Drop the game it's not enough.
Drop the game it's not enough.
Remus watches as the flock of women dance in front of him, hips swaying and arms moving gracefully as though fluid.
His eyes are drawn to one in particular though. Pale skin and flushed cheeks, eyes closed in bliss. Lips painted with red and a black tint on long lashes that isn't needed, beauty strong enough on its own.
Remus' eyes catching on the storming grey ones he's become so accustomed to, the ones that stare into his own, that see past him and deep into his soul like no others.
Sirius Black.
A force not to be reckoned with, a being of his own. Not a god but not a man, the space between. The wind on a hot summer day, the sway of waves against golden beaches.
He glides closer to where Remus sits, never taking his eyes off of him as he dances. It's when Sirius seems to be most at ease, even when in a facade, surrounded by the sound of a melody and the freedom of movement.
They've been hidden on a small island for some time now, since Sirius had decide he had had enough of the leash his parents kept him on. Since they sailed far, since the heir of the Hallow left.
He still remembers consoling him on the ship, as Sirius sobbed in his arms.
He still speaks of Regulus often, hidden in the safety of their cabin, tucked safely under Remus' arm.
His light had dimmed so much it made Remus ache, watching as the guilt hung heavy over the other's head. It had lessened, become more bearable, once they had find out Regulus had left, had married some Potter fellow.
Though not dwelling on that now. Simply watching as Sirius beams, twirls with the others. Fitting easily into the mould, holding hands with the woman and smiling just as brightly as them as they dance.
It makes Remus himself smile, a soft, small thing stretching across scarred skin.
"You admire her?" A man sat beside him asks, a smirk on his face that sets something uneasy off within Remus.
"Would be a good one to bed, hm?" He continues and Remus feels his eyes harden, smile immediately gone, in place a firm line.
"Hm" He just hums, the act of indifference not hard to put on, looking away from the man with a curl of his lip.
Sirius catches his eyes and his movements falter, a crease between his brows. Eyes drifting to the man beside him, looking at Sirius hungrily and Remus is tempted to stab the fork lying on the table through his eye.
He doesn't, but only because he knows Sirius would hate not being able to intervene.
The man just gives him a playful-
horrible- shove and stands, stalking towards his prey, towards Sirius.
He gets about 4 steps before he's being shoved back. Remus doesn't really know why he's so aggravated, why there's a hot, urging feeling running through him, swerving and curling through his veins. But the thought of the man's filthy hands running over delicate skin, pulling at black silky locks, is a thought he can't bear.
The man looks as though he's about to retaliate before the doors of the hall are swung open, only just noticing the hand on his arm pulling him back. Eyes hidden behind a hood on him while his are on the hoard of people filling the room.
He goes back when the hand pulls again,
"Remus" Sirius says softly, eyes warning.
Don't attract attention. Don't blow our cover, we'll speak later.
He says silently before drifting away with the rest of the cloaked woman.
Remus sits and so does the man, ignoring the glares and curious eyes pointed his way.
Eyes settled back on the doors, watching as a man with golden skin and the finest silks walks in, a woman, who looked as though crafted by the most talented of sculptors, following behind. Their eyes roamed across the room, looking, searching.
He felt as a presence came up from behind him, already knowing who it is without having to look. He does anyways but Sirius' eyes aren't on him, they're hardened on the visitors. When he looks back he notes that they're also staring right back at them.
"Remus, we need to leave." Sirius says quietly, voice barely above a whisper but Remus hears it, he'll always hear him.
Standing and bidding his goodbyes, politely, fakely, saying his apologies too for the disruption.
Sirius pulls his hood further over his head and pulls at his arm, making it look like they're simply just a desperate couple wishing to get away. No body really seems to notice them, seems to care, except for the pair at the front.
They don't get far before someone pulls at Remus' hair, pulling him back. He thrashes, fighting until cold metal is pressed against his neck, swallowing carefully and stilling his movements.
Though he doesn't care for the blade currently at his jugular, for the possibility of death. He cares about the way Sirius is looking at the one holding it. Eyes widened and lips parted, brows furrowed, zoning in at the blood that's prickling from where the blades digging against his skin.
Remus wants to shake his head, tell him no. Tell him to run, tell him to escape. He cares so much more for Sirius' freedom than he does for his own life. But he's restricted, the hand that holds his future tightening his grip on the blade.
It all happens fast, the pressure gone, whipping his head around to where Sirius has the attacker pinned against the wall.
A feral look in his eyes, hood down and hair spilled over his shoulders, stance careful and defensive as he holds the offending blade against said attackers neck.
Remus brings his hand up to where there's a small burning sensation, pulling it back and seeing the blood stain his scarred fingers, thinking of how Sirius will frown over it later.
"Sirius." Comes the voice of the woman at the door, now walking over. Not an ounce of worry at the possibility of the death of one of her men.
Sirius doesn't respond, eyes solely focused on the task at hand, grip tightening on the blade.
It's Remus who speaks this time, who snaps Sirius out of it, who gets a response.
"Sirius." It's a plea, one that gets Sirius to turn his head, to lower the blade.
The one who gets the other to realise, watching as the dread fills his eyes.
