Too Much Trouble COMPLETE

A/N: No real excuse for the lack of an update on this one. It is simply a question of having more than one story on the go at once and not enough hours in the day. At the moment it is Once in a Blue Moon that takes up most of my time. Subsequently this fic and others (posted at the regular fanfiction dot net) get put on a bit of a back-burner.

Thank you to my two new reviewers, both of whom can rest assured that I would never leave a story abandoned entirely.

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Chapter 6
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“Ta da!” Sirius announced as he approached the door to their new flat and deposited his school trunk on the floor. Grinning widely he sat down on his trunk to wait for Remus.

Remus smiled at his boyfriend’s enthusiasm and tugged his own trunk alongside it, sitting down on the lid with a sigh of relief. The locals were mostly muggles and since they weren’t on the floo network yet it had taken more effort than they had anticipated to get their belongings up the stairs.

It had been a long day, despite spending a large portion of it on the Hogwart’s Express.

“Any particular reason we’re sitting out here, instead of going inside?” Remus asked conversationally.

“I just need a minute to get my breath back,” Sirius explained. “Then I’ll be ready.”

“For what?”

“To carry you over the threshold, of course.”

Remus snorted with laughter. “You’re not serious?”

“Why not?”

“Sirius, I’m not a girl.”

“I figured that out back in first year,” Sirius muttered. “And any occasional doubts were put from my mind as soon as we started shagging.”

Remus replied to that comment with a punch to Sirius’s arm. “Daft git!”

“So, will you let me?”

“No!”

“But it’s tradition.”

“We’re not married, I’m not a girl, and you know if I suggested carrying you, you’d hate the idea too.”

“You hate the idea?” Sirius sounded disappointed and Remus rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I thought you’d like it.”

Remus sighed and buried his face in his hands.

“You can carry me, if you like,” Sirius suggested quietly.

Five minutes later saw Sirius nursing a sure to be bruised forehead and Remus convinced that he’d probably broken his back.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Sirius whined.

“Did it?” Remus replied with an exaggerated groan of pain. “Funny that, I thought it was a bloody stupid idea myself.”

“Then why did you agree to do it?”

Remus gave Sirius a look. “Because you asked and gave me those puppy-dog eyes that you know I can’t refuse.”

Sirius smiled and turned those same eyes towards Remus once more. “Are you going to kiss me better?” he asked, pointing to his bruised forehead. Remus chuckled and immediately obliged. He had never been able to resist the puppy-dog eyes, and suspected that no matter how old they grew, that was one thing that would never change.

-o-xXx-o-

“He’s not staying in there,” James insisted with a frown at Remus that made it clear he was still far from happy at the idea of him staying in his house.

Sirius turned to James, and Remus didn’t need to see his face to know that he was giving him the puppy-dog eyes that almost always got him his own way.

“Fine,” James snapped. “And where are you going to sleep?”

“This is your room?” Remus asked Sirius when he realised what it was that James was saying. “I can’t kick you out of your room. I’ll be okay on the couch.”

“Don’t be daft,” Sirius replied. “I’ve a nice comfy dog bed in here and can curl up in that as Padfoot. I won’t be in your way, I promise. Unless you don’t want to sleep in the same room as me?”

“What did he do?” Remus asked. “Kick you out the dorm?”

“Moved out himself,” Sirius replied with a shrug. “Didn’t want to take the risk of me hopping into bed with him. Like I would have after what he…”

“It’s okay,” Remus said quietly. “You don’t have to say anything. And I’m not going to kick you out of your own room.”

Sirius smiled and turned back into Padfoot. He trotted past Remus and into the bedroom, leaving James to grab hold of Remus’s arm, the warning clear in his eyes. “One wrong move,” James hissed in warning. “One wrong move and I’ll hex you into the middle of next week.”

Remus nodded his confirmation that he had understood the warning.

“I’ll get you some clean towels and things,” Lily offered.

“Thanks.”

“What about clothes?” Lily pointed to the ones he was wearing. “Are those all you have?”

“I didn’t really get time to pack,” Remus joked. That neither of his two oldest friends even cracked a smile only served to remind him that they weren’t his friends at all. He spared a thought for the James and Lily that he knew, and wondered if they had figured out the switch or not.

“I’ll dig out some of James’s old sweaters and jeans; you look about the same size.”

James looked like he was about to protest at the very idea, but a rather familiar glare from Lily caused him to bite back his words.

“Thank you.”

Remus turned to follow Padfoot into the room. He closed the door behind him, relieved to shut out the hostility that was coming towards him.

-o-xXx-o-

Sirius stood in the clearing, silently debating whether he should take the opportunity to escape from this world or not.

He was still weighing the pros and cons of all his options when he heard the sound of something in the bushes nearby. He reached for his wand, cursing when he remembered he didn’t have it. He didn’t feel quite so ridiculous when he realised that several of the other doubles had done exactly the same thing.

