November
Bella’s birthday
Prompt: Great Hall
No warnings
Major tags: Hogwarts, pre-wolfstar
Remus didn’t know if it was a werewolf thing or recently having turned thirteen, but somehow, he always woke up starving. He didn’t have much to say at this time of day and was perfectly happy to walk yawning in competition with Peter after the bickering James and Sirius.
Sirius entered the Great Hall the same way as always. Head high, step self-assured, smiling at any girls looking his way – too many, in Remus' opinion.
Before they reached their usual seats at the far end of the Gryffindor table, an older Slytherin girl that Remus recognised as Sirius’ cousin stood in front of them. Remus had never seen the two of them speak to each other and expected Sirius to brush past her the same way he did any other Slytherin. He stopped. Naturally, so did Remus, James and Peter.
“Happy birthday, Bella.”
Sirius' smile was suddenly constringed.
“Thank you, cousin.” She handed Sirius a letter that he took with a shudder.
She gave the other three a venomous look. “I hope you haven’t forgotten your family altogether.”
She sharply turned around and was off to her table. Sirius however, did not get back into walking until James gently pulled at his arm. He slumped down on the bench and fidgeted anxiously with the letter.
“What does it say?” James prompted.
Sirius sighed and finally opened it. “It’s an invitation. Tea with the family. For her birthday.”
“You don’t have to go?” James suggested.
“Yes, I do”, Sirius sighed, “It will only get worse if I don’t.”
Remus looked at Sirius quietly nibbling at the end of his toast and suddenly wasn’t hungry anymore himself. It hurt him to see Sirius like this. It hurt him not to be able to protect him from whatever terrible things his family came up with. Remus was usually the more careful of them, or boring and scared of getting caught if you asked James and Sirius. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Want to see something fun?” Remus nudged Sirius who grunted and hesitantly looked up.
He nodded towards the Slytherin table and shot a hex with his wand under the table. Suddenly everything on the table was stuck to it. The Slytherins gasped and cried out in annoyance when the forks, toasts or glasses they tried to lift up were stuck.
“Watch now,” Remus said and whispered the counter-spell.
Half a dozen Shlytherins splashed themselves with their drinks as their cups suddenly became unstuck and there were chaotic outcries and food spilt all along the table.
Sirius snorted and hid a smile behind his hand. Then reached out for some pumpkin juice and a serving of scrambled eggs.
Remus watched in the corner of his eye how Professor McGonagall walked sternly towards him. He quickly looked down but didn’t stop smiling. It was worth it.
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The election
Prompt: Room of Requirement
Warnings: Political injustice
Major tags: Professor Lupin
Professor Lupin found himself wandering aimlessly through Hogwarts' corridors that night, accompanied by nothing but his thoughts.
The wizard world had always been more open than the muggle world. Being a witch or wizard was undeniably a little odd to everyone who wasn't. He supposed experiencing being the odd one out first-hand left people more accepting of other peculiarities as well.
Living as gay was not pain-free, but far easier than it would have been in the muggle society. No one looked funny at him when he walked with a crutch in Diagon Alley. Even werewolf restrictions had eased a bit during his lifetime.
That was all about to change. The new Minister of Magic was against all that.
He had felt the change coming, of course. But today's election had spelt it out so much clearer than before. How he wasn't wanted.
Werewolf persecution would likely be the beginning. But other things were sure to follow. Maybe he should take down the pride flag from his office? It might be banned soon, anyway.
Anxiety drove up the speed of his steps. He rounded a familiar corner and stopped in front of an unfamiliar door. It took him a moment to realise he was in the seventh floor left corridor. This must be the room of requirement. Probably ready for him with a soft armchair and a hot cup of tea.
He couldn't help but smile fondly at the castle wanting to comfort him even if he didn't feel like being comforted right now. He felt restless. Like he needed to do something. But what could he do, when all felt hopeless?