Sirius quickly resigns back to his side, eyes flickering across the dozens of eyes on them, blade still in hand.
A few things about Sirius.
The supposed warrior of our time, the supposed hero. Where Remus can only seem him as soft touches and warm smiles, many others see him as a beast, a weapon.
As the finest fighter, could take an army with a single blade.
The child of none other than Walburga and Orion Black, cold people with harsh glares yet raised the most successful children of their time.
While Regulus is now known as the beauty, the star, the wonder child of the Black line. Sirius was once him, though less obedient, not as submissive as wanted.
A person of his own and unafraid to show that, spoken so loudly with careful words. One flame that burnt an entire kingdom.
Wanted by so many, hidden from the world.
Coming to Remus in the middle of a cold
winter night, eyes lit with so much hope Remus simply couldn't say no. Taking his hand as they ran, they ran and they never stopped.
Now found, the one thing they were running from.
The man comes up beside the woman, an apologetic look on his face that doesn't really mean anything to the pair.
"I do apologise for having to use such methods to get your attention." He says and pointedly looks at the woman, she just puts her hands up, brows raising.
"Well it worked, James, didn't it?" She exclaims, it hardly phased as a question, and Remus feels Sirius stiffen beside him.
"James?" Sirius speaks, voice distant as he takes a step forward. "As in James Potter?"
"James Potter-Black now actually." James corrects almost sheepishly, "Hello technically brother in-law." He greets, giving an awkward wave.
Sirius narrows his eyes, looking around frantically before settling back on James.
James swallows and Remus realises, a bit worried for when Sirius is going to catch up.
The woman's voice rings out before he can fully ponder on that.
"Clear the room." She orders, glancing over her shoulder and raising a brow and the complaints she gets. Them quickly falling silent as people scurry from the room, even the guards leaving so it just leaves them four.
She narrows her eyes at him but doesn't say anything, looking back at Sirius.
"Sirius, your brother he.." James trails off, looking at the ground as though it has all the answers.
"He?" Sirius presses, tone desperate.
"He got taken, in the middle of the night by an army named the Deathly Hallows led by Tom Riddle" Marlene finishes for him and Remus can't look away from Sirius.
Taking a step closer, hand itching out but he keeps it firmly by his side.
Sirius doesn't react he doesn't..anything really. Eyes on James but not actually looking at him, looking through him.
Lost in his own head, shoulders stiffened and fingers twitching on the handle.
"Regulus." He finally breathes out, looking behind him at Remus. Silently asking, silently pleading. Wide, vulnerable eyes lying on him.
Remus swallows, taking a step forward, and Sirius fully turns towards him.
Go.
"Not without you." Sirius shakes his head slowly.
"I'd only be a disadvantage, Sirius." It's not wrong, Remus can fight well enough and use his wits to get him far enough but at Sirius side? He's practically useless.
"No you aren't and i don't care, i can't do this on my own." Sirius pleads, eyes shining, hand gripping at the front of Remus' linen.
Of course he'll say yes, he honestly doesn't think he could ever say no to Sirius. He'd burn the world for him.
They aren't lovers but are more than friends, the space between. They're their own thing entirely, content to just exist with one and other. Two sides of the same coin, two hearts that beat in the same rhythm, souls that are intertwined by fate.
"Then you won't." Remus responds, clasping his hand over the others.
He glances up at the other two in the room who busied themselves with looking anywhere but them, very badly may he add.
"We'll come." He says, speaking for the both of them.
James seems delighted, eyes lighting up as they meet his. Hope so full it manages to overflow and sink into anything nearby. Including Sirius, so it's not too bad.
They're packing their stuff to leave when Sirius speaks again, having gone eerily silent for a worrying amount of time, though he knows that that's just him processing.
"We will get him back, right?" He asks timidly, not looking up from where he's been obsessively folding then re folding a shirt for the past 10 minutes.
Remus looks up, frowning and walking over.
"Of course we will, why wouldn't we?"
"I know of Riddles army, they tried to get my family in it. I fear they may have even succeeded if i hadn't of left. He's scarily convincing, Riddle, he can get you to think whatever he pleases." Sirius explains, eyes gaining that far away look again and he brings his hands up to cup his face to try bring him back.
"Well, we'll fight that fight when it comes, and we'll win. You know we will."
Sirius just sighs and leans into the touch, wrapping his arms around him and resting his head in the crook of Remus' neck.
"I know, i know i will because i have you by my side." He says softly before falling quiet.
It's moments like this that Remus both hated and loved with every fibre of his being. Moments that felt like a drug, tasted like sweet nectar. But it also left him confused, it left his mind to fill the gaps, to bulk the empty spaces.
That isn't what he should worry about as of late though, he's going to a war. Remus Lupin will be in a war, fighting aside the greatest warrior, rumoured though he knows it is true. What will become of him? The shame he'll feel when he fails and fails, when his body betrays him? He can ignore comments but when so loud from so many they bang at his head, yell in his ears.
But it's fine, because Sirius asked him to go and he will go. He will go and fight because even if he doesn't make it out alive,
he'll die making sure Sirius does.