On a Windswept Cliff (9/9)
Aug. 12th, 2014 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starfishstarON A WINDSWEPT CLIFF
Summary:
On the cliff top where the fearsome Lord Black once stalked, an outcast man meets a big black dog, and things are not as they seem.
Or: The Remus/Sirius gothic romance AU.
CHAPTER NINE
Dawn was coming far too soon. Already, the sky outside the window was a deep blue, no longer the dark shade of night. The storm had broken, the air was still.
Remus had spent most of the night not wanting to sleep, when he could be awake instead and aware of Sirius’ warm skin beneath his hands. At last, almost unwilling, he’d dozed off for an hour or two. Now, the sky was almost light, and Remus had a long walk over the hills ahead of him.
This time, he was the one who said, “I’ve got to go.” Molly would probably be fine with it if he turned up for work late this once, but Remus wasn’t sure that he himself would be fine with it. That wasn’t how he did things.
“Mm, okay,” Sirius said, and pulled him closer.
Remus laughed. “No, really, I have to get back. But will you come tonight?”
Sirius leaned in and kissed his temple. “I will.”
“I’m going to… I’m going to write Dumbledore today, and accept his job offer. Should I?”
“Yes,” Sirius said, unhesitating. “Of course you should.”
Reluctantly, Remus pulled himself from their warm nest of blankets. For a moment, he stood and just gazed down at Sirius, all gorgeous dark hair and sharp features against the pale white pillows.
“See you tonight, Sirius.”
In a single fluid, dramatic motion, Sirius flung himself into a sitting position and reached out to embrace Remus one last time.
“I’m glad you came and found me,” he murmured against Remus’ ribs.
“Believe me,” Remus said, “so am I.” Then, overcome by emotion, he whispered into Sirius’ hair, “I love you, you know.”
“Well yeah,” Sirius mumbled, his voice sleepy and warm against Remus’ skin. “Of course. You too.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Remus could have sung aloud as he loped over the hills back to the abbey. The ground, sodden from the night’s storm, squelched underfoot. The sun, warm and golden, was just peeking over the hills ahead of him.
He hated to think of Sirius, alone in his animal form, unable to return to his own shape until the sun set. But now, at least, Sirius wouldn’t always have to be alone.
Remus crested the last hill and saw the abbey ahead of him, seemingly aflame from the fiery sun rising behind it. He looked at it with a tug of fondness he’d never before felt for the old stone ruin. This had been the site of great cruelty and suffering in the all too recent past, but for Remus, it would now also always be the place where he had dared to allow himself to love.
“You look chipper,” Molly said, when Remus met her a little later in front of the museum.
I’ve fallen in love, Remus wanted to tell her. I’ve met the perfect man and I’m wildly happy. Oh, and by the way, you know that unusually communicative dog your kids love playing with? Turns out that was him all along.
But all of those were at least half Sirius’ story to tell or not tell as he chose.
All Remus said was, “I’m going to accept Dumbledore’s job offer. I’m guessing he told you why he came?”
“Yes, he did,” Molly said. “Oh, Remus, how wonderful! Congratulations!” She pulled him into an exuberant hug.
Surprised, Remus hugged her back.
“I’m sorry, Molly,” he said, when she’d released him again. “It’s really been a pleasure to be here and to work with you, and I certainly didn’t mean to leave again so soon.”
“Oh, nonsense,” Molly said. “Hogwarts is perfect for you, Remus. I never expected this job to hold you long, a young man of your talents. Oh, I’m just so pleased for you!”
“Thank you, Molly. That means a lot.”
She stepped back a little, surveying him with uncharacteristic seriousness. “Remus, if you don’t mind my saying it – perhaps it’s time, too, to try to make contact with your godson. With little Harry. You’ve said you don’t think you’re the right person to care for him, but I could very much imagine that you are. And if you ever wanted to bring him here, so he could play with the children… Well, we’d be happy to have you both, any time.”
Mad as it sounded, Remus found he could picture it quite easily. Visiting back here from Hogsmeade in the summers with Sirius…and Harry. Harry running around with the Weasley children, making friends perhaps with Ron, who was the same age. Harry surrounded by a loving surrogate family who might in some measure help to replace the family he’d lost.
Remus would never take Harry away from his aunt and uncle if he was happy with them, of course. But if it ever turned out that Harry needed a home, then for the first time Remus felt like he might have one to offer.
“Thank you, Molly,” he said. “That’s really kind. I just might take you up on that.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sun had set behind the hills and Remus had put the abbey to bed, as he’d come to think of it, checked everything over and made sure it was all secure. All evening, his skin had tingled with the knowledge of how soon he would see Sirius again.
