Party Preparations
The party was just a few days from now. The date was set for 24 September, that Friday, and it was the Wednesday before. Plenty of preparations were still in need of getting done. James used his head boy privileges to clear the common room for that night, so that was taken care of. He visited the kitchens the day before to arrange party food. The elves were happy to do it, as they’d grown quite fond of their little group. Days after the full moon typically led to the group skipping breakfast, so they always went to the kitchens for food. The firewhiskey was a little harder, considering he was still sixteen, but he hexed his own head to look like his father’s when he purchased it at Hogs Head during the hogsmeade trip. There was just one part of the plan that was a bit difficult for him to achieve for Prongs. A certain girl.
“So, I’ve been thinking, this coverup, this ruse if you will, how about we charm the bottle for ‘spin the bottle’ so that it lands on you or me. Wait, do you want to spin first or should I?” Peter had asked her on a “study date” to library to discuss more of the plan. But he suspected he was actually catching some feelings. Her hair looked so soft and her cheeks so rosy. She had the eyes of someone who always knew how to have a good time and still be on top of things. He should stop touching his lips.
“You I’d say, you’re a party girl, no? Everyone will be hanging out for a while and then you loudly suggest it. Nice amount of time to get Moony and Padfoot to plot with James about us and then all of the sudden we kiss first round,” he smirked. She smiled back returning to the book she was leaning over. She had one elbow tucked close to her but resting on the table and her other arm was extended out, resting on the table waiting to turn the pages. He rested in a similar position over his own book with his finger inches away from hers. He made the bod choice of entwining their pinkies, closing the distance. She looked up, her smile widening slightly. She bit her lip a little before looking down again.
‘This would work out well’
-
Remus and Sirius laid in the former’s bed together, something they had done plenty before. They had a tradition between just them where they’d share a cigarette and listen to muggle music Remus was slowly introducing to him. This time it felt a little different. Not that anything had changed between them. Nothing really. Maybe his feelings had only grown and that’s why things felt different. He turned from his back to his side facing the boy next to him. He had his eyes closed which gave him the prime opportunity to admire his features. His skin was porcelain, like a doll, and it looked soft too. His black curls cascaded down his shoulders perfectly, of course, because he put so much care into it. He had a little scruff on his chin meaning it’s probably been a few days since he last shaved. “Growing a beard then, aye Pads?” The man in question opened his eyes and turned to face him, mirroring his position. “Don’t like it?” Remus gulped a little, scared if he didn’t that the sound he’d release from his throat would be mildly embarrassing. “It’s not that. It just doesn’t look like something you’d want,” Remus pointed out. Sirius shrugged in agreement. “Haven’t had a chance to shave,” he said scratching it. Remus pulled his wand out and whispered a spell, within seconds he felt the hair on his face disappear. “Thanks Moons,” he said turning back onto his back. Remus did the same. “Press your space face close to mine, love. Freak out in a moonage daydream,oh,” could be heard in the background. In his peripherals he could see the proximity of their hands. He must be foggy from the nicotine because it looked like Sirius wanted to move his hand on top of his. He was just being weird, he supposed.
“Lily it’s not like I’m blind, I’m bloody aware of the fact that I think he’s off the rails gorgeous and that I want to kiss him every morning regardless of morning breath. It’s just that I don’t personally want to do anything with this information,” he said before biting into an apple. It was the next morning and he had woken up earlier than the rest of his dorm mates for he and lily’s weekly morning tea and talk. Said redhead was skeptically looking at him as she poured sugar into her second cup of tea. “And why not? I see the way both of you look at each other. Like dogs,” she sipped her tea and Remus let out a knowing cough. He sipped his own tea as he looked around to avoid eye contact. He knew she was right but he didn’t want to ruin a good thing. Their friendship meant more than anything to him, it wasn’t worth the risk in his eyes. “I just…I don’t know where I’d even start with it. And you know how thick he is, if I did my subtle hint routine he’d never get there and then I’d just have tell him up front and then that could lead to some other conversation-“ He was spiraling, and he knew it. Approaching the pair was Mary. ‘Oh good, a distraction.’ “Hey Mary, how’s things with Wormtail?” She blushed at the question and slid next to Remus. “Splendid of course. I’m trying to get lucky at the party tomorrow, if you know what I mean,” she said excitedly. “I’m planning to pull him aside later in the evening after a lot of partying, and then I’ll tell him how I feel,” she said as she made herself a cup of tea. Remus wished it could be so simple for him and Sirius, he really did.
