A Stroke of Genius
James was bloody over it. He couldn’t bear Sirius’ comments about how he wanted to hold Remus hand in his or how Remus wanted to run his fingers through Sirius’ hair. He knew Peter was done with it too.
Well no more.
James came up with the most perfect, genius idea to finally get them together. Party games. He’d host the greatest party of the year right there in the common room with all of their friends and some roger guests so they could witness the magic that James potter could create with his matchmaking skills. It was genius!
He immediately informed Peter of the plan, who, as expected, was just as excited as he at the prospect of the two finally getting together. Because of course they’d never do it on their own, they needed to be forced into it. Nothing a little bit of firewhiskey and some good friends couldn’t do. Then, at breakfast, he told the other two members of the Marauders about the party. “It’s going to be great. We’ll have tons of booze, tons of people…it’ll be smashing!”
-
As they began their exit of the great hall after an always satisfactory breakfast, Evans stopped James. The three just went on without him. ‘Evans going to James first? Quite possibly means it’s nearly the end of the world,’ Sirius thought as left the hall. As he walked his hand kept brushing Remus’, and he could feel the warmth radiating off of the boy the next to him. A shiver went down his spine at the next contact. “Pads are you cold? I’ve been telling you, you need to layer up as we approach the middle of Autumn. Here, take my jumper,” ever the caring best friend, Remus handed him a soft bundle that smelled too much like him. Sirius thanked him a little too quickly, and quietly for Remus to really hear, but he didn’t get a chance to ask him about it because Sirius b-lined to the hallway on the right in order to get to transfiguration. Normally, he liked to faff about in the corridor with Moony, but he just couldn’t handle it. I’d there was a little flush in his cheeks, it was because he was cold and nothing else.
As he sat down in McGonagall’s class he knew he likely left a super confused Remus just standing there until someone, likely Dorcas or Mary, pulled him out and dragged him to arithmancy. ‘Bloody hell, how am I supposed to get over him if he’s so perfect all the time!! He can’t be this caring, this…this kind!,’ he thought as he had a mini freak out in his mind. In reality, there would be no getting over him. He loved Remus so much. He always thought about how he wanted to run his fingers through Remus’s curls or caress the pale scar across his tan face. He thought about how his face was like the night sky. He freckles like stars or constellations, his hazel eyes like two glowing planets in orbit. Remus was simply breathtaking. He was helpless, wasn’t he?
-
That day James began preparations for the big event. He assigned Peter to make accommodations in the common room, get the alcohol, and some food too. And what was James doing? Being a host of course. He invited a whole bunch of people. Of course a large portion of the invitees were Gryffindors, but there were some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to attend as well. Of course he held off on the Slytherins, as this was for Sirius and he didn’t need his mood to be ruined. Not only this, but he was also going to give gentle encouragement to Remus and Sirius to confess on their own at the party as well. A small nudge, barely obvious.
“You should just tell him at the party, mate.” Ah, subtle Potter. Remus glanced at him, no humor in his expression, before returning to his paper. And then, another idea sparked James. “How would you like to see Pete finally get a girlfriend?” Remus smirked at that. “Mary seems to perk up whenever he’s around or when I mention him during our potions studying. I suspect she fancies blondes,” Remus said, planting the seed in James’ head.
“Mary, I have a proposal for you. And if you say yes, you’d be helping me out to get Remus and Sirius together, and you might get a boyfriend in the process,” James said, sliding next to the girl at the Gryffindor table. It was a little before lunch, so Peter had yet to join them. “No offense Potter, but I’m not really into you like that. I see you as a mate not as a lover,” she said before returning to her essay. “No not me, Pettigrew.” At this she looked up at him, a light sparkle in her eyes. She’s a very pretty girl,’ James thought. She had light brown hair was that was always neatly curled to perfection, and bright blue eyes that stood out against her pale complexion. Her and Peter would look good together. “Go on then,” she placed her quill down gently and turned a little towards him. “So, the party we’re hosting? It’s really a ploy to get Remus and Sirius together because we’re all kind of over the pining. Obviously you guys have feelings for each other, but I want you and Pete to be my decoy couple to throw them off the scent. Think you can do that?” She nodded knowingly as she glanced over at the boys in question. She shooed James off after agreeing.
Re-approaching his friends, he had a big smile and proud exterior. “Blimey Prongs, did Lily compliment you or something? You look proper chuffed,” Sirius pointed out. He laughed a little in spite of himself. “Did you get Mary on board, then?” James nodded in response to Remus’ question with a confused Sirius looking between them. Remus motioned for Sirius to come closer for Remus to whisper something in his ear. “Oh..oh,” was all he could manage. The three glanced over towards the entrance to the great hall where Peter was approaching. “Wormy my boy, Mary over there needs some potions assistance. You’re the best out of the four of us, and Lily’s nowhere to be seen. Perhaps you could..” Peter got what he was insinuating and walked a little over to where she was sitting. The three looked over and could see her ears turn a little pink as the blonde slid in next to her and how she moved a little closer to place her essay between them. “Prongs you really are the wizard of love,” Sirius complimented. “That I am my boy, that I am”
‘or will be,’ he thought.
-
Sirius could still feel the warmth in his face from the proximity of Remus as he whispered in his ear. He didn’t know what was up with him today. Normally he reserved Remus Lupin Thoughts™ for first period only because they were separated, then he’d compose himself by lunch where they’d be sat closer than in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period. But he supposed his mind wanted to just think of him at all times of the day. Currently, he was staring at his hands. They had similar features to his face. They were tan, freckled, and had similarly pale and faded scars running across. Sometimes he wanted to pick up his hand and kiss his knuckles like a gentleman would. That’s who Remus deserved, a gentleman. Sirius could try and be that but the urge to flirt with him always overtook. Even before he knew of his feelings he always jokingly flirted with the lad.
“Moony maybe we should…,” Sirius said with a little wag of his eyebrows. Remus laughed and shoved him slightly, telling him to piss off even though there was a small amount of blush in his cheeks. Sirius laughed with him and took the opportunity of a distracted Remus to glance at his face again. The lighting in the hall was just such that he looked like he was glowing. He snapped out of it and returned his focus onto his food. There was a party to get excited for. Plenty of drinks, friends, and dancing. The perfect distraction. “Sirius I found an old Bowie album in my trunk recently, I know you liked the last one I played for you, so I was wondering if later you’d like to listen with me?” Well, so much for a distraction. An afternoon listening to his favorite artist with his not crush? He might faint from the thought.
-
Watching the two fools in front of him all James could think was how he had his work cut out for himself.