#ins: remus

[impossible3girl]

Sirius Balck: If you want to know what a man's like, take a look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.

It's ironic that Sirius is the one saying this. Wasn’t he the one who bullied and tried to kill a poor half-blood? Wasn’t he the one who made fun of Peter Pettigrew? Wasn’t he the one who treated his house-elf like shit? Well, I guess he got what he deserved, especially from Kreacher. I mean, it was Kreacher's lie that led to his death.

[suugarbabe]

omg ok ok ok, I love your Sirius, so, I'm wondering if you could write a sirius x fem!reader who is maybe the grumpy to his sunshine? he's the one who is always super flirty and outgoing and the life of the party, and she would sort of rather die but begrudgingly puts up with it for him? OH but maybe one day she has a bad day and he gets to see a softer side of her 🥹 IDK idk I'm too excited to request this is so bad sorry my love xoxoxoxo kisses for youuuu

I am *living* for this okay. l i v i n g. because Sirius is my sunshine to my grumpy. I am the grumpy reader. okay let’s do this baby. kiss kiss kiss yoooou <3

Opposites attract right? At least that’s what others seemed to deem as the explanation for your relationship. Sirius was in a category all his own as far as you were concerned, but that category was nearly the opposite of where people would place you. Sirius was a people person, it came so easily to him it was like he never even had to try. It annoyed you to no fucking end when you first met him.

Being a descendent of the most noble and ancient House of Black had its advantages. Like incredibly sharp cheekbones, beautiful alabaster skin that contrasted perfectly with onyx locks and eyes so deep and blue you could drown in them. Sirius exuded this energy that seemed to pull people towards him; like he had his own force field. He could walk into a room and everything shifted, like he breathed extra life into the area and everyone was desperate to live.

Most people when asked about you would say you were…short-tempered. Your housemates tended to steer clear of your presence. Which was fine with you because you were easily annoyed by most of them. Ravenclaws were known for being know-it-alls and truthfully you found it rather repugnant. Thankfully you had Pandora as company. Usually her overly sweet demeanor would drive you insane, but you knew more than the rest. Being a Rosier sorted into Ravenclaw essentially meant she was the black sheep of her family. But that seemed to be your soft spot.

Pandora would tease that this was why you started falling for Sirius. Despite your more grumpy demeanor, you were never quite as grumpy when it came to Sirius. Hearing the ins and outs of what was going on over breaks from Pan made you want to take care of him.

The first time Sirius brought you around the rest of the marauders it was not without sideways glances. “Er, Pads, you seemed to have picked up a shadow,” James nodded towards your frame just behind Sirius. “Sod off, Potter,” you’d grumbled, Sirius’s palm big and flat against your back moving in slow circles. “S’alright love, he’s just teasing. Be nice, Prongs or she’ll hex you into next week and I won’t be able to stop her.”

“Not that you’d try to stop her, would ya mate. I’m Remus, but all these miserable gits call me Moony,” Remus gave a small fingered wave as he plopped onto the couch ceremoniously. He would eventually turn into the one that’d help you gang up on Sirius, if ever needed.

On this particular night, though, you were feeling just…down. It wasn’t often you felt like this, despite outward appearances. However when this feeling did hit you, there was only one person that could fully get you out of it. You knew that the Gryffindors were having their annual Halloween party. Which meant if you wanted to find Sirius that’s where he’d be.

You had of course agreed to come to the party ages ago; much to do with Sirius begging and pouting his pretty pink lips and sucking you in with his pretty blue eyes. Sirius had insisted that costumes were required, “Even for an angel like yourself” which earned him a particularly large eye roll. Thus, you threw on some fishnet tights and a black minidress with your signature black boots. Atop your head a small pair of black cat ears, thanks to Pandoras charm work.

She was dressed as an actual angel, charmed halo floating above her nearly white blonde locks. Any muggle would think they were truly hallucinating if they would have seen her. You greeted the fat lady with the password, “Hiddlypunks,” and she swung open. Within the first few steps one would be none the wiser. But two steps into the commonroom and the barrier was broken, music and singing and murmuring filling the room.

“Drinks yes? Please yes,” you nodded at Pandora who found her way to to the drink table to create what you were hoping were very strong concoctions. You didn’t need to look around in order to find him. That magnetic pull leading you closer and closer until you heard the boisterous laugh of Sirius Black. You were quiet in your approach, not drawing any attention to yourself on purpose. Even though you yearned for his touch you knew how much he enjoyed entertaining and didn’t want to interrupt.

Remus spots you of course, the observant bastard. He throws a playful wink in your direction; you responding with a middle finger and a forced smile. Sirius is in the middle of recalling “a truly amazing play, great play” from the last quidditch match, but Remus’s low chuckle from your display of affection towards him causes your boyfriend to turn around in search of who could have possibly pulled attention away from him.

His furrowed brows disperse as you catch his sights and smile lights his face, “Well, hello there, Kitten.” You give a weak smile in response, “Hi Siri.” His brows are furrowed once more. The others try to greet you but immediately you’re swept away to a farther corner of the room. Sirius swirls his wand around you both, muttering a quick muffliato, coating you both in silence. “Okay, out with it what’s wrong?” Sirius’s hands were laid gently on your waist, head dipped down to force your avoidant eyes to keep contact with his. “Come now, pet. You know I can’t do anything without knowing what’s wrong,” he urged, giving your waist a small squeeze.

You met his eyes and yours immediately began to brim with tears. In an instant Sirius has engulfed you, one hand grasping your head and holding you close to his chest while the other wraps around your back, squeezing you as close to him as possible and hoping the pressure of his pull is soothing. His heart breaks ever so slightly at the muffled sobs against him. Your emotions seem to be everywhere but embarrassment is toping the list as you begin to pull away, aggressively wiping your face with the heel of your palms, hoping no one but Sirius is noticing you in this state.

"I-I'm sorry Siri, 've just..." you trailed off, choked breaths causing your intake of air to stutter. Sirius's touch has yet to cease, one hand cupping your cheek gently while the other finds solace in the dip of your waist, "Rough day, love?" You nod once, looking to the ceiling and willing any tears to fall back into your head instead of trailing down your face. "Alright, let's go," his head tilts towards the spiral staircase that would lead to his dorm.

You sniffle quickly, shaking your head, "N-no, I'll be okay. I'm not going to take you away from the party, Siri. Not gonna steal you from your friends like that." Sirius can't help but scoff, "Fuck my friends." You laugh a little at his brashness and the sound makes Sirius grin again, "There you are, love." He takes a quick peek over his shoulder, "Now. Let's just go tell the others we're going up, Remus will make sure we're left alone for a good few hours then, hmm?"

You nod, agreeing, knowing that there's no use in arguing with Sirius when he's made up his mind. His fingers laced with yours and the cool feeling of his rings are such a contrast the the heat in your body that it's calming. He gives your hand an extra squeeze as you approach the group. You decide to try and stay hidden behind Sirius, almost burying your face against his shoulder blade, barely peeking one eye out to see the others.

Sirius explains that he's feeling tired and wants to go back to the room with you. James does not look convinced in the slightest. He looks even more confused by your seemingly shy and reserved demeanor. He doesn't think he's ever seen you look so...vulnerable. Remus is the only person you make eye contact with and he gives you a simple wink and a nod. The reassurance from the smallest action making you sigh in relief.

It's almost like Sirius can feel you relax slightly, turning to you and asking if you're ready to go. You give a feeble nod and a shy wave to the others, most of which look a little skeptical but say no protests in return.

When you make it to his dorm Sirius immediately goes to his trunk, pulling out his favorite concert tee and handing it to you. You take off your outfit slowly, pulling his shirt over your head and letting it consume you, the additional scent of Sirius now enveloping your body and adding to your relief. Sirius changes himself and then pulls back the duvet, "In you go, pet."

You oblige, going and getting comfortable on your back. Sirius climbs in after you, crawling over your form and placing two soft kisses on either apple of your cheek before giving you the most gentle yet firm kiss. He rests his head against yours, asking you almost in a whisper, "D'you wanna talk about it?"

"No," your response so soft it would've been missed had it not been only you two in the room, "Will you just...lay on me?" Sirius kissed you softly once more, scooching down just enough to lay his head on your chest. He wrapped his arms around your, relaxing himself and allowing his full weight to now lay on top of you. The weight of your boyfriend was the grounding you needed, your breathing now finally able to even out.

[kquil]

REMUS LUPIN | NOT SO SECRET ADMIRER PRT.3

REQUEST : hii! i jus wanted to know if your remus lupin, “not so secret admirer” was gonna continue with more than two parts? i’m really enjoying the story 😽 ⏤requested by anon

TAGS. : casanova remus makes an appearance ; good news for reader ; date at the three broomsticks ; oversized sweater sharing moment ; remus is a gentleman ; most of the time ; he's so dreamy ; and flirty ; and a tease! ; you're too cute for him ; he thinks you're absolutely precious! ; lowkey idiots in love ; it's finally happening! ; you both have an effect on each other ; making it official hehe~ ; final part~

LENGTH : 1.8k

← PART ONE | PART TWO

Sirius whistles a sharp, short tune and wiggles his brows at Remus, “look over there, Moony~” Sirius sings as he gestures towards you from across the field, “your missus wants you to go over and give her a big ol’ smooch,”

“Shut up, Padfoot,” Remus laughs and playfully hits his best friend on the shoulder as he passes him on his way to you. He doesn’t care much for all the teasing; he’s been counting the days, and now, he’s counting his steps —the closer he gets to you, he starts to run. Remus doesn’t care if he looks stupid or overly eager, not when you’re smiling at him so beautifully; he wants to see you smiling from closer up. Just as he’s a few meters away, he hears you call out to him and his heart threatens to beat out of his chest. 

“I got top marks!” 

From where they were scattered around at the base of the ancient tree arching over the black lake, the Marauders eye their tall, love struck friend as he runs to you with, suddenly, open arms. 

“Looks as happy as a Niffler with all that treasure in his arms,” James laughs as their rambunctious group grins, snickering at the sight before them. Remus shouts in joy, his elation heard from across the field as he picks you up by the waist, only to pull you close moments later for a prolonged embrace. The sight warmed their hearts despite their determination in denying it. 

“He should really just kiss ‘er already,” Peter whines, his impatience drawing more snickers from two of his best friends. 

“You read my mind, Wormtail,” Sirius laughs, throwing his arm across his ratty friend’s shoulders, “wanna place your bets on when he’ll finally grow the balls to kiss ‘er?” all the boys share a wide grin and start placing their bets, Peter offering his treasured sweets, James, his full allowance for Hogsmeade weekend and Sirius, his recently concocted potion for a devious prank. 

“You sound like you’ve run a marathon to get here,” Remus throws his head back slightly, eyes shining with fondness as he lovingly caresses your warm cheek with the back of his hand. 

“I—” you take a moment to catch your breath, giggling briefly from your own embarrassment but the warmth ins chestnut-brown eyes calmed you down, “I thought you were in the library,”

Remus’ brows fly to his hairline from surprise as you hide your face in his sweater; a feeble attempt at sheltering away your sheepishness. You had been running about Hogwarts castle for him? The tall brunette doesn’t know whether he should laugh in good humour or kiss you stupid. 

The urge to kiss you was undeniable, however. Especially when you were being so adorable, hiding your sweet face in his chest like that. His long arms wrap around you, pressing you further into his warmth and comforting scent. The motion makes you sigh dreamily only to stutter when you feel a soft pair of lips press a kiss to the crown of your head. 

“Congratulations…” his soft, deep voice sends a shiver down your spine. The sentiment was whispered with such sincerity, it made you swoon. Only you were allowed to hear his praise and your entire form lifted like a weightless cloud. You felt floaty and light. You want him to praise you more, you want him to kiss you more too. The last time he kissed you was the day before your exam - it was torture waiting for your exam to get marked. But he made the wait worth it, “How about that date? Huh?” 

Pulling away, you tilt your chin to peer up at him with a timid flutter of your lashes, “I was promised a butterbeer too…” 

The mix of your mischief and undeniable cuteness had Remus’ heart racing a mile a second; he couldn’t help but release the tension in a short laugh, “you can have as many butterbeers as you want!”

Hogsmeade weekend couldn’t come sooner enough. However, as soon as the awaited date had arrived, your excitement was turned into dread. An entire afternoon spent with Remus. You can imagine yourself already making a mess of things and, knowing how clumsy you get when you’re nervous, you’re sure it isn’t long before you’re tripping over air and making a spectacle of yourself. 

“Easy there,” Remus coos at you softly when you jump in surprise from his sudden actions, “sorry about that but you were shaking like an autumn leaf, sweetheart,” he flashes you an apologetic smile before his expression melts into adoration at the sight of you in his oversized grandpa sweater, “is that better?”

You manage a timid nod, avoiding his beautiful eyes as you slip your arms into place, adoring the familiar comfort the warmth and smell of his sweater brought you. It was ridiculous. You were being ridiculous. This was Remus; he wouldn’t do anything to make you feel bad or embarrassed just because of a silly mistake. You peek up at him from beneath the cover of your lashes. He’s so tall and handsome and just so… perfect. A gentle giant, topped with messy brown hair, soft eyes and covered in mysterious, faded scars but remains ever kind. This is why you fell for him, why he has such an effect on your heart, why he has such a pull on your entire being. He is safety and comfort and love all moulded into the beautiful gentleman that he is. 

With a surge of bravery, you inch closer and closer to your Hogsmeade date’s side until you’re practically pressed into him. Remus smiles at you but tries to hide away his blushing cheeks by keeping his gaze forward as he leads you down the path to the Three Broomsticks. It isn’t until he feels your small, soft hand slip into his much larger one that he finally glances down at you. The two of you meet eyes once more before you’re hiding your embarrassment away by burrowing your face into his bicep. 

