A Short multichip fic based a little on Moulin Rouge. Please enjoy and any constructive criticism is most welcome.

The Beauty and The Beast

The rain was chill as it found its way beneath the boys cloak, the creak of the cart, the snort of horses were the only sounds upon the cobbled roads. The boy shivered and wrapped the wool as tight as it would go around his body, it didn't help much. He sniffed and heard the driver of the cart spit over the side into a puddle, a girl who couldn't have been much more than twelve years old wiped drizzle from her face only to have it replaced by more. There were five of them in all, five children sold to the slave caravan as it passed through the rough mountain villages, five families so desperate for provisions that they were given no choice but to hand over their most precious assets. They had been on the move since dawn and were slowly drawing closer to their final destination. The boy supposed that it was best this way, at least now his parents could feed themselves for another year. He had not fought, as many other boys did, when they had loaded him into the cart like so much chattel. He no longer saw the point. A boy who had fought the most of all of them lay curled up beneath a rough blanket, his breath was shaky and rattled each time his chest rose and it was a well known fact that the Slavers doubted his survival.

He was woken up by a brutal hand landing on his shoulder; his eyes flew open to reveal a grey and miserable day. "Get up, boy and bring the youngest." A hard voice growled and the boy had no choice but to obey. The youngest was a five year old who had had the misfortune of being born with a terrible limp, she was light when lifted into the air and made no sound as they followed the others towards a pair of bright, crimson painted doors.

It was opened by a woman with short grey hair and a wide, toad-like mouth. Her lips strained as she smiled at the Slaver and invited them into the house. The children traipsed inside only to find themselves standing on an opulent rug with strange patterns woven into it, the walls were hung with various sumptuous cloths and rich tapestries depicting scenes of love making. It took the older children a moment or two to realise where they were, but when they had their faces became pale as they exchanged fearful glances. After a few brief greetings between the Slaver and the toad-lady, the slaver arranged his wares into a rough line ready for inspection. The woman, who was introduced to them as Mistress Umbridge took her time in inspecting the products. She squeezed flesh, lifted faces to the light, inquired about general health issues until finally turning back to the trader. "I will take three out of the five, the rest are far too young or in terrible condition."

"Which ones catch your fancy, Mistress?"

The woman pointed at the three eldest. "Those two boys and this girl here."

After a moment's pause they began to haggle.

XXX

Sirius peered curiously around the crimson screen that separated the hall way from the rest of the house, his eyes scanned the ragged line of potential workers as the Mistress of the house bargained with the slaver.

"Siri, you shouldn't be spying! She'll take the lash to you again." Hissed Gideon Prewett, a long time friend.

"I'll be fine." Sirius muttered back, grinning at the red haired boy standing nervously behind him. "She never touches my face, I'm her most prized possession."

"Yeah, but for how long?" The other whisper came from Gideon's twin.

"As long as I keep my looks." Sirius insisted and returned his gaze back to the newcomers just as the Mistress was shaking hands reluctantly with the slaver. "So, we got three newbies to train now…" He said as he turned away and began walking through the lounge area of the house.

"It'll be the usual…" Gideon muttered, linking arms with his twin. "The boys'll fight for a while before giving up and the girl will probably have given up already."

"They do tend to have much more sense." Sirius agreed absently as he rubbed his wrist where a thick silver bangle covered a faint scar. His mind went back to the look of the new goods, only one had really stood out and that was only because, beneath the layer of grime and damp, he had eyes of the deepest chocolate brown Sirius had ever seen. "I wonder what they'll be like?" He asked no one in particular as the three of them mounted the stairs to the upper floors.

"Who knows? You'll probably get to meet them sooner than we will anyway, after all the Mistress'll want them to see what they could become if they're good little boys and girls." Gideon and Fabien heard Sirius laugh softly.

"I'm only this good because I've been raised for this." He said with only a hint of bitterness, the other two exchanged glances as Sirius turned off the corridor and pushed open the door to his room. "I suppose we'll see them in the morning." He said and flashed his hand in farewell as he disappeared inside.

