when the planets align

★ Chapter II: Evan

One of the things Evan most missed about Barty, he’s come to realize, was his smile. Sure, Barty conveyed warmth in the letters he constantly sent, drawing little ink smiley faces near the bottom of the parchment when he signed off. Of course, Barty sent Evan gifts with hidden meanings, inside jokes only they knew, and Evan would laugh while Dorcas gave him a confused look in the Beauxbatons lunch hall. But those gestures could never come close to the real thing. Evan feels like he’s been away from the sun, living under fluorescent lights for years. 

And now, with Barty smiling at him, Evan feels warm again, known again. Deja vu strikes Evan to his core and he sees a flash of the two fourteen-year-old boys they once were. Nothing’s changed, but at the same time, everything has. 

“Took you long enough,” Evan says, grinning. “You know I've only been waiting two years to see you ag- mmf.”

His voice is cut off as Barty folds himself into Evan’s arms, squeezing tightly. 

“I missed you,” Barty says into his chest, a bit muffled.

“Missed you too, Barty,” Evan whispers into his hair, not wanting to let go of the other boy. 

After holding him tight for a moment longer, Barty detaches himself and a shit-eating grin appears on his face. “Although why your headmistress would choose you to compete, I have no idea. You've got just about as much survival instinct as a flobberworm,” He laughs as Evan scoffs. “And don’t even get me started on those grades, only straight Os. You really couldn't have gotten anything higher?” He teases. 

Evan pushes Barty’s shoulder. “Oi!” He laughs. 

They smile at each other and take each other’s appearance in. Evan resists the urge to wrap himself up in Barty’s arms again. 

Evan puts a finger to his own lip. “I like your new piercing.” 

There it is again, that smile. “Thanks,” Barty says, biting his bottom lip gently and touching his snakebite piercings with his thumb and pointer finger. 

It’s like the ground has suddenly fallen out from under his feet with the overwhelming sensation of his stomach flipping. Evan rips his gaze away from Barty’s pink lips. 

There it is again. Evan almost laughs. You would think after not seeing a person for two years it would dull your feelings for them. 

“You dyed your hair,” Barty says as he fidgets with the thin silver bracelet on his wrist. 

“Yup,” Evan replies. Damn, this is more awkward than he thought it would be. But then again, what did he expect? For their friendship to return to right where it had left off? As if no time had passed? A small part of him deep inside whispers yes. 

“Well, it looks badass.” Barty nods approvingly and rocks on the balls of his feet, hands clasped behind his back. He looks around and sits down on one of the couches, this one a dark blue. 

The duo had discovered this room during their third year at Hogwarts. It’s a beautiful open space, reflecting the theme of the astronomy tower above. There is a color scheme of rich blues, purples, and greens. The decor is not unlike that in a common room, with couches, tables, and a vast shelf of books. There’s even a fireplace. Portraits and paintings hang silent and a piano in the corner plays by itself, its keys moving as if a ghost was performing. 

“You look go-” Evan starts, while Barty says at the same time: “I'm so glad-”

They laugh. “You go first.” Evan insists.

“I’m just happy to see you,” Barty says, a little shyly. Evan nods in agreement. “Me too.”

Evan sits down beside Barty and looks into the crackling blue-flamed fireplace. He sighs, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer. “Are you going to put your name in the Goblet?”

The question hangs in the silence for a moment before Barty answers. “I don’t think so. There’s no reason for me to, you know? I don’t really want glory or need the money. Maybe I would do it for the thrill but after last year’s results… I’m a little nervous.” Barty’s eyebrows pinch together. “Wait, Ev, surely you’re not planning on putting your name in?” 

He just shrugs noncommittally, looking down at the carpet.

Barty twists around to face Evan and puts a hand on his knee. “You can’t be serious.” He says, worriedly. “Why?”

“I just…” Evan blows out a breath of air. “The money would be nice. I’m not going to be able to depend on my parents forever. I want to be able to support myself and Dora if she ever needs help. Plus, the odds of me being picked are very slim. So I figured why not give it a shot, you know?” 

