Ficlet: HP, Autumn (Remus/Sirius)
Autumn
"I hate autumn," Sirius says. He is stretched full length on the common room floor, flicking bits of parchment that are probably meant to be tomorrow's essay at the ceiling, and Remus wishes he wouldn't lie so close to him, so that he can see every slide and stretch of muscle, and have no choice but to contemplate the tiny patch of skin that lies exposed between Sirius's shirt and his trousers.
"I like it," he says, pretending to be engrossed in his essay and not paying attention to Sirius.
Sirius gives a particularly vicious flick of his wrist, and an indignant yelp comes from somewhere behind Remus's shoulder. "You would," Sirius says to Remus, and, "Sorry. All right there, Elisa?" to the source of the yelp.
Remus looks over his shoulder to see a fourth year girl who looks anything but indignant now that she's received some words from Sirius. Remus wonders if her name is actually Elisa, and supposes that the girl won't actually care if it's not. She'll probably make it that from now on, because most people bend to Sirius's will in the end. Remus should know.
"Bored, Moony."
"Write your essay, then."
"Yes, that's a splendid idea. I'm bored, so let's write a History of Magic essay. I mean, I suppose it might save me from the boredom, but only because I'd be dead. Dead, Remus. Do you really want that on your conscience?"
"It'd be difficult, but I think I'd survive."
"Pillock." And then Remus's parchment slides from his lap and into Sirius's hands. "Sometimes you frighten me," Sirius says as he scans it. "Seventeen inches?"
"There's a lot to say," Remus says. "Give it back."
"No. I'm bored. Bored and hating autumn. It's your duty as a fellow marauder to amuse me."
"I don't remember ever being told about that. And you're not outside, anyway, so autumn can't hurt you."
"I can see it, Remus. There are trees outside that window, all leafless and, and stupid looking. And look at them-"
Remus glances where Sirius is and sees - "Girls, Sirius?"
"All round the fire, because it's getting cold outside. And people are eating pomegranates. They're actually eating pomegranates," he says, as though it's the most horrifying thing he's ever witnessed. "I hate pomegranates."
"Getting through the day must be a terrible challenge for you."
"It is. Now, about that solemn duty."
"I have an essay to write."
"It's done. Five inches too much, in fact. We'll go on kitchen raids, or mix up Filch's supplies, or whatever you want."
"Sirius-"
"If you don't, I'll terrorise all the first years in here with my menacing parchment."
Remus relents, because Remus always does. "Fine. Kitchen Raid, but only for a little while."
Sirius grins and is on his feet and dragging Remus with him, hand against hand, and for an instant Remus is pressed tight to Sirius's side. Then Sirius's hand is gone, and Remus pretends he doesn't feel bereft, and then doesn't have to, because Sirius's is arm is warm round his shoulders as they head upstairs to their dorm.
Once there, Remus searches James's trunk for the invisibility cloak, but Sirius settles himself on Remus's bed, looking unusually thoughtful.
"Coming, Sirius?" Remus asks, holding the cloak out to him.
"Hmm. Sort of gone off the idea. Pomegranates, Remus. There'll probably be some down there," he says in reply to Remus's questioning look.
"So I can finish my essay?"
"No. You must stay here and distract me."
"Oh."
Remus sits on the bed beside Sirius and thinks. "Why do you hate autumn then," he finally asks, because he can't come up with anything else and because he's genuinely curious.
"That's not a very good distraction, is it?" He's silent, and Remus is thinking of something else to do, when he says, more seriously than Remus expected, "I really do hate it."
"I know. I don't know why, though. It's Halloween pranks, and fireworks, and eventually it brings presents. All of that should be right up your street."
"Yeah, presents and the fucking Black family balls and family parties, and parading us around, like we're on display for some pure blood contest. I fucking hate it. At least when it's done, there's the rest of winter, but autumn's all build up, and the end of things."
"You could just not go home," Remus says quietly.
"More than my life's worth. Big season in the Black home, Christmas is. It's the best time for us to show off how disgustingly rich we are."
"Then you should enjoy now while you're here. Just think of the fireworks you'll be able to set off in Hogsmeade."
"You're cajoling me. Don't think I don't know. Why do you like it so much, anyway?"
Now it's Remus's turn to be silent, because he isn't sure he knows how to say it, or that Sirius will even understand. "It's stupid," he says.
"Stupider than me in silk robes? I don't think so, Remus. Spill."
"Well, -- and if you laugh, I'll kick your arse -- it's like the world's sort of holding its breath, you know. Like the calm between summer and winter. I feel like anything could happen right now, because the world's waiting for something." Sirius just looks at him, and Remus feels himself blush. "Told you it was stupid."
"I don't think it's stupid." And suddenly Sirius is closer than Remus remembers, and his voice is oddly quiet. Remus thinks it sounds like autumn. "You know I never really wanted a kitchen raid?" he says, and his hand is warm against Remus's cheek, thumb running along his lips and making Remus's breath catch.
"No?" he asks.
"No."
He brings his other hand up so there is one on either side of Remus's face, and then his mouth surges against Remus's, in a click of teeth and a slide of tongues that is awkward and new and terrifying, but wonderful and warm and dizzying.
"Sirius-" Remus says, as he pulls away. "This isn't," he remembers the girl downstairs, remembers every girl who has ever vied for Sirius's attention, and wonders that he can really be what Sirius wants. "Are you sure?"
"I thought you said anything could happen?" Sirius asks, and Remus nods. "Then believe this."
The kiss this time is less awkward, fingers finding hair to tangle in and angles that fit a little better, and Remus grins against Sirius's mouth as he thinks that they have all of autumn and more to perfect this.
