#james loves to see reg in his sweatshirts

[ultravioletbrit]

“share” - Jegulus microfic - @into-the-jeggyverse - 376 words

James is just about to leave Regulus’ flat, but Regulus stops him just as he reaches the front door. “Wait. What’s in that bag?” Regulus asks when James picks up a duffle bag that Regulus hadn’t noticed sitting by the door.   

“Nothing.” James answers awkwardly as he tries, and fails, to hide the large duffel bag behind his back.

“James...?” Regulus says slowly as he walks over to him. Regulus takes the bag from James and gasps when he opens it. “My sweatshirts!” He yelps. “Why are you stealing all my sweatshirts?”

“Your sweatshirts?”

“Fine, our sweatshirts.” Regulus corrects himself and James raises an eyebrow. “They’re not our sweatshirts?” Regulus asks with a little pout. “We share them so doesn’t that make them ours?”  

James takes the bag from Regulus and puts it on the floor so he can wrap his arms around Regulus’ waist. “Sharing implies that we both get to wear them, love. You steal them, and I don’t see them again until I run out and I have to sneak in here and take them all back. Then we start the whole process over again.”

Regulus blinks at James a few times. “You…? But I…?” Regulus fumble the huffs. “How long have you been doing that?”  

“How long have we been dating?” James smiles sweetly.

Regulus gives James another small huff with a little pout but after a moment something flashes across Regulus’ eyes and he narrows them at James.

“Do you wear them when you take them back?” Regulus asks.

“Yeah…?”

“So, we both wear them. Doesn’t that imply that we share them?” Regulus asks with a little smirk.

“I… But you…” James fumbles his words then huffs. “I guess we share the sweatshirts.” He says with a resigned sigh.

“Our sweatshirts.” Regulus corrects him.

“Our sweatshirts.” James agrees with a fond eye roll. He leans in to give Regulus a quick kiss before he picks up the bag.     

“Wait.” Regulus puts his hand on James’ to stop him. “Can I just keep one of them?” He asks in a shy voice as his cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink. “I like to umm… sometimes I…”

James smiles and leans in for another kiss. “I always leave you the one you keep under your pillow.” James whispers.

[theicarusconstellation]

61 jegulus 😊😊😊😊

you and @ecstarry requested this one so here’s this for both of you😈😈

prompt: 61). “I love you. I’m completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married.” // jegulus // sfw // words: 944

Regulus studies the wedding rings on the ring bearer’s pillow in his dressing room with loathing. His stiff, old-fashioned dress robes make him fidget, wanting to crawl out of his own skin the closer he gets to the ceremony.

The ceremony. The event that will ruin his life and chain him to a woman he has no room in his heart to love.

Not that there is anything wrong with Cereus Greengrass; she just…

Isn’t him, a small, despicable voice in his head whispers. She isn’t the one who has seen his scars. She isn’t the one who broke down his brainwashed mentality and helped him see that his former truths were bigotry and hatred.

She isn’t the one who begged him not to go when he announced his engagement.

Regulus had been betrothed since birth to Adelaide Rosier, but that all fell through once Sirius ran away, plummeting the Black family’s status down to the bottom of the totem pole. For a brief while — two glorious years — he allowed himself to believe that he would be able to marry someone of his own choosing. This hope only grew stronger once he fell in love with him.

Beautiful brown skin and golden wire-rimmed glasses. Forested eyes and warm muscles that flexed and relaxed on the Quidditch pitch (and in the soft retreat of the Come-and-Go Room). A secret just for Regulus, one he could hold close to his heart until the time came to reveal it to the world.

Then, Lucius properly introduced Walburga and Orion to the Greengrass family. As it turned out, their eldest daughter was in need of a husband, and Regulus fit the bill down to the letter.

He could see no way out. Voldemort himself believed that it was something that had to be done. Regulus had no choice.

Or so he tells himself.

Yet sitting at his dressing room vanity, listening to the orchestra play the tune of noon, he cannot help but wonder what would have happened if he went with James. If he had accepted that extended hand and trusted that whatever plan his boyfriend had concocted on the spot would be successful. Would it be their wedding happening at this venue today instead?

No, he cannot dwell on the past. James has gone away, and Regulus himself is at fault for that.

He hasn’t had any lovers since you left him, that voice whispers again.

“Shut up,” Regulus hisses aloud through gritted teeth.

“Well, damn, Reg. I just got here, and you’re already sending me away.”

That voice. He knows that voice. He’s dreamt of that voice.

His back stiffens, and he uses all his courage to drag his eyes up from the vanity counter and to the mirror, where he sees behind him —

“Jamie?”

The nickname slips out like a desperate plea, begging to be heard after eons of disuse.

“Surprise.” The boy in the mirror grins weakly, though his voice cracks and trembles.

“You can’t be here.” Please don’t leave.

