge and caressed Remus's cheek lovingly. 'You're gorgeous. Have I ever told you that?'

'Shut up,' Remus muttered, his whole face aflame.

He ignored Sirius's mischievous smile, looking pointedly away for the next five minutes as he tried to get his embarrassment under control. In fact, Remus was unable to look at Sirius even after they had got off the bus, wheeling Sirius through a quiet residential area. There were rows of identical houses, each surrounded by gardens and white picket fences. There were children playing in every corner, their laughter almost musical. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze that seemed in sync with the birds chirping. It felt like the most perfect day of their lives. So perfect that Sirius could not help but mimic Remus's barmy smile the entire way through. His smile only got wider, when they turned into a house not dissimilar from the rest. They had gotten no closer than the mahogany front door, when Sirius heard Padfoot's excited barks followed by large thumps as the dog undoubtedly jumped up and down in anticipation of his master.

'Hold on, Padfoot!' Remus laughed, as he opened the front door. Within moments, he was knocked to the ground by an over enthusiastic black dog and slathered by a very generous tongue. His large tail was wagging so fast that Sirius could feel the wind from it fanning his face. 'Stop it,' Remus giggled, writhing to get the large animal off him. 'Padfoot, I missed you, too, but you need to let me in.'

They hadn't been gone for that long. Remus always bought Padfoot to the hospital with the excuse that he was a medical dog and Remus needed him for any seizures that he might experience. In fact, today was the only day Remus had not brought his dog along because he wouldn't be able to handle both Sirius and an over excited canine at the same time.

'All right, all right. Say hello to Sirius, too, but be careful okay. Don't hurt him.' Heedful of his master, Padfoot waited until they were completely inside before laying his head gently on Sirius's lap and graciously bestowing Sirius with a few kisses when he was petted. 'What do you think?' Remus asked nervously as he helped Sirius unsteadily to his feet. Sirius still wasn't able to walk more than a few slow paces on his own and often had to lean on Remus for support. 'Of this place, I mean.'

Sirius didn't know what to think. Somehow, Remus had managed to make the house look both like Sirius's and his own (though he had definitely not used any of Sirius's fabulous orange love seats). He could see Remus's lamps on his coffee table, a few of his awards displayed on Remus's bookshelf, his rug underneath Remus's sofas. On top of the fireplace there was a small framed picture of the two of them from when they were younger; a picture Sirius had kept well hidden in the depths of his drawers yet felt so right out on display. Home, Sirius thought, our home.

'Lily helped set it up,' Remus rambled, as he toured Sirius in the bedroom. It smelled faintly like chocolate which told Sirius that Remus had been living here for a while. 'We can change it if you like; shift around a few things. You know how bossy she is; wouldn't let me touch a thing. I had to draw the lines when she tried to switch our curtains to lace ones. But-'

'It's perfect,' Sirius interrupted, looking at Remus with a smile. As Sirius shifted his weight further into Remus for support, their faces were pushed so close that there was barely an inch between them. Sirius felt his whole body warm up at the intimate contact and his grey eyes smouldered. 'So perfect that I was thinking maybe we should christen it?'

Remus spluttered, 'You-Your-'

Sirius looked completely unashamed by his suggestion. 'I'm sure you can think of something that doesn't involve too much legwork on my part.'

He had only to arch his eyebrow seductively before Remus was hooking both arms underneath Sirius's knees and lifting him up effortlessly. Sirius tried not to show the bruise on his pride as he was carried like a princess and laid gently on top of the bed. He knew that he had lost a lot of weight these past few months of healing and Remus had always been deceptively strong. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Remus's neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. He could feel Remus's hesitance even through the kiss, as the man hovered over him cautiously, not even letting their bodies touch in fear of hurting Sirius.

'I'm not going to break,' Sirius breathed in frustration into Remus's mouth before pulling him forcibly closer, so that Remus's elbows on either side of him collapsed and his full weight fell upon Sirius. He swallowed Remus's protests, plunging his tongue inside the willing mouth until nothing but moans filled the air. Sirius could already feel Remus hardening through his trousers and he arched up as far as he physically could, groaning when his muscles protested.

Remus pulled away, earning a whine from Sirius. 'Just relax,' he whispered, breath hot against Sirius's neck. 'Lay back and let me take care of you.' His hands were already thumbing the button of Sirius's trousers, expertly flicking it open and pulling down the zipper in a single practiced move. He mouthed Sirius's neck, as his hands roamed under Sirius's shirt and thumbed each sensitive nipple. Remus's tongue followed, laving each nipple with attention and scraping his teeth against them.

