Need.
Sirius got through the next two attempting to act completely normal but the everything was different. Whenever he so much as thought of Remus John Lupin he felt restless. How was he meant to talk to Remus without letting him find out that Sirius was totally in love with him?
Remus was true to his nickname. He was the gleaming moon and there would only ever be one.
What had he done? Why is it that the exact day he gets confirmation that he’s crazy about his best friend that same best friend starts avoiding him? There was absolutely no way he could’ve found out. Right? Whatever it was, he didn’t want to lose Padfoot.
“Well this hasn’t exactly gone to plan has it Potter?”
She had a point.
“Well no but knowing them it’ll blow over in a few days.”
”They both just realised they like each other and now refuse to even be in the same room as each other. They’re such idiots who don’t understand what communication is!”
“Okay okay. You take Sirius I take Remus for a change? Its been two days I cant deal with this.”
“Alright James. Let’s go sort out some idiots.”
Quickly getting past the fact LILY EVANS JUST CALLED HIM JAMES AND NOT POTTER. Now time to find Messers Moony.
Finding Remus wasn’t exactly hard as absolutely everyone knows where he would be. James wandered into the library, quickly scanning the room for a tall, dark blonde with freckles most likely engrossed in a book with a bar of chocolate. And, of course, he found just that.
“Hey mate.. funny seeing you here!”
“I know full well that you don’t just come in the library randomly prongs so, fess up, what is it?” Remus replied, without even looking up from his book.
“Can friends not just check up on their friends without having to have a reason Remy boy?”
“James i love you but i am minutes away from smacking you so hard with this book so please, answer wisely.”
“Alright, alright! Just wanted to see if you’re okay thats all. You have been ignoring Sirius for days and everyone had noticed something. Want to talk about it? I’m always here you know?”
Remus closed his eyes and exhaled a breath that James wasn't even sure that Remus knew he was holding. When he reopened his eyes, he avoided eye contact and kept his view firmly in his lap.
“I’m fine James. I didn’t even realise i had been doing it. I promise to talk to him today okay? Thanks for checking though.” Remus laughed slightly before adding “Mum friend.”
“Okay Moony, you sure?” Once the boy nodded James continued, “I know that Sirius is like my brother but it you ever to tell me something just know we are all marauders together and i would never tell him any secrets of yours. And please remember Sirius loves you a lot and he if you had something to tell him, i have a feeling he would like to hear it. Even if he doesn’t know that yet.”
A flicker of an unrecognisable emotion appeared on Remus’ eyes for a split second, perhaps it was even just a change of light.
“Okay Prongs. Thanks.”
“Now uhm.. if i screwed this up, don’t tell Evans, she might kill me.”
“Evans? Lily? Why is Lily involved in this?”
James grabbed that opportunity and went sailing down the hall, waving and blowing kissed to Remus who was shouting after him.
Lily had no ides where Sirius Black would be to stop thinking so before she left, James had let her borrow a piece of parchment that was apparently called the marauders map. All she knew is that Remus made it originally to get around to classes in first year but the boys had enchanted it to be weird and stalker like. Great. James had expressed how they had never shown anyone outside of the marauders it so she was to ‘solemnly swear that she was up to no good’ before taking it.
The map showed that Sirius was to be found in the astronomy tower so thats where she headed.
“Wow Black. I guess a love for stars runs in the family.” Lily joked, trying to diffuse the tension.
Black whipped round startled and shot her daggers with his icy grey-blue eyes.
“Oh my fuck Evans. Worn a guy before sneaking up on him won’t you?”
“Ever the dramatics Black. Anyway i need to talk to you.”
“I figured that.”
“Okay, okay calm. Why have you been in a mood with the world the past few days? You and Rem have been ignoring each other like the plague.”
“No we haven’t. We don't need to be forever attached you know?”
“Well obviously not but he’s your whatever and it’s been off. I’m not here to have a go i just genuinely wanted to know if you were okay.”
The boys gaze softened but he turned back the stars, inviting Lily to join him.
“Thats me.”
He was pointing to the Sirius star, the dog star, the brightest star in the sky.
“Thats Reg.”
She scanned the sky and saw the smaller star he was pointing at. The regulus star in the Leo constellation. She made a low humming sound in the back of her throat, urging him to continue. This was the most he had spoken in days and she was glad he was comfortable around her. He was nice when he wasn’t so.. loud.
“Stars are nice but they’re so repetitive. Like wow a burning rock in the sky. Boring. There are too many of them, no one would notice if one went missing.”
He shut his eyes tightly. He didn’t have the best relationship with his brother and it was clear he was thinking about the quiet, short haired boy who he’d lost to their parents.
“The moon however, i love. It’s the only one of its kind. Its soft glow lights the way for people. It's helpful and graceful. It’s just so easily loveable. No amount of intricate words from the English dictionary could describe its beauty. If the moon went missing we would be fucked. People should take moments to recognise its beauty.”
A few seconds of restful silence passed before Lily replied in her soothing, motherly voice. “The moon and the stars are meant for each other. They need each other. Some people should recognise that.” She put emphasis on the word ‘that’ hoping he would get the metaphor but his emotions were unrecognisable.
“I’m okay. I promise to talk go find Remus right now and spend time with him. I don’t know why we haven’t been hanging out as much and although it has not been purposeful. I still miss him.”
“Good Sirius. You need each other.”
He understood the hint for definite that time.
They walked together towards the library. Lily to find James, Sirius to find Remus. They talked a little on the way- mainly just getting to know each other more.
“PRONGS I SWEAR-“
”BYE MOONY MY BELOVED”
”I AM GOING TO STAB YOU WITH MY QUILL”
”THATS SO BELLATRIX BLACK OF YOU REMUS”
“EW DON’T COMPARE ME TO HER”
”Alright jeez stop shouting about my cousin in a library, you’re going to get kicked out you idiots.”
”James what the hell happened? Remus why were you threatening him?”
“I was just”
”He was”
”You know what? I don’t want to know.”
”Come on moons, let’s leave these lovers to it.”
And the pair simply walked away together
”Did they just twist the whole situation around on us?”
”And then walk away like nothing happened? Yep. They’re made for each other.”
”Okay well tell me how it went.”
James’ plans clearly didn’t work as well as Lilys did but James being the ever-loving friend, taking after Effie, really made up for it in sincerity.
Lily got proper emotions from Sirius and managed to get him in his comfort zone, despite being what quote on quote ‘a tad much’ at first.
When they arrived in the common room they saw the pair curled up on the sofa together, Sirius’ head on Remus’ lap while Remus read and Sirius enchanted pieces of paper to turn into birds and fly around the other boys head.
“Merlin if they don’t get this shit sorted i don't quite know what i’ll do but if they make it out alive, it won’t be without a trip to pomfrey first.”
”Patience, Lily. Patience. Stage two is in two days. This has to work. No one can deny patronus magic.”
”Night James.
“Sleep well Lily.”