The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Mike the Giraffe Keeper

Sirius held onto Remus's hand tightly, fingers knotted together, as they stood at the edge of the beach sand, staring out at the water, the sunlight shining off the surface, reflecting bright and shimmering. Remus thought of kelpie eggs and Sirius thought that if one could hear the sparkling of the sun, it would sound something like a bunch of tiny bells chiming. Sirius squeezed Remus's fingers all the more tightly and looked over at him.

"Can you believe it's been an entire year since we stood right here - right here on this very spot - and got bloody married?" Sirius asked excitedly.

Remus smirked, "Can you believe it's been only a year?"

Sirius chuckled, "What are you saying, Moony?"

Remus met Sirius's eyes. "That it feels more like forever."

"Because I've been such a pain in your arse?" Sirius inquired.

Remus said, "But also because I can't remember what my life was like before you."

"I remember what mine was like before you," Sirius answered, "Dismal. Gray. Full of pain and suffering."

"Wasn't that Tuesday?"

"No," Sirius smirked, "Tuesdays are always good."

"Oh alright," Remus laughed, "Ought you be here with your harem instead of your husband, then?"

Sirius shook his head, "I don't want to be here with anybody else."

Remus smiled, "Good. I don't want you to be here with anybody else. I don't think anybody else should have to witness the things that I plan to do to you." His chocolate eyes glinted meaningfully and Sirius made a sound something like a purr.

"Dirty," he murmured as he turned, hugging onto Remus Lupin, laying his head against Remus's chest and taking a deep breath of the smell of him. "I love Costa Rica," Sirius grinned. "It brings out your inner bad boy."

"My inner bad boy?" Remus laughed. "Didn't realize I had one of those."

"Yes," Sirius said lowly, "You do and he's fucking wonderful."

Remus hugged Sirius tight and rested his chin on top of Sirius's head - his husband made the perfect chin rest, after all - and they stood there, staring at the water and breathing in the salty scent of the sea and the oranges that grew in the grove just beyond the cabins behind them.

It was June 23rd and they'd left London on a gray, dismal day, entrusting Newt Scamander's suitcase to the care of Lily and James for the next two nights, so they could thoroughly enjoy their first anniversary by returning to the scene of the crime - also known as Sirius's favorite place in the entire world.

"I wish I could live here," Sirius said. "Imagine, Moony? Imagine if we lived here, what it would be like? I should think I were dreaming all of the time."

"Awful long way away from Godric's Hollow, though, don't you think? Not a simple pop-over by floo?" Remus asked. The Network, after all, extended only so far and overseas was simply not possible.

"We'd take the Pottys with us, obviously," Sirius said. "I'm sure you could magic a way to just uproot their entire property - back fields and all - and it would take him some time to even figure it out  that he'd been moved, thick as he is."

Remus laughed, picturing James realizing several months in that he wasn't in England any longer. "When did that happen?" Remus asked, mocking James's voice by deepening his own.

"I'm not thick though," Sirius added, also imitating James's voice.

"I'm James and I am observant of stuff and things," Remus added.