“I had to try. I won’t stop trying until both of us are dead. I had to take a few months to plan after you told me about…this, but I’m here now, and Regulus —“ James walks closer to him, and Regulus’ legs lift him up against his will, pulling him toward old familiar comforts.

James’ hands find his face — he’s in an old Gryffindor sweatshirt and jeans, but Regulus couldn’t care less — and he says with no hesitation,

“I love you. I’m completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married. Sirius is in a Muggle car out front waiting for us to come out. We’ll go away, far away, to your uncle Alphard’s place; he’s already agreed. If anyone tries to stop us, I’ve gotten Crouch and Rosier on board to cause a diversion. Regulus, please, I —“ His voice catches, and Regulus feels his entire world change in the span of a second.

Could he do it? Could he leave behind everything, the altar, the rings, the loveless marriage, his parents? But what about the dangers? What about Voldemort? If he goes with James, will the Dark Lord find them? And Sirius — they haven’t spoken in years. Is he really outside, willing and eager to help him escape?

“We all want you back. We need you back. I love you so much, Regulus,” James insists. Regulus’ cheeks heat up between his palms.

I can’t.

“Okay.”

What?

“What? You — you mean it?”

“Okay. I mean it. Take me. Now. Before…”

Before I change my mind. Before the ceremony starts and the music plays and the rings are slipped on and my life stops and my prison begins.

“Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you —“ James half-sobs, cutting himself off by pulling Regulus’ face toward his and crashing their mouths together in the first kiss Regulus has had in a long, long time.

They spend no more moments on words after that. James grabs his hand, and they both hurry out the window, which is apparently what James used to enter the room. How he got in without Regulus noticing is a mystery neither of them will ever solve.

James hasn’t stopped murmuring “thank you”s, doesn’t stop even after they’re hours down the road, headed for a countryside where love grows and happiness shines down in the form of sun rays.

Regulus doesn’t mind, he curls up in the arms of the one he loves and listens to the soft rumblings within James’ chest as he speaks, the vibrations lulling him into his first true moment of relaxation since that night in the Come-and-Go Room so many months ago.

[t1oui]

for the criminal au, i just had another idea… so i said a few posts back how maybe when harry mentions that james has been seeing someone that person could be reg, BUT since james is a policeman what if reg is the/one of the head detective(s)??

bc if james x rosekiller DOESN’T happen that would be perfect angst potential… the guy you’re falling in love with showing up at your door after helping wanted criminals and therefore becoming one himself??

also i can just imagine james mentioning that barty and evan like him and asked him out and reg immediately changing his tune and putting on james’s sweatshirt or something before demanding to meet them. like bro is a policeman but he’s also a VERY JEALOUS one lol

[fruitcoops]

Hello! I truly love your writing! Would you consider a continuation of that piece where Jules stays with coops for a week? Or just some snippets of what they get up to?

Here’s part 1, folks! It’s about 3k words and I’m thinking there will be three or four parts total, released over the next couple days. I hope you enjoy it!

Sweater Weather and Jules credit belongs to @lumosinlove!

“Jules.” A series of gentle knocks echoed down the stairs and Sirius smiled into his coffee cup. “Jules, it’s time to wake up.”

Regulus snorted. “Bet you five bucks he has to drag the kid down.”

“Deal.”

“Jules.” Remus knocked again, sounding more exasperated. There was a heavy sigh and the door clicked open; after a moment of quiet, someone yelped. “Good morning, sunshine.”

“Go away!” Jules groaned. “An’ give it back!”

“It’s time for breakfast, get a wiggle on. I’ll carry you if I have to.”

“I’m cold.” More rustling noises followed before Jules appeared at the top of the staircase, bundled in Remus’ sweatshirt—which was really Sirius’, but it didn’t matter—and scowling. His bedhead was outstanding.

“Bon matin,” Sirius said with a smile when Jules sat heavily in the chair next to him and put his forehead on his arms. “How’d you sleep?”

“I don’t like your fiancé.”

“Oh?”

“He’s mean.”

Sirius winked at Remus as he rolled his eyes and pulled a cereal box out of the pantry. “What did he do?”

“He stole my blankets with no warning.”

“That is such a lie,” Remus scoffed. “I knocked on your door for five whole minutes before I came in!”

“Thank you for that, by the way,” Sirius said, walking over to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Reg owes me five bucks now.”

“Sweet, we can get more Oreos.”

“Oreos aren’t on your diet plan,” Jules sulked as Remus passed him a bowl of cereal and milk.

“How do you know?”

Jules mumbled something and shoved his spoon into his mouth. The night before had been hectic, with Sirius driving the Hope and Lyall to the airport while Remus helped set Jules up for the night. Regulus came back from hanging out with Leo around ten pm; by that time, Jules was still wired for sound at the idea of a week-long sleepover. He finally went to sleep around eleven thirty and Sirius and Remus crash-landed into bed, exhausted.

Practice was going to be hell.

