The Trouble With Childhood Songs

By Kick Flaw

       

"Well, here I am -whoa!" Sirius announced as he climbed through Remus' second-story windowsill. The exclamation, unplanned, flew out when Remus dragged him bodily across the waist-high threshold and over to the bed faster than he could drop his broom. Which he did, actually, the many-charmed instrument clattering down the brick-walled house to settle in Mrs. Lupin's orchids.

Sirius didn't even have a chance to chuckle at his boyfriend's ferocity before he'd been flung onto the unmade mess of pillows, sheets, and blankets. Black hair, slick and shining, haloed his head, a dark pool which made the humor in his grin incongruous, especially in the wanton, hot summer air. Remus, without proper greeting, sank down on top of the other boy and wrapped his hands in said hair, sweetly pulling Sirius into a heady kiss, though he would argue that his was not only a proper, but a perfect greeting after three weeks of separation.

"Mmmm." mumble-moaned Sirius. He pushed against Remus' hands, further into their joined mouths, and pulled the light-haired boy down by the shoulders simultaneously. Such a glorious orchestra of sound, the snick of their teeth as they collided eagerly, the syncopated pants rushing between them, the hissing slide of skin and sheets. They shifted, twined, finally aligning on one of the many ways their bodies demanded. Sirius folded his legs open, knees bent slightly to cradle Remus as he used his weight and strength to drive their groins hotly together. Four months of fumbling experimentation had culminated, sometime during this past year, in their crossing the line that separated friend from lover, and now not a single encounter left that line uncrossed, again and again. Be it classroom table-top, packed-dirt tunnel, bed, floor, corner, wall, shower, they found a way to relieve their hormonal obsession. The past three weeks had been their longest separation since the relationship had exploded in November. What else could be expected?

Remus groaned deep in the back of his throat. To Sirius' displeasure he ceased the steady, circular rhythm of erection against erection. Only for a moment. A moment in which he hurtled to his knees and yanked Sirius after him until the red-lipped boy straddled his lap, close and clenched and free to remove clothes in the twilight June mugginess.

"Mmm...missed you too." Sirius purred.

Remus pressed a licking kiss on his chin. "Come on..." he gasped unconsciously.

"Come on what?" The other boy teased. "Come on in? Come on down?" he laughed throatily, smoothly stealing Remus' shirt from his body. "Come on over, under, back?" nimble fingers curled into the waistline of the werewolf's pants. "Just come?"

"Quiet..." breathed Remus, grinding up into the warm arch of Sirius' parted leg. The black-haired wizard smelled like the stillness of air, felt like molten lightning, overwhelmed his senses like a thunderstorm. Remus dug his toes into the mattress, thrusting upwards, as Sirius meshed their bodies more tightly. "Want..."

Sirius deigned not to tease this time, instead lapping at the roof of Remus' mouth and dipping his hand into the other boy's pants.

The top button snapped off, but neither noticed or cared. "Come on...uh..." Remus repeated, drowning in sensation and pleasure. "God." he groaned. Sirius' hand gripped, tugged the length of him, and it was oh, oh so good. Eyes rolling underneath closed eyelids, he slipping groping, desperate hands onto his boyfriend's buttocks. Closer, couldn't they get any closer?

So good...

The door opened. Perfect timing. It's creaking swing pried the two boys apart better than any crowbar could have; their mouths parted with a wet smack, and Sirius' hand was yanked painfully out of Remus' pants, sent tumbling away by the werewolf's frantic shove.

"Melly!" Remus shouted, and tore out of the room, shirtless, after his little sister, who'd shot alarmingly in the direction of the living room. "Mell, get back here! Don't you dare! Melly!" He would have caught her too, if she hadn't jumped the throw rug in the upstairs hall, and if he hadn't slammed into the banister via that same throw rug. She reached their parents before he got the chance to maul her into silence.

"Melopmene!" Mary Lupin cried as the seven-year old leapt into her lap.

"Remus, what-" started the ever-calm Aeneas Lupin.

