Cleopatra
Remus Lupin
Sunday | October 5th, 1975
The Great Hall was nearly empty, but that made sense, seeing as it was Sunday and 7:30am and the day after a raging Gryffindor victory party. Remus sat down across from Mary (who looked very hungover) and Lily (Cherry was big on sleeping in) and next to Micah. Unfortunately, none of the marauders were there to make his plate and he couldn’t exactly subtly transfigure the silver so he did the safe thing and made himself a cuppa.
Micah grinned at him.
“You look really excited but I haven’t had coffee yet, so just wait a minute.” Remus changed courses once he realised that the spoon for the sugar was silver and made himself a cup of black coffee instead. He took a sip, his partner still looking at him expectantly, and instantly felt better. He drank half the mug before facing Micah. “Yes?”
“Guess what day it is!” They smiled.
Remus glanced at Lily and Mary but they looked just as lost as Remus. “God’s day?”
The girls snorted.
“Nope.” Micah smiled. “It’s my birthday!”
“Wait! What? Happy Birthday, babe!” Remus said. “Why didn’t you tell me? I didn’t have time to get you anything.”
Micah sucked their lips in and then popped them. “That was kind of the point?”
Remus’ brow furrowed. “You didn’t want your boyfriend to get you anything for your birthday?”
“Not exactly.” Micah tongued the inside of their cheek. “I didn’t want you to have time to get me anything so that I could request something special!”
“This sounds somewhat…” Remus trailed off, giving them a look.
Their eyebrows raised. “Oh no. Absolutely not. We’re not there, sweetheart.”
Which was true. Despite what James and Sirius might’ve believed because of his request the night before.
“So… what’s the request?”
“For my birthday, will you let me do your hair?” Micah asked hopefully, eyes big and pleading.
Remus closed his eyes and took a breath before looking at his partner again. “What?”
“I want to do the whole curly hair thing that you’re supposed to do when you have your curls.” Micah reached up and played with the front fringe. “You know? What you’re supposed to do?”
Remus had his hair in a very specific way. It was shorter on the sides and back and longer on the top so that it’d hide his eyes if he looked down. He knew that he had curly hair… objectively. His mam had curly hair. She knew what to do with it. Remus had curly hair, he just didn’t want to fuss with the whole routine of maintaining them, so he just let them air dry and hoped for the best.
He knew that Micah took care of his curls. As did Mary and Sirius, but they were also a lot more attractive than he was and the worst part: they knew it. They knew they were attractive so they took care of their appearances and it worked.
Remus just didn’t care.
“So, for your birthday, you want to… style my hair?” Remus double-checked. Micah nodded, excited. “We need ground rules.”
“Okay.”
“No cutting.”
“Deal.”
“One time thing.”
“Got it.” Micah smirked. “My turn.”
“What are your ground rules for my hair?”
“It gets to take however long it needs to.”
Remus blanched. “How long is it going to take?!”
James, who had been walking towards them, only heard ‘how long is it going to take’ and immediately turned around and left. Micah and Remus looked at each other and then at Mary and Lily and they all burst out laughing.
~ ~ ~
Sirius Black
“Why can’t we go back to the dorm?” Sirius whined on their way back from Honeydukes. They were still in the underground tunnel.
“I don’t know why you’re acting like I’m keeping you from the dorm.”
“But you are.” Sirius said. “We had a two hour long impromptu flying sesh even though we didn’t have practice– because, you know, we won yesterday (?)-- and then you decided that we just had to get sugar quills. You don’t even really like sugar quills!”
“Peter does.”
“And he has a whole bloody box full of them!” Sirius stopped walking to take a breath. “James, you’re my best mate. Please, tell me why you aren’t telling me what’s waiting in the dorms? You’re the worst liar by far out of all of us and I can tell you’re lying to me now. Why aren’t we going to the dorms.”
“I think Micah and Remus are shagging in there!” James blurted.
Sirius’ world stopped. It was as if the air itself stopped moving.
Remus…
Of course he would…
Why wouldn’t he…
But how could he…
Remus…
My Moony…
“Right…” Sirius cleared his throat. “They should be done by now.”
