fatal love

chapter 71

November ended quietly, fading into December, and Christmas decorations started to be put up around Hogwarts. Sirius loved and hated Christmas at Hogwarts. Christmas excitement was always tinged with the knowledge that he would soon be back at Grimmauld Place, and back with Kreacher, Regulus and Walburga.

But Christmas at Hogwarts was so different to Christmas in London. The decorations were bright and homely, and the students carried an air of joy and excitement, unlike the faux-decorum and reservation of the Blacks.

Hagrid was seen dragging huge trees across the grounds, and Flitwick was decorating the ones in the Entrance Hall. It wasn't rare to see snow falling in the early hours of the morning, and even Peeves got into the Christmas spirit, dousing unsuspecting First Years in eggnog.

It was the fifteenth of December, and Sirius had just finished his Muggle Studies with Marlene, when they went to get lunch in the Great Hall. He spotted James and Peter at once, but Remus wasn't with them. That was odd on its own - they had all just had Care of Magical Creatures together. More worrying, both of them were looking glum and worried, whispering to each other.

He bid Marlene goodbye, hurrying over quickly. "Where's Moony?" he asked.

James looked up at him. "In the dorm." He lowered his voice. "We just had a lesson on werewolves. It was... cruel. I don't think he took it well."

"I'll go and talk to him," Sirius said at once.

Pete shook his head. "I dunno if that's a good idea, he said he wanted to be alone."

Sirius ignored, already walking away. He rushed all the way to Gryffindor Tower, but slowed down when he reached the dorm, opening the door cautiously.

Remus was on his bed, but sitting up, writing what looked like an essay, using a textbook to lean on. Even through his concern, Sirius still felt the now-familiar pang when he looked at him. So handsome , he thought, and it was rugged and effortless, even when he was in his ill-fitting uniform and in need of a haircut.

He realised he hadn't been alone with Remus since he got drunk the night of the party after the Quidditch match. Things were still weird between them, there was still a weird tension in the air. But it wasn't a bad tension, he thought, not necessarily, it was just neither of them had the balls to address it, they would both rather ignore it.

Remus looked up when he heard Sirius enter, and sighed when he saw him. "Did James send you?" he asked tiredly.

"Nah," Sirius said casually, "I was warned not to come and see you actually."

"And yet here you are."

"Here I am."

"I'm fine," Remus said with hard eyes, as if he was daring Sirius to challenge him.

"I never said you weren't," Sirius replied evenly, and walked over to Remus' bed. "What are you writing?" He looked at the title of the essay. Werewolves: Dangers of XXXXX Magical Beasts and How To Neutralize Them. "Cheery," Sirius commented.

Remus glared at him. "I'm really not in the mood right now, Black."

"I thought you were fine?" he smirked.

"I was, until you turned up."

Sirius gripped his chest, falling onto the bed dramatically. "Moony!" he cried. "Don't be so mean, I can't take it!"

Remus stared at his antics, unimpressed, but the corner of his mouth was twitching. "You're ridiculous," he said, deadpan.

Sirius rolled over so he could look up at him. "Yeah, but you like it."