Quidditch Gamble
Things aren’t suddenly patched up between Remus and Sirius. He knows Sirius didn’t mean to hurt him, he just wasn’t thinking, and that’s what takes up such a huge part of Lupin’s mind, so big that sometimes he can’t breathe, because if he didn’t mean to before then what’s stopping him from doing it again?
He doesn’t know how he’ll ever trust him again but he’s willing to try, and maybe that’s enough. At least for now, it has to be enough. So, two days later he comes back to the Potters and he keeps coming back whenever he isn’t at the gym with his friends or helping his mother around the house.
A sunny summer day in the garden, Remus arrives at the Potters’ house two days after the last full moon, pleased to be over with it, at least for another whole month “Moony!” Sirius bounces off his spot like a spring and dashes over to him, a smile so big it hurts “You’re here! We’ve missed you”
“Sirius, you saw me two days ago” or rather two moons ago, when Padfoot and Moony spent the entire night howling at it. Prongs wanted to be there too, but Remus’ basement wasn’t big enough to fit him, or rather his prongs. The wolf missed the freedom of running along with his pack through the school grounds, his transformations were always best when the wolf had space to roam around and tire itself before it could cause himself damage, but he’d been so glad to see Padfoot again after so long that he’d only left him with a few superficial scars in the morning. Moony missed Padfoot maybe even more than Remus missed Sirius. Padfoot didn’t betray Moony, Sirius did.
The wolf always liked Padfoot the most, even when Remus didn’t, it was obvious how much Moony missed Padfoot, they’re freer than their human versions, they’d spent a big part of the night simply grooming and licking each other. Remus refuses to acknowledge what that means. And Sirius seems too far down the rabbit whole of denial to give it a second thought. There’s nothing gay about licking your best guy friend’s entire body throughout an entire night. Just bros being homies. Some would say he spelled homo wrong.
“Are you saying you didn’t miss him?” James gasps somewhere behind him and Sirius pouts. Remus stares at those gray eyes of his, the curve of his nose and oh, those lips, that piercing… he sighs
“I missed you too Sirius” his cheeks flush as Sirius’ face lights up at his words. Of course he’s missed him, when doesn’t he?
“Aw, aren’t you two adorable?” Regulus teases them
“Didn’t miss you, dipshit” Remus flips him off
“Oh, how you wound me” Regulus says in a dry, monotone voice “and here I was writing sonnets about your departure” Remus snorts and James clasps him on the back, that way athletes do and skinny, noodle-people like Remus hate. Peter greets him with a nod and Ursa—
“Why isn’t she wearing a shirt?” Remus finally notices the gorgeous girl with a gorgeous body in only gorgeous shorts and a gorgeous bra.
“She’s an exhibitionist, that’s why” Sirius turns from him to his sister with a glower “I told you to put a shirt on!”
“And I said fuck you” she tells her older, more annoying brother “How else am I supposed to get an even tan?”
“She does have a fair point” Remus chimes. Sirius clenches his jaw and scowls with a sudden urge to throttle her
“I’m not complaining” Peter notes
“Here, here!” James agrees and Regulus smacks him on the back of his head “I’m kidding”
“You even glance at her and you’re dead” he warns sweetly
“I only have eyes for you” he leans down and brushes their lips together in a slow and soft kiss that grosses everyone out, Sirius is sure he isn’t the only one this time
“Afraid he might want to switch Blacks when he sees me?”
“If he’s switching Blacks then it’d definitely be with me” Sirius scoffs, always his cocky self
“He’s always had you as an option and didn’t take it before, I doubt anything’s changed now. Though, fully noted that you’d love for that to happen. Reggie, watch your back”
“That’s disgusting. No offense James, but I’d rather deepthroat a sword”
“How much time did he have to take his chance before you came along? Four years? Four and a half?” Ursa cocks a brow at Regulus
“He never did” he cuts through. She smirks with a roll of her eyes and lays back down to soak up the sun like the coldblooded lizard that she is
“Mhm, I didn’t know it but I was always waiting for you” James places a chaste kiss on his lips that Regulus deepens with a flick of his tongue that James greets with delight. That is officially the corniest shit Ursa’s ever heard. It’s finally gone too far. She could’ve spent her entire life without knowing her brooding, favorite brother could fall for someone so overtly sappy. James is oversaturated and dripping with corniness. She’s convinced his love declarations should remain plastered on the pages of his unpublished journal the way the wolf boy manages.
