Secrets and lies!
A nervous Remus glanced over Sirius's shoulder at the dorm room door. "Pads, we can't do this here."
"Come on, babe, just relax a bit," Sirius said with a tipsy grin, wrapping his arm around Remus's neck. "What’s the worst that could happen?"
"We could get caught..." Remus replied, glancing around anxiously. Sirius raised a hand and gently touched Remus's warm cheek. The perks of being a werewolf—never feeling cold.
"So what if we do?" Sirius winked, pulling Remus closer. "I’m in love with you, Remus John Lupin, and I don’t care who knows it!"
"What if James is homophobic? Or Peter—well, actually, he—" Remus was interrupted as Sirius pressed his lips against his. Remus fell silent, wrapping his arms around Sirius's waist. The taste of liquorice wand, brandy, and Muggle cigarettes made Remus weak in the knees.
Sirius smiled into the kiss, thrilled by the power he had over Remus. He had been in love with him since the first time he saw him outside King's Cross station. Sirius ran his tongue over Remus's bottom lip, and Remus, understanding what he wanted, granted him the access he craved. Sirius's tongue explored Remus's mouth as he held him tightly, leading them to the bed. He gently pushed Remus down, straddling his waist.
"Remus, I need you please," Sirius murmured, rocking his hips against a flustered Remus. They were so caught up in the moment that they didn’t hear James and Peter enter the room. "I’ve missed you so much, Moons."
"I’ve missed you too, darling," Remus replied, his smooth, breathless voice making Sirius melt. As Remus began to unbutton Sirius's shirt, James stood by, mouth agape. Finally, Peter cleared his throat, drawing the couple's attention.
"Sorry. Minni broke up the party and sent us all to bed," James said casually before heading to his own bed.
Remus and Sirius exchanged anxious glances before turning their attention to James. Peter lingered by the door, uncertain of what to do. Sirius shot a look at Peter, who simply shrugged, then gave Remus a nod before stepping back outside.
"I should go talk to him," Remus said quietly. Sirius agreed with a nod and got off his boyfriend. Once they were alone, Sirius approached James, who was lying on his bed, gazing out the window.
"Prongs, can we chat?" Sirius asked gently, his voice laced with concern. James shifted on the bed, making space for Sirius, but his gaze remained fixed outside. "Are you okay?"
"Yep," was James's only response. Sirius felt a pang in his heart; James was more than just a best friend—he was like a brother.
"Are you angry?"
"Nope." James continued to stare out the window, and Sirius could sense the hurt and disgust in his friend's tone.
"I was going to tell you," Sirius admitted, looking down at his lap. Many believed Sirius was a tough guy with no feelings, but in reality, he was the most sensitive among his friends. The idea of one of them being upset with him was painful.
"When?" James finally turned to face him. "When were you going to tell me you were fucking Moony? According to the map, it's been happening for a while."
Sirius sat there, taken aback by James's words. Why hadn’t James mentioned anything earlier? He had known about Sirius's bisexuality for over two years, and it was never something Sirius felt he needed to hide.
"I know to you, sex doesn’t mean much, but you understand how Remus feels about it. I just don’t get why you would do this to him," James yelled. His words struck hard; how could James think that of him? "He’s a good person, Sirius. You can’t just fuck him around."
Sirius shouted, "I'm not messing him around!" How could James even think that of him? He stood up from the bed, glaring down at James, one of the few people who had never judged him. "I love him, James! I would never treat Moony with anything less than the respect and dignity he deserves! I was perfectly happy just being with him; he’s the one who wanted to take things further, not me!" With that, Sirius turned to leave the room, but Remus stopped him. Looking down at Sirius, Remus asked, "Hey, what happened?"
Sirius let the tears flow as he buried his face in Remus's sweater, and Remus wrapped his strong arms around him, resting his face in his hair. "It's okay, love," Remus whispered.
"Pr... Jam... He thinks I'm just using you..." Sirius sobbed, while James watched with a sense of regret.
"Okay, love... It's alright... I'm sure he doesn't think that," Remus said, shooting James a warning glare. James realized he had been wrong about everything. Suddenly, it hit him that this had been building for a long time; the two were practically like a married couple already.
He remembered how Sirius would wear Remus's oversized knitted sweaters on chilly winter mornings, and how Remus would roll his eyes and smile at him, yet become furious if anyone else touched his things. James recalled how Sirius had skipped Hogsmeade to stay with Remus after a rough full moon, claiming he was sick, but now he understood that Sirius just wanted to care for Moony. James thought back to all the times they would bicker over trivial matters, only to be laughing and joking moments later. Sirius had always been very affectionate after being so touch-starved for so long, while Remus wasn't usually one for physical contact, but around Sirius, he was more than happy to accept a hug or let the dark-haired boy snuggle up to him while he read or did homework.
"I'm sorry," James said, walking over to Sirius, who whimpered and cuddled tighter into his boyfriend. "I didn't mean it."
Remus glared at James. "You've upset him! He looks up to you; your opinion means more to him than anyone else's! And now you have fucking made him cry!" Remus shouted.
Sirius tensed in Remus's arms; the sound of shouting around him triggered memories of home that he wished to forget. This was why he valued Remus so deeply—despite having every reason to be upset, Remus never let anger take over. He was Sirius's sanctuary, but now Remus was upset, and Sirius couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault. He attempted to pull away, but Remus held him tighter, pressing a gentle kiss to Sirius's forehead.
"Don't be a swearwolf," Sirius teased shyly to try and defuse the situation. He had been playfully using that joke ever since they discovered Remus's secret.
"Are you really joking right now?" Remus asked, a small grin spreading across his face as he gazed down at Sirius.
"No, I'm actually Sirius," Sirius replied with a smile.
Remus polled his eyes at Sirius but a smile tugged at his lip, he used his thumb to wipe away the tears still falling from Sirius's eyes. "You two need to have a chat, but not right now. We all need some sleep," Remus instructed. James nodded and walked away. Sirius led Remus to his bed, and for the first time, Remus didn’t protest as they both settled down.
"Goodnight, babe," Sirius said, kissing the top of Remus's head.
"Goodnight, sexy," James chimed in, causing everyone in the room to laugh. Sirius realized that everything would be alright. "Oh wait, you don't mean me anymore."
"Prongs mate, I never meant you. I just didn't want to hurt your feelings," Sirius said.
That night Sirius drifted off to sleep wrapped in Remus's arms, listening to his best friend’s laughter and Peter’s snoring. He felt certain that his final year at Hogwarts was going to be the best one yet.