Sirius Black and Earl Gray
An hour later, Remus’s hand bandaged up and both their stomachs rumbling, Remus and Sirius enter the Great Hall for dinner.
“There you two are!” James shouts as they sit at the Gryffindor table. “We looked everywhere for you guys. What happened with the prank?”
Sirius looks at Remus, eyes wide. He obviously hadn’t thought about an explanation that didn’t involve lycanthropy. Remus simply waves his bandaged hand to the others. Silver burns are like magical injuries to werewolves it turns out; Madam Pomfrey couldn’t instantly heal it like normal injuries. “Fell and cut my hand. Too bad we couldn’t charm more badges though.”
“No, it’s a good thing you stopped,” interjected a redhead a few spaces down the table.
“What’s it to you, Evans?” Sirius asks hotly.
Lily turns to the four of them and shakes her head. “It’s like you and Potter have never heard of inter-house cooperation. They’re not our enemies; they’re our classmates. All you’re going to do is get Gryffindor house points taken away.”
“Oh, come on, Lily,” James smiles at her. “It’s just a bit of fun. Besides, they started it this time.”
Lily’s face went red. “Oh, so you’re not mature enough to rise to their bait, uh? You just have to do something stupid.”
“It wasn’t stupid,” Peter said matter-of-factly.
“Attacking students with firecrackers is stupidly irresponsible. Someone could have gotten hurt!”
“Brilliant!” James says. He sees Lily’s expression and back-peddles. “Of course, no one got hurt, right guys? We made sure it was entirely safe.”
Lily points at Remus. “Your own friend got hurt, in case you forgot.”
Remus’s eyes go wide. “This wasn’t about the prank,” he points out. “I’m just clumsy.”
Sirius nods. “Very clumsy. Lupin the Clumsy we call him.”
Remus glances at Sirius beside him. Too much, Black, he tries to communicate.
James puts his hands up, palms facing Lily. “Exactly. No one got hurt due to the prank and, even though we only got one badge charmed, it was a success. Pretty great, right? See, we combined two spells, one being the-”
Lily rolls her eyes and gets up from the table. James stands up after her.
“Wait, Lily, wait!” He grabs his bag. “See you all in the dorm later. Oi, Evans!”
Peter shakes his head when James is out of sight. “James has totally lost it.”
Sirius hums in agreement. “Blinded by love, that's what he is.”
Remus stares at the doors of the Great Hall. He knew James had a crush on Lily, but could Sirius be right? Could James love her? Remus always assumed crushes were more of a fascination, the curiosity of a person, not an actual affection for them.
How could you love someone you don’t even know?
How could a fourteen-year-old know what it is to love a girl?
Maybe Remus is just a late bloomer like Sirius said. Maybe next year, he will have his own crushes on girls, look back, and laugh at how childish he’s being.
Yes, next year he will probably understand James and his ‘love’ for Lily Evans and how people look at girls and instantly have feelings for them and everything will make sense.
“Remus?” Sirius waves a hand in front of his face.
Remus jumps slightly and focuses back on the table. “Yeah?”
Sirius pushes a plate of pudding to Remus. “Cabinet Pudding, your favorite.”
-
An hour after lights out, Remus pads over to Sirius’s bed and pulls back the curtain.
“Sirius? Can I come in?”
Sirius sits up. “‘Course. Couldn’t sleep again?”
Remus climbs on top of the covers and casts the Muffliato Charm before answering. “No. Not really tired, I guess.”
“Is it your hand? We can get a pain potion from Madam Pomfrey if you want to go down.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Really, I don’t mind. We could even use the invisibility cloak and-”
“I said it’s not the problem, Sirius,” Remus interrupts sharply. He takes a deep breath. “It’s just… I keep thinking about our conversation last night, and then at dinner tonight with James fawning over Evans…”
Sirius nods along. “Oh, I see.”
“I guess I just feel,” Remus pauses as he tries to find the right words, “behind. Different. Wrong.”
