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moonstruckme · 8 months

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not sure if you’re taking requests buttttt poly!marauders but they’re kinda overprotective bfs and she sneaks out to go to a party with marlene or her girlfriends but they find out and show up at the party 💞

Hi don't worry, I am! I think it should show on the requests page linked in my pinned post, but please let me know if it doesn't, I'm still figuring tumblr out and often mess up! I hope this is alright honey, I tried to go for the angst but honestly the more I write the more suspicious I become of my inability to write our boys being anything other than soft with reader! I'll try to work on it but in the meantime I hope you enjoy this <33

cw: mention of concussion symptoms, including nausea, nothing intense or even very descriptive though

poly!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 906 words

You’re aware that the internet had said you were supposed to avoid bright lights, loud sounds, and movement when Remus had looked it up after an unfortunate fall that morning. Just like you’re aware that when your boyfriends left you at your apartment a few hours ago, they’d been trusting you to follow those instructions. But you’re also aware that the internet had led you all to believe your concussion was mild, and that Marlene only has one birthday a year. Damned if you were going to miss it.

So yeah, you feel a bit queasy as your eyes struggle to track the movement and voices around you, but that’s nothing compared to the contentment of being with your friends. Lily has assigned herself the role of your caretaker, checking that you’re alright every few minutes and shushing anyone who raises their voice too loud around you, and Marlene has attached herself to your side, telling you how much she appreciates you in between beer-scented hiccups.

“And you’re so nice to come tonight,” she’s saying now, brushing her fingers clumsily but sweetly through your hair. “I can’t tell you how much—uh oh.”

You have a premonition of ill fate even before the hair on the back of your neck stands up, and you follow Marelene’s unfocused gaze to the curly-haired boy coming towards you.

“Happy birthday, Marls,” he says, his smile only appearing slightly strained, before he turns to you. “Hey, sweetheart. Let’s go home, yeah?”

“Jamie,” you say quietly, and Lily and Marlene leave the couch to give you as much privacy as a party allows. “What are you doing here?”

“Everyone here’s been posting, and you’re in the background of half the pictures.” His smile slips as he crouches in front of you, disappointment in his eyes. “You know you’re supposed to be resting,” he says softly. “C’mon, let’s go.”

You’re glad that he’s here instead of Remus or Sirius, who surely wouldn’t be as careful about not embarrassing you. James is less stern than the others, and though you feel a bit guilty for doing so, you press that to your advantage.

“I haven’t drank anything but water,” you say. “That’s gotta count for something, right? And look.” You brush your hair behind your ear, showing him the earplugs you’d put in before arriving. “I’m being careful, see? I’m alright, Jamie, and it’s Marlene’s birthday. Let’s just stay, both of us, okay?”

James looks nearly apologetic. “Remus and Sirius are waiting in the car.”

You groan, but allow James to pull you to your feet, waving goodbye to your friends with a pout. He supports more of your weight than you really need him to as he walks you outside, where Remus sits in the drivers’ seat of the idling car. Dread settles, along with dull resignation, in your stomach.

Sirius is in the backseat and you hope James will get in first, but he lifts you in before him, placing you between two of your three upset boyfriends. You can’t look at any of them, allowing James to buckle your seatbelt for you as an oppressive silence, worse than the bass that had brutalized your head inside Marlene’s, stretches out between you.

True to form, Sirius is the first to breach it.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

You sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“You have a concussion! All you had to do was stay home and rest. That website said that lights and loud music—say, the sort of things you’d find at a party—would only make things worse.”

Normally, you’d argue with him. No matter how hopeless it seems, no matter how obvious it is that Sirius is going to win, you can always meet him head-on and at least make your point. But tonight, with your head throbbing and something about your very being feeling fundamentally wrong, you can’t muster up the energy.

“I know,” you say.

Sirius goes silent at the acquiescence in your voice, and he looks at Remus in the rear-view mirror, unsure of how to proceed. James puts a hand on your knee, a tiny gesture of comfort even though he’s upset with you too. The motivation that had driven you to Marlene’s and through the party is wearing off, and you feel suddenly, embarrassingly teary.

“Do you feel sick?” Remus speaks for the first time, and though his voice is calm, the absence of his usual terms of endearment leave no doubt that you’re still in trouble.

You clear your throat of the tears that are trying to clog it. “A little.”

