Remus
“I haven’t told him yet James, he still thinks it’s entirely random so don’t go saying anything else. I won’t tell him until after the ball. Besides I’m already on edge right now, and the idea of him dancing with anyone else, I feel like I’m ripping out of my skin.” I grumbled as I continued to make funny faces at Harry.
“Oh, you’re down bad for him. Getting all territorial, and definitely moody. You look like your brooding buddy, no offense.” James pointed at me and I assumed he was referencing how I was cuddling and playing with his son. I gave a small pout before I turned to see Sirius already on the floor dancing with some random guy. He wasn’t wrong. I didn't like what I saw.
“Remind me not to kill you tomorrow. I’ll just maim you real good Prongs.” I huffed, handing Harry to Lily where the boy instantly head-butted her chest as he fell asleep. Reggie gave a small smile before he tilted his head, both of his spouses stood and excused themselves before they made a quick exit to put their son to sleep. I assumed Lily was also going to yell at James.
“Please don’t maim my husband, he’s an idiot but he means good. Plus he’s so good in bed.” I cut him off with a glare before I instantly turned my gaze back to his brother who was busy laughing in the middle of a waltz. My stomach tugged and I felt like every chance I had to confess my attraction to the older Black brother was slipping from my grasp.
“I don’t want to hear about your sex life when my romantic one is three nights of agony before I find out if he has any feelings back towards me, or if I’ve just lost my shot by not asking him to be my date before all of this. I just, I didn’t want to go through a moon right after any potential rejection.” I shrugged resting on the balcony’s wall.
“Trust me, he has never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. If he has, I’ve never seen it. Merlin, I think he’s just trying to make you jealous. It’s working, mind you.” Reggie’s voice got closer as he joined me. I half glanced at him and saw his mask was off as he brushed over the details with his thumbs.
“Why because you did the same thing?” I shifted my mask so it fit on my face once more. The wolf mask, while a bit of a low blow on my own part, felt more like a shield from reality than it should have. “You do know your brother isn’t you, he’s more adventurous than he ever would let anyone assume.”
“No, because he’s watching you. If he didn’t care what you were thinking his eyes would be on his dance partner. Not once have they looked away from here unless he was turning or had to blink. You’re on full display and he’s hunting you, the predator has become the prey.” Reggie patted my back before he returned to his throne.
I turned and saw that as much as I had been watching him, his eyes were locked on me. Suddenly all the want and need I had felt building up for the better part of the past year hit and I was moving with a low growl coming from my chest. I crossed the dance floor and tapped the random man’s shoulder with as polite a smile I could muster without ripping him open.
“Can I take over?” I heard myself ask, I felt as if I was watching a movie. My heart was pounding and I’m sure I was sweating my ass off from fear of both rejection and just plain old embarrassment.
“Oh, of course my Grace! Absolutely, yes!” The man rattled off a few more words of agreement before he turned and darted for the nearest exit. I felt bad I had scared him, I knew my eyes were golden based on how close to the full moon it was, but I didn’t think I was that intimidating.
“You know, you didn’t have to scare him off. I would have let you cut in before the next dance.” Sirius said as he quickly fell into place in my arms, where it just felt right. Suddenly the rumbling in my chest was gone, as was the anxiety. I looked down at him and suddenly felt very large. He looked small pulled into my arms, but even though I felt like I would break him, he just looked content and in power.
“Didn’t want to wait. I didn’t like how you were dancing with someone else.” I grumbled out, unable to really control my voice as he started to guide me through the waltz as one song bled into another. My feet felt like cement and my legs jello, but looking into his eyes hidden under the black dog mask, I knew I was doing just fine.
“Oh, he’s a jealous Duke. Whoever would have assumed that?” He joked and I just knew, everything I was feeling in that moment was worth it. To hear him laugh, joke, complain, ramble, or even just talk. It was worth it to be next to him, to hold him, to sit with him, to be in the same room. It was everything to me, to know the man I was dancing with wouldn’t pull away unless I released. Suddenly, three nights of agony felt like three nights of excitement.