“There’s someone there,” Hufflepuff Sirius whispered.

“Or something,” the remaining Ravenclaw Sirius added.

“There’s enough of us to surround it,” one of the Slytherins suggested in a quiet whisper. “We can take it by surprise.”

“We could just try calling out first,” Hufflepuff Sirius argued.

The Slytherin gave him a look that told him very clearly what he thought of that idea. “I’ll go round that way.” He pointed to the trees.

Sirius ground his teeth as he tried to ignore that yet again someone besides himself was taking charge of things. Then he wondered, albeit briefly, whether his friends ever thought he was as bossy and irritating as he was finding his doubles.

While he was contemplating this rather depressing prospect, the doubles were moving into position and slowly closing in on whoever, or whatever, was creeping up on them.

“Get it!” one of the Slytherins yelled and as one they charged towards the spot where the sound had come from.

Inevitably, they collided into each other and fell into a tangled heap on the floor.

“Gerrof,” Sirius muttered as he pushed one of his doubles away, only to find another one digging his elbow into his ribs.

“Looks like there’s no one here after all,” the youngest of the Gryffindors commented as he brushed himself off. “Just a fox.”

“Guess we’ve scared it off then, poor animal,” Sirius replied as he stood up and picked the dead leaves out of his hair.

“No, it’s just there.” Sirius looked towards where the youngster was pointing, and sure enough a fox was sitting staring at the group with open curiosity.

“Well, you’re a brave little bugger, aren’t you?” he said as he crept closer, hoping not to startle the animal.

The fox sat back on its hind legs and its body began to stretch in ways that a fox’s body never should have. Sirius’s jaw dropped slightly as he watched the animagus return to its human form.

“Not as brave as you lot,” Remus commented sarcastically. “How many of you does it require to take on one little animal?”

“Remus?” he whispered. “You’re a fox?”

“Clearly. Now, since you’re standing there with your mouth hanging open, I am guessing you aren’t the one I’m looking for.”

Sirius closed his mouth and shook his head. “Show of hands for those who have a Remus animagus in their world?”

One hand was raised, that of the werewolf. Sirius wasn’t surprised.

“Hi, Remus,” the werewolf said. “You won’t believe how glad I am to see you.”

Remus pulled the werewolf into a hug. “Not as glad as I am to see you,” he replied. “How was the you-know-what?”

“It’s okay. They know.”

“And?”

“It was okay. It seems that although I’m the only Sirius Black: Werewolf here, there are a couple of Remus Lupin: Werewolves out there. And they have friends who are just as loyal to them as you are to me.”

Remus looked a little confused, until the two Sirius animaguses stepped forward and transformed.

“Ah,” Remus murmured. “I always wondered what your animagus form would have been.”

Sirius transformed back and grinned. “Well, now you know.”

“I hate to break this up,” Lucius interrupted with a cold sneer. “But if we’re going to go back to my world, we really should hurry.”

“I still don’t know that I want to go with you,” Sirius replied. “It’s not like you have a clue how to get us home from there.”

Werewolf Sirius turned to Remus with a smile. “I’m going with Remus.” He turned to his friend. “You can get us home, can’t you?”

“I certainly hope so,” Remus replied. “Come on, Prongs and Wormtail are waiting for me. They’ll be really relieved that we haven’t got to try and break you out of the castle.”

“You could thank us for doing the job for you,” Lucius muttered.

“Thank you,” Remus replied automatically. “Come on then, Trouble.”

Sirius watched the two of them disappear into the trees and before he knew it he was following after them. “Wait!”

“What is it?” Remus asked.

Sirius took a moment to catch his breath before replying. “Can I come with you?”

“Me too,” Hufflepuff Sirius panted as he too caught up.

Sirius turned round and saw that most of the doubles had followed after him, and were intent on taking their chances with him, rather than the previous rescuers. In fact it seemed that although two of the Slytherins had decided to depart with Lucius and his party, all the rest of them were currently traipsing through the trees, intent on following him.

He felt a brief surge of smug pride and turned to Remus and the werewolf. “What do you say? Got room for a few more Sirius Blacks?”

“There’s always room for another Sirius Black,” one of the Gryffindors commented with a wink. “Come on, how can you resist us?”

Remus looked part amused and part exasperated. Sirius turned on his own particular brand of charm and gave him the practically patented puppy-dog eyes.

“Fine, but you know I’ve no idea how to get any of you home?”

“That’s okay,” Sirius said. “We’ll figure it out. With this many geniuses on the case, we’ll be home in time for supper.”

Remus mumbled something entirely uncomplimentary and carried on walking.

Sirius followed behind him, savouring a view that he had no idea he had missed so much.

-o-xXx-o-

“Remus?” Sirius whispered.

Remus turned over in his bed – no – Sirius’s bed – he corrected himself. “What’s up?” he asked.