“We’re bringing you to our place to rest.” It’s not a question. “We can go get some things from your place tomorrow, but tonight you can just wear our stuff. Think you can eat something before bed?”

It’s worse that he’s being kind to you. You’d been prepared for a lecture, but being taken care of is worse. It brings the vulnerability you’ve felt since the frightening pain and dizziness of that morning to the surface, and you keep your face turned towards your lap as your eyes become wet. “Yeah, I think so,” you say, and your voice cracks slightly when you add, “I’m sorry.”

Sirius makes a sympathetic, pained sound from beside you, and James abandons all pretense of anger, tucking your head under his chin.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Remus says, a bit more gently. “For now, just try to relax.”

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engie-ivy · 1 year

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(This fic was inspired by @wolfstarmicrofic's Once Upon a Fairytale-theme, but at 5240 words it became far from a microfic😅 (so no need to reblog it!)

I'm actually really happy with how this fic turned out! It contains all those things that I love; Hurt Sirius and Protective and Worried James and Remus, plus a happy (fairytale) ending.

There's implied child abuse and an almost character death, but I promise, happy ending!)

When he was just a child, Prince Sirius was made to vow that he would never fall in love with someone of impure blood. Little did he know at that age that love isn't always a choice, that love is something that can just happen to you.

And when it does happen to Sirius, the consequences of breaking that vow are grave.

A Prince's Promise

(A Wolfstar fairytale)

Once upon a time, there was a young prince.

Now, this young prince didn’t fancy being a prince very much. His days were filled with stuffy parties, strict protocols, and tedious teachers lecturing him about boring matters.

Most lectures were about the prestige of his family, and why it were they that were meant to rule.

“You see, Sirius, our family has always done the most to keep our bloodline pure, and this has given us a very direct line to the Ancient Ones, our ancestors who were able to utilize magical powers. Therefore, we are one of the few families who still have traces of that old magic flowing through their veins. Our family still possesses ancient artefacts forged by the Ancient Ones that can still access and make use of this inherent magic, so that only one of the purest Black Blood can use them.”

Six-year-old Prince Sirius nods obediently, even though he does not quite understand everything his father is saying. Usually, when King Orion summons him to his study, it is to scold and punish him, so merely receiving another lecture on blood purity is a relief.

“So, you see, my son,” King Orion continues. “It is of the utmost importance we keep our bloodline pure.”

Sirius nods again, though his mind has already drifted off to dinner, and whether there will be rice pudding pie as dessert.

“And do you know how to do that, Sirius?”

Sirius gives a start at being asked a direct question. Usually, he can get away with just looking solemn and nodding at the right moment during these lectures. “I… No, father. I do not.”

Sirius, assuming this will lead to the feared punishment after all, and flinches when his father leans forward, but King Orion just smiles, a very rare sight.

“It is alright, my son. You are very young, so it is only natural you do not know of these things, but therefore, you must pay close attention now. You see, what you must do, is make a vow that you will never fall in love with someone of impure blood.” King Orion looks at Sirius intently. “Can you do that, son?”

Now, at only six years old, Sirius doesn’t understand the difference between those with pure blood and those with impure blood, not really. He knows that ‘pureblood’ is used to refer to the ones wearing stuffy clothes at stuffy formal gatherings, who must wear a bored, haughty expression whenever they are in public, and look down their noses at everyone. The ones like himself, his little brother and their cousins. He knows that ‘impure’ is used to refer to the children in the kitchens and in the stables, who run around, laugh and cause mischief.

For that matter, Sirius also does not understand what falling in love means. Only having the king and queen as example, all he knows is that it means you move into a castle with someone and attend draining social events together while barely sparing each other a glance. The children of impure blood are so lucky and have such exciting lives! Chasing each other, playing with the animals on the farms, climbing trees in the forest. Why on earth would Sirius ever force them into the same controlled, suffocating live as he is living by being so cruel as to fall in love with them?

At only six years old, Sirius has no idea that love isn’t always a choice you make, but something that can happen to you whether you want it or not.

“Yes, father,” Sirius says. “I vow that I won’t.”

“Good.” There is something sinister in King Orion’s voice that makes Sirius involuntarily shiver. King Orion takes off one of his velvet gloves and wraps his hand around some sort of rod. Sirius would swear that for a second, he sees a strange sort of glow around the rod the moment his father’s skin touches the strange material. King Orion holds the rod out to Sirius. “This is an Oath Rod,” he says. “Any vow spoken by one who has the magic of the Ancient Ones coursing through their veins while holding the Oath Rod, will be an Unbreakable Vow. I need you to make your vow on the Oath Rod.”