“Maybe we should wait-”
“James Fleamont Potter.” Sirius huffed, whirling on his best friend. “I don’t care how good you think Remus is in bed, no human could keep it up for almost five hours. Come on.”
~ ~ ~
“Moony! We’re coming in!” Sirius called as he walked up the stairs.
“Please be clothed!” James added.
“We’re dressed!” Micah yelled through the door.
Sirius and James entered their dorm to find only Micah. They were sitting in Remus’ bed with Remus’ quilt (gifted by Effie) over their legs as they flipped through some muggle book.
“Where’s Moony?” Sirius asked, eyeing Remus’ bed as if he was somehow underneath the quilt.
“Remus? Bathroom.” Micah set the book on the bedside table. “Where have you two been?”
“Avoiding…” James looked over at Micah curiously. “Were you two not…?”
“Shagging?” Micah said, blunt. Sirius would have laughed at how bold they were being if they weren’t discussing his crush shagging someone else. “No. You walked in at a very questionable part of our conversation. We were talking about my birthday present.”
“You’re not helping your case too much there, Evont.” Sirius gritted out.
“I just wanted to play with Remus’ hair.”
“Play with his hair?” Sirius repeated.
“You’ll see.” Micah smirked.
Sirius rolled his eyes and sat down on his trunk. Not even a moment later, Remus entered. Sirius, not even had actually looked at Moony yet, stood up automatically. The second Sirius saw Remus though, the world went hot.
Remus had fluffy hair. At least… usually. Now, it wasn’t.
His curls were more defined and also darker in colour. His hair had less volume, and although it shouldn’t have changed his appearance that much at all, it did. His jawline was sharper, which Sirius saw in full view when Remus turned to say something to Micah (of which Sirius didn’t hear). His cheekbones were more pronounced, his eyes more amber than brown, his freckles were darker, his eyebrows more obvious. None of this should’ve made a difference. It really shouldn’t have.
And yet…
And yet…
And yet…
Sirius had to sit back down.
“Oh wow!” James exclaimed. He was probably looking at Remus. Sirius could only guess because he was no longer allowing himself to look up. “Moony! You look so good. What’s the occasion?”
“Birthday gift.” Micah answered. “Him allowing me to do this was his birthday present to me.”
“Oh!” James gasped. “Is that what you two were talking about at breakfast?”
“Of course.” Sirius could hear the smirk in Remus’ voice. He had to look up. Remus was now leaning against the front pole of his four poster bed with his arms crossed over his chest, he was looking at James, mischievous. Sirius loved mischievous Remus, that darkside that came out when he was planning a prank or teasing one of his friends. “What else could we be talking about, James?”
James paled. “Oh! I- I couldn’t… I didn’t so, so- I…”
“It’s fine, Prongs.” Remus saved him. “We’re not there yet.”
“You’re not?” Sirius asked. Remus’ eyes shot over to him. Remus shook his head. “But, last night you…”
“We came up here to snog, Pads.” Remus pushed himself off the pole and lapped around to open up his trunk.
“Why would you come up here to snog?” James asked.
Remus halted his search (for whatever it was that he was stifling around in his trunk for) to straighten his back and look at James in what could only convey as ‘are you stupid?’.
“James,” Remus took a breath as if having to really prepare himself for whatever he was about to say to James. “Why wouldn’t we come up here to snog?”
James shrugged, still not really understanding why the other three people in the room were staring at him like that. “Lots of people snog in the common room, especially at parties.”
Micah snorted.
“Yeah, lots of people,” Remus continued. “Lots of boys and girls.”
“Exactly.” James grinned and pointed to Remus as if he was understanding what he was talking about.
“Lots of boys and girls.” Remus repeated. “But maybe not so many boys and boys?”
James' eyes widened as he finally realised. “Oh!”
Micah finally released the laughter that they had been holding. “Forget about homophobia, did we, Potter?”
“I actually did,” James fell back onto his bed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe that I actually forgot that not everybody could like everybody and be okay with it.”