Barty shakes his head in disbelief. “But, I - if you’re picked, we won't get to hang out as much. I'll spend all my time worrying over you, you git.”

“Aw c’mon, Crouch,” Evan grins, “You’re getting all mushy on me. I knew you loved me.” 

The glare Barty sends to Evan dissolves into a reluctant smile as Evan laughs. 

“You know I do,” Barty says quietly, eyes softened. 

Evan’s heart skips a beat. 

“Well, we should get back to the feast. Don’t want to miss anything important.” Evan says, hoisting himself up and giving a hand to Barty. Barty swats the help away and gets up on his own, walking to the door. 

“Yeah, yeah. Who’s the worrier now, Rosier?” 

Evan grins at Barty as he looks back for a moment and considers something, but shakes his head and closes the door behind him. 

-

Luckily, everyone seems to have been too busy stuffing their faces to notice either of their absences. No one asks where Evan has been for the past fifteen minutes as he sits back down in the middle of Pandora and Regulus. Dorcas is sitting across from him, taking sips of her drink and gaze pinned on something across the room. 

“Dor,” Regulus says firmly, waving a hand in front of her face. 

Pandora giggles with a hand up to her mouth. Evan looks at his friends inquisitively as he reaches across the table and stacks his plate with food. 

“What?” Dorcas sets her cup down and sends a menacing look at Regulus, who sends one right back, scrunching his nose up. 

“Oh my God,” Pandora laughs again. “Dorcas has been staring at that Gryffindor girl over there for the past ten minutes. The one with the blond hair.” 

Dorcas’ face flushes. “I have not. I’m just tired from the carriage ride, I’m zoning out.” 

Evan tries to follow her gaze. It lands on a Gryffindor table. He knows most of the people there from his time at Hogwarts and even considers himself to be acquaintances with most of them. James Potter sits in the middle, all eyes are on him as per usual as he gestures widely. Everyone laughs as he slings an arm around an embarrassed, pink-faced Sirius Black. Remus Lupin sits on Sirius’ other side, engrossed in conversation with a pretty redheaded girl with freckles and a beautiful curly-haired girl, with huge gold hoop earrings. Both are from Durmstrang, based on the uniforms they wear. And finally, Marlene McKinnon sits on James’ other side, laughing loudly at something Remus has just quipped to the table. Evan smiles at the sight of Remus. They were good friends back when he was a student here. He can’t wait to properly talk to him again. 

“Who, Marlene McKinnon?” Evan laughs. “Reg, you should ask Sirius to introduce Dorcas to Marls. They’re mates, both on the Quidditch team. Two of the best, from what I've heard.” 

“Just -” She sighs. “Shut up. Oh, thank Merlin.” Dorcas says, pointing up to where Dumbledore stands again by his lectern, looking expectantly at the crowd to quiet down. Cas suddenly is very interested in her food again and shoves a forkful into her mouth. Evan sends a wink to her, who flips him off. 

Pandora opens her mouth to tease Dorcas some more but closes it again when she notices Dumbledore. 

The Hogwarts headmaster snaps his fingers and the empty plates at their table vanish. The cheery music pauses and the lights seem to dim. “I hope you enjoyed your dinner. Now… for the moment you’ve all been waiting for.”

Evan watches with wide eyes as a huge goblet appears seemingly out of thin air, a brilliant blue flame rising hungrily to meet the air. It hangs in the air, slowly rotating. 

“The Goblet of Fire. To enter the tournament, one only has to write their name on a piece of parchment and place it in before next week. But beware, if chosen, there is no turning back. I advise you to be wise in your decision.” 

Evan looks across the room and locks eyes with Barty. Barty lifts his cup in a silent cheers. 

“Now, I hope our guests will feel welcome here at Hogwarts Castle for the next few months. They will attend classes along with our Hogwarts students every day and are welcome to join in any school activities they please, such as any participating in clubs or spectating Quidditch matches.”

