Harry Potter -- Blanket Forts -- Day 31 -- "Beginning"

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blanketforts

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prompt for Day 31
Beginning | Day 31 | PG | 584 words

Remus was sitting on the platform at the end of the last train car when Sirius found him, staring out as the snow-covered hills rolled away behind them. Sirius closed the door to the car and sat down next to him, shoulder to shoulder on the narrow step. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Remus replied, not turning from his contemplation of the landscape. The wind whipped their scarves out in front of them, and Sirius wondered if Remus was cold without his cloak.

"It's good that we're all going to Prongs' for the hols," he said after a moment.

"It's good Mrs. Potter will still have us after the trouble you caused last summer," Remus said, but there wasn't any bite to his words.

"We cause," Sirius corrected. "You were there, too, Moony."

"Don't call me that," Remus spat, and Sirius could kick himself. It was the first time they'd exchanged more than two words since The Incident, and Sirius was still bollocksing it up.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm a complete git."

"Yes, you are," Remus said. Sirius was afraid he'd leave it at that, but then he said, "Why did you do it, Pads? What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't?" Sirius offered, and Remus laughed humorlessly. "No, really, I couldn't have been thinking and done that to you."

"What did you think telling him would accomplish?"

"I don't know!" Sirius dropped his head into his hands, gripping his hair. He'd asked himself that same question a hundred times, and he hadn't come up with a satisfactory answer.

Remus' hand landed on his head, gentle and warm despite the chill in the air. "I want to forgive you, Padfoot, I do. But how do I know you won't just do it again?"

Then it was Sirius' turn to laugh, a harsh, bitter sound. "I thought I felt a part of myself die in that moment before Prongs pushed Sniv--Snape out of the way."

"Don't be so dramatic," Remus said, but Sirius thought he was smiling.

He didn't want to look up and find out he was wrong. "I can't promise I'll never make another stupid decision, but I will never put you in that position again."

"You wouldn't be my Padfoot if you didn't make stupid decisions," Remus said, and Sirius tried to quash the thrill deep in his belly at Remus' words.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" He looked up hesitantly.

"Yes, but only because you're kind of pathetic when you're forlorn," Remus said, butting his shoulder against his.

Remus looked almost as happy as Sirius, as if he'd just been waiting for an excuse to forgive him. He was smiling brightly, the wind bringing out a healthy redness in his cheeks. Sirius thought he was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen, and for once he didn't immediately squash the thought. He felt like he could fly without a broom, like anything was possible.

Before he could think it through, Sirius leaned forward and kissed Remus, a quick press of chapped lips before he realized what a stupid idea it was and pulled back hurriedly. Only Remus' sudden grip on his hand kept him from fleeing back into the train. "I guess I really can't keep from making bad decisions," Sirius joked weakly.

"Berk," Remus said, but it sounded almost like an endearment. "Did you mean it?"

Sirius took a deep breath. "Yes, I did."

"Good," Remus said, and then they were really kissing, Remus' fingers still tangled in his.

And it was good.

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