Of Letters and Holidays

Author: Lia
Rating: NC-17
Archiving: All FQF will be archived solely at this site until September 30th, 2005. After that, it's yours to do with as you will.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own Harry Potter, its characters, or anything associated with it. I'm not making any money from this story, and I don't intend to.
Challenge & Summary: Challenge SS #10: Remus is forced to go on holiday with his parents over the summer. Sirius and Remus exchange letters. Extra points if a rather embarassing letter is opened by Remus in front of said parents. Sirius makes a bet that he can send letters to Remus that will get him to blush in front of his parents. Remus agrees but as the letters start arriving, he wonders if it was such a good idea.
Author Notes: Warning for a bit of dirty talk in the letters. Thank you to Tam, my wonderful beta (even if her ISP needs an exorcism.)

"Remus, post is here!"

Nine o'clock in the morning was far too early to disturb a body from sleep as far as Remus J. Lupin was concerned; especially when that nine o'clock came during the middle of summer holidays. Of course, he didn't hold the same opinion during the school year, but one couldn't expect him to be "perfect" all year round, could they? During the school year, he had taken on the self-proclaimed role as mother hen in the dorm, making sure each of his dorm mates made it to breakfast on time. However, couldn't a body just sleep in for three months out of the year without being disturbed?

"Remus!"

Apparently not.

Grumbling to himself, Remus rolled over in bed, pulling a pillow over his head. Summer was a time for lazy mornings and sleeping in. There was no way he would be arsed to get out of bed for anything or anyone before at least eleven am.

"Remus, you have a letter from Sirius!"

Okay, so maybe there was something that could rouse him from bed before eleven.

His eyes snapped open and Remus all but flew out of bed, his pillow sailing across the room. Remus ran down the stairs, nearly tumbling head first down the last four steps before he managed to catch himself on the banister. He tore into the kitchen, frantic to get the letter.

"Thanks, Mum," Remus said, half out of breath as he plucked the letter from her outstretched hand. He left the kitchen as quickly as he arrived before she could even ask what was so important about this letter.

It was only when Remus was safely back in the comfort of his room (door safely locked behind himself of course) did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. The seal was still whole -- no one had read it yet. Brilliant. Remus settled himself back on his bed and prepared to read.

Morning Moony,

If I planned this right, you should be getting this letter right around breakfast-time. Perfect timing wouldn't you say, considering our bet?

Pausing in his reading of the letter, Remus could feel the blood drain from his face. Sirius could not have been... Remus winced at the automatic pun... serious about the bet they made at the end of the preceding year.

If you didn't think he'd go through with the bet, why'd you run downstairs to get the letter, afraid of anyone reading it? Remus asked himself.

That was a question he refused to acknowledge; either out loud or internally.

Remus closed his eyes, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

Near the end of the school year, Sirius had made a wager that he could send a letter to Remus while he was on holiday in Paris that would either be intercepted by Remus's parents or read by Remus in front of his parents, creating the famous "Moony Blush" as Sirius called it. The bet had seemed stupid and juvenile and Remus had jokingly went along with it.

Looking at the parchment in his hands, Remus was beginning to have second thoughts about agreeing. Bets with Sirius were a dangerous thing...

Especially considering the fact that Sirius hated to lose.

Taking a deep breath and thanking his lucky stars he had retreated upstairs, Remus continued to read.

I won't tell you when I'm going to write again or what time the letters will come as that would ruin all the fun. I'll also keep this letter relatively clean as I want to have time to send you more letters. (I will say though that I miss you. The feel of your mouth around my cock just isn't the same as my hand. A hand doesn't have your devilish tongue... or your teeth... the way they scrape along my shaft and my hands tighten in your hair... God I'm hard just thinking about it.)

Okay, so maybe I lied. Couldn't waste a perfectly good piece of parchment now could I?

Wait for my next letter.

-- Padfoot

By the time he finished reading the letter, Remus was painfully aware of his own erection (thank you very little, Mr Black). He closed his eyes, lying back on his bed, willing it to go away. He was thankful he had been alone for a number of reasons - his erection at the bottom of the list. First of all, his parents weren't exactly aware of his sexual orientation and he had no plans to tell them any time in the near future. Second of all... Sirius's way with words would have anyone spinning in their seat, gay or straight.

That and the simple fact that Sirius would have won his bet after one letter with how dark Remus knew he was blushing. It never took much to bring the blood to his face.

Sirius was a rat bastard.

