Seven Years
Disclaimer: A note to say I own nothing. Not Harry Potter, its themes, its characters or the title 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'. Everything belongs to each respectable party. Let's keep the lawsuits to a minimum, okay guys? Cheers.
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The first year they met both were young, nervous and sporting clean, crisp, freshly laundered Hogwarts robes. Remus Lupin was sitting, back straight, legs folded, in the last cabin of the last carriage. The heavy book in his hands putting strain on his wrists as he tried to ignore the screamed farewells of the crowds outside his window, he ignored the twist of jealously in his stomach and the pain of loneliness in his heart. He immersed himself deeper in A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
Sirius Black for his part was everything Remus was not. He was among those shouting outside. Not farewells but promises "I promise to make it into Gryffindor", "I promise to disgrace the Noble House of Black", "I promise to make you red with anger". Laughing hysterically at the looks his family sent him. Strutting further down the platform, another boy by his side, he didn't care. He was leaving, no more shame, no more expectations, no more Black. Sirius Black was damn happy, James Potter by his side and a wand in his hand.
"Mind if we join then?" James Potter had asked, already piling in his luggage and dumping his load of sweets across the seats. Sirius Black meandered in after him, casting a look at the quiet boy and sliding into a seat beside him.
"Sirius Black," he had said. "Down with the Blacks."
Remus didn't know how to respond. James had laughed.
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The second year they had met, Remus has been nervous. Would they remember him? His three friends. Would they still greet him, laugh at his jokes and interrupt his studying? He wasn't sure and that fact scared him. What if they didn't, what if over the holiday each had greatly matured? Matured too much for their old friend, Remus. The werewolf.
He had sat in the same cabin, the same seat and had the same well-used book in his hands, the pages burnt, stained, glued-together in places. He was being sentimental but the black crisp of a front cover reminded him of Sirius and his eleventh birthday. He couldn't help it. He glanced out the window. What if they'd forgotten?
Then suddenly a pair of hands had been placed over his eyes, another hooped around his waist, the high-pitched giggling of his smallest friend rung in the background. And Remus smiled. Dropping the book to the floor he stood, embracing each of his friends in turn, all the while forbidding the tears to fall. Lest Sirius see and add it to his constantly growing list of blackmail. Remus for the first time in his life was truly happy. He had friends he could rely on, who he could trust to never abandon him, who were always there.
"What are you doing reading this, Remy?" Sirius has asked, picking the text from the floor, and flipping through the pages.
"Like you haven't read it enough to know the words by heart," James had added, leaning over Sirius's shoulder to peer at the book, a chocolate frog hanging from his lips. "He-ey I remember that stain."
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The third year they met Remus was late.
"Where is he James? Do you think something happened to him? Should I kick someone's ass?"
"He's probably just late, Sirius, calm down. You can kick Snivellus's butt though, that may be fun."
"This is Remus Lupin we're talking about. Werewolf, book worm, always incredibly on time it's scary Remus Lupin. He's never late."
"Yeah well, there's a first time for everything. I mean Peter doesn't have dirt on his nose, one in a million."
Sirius shook his head distractedly. "Yeah but you know Remus, what if he bad mouthed some thug Muggles. Nasty right hook some of them have. Maybe I should go look for him."
"He has his wand on him, he'll be right."
"He wouldn't attack with magic, unfair advantage, he'd say."
"I'm sure he's just stuck in traffic, sit down and eat a bean."
"James how can you think of eating at a time like this. Remus could be lying in an alley, waiting for me to come and rescue him and you're telling me to eat a lolly! Have some decency."
The door creaked shut as Remus Lupin entered the room, an amused smile lighting his face. "I can assure you Sirius that I am not lying in an alley awaiting your help and you can feel free to eat all the sweets you want."
Sirius had smiled and James rolled his eyes.
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The fourth year they met Sirius was wearing a blood-nose and James a second pair of ears. Their explanation was simple. 'Slytherins.". So with a roll of his eyes and a flick of his wand he muttered a counter-curse and dragged Sirius's face closer to him. Amongst much squirming, blushing and the odd snide, suggestive comment, Remus cleaned Sirius's face as best he could before the taller boy escaped.
A wide, rather uncomfortable silence stretched between them as Sirius and James exchanged glances. Remus waiting patiently. Finally one spoke. "So are you going to ask us what happened, Remy?" James asked.
Remus hid his smile, sometimes he felt he was the mother of these two. "What happened this time?"
