The tunnel was dark and silent. My padded feet made no sound on the dusty floor as I made my way along, unerring despite the lack of light. At the end of the tunnel he would be waiting. Not for me. Simply, waiting. Bloody, bruised, dangerous. A shy young man cursed to shed his form under the full moon, and take on the guise of a wolf. Even as I took on the shape of a large, black dog.

Outside, I knew it was approaching dawn. For the last hour we'd been working on our shapeshifting; I seemed to have a knack for it, being able to remain as a dog for hours at a time now, instead of the few minutes that was all Peter could manage. James, naturally, had been helping Peter with his usual selfless patience.

As light began to creep into the sky, James had sent me on ahead, offering to stay and work with Peter for another hour, while I went to be with Remus as he returned to human form. By dawn, Remus was usually in a terrible state, having ripped himself to shreds in the darkest hours. Returning to human form was always an ordeal.

As I trotted off, I wondered yet again if James suspected how I felt. Had he ever noticed that my glances rested on Remus for just a little longer than necessary? Knowing James, I thought it possible, but he'd never said so much as a word about it. Remus himself had no idea, I was certain of that. I had sworn to myself that I would never let him know how I felt, our friendship was too valuable to me to risk jeopardising it.

I was almost at the end of the tunnel now. I could smell fear and desperation, and through it all, the unmistakable scent of blood. I shoved open the door with my nose, and ran quickly to where Remus was lying on the floor, huddled in the corner. He was in wolf-form still, curled in on himself, his soft, silver-grey fur streaked with saliva and blood. He was shivering, and his eyes were closed; I couldn't tell whether he dreamt, or his nightmare was in the waking world.

I nudged his shoulder with my nose, but he only made a soft whimpering noise, and tried to huddle even further away from me. I nudged him again, offering reassurance, and then set about licking his wounds. Some of them were dried and matted, others were still fresh and oozing blood. The salt-copper tang filled my mouth, laced with the musk-taste of male wolf.

Eventually it seemed his trembling lessened, as the ministrations of my tongue soothed him. His great golden eyes opened slowly and fixed on me, following me as I cleaned the length of his forelegs, lapping down to his wicked, tearing claws. He whimpered softly, and I nuzzled into the ruff of his neck, trying to tell him that I was here now, he was safe.

There was still blood around his muzzle from where he had bitten himself, and gently I worked my nose under his chin, forcing it up off his paws. Reluctantly, he sat up and let me lick it clean, protesting only with a twitch of one ear as I fussed over him, running my tongue over his ears, his closed eyes.

And then gradually the fur disappeared, until my tongue was running across salty human skin.

Abruptly, I lost animal shape, and found myself with my nose pressed against his cheek. For a moment, the position startled me, but the dog-thoughts were still strong in my mind, and being so near to Remus drove all remnants of logic from my mind. Slowly, I continued my cleaning, licking the salty mixture of tears and sweat and blood from his delicate face.

Along his jawline next, over his chin, moving upwards. And then my tongue slipped across his lower lip, and I felt his lips part, ever so slightly. Feeling a strange sensation building with me, I tilted my head forwards, and my tongue slid inside his mouth. Then his lips were pressed against mine, even as the tip of my tongue met his, and a jolt ran through me as if I had been shocked.

I slid an arm around his shoulders, wanting him closer, pulling him to me. My tongue explored his mouth as one of my hands ran down his back, feeling the ladder of his ribs. And then suddenly, human awareness returned in a rush, and I realised I was kissing Remus, and holding his naked body in my arms.

I broke the kiss, jerking backwards in my panic. I had kissed Remus. I had done what I had sworn I would never do. I had promised myself I would never give in to the urge to touch him, never frighten him with what I felt. And now I had thrown everything away, shattered our friendship, and betrayed his trust.

"Remus... Oh God, I'm sorry... I don't know why I did that, I didn't mean to... are you alright?"

