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#like. think about it. remus & sirius interacting with longing glances across the room
starsyearn · 30 days
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thinking about wolfstar post-war and i’m actually crying (is that really a surprise to anyone at this point)
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rainydayathogwarts · 1 month
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The beginning - Remus x Potter!Reader
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How I imagine remus and potter!reader first got together as part of my remus and potter!reader secret relationship au! find more about them in my marauder masterlist warnings: talk of sex, interrupted kissing, nosey sirius and marlene. 0.8k wc
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It had been wrong of Remus to look at you that way, and even worse to think of you that way, especially when your brother - one of his closest friends - sat to his right, legs spread wide enough for their knees to lightly touch. However, he couldn't help it. Not when you'd giggled with Lily, throwing your head back to take a shot because of Sirius's statement 'Never have I ever had sex in a public setting.' James had made a disgusted sound, looking away from his sister, still completely innocent in his eyes. Remus's eyes had widened, gaze connecting with yours across the circle of friends as you wiped your bottom lip with your thumb, sucking on it lightly to drink up the rest of the alcohol. He raised an eyebrow at you when you winked at him, turning away to ask the next question.
Sure, Remus's long lasting crush on you had always raised thoughts in his mind, like what kissing you would feel like or if you'd hold his hand underneath the desk during classes. But the reality of you being in someone's arms as they made you cum where anyone could walk in made his thighs want to clench, an open door of perverted thoughts flooding his mind. He only prayed that James didn't notice the way he cleared his throat, eyes tearing away from you when crossed your arms over your midriff, pushing your tits together to create more cleavage. Sirius met his eyes then, a playful smirk on his face that had Remus's heart dropping in fear of being discovered.
"I'm going to grab a butterbeer." You'd called out, hands bracing themselves on the couch behind you so you could push yourself up to your feet. Blindly, Remus felt himself following you, freezing to ask the protective boy next to him "Want anything Prongs?" But your brother had only shook his head, eyes of his own stuck on his girlfriend. At the make-shift bar, you'd popped open two butterbeers before holding the bottle opener in the air for Remus to take. "Sorry." he muttered when his fingers grazed over yours. You turned your body towards him, mumbling "Have I got you flustered over there Rem?" His heart jumped at the nickname, goosebumps forming along his skin when you lifted an arm to rest on his lean bicep. "Sorry, I just didn't think- didn't think you'd be the type to... well, you know."
He turned to face you after opening his own bottle, looking down to find your hands empty. He placed his own bottle on the table next to yours, taking a deep breath. "Why? Think about me having sex a lot, do you?" Remus gulped at your words, glancing over to where James sat, beckoning Lily over to sit next to him. She, however, was looking directly at your interaction. When Remus looked back at you, a smile was tugging at the corner of your lips, and he had almost forgotten that you'd asked a question. "I think about a lot more than just sex with you." Both your eyes widened in shock at Remus's confession, and it only then became clear to him that he might have had too much to drink.
Your smile had turned into a full Cheshire cat's grin, and you took a step closer to the taller boy, intertwining your fingers with his. "That's good, because I think about you too. You know, sex and all." Remus laughed as you slapped a hand over your mouth, a horrified look taking over your features. "Oh my god. Remus I am so sorr-" But your words were cut off when he cupped your cheek, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to your lips. When he pulled away, you unanimously turned towards the fireplace where all your friends sat, making sure none of them had seen your exchange.
Sighing a breath of relief, you grabbed Remus's hand, rushing to lead him out of the common room and into the dark hallway where you finally pressed him against the stone wall, pushing yourself onto your tippy toes so you could give him a proper kiss, which he gladly returned, hands wandering below your hips to grab your ass, and using his grip to pull you impossibly closer to him. "Wow, that is one intense kiss." The teasing voice had you separating yourself from Remus with large steps backwards as he stayed leaning against the wall, his jaw slack. Sirius and Marlene stood with identical poses; hands on their hips and smirks on their faces. "Yeah, if you were wondering, the sole purpose of us coming out here was to spy on you." Added Marlene, holding her hand out, which Sirius immediately high-fived.
"Don't tell my brother!"
"Don't tell James!"
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theemporium · 1 year
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the golden retriever and black cat was soooo cute, could you do part 2 please?
thank you for requesting!🖤
part one
.
“Does my hair look okay?” 
“Yes.” 
“And my outfit?” 
“Also yes.” 
“What about—”
“Fucking hell,” James let out a long groan as he fell back onto his bed, shoving his face into his pillow. “You have already asked me three times!”
“Well, now I’m asking you a fourth time!” Sirius snapped back. “Are you sure I look okay?”
“You look perfect, mate, she’s gonna think the same,” James told him, his voice a little more sincere this time as he lifted his head up. “Now go before she thinks you stood her up.” 
Sirius frowned as he glanced over at the clock, noticing the time and letting out a panicked ‘shit’ under his breath before he reached for his jacket and bolted out the room with James’ laughter following him down the stairs.
It had taken Sirius asking a handful of different students to pinch him on his way back to Gryffindor Tower to realise that he hadn’t, in fact, dreamt up the interaction with you. It had taken James literally slapping him across the face to prove he was awake for him to realise the date planned with you tonight was also very real. 
He had spent the rest of the day spiralling over every little detail you could have possibly managed, and it often resulted in either Remus or Lily having to talk him down from an edge when he got too panicked. 
And now he was racing towards the Three Broomsticks with a bouquet of flowers in his hand, eager and determined to reach the pub at least fifteen minutes early so he could grab a good seat and be ready for when you arrived. 
However, Sirius didn’t think you would have the same idea as he burst through the door, only to see you already seated in a booth with a somewhat smug look on your face.
“You’re early,” Sirius muttered, his shoulders falling as he made his way towards the table you were sitting at.
“Is that a problem?” you asked with your brows raised. 
“No, no!” Sirius quickly exclaimed, his cheeks flushed a light pink and it was no longer due to the fact he ran from the castle. “I just…I wanted to be here so I could pull out your chair and stuff.” 
“Lucky for you, you can’t really do that in booths,” you teased lightly before patting the spot next to you. 
Sirius quickly slid in, flashing you a sheepish smile as he held the flowers out for you. “Here. These are for you.” 
You blinked. “Oh.”
Sirius’ face fell. “You don’t like them.” 
“No, I—” you stared at the flowers with an odd expression before looking up at him. “I’ve just…never had someone give me flowers before.”
“Well, baby, you gotta get used to it with me,” he said with a widespread grin on his face. “Coffees aren’t the only deliveries you gotta prepare for.”
“You’re confident this will go well,” you noted, watching the way Sirius’ arm fell onto the back of the booth with his fingers brushing against your shoulder, but you chose not to point it out.
“I’ve charmed you this far, love, I reckon a few hours with me and you’ll be smitten,” he answered with a sure nod of his head. 
“Smitten?” you repeated, your lips twitching up a little.
“Downright besotted,” Sirius confirmed. 
“If you say so, handsome,” you murmured, biting back your own smile when you watched his cheeks flush at the nickname. 
“I could get used to hearing you call me that,” he muttered with a wolfish grin. And something about it made your stomach twist, in a good way. In a way that made you want to keep that smile on his face.
.
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after all - plus size lily x james!
title: after all
pair: james potter x plus size! lily evans
summary: lily never thought that a person like james could be sincere when asking someone like her out.
content: uhh idk what to put here but lily has anxiety/body image issues
word count: 2500
a/n: hiii everyone this is my first piece of writing on this account :)) i posted this headcanon on my tiktok a while back and people really wanted me to write about it, so i did! feedback is always welcome.
other characters/ships mentioned: dorlene, wolfstar, mary macdonald, marlene mckinnon, remus lupin, sirius black, minerva mcgonagal
_
“Oi, Evans, wait!”
Lily groaned as the bespectacled boy jogged towards her. Not this again she thought to herself. Despite her less than happy expression, James smiled kindly towards her. She nodded to him hoping that he would carry on and say whatever he had approached her for.
“Would you want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?” Lily noticed that he was fumbling with his sleeve as he asked, and could tell that he was nervous. His anxiousness made her feel a bit bad about what she was to say next.
“James I-” She started, her lips pursing into a frown, but James already knew what she was going to say.
James smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck with his hand. “It’s no worries,” Lily avoided eye contact with him, as he began to walk away. “Just let me know if you change your mind.” James said as he continued down the corridor.
-
“Lily, I honestly don’t know what you’re on about. James asks you out every chance he gets,” Marlene said, glaring at the redhead as she plopped down onto her bed, “you just never accept his offers.”
Lily looked to Mary for help, but had little luck as Mary silently agreed with Marlene. The three had just come back from dinner and were painting each other’s nails.
“Why are we even talking about this, Mary was asking you about Dorcas. What does that have to do with James and I?” Lily pulled her hand away from Mary, smudging the nail that Mary was painting.
“So you agree that there is something going on between you and James?” Mary questioned, ignoring the fact that Lily had ruined the work that she had been doing for the last twenty minutes. Marlene laughed, noticing the flush on Lily’s face.
“We all saw you two today before potions, don’t be coy!” Marlene egged on. Lily got up from her position on the floor, rolling her eyes while doing so.
“I don’t know how many times that I have to tell you that James isn’t into me. Neither of you will ever get it. A guy like him wouldn’t want to date someone like me.” Mary glanced at Marlene, the air in the room starting to become a bit tense. Lily cleared her throat, hoping that neither of the girls across from her would press further.
Mary and Marlene were not unfamiliar to Lily’s harsh demeanor. At this point, they knew Lily like the back of their hands. They knew what she meant when she said “someone like me”. It was far too often the two consoled Lily when she cried to them about a cruel comment that someone had made to her about her weight.
Although Lily had been dealing with these comments all throughout her sixteen years of life, her insecurities only grew as she became a teenager. It was quite difficult for her to not compare herself to her thinner classmates, regardless of how much it hurt to think about.
“You are beautiful Lils,” Lily looked at Mary as she spoke, awaiting the rest of her sentence, but was met without any other words.
Marlene and Mary’s affection towards her was something that Lily had to get used to at first. Lily had never been comfortable with people complimenting her physical appearance because of the conditions that usually accompanied the compliment.
Nearly every compliment that Lily could remember was backhanded, until she had met her two best friends. Whether it was her aunt congratulating her on losing some amount of weight or the uncomfortable, “You’re pretty for a big girl.” Regardless of how hard she tried, the comments about her body never seemed to cease.