“Dor, we should go to the next Quidditch practice, see if we can meet Marlene!” Pandora whispers excitedly, reaching a hand across the table to entwine their fingers. Dorcas shushes her but smiles. “Yeah, maybe.” Pandora hums happily, certainly taking the answer as a definite “yes”. 

Evan smiles at his friends, then turns to glance back again where Barty sits. The other boy doesn't notice his gaze on him, busy whispering to his neighbor. A spike of jealousy twists in his chest. 

Dumbledore steps back and announces: “The Triwizard Tournament has begun.” 

-

It’s amazing how quickly everything comes back to Evan after not having stepped foot in the castle for so long. It’s almost like he never stopped calling this place home. After a couple of days of pointing his fellow Beauxbaton students in the right directions for rooms or telling them how to get away with some minor rule-breaking, now it’s the first day of classes, and suddenly he’s surrounded by his schoolmates looking for his help for whatever minor inconvenience they’ve run into. 

After taking ten minutes to explain to a pair of Beauxbaton girls two years younger than him that no, muggle studies is not an optional class, and yes, you do have to be in attendance, it should be two staircases down and to first room to your right, he’s running through the hallways to make it to Divination on time. 

The bell tolls again as he runs up the winding staircase, bumping into chattering students moving slowly downwards, most likely for a free period spent out in the courtyard or library. 

Evan takes a breather, leaning against the stone wall as he catches his breath, silently cursing the distance between the potions classroom and the divination classroom, and his inability to say no to helping people. 

He straightens his vest and readjusts his messenger bag on his shoulder. After taking a deep breath and with a newly determined set of eyes, he continues marching up the stairs. 

When he reaches the trapdoor that leads to the divination room, Evan takes his folded piece of parchment out of his pocket to double-check his schedule. To his delight, this class is scheduled for sixth and seventh-year Slytherins, Gryffindors, and a few students from both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. He hopes Barty will be on the other side of the door, maybe even with an open spot next to him. 

Before he can talk himself out of it, he steels himself and opens the door, walking into the sage-scented classroom. Of course, class has already started. All eyes are on him as Professor Trelawney pauses whatever she is saying. 

An embarrassed flush climbs his cheeks as he notices the stares and whispers that follow him. He tries to appear confident as he smiles at two giggling girls eyeing him, both wearing red and yellow ties. 

To his relief, he spies an open spot at the small circular table where Pandora and Barty sit. His heart warms at the sight of his two favorite people, and he happily takes a seat on the much too squishy floor cushion. A crystal ball sits in the center of the table, white fog swirling around inside like a stormclouds about to break. 

“Welcome, Mr. Rosier. Good to see you again.” Professor Trelawney smiles warmly at him, and relief immediately washes over him. It would have been humiliating to tell his headmistress he was the reason for embarrassment on their first day as welcomed guests. 

A light touch on the hand from Pandora causes him to look up at her. Is everything okay? She mouths silently as Professor Trelawney talks about the art and long history of finding images in crystal balls. Evan smiles and nods his head once, thankful for her calming presence. 

Barty pushes his textbook, Unfogging the Future, to Evan. His fingers, nails painted a dark blue, tap once on the cover before letting go. Barty’s painted nails look nice, the dark blue against his pale skin is stunning. 

Barty notices Evan’s gaze on his fingers and folds his hands self-consciously in his lap as he whispers, “We had a little time before class started, and Pandora talked me into it.” He says with a little laugh. Sure enough, Pandora places the bottle of blue nail polish back in her bag and trades it for a notepad and quill. 

“It looks nice,” He says with a smile. “It matches your eyes.” He adds on, without realizing it. A second too soon it hits him that it might have been a little odd of him to say, and he wishes he could snatch it back out of the air. 

But Barty just smiles, a slight tinge of pink coloring his pale cheeks. “Oh. Thanks, I guess.” 

Evan startles as Professor Trelawney drops a pack of cards onto their table along with a silk cloth. Pandora drums her hands on the table excitedly, looking between the two boys in anticipation. 

“Right, who wants to go first?” She asks, clapping her hands together, the thick white hand warmers she wears muffling the sound. 

