Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and its characters are not mine.

A/N: This story will be in three parts.

Under the Christmas Rose

First Kiss

In one of many draughty hidden passages of Hogwarts, Sirius emerged from a frayed tapestry and stopped dead in his tracks. Golden light flickered in cast-iron sconces and played patterns upon two boys kissing in the alcove of the bay window. Like a bait for the unwary, a sprig of mistletoe dangled from the stone arch above the embracing figures. Clad in identical black robes, the figures seemed to be on the verge of melting into one another and into the dark beyond outside the window.

The sight of the entwining figures stirred up something within Sirius, and he stayed rooted to the spot, his heartbeat racing and his mind in a whirlwind. He knew who the two boys were, even though he could hardly believe his eyes. James and Remus—his friends, roommates and fellow Marauders—were kissing and embracing as if they were lovers.

As though sensing his presence, Remus tilted his head ever so slightly and met Sirius' gaze. His face flushed and his heart skipped a beat, Sirius bit the inside of his cheek and walked towards Remus and James. At once Remus broke off the kiss and pulled away, and James let him go with much reluctance before scowling at the intruder. When he saw Sirius, however, he blinked, and a bashful look came over his countenance.

"Er, hallo, Padfoot. Going for a walk?" James sounded almost like his usual self, but the colour on his cheeks and the glint in his hazel eyes spoke otherwise.

"Yeah, something like that." Sirius looked from James—who was feigning nonchalance still—to Remus—composed and silent, a closed book but for those slightly swollen lips. How long had they been kissing, Sirius wondered. "I certainly wasn't expecting to find two of my friends snogging each other silly under the mistletoe."

"I'm sure," Remus muttered, his veiled green eyes falling upon James. Catching his gaze, James smiled a quick little smile, an exchange of secret signals and meaningful looks. There was something intangible flowing in the space between James and Remus, a space that no one could intrude upon.

Stricken with a spell of bitterness, Sirius crossed his arms and regarded his friends. He once thought the spot by James' side was his and his alone—not anymore. "So that's how it is? You two are going out."

To Sirius' surprise, it was Remus who answered first. "We were just fooling around. Christmas tradition and all." Remus absently ran his hands over his faded school robe, smoothing out wrinkles that were not there. "I have to go. I was supposed to be on prefect duty."

"Right. And I'll walk Prongs back to the dorm and guard him with my life," Sirius said wryly while casting James a sidelong glance.

James did not look at all amused. "Very funny, Sirius."

"I'll see you later." With a vague smile that seemed to spell too much meaning and nothing at all, Remus went over to the tapestry that Sirius had come through from, pulled it aside, and slipped behind it into the secret passage. The tapestry fell back into place with a muted thud and stirred up a cloud of dust in the guttering light.

"Well." Sirius spoke up once Remus was out of earshot. "Dragging off a prefect-on-duty to some secluded nook for a round of Christmas tradition has got to be one of your crazier ideas. And who'd have thought Remus would go along with it. He usually takes his prefect duty very seriously."

"Yeah, he's full of surprises."

With a faraway look on his face James stared at the dusty tapestry, as though waiting and wishing for a certain someone to jump out of the tapestry and back into his arms. Seeing the look on James' face, Sirius pressed his lips together and fell silent. For one tantalising moment, a pang of emotions drowned out all other thoughts but one in his head: jealousy, or longing, or loneliness.

"I'm leaving you behind," Sirius said coolly.

James blinked as though he had just woken from a dream; in the next beat, his lips curved into a lopsided grin. Without ceremony he threw an arm around Sirius' shoulders and steered him towards the tapestry. "You'll never do that. I'm your best mate, right?" James said casually, as if nothing at all was amiss. The face that Sirius had glimpsed upon only a moment ago could have been a lie.

To be continued...