Then Melly's cheerful, sing-song voice: "Remus was kissing, ooh la la, in the bedroom, ooh la la..."

Parents or not, murder flashed in the werewolf's golden eyes. "I am going to *kill* you!" he howled, making a grab for her.

"Remus, for God's sake!" snapped his mother.

"Kissing in the bedroom, ooh la la la!"

"Shut up, you little brat!"

"Don't call your sister a brat, young man!"

"Ok, everyone." Aeneas held a sharp hand up, demanding silence. "Calm down."

"Ooh ooh kissing-"

He glared at his daughter.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Now." his penetrating gaze rested on his youngest son. "Will someone please clear up this situation?"

Remus said nothing. Aeneas stared at the sullen boy for a second before gesturing to Melly with a tolerant sigh. Many years of parenting granted him the wisdom to handle this with care, and the ability to glean whatever useful information there was in a seven-year-old's hyperactive babble.

"I heard a noise." Melly chattered. "So I went to get Remus because he's the most strongest and scariest. But he didn't answer when I knocked so I opened the door. He was on the bed and he was kissing and touching and it was gross, really gross, and Mum always said that we couldn't have people over without permission, and I really, really thought Mum wouldn't like what he was doing, so I came to tell you, and he chased me."

There was a heavy, tense moment in which Aeneas and Mary both turned to their son in shock. Remus, realizing he was shirtless and button-less, blushed darkly and prayed that -for his sake- Sirius would have the prudence to leave, or at least remain upstairs. Preferably hidden. He didn't think he could get more humiliated. The way Melly described it their rendezvous was worthy of an X-rating.

Slowly, Aeneas spoke. "Is that true?"

He gulped. "No. Maybe. Yes. I mean...yes." Lying, in his state, was pointless.

"Oh, Remus." His mother breathed joyfully. Her hazel eyes lit up. "You have a girlfriend? Oh, I'm so happy!"

Remus blinked, then scuffed an embarrassed foot on the floor, looking away, at the fireplace, which was really quite interesting.

"Do you have a girlfriend, son?"

"Nope!" Melly chirped.

"Yes!" He bared his teeth at her. "Kind of."

Oh, if Sirius heard that, heaven help him.

Mary smiled and clapped her hands, apparently thrilled to the utmost. No one in the Lupin family had ever expected Remus capable of a normal relationship, what with his curse. Not that he'd claim that this one was in any way normal.

"Let's meet her! Oh, bring her down. I'm sure she's a doll!"

"Agreed. I don't approve of you breaking our rules, but I suppose, if I were to meet this girl, I could let that slide this time, hm?" Pride gleamed in Aeneas' eyes.

Part of Remus was angry at their surprise, as irrational as it was. He himself hadn't expected to fall for someone so wildly, much less have that someone fall so wildly in return. Still, had they given up all hope for him? Most of him, however, really didn't want to disappoint them now that they were so happy. They expected some gorgeous model to float down the stairs on his arm, a paragon of grace and compassion. They were going to get Sirius Black, who, though he had the gorgeous model part down pat, was more than a little clumsy and distractedly selfish. A boy they'd known for four years to be trouble incarnate. If they got anything, which they wouldn't.

"Dad." He hitched. "I...don't think she's still here. Melly probably drove her off."

"Well, she can't have gone far."

Remus didn't move.

"Go find her, Remus."

He shifted feet.

"Dad." The look in his eyes was one Aeneas knew well: 'I-want-to-do-what-you-ask-but-I-can't-for-your-own-good'. He grudgingly acquiesced.

"You'll just have to invite her over for dinner soon, then. At least tell us her name."

"Umm..."

"Oh, I know!"

"Shut *up*, Melly!"

"Daddy, I know! I know!"

"Honey." Mary petted her excitable daughter's hair. "Let Remus tell us. It's his girlfriend."

Melly, in a moment of surprising sobriety and cleverness, replied. "He won't, Mum." Mary arched her eyebrows.

"Remus." Aeneas, obviously, wasn't going to allow his son this much leeway for breaking the rules. "Why don't you prove your sister wrong?"