“Why do we have to wake up early, again?” Jules asked around a yawn.

Sirius ruffled his hair as he sat down again. “Practice starts at ten. Eight o’clock is not early at all.”

He squinted at him, confused. “How early do you usually wake up?”

“Seven, seven-thirty.”

Jules shuddered and turned back to his cereal while Remus plonked himself down in Sirius’ lap with a coffee cup, looking moments away from falling asleep again. “Children are exhausting. Why did we get two of them?”

“Hey!” Jules and Regulus said in unison, clearly offended.

“We’ve got terrible judgement,” Sirius laughed.

“Older brothers are the worst, right Jules?”

“Totally. Are you coming to the rink with us?”

Regulus shook his head. “Sorry, buddy, I’ve got college stuff to work on. Want to help me with paperwork?”

Jules made a face. “I’ll pass.”

“We’re leaving in forty minutes, okay?” Remus said, stretching his back as he stood up and left Sirius’ lap cold and empty. “Jules, please take a shower.”

“I smell fine!”

“You didn’t take one yesterday or the day before. Scoot.” Jules rolled his eyes and got up. “Don’t give me that look! And put your bowl in the sink.”

Sirius and Regulus shared a glance as Jules put his stuff away and trooped up the stairs. “Hi, Hope,” Regulus snickered.

Resignation overtook Remus’ face and he sighed. “Fuck. I’m turning into my mother already. Reg, you should take a shower, too.”

“I smell fine!” The withering look from both Sirius and Remus made him raise his hands in surrender and wander off to his bedroom. “I’m nineteen, not nine!”

”And yet we still need to babysit you,” Sirius called back. Finally, they were alone. He hopped up to sit on the counter and grabbed Remus around the waist as he passed by, pulling him back for a hug. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

“Good morning.” Remus kissed him gently, bracketing his hips with his hands. He looked tired, but happy. “I’m actually pretty excited to have Jules stay with us. Thank you for that, by the way.”

“Ne rien. It’s good to have people here.” They kissed for a moment longer, listening to the shower running upstairs and Regulus’ rummaging noises down the hall. “I swear to God, he’s like a raccoon.”

Remus laughed and leaned his forehead on Sirius’ shoulder. “He definitely sounds like one.��

“At least his room’s clean.”

“Cheers to that. He’s heading back tomorrow, right?”

“Mhmm. Dumo’s been bugging me for, like, three days.”

Remus hummed, wrapping his arms around Sirius and snuggling into him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. We’ve only got a little bit of time before Jules is out, so we should get dressed.”

Remus groaned, but released his limpet hold. “That was so close to a perfect sentence.”

Sirius paused just before hopping off the counter and raised his eyebrows. “If we have extra time…”

“Come on, you,” Remus laughed, tugging him off the counter by the hand and hurrying toward the stairs.

---------------------

They arrived at the rink at 10:05, and Sirius began bracing himself for the inevitable chirping as soon as he stepped out of the car. Jules bounced on his toes in excitement as they walked toward the building, laden with their hockey gear and still a bit frazzled from the mad dash out of the house.

“Is this the munchkin?” Moody asked when Remus knocked on the door to the PT office.

“Yep.” Remus looked down at Jules, whose eyes were wide and more than a little nervous as his grip tightened on Remus’ jacket hem.

“Alastor Moody,” he grunted, holding a hand out that Jules tentatively shook.

“Jules.”

“Wanna see how bones work, kid?”

Instantly, his nerves disappeared. “Yeah!”

Moody winked at them as he led Jules toward the joint models on the far wall and Sirius let out a slow breath. “He’ll be fine.”

“God, I hope so. If anyone can drive Moody off the wall, it’ll be my little brother,” Remus murmured as they headed off down the hall.

The yelling started the second Sirius opened the locker room door. “You’re LATE!” James shouted, grinning from ear to ear. “Hand over the badge, Captain.”

“We still have fifty minutes until practice starts, shut your face.” Sirius socked him on the shoulder and set his bag in the stall.

“What, pray tell, was the reason for this tardiness?” James leaned over and batted his eyelashes.

Remus rolled up a towel and smacked him on the ass with it. “My little brother.”

“Jules is here?” Leo perked up on the other side of the room, and Sirius saw several of the guys look over in excitement, as if they were hiding him in one of their bags.

“He’s staying with us for the week since my great-aunt passed away.”

“Shit, Loops, I’m sorry.”

Remus shrugged. “I never met her, but my folks went back for the funeral. Moody said he’d keep an eye on Jules during practice.”

“Lupin, Black, you’re late,” Coach Weasley said from the doorway, giving them a look over his glasses. “Do we need to have a conversation?”

“No, Coach,” Sirius said as he pulled his pads over his chest.

“I hear you’ve commandeered my head PT for the day.”

Remus shook his head. “If Jules starts bugging him—”

“I’m kidding, Loops.” Arthur’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Moody loves kids. This’ll be good for his disposition.”

