Remus was sitting at his usual spot at the fireplace in the usual armchair, with a book lying open in his lap and a mug of tea in his hands, totally absorbed in the tome that he was reading, his eyes moving over every word like it was something special, something that had to be treated with much care and honoured like something holy. You could see his lips moving silently as he read every word, only to sometimes to pause his movements when he took a sip from his cooling tea.

Only tonight a loud knock at his door distracted him from his quiet reverie, lifting his head only as he finished the paragraph placing a small page holder in to the tome before putting it aside and getting up from the armchair when the knocking became more insistent. With the mug still in his hands, warming his cold hands, he walked to the door that lead the castle corridors, smiling as he saw Harry standing on the other side, looking slightly distressed.

“I am sorry that I am still coming this late Professor,” Harry panted, running a hand through his hair and smiling at Remus with a warm smile, “It’s just that I…” Harry was silenced by simple gesture of Remus’s hand and entered his professors chambers, feeling suddenly very embarrassed to have come here because of his problem, his cheeks blushing visibly. Remus chuckled slightly to himself closing the door after Harry and taking another sip from his tea, still trying in vain to somehow warm up his body.

“Sit down, take some deep breaths and then start from the beginning of what you want to tell me,” Remus said with a warm smile, leading Harry over to the couch and then sitting in the armchair that he had been occupying only seconds ago.

Before Harry spoke he looked around the room like he always when he entered his professor’s chambers. He chastised himself for doing so over and over again, but still somehow finding it curious to look around, smiling as he saw mostly magical pictures standing around. What made him even more probing was the fact that it were mostly only pictures of Sirius or him, waving or smiling back at him before they returned their current activity in the picture. This day a picture of him and Remus seemed to catch his eye, it had been done just some short time ago, shortly after the fall down of Voldemort. Yes, he had finally won the battle, but had also lost of friends and those lost a lot of people who had been dear to them. He was happy that he still had Remus nobody else mattered more to him at the moment then the older man. His thought travelled back to the picture and the day it had been made, Colin had made the picture, he had caught them talking in Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Both of them had inquired a copy of the picture and when he looked at it now some kind of emptiness went through him, long bottled up feelings rising up inside of him again.

“Harry…” Remus watched the younger wizard, now adult, with a concerned. He had kept quiet during the minutes as Harry had sat down until the point his eyes had fixed on something in the room. He followed the man’s gaze, smiling as he saw which picture Harry was looking at, but his concerned expression soon enough came back. He got up from his armchair once more that night, putting his mug aside this time and walking over to the other man, sitting down next to him and resting his hand Harry’s shoulder, rubbing it slowly and in a comforting rhythm.

“Sorry Professor, I didn’t mean to disappear in my thoughts like that,” Harry apologized looking up at the gentle touch on his shoulder, not flinching from it and instead leaning in it, feeling a some kind of strange warmth spread through him.

“How many times did I already ask you to call me Remus while we’re not in class?” Remus asked with an amused smile playing across his face, wrapping his arm gently around Harry’s shoulders, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as he saw a blush slowly getting more visibly on Harry’s cheeks.

“Sorry Prof – ehrr Remus,” Harry apologized once more hoping that Remus would never remove his arm and hold him like this forever. To his disappointment the older man did pull back, but instead placed a hand under his chin making him look right in to those shining amber eyes, that seemed to search for something with his inquiring gaze.

“Harry, tell me what’s wrong, you never apologize that much,” Remus said in a calm but still commanding tone, wanting finally to know the reason for Harry’s sudden appearance, hoping that nothing serious was wrong.

“You know there is this ball next week,” Harry started to say, pausing briefly until he saw Remus nod and then continued, “Well the last one I attended I bullocksed it up because I couldn’t dance, and I was wondering…”

“If I could show you how to dance?” Remus asked finishing Harry’s sentence of for him, pulling back slightly an amused smile as he saw the blush on Harry’s cheeks getting even more apparent. He took the blush as a yes and ran a hand through his hair, giving a soft sigh looking a moment away from Harry. He had never thought that someday he had to fulfil duties like these, but he didn’t see any problem of helping the other man, as long he kept himself in check nothing would happen.

Not saying a word he pulled out his wand and charmed some music in the room, something easy that Harry could start to learn. He got up from his place and went to stand in front of Harry, reaching out with his hand which Harry took immediately, a small shy playing across the younger wizards face. Remus pulled Harry up from the couch and the moved them in to a more free space of the room, putting one hand from Harry’s on his hips while holding the other hand in his free one.