Evan makes eye contact with Barty and chuckles, realizing neither has been paying attention to any part of the professor’s instructions. 

A sheepish hand goes to rest on Barty’s neck. “Erm, could you remind us what we’re supposed to be doing?” 

Pandora scoffs. “Honestly, you two,” But goes on to explain. “Today, one person is blindfolded as they try to see the image on the card in their mind’s eye,” She opens the top of the cardboard box with careful fingers and spreads the cards apart, showing their unique illustrations. “One person picks a random card from the deck and places it face up. They have to think very hard about the image. The other person who’s not blindfolded has to touch the card and guide- uh, I mean, have physical contact with the blindfolded person and the card. The whole time.”

“So,” Barty clears his throat, “Hold their hand with one hand and touch the card with the other?” He clarifies.

Pandora beams. “Precisely.” 

Evan looks around. The other groups have already started. At one table, Regulus scowls as Sirius and the girl with hoop earrings wrap the blindfold around his head. Sirius tries to mess with his hair, but somehow, Regulus knows it’s coming and slaps his hand away. 

Sitting on the floor on a sunken couch is Remus Lupin, the pretty redhead girl, and another Durmstrang student he’s pretty sure is called Peter. He watches as they wave over two girls to join them - Marlene and Dorcas - Evan realizes with surprise. He smiles as they settle themselves down on the comfy pit, sitting very close together. 

“Would you look at that,” Evan says, grinning, as he nods his head in their direction. 

Pandora smiles. “I think we’re going to need to buy some red face paint soon, because it looks like we’re going to be joining Cas at the next Gryffindor quidditch game.” She jokes.

“Oi, not if it’s against Slytherin,” Barty complains, shoving Pandora’s shoulder lightly. “In that case, you better find some green.”

She giggles. “We’ll see. Okay, I'm picking a card.” She announces, squeezing her eyes shut as her hand hovers over the cards spread out across the table like a fan. She pauses and sweeps one up, taking a moment to look at it before holding it to her chest. 

“Who wants to be blindfolded first?” She asks the boys. 

Barty rushes to snatch the card out of Pandora’s hand. “Well, it can't be me,” He says smugly, looking at Evan, “I’ve already seen the drawing.” 

With a sigh, Evan accepts his fate and nudges the blindfold in Pandora’s direction. “Alright, get on with it then.” 

Pandora and Barty share a mischievous smile and she moves to tie the cloth over Evan’s eyes. The silk is soft and cool against his skin as darkness envelopes his vision. Pandora tightens it which causes a grunt from Evan.

“Hey, not so tight.” He complains, head turned to where he thinks Pandora is. 

“Sorry, Ev, no cheating.” She replies, flicking the back of his head playfully. 

Evan lies back farther against the wall, sighing. Pandora reaches a hand out to pull on his arm, tugging him back up. “And no slouching!” She says in a motherly tone.

“Fine, mum.”

A beat of silence. Barty snickers at something Evan can’t see. “I'm sticking my tongue out at you right now,” Pandora says, and Evan grins at that. 

Pandora huffs. “I’m focusing on the card. Barty, take his hand.”

Evan’s hand twitches, his fingers involuntarily closing in slightly in anticipation. Evan bites his lip and wills his breathing to stay steady. But already, he’s nervous just thinking about it. 

His heartbeat flutters wildly as Barty’s thumb lightly comes in contact with the sensitive part of the inside of his wrist. His hands are warm, devastatingly so. Warmth bleeds into Evan’s hand like a fast-spreading fire. But, surprisingly, It’s not uncomfortably warm, but pleasantly so. 

Very gently, Barty tugs Evan’s hand a little closer towards him and rests their clasped hands on the table. Evan assumes Barty has his other hand on the card now. 

Barty clears his throat. “See anything yet, Evan?”

Evan tries hard to focus, he really does, but it seems that all of his consciousness is focused on the pressure of Barty’s hand in his. 

“Give me a second.” 

A minute passes and all Evan sees is darkness. “I’m not so sure this is working.” He finally says, admitting defeat. “Divination has never been my best class, Panda, I’m sure it'll go better for you.” 

