We Can't
“Is it even allowed?” Remus asked suspiciously.
Sirius waved his hand dismissively. “Probably. Maybe not. Who cares?”
“I imagine the Professors care.”
“Well I bloody don’t. I thought you’d be excited.”
Remus kissed him lightly. “I am, of course. You’re very sweet. I just don’t know what everyone will think.”
“I snogged you in the middle of the Great Hall last year. They already think whatever they think.”
“Most people thought that was a joke, Sirius. And Maryweather tried to give you detention.”
“Well it wasn’t a joke.”
“I’m aware.” Remus said, rolling his eyes.
“Please, Moony. We don’t have to do anything if we get there and you don’t want to. Plenty of people won’t have dates, no one will think anything of it. I’d just like to know, for myself, that you agreed to this. I want to do things with you. I want to be fucking normal for once.” Sirius was doing his best begging eyes, but his voice was genuine and concerningly rough.
“You are normal, love. Of course I’ll go with you. Sorry, you know how I get.”
With a happy shriek, Sirius pounced on him. It was definitely worth it.
The Great Hall was decorated beautifully for the Ball. There were icicles glittering from the ceiling, and red and white flower garlands draped along the walls. The music was nice, the food was delicious. Sirius was with him, standing by the drinks table and laughing at the more troubled dancers. It was a good night.
Remus still wasn’t feeling quite brave enough to accept Sirius’ offer to dance when they first got into the Hall, as much as he wanted to. Sirius didn’t seem to mind much, but thoroughly refused Remus’ pestering to go dance with someone else and enjoy himself. Girls had been asking him all night, and he’d been saying no just as often.
“If you don’t want to dance, we won’t dance. But I’m having things my way as well, and I’m sure as Hell not going with someone else.” Sirius had said after Remus scolded him for turning down the fifth one.
Remus had blushed and hid it behind his punch, but he hadn’t suggested Sirius do something else again. They were having a lovely time, particularly whenever James stepped on Lily’s foot. Punch had actually come out of Remus’ nose one time.
Apparently, some people had learned to be concerned when any of the Marauders looked too happy.
“Enjoying yourselves, boys?” Professor McGonnegall asked, eying them suspiciously as she strode over.
“Very much.”
“Yes, thank you Professor.”
“Perhaps it’s time you both joined the others in dancing, before we run out of punch or something just happens to explode.” She suggested.
She wasn’t entirely wrong to be worried. They had, of course, added a bit of firewhisky to their glasses of punch and both drank quite a bit more than their fair share. Nothing had exploded though. Well, yet. She was definitely right to be worried.
“Wonderful suggestion. Moony, how’re you feeling about it?” Sirius asked, grinning and holding out his hand all properly.
With the alcohol in his blood and Sirius looking at him like that, it was really impossible for Remus to say no. He was just about to nod when Professor McGonnegall interrupted.
“I was thinking more along the lines of asking one of the young ladies, Mr. Black. Ms. Abbot over there is looking quite lonely, and we’d like to represent Gryffindor well, wouldn’t we? Chivalry, after all, is one of our best traits.”
Sirius laughed. “No, thank you. If she’s lonely, she can bloody well ask someone herself.”
“I believe she already did, and he was rather quick to dismiss her.” Professor McGonnegall reminded, as if he’d answered one of her questions in class just slightly wrong.
“I don’t believe I’d have time to dance with all the girls that ask me, unfortunately.” Sirius argued. He’d obviously had a bit too much to drink as well.
Professor McGonnegall sighed before smiling politely down at them again. “Well, perhaps you could start with one and see how much time you have after that. I’m glad to hear you’ve made a respectable name for yourself.”
“I don’t want to, actually. Sorry not to live up to your chivalrous expectations, Professor. What do you say Moons, dancing or no?”
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Black, but we have certain policies here. They may seem a bit unfair to you, and maybe they are, but the rules are the rules whether we like them or not.”
Sirius was staring at her like she’d grown another head. “What?” He spluttered.
Remus, feeling both a little dizzy and rather uncomfortable, grabbed his wrist gently and murmured, “We can’t.”
“Why the fuck not?” Sirius exclaimed.
Professor McGonnegall did look genuinely sorry. “We can discuss the reasons for this particular rule another time if you truly wish. For now, I’d highly suggest you go enjoy some time with Ms. Abbot before drinking any more and getting yourself into real trouble.”
Remus thought she was being generous really, not immediately busting them for the drinking when she so obviously knew it was happening. She was just trying to keep the peace, but Sirius didn’t seem to care.
“No.” He growled.
“Excuse me?”
“No. Absolutely not. That rule is stupid as Hell. Filch is dancing with his fucking cat!”
“So he is.” McGonnegall sighed again. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing in our guidelines that prohibits it.”
“Oh, fuck you.”
Remus squeezed his wrist tighter, begging him to be quiet. He must have drank more than Remus had known. McGonagall was his absolute favorite teacher normally; he’d never so much as complained about her homework load.
“Mr. Black, if you continue with that kind of language-”
“What? You’ll give me detention? Take points? I really don’t care, Professor. I’ve obviously already disappointed you. So really. Fuck. You.” Sirius seethed.
And oh Merlin, Sirius’ damn recklessness. Remus wanted to be upset with him, for being so rude to a teacher, but he couldn’t be. He could feel Sirius shaking under his palm. His eyes were hard and Remus' heart broke a little, watering. Remus could see in that moment very clearly, as soon as he saw the light glint off the forming tears, that this was again somehow Sirius at his best. He was glaring at, cursing at, insulting his very favorite Professor, likely one of the few people he actually loved, all because she wasn’t letting him dance. He was braver and more passionate than anyone Remus had ever known.
McGonagall must have seen it too because her face softened considerably. “Ten points from Gryffindor, Sirius, for language.” She said gently. “But you’ve far from disappointed me tonight. I’m sorry to say I’ve disappointed myself a bit. I’m going to leave you two now, to enjoy your night. I can’t keep the other members of staff from enforcing whatever rules may happen to be broken, but I don’t think I’ll be watching. Goodnight, both of you.”
With that, she strode away to drag a bewildered Peter, who’d been eating tarts and staring at Beth Abbot for quite a while, over to the lonely girl.
Remus couldn’t help himself from giggling from the sheer shock of it all. Also, he was quite drunk. Sirius let out a choked laugh as well, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
“I’m sorry for all that, Moony. Too much firewhiskey I think.”
Remus shook his head fiercely, making the world spin a little. “You’re so beautiful.”
Sirius snorted and spit out some of his punch. It wasn’t as gross as it should have been.
“Is it too late to say I’d love to dance with you?” Remus asked.
Sirius beamed. “Of course not!” He grabbed Remus’ hand tightly and brought him towards the dance floor. “I’ll lead.”
“So chivalrous.”
Sirius snickered. “Always.”
With Sirius’ warm hand on his waist, leading him expertly through the ridiculously posh dances, Remus really didn’t care what everyone else was thinking. He didn’t care when Maryweather came over to discuss the ‘policies’ with them. He didn’t care when Sirius just shoved up a V and earned them both detention. He really didn’t care. Sirius was worth it.