Finn snorted. “Can’t get any worse.”

“I expect all of you on the ice in twenty. Any stragglers are doing laps outside!” Arthur slapped the edge of the doorway before ducking out into the hall again; his sneakers squeaked on the freshly-washed floor and Sirius stifled a laugh as he finished buckling up.

The five minute delay did not have a terrible impact on his pre-practice rituals, which he took a  moment to be grateful for—they had a scrimmage planned, and he didn’t intend to lose. Once warmups were over, they moved into running plays, until finally the whistle blew and Coach called out the teams. Remus ended up on the other side and he slapped Sirius’ ass with his stick as he passed him, grinning over his shoulder before stopping next to Dumo.

Jules and Moody came out to watch a few minutes in; Sirius caught a glimpse of his wide eyes when he saw the speed of the game and smiled to himself. Everyone else seemed to notice the new arrivals as well, because their effort doubled and suddenly the plays were running smoother than ever.

Showing off for a ten-year-old, he thought with a shake of his head. Talk about baby fever.

Remus sped through the defense, weaving back and forth until he was nearly face-to-face with Sirius. His whole face lit up and he braced; when Sirius went to check him, he dipped sideways at the last second and slipped the puck right through his skates, catching it on the other side and zipping toward the goal at top speed. The goal light went off and Talker whooped, checking him in celebration.

“Lupin! Where’s that been all season?” Arthur demanded, though he was laughing. “Christ, guys, thanks for finally waking up!”

“Where the fuck did you learn that?” Sirius asked as they headed back for the face-off.

“You think you’re the only one who skates in the basement?” Remus said with a cheeky grin.

The whole rink buzzed with energy throughout the rest of the scrimmage—once or twice, Sirius realized even he was showing off a little for Jules, who cheered louder than fifteen thousand fans whenever someone scored.

Arthur shook his head when the final whistle went off. “Everyone say ‘thank you’ to Julian.”

“Thank you, Jules,” they chorused. Jules looked like he was about to die of happiness.

“I need to get him in here more often,” Arthur muttered as they headed to the locker room to change into their gym gear. “Let’s get that energy for every practice, okay? Not just the ones with Little Loops.”

“What are you talking about?” Kasey laughed.

Arthur fixed him with a look. “Don’t bullshit me, Winter, all of you were showing off for the kid.”

Remus blushed all the way to his ears, and the rest of them mumbled some half-assed excuses until they were shooed away. “I put the new schedule on the mirror,” Sirius called over the noise. “Try to pay attention to it for once.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Logan reached up and patted him on the shoulder as he passed; Sirius dragged him back into a headlock to ruffle his hair. “Ow, fuck, okay!”

Logan did not, in fact, stick to the schedule. He was far too busy tossing the lightest medicine ball they had with Jules, who staggered slightly whenever he caught it. Both looked absolutely thrilled.

Sirius, on the other hand, was glad for the opportunity to do a fair bit of ogling while he spotted Remus—who stuck to the schedule, Sirius had never loved him more—until he finished his bench-pressing rotation. He was strong before being a player, but now…well, it was safe to say he could sweep Sirius off his feet literally and figuratively.

“Re, Re!” Jules ran over when Remus finally sat up, then paused and made a face. “You’re sweaty.”

Remus pulled him in for a hug, making him shriek and wiggle to get out. “I am, yeah! Isn’t it great? Here, lemme just—”

Jules flailed, but he couldn’t get out of Remus’ hold in time to avoid the head nuzzle that plastered his hair up on one side with sweat as the guys laughed. “Ewww!”

“Did you need something, buddy?” Remus asked at last.

“Well, now I need a shower.” Jules grimaced. “I was going to ask if you guys actually do ice baths.”

“Of course we do!” Kasey cut in before Remus could quickly divert the topic. “And your brother loves them.”

Sirius had to turn around to muffle his laughter as interest lit on Jules’ face. “Really? Can I see?”

Kasey opened the door dramatically. “Right this way, Little Loops.”

Two of the ice baths were full when they arrived and Sirius did not miss the pained look on Remus’ face at the sight, nor did he miss the devious smile on Kasey’s. Jules hurried over to one and looked over the end, practically sticking his whole face in. “Woah.”

“Pretty cool, huh? You want to know what the best part is?”

“What?”

“Oh, Christ,” Remus muttered.

“Loops, will you do the honors and make sure your darling little brother has a good time?” Kasey asked, the picture of innocence. Remus sighed and stood next to the ice bath, silently begging Sirius for help with his eyes as Kasey motioned Jules over. “Alright, so you take one of these, and then you have to be super careful as you aim. Lucky for you, you’re learning from the best.”

Remus winced as the first ice cube smacked him in the side of the head and gritted his teeth as the second went down the neck of his t-shirt. Sirius schooled his expression into the mildest, sweetest smile he could muster. “He’s not doing anything,” Jules whispered. Remus began taking deep breaths.