Sirius reaches out in the dark and finds Remus’s arm, holding onto him. “You’re not wrong, Remus. It’s just who you are. Yes, you might be different, but that doesn’t make you wrong.”
Remus relaxes a bit, realizing that Sirius isn’t going to make fun of him. Then again, Sirius is always perfectly polite. He’s thankful that he’s found a friend who willingly supports him no matter what, despite the werewolfness.
Remus puts his hand on top of Sirius’s. “Thank you. I think I just needed to hear that. I’ll leave or you can sleep, okay?”
“No, no. Stay for a bit?” Sirius asks, pulling Remus closer.
“You’re not tired?”
“Not at all.”
Sirius places his head on Remus’s shoulder and breathes deeply. Remus smiles slightly and rests his own head on top of Sirius’s. In a weird way, it’s comforting to be this close to Sirius. It’s a few minutes before Sirius whispers, “You scared me earlier. When you touched the silver.”
“Oh, um…” What is he supposed to say to that? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell out like that.”
“That’s not what I meant,” says Sirius. “You were hurt and it was my stupid idea to do the prank. If I hadn’t said anything then-”
“Hey, I did as much research into that prank as any of you did,” Remus counters. “And it wasn’t stupid. Frankly, it was a brilliant idea.”
“You think?”
Remus suppresses a chuckle. It’s not often he sees Sirius doubt himself like this. “I know so. None of us realized those badges would be silver. That’s no one’s fault.”
“Thank you,” Sirius says.
“Anytime.”
The next morning, Remus wakes up in Sirius's bed, his arm around the black-haired boy. He smiles slightly and closes his eyes again to savor a few more minutes beside his friend.
-
Later that morning, Remus revises his Charms essay with Bowie playing under the Muffliato Charm. Sirius and Peter are there as usual, working on their individual assignments. This time though, Lily Evans sits beside Remus. Remus doesn’t mind. Lily is quite good at all her subjects and they’re able to bounce questions off each other every now and then.
“You know, when I heard that you use music to help you three to study, I didn’t believe it,” Lily whispers to Remus. “But it actually does work. Less outside noise to get distracted from. I can tune the music out better than voices.”
Remus nods, flipping through his Charms textbook. “I read it in some muggle book. I still enjoy the library, but this works too.”
Lily’s quiet for a second before leaning into him, “Are you going to tell me what really happened to your hand? The prank went wrong, didn’t it? And you’re trying to hide it?”
Remus looks at her surprised. “What? No, I just fell.”
“You’re telling me that Madam Pomfrey couldn’t heal something as simple as a cut hand?”
Shit, Remus thinks to himself. Of course, Lily is too smart to be tricked by a flimsy excuse.
Remus turns away from Lily and focuses back on his paper. “Forget it, Lily, seriously. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a big deal if Potter and Sirius put you in danger-”
“I created the spell for the prank, Lily,” he snaps. “It’s as much of my prank as theirs. So just forget about-”
“Evans!” James runs up to the group. His eyes flick between Lily and Remus, who had gotten close during their quiet argument. “What are you doing?”
Lily rolls her eyes. “What does it look like, Potter?”
“Oh well, maybe I should join,” James says, still glancing at Remus.
Lily closes her book and stands. “You should if you want a chance to beat me in Transfiguration. I’m going upstairs.”
Lily gives Remus a pointed look before leaving to go up the stairs.
“What the hell, Remus! You were totally flirting with her!” James whisper-shouts.
It’s Remus’s turn to roll his eyes. “As if. She was trying to get me to admit that it’s your fault I got hurt yesterday.”
“But she was sitting so close to you!”
Remus sighs exasperated. He just wants to finish this essay. “James, I have none, absolutely none, interest in Lily Evans. She’s all yours to drool after.”
James considers this for a second before smiling. “Okay, cool!” He turns to Sirius. “I came over here because mum owled. She said you can come to mine for Christmas again, Sirius!”
Sirius looks up from his essay and smiles widely. “Thank God. Don’t think I could do another Black family holiday.”
Peter squeaks up, “I’ll come to visit again, too. I live just down the road anyways.”