Remus' eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and pain as he stared at me, before dropping his gaze to the floor. A single tear slipped down his cheek.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I just wanted to comfort you, I wasn't thinking straight, the dog-form gets to me... that wasn't what I intended, I swear..."

He was trembling now, thin arms wrapped around his frail, grubby body as if to shield himself from me. A sick feeling crept through me -- he was the one that was supposed to be dangerous, and yet I was the one who had lost control.

"Please, say something, Remus... " Every moment of silence felt like another dagger in my belly, and still he sat, mute, head down, slowly rocking now. "I didn't mean to do that, I just wanted to take care of you, I'm so sorry..."

"I..." A soft sound, a gasp of breath. I saw his chest heave, as if he were sobbing silently, but his hair hung over his face as he kept his eyes fixed on the floor.

"I thought..." Pause.

"Remus?" I stretched out a hand, wanting desperately to touch him, but quickly I pulled it back, realising it would only make things worse.

"I thought you..."

Silence again, and I struggled to hold back the tears of my own. "I wouldn't hurt you, Remus, not for anything."

"I thought you cared..."

"I do care about you, please believe me, please! We're friends..."

"I thought you cared for me..."

"Remus...?"

"I don't want your pity!" His head came up now, and his eyes blazed at me with fury, even as the tears continued to stream. "I don't want to be your charity case, I don't want to be your pet project, I don't want you to look after me because you think it's your duty!!!"

"Remus, I don't--"

"For a minute there, I thought you cared - not cared about, like you would an injured puppy, but cared for, like I was someone that mattered... to you..." His voice trailed away, and I wasn't sure if he had said the words, or I had heard only what I wanted to.

"What?" Faintly. Disbelieving.

More pain in his face now, pain and an angry red flush across his cheeks. "You want me to say it again? You enjoy seeing me humiliated? Taking a leaf out of Snape's book now? Fine. I thought you cared for me. I thought you wanted me. I was naive, I was stupid, I was wrong, and now you know."

"Wanted...?" I didn't seem to be able to gather my wits enough to string words together to make a coherent sentence.

His eyes flashed at me again, as he pushed his hair impatiently from his face. "You kiss me and then you push me away, what am I supposed to think? One minute my dreams are coming true and the next they're down the drain. I should have known that I'm nothing more to you than the poor little wolf-boy, Dumbledore's charity case. You're only here because you feel sorry for me."

"You fool!" I managed to splutter finally. The hurt deepened in Remus' eyes and I quickly continued. "I've cared for you since the first day I saw you, standing there so wide-eyed and wonderful. I've wanted you since I knew what want was! I never expected... I never thought that you'd... " My power of speech seemed to be an elusive thing. "Oh, you're a fool, and I'm a bigger one." I began to laugh weakly, at myself, at the whole situation.

Slowly the pain and hurt drained from his face. Amazement crept in, slowly, hesitantly, as if he feared this was just another cruel sting that I was setting up for him. "You mean you really... want me?" A slight catch in his voice.

I reached out, slowly so as not to startle him, and enfolded his slender hand in my own. It was cool against my palm. He sat for a moment, gaping at me, and then suddenly his hand was clutching my own as though it were a lifeline.

"Yes, I want you." I smiled at him, drinking in his face, the mouth that was slowly creeping up at the corners, the way his lashes were dark with still-wet tears. "Very much. But if you keep doing that, you're going to break my fingers."

Abruptly he lessened his death-grip, smiling at me shyly. "Sorry."

I couldn't help but grin back. "Well... it's nice to know I'm wanted, at least."

The hideous tension which had built up between us suddenly disappeared, as we both sat there, grinning foolishly at one another.

I marvelled at how much everything had changed, in such a short space of time. We looked at each other with newfound permission and wonder, neither of us speaking. There was so much I wanted to say, and so much I needed to say, that I didn't know where to begin.