“He will.”

“Try me, Wint—oh, sh—” Remus muffled a squeak as ice went directly down his spine. “Hoo, boy, that’s cold.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you censor yourself,” Kasey said, amazed. “It’s uncanny.”

“Are you done?”

“I could do this all day, but it’s my turn to make dinner tonight and Nat gets hangry if I’m late. Good game, Little Loops.” Kasey and Jules high-fived and Remus shook his shirt out; no less than four ice cubes clattered to the ground.

“Young man, you are in such big trouble,” Remus growled playfully as he swept Jules over his shoulder and began tickling his knees. Sirius dodged the squirming legs and held the door open for them as they walked back into the hallway. “You’re okay hanging out with Moody while we get our stuff together, right?”

“Yeah! He’s got the coolest knee statues.”

----------------------------------

Dinner was anything but a quiet affair; all three of them had taken a nap when they got home, then had a dance party in the kitchen while Remus taught Jules how to actually cook chicken so nobody got food poisoning. Sirius was torn between begging them for the details of that particular story and wanting to stay as far away from it as possible.

Regulus and Jules got into a fierce game of footsie under the table that only ended when a small foot—he still didn’t know which one it was—slammed into the base of Sirius’ knee, hard enough that it would certainly leave a bruise. “Ow.”

They both froze, shared a look, then silently went back to eating. “Practice starts at nine tomorrow,” Remus said around a bite of broccoli. “That means wake up time is six thirty, okay? We’ve got a game on Thursday and it’s super important that we’re not late again. Reg, what time are you heading out?”

“I was thinking noon-ish? That way I can get my stuff set up while Dumo’s still at practice. Don’t want to bother him.”

Jules turned to him with the biggest, saddest eyes Sirius had ever seen. “You’re leaving?”

“I live with Dumo, remember?” Regulus hesitated. “I’ll be at the game, though.”

“Can I sit with you?”

“Absolutely.”

That seemed to placate him, and he turned back to his chicken happily. Sirius nudged his brother, giving him a significant look, which was met with an eye roll that couldn’t quite cover the fond flush on his face.

Jules and Regulus took care of the dishes after dinner and Sirius stretched out on the couch to the sounds of the kid’s excited chatter as he recounted the day’s events. Remus flopped down on top of him, settling between his thighs with a contented smile. “Today went well.”

“Yeah, it did.” Sirius began running his fingers through Remus’ soft hair. “I think Moody is about thirty seconds away from adopting him.”

Remus laughed against his chest. “I think so. It’s pretty cool seeing him so excited about PT stuff.”

“It is.” There was a slow sigh and Sirius raised his eyebrows. “What was that about?”

“I just realized that even though Reg is leaving tomorrow, we won’t have the house to ourselves for six more days. It’s been two weeks.”

Sirius closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the armrest. “Fuck. I didn’t even think about that. Think we can dump him on Dumo for a night?”

“We can handle six days, right?”

“Yeah, totally.”

There was a beat of silence. “This is going to be difficult.”

“If we make it to the three-day mark, I say we break open the Oreos as a reward.”

“Sounds good to me—oof.”

They both groaned as an extra hundred pounds of person squished on top of them. “Dishes are done!” Jules chirped.

“Did you wash your hands?” Sirius wheezed, blinking the dark spots out of his vision. Remus’ chin was digging into his upper ribs.

“Yep! Regulus wants to watch a movie. I think we should watch Jurassic Park, but he says it’s terrible—”

“He what?” Remus raised his head slightly and craned his neck to look back at the kitchen. “Regulus!”

“What?”

“You don’t like Jurassic Park? I thought you had taste!” Remus pushed off the couch and Jules wrapped all his limbs around him like an oversized koala. “We’re watching it tonight and you’re going to like it. Come on, baby, we need to make sure your brother has culture.”

Two hours later, as the credits rolled and three people snored gently, Sirius smiled to himself. He could handle a week of this.

[manage-mischief]

Can you do a wolfstar story where Sirius kills his parents? I know it's kinda a dark idea but

Oof! Starting right out with the angst! Here ya go! Thanks so much for the request! I hope you like it! (AO3, FF.net)

Remus awoke to the sound of frantic scratching and whimpering at his bedroom window. He rolled over, groaning. The clock at his bedside table read 2:00 AM. Ugh.

The scratching continued, loudly. Remus yawned, stretching his arms over his head as he left the warmth and comfort of his bed to check on the racket. A large, tawny owl was throwing itself madly against Remus’s window, desperately trying to get inside. Remus recognized the owl. It belonged to none other than James Potter—one of Remus’s closest and dearest friends. Remus unhooked the latch and allowed the bird to fly inside. It landed on his bed and shook its wings and legs madly, urgently. Now, Remus was awake.