“Hm, okay,” Pandora says. “I’ll go next then.” There's the sound of rustling fabric as Pandora stands, then a few footsteps coming close, and then the blindfold is taken off of him. He blinks in the sudden light, his free hand rubbing his eyes. He peers down at the card in front of Pandora. It’s a fierce manticore, teeth bared in a growl. 

Pandora sits back down, shuffling the cards again and holding them out for Evan to pick one. She looks at him expectantly, a twinkle in her eye. “You can let go of Barty’s hand now.” 

Evan yanks his hand out of Barty’s quickly like he’s been burned. “Right,” He says, his face as warm as his hand now is. “Of course.” He laughs. 

Over the next half-hour, both Pandora and Barty take their turns. Amazingly, Pandora successfully spots the image on her card, a sparkling blue diamond. Evan does notice though, when Barty is blindfolded, their table is doing something no other table is doing. It seems that at every other table, instead of having someone hold the blindfolded person’s hand, they just guide their hand to rest on top of the card. Evan gives Pandora a questioning look but doesn’t say anything because even though Barty can't see, he still obviously has his sense of hearing. He also can’t write a note because his dominant hand is trapped in Barty’s. Does Pandora know of his feelings? In response to his look, Pandora just shoots him a wink. 

After coming somewhat close to guessing his card, Evan and Pandora reveal it to be a beautiful pink rose, one with no thorns. Barty grumbles, saying he knew what it was, he just needed another minute. Evan and Pandora pretend to believe him for the sake of his pride. The trio puts their cards neatly back in the box and gossip for a couple of minutes, Pandora sneaking a few glances at the pretty redhead girl, which does not go unnoticed by Evan nor Barty before the bell tolls and Professor Trelawney dismisses the class. 

On the way out of the classroom, Barty walks in between Evan and Pandora. Pandora turns to look back into the room, to where the red-headed girl still sits near Remus. Barty sends an amused look to Evan, then slings an arm around Pandora’s shoulder. 

“Rosier, I hate to say it, but you definitely have a type.”

Evan laughs, remembering their second year when Pandora had a crush on another redhead girl. “You’re right!” 

Pandora splutters for a moment and flushes deeply. “No, what are you talking about?” 

“Lily Evans,” Barty laughs. “You can’t stop looking at her.” 

“Lily,” Pandora repeats, “That’s a pretty name.” She looks down and twists a long braid around in her fingers, thinking. 

Evan pushes Pandora playfully, laughing loudly. Barty joins in. “Merlin help you.” 

“Speak of the devil,” Barty says, turning his head back around, “Look who’s coming this way now.” 

Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, and the girl with the hoop earrings are walking straight towards the trio, coming from the classroom behind them. Remus waves at Barty and offers him a wide smile. Barty smiles back. Evan tries to ignore the uncomfortable feelings gnawing at his gut. 

Pandora squeaks, digging her long fingernails into Barty’s arm, who winces, and then pretends to dig deep for something in her bag. 

“Act normal!” She says quickly. 

With a chuckle, Barty pats her arm reassuringly. “Don’t worry, we will.” He sends a humorous look to Evan, who is laughing again. 

“Heya, Barty,” Remus says with a kind smile as he stops in front of them. “Me and some other mates are going to take our lunch break outside by the lake. Kind of like a picnic. I was wondering if you and your friends wanted to join us?”

“Hey, thanks,” Barty replies, slinging his arms around both Evan and Pandora’s shoulders. “These are the Rosier twins, Evan and Pandora.”

Evan smiles at them and gives a wave. “Nice to see you again, Remus.”

Remus flashes his sharp canines in a grin. “Ditto. It’s been a while, Rosier. The blue looks good on you.” He says with a wink. Evan chuckles. Same old charming Remus. He wonders why he never sent Remus a letter or tried to keep in touch, he really should have. They used to be good pals, taking herbology as a first-year pretty much bonded them for life, being partners in the fiasco that was Mandrake repotting day. 

Remus turns his warm gaze to Pandora. “I didn’t know you had a sister.” 