The next day Sirius was woken by the usual sounds of banging on his door, he rolled over in bed and yawned as he forced himself to sit upright. The door opened and revealed Mistress Umbridge in all her froggy glory, her smile was wide and almost predatory as she yanked open the curtains to let sunlight fall across the richly carpeted floor. "Good morning, my dear." She said with sickening sweetness. "I do hope you had a good rest as we have a big day today."

Sirius' only response was to yawn and climb out of bed, he stood naked before Umbridge as she busied herself directing the two silent servant girls to pour several massive pitchers of steaming water into a copper bath. A fire was lit to keep it warm and a pile of rich clothes were laid out for Sirius to wear when he was clean. "I want you looking your best today, we have some newcomers who will wish to see what they could become if they put in the right effort."

"Yes, Mistress Umbridge." Sirius intoned dully as he eyed the soapy water longingly.

"I will go rouse the others while you bathe." She smiled at him one last time and left the room, the servant girls followed her out with their eyes firmly upon the floor.

Once he was bathed and dressed he made his way down to the lounge area, he was among several of the houses occupants to arrive and he found a seat in the very centre of the large room on a pile of satin cushions. He lay on his side with his head on one hand and waited. Finally, once the others were in attendance Mistress Umbridge ushered in the newcomers, Sirius' eyes immediately landed upon the boy he had spotted the previous night. He had been washed, scrubbed until his skin was flushed a dull pink and dressed in robes of white cotton. His hair was a sandy brown colour and hid his eyes as he gazed intently at the floor. As introductions were made Sirius only had eyes for the boy with the tawny hair, when Mistress Umbridge spoke his name it slid down Sirius' spine like a cold finger.

Remus.

XXX

Remus lifted his gaze from the floor, after the journey here he had been bought and paid for by the owner of this strange house and as his eyes found his audience he realised where he was. There were an arrangement of some of the most attractive boys and girls Remus had ever seen, they were lounging lazily on cushions of the richest fabrics and their clothes were scanty at best. He had been sold to a Brothel. There were people of varying ages from the youngest who looked in her very early teens to the eldest who could have been in his twenties, they were all beautiful and all of them were in excellent condition. Remus felt his cheeks flush as he thought of how he compared to these brightly coloured angels, he was smaller than most of the boys, his body covered in scars from a long ago accident involving a wolf. His hair was plain and he had never once considered himself in any way handsome. Compared to the gods and goddesses in this room he was nothing. He swallowed as he gazed at the assembled people, feeling more and more like some freak on display, until his eyes found a boy who sat in the very centre of the room. He had hair as dark as night that had been half pinned up by a flashing silver comb, his clothes consisted of a satin shirt that fell open to reveal his perfectly smooth chest and a pair of the softest looking leggings. His feet were bare but his arms jingled with music from an assortment of tiny bangles, when their eyes met the boy smiled and Remus could have sworn the temperature of the room rocketed.

"Now then, each of you new comers will be assigned to two of those already established here. So, Remus dear, I will pair you with the Prewett Twins." The Mistress gave Remus a push in the back as two boys with identical red hair and grins took him by the arm.

"Looks like you're staying with us." Said one.

"We'll show you around, don't look so frightened, it's not as bad as you think it is."

Remus didn't find himself very comforted but as he was guided gently through the crowd of people he caught a glimpse of the dark haired boy moving away from him. "Who is that?" He asked as curiosity burned.

"That is the most popular male courtesan in this part of the country." One of the twins said in an awed whisper. "He gets the richest, most influential clients who cross the country to visit and he's a master of seduction of both men and women."

"How old is he?" Remus asked as his eyes bored into the back of the mysterious boy.

"Oh he's sixteen nearly seventeen now but from what we've gleaned over the years he's been here since he could walk. The story is is that his parents abandoned him outside here when he was a toddler and Mistress Umbridge took him in when she saw how pretty he was, she raised him and taught him everything he knows. We don't know all the details but she was apparently pretty hard on him during training…or so the rumours go."

"Mistress Umbridge uses him as a kind of bar for everyone else to reach, not that any of us can compare to someone who was raised to make money using his body but still we all try…" The boy sighed softly before turning and smiling at Remus. "I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Fabien and this is my brother, Gideon."

