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Chapter 4

Remus woke up, confused by the warmth pressed into his side. Last night had been enjoyable, and for the first time in a week he had let himself not think at all. However, the freedom he had found last night was fading fast as he remembered his responsibilities as Remus J Lupin, Head of Gryffindor House and DADA teacher.

A shift behind him reminded him off the warmth again. It didn't feel like fur against his naked body, but like clothes.

It must be Sirius, trying to keep me warm after I changed.

Opening an eye, he blearily looked around the room and saw his robe. Carefully moving out of bed, he threw it on and turned towards the bed. And stopped breathing.

It wasn't Sirius who had been sharing the bed.

Rather, it was Harry.

The one person he had been trying to not think about for the last week, ever since he realized what he was feeling; it seemed like forever.

He was still looking at the bed when Harry opened his eyes, the green orbs almost blindingly bright and happy. Remus felt the world tilt once before straightening as he watched the young man stretch as he sat up.

"Okay, Remus?"

Harry's voice should not sound so good in the morning, was all Remus could think when he heard the throaty sounds coming from the younger man.

"Remus?"

He looked at Harry and found him watching Remus with a concerned look on his face. Shaking his head, he walked back to the bed and sat down next to Harry.

"I'm fine."

Harry's didn't look as if he really believed him, but nodded.

"Where's Sirius?" Remus thought to ask after a minute.

"He was hungry, so he went to breakfast," Harry answered. "Did you want to go meet him?"

Remus shook his head again. "No. I can make it until lunch."

"You sure?" Harry asked. "I'm sure that Dobby would be happy to get us some food..."

"No. But thank you, Harry," Remus said. He shivered slightly and wrapped his robe tighter around his body.

"Shit," Harry muttered. "You're cold!" He stood up and started unbuttoning his own robe.

Remus' eyes widened. No, he couldn't let Harry do this.

"Harry, I'm fine," he tried not to plead.

Harry looked at him. "No, you aren't." The buttons undone, he shucked the robe off and handed it to Remus, who was staring at him.

At least this time Harry was wearing a shirt, but it wasn't much of one. The white wife-beater clung to Harry's body and Remus couldn't tear his eyes away from it. It was too much like his fantasies since Christmas. Since the kiss. Since he had woken up a week ago and known what he wanted.

Harry didn't seem to notice where Remus' eyes had wandered, instead wrapping his robe around the other man's shoulders.

"Here," he said, leaning *very* close to Remus.

He could smell the faint scent of sweat on him, along with a smell that was Harry himself, the same smell that had come from him last night when they were deep in the Forbidden Forest. It was a good smell, one that he could get used to. But he wouldn't.

"Remus?"

He lifted his eyes to Harry's, only to find them an inch away.

"Remus...?" he asked again. "Can I kiss you?"

In shock, he nodded once.

He didn't say anything as Harry pressed the lips he had dreamed about to his once more.

It was better than the first kiss. This time he met the lips that joined his. He was the one who first brushed a hesitant tongue against Harry's lips, wanting in, wanting to taste Harry.

He wanted to feel Harry. Beneath his lips. Everywhere.

Harry tasted good, so good Remus wanted to taste everywhere.

He slid his mouth away from the succulent dish that was Harry's mouth and moved on to the next delicacy. Remus knew he'd found a good spot as Harry whimpered slightly into his ear had he nibbled on Harry's own. Moving down, he found that the sweaty skin of his skin was just as delicious, and he couldn't resist giving a small nip before moving back to his mouth.

He wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life just kissing Harry.

Remus worried at Harry's lower lips, nibbling it delicately. There was something primal about this kiss, making him want it to go on forever. However, his lungs demanded that they needed air and he lifted his lips from Harry's red ones. The tender flesh of his mouth was slightly bruised, while his eyes gave off a happy luminescence.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry pulled away, dazed by what he was feeling. That kiss had been almost like the dream one he'd had on Christmas....

Christmas!

That was why Remus had been acting so strangely. Had he been feeling guilty about kissing Harry? Or was it the fact that Harry didn't remember kissing him?

At that point Harry felt a sharp throb where his shoulder and neck met. Raising a finger, he brushed it lightly and winced at the pain. He heard a gasp and looked at Remus, who was watching him with a horrified look.

"Remus?"

