Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

What if...? #5

This picture was of Remus' front- the very top of his soft belly and the broad expanse of his chest and his face- turned away from the camera and hidden by one of his arms bent across it. As the picture moved it displayed his deep inhale followed by his other hand coming to rest just below his throat. Maybe anyone seeing it could even notice the way his entire body shifted upwards, closer to the pillows, or maybe Remus was just remembering that part himself.

That was their second time together and it felt just as wrong as the first, and still, Remus plastered a smile on his face, let the lie roll from his lips, and wound up kneeling on the cool tile floor as he wretched into a toilet bowl.

There was no way to predict how Remus' feelings of absolute emptiness would affect his transformation, though his wolf wouldn't be stopped from surfacing. This time, though, the beast was there to protect him- it knew what Remus needed, and that was time with his companion. Instead of leading them on their usual romp through the forest, Remus nuzzled into Sirius' neck before curled up in a corner of the shack. Sirius took the hint and followed his partner, laying down right next to him. James and Peter took the night off from werewolf babysitting, opting instead to leave their two friends alone to recharge the bond between them.

Remus did feel better after that evening, and he even took to eating at meals and joining in on pranks again. It helped that another picture did not appear a week after the last, though neither did Bertram, and that meant that Remus' torment likely wasn't over.

The fourth picture came two weeks after the third, and this one made Remus vomit. It was his face, clearly visible and identifiable. Bertram's hand was back and it was wrapped around Remus' chin, four of the digits were hidden under Remus' cheek. Bertram's thumb, though, was resting on Remus' swollen lips and it swiped across them as the picture moved. Remus' eyes were closed and his brown hair was tousled, but there was no way people wouldn't know it was him.

He didn't go to class that day, and neither did Sirius. James and Peter tried to talk their way into sticking around, but Sirius was adamant they left, and there was quite the implication that he would forcibly remove them if they resisted.

Sirius tried to touch Remus- to cradle him and comfort him, but Remus would have none of it. He pushed Sirius away and even swung his arms and legs at him if he got too close. Eventually Sirius managed to coral all of his limbs and effectively smother him in a hug, and Remus broke down. He was sobbing and hyperventilating and mumbling nonsense that Sirius couldn't understand, though he caught some of it. "Disgusting", "freak", "Bertram", "touching", "why?" were the ones that Remus frequented the most.

Remus finally fell asleep and Sirius continued to hold him. When he woke up, he made his clearest request since he swore the three of them to silence over the matter: "touch me." He began to strip out of his clothes, and after confirming what Remus was asking for twice, Sirius took to helping him.

When Sirius' hand first landed on Remus' newly exposed skin, Remus sobbed and Sirius immediately drew his hand away. Remus shook his head and pulled Sirius' hand back to his chest and held it there even as his body convulsed.

Sirius tried to remove his hand, but Remus' grip was unwavering and he was begging Sirius to continue. When his body stopped shaking, he tugged Sirius' hand a bit lower so it rested on the soft skin of his stomach. Remus was shaking again, and tears were leaking out of his tightly closed eyes, but again, he was adamant that Sirius continued.

They repeated this over and over until Sirius had laid a finger on almost every inch of skin on Remus' body and Remus was finally smiling as their skin connected. He was even able to enjoy Sirius' lips pressed against his own- over and over again until their was a knock on their door.