Sound erupted as both James and Sirius jumped to their feet, their mouths pounding out their cries as hands and wands accentuated their anger.
"And here we were, walking innocently down the station, not bothering anyone."
"No-one." James agreed with a nod of his head.
"And then bang, three of them were on us."
"Like animals they were."
"And so I'm here brandishing my wand." Sirius demonstrated, shaking his wand above his head, ignoring the several crimson sparks that exploded from the end. "And then they hit me, once, twice, three times and I was down."
"The other two were on me Moony, hexing and jabbing all at once."
Remus smiled softly, placing the parchment and quill he had previously been working with safely away inside his bags and settled back into the seat, ready to listen to the long and winding tale of James Potter and Sirius Black
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The fifth year they met Sirius had brought a girl. Remus had greeted her politely, his voice cool and quick, he didn't bother to shake her hand, meet her eyes or ask how they met. He buried his head in his latest textbook and tried to ignore the happy couple beside him. James watched on in growing annoyance. After five minutes of casual touches and piercing giggles, James called to Sirius and dragged him out of the cabin. Much hushed whispers and raised curses were heard before both re-entered. Three minutes later the girl had left. James watched Sirius watch Remus and again rolled his eyes. Sometime his friends were so stupid.
"So Remus what are you reading?"
Remus smiled at James, his thank you clearly obvious.
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The sixth year they met they had a party. There wasn't a plan, there wasn't a reason. Just the simple fact that Sirius was 'bored' and James had fire-crackers. They'd had a blast, literally and figuratively and had each received a month's worth of detention for their efforts.
"Merlin! Watch where you're aiming that thing Padfoot. A black eye on the first day is not a fashion statement."
"Is Jamsie-boy scared big, mean Sirius Black will ruin his sexy, new haircut?"
"Damn straight!"
"I'll just take some of the top, promise."
"You will die a slow, slow death if you so much as touch a hair on this head."
"One hair?"
"One hair."
"You are so vain, James." Remus had interjecting, reaching across the cabin to retrieve the unlit cracker from Sirius' hands. With a tap of his wand and a muttered jinx he sent the explosive into the air, watching it ricochet off the ceiling and wall, smiling at the blackened burns it left in its wake.
Sirius watched on, smiling at the blue, green, red, orange light that danced over Remus' upturned face as he followed the path of his firework. When the cracker came to an ending fizzle on the seat beside him he met Remus' gaze with a smile.
"Not bad for a first try. My burns bigger though."
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The seventh year they met Remus was running. Down the station, his robes billowing behind him, catching at his ankles and causing him to trip slightly, he ran faster. There at the end of the station, trolleys, bags, owls, piled beside them, stood his three friends. Peter with his home-job hair cut and admiring face, gazing at James who seemed to be laughing at some hysterical joke, clutching at the arm of his remaining friend to keep him upright. Sirius. Sirius Black. Remus ran faster. James was the first to notice him, straightening up slightly, ruffling his hair with one hand as his grin spread. He slapped Sirius on the arm, pointing with a nod of his head.
Sirius smiled, Remus ran. Opening his arms, Remus leapt, his smile threatening to tear his face in two. His arms came to wrap around Sirius' neck, pulling his body closer as their lips met in a chaste kiss. A low whistle was heard from their left, courtesy of James and Remus smiled into the kiss. The arms around his waist were warm and comforting, the thick eyelashes brushing against his cheeks, ticklish and real and the thumping of his heart loud and clear. The world stopped.
The people around them paused to whisper to one another. So it was true? Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were together? Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Gryffindor's cheered them on, Hufflepuff's blushed, Ravenclaw's denied to facts and Slytherin's gagged. All went unnoticed by the four friends.
"About bloody time," James had commented, slapping Sirius on the back. "I thought I was going to have to snog Moony myself at one point, to kick that insane jealousy of yours into gear."
Both smiled, turning slightly, their bodies touching, to gaze at the sight before them. Hogwarts Express billowing smoke above their heads, students hurrying around them, sending them their congratulations and surprise and James Potter and Peter Pettigrew beside them, laughing at one of James Potter's infamously idiotic jokes. Today, life was good.
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Author's Note: My second Harry Potter story. And it's Sirius/Remus as well? Shock horror. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Enough to review even. Either way, hope you liked it even a little bit and don't want to tear my head off for wasting your time. If I achieved even that I'm happy. Cheers.