The three boys share mischievous smiles. Remus feels sorry for whoever has to deal with them the entire break.
James turns to Remus, the earlier jealousy already forgotten. “What about you, Rem? You able to pop by over the break?”
Remus shakes his head, trying to not look too put out. “I’m staying at Hogwarts again this year.”
“But, it’s Christmas,” Peter says.
Remus shrugs. “My family doesn’t really celebrate. Anyways, it’s my decision to stay. I’d rather have the quiet castle.”
“But, what if-” Sirius starts.
Remus turns back to his essay and picks up his quill. “I already informed McGonnagal. It’s done. Leave it alone.”
-
This night, it’s Sirius who pulls back the curtains to Remus’s bed. I guess this is a thing we do now, Remus thinks to himself.
“Sirius?”
“Who else?” Sirius climbs into bed and casts the Muffliato Charm.
The other two boys are already asleep. In fact, Remus had been drifting off himself. He sits up and rubs his eyes. “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong,” Sirius says slowly. “I wanted to let you know that James asked his mum if you can visit for the holidays too.”
“I said that-”
“I know!” Sirius cuts Remus off. “I know you said that you’re choosing to stay at Hogwarts. James didn’t listen and sent an owl to his mum about it anyways. The point is that his mum said that you can join us at James’s house. If you want, of course.”
Remus sighs softly. James had good intentions, he knows. But it’s still annoying that he couldn’t just leave the situation alone. “I’m not going to leave Hogwarts until summer.”
“James just thought, maybe you didn’t want to go home, specifically, but he didn’t want to be rude and ask.”
“So you two went behind my back?” Remus shoots back.
“What? No, it wasn’t like that.” Sirius scoots closer to Remus. “You just never talk about your family.”
“Neither do you,” Remus counters.
“Yeah, okay fair. But I don’t talk about them because they aren’t good people. What’s your excuse?”
Remus stays silent for a bit. He takes a deep breath. “I’m not staying at Hogwarts because of my parents.”
“So why-”
“The full moon is December 26th.”
That silences Sirius. Remus can just imagine what his expression would be if Remus could see it in the dark: mouth slightly ajar, realization forming in his widening eyes, maybe even a light blush.
Remus continues quietly, “Say I go to the Potter’s for Christmas. What will they do with me when I turn into that thing? At least at Hogwarts, there’s a place that I can go where I know it can’t hurt anyone.”
“I can stay with you,” Sirius says, surprising Remus.
“What? No, you’re going to the Potter’s.”
Remus feels Sirius shrug. “So? I could stay here and we could hang out all break.”
“Sirius, you’ve seen me after the moon. I’ll be in the infirmary and grouchy with my sore joints.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Go to the Potter’s,” Remus insists. “Enjoy your time there. I’ll be fine here.”
Sirius grumbles but drops the subject. Unfortunately, he doesn’t stay quiet for long. “Wait, so why don’t you go home?”
“I just told you why-”
“No, you told me why you won’t go to James’s house,” Sirius argues. “But you could go home for the holidays. Don’t they have somewhere for you to go?”
Remus’s cheeks heat up. “Yeah, I guess. But…”
“What?”
Remus bites his lip. “They lock me in the basement. It’s small and I know my- my screams scare my mom. And there’s not a medic witch like Madam Pomfrey who can help with the aftermath, so I prefer to have my transformations here.”
Sirius is silent again for a minute. “The basement? They lock you in the basement?”
Remus shrugs slightly. “It’s all they’re able to do for me. It’s better than going to the ministry and being locked in a cell.”
“I guess. Still… I’m sorry, Remus.”
Remus rests his head on Sirius's shoulder, closing his eyes. “‘S okay. I don’t know how to get James off my back though.”
“Leave it to me,” Sirius whispers and rubs Remus’s back between his shoulder blades. “I got you.”
-
The rest of the week went by in a blur. Several study sessions, a couple of light-hearted pranks, exams, emergency study sessions, more exams, and – to Remus’s appreciation – more helpings of Cabinet Pudding. In no time, the last day of term is here. And over.
