Rating of PG-13.

I do not own the characters, JKR does. I simply borrow them.

Sirius and Remus say "I do." But the Ministry of Magic says "We don't think so."

On a side note, I know that it is a young marriage, but the setting worked better for me if they were at school.

Ties That Bind

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"I do."

"I--" Remus hesitated slightly. "I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and…Husband."

The two teens exchanged a grin, amber and silver eyes sparkling with joy.

"You may now kiss--" Dumbledore broke off, realizing that 'the bride' wouldn't fit. "Each other."

They sealed the forever promise with a kiss. The tiny crowd that had gathered on the frost lit grounds all broke into a mild applause as the newly wed couple gently broke their passion filled kiss.

Slowly, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin made their way hand in hand down the natural frost carpet. The newly fallen powder whispered around them as they went.

-

"Sirius?" Remus asked, looking up at his newly made husband that sat across from him in the common room.

"Hm?" Sirius didn't look up from the golden band he was admiring that wrapped its way around his left ring finger.

"I need you to sign this," the amber eyed pushed a green and white certificate under Sirius' hand.

Sirius broke his gaze from the slender ring that was glinting in the light from the fireplace and focused it instead on the official looking, green and white Ministry of Magic certificate.

"What's this for?"

"Well…" Remus trailed off, taking his time selecting his next few words. "It took a lot of convincing on my part to get the Ministry to let us even do this--"

"Yeah…What do they want? A signed paper that says I'm married to a werewolf at my own free will?"

"No, that's this one."

The young werewolf held up a similar looking Ministry paper. Sirius wrinkled his nose in annoyance and disgust.

"So what's this one for?"

Remus averted his eyes and muttered something to the floor.

"What?"

"It's for a marriage bond."

"What about a marriage bond? I thought I made it clear that we were getting an equal bond--"

"You did."

"You don't want one?"

"Yes, God yes. More than anything."

"Then--"

"You see, Padfoot…The Ministry said they'd let me marry you…" Remus' voice softened and he slowly brought his head up to look his husband straight in the eye.

"What is it?" Sirius asked with the hair on the back of his neck on end.

"They want us to have a dominance bond, Sirius."

-

"I can't believe this!" Sirius stormed to James as he paced angrily around the circumference of the circular dorm room.

"Hey, mate, calm down," James tried unsuccessfully to get his ranting best friend to relax before he punched a hole in the wall or wore a hole in the floor from his pacing, or both.

"It can't be so bad. My parents have a dominance bond, Pads. Look at them! They've been married for twenty-one years and had five kids. They look pretty happy to me," the antlered Animagus was interrupted with a disbelieving snort. "Well, they are! It could be a lot worse."

"Oh, yeah? Mind telling me how so?"

"Well…" James though for a moment. "At least you know he can never cheat on you," he argued weakly.

"James, he'd never do that to begin with," Sirius snapped. "It's just an excuse to humiliate him. They find it amusing to treat him like a goddamn, fucking animal."

"Padfoot…"

"It's not fair," the grim Animagus whispered, sliding slowly down the wall and hiding his face in his hands. "They can't do this. He doesn't deserve this shit."

James sighed and sloughed down next to him.

"I know, but what else can you do? It's not like it's gonna interfere with your everyday life or anything. You wont even know it's there. My parents get on just fine with it."

"Yeah…"

"So, did you sign it?" James asked, already knowing the answer.

Sirius sighed and then moaned into his hands.

"Course I did. We both want this just so badly."

His words echoed around the room for a long time.

-

The following day, with signed form in hand, Remus flooed to the Ministry of Magic with the help of Dumbledore's marble fireplace. He arrived with the all too familiar ringing noise filling his ears and proceeded to have his wand checked and balanced at the security desk.

He rode to the floor for the Control and Regulation of Dangerous Creatures, got off, and strode quickly and quietly down the hall until he reached a door near the top of the corridor.

Room D12, Werewolf Control the shinning black plate with the white engraved letters read.

Remus took a second to regard the door with a high sense of dislike before turning the tarnished, brass knob and allowing himself entrance.

The spell took a total of two hours to complete before Remus Lupin stumbled out of room D12 pale and shaking.

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