As Harry felt Remus move his hands in to the right position he took in a sharp breath, not only because of nervousness that was running through his veins but also because of how cold the older man’s hands were, nonetheless were they soft and gentle, and he felt an urge to take those hands in to his and warm them. He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts as Remus started to move and Harry moved with him like it was nothing more easily in the world. It just felt so right so perfect, so that for the first time he wasn’t scared that he’d do something wrong, just letting his instincts guide him, not really believing what was currently happening.

As they started to dance Remus wondered if this had been Harry’s real intentions or if there was something else behind this all, after all, Harry seemed to be a natural dancer and Remus wondered what the other man was worrying about. For the moment he would just enjoy this as much as Harry seemed to, he thought to himself, letting a more comfortable and relaxed pace come by, strangely feeling himself becoming one with the other man.

Time passed by unnoticed by the two as they continued to dance and also the proximity of the two didn’t seem to disturb, until suddenly Harry had his arms wrapped around Remus’s neck with his head on the man’s shoulder, while Remus had his arms wrapped gently around Harry’s waist, both swaying gently to the quiet music. Both had forgotten everything around them only concentrating on the other, not that there was anybody else, but would have somebody entered Remus chambers that moment they wouldn’t have noticed it.

However as the two stopped dancing they didn’t break apart both torn between the choice of letting go or staying where they were and taking the chance what ever somebody would say how wrong it would be. And as the minutes seemed to pass, the answer seemed more and more obvious. That was when Remus reached up with his hand and started to stroke tenderly through Harry’s raven hair, enjoying how soft it felt in his fingers not getting enough of that simple motion. He only ceased his movements as Harry lifted his head and looked at Remus with searching eyes that were asking allowance for more, not wanting to stop here, not now that Remus had somehow broken through an invisible barrier that had been between the two of them. Remus let his hand wander under Harry’s chin, letting his thumb move against the skin in a reassuring way.

“You sure, I mean I am about 20 years older then you,” Remus implored not voicing his question if Harry was ok with the fact of Remus’s lycanthropy, having heard the answer for that question a year prior after he had found out that Harry had become an Animagus himself in the shape of a wolf, something that had surprised Remus.

“If it would then I wouldn’t be still standing here,” Harry answered in a calm and composed voice, looking Remus right in to the eyes so that the lycanthrope could see how sincere he was about this.

“I am not a child, I know what I want,” Harry added hoping that Remus wouldn’t send him away again, he didn’t know if he could survive that rejection.

“I know your not…” Remus whispers reassuringly, knowing that he had take the next step and he also knew from there was no going back for either the two of them. He could see the truth in Harry’s eyes and smelled the love radiating from Harry’s body, and for one moment he wondered if he was just dreaming and would wake up any minute, finding himself once more alone in a cold and lonely bed.

He found himself leaning forwards pressing his lips against Harry’s, not moving at first just letting his lips brush for a moment and then pulled back, leaving the other man his last chance to leave if he wanted to. To his joy he quickly felt those soft lips connect with his again, this all what Remus needed as an invitation and he wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist again, licking gently against Harry’s lips gaining almost immediate entrance, tasting the other man’s mouth, mapping it out while battling with other tongue.

Harry was the first one to pull away again feeling overwhelmed by all the emotion running through him, making his knees feel weak wondering how long he would be able to hold himself on them. He leaned back against Remus’s chest, closing his eyes in contentment as he felt once more Remus’s hand in his hair caressing him in a comforting and loving way. He gave a small tired yawn, cuddling closer against Remus not wanting ever to leave again. Knowing that he would soon submit to his tiredness he lifted his head blushing slightly as he saw that the other man was watching him. Closing his eyes for some seconds as Remus reached to cup his face with one hand, letting his thumb caress along his cheek.

“I love you…” he whispered sincerely, barely opening his eyes enjoying the soft touch just too much then to be able to open them properly.

“Love you too…” Remus whispered in return after he had come over his initial shock from Harry’s declaration, pulling the other man once more closer to him and grinning slightly as he saw him nearly falling asleep in his arms. He charmed off the music and the light before leading Harry in to his bedroom, where he sat him down on his bed. He started to undress Harry slowly until to his boxers. He then went to look for a pair of pyjamas for him only to find Harry lying fast asleep on the bed as he returned. Remus smiled at the lovely site, quietly moving towards the bed and gently easing the other man in to the pyjamas before tucking him under the covers. After that he got undressed and then pulled on a t-shirt, that seemed slightly too big for him.

Checking once more that all the lights were out and everything was locked needed to be locked he joined Harry in his bed, pulling the younger man in his arms who immediately snuggled against him.

“Goodnight Harry…” he whispered quietly, pecking Harry on the forehead and then closing his own eyes, letting himself fall in a peaceful sleep.