"The Animagi Challenge"

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and co. don't belong to me, that is all. :-)

A/N: Hi all! Yes, I'm back after a long break from fanfic, not by choice – going for Dux is not easy work. But oh well. :-) To help my muse, I asked for a Remus/Sirius challenge fic, and received this one from mustardgirl1128…

"The Animagi Challenge"

Please include Sirius telling Remus that he & the rest of the Marauders are becoming Animagi for him. I'd like to see how Remus would react, and add Sirius saying proudly, "And I came up with the idea." Not necessarily the Animagi idea, just have him say that.

Also include:

-James and Peter, mentioned or actually there

-"Sirius, if I told you something big, would you freak out on me?"

-"I'm going to hit you over the head with my broomstick. I repeat, I am going to hit you over the head with my broomstick."

-Someone crying

-Someone popping in just as Remus & Sirius are getting friendly. D

So without anymore talk, here is what I came up with! Enjoy! :-)

The Animagi Challenge

"Remus! Remus! Reeeeeeeemus!"

Remus Lupin jumped at the sound of his name being yelled at the top of somebody's lungs. He was in the boy's dormitory, and had been looking out of the window at the darkening sky, feeling perfectly peaceful… until he heard his name. Sighing, Remus turned around and started walking towards the door. However, he hardly moved one step before a loud 'thump!' sounded and the door burst open.

Sirius Black had just entered the boy's dormitory. Or rather, fell into it.

"Sirius? Er, are you okay?" Remus asked, trying not to laugh, but hurrying over to where the other boy was lying. Sirius was panting heavily, and he looked up at Remus.

"Remus!"

"Yes, Sirius?" Remus knelt down beside him and tilted his head to one side.

"I have the most fantastic, brilliant, amazing news ever to tell you!" Sirius cried, scrambling up onto his knees like Remus.

"What?" Remus asked warily. "This isn't something like the time when you managed to trick that 5th year into giving you dungbombs, is it?"

Sirius looked affronted, and no wonder – he had been extremely proud of that achievement.

"No! This is much better!" He stopped and took a deep breath, and looked at Remus with shining eyes.

"Me, James and Peter were thinking about how we can help you, with your problem. And we came up with this: We're going to become Animagi, so we can run around and keep you company every full moon! Oh, we have to celebrate with a feast from the kitchens – And I came up with the idea," Sirius added proudly. "Well. The celebrating with food idea, at least."

Remus felt like he had lost all feeling in his legs. And his arms. And, well, his whole body. He collapsed down onto the floor and opened his mouth to try and speak, but nothing came out. A burning sensation tickled his throat, and he tried to swallow.

"Remus?" Sirius said softly. He wriggled over closer to Remus, so that he was close enough for Remus to look into Sirius' eyes. They were awash with understanding and something stronger that he didn't have time to examine, due to his own vision becoming blurred.

"I… I don't know what to say," Remus whispered finally. A corner of Sirius' mouth quirked up.

"Well there's a first time for everything," he remarked. Remus tried to swallow again, but couldn't stop a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Well, I'll take this as an 'Oh Merlin, you guys are bloody brilliant and I will worship the ground that you walk on' reaction," Sirius said, and enveloped Remus in a huge hug. Remus squirmed at first but then hid his face in Sirius' chest. It was nice and warm, and as though the rest of the world didn't exist, only Sirius.

"I can't believe you'd actually do that," Remus sniffed, sitting back up again and quickly wiping his eyes. "But you can't! It's way too dangerous, there's a million risks, and it's incredibly hard."

"Then it's a challenge!" Sirius declared, beaming now that Remus was talking. "We know the risks, we did some research. I think. But we reckon we can do it, easily. And anyway, it helps that we have someone as smart as you to help us," Sirius grinned at Remus. Remus sniffed again but rolled his eyes, smiling reluctantly.

"You are lucky. But… thank you," he finished quietly. Sirius smiled again and shrugged.

"Don't mention it, Remus. But c'mon, we gotta go find James and Peter, we have to celebrate!"

Both boys stood up, and looked at each other for a moment. Remus bit his lip.

"Sirius, if I told you something big, would you freak out on me?"

