On the Side of the Angels

Chapter Two: Slytherin Weed

Remus was woken with a breeze blowing in his ear. He blinked in the morning sunlight and gave a tired grin as Sirius stopped blowing and began nibbling on said ear. “Morning, love,” he whispered, not wanting to break the stillness of the morning.

They’d touched each other last night, hands exploring further than before. If Remus closed his eyes he could still feel Sirius’ fingers inside of him as he came. Remus was the one who had asked they go slow and not dive into making love. Remus was a virgin. He didn’t want to loose it in a fit of passion and then loose the perfect moment straight afterwards. Sirius had seemed all right with this. He hadn’t wanted to rush Remus into something that he wasn’t ready for and for that reason Remus was grateful.

He was surprised how quickly things had clicked into place. Het lit like he had been with Sirius forever, they’d slipped into such a perfect routine. He was so amazing and their friends had been great, James and Peter having accepted it without a second thought. They hadn’t even te him him about it playfully. It seemed that they had been together for years. The rest of the school had wished them well, except for a few fifth year girls who had had their eyes on Sirius for their latest catch.

Sirius stroked a hand underneath the blankets and ran it up and down the thin line of hair from Remus’ navel to his groin. He giggled, “That tickles.”

“I know,” Sirius purred. That husky voice had haunted him in his dreams and it seemed now like it was oh, so familiar.

“Stop teasing,” Remus moaned, a pout forming on his lips, “What time is it?”

Sirius checked his watch, “It’s seven. That means we have half an hour before breakfast and then our first task.” He stretched, and for someone who was all canine he seemed very much like a large black cat. Remus grinned, Gods he had good taste.

“Would you mind if I tried something?” Remus asked. He was thinking about trying last night but he’d gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and had forgotten all about his curiosity. Sirius’ eyebrows made it all the way into his hairline. Remus wasn’t the one who suggested things, it was usually Sirius. That was mainly because he was a hell of a lot more experienced.

“Sure. What did you have in mind?” Remus stirred under the blankets and let his shoulders leave the heat, sending a shiver right through him. Sirius seemed of a similar mindset and whimpered as the comforting heat left him. That just gave Remus an excuse to hide under the covers as he slinked down Sirius’ body. “Oh,” Sirius brought a hand down to rest on his head as Remus liked the top of his boyfriends thigh, “That? Sounds good to me, love.” Remus smiled as he placed a kiss to the tip of Sirius’ cock. It was hard already, he’d probably woken up that way.

“I’ve been thinking about this,” Remus said licking the tip of the silky member gently and getting his first taste of salty pre-cum. “I thought I’d treat you.” Sirius tangled his fingers in Remus’ tawny brown mane of hair. He didn’t push or even hold his head in place, just gently massaged his scalp.

Through a combination of lips and tongue Remus applied a little suction and Sirius’, “Oh … GodsyesGodsyes …” pushed him to strengthen it a bit. Sirius’ hips were bucking gently in round turns and Remus c tel tell that he was holding back so as not to hurt him. “Harder, suck just a littleharderplease ..” Sirius was almost writhing beneath him and it felt so good. He was glad there was something that he could do to give Sirius pleasure. While he had made Sirius come more than once since they had gotten together he still felt that he was getting more than he was giving.

Then, all in a rush and with one swift buck of the hips, Sirius came.was was obvious he was trying to suppress a long yell and instead he settled for a low, throaty moan. His seed wasn’t enough to fill Remus’ mouth but it still took two swallows to clear it. It tasted salty and strange, not at all unpleasant, Remus had tasted himself like all young boys did even if it was just once. Not unpleasant. Just … a little alien.

When he came up from the blankets Sirius’ eyes were glazed and his expression slack. He looked thoroughly sexed up. He looked edible. His hair was tussled but, unlike Remus, Sirius’ hair never got tugs. It was too silky. He would give it a shake and it would fall back around his shoulders without him even having to run a comb through it. Remus had to spend ten minutes working out huge tugs before he could even think about running a comb through it. “Fuck, that was good.” Sirius’ voice reflected his pleasure.

“Thank you,” Remus’ smile came through in his voice, “Was it okay?”