After their last exam, everyone ate lunch and then went to their respective areas to get their results.
Remus managed to get O’s in all subjects, except Astrology, where he got an E. Overall, he’s very happy with the scores he received. More than happy. He managed to do better than the previous year, and he had added tutoring to his schedule.
Wonder how Sirius and Peter did in theirs, Remus thinks to himself.
“Oi! Lupin!” Sirius shouts as he bursts into the dorm room. “Come here, you brilliant bugger!”
Remus turns towards the door just in time for Sirius to tackle him into a hug. After only a couple of months of being acquaintances, then friends, with Sirius, he’s gotten used to Sirius cologne; where it used to be aggressive to Remus’s sensitive nose, it now has a great comforting effect.
“I’m guessing your exams went well?”
“Well?! I got an A, three E’s, and an O! They went bloody fantastic!”
“Sirius, that’s great!”
“It’s all thanks to you, really.”
“No,” Remus says firmly. He pulls out of the hug to look Sirius in the eyes, bright from excitement. “That was all you. Don’t downsize your accomplishments because you had a study partner.”
“Tutor.”
“Study partner,” Remus repeats. “Honestly, you helped me stay on task just as much.”
“As if, Mr. I-read-books-because-I-want-to.”
Remus rolls his eyes.“Piss off.”
Sirius chuckles softly and smiles at Remus.
Something in the air changes. The atmosphere, joyful and excited a second ago, now seems… charged. Like something in Sirius’s eyes, still shining siren-like, or his cheeks, flushed fuchsia, or his lips, plumped and pink and perfect.
Their breath mingles in the inches between them, their foreheads brushing against each other.
“Remus?” Sirius’s hand grazes Remus’s elbow as if to bring him closer.
Any closer and it wouldn’t be only their foreheads touching.
Remus takes a shaky breath. “Yeah?”
“Is this okay?”
Yes. Yes, yes, it’s okay. “Sirius, I-”
“Sirius! Remus! You up here?”
Sirius and Remus practically jump apart. Sirius tries - and fails - to look busy with packing his trunk, while Remus simply sits on the edge of his own bed, cheeks burning and stomach fluttering.
Did he actually almost kiss Sirius Black?
James enters the room. Though what had almost happened seems so obvious to Remus, he expected James to say something, but James seems not to notice anything unusual. He simply crosses his arms at Sirius.
“Sirius, for Merlin’s sake, the train leaves for London in thirty minutes and you’re not packed?”
“Hey, don’t look at me like that! Thirty minutes is plenty of time to pack!”
James sighs and gives Remus a ‘can-you-believe-this-guy’ look. “Sirius, the train leaves in thirty minutes. But we need to get on the horseless carriages in order to get to the train, and they leave in ten minutes.”
Sirius freezes for a second. “And it takes about five minutes to get to the ground floor from here. Shit, okay. Umm…” Sirius grabs handfuls of clothes, throws them in his suitcase, and dashes into the bathroom.
James sits beside Remus on the bed. “I swear, sometimes I think if Sirius could manage his time better, he’d best the whole school in every course.”
Remus shrugs, trying to look neutral despite his pounding heart. “‘Snot his fault.”
“I suppose not.” James looks over to Remus. “You’ll be okay during Christmas? I’m sorry you couldn’t join us for the holiday.”
“It’s fine. I’m used to spending Christmas at Hogwarts.”
“Doesn’t mean being alone isn’t any easier.”
Remus cracks a smile though he knows it doesn’t reach his eyes. “If it’s between Hogwarts Christmas feast and my mum’s cooking, I’ll take being alone here for a few weeks.”
James laughs. “Didn’t know your mum was that bad a cook.”
“She’s not usually, but for some reason, she cannot get Christmas turkey right and pudding is always undercooked.” Remus squints his eyes jokingly. “If this leaves this room, I’ll have to kill you, of course. Can’t have my mum finding out I don’t like her food.”
James claps a hand on Remus’s back as Sirius comes out of the bathroom with an armful of toiletries. “Your secret is safe with me, Remus. Lips are sealed.”