“Mary is right, Lily, you are stunning. You don’t have to go on a date with James, but give him some credit. He’s not a total arse.” Marlene said, trying to deescalate the situation.
Lily nodded, but even their kind words couldn’t soothe her anxiety. She looked toward the clock on her side table and noticed the time.
“I have to go. Head Girl duties call.” Lily quickly grabbed the robe on her bed, bringing it along in case she got cold while making her rounds. Marlene and Mary flashed sympathetic smiles at the redhead as she left the dorm, knowing she would have to go face James.
-
Surprisingly, James was waiting for her when Lily reached the bottom of the steps. Lily held back a laugh, noticing him struggling to attach his “Head Boy” pin onto his uniform. You would think someone as smart as James could figure out a simple pin.
“Let me help you,” Lily said, breaking James out of his deep concentration. He looked at her with appreciation before handing the gold pin her way.
Lily tugged the front of his robes slightly before attaching the pin onto it. She hummed in satisfaction before pulling away from him. As she pulled away she noticed James was staring at her quite intensely.
Lily flushed as they made eye contact. She couldn’t deny that James was attractive, but she didn’t let herself dwell on it.
“We should probably get going, I don’t want to be out all night.” Lily stated firmly starting to head out into the corridor, James following close behind her.
As the two walked around the castle, Lily distanced herself from James. She honestly did not want to deal with any awkward conversation. At this point, she had brushed James off far too many times to count, and it made her unbelievably anxious to have to do it again.
Just as they had turned the corner towards the middle courtyard, the pair heard a loud boom near the transfiguration classroom.
“Oh great, just what I need right now,” Lily thought to herself as she and James headed into the classroom. Just as they walked into the room, the door shut behind them quite forcefully. There had seemed to be no one in the room besides the two of them. The brunet grabbed the handle of the door quickly, realizing that it was stuck.
“You don’t happen to have your wand… do you?” The boy looked towards Lily with a concerned look on his face.
Lily patted the pocket of her robe before realizing that this was in fact not her robes, but rather Marlene’s. She huffed out a breath of air. “You would think I would notice the size difference” Lily silently cursed at herself before looking towards a confused James.
“This isn’t my robe, I must have grabbed Marlene’s before I left. Why don’t you have your wand? Kind of irresponsible, no?” Lily scolded, hoping that he was messing with her about not having his wand. After her conversation with Marlene and Mary, Lily was not feeling her best, and it became very apparent to James as she bit her nails anxiously.
“Hey, you also forgot your wand, but you don’t see me complaining.” James was joking, but when he looked at Lily once more, he noticed that her eyes were watering. “I’m just kidding, Lily, are you alright?”
Lily frowned at the brunet’s apology, she couldn’t stand him acting like he cared so deeply for her. The two were barely even acquaintances, and she didn’t feel like explaining all of her anxiety quirks to someone she hardly knew.
“Please don’t do that. Don’t act like you care.” Lily said forcefully, meeting eyes with the brown-eyed boy. The two had now moved away from the door and were sitting on the floor near the wall opposite to the door.
Once more, James looked at the redhead in confusion. He racked his brain to think about every interaction he had with Lily that day, before it dawned on him.
“Is this about me asking you out? I never meant to make you uncomfortable- you see I thought Hogsmeade could even be a group thing. Remus and Sirius would also come- wait I guess they’re a couple, but it doesn’t have to be a double date… you could bring Mary-” James went on, his cheeks a soft pink, before Lily cut him off.
“Listen, James, I don’t know if you get some sort of kick out of asking me out, but whatever angle you’re playing at I’d rather not be a part of it,” Lily was visibly distraught now, her jaw was clenched and a single tear was rolling down her cheek. For what felt like the hundredth time, James looked to her in genuine confusion.
James had nothing to say, and as he stared at her mouth ajar, she started up again.
“You could have at least picked a better joke. Asking out the fat girl is so overdone. I didn’t think that you of all people would be so awful,”
Lily was really crying now. “Marlene told me that you were sweeter than before, and I really gave you the benefit of the doubt...but here we are and you’re still laughing at me!” Lily didn’t mean to blow up at James, but at this point they had been stuck in the classroom for what had felt like hours.
Lily wrapped her arms around herself, her head hanging down. She knew that James was staring at her, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. Maybe now he’ll leave me alone.
Both of the Gryffindors were quiet for a long minute before James decided to break the silence.
“Lily, I don’t know what I’ve said to make you think that I’m joking, but I promise you I’m not. I get it if you don’t want to go out with me, but I just need you to know that I would never ask you out as a joke. Why would you think that?”
Lily finally pulled her head up and looked at James. His brow was furrowed and the expression on his face was unreadable. She took a breath, calming herself down.
“What do you mean, James? I mean look at me.”
There it was. That feeling. It was unavoidable at this point. All of the insecurity that Lily had shoved down was threatening to spill out. It was infrequent that Lily really confronted her self-image, but her conversation with James forced everything to surface.
James could almost see the gears in Lily’s head turning, it was very obvious that she was thinking hard about something. He sighed, not wanting to press her further.
“Lily, I don’t know what happened to make you think that I was joking, but I would truly be honored to take you out.” James said cautiously. He couldn’t tell if this would upset her further. Lily was looking at him in speculation, but at some point she had stopped crying.
She was looking at him, not speaking, almost as if to tell him to keep going. For months she had thought James was playing some cruel prank on her, but they were alone now. There wasn’t some audience to laugh at her if she told James how she felt. And even if he was joking, the pair were by themselves, and Lily could deny accepting James' invitation for a date to anyone that James would tell.
As she looked at him, she noticed that James genuinely seemed horrified at her accusation against him. If she wasn’t completely sure that James was being sincere, she would not have said another word, but for whatever reason, Lily trusted James.
“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Lily was sorry, “I don’t know what it is. There’s just something about someone like you wanting to go out with someone like me that seems… off.”
James frowned. He wasn’t oblivious to what Lily was talking about, but he really couldn’t understand why Lily was insecure. There weren't enough words to describe the beauty that Lily emitted.
“Lily, you’re the smartest person I know-”
“That’s what everyone says, James.” Lily laughed softly, watching James squirm at her words. She knew that he was nervous, but it was funny to see him care so much.
“Oh, so you do want me to be mean to you?” James’ tone was serious, but there was a lighthearted look in his eyes.
Lily rolled her eyes, “Haha, very funny. I don’t even think you could be mean to me. I think the last time I saw someone this nervous was when Marlene tried out for quidditch during second year.” The two laughed, James nudging Lily with his arm playfully.
As their laughter died down, James remarked, “Enough with the jokes, though. You’re actually the most beautiful person I’ve ever met,” Even after he was met with a glare from Lily, he continued. “You’ve been crying and you still look lovely, Lily.”
Lily sighed. First Mary and Marlene, now him? Lily felt embarrassed, but James was still staring at her, and adoringly at that. The soft rouge tint that marked his cheeks was still prominent.
“Well, you’re cute when you’re nervous,” Lily retorted, smiling as James flushed a deeper shade of red, “But I’m sure you get that often.”
James hummed, “Blimey, I don’t think anyone has seen me as nervous as I am right now, honest.” Lily apologized once more for assuming the worst in him.
The two small talked for a long while after that, simply basking in each other’s presence. James learned about Lily’s family, and Lily learned about what it was like at the Potter’s residence. Something about their dynamic felt natural.
Their conversation was halted as someone opened the door. There, standing in pajamas, was a distraught looking Mary and an annoyed Professor Mcgonagall.
Mary started, “There you are! You were gone for nearly two hours. After a while, I thought I should go check on you.”
“That’s enough, Ms. Macdonald,” Professor Mcgonagall said, “What were you two even doing in here?”
Before Lily could start to explain, James cut her off. “We were making our rounds down the corridor, when there was a loud noise coming from the classroom. When we walked in here, the door was jammed and neither of us had our wands.”
Mcgonagall looked skeptical at their story, but decided not to press the issue any further. With a gesture of her hand, the three Gryffindors started walking towards the common room.
Mary immediately went up to bed, exhausted from worrying about her best friend. Meanwhile, James and Lily had to have a quick word with Mcgonagall.
The Professor commented briskly, “Next time, please make sure you have your wand on you. You two are Head Boy and Girl after all.” Noting the nod of approval from the two teenagers, Mcgonagall went off to bed.
The pair walked into the common room, both exhausted. In spite of their tiredness, the two were radiant.
“Goodnight, Lily. I hope you sleep well.” Lily smiled, mumbling a quiet, “Goodnight James,” as she made her way up the dormitory steps.
As Lily settled into bed, she thought to herself, Maybe James would get that date after all.
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simplylupin · 3 years
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Remus wears a skirt
In which Remus shows up in a skirt and Sirius just about loses his mind.  Requested by an anonymous :) 
(I didn’t proof read this so sorry if it’s terrible)
Sirius Black’s favourite thing about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry wasn’t the life changing classes, not the stunning mountains surrounding the school, not the teachers that put up with him, or even the feasts in the Great Hall. No, Sirius’ favourite thing about Hogwarts was the parties. It didn’t matter what the party was for, who it was for, if it was themed or not. The blaring music, the laughter, the outfits, the drinks, everything about the parties held in the Gryffindor common rooms appealed to him massively. Maybe it was because his parents would never approve of him being there, or because he enjoyed the social interaction, either way if there was a party, he’d be there. Which is why he found himself slumped on the sofa, drink in hand, on a Saturday night. 
Sirius wasn’t entirely sure whose party it was or what it was for (maybe a birthday?) but he intended to take advantage of it. He’d already played three rounds of a peculiar drinking game some 7th year had made up, and persuaded the entire room to allow him to play some Queen. He’d danced for a while -- mostly with James -- but had soon reclined to the sofa after James trod on his foot for the fifth time. The boy was now talking to Lily on the other side of the room, grinning manically every time she payed him any attention whatsoever. 
He took another sip of his drink (unfortunately just water), scanning across the room. His eyes landed on the door for the hundredth time that night and he sighed. Remus had reassured him that he’d be at the party as soon as he’d finished studying, but really, who could study for three hours straight? Stretching his aching limbs, Sirius stood, weaving through the mass of people towards James. 
“Alright?” James greeted, smiling at Sirius. Sirius wondered if he could physically not smile. 
