Hidden Moments

It was a crisp evening, the kind where the night air felt sharp but refreshing. The sky had turned a deep velvet, dotted with stars that seemed to sparkle a little brighter than usual. Remus found himself following Sirius once again, drawn by that familiar pull, the promise of another hidden place where they could escape from the rest of the world.

This time, Sirius had something a bit different in mind.

“Where are we going?” Remus asked, raising an eyebrow as they passed the usual hallways and staircases.

Sirius, ever the mischievous one, didn’t answer right away. Instead, he flashed that devil-may-care grin that always made Remus’s heart race, before nudging him forward. “You’ll see. Just trust me.”

The two of them made their way up winding stone steps, the kind that creaked underfoot and seemed to stretch forever. As they climbed, the air grew cooler, and the sounds of the castle faded away, replaced by the soft rush of wind. By the time they reached the top, the stars were fully visible, blanketing the sky in a quiet, infinite spread of twinkling light.

Sirius led Remus to the edge of the Astronomy Tower, where the stone parapet overlooked the grounds of Hogwarts. There was a large, flat roof just beyond the edge, and the entire area was tucked away from the usual crowds, giving the place an isolated, almost magical feel.

“This is…” Remus started, taking in the view. The entire castle stretched out beneath them, bathed in the soft glow of the moon. The grounds below were empty, and the surrounding forest was a silhouette in the distance. The peace of it all felt almost unreal. “This is amazing.”

Sirius stood beside him, eyes scanning the horizon. “Yeah, no one ever comes up here. Except maybe for stargazing, but it's too cold for most people this time of year. Perfect for us.”

Remus smiled, feeling the thrill of being so high up, away from the hustle of the school, tucked away in a hidden corner that felt like theirs alone. He couldn’t help but take in a deep breath of the cold night air. It was a strange kind of peace.

“So, what exactly are we doing up here?” Remus asked, glancing sideways at Sirius, who was already looking at him with that same twinkle in his eye.

“Well,” Sirius began, stepping closer, his voice lowering, “I figured we could take in the stars. Maybe share a few more secrets... and, you know, kiss.”

Remus chuckled softly, though he couldn’t deny the way his pulse quickened at the thought. He had always loved the stars—the way they seemed so distant yet so constant. And now, with Sirius beside him, the night felt even more alive.

“I think I like the sound of that,” Remus replied, his voice quieter now. There was something about the stillness of the night, the quiet hum of the wind, that made everything feel more intense, more intimate.

Without saying another word, Sirius closed the distance between them, his hand reaching up to gently cup Remus’s face. The touch was tender, almost reverent, as if he were cherishing the moment, making it last longer than it should.

Remus leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed for just a moment. Then, slowly, their lips met—soft at first, but growing deeper with each second. It was the kind of kiss that felt timeless, like the world could spin around them, and it wouldn’t matter. They could have stayed up there forever, just like that, hidden from everyone.

When they pulled apart, breathless but smiling, Sirius rested his forehead against Remus’s. “I love the quiet up here,” Sirius murmured, his hand slipping down to rest at Remus’s waist. “I love being up here with you. No distractions. Just us and the stars.”

Remus nodded, feeling that same rush of affection. It was a simple thing—just being with Sirius, in a place that felt all their own. But it meant everything to him. “It’s perfect. It’s like the whole world’s below us. Nothing else matters but this moment.”

Sirius grinned, pulling him closer. “Exactly. It’s ours. No one else gets it.”

They spent a long while up there, taking in the stars and the quiet beauty of the night, sneaking kisses when no one was around to see. The more time they spent in these hidden places, the more Remus realized how much they meant to him—not just the places themselves, but the moments they shared in them. It wasn’t about the secrecy, though that was thrilling. It was about having these special, shared pieces of time where nothing else mattered, where they could just be themselves.

As the wind whispered around them and the world below faded into silence, Sirius stepped back a little, pulling Remus along as he moved toward the edge of the Astronomy Tower. The stars seemed to shine even brighter, casting a soft, silver glow over everything. For a moment, the two of them stood side by side, just looking up at the vast, endless sky.

Sirius, always the romantic, gave Remus a playful nudge. “See that cluster of stars?” He pointed upward, his finger tracing a path across the sky. “That’s where my name comes from. The Dog Star—Sirius. It’s the brightest star in the sky, just like—well, just like me,” he added with a cheeky grin, his eyes never leaving the stars.

Remus chuckled, leaning in closer. “You know, I think you’re the only person who could pull off that level of arrogance and make it sound charming.”

Sirius gave him a teasing look. “You know you love it.” His grin softened as he turned his attention back to the sky, and with a quieter tone, he continued, “But there’s another star up there I want to show you.”

Remus followed his gaze, his curiosity piqued. Sirius’s eyes were alight with excitement, but there was something else in the way he looked at the sky—a kind of reverence, almost like he was holding onto something precious.

“That one,” Sirius said, pointing toward a smaller, dimmer star that twinkled just a little differently from the others. “That’s Lupin.”

Remus’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look at Sirius. There was a gentle affection in his voice, and the way he said the name made it feel like something sacred, something only they shared.

“The Lupin star?” Remus asked, his voice quiet as he took in the moment. He could feel the warmth of Sirius’s hand on his own as they stood close, gazing upward.

Sirius nodded, his smile tender. “Yeah. It’s not the brightest, but it’s always there, shining, even when it’s hard to see. Just like you. Even on the nights when you don’t think anyone notices, I do. You’re always shining, Remus.”

Remus’s throat tightened at the words. He hadn’t expected the moment to feel so... intimate, so full of meaning. He had never thought of himself as someone worthy of being compared to a star—at least not one that was special or important.

“I...” Remus started, but his words faltered as the weight of the moment settled in. He hadn’t expected Sirius to see him like that—through that same quiet lens of adoration that he saw everything else. But hearing it now, it felt like the stars were aligning for them in a way that made sense.

“Don’t you ever doubt it, Moony,” Sirius said softly, his thumb brushing over Remus’s hand as they both continued to look up. “You're my star. Always have been. And you always will be.”

Remus swallowed hard, overcome by the sincerity in Sirius’s words. There was no rush, no pressure—just the steady comfort of being with someone who understood him completely. He leaned in, his breath warm against Sirius’s cheek, and for a long, quiet moment, neither of them said anything. There was no need.

They simply stood together under the stars, each of them feeling the pull of something undeniable—the kind of connection that neither distance nor time could ever take away.

Finally, Remus spoke, his voice soft but filled with affection. “Sirius... I think you’re the brightest star in the sky.”

Sirius’s grin returned, playful and full of mischief. “That’s more like it.”

But there was no teasing edge to it. Just a quiet, mutual understanding that in that moment, the stars—Sirius and Lupin—shined brighter than anything else. And for the first time in a long while, everything in their secret world felt perfectly aligned.

When it finally came time to leave, they stood side by side at the edge of the tower one last time, staring out at the world below. The moonlight cast a silvery glow over everything, making the castle look like something out of a dream.

“I think we’ll have to come back up here again,” Remus said softly, his hand brushing against Sirius’s.

Sirius looked at him, his eyes filled with warmth. “Definitely. We’ll make it our secret. Just like all the others.”

And with that, they left the Astronomy Tower behind, the quiet promise of returning echoing in their minds.