He opened the door and saw no armchair nor any tea. It was an exhibition of some sort. Intrigued he stepped closer and examined the moving photos on the walls.
There were a few celebrities, but most of them were people close to him. His mother. Madam Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall. Sirius the summer he left home to stay with James. James the day they joined the order. Lily holding baby Harry.
It was all the people who had inspired him.
He smiled and watched them cheer him on with tears welling up his eyes.
The cup of tea he had imagined appeared when he needed it, at a desk of some sort. There were stacks of rainbow coloured cards and paper folded in the shape of pamphlets. Letters already addressed to various Ministry workers for him to fill in. Outlines of petitions.
The castle had known what he needed, after all. He didn't need to take down his flag. He needed to spread more.
He owed the children he was teaching to show that there were ways to cope even if society was growing harsher. That there were things that could be done. That he was not giving up.
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Says the one
Prompt: Quidditch Locker Room
Warnings: Homophobia
Major tags: Hogwarts, pining, protective friends
It was just before Quidditch class together with the Slytherins, of all times, that Remus heard it first. Whispers in the locker room. Nudges and heads turning towards them. “Have you heard?” “Black is bent.” “For real?” “Yeah, a nasty homo.”
One glance at Sirius' blank eyes and set jaw told him he had heard too.
It was a tense lesson. The chilly rain that started a couple of minutes in dampened everybody’s mood, but thankfully it also dampened the gossip.
In the locker room, Remus secured the towel under his armpits, as he always did, before sliding off his pants.
“What are you hiding, Lupin?” Mulciber asked with a stupid grin.
“Nothing of your concern.”
If his usual tired reply had an extra bite in the voice today, he blamed it on the weather. Or maybe, if the bastards had to go after someone he rather it be him than Sirius.
“Good call. I wouldn’t want to undress beside Black either, what if he’s looking?”
Remus froze. There was so much he wanted to say. “Get out before I kill you” was one of them. “Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend”, was another. They were both stupid. He and Sirius were only boyfriends in his dreams. His silly impossible dreams. And the Slytherins never failed to use an outright threat to their advantage.
Remus glanced at Sirius. One hand was holding the locker door with white knuckles. The other hand was aimlessly flipping things around in his bag in an attempt to look like he wasn’t listening.
Remus turned to Mulciber and raised an eyebrow.
“Says the one who is always so keen on seeing what’s under my towel?”
“That’s right.” James joined in. “Leve us alone, you creep!”
Peter smiled from his corner. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to see naked boys, Mulciber. But if you want a show you better go somewhere and pay for it.”
Mulciber scoffed and stuttered, turning red. When giggles were heard from the Slytherin side of the room, he grabbed his things and stormed out.
Sirius closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face before looking at them.
“Guys? I love you.”
Remus smiled at him and ached for those words to mean something more.
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The dancing snow man
Prompt: Zonko’s Joke Shop
No warnings
Major tags: Christmas fluff
Sirius scoffed at the enormous Christmas trees twinkling with magic lights that lit up not one, but four different street corners in Hogsmeade.
"It's not even December yet! They just took down the Halloween decorations."
Remus shrugged. "Anything to fight the darkness."
Secretly he adored the festive vibe. When would it be feasible to put some up in their dorm? Middle of December? Maybe the first if it was something wintery more than Christmasy? Like the glowing icicles from Zonko's Joke shop that randomly screamed insults at people?
Remus bought those when Sirius didn't look. Well back in the castle he decided he could put them up right now if he didn’t do it in the dorm and hung them by the windows in the common room instead.
When he sneaked back to the dorm he walked in on Sirius putting up the dancing snowman Remus immediately recognised from Zonko's as well. The one designed to fall apart into twenty pieces with dramatic sound effects as soon as someone touched it, but actually reassembled itself really easily if you pushed the right button.
Sirius turned with a guilty smile and Remus chuckled.
"I didn't think you liked Christmas decorations?"
"I don't. But I know you do."