Sirius hesitates, an undefinable feeling of wrongness coming over him. “I… I don’t know…”

King Orion tilts his head and there’s a hint of something dangerous in his voice as he speaks. “My boy. You were not planning on breaking your vow, the vow of a prince, now were you?”

Sirius quickly shakes his head, and his father smiles.

“Well then, no need to worry about making it an Unbreakable Vow then, is there?”

Sirius bites his lip, and then slowly shakes his head again.

“Go on then.”

Sirius knows it feels wrong, but he doesn’t know why. He doesn’t know what consequences placing such a weighty oath on the shoulders of someone so young can have, but he does know that he’s hungry, and he doesn’t want to be send to his chambers on an empty stomach, and he does know how inexorable his father’s fists can be.

Hesitantly, Sirius reaches out and places his hand on the rod. The strange glow appears and immediately disappears again, and this time, it is paired with a strange warmth connecting Sirius’ hand to the rod, and somehow to his father’s hand.

King Orion looks at him patiently, but Sirius has known his father long enough to see that that patience is a veil wearing very thin.

“I vow that I will never fall in love with someone of impure blood.” Sirius’ voice is shaky and unsure, but the effect is immediate. A tingling feeling creeps into the hand holding the rod, seeps into his veins, courses through his blood, ones, twice, three times, encompassing him, taking over every part of his being, leaving him breathless, and then… it’s gone.

Sirius is gasping for air, trying to catch his breath, as King Orion puts his glove back on and places the now so plain seeming rod back into his drawer.

“Very well. Now, let us go to the dining room.” He speaks as if nothing happened.

As if Prince Sirius did not just seal his own fate.

As Prince Sirius grows older, the memory of his vow grows more and more distant. The whole kingdom agrees that the young prince gets more handsome every day, and has turned into a clever and brave young man. King Orion and Queen Walburga, however, mostly see that he gets more stubborn every day, and more inclined to question their rule.

And it is true.

The better Sirius’ understanding of the world becomes, the clearer he can see the injustice in the way his parents treat their people. How all opportunities are given to the high society, the pureblood class, how the lower classes do not have access to proper education or qualify for high-ranking jobs, and how the poor stay poor while the rich get richer.

He clashes with King Orion more and more often, and instead of fear, his father’s violence and threats only install a sort of fierce determination in him.

The situation between Sirius and his family is quickly becoming unmaintainable.

That is the only reason why Queen Walburga takes Lady Euphemia’s offer into any real consideration.

In het letter to the royal family, Lady Euphemia offers for Prince Sirius comes to stay at the Potter estate for a while. According to her, based on their few brief meetings at social functions, the young prince and Lord Fleamont and Lady Euphemia’s only son and heir James Potter seemed to get along well, and it might be beneficial to both boys’ development to spend time with a peer.

Now, Queen Walburga isn’t fond of the Potter family. They have acquired most of their fortune through trade, instead of it being passed from generation to generation, and they are a type of new money who do not always adhere to the traditions the Blacks value so much.

But the Potters do have a talent for making themselves renown and influential. They gather the best intellectuals, philosophers, artists, writers and swordsmen around them, and noble families from all over the realm are keen to send their sons to the Potter estate for some period of time, so that they can receive lessons in politics, strategic warfare, literature, poetry, ballet, archery, swordsmanship, and what else a boy must learn to become a proper young nobleman.

It would not seem suspicious for King Orion and Queen Walburga to send their son away from court to spend some time furthering his education at the Potter estate, and the fact that no one would question it, is perhaps the most important factor weighing on favour of the idea. If talk starts to spread around court, talk that there is a rift between Prince Sirius and King Orion, overly ambitious lords awaiting their chance could see the defiant young prince as the perfect opportunity. A handsome, charismatic, young prince with a direct and strong claim to the throne, whom they can convince people to rally behind and, not knowing how strong-willed their prince is, whom they think they can use as their pawn to overthrow the king.

No, it is much better if the tensions between Prince Sirius and King Orion are kept quiet, and sending Sirius to a far-away estate seems like the best option, especially when a young man going to the Potter estate for educational purpose will not raise any suspicions.

That’s how, at sixteen years old, Prince Sirius goes to live at the Potter estate.