Remus came around the abbey, towards the cliff side, thinking he might walk along the bluff top until Sirius got there – and there was Sirius already, coming towards him along the top of the cliff, a dramatic outline against the fading sky.
The wind caught and played with Sirius’ hair, and in the dusky light, Remus could see that he was smiling.
“Sirius!” he called. Remus broke into a run, closing the distance between them until he’d reached Sirius, there on the cliff top, and could sweep him into his arms, laughing.
“Hello, Remus,” Sirius said, then pulled Remus in and kissed him with an intensity that took Remus’ breath away.
The abbey ruin behind him and the sea ahead of him fell away, as Remus’ entire being turned itself to Sirius. The village below the curve of the hill was far out of sight. The beach below them was empty. They might have been the only two men in the world.
– FIN –
Summary:
On the cliff top where the fearsome Lord Black once stalked, an outcast man meets a big black dog, and things are not as they seem.
Or: The Remus/Sirius gothic romance AU.
CHAPTER NINE
Dawn was coming far too soon. Already, the sky outside the window was a deep blue, no longer the dark shade of night. The storm had broken, the air was still.
Remus had spent most of the night not wanting to sleep, when he could be awake instead and aware of Sirius’ warm skin beneath his hands. At last, almost unwilling, he’d dozed off for an hour or two. Now, the sky was almost light, and Remus had a long walk over the hills ahead of him.
This time, he was the one who said, “I’ve got to go.” Molly would probably be fine with it if he turned up for work late this once, but Remus wasn’t sure that he himself would be fine with it. That wasn’t how he did things.
“Mm, okay,” Sirius said, and pulled him closer.
Remus laughed. “No, really, I have to get back. But will you come tonight?”
Sirius leaned in and kissed his temple. “I will.”
“I’m going to… I’m going to write Dumbledore today, and accept his job offer. Should I?”
“Yes,” Sirius said, unhesitating. “Of course you should.”
Reluctantly, Remus pulled himself from their warm nest of blankets. For a moment, he stood and just gazed down at Sirius, all gorgeous dark hair and sharp features against the pale white pillows.
“See you tonight, Sirius.”
In a single fluid, dramatic motion, Sirius flung himself into a sitting position and reached out to embrace Remus one last time.
“I’m glad you came and found me,” he murmured against Remus’ ribs.
“Believe me,” Remus said, “so am I.” Then, overcome by emotion, he whispered into Sirius’ hair, “I love you, you know.”
“Well yeah,” Sirius mumbled, his voice sleepy and warm against Remus’ skin. “Of course. You too.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Remus could have sung aloud as he loped over the hills back to the abbey. The ground, sodden from the night’s storm, squelched underfoot. The sun, warm and golden, was just peeking over the hills ahead of him.
He hated to think of Sirius, alone in his animal form, unable to return to his own shape until the sun set. But now, at least, Sirius wouldn’t always have to be alone.
Remus crested the last hill and saw the abbey ahead of him, seemingly aflame from the fiery sun rising behind it. He looked at it with a tug of fondness he’d never before felt for the old stone ruin. This had been the site of great cruelty and suffering in the all too recent past, but for Remus, it would now also always be the place where he had dared to allow himself to love.
“You look chipper,” Molly said, when Remus met her a little later in front of the museum.
I’ve fallen in love, Remus wanted to tell her. I’ve met the perfect man and I’m wildly happy. Oh, and by the way, you know that unusually communicative dog your kids love playing with? Turns out that was him all along.
But all of those were at least half Sirius’ story to tell or not tell as he chose.
All Remus said was, “I’m going to accept Dumbledore’s job offer. I’m guessing he told you why he came?”
“Yes, he did,” Molly said. “Oh, Remus, how wonderful! Congratulations!” She pulled him into an exuberant hug.
Surprised, Remus hugged her back.
“I’m sorry, Molly,” he said, when she’d released him again. “It’s really been a pleasure to be here and to work with you, and I certainly didn’t mean to leave again so soon.”
“Oh, nonsense,” Molly said. “Hogwarts is perfect for you, Remus. I never expected this job to hold you long, a young man of your talents. Oh, I’m just so pleased for you!”
“Thank you, Molly. That means a lot.”
She stepped back a little, surveying him with uncharacteristic seriousness. “Remus, if you don’t mind my saying it – perhaps it’s time, too, to try to make contact with your godson. With little Harry. You’ve said you don’t think you’re the right person to care for him, but I could very much imagine that you are. And if you ever wanted to bring him here, so he could play with the children… Well, we’d be happy to have you both, any time.”
