Despite the fact that Remus and Sirius weren’t really officially together and out in the eyes of the school community (most of the students gaged something and Gryffindor, at the very least, certainly knew) Remus still assumed that they were going to the Yule Ball together no questions asked seeing as they had been playing the role of ‘boyfriends’ for a good few months now. (he knew they were more than ready to be out and proud, it just needed to happen naturally, they didn’t want it to be like some forced announcement)
Whether or not some naive students didn’t know they were dating and hopelessly in love, Remus just thought it was unspoken that they were going together. This is why it surprised him when Sirius cheerily (but surprisingly secretly) embarked on the formality of asking someone to the dance. Sirius also knew that it was an unspoken thing that they were going together but still wanted to surprise Moony and sweep him off his feet like the charming, confident, sexy, Casanova that his Hogwarts reputation preached him to be (a reputation that he seemed to lose around Remus, becoming uncharacteristically blush-y and sappy).
So one night when Sirius took Remus by the hand and led him up the Astronomy tower, for what Remus assumed would just be another snogging session, Sirius surprised him by taking him over to the railing and pointing out stars to him. He tried to be as smooth as he could be talking about constellations and all their very romantic meanings when before Moony’s eyes they began to shift.
He had miraculously charmed them to move (temporarily) and spell ‘Ball Moony? x’ Remus giggled, Sirius almost died, and shook his head at the antics before caving and kissing Sirius over and over and over again, sweetly and prettily, giggling in between
(‘Is that a yes?’ ‘Of course you twat’)
Many students knew the name was for Remus and tried to guess who had done it, Some students would pat Sirius on the back or ask ‘He said yes didn’t he?! Of course he did!’ and the really thick ones just wondered who’s loving boyfriend had gone to such lengths writing their name up in Heaven just to ask them to the ball.
Remus was partly nervous about the ball because it was going to put an end to the doubt in anyone's mind and maybe being this public was just the slight bit daunting.It wasn’t going to matter though, in the end he loved Sirius so overwhelmingly and this morsel of fear in the back of his mind was not going to keep him away from that dance.
Sirius on the other hand was endlessly and overly excited to take Remus to the ball, he didn’t even spare a thought to the opinions of the rest of the school because he was too excited to get to show off his Moony and dance with him all night. He had another surprise for Remus and was practically bouncing in the days before the ball.
Remus didn’t understand why they couldn’t just walk down together but Sirius insisted that they meet at the ball like a proper couple, Remus didn’t know how leaving the dorm together would make them any less of a couple but he supposed that this, like the stars, was just another silly Yule ball tradition that Sirius admired.
Sirius was down in the great hall, it being elaborately decorated and set up for the evening, with James and Lily (Thank God they got their shit together in time) waiting for Remus. He was being quite literally swarmed by dozens of girls (and some boys) from various schools, all trying to work up the nerve to ask him to dance. They giggled animatedly and tucked strands of hair behind their ears, batting their eyelashes and just generally trying to hold his attention for more than a moment. They couldn't though.
Because Sirius, to their dismay, was constantly searching the crowd and glancing back up at the door.
‘Oh my goodness Black, this is my favourite song. Will you join me?’
‘Sirius can you come with me to request a song from the DJ, I’m too nervous to go on my own’
‘I'm not sure I’ve done my zipper up properly Sirius would you be a dear and check for me’
James thought his eyes would cramp with the amount of rolling they were doing, a girl with strikingly fake blonde hair and dark lipstick said
‘Sirius you seem so tense and distracted, here have a drink and we’ll go dance!’ he pushed the glass away,
‘I'm so sorry but I really just-‘ and there he was.
Sirius’ eyes caught on him immediately. He felt the air rush out of him as he stared, slightly open mouthed at Remus entering the hall. He was in a rather fitted suit-like-piece that came in at the waist, he wore a grey tie and a small greyed blossom on his lapel. He was walking down the stairs like a fucking Disney princess but was certainly more gorgeous than any princess Sirius had ever seen.