He’s nervous, because yes, during the brief conversations he has had with James Potter, they seemed to connect, but briefly running into each other at one of the events they were forced to attend is quite different than actually living together.

As Sirius steps out of his carriage, though, James walks up to him with a huge grin on his face and wraps Sirius in a firm hug, and somehow, despite being so unfamiliar with the feeling of being hugged, Sirius’ nerves dissipate. From that moment on, it’s like James and he have known each other their whole lives, and they instantly become brothers.

That day is also the day Sirius meets Remus Lupin.

Sirius had not, could never have, expected Remus Lupin. He did not know someone like Remus Lupin could even exist. Remus Lupin’s mother is the head of the household for Lady Euphemia, and his father works in the Potters’ stables, so Remus grew up in and around the Potter estate. He has known James his whole life, and they also share a brotherly bond, something that would’ve been impossible at the castle Sirius grew up in, due to their difference in class and status. Since James sees them as his two brothers, perhaps it would’ve made sense for Sirius and Remus to see each other as brothers as well, but as their eyes meet for the first time, right from the very start, for some reason, it never feels like that.

Not that Sirius doesn’t like Remus. On the contrary, he thinks Remus is incredible.

Remus is kind and clever, and he has this calming presence that makes everyone feel at ease around him. Remus knows everything about everyone, and he can get anything done. A feat he and James have often used for mischief making. Because you might not suspect it when you first see him, but Remus has a mischievous, adventurous side to him, and a wicked sense of humour.

Sirius is mesmerized by this unlikely combination. Especially with the way Remus approaches him, an open curiosity and an inquiring gaze, so different from the people living in and around King Orion’s castle, who lower their eyes and duck their heads as soon as Sirius approaches. Especially considering the circles Sirius usually moves in, Remus is so unlike anyone he has ever met.

They hang out with the three of them together a lot, they pull pranks and get up to some mischief. When they get caught once for having switched all spices in the kitchen, so that the pie tastes salty, the potatoes taste sweet, the soup tastes like cinnamon and the puff pastry rolls taste like pepper, Sirius braces himself for shouting, a switching and a day locked in his chamber without food, but Lady Euphemia just ruffles their hair as she smiles indulgently.

“My bunch of marauders. Always up to no good, aren’t you?” She says fondly, before continuing on her way to the gardens.

James laughs, which turns to surprise seeing how tense Sirius has gotten. That’s when Sirius fully realises that he’s safe here, he only has to be himself here, and the tension slides off of him. He’s home here.

James has to spend more and more time with his father, learning all the tasks that come with being Lord Potter and running the Potter estate. Plus, he’s getting more and more preoccupied with the youngest daughter of a respected pharmacist in town, a beautiful red-headed girl, much to the delight of his parents, who call the girl a fine young lady and an excellent match, which is much to Sirius’ shock, as the girl isn’t even upper class. Growing up, Sirius could never understand why someone’s descant matters so much, and now he knows why he couldn’t: because it doesn’t. And why should it? The girl, who simply goes by Lily, has a sharp mind and a fierce character, and Sirius likes her.

With James being increasingly busy, Sirius and Remus end up spending a lot of time together.

Remus shows Sirius around in the stables, where Sirius, without anyone sneering at him to stay away from those filthy animals, finally gets to drop down on his knees and give ear scratches, pets and hugs to the happy, tail-wagging dogs running up to him and jumping up against him.

It is quite possibly the best moment of his life.

When he looks up and sees Remus looking at him with a strange look on his face that Sirius can’t quite decipher, their eyes meet, and Remus gives him a small smile that Sirius returns, the moment only gets better.

Remus takes him out riding to show him the surroundings. Not like Sirius is used to: ‘and this is the estate of Lord So-And-So, who married Lady This-And-That, the widow of That Other Lord, who left her this amount of money after his passing, and now with Lord So-And-So, her estimated fortune is this much’. No, Remus takes him over well hidden trials through the woods, and shows him the trees he used to climb as a kid, the creek his father takes him fishing, the clearing where, early in the morning, you might see a group of wild hogs, and the hilltop from where you have the best view of the sunset. Sirius enjoys every minute of it.

During that first, blissful time of living with at the Potter Estate, everything is perfect.

Until Sirius starts getting ill.

The first time it happens is actually after a day of riding with Remus. They had made their horses gallop over the hilltops, stopped at a meadow full of flowers for a picnic, and had returned to the estate, tired, but content.