Why had James sent his owl at this time of night? Why was the owl acting so strange? A sinking feeling fell through Remus’s stomach. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Remus rushed over and unraveled the note from the owl’s foot. His heart raced as he deciphered the scrawled writing (James had never been a master at penmanship).

“Padfoot in trouble. At my house. Need your help IMMEDIATELY. –Prongs”

Remus’s heart sank. Sirius, his boyfriend, was in trouble. Without a second thought, Remus threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, wrote a short note to his parents explaining his absence, and burst out the front door into the stale summer air.

After a short—albeit quite unpleasant—ride on the Knight Bus, Remus arrived at the Potter Estate. Somehow, its grandeur was not diminished by the darkness of night. The massive home towered majestically, its beige brick exterior reflected in the moonlight. Crickets chirped in the garden as he made his way up the long, paved drive towards the front door. Fireflies danced in the grass. Water front the various fountains and statues gurgled merrily in the distance. Usually, Remus loved visiting the Potters. However, tonight, he felt sick. A cloud of tension surrounded Potter Manor. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The door opened before Remus had the chance to knock. James grabbed him by the arm without so much as a hello and dragged him through the labyrinth-like house.

“James, what’s going on? Why is Sirius here?” Remus questioned as his friend pulled him along. James shook his head. Remus had never seen him so somber.

“Pads’ll tell you. It’s…it’s bad, Moony…” James paused at his bedroom door and knocked timidly.

“Hey,” he called out softly. “Pads? Moony’s here.” James gave one, last, distressed look at Remus before slowly pushing open the door.

Remus could barely register the scene in front of him. Sirius was laying on James’s bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He had a massive bruise blooming on his cheek, and his eyes were rimmed with red—as if he had been crying. His body trembled, childlike. On the floor beside the bed sat Sirius’s brother, Regulus. Remus was shocked. Sirius and Regulus were hardly ever allowed to be together outside their home. Sirius’s parents believed he would corrupt his younger brother, and deliberately kept them separate—lest he tarnish the Black Family name any more than he already had. Yet, here they were. Regulus sat cross-legged with his back against the side of James’s bed. He clutched a cream-colored pillow in his arms, hugging it tight. He looked shell-shocked. His stormy grey eyes were wide with fear and disbelief.

Carefully, Remus lowered himself onto the bed beside Sirius. He ran a hand through his boyfriend’s thick, dark hair, and guided Sirius’s head onto his lap. Sirius squeezed his eyes shut. More tears rolled down his checks, breaking Remus’s heart.

“Sirius?” Remus whispered tentatively. “Are you alright?” He winced internally at his words. Clearly, Sirius was not alright. Sirius trembled even harder. “Shhh, Shhh, it’s ok. I’m here. You’re safe. You’re ok,” Remus resumed stroking Sirius’s head, comforting him.

The two of them remained in this position for several minutes. At some point, James left and returned with a tray of tea. “Want a cup, Reg?” He asked. The boy on the floor did not respond. James poured him on anyways, guiding it gently into his shaking hands.

“Here, Padfoot,” Remus said, gently pulling his boyfriend up to a sitting position. “You should drink something.” Sirius wiped his eyes, took a cup, and sipped cautiously.

“There. Good job, love. Now, can you tell me what happened?”

Sirius sighed. “I-I-“ his voice broke. He cleared his throat. “I killed them.”

A heavy silence hung in the air. Regulus trembled harder than ever, his teacup and saucer clanging madly. The color drained from Sirius’s face.

“What?” Remus asked, wondering if he had misheard.

“I killed my parents. They’re dead.”

Another long pause.

“Wh—how? What happened?” asked Remus, stunned. Sirius hated his parents, sure, but he was not a killer.

“They w-were trying to force Regulus to join the Death Eaters. It-it was awful. I could hear them screaming at him. He was c-crying. I ran in and father had his wand pointed at Reg. Right at his chest. He told me it was none of my concern. They were ensuring that at least one of their sons didn’t wind up a disgrace. And, he almost…he was about to hurt him and I…” Sirius broke off again. He buried his head in Remus’s shoulder, sobbing. Remus held him tight. He locked eyes with James, who was still on the floor trying to calm Regulus. “In shock,” mouthed James.

Remus’s heart ached for the Black boys. Their home life had been horrible. An explosive catastrophe was always on the horizon. But, Remus had never imagined it coming to this gruesome end. Sirius— forced to kill his parents to protect his brother from a terrible fate. It was way too heavy a burden for anyone to bear, let alone a 16-year-old boy. No. None of this was fair. None of this was right.

“I—what’re you going to—” Remus stammered. He felt his own fear mounting, his heart pounding violently against his ribcage. Was his dear Sirius destined for Azkaban?

“Mum and Dad are taking them in,” James explained. “They’ve gone to the Ministry to argue the case and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement ruled it as self-defense.”

Remus breathed a sigh of relief. He kissed Sirius’s forehead, rocking back and forth. “See? It’s going to be fine. It’s going to be alright love. You’re safe. You’re alright.”

