"I'm not living here, George. I never really lived here." Remus stepped over the dilapidated boxes and picked up the edge of a musty rug. "I'm just looking for a few things."

"From when you lived here."

"You have to admit it's cheerier than Grimmauld Place."

"Hell's cheerier than that tomb." George smacked himself on the forehead and groaned. "Sorry."

"What?" Remus feigned nonchalance as he dropped the rug.

"Oh, right. I'd forgotten. We're pretending like nothing's happened."

Remus turned slightly and looked at George, his normally understanding eyes hard. "We're doing what we have to do to go on, George. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Nothing like living."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Why not? Because I'm a child? Because I've not spent my life pining away in misery? Because I didn't have the piss-poor luck of getting bitten when I was a child? Well, I'm ever so sorry, Remus that we can't all have the life of tragedy that you did, but you know what? I'd rather live a life of tragedy than just sit there and let everything pass me by."

"I'd rather you shut the…shut up, George." He took a deep breath and forced the practiced calm. "There are three boxes by the door over there. They can go out."

"Fine. I'll just take them and shove them up…" His voice faded as he disappeared through the front door and Remus leaned against the wall, hot tears stinging the inside of his eyelids. He didn't move even when he felt the air stir as George reentered the room. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about, George. I told you that."

"Look, it's none of my business, all right? I was just talkin' out my arse, and I had no right." He shrugged and looked down at the scuffed footprints in the dust. "It's hard, sometimes, because we are children, and yet it's us, you know? We're the ones who have to do it all. Harry's just a kid and he's fighting the front lines of this war and, when it comes down to it, it's going to be me and my mates from school that are going to have to win. We're going to be the ones that are casting curses we weren't ever meant to know and seeing our friends and relatives and family die." His voice faded slightly. "And everyone keeps trying to protect us. Tell us we'll understand later, but we're not going to understand. We're not going to get it later, because it sucks and it's always going to. It's never going to make sense."

"I know."

"And no matter how much you train us and teach us and drill us, we're just fucking kids going into battle and I wake up every morning wondering if I'm ever going to see my brothers or sister or parents again and then I remember that there are already people that I won't see, because they're already gone. And I'm scared." He sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall, almost choking at the shock of them. "And it sucks."

Remus laughed sadly, his eyes warm and forgiving. "It does. It sucks."

"No one will talk to us, Remus."

"What do you want to know?"

George's blue eyes were almost black with emotion. "Am I going to die?"

"Maybe?"

"Is Fred?" With that his voice was even more tortured.

"I don't know."

"Are you?"

"I'd prefer not to."

"Can I kiss you?"

Remus paused, his mouth open, ready to respond. He tilted his head and his lips curled into a smile almost unwittingly. "No."

"Right." George nodded and turned, heading for the door to go into the other room. "I'll just-" his words were cut off as Remus grabbed him and spun him around, pinning him to the wall. "You said no."

Remus licked his lips, his tongue brushing lightly over the surface of George's as well. "I lied." Remus's leg slipped between both of George's, his body hard and hungry.

George's hands fisted in Remus's robes, curling in the dark fabric, pulling the older man closer. "Yes," George nodded, pressing a hard kiss to Remus's lips.

"No, George." Remus bit the redhead's lip, sucking on the tender flesh. George groaned desperately, thrusting against Remus's leg. He caught George's hands and wrists, holding him against the wall behind him. "We can't do this."

"Right," George nodded, his hips colliding with Remus's.

"George," Remus pleaded quietly, pulling away, leaving the younger man slumping against the wall. He panted harshly, struggling for breath, his thin chest heaving. "No. I can't."

"We can," George stepped forward, reaching for Remus's hands. "You want to."

"No." Remus shook his head vehemently. "No." He stepped back again. "I was wrong. I apologize for that. I…"

George caught Remus's hand and pulled him closer, his arm sliding around Remus's waist. "We can. We should." He caught him in a kiss, his tongue stealing inside, silencing Remus's protest.

"No," Remus moaned, shoving George away. "No, George." He watched the shift of emotions in the blue eyes, his hand stroking George's cheek. "As nice…as…we can't."