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The ice patch
Prompt: Hospital Wing
Warnings: Injuries
Major tags: Hogwarts, secret relationship
The night falls early at the end of November. Sirius suggests a walk. Remus looks out the window and frowns. It's cloudy, slightly foggy, no stars visible. But Sirius' secretive smile makes him oblige.
They walk by the lake. The familiar path seems longer and scarier in the darkness, full of slippery stones and uneven footing. Sirius takes his hand and Remus realises the advantage of the darkness. They can hold hands without being seen.
Remus feels Sirius lean closer and realises another advantage. They can kiss. It feels so much more unrestricted than behind bed curtains or in a broom closet. They're free. No one can spot them in the black night.
The moment Remus feels Sirius' lips on his own, his foot disappears under him. He tumbles, his mouth colliding hard with Sirius’ teeth. Panicking, he grips Sirius’ shoulders and they both fall to the ground.
They both cry out in pain. They both lay sprawled out on the treacherous ice patch. Warm blood trails down Remus' chin. His lip is split. He briefly considers patching it up himself. No one can know what they did. If he gets back to the dorm, and gets some light and a mirror, he can probably heal it decently. Then he realises Sirius clutches his face with both hands.
“Let’s go see Madam Pomfrey,” he sighs decidedly.
“What… what will she think?”
“I don’t know. But she’s kind. She won’t say anything.”
Remus knows her better than Sirius, after all.
They soon sit side by side in the Hospital Wing’s office. Remus clutches his hands between his knees and tries not to look at Sirius. Sirius is unusually quiet.
Madam Pomfrey returns with cloths and a vial. She huffs and mutters disapprovingly as she examines their injuries. If Remus is not imagining things, she is brisker than other times, when cleaning the blood of his wound.
“What have you two been up to?” she asks in a sharp tone.
Remus nearly cries. She is not at all as accepting as he’d thought. Will this change how she sees him, how she cares for him after full moons to come? Was he wrong about her not telling anyone?
“Nothing,” he whispers.
“I’m not stupid. A broken nose and a split lip. Just coincidence, huh?”
Remus dares a glance at her stern face.
“We slipped. There was this ice patch…”
If she hadn’t turned around to go get something from her cabinet Remus is pretty sure he would have seen her roll her eyes.
“You both slipped on the same ice patch. Of course.”
She mutters something about hormones and hopeless teenage boys before she is back with another vial and pursed lips.
It’s Sirius who catches on first.
“You think we were in a fight? You think we hit each other?”
Madam Pomfrey only gives him a tired sigh. But Sirius straightens up beside Remus, visibly relieved.
“I’m so sorry. We promise not to fight again.”
“Right”, Remus chides in, “we’ll be nothing but friendly from now on.”
Madam Pomfrey is shaking her head when they leave, but Remus swears he can see a fond twinkle in her eyes.
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McGonagall’s no-sleeping policy
Prompt: Transfiguration Classroom
No warnings
Major Tags: Hogwarts, stubborn idiot Remus
“You need to eat,” Sirius growls through gritted teeth.
“I am eating”, Remus snaps back, stirring his scrambled eggs around on his plate with one hand and leaning his head heavily in the other.
“If you are too tired to eat you should have stayed in bed.”
“I said, I am eating!”
Sirius forces himself to take a deep breath. He doesn’t want to fight with Remus. Especially not the day after a moon night. But the wanker is being impossible.
They sit in stubborn silence until they have to leave for class. Remus may have put a few bites in his mouth, but his plate can still be considered full when he pulls himself up to standing with a lot more grunting and hissing than Sirius thinks is acceptable for someone set on taking on a full school day.
They take their seats in the Transfigurations classroom, Sirius and James on either side of Remus.
There are a few minutes before class starts and Remus lays his head down on the table in front of him and closes his eyes.
“I don’t know how Madam Pomfrey let you out”, Sirius grumbles.
“I’m fine.” Remus mumbles without opening his eyes. “Besides, there are exams coming up soon.”