The amber eyes were the wildest Harry had ever seen.

"I marked you," the other man exhaled.

Harry grew apprehensive. "Marked?" he whispered.

Remus' cheeks grew pink. "Not marked, as in a were-" he choked out.

Harry gave an internal sigh of relief. He wasn't as brave as Remus to try to live with being curse with lycanthropy. He loved Remus dearly for it, but he... couldn't.... He wasn't brave enough, even after defeating Voldemort.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remus cursed himself for letting himself get carried away. He couldn't bring himself to raise his eyes from the bite mark that glowed on Harry's body.

"I've marked you as my mate," he finally whispered into the silence.

Remus didn't want to see the horrified reaction Harry would give. He didn't want to-

"Remus?"

Harry's voice didn't sound angry. In fact, it sounded... hopeful? Lifting his eyes to meet Harry's he found the man's green eyes dancing with happiness.

"You've marked me? Does this have something to do with Christmas?"

"Oh shit," Remus swore under his breath. "You remember?"

Harry blushed, and Remus almost didn't catch his words since he was distracted by the rosy pink on the other man's cheeks. "I thought it was a dream."

"Oh," was all Remus could think of to say to this.

"Is this okay with you?" Harry asked. He sounded unsure of himself, much different from the man he had grown up to be. "Cause if it isn't..."

Remus' eyes shot to Harry's. "Yes!" he almost shouted. "It's very okay with me. I was afraid that you..."

"I wouldn't want this, too?" Harry shook his head. "I've been falling in love with you all year."

His breath caught in his throat. He'd never thought he would hear *anybody* ever saying that to him, and now...

"I - I love you, Harry," Remus stuttered. He did love Harry, though he'd been trying to deny it for the past week. Remus couldn't believe his luck. His condition... "What about my curse?"

Harry laughed. "Would I have joined you and Padfoot last night if I was uncomfortable with it?"

Remus laughed as well. That set that problem to rest, at least for a little while.

"I still have to be your teacher for the next month, Harry," he reminded the younger man.

Harry eyed him. "It won't be that much different from what I'm used to doing in class, Remus. I'm surprised that you never caught me daydreaming in your class before this."

He laughed. All this time, Remus thought, we've been thinking about each other. As he thought about it, he realized that it wouldn't be a whole lot different. It was just that they knew the other was sharing their feeling.

Harry joined in, the chuckles issuing from his mouth drawing Remus' attention back to that part of the younger man's face. He leaned in for another kiss – just one more before they would have to leave this wonderful place. "Let's leave the rest for later," he suggested as he brushed his lips against Harry's.

Harry answered with a groan.

******

Sirius made his way towards the Shrieking Shack. Moony must have changed back by now, and Harry still hadn't come back to get him. As he got closer, he could hear a soft rustle and figured that Remus finally had woken up and Harry was helping getting him dressed.

What he saw wasn't even close to that.

To say he was surprised to see his godson and his best friend kissing like a house on fire was on target. He'd thought they would have waited until school ended. After all, it hadn't seemed as if either one of them really knew what they were doing; and he had figured that it would take them at least another month to do something. Although, judging by that kiss.... Sirius felt a flash of jealousy before he tamped it down as he looked at the two now standing on opposite sides of the room.

It wasn't as if he hadn't seen the signs, but now... he felt like the figurative third wheel when just last night the three of them had been *together.* Just like he had always hoped it would be.

"Sirius!"

He laughed when he saw the two look horrified at being caught, tamping down the small part of him that was suddenly uncomfortable in their presence. Sirius decided right then and there that he would give his full support, even though he felt so lost now.

Then his eyes caught the bite mark on Harry's neck and knew there was no turning back for them. Once a werewolf has marked its mate, they will stay together for life. And judging by the way they were kissing when he first saw them, they were both happy with the situation. Knowing that sometimes one can't change the inevitable, he lifted an eyebrow in question, trying to play the role James had bestowed on him.

"Sirius, I was just...."

Sirius raised an eyebrow as he looked at the panicked Remus as he spluttered. He debated quickly on whether or not to tease his friend about it, but decided that, since the full moon had just passed, he would take it easy on him. "Relax, Moony. It's okay..."

