The Sirius Secret

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing them for a while.

A/N: Well here we go, this is my first fanfic. It's more of a little ficlet, really. It's official: there's now no turning back. I will go down with this ship. Hope you all enjoy.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

- Roald Dahl

Remus Lupin was hiding in a closet.

It was the closet in an empty Charms classroom, and it wasn't exactly comfortable. He was sitting on top of a very wobbly stack of books, a bucket of feathers and a sack of something – he didn't know and didn't want to know what – that moved. But the classroom was the first room he'd managed to stumble into as he ran down one of the fourth floor corridor of Hogwarts, hands groping along the walls for a door. Once he'd locked himself into the room, he had further shut himself inside the classroom closet, just as an extra safety measure, though even whilst he did all this he despaired over the fact that Sirius always seemed to have the unnerving ability to know exactly where to find him.

He really didn't want to be found.

That kiss… it had been a joke. A prank. A Marauder Christmas specialty, performed in front of all the students and teachers in the Great Hall. It was supposed to be harmless. He had felt Sirius grab him by the waist and sweep him backwards – remembered thinking he would hex the hell out of that obnoxious show-off after the whole ordeal was over for making him the girl in this performance – and then Sirius had kissed him. Remus thought he had been prepared. He was, after all, the king of secrets. But secrets were difficult to keep forever, he knew that too – his most deeply hidden one had already been uncovered by the other Marauders. This, though, this particular secret – he called it the Sirius secret – could not be discovered. Ever.

He'd screwed up his eyes and held his breath, his heart felt like a ping pong ball ricocheting around in his chest. He braced himself mentally, reminding himself to act cool, act normal, so that Sirius wouldn't suspect a thing. And it was all going great until the moment that their lips actually touched, and the cool went out of him completely. He thought he had been prepared – but what he hadn't been prepared for was the instant electrifying reaction, the immediate spark that exploded in his chest the moment he'd felt their lips come into contact.

He didn't know how long they'd kissed for. The moment felt like forever. He had felt Sirius freeze – had he felt it too? – and then the pressure of his lips increased, and he thought he felt, for the briefest second before he had panicked, a hesitant tongue push against his own lips.

Then he had pushed Sirius away, momentarily forgetting that he was being held bent backwards, and wildly flailed his arms to – unsuccessfully – regain his balance. He'd landed on his arse and scrambled as far and as quickly as he could from Sirius before managing to clamber to his feet and run. Straight into the empty classroom.

He now regretted running so quickly. His right ankle was throbbing and he could feel it beginning to swell. "Brilliant," he muttered to himself.

He stiffened suddenly. The sound of a muttered spell was audible, and then he heard the classroom door swing open.

Bloody hell. That was quick.

He knew that it was Sirius as certain as he knew that he had sprained his ankle and that Peter would ask to copy his Transfiguration essay later that night. He had the sound of his footsteps memorized. He closed his eyes and hoped through sheer will that his magic could make him vaporize through the wall.

The closet door was yanked open roughly. Light flooded in, but Remus refused to open his eyes. "Am I invisible?" he said hopefully.

"No," Sirius said, and Remus's eyes snapped open at the anger in Sirius's voice.

Because Sirius was furious. His eyes were burning and his black hair practically fizzing with static.

As Remus was busy trying to process this, Sirius grabbed him by the arm and more or less dragged him out from the closet. Remus was vaguely aware of Sirius ranting about the unfinished skit that he had ran out on. He caught something that sounded like, "It was our best ever, Moony, how could you?" and, "All the girls were practically falling on their faces to get to us!" and even a completely serious, "You ruined the Marauders' reputation, Rem."

He was only half listening because he had unconsciously landed on his sprained foot when Sirius pulled him from the closet and only just managed to stop himself from squealing. He attempted to put on an affronted manly expression while fighting the urge to bend over his ankle and howl in pain.

Sirius was still continuing with his monologue, his voice rising steadily. "…McGonagall gave us all a week's detention after the holidays for 'putting on an inappropriate and boisterous display', I swear, Moony, and you ditched us like a scared hippogriff!"