But Remus surprised me utterly, as he forwent words altogether and leant forward to press his lips against mine once again. It was an awkward kiss, and yet it was the most wonderful thing imaginable, for it was given freely, a gift from the one I adored. Gently his tongue lapped at me this time, flutteringly tentative. It was soft and rough against my lip, and then it was sliding into my mouth.

I slipped my hands around his shoulders, and realised that he was still trembling. And naked. Abruptly, I broke this kiss, forcing myself to keep my eyes on his face, despite the strong temptation to let them wander lower. He tilted his head questioningly, his brows furrowing anxiously as I clambered to my feet. Hastily, I grabbed the quilt off the bed and draped it around him.

"Er... you seemed cold."

His face suddenly flushed with colour, as he realised his state of undress. I supposed the disorientation of returning from wolf-form must be at least as unsettling as it was for an animagus. He tugged the blanket around him, carefully avoiding my gaze as he tried to regain his composure.

"It's ok. I didn't look. Not that I didn't want to. Um, that wasn't the right thing to say, was it?"

He gave me a lopsided grin, half-pleased, half-embarrassed, and this time it was my turn to blush.

After a few moments, he became serious, his wide, golden-brown eyes still fixed on me. "Sirius... what happens now?"

"I don't know." I answered truthfully. Never having expected my feelings to be returned, I hadn't even let myself dream of what I might do in this situation. "What do you want to happen?"

"I'm not sure." His expression was hopeful, but I noticed his hands were twisting in the quilt fretfully, and his shoulders were still shaking, though with cold, fear, or excitement, I couldn't tell. I reflected that it had been a long night for him, and this morning's revelation, though wonderful, had still been something of a shock, for both of us.

"Come here." I held out my arms. He looked at me quizzically, and I saw the uncertainty flicker across his face. "I'm not going to try anything, I swear." I attempted a wry grin, but it faded into sadness. I was still angry at myself for frightening him, and more determined not to do anything he didn't want ever again.

Slowly he moved to sit beside me. I wrapped my arms around him, quilt and all, and then leant back against the wall, pulling him back with me. He resisted automatically as he was tilted off-balance, and then he let himself relax, falling against my chest, with his head nestled in the crook of my shoulder. I pressed my cheek against his tangled hair.

He shivered in my arms, and I held him more tightly. His body seemed to fit perfectly with my own, a comforting weight against me. For the moment, it was enough to be nestled quietly together. There would be time enough to explore what had begun between us later.

"Don't let go." The words were barely a whisper, muffled against my robes.

"I won't let go. I've got you, you're safe now, and we're here together." I murmured the words softly, soothingly.

"I need you."

"I'm here. I'll stay with you as long as you want me to." A gentle kiss on his crown.

"Love you..." So soft I almost thought I'd imagined them, the words sent a shiver through me.

"I love you too."

Eventually, his shaking stopped, and his breathing became slow and even. My arm started to go numb, but I didn't move, not wanting to disturb him. I closed my eyes, letting the happiness seep through me as the sun crept into the sky. I was tired and dirty, and happier than I had ever been, with my beloved in my arms, and a world of possibilities open to us when he awoke.

Sometime later, I head footsteps on the stairs. Drowsily, it occurred to me that I should do something, that I wasn't supposed to be seen here. But Remus' heavy warmth was draped across me and I couldn't bear to move. The footsteps came closer, the door creaked open. And then James' scruffy head was poking around the doorframe, taking us both in at a glance.

I was suddenly wide awake as panic sparked to life. What would James think? He was the best friend I'd ever had. My feelings for him were as strong as they were for Remus, just in a different way. I desperately hoped that James would approve, that this wouldn't alter the friendship that meant so much to me. I held my breath.

But James broke into a wide grin. "About bloody well time, you guys!"

And then suddenly I knew everything was going to be all right - not just today, or tomorrow, but for a long time to come. Maybe dreams did come true, after all.