For the love of Merlin, could you stop being so lovable and precious?! Girls like you were his number one weakness — you were going to kill him at this rate!  

“If you keep at this cuteness act, I’ll have no choice but to wrap you up in my arms and run back to the castle so I can have you to myself forever, little dove,”

Was he just playing around or was he being serious?

You look up and stare into his eyes — you couldn’t quite tell… 

As promised Remus treated you to as many butterbeers as you wanted, not that you wanted much anyway. Not only that but the butterbeer does a good job of warming you up and you didn’t fancy having to take off Remus’ generously offered sweater so you’ll stick to your second butterbeer for now. 

“Are you sure you don’t want anymore? I did make a promise,” Remus urges gently but when you politely shake your head ‘no’ and wrap your arms around yourself to burrow your nose under the stretched out collar of his sweater, he instantly knew your reasoning. You make it so easy to fall in love with you, “Is there something else you’d like then? Maybe a dessert? I don’t feel like I’ve rewarded you enough for a job well done on that test,”

Without a moment’s hesitation, you blurt out, “Being with you is reward enough,”

…did you think he was joking when he told you his intentions on the way here? 

“I wasn’t joking, little dove,” he hears you softly hum in curiosity, asking him to elaborate, “I will keep you all to myself if you don’t stop being so adorable,”

“I-I don’t mean to—” he laughs at your flustered state and picks up your hand to kiss your knuckles. 

“I. Don’t. Care,” it was a threat but one that was lovingly spoken into your skin as he kept your hand raised to his lips. Your eyes meet his over the bumps and grooves of your knuckles. He was being very sincere. 

“…how—“ you hesitate, biting your lip and avoiding his eyes momentarily, “how about a compromise?…” bargaining for your freedom — this wasn’t something you expected the afternoon to turn into. Nevertheless, you’re willing to play along, bearing in mind the serious undertones of your conversation. 

“I’m listening,” he hums and he almost sounds like he’s purring; a familiar glint of mischief reflecting in his eyes as he focuses his gaze onto your hand. You watch as he admires the way his fingers interlock with yours, forming an intimate hold where his larger hand appears to devour your smaller one. He looks into your eyes again, a small prompt asking you to continue with the proposal. 

“How about we promise to see each other every day at lunch?”

“Not good enough,”

You nibble on your bottom lip and miss Remus’ lingering stare, “breakfast and lunch?”

“Still not good enough,” he’s smiling —no, he’s smirking at you. What happened to your gentle giant?! He’s supposed to be kind and sweet, not a tease! You’re dangerously close to having a heart attack and he’s showing no mercy!

“D-dinner too, then?”

“Your suggestions are not satisfactory,“ his words are that of a professional, “and I’m getting very impatient, my dear,” you’re speechless as he holds up your hand and rolls the long sleeve of his sweater down your arm, exposing your skin where he begins to pepper a light trail of kisses down. 

In between your flustered state and racing mind, you don’t know how your panic managed to translate your thoughts so articulately, “How could I possible work out a compromise with you then?!”

“You’re a smart girl, you know what I want,”

“No, I—”

“What I want is what you want…”

His words make you pause. For a moment, you can hear nothing but your racing heart pumping blood past your ears, see nothing but Remus’ smirking lips and piercing brown eyes, feel nothing but his lips on the skin of your arm, taste nothing but the lingering alcohol on your tongue. It takes one big inhale to muster up enough courage, furthered by your earlier two frothing tankards of butterbeer, “be my boyfriend then…” you sound like a shy but demanding, spoiled child. One that Remus would happily pamper to your heart’s content. 

“You’ve got yourself a deal, sweetheart,” his kind smile makes your heart race and an elated grin slowly grows on your lips before he’s leaning across the table at lightening speed, your hand still held captive in his, “Lets seal it with a kiss, shall we?”

You expected him to kiss your forehead. But no. No, this kiss was so much better. 

He tastes like chocolate and buttery, foaming beer.   

A/N : Goodness did this take a long time, im so sorry my darlings! i don’t know why i consistently kept getting writers block when it came to writing this fic. i think it’s partially to do with the fact that i never really intended to continue the original timestamp hehe~ nevertheless, it’s here and i hope you darlings enjoyed the read!

NAVI. 

TAGLIST : @melinajenkins @aastonishment @until-i-found-you @corp0real @celestcies @lovelydoveval @inlovewithremusjohnlupin @calums-betch @futurecorps3 @hihihi1112 @simpingforthe80s @yrluvjane @chaosofmanyfandoms @storyofaromance @loving-and-dreaming @somewereinthegalaxi @ashreblogsficshere @cassandra-nerezza-black @stray-bi-kids @ttkttt @notasadgirlipromise @desikudisworld @volturissideslut @arilxup88 @fallencrescentmoon @topaz125 @xxrougefangxx @starchaser-lily @probablypossesedbysatan @agent-tempest @veryberryjelly @th3-st4r-gur1 @sousydive @rosalyn-s @thelastbrainceliishere @littleshadow17 @b-i-h-i @babiely @nickkie99 @hehehhehexd @imdoingbetternow @regulusblacksposts @nicassie @lovelyygirl8 @onedaysoonyoullsee @jennieasfrance @onlyfredslibrary @soradragon @idli-dosa-reblogs @remusparkers

[lefaystrent]

"So yeah, that's the whole place pretty much, besides the back yard," Patton says. He's finished walking the prospective new tenant around the house and now they're back in the common rooms. "What do you think? Seem like a good fit for ya? I know you said you've always lived alone, but I swear we're good roommates."

Virgil glances around again, gnawing on his bottom lip. He had wanted to see everything, from everyone's rooms to (strangely) all possible entry and exit points. He said it's important in case of break-ins or fires, but he seems far too nervous about it all. Maybe he's just the nervous type. Patton doesn't judge.

"Could we check out the backyard actually?" Virgil asks. "I don't really go outside much, but I've never lived in a place that has a yard."

"Oh yeah, sure! Let me grab my trash real quick; I gotta toss it anyway."

Patton snatches up a full bag of trash and escorts Virgil outside to the little back patio. He lets Virgil get a feel for it while he beelines over to the dumpster.

"Oh cool, you guys have your own dumpster?" he asks, trailing after him.

Patton smiles. "Yeah, it's pretty convenient, even if it is a load of garbage." He preens when the joke musters a laugh out of the other. He throws up the top of the bin.

"Hey, Patton," Remus says from inside the dumpster, a banana peel hanging off his head.

"Hi, Remus!" Patton greets back jovially. He tosses in the trash, careful to avoid Remus, and carries on with the conversation after he closes the lid. "I do a bit of gardening out here with Logan's help, if you'd like to... Virgil?"

Virgil has the demeanor of someone who's just choked on his own spit. His body has turned as if to make a break for the back door.

"Virgil?" Patton tries again. "Was it something I said?"

"What was that?" Virgil gestures wildly at the dumpster. "Who was that?!"

"Oh! That's just Remus."

"Why is he in the dumpster?"

Patton frowns in confusion. He glances between the dumpster and Virgil, afraid that he's missed some context. "Umm, he came with the place? He's always just been there. Why, what's wrong?"

Virgil looks like he can respond with a seven hour speech. Instead, he just wheezes.

[fairytaleendingss]

Room For One More?

Chapter 1

Summary: After a sudden eviction from your home, your friend Mary puts you in contact with her high school friends, James, Sirius and Remus who just so happen to be in need of a roommate. However, living with a group of boys you’ve never met before proves to be more complicated than you expected; especially when they’re all so attractive.

CW: None I don’t think.

Pairing: Poly!Marauders x fem!reader

——

To say that life had been crazy lately would be putting it lightly. You had only just moved to the city six months ago, in pursuit of a career you were still yet to achieve, got landed with an office job that you were only barely qualified for, and the eviction notice on the door of your shitty downtown apartment was just the icing on the cake.

For a good few days it seemed like your world was caving in around you as you tried to collect yourself and figure out the next steps. In a city like London, real estate was scarce, not to mention expensive, and you were still working to pay off your student loans.

It was only two days before you were set to be kicked out when your new friend, Mary stepped in and saved the day.

You met Mary at your new office job and she’d been somewhat of a saving grace from the beginning.

She had been a splash of colour in a sea of black suits and beige blouses. She’d been quick to introduce herself, inviting you to join her for lunch on your first day, during which she caught you up on all the ins and outs of office politics. The two of you had become fast friends, something you were extremely grateful for.

And you found yourself even more grateful for her, as her car pulled into the driveway of the apartment building you were about to call your new home.

“How do you know these guys again?” You asked, glancing up at the red brick structure through the passenger window.

“We all went to high school together,” She explained. “I know them really well, trust me they’re great guys.”

You believed her. She’d never given you a reason not to. But still, moving into a household with three strange men that you’ve never met, is bound to be daunting nonetheless.

“And you’re 100% sure they’re okay with me moving in? I mean, they don’t even know me!”

She only giggled. “Don’t be silly! They’re completely on board. They’ve been looking for a new roommate since their other friend Peter moved out a month ago to get a place with his girlfriend, Sybil. They were just about to put up an ad on Craigslist, for heavens sake. Trust me, you’re doing them a favour. If I love you, they’ll love you too.”

You nodded at her but your heart still hummed unsurely in your chest. You took a deep breath. It was now or never.

After a treacherous journey up the narrow staircase with boxes in hand, you arrived at the door to the apartment. Mary was behind you, lugging a suitcase full of your clothes. You wished, for a moment that her friends at least lived in a building that had an elevator. You erased that thought from your mind a moment later, when you remembered that these people were doing you a massive favour. Besides, you were hardly in a position to complain.

Taking a deep breath, you knocked on the door. When it swung open you had to make a conscious effort to pick your jaw up off the floor.

Standing in front of you was the most attractive man you’ve ever seen. He was fair and lean with long strands of dark hair fanning his face. He was chiseled in a way that made him look delicate, almost doll-like but he also had tattoos lining his arms and chest, which you could see poking out from beneath his white t-shirt. He was leaning against the doorframe, effortlessly cool, looking down at you with a flirtatious smirk on his face.

“Hey there gorgeous. You must be the new roommate. I’m Sirius.”

You peered up at him in shock, not quite sure how to respond to this man who had the face of a Greek God. And did he just call you gorgeous? You weren’t sure what you were expecting but this definitely wasn’t it.

“Um, hi,” you stumbled awkwardly. Your hands felt clammy even just looking at this guy, how the hell are you supposed to live with him? “I’m y/n.”

His grin only widened “Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

“Ugh, stop flirting with her Sirius! And move out of the way, this stuff we’re carrying is heavy you know.”

You’d almost forgotten Mary was there until she’s stepping forward, shoving past Sirius who was blocking the doorway, and entering the apartment.

“Sorry hun, just trying to make conversation,” Sirius teased, stepping aside gently to let you in.

The place was bigger than you expected. Not huge but definitely comfortable, and better decorated. The picture you’d created in your imagination could only be described as a “bro cave” with bean bags on the floor and minimal furnishings. However, you were pleasantly surprised to see that the place is rather nice and homey, with comfortable leather furniture and a few framed artworks on the walls.

“Well, welcome home,” Sirius said, following you into the living room. “I can’t take any credit for the interior design, unfortunately. That was all Remus. Speaking of, I’ll go get him. I’m sure he’ll be happy to meet you.”

Sirius padded off down the hall, making his way to one of the rooms and banging heavily on the door.

“Remus! The new roommate is here! Don’t be rude and come and meet her!”

The boy that emerged was equally as attractive as Sirius. He was taller than the first boy, with a mop of sandy hair and dark, piercing eyes. He wasn’t as effortlessly cool as Sirius, he was more lanky and hunched in posture, but he had a sort of nerdy charm about him that was very endearing. He was dressed in a thick woollen jumper and his hair was mattered. He blinked up at Sirius, like he hadn’t quite caught up with the situation yet.

“What’s going on?”

Sirius just rolled his eyes. “Our new roommate is here! Come and say hello!”

He peered out of the doorway. Looking in either direction before his eyes landed on you. Not quite sure what to do with yourself, you sent him an awkward wave.

“Hi,”

“Hi,” he replied in return, with a tight lipped smile. Then he turned back to Sirius.

“Could you go away now please? I was having a nap.”

“Fine. Sorry.”

There door was abruptly slammed in his face.

You stood in the living room, holding a box to your chest awkwardly, and you couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable about the interaction. Sirius could apparently tell, and was quick to jump to your aid.

“Don’t worry about him,” he said dismissively. “He’s just in a mood. He’s a med student and all the studying is driving him wild at the moment. He’ll come good after he gets a bit of sleep. Now, how about I show you to your room?”

He directed you down the hallway to a door at the end. Inside, you could already see Mary hanging up your clothes in the wardrobe.

“So this is you,” Sirius muttered, gesturing to the space like a magician revealing his assistant had not, in fact, been sawed in half. Then he sent you another flirtatious smile, something you were quickly learning was a signature of his.

“I’ll leave you girls to it but just shout if there’s anything you need. Although, if you want someone to help carry boxes, I’d recommend waiting until James gets home later on. He’s the athletic one of the three of us. And let me tell you those stairs are a killer.”

You chuckled, a genuine smile overtaking your face for the first time in this whole experience.

“Thanks Sirius. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it,” he drawled, giving you a wink.

Mary rolled her eyes. “Okay Sirius. Thank you but you can go now. We have a lot of unpacking to do here.”

Once Sirius had departed, you and Mary got to work on unpacking your things. Luckily for you, Peter had left behind a bed frame and a few pieces of furniture in his move, a saving grace considering most of your stuff had come with the previous apartment. You still had a mattress strapped to the roof of Mary’s car that needed bringing in, but like Sirius had said, Mary insisted that you wait for the mysterious James to return from work to help you carry any of the heavier items inside (With the way the others talked about him, you could only imagine he must be a superhero). Instead you busied yourself with unpacking your random assortment of trinkets collected over the years.

