Sirius wraps his arms around Kate as they catch their breath, luckily they had remembered the silencing charm that night. It had been very full on, desperation and longing. They had waited so long and now they were ravenous for it, they were at it every single night for hours on end. Making up for the lost years.
"I think we should just get married already." Sirius whispers, "I don't want to keep wasting the time I have."
"Okay." Kate smiles, nuzzling into his chest.
Sirius grins wildly, "Is that a yeah?"
"Yes, I'll marry you."
"I'll get you a new ring I promise." He whispers, kissing the side of her face, "We're going to be so happy, all five of us. Our family. My family."
"Six of us you mean." Kate interrupts.
Sirius freezes, they had been so careful. He'd done the correct charms, he knew he had. He had taken all the right precautions, he didn't want more children when he had three children to bond with already. The timing wasn't right. It was the worst possible time for something like this.
"What?" He manages to say once he finds his voice again.
"The dog."
Sirius let's out a long sigh of relief, "Don't do that to me."
"He is very much a member of this family too." Kate smirks.
"Alright alright the six of us." Sirius gives in, rolling his eyes at her, "I do want to know one thing before I get you this ring."
"Go on." Kate sighs, running her fingers across his chest.
He had tried to let it go, but Sirius was the jealous sort of guy. He always had been and he needed to know who it was. As far as he was concerned, Kate was his and only his. He hated the thought of someone else having her.
"Who was the man you slept with?"
Kate sits up, staring down at Sirius as he's sprawled on the bed, "You don't want to nor need need to know that information."
"I do though." Sirius pouts, "I think I deserve to know the one guy who-"
"Sirius. It's best you don't know."
Sirius sits up, the colour draining from his face, "That just makes me want to know more. It's someone I know isn't it?"
Kate doesn't answer. Sirius stands up, bollocks naked and starts pacing with stress. Kate throws her face in her hands, she never should have mentioned it to Sirius. She should have known Sirius would spiral from this sort of information. Sirius freezes and looks at Kate with widened eyes.
"Is it Reggie?"
Kate frowns at him, "He's literally gay, Sirius."
"Right yeah.. just.. if it had been my brother I just.."
"Okay well, it wasn't so let's just move on." Kate says at the same time Sirius says, "Or if it had been Remus, then god knows what I'd have done."
Kate falls silent. Sirius waits for the denial to come but it doesn't. She sits frozen in the spot, her eyes filling with tears. Sirius stares at her, blinking as it sinks in. Kate had been with his best mate, they had sex and neither of them had bothered mentioning it to him. He feels his heart cracking in his chest.
"Remus?" He says with confusion, "You..and Remus?"
"Sirius-"
"You and Moony?"
"Sirius it didn't mean anything!"
Sirius gapes at her, "Didn't mean anything?! Didn't mean anything? He's my best friend!"
"Sirius-"
Sirius holds his hand up at her, grabbing his joggers off the floor, "Just fucking hand me over to the dementors. That dementors kiss is looking very appetising right now."
"Sirius! Please just listen to me." Kate pleads as she crawls across the bed to get closer to him.
"My best friend.." He scoffs, shaking his head at her, "You could have slept with anyone in the whole fucking universe and you slept with Moony."
Kate looks away, her eyes filling with even more tears. They spill down her cheeks as Sirius throws a top on, she had only just got him back and now she could feel herself losing him again.
"It was an accident."
"An accident?! An accident?! An accident is falling down the stairs not falling onto my best friends penis!" Sirius rants angrily, "I mean where the fuck was Tate? I thought them two were inseparable."
Kate cries harder, she never thought Sirius would find out because she never actually thought he'd be freed. Sirius glares at her coldly, a sickly feeling fills Kates stomach as the familiar psychotic gleam appears in his eyes.
"Oh, I see." He laughs, "So Tate was part of it was he?"
"No." Kate sniffles, "He wasn't there."
Sirius snorts, "Aw so it was nice and intimate for you and Moony then. Just the two of you. How lovely."