Sirius’ slack lipped smile met his own, “I’m not just ng tng this to make you feel good but that was seriously the best I’ve had. It must be a natural talent.” Sirius snuggleto hto his side. He liked to be held, much to Remus’ satisfaction. It also hid his huge blush.

“Thanks,” he whispered. They lay like that, in the morning silence, for about ten minutes before Sirius’, rather clearer voice, made it through the birds twittering outside.

“Do you have any idea what’s wrong with Prongs?” he sounded a little concerned and in turn, a little hurt, “He won’t talk to me.” Remus brain did some quick thinking and he came up with something pretty reterete.

“He’s just gotten a little worried about that rushed Potions assignment you two handed in. You know he wants to be an Auror, he needs good grades.” Sirius snorted and Remus hoped that he believed him.

“We should have nicked Snape’s essay. I said that when we were walking back.” Remus shook his head. That was why he had lifted it up before they had spotted it.

A knock came on the tent pole. “Breakfast!” it was Peter. He sounded excited about a new kind of breakfast. Sirius and Remus exchanged looks and grinned. Breakfast sounded great.

* * *

Malfoy. Oh, grand. Just bloody grand. He was to be paired with Malfoy for the hunt and if that wasn’t bad enough, Malfoy’s cronies were coming along for the ride. Simply wonderful.

Breakfast had gone fairly well, he’d gone and picked up his share thenwas was left in relative peace for the rest of the morning. Then it was time to be put into teams for the first task. He’d somehow managed to get himself landed with Lucius, Narcissa and Lucius’ two trusted bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle. All in all, this basically meant that he would do all the work and Narcissa would preen at Lucius’ side while the other two stood dumbly in a corner.

He would be just as well going on his bloody own.

They’d trudged through a clearing and ended up, somehow, right in the middle of a group of Ravenclaw’s. They basically ignored him when he got out his task book and marked off the first of six roots he was supposed to be finding. Glancing around he saw the second right next to Sade Kelly. He’d hoped not to have to talk to anyone on this trip. If they were the first team back then he’d get points for Slytherin and they’d be one step closer to winning.

“All right?” Sade said, pushing her chestnut brown hair out of her face, “Geez, stuck with Narcissa? Poor you.” He grunted in response. Kelly was one of those people who didn’t require much cosatisation, she would basically let him be. He was glad of that. Since he’d talked with Lupin he’d been … unsettled. Unable to concentrate. Lupin, in trying to be friendly, had screwed up his whole balance. And they called him weird.

Though it did bring up an interesting set of questions, “When did Lupin and Black get together?” he asked. She looked a little startled for a moment, which was unusual seeing as he had previously thought nothing would startle Sade Kelly. She had been, on occasion, referred to as an ‘Ice Queen’. Setting her root back down she lifted her eyes to the tree tops as if she had to think.

“Em … I’d say about a week before the trip. Why?” it wasn’t really a probing question and he wasn’t really in the mood for answering.

“No reason. What’s his best subject?” he had a sneaking suspicion that Lupin had beeout out to ask for his help in getting ready for the exams. It had spurred him to wonder what his best subject was, seeing as he as so abysmal at Potions.

Kelly didn’t even have to think that time, “Transfiguration. He’s so good at it that it hurt’s. James is top of the class but if Remus wasn’t ill so much I think he’d beat him easily.” Snape thought for a moment, bagging his root and watching Kelly bag and label hers.

“Why is he ill so often?” he glanced at her and shrushrugged.

“Not a clue. I asked James once but he said it upsets him to talk about it so I just left him be.” She looked at his list, “Hey, where did you find Killvine Root?”

He pointed behind him, “Over by the conifers on the way here.” A few choice swearwords he thought a Ravenclaw shouldn’t know flew from her mouth and she gave him a departing wave as she grabbed her partner and bombed across the clearing.

Snape idly wondered if Lupin’s condition was terminal as he labelled his root.

* * *

“Sirius!” Remus hissed as he felt the hand slide down the back of his t-shirt, making it’s way down to his jean clad ass. They were allowed to wear Muggle clothes for the foraging hunts so as not to ruin their robes.

“What?” the voice licked across him just as surely as Sirius Black’s own tongue would have done given half the chance.