Sirius is trying to unsaddle his horse and remove his bridle, but he’s not making much progress, as the horse keeps pushing his nose against Sirius’ face, and Remus comes to help him.

Sirius chuckles as the hoarse nuzzles his cheek. “He has taken quite a liking to me.”

He reaches for the strap of the bridle, but as the horse is blocking his view, he accidentally places his hand on top of Remus’. As their hands touch, they look up, and their eyes meet. The air around them feels charged for a reason Sirius cannot define, and he feels his breath catch.

After a moment, Remus smiles. “He’s not the only one,” he says softly.

Sirius feels a tug at his heart, and something shift inside him, before slotting into place.

As he opens his mouth to speak, however, a wave of nausea rushes over him and he doubles over in pain, pressing his hands to his stomach.

“Sirius?” Remus asks worriedly as he rushes over to him. “Are you okay?”

Sirius stands up and gives him a weak smile. “I’m okay. Just... feeling a bit off. I should return to my chambers and retire early tonight.”

“Go ahead then,” Remus says. “I will finish taking care of the horse.”

Sirius gives him a grateful smile and turns to walk away.

“Sirius?”

He stops and looks back at Remus.

“I had a really good time today,” Remus says, sounding a bit uncertain for the first time since Sirius has known him.

Sirius smiles. “Yeah, me too.”

He has to quickly turn around and walk away before he gets sick in front of Remus, as another wave of nausea hits him.

The next morning, Sirius walks into the dining hall for breakfast, trying to go about his day, even though he’s still not feeling great.

However, Lady Euphemia takes one look at him, pale damp skin, but with glowing cheeks, and sends him back to his chambers. “Rest, darling. If you sleep it off now, you’ll be fit as a fiddle again tomorrow!”

He isn’t.

The next morning, Sirius only feels worse. His skin is damp and sweaty, his muscle ache, and he’s taking heavy breaths. The Potters’ personal physician checks up on him, and concludes it’s a serious fever, possibly the flu, but that a young and strong man such as the prince will sweat it out and sleep it off, and he will already feel much better in just a matter of days.

He doesn’t.

His condition only deteriorates. Often, he’s in a feverish, barely lucid state, he can hardly hold food down, his whole body hurts, and he just lies in bed taking raspy breaths until he falls asleep from exhaustion.

The Potters send for doctors, healers, nurses, medicine women and men, anyone who might be able to help. They try different herbs and powders, unfamiliar foods, ice baths, steam baths, but nothing works and no one can figure out why.

The Potters have no choice but to send a courier to carry a letter with great urgency to King Orion and Queen Walburga, informing them of their son’s worrisome condition. They respond with the heartfelt reply that since Prince Sirius has fallen ill while being in their care, they’ll have to cover the medical costs.

Meanwhile, James and Remus hardly leave Sirius’ side. James will pace the room and tell Sirius a million stories to distract him from the pain and discomfort. Remus will just sit by his bed and hold his hand, or read to him from his favourite books.

It’s a nurse from a local school, Poppy Pomfrey, called upon by the Potters in another desperate attempt, who is the first who finally dares to say it out loud: “That boy is dying.”

While the distraught Lord Fleamont and Lady Euphemia start to realize there’s nothing they can do for the boy but wait for the end, James and Remus simply refuse to accept it. “The dogs are really missing you, we should take them for a long walk once you’re better!” “There’s this great bookstore in town, I’ll take you there once you’re feeling well again.” “The cook baked this amazing cake, as soon as you’re recovered, you should ask her to make it again.” “I’ve got some amazing ideas for pranks for once you’re all better again.”

When Sirius is having a more lucid moment, he looks over at Remus sitting by his bedside, listens to the soothing sound of his voice as he reads to him, and takes in the soft golden of his eyes illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the window. ‘At least I got to have this,’ he thinks to himself. ‘If this is going to be the end, at least I got to have this. At least, in James, I found family. At least, in Remus, I found…’

It suddenly hits him. A realisation that makes all puzzle pieces fall into place, and it all comes rushing back to him. His father’s study, a young, scared boy who had no idea what was being asked of him, a strange rod and a magic settling into his veins.

James comes in a moment later, and to give him some time with Sirius, Remus goes to help his mum in the kitchens.

“James,” Sirius says, forcing put the words as soon as Remus is gone. “I have fallen in love with Remus.”