“I used an Unforgivable. I killed. I’m a killer.” Sirius lamented.

“No!” Remus exclaimed. He placed his hands on Sirius’s cheeks, forcing his boyfriend to look him in the eyes. “You listen to me, Sirius Black. You are not a killer. You did what you needed to do to protect your brother from a terrible fate. I never, for one second, would ever believe you were capable of murdering anyone in cold blood.”

Sirius stared back at him, grey eyes pleading. “You promise? You don’t believe I’m a murderer? You would never think that about me?”

Remus pressed his nose against Sirius’s. He could feel his boyfriend’s hot breath against his own lips. “I promise.”

[ashes-and-ashes]

9. “Watch it.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Remus just gives him a tight smile. He’s changed out of his typical baggy sweatshirts, wearing a perfectly fitting black sweater and he looks so good that Sirius’ heart aches.

They’re at the front of Grimmauld Place, staring up at the house. Sirius eyes the carved gargoyles, the heavy stone and the leased windows and winces.

“Look,” he says. “It’s fine. We can go right now. Fuck my parents.”

“I’d rather fuck you,” Remus replies, “But I mean sure. You’re all Blacks right?”

Sirius hits him on the shoulder, the tension in his chest loosening, just a bit. He lets out a shaking breath, staring at the heavy door, the elaborate metal door knocker inches from his nose.

It had all started with the letter, dropped into his toast at breakfast last week. He had fished it out, still talking to James, slit it open with his knife and unfolded the paper.

His heart had stopped the minute he saw the crest, smack in the middle of the page. You are required for dinner next weekend. Saturday, 7 o’clock.

And the unspoken worded, drifting at the end of the letter. If you don’t come, we’ll take it out on Regulus.

There had been a fight in the common room that night, James and Peter yelling at Sirius.

“You can’t go!” James said. “Jesus Christ, are you mental? They want you to go home for dinner? Next thing you know, you’ll be knocked out with the Mark on your arm!”

“The Mark has to be freely given, otherwise He can’t use it to control you, you moron.”

Peter shook his head. “You can’t go! They’ll hurt you.”

“They’ll hurt Reg even worse.”

“They’ll hurt Reg regardless,” James cut in. His face was anguished, twisted and distraught. “Don’t you see? If you go, they’ll torture him infront of you to make you take the Mark.”

“You don’t know that - “

Remus stood up. “I’ll go with him.”

“No.”

Remus stared Sirius down. “Yes. They won’t torture anyone if someone is witnessing.”

“You dumbass,” Sirius spat, fear replacing anger in his chest. “You’re a fucking werewolf. You’re good as dead the second you step foot in the house.”

“I’m not going to waltz in and say, ‘Hello, I’m a werewolf,’ am I?”

“He’s right,” James cut in. “Someone should go, but not you Re. You’re a halfblood and a halfbreed - you’re fucked. I’ll go - “

“You can’t.” Remus’ voice was calm. “Both of you are banned, remember? Sirius told the story last Christmas.”

“No,” Sirius said again. “No. You can’t come.”

Remus just stared at him. “Watch me.”

It had taken the better part of 4 hours to convince Sirius. He hated himself for it, that weakness, hated how selfish he was for allowing Remus to step foot in the Manor. He let out a long breath, fingers hovering over the door knocker.

“Do you want me to?” Remus whispers. Sirius swallows hard, then nods. Remus reaches forwards, lifts the metal handle and then lets it drop with a clang.

The door opens at once - Sirius looks down, his stomach twisting at the sight of Kreacher, in a bow so low that his nose touched the carpet. “This way, please,” he croaks, and Remus and Sirius follow him down the hallway, through the winding corridors and then finally into the dining room.

Sirius hated the dining room, all high ceilings and wooden walls and a huge metal chandlier dripping with jewels. The table was huge, oak and iron, set four five, wine glasses and plates and more cutlery then there should be.

Sirius swallows back the bitter taste in his mouth as he saw who was sitting at those plates. His father, in dress robes of charcoal grey, his mother in a gown of emerald silk. Reg was there too, hair neatly combed, seated across from Walburga and -

Bastards, Sirius thinks. What bastards. Because Orion sat at the head of the table, Walburga and Regulus on opposite sides of the table, which meant that he either had to sit next to his mother who tortured him or his brother who hated him.

He stares at the table, heart pounding so hard that it hurt, and he thought he might have toppled over if not for the sudden press of Remus’ finger, right across the throbbing in his wrist. He calmly headed towards Walburga, gracefully sliding into the chair next to her, and Sirius let out a small sigh of relief.

He remembers the last time he had come, bringing James and Peter with him. They had been rude - their hatred of Sirius’ family was so obvious it hurt, the dinner ending with a minor explosion and a basket of burnt roles. Remus was perfect though, his face completely blank, hands folded over his lap as he stared directly at Orion. There was a hint of a challenge in his eyes, his voice like steel as he says, “Thank you for inviting me to your home, Mr. Black.”

