The Gryffindor common room was cozy, the fire crackling as it burned low in the hearth. James was lounging on the couch with Sirius, tossing a Quaffle in the air as they chatted. Peter was off studying for once, and Remus was upstairs, resting after another full moon.
James had been rambling on about Quidditch practice when he noticed Sirius wasn’t really listening, lost in his own thoughts. James, ever observant when it came to his best mates, caught on quickly.
“Alright, Pads, what’s eating you?” James asked, sitting up and tossing the Quaffle aside. Sirius was usually animated when they talked about Quidditch, but today, he seemed distant.
“I need to tell you something,” Sirius said, voice low.
“What is it? You look like you’re about to confess to murder.”
Sirius snorted, though his expression remained serious. “It’s not that, but... well…”
James raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Alright, out with it. You’re worrying me now.”
Sirius hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek before finally blurting out, “I fancy Moony.”
James blinked, momentarily stunned. “You fancy Moony? Our Moony? As in, Remus Lupin?”
“Yeah, that one,” Sirius muttered, avoiding James’s gaze. “And before you say anything, I know. It’s mental.”
James stared at him for a beat, still processing. “Well, I mean… yeah, it’s surprising, but...” He trailed off, thinking back to how close Sirius and Remus had become over the past few months. They were always together—studying, hanging out, Sirius hovering over Remus after full moons like a mother hen. “Actually… it’s not that mental.”
Sirius looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, it makes sense now that I think about it,” James said, grinning as he leaned back on the couch. “You two have been awfully close these days. I thought it was just you being overprotective because of the full moons, but—”
“Don’t,” Sirius interrupted, shaking his head. “Don’t make it sound like it’s mutual, because it’s not.”
James frowned. “What are you talking about? Remus is always with you. He’s comfortable around you, more than anyone else.”
Sirius scoffed, leaning his head back against the couch. “He’s comfortable because we’re mates, Prongs. That’s all.”
“Rubbish,” James said, crossing his arms. “I bet Moony likes you back.”
Sirius gave him a flat look. “You don’t know that.”
“Of course I do,” James shot back. “I’ve known you both for years. And besides, you know Moony better than anyone. If he didn’t feel something for you, he wouldn’t let you get so close.”
Sirius shook his head. “Even if he is comfortable around me, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like blokes. I’ve never seen him act that way around any lad, let alone me.”
James narrowed his eyes, a mischievous glint forming in them. “Well, I’m not convinced. And you know what? I’ll prove it.”
Sirius raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “Prove what?”
“That Moony likes you back, or at least that he likes blokes,” James said, grinning. “What’s a little flirting between mates, right? Might get some interesting reactions.”
Before Sirius could protest, Remus came down the boys’ dormitory stairs, looking slightly pale but better after his full moon recovery. He was carrying a book and headed toward one of the armchairs near the fire. James shot Sirius a wink before sliding over to the chair, sitting on the armrest beside Remus with a grin.
“Moony! You’re looking a bit more human today,” James said brightly, throwing an arm casually around the back of the chair.
Remus gave him a tired smile. “Yeah, thanks. I’m feeling better.”
“That’s good,” James said, leaning in a little closer. “You know, Moony, I’ve been thinking... you’re always off with Sirius these days. Maybe we should spend more time together. What do you say? Just the two of us.”
Remus blinked, clearly caught off guard by James’s sudden attention. “Er, what?”
Sirius sat bolt upright on the couch, glaring daggers at James, but James ignored him, keeping his focus on Remus.
“I mean, we’ve been best mates for years, right?” James continued smoothly, moving even closer. “But we never really have any one-on-one time. We could go to Hogsmeade next weekend, just you and me. I’ll buy you a drink at the Three Broomsticks.”
Remus’s cheeks flushed a light pink, his eyes darting toward Sirius, who was watching them intently. “Er, that’s… um, kind of you, Prongs, but…”
“But?” James asked, raising an eyebrow, still grinning like a cat with cream.
“I… I’m not sure what’s going on,” Remus said, shifting uncomfortably. “Why are you suddenly—?”
“Suddenly what?” James said, his voice low and teasing. “Realizing how bloody brilliant you are?”
Remus’s blush deepened, and he quickly glanced at Sirius again, looking more confused by the second. “James, I—”
“Don’t tell me you don’t like the attention, Moony,” James teased, leaning in so close Remus instinctively leaned back. “I mean, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were blushing.”
At this, Sirius snapped. “That’s enough, Prongs!” he barked, standing up abruptly. “You’ve had your fun. Stop messing with him.”
Remus’s eyes narrowed as he looked between the two of them, a flicker of anger crossing his face. “What’s going on?”
James raised his hands in surrender, grinning as he hopped off the armrest. “Just a little experiment. Right, Pads?”
“Experiment?” Remus repeated, standing up and rounding on Sirius. “What the hell does he mean by that?”
Sirius sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, Moony, it’s not what it sounds like. Prongs was just trying to prove something.”
“Prove what?” Remus snapped, his voice rising. “That I’m some kind of joke?”