When Professor McGonagall walks in, Remus immediately sits up straight. Sirius doesn’t miss the surprised and slightly disapproving glance she shoots their way, though. Surely, she too thinks he should be in bed.
Today’s lesson is fur, scales and feathers. Before Professor McGonagall has got the snake out, that she intends to transform into a swan, they hear Remus stomach rumble.
James sticks him a piece of toast he apparently brought from breakfast. Sirius wishes he had thought of that.
“No,” Remus whispers, “you know McGonagall has a strict no-eating policy.”
James rolls his eyes. Remus' stomach rumbles again. He sighs and accepts the toast. As he takes a small bite McGonagall turns towards them and they all freeze. With a minuscule press of the lips, she pointedly looks the other away and continues her lecture.
Sirius has seldom been so thankful to a teacher. He should be thankful to James too, he supposes, who thought of bringing not only the toast but apparently a boiled egg and two slices of bacon too. He is thankful. It’s just that Remus would have never accepted it from Sirius that stings. Why can’t Remus see how much he cares?
Remus as discreetly as he can licks the crumbs off his fingers and wipes his mouth. Sirius tries to pay attention to how the wand movements can affect the thickness of the fur and not think about how much he and Remus have argued lately. If it’s not Remus being absurd in his refusal to accept help it is him insisting Sirius do something boringly wise and sensible. As Sirius watches the snake turn white and sprout a beautiful plumage he gets hit by a clichéd sudden realisation. Those arguments can just as easily be called Sirius refusing help and Sirius wanting Remus to do something he knew is sensible but still for some reason doesn’t want to. Thinking about it that way, Remus seems to care a great deal, after all.
A sudden thud on Sirius' shoulder jolts him. Remus' head. He smiles as he sees Remus' face relaxed in sleep and carefully brings an arm around his back to hold him steady. He bets McGonagall would even allow sleeping in her classroom on this one occasion. If not, Sirius is fully prepared to use whatever charm or threats or bargains he can to not have to wake him up just yet.
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The voice of reason
Prompt: Gryffindor Common Room
Warnings: Alcohol
Major tags: Flirting, pining, drunk Sirius
The Gryffindor Common Room is alive with music pounding from an enchanted gramophone, laughter and the buzz of people celebrating today's quidditch victory against the Hufflepuffs.
Sirius is dancing in the middle of the crowd. His skin gleams golden under the charmed fairy lights. His shirt is halfway undone and his hips roll suggestively. Anyone can tell he is having a blast. Suddenly he is looking straight at Remus. The smile deepens, he winks and blows him a kiss.
Remus spills the punch he was about to pour on his clothes. His heart starts pounding three times faster in the chest.
“I don’t know why you’re doing this to yourself”, Peter mutters.
“Look at him”, Remus sighs wistfully.
“He’s drunk and you know it,” Peter cautions.
The last time he and Sirius hooked up at a party Sirius denied every memory of it the day after and avoided him for two weeks. Remus was miserable.
But that was the last time. How can he listen to reason when Sirius is beautiful and lovely and right there? How can he listen to reason when Sirius is spinning gracefully with the music and doing the fish hook move to pull him in, eyes glistening with joy?
Remus hands his glass to a sighing Peter and takes a tentative step forward. Sirius smiles at him again, and he doesn’t stand a chance.
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Potions with the Slytherins
Prompt: Potions Dungeon
Warnings: Violence
Major tags: Hogwarts, pining, Severus Snape, first kiss
Sirius is already tense. School is a lot of work, however much he likes to pretend he doesn’t care. His feelings are… confusing. The letters from home have kept coming lately, each one nastier than the last.
His friends are brilliant, but having Potions with the Slytherins doesn’t help.
Sirius is determined not to let them agitate him. He keeps his head down and focuses on stirring his potion. But Snape, the leach, seems to sense that is extra irritable today. And despite his best efforts to stay calm, he loses focus and messes up the amount of peppermint leaves which leaves his potion a dull yellow instead of bright green.
