Title: The Stuff of Fairy Tales

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Harry Potter

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: JRK's pups. I'm just playing and not earning a cent

Summary: Remus attempts to escape into a good book.

Author's Notes: Written during a snow day, January 2010

The Stuff of Fairy Tales

There was nothing better, in Remus Lupin's opinion, than curling up with a well-loved book, a cup of steaming hot chocolate, and a warm blanket in front of the fire while a blizzard raged outside. He had absolutely no desire to venture out in the snow and, luckily, no need to do so. The building superintendant would surely pay a company to come shovel them out (or do it himself if he was feeling especially desperate or cheap). And, unlike the muggles who lived in the apartment complex, Remus had no car to dig out of the snow. Traveling by floo powder and aparating had nothing to do with the weather. Thus, Remus was content to sit back and enjoy the snowstorm alone with one of his favorite books of all time.

Though he had dozens of books on his shelves that had not yet been read, there was something immensely comforting about picking up one of his favorites. It was like a familiar friend he could get to know all over again. Even as he breezed through the first chapter, he couldn't help but smile. In books, things only went wrong when they could be fixed or lessons learned from them. And, in the end, there was always a happy ending, even if it wasn't the ending you would have picked.

And then Remus shrieked as though he were a little girl. All of a sudden, something cold and wet had touched the back of his neck. He very nearly jumped out of his nest of cushions and blankets. “Padfoot, you absolute prat! What did you do that for?” He pushed Sirius aside as the man continued to try to nuzzle into him with a runny nose. “I thought you were asleep in bed.”

“I was asleeb.” Sirius pulled on Remus' blanket, trying to get a piece of it for himself. Remus held tight to it, already warm and cozy. “But I woke ub add you wered't there.”

“I wanted to read.”

“Cad't you read id bed? Sniff, sniff! With be? Sniff! Esbecially dow that I'b awake?” Sirius coughed a little and snuggled against Remus with a dangerous, full body shiver. And Remus, finally, stopped protesting and let Sirius under the blanket with him. “Sniff! Sniff! That's dice, isd't it?”

Remus nodded. It wasn't ideal, but Sirius was warm enough beside him and he did like to snuggle as much as Sirius did. So Remus put an arm around Sirius and hugged him close. With his book still open on his lap, Remus tried to pick back up where he had left off. But Sirius kept sniffling. Right in Remus' ear. Practically without stopping. It was annoying, yes, but also made Remus feel neglectful and sympathetic. He marked his place in the book. “How's your cold?”

“Biserable,” Sirius replied. “Sniff! By dose wod't stob ruddig.” He nuzzled his face into the side of Remus' neck and face to demonstrate.

Remus winced and squirmed. “Ew, Pads, really. I love you, but do you really have to—”

“heh-Shooo!” Naturally, Sirius hadn't brought a hanky or even a tissue with him. He snuffled wetly for a moment then rubbed his nose against Remus' shoulder. “Excuse be.”

Remus shuddered. “Do you want me to catch your cold?” Sirius didn't answer, and Remus rolled his eyes. “Oh for goodness' sake…”

“Well, if you did catch by cold, we could sduggle ub id bed together.”

“What, coughing and sneezing freely on each other and wiping each other's noses?”

Sirius shrugged in a sort of affirmative way. “Does that soud so awful?”

“Only the part where I have to cough and sneeze and feel ill enough to need my nose wiped.” Remus paused as Sirius sniffled again. “Do you feel ill enough to need your nose wiped?”

Sirius' only answer was a whimper.

Remus put his book aside, pausing a moment to reflect fondly on the cover and the promise of temporary escape it had held. He took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. Then he pulled the blanket off himself and wrapped it securely around Sirius before doing likewise with his arms. “All right then, you big baby. Back to bed with you.”

“You're cobig with be?”

“If you'd like.”

Sirius grinned. “I'd l-like.” Then he snapped forward and sneezed again. “heh-Ehshooo! Sniffffff! Uh… uh, excuse be.”

Remus reached up and wiped Sirius' nose with the edge of the blanket. “Bless you, Padfoot.” With his arms still around his lover, he guided the man up and back to bed, leaving the copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales behind on the cushions. He didn't notice, however, that Sirius had sneaked the book under the blanket with him for them to read in bed later.