Sirius frowned a little, as though thinking.

"What do you mean? You know I love you no matter what," he said slowly. Remus cleared his throat and a light tinge of pink coloured his face.

"Well, that's kind of the point," he mumbled. "You see, I…"

"Hey, Remus! Sirius! Did you tell him!" James flew through the door, followed closely by Peter, and grinned at Remus. "Isn't it great! We just went down to the kitchens, I charmed the house elves with my superior Potter charm," James posed dramatically, "And look how much we got!"

Remus grimaced at Sirius, and mouthed 'later' as an answer to his curious expression. James distributed the Butterbeer, and they all had a toast to future full moons together.

Three hours, six cases of Butterbeer, and about ten tons of dessert later, Peter had fallen asleep on the floor, and James was plotting his plan of attack.

"I could always put make-up on him," he stroked his chin thoughtfully. Remus rolled his eyes.

"James, leave Peter alone, just this once."

"But I never pass up an opportunity to prank someone!" James looked horrified at the mere thought. "What about my reputation!"

"I promise that Sirius and I won't say a word, if you leave Peter and go and get us some more Butterbeer," Remus said with a winning smile. James sighed and stood up, the lure of more Butterbeer too strong.

"Alright, I'll be back soon."

Remus smiled at Sirius, who was lounging on his bed, his head hanging upside down to grin back at Remus.

"All the blood will rush to your brain," Remus warned. Sirius poked out his tongue but lost his balance and fell to the floor beside Remus. Remus couldn't help laughing.

"Hey, just because some of us aren't half-animal yet," Sirius quipped lightly, but then sobered up. "What were you saying before, when we were rudely interrupted?"

"Oh," Remus suddenly remembered, and the warmth of the Butterbeer and the close proximity of Sirius made him blush. "Oh, um, that. It was nothing. I, um, I've forgotten."

"Merlin, I really should teach you how to lie properly," Sirius shook his head. "You'll get us into a lot of trouble one day."

"No, it's not important."

The truth was that Remus had lost his nerve. He had been already to just say it, looking into Sirius' eyes and caught up in the moment. But now, he didn't know if he could. Sirius, however, was not giving up.

"Tell me, Remus," he pleaded, a sliver of black hair falling across his eye. Remus resisted the urge to smooth it away and sighed. He closed his eyes, the warm fuzz of Butterbeer filling him with indecision.

Soft fingers lifted Remus' chin and tilted his face. Remus opened his eyes, surprised, and found himself looking Sirius right in the eyes again. He swallowed.

"I… can't," he whispered, torn between wanting to turn away, but wanting to be this close, this connected forever.

"Then show me," Sirius breathed, with a trace of a smile.

For a split second, the air froze between them. And then there was no air. Remus' lips brushed Sirius' lightly, Sirius still holding Remus' chin. He waited a second more, and then kissed Sirius properly, a short sweet kiss. Which didn't actually turn out to be a short kiss, because Sirius smiled and lent forwards.

"I like this much better than talking," Sirius said, before kissing Remus more deeply. Remus slid his fingers around Sirius' waist, and sighed contently…

"Looks like some people don't need anymore Butterbeer," a loud, smug voice rang out, and Remus and Sirius jumped. Remus looked up and blushed a deep red when he saw James standing in the doorway, smirking. He realized his fingers were underneath Sirius' shirt, but didn't much want to move them, so didn't.

"James!" Sirius yelled, fixing him with narrowed eyes. "I'm going to hit you over the head with my broomstick. I repeat, I am going to hit you over the head with my broomstick!"

"How can you possibly do that if someone's riding it?" James retorted cheekily, and burst into a peal of laughter as Sirius made to get up, but found his limbs were too tangled with Remus, so couldn't. Instead, he settled with a smoldering death glare, which, in Remus' opinion, made him look adorable.

"Don't worry about it Sirius," laughed Remus. He felt like a huge weight had lifted from around his neck. "There's a first time for everything."

So, hope you liked it! :-) Hopefully I'll find more time to write soon, I've got another challenge, this time Harry/Draco. Feel free to message me with more challenges! Just can't make any promises on how long it will take me. :-)

brionyjae xox