Severus laughs exaggeratedly and has his fellow Slytherins join in. “I knew you weren’t clever enough to be sorted into the superior house, Black. But I didn’t know you were dumber than a squib. Don’t even know how to count, apparently.”
James reaches an arm out in front of Sirius and mumbles “Easy mate.”
But he turns the wrong way. It’s not Sirius who lashes out. It’s Remus. Quiet cautious Remus. Who leaps up, kicks Snape’s cauldron over so the green gooey potion splashes all over the floor, and sticks his wand out.
”Take that back!”
For a moment, Severus seems as stunned as Sirius feels. But he quickly snaps out of it, looks furiously at the spilt potion and shoots a hex Sirius doesn’t recognize Remus’ way. Remus doesn’t react fast enough to shield himself but throws his arm up to protect his face and tumbles backwards with a yelp.
Before Sirius can think he disarms Severus and, in the process, has him flying right into the ingredient cabinet behind him where jars and pots rain down around him.
“Boys! Boys!” Slughorn clears the mess with a few whips of his wand and looks sternly at Sirius and Remus.
“Detention, both of you. And ten points each from Gryffindor.”
“But, Professor –“ they both complain.
“I don’t want to hear any of it. You are dismissed from this class. Zero points on today’s potions.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Isn’t it?” Professor Slughorn sniffs Sirius’ potion, ”this is useless anyway”, and then he turns to Remus, “and you sabotaged Mr Snape’s, he can take over yours and continue if he wants to.”
“Come”, Remus mumbles and pulls discreetly at Sirius' robe. Sirius follows him out, careful to keep his gaze in the other direction than the Slytherins he knows will be watching gleefully.
They reach the first flight of stairs before Sirius realises there is something wrong with Remus. He still clutches his arm tight against his body.
“Let me see” Sirius demands.
He gasps when Remus does what he asks. A deep gush runs along the forearm. Blood starts dripping as soon as Remus loosens his grip.
Sirius doesn’t want to think about what would have happened if that hex had hit him straight on.
“Let’s get you to the Hospital Wing,” he ushers.
Remus silently obliges. It doesn’t take long for Madam Pomfrey to fix him up. She is a splendid medi-witch, even with her muttering about stupid violent boys, and all. But Sirius is still distraught when she leaves them, Remus sitting on the bed, Sirius crouching beside him with his arm on top of the bedding.
Remus looks at him and smiles a tentative smile. Sirius feels the sting of tears behind his eyes. Remus tries to reach out and touch him, but he elegantly ducks away.
”I am so sorry. I know it hurts.” Remus says.
”Hurts?” What does he mean? If anyone is hurting it is Remus.
”It must suck to hear things like that.”
”Hear things…? Moony? You are hurt! Because of me. That’s what upsets me.”
Sirius runs his hands down his face and swallows before he continues.
”I watch you get hurt every full moon, and it’s already more than I can take. I can’t watch you get yourself hurt over me. It’s not supposed to be like that. I am supposed to protect you.”
Remus smiles. ”I want to protect you too.”
”No! You don’t get it! I think I.. I think I love you, Moony. For real.”
Remus puts a hand on each of his shoulders and ducks his head low, trying to meet Sirius' downturned eyes. ”I think I love you too.”
Sirius sighs. “You don’t get it…”
”I think I do.” Remus leans forward and forces Sirius to meet his eyes. His hand lingers for a moment at Sirius’ jaw, thumb tracing the curve of his cheekbone. Then he slowly brushes his lips against his, soft and tentative.
Sirius winds his arms around Remus, pulling him closer, and the tentative kiss deepens. The heat of it, the overwhelming rightness of it, consumes him until he feels Remus’ laughter vibrate against his mouth as they topple backwards onto the bed. Sirius braces himself above him, grinning like a fool.