He takes one last look at Kate, before leaving and slamming the bedroom door closed. He'd felt anger like this before, the kind of red hot anger that poisons your mind and body against you. He storms into the room Remus is staying in, Remus looks up from the book he's reading and somehow immediately knows what has happened. Remus places the book on the nightstand, he gets out of bed with a struggle and Sirius almost steps forward to help until he remembers what he's there for.
"You and Kate!?" He snaps, "I was in prison and you thought, oh yeah I'll fuck the girl he wanted to marry."
Remus closes his eyes, "It really wasn't like that."
"Go on then, Moony. I'd fucking love to hear how it went down. I'd love to hear all about how you fucked my girlfriend."
Remus sits on the edge of the bed, his legs unable to stand straight. He'd been struggling recently without his walking stick but forever too proud, he didn't use it. Sirius waits impatiently for Remus to start talking, he taps his foot impatiently on the ground.
"Everyone was struggling, we had lost so many friends. So many people."
Flashback
"Yeah well fuck you too!" Remus yells as the door slams in his face, he punches the wall besides him, busting his knuckles with rage.
Everything was going to complete shit. He had one good thing left and he'd just walked out on the day of Pete's funeral. Remus falls to the floor, he'd lost everyone who mattered. Every single one of his friends was gone and now Tate. Remus scoffs with anger, to walk out was fine but on the day they buried what was left of Pete was not okay. None of this was okay. He steadies his breathing, reminding himself of the two sleeping children upstairs. He had to keep it together, they had lost everyone too.
He looks up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Kate is standing in her pyjamas and staring at him with sadness in her eyes. She didn't go to Pete's funeral, she stayed with the children instead.
"How was it?"
Remus shakes his head, "His parents.. the sadness they had from burying their son..I just.. I can't.."
Kate makes her way to Remus, sitting besides him on the hardwood floors and rubs his back as he starts to cry. She had overheard the argument between Remus and Tate, she probably shouldn't have been listening but she was praying silently that Tate would stay. Remus needed someone to just stay.
"He left me." Remus whispers, "He actually fucking left me."
"He will come back." Kate reassures, "He always comes back."
Remus scoffs bitterly, "Not this time. Not after that. It was Pete's funeral. His funeral, Kate. You don't do that to someone."
"What started the fight?"
"He wants to move away. I said no." Remus snorts to himself, "I said I wasn't leaving you or the children. He said you could come with us."
Kate blinks in surprise, "He said that?"
"He also said I'd have to stop arguing with you. That it was toxic for the children to be surrounded by so much fighting." Remus adds with a shrug, "I told him we'd make it work."
"He isn't wrong.." Kate whispers sadly, "I just wish someone else believed in him."
Remus bites the inside of his cheek as tears fill his eyes, "Listen, Kate, I don't want to fight. Not today. Today has been an awful day."
"Okay, no fighting." Kate nods in agreement, "But only for today, we're fighting again tomorrow."
"Shut up." Remus snorts as Kate stands up offering him her hand.
He takes it as he struggles to his feet, he lets a small whimper escape his lips as he regains his balance. His legs and his hip had been killing him, the full moon had been the worst by far. He was without his pack, having Tate just wasn't the same as having the Marauders and it hurt.
"You should get a walking stick." Kate says as she lets Remus lean on her for support.
"Piss off. I'm twenty two."
"I'll get you one for your twenty third birthday then."
Remus glares at her, "Don't you fucking dare."
"It'll be from the kids."
"Piss off." Remus mutters, "Don't use them against me like that."
She sits him down on the sofa and raids the drinks cabinet. It was ironic how she had lectured Sirius about drinking away his problems but here she was doing exactly the same thing. She grabs two glasses and starts pouring the alcohol in them.
"Might as well bring the bottle over." Remus says with a shrug, "I want to feel sweet fuck all."
Kate brings the bottle, they both down their glasses before passing the bottle between them both in silence. Remus is taking significantly longer gulps, his eyes stinging from tears and strong liquor.
