A/N: Thank you to my beta Empath89 for looking over this for me :)

The Master's Lover, Part 3 – What Might Have Happened

The blood was pumping through him at an alarmingly fast rate.

Slamming the door shut behind him, the dark-haired man stood for several minutes in the center of the room – his breathing coming in sharp, heavy bursts.

He had the control of a saint.

With a low growl, the man stalked to his bathroom and threw open the door. The large tub was filled with steaming water.

Giving silent thanks to his servants' perceptiveness, the man began tugging off his clothing and throwing it carelessly to the floor.

He needed to calm down.

Running a hand roughly through his hair, he turned to view his reflection in the bathroom window.

He was sweating…his chest and shoulders gleamed with the little drops of surprisingly, the tension in his muscles was making his body look rigid and defensive. His gray eyes looked furious. Wild. Hungry.

The image of Remus' eyes flashed through his mind unbidden.

They had stared so intently at him – vulnerability and desire clearly present within their depths.

"Do you ache when we're apart?"

The memory of the words, spoken so earnestly, caused the man's already taut muscles to stiffen further.

His eyes traveled down past his stomach and hips to glare accusingly at the evidence of his own desire for the other man.

He closed his eyes tightly and turned away from his reflection in disgust.

If only the witch had not found out about Remus.

If only the debt could be repaid in some other way.

If only…

He shivered before finishing the thought.

It did not matter now.

The hot water beckoned.

The dark-haired man stepped into the bath carefully – sliding down into the water without a sound. As he leaned his head back against the edge of the tub, he could feel his muscles tense further and he knew that he would not be able to relax.

He closed his eyes again.

With strong hands gripping the sides of the bathtub, the man waited for his own desire, the ache, to disappear.

Upon his return to the castle, he had seen the warmth in those golden eyes. Had he not been so wary of the woman who had acted as his companion – so completely determined to keep Remus from her clutches – he would have let the other boy glimpse his own relief at their reunion.

He would have let Remus see the desperate need that had fuelled him on his arduous journey home.

Instead, he had forced himself to remain impassive.

"I wish you would look at me."

The sound of those softly spoken words had made his jaw clench. He did not know how much longer he would be able to resist Remus. More importantly though, he did not know how much longer he would be able to keep Remus safe.

It was a long time before he noticed that all the warmth had left the water.

His whole body ached.

The splash of cold water against his flushed face did little to soothe his headache.

Remus groaned softly as his head fell to rest against the edge of the sink.

He felt as if he'd had an entire bottle of wine the previous evening instead of just a single glass…then just to ensure that he would have this groggy, drunk feeling, he had followed it with another six bottles.

The morning sunshine bursting through the window made him cringe as he blinked at his reflection in the mirror. His skin was paler than usual; his eyes only partially open.

He felt weak. Exhausted. Disoriented.

What was happening to him?

With a groan, Remus stumbled back to his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

When he next awoke, a cold cloth was being pressed tightly to his forehead. Remus could hear voices around him but his eyelids were too heavy to lift.

"This is what happened last time. Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember," another voice snapped. "But surely you don't really think it's going to happen again?"

"Oh, just wait until the Master finds out…"

"Quiet!" Remus recognized Lumiere's voice instantly. "The boy needs to rest. All of you – out. Now."

Remus heard the sound of the other servants quickly shuffling towards the door.

"And not a word to the Master." Lumiere's tone brooked no argument.

After they had gone, Remus heard the older man release a weary sigh.

It was becoming more and more difficult for him to concentrate. The odd feeling of disorientation had lessened only slightly and Remus felt a strange combination of emotions churn within him.

One moment he felt wild and restless and the next he felt calm and at ease. All sorts of familiar and unfamiliar sensations tangled together then separated. Both his body and his mind became more exhausted with each new arrangement.

Eyes still closed, he began to tremble beneath the covers of his bed.

He wished Sirius was there.

The servant's hand fell to rest on his shoulder and tightened for a moment in worry.

"Oh, Remus," the man said sadly. "Forgive me."

Remus barely registered the sound of the servant leaving before he succumbed to sleep once more.

When he came to for the final time that day, the first thing Remus noticed was that his head no longer ached.

He, in fact, felt more energized than he had in weeks.

The wide array of emotions he experienced earlier had vanished and he now only felt a sense of restlessness.

His mind – suddenly focused and alert – turned quickly to the only occupant in the house whose company he desired.

Sirius.

His pulse quickened at the thought.

He remembered kneeling before the other man the previous evening. He had rested his head against the strong legs and kissed the unshaven skin in an attempt to convince Sirius to pick up where they had left off all those weeks ago. Yet, his boldness had only come when he'd convinced himself that it was all just a dream.

It was different now.

Remus felt fully awake this time and he was decidedly aware of his own desires. He knew that had he been back in the room with Sirius right then, he would not be kneeling or entreating the other man to respond to him – to look at him. Instead, he was quite sure that he would find a way to provoke a response from the other man through different means.

The mental images of the various ways he might do just that made a rush of adrenaline course through him.

This feeling of command over himself – over his fear – was heady. He did not feel shy or tentative as he so often had in the previous weeks.

He felt powerful.

Remus slipped from the bed and crossed the room to the dressing table in a few quick strides.

What he saw in the mirror might have startled him had he felt more himself.