“So how are you feeling about the place?” Mary pried, unpacking a few shoe boxes into the bottom of the closet.

“It seems alright,” you admitted. “To be honest, I was a little nervous going into this but Sirius seems nice. I think he and I will get along.”

Mary smiled. “Oh good! I knew you’d like it. And just wait until you get to know the other boys better too. You’ll fit right in! I’m sure of it.”

You have her an anxious smile. “I really hope you’re right.”

—

It was a few hours later, when the sound of the door clicking open caught your attention.

“Honey! I’m home!” A playful voice boomed down the doorway.

You slowly emerged from your room to greet your final roommate. The guy was visibly buff and wearing a mud-covered jersey. He had matted tuft of thick dark curls and round glasses that balanced on the edge of his nose.

You couldn’t help but admire him as he kicked his shoes off.

“Hi. I’m y/n. I’m your new roommate.”

He looked up curiously before his expression morphed into a dazzlingly charming smile. He began to approach you and you held out a hand for him to shake. He bypassed the gesture all together, instead choosing to engulf you in a bone-crushing hug.

You were caught a little off-guard at first but tentatively hugged him back, heat rising in your cheeks as you felt the muscles of his biceps flex against you.

Pull yourself together!! You thought.

As he pulled away, he looked down at you, a few stray curls falling in front of his eyes. He smiled widely, reminding you somewhat of a playful puppy.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you!” He exclaimed. “Mary’s told me so much about you.”

You couldn’t help the smile that crept onto your own face as you looked up at him. You really liked James, you decided.

“How have you been settling in so far?” He continued.

“Pretty well, I suppose. I’ve done most of my unpacking now.”

He nodded. “That’s good. Well if you need help with anything, let me know. I’d be happy to assist.”

You grimaced. “Actually there is one thing you might be able to help me with?”

He raised a brow expectantly.

“How do you feel about mattress transportation?”

—

Manoeuvring a queen sized mattress up three floors of narrow stairs proved to be a challenging task. But somehow, between the two of you, you managed it.

By the time James actually wrestled the mattress on your bed-frame, you were just about ready to collapse on top of it.

Mary, unfortunately, had found the whole display hilarious, especially the moment where you’d lost your grip and send the mattress sliding down the stairs back to the first floor. So instead of offering to help, she’d taken the opportunity to film the entire ordeal on her phone. You expected it would be gracing social media by the end of the evening.

“Well, I’d say that’s a job well done!” James exclaimed as he finally dropped the material onto the bed-frame.

You chuckled. “Yeah! I mean it only took an hour and a half.”

James smiled and checked the watch on his wrist.

“It’s getting late and I really should shower. But how about we order pizza afterwards. We could have dinner and get to know each other a little better.”

“I’d like that.”

“Great! Mary, darling, you’re invited too of course.”

The girl looked between the two of you, smiling playfully. Then she shot you a look.

“Thanks for the offer Jamie but I actually have some stuff I need to get done back at home. You guys enjoy though.”

She sent you a wink as she went and your eyes widened.

“I’m going to go wash off, but there’s a take out menu on the fridge,” James said. “Pick out whatever you want. My shout.”

—

A short while later you found yourself sat on the loveseat, a plate of pizza in your lap while Sirius and James sat side by side on the couch, bickering about the most recent episode of the Bachelor. You couldn’t help but laugh as you watched on.

They argued in a way that was firm but affectionate. You could tell that they were particularly close and had clearly known each other a long time.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing!” Sirius exclaimed, waving his piece of pizza in the air for emphasis. “Jennifer was such a bitch! She totally deserved to be sent home.”

James gasped in mock offence. “No way! He should’ve kept her. They had a special connection.”

“Are you kidding?” Sirius blurted. “All she did was talk about herself. She barely even gave him the time of day.”

“I disagree! She was playing hard to get. Girls only do that when they like someone!” James stated matter-of-factly. You couldn’t contain your snort at the comment.

Sirius turned to you then, a smirk adorning his gorgeous face. “Well, lucky for us, we now have a girl here to settle agreements such as these. What do you think, sweetheart?”

You rolled your eyes affectionately at the nickname. “If I’m being honest, I have to agree with Sirius. Jennifer was kind of a bitch.”

Sirius cheered and James held a hand to his chest dramatically.

“Well you’re both wrong,” James joked. “We must have been watching two different shows.”

Sirius scoffed. “Nah, mate. You just have a terrible radar when it comes to girls. I mean, you’ve been chasing the same girl since you were fifteen and she’s still shown you no interest.”

Your eyebrows raised at that one. “Wait what? I feel like I’ve missed a chapter here.“

“She’s just a friend.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Yeah, a friend you’ve been in love with since third form.”

James sighed.

“There’s this girl, Lily, in our friend group,” he began to explain, looking rather bashful. “And I’ve kind of been into her for a while but she always turns me down.”

You grimaced, clicking your tongue in sympathy. “That sucks. But hey, If she’s managed to keep your interest for all these years then she must really be special. I’d love to meet her sometime.”

James smiled gently. “I’m sure you will soon. She and Mary are quite close.”

Sirius face lit up suddenly at that. “Actually guys, that reminds me. The band is playing a gig on Saturday and everyone’s coming. You should join us y/n!”

“Hold on, since when are you in a band?” You queried. “I thought you were a bartender.”

Sirius chuckled. “I’m a bit of both! Bartender by night and lead singer of ‘Snakes and Lions’ by… well also by night I guess.”

“Basically, he plays in a band on the weekends,” James clarified.

“Yeah, and soon, we’ll be world famous!”

“Well I’d love to come and see you play,” you uttered.

“Great, it’s a date then.”

“What’s a date?”

You all looked up to see that Remus had finally emerged from his room. He looked tired and a little disheveled. Although you supposed that was the only way you’d had a chance to see him so far.

“Rem, mate! Come join us! We got Italian sausage just for you!”

Sirius gestured to one of the pizza boxes on the table and Remus nodded, grabbing a plate to fill.

“We were just telling y/n about Sirius’ gig this weekend.”

Remus looked up at you for a moment, his tired eyes unreadable. Then he straightened himself up and came to stand before you awkwardly.

“You’re um… you’re in my seat.”

Your eyes widened. “Oh! I’m sorry.”

You shot up from the spot, feeling rather mortified by the interaction.

“It’s okay, you can come sit here!” James stated, sliding further towards the armrest of the sofa and patting the spot in between himself and Sirius.

You sat down tentatively, but Sirius threw an arm around your shoulder which helped a bit in easing the nerves.

You found yourself glancing over at Remus. He seemed quiet as he munched on his pizza. You couldn’t help but feel a tinge of frustration towards him. He’d been nothing but rude to you since you arrived and you had no clue why.

“So tell us, y/n. What brought you to London?”

Your thoughts were cut short by Sirius’ question.

“Well, I just finished my degree not too long ago and I decided I needed a change, I suppose. London has a lot of good opportunities.”

“What did you study?” James asked, leaning his head in his hand as he looked down at you.

“Literature actually. I want to be a writer.”

Sirius brows shot up. “Really? That’s great. You should talk about that with Remus. He loves books.”

“Hmm?” The boy looked up then, as if having been lost in his own world, before brought back by the sound of his name.

“Y/n studied literature at university.”

He glanced over at you, only looking mildly interested. “Oh, that’s good.”

Then he turned his wrist glancing down at the watch that he wore. “It’s getting late. If you all don’t mind, I think I will finish dinner in my room. I have a lot of work to do.”

You frowned at that. Had you done something to upset him? Why was he so eager to get away from you?

“Alright mate. We’ll see you in the morning,” James muttered, oblivious to the issue.

Remus nodded at him before getting up slowly and sauntering back into his room.

James continued munching on his pizza happily but Sirius clearly noticed the way you tensed at the boy’s exit. He leaned in closely, speaking in a low tone so only you could hear.

“Sorry about him. He really isn’t like this usually. I’ll have a talk with him.”

You sighed. “No no, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

You really didn’t want to be a point of contention between these boys.

“Are you sure? It’s no trouble-“

“No it’s fine,” you shook your head. “Actually, I’m feeling a little tired as well. I might turn in for the evening.”

James looked over at you with gentle eyes. “Okay. Sleep well.”

“Thanks,” you murmured, jumping up from the couch. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Once you got to your room, you lay back heavily against the door, sighing. You considered the events of the day. There had been few hiccups but you decided then and there that you’d do whatever you could to move past them.

You got along well with James and Sirius seemed friendly. It was just Remus who was yet to warm up to you.

As you got ready for bed, your mind ran over the interactions that you’d had so far and wondered what might be the root of his frustrations.

Maybe things will be different tomorrow, you thought, as you settled in for the night.

[maybe-moonchild]

CH 2 𓆣 James Potter x Slytherin Reader summary: you could have worse company... you could also have less annoying company... WC: 4.5k ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Sixth year ended uneventfully. 

You had a few more run-ins with Kaston, most involving insults, the occasional tripping or knock of your books out of your hand. The typical pure-blood ideology bullshit was sent Lance’s way too when he was around. Keith only hexed him once. 

Classes went well enough after final examinations were completed and you received report of your grades. Packing  up your dorm for the summer resembled shoving things into your bags the day before boarding the Hogwarts Express. That was it. Your sixth year was done and you had three whole months spending time with your family, enjoying the weather and exchanging letters with your friends until you got to see them. 

Most importantly, you had three months of no magic. 

You almost felt guilty how relieved you felt not being around wizards each day. You didn’t feel like you were behind, always playing catch up on their way of life. 

Your new found peace ended with your Hogwarts letter calling for you to return at the end of August. Your parents seemed almost disappointed when you told them you wanted to go school shopping alone, your heart broke at the way their excitement fell, plastering on a smile and chalking it up to you just wanting to be mature. 

You let them think that. It seemed a lot easier to let them believe instead of the fact that returning to Diagon Alley with your muggle loved ones seemed like they would just be in danger. So they agreed, making sure you planned your trip with Lance and Keith so you wouldn’t be on your own. 

Flourish and Blotts was relatively busy, the once lazy feeling in the air associated with summer turning to an excited hum for the upcoming school year. You were still waiting on the arrival of your friends as you stood between the shelves. You hadn’t been able to refrain yourself from grabbing the most recent edition of The Daily Prophet and flipping through its pages.

Sometimes you wondered if the war was truly ever going to end.

It seemed as if you’d missed a summer of awful news; more disappearances of muggles and muggle borns, their families found killed in their homes. Hogwarts and magic had once been exciting, filling the gaps in your life with wonder the more you saw and learned. Along the years of whispered threats and hissed insults at your back, you felt like you’d been chased away from your prior love of the Wizarding World. 

You were too enthralled in reading to notice a group of boys chasing each other into the store. 

Sirius accused Peter of stealing his recently purchased sugar quill as they stomped through the store. James was too busy reading through the list of things he and Sirius were supposed to purchase today to keep Euphemia Potter from being cross. Remus hid his smirk behind the stick of the sugar quill hanging from his mouth. 

When James glanced up from his list, the sight of you between the shelves they had just passed made him do a double take. For some reason, he just stopped in his tracks. He was staring, he knew that he was but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. You looked more or less the same aside from having gotten some sun and your hair gaining a little length. 

It wasn’t like he was watching you in a weird way… just… watching. 

“You going to go over there or just keep staring,” Sirius whispered in his ear before blowing into it. James jumped slightly as Sirius whispered in his ear, a scowl instantly forming on his face as he playfully smacked the back of his head. 

Laughing at his own antics, Sirius leaned back, raising an eyebrow in question as he settled against one of the shelves. 

“You’ve never been the quiet type before,” Remus murmured as he read the back of a book, “Even with Lily, you’d be tripping over your own feet to talk to her.”

"What are you-" James began, but the words got caught in his throat as he glanced up and spotted you once again. “This is- This is nothing like with Evans! I was just looking!”

Sirius snorted, “More like drooling.”

James’s mouth dropped uncontrollably, snapping shut in the hope that he could look unbothered. 

"I was certainly not," he muttered under his breath, his confidence sounding more like false bravado.

“Want me to wipe your chin, Prongs?”

“Want me to smack you right in the store?”

Thank Merlin you were both far enough away and too engrossed in The Daily Profit to even look up. 

Remus continued browsing the spines of books. “And yet, you are stalling,” he teased, not even bothering to glance up.

James was instantly on the defensive, his eyes narrowing as he shot Remus a dirty look. "Just because I'm not rushing over there doesn't mean anything," James muttered. His eyes returned to the piece of paper in his hands. 

“Why don’t you go talk to her then?” Sirius smiled smugly, barely able to contain how humorous he found the sight. “Instead of standing here like an idiot.”

"Oh, he’s got it bad,” Remus hummed with feigned sympathy. . 

“Is this how you usually land girls then?” Peter, a better actor than all of them, cocked his head to the side, “by staring at them from across a store?”

Sirius was nearly doubled over as he tried to stifle his laughter to keep himself quiet. Leaning forward to rest his forehead against the wood, Remus clapped a hand on Peter's shoulder, the both of them chuckling. 

“You know, you’re a real git, you know that, right?” James hissed, his voice sounding more frustrated than menacing. He turned to glare around at the other Marauders, who seemed to be taking great pleasure in witnessing his predicament.

Scoffing, his face turned even redder, shoving the list back into his pocket. "I'll have you know I am a certified charmer." He tried to say this with confidence, but even Peter's words had chipped away at his normally impenetrable ego. 

Sirius just laughed harder behind his hand.

"I was simply... trying to decide on the best way to approach her.” James was trying to maintain some semblance of his usual charm.