“Fine,” he replied. “Think I’m going to head up.”
James stared at him like he’d just admitted to killing a man and disposing his body into the Black Lake. “What? Sirius Black, leaving a party early?”
He shrugged. “Remus still isn’t here.”
“I’m sure your boyfriend’s fine.”
A loud whistling sound pierced over the music, but Sirius ignored it, glaring slightly at James.
“I know,” he said, “Just want to know where he ran off to.”
James’ eyes had focused on something behind him, his smile stretching so far Sirius worried it would split his face in too. He lifted his arm, pointing.
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” he laughed, and Sirius turned. 
He immediately spotted the face he’d been looking for all evening, the mass of golden curls, and smiled softly. Remus was bundled in a knitted red jumper, one that curled over his hands like mittens. It was just about the cutest sight ever. And then he saw what his boyfriend was wearing paired with it, and his mouth dropped open. A black skater skirt hugged tight around his waist, stopping just above the knees. The red jumper was half tucked in, half falling in front, and Sirius couldn’t understand how someone could look so adorable and so hot at the same time. James was laughing behind him and Sirius gave him a quick scowl, before hurriedly making his way to Remus. He wrapped his arms around his waist as he approached, burying his face into Remus’ neck. Remus jumped, but quickly relaxed into the embrace, leaning backwards into him. Sirius placed a kiss onto his collar bone and smiled when he felt Remus shiver.
“Good evening,” Remus said, twisting out of Sirius’ embrace to face him instead. Sirius huffed, exhaling loudly.
“What in Merlin’s name are you wearing?” he said breathily.
Remus frowned, looking down at his outfit. “You don’t like it?”
“Don’t like it?” Sirius looked at him incredulously. “Remus...I...you...you look hot as fuck.”
“Oh,” was all Remus said, turning a furious shade of red. 
“Where did you get it?” he continued, winding his arm around his neck.
“Marlene. She has so many to choose from, it took so long to pick one.”
Sirius laughed, bumping their noses. “Studying my arse,” he said.
“I was studying! It just took a lot longer to pick a skirt than original thought...”
“Well you picked well,” Sirius said, giving the outfit another appreciative glance.
Raising an eyebrow, Remus pulled away a little. “You really like it?”
“You’re fucking adorable,” Sirius reassured, nodding furiously.
“You just said I looked hot.”
“You can be both.” He pressed their lips together, into a slow kiss, marvelling at Remus’ flushed face when they pulled apart. “And you can really pull it off.”
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fruitcoops · 3 years
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If you're still taking requests, could you do one where someone is making Remus really uncomfortable and someone from the team helps him out? (Preferably Sirius, Leo, Logan, James, or Dumo but everything you do is so good so it really doen't matter 😂❣)
Yep! Please take a look at the TW below before reading, since there are parts of this that are a bit intense. SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!
Combined with protective Sirius and Leo/ Loops friendship!
TW for a super creepy guy, unwanted handholding, unwanted flirting/ not taking no for an answer, innuendo, moderate panic attack, and alcohol
The folding chair next to Remus creaked as a tall man in a perfectly-tailored suit sat down hard in it. He was clearly a drink or two past tipsy, and something in Remus’ throat itched at the way the man’s eyes flickered across his chest and arms. “You’re Lupin, right? The new Lion?”
Remus set his drink down. “That’s me.”
“Stan Martin, nice to meet you.” Stan held his hand out and Remus shook it; his palm was clammy, and he held on just a second too long. Remus was the first to pull away after he felt a light squeeze from wrinkled fingers.
“Pleasure’s mine,” Remus said with a polite smile. Sirius was nowhere in sight, and everyone else was occupied in their own conversations. He swallowed hard. “Do you own a team?”
“Nah, I just fund ‘em,” Stan snorted. “Too much work otherwise, not enough time for play, if you know what I mean.”
Remus forced a laugh. “Right, yeah, totally. Are you involved with the Lions? I’m a bit new to the whole administration thing.”
“Even after being a PT for so long?” Stand gave him an incredulous look, but beneath it there was a shadow Remus didn’t like.
“Yep. I was pretty contained to my tape pallets and charts.” Joke it off, Lupin.
A hand, heavy from alcohol and lack of inhibitions, fell on Remus’ forearm with a few clumsy pats before settling on his wrist. Stan looked directly into his eyes. “If you ever need someone to, ah, show you the ropes, give me a call.”
Remus cleared his throat and tried to pull his arm away, but the hand didn’t budge. “I don’t think that will be necessary, but thank you for the offer.”
“No, really. The NHL is a complicated world. I’d be more than happy to take some of that weight off your shoulders.” Stan leaned closer and Remus tensed as his eyes roved his face. “Your freckles are much more striking in real life, Lupin.”
“Please let go of my arm, Mr. Martin.”
“Call me Stan.”
“Let go of me, Martin.”
An awful little grin spread over his thin lips. “You’re a spitfire, aren’t you? Too much for Captain Solitude, I bet.”
He jerked his head to the side of the room, where Remus saw Sirius making polite conversation with a woman in a long dress. A spike of fury bubbled up. “Are you talking about my fiancé?”
“Easy, tiger, I’m just saying—” He hiccupped and Remus tried to pull away, but Stan’s grip tightened by a fraction. “—I’m just saying, you could do better with someone who knows how to handle you.”
“I can handle myself just fine. If you don’t stop talking shit about my fiancé, I’ll—”
“What? You’ll do what?” Stan leered at him and Remus paused to shove down his nausea. “You know, you were much prettier before you tried to be like the rest of these jocks.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“I’m just being honest,” Stan huffed, never releasing Remus’ arm from his hold. Remus could feel his shoulders starting to shake. “You’ve got those cute little cheekbones. Very delicate, like—almost feminine. Those training regimens they put you on ruined it, in my opinion. Look, Lupin, when you get tired of tall, dark, and boring over there, gimme a call and you can be pretty aga—”
“What’s going on over here?” a falsely bright voice cut in. The chair on Remus’ other side clicked at its joints as Leo sat down, looking between them with icy eyes. “Am I missing out on all the fun?”
“Hey, Knutty,” Remus managed, wincing as his voice cracked. Stan leaned back in his chair and Remus quickly yanked his arm away, tangling his fingers together.
“Lupin and I were just having a chat,” Stan said, glancing back down at Remus’ lap until he tucked his hands under his thighs. “Nothing big and important.”
Leo’s knee pressed against his own. “Sirius was looking for you a minute ago.”
Stan’s jaw tightened. “What, we can’t finish our conversation?”
“No.” Remus channeled all his roiling discomfort and the urge to knock the creep’s teeth in as he stood up. “No, this conversation has been done for a while. Have a nice night, Mr. Martin.”
Leo’s arm was steady across his shoulders as they walked away; Remus’ vision tunneled, sparkling black at the sides. “Are you gonna be alright?” Leo asked under his breath, his accent soothing. Remus nodded. “You’re shaking, Re.”
“No, I’m not.” He grabbed a plastic cup of water off a nearby tray and nearly sloshed it all over himself. “Jesus fucking—”
“Re.” He could feel his teeth starting to chatter and sweat rolled down the too-tight collar of his shirt. Leo’s hand closed loosely around his own and took the cup. “C’mon.”
“Sirius was looking for me,” he protested as Leo led him down a side hall.
Leo shrugged. “Probably.”
“…he didn’t talk to you.”
“Nope.”
“You came to get me anyway.”
“Yep.”
The clog in Remus’ chest grew and he nearly tripped over his own feet. “Thanks, Knutty.”
A sharp puff of air cooled his burning face. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”
“I tried to leave.” The words tangled around his tongue as Leo pushed open the bathroom door and led him to the sinks, dampening some paper towels. “I—fuck, Leo, I’m stronger than him but he was holding my arm so tight and I was so fucking freaked.”
“Easy, Re.” Leo sounded like he was trying to calm a spooked horse.
The towels were a balm in Remus’ hands and on his face as he pressed them over his mouth to muffle the wheezing noises. “I’d rather be called a slur to my face than have that happen again.”
The gentle circles on his back stopped for a second. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He shook his head. “I don’t—no. I just wanna go home.”
“Deep breaths.” Leo handed him a new towel to blow his nose, then pulled his phone out.
“Has anyone told you that you’re a kickass friend?”
A weak smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, but his face was still troubled. “Once or twice.”
Remus’ lungs were tight with a mix of fear and disgust; he felt a little like he wanted to throw up, and while Leo’s hand on his back was an anchor to the world, the rest of him screamed ‘don’t touch me’.
Barely two minutes later, the bathroom door swung open. “Honey? What happened?”
“Holy shit,” Remus managed as gray eyes swam into his field of view. Sirius. Sirius meant safety. Reality zoomed back at double speed and the dam broke—tears poured down his cheeks as his whole body began to shake again. “Holy shit.”
Sirius shushed him softly, pulling him close with a kiss to the top of his head. “D’accord, mon loup, je t’ai.”
“I love you,” Remus sobbed. The fabric of Sirius’ suit was probably wrinkling under his tight grip, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “I love you so much for exactly who you are, okay? Don’t ever doubt that.”
“I know.” Confusion edged his voice, but he kept it low and gentle. Remus loved him for it, wildly. The door creaked as Leo left, and then there was silence.
He finally pulled his face out of Sirius’ chest, kissing his jaw, cheek, and lips before resting his forehead in the curve of his neck. “Thank you.”
Sirius’ hands eased through the curls above his ears as he cupped Remus’ face in his hands. “What happened, Re?”
Remus shook his head as revulsion rose again. “There was this creep and he wouldn’t let me go. Said some shitty stuff.”
“He was homophobic?” An angry furrow appeared between Sirius’ brows.
“I wish.” Stan’s words rang in his ears and made his mouth bitter with shame. Remus closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see Sirius’ face during his confession. “He, uh—he propositioned me. Kind of.”
“He what?”
“I didn’t catch on until he already had my arm.” Remus sniffled, pressing the heel of his hand below his eye to stem the tears. “He followed it up with some bullshit about you, and then some bullshit about me, and just wouldn’t shut up. I just froze. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, mon amour.” Sirius’ touch was so gentle on him, warm and broad compared to the crushing discomfort of Stan Martin. His hands were heavy, but they let Remus move however he liked.
“I love you,” Remus said again.
“I love you, too. Are you ready to go home?”
