There was a certain tranquility to being by the lake at dusk. The sky was painted with streaks of rose, peach and lilac, reflecting and glittering on the water softly. All that could be heard was the distant chirping of birds, the occasional ripple on the water and a faraway hum of hustle and bustle that came from the castle, half a world away.
Remus was leaning peacefully against a tree, flicking through a book, while Sirius was lying beside him on the floor, staring at the sky. He was quiet, for once in his life.
After a few moments, Remus put down his book and ran a hand through Sirius' hair, who smiled up at him.
"Back in the land of the living, Moony?"
Remus continued to pull his fingers gently through Sirius' soft locks (being the only one allowed to do so) as he answered, "That book is good. It's your fault anyway. You gave it to me."
Sirius nodded, and looked back up at the sky. The hazy colours were swiftly dissolving into a monochromatic expanse of calm. A slightly sharp breeze danced around where the two Gryffindors were comfortably settled, making Sirius shiver.
"Are you cold, Pads?" asked Remus with concern.
"Not really. Probably will be though, Moonpie."
"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Remus shook his head fondly as he handed over a jumper that he had brought in case he got cold.
Sirius smiled at him as he sat up and slipped the soft cashmere over his head. It was a warm beige colour, and the scent of tea, books, earth and just Remus was all over it.
Remus suppressed a laugh as he watched Sirius snuggle into the material.
"Not so punk rock now are you, Padfoot?"
Sirius gave him a sidelong glance before crawling over and sitting himself firmly between his lover's legs, back against his chest.
"I don't care," he said, grinning, "I'm warm."
Remus hummed noncommittally and wrapped his arms around the boy before him, resting his chin atop his head. They remained silent for a while, watching the sky fade to an inky blue. It wasn't long before the stars began to twinkle through the misty blanket of sky.
They both loved watching the stars, and Remus could almost be at peace with the moon when it wasn't near the full, such as tonight. The lovers would pick out all the constellations they could see. Sirius' favourite was Leo, where Alpha Leonis (or Regulus) gleamed, in pride of place. Remus' favourite was Canis Major, where the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, resided.
"There's me," Sirius murmured softly, pointing a lazy finger upwards, although Remus already knew where the Dog Star was. He planted a kiss on the top of the head of the human with the same name.
"There's you."
The stars lulled them both back into calm silence, and it wasn't long before Sirius emitted a small snore, making Remus smile. They stayed like this for hours, before Remus woke his sleeping beauty with a kiss to the forehead and they tiptoed back to their dorm in the dead of night.