Remus and Harry gave him tentative smiles. They looked a little less terrified at his reaction, but Sirius knew he needed to show his approval. He had watched the two interact whenever he could over the year, and had laughed to himself over how funny the whole situation was. Neither of them had had a clue as to what was going on with the other. It had also been sweet. Both of them needed someone to love them for who they really were, and not what other people had labeled them.

When he told them this, he was greeted by indignation on Remus' behalf and a blush on Harry's cheeks. The only thing he didn't tell them was his reservations on such a match. He would never say those things. Ever. He knew that Remus and Harry would be hurt by it, and he had promised himself a long time ago that he would never intentionally hurt someone he cared about ever again.

Still, Sirius couldn't resist one little jab.

"So, when's the ceremony?"

******

Harry plunked himself down on Remus' couch later that same night. The two of them had been fending off Sirius' efforts at discomposing them over their new relationship, which he had succeeded at for the most part. However, they had also been quick to tell the other man that there were some things they hadn't gotten around to discussing, and would he kindly leave them alone so they could do so.

Sirius didn't take the hint. Instead, he had proceeded to tease them a little more before Harry just shoved him out the door, making sure the portrait wouldn't open for him again the rest of the night. Even so, Harry and Remus heard his shout of, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Now all Harry wanted to do was relax, and get to know Remus a *lot* better than he already did. Intriguing premise. He'd have to work on that after they talked a little. He'd much rather get to the more interesting part.

"So..." Harry started, not really sure how they should start this off.

"So..." Remus echoed.

The two men looked at each other before laughing nervously.

"Wow," Harry finally said. "We have extensive vocabularies."

Remus snickered. "Intelligent, too."

"Hm." Harry tossed a quick look at the man next to him before deciding he shouldn't look at him while talking. "What did you want to talk about? I mean... I have no clue as to what we should do. Or anything...."

A snort cut him off. "As if I have any idea of what we should do," Remus softly said. He turned to face Harry, one leg bending and sliding underneath him as he twisted. "I do know that I want to really make this work."

Green eyes softened. It had suddenly hit him that Remus had felt as unloved all his life as he did. It was one thing to have a friend's love, like he did with Ron and Hermione, but this... it was no-man's land. He had the feeling they would have to feel their way through it blindly. He didn't mind if it meant he'd be with Remus.

"Do you mind me being so young?" he asked, his voice wavering in his apprehension.

"What about me being so much older than you?" Remus countered. "I went to school with your father. I changed your diapers a couple of times."

Harry blushed. "I think I've changed quite a bit since then. And it doesn't bother me." He shrugged slightly. "It doesn't matter what your age is." He wasn't sure how to put it, so he gave a half-smile.

Remus eyed him for a moment. "You sure?"

Nodding, Harry inched closer to Remus, leaving a small space between them. "I mean, it's not that I really feel that there is an age difference. There are some days when I feel older than Dumbledore, and more often than not my classmates are so *young* compared to me. They didn't have to see what I did out there, but you.... You understand what was really happening, were a part of it just like I was."

He couldn't say anymore as he remembered seeing the crumpled body of Dean Thomas, who had been caught in Diagon Alley the summer before their sixth year. As a muggle born, he had been targeted by Death Eaters in the midst of back-to-school shopping. His roommate's death had happened right in front of him, before he had even understood what was going on. None of the other Gryffindors had taken his death as hard as Harry had, even Seamus, who had been his best friend – they hadn't been there. But he knew that Remus understood.

An arm crept around his shoulders, bringing him into Remus' embrace. Harry buried his face in the crook of his neck, breathing in the calm aura that surrounded the older man.

"Harry..." Remus drifted off for a moment, and Harry could tell he was searching for the right words to say. "I... I understand what you mean, but there is more to that."

He lifted his head to look straight in Remus' eyes. "I know. But, I felt that way back when you were teaching the first time. Not love like I feel now," he said when the older man shot him a startled look, "but the fact that you understood me. You always have, and not just as some carbon copy of my father. And you've never treated me like a child, even when I had a child's fears." Harry shifted closer, and laid his head back in the crook of Remus' neck. "Both of us was shaped by one big event, and that makes it easier, and now we have another one."

Remus lifted a hand and caressed the healing bite mark on Harry's neck. "I know," he whispered.