“Bugger off,” he moved away a little, trying to get his pestering boyfriend to leave him alone so that he could dig up root five. It was particularly stubborn and didn’t want to leave the ground. What it needed was a few good, sharp tugs but he couldn’t give it that with Sirius hanging over him like a sensual spectre, “I need to get this and you need to get moving. James told you to get the Gripper Root.”

After a few moments of being shoo’d Sirius left in a huff. Ever since their … activities … that morning Sirius hadn’t left him alone once. He’d pawed, tickled, caressed and coped feels at every available opportunity. Remus was grateful that he was so interested but Professor Goodkind had a fierce temper and he didn’t want to be one of the last teams back and on the receiving end of once of her vindictive streaks.

A hand touched his shoulder and he half jumped out of his skin, “Hey,” Sade Kelly. Thank God, he’d thought Sirius had gotten bored and come to try again. He loved him but … there was only so much he could take without wanting to chew his fingers off.

“Hi,” Remus had gone a little lukewarm on Sade after her telling James about the Herbology thing. She hadn’t been sorted into Ravenclaw for nothing, so where had her impeccable logic go? She surely knew that James would be angry about it, did she do it just to get a rise?

“I thought I’d tell you, before I told James this time,” she grimaced, “Snape was asking some funny questions about you earlier.” That got his attention. At least she acknowledged that she had been dumb telling James first.

“Oh? Like what?” he tried not to seem too interested and went back to hacking at the root.

“Like when you and Sirius got together.”

He shrugged at her. “Half the school wants to know that.”

“What your favourite subject is,” okay that was a little weird, he had to admit. Since when did Snape give a damn? Mind you, when he’d spoken to him earlier he had seemed to open up a little. He’d actually held a conversation without hexing him … just about.

“Anything else?”

Sade’s face turned apologetic on him, “Well, he wanted to know about yollnellness.” He sat back on his heels. Sade didn’t know anything to tell him but nevertheless, he hated when people asked. It was always awkward despite the fact he now had a well rehearsed speech all ready to go. He didn’t like lying to people and that, perhaps, was why the people he did tell about ‘the illness’ looked at him funny before accepting it without question.

“Sorry,” Sade mumbled, “I told him I didn’t know anything. I left to get more roots after that,e gae gave him a brief, one-armed hug, “Look. I don’t know what’s wrong and I don’t want to go. I’m not trying to stir anything up, I just thought you should know in case he stirs something up.”

“Thanks, Sade,” he shouldn’t have underestimated her like that. Any relative of James had to have some integrity hidden somewhere in there, “I appreciate it,” then she left.

When he looked up from his root Sirius was waving something in the air. He must have found what he was looking for. Remus glared at the root, it was coming up, whether it liked it or not. He sighed.

Tonight he was going to have to have another talk with Severus Snape.

* * *

“Excellent days work, Severus,” Lucius drawled in his ear as he labelled the last root, “I think we may have gotten some points for our house.”

We? There was no ‘we’. Lucius had done no work whatsoever. He had groped Narcissa, he had ordered Crabbe and Goyle to pick out the more difficult roots. That was it.

Lucius clicked his fingers and held out a hand. Goyle groped in his pockets for a while then handed Luci han handful of something which Lucius looked over before offering to Snape. He raised one elegant black eyebrow, another expression that he’d inherited from a long line of Snape’s.

Muggle’s would refer to them as joints. In the wizarding world they were simply narcotics. They were a combination of various different illegal Class A-Non Tradable Goods and a Binding spell which bound the ingredients together in a handy thin, parchment like substance. Severus knew that Lucius Malfoy’s father was a dealer, more than that, he also knew that Malfoy never touched the stuff himself but if he were to he would only use his fathers brand. It was the ‘cleanest’ there was and the only one Severus knew not to have been infused with Rolacks Resin for potency.

Regular consumption olacklack’s Resin would poison the system. It was worse than what Muggles called ‘heroin’.

He took the narcotics from the silky smooth hand and pocketed them. At least he’d gotten something out of it. There were six there, they would last him the whole trip and keep him blissfully unaware of everything else around him at night after the foraging hunts.

“Thank you,” ever the aristocrat.

“Your welcome,” Lucius sent Narcissa floating over to him with one flick of the wrist and Narcissa planted her lips squarely on his. He flinched. Witch of a woman. She was gorgeous but he would never kiss her back. She was Malfoy’s and this little favour was only to keep him sweet.