Orion merely inclines his head. Sirius catches the flash of interest in his mother’s eye - she obviously had not been expecting Remus to make the first move. She merely smooths down her skirt, twisting in her chair to face Remus. “Of course. We are...honoured to have you.”

Remus smiles, reaches for his glass of water. He takes a sip, eyes meeting Sirius’, a silent message of support. We’ll be fine.

Walburga turns towards Sirius now, the facade of a perfect hostess cracking away. She merely stared at him, like one would stare at a pebble on the sidewalk, blank and empty and entirely without feeling. “Sirius.”

Sirius presses his hand against his stomach, wills his voice not to shake. It comes out cold, flat and slightly strained. “Mother.”

“You didn’t even bother to greet your father and I.”

“Apologies. Father. Mother.”

Orion scowls. “Must you always be this obnoxious?”

“Only when I feel like it.”

Walburga sighs, turning to face Remus. “You must excuse him,” she says, giving a small laugh that Sirius had never, not once, heard her use before. “He has some...authority issues.”

Remus merely nods, his face still so carefully blank. Walburga scans his face, then turns away. “Where’s that useless elf,” she mutters. “Kreacher!”

The doors swing open, revealing Kreacher. Bowls of soup lie one his forearms; he places one in front of each member and then swiftly departs. Walburga picks up her spoon. “It’s pea,” she says, before taking a sip.

Remus follows suit. The table is eerily silent for a moment - Sirius remembers those long dinners, hours going by without a single word spoken. He winces, looks down at his soup - he knows the green was meant to be a jibe, a subltle mocking of his pride in Gryffindor House. He takes a sip - it’s good, but flat, lacking love and warmth and care.

Remus sets his spoon down. “It’s delicious,” he says. “Family recipe?”

Walburga laughs. “Oh, no. Sirius has always loved pea soup.”

“He loved the colour green, when he was younger,” Orion adds. Sirius clenches his teeth, anger rising up inside of him. Remus kicks him under the table.

“Of course,” he says smoothly, shooting Sirius an evil stare. “It’s fantastic.”

“Where do you come from?” Walburga asks. “I don’t recognize the name ‘Lupin.’”

Bitch, Sirius wants to hiss. It hadn’t even been 5 minutes and she was already trying to pry, trying to see if Remus was worth her time. He grips the table, hard; Regulus sets his spoon down, giving Sirius a wary glance.

Remus just nods. “My mother came from America.”

Orion looks up. “America?”

“New York. The wizarding community is rather different over there. We were quite an established family.”

Sirius quickly looks down into his soup. Remus wasn’t lying - Hope Lupin had come from America, as the daughter of one of the largest shipping companies in New York. He had conveniently left out the part about her being a muggle, of course.

Walburga gave another laugh. Sirius could practically see her mind whirling, assessing and calculating as she smiles at Remus. “Oh Sirius,” she says. “You should have told me about your new friends. I’m glad to see you finally making a correct choice in your relationships.”

“If that’s a dig at Peter and James,” Sirius says tightly, “Then you can shove it.”

“Watch it,” Regulus murmurs, a warning bell. Sirius ignores him, eyes fixed on Remus. “They’re my best friends, Mother. I’m not going to drop them.”

“Perhaps if you reconsidered your actions - “

Remus interrupts , before Sirius could tell her to go to hell. “Have you ever been to America, Mrs. Black?”

“No.”

“It’s a beautiful place.”

Orion takes a sip of water, clears his throat. “What is your father’s name, Remus?”

“Lyall.”

“Oh!” Walburga’s head shoots up. “You don’t happen to mean Lyall Lupin? The great werewolf activist?”

“Yes,” Remus says tightly. “That’s the one.”

His face is blank but Sirius can see the tension underneath, the electric current of barely-controlled rage. He reaches over the table, brushes Remus’ pinky with his, feels Remus’ shudder.

Walburga exchanged glances with her husband. “Oh yes! We went to one of us conferences, a while ago. He was quite big on limiting werewolf rights if I remember correctly. As he should. Disgusting creatures.”

“Monsters,” Remus says quietly. Sirius’ heart breaks.

“Yes. Quite. We went out - remember that Sirius? It was the night you broke you arm.”

“How clumsy,” Orion laughs. “Falling down the stairs and all.”

He didn’t. It was another jibe, another carefully placed barb meant to wound him. He broke his arm alright, a cold winters night in the middle of January but he certainly didn’t get it from falling down the stairs. He meets Walburga’s eyes and knows instantly that she remembers - the screaming, the yelling, the snap of his arm in two.

Sirius gets up abruptly, chucking his napkin into his soup. “I need some air,” he mutters abruptly.

“Sirius - “ his father calls, but Sirius ignores him. He storms out of the dining room, slamming the door behind him.

To be continued....?