Fic: Changes (Regulus/Remus)

[hpraremod]

Regulus dried the last plate and put it away. With the dishes finished, he had nothing to distract him. It was the night of the full moon. Remus had gone away hours before to transform. Regulus had read enough about the transformation to know what happened, but he wasn’t prepared when the day finally arrived.

Regulus sighed and walked back into the living room. He decided to wash the vials and check his ingredients. His lips twitched at the thought of the makeshift potions lab not too far from his room. It was small, but just what he needed to make Wolfsbane. It amazed him whenever Remus came home with some more ingredients or another book for him to read.

Regulus appreciated, but it also worried him. He was sure someone noticed him buying the ingredients and Potion books. It probably looked suspicious for a werewolf to buy so many things. He hoped that people assumed he was making his own Wolfsbane to keep his mind under control. Regulus sighed as he put up the ingredients. He moved to cleaning the vials next and put them up once he was done.

When the lab was neat, Regulus walked back to the living room. He took a seat on the couch and tried not to wring his hands. He hadn’t thought he would be so worried over his friend. The thought caused a small smile to appear on his face.

It’s been awhile since I called someone friend. Regulus smiled sadly. He knew many of his classmates were either dead or in Azkaban. He wondered if he could call any of them his friends, but they’d been enjoyable collogues at the time. However, those times were over and he had someone else to focus on.

Regulus sighed and closed his eyes.

He fell into a light sleep as he waited for Remus to return.

Regulus jumped up a few hours later at a bang in the living room. He moved around the couch to find Remus sprawled on the floor.

“Remus!” Regulus ran over to him and checked for anything he could see. Remus was very pale and his hair had fallen over his face. Regulus pushed the bangs away and checked for any scratches or injuries. Remus groaned and tried to move away from his hand.

“It’s me, Remus. Come on, let’s try to get you into bed.” Regulus placed Remus’s arm around his shoulder and placed his arm around his waist. He slowly moved Remus to his own room. Once Remus was on the bed, Regulus grabbed his wand to run a diagnostic test over him, sighing in relief when the results turned up no internal injuries that might need a healer

Regulus put his wand away. He pulled over one of the chairs in the room by the bed and took a seat.

At least I have some potions ready for when he’s awake. Regulus thought. He continued to watch Remus as he leaned back in the chair. Remus looked surreal, pale and not moving much, but alive. He hoped Remus opened his eyes soon. It reminded Regulus of too many people he’d found the same way.

Regulus moved in another positions when his back started to hurt. He found a comfortable position in the chair and dozed off.

*~*~*

Remus opened his eyes with a painful groan. He hated the day after his transformation. His head pounded and every bone in his body ached. He wanted something to drink to soothe his sore throat, but it hurt too much to move. Remus noticed one of his favorite easy chairs out of the corner of his eye and the person in it, too.

Remus groaned painfully as he tried to turn to get a better look. Regulus curled up in the chair as he snored lightly. Remus wondered how long he had been awake and waiting. He hadn’t had anyone wait for him since Hogwarts. He smiled at the fond memory; he’d forgotten the warm feeling of having a friend wait for him.

Friend, a term he hasn’t used for anyone in a while.

Maybe he could use the term again for Regulus.

Remus liked the sound of that. Satisfied with his decision he tried to move to a comfortable position. After he settled down, he fell back asleep.

*~*~*

“Are you sure you can make it to the kitchen without any trouble?” Regulus asked.

“Yes. This isn’t my first transformation, I’ll be fine.” Remus grimaced as he stepped out of bed.

Regulus bit his lip and walked over to the bed. “I think you should lean on me until the pain goes away.”

“Alright, it will take the pressure off a bit.”

Regulus sighed in relief. “Good, now come on, lean on me and we’ll walk to the kitchen.”

Remus limped over to Regulus and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Regulus wrapped an arm around his waist and supported his weight on one side. They slowly walked to the kitchen, being mindful of Remus’ joints with each step. When they were successfully inside and Remus was in a chair, Regulus set about making breakfast.