Remus attempted to interrupt at this point, saying weakly, "Scared…hippogriff?"

Sirius plowed right over him without even stopping for breath. "…And for Merlin's sake, Remus, what the hell's the matter with you? It was just a kiss!"

Remus swallowed hard. His mouth was suddenly very dry. "I…er…" was the only reply he could think of.

Mercifully, at that moment the classroom door burst open and James ran in, slammed the door behind him and promptly collapsed against the wall, laughing like a maniac.

Remus stared. "Er… James?"

The bespectacled dark haired boy held up one hand, the other clutched to his stomach as he doubled over in hysterics. Remus waited patiently for him to finish. Sirius's face was growing red.

"So – bloody – hilarious –" James managed between heaving breaths, still giggling weakly.

"Want to share the joke, mate?" Sirius all but snarled.

James sobered a little at his expression. "What's got your wand all tied up in a knot?"

Remus could sense waves of indignity radiating off Sirius. He pointed at himself, then at Remus, then waved his arms around in despair. "He – I – the skit – detention –" He spluttered, before seeming to run out of steam and deflating onto a nearby desk.

James waved Sirius's protestations aside and turned to Remus. "Moony—" He began, but before he could finish the classroom door was pushed open again and Peter appeared in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe and panting.

"Prongs – told – you to – slow – down," Peter gasped.

James looked unconcerned. "Sorry, Wormtail. I got a bit too excited. Here, have a chocolate frog." He fished around in his robes, and Remus watched in fascination as he emptied some wizarding cards, a cauldron cake, a one-eyed newt ("How'd that get in there?"), a rolled up unfinished Transfiguration essay ("So that's where it went!") and, finally, a chocolate frog, which he tossed to Peter.

Having done that, he turned back round to Remus. "Look, Remus, here's the thing. It was all my ingenious plan." He paused, obviously expecting some sort of response. When only confused silence greeted his statement, he scowled. "I was expecting something along the lines of worshipping me on your knees in gratitude. Or at least some applause, for Merlin's sake. Moony, you look like you don't know what I'm talking about!"

Feeling like he was acting out another skit, Remus said slowly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He watched the emotions change on James' face: first disbelief, then wonderment, then excitement, then pure delight. Remus was automatically on high alert. If James looked so irrationally happy, it could only mean two things: a) either he had managed to successfully pull off an amazing prank or plan, or b) Lily Evans had agreed to go out with him. As far as Remus knew, and the way the conversation was going, option b seemed to be out. Which meant he, Remus, had been the recipient of some elaborate Marauder plan concocted by James Potter. He frowned.

James took a deep breath, paused for dramatic effect, and said in a deliberate stage whisper, "We know." He wriggled his eyebrows at Remus to emphasize his point, which Remus entirely missed.

"Know what?" He said blankly.

James heaved a weary sigh; the sigh of one who was too wise and too knowledgeable for their own good and was therefore always having to explain things to others. He raised his eyebrows at Remus, then deliberately slid his eyes over to Sirius.

Remus felt panic bubbling like a potion inside him. He couldn't. James was the most oblivious person he knew - except, for, well, Sirius.

"You know?" He squeaked, then suddenly choked on air and started having a massive coughing fit as James' words finally slid into place. Oh Good Godric. Someone kill me now.

James saw his panic and attempted to reassure him. "Oh no, not Padfoot. Just me and Wormtail know, don't worry," he said cheerfully, almost sending Remus into spasms. "Old Paddie here's completely oblivious." He accompanied this last sentence with a pat on Sirius's head.

Sirius, who had been silently stewing on the desk all throughout the exchange, was glowering at his best friend. Patting his head was like poking a sleeping tiger. "Potter, I swear, if you don't explain yourself in the next five—"

James backed away hastily. "All right, all right, no need to get so worked up. Remus here will explain everything, right, Moony?" Without waiting for a response, and dragging Wormtail by the collar of his robes, he sailed towards the door, only pausing to add over his shoulder to Remus: "You can thank me later, Moony!" Then, completely blind to Remus's desperate pleading looks, closed the door firmly behind him.

A/N: There's another part to follow! It's not over yet.