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Having been patched up, Remus was back in their dorm. Not an uncommon occurrence when you are a werewolf, but definitely uncommon when it was not any time near the full moon.

James and Peter were astounded. Both of Remus' eyes were turning black, and his face was generally puffy. He looked as if he had had the stuffing beaten out of him.

And he had - but not before he had done considerable damage to his opponents.

He was currently cradled against Sirius Black, who was petting him gently, pressing soft kisses to the blackening eyes, and making small distressed sounds at the state of his mate.

Again - not unusual. But definitely unusual when it was not any time near the full moon.

"You did what, Moony?" asked James, unable to take it in.

"I beat up Rabastan Lestrange."

"Why?" asked Peter.

"Does it matter?" asked Sirius. "He's hurt and needs some rest. Not an inquisition."

Remus smiled gently at the other boy and gently ran his hand down Sirius' cheek, slyly adding a gentle wriggle against the other boy, feeling gratified at the reaction he could feel.

"Easy, sweet," he whispered softly. "I jumped Rabastan because of something he said. Something I took offence at."

"But alone? When he was with his pack?"

"Careful, James. I take offence at you using the word 'pack' when talking about that gang."

"Sorry, Moony, but you know what I mean!"

Peter looked impressed. "I bet they'll think differently about you now, Remus."

Remus smiled, a silky smile that somehow made his features become more wolf- like. "Definitely."

"What did they say?" James persisted. Remus usually kept himself under such control that for him to have started a brawl meant that he must have been completely incensed.

"It was something he said about Sirius," Remus finally admitted, reluctance apparent in every word.

Sirius' arms tightened. "Moony, I can take care of myself. You don't have to start fights about what those prats say about me."

"This time I did." Remus voice was firm.

"Then, for Merlin's sake, Remus, tell us! What insults one of us, insults all of us." James was nearly beside himself with curiosity by now.

Remus struggled with himself, but knew that if he didn't say, someone else would. Gossip would already have started to pass the incident around the school, and he far preferred his friends - and especially his lover - to hear from him rather than the enhanced and garbled gossip version.

"I took offence when Rabastan said that Sirius was the Hogwarts bike. He wanted to know if I enjoyed riding a vain, egotistical poofter, and said that I must be used to used goods if the state of my robes was anything to go by."

The words were snarled out, and Remus looked fierce.

"Moony, I am a vain, egotistical poofter, and you do enjoy riding me," Sirius pointed out reasonably.

"Not helping, Sirius," said Peter looking pained. "Far too much information."

"I didn't take offence at that, exactly," said Remus, giving another wriggle.

"You didn't?" Sirius sounded surprised, and not a little hurt. At the same time, he was becoming more and more aroused by Remus wriggling, and (if he was honest) by the fact that Remus had started a fight because of what somebody said about him!

Remus turned to him and pulled him into a fierce kiss, his hands moving to Sirius trousers, and Sirius found himself whimpering and moaning at his touch.

Remus pulled away and tore open Sirius' trousers, revealing just how aroused Sirius was. He licked his lips and kissed Sirius again.

Peter and James couldn't help themselves watching in fascination - their Remus was never this ... carnal. Certainly he was never this much of an exhibitionist. It was as if he had forgotten that they were there.

He broke the kiss and the spell broke.

"You are my vain, egotistical poofter, Sirius," he said. The expression on his face was strong and Sirius just nodded dumbly, his hips moving as Remus' hand stroked his erection.

James and Peter decided to make good their getaway, but Remus' next words stopped them in their tracks.

"And I don't share my mate with anybody!" he snarled fiercely.

James turned back and looked at the tableau before him and everything dropped into place. Remus had not forgotten they were there. He had chosen the fight and their subsequent conversation to make a point.

Signs that James had seen and not taken any notice of now made sense. Remus allowed Sirius to pet him and to fuss over him. He allowed Sirius to be dominant in public - even the public that was the four of them. He had allowed the world to think that he was submissive.

But the truth was that Remus was the one controlling that relationship. And it was something that James and Peter realised that they should have known all along.

James and Peter exchanged glances as they locked the door to the dorm behind them and Peter cast a silencing charm.

James looked at Peter and the two grinned. "Tell me, Wormy, why have we never noticed before?"

Peter shook his head in disbelief. "But then, Prongs, who would believe us if we said that Sirius was whipped?"