Harry Potter Morning Lullabies

_Morning Lullabies_

Remus Lupin loves the way Sirius Black looks when he is sleeping.

On those rare mornings where Remus wakes before Sirius, or when Sirius doesn't have to leave early to attend some sudden Order job with James, Remus will watch as the pre-dawn sunlight drips through the taupe curtains hung over the window. The tendrils of frail light wrap their way across Sirius' hair, making it look almost indigo, bringing out the raven highlights. It creep forwards, over his bare shoulder, pale skin that shimmers over toned muscles. When it reaches his face, highlighting the angles that make him a perfect sculpture in his unmoving state, Remus swears he has never seen anything more beautiful.

The sunlight becomes stronger, going from a buttery soft sheen to rich gold as the bright orb tips over the horizon. Remus doesn't move, he is so still he can barely draw a breath. He doesn't want to spoil this sight. He doesn't want this moment to end. Even as his fingers start to fall asleep, his arm trapped under Sirius' head. He honestly could care less what went numb.

Finally, dark eyelashes flutter on pale cheeks, and Sirius' cool, gray eyes open slowly. He seems lost for a moment, as if still trailing a dream that is trickling away as the daylight ends the blissful sleep. Then he looks up very slowly, to see Remus. He smiles.

"You're golden." He mumbles. Remus raises an eyebrow, then realizes that the sun has encompassed them both by this point. His gold-brown hair and honey eyes blaze and absorb the dazzling light just as Sirius seems to reflect it. He smiles and touches Sirius' cheek with a thumb rough from paging books.

"You're glowing."

They stay like that for a long time, looking at each other and simply enjoying the drawn out process of waking, The morning growing new and full around the two of them. This is how either of them want every single day to start. Slowly, with the other beside him. This was how it was meant to be.

Remus leans forward and his mouth is on Sirius'. Soft and gentle as he gives a morning kiss that is warmer than sunshine itself. Sirius kisses back. When it ends, Remus lingers close.

"We should get up." He says softly.

"We need to..." Sirius responds with reluctance. Remus kisses his forehead.

They sit up, stretching. Remus is the first to slid from the cotton sheets and onto the worn, wood paneling of the floor. He throws the curtains open fully, and the Devonshire hills greet them. Green and rolling with mid-summer flush. The garden is overflowing with flowers of all colors.

Sirius watches Remus' thin profile. His shirt hanging loosely, and a long pale scar visible as it peeks out the collar between his shoulder blades. He slips silently from the bed and comes up behind Remus, encircling his waist with his arms, kissing the scar lightly. Remus shivers, but doesn't dare pull away.

"It's beautiful." Remus says, looking at the garden.

"Yes, you are." Sirius replies.

Once they finally leave the bedroom and slip into the kitchen, all the walls painted a soft blue that looks just like the sky outside, Remus starts to make the tea. As he is busying himself with the simple, familiar task, Sirius dances to the little muggle radio he is so fond of. It is playing some amazing, lovely jazz song that Remus never thought the other man would like, let alone know the name of. As he sets the little water-stained kettle on the burner, lighting it with a match from the little book on the counter, he watches the antics of one Sirius Black.

He is half singing as he slips two cups from the little rack beside the hutch that holds the dishes. He shakes his rear, spins, then sets the cups on the table with a flourish, then cracks a grin at Remus who is trying his very hardest not to laugh.

Sirius slides up next to him and winks.

"Don't you dare." Remus says, but he is smiling now, very widely. He actually means 'you better'.

Sirius' answer is to pull Remus to him, an arm on his shoulder and a hand weaving it's way into long fingers. Remus catches Sirius around the waist and before he knows it, they are spinning around the little kitchen, socks sliding on tile, a pair of berks pretending it is some cottage version of the Yule Ball, and laughing as Nat King Cole sings about the unbreakable bond of love.

They only stop when the kettle starts to whistle so madly it drowns out the little radio. Remus slips away from Sirius to pour the tea against his will. If it weren't for the maddening scream of the pot he would have abandoned the tea altogether to dance with Sirius until the Radio itself had run out of battery.

Sirius walks over and opens the window over the sink, the sweet, grassy air flooding the room immediately. Moments later they are sitting at the table, bread, jam, and tea on their plates while spoons clink in china cups. Remus looks up at Sirius, and Sirius looks back. They both smile.

"You have jam on your nose." Sirius says, licking a thumb and leaning forward, he wipes the offending raspberry-red stickiness away. Remus wrinkles his nose delicately.

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome, Mssr Raspberry Nose."

Remus snorts.

This was how they were meant to be. Nothing could spoil such bliss, as the summer air warmed the room and they sat together, the Daily Prophet and all it's bad news abandoned on the counter, the pages unturned. This was how they were to spend their lives. Together. Maybe someday they would even have a child of their own, like James and Lily with little Harry.

These were the moments that Remus wanted to bask in for the rest of his life. This was special. So few people ever found what he had with Sirius. Every second they spent together felt like an eternity, and was over far to quickly. They each treasured these moments like precious gems and held them even closer. Because what both of them feared most, was losing the other. They feared this more than the man they were fighting this war against. More than the outcome of the war. More than Anything.

And as Sirius sets his hand over Remus' on the little table, Remus can feel his heat swell with a happiness unrivaled.

"I love you."

Sirius returns Remus' affectionate look with a smile.

"I love you too."


End file.

Harry Potter, Romance