Sirius dumps the items in his trunk and whirls around. His eyes are wide as he asks, “Secret? What secret? Remus, what did you tell him?”
Remus can practically see the thoughts running through Sirius’s head. After the almost kiss, Remus could be sharing some very personal information, and not just about himself. Remus keeps his reaction normal and rolls his eyes. “Nothing important. Just finish packing so you don’t miss the carriages.”
Less than ten minutes later, Remus stands outside, watching the last carriage, which held his only friends, leave the castle and drive themselves to the train station.
-
Christmas of 1974 is just another uneventful holiday spent alone at Hogwarts. Nearly the whole school, save some friend pairs and seventh years spending the holiday cramming, went home for the festive break. Only half the staff remained with the eleven students, Remus the only Gryffindor of them all.
Now understand, Remus has a home, loving if not timid parents, and definitely could have gone back home. However, every Christmas break since Remus started at Hogwarts has contained a full moon, and this year was no different. The day after Christmas, to be exact. It’s simply easier to use the accommodations already set up at school, instead of being locked in the basement at home.
Remus spends his alone time strolling through the hallways, taking the opportunity of an empty castle to observe what otherwise is unobservable. Remus actually finds a whole room he swears he's never seen before, but upon inspection, it was just a bathroom, which he had been very thankful for on the fact that he was squirming with a full bladder.
Going through the halls, he writes on parchment all the twists and turns, taking notes of moving staircases, special rooms, vanishing doors, and prominent features like statues and portraits. It's just something to pass the time, but maybe, if Remus finishes the map, he could copy and gift it to the first years in the future. He wishes he had such a map when he was eleven, so others would probably benefit from it as well.
Despite Remus's good intentions, there's a secondary reason he's focusing so much on the map; Sirius Black.
Remus couldn't stop replaying the scene from the dorm in his mind. Sirius's lips, his eyes, everything is very confusing.
Remus's experience with girls is zero. He's never been interested in a girl, never understood the appeal, and he's shared that with Sirius during their long night talks.
Boys are supposed to think about girls. Supposed to picture themselves getting married to a girl, a life together. Older teenagers, sometimes younger too, hide Playboys and jerk off to the women in the pictures.
That's what a normal guy does.
This is different.
‘You might be different, but that doesn’t make you wrong.’ That’s what Sirius had told him about a different situation.
Remus, never having felt attracted to anyone before, can see himself with Sirius. He can see the two of them holding hands, going on dates to Hogsmeade or London, late-night pots of tea, secret glances in class, stolen kisses in hallways and empty classrooms. Remus can see them, after Hogwarts, getting a flat and living together, without the extra roommates. It’s all so clear in his mind.
And Remus wants it. He wants it so bad, his heart pulling itself out of Remus’s chest.
Remus presses his back against a wall, wiping his cheeks. Stop it, he mentally growls at himself. He’s your friend. You can’t think like this.
With a deep breath, Remus continues down the hallway, marking the map every so often, but with the newfound knowledge, the damage is done.
Remus is falling for Sirius Black.
-
Christmas Day is surprisingly less depressing than normal; his parents had sent him the usual card, candy, and socks that they always give him. However, he woke up to presents from both Sirius and James at the foot of his bed. Even after he finishes one of James's sugar quills and reads a chapter of a muggle book, The Hobbit, that Sirius had somehow sent to him (the idea of Sirius in a muggle bookshop seems comically impossible), the smile hadn't left Remus's face. There's a small part in his chest where guilt builds from not buying his friends gifts to begin with, but Remus decides to make it up to them both next Hogsmeade.
It's funny how something that Remus used to find insignificant, like friendships, changes your perspective. A year ago, the prospect of breaking school rules and going out of bounds would never have crossed Remus's mind. Now, sitting in an empty common room with the only sound coming from the crackling fireplace and occasional owl hoot, Remus finds himself itching to go out of bounds or plan a prank with his dormmates, his friends, detention be damned.