“Not everyone’s like you, Prongsie.” Remus reached over and patted James on his shoulder. He walked back to his bed, sitting on the end by his partner’s feet. “Not everyone is as accepting as you are.”
James poked his head up, like a lightbulb. “Remus?”
“James?”
“I have only just now realised that I haven’t told you.”
“Told me what?”
“Remus,” James fully sat up so he could look the werewolf in the eye. “I’m not straight.”
Remus eyebrows raised. He quickly glanced at Micah before facing his friend again. “What’re you then?”
“I’m pan.”
Micah grinned and Remus smiled. Remus threw a jumper (the nearest thing to him) at James. “Congratulations, wanker. Welcome.”
“Yeah, join the club, Potter.” Micah laughed.
Sirius knew that he should’ve said something then. Maybe announce that he was also quote ‘a part of the club’. Maybe confess that he liked guys and not girls. But, something held him back. All he could do was look at Remus. All that went through his head was Moony.
He opened his mouth to ‘come out’ too when Peter interrupted.
“Guys, you won’t believe it!” Peter stormed in, he quickly nodded at Micah, having realised that they were also in the room. “Hey, Micah-” He halted at the sight of Moony, raising his eyebrows. “Looking good, Moony.”
Remus snorted. “Thanks, Wormy.”
“What won’t we believe?” James asked.
Peter blinked. “Oh right! Thanks, James. Guess what, guys!?”
“What?” Micah asked kindly.
“I GOT A DATE!”
Remus, James, and Sirius all jumped to their feet. Remus was the one to speak though. “With who?” Then something behind his eyes clicked with understanding. “Her?”
“Her?” James asked, confused. “Who’s her?”
“Petey, do you have a crush?” Sirius instantly teased.
“Maybe.” Peter’s whole face was red.
“Peter! Focus!” Remus stepped forward. “Did you get a date with her?!”
Peter could only nod.
Remus threw his hands up in cheer and stepped forward to trap the smaller boy in a tight hug. “Yes! I knew you could do it!”
“Who is she?” James asked.
Remus let go and Peter took a step back. He was still grinning broadly when he answered, “Sybill.”
“Trelawney?” Sirius said.
Sybill Trelawney was a Ravenclaw in the year below theirs. She had a wild, untamable head of strawberry-blonde (?) curls that were usually held back by a thin scarf or fabric headband. She had dark green eyes that always seemed too big and bug-like when behind the glasses she wore in classes for reading. She had a small nose and pinched chin. She was pretty, in the way one considers a moth pretty: pretty, interesting, but a little creepy. There was no doubt that she was an oddball. Sirius did, however, think that it was odd that Peter of all people liked Sybill.
Peter liked to blend in, he liked to be normal. He was okay with never standing out, something Remus understood while James and Sirius couldn’t. So, it was peculiar that wanting-to-never-stand-out Peter Pettigrew had a crush on could-never-blend-in-even-if-she-wanted-to Sybill Trelawney.
Peter stiffened at Sirius’ words. He faced Sirius, still-chested like he was physically bracing himself for whatever Sirius was going to say.
And maybe it was the fact that Sirius already felt opened up and vulnerable. He didn’t know why he felt this way exactly. He just felt stripped and bare. He hated the fact that Peter– or anyone really– looked at him and expected pain. Because that was what just happened. Peter admitted who he had a crush on and immediately expected for Sirius to make fun of him for it. Sirius didn’t want to be that person, the one to cause unnecessary pain for his loved ones. He didn’t want to be his mother.
So, even though Sirius had millions of questions for Peter about his crush that would probably come out wrong and sound insulting, Sirius instead said something not about Sybill and instead about Peter. “I can’t believe you got a date. Who made the first move? Her, I bet.”
He had to tease Peter because 1) Peter expected for some form of teasing and if Sirius were to say something nice then it would be unusual, 2) he didn’t want to say anything about Sybill, and 3) Peter was one of Sirius’ best mates and Sirius would be damned if he let the momentous occasion of Peter finally getting a date without any light banter.
Peter and Remus rolled their eyes but James looked proud— probably having realised what Sirius just did.
“No, of course not.” Peter said. “I’m not that much of a pussy. I asked her.”
