Sirius

It has been a month and a half since Remus had his surgery. And he's coming home today. I was ecstatic. James, Lily, and Peter could attest to this, as they witnessed me running around both apartments and squealing.

The four of us had been home for the past few days going to classes and Mr. and Mrs. Evans are bringing Remus home from Oxford today, which is a Saturday. They will be staying with Lily and Remus for a week or more to make sure Remus is adjusting to living in the apartment and that he's okay.

I was low key panicking as I ran around his apartment, making sure his room was clean and his bed made. I re-positioned the painting so he wouldn't be able to tell that I'd seen it.

I made sure his room was sanitized also, and that his G-tube rack was set up where he liked it and that his books were all set out nice and special.

In the kitchen, I started the milk for hot cocoa and organized the clutter that was his pill basket. After that, I watered all the plants in the living room.

And then, finally, I glanced out the window and saw the Evans' car pulling into the parking lot.

"Lily!" I shouted. "He's here!"

"I'll be right there!" She answered from my apartment and her and James met me in the hallway and we all headed down to the parking lot. Peter was out with friends again.

When we got there, Mr. and Mrs. Evans were grabbing their bags from the trunk of the car. Mrs. Evans cocked her head in the direction of the car and I swung the door open to see Remus.

He was grinning at me and held out a hand for me to help him out of the car. Once he was on his feet, he pulled the mask that was around his neck up and over his face.

He looked cozy in his sweatpants and hoodie, his curls extra frizzy from the car ride. I laced our fingers together and pressed a kiss to his temple.

We walked together up to his apartment and Lily was waiting for him with his hot cocoa and he settled down on the couch next to me with his head on my shoulder. He'd since removed the mask so he could drink his hot cocoa. 

I sighed, breathing in the smell of him, back at home. It all seemed right again. Like the whole time he was in the hospital, everything was so many levels of un-right. It occurred to me that I could just use the word wrong but I like to spice things up a bit. 

"I'm glad you're home," I told him. He set his hot chocolate down on the table and grabbed my hands tightly in his, nestling his head farther into my neck. 

"I'm glad, too," he said.

*******

The next week seemed to fly by. Remus was adjusting to living back at home quite swiftly and after Mr. and Mrs. Evans had to leave for Oxford, I got special permission from Dumbledore to stay home for most of the days with Remus, as long as I went in to see my professors for homework and sometimes a recording of the lecture. I would do this once James, Lily, and Peter got home.

It was the new schedule around here and it seemed to be working pretty smoothly. Soon enough, Remus no longer needed to where his mask as he adjusted to the environment.

It just so happened that finals were coming up in two weeks, so a lot of work had to be done to study. James had to prepare his final music project of composing a piece and having another piece ready to be performed for his professors, so he was always busy practicing his cello in our apartment. It got to the point where Lily would have to force him to take a break, if not for his sanity than for his calloused fingers.

Peter didn't really communicate his problems, the only way we knew he was stressed out was because the kitchen was always busy and overflowing with food. 

Lily was barely seen without her laptop, for she was always so busy editing photos and putting together her grand final project. The same way she would have to force James to take a break, sometimes he would have to return the favor. 

And as for me, I was always writing. It took me awhile to finalize and perfect the thesis statement and what my essay was going to be about, but now that I've got it, I need to work on the actual writing of the essay. It's hard to rush a good story, and it's taken time to weave the words in the way I want them to be. 

Like Dumbledore promised, he's really trying to help Remus catch up so he'll be able to pass his sophomore year with the rest of us. Dumbledore's given Remus an extra two weeks after the end of term to get all of his work done and turned in, which, for the most part, he's taken care of. He had a lot of extra time on his hands when he was in the hospital.

The big concern for him is his painting. Even though it looks amazing as it is, it's not finished. He's still got to finish filling in all the stars and he had this really cool idea to use metallic paint in certain areas to give it a finished look. He also said that some of the shading for the moon and the lit windows of the shack needed to be shaded better, with more colors. He said they lacked the level of depth he needed. And he said the trees weren't realistic enough. 

Of course, he never outright said these things to me as I wasn't supposed to have seen his painting yet. But I'd gotten pretty well versed in translating his mutterings while he painted. 

*******

The end of term came and went. I got an A on my paper and I even let Remus read it. He cried, which made me cry, so we were sitting on the couch crying over a paper. I felt pretty silly, but I didn't care. This was the man I loved, the love of my life, really. And I told him so in a few thousand words. 

He said it back in three, but it wasn't any less magical. 

*******

Finally, about a week later, we were in Remus's room. Now, I know what it sounds like, but that's not what was happening this time. I was sitting on his bed, reading a new poetry book I'd picked up at the bookstore a few days ago. Remus was sitting at his desk, painting. He had been for hours. 

The brush he used was small, and I could tell by the concentrated look on his face and the calculated movements of his hand that he was doing delicate details. 

And then, finally, he set his brush down. He went to grab it again as his eyes scanned the painting, but thought better of it. He opted to step back from his stool instead and take it in from a distance. 

And he smiled. A great sigh of relief left his body as he studied his work. I could practically see the weight lifted off his shoulders. 

I reached over onto the nightstand and grabbed a receipt for something random and stuck it between the pages of my book, setting it on the pillow. I stood beside the bed, across from Remus, and in turn, the painting. 

"It's done?" I asked softly. 

Remus's eyes met mine and he nodded, joy etched into the dimples around his smile. 

I took a cautious step forward, unwilling to ask for what I wanted. 

Remus laughed. "Yes, you can see it, Sirius," he said.

I grinned and took the few steps to Remus, grabbing his hand and lacing our fingers together. 

What I saw on the canvas wasn't the same as what I saw before.

It was so much better. 

The stars sparkled like mercury and the moon looked so realistic, I almost couldn't believe that it was only paint. The forest looked so real, so deep and mysterious, when before it looked like a line of trees with a black background. 

The shack held more life than it did before. Possibly even more life than it deserved. The light from the windows looked warm and inviting, like it was asking me on an adventure under the light of the full moon.

And the wolf and the dog. I could almost see each strand of fur on their backs and the way the silver moonlight reflected off of their fur. The grey wolf's eyes seemed to glow a familiar amber color. They were so alluring and beautifully created, despite the challenge of how small they were on the canvas.

But the dog. The moon seemed to live in his silver eyes.

I turned slowly to face Remus, my vision swimming. "It's almost as beautiful as you, Remus," I told him.

He blushed. "Stop it."

"I'm being entirely truthful," I said, taking his face in my hands and kissing him. I could feel the curve of his lips as he smiled. 

"I love you, Sirius Black."

"I know," I said back. 

He pulled away, a funny look on his face. He punched my arm playfully. "You're an idiot."

"I know that, too,"

He laughed again, turning to leave the room, using our joined hands to pull me along. I pulled him back into me and kissed him one more time. 

"I love you, Remus Lupin," I said in my very most sexiest voice.

He only laughed and pulled away, hugging me instead. 

"I know," he said.