Remus sat back and watched. He wanted to help, but his body didn’t like that idea. He stopped trying to move and focused on relaxing.

Regulus could finish breakfast without his help.

*~*~*

“Remus, can you read this for me?”

Remus looked up from his book to the parchment in Regulus’ hand. He marked his place and closed the book.

“Sure. Are you thinking of submitting something?”

“Yeah,” Regulus nodded. “I figured if I can’t find work, this is the next best thing, right?”

“Yes, it’s one of the odd jobs I’ve taken and it’s not bad.”

“I picked out a pen name and everything. That way I can make some money, instead of just sitting around here,” Regulus murmured and looked at his shoes.

Remus smiled and shook his head. “I don’t think you do that. You’ve been very helpful and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place cleaner. Thank you, but you don’t have to clean daily.”

“I wanted to. It gives me something to do other than, well, nothing.” Regulus looked up with a sheepish smile. “Thank you for helping me to brew again.”

“No problem. When should I give it back to you?”

“When you think it’s ready and I can make changes.”

“Alright, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Anytime.”

*~*~*

Over the course of a few months, Remus and Regulus fell into a routine. Remus would go out to run his errands and pick up anything Regulus needed. Regulus would clean or brew some Wolfsbane for Remus when he needed it. They took turns cooking and doing the laundry. On nights when they couldn’t sleep, they talked or read until sunrise. That was one of the differences between Sirius and Regulus.

Regulus thought things out before he did them. He wasn’t as rash as Sirius, but he didn’t hesitate to take action when the situation called for it. His love for reading and maturity over many of the subjects showed in the essays and articles that he wrote. Sirius was smart, but he didn’t apply himself often. However, Regulus did.

They were very different, but similar in many ways. One way was the attention to the moon cycle and helping Remus in the days leading up to it. Regulus talked to Remus when his irritation and anger spiked. He helped Remus when his joints locked up or he couldn’t find any energy to move.

When the heat cycle rolled around, Regulus was there to help too. However, that started to change. They started to meet in each other’s beds before and after the cycle. Remus went only as far as rubbing and kissing different parts of Regulus’ body. He would enjoy sliding into that tight body and feeling Regulus writhe against him, but he didn’t push it. Remus was lucky to find a partner he didn’t have to pay for. He wasn’t going to mess things up.

Regulus, however, wanted to go a bit further. He enjoyed rubbing against Remus and using their hands or mouths to get each other off, but he wanted to see how Remus felt. He knew if they took that next step, their friendship wouldn’t suffer for it. It would be another part of their casual relationship.

A part Regulus looked forward to.

*~*~*

“Remus.”

Remus stopped midway from pulling his shirt over his head. “Yes?”

“I was thinking we could do something a bit different tonight.” Regulus took the band out of his hair and shook it loose.

Remus watched the locks frame Regulus’ face before he turned to him. “Sure. What do you want to try?”

Regulus walked over and leaned close to Remus’ ear. “I want to try you fucking me.”

Remus bit back a moan and resisted the urge to push Regulus onto the floor and make it a reality. “Are you sure?”

Regulus teased Remus’ ear with a light flick of his tongue and wrapped his arms around Remus’s waist. “Yes, I am.”

Remus moaned and nudged Regulus over to the bed. They made quick work of their clothes and settled on the bed. Regulus laid on his back as Remus leaned over him. He leaned down brushing his lips over Regulus’ jaw as his hands rubbed his sides. Regulus moaned softly and arched against him, sliding his fingers through Remus’s hair.

Remus kissed a trail down from his neck to his chest as his hands trailed along his arms then back down to his hips. He circled one nipple with his tongue before taking the nub in his mouth and sucking on it gently. He enjoyed the moans from Regulus above him as he moved to the other nipple for the similar treatment.

Regulus groaned and pulled Remus away from his chest. Remus panted softly as his hazy mind tried to process what was happening.