“What are you all going to do?” Remus asked, leading Peter to sit down on the latter’s bed. “Hogsmeade weekend isn’t for two more weeks?”
“I was kind of hoping that y’all might help me out?” Peter looked around the room, eyes landing on Remus.
“Oh, yeah! Remus is great with dates!” Micah piped up, leaning forward with Remus’ pillow in his lap like he was hugging it.
Remus looked at him confused. “You planned our first date.”
“Yeah, and you planned the second one.”
“When did you two go on another date?” Sirius asked.
Remus tilted his head, thinking. “Thursday? Thursday night, right?”
“Yeah,” Micah nodded. “We set up a picnic in the astronomy tower and smoked for a while.”
“Some picnic.” Remus snorted. He looked at James. “It was toast, chocolate, and muggle soda.”
“Sounds like your ideal diet, Moony.” James jested. Remus rolled his eyes.
“So, what do you think I should do, Moons?” Peter asked, facing Remus.
Remus– once again– tilted his head to think. “Sybill’s really into crystals and astrology and all that, isn’t she?” Remus’ accent slipped (as it does occasionally) on ‘isn’t it’, which Sirius loved. He really wished that Remus didn’t try to cover up his accent, but whenever he voiced this in third year, Remus thought he was ‘taking the mickey’. At Peter’s nod, Remus continued. “And nature? What if… what if you two took a walk around the castle grounds?”
“Just a walk?”
“Like a nature-watching kind of walk, she seems like the type to enjoy that.” Remus shrugged. “You could even set up a little picnic– an actual picnic, not what I had with Micah– and play chess or something.”
Peter nibbled on his bottom lip as he thought it over. “You know what… okay! That actually sounds really good!”
“This is your first date with the bird so you don’t want to do something too intricate or complicated and scare her away.” Remus said. “You could even give her some flowers.”
“Will you help me pick them out, Moony?” Peter asked, eyes big.
“You’re the plant expert, Pete, but sure.”
“Who knew Moony was so good at this romance stuff.” James laughed.
Remus flipped him the bird and all Sirius could think about was how much he would like to be on the receiving end of one of Moony’s dates.
~ ~ ~
Peter Pettigrew
Monday | October 6th
“The date’s this Saturday.” Peter said. He just entered the room and with no approval given from Remus, sat down on the taller boy’s bed where he was sitting, reading.
“Yay, congratulations, Wormy.” Remus said, closing the book and setting it down on his bedside table to give Peter his full attention.
Peter loved it when Remus did this. Remus knew that Peter often felt a little left out in conversations, especially with their whole friend group. It wasn’t like he didn’t speak or get lost in the group or everyone would ignore him, that didn’t happen. No, he would just try to give every single person his full attention while they were speaking and that tended to not give him the opportunity to say anything until someone else already had.
Peter also had two older siblings, a lot older. They were already in Hogwarts by the time he was born, so everything that Peter experienced at school, his parents had already heard of. Of course, Peter only ever told them the superficial aspects of his life. He (for very obvious reasons) couldn’t tell his parents about the pranks or detentions or the map or the sneaking out or his queer friends or the parties or befriending the house elves and portraits or the animagus thing or his werewolf best friend.
So, his parents didn’t pay him too much mind, afterall he barely shared his real life with them.
That was fine though because Remus was his best friend. It might’ve seemed weird or odd that Remus and Peter were friends. They didn’t make as much sense as Sirius and James: both pureblood, energetic, attractive, popular Gryffindors with an insatiable need for attention and mischief. Peter and Remus seemed a bit like the outsiders of the marauder group. They were quieter for one.
Peter and Remus were also opposites in several ways. Where Peter spent his entire life invisible trying to be seen and loved and wanted, Remus spent his entire life being wanted and trying to not be seen. They were good at different areas of school as well. Where Peter did great academically and at practical work (such as potions and herbology, where the class is hardly based on one’s own magic ability and more on the object they were studying), Remus was a natural at magic and usually had to force himself to pay attention in class. Remus wanted to do well in school because his chances and opportunities after they graduated weren’t that good, but he had a really difficult time focusing and often forgot about assignments unless he wrote them down– which he explained to Pete as his eighty HD (whatever that was).
