Remus joined Sirius on the back steps of the Potters', closing the sliding door behind him. He observed the boy, who was smoking a cigarette, and who acknowledge Remus with nothing more than a puff of smoke.
"Can I have one?" Remus asked, quietly, as if he were afraid to break the air between them.
"I'm not wasting a fag on you just to find out you don't like it," Sirius answered, a little crueler than Remus thought was strictly necessary, and took a long drag.
Remus opened his mouth to return a sharp reply, but he was never given the chance. Instantly, warm and familiar lips covered his own and Sirius was breathing into him. He coughed a little and tried to pull away, but Sirius placed a hand on the back of his neck to hold him in place until he relaxed and inhaled Sirius' exhale.
Sirius finally pulled away, a satisfied smirk on his face. Seconds later, Remus blew out a line of smoke, and Sirius silently offered him a cigarette.
"That had to be one of the sexiest things I have ever seen," Lily commented in a hushed voice. James only glared at her playfully as he helped her clean up after dinner.
"This is killing Sirius," he finally said, watching the two from the window. They were sitting in silence, each taking long drags from their cigarettes and staring straight ahead of them.
Lily nodded in sad agreement. "It's killing all of us. James, we could be wrong. I mean, we don't have any proof against him yet."
"Who else could it be, Lils?" James asked his wife, frustrated because he wanted to believe that Remus was a traitor less than she did. "He goes off and won't tell anyone where to, or what he does. He always has the least amount of injuries after a battle. Sirius says there is this gap between them. I mean, look," he gestured out the window. "I remember a time when they couldn't keep their hands off each other."
Lily closed her eyes, as unwilling as Sirius to believe that Remus could do such a thing to them. Only James and Peter were convinced. "The things Remus had to do for Dumbledore are secret, James. Werewolves heal quickly. And there's a lot of tension between everyone right now. It can't be him."
James wasn't listening. His attention was on the boys—no, men—outside, who were now in a heated conversation.
"Just tell me the Godric damned truth, Moony!"
"I am telling you the truth! I would rather die than betray Lily and James! Or you!"
Sirius growled. "Give me a reason to believe you."
Remus smiled a little sadly. "If you don't trust me enough to believe me, nothing I can say is going to convince you that I'm telling the truth. The only reason I can offer you is that you know me, Sirius."
"I thought I did," Sirius huffed, getting to his feet and slamming the door on his way back inside.
Lily and James looked at him questioningly, almost expectantly.
"Pete was right." Tears fell from his eyes as he slid into a chair next to James. "It's him."
Lily started crying too, quickly excusing herself to go check on Harry.
James pulled Sirius to him, holding him as his best friend broke down.
"After everything. Everything we've been through, James. How could he do this to us?"
James wasn't sure if the 'us' referred to the Marauders, or to Sirius and Remus. It didn't matter. Either way, Remus had destroyed it. He caught movement from outside, and looked, locking eyes with Remus for a long moment. Finally, Remus apparated away.
Sirius felt this and turned to look at the now empty patio. "Get Peter," he said, wiping his eyes.