“Can I ask you something?”

Remus sat up and patted the covers. “Sure, what is it?”

Sirius gave Remus a look that said he could hardly believe he was being allowed to sit on the bed and perched nervously on the end.

“I don’t bite you know?” Remus said as he budged over slightly to make more room for Sirius. “Except on the full moon.”

“I know,” Sirius replied and he made himself more comfortable by sitting cross-legged on top of the covers. “It’s just strange having you here.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I like it, really.”

“What did you want to ask me?”

Sirius looked even more nervous and started to play with a loose thread on the cover. “I was wondering, do you really have to go back to your world?”

“I don’t belong here,” Remus reminded him. “I have a home and friends who care about me and…”

“And Sirius,” Sirius concluded. “Your Sirius.”

“Yes, my Sirius, who’s missing and in Merlin knows what sort of trouble.”

“What if we can’t figure out a way to get you home?”

“I hope it won’t come to that.”

“But if we can’t, would you stay here, you know, with me?”

“I’m not your Remus,” Remus reminded the animagus gently.

“You think I don’t know that?” Sirius snapped, showing a hint of the long since buried Black temper. “My Remus isn’t mine. He hates me and would never let me sit with him on the bed like this. He can’t even stand to be in the same room as me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I just…” Sirius faltered and ducked his head to hide his embarrassment. “I just wanted to believe that maybe, if you did get stuck here, maybe I’d have a chance.”

Remus knew what he should say. He knew that he shouldn’t offer false hope to the young man sitting opposite him. But then Sirius looked up and the hauntingly familiar puppy-dog eyes were gazing back at him from beneath black eyelashes.

Remus knew he should lie, but this Sirius had been let down so badly and treated so poorly by his double that he knew he couldn’t. “You have his eyes,” he finally said. “Not just the colour and the shape, but the ability to give me that look that I can never resist.”

“What look is that?”

Remus continued as though Sirius hadn’t spoken. “In his case, he does it deliberately to get his own way. In your case, I think that you don’t even realise you’re doing it. It might even be a side-effect of staying in your animagus form for so long. But, the truth is…”

“What?” Sirius whispered.

Remus took a deep breath and pointedly turned away from the familiar grey eyes. “The truth is, the longer I’m stuck here, the harder it’s going to be to remember that you’re not my Sirius and I don’t know if I’ll have the willpower to keep a distance between us.”

“What if I don’t want there to be a distance between us?”

“That’s what scares me.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not my Sirius, and I can’t afford to forget that.”

Sirius moved further up the bed until he was in touching distance. “What if I want you to forget it?”

“Please don’t do this,” Remus begged. “I have to find a way to get home. I can’t stay here, and it’ll only make it harder on both of us if we…”

Then Sirius was close enough to kiss and Remus could feel his breath on his face. “I’ve loved you for so long, Remus.”

“No, you’ve loved the Remus of your world, and you know as well as I do that we’re two entirely different people.”

“I know that, but you’re what I always imagined my Remus to be like. I used to dream about you so often.”

Remus felt Sirius brushing aside a lock of hair and he reached up to gently push the hand away.

“I think maybe I was dreaming about you, in your world, with your Sirius, because even though I was seeing how kind you could be, when I woke up I knew that it wasn’t real. But in my dreams you were kind…are you kind, Remus?”

Remus hesitated slightly. “I don’t know,” he finally answered. “I hope I’m kind, but sometimes I think perhaps I’m not.”

“You’re kind to your Sirius though?”

“Yes,” Remus replied warily.

“Then, would it be so difficult to be kind to me, just while you’re here?”

Instinctively, Remus knew that Sirius wasn’t merely asking for kindness and he sighed.

“Just for as long as you’re here,” Sirius whispered as he planted a hesitant kiss on Remus’s cheek. “Let me have this, just for a little while…please?”

Remus shook his head and moved further across the bed. “I can’t betray Sirius like that.”

“But I’m Sirius, too,” Sirius pointed out. “I’m not asking you to take me back to your world with you. I’m just asking for however long you’re here.”

Remus sighed again and turned to look at Sirius. The puppy-dog eyes were gazing back at him, and for the first time since he had met this particular Sirius Black, it seemed that they were being deliberately used against him in order for Sirius to get his own way. Remus realised that he should never have told Sirius about his weakness, because this was Sirius Black after all. He may have been used and abused by the Remus Lupin of his world, but he was still Sirius Black…a young man used to getting his own way and willing to use whatever wiles he could to get it.

“Remus…” Sirius whispered as he leaned in closer.

Remus closed his eyes in the hope that by not seeing the puppy-dog eyes, he could resist them.

“Remus…” Sirius murmured, and he was close enough for Remus to feel the warm breath ghosting across his lips.

He kept his eyes shut as he felt the soft lips touch his own.

Damn those puppy-dog eyes.