“Ew.” Her stomach churns, where has her family’s classy elegance gone? When did they steep so low?
“Can we play already, before I claw my eyes out?” Sirius climbs onto his broom and kicks off the ground.
“How about you two?” James smiles brightly from Lupin to Ursa, a lazy arm draped around Reg’s waist “You two want to play?”
“Would rather swallow rusty nails” Remus takes out the book he brought and settles down under the cool shade of a tree. Sirius can’t help but miss the way the sun hit his freckles. Ursa snickers at the way Sirius’ bottom lip pouts out without Remus’ constant presence. Another fool, an idiot in love. Dunderhead. Her family has no hope at all. James climbs onto his broom and Regulus on his.
“What about you?” James hovers over Ursa
“Ew” is her answer. He takes it as a no.
“Okay, Reg and I against you and Pete” James tosses Sirius the quaffle. He’s so used to playing against Regulus at school, both on their teams and private midnight rendezvous, he thought he might switch things up for once. Even if competing against each other always left them hot and bothered afterwards and battling for dominance of the tongue. Probably specially because of that, he doesn’t think Sirius would appreciate seeing that
“Hang on, why do I get stuck with Peter? That’s not fair” Sirius whines as he so frequently does. Peter’s blue eyes dart to the ground, even when you know you’re the worst at something it still sucks to be so blatantly called out on it
“Such a great friend you are” Ursa hums. He’s always been a cry baby. Even when they were kids and their parents told them to charm their guests, play a song on the piano for them, Sirius would make a fool of himself smacking all the keys together and Ursa would float over to the piano, play a soothing tune and hypnotize everyone with her dazzling grace.
“Oh, you know I just mean they’re both on the Quidditch team and you aren’t” Sirius waves Peter off
“You’re on the team too, Sir Genius”
“Hey, we agreed to drop the Sir jokes when we were twelve” Sirius growls at his brother
“No those were the S.O.B jokes” he corrects “Plus, that was a Sir insult”
“Don’t you mean a…” James beams at them and chews his lip excited “Sirius insult?” he cracks up in laughter at his own joke and whether it’s from pity, mocking or he’s genuinely too far gone in love, Regulus laughs at the lame joke too.
“James is the captain of the Quidditch team, he should play with Pete”
“Siri, quick question, did you lose your balls or were you just never born with them?” Sirius gasps at her and she looks at him up her sunglasses “stop being a prissy cry-baby and play with the hobo-looking lad”
“Thanks?” Peter frowns at her
“I’m not being a prissy cry-baby. I’m just pointing out that it’s not fair, I’ll be at a disadvantage”
“Why? Just because he’s not on the Quidditch team?” Ursa takes off her shades to stare at her whiny brother
“It’s fine, Pete can play with me, we’ll kick their posh, noble arses, ain’t that right Pete?” James swings around his friend, always the peacemaker that one, smoothing over Sirius’ messes. Ursa smirks, not this time.
“Why don’t I do you one better? The three of us who are not on the Quidditch team will play against you all-experienced Quidditch veterans”
“Are you joking? Where would the fun in that be? We’d kick your arse”
“Uh, also, I don’t want to play” Remus chimes and goes ignored
“You willing to bet on that, dunderhead?” Ursa smirks at her dumb-lord brother “If we win I get your room all to myself and you sleep outside”
“Fine.” Sirius scoffs with a cocky confidence she’ll make him choke on “ And when we win I get my room back. Have fun sleeping outside”
“The loser could just sleep on the couch”
“Not as fun” Sirius informs James and Ursa agrees with him for once “So, do we have a deal?” Sirius stretches his hand to shake on it but she stares at it like it’s the most repulsive thing she’s ever seen
“Ew” she says and he narrows his eyes on her in a challenging glare “Deal” she answers with a roll of her eyes and a pointed look that tells him she won’t be touching his sleazy hand.