"Nice to meet you both." Remus said softly as the twins guided him down a corridor lit by low gas lamps. He had lost sight of the famous boy but his face remained with him as the boys showed him the room he would be living in.

The first week after Remus' arrival was taken up by learning the rules of the Brothel, there were so many he found it hard to keep up. The Prewett twins helped him learn as many as he could.

"You're not allowed outside." Gideon said as they sat in the lounge during lunch.

"Yeah, the Mistress is pretty strict on that one." Fabien agreed.

"You're also not allowed to go into the kitchens for any reason unless ordered specifically by Umbridge herself."

"You can't wear any clothes except what you're given to wear, especially when with a client."

"But…these rules all pale in comparison to the one where you're not allowed, under any circumstances, to fall in love." Fabien warned in a hushed voice.

Remus' eyes widened. "Not allowed to fall in love? Why ever not?"

The twins exchanged identical glances of mild exasperation. "Because if you take a lover how are they going to react to you sleeping around for money? Jealousy is a potent thing and can destroy even the most careful courtesan."

Remus nodded in sudden understanding, he could well imagine the difficulty of falling in love with a prostitute. Just as this thought crossed his mind he spotted a figure dressed all in black sweep past the others, he spotted the twins and smiled widely as he made his way towards them. "Well if it isn't our resident prince!" Fabien cried dramatically, a few nearby people sniggered in amusement. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your esteemed company?"

Sirius' eyes landed on Remus who flushed brightly and tore his eyes away. "I've come to check out my competition." He said and sat down between his friends. "Hello, my name's Sirius Black. It's nice to meet you." He said with a slow smouldering smile, Remus took his hand and realised how sweaty his palm was, quickly he wiped it clean on his shirt.

"Remus Lupin." He said quietly and Sirius' smile widened.

"I suppose these two idiots have been trying to show you the ropes?" Sirius said as he stole a grape from Gideon's plate and popped it into his mouth, Remus nodded, swallowing hard to try to stop his eyes from following the movement of the boy's lips. "Well, if you want to rise high in this sordid world the only thing you need to be really good at is the art of seduction and trust me, these two don't know their arse from their elbows when it comes to that." He winked playfully at his friends who grumbled irritably. "Oh, and knowing how to dress is also really helpful." Sirius paused and looked intently at Remus who tried to hold his gaze without blushing but still felt his cheeks heating. "You're a virgin, yes?"

"I-I…Well…I…" Remus' reaction seemed to confirm what Sirius already knew.

"Then your first client will be paying through the nose for you. Virgin boys are in high demand and so rare these days. You won't get any proper training until the Mistress has sold your virginity, after that you'll be taken under either my wing or one of the older boys here…"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Sirius arched an aristocratic eyebrow. "I mean that someone will need to teach you how to fuck like a professional."

"And…and that will be y-you?" Remus' eyes widened in surprise.

Sirius shrugged. "Or one of the older boys." He said absently as he stuffed a buttered roll into his mouth. After chewing for a moment he smiled. "Then you'll be taught the way of girls."

Remus flushed again brightly. "And it doesn't matter what I want?"

Sirius sighed and shook his head. "Of course not. It's the Mistress that decides on your clientele, admittedly there are some of us who are more in demand from one sex or another but others who get an equal amount of both. I personally am highly demanded by other men but I do have my fair share of female customers."

"The women are much easier to deal with." Fabien said with a wise nod.

"Much less demanding." Agreed his brother.

"And much more discreet." Sirius added.

Remus had a sudden, very unnerving thought. "What if…what if you can't…you know…" He said quietly.

Sirius blinked once before chuckling. "If you can't perform?" He watched Remus nod and turn bright pink. "Then we have many, many different potions and pills for you to take to solve that issue. But I'm almost certain that you won't have that problem."

It was in Remus' fourth week that Mistress Umbridge deemed him ready to be sold. The news hit him like a tonne of bricks, up until that moment he had been helping the servants go about their duties but now it was his initiation and the idea terrified him so much he spent the next few hours in the toilet. Fabien and Gideon sat outside while he emptied his stomach contents into the toilet bowl, he heard them trying to comfort him but none of their words helped ease his mind.