James just gives him a sad smile. “To be honest, Siri, I figured as much. But we’ll deal with that later, yeah? Right now, you need to just focus on getting better.”

“No, Jamie, you don’t understand…”

And so Sirius tells James the whole story.

By the end of it, James is pinching the bridge of his nose. “That has got to be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

“I was six years old!” Sirius defends himself. “I had no idea what I was even doing. I didn’t know that love isn’t necessarily a choice,” Sirius needs to pause for a moment to take a breath. “I didn’t know that love is something that can suddenly wash over you when you look into someone’s eyes…”

“Well, now we know the reason for your illness,” James says. “You broke an Unbreakable Vow.”

“Doesn’t make sense,” Sirius replies. “Unbreakable, but I’ve clearly broken it! Sure, I’ll die for it, but if it was truly Unbreakable, you’d think it would have been actually physically impossible for me to fall in love with Remus in the first place. It’s called an Unbreakable Vow, not a Break-And-Die Vow, innit?”

“Really?” James asks, placing his hands on his hips. “That’s what you’re worried about right now? The semantics of the term?”

Sirius shakes his head, as he feels a new wave of exhaustion wash over him. “It also means there is no cure, doesn’t it?” He closes his eyes as he speaks. “You break an Unbreakable Vow, and then that’s it.”

He doesn’t hear James’ reply, as he has already drifted off to sleep.

“Okay,” Remus says, pacing James’ room. “Okay. So we have a cause, now we can find a solution. We must ask King Orion to release him from his vow! Surely, he just wanted to scare his son, not actually let him die. I’m sure that if we ask him-”

“That won’t work,” James interrupts. “You can’t be released from an Unbreakable Vow. It’s impossible.”

“Well, that doesn’t make sense,” Remus says. “Unbreakable, sure, but if someone releases you from a vow, you haven’t broken it, have you? It’s called an Unbreakable Vow, not an Unreleasable Vow, innit?”

“Well, I didn’t come up with the term!” James exclaims, before muttering under his breath “Again with the semantics.” He shakes his head. “Remus,” he continues. “To be honest, I don’t think it would’ve mattered even if King Orion could release Sirius from the vow.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that King Orion must’ve known he couldn’t be certain a six-year-old boy could keep an oath like that for the rest of his life, and he must’ve known what he was doing.” A dark look passes over James’ face. “He made a conscious consideration and decided that he rather sees his son dead than see him ‘defile’ the blood line.”

“Okay, well, then that’s not an option. But… But we can still…” Still pacing the room, Remus frantically tries to think of something, anything, else. “We can still try to get our hands on that Oath Rod! We can steal it. Maybe we can make it work, despite not having the proper bloodline. We can let Sirius swear a different oath, to overwrite the first one. Maybe an oath that goes directly against the first one! Or maybe we can figure out how to reverse the magic of the first oath, and undo it. Or what if-”

“Remus!”

Remus finally stops his pacing and turns to look at James.

James runs a hand through his hair. “I just told you he’s in love with you! Don’t you… don’t you feel anything about that?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, James.” Remus gives James a tortured look. “That I’m happy about it? Happy to have been given something like that, only to have it immediately ripped away? Or do you want me to admit that I’ve so selfishly been wishing for it, that it was my heart’s greatest desire, and now it is going to cost him his life?” Remus shakes his head. “I don’t care how he feels about me, James. I don’t care if he loves me or hates me, or feels nothing towards me at all,I just need him to be okay.”

“I understand,” James says softly. “And we won’t give up on him, Remus. We won’t.”

“I’m a coward,” Remus says. “I like to pretend it’s all so unfair, how people like you and James get opportunities that I will never get, how hard my life is just because I was born lower class, but the truth is, I wouldn’t trade if I could. I’m simply too much of a coward to take on the responsibilities that you have to take on. I like sticking to my simple chores, I like avoiding ever having to take any responsibility, and I like feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in self-pity. I always choose the easy way out, and then I pretend it’s all so unjust that I don’t get further in life. I hide behind my background and my insecurities, and I don’t owe up to that fact that I’m simply too scared to take a risk. Taking a risk means you can fail, and I don’t want to fail others. Not because I care so much about others, but because I’m self-centred and care so much about what others think of me. I once stole a honey cake from the kitchens, and the cook blamed the new kitchen boy. I didn’t want her to be disappointed in me, so I didn’t confess and let him get punished for what I did.” Remus bites his lip as he remembers that moment. “I put my own need for validation first, regardless of the consequences for anyone else. And the worst is, if I could do it again, I don’t think I would do anything differently.”