Folding the parchment up, Remus slipped it into his pack trouser pocket, lest it be discovered by prying eyes. His younger brother was at the age of poking through anything that wasn't nailed down and a folded piece of parchment would provide the perfect avenue for snooping.

Once sure that the letter was safe, Remus got dressed for the day. There was no point in going back to bed now for just a couple hours of sleep. He was wide awake anyway. All that was left now... was to wait for Sirius's next letter.

Whenever that would be.

***

The next three days were letter-free, thankfully, and Remus began to wonder if Sirius was going to give up on his bet. Yet when an owl arrived that night at dinner, Remus realised he had been foolish. The words Sirius and giving up never had and never would appear in the same sentence.

The letter arrived around seven and neither Remus's parents nor his brother noticed when he left the table to retrieve it from the owl at the window. Like the last, it went into his trouser pocket to be read later. He returned to the table without a word and nothing was said. However, the problem came when Remus wanted to be excused not five minutes later to read the letter that seemed to be burning a hole in his pocket.

"Mum? Dad? May I be excused? I just received a letter and would like to read it," Remus said, glancing nervously between his parents. He suddenly cursed himself for mentioning it. If they hadn't noticed it to begin with, why in Merlin's name did he bring the bloody thing up?

"Stay and finish your dinner," Claude said, not even looking up from his plate to glance at his son. "The letter can wait."

"Either that, or you can read it now," Jenaline added, smiling slightly. Ever since the other day with the first year she was interested in these peculiar letters her son was suddenly getting... even if this was only the second one. The first letter could have been a fluke, but two letters was a trend. "I'd like to know how Sirius is doing."

Remus paled slightly, knowing he never mentioned the fact that the letter was from Sirius. He swallowed hard and tried to think of a way around his mother's questioning. Given the contents of the last letter, Remus knew reading aloud wouldn't be the best course of action.

"It's not from Sirius, Mum," Remus lied. "But it's fine, it can wait."

Jenaline raised an eyebrow, but didn't press her son.

An hour later found Remus upstairs, a hand wrapped around his cock and completely spent from his orgasm, Sirius's last letter clutched in his left hand. Remus wasn't sure how many more letters like this he could take. He was nearly ready to admit defeat.

Glancing down, Remus could barely make out a few of the words Sirius had written, but he felt like the entire letter was emblazed in his mind's eye. He could remember everything word for word and at the mere remembrance, his cock gave a slight twitch.

Moony,

Surprise. How does a dinner-time letter suit you? Actually, to be honest, I hadn't planned on sending you a letter until next week, but then I had the most amazing fantasy and just had to share it with you. Just call this letter a bonus.

So I was wanking and thinking about you (as I always do when I wank) when suddenly there you were in front of me, completely nude. You were ready for me and I could see just how hard you were. You climbed onto the bed and swatted my hand away, replacing it with your own. You stroked and God Moony, it felt so fucking good.

Then you became the tease you are, taking only the head of my cock into your mouth and sucking. I was done for when you started on my balls though.

And that's all you get. If you can be a tease, well then, so can I.

-- Padfoot

Remus still stuck by his earlier assessment of Sirius: he was a rat bastard.

***

For the following week, Remus watched for the post like a hawk. If Sirius was going to send such detailed fantasies in his letters there was no way Remus was going to let a single one be intercepted by any member of his family. He knew he'd die of embarrassment... after he killed Sirius first.

The days following the moon, however, crushed Remus's careful plans.

If the post arrived any time during the past three days, he never heard about it. Neither his parents nor his brother poked their heads into his room to inform him of any new arrivals. Actually, the more Remus thought of it, he began to realise no one was checking up on him at all, except to deliver his meals three times a day.

Oh god, what if Sirius sent a letter during this time and someone read it by mistake?

Remus pulled the covers up over his head, willing himself to disappear into the bedclothes and cease to exist.

But, Remus reasoned after a momentary panic attack, Sirius wouldn't have sent a letter after the moon, knowing Remus would have been incapacitated. Feeling slightly better about his situation, Remus lowered the duvet, exposing his face to the morning sun. No, Sirius wouldn't do something that underhanded as to send a letter when he wasn't feeling well and thus assuring a win.

Then again...

Not knowing and conjecturing was worse than knowing; his mind was beginning to come up with a thousand different scenarios and letters Sirius may or may not have sent. The easiest thing was to just go downstairs and see if there was any mail for him.