'Come on,' Sirius urged impatiently, when Remus had only gone as far as his belly button and was driving him insane with his tongue. He ran his fingers through Remus's ashy hair, pushing it lower where his cock was straining painfully in his underwear. He felt his eyes roll back into his head when Remus complied, sparing the foreplay and taking all of Sirius into his mouth. From there, Sirius was overwhelmed by the sensation of Remus's talented tongue as it teased the head, ran along the underside, and wrapped around his cock sinfully. It might have been the pent up tension from all these months or the overpowering love he felt for Remus right at that moment, but he came in very little time. His body trembled as Remus bobbed relentlessly, his calloused fingers massaging Sirius's inner thighs.

'Fuck,' Sirius cursed, looking up at the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath. He put a hand to his chest, feeling his heart pumping furiously as his whole body thrummed from post-orgasm. 'You're amazing,' Sirius breathed when Remus joined him and lay his head on the same pillow. He saw Remus touching himself through his pants and swatted the man's hands away before replacing them with his own. 'You are so bloody beautiful.' His hand worked furiously on Remus's cock, as he wished he had the strength to fuck the other man into the mattress right now. He bit into Remus's neck instead, sucking hard so that it would leave a mark for everyone to see. And when Remus came, he watched every nuance and change in expression on the man's face, his heart filling with desire and want and love, love, love. Sirius wondered why he hadn't realised this sooner; that he was in love with Remus. It seemed so obvious now.

'I can't believe you're here.' Remus turned his head towards Sirius, as he tried to catch his breath. 'That you aren't leaving.' He laughed, sounding almost relieved. 'You are really still here.'

'I'm still here,' Sirius assured, wrapping his arm around Remus's waist and nestling his face into the crook of the man's neck. 'These legs will make sure I don't go anywhere.' He grinned to show that the comment was light hearted. 'Where would I be, if not here with you?' He mumbled sappily, his fingers idly playing across Remus's chest as he thought of more sappy things to say just to make Remus blush again. His hand traced the curve of Remus's left shoulder before entwining their fingers together. The ring on Remus's finger felt cool to touch; they were planning to buy Sirius one as well when he was healthy enough.

'I never took it off,' Remus murmured, eyes closed as a prelude to sleep. 'Every time I tried…' he shrugged, laying a hand above Sirius's and tangling their fingers together. 'It felt too permanent, like I was cutting you off completely from my life. I couldn't do it.' He smiled drowsily, his head tilting to the side so that his cheek rested on the crown of Sirius's head. 'I'm glad I didn't.'

Sirius listened to Remus's heart beat slow down, returning to its normal pace. 'I meant it, you know. Even when I gave it to you, I just wanted you to know,' He brought Remus's hand to his lips and kissed it, 'that this is forever. We are forever.'

Remus hummed contentedly. 'Forever.'

End of Part 3

End of Series.

Wow, sorry this took so long. This whole chapter actually got deleted and i had to rewrite the whole thing which took up a fair bit of time. So yes, I know that everything didn't get tied in together in a perfect little bow but i wanted to keep it that way because I felt it was more realistic. Often times, you don't get all your answers or your happy ending in real life.

But just in case you guys feel all Hazel Grace-ish curious, I had originally intended in the story to include how baby Remus survived. He crawled out of the doggy door. Yes, very anti-climatic I know. But because I decided not to include it, I'd taken the doggy door out of the description of the Lupin house. :D You don't want to know what I had orginally planned for Fabian - it might scar you.

Guest1: Hi! No, it's not. But it's on AO3 if you're looking to download.

Guest2: Thank you for reviewing! Sorry it took so long to update! I hope you enjoyed the story.

Your eternal fan: I think we've all gone through the pains of auto correct, but for some reason, I never bother disabling it. It isn't that Dorea wasn't accepting; it was more like she didn't understand it and didn't know what the right thing to say was. This is based on the 80's so people were a little more close minded back then. I hope the ending didn't disappoint!

Theonelazy: Lol. Thank you! I always respond to all my reviewers just because I love them all. :D

Code-Ex: Thank you! And your friend too for reading my fic and enjoying it! Hopefully, you managed to get enough sleep and I didn't update too late! This is the final chapter so you can always go back and re-read it (hint hint). Lol.

Desperate Reader: Well, the fanfic fairy came to me with your wishes and I was able to grant atleast one of them. ;) I actually explained the driver incident in the Rita Skeeter article where it mentions that he was just drunk. He wasn't responding because he had passed out midway. No one was trying to murder anyone, I promise! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Guest3: You are completely right. The reason I added Orion in the chapter was kind of a follow up to Alphard's letter and also the phone call between Sirius and his dad when Sirius finally ran away. It sort of shows his side of things and that he wasn't actually unfeeling to Sirius. It was just that he never bridged that gap between responsibility as a Black and as a father. So it's like a bit like a layered story, I guess. :D