“Hmm?”

“Remus, I’m not made of glass. I won’t break.”

“But I--”

“I know you’ve been holding back for my sake, but please don’t. I’ll be fine.” Regulus leaned forward and murmured against his lips. “Fuck me.”

Remus moaned and closed the gap for a heated kiss. Regulus groaned as his fingers tightened in Remus’s hair. Remus took Regulus’s bottom lip between his teeth and bit down. Regulus moaned and opened his mouth for more. Remus worried his bottom lip and moved to trace the inside of Regulus’s mouth with his tongue. Regulus pushed his body closer as the pleasure from the kiss traveled through his body.

It felt like Remus was staking a claim and Regulus enjoyed every minute of it. Remus pulled back and kissed down Regulus’s neck as his hand rubbed his hips. He rocked against Regulus as he opened his legs, his moans growing louder with each flick of Remus’s tongue. Remus moved down his body kissing and nipping along the way.

Regulus arched at the kiss on his stomach. He writhed when Remus nipped him then licked it better. He pushed his hips against Remus. Remus growled in the back of his throat and moved down to Regulus’s thighs. He spread his legs wider, kissing and sucking the inside of his thighs. Regulus threw his head back on the pillow with Remus’ name on his lips.

Remus groaned and moved his kisses closer to Regulus’s cock. Regulus panted as he waited to feel those sinful lips on him again. He groaned when Remus’ tongue circled the head of his cock, collecting the pre-cum on his tongue. Regulus writhed, wanting to feel Remus’ mouth sliding down his cock. His moans grew as Remus inched his way down.

Regulus tugged his hair as his pants grew louder. Remus’ hands on his hips prevented him from moving in his mouth, but it didn’t stop him from writhing against him. Remus moaned around his cock, enjoying the way Regulus pulled his hair. He moved to take his cock all the way to the root. While Remus’s mouth and tongue worked on getting Regulus to lose his voice, his nails scratched along his hips.

Regulus cried out and gripped Remus’s shoulders. He threw his head back against the pillows and pushed his hips up a little. He really wanted to feel his cock slide in and out of Remus’s mouth. With one last suck Remus pulled away before he could make any of that happened. Remus looked up in his hazy eyes and slowly licked his lips.

“You taste better each time.”

“Y-Yeah?” Regulus panted.

“Yeah you do.” Remus kissed his hips before muttering a lubrication spell. He circled Regulus’ entrance before sliding a finger inside him. Regulus moaned as his fingers found their way into Remus’s hair again. Remus moved up his body and kissed Regulus, sliding another finger inside him.

Regulus pushed back on the fingers as his tongue slid and danced along with Remus’s own. He pulled Remus closer and raked his nails down his back. Remus growled as he deepened the kiss and pushed his fingers deeper inside Regulus. Regulus arched against him and rocked against his hand. He broke the kiss with a soft cry when Remus brushed against his prostate.

Remus pulled him back for another heated kiss as he started to hit that area. Regulus moaned as he started rocking against his fingers. A light sheen of sweat covered their bodies as they kissed and nipped at each other. Regulus tugged Remus’s hair when he started to move his fingers harder.

“Gonna come that way. Do it now!” Regulus panted.

Remus nipped Regulus’s lips with a moan before pulling his fingers out. He muttered the same spell and lubed his cock. He grabbed Regulus’ hips and pushed against his entrance. Regulus gripped his arms as Remus pushed inside him. Remus groaned at the tight heat surrounding him. Regulus shivered from the pleasure of finally feeling Remus inside him, panting and, running his nails down the back of Remus’s neck.

Remus groaned and brushed his lips against Regulus’s cheek. He sniffed Regulus’s neck, growling at the arousal and need that surrounded him. Regulus moaned louder at the growl, tipping his head back with a needy whimper.

