Title: Drink Up

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Harry Potter (during the first war)

Rating: PG13 maybe?

Pairing: Sirius/Remus

Disclaimer: I do not own them! I'd take good care of them if I did, but I don't, so this is just play. That's all.

Summary: Sirius is drinking orange juice. Remus is perplexed. This isn't much of a summary but the fic's just not that long.

Notes: Wrote this in a little less than an hour

Drink Up

     "It's far too windy out there," Remus announced as he kicked the door to their flat closed behind him. His arms were full of books and he made straight for their sideboard, shoving aside the vase of fake flowers to stack the books there in two piles. He took care to stack them neatly with the largest on the bottom so they wouldn't topple over.

     Then he looked up and over at Sirius, who was standing in front of the fridge. The fridge door was wide open and Sirius was chugging straight from the orange juice carton. Remus stood there, contemplating the scene for a moment. "Ah, Padfoot? What are you doing?"

     Sirius stopped drinking and let out a deep breath. He ran the back of his hand and wrist over his mouth. "Drinking orange juice," he said. And he lifted the carton to his lips and started gulping again.

     Remus cocked his head, hoping maybe then he would be able to figure it out. As it was, he wasn't. "That much I can see. What I can't see is why?"

     Sirius took another gulp and lowered the carton again. He paused, swaying a little on the spot as though not entirely sure how to respond. Finally he said, "Sorry, what was the question again?"

     With a deep sigh of frustration, Remus shrugged off his cloak and hung it up on the hooks beside the door. Then he walked over. "I asked why it was you're standing here in the middle of the kitchen drinking orange juice like you've never had anything to drink in your life." He closed the door to the refrigerator and realized Sirius was drinking again. From the way he was drinking, it looked like at least half of it was already gone, possibly closer to two-thirds. "That was a full carton. I just bought it yesterday. What's up?"

     Sirius sighed. He set the orange juice down on the counter. "Yeah, okay. I, ah, I think I'm coming down with something."

     Remus looked concerned and cocked his head again. "But you just got over something." 'Just' was actually about a month ago. But time moved so quickly lately, what with classes and battles and people they knew dying daily.

     "Yeah I know," sighed Sirius. "Which is why I'm trying to fight it off, you know? I can't miss any more training or they'll boot me out of the program."

     Knowing how much being an auror meant to Sirius, Remus picked the carton of orange juice up off the counter and handed it to Sirius. "Drink up." Sirius did so immediately. Remus led him over to the table. Sirius moved slowly and sighed softly when he sat down in a chair. Remus stood behind, giving a shoulder rub. "So what makes you think you're getting sick?"

     "I don't know." That was all he said. Remus rounded the small table and sat down across from him in the other chair. His eyes told Sirius to try and explain anyway because they weren't leaving there without an answer. Sirius shrugged and set the orange juice down again. He was starting to feel a bit full from it. "Just..." he motioned to his face. "I don't know. Just felt kind of tickly."

     "Tickly?" Remus narrowed his eyes.

     Sirius nodded. "Yeah. I--" he stopped suddenly and his eyes unfocused.

"Sirius?"

     Suddenly he lifted a fist to his nose and mouth. "herChahh!" He sniffed and rolled his eyes, then wiped his hand on the leg of his trousers.

     "Oh," said Remus, nodding. "Tickly." He leaned forward, one arm lying on the table, the other reaching up to feel Sirius' forehead. "You're not any warmer than normal. Is it just the tickles? Maybe you're not actually sick." Sirius only had one known allergy, but noses tickle all the time. From dust or a strong scent. Stranger things had happened. One sneeze didn't necessarily mean a cold.

     He shrugged again and got up to put the orange juice back in the fridge. "I don't know. I guess I've been feeling kind of out of it all afternoon. Tired and... and... shite..." He clapped a hand to his face again. "huh-CHIHH! herShuhhh! Ugh!" he groaned, leaning back against the counter and closing his eyes. "I'm sick."

     Remus rose and walked over. He put on his most concerned look and used his most sympathetic tone. "It'll be okay. You get to stay in bed and cuddle with me, right?"

     Nodding, Sirius let Remus take his hand and lead him to the bedroom. Sirius walked stiffly and a bit reluctantly. Remus tried again. "They'll understand. They can't kick you out for catching the sniffles. And Dumbledore will understand. You're no good working if you're going to start sneezing every couple minutes. He'll put in a good word for you at the academy."

     Sirius didn't look like he believed Remus, but he said nothing as he let the man take him to bed. Remus crawled under the covers with Sirius, then took the man in a hug. Sirius rested his head on Remus' chest, and Remus pulled the tissue box over onto the bed between them. Sirius sighed and closed his eyes. "I hate being sick."

     "I know," Remus said softly, smoothing the long black hair back from his face. "But I'll take good care of you and it'll pass quickly. Just snuggle up against me and tell me if you need anything, okay?"

     Sirius did not reply.

"Sirius? Did you hear me?" Remus looked down. Sirius' face wore a pained, expectant expression. Remus pulled a tissue out of the box and held it up to Sirius' face. "Forget about the telling me part. I can read you by now." He petted Sirius' head. Sirius squirmed a bit. "Go ahead and sneeze."

     Reluctantly, Sirius let out a deep breath, then took a deeper one. "hehhh-KURShuhhhh! Ehhh-Shuhhhh!" He paused a moment, but his breathing was still erratic, and Remus knew better than to pull the tissue away just yet. In no time at all, Sirius pitched forward again with a third sneeze. "hehhTchuhhh!" He shook his head, rubbing his nose into the stationary tissue, then pulled back a little.

     "Bless you," Remus said, kissing the top of his head. He petted Sirius again.

     "I really thought I could beat this," he said weakly, closing his eyes. "I thought I'd take some vitamin C and catch a nap and just maybe this time I wouldn't get sick."

     "I'm sorry," Remus said, hugging Sirius to him. "Just relax, Love. This will pass quickly, you'll see."

     Sirius nodded, relaxing heavily against Remus with a sigh. Then he tensed up again and pulled away. "Sirius?" Remus called as Sirius got up and out of bed. "Are you all right?"

     Sirius paused in the doorway and looked back. "Too much orange juice." Remus looked concerned, and Sirius laughed, shaking his head. "No, I'm not that kind of sick. I have to pee like a racehorse and I don't want to risk sneezing again before I do." He grinned slyly. "Unless you're into that."

     Shaking his head, "I've got enough perversions already, thanks." He laughed and patted the bed. "Hurry up. I'll keep the sheets warm for you." Sirius hurried. Remus got up and retrieved one of the books he'd brought back. He also grabbed the rest of the orange juice in case Sirius was thirsty later and they didn't feel like getting out of bed.