With that he left to hand his roots in for inspection. Hmm … at least he’d have something to take his mind of off the presence of so many people making so much bloody noise when he was trying to sleep.

* * *

Dinner had been an awkward affair. James had been very quiet and after various rounds of questioning from Sirius he had left most of his dinner untouched and retreated into his tent. Peter had twiddled his thumbs and left shortly after, flashing Remus a look with those pale dishwater-tinted-green eyes. Then Sirius had begun to ask questions.

“You know something, Remy,” that nickname always haunted him. He would usually answer any of Sirius’ questions thanks to that nickname and what was worse, this time is was followed with a tinge of hurt that he couldn’t stand.

He had promised. But James had broken his trust, hadn’t he? Well, no, not really, if he was to be honest with himself. No matter which way he looked at it, James had helped him. He had given him Sirius and in turn Sirius had given him his love. He couldn’t do that to him.

“I don’t. Honest.” He smiled that provocative smile, hoping he’d take Sirius’ mind of off things, “Come on, lets go for nap,” he wiggled his eyebrows and it made Sirius laugh. Then he shook his head.

“No,” he shuffled closer and wrapped an arm around Remus’ shoulder, “Come on, please? He’s my best friend. You’re my boyfriend. I don’t want left in the dark,” he made a face that was partway grimace, partway disgust, “Peter knows.” His tone was accusing.

“He doesn’t know anything,” Remus soothed, “He doesn’t.”

“So then there is something to know?” damn him. That tongue was quick.

“James made me promise. I’m sorry, if you want to know anything then you’ll have to ask him yourself.” Sirius made a noise deep in his throat. It wasn’t a t but but it was a disgusted sound.

“Fine.” He got up and made to walk to their tent but was stopped by James’ head reappearing. He looked like he’dn crn crying again. Bollocks. That would only make things that much worse.

James looked around at them both, tear stained cheeks shining in the glow from the fire. Sirius lost his ‘I’m pissed’ expression and walked back. James stuffed both hands deep into his jean pockets as Peter crawled out behind him. “Anyone fancy a walk?” Remus grinned. The answer to their prayers.

“Sure, mate,” Sirius gave him a huge grin, “Maybe we can find something interesting …” Remus shook his head. He wasays ays up for exploring. James gave a more enthusiastic look and Peter pulled on his trainers.

Ten minutes later they were walking through a long stretch of trees that led to a slope. A steep slope that seemed to go on forever. There were little ledges hidden among the trees where one could conceivably sit if they were careful. It had gotten darker and Remus was annoyed that he hadn’t thought to bring a Muggle torch with him.

Midway along the walk Sirius took Remus’ hand, twining their fingers together and muttering a, “Sorry, love,” in his ear. Remus responded by pulling him closer and letting go of his hand, slipping his arm around Sirius’ waist. An arm came around his shoulders and he sighed, happy that Sirius wasn’t mad with him, happy that they hadn’t had an argument.

“You okay now?” Remus asked in Sirius’ ear, kissing the tip of it as he pulled back. Sirius smiled that big, lazy and damn sexy smile of his before winking. “Incorrigible,” Remus muttered, just loud enough so that it would be picked up. Then something hit his shoulder.

“What was that?” he turned around and then looked up. There in the tree above him was a creature that looked like something between a frog and a green orangutan. It realid lid look like a webbed footed monkey. There was no fur on the mottled green skin and the short head had little horns. It was grinning at him with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. He involuntarily jumped back and stood on something. When he looked down he realised it was the thing that hit him. It was a chewed up, dead bird.

“Gross!” yelled Sirius and with tht he pulled Remus back, away from the swaying creature in the tree above. James and Peter pulled back for a look.

“I know what that is,” Peter said, nodding his head and looking very proud of himself. They waited and he gave them an expression that said, ‘I have no idea why your looking at me like that.’

“Well?” Sirius demanded.

“This isn’t the time to try being inscrutable, Wormtail,” Remus said. The thing glared down at him with malicious intent glinting in its eyes.

“It’s a Clabbert,” Peter said, still looking like he was trying to work out what ‘inscrutable’ meant.