“Hello,” Pandora says shyly, shifting her weight on her feet, seemingly trying not to stare at the redhead girl who smiles widely at her. “I like your necklaces,” She says to Sirius, who grins at the compliment. 

“I’m Remus,” Remus says to Pandora, and gestures to the rest of his group one by one, “And this is Sirius, James, Lily, and Mary.” 

“You seem like a nice group. I’m sure we’ll all get along well.” Pandora says. “We would love to join you for lunch.” She says with a bright smile. 

Remus nods. “Amazing. Alright, then.” 

The large group makes their way downstairs and outside. Evan shivers a little as the cold air surrounds them. His breath is visible as he speaks up. “Wouldn't it be better to find somewhere inside? It’s a bit chilly out here.” He says, a confused look on his face. 

The redhead girl - Lily - looks back at him and shoots him a wink. “I got it covered, don’t worry.”

Evan shares a confused glance with Barty, but he shrugs and keeps walking towards the Black Lake. 

Lily gets to a spot and stops, her hands on her hips. She gazes at the leafless tree above her. “This’ll do.” She says, then promptly closes her eyes in concentration and casts a spell, murmuring under her breath. 

Slowly, then fast, the radius around where she stands comes back to life. The air suddenly becomes warm and moist, and Evan’s goosebumps disappear. The grass turns lush and green, and flowers sprout in clumps, in pretty pinks and reds and yellows. The tree above them bursts with leaves that unfurl in beautiful shades of emerald, and a wonderful, spring scent enters the air. The group suddenly finds themself in a patch, a little bubble, of spring. 

“A little trick I picked up being in the cold up north,” Lily says with a smile, turning around as if she had done something a first-year could have. Her grin widens as she catches sight of Evan, Barty, and Pandora’s awe-struck faces. 

Mary takes a small handkerchief from her pocket and it transforms into a full-size picnic blanket. After spreading it over the grass, she takes a seat and pats the spot next to her, looking at Lily. The two girls settle in and the rest of the group is close to follow. 

Sirius casts a conjuring spell, and fine china plates all appear in their laps. James takes out a container of some sort and reaches in, pulling out one dish after another, talking enthusiastically about his mum, who wanted to make some food for the special occasion to share with his friends. The others also pitch in with food of their own, taken from the kitchens or Great Hall. Soon enough they have a feast laid out for them. 

Damn, sometimes Evan really loves magic. He smiles gratefully at the scene around him, laughter and flowers and good food. His heart aches as it hits him just how much he has missed Hogwarts. How much he had missed Barty. He steals a look at the dark-haired boy, a grin on his face as he takes a strawberry from Pandora’s plate. His heart hasn’t felt this warm in a long time.  

Remus:

The sweet scent of flowers perfume the air as Lily sits back down in her spot next to Remus, a flower crown perched on top of her head. 

Remus swallows his bite of food and wipes his hands on his trousers. “That’s pretty. Did you make it?”

Lily is all smiles as she responds and leans in close to Remus. “Pandora made it for me. Isn’t she sweet?”

“Yeah,” Remus says with a nod, looking up and smiling as he notices a group coming towards the sitting students. Dorcas and Marlene are back, along with Peter and Regulus. Regulus stands awkwardly over at the side and picks at a hangnail as the others join the group and settle down. 

“Regulus,” Remus calls, “I got some pumpkin pasties if you want. I think Sirius mentioned they were your favorite?” 

Regulus looks at him for a moment and with a small smile, takes a spot next to Remus. He gratefully accepts a pastry from the towering pile Lily has been hoarding to herself. 

Remus doesn't know much about Regulus. He knows he’s close with Sirius, especially recently. Sirius talks about him often, and most mornings at breakfast, there’s a letter addressed to him from his younger brother. He knows their parents sent Regulus to Beauxbatons because they thought Sirius had too much freedom at Hogwarts. He knows they were sad to leave each other, but also that Regulus sometimes gets to visit Sirius over the holidays at the Potters, which is nice. And, after witnessing the first day of the other schools' arrivals, he knows Regulus is absolutely amazing at performing an aerial magic routine. But that's pretty much where his knowledge ends about the boy. 