Sirius’s eyes widened in panic. “No! That’s not it at all!”
Remus crossed his arms, his expression hurt. “Really? Because it feels like you two are messing with me. And I’m not in the mood for it.”
“Moony, listen—” Sirius started, but Remus cut him off.
“I’m sick of the pranks, Sirius. You know how much I hate being made fun of.” His voice was trembling slightly now, a mix of anger and embarrassment. “Especially about something like this.”
“It wasn’t a prank,” Sirius said, stepping forward, his voice desperate. “It was just—”
“Just what?” Remus snapped, his cheeks flushed with both the lingering embarrassment from James’s flirting and the anger simmering beneath the surface. “Making fun of me because I got flustered? Because I don’t know what’s going on?”
Sirius clenched his fists, frustrated. “Moony, no, it’s not like that. James was trying to show—” He hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
“Show what?” Remus demanded. “That I’m a gullible idiot? That you can get a rise out of me whenever you want?”
Sirius ran a hand through his hair, at a loss. “No, I—”
Remus shook his head, looking utterly disappointed. “You know, I thought we were past this. But clearly, I was wrong.” He turned on his heel, heading for the door.
“Remus, wait!” Sirius called, reaching out to grab his arm. But Remus yanked it away, hurt flashing across his face before he hurried out of the common room.
James, who had been watching the whole exchange with a sheepish look on his face, winced. “That didn’t go well.”
Sirius turned on him, furious. “Of course it didn’t, you idiot! Why the hell did you think flirting with him was a good idea?”
James held up his hands. “It was just to see how he’d react! And, mate, he was definitely flustered. That’s a good sign.”
Sirius scowled. “A good sign? He’s furious, and now he thinks we were mocking him.”
“Alright, maybe it didn’t go exactly to plan,” James admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “But at least now you know he likes blokes.”
Sirius let out a frustrated groan, sinking back onto the couch. “Yeah, well, fat lot of good that does me now.”
***
The next morning, Remus was still avoiding Sirius, his demeanor cold and distant. He sat with Lily, Mary and Marlene at breakfast, clearly wanting nothing to do with either of the boys. Sirius kept glancing over at him, guilt gnawing at his insides.
“You need to fix this,” Lily whispered to Sirius as she passed him in the Great Hall. “He thinks you were being cruel, Sirius. You need to talk to him.”
Sirius nodded, his stomach twisting. “I know. I just don’t know how.”
Lily sighed. “Just be honest with him. That’s all Remus wants.”
Later that afternoon, after much urging from both Lily and James, Sirius finally mustered up the courage to corner Remus in the library. Remus was sitting at a table near the back, scribbling in his notebook, and didn’t look up when Sirius approached.
“Moony,” Sirius said softly, standing awkwardly beside the table.
Remus didn’t respond, his pen scratching angrily across the page.
Sirius sat down on the chair beside him, leaning forward on the table. “Look, I’m sorry. I should’ve stopped Prongs the second he started that ridiculous plan. I swear it wasn’t a prank.”
Remus finally looked up, his eyes hard. “Then what was it?”
Sirius swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “It was… Prongs was trying to prove that you… that you might fancy blokes.”
Remus’s expression darkened. “And why would he need to prove that?”
Sirius took a deep breath. “Because I told him I like you.”
Remus froze, his eyes widening in shock. “What?”
Sirius rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling very exposed. “I like you, Moony. I have for a while. And Prongs… he thought you might feel the same. That’s why he was acting like a prat. To see how you’d react.”
Remus stared at him for a long moment, his brain seemed to be struggling to process what Sirius had just said. “You… you like me?”
Sirius nodded, his heart pounding. “Yeah. I do. A lot.”
Remus blinked, the anger completely draining from his face as realization dawned on him. “Oh.”
Sirius bit his lip, feeling more vulnerable than he’d ever felt in his life. “So… do you?”
Remus let out a shaky breath, his eyes softening. “Yeah. I do. I’ve liked you for a while now, but I didn’t think you felt the same way, so I didn’t say anything.”
Sirius was silent for a moment, his heart racing as he processed what Remus had just said. Then, slowly, a wide grin spread across his face. “You’re serious?”
Remus raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a small smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be the one making that joke?”
Sirius laughed, and before he could overthink it, he leaned in and kissed Remus. They were still in the middle of the library, but all that mattered was the feeling of Remus’s lips against his, warm and soft and everything he’d ever wanted.
When they finally pulled apart, both of them were grinning, their cheeks flushed. Sirius reached and took Remus’s hand in his, squeezing it gently. Remus squeezed back.
“Well, it’s about bloody time,” came a voice from behind them.
They turned to see James, Lily, Mary, and Marlene standing in the doorway, grinning at them.
Remus rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. “You lot are impossible.”
“Just doing our part to help true love along,” Lily said with a wink.
Sirius snorted, but he didn’t let go of Remus’s hand. “Yeah, yeah. Thanks, I guess.”
James clapped his hands together, looking incredibly pleased with himself. “Well, my work here is done.”