“I need a minute.” He rubbed his face against the soft lapels of Sirius’ jacket, desperate for comfort around the guilt wedged in his chest; his next words spilled out before he could choke them down again. “You still like me, right?”
“I love you so much—”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. You—am I still nice to look at? Now that I’m not, y’know, pretty and kinda twink-y.” There was a long stretch of silence. “Is that a yes?”
“Sorry, I had to take a second and stop myself from putting that fucking idiot through a table.” Sirius took a step back and met Remus’ eyes, fixing him with a hard look. “First of all, I love everything about you, and you will always be the most beautiful man on earth. Second, your muscles are the hottest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen. Third, you’ve never been—what word did you use?”
“Twink-y. It’s like…delicate. Femme. Etcetera, etcetera.”
More anger sparked in Sirius’ eyes. “Yeah, and you’ve never been delicate. You are the strongest person I know, Re. Whatever he said to you, it wasn’t true.”
“Can we go home now?”
“Absolutely.”
The ballroom was still crowded with high-end management and people Remus never wanted to see again when they finally left the bathroom; thankfully, the throngs of sparkles and dark suits made it easy for them to slip away with minimal human interaction. Stan Martin was over by the water cups, dabbing uselessly at a large wine stain across the front of his crisp white shirt—Remus saw Leo watching him like a hawk with a suspiciously empty wineglass in his hand and internally vowed to give him the biggest hug of his life at the next practice.
Remus slowed down to take in the fresh nighttime air, holding Sirius’ hand tight in his own as they crossed the parking lot. He paused at the passenger door and tugged him in for a slow kiss. “I love you,” he mumbled, breathing in the scent of his shampoo and cologne.
Sirius’ arms wrapped around him and Remus melted into the hug. He felt him trembling slightly, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t from the chilly breeze. “You are the best part of my life, Re,” he whispered, his voice thick. “The best part, no matter what. I’m so sorry for what happened tonight.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It wasn’t yours, either.” Sirius kissed the top of his forehead once before giving him a squeeze and going to the other side of the car. “I’m sure Hattie will agree with me once we’re home.”
Two hours, one hot shower, and thirty minutes of puppy cuddles later, Remus curled up against Sirius’ ribs and felt his chest rise and fall under his palm. “I love you,” he said quietly.
Sirius let out a slow breath and entwined their fingers, kissing the inside of his wrist. “Love you more.”
“Love you most.”
“Impossible.”
He could hear Sirius’ smile, even in the darkness of their bedroom, and fell asleep to the steady sound of his heartbeat.
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embrassemoi · 3 years
Text
Surrounded by the Moon and Stars ✷ 33
Pairings: Sirius B, F!Reader, Remus L   Warnings: Swearing, unhealthy defence mechanisms
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Chapter 33: Betray The Moon as Acolyte
━━━━━━━━━༻☽༺━━━━━━━━━
September 8th, 1976
Remus peered up to the night sky, resplendent with a coruscating kaleidoscope of stars and the full moon. He yawned, acutely aware of his bones shifting, aching and cracking. Resting on a small cot pressed against the wall in the corner of the shrieking shack, Remus felt his temperature rise and skin stretch too thinly across his body.
“I’ll be back once the sun rises, dearie,” Madam Pomfrey called out, the door millimetres from locking shut.
“Wait,” he said and Madam Pomfrey re-opened the door with a warm, motherly smile.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For always helping, I know it can be… tiresome.”
How long has it been? That Pomfrey had been helping him out, every full moon — had known of his affliction and been there to assist? It was years now, countless hours of her time wasted on him.
Was he that much of a burden? The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, that made his face pucker and heart lacerate itself in fresh wounds.
“Don’t concern yourself with me, honey.” Then the door clicked shut and he heard her utter a spell; to confine the beast within the four walls.
The tormenting plague increased every minute as the countdown to his transformation loomed. His heart thudded stridently and his breathing was ragged and strained. His teeth grinded against each other and his tongue swept across them, feeling them elongate and reshape in preparation.
Remus grabbed the hem of his jumper, exasperated by the overwhelming heat and because he didn’t want to shred it in the process. As he slipped out, feeling the adored red fabric, tattered with holes and frayed yarn in his hands, the door opened and he could already smell Peter and James. Subconsciously, he shielded his body from them, to avoid them from seeing all of his scars.
Remus became dizzy instantly. James wore a particularly strong perfume that day.
More than anything, over the pain and hint of repugnance, he was nervous. It would be the first full moon since… the prank that the Marauders would be together for his transformations. Or all the Marauders aside from one and nobody wanted to address it.
A sharp pain thundered through his skull and he knew time was slipping from him. Remus couldn’t recall the last time the moments before his transformation were that painful.
“You okay, Moons?” Wormtail asked, dropping down beside him. Prongs followed in suit, taking his sweater and folding it neatly.
“I’m fine — umph —”
“Shit! Prongs, get back and turn. Now!”
━━━━━━━━━༻☽༺━━━━━━━━━
After a week of lessons, there were considerable adjustments to the curriculum. Everyone noticed and it quickly dispersed a sombre milieu on all of Hogwarts.
Classes were smaller, many parents deciding to transfer their children to other magical schools around the world. Y/N even received a few worried letters from Matthew that there was an abundance of new British students attending Ilvermorny.
In his worried letters, Matthew informed her that the MACUSA and French Ministry of Magic had been stepping in, fighting forces against the wizarding war. It was all news to her. Ever since James’ parents cancelled their subscription to the Daily Prophet after their beliefs that they were biased, she hadn’t been able to catch up.
More defence and attack spells were taught and everyone became well aware of why someone of Professor Elway’s reputation and skill was there. The same went for the Duelling re-opening and even Flitwick initiated small tutorial sessions for students of all grades to teach them defensive spells.
Defence Against the Dark Arts became nothing more than a Muggle military camp. Elway drilled the students; attack and defence spell after the other, never stopping for a second. Transfigurations focused more on concealment and vanishing charm and every day McGonagall looked as if she aged a decade by the solemn, haunted look that nowadays was permanently carved into her.
Herbology went over a vast majority of life-saving plants, herbs and how to make their own medicine. And Potions heavily focused on identifying spiked potions with poisons and how to create reversal serums in case of emergencies.
The students of Hogwarts weren’t brainless. They knew they were training them for war.
She tried to ignore it, but if anything Y/N felt foolish. The magical world was meant to be an escape, not a guardhouse.
It didn’t help that the murders from the summer played heavily in her mind along with the rumours of Voldemort recruiting students from Hogwarts, prompting a spike of distrust to spread rampantly. It wasn’t time to fight or lose people but to keep those you trusted and loved close. So Lily keeping her distance had her worried.
Sorted into the same dorm as last year, she reckoned she would have some time with Lily but every day it seemed like she was busy with prefect duties, or had homework, or reading, or a new study group she needed to rush off to. She and Lily hadn’t resumed their usual nightly routines either, hadn’t sat with her in the Great Hall since the welcome back feast and hadn’t said more than a word to her.
It was evident that Lily was avoiding her and only her.
Maybe Y/N had gotten clingy, got too close too hastily because it felt too similar to how her mother treated her. It caused the imminent, spine-chilling feeling of wanting to push everyone away.
Extreme distress was starting to pile up.
Luckily, James stayed a constant consistency in her life and a lot of her pent-up fears dissipated by his presence. He never ignored her, if anything he went out of his way to be nearer. Even Peter and most notably, Remus, had become part of her daily life more than ever.
It was terrifying and everything told her to run. Don’t get too close, don’t get too comfortable. But it was hard not to.
That morning, James crept up to her dorm, knocking softly as she popped out, ready for the day. He looked exhausted; his eye bags were prominent, darkened and cradled in his arm, he held Remus’ rabbit.
“To keep him company,” James explained, yawning while escorting her down the staircase, passing the rabbit over. “It was a rough night.”
It would be the first time they would try to incorporate Y/N into replacing Black and balance out James’ other priorities with Remus’ moon cycles. And unable to reschedule Quidditch try-outs to another morning and James forced to leave prematurely, she would have to step in.
But her fears skyrocketed. Were they pushing it? She was only visiting him… It wasn’t out of pity and she genuinely wanted to be there to support Remus.
“What if he doesn’t want visitors?”
James rolled his eyes. “It will be fine. He’ll appreciate it more than he’ll let on.”
But then a faint floral and citrus smell flowed through the distilled air as she took a deep breath.
“James, you smell really good... Are you wearing perfume?”
His frown transformed into a prideful simper. “Bought the same perfume as my mum. Helps when I miss her.”
She gasped. “A mama’s boy!” And then pinched his cheek.
About to step out of the portrait, James must’ve accidentally activated a prank because the moment his hand brushed against the portrait, four Muggle stereos floated above his head, blasting break-up songs on the highest volume. It rattled the walls and made their ears bleed.
“Fucking hell!” James shouted, his wand swishing around to stop the music while Y/N stuffed Remus’ rabbit inside her bag and bewitched a silencing spell around it.
“Students are sleeping!” Lily shrieked, rushing down the stairs and charmed away the stereos.
“Oi! You think we don’t know?” James retorted, a hand clutching his ear. “Emmeline…”
“Emmeline?” Lily repeated, shaking her head. “May Merlin himself save the poor girl daft enough to end up with you.”
The only enlightened that took away from the war and recent murders was Emmeline and her friends pranking and wreaking havoc like the Marauders onto James as a punishment.
He deserved it and even James agreed.
“Where are you two headed?” Lily inquired and for the first time since the train ride, she addressed Y/N head-on.
A glimmer of hope.
“Aw, finally starting to care about me, Evans?” James joked although it’s laced with uncertainty.
Y/N cut off Lily before she had the chance to speak, eager to answer her question. “It’s Remus.”
Recognition filtered through her, gaze shooting up to the large grandfather clock beside the bookshelves. Lily’s head bobbed repeatedly, pressing her lips together sympathetically. She considered James for a moment.
“Will you be back in time for lessons?” Lily then whipped her hands around. “Y’know what, forget it. I’ll take notes for… both of you.”
Y/N felt James nudge her foot, simultaneously forcing out a cough. His hand went to scratch behind his neck. “R-right. Erm, I — we appreciate it, Evans, but ugh — we have a free period this morning.”
Lily’s jaw dropped. “Oh. Sorry.”
“NO!” James said a little too loud. “I mean, no. It’s fine. Thank you.”