Remus misses him. All of them, of course, but Sirius especially. The castle doesn't just feel empty without the students here, it feels empty without Sirius’s energy filling it up. If only Sirius was here, Remus suspects the castle would feel rather full again. If he was here, they'd listen to Bowie or Stevie Wonder or some other muggle band. They'd go outside, tackle each other in the snow and trek up to Gryffindor Tower to warm up with cocoa by the fire. Sirius's unique scent filling his days-
Stop it, Remus snaps at himself. You promised not to think about him like that. He's your friend.
-
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Despite the good Christmas and presents, the lunar cycle still continues. The full moon, on the 26th of December, is the worst moon Remus has ever had. When he woke up, the entire room had been destroyed, the floorboards carved with claws, and the former furniture reduced to splinters.
Remus himself lays on the ground, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to pick him up. A stabbing pain radiates through his right side. Probably something dislocated or something broken. Probably both. Thankfully, it's holiday break so he won't be expected to write for a couple more weeks. His fingernails are covered in dried blood, and from the scent in the room, Remus guesses there's a decent amount of blood somewhere in the room.
Remus sighs and closes his eyes to block out the room. He knows he should stay awake until Madam Pomfrey comes to retrieve him, but he’s too exhausted to care anymore.
-
“Does he usually sleep this long after?”
“I gave him an extra strong sleeping draught this time. He’ll wake when it wears off.”
“That bad this month, uh?”
Remus struggles motionlessly to get to the surface of his mind, to say something, or move. Instead, he drifts back off to sleep.
-
Remus blinks his eyes open, bright light burning. His lips are chapped and his throat dry, as if he’d been asleep for a long time. He reaches over to the bedside table to grab the usual water waiting for him. He pauses at the two glasses of water sitting there, instead of the normal single one.
Who else would be here? Madam Pomfrey mostly keeps to her office unless needed, and there are only ten other students in the school at all, none of whom Remus even knows.
He sniffs the air, using his extra ability that he usually tries to ignore.
Forest pine and an almost floral scent.
“Sirius?!”
Remus hears the distinct sound of a teapot being set down, footsteps, then Sirius fucking Black’s face popped out from behind the privacy screen.
“Hiya, Remus. Glad to see you’re awake.”
Remus smiles widely and shakes his head. “How the hell are you here?”
Sirius walks over and hands Remus a hot cup of tea. He hadn’t even realized Sirius was holding two mugs. “Owled McGonagall. I didn’t say anything to you because, well, I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”
Remus purses his lips slightly. He knows how much Sirius enjoys staying at the Potter’s, and he’s missing it to be here? “Why?”
Sirius frowns. It’s strange to see Sirius so, well, serious. "I wanted to be here. I know how much the moon affects you and I- I don't know I felt like I was needed here." Sirius sits on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle Remus too much. “Anyways, I’m here the rest of break.”
“What about James? Didn’t you look forward to being at the Potter’s all term?”
Sirius motions for him to drink his tea and Remus sips at the hot tea. Instantly, Remus feels warmth flood his body. Madam Pomfrey must have added a healing component for him. “I told James that I’m bi,” Sirius says. Remus’s eyes go wide. “And I told him about what happened before I left, you know, and that I felt guilty for leaving you here after that. Which is true, just not the whole truth.”
Remus finishes his tea, taking the distraction to collect his thoughts. “You really told James?”
Sirius shrugs and looks at Remus sheepishly. “I don’t want any secrets between him and me. I like guys, that’s not bad. And he should know because I don’t want to keep my relationships hidden. Especially because-”
“Sirius, listen,” Remus interrupts hurriedly. “I did some thinking this last week. I… I want…” Remus tries to breathe deeply, but it feels like his lungs are filling with sand.
Sirius touches Remus’s arm, worried. “Hey, hey breathe. It’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it. We can leave it where it is.”