Wincing as he left his bed, Remus slowly dressed, careful of the few aches and pains he still possessed. He took a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare himself for what could await him downstairs.

Remus paused in the doorway when he saw his mother sitting at the kitchen table. He stepped cautiously into the room, unsure if he should speak first to alert her to his presence or wait to be noticed. As it turned out, he didn't have to wait long for the decision to be made for him.

"I know you're there, Remus," his mother said softly. "And I have another letter for you. It arrived this morning."

Without turning around to face Remus, she held the letter out at arm's length to him, forcing Remus to enter the kitchen completely and walk to his mother. As he approached, Remus could feel his heart sink into his stomach when he saw the red seal on the envelope broken.

"It was mixed in with the rest of the post," Jenaline said, by way of apology. "I didn't realise it was for you until it was too late."

Feeling as if his stomach was doing jumping jacks, Remus finally closed the distance between himself and his mother to take the letter from her outstretched hand. His fingers trembling, Remus sank into the nearest seat and began to read; his mind reeling. He said a quick prayer to any God who may be listening that for once Sirius sent him a clean letter.

Fat chance, but right now, Remus needed all the help he could get. Moony,

Usually I get a note or something from you within a couple days after the full moon, but it's been three days and no note. You have me worried. Yes, the great Sirius Black is worrying. Go ahead and mark this date down in the history books. Please tell me you're all right.

In all honesty, this is one of the reasons I hate summer. It isn't the lack of fabulous sex (though I admit I do miss it) but rather taking care of you after the moon until Pomfrey comes... or even just lying beside you, holding you tight in my arms. Call me a romantic if you will... I miss you when you're not around. Guess those three little words I've been saying to you after sex really are true.

I love you, Remus, so please let me know everything's alright before I go mad with worry.

-- Sirius

After he finished reading, Remus set the parchment on the table, suddenly at a loss for words.

"So... so you're..." Jenaline trailed off, searching for the right (and also non-offensive) word.

"A pouf, flamer, queer, like men...?" Remus supplied dryly.

"Gay."

Remus shrugged. "That too."

Jenaline grew quiet for a long moment and Remus wasn't sure if he should speak or wait until spoken to. He was trying to act nonchalant about the entire ordeal but in all actuality he felt like every one of his nerves was on fire. Remus tried breathing deeply, hoping it would calm him.

Right now, Remus had a feeling that even a bottle of Firewhiskey wouldn't calm his nerves.

He fingered the edge of the parchment absently, a small smile playing about his lips. Remus glanced down at the note briefly, a notion dawning on him suddenly.

It was the first "love letter" Sirius had ever written him.

"I'm... I'm sorry you had to find out this way," Remus said softly, his arrogant air gone. He glanced up from the letter, trying to meet his mother's eyes. The silence had gone on long enough, in his estimation. "I... I wanted to tell you before, but there never was the right time. As for the letters, Sirius and I had this bet and--"

Remus cut off abruptly as Jenaline raised her hand for silence.

"You're operating under the mistaken impression I'm mad at you."

Remus's jaw dropped slightly. "Y... you mean you're not?"

Jenaline shook her head. "No. Disappointed perhaps that I won't get any grandchildren right away, but I still have your brother. I'm not mad at you, Remus. I don't know how your father will take this, however."

Remus didn't expect anything less from his father. In that instant of acceptance from his mother, though, Remus felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He visibly relaxed and let out the breath he had been holding for the past two years (without realising it) waiting for his parents to discover his dirty secret.

"As for Sirius," Jenaline continued, sliding a piece of parchment and ink bottle towards Remus, "He did ask you for a note in response." She paused briefly, an impish smile passing over her face. "And whatever bet you had or have, I don't care to know the details. That's for you two. However, just remember that turnabout is always fair play. He doesn't have to have all the fun you know."

Rising from her chair, Jenaline placed a kiss on the top of Remus's head and left him alone with his thoughts.

Thoughts that, at the present, were currently racing. His mother knew he liked men and didn't care. His mother knew he was in a relationship with another man and didn't care. It seemed too good to be true.

Remus looked back and forth between the offered parchment and quill, wondering what had just transpired. Then again, maybe it was better not to question a fortunate turn of events.

Taking up his quill and dipping it into the inkwell, it didn't take Remus long to mentally compose a letter. The sound of the quill scratching filled the kitchen, breaking the silence of the room.

Dear Sirius,

His mother was right.

Turnabout was fair play.