“I should probably put on a shirt first” she dashes back into the house.
She comes back ten minutes later with the same cropped shirt Remus gave as a gift to Sirius uncropped.
“You’re going down for that” Sirius barks at Ursa when he spots his favorite butchered, mutilated shirt. She winks at him in return. He’s playing keeper since there sadly aren’t any bludgers to aim at her big head.
Ursa howls her team to the side and turns to Remus “What’s the cost for you to take your shirt off?”
“What?” he frowns at her like she’s lost her marbles “I’m not taking my shirt off”
“No one here gives a fucking fuck about your scars wolf-boy, we just need to keep Sirius drooling and distracted. Shirtless you will do that. He might even fall off his broom” she hopes dreamily
“Why doesn’t he do it?” he points at Peter
“She asked you first”
“I have other plans for him. And shirtless Peter wouldn’t distract him the way you could. If you do it, I promise to vanish all your scars for an entire day, any day you want. You know, those scars that you’re so insecure about but actually make you ten times hotter?” Remus blushes and stares at the ground. Peter frowns at Ursa, is she mocking him or raising his self-esteem? He can’t be sure, can it be both? “haven’t you ever wondered what you’d look like without all the… pain? Because I can make it happen”
“It wouldn’t distract him anyways”
“Fine. We’ll circle back to that one.” She rolls her eyes at him, their self-deluded ‘unrequited’ drama is something she isn’t in the mood for. Really, how can they be so blind as to think it’s unrequited? Apparently, the sorting hat burns all your brain cells off when he calls out Gryffindor “Just talk to him, keep him distracted. Smile” she instructs him and turns to Peter who looks up attentive ready to listen to his new Quidditch captain “And you, rat-man, are gonna stay on the quaffle”
“Yeah, my eyes will never leave it” he nods sternly
“No. I mean literally. Turn into a rat and don’t let go of that Quaffle. If one of them has it, change back into a human and steal their broom”
“Wouldn’t that be cheating?”
“Yeah, so? Don’t you wanna put my stupid brother in his place for treating you like disposable trash? Aren’t you tired of feeling second best? Or fourth best—fifth if you count Regulus. Don’t you want to see his pretentious, cocky arse handed to him? He’ll have to swallow every single word he just said and sleep on the cold, hard floor”
“I was sold yeah. But that sound great too” he shrugs and she grants him a radiant smile in return
“Are you being morally corrupted right now?” Remus furrows his brows at them and wonders whether or not he should be stopping it
“Well, who doesn’t love a bad boy?” Ursa winks at Peter and hands Remus a broom “we just need to score one time, so you distract Sirius, Mr Rat has some fun under James clothes and I’ll take care of Reggie. Any questions?”
“Yes.” Peter raises his hand, the corner of her mouth twitches and she yields the ground to him with a nod “Wouldn’t that be sexual assault?”
“Then kick him in the balls for all I care”
“I don’t want to kick him on the balls, that shit’s painful”
“Ugh, you and your stupid Gryffindor chivalry.” She rolls her eyes and sighs “Guess we’ll have to do this the boring, unimaginative way. Thanks a lot. Forget about everything I said before, don’t do anything. Peter, I’ll pass you the Quaffle and you’ll score, got it? Think you can manage that?”
“I’ll try” he’s shaking. What a weak excuse for a man
“Let me ask that one more time. You will score. Got it?” She says and Peter nods “Suppose there’s some poetic justice if the guy he rejected from his team scored the one and only goal of the game”
“Are you ready to start or are you still hatching your evil plan?” Sirius taunts, drawing loops in the sky
“Remus, don’t talk to Sirius, don’t even look at him”
“Sure” Remus sigh with a defeated roll of his eyes, he knows it’s easier to go along with whatever the stubborn Blacks want than trying to fight against it
Ursa kicks her feet off the ground and soars off “Why don’t you start?”