"I hate autumn," Sirius says. He is stretched full length on the common room floor, flicking bits of parchment that are probably meant to be tomorrow's essay at the ceiling, and Remus wishes he wouldn't lie so close to him, so that he can see every slide and stretch of muscle, and have no choice but to contemplate the tiny patch of skin that lies exposed between Sirius's shirt and his trousers.
"I like it," he says, pretending to be engrossed in his essay and not paying attention to Sirius.
Sirius gives a particularly vicious flick of his wrist, and an indignant yelp comes from somewhere behind Remus's shoulder. "You would," Sirius says to Remus, and, "Sorry. All right there, Elisa?" to the source of the yelp.
Remus looks over his shoulder to see a fourth year girl who looks anything but indignant now that she's received some words from Sirius. Remus wonders if her name is actually Elisa, and supposes that the girl won't actually care if it's not. She'll probably make it that from now on, because most people bend to Sirius's will in the end. Remus should know.
"Bored, Moony."
"Write your essay, then."
"Yes, that's a splendid idea. I'm bored, so let's write a History of Magic essay. I mean, I suppose it might save me from the boredom, but only because I'd be dead. Dead, Remus. Do you really want that on your conscience?"
"It'd be difficult, but I think I'd survive."
"Pillock." And then Remus's parchment slides from his lap and into Sirius's hands. "Sometimes you frighten me," Sirius says as he scans it. "Seventeen inches?"
"There's a lot to say," Remus says. "Give it back."
"No. I'm bored. Bored and hating autumn. It's your duty as a fellow marauder to amuse me."
"I don't remember ever being told about that. And you're not outside, anyway, so autumn can't hurt you."
"I can see it, Remus. There are trees outside that window, all leafless and, and stupid looking. And look at them-"
Remus glances where Sirius is and sees - "Girls, Sirius?"
"All round the fire, because it's getting cold outside. And people are eating pomegranates. They're actually eating pomegranates," he says, as though it's the most horrifying thing he's ever witnessed. "I hate pomegranates."
"Getting through the day must be a terrible challenge for you."
"It is. Now, about that solemn duty."
"I have an essay to write."
"It's done. Five inches too much, in fact. We'll go on kitchen raids, or mix up Filch's supplies, or whatever you want."
"Sirius-"
"If you don't, I'll terrorise all the first years in here with my menacing parchment."
Remus relents, because Remus always does. "Fine. Kitchen Raid, but only for a little while."
Sirius grins and is on his feet and dragging Remus with him, hand against hand, and for an instant Remus is pressed tight to Sirius's side. Then Sirius's hand is gone, and Remus pretends he doesn't feel bereft, and then doesn't have to, because Sirius's is arm is warm round his shoulders as they head upstairs to their dorm.
Once there, Remus searches James's trunk for the invisibility cloak, but Sirius settles himself on Remus's bed, looking unusually thoughtful.
"Coming, Sirius?" Remus asks, holding the cloak out to him.
"Hmm. Sort of gone off the idea. Pomegranates, Remus. There'll probably be some down there," he says in reply to Remus's questioning look.
"So I can finish my essay?"
"No. You must stay here and distract me."
"Oh."
Remus sits on the bed beside Sirius and thinks. "Why do you hate autumn then," he finally asks, because he can't come up with anything else and because he's genuinely curious.
"That's not a very good distraction, is it?" He's silent, and Remus is thinking of something else to do, when he says, more seriously than Remus expected, "I really do hate it."
"I know. I don't know why, though. It's Halloween pranks, and fireworks, and eventually it brings presents. All of that should be right up your street."
"Yeah, presents and the fucking Black family balls and family parties, and parading us around, like we're on display for some pure blood contest. I fucking hate it. At least when it's done, there's the rest of winter, but autumn's all build up, and the end of things."
"You could just not go home," Remus says quietly.
"More than my life's worth. Big season in the Black home, Christmas is. It's the best time for us to show off how disgustingly rich we are."
"Then you should enjoy now while you're here. Just think of the fireworks you'll be able to set off in Hogsmeade."
"You're cajoling me. Don't think I don't know. Why do you like it so much, anyway?"
Now it's Remus's turn to be silent, because he isn't sure he knows how to say it, or that Sirius will even understand. "It's stupid," he says.
"Stupider than me in silk robes? I don't think so, Remus. Spill."
"Well, -- and if you laugh, I'll kick your arse -- it's like the world's sort of holding its breath, you know. Like the calm between summer and winter. I feel like anything could happen right now, because the world's waiting for something." Sirius just looks at him, and Remus feels himself blush. "Told you it was stupid."
"I don't think it's stupid." And suddenly Sirius is closer than Remus remembers, and his voice is oddly quiet. Remus thinks it sounds like autumn. "You know I never really wanted a kitchen raid?" he says, and his hand is warm against Remus's cheek, thumb running along his lips and making Remus's breath catch.
"No?" he asks.
"No."
He brings his other hand up so there is one on either side of Remus's face, and then his mouth surges against Remus's, in a click of teeth and a slide of tongues that is awkward and new and terrifying, but wonderful and warm and dizzying.
"Sirius-" Remus says, as he pulls away. "This isn't," he remembers the girl downstairs, remembers every girl who has ever vied for Sirius's attention, and wonders that he can really be what Sirius wants. "Are you sure?"
"I thought you said anything could happen?" Sirius asks, and Remus nods. "Then believe this."
The kiss this time is less awkward, fingers finding hair to tangle in and angles that fit a little better, and Remus grins against Sirius's mouth as he thinks that they have all of autumn and more to perfect this.