"You're not even approaching her," Remus pointed out dryly, his lips twitching with a barely suppressed smile.

The other three boys shared a look, one that had Peter and Remus slipping away while Sirius hung an arm around James’s shoulder. 

“Listen mate, you’re getting too into your own head. Sure, she may not necessarily be the biggest fan of you and your ego, but she doesn’t hate you- in fact! Once in a while you make her laugh at your own expense.” Both of them moved in your direction, James finding himself nodding.

“So, remember you’re a gryffindor, quite being a big baby, and talk to her.”  As Sirius finished giving his advice, he was all too ecstatic to give him a shove.

James stumbled forward, catching himself just in time to avoid falling directly into you. He could hear the sound of Sirius' laughter in the distance, but he ignored it as he found himself face-to-face with you when you had startled. 

Both of your eyes were wide for different reasons, yours in surprise and his in… well also surprise but because he really hadn’t planned on having to catch himself on a shelf at the last second. At least he had crushed you. 

You visibly relaxed at the realization that it wasn’t a threat, just an idiot. 

One that you didn’t hate horribly. 

“Hi James,” you drew out skeptically, amused nonetheless. 

His strange behavior fell away to reveal his usual charismatic appeal as he gave you a roguish smile. James adjusted his arm gripping the bookshelf where it caught his fall to lean against it with his forearm. You were sure you had seen him like this many times before. 

Usually it involved the Hogwarts library, Lilly Evans and an attempt at flirting. 

“Hi.” As if he remembered that himself, he stood up straighter and cleared his throat. “Fancy seeing you here.”

You frowned in thought, “Is it? I didn’t think it was all that unexpected given most students do their shopping on the weekend.” 

You were unaware that James was half listening to what you were saying, and half shooting a dirty look to the other Marauders when they peaked out from behind a bookshelf. You didn’t see it, too busy trying to make sense of James, something you gave up on long ago. 

“Have a good holiday then?” James asked abruptly, grinning as he turned his attention back to you. 

“I’d say so, spent time at home, a little bit of traveling with my family, relaxing,” you shrugged, “Nothing special. What about you? Heard Black moved in with you. Your poor mother.”

James let out a snort of laughter, a warm smile spreading across his face. You didn’t hesitate to feel as lively as he looked. 

"Yeah, she was not thrilled that we accidentally crashed our brooms into her garden multiple times, but she loves us both nonetheless," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. Even though the conversation about the situation was lighthearted, you knew that Sirius leaving the house of Black was no small event. 

"As if I wasn't bad enough, they now get two of us.” He shrugged, his hands slipping into his pockets as he leaned back casually against the bookshelf. The sight of the other Marauders watching them from a distance was not lost on him, but he chose to ignore it for the moment. “So eh, yeah. I guess it was a good summer, It was great having Sirius there with me. He could always crack a joke that would make even a dementor laugh.”

“That’s good, I’m glad to hear it.”

A group of Ravenclaw girls slipped by, greeting you both before erupting into a fit of giggles once they’d passed. You were at least grateful to know that you weren’t the object of their laughter. The thing about being in James Potter’s presence was that he always outshined you. That was fine by you as long as it kept any negative attention from hanging over your head. 

Clearly they were giggling about having successfully said hello to him.

“You finish your shopping then?” 

A movement behind him caught your attention as you opened your mouth, “No, just started actually. Waiting to meet with Lance and Keith at The Leaky Cauldron in twenty minutes.”

"I think I have a couple left as well," he said a little too enthusiastically, clearing his throat with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Why don't we, you know, shop together?"

You raised an eyebrow at the offer. Sure, maybe James had been a witness to your moment of weakness last year, but it wasn’t like the two of you had even exchanged letters this summer. But he looked so earnest about the offer, you felt like saying no would make him look like a kid who just watched you kick a puppy. 

So you smiled, albeit a bit unsurely, you smiled nonetheless. 

“Uh, sure.”

He instantly brightened, bright enough to hurt your eyes like you had stared directly into the sun. Luckily, you looked away quickly as you peaked behind him. 

“Will uh, your friends be joining us too?”

James whipped around to see Sirius, Peter, and even Remus sticking their heads out from behind a shelf. The sight was comical, looking straight out of a cartoon; even more so when they realized they’d been caught and jumped out of sight. 

You found it amusing to watch how he nearly cringed. “I suppose they will be,” he sighed. 

The five of you didn’t spend too much longer there, easily picking up the books you’d need for seventh year. You were pleasantly surprised to chat with Remus about books you had read over the summer, learning that he also enjoyed muggle literature. It made you more aware of how little you actually knew about The Marauders, aside from what was surface level. That was okay but you hadn’t expected to enjoy learning more. 

Given that you still had some time before heading to The Leaky Cauldron, you didn’t mind stopping at another store or two to pass the time.

Up until Sirius mentioned stopping at Quality Quidditch Supplies. James was ecstatic at the idea, quickly involving you in the plan given the three of you were the quidditch players of the group. The two boys were too engrossed in their conversation about what broom polish they preferred to notice your sudden discomfort. 

Sirius let out a loud exaggerated scoff, rolling his eyes as he turned to face you and James. "I could still outfly the two of you any day," he teased. “Come on, we’ll meet Remus and Peter at The Leaky Cauldron when we’re done.”

You opened your mouth, the words sticking apprehensively to the tip of your tongue. You urged yourself to say something, to even just feign disinterest and opt to head to Rosa Lee Teabag, just lie and say you really loved tea. 

Instead, your mouth closed and your shoulders sagged in defeat as you followed behind Sirius and James. 

You were quite familiar with Quality Quidditch Supplies, having frequented the store before each return to Hogwarts. The smell of boom polish was overwhelming when you opened the door, feeling like a sense of home. You couldn’t help but inhale deeply as the three of you stepped inside. 

You half-listened to James excitedly discuss the new broom he’d gotten over the summer. There was no doubt it was the newest model, his parent’s religiously sending him off to Hogwarts with the best model available given he was a star player. 

Normally, you would’ve been rolling your eyes; snorting out a sarcastic comment asking if that broom would be able to lift his massive head off the ground. You were just uncharacteristically quiet on the topic and it didn’t take long for it to be noticed. 

James glanced behind him, looking for evidence that something was wrong. Your mouth was twisted into a little frown, teeth worrying at your bottom lip as your fingers trailed along the broom handles in the displays. 

He wanted you to say something, anything. He couldn’t understand why you were so uncharacteristically quiet. Wasn't this your favorite subject? Quidditch had always been something you loved.

As Sirius announced that he would be going to look at new goggles, James hung behind when you stopped in front of a shelf. He reached over your head to pluck a jar of broom polish sitting over your head and pretended to be very interested in reading the label. 

“You alright then?” James asked, glancing over at you in hopes that he sounded flippant on the topic. 

You pretended not to hear him for a moment, humming in confusion so you could assess how closely he was watching you. 

“Oh. Yeah.” You shrugged, mirroring his attempt at looking casual by picking up a bottle of broom polish and inspecting it between your fingers. Neither of you were doing a good job considering the air seemed to feel thicker in the face of the awkwardness. 

You should just say it. 

Afterall, he’d been witness to your tears at the end of last school year following your humiliation at the hands of Elias Kaston. 

“I uh… quit… quidditch.”

From how big James’s eyes got and how quickly he whipped to look in your direction, you might’ve been speaking another language. You didn’t look up at him even though you could see how he was staring at you in complete shock. 

James couldn’t have heard you correctly, because there was no way that you just said what he thought you did.

"You... you quit?" His voice was obnoxiously loud. “You quit? Why? Why on earth would you quit quidditch?”

A few shoppers nearby turned in your direction, concerned at the sound. You turned to look at him and raised a hand, hoping to placate James and his knack for dramatics. “Okay, okay,” you hissed, “Keep it down, would you? It's not that big of a deal.”

If Sirius would have been in the vicinity, half of Diagon Alley would have known by now.

“Not that big of a deal? Really?”

“Which it’s not.”

“You’ve been playing since second year.”

“Yes, James. I am quite aware of that.”

“You were captain last year- you won the final match last year!”

You shrugged, the action far too tense to be as dismissive as you tried to be. “I just wasn’t feeling it this year, I don’t know.”

No one would believe that excuse, especially when you turned away, picking up a different bottle of broom polish. It gave you an excuse to avoid his scrutinizing eyes that made you practically itch as you tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. 

James’s lips pressed into a thin line, inhaling slowly through his nose and saying nothing. You didn’t need to. 

He stepped closer, speaking passionately in a much lower volume. “You’re a better player than Kaston.”

“It’s not because of Kaston,” you scoffed. James continued, speaking over your protests and speaking louder as your lies continued.

“You’re a better leader.”

“Doesn’t matter, it has nothing to do with that.”

“You had the potential to lead your team to another cup this year.”

“Well, I already won, wanted to give you a fair chance,” you shot back, feigning disinterest. His hand shot forward to pull your distraction away from you, holding it out of reach when you attempted to snatch it back. You had to look at him then, see the disappointment in his furrowed brows and parted mouth. 

“Are you really going to give that all up for an asshole like him?”

“I’m not doing it because of him!” It came out sharper than you had intended and you were immediately embarrassed; less so about the outburst itself and more because you felt stupid even bothering to deny it. James had been the one to see the effect your year as captain had on you last year when he found you in the kitchen, how defeated you were when you should have been celebrating. 

Being the captain of the Slytherin team last year had been a disaster and you couldn’t imagine doing it again. But the thought of remaining on the team while Kaston took your spot of power-

Who were you kidding? You wouldn’t have made it through the first round of tryouts.

You bit back something sharp that wanted to fall from your lips and impale him, just so you would maybe feel better. That would’ve been wrong; James was clearly still trying to help. So you forced yourself to look away and chewed on your bottom lip to give yourself a moment to take a breath.

 “I already told you last year,” you sighed, leaning back against the shelf and staring at your feet. “No one listened to me. There were times no one besides Keith showed up at practice. Do you know how many bludgers to the head I got last year? I stopped counting at 12.”

You opened your mouth before scrunching up your nose in the prospect of silence. 

There was the other, bigger, issue. 

You were going to spend the rest of seventh year keeping your head down. If it kept your family safe, then you would happily give up quidditch for your last year at school. Quitting hurt, you wouldn’t lie to yourself that you hadn’t shed many tears over the summer as your broom sat collecting dust in the corner of your bedroom. 

Getting over the loss of your beloved sport? You would get over it eventually. 

Getting over the loss of your family?

You would learn to be a spectator in the fan section. 

James’s frown only deepened when he seemed to understand the copious amount of reasons behind your decisions behind it. He knew from first hand experience you were a phenomenal player- you had beaten him several times last year. You were clever, quick witted, and had a sharp eye for spotting opportunities to go for goal; it wasn’t fair. 

Both of you stayed quiet for a moment, the sound of a bell chiming cutting through the weight of the situation. 

He expelled all of the air from his cheeks, nodding slowly like he was coming to understand everything- at least to understand the best he could. 

“Alright,” James finally said, his voice soft but determined. "How can I help?”

Out of everything you’d expected him to say, that wasn’t it. 

“What?” you blurted out. Your confused scowl didn’t deter the intent look he wore. With a sigh, you ran a hand down your face. “James, you can’t do anything. It’s done. I turned it down. The only thing you can do is beat him this season.”

“No, I can do more than beat him on the field.” He stepped closer, ducking his head so he could keep your eye. 

James didn’t want to just beat Kaston this season. He was going to obliterate him. 

“Help me coach Gryffindor.”

You almost thought you’d misheard him. “I’m sorry, what now?” 

“Help me this year with coaching the Gryffindor team,” he reiterated without missing a beat. 

Oh, so you had heard him right. 

“What? No,” you hissed back in an attempt to keep your surprise from projecting itself, “I can’t just… help you coach…” It came out less like a statement and more like a question. 

“Why not?” James didn’t miss a beat. When you tried to turn away, his body moved to cut you off. “You know the Slytherin team better than anyone, and you're a damn good player. That's why you were captain in the first place, right?”

 You pointed a finger at his chest and he wrapped his hand around your wrist. There was nothing you could do to escape the urgency in his eyes, like he was pleading for you to consider what he was offering. 

“You want me to… what,” you asked tentatively, “Help you coach your team on everything I know about the Slytherins plays in hopes to beat them?”

To spill all of the secrets you’d learned the past six years? To work on plays with James, the captain of the Gryffindor team so that they would win? 

Once you said exactly what he meant, he nearly beamed with excitement. 

“Yes! You can help me figure out the best drills for the team, give me tips and advice, make sure the people I choose for the team are well suited for the positions I put them in. You can directly help take down Kaston on the field.”

You shook your head but he didn’t even falter. Not even the way you looked like him like he’d grown a third head made a dent in his glow. Burning, burning burning; he was glowing white hot like the sun and you were going to get burned. 

"What do you think? I think it's a positively brilliant idea- one of my best yet," he grinned. 

"I think that James Potter has officially lost his mind."

He just laughed, eyes never leaving your face as they scanned your expression. It was like when you watched him fall down the stairs, how he’d laughed and you’d wondered why you didn’t just throw yourself down them to see what was so funny. 

“It's not just about beating them. It's about humiliating them.” As he spoke, James' tone grew firmer, his eyes gleaming with determination as his hands moved to shake your shoulders. "Imagine it, we’ll wipe that smirk right off Kaston's face."

Your doubt was clear but there was a flicker of something else- a spark of temptation.

“James, no,” you said sternly. 

“Think about it.” “No, I will not-”

“Come on, just for a second; really think about it.”

“I am not entertaining this-” “No one even has to know you were involved! Think about how he would feel not being able to carry his team to victory after a muggleborn did it the year before.”