Harry closed his eyes, content to stay in the other man's arms. The feel the mark gave off was warm, and made him feel good and happy and any number of things he had already associated with Remus. Now, it was just that he knew his feelings were returned that made it that much better.

"Remus?"

The other man shifted slightly, but never took his hand away. "Hm?"

"I love you," Harry whispered.

"And I love you, as well, Harry."

******

Harry rubbed his palms on his robe as the stairs lifted him up to Dumbledore's office. He wasn't sure why the headmaster had called him up here, since they had just talked the previous night during a follow up meeting on the latest capture of Death Eaters by the Ministry. A slight part of him was worried that somebody had seen him leave Remus' room late the last couple of nights, but it wasn't as if they had really been doing anything other than talking. Still, rumors tended to grow when it involved Harry, so both of them were staying to the side of caution.

"Professor?" he asked as he knocked on the door.

It opened to reveal Dumbledore smiling widely, the twinkle in his eyes dancing merrily at the sight of Harry. "Come in, come in!" He made his way back to the chair behind his desk and pointed at a comfortable chair for the young man to sit in.

"Tea?"

Harry was a little confused, since he'd never been invited for *tea* before, but nodded anyway. "Yes, please. With a lemon slice."

Dumbledore smiled at him as he poured out of the delicate little teapot that sat at his elbow. Pouring himself a glass, he waited until Harry had taken a sip.

"I called you up here because I have several things to discuss with you regarding your education here at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded, still not knowing where he was going.

"Professor Stellar, as you know, consented to be the Transfiguration instructor after Minerva was lost in the Christmas battle at Hogsmeade," he said.

Harry noticed his eyes weren't twinkling, a sight he had often seen during the war and it was going badly. It was gone quickly, however, as the headmaster went on speaking.

"What the two of us did not say when he took the job was that it would *not* be permanent. Professor Stellar is a researcher, and often finds teaching to be... somewhat of a nuisance."

The young man nodded when it seemed like Dumbledore had stopped.

"Now, Professor Stellar has had some very good things to say about your scores this year, and even last year when we were still fighting Voldemort. Minerva's records also show that you have always had good marks, being able to learn in one or two tries, rather than the three or four needed by your classmates, once you were willing to give it your best shot."

Harry blushed as he thought about his first through fourth years. He really hadn't been trying, so more often than not he hadn't done such a thing, but when he put his mind to it – namely after the Third Task of the tournament – he had done better than even Hermione in Transfiguration.

"What does this have to do with me, sir?" he asked.

"I was hoping that you would be willing to take over the class, Harry."

Dumbledore's plainly worded statement sent a shockwave through Harry. He certainly hadn't been expecting this when he had headed to the headmaster's office. He looked up at the old wizard to make sure that it wasn't a joke, even though he knew that Dumbledore wouldn't do such a thing about a subject like this.

"But..." Harry stopped a moment to catch his breath. "I've never taught anybody before..."

"Harry." The command in Dumbledore's voice caught his attention. "You have."

Harry gave him a confused look.

"Haven't you been teaching the Gryffindor Quidditch team new plays the last three years? Haven't you been giving instructions to the younger prefects all year long? I definitely know that you helped to teach several things to the younger members of the order spells when they were needed."

Harry nodded in confusion. He hadn't really thought of all that as teaching, but this.... It was a little too much to think of at once. "Sir?"

Dumbledore nodded for him to continue.

"May I think about this?"

The headmaster smiled. "Of course, Harry. I will need to know by the end of the week, at which time the board of governors will want to interview you – strictly for the students' sakes," Dumbledore raised a hand when Harry went to object. "They know of the work that you did during the war. All they want to know is if you will be the correct person for the job. They want a demonstration of the spells you do know."

Harry gave him a look that was torn between bemusement and terror at performing in front of the board.

"I would suggest that if you are going to take the job, that you register at the Animagus Office before you meet the board."

A blush rose on the young man's cheeks as he stood. "Thank you, sir," he said, not knowing what he really should say at this point.

"You're very welcome, Harry. By the way, ask Remus what he thinks of it when you make your decision."

Harry's blush deepened when he saw that Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling happily, even as his stomach plunged to his feet. He absentmindedly noticed that the headmaster guided him out of his office and down the stairs, but didn't pay attention to where he was going until he ended up in front of the door to Remus' teaching office. Now what was he going to do?

**********

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