Sirius tosses her the quaffle and she catches it with ease “Good luck. You’re gonna need it”
“Are you actively trying to sound like a pathetic, closeted bully or is that just who you are?” Ursa frowns at him like she expects an actual reply
“Do you always intend to sound like a heinous harpy?!” he counters far back from the posts
“Let's play!” James cheers to divert Sirius’ rage into the game. He truly is Gryffindor’s self-anointed peace-keeper, aka party pooper.
Ursa throws the Quaffle at Peter who almost drops it but manages to catch it in the end. James charges ahead soaring fast as a bolt through the sky towards him, Regulus closes in on him from the opposite side and blocks any possible pass. Peter’s eyes widen to the size of plates and he almost drops the Quaffle. Ursa puts two fingers to her mouth and whistles. Binley snaps his fingers. James smacks an invisible wall and loses all speed so fast he almost falls off his broom. Regulus is whipped back by another invisible wall. Sirius tries to dive forward but his broom won’t move ahead. He pushes his broom forward so far he almost slips off it but nothing happens, he doesn’t even move a centimeter. Regulus doesn’t bother trying after the invisible wall cuts him off, he simply states “Told you she would cheat” Ursa winks at him, Sirius truly should’ve known better. Peter calmly flies over to the hoops and scores.
“That’s not fair! You’re not allowed to use Binley’s powers! You cheated!” James cries, just as much a sore loser as her brother
“Never said we weren’t allowed to cheat,” Ursa muses “but I’ll tell you what, we won’t use Binley again if it makes you feel better”
“And that point doesn’t count”
“Why? Are you so afraid you won’t be able to score against us?” she circles her brother like a shark with a smirk traced on her lips
“Fine. Keep your stupid cheater point. We don’t need it. Sirius, pass me the Quaffle” Sirius does and James soars through. Remus doesn’t move to block him, he’s picked his book back up and is fighting a broom-wedgie. Peter chases after him but James is too fast for him. Ursa doesn’t move a finger, instead she inspects her nails. James throws the Quaffle at the hoops in a perfect arch, straight for the circle in the middle and—
“Accio Quaffle” the Quaffle flies back and away from the scoring points. It lands on Ursa’s hands. She winks at James, Sirius lunges after her. She keeps her calm, bored and unreactive. He speeds towards her at full speed like a missile. At the last second, she circles her broom like a spinning door and is back on top, Quaffle untouched, Sirius having flown right over her head by mere centimeters. Regulus has completely lost all interest and is instead chatting with Remus who has abandoned any pretense of playing and entirely ditched his broom in exchange for solid ground.
Sirius hovers over her and tries to take the Quaffle but she holds it out of reach. He propels himself with a hand to her face and she elbows him on the ribs “Ew. Get off me before I make you infertile”
“You’re ruining the game. It’s not fun if you keep on cheating!” James crosses his arms in front of his chest like the pestered child that he is
“I disagree”
“Pretty fun from where I’m standing” Peter agrees with her
“Peter you traitorous rodent! Where’s your Gryffindor pride? Or has she already turned you into a sinful Slytherin?”
“Sirius, you’re so dramatic” she rolls her eyes at him “let the boy have some fun without you bullying him every two minutes”
“I don’t bully him, he’s my best friend!”
“Ursa come on,” James sulks “you’re ruining the game!”
“Aw, thank you, I didn’t think you’d notice” she flashes him a bright sardonic smile. James lunges for the Quaffle but she kicks it into the air and calls it back the second he charges after it.
“She’s always done this, forced us to include her in our games only to then ruin them” Sirius glares at her
“Then you already know how to stop it. Just admit that I win”
“Fine.” James tells her “Your team wins, can we play for real now?”
“What?! NO!” Sirius roars but it’s too late
“Sorry Siri, James already admitted defeat, so it looks like you’ll be sleeping outside tonight. Ta-ta” she throws the quaffle in the air and James catches it.
“Oops” James grimaces and Sirius glares at him in a way he usually reserves for just Snape. James takes the Quaffle and soars off through the sky
“I’m gonna kill you James Fleamont Potter!” Sirius rages as he charges after him