That made the rest of your protests die on your lips. James nearly grimaced, attempting to reel himself back in and not scare you off because you were considering it. Albeit reluctantly, you were at least thinking about the possibility. 

“Think about it…” His eyebrow raised cautiously. “Think about how he’s going to feel when he realizes he can’t do something you did.”

How pureblooded Kaston would feel when he couldn’t do something a mudblood did.

Fuck. 

“Fine. I’ll think about it,” you conceded. James somehow beamed even brighter, the feeling contagious as you laughed and he shook you enthusiastically again. 

You tried to make your face more serious. “I’m saying I’ll consider it. I’m not saying yes but… I’m not saying no.”

“Brilliant!” His grip on your shoulders loosened, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Yes! You won't regret this, I promise. We're gonna destroy them this year, I swear it."

“I said *maybe*. I need to think about it. So it’s just… it’s a maybe.”

Both of you stayed like that, biting down on smiles and standing closer than you realized. This close, you could make out the knick of a scar on his cheekbone, so faded that it had to be from his childhood. Words to describe his beauty easily escaped you. Those words were harder to retrieve with the way he was watching you. 

“I miss something,” Sirius said out of nowhere, appearing from behind a shelf with his bag of purchases and looking between you. Your trance was broken, both of you stepping apart. 

James recovered immediately with a crooked smile. 

"Yeah, mate, there's something going on," James responded, slinging an arm over your shoulders and guiding you towards the door. "Guess who just agreed to help... coach Gryffindor?"

“I did not agree.” 

After only a few steps out into the street, busy with witches and wizards as they shopped, you gave up on trying to dislodge yourself from under his arm. You chuckled to yourself, James doing the same when you nudged his ribs with your elbow. 

Sirius turned with a smirk as he led the group towards The Leaky Cauldron. "Just how friendly have the two of you been?” He asked, his tone mischievous.

“Shut it, Pads,” James replied. He got back at him by throwing his other arm over his friend's shoulder.

Sirius let out a yelp when he nearly spilled the quidditch supplies he carried. 

“I’ve just convinced our dear friend here to help us obliterate the snake house. Imagine, all three of us working together. We'll crush them so hard they won’t know what hit them."

You rolled your eyes, “Can I just remind everyone that I am still a part of said snake house. 

"Details, details," James grinned, dismissing that fact with a waive of his hand. 

quid pro quo masterlist main masterlist

[ellecdc]

Grounded (for til college)

CBBH-verse: Harry and Ron are read their Miranda Rights after the Flying Car Catastrophe of Second Year as requested by fans of the CBBH series 😊

Over the past eleven years, there have been many family meetings amongst the Potter, Black, Lupin, Weasley, Longbottom and Lovegood tribe.

A family meeting was called when a five-year-old Draco and Harry began fighting over who got to perform the big brother duties for Jasmine Potter, and then again a year later for Aurora Black.

A family meeting was called when every glass, vase, pot, and basket in the manor were turned over to 'stop nargles from hiding in them' (it was Luna).

A family meeting was called when someone moved all of the pots and pans in the house onto the roof (it was Harry). 

A family meeting was called when someone started drawing moustaches on all of the pictures and portraits on the walls (it was James). 

A family meeting was called when Fred and George pranked Neville by hiding his toad, Trevor. Each member of the household spent three hours looking for him – Lily later found him hidden in her underwear drawer. 

Another family meeting was called for going through people’s underwear drawers.

Family meetings were called quite frequently, what with the number of members these families had within them. They were called for fights, for updates, for announcements and for check ins. 

But there are two things that have never happened since these families began calling family meetings:

Never, not once, has James Potter ever called a family meeting. And never once has a family meeting been called whilst the children were away at Hogwarts.

Until today.

“Is it really necessary I’m here?” Regulus drawled as he leaned against the wall behind you in the headmaster’s office as he studied his nails. “I mean, I don’t even have a spawn to punish.”

“Sshh,” Remus spat loudly from his spot beside you standing at attention like a soldier. “You’re gonna get us in trouble.”

“Dad’s mad guys...” Sirius mumbled from your other side. 

“Is it bad I kinda feel sorry for Harry and Ron?” you asked your husband quietly.

He shook his head in response. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so mad.”

“Please, 10 galleons he doesn’t even give them a warning.” Regulus added from his place.

Sirius scoffed. “Oh, you’re on.” 

The murmurings were interrupted when the two twelve-year-olds were ushered into the office with Dumbledore and McGonagall trailing behind them. 

Before anyone could make sense of what was happening, Molly Weasley stood from her seat beside her husband and began screeching.

“RONALD WEASLEY. WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?”

Ron’s face brightened to the likes of his hair as he tried to hide behind Harry. James stood beside Molly with his arms crossed. 

“Okay, I know now’s not the time.” You whispered to your husband, “But James’ arms look really good when he stands like that.” which was met with an exaggerated nod of his head.

“When he’s less mad, we’ll tell him.” 

“It was the platform! It was charmed or something and wouldn’t let us on and we missed the train!” Harry tried to argue.

“So, you opted to steal the Weasley’s car and drive it across the country!?” James asked incredulously. 

Harry instantly deflated.

“It was reckless, it was stupid, it was dangerous.” He continued as he started to pace the room, eyes never leaving the forms of the two second years. You gulped loudly on their behalf. 

“You could have been seen. You could have been hurt. You could have died.” He carried on. 

“Your father is now going to be facing an inquiry at work and it is all your fault!” Molly added.

Remus’ eyes furrowed as he leaned into your side. “Well, I mean his father did illegally charm a muggle vehicle...” But you elbowed him hard when the death stares of Molly and James turned towards you. 

“You have absolutely no idea the kind of trouble you could have caused. That you have caused.” Molly continued as she returned her attention to the boys.

“You two have always been mischievous, which I feel I have taken in stride because you are, after all, the product's of Marauders. But this? This exceeds mischievous. This borders insanity.” James said severely. You and Remus exchanged a wide-eyed gaze.

“Mr. Potter and I have discussed your punishments, young men.” Molly stated as she considered the two boys in front of her. But it was James who read them their sentence.

“You will spend the entire summer working at Uncle Moony’s bookstore.” 

This was met with a “what!?” cried out from Ron, Harry, and Remus.

“Why do I have to be the bad guy?!” Remus cried in distress.

“I don’t think you are, Moons.” Sirius said with a chuckle. He turned to regard his friend when he saw a look of understanding cross your features.

“I think it’s Regulus.” You clarified for the werewolf with a smirk.

Sure enough, the three of you turned to see a disturbingly wicked grin spreading across Regulus’ face.

“They’re just lucky Lily was at work and couldn’t be here for this.” Sirius muttered as you all turned your attentions back to the boys. “They’d be working for Regulus ‘til college.” 

[nonbinary-potatoes]

Moonwater microfic, idc the plot just as long as it’s not platonic

Late answer but...

Prompt: Coffee 04/11/24 @moonwater-microfic

Word count: 282

Regulus was not a morning person, he would sit in the great hall and grumble about how it was too early to be awake and they should class back to start at 10AM instead of 9 because it would make everyone more efficient.

So at 7:30 when he had dragged himself to the great hall still clad in pajamas and simply throwing a hex at anyone who looked for too long he did not expect a mug to already be set at his usual seat. He eyed it suspiciously as he sat down.

"Coffee with a pinch of salt, three sugars and cinnamon" Remus said after Regulus had adequately observed the mug, Regulus looked up and raised an eyebrow. Without even needing any further prompting Remus decided to grace Regulus with an overcomplicated explanation of the choice of beverage he had given to his boyfriend.

"Coffee has caffeine which blocks adenosine in the brain which increases the amount of acetylcholine in the body which is a neurotransmitter which is essentially a stimulant, salt helps balance the bitter flavour and so does milk and then cinnamon not only tastes nice but also known to improve cognitive function and reduce stress and anxiety"

Regulus wasn't really listening, he just enjoyed watching Remus talk about things he found interesting, Remus did the same for him - would somehow have an ear to listen to the ins and outs of 17th and 18th century literature for hours. Sipping on the coffee (which was surprisingly nice) and watching his boyfriend excitedly explain why said drink was beneficial for Regulus did make the morning slightly easier to get through. Even if he would've preferred another hour of sleep.

[lushaletta]

hide with me / james potter

pairing: james potter x fem!reader

warnings: mild swearing, mentions of mental health/anxiety, reader has a panic attack

summary: poorly written drabble in which you have awful anxiety and a lovely james.

a/n: i feel like this feels unfinished i’m so sorry… i clearly lost steam by the end but i hope you all like it! i am such a sucker for some james

⋆ ࣪.  ⁺⑅ ⋰˚ *.ﾟ .˳⁺⁎˚ ˚⁎⁺˳ . ༺ ˖࣪ ˖࣪ ∗

It feels like the world is caving in on you. The ceiling is about to fall down and crush you under its weight.

The voices of those around have all mixed and faded into each other into a jumble of noise. You don’t quite know what Lily is saying, not even sure what Marlene is doing; you can hardly see anything.

A laughable attempt at taking a breath has you panicking more and you stumble out of Alice’s living room and onto her front patio as hot, salty tears sting your face.

The reason as to why you’re suddenly in this state has you confused. One moment, you’re fine and the next, you’re in full breakdown mode.

Fresh air. That’s usually all you need. You let the scent of pine fill your lungs, grounding yourself on the railing. You’re fine, you try to repeat to yourself. You’re fine.

“Hey,” a voice calls out. You whip around and spot a head of dark curls and pretty hazel eyes.

Him. You don’t know whether you’re happy or sad about his presence. There’s a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and he looks gorgeous as ever.

You’ve liked James a long time. Much too long. He’s liked Lily for longer.

You’re sure he knows about your feelings, you’d done a poor job at keeping them secret, and you’d be surprised if at this point he was unaware.

Remus knows because you’d confided in him first. He was sweet about it, stroking your hair and whispering kind words in your ear. Sirius knows from the “powers of deduction”, as he likes to call it.

“Hi,” he says, putting the cig between his fingers, flicking the ash off.

“Hi,” you reply, a little breathless.

He walks over to you, assessing your state. “Are you alright?”

He’s always been awfully caring. It’s half the reason you like him more than what’s healthy.

James knows your ins and outs. Your family history, all your favourite movies, how many freckles you have. He’s committed every part of you to memory.

He treats you like you’re fragile, like a porcelain doll. As if you’d break when dropped.

Maybe it’s self-righteousness. Maybe he’s doing it out of pity. Though, in this moment, it feels anything but.

“Just fine,” you whisper, staring at him so deeply it’s embarrassing.

“You ran off.”

You laugh a humourless laugh. “Did I?”

James nods, looking like he’s inspecting you. It makes you feel a little self-conscious.

A smile creeps across your face. It’s really only to conceal the awkwardness. “What?”

“I think we’re past the point of pretending everything is alright when it isn’t,” he says, matter-of-factly. “Will you tell me what happened?”

The bluntness of his words makes you nervous. He’s not typically so forward.

“I was overwhelmed.”

His arms lace around your shoulders. “Okay,” he whispers. “Okay, let’s go, then,” he says, decidedly.

It’s a tempting offer. Being dragged away from all the noise and instead spending the night with James, but you don’t want to disrupt his evening with your feelings. He likes these people. He’s comfortable with them. He’s not like you, you say to yourself.

“No. I’m fine, James, really. Please don’t worry yourself.”

“I was kind of getting tired anyway. We can grab food and you can sleep at my place for the night, hm?” he insists, putting out his cig.

He’s doing it again. That thing where he’s just being so considerate and kind to the point that it bothers you.

“I..” you trail off, looking at the stars instead of his eyes. They’re both really beautiful.

“I’d like for you to come with me, sweetheart. Let’s get away. Just for a bit,” he tries again, gently tilting your face towards his.

You’re going to come with him. You were going to the first time he asked, no matter what, but you need to hear that he wants it.

You crack a smile. “Okay.”

Before midnight, you’re in his car. It’s a bit beaten up and the engine takes a couple of tries before it starts, but it’s a charming vehicle. He’s ordering fries for you, doing all the talking you’re so hesitant to.

There are muffled voices over the speaker. “Just a moment.” James turns to you. “Want a coke, baby?”

You nod, tapping your fingers on the window and fumbling with the button of your seatbelt.

He hands you a paper bag.

“Thank you, James. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me instead of with Lily at the gathering.”

His face contorts into a look of slight confusion as he grabs a fry from your hand. “Why would I want to be with Lily?” It’s not that he doesn’t want to hang out with Lily, it’s just that you could’ve asked about Sirius or Remus or even Frank.

“I mean, you like her, don’t you?” you say, voice quivering. Afraid of the answer.

“She’s a nice girl.” It’s not a no. You’re crushed. You nod your head like you’re unsurprised.

A forced smile makes its way onto your lips. “You two would look good together,” you say, hushed.

His brow quirks. “What? No.” It comes out a little sharp, and he immediately softens. “No, it’s not like that. Sorry.”

“Oh.” You hate yourself for it, but you feel your body immediately relax in relief.

Now he’s the uneasy one. His fingers are tapping on the steering wheel and he’s clearly purposely avoiding your gaze.

“Listen—“

“—I’m sorry,” you cut him off. “Sorry, you first.”

The car comes to a stop at some dark parking lot. James turns to face you. “What are you apologising for?”

Even you’re not too sure. It’s a mix of a few things; Lily, forcing him to stay with you, your anxiety, interrupting him, even. A general apology for your.. you-ness.

“All this. I just want you to be happy, James. I’m really sorry for always making you do this. Comfort me whenever I’m overwhelmed like that.”

He blinks. “I’m happy when I’m with you, sweetheart. Why don’t you understand that I enjoy doing this? I love when we escape from those dumb gatherings and do shit like this. I love it. I love you, damn it.”

