starlight in your eyes of blue
Remus watches in amusement and confusion as his fellow Marauders stumble back into their room, clearly adrenaline drunk as they laugh loudly and trip over their own feet.
“That was fan-fucking-tastic, Wormy!” Sirius all but shouts, as he and James dog-pile onto Peter, who’d just sat on his bed.
“Get off, you bloody brutes!” Peter sounds exasperated, but he’s still laughing, and a bit out of breath.
“Went well, did it?” He questions, with a quirked eyebrow.
“Did it ever!” Sirius’s excitement makes Remus smile just a bit wider.
“The actual pranks? Not so much.” James says, but still has an ear-to-ear grin, so Remus knows there’s quite a tale coming.
“Moony, you should’ve seen our little Petey-Pie!”
“Fucking Barty Crouch was in his bed when Peter went to climb into it as Wormtail.
“Then Crouch starts firing off curses left and right trying to kill the rat. Pete was able to outrun being hit, but he got cornered under the bed, and Crouch fucking picks him up.”
"Godric, I nearly pulled the cloak off when I heard the killing curse being thrown around." James cringes.
“That little psychopath probably would’ve snapped Wormy’s neck if Peter didn’t transform back into himself again.”
“Me and Sirius are shitting our fucking pants about Crouch knowing our animagus secret, but Pete came to the motherfucking rescue by telling Crouch he’d seen his nudie mags under the bed. Nudie mags of muggle men!” James throws his hands up and collapses back onto the bed, laying beside Peter.
“Beautifully done, Pete, truly.” Sirius concludes, ruffling Peter’s hair. “You’re all grown up now, blackmailing Slytherin’s without our help.”
Remus frowns deeply, and decides it best to stay quiet.
“What’s up, Moons?” Sirius asks, concerned. “Still not feeling well?”
He tells himself it’d be better to drop it. What’s done is done. But his mind was reeling, and he felt a bit sick.
“You threatened to out him?” He asks.
James frowns, “Not, like, maliciously. Just if he tells about the animagus thing. Even then, I don’t think we’d actually do it. It’s just to give him a reason to be quiet, right Pete?”
Peter looks vaguely sick himself as he nods.
Remus can’t help the fury bubbling in his gut.
“He could be kicked out of his home. Harassed, bullied, even fucking killed, if you do that to him.”
“Well we’d be arrested if he told on us!” Sirius shouts back.
“Oh, yeah, and how hard would that be with your rich parents to bail you out?” He sneers, “The difference is that you actually did something wrong, and he just loves other men. He may deserve to burn for other reasons, but not for this. Never for this.” He gives a grave look to the others, who all seem to look thoroughly chastised.
“Moony, I’d never. Okay? Never. I just needed something to keep him quiet, but I wouldn’t do that to him. Godric knows how my parents would react if I came out to him, and they’re not even blood-purist purebloods, like his.”
James and Sirius nod along, “You know that our parents would never let us get away with that shit.” James says, grimly. “We’d be out on the streets for being intolerant, not for being queer.”
Sirius won’t meet his eyes, but he does add, “I got crutio’d for having long hair that made me look ‘queer’ in Walburga’s eyes. I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody, even that slimy sod.”
“With that out of the way, I am proud of how you handled yourself, Pete.” He offers a small smile. “Not letting yourself be walked over, I mean. It’s admirable.”
“Thanks, Moony.” He smiles back, slightly.
“Well, g’night then lads.” James ruffles Peter’s hair another time before going over to his own bed.
Peter mumbles something through a yawn while closing his curtains.
Then, it’s just them.
Sirius walks towards his own bed, but gestures with his hands that he wants Remus to follow.
So, he does.
Once they’re both sitting on the bed across from each other, privacy charms in place, and curtains closed, Sirius starts.
“You know I wouldn’t do that to Crouch right?”
He shrugs in response.
“I’d like to think that you wouldn’t, especially because you understand the precarious position he’s in, but I know you, Sirius. You can be impulsive, reactive, immature. I don’t think I have to remind you of what happened just earlier this school year, do I?”
At the mention of the disastrous “prank” Sirius hardens, but can’t seem to help the wounded look on his face.
“I thought you’d forgiven me for that.”
“I have, because I know that you’re sorry, and that you’ve learned from it. But, that doesn’t absolve you from the fact that it happened, and you may do something like that again if you feel threatened.”
“Threatened? By Crouch? Not bloody likely.”
“You said it yourself that you’d get arrested if he exposed what you did.” Remus reasons, “It means the world to me that you did it, but that doesn’t change its legality.”
“I would give you the world if I could.” Sirius says softly.
Remus can feel the blush crawling up his cheeks and says, “Don’t change the topic.”
“Do you trust me?” Sirius asks, as he lifts one of his hands to sit on the back of Remus’s neck.
Remus doesn’t hesitate before he responds, “Of course I do.”
He barely has enough time to get the words out before Sirius’s lips are on his, and he gasps softly.
It starts soft and gentle, a tentative press of mouths against each other. Sirius moves his hand slowly upwards until it’s tangled in the hair at the nape of Remus’ hair, the younger boy shivers a little, and opens his mouth wider.
He gasps slightly at the sudden heat of Sirius’ tongue licking into his mouth. He finds his hands, which had been sitting idly and awkwardly in his own lap, moving onto Sirius’ hips. He grips them tightly, and revels in hearing the other boy’s shaky breath as he slips his fingertips under the edge of Sirius’ sleep shirt.
The older boy pulls back, laughing a little, and Remus feels a pang of anxiety run through his body. Had he done something wrong? Something embarrassing?
“Did I, um, did I do it wrong?” He stutters out, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the awkwardness of the situation. Of kissing his best friend.
“Bloody hell, Moons, I’m ticklish!”
“I - what?” He chokes out with a laugh.
“Your hands are ridiculously warm, and they’re tickling my bloody sides.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll um - move them?”
“Higher or lower?” He asks with a slight smirk, “Personally my vote is for lower.”
“Of course it is, you’re a fucking wanker.” Remus replies with a roll of his eyes.
“More like a horndog.” He cackles.
“Merlin’s bloody Beard, Padfoot.” He rubs the palms of his hands into his eyes, trying to wipe the horrible pun from his brain.
“Gods, I hate the fact that I’m attracted to you.” Remus wasn’t able to get through the statement before Sirius’ lips were back on his.
He pulls back his time, still giggling a bit.
“Okay, okay, I’m kind of psyched about this whole kissing thing too, but you can’t keep surprise attacking my face. With your face.”
Sirius looked at him queerly, cocking his head, before cracking a smile.
“I’ve tongued your fucking brains out.”
“‘M lost again.” Remus shook his head, chuckling.
“That is the corniest shit I’ve ever heard you say, Moonpie. ‘Psyched?’ I don’t think you’ve ever said psyched before.”
“Shut your fucking mouth, twat.” He’s too amused to be annoyed, and they both know it, but he does still try to act put-out.
“Shut it for me.” Sirius says, with a wag of his eyebrows.
“How do I still think that you’re hot?” Remus mumbles.
“One of the great mysteries of the world, Moonshine. I’m just that irresistible.” The other boy retorts as he’s leaning in. He breathes the last word against Remus’ lips, and damn, he really does know what he’s doing.
He places his hands back where they were before, but moves them slowly upwards, scraping his nails along the way.