He looked taller somehow – though he knew Sirius would still have the advantage over him. His body, too, looked different though – stronger…broader.

His eyes had changed as well – perhaps more than anything else. Even in the dimly lit room, they looked feral and alive.

Remus continued to study his reflection with mild interest. He turned his head side to side and flexed his hands a few times – as if discovering how to use his body for the first time.

Yes. He was wide awake now.

Turning away from the mirror, Remus' eyes scanned his surroundings impatiently. The room was lit by strange colors – no doubt an effect of the burning fire and the cold moonlight. He glanced at the warm bed that awaited him but nearly laughed at the thought of trying to sleep.

In that moment, he very nearly burned with the desire to do something – anything to relieve himself of some of this excess energy. He stood still until he could not take it any longer.

Donning a heavy cloak, Remus fled the room without a backward glance.

The air was frosty.

The raven-haired man suppressed a shiver as he navigated the mare through the darkened woods.

He was still not convinced that what he had seen had been more than just an illusion. Surely, the hooded figure leaving the castle could not have been Remus.

Why then had be felt the urge to follow?

He sighed in frustration. Of course it had been Remus.

Sirius had been watching from his window as the figure dashed across the grounds and disappeared into the stables.

Without hesitation, he had grabbed his own cloak and raced from the castle.

He was out in the cold within seconds but when he'd finally reached the stables, it was to find that they were devoid of any human presence.

All but one of the stalls had been empty.

He saddled the nearest horse – somehow managing not to frighten it in the process – and allowed the pull to direct him into the forest.

He could think of no reason for Remus to leave the castle so late at night. Perhaps he felt confused or afraid about the situation they now found themselves in. Sirius would not blame him if he did…but that did not mean that he would allow him to ride out on his own.

It was not safe.

Besides, even if there was no danger, he was not sure he would have been able to fight the urge to chase after Remus…to bring him back to the castle.

He shook his head to clear it. The pull to find Remus was becoming stronger.

It was several more minutes before he saw movement in the distance.

His keen eyes narrowed in an attempt to see more clearly between the trees.

There.

It was Remus – he was sure of it.

Tightening his hold on the reins, Sirius set the horse to a gallop and raced in the direction of the figure.

"Remus!" he shouted. His deep voice resonated in the space between them but Remus did not turn back.

At his command, Sirius' horse thundered ahead. As it weaved between trees and jumped over obstacles, Sirius would lose sight of Remus for a few brief seconds before rounding a corner and finding him again. He felt startled at every new glimpse he caught of the cloaked figure between the trees. Sirius felt the adrenaline course through him when he finally neared the other man.

He was so close…

With a low growl, he surged forward until they were galloping side by side. Golden eyes snapped to his.

Sirius caught his breath at the sight.

Remus looked so different.

He felt his stomach clench but he did not have much time to ponder the changes.

The golden eyes blazed as Remus stared back at him. After a moment, the other man raised an eyebrow in challenge and turned sharply between two trees. Remus took off in a new direction and quickly gained the lead.

Sirius turned at the next opening to chase after him. They raced and raced until Sirius nearly lost sight of the other man again. His horse was still galloping at full speed when he came to a small clearing in the center of the woods.

The horse reared back and came to an abrupt halt.

The other boy's horse stood without a rider.

Glancing around with concern, Sirius quickly leapt from his own horse, his powerful form landing gracefully on the ground without a sound.

His gray eyes searched the clearing but he saw no sign of the other man.

He had only a moment to catch his breath and wonder at Remus' disappearance before he was shoved up against the nearest tree.

Smooth lips crashed against his own and, in mere seconds, he felt the full force of his suppressed desire swelling within him.

He was unable to prevent himself from responding to the fervent kisses.

"Remus," he breathed heavily against the other's lips.

The man tugged at his cloak in response and Sirius did not hesitate to reciprocate in kind. Their hands sought each other's smooth skin and, within moments, they had succeeded in tugging the shirt from one another's body. Skin bared from the hips up, Remus pulled back for a moment to stare into his eyes.

The golden orbs were alight with defiance and mischief.

Trying not to wonder at the change in Remus – and what it might mean – Sirius surged forward and buried his nose in the warm neck.

How he had missed this.

After a moment his mouth began kissing and licking at the bared neck and shoulder in desperation.

How long he had wanted to do this again...

There was relief in the action – it had been too long since he'd tasted the other man – but there was something sobering about it as well.

He knew it was too dangerous for them to be out there alone. What if they were seen?

He pulled back abruptly.

"Remus," he whispered hoarsely. "We have to go back. It isn't safe here."

The golden eyes blazed.

"I'm not afraid." Remus' voice was husky with desire.

Sirius had to fight his body's instinctive response to that tone.

"It is not safe," he repeated.

The two men stared at one another in silence. They both looked equally stubborn and resolute.

Finally, a secretive smile tugged at Remus' lips and he nodded in acquiescence – stepping away to mount his horse once more.

"If you say so."

Sirius swallowed hard at that response and turned to retrace his steps back to the mare.

As the two steered the animals back to the castle, he could feel Remus' hungry gaze resting on his face. There was something familiar about the spark that had flashed in the man's eyes earlier but he would not allow himself to think about what that meant.

They did not speak for the rest of the way back.

Instead, they rode in silence – both of their minds filled with similar thoughts of what might have happened if they had stayed in the woods.