Your heart drops. No, it stops. He had to be drunk. He was driving under the influence, surely. A crime. That’s a felony. Your head was absolutely spinning.

You don’t know what to do but stare blankly at him as his face asks you to just say something.

“What?”

“I love you! I don’t even know where you got that whole Lily thing. I love you! It’s always been you!”

Well, shit.

You lower your voice to a whisper. “So do something about it, Potter.”

And he does.

[nimcoconut]

obsessed with post first war wolfstar and remus. need a long fic detailing prisoner of azkaban from remus' pov. need remus haunted by his friends' ghosts, sirius' escape and break ins, the months of agonising, FINALLY reuniting with sirius. this is where the money is people.

[lilacsbeeswax]

happy birthday to your account!! for your writing event, can I please have Lilies 🌺 with work song by hozier and sirius black? thank you🖤

Work Song

Part of my 2 year milestone event!

MASTERLIST

——-

Boys, workin' on empty

Is that the kinda way to face the burning heat?

I just think about my baby

I'm so full of love I could barely eat

Work, work, and work Sirius swore these days it’s all that he did. Back when his dream of running his own tattoo shop was nothing but that he had had no idea what it would entail.

For the past week, he had been clogged with appointments. So many people had wanted custom tattoos, so he was drawing constantly. Then, it came to actually doing the pre booked tattoos which could take hours. As well as, walk ins that paid well, but took just as much time. Even when sharing the work load with James it was hard. Remus was out on vacation meaning Sirius had to take over bookkeeping and running the business. He swore he’d never have to do math, but there he was doing basic algebra at 8 am.

In short, Sirius was absolutely swamped. He had even been sleeping (albeit only a few hours) at the shop. His overfull mind only becoming more painful in the hours away from her.

Her. His only paradise. His pretty baby. The only girl for him.

He got small tastes of Y/n throughout the day, but it didn’t satiate his desire for her. Everyday at 11:30 am, she would bring him lunch during her break at her own job. She could be doing anything else, but she wanted to spend her rest time on him. Sirius loved it so much he felt sick. Often, he would be thinking about her so much that he wouldn’t be able to eat. He was unable to stomach the sweetness that he felt he never deserved.

There's nothing sweeter than my baby

I'd never want once from the cherry tree

'Cause my baby's sweet as can be

She give me toothaches just from kissin' me

Sirius walked into the apartment on Saturday night exhausted. Y/n called out to him, “Siri? Is that you?”

He didn’t respond quietly slipping off his shoes and coat. She turned the corner, running up to him and nearly sliding on the laminate floor. She wrapped her arms around him, placing her forehead on his.

“Hey baby,” Sirius sighed. “I missed you.”

She leaned away and smiled at him. That sweet smile that made him feel like he was going to faint. “I missed you more!”

Sirius moved to brush a thumb against her lips relishing in everything about her, before his gently pulled her into a kiss. It was soft and sweet and if he didn’t know better, Sirius would suspect he was going into cardiac arrest.

Boys, when my baby found me

I was three days on a drunken sin

I woke with her walls around me

Nothin' in her room but an empty crib

And I was burnin' up a fever

I didn't care much how long I lived

But I swear I thought I dreamed her

She never asked me once about the wrong I did

Y/n and Sirius had met many years ago, back when he was a self-described man whore and carried way too much trauma to hold on his own.

He had been a mess. Drinking constantly, using, and not being able to hold a stable job. Despite all of his problems, she had pulled him up and out of it.

Sirius had lost yet another job the day he had started that fateful drunken binge. Maybe, it was the cheap vodka or the combination of it and the weed, but he had called her.

When she arrived at his place after a very concerning phone call, you had found him on the floor half dead. From then on she never stopped taking care of him. She never asked what really happened.

My babe would never fret none

About what my hands and my body done

If the Lord don't forgive me

I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me

When I was kissing on my baby

And she put her love down soft and sweet

In the low lamplight I was free

Heaven and hell were words to me

Y/n and Sirius got ready for bed and laid down on their soft shared mattress for the first time in what felt like weeks.

She ran her fingers over his scarred up arms and chest. She kissed his lips, while caressing the marred skin. Sirius pulled away and kissed down her neck, nipping at all of the places he knew she liked. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her smiling under the dim lamp light.

“Fucking hell, you’re heaven.” He chuckled, saying a word between every soft peck of her neck.

“I could say the same about you, Siri.” She giggled, pulling him close to her, not planning on letting go anytime soon.

When my time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth

No grave can hold my body down

I'll crawl home to her

Lying there wrapped around the love of his life, Sirius couldn’t help but smile, knowing no one and nothing could take him away from his baby.

MASTERLIST

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

So I'm actively watching Supernatural and I can't stop thinking about the boys as hunters.

Roman and Remus are like Sam and Dean, brothers and incredibly stupid for each other. Going to Hell, coming back, punching the Devil in the face because why not. They may not have the best lifestyle but they have each other and really, what else do you need? They handle.. everything. Someone give them a nice hunt. Please.

Virgil got into the life accidentally but fully protected himself as quick as possible. I'm talking tattoos of every protective symbol and phrase that you can think of and he knows plenty of them. He doesn't keep many people close and he has the most run-ins with demons.

Logan didn't believe in monsters at first but he had a Bobby incident happen and lost someone close to him. That's what made him get as practical as he could with his defense and his offense. He deals the most often with ghosts and spirits and he's perfectly comfortable with that.

Patton is the type of hunter where you look at him and think he's completely normal, but then you show up expecting him to be useless and he's the most badass person you've ever met. He's the vampire hunter because of course he ends up being one. He's the cheery "what a nice hunt! Who wants some dinner?" guy. I love him.

Janus tracks down more unusual creatures, got into it because it was a family business. He speaks a whole cacophony of different languages and will not hesitate to start speaking German in the middle of nowhere if he doesn't like the person he's talking to. He

They all as a group culminate in a badass "oh my god stop almost dying" "STOP TRYING TO SUMMON THE DEVIL" "can we have one nice day" "thanks for the tip" group ever. And I don't even think they hunt together. I think they're all in different states, occasionally travelling, and then they call each other for tips. Every once in a while, they send out a "might need help with this one" text and everyone shows up because you can't let a hunter go alone like that.

Dukexiety, Logince, and Moceit are my thoughts here. Remus and Virgil have a weird amount of demon knowledge between the two of them and they use it, Logan and Roman are definitely in love but refuse to admit it and it's "just casual" (it's not), Janus and Patton are basically married.

— 👑

D E V O U R I N G this I fucking L O V E this S O fucking much oml P E A S E!!! I seriously adore all of their roles they D E S E R V E to be a badass team!!! Also I'm cackling at the thought of part of the group being surrounded by supernatural creatures and one of them sends a text to a groupchat and not even 3 seconds later a van pulls up with everyone else XD

[starshower1215]

AOT/SNK Veterans: Academic Headcannons (but Marauders-style/vibes!)

This is from an ongoing idea I had and a post I saw saying that the veterans are just AOT's version of the Marauders Era. It's for that 5% crossover in both fandoms.

Levi Ackerman is the Remus Lupin when it comes to playing pranks on the school. He lived the thug life (ATYD reference), he knows the ins and outs of not getting caught.

Hange Zoë is a bit Sirius Black. She actively searches for ways to prank, unlike Levi, and whenever he has the slightest idea, she is all over it, filling in the details and making the actual plans.

She loves to blow things up in classes and lectures, too. She has a streak for mischief.

Erwin Smith has James Potter's heroic streak, but Remus' study habits. He and Levi always pretend not to be amused by Hange and Mike Zacharias' prank ideas, but they find themselves participating for some unknown reason anyway.

Unfortunately, most Marauders content doesn't go into detail with Peter, because a lot of people hate Peter (young Peter is so innocent, though). Mike is now Peter Pettigrew because he sniffs and Peter is a rat (I just did them so dirty, I'm sorry).

Now I am imagining that instead of houses, the school is just split into the Military Police, the Survey Corps, and the Garrison. I am not sure what that means, though.

All four of them are known for their smarts, because what are the Marauders if not effortlessly [and infuriatingly] intelligent? Erwin is top of the class every time, and is often seen studying and putting the work in. Mike follows soon after, despite being seen as a slacker (nobody ever seems to be able to find him studying). Levi studies like a normal human being and passes with low A's. Hange doesn't really study, but she goes out of her way to apply the knowledge outside of lectures and classes; she may not have the best exam scores, but she knows the material the best (because the school system is broken).

Erwin always looks perfectly put together; necktie done, buttoned up to the throat like a loser (jk), his hair done as it usually is. He is unerringly civil with his peers and underclassmen, and people look up to him as some sort of star student.

Levi is the same in appearance, though with his blazer thrown stylishly over his shoulders instead of worn correctly (he took Hange's). He's seen as very aloof by his peers, but not unkind. Though I imagine he did bully Erwin (not entirely seriously) when they were younger. This amused Erwin to no end. He didn't care then, but now Levi is made fun of for it.

Mike looks fashionably disheveled, but not in the way that makes it look intentional (though, it may be intentional). His tie is a little loose, top few buttons undone, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The whole charade.

Hange looks unfashionably disheveled, but as is insisted upon by my biased mind, he's still really beautiful. He's one of those people who are only ever outside with their hair up; only Levi, Erwin and Mike (their dorm mates, I suppose) have ever seen him with his hair undone. It is oddly intimate, but nice.

Each of Hange's friends carries a spare pair of glasses for her, because she always breaks her own in the strangest of ways.

For their lunch hour, the four of them routinely congregate in the same bathroom because Levi makes them all wash their hands before leaving to actually eat.

Erwin and Hange are study buddies! They like to sit in the library as a pair and Hange will quiz Erwin because he cares about studying. He likes to study with her because she always has interesting things to add on, or she might be elaborating on a piece in the textbook and helping him understand better.

Of course, they do all sit in the library together. Erwin and Hange do their studying, Mike gets bored and bothers Levi, and Levi gets annoyed as he drinks his tea and reads a book.

They stargaze as a group in their dormitory, either at the windows or on the rooftops.

They also get drunk together and stumble home laughing on the weekends or on hot summer nights.

[tortoisebore]

now that hey sharpshooter is complete...do you have any snippets or bits of the fic that didn't make it in that you would be willing to share?!

i have sooo many little deleted scenes in various phases of completion/coherence!! i’ll share them as i find them in the old drafts under this “deleted scenes” tag 💕

this one was set like a week after the end of chapter 7, when they’re all hanging out as a group for the first time since remus & sirius got together. she’s not polished or perfect by any means & i don’t really feel like editing/fixing these little deleted bits, but i hope u enjoy 🫶

Of all the places they could have gathered for weekly drinks, Sirius thought that his and James’ apartment was potentially the worst option on earth.

Remnants of the Halloween party two weekends ago were still strewn about the place—wayward confetti and candy wrappers and abandoned plastic cups sat scattered around the house, and their liquor supply hadn’t been even close to replenished yet, but alas, here they were. He and James had tried their best to create some semblance of order in the two hours they’d been given to prepare for guests, but they truly would have been dead in the water if not for Remus and Peter offering to arrive early to help move furniture back into place.

Luckily, Sirius had been so thrown for a loop with all the last-minute supercleaning that he hadn’t had time to freak out about the fact that it was both Remus’ first time over and their first group outing (or inning, he supposed) since becoming an item, which he definitely would have been doing if he’d been granted even a few minutes of silence to sit and think about it. It didn’t hit him until he opened the door after a soft, rhythmic knock and found Remus on his doorstep, donned in a particularly cozy-looking dark green sweater and that orangey brown corduroy jacket he was beginning to love, smiling brightly and tacking on a precious little “hi” that nearly made Sirius honest to god giggle.

He wasn’t allowed much time to swoon (or freak out, or maybe a rabid combination of both) before James whisked them both off to the living room and set them to work in separate corners—Remus helping unstack their armchairs from a leaning tower by the hall and Sirius fishing wayward candy wrappers from behind the TV with Pete.

Before long, it turned more into Peter worming around on the floor for trash and Sirius leaning against the wall idly, holding a bag out haphazardly and gawking across the room. Really, he shouldn’t have been expected to be productive when Remus looked like that—all soft and cozy and particularly cute with a bit of a flush on his cheeks as he and James dragged the living room furniture back into place.

“Wow, thanks so much for your help, Sirius,” Peter droned after a while, emerging from the ground with a handful of what looked like tinsel and confetti. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Sirius hummed absently and held out the trash bag. “Oh, yeah—you’re welcome, Petey, of course.”

Peter rolled his eyes and seemed on the verge of a biting comeback when James clapped across the room and interrupted.

“Well gentlemen, I think we’ve done it,” he exclaimed, grabbing at Remus’ shoulder and jostling it good-naturedly. “First round’s on me for your efforts.”

“Every round is on you, Jamie,” Sirius pointed out. “And me, if we’re being technical.”

James waved him off. “The sentiment stands. Pete—before I forget, you left all your chef shit here on Halloween.”

“Oh! I need that for class next week!” Peter gasped, and then they were scurrying off down the hall.

Once they were alone, Sirius met Remus’ eyes across the room. It was quiet for a warm, charged moment. This part still felt a bit terrifying—knowing that Remus could read him like a book, that every ounce of the bright, giddy fondness in his chest was all over his face and that he didn’t need to hide it anymore. Learning to be comfortable beneath Remus’ gaze was one thing, but learning to be comfortable being so seen, so deeply, thoroughly found out, was taking longer than he’d hoped.

The tension broke when Remus bit back a sweet little smile, nodded vaguely in the direction of the couch, and, as usual, Sirius was putty in his hands.

His stomach flipped as he pushed off the wall, gave an expectant little raise of his brows and twirled a finger in the air. “So? What do you think?” he asked, gravitating slowly in Remus’ direction as he perched on the arm of the sofa.