But they worked. Peter was– of course– very close with James and Marls; they were his first friends and he’d love them forever, but he couldn’t help but always consider Mary and Remus to be his best friends. They just understood him in a way that no one else could.
Which is why they were the only two who knew about Peter’s crush on Sybill at first.
Which is also why Peter went to Remus to gush about her.
“I’m scared.” Peter admitted.
“It’s alright to be nervous,” Remus shrugged. “It’s normal before a first date.”
“Were you?”
“Sure.” He lied.
Peter gave him a flat look. “Bastard.”
“Sorry,” Remus smiled, not looking sorry at all. “I just don’t get nervous for those kinds of things.”
“Why can’t I be you?” Peter dramatically fell onto the bed, except Remus’ legs were there so it wasn’t nearly as comforting of a collapse as it should’ve been.
“It’s not so much fun.” Remus said wryly. “Unless you want to transform into a murderous creature once every month.”
Peter pulled off the Gryffindor beanie he had been wearing (he didn’t feel like brushing his hair) and threw it at Remus blindly. “Bastard.”
“Shithead.”
Peter sighed, throwing his hand over his eyes.
“You’re as dramatic as Prongs and Pads sometimes.” Remus said. Peter could hear the grin in his voice.
“Am not.” Peter pouted, opening his eyes to glare at his best friend. Remus chuckled. Peter deflated. “How do I not- how do I calm down about this?”
Remus reached over to his bedside table and held out his card-box, waving it temptingly.
Peter sighed, “Not the worst idea.”
“You want an actual solution, don’t you?” Remus groaned, throwing his head back against the headboard.
Peter sat up. “Unfortunately for you, Moony. Yes, I do.”
“We could go hang out with her now?” Remus offered.
“Not the worst idea.” Peter shrugged. “Do you have the map?”
“I think it’s James’ turn?”
“Boo.”
“She might be in the library.” Remus suggested. “We could go under the lie that we’re there to study, so we have an excuse for just turning up there.”
Peter’s eyes brightened. “Come on! Let’s go!”
Peter jumped off the bed.
“Wait! I need to get my weed from Mary in case we go to the greenhouses later.”
~ ~ ~
“I’m scared.” Peter said as they approached the open library doors. “Nevermind. We can’t do this. Let’s go back.”
Remus gripped Peter’s upper arm to lead him through the doors.
“I hate it when you use your super powers for evil.” Peter whispered angrilly at Remus.
“I don’t have super powers.” Remus whispered back, actively trying to catch Sybill’s scent to see if she was in the library. She was. Somewhere to the left.
“Fine.” Peter huffed. “Your super werewolf enhanced strength. Better?”
“Definitely.” Remus smirked. “Now, shush. She’s right here.”
“Shit!”
Sybill’s head popped up from where it was stuck in a thick book. Her honey curls were half clipped back with her curly bangs out. Her teal, reading glasses had slipped down her nose, almost covering the the small speckling of freckles there. A wide grin spread on her face when she saw Peter.
“Hi! What are you doing here?” She smiled, laying the book back down on the table and sticking her quill into the back of her hair.
“Oh, I- I uhm…”
“We were going to study.” Remus saved. “What’re you working on?”
“Oh! Charms.” She sighed. “It’s not my best subject, not going to lie.”
“Really?” Remus raised an eyebrow. He pulled a chair out from Sybill’s table and spun it around so he could sit on it backwards. “That’s one of my best subjects. Maybe Pete and I could help out?”
“Oh, yeah. Sure.” She smiled again.
Peter took the chair beside Remus. “What are you struggling with specifically?”
Peter continued to help Sybill– slowly growing more comfortable and confident as they went on– with her locomotion charm as Remus (the swot that he was) read something for Care of Magical Creatures.
“So, do you understand the fundamentals now?” Peter asked.
“I think so,” Sybill said as she nibbled on her bottom lip.
“Brills. Do you want to try?”
“Can you show me first?”