But Remus looked back at the fireplace and said nothing.

"You do realize that I'm going to find out anyway? And that I'm going to ground you for the rest of the month regardless?"

"...Yes, Dad. Sorry."

"Well, Melly-" Mary began, then stopped.

Sirius had stepped into the room, composed, smirking, and bearing Remus' shirt like a trophy. The Lupin's halted all activity -Aeneas and Mary watched him swagger a path to their son in wide-eyed surprise, Melly giggled, and Remus bid his life as he knew it goodbye.

"I thought you might need this." Sirius said serenely as he handed over the shirt. "Hi Mrs. Lupin, Mr. Lupin, Melly."

"Hi, Sirius!" Melly tittered.

Mary's reply was slower. "Hello, Sirius." the confused frown marring her face disappeared suddenly. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?" she accused.

"With what?" was Sirius' innocent response, while Remus tried not to faint.

"With Remus having a girlfriend, of course! You set them up, I'm sure of it! Only you could draw Remus far enough out of his shell to get him to date. Oh, thank you. You're such a good friend!" She beamed. Now there was a firm reason for why the Lupins had always liked Sirius Black.

The 'good friend' in question grinned and glanced playfully at his boyfriend. "You could say that."

Remus didn't notice -he was watching his father, breath held. Aeneas was quietly, intently studying the black-haired boy by his son's side.

"Mr. Lupin?" Sirius asked.

"I think you better be heading home, Sirius." Aeneas spoke heavily, tightly. "Remus has been grounded for the rest of the month. Do you have your broom?"

"Out back."

"Ok. I know you can fly in the dark, so I guess we'll be seeing you."

Sirius nodded, voice firm. "You will. Later."

When he was gone, the gaze Remus and his father shared was heavier, tighter even than all of Aeneas' words.

"Please tell me the name of your girlfriend."

"Oh, yes, do."

But Mary was ignored.

"I know, Daddy!"

And Melly was ignored.

"Remus. Now."

It was with quaking knees and a dry-mouth that Remus defied his father for the second time in his life and bit out. "No."

Thin-lipped, Aeneas straightened, a subconscious gesture of dominance that Remus understood as human and wolf, though the magical half of him felt no binds by it. "Don't make me do this."

"I won't say it!" He snapped. "I won't break my promise. Go ahead, ask Melly. You already know."

"Fine. Melopmene?"

Melly bounced with the opportunity to contribute. "Sirius Black." her high, sweet voice proclaimed.

Mary gasped.

"I'm sorry, Mum."

A brooding silence descended on the Lupin living room, as each absorbed the circumstances and consequences of this shocking, unexpected night. Remus steeled himself, at once ashamed and determined, aching and reveling, the same way he'd responded when the Marauders had discovered his curse. There was something freeing in revealing a violent, condemning truth. Something intangibly right. And even if the result was dire and hurtful, he was glad that he didn't have to lie anymore.

"Mummy." Melly tugged at her mother's arm, disturbed by the tension though she didn't understand it. "Mummy, isn't that a good thing?"

Oh my god, Remus thought, Melly, I want to kiss you.

Mary didn't respond, so the child slid off her lap and approached their father.

"Daddy?" her perfect, plaintive hazel eyes were confused. "Aren't you happy? Remus is happy."

Aeneas broke, whispering. "Are you, Remus?"

This time Remus straightened, ascertaining himself, raised his chin. He was the strongest. Melly had said so. He could do this. "More than I ever have been before."

The ice in his father's eyes melted, a little. Not support, but...acceptance. "Ok, then."

He turned to is mother. "Mum?"

Mary closed her eyes. "I think...I think I need to think. But ok. Ok."

Remus' knees finally gave out, and he sat down heavily, weak. Blessedly, his favorite armchair sidled over to catch him. Everything in him sagged with relief. Ok. It was ok.

"What do you think, Melly?" Aeneas asked, smiling at the beatific child who was the root of the whole mess, and it's resolution, in the first place.

"Remus and Sirius, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Melly sang.

Remus chased her from the room.

End

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