"To Pete." Kate whispers, her words getting caught in her throat.
Remus nods, "To Pete."
He starts to cry, hearty big sobs as he stares at a photo on the fireplace of the four friends together. He was the only one left. He always thought he'd be the first to die for obvious reason. He assumed he'd die from a bad wolf change or an attack on him in his wolf form. He had more reason to die than the others. James used to tell him off for smoking too, he'd remind him how disgusting it was and how it was rotting his insides. 'Leading him to an early grave.' James had called it.. yet Remus was still standing and James was gone.
Pete had been so distant in the time before his death. Did he somehow know that Sirius was the traitor? Remus shakes his head, Pete had never been the type of guy to confront someone like that. He'd done it once in Hogwarts when Zion was born, when he punched Snape in the face. That was the bravest thing he had ever done. Until recently, his new bravest thing was confronting their murderous friend for killing their other friend. Sirius had always intimidated Pete a little bit, and Pete was brave in his final moments. A true Gryffindor.
Remus doesn't realise he's started crying harder until Kate hugs him. He buries his head into her shoulder and let's it out. He didn't understand how everyone was gone- James, Pete, Lily, Marlene, Dorcas, even Sirius was gone. Tate had just walked out. He'd lost all of his people and it hurt too much. Kate was still here though, she was still by his side and he hadn't lost her yet.
He looks up at her, tears streaming down his face, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry Remus." She soothes, taking the now empty bottle from his grip and placing it on the floor by her feet.
"Everyone's gone."
"People come and go, I know it hurts but you still have the memories of them all."
"They're tainted aren't they? Fake almost? I thought we were best friends but.."
Kate shakes her head, "It doesn't mean they're fake. Those moments, those times at Hogwarts especially- they're all very real and you're allowed to enjoy those memories."
Remus nods, his eyes meeting hers properly. She is just as sad as he is. The pain is right there in her eyes, telling all how lost she's feeling. He's not sure why, the mixture of grief and alcohol blurs his senses as he leans in and kisses Kate. She kisses him back. Both of them just needing someone. Things between them escalated at speed, they were kissing then Kate was on top of him and then they were naked and fucking each other. It wasn't intimate or special, it was just two people fucking their built up anger and frustrations out of each other.
Remus pulls her hair as he fucks her from behind like an animal, she shudders as his penis hits her deep within. Her walls clench around him as she feels her release building, Remus fucks her even harder, pounding into her with force.
"I'm going to fuckkkkk." Remus mutters as he releases inside of her.
Kate crumbles too, letting out a sharp gasp as her legs buckle beneath her. She calls out the wrong name. Remus pulls out, quickly throwing his clothes on as the guilt sinks in. Kate throws her top back on, she sits on the edge of the sofa and puts her face in her hands as she starts to cry.
End of flashback
Sirius snorts, "She said my name?"
"Yeah..like I said neither of us were thinking straight." Remus mutters, "It's always been you."
"So..Marlie..is she?"
"Fucking hell,Sirius." Remus sighs, "She looks like her brothers so unless I somehow fathered all three of them-"
"Alright, don't get sassy with me. You fucked my girlfriend." Sirius pauses, "She was drinking whilst she..?"
"She didn't know." Remus mumbles, "She was a mess, she didn't get up most days.. Tate and I had the kids because it's like she forgot how to function. I only found out about Marlie after you escaped Azkaban."
"So the reason why you two stopped talking is because you fucked?"
Remus shakes his head, "No. Its because we didn't stop arguing, she believed you were innocent and..I didn't. It escalated one night, Zion was in tears begging us to play hide and seek instead of the shouty game. Tate had come back and he was on my side, she felt like we were against her so she walked out and never came back."
"I can't believe you fucked her." Sirius mumbles, "I..wow."
"Trust me, neither can I."
"Prick."
Remus nods, "I'll accept that."
"I came in here wanting to punch you..but I don't feel that angry now.. just shocked I guess."