“That’s a good book. My parents banned all muggle books in the house, but my older cousin Andromeda always sends me some for Christmas. That one is one of my favorites. Well, It was, before my parents found it and threw it in the bin.” Regulus says to Remus, grinning at his last sentence, pointing at the novel Remus has sitting in his lap.

Remus smiles, thankful to have found common ground. Something to talk about, and something he loves, no less. He could go on and on about books, something none of his other friends would appreciate. Well, Lily might be the exception. 

“I’m enjoying it so far,” Remus says, looking down at the pretty cover of The Picture of Dorian Gray, “I’m only halfway through, though.” 

Regulus bobs his head and covers his mouth with a hand as he chews. “I think it gets better as it goes on. You’ll have to find me when you finish it, let me know your thoughts. I mean… if you want someone to talk about it with. I know none of this lot probably likes that sort of stuff.” He says with a laugh, nodding his head to his brother and James. 

“Yeah, most of the time I just bother McGonagall or Madam Pince with that sort of stuff,” Remus admits with a grin. 

The duo shares an appreciative smile. 

“Here, you can have my copy,” Remus says, placing the novel in Regulus’ hands. “I can always buy another one in the muggle town I live in over summer break. It’ll be an excuse to go to my favorite bookshop.”

“Really?” Regulus says with wide eyes.

“Of course, I always have a surplus of other books from home or the library I can read in the meantime,” He says. To prove his point, he reaches into his bag and pulls out another novel, shooting a wink at the younger boy.

“Well, thanks,” Regulus says with a smile, already flipping the pages open. 

Remus feels content as he opens his new book and reads. The sun is shining on his back, warning him up, and his stomach is full. Everything is perfect. Well, almost. 

The reason it’s an almost perfect moment is that Remus is having a little trouble concentrating on the words on the page with the rambunctious laughter coming from Sirius and Mary every two seconds, it seems. 

Remus huffs slightly and shoots a glance at Regulus, wondering if he’s having the same problem. Surprisingly, he is fully engrossed, somehow able to pay no mind to the chaos around him. 

As Mary shrieks with laughter over something Sirius has just said, Remus grits his teeth and fixes his eyes on them. Since meeting each other today at breakfast, Mary and Sirius have gotten on like a house on fire, especially after Sirius had learned that even though Mary is a Durmstrang student, she visits France regularly to see family, and is fluent in the language. They chatter and gossip in French while everyone around them, well, except for Regulus, wonders what they could be saying. Remus bets Sirius is giving Mary the scoop on all the recent drama at Hogwarts. He leans close to her with a wide smile, talking as his long hair falls gracefully over one shoulder, framing his face. Still looking over at the pair and wringing his hands, Remus wonders if Sirius fancies her. He would see why, she's one of the most beautiful girls he's ever seen. 

Remus is grateful as Pandora pulls Mary’s attention away for a moment, and Sirius is left to his own devices. He munches on some food and is blissfully quiet. Remus loves him, he does, but sometimes he appreciates the silence. With only the sound of eating and light chatter from the girls, as well as quiet laughter from Evan and Barty, Remus can now focus on his book. He flips a page, proud of himself for making it through six continuous paragraphs. 

Unfortunately for Remus, Sirius takes the chance to turn towards him, resting his hands on top of Remus’ as he holds his book. Remus’ hands go slack and Sirius gently tugs it out of his grip, flipping the novel over to see the title. “What’s this?”

Remus pouts at the disruption. “Oi, I was reading that. Careful not to lose my page.” 

Sirius laughs. “Relax, Moony.” He shows where his hand still is placed on the page where Remus is, not letting the novel fall shut. 

With a sigh, Remus flips to lie on his chest, his crossed arms pillowing his chin. His eyes flutter shut, the warm air making him sleepy. Sirius reads the back cover of the book and Remus is close to drifting off under the sun. 

“Hey, do you want my tomatoes?” Sirius asks Remus suddenly, poking his shoulder with a sharp finger. 