"We can."

"No." Remus pressed his lips together, shaking his head. "We can't, George. You're far too young."

"No."

"I'm far too old," Remus assured him. "I'm your teacher."

"You were. You aren't." George ran his thumb over Remus's lower lip. "We can."

Remus closed his eyes, trembling as he caught George's hand. "No." He pulled away and walked across the room, leaning against the opposite wall, not looking at George. "We can't."

"You've got to give me a reason why. A real reason." George's adamant voice filled the small cabin.

"It's wrong?" Remus offered. "For so many reasons."

"Name one."

"I'm not interested."

"Ha!" George laughed shortly. "Liar."

"I won't deny that I react," Remus admitted. "But I'm not interested in a relationship. In anything."

"Sirius is gone."

"This has nothing to do with him."

"You are a liar."

"Even if it were about Sirius," Remus swallowed hard, "he's only been gone a few months. Surely I'm allowed to grieve."

"You're not allowed to stop living. Stop feeling."

"You're a child. My good friends' child. You're…"

"You want me." George walked toward him. "You want me and you don't want to admit it because you don't want to admit anything. You don't want to have to live with one more stigma attached to your name, right? But we all know, Remus. Or suspect. No one thought that you and Sirius were just really good friends."

"Regardless of what everyone thinks of my…" Remus shook his head. "Thank you for your help today, George, but I really think that you should go. I think that…"

"Just," George closed the distance between them, his hands flat against Remus's chest. "Just kiss me? Once? Like you mean it?"

"No, George."

George nodded as Remus drew closer, his soft yes whispered against Remus's parted lips. They clung together, tongues and lips warring against one another until they broke apart, both gasping for breath after ragged breath. George smiled and licked his lips, backing away slowly. "Now I'll go."

Remus shook as the loud cracking sound caused a quick tremble through the shack as George Disapparated, sinking onto the floor as soon as he was alone.

"What's his name?"

George looked up at Fred. "What d'you mean?"

"Well, if it was a girl, you'd have said something by now."

"Like you'd have noticed."

"I'd have noticed." Fred sat on the couch next to his twin. "So. What's his name?"

"You're delusional, brother-mine."

"George, George, George," Fred shook his head before turning to face his brother. "Since when do you lie to me?"

"I always lie to you."

"And badly at that." Fred sighed. "Who is he?"

George got to his feet and walked over to the kitchen counter. "How's Hermione?"

"Don't try and change the subject."

"I'm not."

"George."

"It's nobody you know."

"The last time you said that, the nobody I knew turned out to be the Quidditch captain I spent at least three hours a day with."

"This is nothing like Oliver. He's nothing like Oliver."

"Who's he like?"

"I don't want to talk about this, Fred."

"Why not?" Fred asked the question seriously, his eyes fixed on George. "Are you afraid I'll disapprove?"

"I…"

"Because you'll notice I'm dating the girl our little brother's in love with. Doesn't give me much room to be cocky. Doesn't keep me from being cocky, but that's a different story all together."

George managed a weak smile. "I dunno if you'd approve. There are things you'd probably like. Things you wouldn't."

"There's one way to be sure."

"No."

"Does he fell the same way you feel? How do you feel?"

"I like him."

"A lot?"

"Yeah."

"And does he like you?"

"He…he's possibly as off limits for me as Hermione should be for you."

"It's not Harry, is it?" Fred asked with a slight frown. "Don't know that ickle Ron could handle that."

George laughed. "It's not Harry."

"It's not…" Fred shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Does he like you back, George?"

"I don't know."

"What do you think?"

"I think I don't know."

Fred nodded. "Just because she's supposed to be off-limits, doesn't mean she is."

"Yeah."

"Maybe the same goes for Remus."

"He's…what?"

Fred grinned as George stopped mid-sentence, his face flushed. "Just a guess."

"What? How?"

"You're my twin, George."

"Doesn't mean you know that sort of thing!"

"I watched you watch him in school." Fred shrugged. "Besides, you've a habit of falling for men who're completely caught up in something or someone else." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "You never do that with girls though."

"I leave that to you."

Fred grinned devilishly. "Touché."