Remus growled again and rubbed his neck with his nose. The wolf inside him pushed to mark Regulus, so no one else would have him, but Remus fought it. It didn’t stop him from biting that neck. Regulus cried out and gripped his back. The pain seemed to heighten the pleasure for Regulus as he rocked against Remus.

Remus sucked his neck and set a slow pace. Regulus moaned and drew him in for another kiss. Their tongues continued their new dance as they twirled and rubbed against each other. Remus swallowed Regulus’s moans as he gripped his hips. Regulus broke the kiss when Remus brushed against his bundle of nerves.

“There! There!” Regulus panted harder, his hands touching every inch of skin he could reach.

“Regulus…don’t want…go too hard…” Remus murmured against his neck.

“Won’t break…more… more…” Regulus breathed. He crushed their lips together in a heated kiss. Remus groaned and returned the kiss with the same heat. He broke it and leaned towards Regulus ear. “Hold on to me.”

Regulus nodded quickly and wrapped his arms around his neck. Remus brushed their lips together and snapped his hips. Regulus pulled his hair with a wanton moan. Remus set a hard pace and pressed Regulus against the bed. Regulus’s moans grew in volume as he writhed and scratched his back.

Heavy pants and moans for more sounded around the room as two men indulged in each other. Hands touched anywhere they could reach as lips joined and tongues continued a quickly familiar dance. Regulus’s eyes closed from the pleasure travelling through his body. Remus snaked his hand between their bodies and wrapped it around Regulus’s cock.

“Yes…yes…” Regulus chanted.

“Fuck…so hot...” Remus panted as he kissed and licked his neck.

After a few pulls, Regulus arched and tumbled over the edge with Remus’s name on his lips. Remus groaned at the way Regulus clenched around him. He snapped his hips a few more times before losing his senses in Regulus’s body. They fell against the bed in a tangle of limbs as they gathered their breaths.

Regulus pressed his lips against Remus’s in a soft kiss. Remus returned the kiss as he rubbed his back. The way Regulus kissed surprised him. It wasn’t hurried or rushed. He took his time like many other things he did. They normally didn’t kiss after they slept together. They would brush their lips against each other or against their cheek, but it didn’t evolve into a full kiss. Maybe it was time for it.

They broke the kiss slowly and stared at each other. Remus pulled out of Regulus and rolled over to the side. Regulus turned to him with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about the scratches.”

Remus dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. “It’s fine. I liked it, actually.”

“Oh, that’s good. I didn’t want to hurt you.” Regulus turned to the ceiling. “How do you feel?”

“Good. You know the cycle doesn’t start until the next full moon.”

“Oh yeah, just wanted to keep up with it.”

Remus hummed. “How do you feel?”

“Good, though I can’t get up right now.” Regulus smiled.

Remus chuckled. “That’s fine. I can’t get up either.”

“I’ll leave as soon as I can move.”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to.”

“Really?” Regulus bit his lip as he looked over at Remus.

Remus nodded. “My bed is big enough for us to sleep in, unless you want to go to your own room.”

“No, I’m fine.” Regulus curled up and moved closer to Remus’ side. They weren’t touching, but it was close.

Remus muttered a cleaning charm and settled against the pillows. “We can a shower a little later when we have the energy.”

“Right,” Regulus chuckled. He fell silent for a few moments before he called Remus’ name again.

“Yes?” Remus said.

“Can I stay even after I get myself together?” Regulus whispered, half hoping that Remus hadn’t heard him.

“I would like that,” Remus responded softly.

Regulus grinned and curled closer to him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Remus lightly ruffled Regulus’ hair.

Regulus hummed happily as his eyes grew heavy. “Good night, Remus.”

“Good night, Regulus,” Remus murmured as he closed his eyes.

*~*~*

Regulus walked around the living room, picking up his books along the way. He couldn’t believe it had been a year since the day he’d met Remus and started living with him. It didn’t feel that long when Regulus thought about it. Still, he wouldn’t change any of it. Regulus made a little money with the articles he wrote about Potions and their effects on the Wizarding World. Most of that money went to bills and ingredients.