Remus swats him away but sits up, eying Sirius’ plate of sausages and fried tomatoes. He tries to ignore the fluttering in his belly as he realizes Sirius kept a note tucked away in his mind of one of his favorite foods. 

Without waiting for an answer, Sirius scrapes them off of his plate and onto Remus’. “Here, take them. I don't even like them.” 

Remus sends Sirius a smile and promptly shoves them into his mouth in the forkfuls, giving Mary a little wave as she joins Sirius’ side again. It's laughable how he's able to be won over so easily with just some food. 

So Remus accepts that he’s not going to get much reading done and gladly trades the activity for stuffing his face. He finishes the plate and lays back down, eyes closing again. “Thanks, mate.” He says quietly to Sirius, before resting his head in his hands and contentedly watching the scene around him, sleepy again. Unsurprisingly, Sirius and Mary go back to their secret conversation, but this time, it’s actually kind of nice to listen to. Their French is pretty, like a melody or lullaby. 

“Menteur,” Mary nudges Sirius’ side. “Je t'ai vu en mettre plein la gueule ce matin. Tu l'aimes!”

”Quoi? Non, je ne le fais pas.” Sirius smiles bashfully at her words, shaking his head and looking down at his plate. 

Remus chuckles as he sees Sirius's embarrassed face, a reaction to whatever Mary is saying to him. “Yeah, whatever she said.” He jokes, taking her side. Sirius’ face flushes even deeper, his ears turning red.

“Oui, c'est vrai!” She giggles again, “Tu aimes Remus!”

Remus perks up when he hears his name and raises a questioning eyebrow at the pair, more alert than he was a second ago. “Wait, what? Are you guys talking about me?” 

Sirius laughs and covers her mouth with his hand. “Fermez-la! Be quiet.” 

“Right, can you actually tell me what you’re saying, though?” Remus asks with a nervous chuckle, sitting up completely now. 

“It’s nothing, really,” Sirius says, hand still over Mary’s mouth. "Promise."

Mary frees herself from Sirius' grip and goes back to teasing him as Regulus pipes in, apparently having tuned in for the whole conversation. “Don’t worry, Remus. It’s nothing bad. You’re smart enough to figure it out soon.” 

Okay, what the fuck does that mean? Remus furrows his eyebrows and opens his mouth to respond, but thinks the better of it and just shakes his head. 

Regulus gives Remus an awkward pat on the shoulder, and the brown-haired boy laughs. “Thanks, Regulus,” He says, still confused by the whole interaction. 

Pandora scoots over to be close to Lily, letting herself in the little circle they’ve formed. The quartet chats about the weather and school as the clouds shift above them. The air gets warmer under the bright sun and Remus takes off his heavy school robes. They laugh and eat until only crumbs are left on the plates. Then, like Remus guessed they would, they get to the topic of the tournament. 

“Are you going to enter?” Lily asks Remus, who runs a hand through his hair and sighs. 

“Maybe. I would appreciate the money. But,” He pauses with a dry laugh, tracing a light scar on his arm with a finger. “It would be bad timing. And way too much stress.” 

Lily nods her head. “I see where you're coming from. I think it would be fun, though. I'm going to take my chances tomorrow. That’s the whole reason I'm here at Hogwarts, aren't I? Picked from the top students at Durmstrang to have a chance.” 

Remus shrugs and Regulus asks, “Do you know where we go to enter our names? The goblet’s still in the Great Hall, right?” Pandora nods appreciatively at the question, probably wondering the same thing herself. 

Lily nods. “I believe so. Well, I guess we’ll find out soon. I’m putting my name in tomorrow, I've heard that’s when a lot of other students are gathering.” 

“Well, good luck to the lot of you. Selfishly, I hope none of you get picked because I care about you too much for you to die a gruesome death.” He half-jokes. 

“I could say the same to you!" Regulus laughs, "But we’ll be fine. All of us, including you, Remus," He adds, smiling. The others sound their agreements.

“Besides, there are hundreds of names going in, what are the odds one of us four is chosen?”