“Oh! I was reading about that in my Fantastic Beasts book for Care of Magical Creatures,” James said, clicking his finger and stamping his foot impatiently, “Dammit! What did it say?”

“It’s from America,” Peter supplied helpfully.

“Great, Peter. What do you suggest? We whistle ‘Star Spangled Banner’ to it?” Sirius snapped, arms coming protectively around Remus’ waist, pulling him back another few steps.

“I remember something about it,” James said, turning to them, “That thing that looks like a huge zit on its forehead, it turns red when there’s danger so, presumably, if we don’t frighten it and just keep walking it won’t think we’re threatening it and it’ll leave us alone.” He looked at them uncertainly, “Presumably.”

“Right,” Remus took Sirius arm and grabbed Peter’s sleeve, “I vote for that, let’s go.” The Clabbert looked at them, watched them as they walked away and then disappeared into the trees.

“I think it’s harmless,” Peter said, still moving too slowly for Remus’ comfort, “It only had two X’s at it’s title in the book.”

James grabbed him and yanked him along further, “Books can be wrong.”

They’d walked along for another fifteen minutes or so before they slowed down. Remus found a shaft of light from the moon in the forest foliage and checked Sirius’ watch. Eight o’clock. They were fine. Ten was the curfew. Sirius had wrappn arn arm about his shoulders again. He had never been in a relationship like this. All but one had been with girls, not that it mattered all that much, and he’d never felt this compulsion to be around them all the time. He felt safe with Sirius.

He was in love.

As soon as that thought hit him he whirled around and wrapped Sirius in a huge hug, kissing him fiercely. He could feel James and Peter stop behind them, probably grinning manically. He also thought that was part of the reason he felt so comfortable, he could do things like this and not only did they not mind and not tease but they encouraged him.

Sirius came up from the kiss breathless. Remus was about an inch shorter than James and two shorter than Sirius, being taller than Peter by an inch or as was well so Sirius had to lean down to kiss him. It gave the impression that his head snapped back every time they’d had a particularly passionate embrace between them.

“What was that for?” he asked, his lips were swollen and red. Gods he looked edible.

“Just cause I love you so much,” that earned him a grin and a head buried into his shoulder. A chorus of ‘awww’s’ sounded from behind him and James’ hand rubbed at his back. He loved his friends.

“Love you too,” Sirius mumbled into his shoulder. Remus squeezed him tighter. Sirius black hair had come out of its tie and had splayed over his shoulder like a curtain, brushing it’s silky locks over his cheek.

“Come on, you two,” James muttered from behind him. He had a note in his voice that said he was thinking about Lily and switching back into depressed mode.

They started walking again, Remus and Sirius linked closely around each other and holding tight. It was almost black now but the forest seemed to become alive, noises frequently making them jump, some making them laugh. Around nine thirty Remus told them they should probably put the quick-step on and go back. They’d agreed and had been walking for about five minutes when James stopped, very near the slope and crouched, peering through the branches.

After a few seconds he turned with a huge grin on his face and motioned them closer, “Come see this.” They clambered over and looked through the gap in the trees.

The first thing that caught Remus’ eye was a soft glow in the darkness. He followed it as it rose up and a face was suddenly illuminated in the darkness. Snape. Smoking. Getting high. Uh-oh.

“Where did he get that?” Sirius hissed in the darkness.

“I have no idea,” James replied, “But he’s not exactly making it last is he?”

“You think he’s got more, like?” Sirius squeezed closer, “I don’t see anything. Mind you that doesn’t mean a lot.”

“We are so going to get it of off him,” James muttered. He was grinning, Remus could tell, it echoed through his voice.

“Tomorrow night we’ll do something,” Sirius said, thoughtfully, “Otherwise, Moony here will have an aneurysm about getting in late,” he said it good naturedly but it still stung. It wasn’t his fault that they didn’t have time.

“Yeah,” James turned around, “Tomorrow night we’ll get it.” He rubbed his hands together, “Slytherin weed, huh?”

Laughing the three of them pulled back, dragging Remus with them. Sirius threaded his arm around Remus’ waist again and he started plotting with James on his other side. Peter touched a hand to his arm, “Okay?” he asked, a small smile on his weak chinned face.

“No,” Remus muttered, “Not really.”