Remus shakes his arm away from Sirius. His heartbeat thunders in his ears. “I think I’m gay,” he blurts out in a rush, because it feels like a hot iron stuck in his throat, something important that needs to get out of his body now. “I’ve been thinking and I don’t ever think about girls that way and it took me a bit to realize it but then you tried to kiss me and it all made sense and-”
Sirius takes Remus’s hands gently, a small smile dancing on his lips. “Okay, okay calm down. Here, have some of my tea, take a deep breath.”
Remus takes Sirius’s cup. Earl Gray, Remus thinks distantly. That pretentious heir. Remus lets the citrusy flavour coat his tongue. Sirius Black and Earl Gray. Of course.
When Sirius thinks Remus has calmed down enough, he speaks again. “So you think you’re gay. That’s okay. More than okay. And you can figure everything out in your own time. There’s no need to rush things.”
Remus hands Sirius his now-empty cup back. “I’m fine. I just needed to get that out. Can I get something else out too?”
“Of course.”
Remus hesitates for a moment before grabbing Sirius’s muggle shirt, pulling him close, and kissing him.
Kissing is different than Remus thought it would be. He always thought it would be boring and plain, a bit gross. But it was full of stimuli and a tingly feeling through his entire body.
He could distinctly taste the minty toothpaste Sirius had used this morning, mixed with Earl Gray, but something else that Remus can’t place. It’s floral and has a hint of pine. Sirius flavored.
Both their hearts sped up, beating together loud and demanding. Remus’s cheeks flush, and while his eyes were closed, Remus would like to think that Sirius’s cheeks match his.
Remus brought a hand up to Sirius’s cheek before pulling away an inch. “Shit, that was…”
Sirius is just as breathless as Remus. “Yeah, I know.” Sirius looks into Remus’s eyes and laughs softly. “Welcome to the Queer Club.”
Remus rolls his eyes and shoves Sirius’s arm away. “Wanker.”
-
Madam Pomfrey let Remus out that afternoon. It turns out Remus had been asleep for nearly two days. So on December 30th, with two new pink scars across his stomach and a new-found pep in his step, Remus walks out of the infirmary with Sirius by his side.
The two of them have a whole week to themselves in the castle before the rest of the school comes back. The pair of them are never bored, between prank planning, various snow activities, a study session Remus insists on, late-night outings beneath James’s cloak, and the learning curve of their new relationship. Boyfriends is a word Remus cringes at. Partners sound more socially compliant.
The week slips through their fingers and before long, the castle is full of life again.
Remus and Sirius sit on one of the common room couches together, Sirius searching for a spell to turn the Slytherin’s robes red and Remus finishing up The Hobbit that Sirius had gifted him. He would have finished the book by now if he hadn’t been distracted by Sirius all break, but Remus can’t find it in him to complain.
“Oh, I found it! The Colour Changing Charm. Seems pretty simple, but we need to figure out how to perform it on a large scale. I’m not spending hours charming every single robe.”
“What if we use the same technique as Lumos that Flitwick showed us?” Remus offered off-handedly.
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” Remus put his book down, “Lumos normally just creates light at your wand tip. But there’s ways to expel the spell and light up an entire room. We alter the spell, expand it, and change all green robes to red with one spell instead of hundreds.”
Sirius stares at Remus. “You, Remus Lupin, are brilliant!” Sirius kisses Remus’s cheek excitedly.
The common room portrait chooses this moment to open. James and Peter run through. “Hey! Pete and I had an amazing idea for a prank on the train!” James says breathlessly.
Remus and Sirius pull away from each other and stand up.
“Well, I just found a colour-changing spell to prank the Slytherins with!” Sirius smirks and folds his arms. “Beat that.”
“We change all the clocks in the dungeons so they’re all late to classes,” Peter says excitedly, practically bouncing.
James, however, looks between Remus and Sirius. Remus reddens and shifts his feet.
“Holy sphinx, that would be great!” Sirius mindlessly grabs Remus’s arm in his enthusiasm.
James’s eyes followed that movement too. “Hold on, Pete. Sirius, Remus, you two good?”
Remus nods, embarrassed, but Sirius preens proudly. “More than good, mate. Aren’t we, darling?”
Remus groans and covers his face. “I’ve told you not to call me that!”