-
James and Peter went over the plan one more time in the common room before Sirius exited their dorm. He always took the longest because he needed to make sure his hair was in place. Of course Remus had his morning “date” with Lily, so it provided ample opportunity to discuss without either being near. “Yes this should all be good and we’ll have to get a playlist together by tonight,” James said making sure everything was in order. “Do they have a song together? Like one they’ll have to look at each other when it begins. Any love songs?” James pondered over that for a bit. “Something David Bowie I’d say. I mean..I can just ask him when he walks in,” James stated. And as if he summoned him, Sirius finally emerged. “Ask me what?” Peter could never understand what it was he did in that bathroom for 45 minutes everyday, but whatever it was certainly worked on all the girls in the common room. And Remus of course. “Have a song request for the party? Anything from Bowie you just listened to?” Sirius wasn’t slick like he thought he was. Both of the other boys could see the flush that came over his face at the mention of Remus’ and Sirius’ Wednesday night. Seriously, they were in there for hours. Alone. “Umm Moonage Daydream was…a good song,” he said touching his face. “Oh good you shaved,” Prongs stated as he began walking towards the portrait entrance. Peter could see a visible snap of Sirius’ eyes at that. “Come on then, let’s find Moony and Lily,” he said placing his hand on Sirius’ shoulder to guide him out.
As the three approached the pair in question, a third sat in with them. The girls were laughing at something Remus said when Mary caught his eye. “Hi Pettigrew,” she stood before him and smiled before seeing herself off, mentioning something of seeing Emmeline at the Ravenclaw table to discuss history of magic homework. She had a white headband on today, holding her freshly curled hair behind her shoulders neatly. The style allowed for her pearl earrings to be shown off. “She’s got it bad for you, mate,” Sirius said as he reclaimed the spot Mary left behind. Remus smiled warmly at him before sipping his tea. Lily exchanged a look with him and James, one that said he was an idiot but might actually do something with his feelings. Peter took a seat on the other side of Sirius while James made his way around the table to sit by Evans and Marlene, who at some point during walk around was now sitting as a barrier between them. Didn’t matter though, Lily’d hex him before he could sit directly next to him, Peter suspected.
-
As the new additions to their breakfast group settled into their seats, Sirius turned to Remus. “They’ve um..they’ve added ‘Moonage Daydream’ to the party list,” Sirius said as he sipped pumpkin juice. Remus could only blush. ‘Of course. Because nothing can ever be so simple as enjoying a night of getting so drunk I forget who Sirius even is,’ Remus thought as prepared two cups of tea. He knew how Sirius liked his, black as his name suggests. But that’s only what he said on the surface. In reality he took it black with a splash of honey for sweetness, kinda like how he’s a member of the most noble and ancient house of Black with a good heart on the inside. “Here,” Remus said handing over Sirius’ tea as he sipped his own. He liked 3 sugars and a healthy amount of cream so that it barely tasted like “bitter black tea” as he called it. “Cheers Moony,” he said as a thank you for the tea. Sometimes Remus felt like a mother the way he took care of his friends. Speaking of. “Here Pete,” he reached around the back of Sirius to hand Peter a packaged bread loaf. “Thanks mate,” he said as he sliced some for himself and his friends.
As breakfast continued on he tried not to think about how close Sirius’ thigh was to his or about how James and Peter added a..certain..song to the set for tomorrow. And he definitely wasn’t thinking about last night in his bed. He just sat and listened to his fiends discuss things animatedly. He liked to just observe. And he wasn’t just observing Sirius. For sure.