Madam Pomfrey sharply clears her throat. “You may leave now.” Sirius can hear the smile in her voice from across the room.
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The setting up of a date
Prompt: Quidditch Pitch
No warnings
Major tags: Hogwarts, pining, jealous Remus
Remus had his thickest gloves on and his scarf wrapped two times around his neck. He would stay indoors as much as he could this time of year, but seeing Sirius soar through the air meant he willingly endured the cold. Of course, he had the excuse of cheering on the whole Gryffindor team. Every practice drew a small audience.
It looked effortless, the way Sirius flew tight loops and steered elegantly in and out between his teammates. But Remus knew it was hard work. He knew how sweat was building up under the tight quidditch clothes even in this cold. He had stolen glances at those hard muscles in the dorm.
A voice to his left pulled him from that mouth-watering thought. Clarissa from his study group stood looking at him expectantly.
"I'm sorry?"
"I said you are friends with Black, right?"
Remus nodded noncomittingly.
"Can you introduce me?"
Remus grimaced. He had no wish to lead another beautiful girl Sirius’ way.
“Come on. You owe me for that History book you lost.”
She was right. To play a prank on Filch he had transfigured a book into a cat resembling Ms Norris very closely, if he did say so himself, only to realise afterwards it was the one he had borrowed from her. And when James and Sirius walked up to them at the edge of the Quidditch Pitch, brooms in hand, she was still standing expectantly at his side.
“Uhm, Sirius? Christina here wants to ask you something.” Remus said, deliberately messing up her name.
“Clarissa!” she hissed and shot him an angry glance. “Hi! Eh… I was just wondering if you’d want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?”
Remus expected Sirius to either take her up on the offer or shoot her down as smoothly as he always did. Probably the former, as he wasn’t seeing anyone right now. Hadn’t been for a while, actually. What Remus did not expect was for Sirius to gape in surprise and rub his neck awkwardly.
“I… Eh… I have other plans. Sorry!”
“What plans?” Clarissa pouted.
Sirius shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced nervously at James who gave him an encouraging nod. Sirius took a deep breath.
“Remus, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?”
Remus blinked. He found the muscles to nod before he found his voice. “Yes. That would be lovely, yes.”
“Why didn’t you say that?!” Clarissa said accusingly and stormed off.
“I… didn’t know.” Remus said distractedly after her. But the moment Sirius took his hand and started walking towards the castle he forgot all about her. Sirius smiled at him and he felt like he could float.
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The note
Prompt: Hogwarts Library
No warnings
Major tags: New relationship, Lily Evans
Remus stopped to catch his breath and smooth out his robes. He schooled his facial expression into something hopefully normal, or at least not a silly smile. He walked into the library pretending not to be aware of how late he was.
Lily sat at their usual table. She looked up as he approached, smiled a bright smile and said nothing. Remus sat down with a sigh of relief and began loosening the clasp on his bag.
“So, how is it going?”
Her question startled him. Part of him wanted to say ‘splendidly’ and tell her all about it. Instead, he swallowed and watched her anxiously. She leaned an inch closer.
“You know, with Sirius?”
“I… I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“No? Okay.”
She shrugged and looked down into her Charms book again. But her smile was still unnervingly amused. He wouldn’t be opposed to Lily knowing, really, but they hadn’t talked about who to tell yet. It was all so new. To break Sirius' trust by blabbing was the last thing he wanted.
He opened his bag and slowly took out his own Charms book and the roll of parchment. He ignored Lily’s glances and opened the book. Out from under the first page fell a note.
A note with a heart on it.
He quickly snatched it up and hid it behind his hand to read.
I miss you already. XX
It was a few simple words. Yet his heart fluttered as he read them and he felt his cheeks heat just at the thought of Sirius waiting for him after their respective Quidditch training and study session.
He took a deep breath, looked up and met Lily’s positively thrilled smile.
“Still no idea?” She teased.
“Okay, okay” he chuckled. “Are we studying or gossiping?”