“You look so cute when you bite your lip like that,” Sirius responds.

Remys drops his head on Sirius’ matrass and groans loudly. “Sirius! Focus! We’re trying to make you fall out of love with me! Really, it shouldn’t be so hard.”

“It’s not hard,” Sirius says. “It’s impossible. Remus, my heart is set on you, and nothing can deviate it from its course.”

Remus lifts his head, and feels tears well up in his eyes. “What do you expect me to do then? Just sit here and watch you die? I’m not worth all of that, Sirius. I’m not.”

“Listing all your flaws won’t help,” Sirius replies. “I’m not in love with you despite all of that, I’m in love with you with all of that. I’m in love with you for your strengths and I’m in love with you for your weaknesses.”

Remus shakes his head and hides his face in his hands. “There must be something I can do!”

Sirius reaches out, pulls one of Remus’ hands away from his face and takes it in his.

As Remus looks at him, he sees there are tears in Sirius’ eyes as well.

“Don’t leave me alone.” Sirius’ voice sounds small and scared as he squeezes Remus’ hand. “Be by my side? If I have to die for this love, then please, let me revel in it for just these final moments.”

Remus squeezes his hand back. “I’ll be here. I promise. I’ll be here.”

“I love you,” Sirius says hoarsely, having to gather his strength to form the words.

Sirius and Remus are alone, with Remus sitting by Sirius’ bedside, a place he now hardly ever leaves, while James is in the Potters’ library, frantically searching for a way, any way, to get out of an Unbreakable Vow.

They all know time is quickly running out, though.

Remus closes his eyes. He feels conflicted. On the one hand, he feels like he could live his whole life on just the memory of Sirius saying those words to him. On the other hand, it already hurts so much to lose Sirius as his dear friend and companion, he doesn’t want the reminder that it could’ve been so much more.

“It’s not fair,” Remus says as he opens his eyes again. “How can our story end before it has even begun? It wasn’t supposed to be like this! I wasn’t supposed to lose you, I can’t lose you. You were supposed to have been my happy ending.”

“Kiss me,” Sirius whispers. “Please… I don’t want to die without knowing… Without knowing what it’s like.”

It’ll destroy him, but how can Remus refuse?

So he reaches out and carefully brushes a strand of hair away from Sirius’ eyes, before gently cupping his face in his hands and softly pressing their lips together.

“I should’ve known.” James pinches the bridge of his nose. “I should have bloody known.”

Sirius grins at him. “In hindsight, it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?” He’s sitting upright in bed, popped up against a pillow, eating a bowl of soup. Remus is sitting next to him on the edge of the bed, one arm wrapped protectively around Sirius’ waist for support. Sirius is still weak and tires quickly after being on the verge of death, but he’s gaining a little strength every day.

James rubs his eyes, still not quite sharp after all those sleepless nights spent frantically searching for a way out of the Unbreakable Vow. “Of course it was True Love’s First Kiss,” he mutters. “It’s always bloody True Love’s First Kiss!”

“So I’m not going to die, and Remus is my confirmed true love!” Sirius beams. “Couldn’t have gone better, don’t you think?”

Remus rolls his eyes. “Well, personally, I could’ve done without the whole sitting-by-your-death-bed situation.” Then he gazes at Sirius fondly. “But I guess I can’t complain about the end result.” He presses a brief kiss against Sirius’ lips.

As Sirius immediately leans in for another kiss, Remus smiles against his lips. “Sirius, you need to eat.”

Sirius hums. “I might still be feeling a bit nauseated. Better give me True Love’s Twelfth Kiss, just to be sure.”

James snorts. “More like True Love’s One Hundred and Fifth Kiss at this point.”

Sirius chuckles. “Well, Jamie, better safe than sorry!”

That’s how Prince Sirius learned something that the Ancient Ones had known, but his family had failed to pass on from generation to generation:

No matter how binding or dark the curse, no magic is more powerful than that of love.

And while they still have many challenges to face, with that power on their side, Sirius and Remus know they are going to live happily ever after.

The End.

(For Remus, it was the moment when he saw Sirius play with the dogs. For Sirius, it was the moment when their hands touched and eyes met while unsaddling the horse)

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