Y/N pursed her lips, her neck bending as her shoulders tensed while watching their interaction play out. “Alrighty, we should go. Thank you, Petals.” She interjected. Her hands spun James around as they walked out of the common room and to the hospital wing.
Both students groaned out loudly. Black was there, sitting on the ground and back pressed against the wall to the wing.
“He doesn’t want to see you,” James challenged. His feet pivoted to Black, before her hands pressed against his chest, preventing him from touching Black and starting yet another fight. “Leave it.”
His eyes flickered from her to Black. Sighing, he made a slight rearward movement and removed his glasses to rub his eyes.
“Just don’t follow us.”
They walked inside without sparing him another glance.
“Here comes the fucking sun, Moons!” James chirped, his mood altering drastically. But she staggered behind a beat.
Remus was already awake, quietly chatting to Peter. His bed curtains were half drawn and she took his rabbit from her bag, pulling it close to her chest.
His head snapped in their direction, but instead of his eyes landing on James, it went squarely to her. She smiled, eyes analyzing every ripple of expression. He didn’t seem angry. No, not at all, but stunned.
Once James realized she wasn’t by his side anymore, he turned and looped an arm over her shoulder. He whispered, “Moony won’t bite. It’s okay.”
“I wasn’t expecting you.” Remus finally said, smiling.
“Of course I’d come.” Confidence now circulated her body as she approached him, handing over his rabbit. James was delighted at his response while the rabbit nuzzled its way into the crook of Remus’ neck, tickling him. She murmured into his ear, not wanting to peer pressure him by others' wants, “You don’t mind me being here, do you? I’ll leave, no hurt feelings.”
Remus shook his head, petting his rabbit. “No, please stay.” He croaked, voice deep and tired.
“Oi!” James said, albeit quietly.
“Flirt somewhere else,” Peter added with false annoyance.
James nodded. “So, little Moony —”
“Little Moony?” Remus groaned. “What?”
“Aw,” she teased, “Is moody Moony making an appearance?”
“Did you come just to make fun of me?”
But then Peter grinned cheekily, moving to softly slap his hand down on his thigh in the same tempo as Here Comes the Sun. Y/N and James immediately caught on, ready to chagrin while Remus shook his hands in front of his face to get them to stop.
“Don’t you —“
“Here comes the sun, moody Moony —“ “Crikey.”
“Here comes the sun, and we say it’s alright!” They sang, keeping their voices to a minimum to not worsen his potential headache. They had to hold back their laughter as Peter began to replicate the horrible instrumental with his voice. James sang the loudest. “Little Moony, it’s been a long cold moon cycle.”
Madam Pomfrey poked her head from her office, ready to tell the visitors to be quieter than a mouse — or kick them out in favour of Remus’ rest but she froze. Remus was poorly attempting to cover his smile, his cheeks burning a bright red and she hadn’t seen him that happy after full moons. And after what happened last year, his happiness was all she wanted. So she sat back down, smiling to herself at the horrid sing.
“Little Moony, the smiles returning to the faces —”
“Guys!”
“Little Moony, it feels like years since it’s been here.”
━━━━━━━━━༻☽༺━━━━━━━━━
James eventually left, rushing to tryouts with Marlene with a great deal of apprehension. When the bell rang, students rushing down for breakfast, both Y/N and Peter departed momentarily to the Great Hall, grabbing a few snacks and tea Remus requested.
But the moment Peter stepped foot outside the hospital wing, it was as if any sort of energy left his body. He became sluggish, moving slowly and yawned multiple times.
“Pete, go back to him, I’ll get everything,” she implored. “Or get some rest. I can’t imagine staying up all night can be good.”
“It’s —” A yawn. “— Sorry. I’ll be fine.”
She didn’t push. They made their way around fast and exited quickly before a group of seventh and sixth years swarmed Peter. A few even greeted her, attempting to strike a conversation.
Peter sent her a dejected look, passing her the rest of the snacks and teacup.
“I’ll meet you there.”
She rushed back in record time. Black was still sitting outside the wing and she could faintly hear him muttering her name but she disregarded him wholly.
But the sight inside the hospital made her heart shatter.
Remus was haggard, dishevelled and face screwed together in pain. He tried to push himself up multiple times to reach behind his head, to his pillow. But it was futile.
The crinkling of the wrapper in her hand made her wince; it became the loudest object in the world at that moment. It forewarned Remus and she gently padded over. She sat down gently on the edge of his bed, setting down everything on the metal tray.
“Don’t push yourself — here, let me.” Remus visibly reclined into himself, covering his scarred arms with the blanket coiled by his side. But he listened without complaints as she reached behind his head, fluffing his pillow and helped him lay back down gently. “Not feeling too good?”
“Like shit.”
It became awkward fast.
“Um… Peter’s coming. Was held up with a couple of seventh years.” “You can leave if you don’t want to be here,” Remus blurted out, “I won't force you —”
“Woah there!” She felt as if she was slapped by him. The sudden change had her wheeling. “Who said you’re forcing me? You’re my Moony, no?”
He breathed out a chuckle and shifted towards her. She glanced at the tray with a few potions. What he said stuck to her.
“Do you mind if you can pour those into my tea? Thanks.” Remus croaked.
She nodded, unscrewed the cork to the vials and mixed it into the drink. The clinking sound of the spoon tapping against the porcelain cup.
“What is this?”
“Um… a mixture of powder silver and Nightshade,” grumbled Remus, trying to push himself up as she handed him the cup. “Helps with the pain and fogginess.”
Her mind was restless. “Can I ask some questions?”
His eyebrows knitted together. “Questions?”
“Y’know, about being a werewolf.”
He took a giant gulp. “Did you just skip all the Werewolf questions on the OWLs?” Remus laughed.
“I bet half of it’s false.” She admitted truthfully. “Besides, how am I supposed to help next time if I don’t know?”
Remus stayed quiet for a long time after she said that and she wondered if she pushed a boundary. But then he nodded, urging her to continue.
“Okay… so silver doesn’t hurt you, right?” She watched as Remus sip his tea before having to put it down to laugh.
“Myth.”
“So all the silver bullet stuff..?”
He gave a full-body laugh. “Myth. Sorry, not what you were expecting?”
“No,” she admitted after a bit, embarrassed. All those children's stories were false…
“Silver can’t hurt me, I don’t grow hair rapidly. I like eating rare meat; I have trouble sleeping, I don’t have curved fingernails or low-set ears. I can’t run super fast but I can see better in the dark, can hear, smell and am stronger than the average Muggle or Wizard.”
“Can you always smell or hear better? Or does it increase near the full moon?”
“It becomes stronger near the full moon and after for a while.”
“Wait… Does that mean you can smell people. Like me?!” She was appalled and crossed her arms over herself as if the action would suddenly cover any scent.
Remus barked out laughing before wincing as a dull pain shocked through his system. “You smell fine. Don’t worry.”
Her hands found their way to cover her mouth. She was mortified. “You have a way with words, Lupin.”
Remus was on the verge of tears, nearly choking on himself to prevent laughing. He endured the deep bruise on the side of his ribs digging into him but he couldn’t stop.
She slapped his arm playfully and took the now empty teacup from his hand, setting it down on the metal tray and ushered him to slide over in his bed. He doesn’t hesitate.
Y/N slid beside him, and she could feel the fluctuating rise and fall of Remus’ chest as his chuckles came to a slow halt. She took the rabbit from his lap, holding it in her arms carefully.
“Does she have a name?” She questioned, scratching behind its floppy ears. Remus chose the least threatening rabbit.
“No.”
“We should think of one then.”
Remus watched her, listening to the words pouring out. But then he cringed inwardly, reminded of his cruelty to her a couple of months ago. He wasn’t expecting her to visit and it came as a pleasant surprise. It made his heart flutter. She wasn’t scared. She hadn’t been lying that night. He was accepted.
He tuned in to her heartbeat: steady and calm. Slow.
Her words echoed in his head. I feel safe with you.
Safe.
Remus felt a whisper of a smile worm it's way onto him. As soon the realization came, the dull ache in his body subdued, the burning in his throat faded and the hollow ache in his heart filled with a golden glow. Just a bit.
━━━━━━━━━༻☽༺━━━━━━━━━
September 10th, 1976
“I’m sorry,” Black said, his eyes wide and pleading as he sat beside her in the Great Hall. She ignored him.
“I need to explain, please,” Black begged in a hushed voice while she searched the library’s premises for Regulus. She ignored him yet again.
“Tesoro mio,” Black flirted, both sitting in the common room as she added notes in the werewolf section in her textbook. His new tactic caught her off guard but she prevailed, getting up and leaving.
“Talk to me,” Black whined. “Please.” She ignored him, continuing to walk to class calmly and held her head high. She just left the hospital wing and Black was trailing her.
But he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a nearby broom closet and closed the door.
“Get off of me!” She nearly screamed. Thankfully, he was smart enough to keep a healthy distance away. She kept her hands balled into a fist, preventing herself from taking one of the dust brooms and smashing it on his head.
“Sorry! But you won’t talk to me any other way!”
Darkness enclosed them, only the light seeping through the cracks of the old wooden door illuminated Black as every ounce of restrengthen was pushed to the edge.
A flurry of apologies fell from his lips but she wouldn’t have it. Simply looking bored at her nails and tapping her foot against the ground.
“I know you’re mad — you have every right to be! I get that, I understand.”
“Then leave me alone?” She jeered sarcastically, handing grazing the doorknob.
“Wait! Please, just hear me out — let me explain —”
“Explain what?” She lashed out through gritted teeth. “You should count your stars that you don’t have an attempted murder charge.”
Her heart thumped rather fast and would have been distressing had she not been controlled by anger. Everything was overshadowed by a grim penumbra sweeping over them, closing in on her and Black and it wasn’t because of the lack of light in the dingy closet.
She was revolted by him. Sick of seeing his sad face, moping around the hospital wing or looking at her or the other Marauders in yearning.
“Do you think I’ll care about what you want to say?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Apology not accepted, dipshit.”
His head bowed. “I deserved that.” “You think?”
“It’s just that —”
Her temper spiked to the highest level and her hand drifted to her back pocket and grazed the tip of her wand.
“I —”
Something in her snap. “Shut up. Shut up! Stop trying to defend yourself! Stop it! I don’t want to hear it!”
Black was visibly shutting down. “Please, just calm down…”
And then everything poured out.