Mad as it sounded, Remus found he could picture it quite easily. Visiting back here from Hogsmeade in the summers with Sirius…and Harry. Harry running around with the Weasley children, making friends perhaps with Ron, who was the same age. Harry surrounded by a loving surrogate family who might in some measure help to replace the family he’d lost.
Remus would never take Harry away from his aunt and uncle if he was happy with them, of course. But if it ever turned out that Harry needed a home, then for the first time Remus felt like he might have one to offer.
“Thank you, Molly,” he said. “That’s really kind. I just might take you up on that.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sun had set behind the hills and Remus had put the abbey to bed, as he’d come to think of it, checked everything over and made sure it was all secure. All evening, his skin had tingled with the knowledge of how soon he would see Sirius again.
Remus came around the abbey, towards the cliff side, thinking he might walk along the bluff top until Sirius got there – and there was Sirius already, coming towards him along the top of the cliff, a dramatic outline against the fading sky.
The wind caught and played with Sirius’ hair, and in the dusky light, Remus could see that he was smiling.
“Sirius!” he called. Remus broke into a run, closing the distance between them until he’d reached Sirius, there on the cliff top, and could sweep him into his arms, laughing.
“Hello, Remus,” Sirius said, then pulled Remus in and kissed him with an intensity that took Remus’ breath away.
The abbey ruin behind him and the sea ahead of him fell away, as Remus’ entire being turned itself to Sirius. The village below the curve of the hill was far out of sight. The beach below them was empty. They might have been the only two men in the world.
– FIN –
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no subject
Date: 2014-08-18 03:20 am (UTC)I really enjoyed this. You picked a neat set of details to twist or reverse, while keeping the characters entirely true to themselves. It's interesting -- and entirely plausible -- to see Remus finding things to feel guilty over even without being a werewolf, heh. And Sirius's unwanted transformations give him a certain poignance, but he's still got that classic-Sirius (endearing) bit of swagger.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-18 09:49 pm (UTC)Oh, I know, I actually really want to write that sequel – maybe just a small, cute one-shot that gives insight into what their lives are like a few years on – but I just can't think how to possibly do that while keeping the gothic/dramatic tone of the piece. ...All right, you know what, I'm taking suggestions for how that could work, and if I can come up with something plausible, maybe I'll write it after all!
no subject
Date: 2014-09-01 02:19 am (UTC)Any chance of an epilogue with a Harry cameo?
no subject
Date: 2014-09-01 06:16 pm (UTC)Ahhh, the epilogue question. People keep asking! I'd *love* to write it, but I don't know how to write happy-together-sunny epilogue and still keep the gothic tone of the story... (I actually had to cut/condense some of the final chapter here, because the tone got too sunny too suddenly, once they were together!) But if I can find a way to do it and make it work, well, I'm not saying no...
no subject
Date: 2014-09-01 07:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-01 08:31 pm (UTC)I make no promises, but maybe something will pop out from the back of my brain one of these days!
no subject
Date: 2014-09-02 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-08 06:42 pm (UTC)I do have a soft spot for AUs where the writer takes a lot of aspects from canon and mixes them around. It's so fascinating to see how the characters could be and how they could behave in a different setting and with different experiences, yet stay true to themselves. And when you mix HP world with gothic romance, well, you really can't go wrong in my book ;)
I love Molly in this fic, and the role the whole Weasley family plays for Remus. And the hints that they get to be a surrogate family for Remus, Sirius and Harry, really made me smile :)
It was so fascinating the twist you made with Sirius being cursed. I thought a few chapters back that he probably couldn't choose when to be a dog, and it was such a fairy tale feeling to it - animal during the day and man during the night. I love fairy tales, but I loved the solution you gave them: the curse couldn't be undone, but they would find ways to be together anyway. Also, such a neat tie-in with the way it is in canon (with Remus' curse impossible to undo, but people loving him anyway).
Lovely work!
no subject
Date: 2014-09-09 11:35 am (UTC)I had so much fun playing around with, and changing up, the canon details – I can't even remember which ideas came when and how, it all just sort of happened. But yeah, making Sirius the cursed one, and Remus not, was really neat to explore. Though Remus still ends up having a tragic backstory, of course. Poor Remus!
Yup, I definitely choose to believe Remus, Sirius and Harry spend their summers from now on visiting the Weasleys and being welcomed into their family. Molly and Arthur being there as a solid rock for Remus keeps coming up for me – there's a fair amount of that in the later parts of my big Remus/Tonks story as well. Nothing like a Weasley for welcoming a lonely orphan in out of the storm. :-)
Thanks so much for reading and commenting, huldrejenta!