“Oh! Uhm.” Peter turned to his best friend. “Remus is actually better at them. Moony?”
Remus looked up curiously from his book. “Hm?”
“Can you show Sybill the locomotion charm?”
“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Remus took his wand out of his messenger bag and pointed to the book he had just been reading. “locomotor.”
The book floated easily, led by Remus’ wand. Remus made it spin and then open to the page he was reading and just continued reading again.
Peter rolled his eyes. “Show off.”
“Bellend.” Remus retorted, his eyes never leaving the page.
Peter looked back at Sybill. “Remus is really good at Charms, so don’t try to get that good, just try to lift this…” Peter looked around for something light and solid (easy to charm) and pulled out a cauldron cake from his bag, placing it on the table. “A little off the table, yeah?”
“Your confidence in me is outstanding.” Sybill laughed. She pointed her wand at the cake. She did the motion and repeated the incarnation but nothing happened. She groaned, bringing her forehead to the table. “I don’t think I’ll ever get this.”
“No, don’t say that!” Peter said. “I think that you might be overthinking it, maybe. Maybe, it’d be easier if you just think of it like Wingardium Leviosa?”
“I’m not too good at that either.” She sighed. “I’m not good with physical magic. I’m better at the mental stuff– emotions, divination, fortunes. Not this.”
“Okay, well… maybe we need a motivator?” Peter suggested. “I know that I–personally– am just shite at DADA, so Remus created the idea that I might lack the proper motivation, that maybe basic grades and all of that wasn’t enough so we created a prize system. Do you think that that could work?”
Sybill leaned forward, chin in her palm, smiling like a lynx. “What kind of prize?”
“I don’t know. Food works for most… oh!” Peter’s mouth fell open as he understood what she was hinting at. In the corner of his vision, Peter saw Remus hiding his laugh behind his palm. Peter could feel his cheeks being bright red but he tried to swallow. “Uhm, right. What do you have in mind?”
Remus snorted. Peter– as subtly as he could– kicked him under the table.
Sybill giggled a little. “I don’t know… maybe if I get this cake off the table, we go get high off our asses?”
Peter faltered. “Oh, yeah. Sure. Of course. That’s exactly what I was thinking too. We can do that. Definitely.”
“Or you know, you could kiss me.”
“Oh!” Peter's face went red.
“Unless you don’t want to…” Sybill trailed off, teasing.
“No!” Peter exclaimed. He took a breath to calm himself. “I mean… sure, that’s cool. Let's do that.”
“Perfect.” Sybill purred. She pointed her wand back at the cauldron cake and did the incantation. It was lifted off the table, shaky, an inch before falling back down. She beamed at Peter. “You were right! I guess I just needed the proper incentive.”
“Why do I feel hustled?” Peter asked, more at Remus than Sybill. Remus just smirked into his book.
Sybill took his face with one hand on his cheek, turning him to her, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Are you upset about it?”
“Absolutely not.” Peter leaned back in, returning the kiss.
~ ~ ~
They did eventually go to the greenhouses to get high. By the time they got back to the castle, the sun was setting. Remus said that he was going to go find Micah and Peter told him that he was going to walk Sybill back to Ravenclaw tower.
He held her hand as she attempted to walk along the crack between the stone bricks in the floor like a tightrope. Her arms were held out to help balance. She was listening, content, as Peter rambled (he was high, okay?) about the carnivorous traits of certain plants. Normally, Peter would hold back and only rant like this with Remus or Mary (or maybe Marlene or James), but he couldn’t hold himself back around her. It didn’t help that he was high.
They reached the hallway to the Ravenclaw entrance and she turned to him.
“You’re weird.”
Peter’s face flushed, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Sybill smiled. “I mean it as a compliment.”
And with that, she– from her position one step above him– leaned down and gave him a quick peck, made a noise of approval, spun around, and skipped down the hallway.
Even once she had answered the riddle and entered the Ravenclaw dormitory, Peter stood there with his feet planted to the ground. His heartbeat was beating so fast, Remus probably heard it from Gryffindor tower. How did he get as lucky as he just did with Sybill Trelawney.