Falling // Wolfstar

Forty Four

Rolling snowcapped hills fly by in flashes through the frost painted glass of the Hogwarts Express. The wind whisks across the land freely; it holds the stories of the night and the secrets of the day, accompanying the train like a friend. The sky is a magnificent shade of blue. A blue so rich that it is incomparable to anything. Puffs of clouds float above, forming shapes to those with the brightest imaginations. An exuberance weaves in and out of every compartment of the Hogwarts Express. Students bustle around to and from different carts in search of their friends with a whimsical excitement for the holiday.

James Potter walks down the train confidently. His glasses sit on the bridge of his nose, and behind them, hazel eyes sparkle with mischief. He slides open a compartment door and smiles broadly when he sees his friends. Sitting closest to the window is Peter Pettigrew, hand in hand with Mary Macdonald. They are sorting through a fresh box of Bertie Botts to pick out all the bad flavors, a talent Peter had taught Mary. Across from him, Remus Lupin sits. His hair is just as sandy and blonde as always, and his legs stretch out the length of the compartment. Under his arm is none other than his boyfriend, Sirius Black. Sirius draws humorous caricatures of the group as Remus colors them in.

And sitting closest to the door, is Lily Evans. His girlfriend. She wears a white sweater that makes her hair stand out, though James could always spot her from a mile away.

"Sorry that took so long," James says. He's pushed aside when Marlene, Alice, and Hestia barge through the door. They crowd the compartment and squeeze into any spot they can. "Oi!" James rushes in, shutting the door behind him, and is forced on top of Sirius' lap.

"Prongs, I didn't know you felt this way!" Sirius teases, wrapping his arms around James' middle.

James squirms helplessly and laughter erupts from every corner of the compartment. He wriggles free from Sirius' grasp and launches himself onto Lily. Remus dodges a fizzing whizzbee thrown in his direction, and nestles closer to Sirius amidst the chaos. He inhales the scent he could never get enough of, and caresses his thumb over Sirius' hand.

It'd been a month since Abigail was sent back to Beauxbatons, then promptly expelled. He hadn't heart from her at all, but rumors say she's headed to the States.

Davy had no recollection of anything. He awoke from a dreadfully strong slumber in the hospital wing to see Remus at his bedside. His perfectly dark hair fell in front of his dazzling, deep blue eyes laden with confusion. Remus explained as much as he could to his fullest. The only thing Davy could do was believe it.

"Listen Remus, I don't fancy you," Davy said just before Remus got up to leave. "I never have."

"I didn't think you did," Remus replied honestly.

Davy intertwined his hands on his lap, a chill of goosebumps rising up his exposed arms. "It's James. I...I've had a silly schoolboy crush on him for a while." Shock would be an understatement to describe Remus' reaction, but he remained stoic. "I just thought, maybe being friends with you and Lily would also help me get close with James."

"Is that why you wanted to come to the Gryffindor quidditch game with us? To watch James play?

Blush creeped up Davy's neck and blossomed on his cheeks as he looked away. "You can tell Sirius. You know, so he won't break my nose."

Remus lets out a wry chuckle at the end of Davy's bed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anybody. But you should know, James is straight."

"One can only dream." Davy sighed. "And for the record, I really enjoy being friends with you. I'd be a fool not to befriend someone who loves reading as much as myself. You're quite an extraordinary person, you know that?"

There was that word again. Extraordinary.

"I appreciate it." Remus gripped the railing before he shifted his feet to walk away. "If you want to do pajamas by the lake with everyone again, can I suggest it be on Saturdays?"

"Of course."

Evergreens become houses and houses become buildings and soon enough, the scarlet train screeches to a halt. The noise of chattering grows louder in Remus' ear until he's fully back in the present. The compartment empties itself slowly, and Remus takes Sirius hand in his as they shuffle along with the rest of their friends.

A mixture of ice and steam blast against their faces when they step foot onto Platform 9 3/4. Parents are scattered about waving and hollering aimlessly in search for their children. Luggage trunks clank against the metal carts being dragged down to the pillar.

Frances Berkshire runs up and wraps them into a bone crushing hug. She bids them each a Happy Christmas before dashing off with Willa Russet. Just before they disappear into the crowd, Remus can see the pink mittens on France's hand blend together with the blue of Willa's. Their curls sweep side to side, held by silky ribbons.

The world is moving at an incredibly fast pace, but slows to almost a standstill for Remus. A lot has changed, but he's come to understand that change isn't scary. It's needed to grow.

James' parents, for the first time ever, aren't waiting to pick him up from Kings Cross. Instead, they rest at home awaiting the arrival of their son, their honorary second son, and Lily Evans.

Peter waves goodbye to everybody before he walks away with his mum. His love only grows more and more each day for Mary; it's unimaginable to think that she would ever leave his side.

With Sirius' hand in his own, fit like they are made for each other, Remus allows himself to feel happy despite the darkening world.

"I'll see you in a week," Sirius says. Remus presses his forehead to Sirius to say goodbye. Not goodbye. See you later. His thumb runs over the apple of Sirius' cheek lovingly. It's just the two of them. "You know I love you, right?"

Remus never breaks his stare. "You know I love you more, right?"

Their lips meet in the middle. A slow burning passion lingers between the gentleness of their kiss. There's nothing to describe the feeling, as there is nothing that could come close to the feeling of falling in love.

As their lips move against one another to the steady rhythm of their heartbeats, nothing in the world is more important than what's right in front them. The routine of daily life doesn't seem so mundane anymore. Every touch, every glance, every second with each other is just one more reason to live another day. They are each other's oxygen; the breath of fresh air needed to keep going. The ground beneath them feels as if it's breaking, and they slip through the cracks. A rush of adrenaline surges through their veins. There is no control. Remus flutters his eyes open to admire Sirius before him. The fleeting fear of the unknown isn't scary because he knows he will be okay as long as they have each other.

Remus doesn't care how many times he falls, because he knows that every time, he will land in the arms of Sirius Black.

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A/N: The End.

*cries in a cool way again*

I know it's not the same as the first book, no murder mystery, but I hope you enjoyed the story. From every bit of my heart, thank you to anybody who has read this.

XOXO -G