Author's Note: This was originally post in my Fifty Shades of AU collection, but with the new story I'm working on, I thought I'd just make it a collection of its own. :)

Written for…

Every Wolf Deserves a Star, Wolfstar Competition. Prompts: Cinderella!AU, Historical!AU, rabbit

Hogwarts Talent Show. Prompt: "The Garden of Promise" by Thomas Kinkade (picture)

Ludo Game Challenge. Prompts: stress, defeat, (emotion) hopelessness

Open Category Competition 4. Category: AU

Runaway Wolf

"I want the house spotless by the time we get home," Walburga told her son as she admired her reflection in the hall mirror.

The eighteen-year-old nodded from his position, huddled in the corner. It was hopeless to argue with his mother when she was on a rant.

"I want you to clean out the fireplace while you're at it, and sweep the garden steps."

Orion trailed in then, straightening his bowtie. Regina followed right behind and Sirius stifled a laugh at the bright orange gown she wore. She glared at him as their mother tied the girl's hair back with a matching orange ribbon.

"You look like a pumpkin," he told her. The smile was wiped from his face when Orion smacked him upside the head.

"Don't make fun of your sister, boy!"

Walburga nodded, finishing tying the ribbon into a large bow. "This is just the sort of dress that will catch the prince's attention at the ball."

Sirius let out a defeated sigh, returning to his favorite game of seeing if he could be as silent and still as a statue while his family finished getting ready.

In truth he had been just as excited about the royal ball when the invitation arrived weeks before, even though he was not invited.

"It's only for eligible young ladies, not dirty boys," Regina had said with a sneer.

But Sirius didn't care about going to some stuffy ball just to watch the reclusive prince choose a wife. He would much rather be at home, enjoying a few hours without his family.

They left the house promptly at seven, reminding Sirius that they would be home no later than midnight as they boarded the carriage that would take them all the way to the castle on the hill.

Sirius ran around the house for the first fifteen minutes, just because he could. Regina's old cat, who Sirius had taken to calling 'Kreacher', hissed at him loudly.

"Just like your mistress," he huffed.

The house was left a mess, of course. The Blacks never bothered lifting a finger while they had Sirius around to do it for them. And it was Sirius' proficiency as a cleaner that allowed him to get the house in decent shape in under an hour, so that when the clock struck eight he was already headed out the back door with a broom.

The garden had always been his favorite place. As a child he would hide in the bushes and flowers until his parents went hoarse screaming for him. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he would even manage to sneak through the gate and into the woods for a few hours.

The gate was long-since broken. The latch was badly rusted and it was impossible to keep the thing closed, so Sirius didn't think much of it being left ajar as he lazily swept the stone steps leading up to it of fallen leaves and petals.

There was a rustling sound to his left, in one of the overgrown bushes Walburga loved so much. Sirius rolled his eyes. He poked at the bush with the long handle of the broom, thinking it one of the wild animals that wandered in and out of the garden all the time.

"Out you come," he said. "Mum's not going to like you digging up her flowers."

There was a loud, distinctly human yelp before a boy's face popped out of the bushes. Sirius stumbled backwards, dropping the broom.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were one of the rabbits that have been ruining the rose bushes."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been hiding in your garden," the boy said. He seemed to be having trouble climbing out of the bush, so Sirius offered him a hand.

Sirius could see him better once he was on the path, in the light of the house. He had light brown hair and loose clothes, as if he'd just lost a lot of weight. There were scratches on his face that looked faded, so they couldn't have come from the rose thorns.

"I'm Sirius, what's your name?"

The boy looked nervous for a moment, before he said "Remington," in what Sirius determined to be a lie.

"You don't have to be scared. As long as you're out of here by midnight my parents won't find out about this."

The boy visibly relaxed, even as he asked "You don't mind?"

"It's not every day a handsome boy sneaks into my garden," Sirius said, then froze. He hadn't meant to say the handsome part, even though it was true. The scars didn't hide his good looks in the slightest.

Remington blushed, his fingers self-consciously running along a scar on his cheek. "I'm not handsome."

"You are," Sirius told him with more confidence than before. It occurred to him belatedly that he was standing there in soot-covered trousers and a torn shirt, flirting with a boy who was probably trying to steal from him. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm running away."

Sirius' eyes lit up. How many times over the years did he wish he had the courage to run away? "Really? Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet. That's why I came here. I saw the carriage leave earlier and I thought I'd be safe to wait here for a few hours, just until they stop looking for me."

"My family is at the royal ball, so you're welcome to stay until they return."

"Why aren't you with them?"

"I wasn't invited." Sirius shrugged. "And I wouldn't be interested in watching my sister throw herself at the prince anyway."

"Everyone of noble blood was invited," Remington said, frowning.

"Are you noble?" The boy certainly didn't look it, but then neither did Sirius.

There was a rustling in the trees beyond the gate and a voice called out.

"Prince Remus?"

Sirius and Remington shared a look before the runaway dived back into the bushes just as a man in a guard's uniform approached the gate.

"Can I help you with something?" Sirius asked the man, casually picking up the forgotten broom and returning to his sweeping.

"I'm looking for a boy about your age," the man said. He stepped through the gate uninvited, his eyes sweeping over the garden. "He has light hair and scars on his face. He likes to go by the name 'Remington.'"

Sirius pretended to think for a moment before he shook his head. "Sorry, I haven't seen him. Has he don't something wrong?"

"He's run away," the guard said, turning back. "If you see him, tell him to come home immediately. It's time the brat take some responsibility."

Sirius continued sweeping for another minute, until the guard was out of sight and he was sure he wouldn't be coming back. Then he stuck the broom back into the bush, gentler than before.

"You're the prince," he accused as Remington climbed out.

"Don't say that too loudly, there are guards looking for me all over the place."

"Then tell me why you ran away."

The prince looked torn between answering the question and bolting through the gate, but Sirius was blocking the steps and the stone wall was too high to jump over.

"I'm a werewolf," he answered, turning away from Sirius.

It took Sirius a long minute to process this. The scars on Remington's – Remus' face, the baggy clothes, being hidden from the public eye for as long as Sirius could remember. It all made sense. And there had been rumors for years about what lurked in the woods.

"That doesn't answer my question."

Remus looked at him curiously. "I was tired of being hidden away. And this ball … it wasn't my idea. My parents decided it was time I got married, and they couldn't trust me to take charge. They'll pick someone for me tonight and I'll have no choice in marrying them. Worse, I can't tell them what I am. They'll be forced to marry a monster."

"You're not a monster."

"I'm a werewolf," he stressed.

"I don't scare easily." He finished his sweeping and leaned the broom against the wall. "Now, like I said, my parents won't be home until midnight, so we should probably leave at eleven."

"We?" Remus repeated, eyebrows raised. Sirius grinned at him.

"Well, I look at it this way. I could go and find that guard and give you up, or better yet, I could let my bratty sister have you. Or you and I could get out of this place together. You certainly can't go alone."

"You're blackmailing me?"

"I suppose I am. Although, really, I just want to get out of here. Going with you would be a bonus." Sirius shrugged, stepping towards the house and clearing the path to the back gate. "If you want to go, then go. I won't stop you."

Remus didn't move, still watching him. "You're really not afraid of me?"

"Not in the slightest."

The werewolf-prince smiled then, and Sirius decided it was the best thing he'd ever seen..

"Alright then," Remus said. "Where do you want to go?"