“Calm down? Calm down?! I gave — I put my trust in you and you immediately ran with it, breaking it twice and then broke everyone else’s! How am I supposed to talk to you like everything’s okay? I get that you don’t like me, that you don’t like Snape, but really? What do you not understand?!”
He was nodding his head, taking it, never once trying to defend himself. His head hung similar to a child being scolded, hands curled around himself.
“You must have never cared for them.”
Black went oddly still. “That's a bold lie and you know that.”
“Do I?” She ridiculed. “Do you want to know the funny part? I was starting to care for you. Apparently, you never did.”
“That’s not true.”
There, a flicker of rage. Finally a reaction other than pathetic regret and guilt. Something cold crept into his eyes, hardening and entirely stormy and silver, reminding her of last year where they constantly fought. But then, it was washed away with a blink.
“I was nothing but a toy to you!”
“Y/N...”
“You. Never. Cared. About —”
“Stop it! Of course I —”
“— Me. Or. The. Other —”
“— fucking cared —”
“— Marauders —” “ — about you!”
Her eyes stung with bitter unshed, frustrated tears and her throat burned, constricting together. Emotions she hadn’t taken a moment to consider hit her within seconds and everything was too overwhelming.
The material of her shirt suddenly turned itchy. Her skin was too tight and she felt herself rock back and forth in a way to calm down.
For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer as it fell silent but she struck a nerve.
“Stop saying that!” He shouted. Now not breaking her stare and took a step forward.
“You’re fucking selfish. You betrayed them.” A step forward.
“You only cared about yourself.” Black shook his head. Another step forward.
“If you ever cared about me — about anyone else you’ve hurt — you wouldn’t have done… that.” A step forward.
They were the closest they had been in months. Their breaths were laboured and ragged. Being that close to him raised all the hairs on her neck in a way she used to love but now hated herself for.
The very notion made her nauseous. Disgusted.
She missed him. Truly. It was such a profound hurt and longing that ran deeper than wanting a quick snog or shag. But that was her problem that she was going to have to hide, bury in an air-sealed chest and throw away.
He opened his mouth and he leant forward inappreciably. But whatever words he was about to spew, he stopped himself. She could feel his breath fan her face, both of their chest raised and fell rapidly.
They stayed like that for a while and she held back from crying, feeling her heart pound in her chest.
“Is there anything else you want to say?” He asked dejectedly.
Why did you have to be so stupid? We could’ve… you could’ve had everything.
Do you miss me?
Did you ever care, even a little?
“This time,” her voice was no louder than a rustle, “I mean it. I hate you. Truly.”
Lie.
Black gave her one last glance through heavy, desolate, half-lidded eyes, closing them shut. “Ti voglio bene.”
Her frown doubled, wondering if he mocked her. Why did he always do that?
“At least you’re consistent in one thing.”
She slipped out, her hand on the door and cracked it open, leaving him there.
“Being a fucking liar.”
She slammed the door shut with so much violence that it made a couple of bystanders passing by yelp and stare. The shattering of glass from within the closet echoed and it made her breathless.
She had to lean against the stone wall, her body buzzing and numb from the adrenaline.
Sometimes everything in her life seemed so… random. What if everything could have been avoided? One simple word, maybe if she said something different, or did something different, would the outcome have been better? Or worse?
What if she had two parents? What if she had been raised by a loving mother? Would she have been that hurt by his actions if opening up was less… impossible?
What ifs…
She stumbled her way to class mindlessly, horribly late. The floorboards creaked, cutting Slughorn off while she lurked in the doorway. The teacher’s head, along with everyone else in the room, snapped up.
Lily looked at her worriedly and concern was written in every inch of her face. James had a double-take and became alarmed while Marlene on the other side of the class looked around nervously.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“No worries, m’girl!” Slughorn smiled. “Please, take the seat next to… Severus! Now, I was saying, I have a small tradition I’d like to do every year with my students.”
Y/N didn’t even interject; too drained after what happened and sat by Snape.
“Can anyone tell me what this is?” The professor held up a tiny bottle. “Or can anyone tell me what Felix Felicis is?”
Lily raised her hand, casting a concerned gaze to her before answering. From the corner of her eye, she could see Barty and Avery, along with a few other students whispering to each other as Lily spoke; all of them forcing down a smile. Y/N vaguely sensed herself prickle.
“It’s known as Liquid Luck. As the name suggests, it makes the drinker lucky.”
“Beautiful answer! Quite right! Ten points for Gryffindor! Now, whoever brews the Draught of Living Death the closest will win this prize at the end of this lesson. Off you go!”
The class was scurrying off quickly while she made her way around leisurely. Snape’s sopophorous bean had been hitting her multiple times.
“Would you fucking —” she grabbed the bean with her hands and threw it at Snape and he hissed at. “Just take your knife blade and squeeze it down on the side with your dagger.”
Snape scoffed. “That’s not going to work you d —”
Snape shut up immediately as she crushed the bean with a sharp knife and flicked the juice into the cauldron.
“Now stop hitting me or I’ll pour your potion on the ground.”
Snape’s attention wasn’t on her, instead of trying to decipher her scribbles before taking her book away from his eyesight. She hit him with her book.
She completed the rest of the potion with ease. Snape was nearly done with his potion, she could tell he was on the right path before Slughorn sauntered around the classroom to observe the students. At James’ cauldron, he made no comment but instead helped stir his potion. Lily was given an approving nod, announcing to the class that she earned Gryffindor a few house points until making his way over to their table, peering into the cauldrons. At Snape’s concoction, he gave a bright smile and opened his mouth until he saw hers and a look of pure delight spread over him, his hands clapping together.
“Oho! Excellent! Miss L/N has done it! We have our winner!”
A small round of claps went around meanwhile James and Marlene cheered loudly, effectively embarrassing her.
“Show off,” Snape sneered. She ignored him.
Once the bell rang, Slughorn called her over to collect her vial of Liquid Luck. She slipped the bottle into her pocket for safekeeping.
But before she left, she stopped and spun around. “Professor Slughorn?”
“Yes?”
“I read in my Advanced Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, but I found that there’s no Potion to help Werewolves. I was wondering if that’s still true? I know books can be outdated.”
Slughorn gave her a pensive look. “I think that’s a matter for Madam Pomfrey. Is there a reason why?”
“It’s just —” She made up a lie quickly. “I’m nervous about NEWTs and how I’ll do in my studies and it’s merely an interest.”
“Oh, my girl! You are excellent. By far one of the best students I’ve ever had. You don’t need to worry!” Slughorn cheered. Slughorn seemed genuine and she smiled at the praise. “And for your question, no. Sadly there isn’t.”
“At all?”
Slughorn thought for a while. “If I recall, there have been recent developments with stewed Mandrakes. It’s rumoured to help lycanthrope individuals ease their way back into the original human state.”
Y/N stored the newfound information in her head. She thanked him, turning to leave until calling out again. Slughorn twirled his head.
“I was wondering if I could practice more — like I said, I‘m nervous about my NEWTs.”
There wasn’t even a delay and Slughorn beamed. “Of course! As long as you clean up after yourself, you may come and go as you please. I’ll make sure to leave the doors open until curfew.
“Oh! I’m planning to host another Slugclub dinner soon, I expect you to be there?”
“... Of course, sir.”
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【 Next Chapter 】
Translations:
Tesoro mio = My treasure or 'honey'
Ti voglio bene = 'I love you' but its not like what you think. It's more of an unconditional and selfless love that means 'I want you to be well.' It places an emphasis on the tender and affectionate feelings you have for the other person. It's the safer option to say to your significant other if it's a very new relationship.
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© gotkindabored 2021. Do not repost or modify
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hxlyhead-harpies · 4 years
Text
Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You (R.L.)
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Requested: Yes
Pairing: Remus Lupin x Reader
Summary: The reader can’t stop staring at Remus and he doesn’t understand why
Word Count: 2.2k
Warnings: Mentions of injury and bullying, cursing
Title from: Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You by Franki Valli
The library was full and bustling with students. You sat near the back, your assignments sprawled out in front of you. And while your quill floated above your parchment, dark ink sliding off of the tip, your eyes were trained on someone across the room, your essay forgotten.
Remus Lupin sat on the other side of the library, surrounded by books and his friends. You watched as his eyebrows drew down in concentration and how he flexed his hand as he thought. The habit was familiar to you as you watched Remus quite often. It wasn’t in a creepy way but in a sad lovesick way. You were a Slytherin and the boy who had garnered your affection was a Gryffindor so it seemed as if the only way to know him was to watch him. The old house rivalry stopped most Gryffindors and Slytherins from ever interacting, so you soaked up Remus in any way that you could. So you found yourself watching him at meals and during class. You almost felt bad for how often your eyes were on him, you were almost surprised that you hadn’t burned holes into him from your stare. But to be fair, with Remus, there was a lot to look at.
Remus was tall and lanky with surprisingly broad shoulders. He was often slouched and when he was tired he’d roll his shoulders back and stretch. His hair was a golden brown with slight curls spilling from his head. It often flopped in his face when it got long and he was constantly running his fingers through it. His fingers were long and nimble with the nails bitten down and callouses against his fingertips. You often found yourself imagining what it would feel like if he slipped his hand into yours and if they were as rough as they looked or if the skin was soft. 
At this moment, you found yourself staring at his scars. The way they zigzagged across his exposed skin; one down his neck, one down his cheek, carving out his high cheekbone, and one running through his left eyebrow. You thought his scars were beautiful, adding a hint of ruggedness that juxtaposed his soft nature. You wondered how he felt about them and you wished from deep in your soul that he didn’t hate them. 
You knew how easy it was to hate scars. You had a nasty one that ran from the back of your knee down to your ankle, gently curving around your calf. You had gotten it when an older student had pushed you down in the courtyard in your third year. You had fallen back into a bush and your skin had gotten caught on a branch. While the pain of the injury faded, the pain of the memory had not. You wished, however naively, that the memories of his scars didn’t cause him too much pain.
He looked up from his book and caught your eye. The second he noticed your staring he glowered back at you. You flushed deeply and looked away. You had been caught staring a few times now and you had a feeling that he had found out about your feelings towards him. You nervously tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and continued with your essay. 
The next time you saw Remus was in potions class. His friends had dragged him over to the table next to yours and you could only assume it was because Lily was your partner. You heard them bickering quietly as they came over.