Remus crossed his arms and took a wide look around the room. “It’s alright,” he shrugged, but the smile pulling at his lips was soft, and something soft beneath Sirius’ ribs tugged.

He closed the distance between them, stood in the space between Remus’ legs and traced a finger up the collar of his sweater, giving into that ever-present desire to be closer, closer, closer. Remus’ fingers found his hips and pulled him in, a wayward hand wandering up to tug at his chin and pull him down for a kiss, then two, then three.

Sirius hummed appreciatively, pulling back just enough to speak. “I have a sneaking suspicion that this sort of behavior is going to get us clowned by our friends all night,” he whispered conspiratorially.

“Why’s that?”

Sirius tilted his head to the side in thought. “Because they’re horrible, evil monsters?”

“Sure,” Remus gave him, then narrowed his eyes. “Or maybe because we deserve to be bullied for making them put up with us for the last few months?”

Sirius bit back a smile. “Maybe.”

A sweet sort of silence settled in between them, broken only by the sound of James and Peter going back and forth in the other room. Sirius let himself settle in, threw an arm around Remus’ shoulders and let the other wind around one of the curls behind his ear, delighting in the barely-there flush of his cheeks and the subtle darkening of his eyes in the dingy light of the living room. This was all still so very new, so exhilarating to be able to touch him like this, to be close enough to catch every minute expression that flickered across his face, to feel his heartbeat kick and skip beneath his hands.

“Hi,” he offered after a moment.

“Hi,” Remus returned easily. “You look nice, by the way.”

Sirius snorted a laugh. “I’m wearing a giant t-shirt.”

Remus’ shoulder jumped up as he gave him a good, solid once-over. “Yeah. And you look nice.”

Sirius tugged lightly at his earlobe in retaliation. “Speaking of—where on earth have you been hiding this absolute gem of a sweater?”

He glanced down confusedly. “My closet?”

“Oh, I’m afraid I’m going to need full and unrestricted access to that room,” Sirius sighed gravely. He let his thumb trail down the soft, thick collar of the sweater, brushed it lightly against the delightfully warm skin of Remus’ neck as he swallowed.

“And by full, unrestricted access, do you mean permission to take whatever you want?” he asked after a moment, fingers twitching against Sirius’ hip absently.

Sirius tutted. “No, of course not. I’m thinking of you, see—it’s in your best interest to pull things like this out more frequently.”

“How so?”

“Because,” Sirius whispered conspiratorially, “I’m going to have a very, very difficult time keeping my hands off of you in this color. Really, Remus—it’s a crime that I haven’t seen this before now.”

“You’re ridiculous,” he smiled, shook his head exasperatedly and pulled Sirius in by the chin again, kissed him once, twice, and lingered close.

Sirius took a moment to commit him to memory—the green sweater, the flicker of his pulse against his palm, the pink flush highlighting the faded freckles dusted across his cheekbones and the way the light hit his eyes, danced across the rings of amber in the middle and made them glow.

“When do you leave tomorrow?” he asked eventually. It took Remus a hot second to absorb the question, eyes flicking back up from where they’d been parked somewhere near Sirius’ mouth.

“The bus leaves for Connecticut at ten,” he answered distractedly. Sirius felt sneaky, wayward fingers tripping up his back beneath his oversized, worn t-shirt, tracing figure eights to the dip of his spine and leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Sirius hummed. “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

Remus’ lips pulled up in a smile, and he’d just begun nodding eagerly when a gasp from the hall broke them out of the moment.

“Aww,” James cooed exaggeratedly as he crossed the room to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway to wipe away a plethora of fake tears. “Look how sweet you two are!”

Sirius threw him the finger and rolled his eyes, fixing Remus with a pointed “told you,” and extracting himself reluctantly from his arms. There’d be plenty of time for that later, he thought—precious, uninterrupted time to do as much staring and giggling and whispering as they wanted.

It became very immediately apparent that whatever level of teasing Sirius had been expecting was a gross underestimate.

“One time, at the library—” Dorcas gushed over her empty cup soon after arriving, reaching out to grasp Lily’s shoulder from an armchair next to the couch and just barely avoiding tipping over the bottle of cheap wine Pete had left on the end table. “We all met up to work on that essay, remember? And I mentioned Sirius’ name once—” she held up a finger exaggeratedly, “one singular time, and Remus nearly bolted from the building. Like, fully, truly went mute and tried to sprint out of the room because I said his name once.”

“No,” Remus huffed from his spot next to Sirius on the couch, crossing his arms indignantly and attempting to hide what Sirius considered a frankly adorable blush. “That is absolutely not what happened. You lured me there under the guise of needing help on your papers and then you both ganged up on me. It was an ambush.”

“Oh, he was so nervous,” Lily laughed like he hadn’t spoken at all. “Poor little guy. I almost felt bad.”

“Wait, I’ve got one! What about that night at the bar in Brighton a few weeks ago?” Marlene chimed. She pointed an accusing finger at Sirius across the coffee table. “You stared at him like a maniac and then threw a hissy fit when I tried to talk to you about it!”

“It was not a hissy fit—”

“‘Oh Marls, I think I really like him,’” she mocked in a high voice, bringing her hands to her cheeks in an exaggerated pout. “‘He’s so cute, he’s so nice, he’s everything!’”

“I did not say any of that—”

“You really did do a lot of staring,” James added. He’d been tipsy for quite some time, and somewhere beneath the slight fog in his own head, Sirius had the good sense to be a bit scared of what he might say.

“Jamie,” he warned.

“No, no—you really did!” James continued obliviously. Sirius clenched his fingers around his empty glass, ready to pounce should he try anything too humiliating. “You were so weird at the beginning, I thought you wanted to fucking kill the guy and then bam—it hit me…” He held up his hands, looking up at the ceiling in awe. “You weren’t being an asshole because you hated him, you were being an asshole because you liked him!”

“I think we should leave, actually,” Sirius said, tugging at Remus’ arm. “Now’s a great time to leave—”

“Wait, wait,” Remus pulled him back. “I want to hear this one.”

“No, no—Jamie, please—”

“We had a whole fight about it, Remus,” James implored, leaning forward in his chair and attempting to straighten his glasses. “When you first came to Lil’s for drinks that one time, I had to drag that idiot into the kitchen and threaten to tell you he liked you myself if he didn’t straighten himself out.”

“I can’t fucking do this,” Sirius grumbled, sinking down into the couch and flinging his arms over his face. “I’m done, I’m dead, I can’t.”

“Shh,” Remus shushed him—the traitor—nudging his side pointedly.

“And then,” James continued, the big bumbling idiot, “he gives me all this grief—pouts and whines about it, and then he goes out and talks to you for twenty minutes and comes back inside giggling and kicking his feet. Twenty minutes—that’s all it took. Really, I take credit for this,” he gestured between them. “If I hadn’t told you to play nice, you’d still be doing the old cold shoulder thing.”

“They probably would have managed it a lot sooner if you hadn’t intervened that time at that little ice rink, James,” Lily scolded good naturedly, and they were off on a tangent again.

Sirius hoped James’ little anecdote wouldn’t worm itself too deeply into Remus’ lovely, tipsy brain, and when the group eventually stopped teasing the two of them and the night continued on without a hitch, he thought he was in the clear. But later, after everyone had left and they’d retreated to Sirius’ room, while Remus was having a little snoop around and Sirius was watching from the bed, he brought it up again.

“Hey,” he said out of the blue, leaning back against the desk where he’d been observing the photos on the wall, “Were you actually being weird with me when we first met because you liked me?”

Sirius groaned, threw himself back onto the bed and covered his eyes. “No, please. Don’t do this—”

“You told me on Halloween that you were nervous.”

“I was!”

“But were you nervous because you liked me?”

Sirius peeked out between his fingers and found Remus smiling, a smug, teasing little thing that made something deep in his gut kick in interest. He huffed indignantly and sat up, staring at the ceiling in protest.

“I was…” he started, searching his brain for the right word, “intriguing by you. I thought you were adorable—fucking sue me.”

Remus ducked his head and laughed, and despite all his pouting, Sirius smiled reluctantly.

“Well,” he sighed, pushed off of the desk and moseyed across the room leisurely. He stopped at the foot of the bed, held his hands out and hauled Sirius up when he took them, lacing their fingers together and swinging them idly. “To be honest, that makes me feel a lot better.”

“Why?”

“I really did think you hated me,” he said, shaking his head fondly. “Like really, really hated me. I thought our mutual interest in ABBA was what changed your mind.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “ABBA did not change anything.” He bit at the inside of his lip, watched a sweet little smile tug at the corner of Remus’ mouth and felt his heart skip in his chest. “I liked you before that, and I liked you even more after that.”

“So ABBA did save me,” Remus grinned, and god, Sirius adored him so much he sort of felt like he was choking on it, so he reached up, threw his arms around his shoulders and held on tight.

“No, ABBA saved me,” he urged, pressed a kiss to Remus’ jaw and suppressed a shiver at the feel of fingers trailing up his spine. “I had no fucking idea how to talk to you—you really threw me off there for a second.”

“How?” Remus laughed. “How the hell did I throw you off your game that bad?”

“You were so cute,” Sirius gushed, pulling back just enough to pout at him. “I didn’t know what to do!”

“How do you think I felt?” Remus urged amusedly. “It’s a miracle I’ve been able to get more than three words out of my mouth the entire time I’ve known you.”

Sirius sighed, melted into Remus’ arms and pressed the side of his face to his chest. “We were idiots, weren’t we?”

“Yeah,” Remus sighed. He tightened his hold on his waist, looped his arms around his back and nuzzled into his hair. “I think we really were.”

“At least we sort of have our shit together now, right?”

“Sort of,” Remus agreed. “Maybe not completely, but better than we did then.”

[cosmal]

sorry

summary — james teaches you rugby. the a&e on a friday is really loud.

content — super short this is old. james potter x fem!reader. reader gets mildly hurt. mentions of blood and broken nose.

A&E is really loud on a Friday night, James has realised. He’s really not surprised, he’s surrounded by drunk people with split eyebrows and crying children with fever’s. It’s loud and doesn’t help with the guilt making his throat feel dry.

He stands at your knees where you sit in one of the only empty chairs. Slumped down until your neck cranes awkwardly where you have it pressed up against the wall behind you.

A handful of tissue held to your face, quickly turning red, but not as fast as the first and second bunch you had held there. Your face is marred with blood, a blossom of purple bruising starts to spread over the bridge of your nose already.

James had thought it had been a good idea to teach you the ins and outs of a rugby game. It was going well until he thought you could try to tackle.

Just run at me, James. I can take it.

You could take it, James just suddenly didn’t know how to tackle. He’d tried to be extra careful, avoiding any bruisable areas. He’d elbowed you right in the nose.

“Sorry,” he says when you sit your head up with a groan.

He’d said sorry when he sat up off you. The entire way to his car, the entire trip to the hospital and all the way to the emergency department. Each time you’d told him to stop because it was an accident. With a softness of course.

You glare at him over your hand, “James,” you say, a little stuffed up, “please.”

“Okay,” he rambles, “right. Sorry.” He cringes when you start to frown.

You swap the hand that’s holding the tissue and wince as you do so. James feels the urge to keep apologising tenfold. If he thought it’d make the situation any better, he might.

“Do you want me to hold the tissues for you?” he worries.

“I’m okay.”

“Do you want fresh ones?”

“It’s alright.”

James doubles down, huffing a congested sigh. He feels the overwhelming urge to do whatever he can to make you comfortable.

“Do you want to punch me in the face?” he asks a little too seriously for your liking.

You laugh and regret it. “In the middle of A&E?”

“So you do?” he snorts, trying his best to pretend to be offended. He’d let you smack him in the face twice if it made you feel better.

Despite your face being covered by a dirtied hand, he can tell your brandishing a demure smile. “No.”

“You sure?”

You pretend to consider it. “Let’s get some painkillers into me first.”

“Deal.”

On cue, your name gets called from the lady at reception. You’re a little drowsy by the time you leave the hospital and completely forget about the promise of punching your boyfriend in the face.

Though, Sirius wants to do it on your behalf when he finds out. Remus has to talk him out of it.

[calmlyerratic]

Encounters of the Future Sort

Chapter 3: The Calm Before the Storm

by @calmlyerratic

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Ch Summary: AU time travel. The Marauders run into Harry.

James' eyes began darting back and forth between Remus, Sirius, and Peter, his mouth slightly ajar.

"Prongs? You all right?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

He felt Remus' gentle hand on his shoulder. "Er—Sirius, I don't think that's James…"

ch wc: 2.7k — rating: T — cw: none

Read Chapter 1 | full Summary & Chapter Index

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Remus' POV

Gryffindor Tower

with Sirius and Peter

April 1st, 1996

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"I think I have banana in my ear," Sirius complained, trying to dig it out with his finger. "A lot of help Prongs was, slippery git."

Sirius, Remus, and Peter had emerged from the battle against Peeves quite scathed, each supporting the stench of dung and the remains of rotted fruit on their clothing. And lodged in their extremities.

"Probably got caught up begging to sign another autograph," Peter huffed, putting a finger to his nose and blowing a chunk of rotted pear out one nostril.

Remus chuckled somewhat manically. "Good one, Wormtail."

The three boys had reached Gryffindor tower and the portrait of the fat lady gazed down upon them.

"Fortis leo," Sirius sighed, wiping his pulpy wand off on his robes. He ran a hand through his hair that usually fell around his face like elegant, dark curtains, but was currently coated in sticky, slimy muck. "Ucckk—I really need a shower."

"You aren't the first to try those words today," the fat lady replied stoically.

Remus groaned. "It isn't fortis leo? Bollocks, I missed last week's Prefect meeting—what is it then?"