Remus continued to do his odd jobs and put away the pension he received. It wasn’t much between them, but it was enough to help keep Remus’s place. Regulus had gained more confidence to go to Diagon Alley with Remus sometimes. He still didn’t trust his vault. He hoped he could check it one day.

Regulus started to stay in Remus’s room on nights when they talked or when he fell asleep after reading. He’d waited for Remus to kick him out of his room some days, but he hadn’t. Something Regulus hadn’t complain about. He enjoyed when they read together or spent hours talking with each other. Regulus would tell Remus one day.

Regulus walked to his room and put the books away. He heard a tapping on the window in the living room and walked back in to let in the owl, who dropped off the letter then flew to the snacks Remus kept at the window. Regulus turned the letter in his hands. His stomach knotted at the Hogwarts seal on the back.

He knew Dumbledore wouldn’t wait to continue his offer of a position on the Hogwarts staff. However, if Remus left where would that leave him? Regulus swallowed the lump in his throat as his mind started working. He could hide the letter. It wouldn’t work that long, Dumbledore would send another one. He could not tell Remus about it, but that didn’t seem fair.

There was really one option he had available. He had to tell Remus.

Regulus didn’t like that option very much.

*~*~*

Remus walked through the Floo with an arm full of groceries and a few books. Flourish and Blotts had a sale on old books and he had picked up a few on his way home. It didn’t seem weird anymore to buy books for Regulus. He enjoyed their conversations on the different topics. It was rare for them to share the same opinion on the characters or the plot.

Remus could think back to the many hours they spent on one section of a book. He thought back to the times Regulus fell asleep on his bed. Sometimes Regulus rested his head on Remus’s shoulder. Remus liked those nights. He fell asleep better that way, but he hadn’t told Regulus. Their relationship could crumble and Remus didn’t want that. He didn’t think he could go back to having a Firewhiskey bottle as his companion again.

“Regulus? I found this new series about time travellers. I was thinking we could start it tonight.” Remus walked in the kitchen and placed the bags on the table.

“Oh yeah, sounds good,” Regulus murmured.

“What’s wrong?” Remus pushed back the feeling of dread creeping up his spine.

“You have another letter from Dumbledore.” Regulus pushed the letter towards him.

“I thought I said I didn’t want to teach yet,” Remus grumbled as he opened the letter.

Maybe he won’t take it, after all. Regulus started to relax, until Remus stopped and his eyes widened at the letter.

“It’s from McGonagall. She says I don’t have to teach right away, but they need some help with organizing the books in the library. She said it’s so disorganized Madam Pince can’t do it herself. Must be a problem, if she can’t handle it. McGonagall says there are a lot of things they need help with as well.” Remus folded the letter back and placed it on the table.

“Are you going to take it?” Regulus asked. He didn’t like how small his voice sounded.

“I think I will. It’s not teaching and we could save some money by staying in the castle,” Remus said.

“We? Y-You want me to go with you?” Regulus wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.

“Yes, I do. We can explain the situation to McGonagall and Dumbledore. I know they wouldn’t turn you away and you can have a bigger lab to brew in. That is, unless you don’t want to go? I’m sure we can explain that to them, as well.”

“You want me to go with you. You don’t want me to leave.”

Remus shook his head. He reached over and placed his hand over Regulus’s hand on the table. “I don’t. We’re in this together. It wouldn’t be fair for me not to get your opinion. So, would you like to join me at Hogwarts?”

Regulus turned his hand and linked their fingers together. “Yes, I would. I hope that Dumbledore and McGonagall can find something for me to do.”

“They will, unless you’re too busy.” Remus grinned as he squeezed his hand.

“No, I have plenty of time.” Regulus smiled and squeezed back.

There many unanswered questions. Hogwarts, their future and the thing that was developing between them, but they were going to find the answers together.

Together didn’t sound so weird anymore.