He looked lean but broad and he had washed and trimmed his hair so that it just neatly fell slightly over his eyes. He looked dazzling and charming and handsome and Sirius thought he was going to faint. He was feeling seriously light headed when Remus’ eyes found him and crinkled up lovingly at the corners, then he was one hundred percent sure that this boy would be his cause of death. As he began to make his way over Sirius kept unashamedly taking in the view, unsure if he should kiss the boy senseless, start balling his eyes out or just get on his knees now.
‘What is he staring at, it’s just Remus?’ James almost smacked her over the back of the head cause bitch how dare you! but Sirius could not hear a word.
The world was entirely shut out and maybe even moving in slow motion as Remus just walked calmly over and took his place in front of Sirius, smiling down at him as if nothing was out of the ordinary and he didn’t look like a fucking Angel from heaven. Or maybe he looked like the devil, Sirius couldn’t tell and didn’t care.
That's when he realised he had been staring, dazed, for what would be considered far too long, but could you blame him?. He tried to form some words to play off his staring as something someone cool and incredibly suave would do but end up just kind of
‘I-Yo….How ar-wh’ so he decided on a very breathless ‘Hi’ Remus chuckled and took Sirius hand before holding up a small red rose between them.
Sirius took it delicately and heard some resigned huffs from girls around them. Sirius looked back up at him and got embarrassingly lost all over again in the pretty amber of his eyes. It wasn’t until James cleared his throat that Sirius snapped out of it and tried to force his brain to function again.
‘You got me a rose’ he said intelligently
‘Yes I did’ Remus laughed softly
‘I love Roses, their my favourite’ he was really sounding suave
‘I know pads’ he giggled. How was it that he could be affected like this??? How did Remus do it?? Even after they had been together for actual months?? Sirius thought that his loss for words and utter disbelief would have worn off this far into the relationship and yet Remus could still render him an utterly incoherent pile of mush.
‘I was taking you to the dance Moony,’ he whined. ‘I was supposed to be the confident, charming one to sweep you off your feet. Why did you have to go and do that?’ Remus chuckled again ‘Do what?’ Sirius huffed
‘Look all stupid and have a stupid rose and make me feel all stupid’ Remus laughed.
Sirius reached out to reposition the grey blossom on Remus’ lapel, he noticed it wasn’t natural, it was charmed to be that colour ‘Why did you make it grey?’ He asked
‘Had to match your eyes didn’t I?’ He said ‘Seeing as you really wanted to do this all traditional like a muggle School dance,’
‘Moooonnyyyy’ he whined ‘Stop it you’ll ruin my eyelinerrrr’ Remus laughed again drawing Sirius in by the waist and taking the rose from his hand to put it behind his ear.
‘You look gorgeous,’ he said, tucking the hair away with the flower. Sirius was in danger of getting lost again when James nudged his shoulder.
‘Oh right’ He said, reluctantly untangling himself from his boyfriend and dashing away in the direction of the dance floor. Remus just stared after him and then looked over to James and Lilly for an explanation. They both just gave him a thumbs up.
Abruptly the music stopped. The dance song that had previously been playing was replaced by a slow piano. Remus recognised it immediately and felt his heart pull. Sirius returned from the crowd and stood in-front of Remus just smiling at him.
‘Is this-‘ Remus was so in love it wasn’t funny. Sirius held out his hand
‘Remus Moony Lupin, may I have this dance?,’ Remus took his hand, feeling way more endeared then should be healthy
‘You sap,’ Sirius began leading him over to the dance floor as a few huffs could be heard from the girls around them. Remus heard a familiar low voice begin to croon over the lyrics,
You make a wish, you cast a spell
You hope an angel rings a bell
You find yourself still in love with love
You pulled the petals from the stem
You prayed that you’d be her and him
You hope for some sweet message from above
In the middle of the dance floor Remus wrapped his arms comfortably around Sirius’ waist as Sirius draped his arms around his neck. They swayed together, just looking at each other. Every now and then Sirius would sing a bit of the song and sometimes Remus would too. This was their song and it was only fitting that it would be the soundtrack to their very first dance together as a couple.