The fat lady looked affronted. "You think I'm going to tell you?"

Remus tapped his shiny badge in obvious authority. "I'm a Prefect."

Although, it was his first year with the title and the ins and outs of it were quite grey. He really just wanted a nice hot bath and a nap.

"Are you?" she raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were the new Gryffindor House Prefects."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance.

"Weasley?" Remus racked his brain. "Like…Arthur Weasley?"

"Yes, I believe that is his father," the fat lady answered.

Sirius shook his head, amused. "Arthur Weasley left Hogwarts a few years ago, he can't have a son that's a fifth year. Are you feeling all right, sweet lady?"

When Sirius really wanted something, he put on his devilish charms. How someone could be so positively persuasive covered head to toe in dung and rotten fruit, Remus wasn't sure.

The fat lady analyzed them for a moment. "You know, you three look familiar…"

Sirius smiled a dashing smile. "Of course we do—we live beyond your great protection, fair lady."

Remus glanced sideways at him and ever so slightly cocked an eyebrow that said, you're laying it on a little thick.

However, the fat lady blushed, quite flattered, adjusted her pink silk dress and cleared her throat. "Hmm, yes…you do remind me of someone—"

Before she could finish her thought, the portrait hole creaked open and a group of Gryffindors spilled into the corridor.

"Merlin bless," Remus mumbled as the three boys clambered inside.

Peter scanned the cozy common room. "Hmm, no sign of Prongs…"

"Probably already showered and is off chatting up Evans…" Sirius grumbled, disappearing up the spiral stairs to the boys' dormitories.

Remus shrugged at Peter, really not prioritizing this at the moment, and followed Sirius upstairs.

"Whoa, since when have you been so keen on the Chudley Cannons, Wormy?" Sirius laughed, examining Peter's bedpost.

Remus was tired. And quite hungry. Flaming orange quidditch teams meant nothing to him—he was more of a reader. So, when he approached his bed and all of his current reading material wasn't where he left it on the bedside table, his gut wrenched.

"Where are my books?"

"What's that?" Sirius asked, removing his black wizard robes and leaving them in a dark heap on the floor.

"My books…they're not here."

"I dunno, Moony." Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe the elves have been in to tidy?"

"No," Remus shook his head. "They never move my books."

"I'm really more concerned about the taste of dung in my mouth," Sirius wrinkled his nose unpleasantly. "I heavily advise you not to kiss me right now."

"Duly noted," Remus rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, what the hell is this?" Sirius opened his bedside drawer where he kept his toothbrush and it overflowed with chocolate frog cards. "Are these yours, Wormtail?"

"No, I gave all mine to my cousin last year." Peter frowned.

Sirius held a card up and it shimmered in the light spilling in from the window. "Huh."

"Er…I don't remember hanging these." Peter gazed around at his vibrant bedpost flair.

"Moony," Sirius drew his handsome eyebrows together, "something isn't right…"

Remus was exhausted, covered in pulpy fruit, he had missed lunch, the full moon was three days away, and his books were missing. It was a recipe for disaster. Not to mention the lingering uneasiness from the exploding cauldron that morning…

"Moony?" Sirius pried softly, sensing the calm before the storm. "What do you reckon?"

Remus ran a finger up and down the long scar trailing across his nose. "I reckon I need a shower and a snack, before I can reckon."

"Okay, Moony." Sirius nodded calmly, (almost irritatingly so, in Remus' opinion)."You go ahead, Wormy and I will wait."

Remus opened the trunk at the foot of his bed, hoping to find a change of clothes, but quickly realized that it was not actually his trunk at all. He closed it again with a great *SNAP* that made Peter jump and resolved to scorgify his disgusting clothes clean.

However, there was a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach that even a hot shower couldn't wash away.

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Hermione

Hogwarts Corridors

with Ginny and James

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"Isn't she loveee-ly,"

Hermione glanced sideways at Harry, who was moving his head to an imaginary tune. A tune confusingly indicating his romantic interest towards Lily Evans, no less. She hadn't quite made sense of it all yet, but if it was dark magic it probably wasn't logical anyway. The key with dark magic was to catch it quickly, so the sooner they got to Madam Pomfrey, the better.

"Where is Evans again?" Harry asked, tousling his messy raven hair very uncharacteristically.

"Erm, s-she's in the hospital wing."

Hermione glanced nervously around. The last thing they needed today was to run into a member of the inquisitorial squad, or worse...

"Wait—the hospital wing?" Harry stopped short. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine," Ginny reassured, pulling him firmly along the corridor stairs. "I think she, er, needed a calming draught. Pre-exam stress, you know?

Harry nodded, knitting his brow. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense..."

Hermione had been wondering if it would happen—if Harry would give way under the enormous pressure he'd been under. So much had happened in the last few weeks, and she knew he felt responsible for a lot of it. The DA had been caught, Dumbledore had been sacked, and Umbridge was now Headmistress. Not to mention their rapidly approaching O.W.L's. This overwhelming sequence of events had Hermione just as on edge as everyone else, hanging on to a thread of what little peace of mind she had left.

"Isn't she woonderfuul—"

Hermione needed a calming draught too. Or a perhaps a large butterbeer.

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Remus

Boys Dormitories

with Sirius and Peter

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"Moony…you have to see this."

Remus emerged from the loo to Sirius and Peter sitting on what should be James' bed—but was discerningly not—hovering over a leather-bound picture album.

"Do I?" Remus muttered.

A blast of hot air shot out of his wand, which he pointed at his hair like a blow drier. He shuddered from the sudden warmth, feeling quite sleepy.

"Still grumpy, but at least you smell nice," Sirius winked.

"Pushing your luck, Padfoot."

"Look," Peter was wide-eyed. He held up the album and pointed to a photo. "It's us."

Remus crossed the dorm and narrowed his eyes. It was a photo of the four Marauders: they had their arms around each other's shoulders and were laughing.

But, there was something strange...they looked more mature. Sirius was taller than James, wherein now they were the same height. And was that—

"Lily?" Remus knit his brow. "Is she—"

"Snogging Prongs," Sirius shook his head solemnly. "Never thought I'd see the day. Wait 'til you see the one of their wedding…"

Peter flipped through the album. Sure enough, Sirius was right. James was wearing black dress robes and Lily was all in white.

Remus met Sirius' lovely silver eyes in accusation. "You aren't pulling my leg?"

Sirius shook his head sincerely.

"I wish I was. I think we may have unwittingly entered apocalyptic times, Moony." He got to his feet. "Don't spontaneously combust while I'm gone—if the sun goes black, take shelter!"

Remus ignored him as he disappeared into the loo. "Pete, where did you find this?"

"It was here," Peter pointed to James' bed. "Just laying here!"

Peter looked up and around the ceiling like it had fallen from the heavens.

"Do you…d'you think it's really us? It looks just like us."

"I dunno, Pete." Remus breathed out, massaging his eyes. He should be angry, but he was too tired. "Let me think for a moment…"

Remus laid down on his bed. Or was it even his bed? He didn't know anymore. The facts were outweighing the speculation at this point. He really had been looking forward to a quiet Saturday afternoon of reading—not cleaning up after another one of James and Sirius' barmy excursions.

That bloody cauldron…

"So, darling Moony," Sirius flopped onto the bed beside him, jolting him from a nap he must've slipped into. "I know you have some sort of, ah—reasonable revelation? Let's hear it."

Remus rolled onto his back and stared at the celling. He took a deep breath.

Factual, Remus, he told himself. Be factual. Maybe it's not as bad as it seems…

"Well, for one, that kid who called James 'Harry'." Remus held up a finger. "For another, I could have sworn I knew the password—I thought we used it just this morning after breakfast?"

"Yeah we did," Peter nodded anxiously, pulling at a loose thread on the sleeve of his robes.

"The fat lady didn't recognize us…" Remus continued, decidedly not vocalizing that she thought Arthur Weasley's son was the fifth year Prefect and she didn't seem to know who any of them were.

"And the weather also, not to mention I don't like the Cannons—and the photo album?"

"He's getting there, Wormy." Sirius was watching Remus like he was a tornado forming and there was a wind advisory.

Peter held up a photo of himself in a bowler hat with a feather sticking out of it. "I don't wear bloody bowler hats."

Yup, Remus breathed out. This was bad.

Peter looked back and forth between Sirius and Remus. "Is no one else concerned about this? This isn't even our dorm!"

"We're all very concerned, Wormtail." Sirius rolled his eyes, quite downplaying the whole situation in obvious guilt. He was a master blame shifter.

"I think…" Remus chewed on his lip. His stomach grumbled loudly. "I think I need food before I implode on myself like a dying star."

"As you know," Sirius smiled dashingly, like the wind of storm Moony had begun and he was encouraging them all to take shelter. "I'm quite versed in the language of the stars. I concur—to the kitchens! But first, Wormtail, you bloody reek."

Peter put a hand to his mousy hair, caked with rotten fruit pulp, and grimaced. "Right…"

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James

Hospital Wing

with Hermione and Ginny

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Hermione, Ginny, and James approached a large stone unicorn fountain that marked the entrance to the hospital wing.

"Wait here Har—I mean James," Ginny winked, red pony-tail blazing behind her as the two girls left him just inside the Infirmary entrance.

James was nervous. He hoped Lily was here because of exam nerves and not relating to the exploding cauldron from this morning...

"I trust there is a good reason for this intrusion?" he overheard Madam Pomfrey say. She was spooning some disgusting looking green liquid into a glass which she handed to her patient.

"Yes...er, well, it's Harry…" Hermione motioned over to James, who pretended to busy himself tying his shoe. "He's not, erm, feeling himself."

"That's no surprise, poor soul, having to deal with so much..." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "A calming draught should set him straight."

"Well, you see," Ginny began awkwardly. She glanced around and lowered her voice. "He, er, thinks he's his father..."

My father? James thought. What are they on about?

"Hey, I don't see Evans here," James called. This prank was getting a bit odd. "Tell her I'll catch up with her later, yeah? I still need to find Sirius, Remus, and Peter."

Madam Pomfrey clutched her heart. She bustled over, grabbed James's arm and led him to a vacant bed. "Sit, dear boy."

"Oh-okay?" James sat and Hermione and Ginny peered at him anxiously.

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand silently over his face and chest.

"What are you doing?" James knit his brow.

She finished her incantations and lit the tip of her wand, shining it into his eyes.

"Pupils are dilating..." she murmured. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Is this part of the prank too?" He asked Hermione and Ginny. "Persistent, I'll give you that. Bringing Madam Pomfrey in on it, really next level—"

"Answer the question please, dear." Madam Pomfrey prompted firmly.

"Yeah, okay." James shook his head, a bit annoyed at being cornered by the strict matron. "My name—it's James Potter."

Madam Pomfrey stifled a gasp but gathered herself quickly. "A-and what year is it?"

"It's April 1st, 1976."

"Harry..." Hermione sat at the foot of his bed with imploring eyes. "It's April 1st, 1996."

"Ohh, so not a parallel dimension? Time travel, is it?" James cocked an eyebrow, leaning backwards onto the bed and running a hand through his already tousled hair.

Madam Pomfrey clasped a hand over her mouth as she watched him, like he had suddenly gone spectral. She turned very seriously to Hermione and Ginny.

"There's no sign of injury or traces of dark magic," Madam Pomfrey assured, like James wasn't sitting right there. "There is some quantity of magical residue...but that's not an entirely uncommon substance, especially when emotions are high."

"Magical residue?" James puzzled. She must be referring to what Remus had sensed in the Room of Requirement. "I'm confused—"

Madam Pomfrey gently set her hand on his forearm.

"We know, dear. Let me fix you a calming draught and you'll feel right as rain." She squeezed his arm and disappeared into her office.

James waited until she was out of earshot, then turned to Hermione and Ginny.

"Look, I respect your dedication but this is kind of becoming a drag."

He jumped to his feet and waved a hand in farewell, with a disarming smile.

"Peeves is at large and I'm a deserter, so...nice to meet you both, I appreciate your time, and see you around!"

Hermione and Ginny stared blankly after him, mouths slightly agape, as he jogged through the large wooden infirmary doors and out of their sights.

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Sirius

Corridors

with Remus and Peter

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"D'you think Hermione'll let me copy off the essay Snape set us?"

"Probably not. Worth a go though…"

Remus, Sirius and Peter were in a dim corridor in the dungeons, just outside the kitchens, as they overheard these two unfamiliar voices.

"Hmm wonder who that is? I hardly ever see anyone down here," Sirius mused. Tickling the pear in the painting outside the kitchens was a bit of a coveted secret.

Two boys about the Marauder's age turned the corner. One had red hair and was quite tall and lanky; the other had spectacles and jet-black hair that stuck up in the back—

"Oi! Prongs!" Sirirus shouted.

The two new boys came to a sudden halt and laid very wide eyes upon the three Marauders. The red head, who had a mouthful of sweets, was gaping so widely that crumbs fell to the floor.

"Where the hell did you go off to, then?" Sirius rounded on James. "We had to fend Peeves off by ourselves! Luckily he found some first years to go after…"

James appeared frozen to the spot. He was looking at Sirius like he didn't believe he was real.

"Prongs?" Sirius took a step towards him.

The red haired boy had turned chalk-white. He took a step backwards as Sirius encroached, tugged at James' robes, and swallowed hard.

"Harry…have I gone mad or a-are y-you seeing this too—?"

James' eyes began darting back and forth between Remus, Sirius, and Peter, his mouth slightly ajar.

"Prongs? You all right?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

He felt Remus' gentle hand on his shoulder. "Er—Sirius, I don't think that's James…"

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Read chapter 4 here.

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Notes: So sorry to leave you all here! Next chapter starts off quite a bit more seriously with an interesting point of view…then gets lighter with some more banter and shenanigans, don't worry :)

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