“Do we really have to sit by them?” Remus hissed under his breath. James huffed.
“Yes, we do, Lily is over there. Now’s my chance,” he muttered back. Remus made eye contact with you and you pretended not to notice when he rolled his eyes despite the pang in your chest. James gave Lily an exaggerated wave and she just scoffed before turning back to you. 
You had met Lily through Severus since he was in your house. He wasn’t your favorite person, you found him a bit creepy and his crush on Lily seemed to be a tad obsessive, but you were grateful that he had introduced you to the redhead. The two of you became fast friends, you loving her sharp wit and her loving your ambition and drive. 
Lily started talking to you about the upcoming Hogsmeade trip when James called out her name.
“Oi, Lily,” he said with a smirk, “are you really consorting with the enemy?” he asked, gesturing towards you. You felt your cheeks burn and you ducked your head. 
“Oh sod of James,” she replied, “Why must you always be so immature?” You smiled slightly at her words. You turned to look back up at the boys. James’s face was flushed with embarrassment at Lily’s words and Peter and Sirius were laughing at him. You stole a glance at Remus to see him glaring at you. You frowned and looked away. 
You sat in the Gryffindor common room with Lily while you worked on your potions project. It was getting late but the two of you wanted to finish the project early. Lily had offered that you spend the night in her room and you had agreed. You weren’t a fan of your dormmates anyway and would jump at any chance to spend a night away from them. They were loud and brash and had no issue with loudly proclaiming their thoughts on blood supremacy. It made your skin crawl.
“Ugh I have to go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back,” Lily said, setting aside her book. You sent her a quick smile as she got up. When she was gone you continued working on your assignment. The portrait hole swung open and Remus walked in, seemingly coming back from his rounds. His eyes narrowed at the sight of you. 
“How did you get in here?” he asked harshly. You shrunk under his gaze. 
“Lily invited me. We’re doing school work,” you explained, gesturing down at your work. He crossed his arms.
“Where is she then?” he questioned. You shrugged.
“She’s in the bathroom,” you replied. 
“I think you should leave,” he responded. Your eyes widened.
“What?” you exclaimed.
“You should leave. You shouldn’t even be in here in the first place,” he pushed. 
“Now just wait a minute, Lily and I-”
“I really don’t care. Just get out of the common room and go back to the dungeons,” he said, practically sneering. Your mouth hung open in shock.
You had liked Remus because of how soft and kind he appeared to be. Everyone loved him and it was because he always wore a compassionate smile and had understanding eyes. But it appeared that you clearly would never be on the receiving end of his kindness.
“What is your problem?” you asked, feeling anger building in your chest. He rolled his eyes.
“You’re breaking the rules, you need to leave,” he retorted. 
“I’m not talking about just this, what is your problem with me? You always treat me so poorly and I can’t seem to figure out why,” you answered. Remus scoffed. 
“I don’t have a problem with you,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. 
“So you just have a problem with Slytherin’s then?” you spat, venom filling your voice. Remus’s jaw clenched. 
“I don’t particularly like blood supremacists and Voldemort sympathizers so I guess I do have a problem with Slytherins,” he said. You laughed. 
“You can’t honestly think that we’re all-”
“Do you know how many dark wizards have come out of Slytherin?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at you. “Because it’s quite a large number. And the way you seem to always be snooping around and staring makes me think you might be one yourself.” You gaped at him.
“You can’t actually be serious?” you sputtered. Remus shook his head.
“Just leave before I deduct any points,” he said quietly before turning towards the stairs. You stood up from your seat on the couch.
“Now wait just a minute, Lupin,” you practically yelled. He turned around with a clenched jaw. 
“What?” he spit out.
“There is nothing about Slytherin that is inherently evil! There is nothing evil about ambition or determination. Just because you have some twisted idea of what my house represents doesn’t mean that you’re right. I reckon that every house has the same chance of fostering evil. Blind bravery can be evil can’t it? And loyalty to the wrong person? And intelligence can be incredibly dangerous,” you shouted at him. Remus stared at his shoes. “And let’s not forget all the good wizards that have come from Slytherin! Professor Slughorn may be a bit odd but you can’t tell me that he’s not a good man. And for Godric’s sake! Merlin was a fucking Slytherin,” you yelled. Remus looked up at you.
“What about you then?” he asked with his arms crossed, “Where do you fall?” You swept a hand through your hair exasperatedly. 
“I’m not a dark wizard you dimwit! I don’t stare at you because I’m a spy or whatever dumb idea you came up with! I stare at you because I think that you’re bloody handsome,” you yelled. Remus’s eyes widened. 
“You- you what?” he sputtered. You groaned and began to gather your stuff. 
“Nothing, never mind,” you answered, shoving your parchment into your bag. Remus came up beside you and grabbed your arm.
“Wait,” he said, trying to get you to stop. You pulled your arm away. You turned to storm out of the portrait hole when Lily’s voice rang out into the room.
“Where are you going?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed. You turned to Remus angrily. 
“Ask him,” you responded before storming off towards the dungeons. 
A few days later you were sitting by the black lake with a book in your hands when you felt a presence beside you. You looked up to see Remus with his hands in his pockets. You rolled your eyes. 
“What do you want Lupin?” you asked with venom lacing your voice.
“I wanted to apologize,” he said softly, digging his shoe into the grass. You sighed.
“And what do you want to apologize for, exactly?” you questioned with a raised brow. 
“I’m sorry for being so rude to you and for insinuating that you might work for Voldemort,” He answered sheepishly. You nodded. 
“Thank you,” you responded before turning back to your book, assuming that he’d walk away. Instead, he sat down beside you.
“I just- I saw you staring at me all of the time and I was confused as to why you’d even do that,” he began, “And you’re a Slytherin and I just assumed that you had some motive or something. It didn’t even cross my mind that you thought I was handsome,” he said with a slight smile. You blushed and looked away. 
“I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable,” you murmured, “I didn’t realize I was being so obvious.” You stared anywhere but him. 
“If I had known why you were looking at me, I wouldn’t have minded,” he said softly. You furrowed your eyebrows and looked up.
“Huh?” you said. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 
“If I had known that you fancied me I would’ve just talked to you instead of coming up with an idiotic conspiracy theory,” he admitted. You looked at your lap. 
“Oh.”
“And I feel so stupid for thinking that you could be so terrible. I had no grounds for it other than a dumb stereotype. I’m really sorry,” he said. You turned to him.
“It’s alright I suppose. I just don’t understand how you jumped to the conclusion that I was some sort of spy because I was looking at you,” you said with a slight chuckle. Remus ducked his head.
“I don’t know, it never crossed my mind that you might like me. I’m not exactly much of a looker,” he replied. You furrowed your eyebrows.
“What are you talking about? I think you’re quite good-looking,” you admitted with a blush. A small smile played at Remus’s lips.
“Didn’t think that anyone would ever think that of me,” he said softly, his hand absentmindedly rubbing the scar on his cheek. You frowned and reached up to remove his hand from his face. You lifted your finger and traced along the scar, causing Remus to gulp and avert his eyes. 
“Well I think that you’re beautiful, every part of you,” you said as you finished tracing the pink line. His amber eyes were back on yours, a deep vulnerability shining in them. His eyes flickered down to your lips for a moment and you held your breath. Slowly, he began to lean in. 
He kissed you just as softly as you always imagined he would, though it felt better than you ever could have thought. His rough hand cupped your face while you tangled your hands in his silky hair. When the kiss broke you were breathless. You watched as he ran a hand through his hair and sent you a shy smile, his freckled cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of pink. Even now, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him.
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spiltscribbles · 3 years
Note
Im so excited!!!! Here’s a little “It’s always been you. You and only you.” sprinkled in with Green-Eyed Epiphany
~Notes: OMFG bubby!!!! You are so beyond adorable! Thank you So SO much for the sweetness!! I really hope you like this XS and fingers crossed  this fits the promptXS <3 <3 <3
.-
Prompt Smash Game  |  Send Me A Prompt💜   |  A Reblog Is Like A Huge, Warm Hug!!!
.-
~R: my mom’s working the night shift at the clinic👀👀
~S: Kinky😏
~S: I can be there in 15
~R: make it 20 and get Chinese x
~S: sometimes I think ur j using me for the food
~R: and bring henny😈
.-
It’s seventeen minutes since Remus sent the last text when the front door of his modest ranch house begins to thump with a familiar wrapping that’s three quick knocks followed by two slower ones, and he has to wrestle down the eager grin from his face when he swings it open to find one of his closest friends standing at the threshold in that customary  weathered, leather jacket that he found two summers ago when Remus had taken him thrifting for the first time, and an impish sort of smirk that definitely would look ridiculous on anyone else, but only makes Sirius all the more maddeningly attractive. 
“What took so long?” Remus asks mildly, pulling him indoors by the sleeve and gesturing for him to set the goods on the kitchen counter once they cross the small foyer.
“You wound me, Lupin.” Sirius retorts, quick-silver eyes flashing before he pins him against the island and puts his hands on either side of his waistline with more gentleness than Remus would’ve expected before they began this whole sorted affair— Okay, maybe that’s the wrong word for it?
It’s not an affair, or tryst, or carrying on or whatever the fuck else Lily says when she’s teetering on the wrong edge of tipsy and thinks it’s her right to call Remus out on his bullshit— on his stupid, beyond obvious crush he’s been fostering for one of his closest friends since junior high.
It’s none of those things— It’s not nearly as dramatic.
It’s just— Just that yes, Remus has been harboring a tiny infatuation  for Sirius ever since that first day of the seventh grade  when he had moved to this tiny, coastal town after his parents divorce. But how could he have not? Sirius is hilarious, and a genius, and so gorgeous that sometimes it feels like his insides are twisting up whenever he glances over at him. And on that first day, he had just caught Remus’s eyes from across the library shelves before classes begun, and smiled in that uniquely electric way of his, and asked if Remus could put slime in a very specific locker, (Snape’s), for a very specific reason, (Because he kept following Lily around like a creep), on account to no one suspecting the new kid. And yeah— Remus was lost on him an embarrassing amount from then on. 
Sure, it can be regarded as kinda pathetic on Remus’s end— kindling this nest of emotions so close to the chest— but also it’s not as if he’s been lovestruck by his crush, like it’s some sort of waterlogged scarf he’s got dragging him down. His attraction towards Sirius is like a soft melody that’s swelling in the backdrop of all their interactions, nothing overwhelming— not a flood plane, not yet at least. It’s warm, and it’s familiar, and it’s persistent like a flutter of a humming bird’s wings.  And Remus doesn’t mind pining over someone as fantastical as Sirius Fucking Black.
