A Gentleman's Agreement
They walked, and walked, and walked. The sun rose high in the sky as the time surpassed midday, but Sirius didn’t notice. He was too busy listening to Remus talk. The studious sod had already created a studying timeline for their NEWTS at the end of next year. Sirius was at first panicked because he felt behind already and then he calmed down once he realized that this wasn’t the plan of the other students at Hogwarts, just Remus. Even Remus was fine to admit this, he was crazy about his school work. Maybe, if it hadn’t been for his furry little problem, Remus might have been made Head Boy. But alas that title went to James.
Sirius began to wonder who the new Head Girl would be, if it was Evans that would be the most dramatic coincidence of the modern century.
“Moony?” Sirius interrupted Remus’ tangent about what he would have to review for Charms. “Do you have any idea who may be the new Head Girl?”
The implication didn’t go unnoticed, Remus had just gotten off the phone with two seventh year girls that would be contenders.
He gave a small smile. “She didn’t mention it, probably because of everything else. But I would have to guess it’s Lily.” He chuckled to himself. “Funny how it all works out, isn’t it?”
Sirius started then, “It is.” He paused to catch his breath. “Maybe we should take bets on how James will react when he finds out.”
Remus seemed to ponder this thought. “I think he’ll be so ecstatic that he’ll either jump to the ceiling in excitement or fall over from shock.”
Sirius considered this. “Plausible,” he said. “I think he might kick something. He did kinda slam his door earlier today.”
Remus shrugged. “five galleons?”
“five galleons it is.” They shook on it.
They continued to walk and eventually stumbled on a convenience store. Moony grabbed two waters and two Mars bars, a muggle candy, for them to eat before they started back towards the house.
“I reckon he’s had enough time.” Remus said, between sips of his water.
Sirius could only agree.
However when they got back James had yet to open his door and he continued to keep it closed when Sirius knocked.
“Maybe he’s asleep.” Remus shrugged. It seemed realistic enough, Prongs was a deep sleeper. Spending years sharing a room with three other boys would do that to you.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Potter were out of the house and Remus had resided himself in the living room, reading a muggle book, probably one from Lily.
Sirius had nothing else to do but bother Remus.
“What’s that book about?” Sirius said, he was lying stretched out on the floor, Remus was sitting out the couch his legs stretched out taking up the whole of the cushions.
Remus looked up, slightly annoyed. “Romeo and Juliet. It’s not a book this time, it’s a play.”
“What’s it about?” Sirius would never be well versed with muggle books, even after leaving his strictly pureblood family and moving in with the more inclusive Potters, his new family were still purebloods and muggle literature wasn’t an everyday occurrence.
Remus considered how to describe it. He seemed to give up a bit and said, “I don’t know, teenagers being stupid and in love I guess.”
“So a bit like our own James and Lily.”
“Merlin, I hope not.” Remus said with a note of finality and looked back down at his book.
Sirius got up from the floor, went over to the couch. Lifting up Remus’ legs, he sat down on the cushion, then put Remus’ legs on top of his thighs. Remus’ eyes snapped up to Sirius and he seemed to tense a bit. But seeing that Sirius was perfectly comfortable, he relaxed a bit himself.
“Moony.” Sirius said.
Remus was getting a bit annoyed at his reading being interrupted. “What?” he snapped. Maybe that bit of relaxation Sirius had witnessed seconds before had been feigned.
“I’m bored.” Sirius said in a monotone.
“What, exactly, do you want me to do?” Remus looked right at him as he said this. “We already walked most of the day away. Are you not even a little bit tired?”
Sirius considered this, he was so used to doing multiple things during his time at Hogwarts, there was always something that required attention. Schoolwork, pranks, anything that could catch his fleeting interest, girls. He didn’t exactly consider doing something similar to the likeness of those things during the summer.
He took a breath, “Fine.” Sirius said with much defeat. “Go get me that book you were reading on the train.”
Remus, unable to hide his surprise, raised both his eyebrows but didn’t say anything as he got up and went to his room. When Remus returned with the worn copy of Emma he sat back down exactly where he had been sitting a moment before, even putting his legs back on Sirius’ legs. Sirius didn’t say anything as he opened the book and began to read. He only got about two pages in before he fell asleep.
***
Dinner was a lousy affair. James, much to the surprise of Remus and Sirius, did come out of his room to eat dinner with his family and friends. But he very uncharacteristically pushed around his food and gave short answers to any questions directed his way. By the time pudding was served, James feigned tiredness and went back to his room.
It was beginning to get late now, but Sirius was extremely well rested from his nap. Mrs. Potter had gently woken him when it was time for dinner, telling him that Remus and James were already at the table. Sirius sat awake trying and failing to read Emma. His mind kept drifting back to the way Remus had initially reacted when Sirius had moved to sit with him. Was Remus disgusted by the proximity? He had never acted that way before. They had always been close, not as close as Sirius and James, but close nonetheless. On the other hand they rarely touched like normal friends did, it was strange, but it was just how things were with Moony. He always seemed a little out of reach.
A knock on his door broke him from his thoughts. James was on the other side of it and the two boys stared at each other for a moment before Sirius gestured for James to come inside.
They did this at school, had nightly talks when the others were asleep. But this was different. James was typically very cheerful, he didn’t seem so now.
James sat cross legged on Sirius’ bed. Sirius sat down next to him.
“Merlin James, You’ve been a moody git all day.” Sirius said, trying to break the ice.
James looked up. “Sirius…” Sirius waited for James to tell him whatever he was going to say. “She likes me.” He said this with a bit of a gasp. “She really does…and I-I don’t know-” James deflated and put his head down in his hands. Sirius moved quickly to put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
“Well. I’m going to be honest Prongs that sounds fucking amazing.” Sirius continued, “You’ve had a crush on her for years, and when I say years I mean we were literally children when you decided she was going to be your wife someday.”
James looked distraught. “I know.” He sounded a bit sad. “But, I meant what I said. I’m done.”
Sirius reeled back and was pretty sure he was gaping at James. Was he joking? No, James wouldn’t do that. He also wasn't that great of an actor.
“James, I think we both know that’s not true.”
“But, I meant it. Or at least I thought I did and if I can’t stay true to my word then what does that say to Lily.” Sirius found this redundant and it was clear that James was overthinking.
“James, calm down, okay.” Sirius said. James looked at him like this was the worst thing to say, maybe it was. “What it says to Lily is that your feelings for her can persist, not that you're untrue to your word.” Sirius laughed, it sounded very silly when said aloud.
James just stared at Sirius, “Merlin, I should've gone to Moony for support, you just make me feel stupid.”
“Well you came to me.”
“Yeah, and I’ll live to regret it.” James said, he looked as though he had forgotten all about the day’s troubles in that moment, it didn’t last though. “What should I do, Sirius?”
It was hard to give advice on this for multiple reasons. One was because he was very entrenched in this mess already and was wary about continuing to get tangled into Lily and James’ process of working out whatever their relationship is. Another was that he thought the solution was obvious.
“Just write her a letter back, saying that the message was received loud and clear. And maybe set up a phone call, Moony can help work out the logistics.”
James stared off for a minute before saying, “You’re right.” He was probably already drafting what to write and what he would say on the phone. Sirius would be lying if he didn’t say he was glad, this weird little chapter of his summer would be closing soon.
“Great!” Sirius thumped James on the shoulder, “I was worried for a second that next year would be super awkward between the Head Boy and Girl.”
James, who was in the mid-motion of getting off the bed, said, “Lily’s Head Girl?!” and fell on the floor. It seemed Remus would be earning five galleons tomorrow.