Title: A Kiss

Author: Kate of Kintail

Fandom: Harry Potter, Marauder years

Rating: PG

Pairing: Remus/Sirius

Disclaimer: Not my characters. Not my world. Not my bank account.

Summary: Sirius does some thinking and some thanking in public

Notes: During a bout of insomnia one morning, this idea popped into my head. And I managed to fall asleep a few seconds after finishing it.

A Kiss

“Thanks, Moony,” Sirius said with a sigh. He rolled up his essay and spelled it shut with a black ribbon. “Your notes were great. I really owe for your help on this.”

Evening was just turning into night, judging from what could be seen through the windows of the Gryffindor common room. And already their homeworks due the next day were almost done. This was good news as the Marauders had agreed to meet later for a strategy session, it being just a few days until the full moon. It had been Peter’s responsibility to see that James was free for the meeting, which meant dragging him off the Quidditch Pitch at a decent hour, and Remus had agreed to watch Sirius.

Remus packed up all his books except for Care of Magical Creatures, the only subject they had not yet conquered. Then he looked back at Sirius with a wide, mischievous smile. “How about a kiss, then?”

A look of confusion passed over Sirius’ face. “A what?”

“A kiss!” Remus laughed. “I know it’s been a few hours, but you haven’t forgotten what those are, have you?” Sirius shook his head. “You said you owed me something, so I’m suggesting you repay me with a kiss. Not an entirely unreasonable request. A whole Astronomy essay guaranteed to earn high marks in exchange for one nice kiss? Sounds more than fair to me.”

Sirius sat back in his chair and lowered his voice to a whisper. “W-when?” he asked.

Shrugging and speaking at a normal volume, “No time like the present.” Remus leaned forward a little.

Sirius eyed him, trying to communicate to Remus that he should keep his voice down. Then he looked around the room, searching habitually for a dark nook they could sneak into for a snog. “Where?” he asked softly.

Remus smiled. “On the lips, of course. That’s what I had in mind, but if you’d prefer kissing somewhere more private, you could slip under the table and under my robes pretty easily. I’m not wearing shorts—”

“Remus!” Sirius hissed. “Quiet down, please!”

“Only if you give me a kiss,” Remus insisted. “I think I’ve earned it.”

Again, Sirius looked around nervously. Their relationship was new, and the fact that Sirius Black was in a steady relationship at all was a shock to most people, but this was a much different and potentially a much more risky relationship than he had ever been in before. Sirius did not like to think what his family would say or do if they found out he was a pofter, not to mention courting a half-blood half-breed.

“I thought you said you weren’t ashamed of me any more,” Remus teased.

“I was never ashamed of you,” Sirius replied quickly.

“Good,” said Remus softly. “You shouldn’t have a problem kissing me, then.”

Realizing that he had absolutely no argument, Sirius sighed deeply in resignation.

“Don’t look so happy about the prospect,” whispered Remus. “Or I’ll start thinking you don’t actually like kissing me.”

Sirius smiled slowly. “Oh, I like it all right. In fact, I love it. I live for it.”

“Prove it.” Remus leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Sirius gave it one more second of consideration, then he rose to his feet. With a single sweep of his arm, he pushed their things off the table and onto the floor. Then he grabbed Remus and pulled him up. He slid his arm around Remus, holding him at the small of his back. He swung Remus around and against the table. He leaned forward and Remus back over the table. Then, cupping one of Remus’ cheeks and tilting his head to the side, he moved in to give a formidable kiss. It seemed to last longer than any single kiss of theirs ever had before, and neither were in any hurry for it to end. Sirius’ thumb stroked Remus’ cheek as they shared the kiss, and he supported Remus as the boy went weak in his arms.

When he pulled back, smiling, he realized nearly everyone in the busy common room was staring at them. But when Remus returned the smile, Sirius did not care a bit. “Was that good enough to repay you for an Astronomy essay?” he inquired.

Remus nodded and sighed deeply, still letting Sirius hold him. “Kiss me again like that and I’ll do the rest of your homeworks for a week,” he said with breathless pleasure.

Unable to refuse the offer, Sirius tightened his grip on Remus, then pushed him down upon the table. Pinning him there, he forced another kiss upon the boy. Remus kissed back hungrily, well aware of their onlookers. Their second kiss was even longer than the first had been, and the silence of the room was disturbed by students whispering about it and how long it might last.

It finally ended and both Remus and Sirius parted and straightened. On the other side of the table, someone cleared his throat, and they looked over to see James, with Peter just behind him. “So this is what you’ve been doing this evening?” James asked, raising his eyebrows. “Frightening the younger students with such displays?”

“We were just doing homework,” Remus said innocently.

“And, if anything else, we were doing a little bit of instructing as well,” said Sirius slyly.