Fabien looked up from where he sat outside the toilet, Sirius stood over him and raised a curious eyebrow. "Lupin's in there chucking up…he's been told that he's got his first client this evening." He said softly.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and sighed softly. "Oi, Lupin!" He called with a sharp rap on the door. "You can't stay in there forever, mate. Trust me, it's not as bad as you think it's going to be. It hurts a little at first but eventually the pain fades and you can learn to enjoy it, the client isn't going to be expecting much from an untried virgin anyway so you don't have to put on a show." Sirius paused, all he could hear was the sound of the flush then the door opened to reveal Remus' white face.

"I-I…I can't…I can't do this…" He croaked roughly.

Sirius' mouth tightened briefly before he took hold of Remus' hand and dragged him towards the bedrooms. "You can and I'm going to do what I can to help." He said firmly. "Remember that now you belong to Mistress Umbridge, she's got your contract and will keep it until you're no longer desirable."

"What…what happens then?" Remus asked as they paused outside Sirius' bedroom, the dark haired boy turned to look at him with glittering eyes.

"You get given a dividend of the money you earned whilst you were here then sent on your way." He said and smiled before pulling Remus into his room. "You're not usually allowed in here but given the circumstances you'll be let off." He said as he indicated for Remus to take a seat before going to his wardrobe and rummaging through the clothes. He found one of his old shirts and a pair of quality trousers before flinging them at Remus. "Put these on, the colour will look nice with your hair."

Remus did as ordered even though his fingers fumbled on the buttons of the shirt, when he was done Sirius gave him a strange look before tutting loudly. With a sharp yank he undid the shirt and scattered buttons everywhere, it fell open to reveal Remus' chest. Sirius' eyes scanned the scars scattered across it. "Where did you get those?" He asked curiously.

Remus flinched a little and tried to cover himself up, Sirius grabbed his hands gently to prevent him from pulling the shirt closed. "It…it was an accident." He breathed finally, avoiding Sirius' intense gaze.

"Covering them up won't help." Sirius said matter of factly as he released Remus' hands and stepped back. "If you play it right they'll make you seem more interesting and mysterious." He smiled at Remus' doubt filled expression. "Look, this is the hardest bit of this life, after this it gets easier, I promise." His smile lit up the room and Remus couldn't help but return it nervously. "Now, get yourself cleaned and smartened up before Umbridge gets stroppy."

As the sun began to set the lights inside the brothel dimmed, Remus sat in the lounge with his legs pulled up against his chest. He watched as the doors were opened and the Clients were invited into the room, his heart leapt wildly in his chest as he watched several painted boys and girls move forward with big fake smiles. It took him a while before he noticed Sirius as he moved through the crowd and smiled when he reached his side. "How are you hanging in there?" He asked as he sat at Remus' side, when he didn't reply Sirius reached into the wide sleeve of his satin robe and withdrew a small bottle. "Here, this'll help." He said in a low whisper. "Just take a sip…it'll make it a little easier."

Remus lifted the bottle to his lips, his nose was assaulted by the powerful sting of Alcohol. Without another thought he took a deep swig before handing the bottle back to Sirius who patted his hair affectionately. The touch made a shudder crawl up Remus' spine and he saw that Sirius' eyes were dark, they were ringed by a faint line of kohl pencil and he had a pink tint to his lips. His eyes were drawn towards the doors and he seemed to spot someone, slowly he got to his feet. "My Client's here…" he said slowly as he tucked the bottle back into his sleeve. "Remember, just relax and let the client do all the work, don't concentrate too much on the pain and it will fade eventually…You'll be fine, Lupin." With one last smile Sirius moved towards a tall man dressed in an impeccable suit. Remus watched as he smiled at the man and put a hand on his arm, his body language changed and became much more intimate and Remus watched as he slowly ran his tongue over his bottom lip. The man could hardly look away as Sirius dragged him through the crowd and towards his room.