They may have loved each other from the day they met, or it may have taken time. Sirius had fallen in love with Remus’ mind and his mouth. His sarcastic and witty comments, his brilliant schemes, his peaceful reading and his thoughtful nature. Remus had fallen in love with Sirius’ charm and spark. His easy going outlook and smooth glamour, his passion and when he got excited about something and his protective and defensive response to people in trouble. People like Remus.
There, dancing with each other, the whole world fell away and all that was left was them and the way they felt for each other.
‘This will be the first dance at our wedding,’ Sirius blurted out. God damn this mouth. Sirius was sure that one of these days he was going to send Remus running for the hills if he kept word vomiting about his plans for their future.
He had thought about it so often that he wondered if Remus had chosen different names for their children or if it was creepy to plan to be buried together. To Remus’ credit he only laughed and pulled Sirius even closer,
‘Definitely,’ Sirius just about melted.
It didn't matter who around them was doing a double take to look at the couple or if anyone was staring because Sirius knew he had his whole world and his whole future in front of him. It didn't matter where they were or what they were doing, with Remus, Sirius was in Heaven.
‘I Love you,’ he said, resting their foreheads together.
‘I Love you more,’ Remus whispered, Sirius laughed softly as they continued to sway to the music,
‘Impossible,’
They kissed. It was slow and passionate and magical. Every part of this moment was magic. To Sirius, Remus was the only kind of magic he would ever need. He kissed him to try and convey everything to him. He didn't only love this boy but he was in love with him. He never wanted to ever be apart from him whether he be a ghost or a hippogriff or a dementor or a werewolf. Sirius would write his name in the stars as many times as he wanted. Trace his scars and hold his hand until he loved himself even a fraction of the way Sirius did.
Love can heal the sting of pain
Purify just like the rain
Wash your tears away
And dry them in the sun
It could have been years but when they finally broke apart they just smiled at each other privately for a moment before Sirius rested his head on Remus’ chest and Remus lay his cheek on the top of the shorter boy’s head. Remus didn't know what a cast out, orphaned, scarred werewolf could have done to deserve a love like this and a love like Sirius. But he held him, he held onto him tight.
They couldn't know what the war would bring once they left the halls of Hogwarts in a year, but he knew that for as long as he could Remus would be holding onto Sirius. It didn’t matter who had any kind of opinion on the sight of these two on the dance floor, anyone here could see that it was love. And no curse could take that away.
Professor Mcgonagol saw the boys from where she stood over to the side, away from the commotion in the great hall. The two boys just swayed together comfortably, a heartbeat in the sea of students around. The boys didn’t see the few glares from some scattered wizards around them, they didn't care. Minerva had watched these two struggle together for 6 years. Ever since they arrived on the train there was something.
A small blushing boy with tawny hair and warm eyes and a boisterous, charming boy with shoulder length black hair and almost completely oblivious to the effect he had on the boy next to him. Over the years Mcgonagal watched this dynamic change, the lanky boy grew to better school his outward emotions and the other boy grew worse and worse, getting distracted in class, turning softer around him and furiously blushing at almost any given moment.
They had only grown closer since their instant bond and Mcgonagal had the pleasure of watching these boys grow into themselves over the years, and grow into each other. Minerva saw it long before they did. In the anxiety of a sleep deprived Sirius, bedside in the hospital wing month after month. In the nerves of an overly shouty Remus at meaningless quidditch games in the pouring rain. In the two boys that always went down together should one of them get a detention for some prank.
Yes, Minerva had seen it before them, and she felt overly filled with pride and love for her boys as she watched them dance together tonight. She shifted her spectacles to wipe under eye. A silly thing to cry at, two boys dancing.
But in about 5 years she would be crying again, because Sirius was right, it was the first dance song at their wedding.
How did you come down from heaven?
I'm glad that you came down from heaven
Did you tumble down?
Did you hit the ground?
How did you get here, my dear?
It isn't very clear my dear
When your lips meet mine
It is so divine
And I’m
In Heaven