Chapter 3

 

“Sirius,” James’s breathless voice sounded right by Sirius’s ear, and the long-haired boy jumped, startled. “Sirius, move.”

 

James pushed Sirius into the classroom and entered, Peter in tow.

 

“So sorry we’re late, Professor,” James said with a repentant grin, getting his breathing under control. “We ran into a bit of trouble in the hall.”

 

Amber eyes flicked to James’s face, darting briefly to the boy’s remarkable hair. “James Potter,” he said, almost as if to himself.

 

James, having heard despite the quiet tone, looked startled. “Yes, Professor. Have we met?”

 

Amber eyes blinked twice in quick succession, and Sirius recognized the movement as being the brunet’s tell for quick thinking.

 

“You’re Head Boy,” he said, the pause barely noticeable. He pointed at the badge displayed prominently on James’s chest. “Dumbledore has filled me in.”

 

“Oh,” James relaxed, fingers touching the badge gently. “Of course. Right.” He glanced quickly at his companions. “Erm, this is Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black.”

 

“I’m Professor Lupin.”

 

“Right, er…” James glanced at the rest of the class.

 

Everyone was reading the textbook, or, at least, pretending to read the textbook. It was clear most of the students were trying to subtly watch this first meeting of the school’s most notorious troublemakers and the new teacher.

 

“Shall we sit down, then, Professor?” James asked, jerking his head towards the three seats at the back of the room that had been left empty for the Marauders.

 

“Yes, of course. Please do.” The brunet nodded, and the three boys headed for their seats.

 

Sirius could feel the amber eyes on his back as he moved down the aisle behind his friends. He sat, and his eyes once more met those of the man at the front of the room. The brunet looked away quickly, turning his attention to the rest of the class, but Sirius continued to keep his eyes fixed on the new professor.

 

The double period passed in a blur. Sirius didn’t hear a word that was spoken, merely absorbing the sound of the soft voice and drinking in every movement and gesture. His mind was a maelstrom of questions.

 

The sound of the bell jolted Sirius from his daze.

 

“Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Black, if you would remain for a moment,” the teacher’s soft voice was somehow clearly audible above the sudden noise as the class gathered their things together to head out.

 

The three boys waited until the other students had filed out before heading to the front of the room.

 

“I’m not going to ask for any explanation as to why you were late,” the amber-eyed professor said as James opened his mouth. “I don’t want to hear any excuses.”

 

James’s mouth closed with a snap, and a look of grudging respect appeared in his hazel eyes.

 

“I will merely ask that you not be late for my class again,” he went on. “I’m sure that is not too much to ask.”

 

Peter and James quickly shook their heads. Sirius followed suit a moment later, still unable to drag his eyes away from the man before him.

 

“I’m going to ask that one of you stay behind to help me clear up, and let you all off with a warning.” Amber eyes flicked across the three boys. “Mr. Potter, I’m sure you have something important that needs doing. Dumbledore informed me that you and the newly appointed Head Girl, Miss Evans, have many responsibilities. You wouldn’t want her to have to attend to them alone.”

 

James’s eyes widened, but he nodded.

 

“Mr. Black, if you’d be so good as to stay behind, Mr. Pettigrew may leave as well.”

 

Peter and James didn’t need telling twice. With a hasty glance at Sirius, they both departed swiftly.

 

The door shut behind the two boys, and their footsteps slowly retreated down the corridor outside.

 

It was so quiet in the classroom the breathing of the two men sounded almost loud as they merely stared at each other. Sirius was sure the beating of his heart was audible.

 

“I guess you made it back from France after all, Remus,” Sirius finally found his voice to say. He winced at the bitterness in his own tone.

 

“Don’t do this, Sirius,” Remus whispered.

 

“What do you want me to say?” Sirius asked. “You lied to me.”

 

“I didn’t lie to you,” Remus snapped. “I didn’t know I was coming here until after you left. Dumbledore asked for a favor. I agreed. I told you I wanted to teach.”

 

“Yes, but here?” Sirius demanded, glaring. “At Hogwarts? You never even told me you were a wizard!”

 

“You never told me you were a wizard either!” Remus glared right back. “What was I supposed to do? Write and tell you I was coming? You never gave me your address, other than that you live in London. And I couldn’t very well have sent you an owl, since I thought you were a Muggle!”

 

“Yes, well.” Sirius’s jaw clenched.

 

“Yes, well.” Remus echoed, only faintly mocking.

 

They continued to glare fiercely at each other for a long moment. Then, unable to stay put any longer, Sirius closed the distance between them and pulled the smaller man into a bruising kiss.

 

Remus responded, returning the kiss with fiery familiarity, hands rising to tangle in Sirius’s long hair, tugging with delicious insistence as the older man tried to crush their bodies even closer together.

 

Sirius groaned into the brunet’s mouth as their tongues danced. His arms slipped around the smaller man’s body, inside the open robe. Almost of their own volition, his fingers began to un-tuck the neat white shirt and slide up beneath the crisp fabric, stroking soft skin, tracing well-known scars. One hand dropped to the shorter man’s belt, scrambling awkwardly with the buckle.

 

Suddenly, in the split second before the belt came loose, Remus tore away. Gasping for breath, he backed away so quickly he slammed into the large teacher’s desk behind him.

 

Chest heaving as he fought for air, Sirius stared in confusion. “Rem?” he managed to force out.

 

“We can’t do this,” Remus rasped, clearly still struggling for oxygen.

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Anyone could come in –”

 

In the blink of an eye, Sirius had whipped out his wand and pointed it at the door, silently casting two charms, a locking spell and a silencing charm. He pocketed his wand again and turned back to the teacher.

 

But Remus was shaking his head. “No, Sirius. You can’t just lock the door and expect everything to be all right.”

 

“I put a silencing charm up –”

 

“It doesn’t matter.” Remus’s face was an emotionless mask, but his eyes looked pained. “We still can’t do this. We can’t be together.”

 

Sirius felt as though the bottom had fallen out of his stomach. It was the end of the summer all over again, except this time there would be no last night. “Why not?” his voice was choked.

 

“I’m your teacher, Sirius. And I…” Remus hesitated, then looked away. “You’re too young.”

 

“I’ll be eighteen this year!” Sirius burst out, hearing a previous argument echo in his head. “I’m already of age.”

 

“You’re still too young.”

 

“You’re barely two years older than I am.”

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Remus snapped. “You’re still my student.”

 

“We were together before I became your student.”

 

“And if we get caught, do you think the governors will see it that way? Do you think the Ministry will see it that way?”

 

“We won’t get caught.”

 

“Don’t be cavalier, Sirius. You can’t guarantee that. Someone will find out.”

 

“How?”

 

“I’ll slip up. You’ll slip up.”

 

“You won’t slip up. I won’t slip up. I graduate at the end of the year. We can be careful that long!”

 

“It’s wrong!”

 

“Why? If we want to be together, why is it wrong?”

 

“It’s illegal!”

 

“Who’ll know?” Sirius demanded, desperate now, fearing the circling quarrel.

 

“I’ll know!” Remus burst out.

 

Sirius took a step back at the vehemence of the brunet’s exclamation.

 

Remus bit his lip and dropped his gaze, refusing to meet Sirius’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Sirius,” he said, voice full of hurt. “It’s over.” He turned away and walked towards the door, taking out his wand. He tapped the knob once and the door sprang open. He hesitated a moment, as though about to turn back, but then his shoulders squared off and he left, the door swinging closed with a hollow thud behind him.

 

TBC