"For what it's worth I am sorry." Remus says, "If I could go back and change it I would."
Sirius nods, "I think we would all go back and change things if we could. As long as you two aren't secretly in love and shagging behind my back now?"
"Jesus Christ. No, we're not in love or shagging behind your back."
"Who's not shagging?"
Remus and Sirius' heads turn and Tate is stood at the door, Remus' eyes widen as he rushes forward. He holds Tate's arms in his hands, ensuring that he's actually real. Tate pulls Remus into his arms and hugs him as tightly as he can.
"No but really who's not shagging?"
"Kate and I."
Tate snorts, "You finally told him then? And you live to tell the tale?"
"Oh shut up." Remus groans, "He could still kill me."
"It is awfully tempting." Sirius admits, "I'll leave you two alone."
"Thanks mate." Tate grins, leaning into Sirius as he walks past, "It didn't mean anything because Remus discovered he prefers dick that night."
"TATE!" Remus yells, "Shut up."
"You had sex with two different people on separate occasions in one night?" Sirius asks with his eyebrows raised.
"I came for the makeup sex and then I had to prove sex was better with me than with Kate." Tate says with raised eyebrows.
Sirius nods, "I see.."
Sirius leaves the room, the door slamming behind him as Remus and Tate start getting down to business. As he walks further away, he knows exactly what he has to do. The bedroom door flings open, Kate is lay in bed crying and Sirius feels guilty. He crawls in besides her, and starts kissing her shoulder.
"I'm sorry." He whispers against her ear, "I'm sorry."
Kate sniffles, "No I'm sorry, he was your best friend."
"He still is." Sirius laughs, "He's still alive and Tate is showing him who he belongs to right about now."
"Tate's back?"
"Yeah." Sirius smiles, "I understand what happened.. I won't lie and say I'm fine with it because bloody hell.. but I get it. You both needed someone and you were both just there."
"Yeah.. it didn't mean anything. It sounds so stupid but I was just thinking about you."
Sirius snorts, "Yeah I know. You moaned my name? That's embarrassing."
"Oh god don't I felt so bad."
"No no. Don't feel bad. It's just proof to me that you're mine and no one else's."
"We're okay?"
Sirius sighs turning Kate to face him properly, "No, but we will be once I've done what I'm going to do."
**********
"Silencio." Zion hisses waving his wand to show the adults the cantation, "It's really not that fucking difficult."
Tate smirks at Remus as Selene buries her face with embarrassment. Sirius let's out a small laugh, quickly disguising it as a cough when he sees Marlie's face.
"Even I know silencing charms." She says with an irritated tone.
Zion and Sirius look at each other with worry, there was only one reason she would be using them and it wasn't for the same reasons as them. Phoenix stares at his sisters food, she hasn't touched any of it in the time they've been downstairs for breakfast. Marlie noticed him looking and starts to play with it, acting as if she's going to eat some. Her two older brothers were not a stupid as they appeared, both of them watching waiting for her to take a bite.
"It doesn't help when you're all staring at me." Marlie snaps, slamming her spoon down with a clatter.
"Marls?" Zion says gently , "Why don't we go eat in the living-room away from everyone else?"
Marlie stares at him, then looks at the other people around the table who are still looking at her. She nods, Zion grabs both of their plates and follows her out of the kitchen. Sirius watches as they close the living-room door behind them.
"He's a good brother." Molly comments, "He might be trouble at school but he has a good heart."
Zion puts the food down next to Marlie, he starts to talk to her about random stuff. He talks about Bowie being an idiot, he talks about quidditch and their parents getting back together. Occasionally, he will side eye his sister and notice her eating with a smile on her face as she listens to what he's saying. No one watching her, good distraction and she was taking bites of her food without thinking about it. It wasn't much, but it was a step in the right direction and Zion felt proud. He was proud of her for doing it and proud of himself for coming up with a plan. Now he knew it worked, he just had to make sure he stuck at it the best he could at Hogwarts.