Graciously, in some strike of incredible luck, Sirius never caught on to Remus’s silly feelings, not until that night when they were watching an old movie in Remus’s basement while James and Lily were celebrating an entire year together— save for all their sudden stops and just as speedy starts— and Peter was visiting his grandmother in Tampa Bay. It was the first time they had been alone together since Remus broke up with Caradoc for the final time, and Sirius just looked so fucking good in that casual, white v-neck and his skinny jeans that make him look like some echo of James Dean on his best day. And Remus isn’t sure who exactly moved forwards first, or how the fuck Meg Ryan wandering the Seattle streets was some sort of aphrodisiac, or why Sirius— who could have any guy he would ever want— was actually humoring him, but one second they’re lying down on the sofa— Remus caged between Sirius’s expanse and the cushions behind them— and the next he’s tasting PBR on Sirius’s lips, and has got a fist full of his dark hair, and is thrilling at the feeling of Sirius’s thigh between his legs. And yeah— it just happened like those sort of things are want to do, and by the end of it they were sticky and breathless and diffident in ways they never been around one another, in ways Remus reckons Sirius has never been around anyone.
But the next weekend, when Sirius’s latest sorta— but not really— boyfriend had canceled on their dinner plans, Sirius wandered over to Remus’s bedroom window and it was another tumbling of frenzied hands and loosen buckles and thrusting hips. And then it just became an easy release— a sort of poetry, an understanding in all but name.
And that’s fine. They don’t have to talk about it. Remus knows that Sirius isn’t the type to settle down with a partner, to go bowling for a date, or texting countless messages that amount to nothing at all at the end of the conversation, or putting up with another dude’s parents taking photos of them before leaving to prom or homecoming or whatever the fuck else. And Remus is sorta sick of the idea of love, of trying so hard only to end up heartbroken and eating a gallon of Chubby Bunny in his favorite sweats and cursing John Hughes for pretending Hollywood romances can happen to ordinary high schoolers. 
So yeah— This thing they’ve fallen into with each other is good. They’re friends— best friends— and they have fun and they’re apparently really fucking good in bed together, and Sirius never looks at Remus with pity when he spots him gazing at his profile absentmindedly, and he doesn’t mind when Remus traces invisible designs against his skin when they’re soaking in the after glow, and he never treats him  any different. Sirius still slings his arm around Remus’s shoulders when they walk down the halls, and he still buys him his favorite chocolates when he feels poorly, and he still faces Dorcas's disapproving wrath when he drags Remus out of the library to have a little mischief— whether it’s smoking a blunt in the abandoned skatepark in town or playing some stupid prank on those assholes in their year. 
For all intent and purposes, they still behave the same they’ve always acted around one another, but just with the miraculous addition of mind-blowing and dulcetly ductile sex.
This is good, this is fun, this is completely untethered from the bull shit of romance.
And if Remus mouths against the juncture of Sirius’s neck a little too intensely— trying to pry off the memory of the hickey Sirius had been sporting after spending the weekend with Gideon Prewett— Well no one has to be any the wiser, and by the sound of Sirius’s hitched breaths, he seems not to mind even slightly.
“Except my apology?” Remus asks, more coy than he ordinarily acts as he drops his arms around Sirius’s neck, and leans on the balls of his feet to whisper against his temple.
“Oh, you’re such a bastard,” Sirius retorts, labored as all get out, kneading his fingers into Remus’s ass that’s only covered by the thin layer of his plaid pajama bottoms. “You are going to have to do a lot more for me to forgive the lip.”
Remus laughs in a stammering sort of way as Sirius tugs him along, walking backwards to his room that he’s become incredibly intimate with since the first time they did this three months ago. 
“Sirius, the spring rolls— they’re gross if we have to heat them up again.”
“I’ll postmate us knew ones,” Sirius insists, covering Remus’s mouth with his own with fervor. “C’mon babe, do not tease me like this.”
Sirius must’ve caught his mistake, because he suddenly goes as red as Remus feels— The pet name was to close for comfort considering their strictly friends with benefits nature, but Remus is already half hard, and he really does not want to end this, so with a sly wink, he returns to nipping at Sirius’s jawline, rutting against him in a very unambiguous way. “Fine, if you really don’t think you’ll need the nourishment for your stamina?”
The words have their intended effect, and Sirius makes a small growl deep in his throat before practically tearing off Remus’s shirt, and dipping beneath the waistline of his pants, scooping him up and racing to the bed.
And they get lost in one another beneath the pale glow of Remus’s lamplight and the moon spilling through the window, relearning each others every patch of skin for minutes on end that wax and wane like the delta of ocean waves, unspooling into something tangible and tantalizing with every kiss punctuated with teeth that Sirius trails across Remus’s collarbone, and the way Remus palms greedy hands up and down Sirius’s back until he gets the hint and undresses.
“Well come on, you’re not an invalid, Lupin.” Sirius jeers and Remus chuckles as he follows suit until they’re both finally, blessedly nude. And with an easy assurance of them having done this more than a dozen times now, Remus crawls into his lap and kisses him straight on the mouth, preening how Sirius moans against him— canting up wantonly and grabbing at his hips with a sort of intensity that will probably leave bruises in the shape of the pads of his fingers, and Remus absolutely adores the idea of that, feels something hot and needy and desperate unfurl in his gut as he presses their mouths more forcefully together, going buzzed when he gets to relish in the sensation of their tongues running against one another, and the taste of the ridges on the roof of Sirius’s mouth, and the slide of the soft skin of his inner cheek— gasping when Sirius pulls away abruptly, panting an almost reverent, “Mother of God, Remus,” and tackles him flat on his back before they commence, with the addition of both their hard,  leaking cocks thrusting against one another and Sirius’s hand in Remus’s hair pulling that bit more forcefully while his other one roams the dips and planes of his side— skirting against the divots of his stomach muscle before he wraps it around the pair of them and begins to pull in earnest, to the rhythm that Remus swears was strung from the heavens above.
“Oh— Oh, yeah— Sirius,” Remus breathes out in a haggard sort of way, words that he refuses to ever call a mewl even if they’re stretched out and crackle with emotion.
“Yes—, just say that again,” Sirius practically demands, his mouth completely covering his ear in a wet, hot heat— his teeth scraping against the soft shell. “Remus, baby, just say my name, tell me you want it.”
And God, Remus is feeling so heady— like he’s floating and he couldn’t possibly come back down— that he probably would’ve listened to anything Sirius asked of him, especially if he does that thing again, when he squeezes the slick length of them with a tad more force than they usually play at. “Sirius, Sirius. Sirius, please, I’m close,” Remus shrills in an unsteady staccato— his normally smooth tenner going pitchy and pleading, and he can feel his toes curling, can feel the eminent release coming— What he does not expect is to feel something poking at his entrance, didn’t expect to be struck dumb by the sensation of the tip of Sirius’s large, dry finger poking right there, right against the fluttering hole, while he’s still pumping them in tandem, and the second it hooks inside Remus goes a startling sort of static , sees blasts of white blotching his vision and his head thrown back and his dick spirting out heavily against Sirius’s deliciously defined torso.
And he’s just breathing heavily now, during the come down, can barely make out anything  through the heavy weight around him, the one  cushioning his head— but he does graciously feel Sirius’s cock fucking into his own hand against Remus’s thigh and then idly the feeling of his come splattering him, but then after that he can just barely hear the distant padding of feed against floorboards, followed by a wet washcloth being dabbed against his skin. So when he finally forces himself to focus, he sees Sirius cleaning himself off, wrapping it into the pair of joggers Remus was wearing earlier and tosses it to the corner of the room. 
“Rude,” he scolds with no heat, shuffling closer to him when Sirius lies down besides him once more and circles an arm around his torso.
“THat’s what you get when you’re acting like a lazy fuck,” Sirius counters, smug as all get out while he threads a hand in Remus’s hair.
“Hmm, didn’t see that in the papers recently. Is it a new law?”
“Yeah, actually just past on the senate floor.”
“Interesting… Well considering that only one of us has a senator for a father, I really have to ask to see the power-point you shared with him to get this bill through the stalemate,” Remus’s head bounces against Sirius’s chest from the force of his laughter at the barb.
“Oh, stuff it, Lupin.”
Hiding his smile into Sirius’s skin, Remus does as told, and they both just lie there, as if everything’s gone suspended just for the pair of them, just so Remus can count out the beats of Sirius’s heart pulsing against his sternum, and can feel the way their legs tie into one another, and can feel Sirius mouthing against his temple, blowing his curls with every exhale. 
And Remus thinks that he’d do anything to remember this exact moment for every single day from here on out.
But then the quiet is abruptly and permanently punctured by the sound of his phone chirping, and he has to breathe in deeply before separating from the warmth of Sirius, and fishes down for the device that’s still crammed into the side of his bed from where he had hidden it after that initial text.
“Is Dearborn still on your ass to try again?” Sirius asks, a bit stilted.
Remus wonders if he’s just imagining the tension twisted in the question, but reasons that Sirius’s never been Caradoc’s biggest fan, so he just shrugs it off— really doesn’t want to get into some stupid argument about his asshole of an ex when he’s still feeling so content. “Nah, ’s James. Still trying to force me to go to the homecoming dance with you guys.”
“Oh,” Sirius retorts, lips pinched while watching Remus redress. “You should go, Marls is pregaming and you know she always gets the good shit.”
Remus shakes his head while puttering over to find a new pair of sweats and a sweater. “Nah, just not feeling it this year— Erm, you’re taking Gid I assume.” He’s not sure why he asks it, supposes he’s always a glutton for some pain and shitty feelings to inspire his playlists habit, but also maybe it’s him trying to sober himself. Trying to remember that despite this— despite everything they just did and  how easy it’s always been for them to fall into step with one another— Remus isn’t good enough to be seen with Sirius in the light of day. He’s probably not handsome enough or cool enough or something else that makes Sirius absolutely revolted from the thought. Probably that he’s beyond bookish, and looks painfully virginal and isn’t nearly as sly or snarky as his other conquests.
Truly, Remus should just be thankful that Sirius wants this at all, he shouldn’t be so crazed over the why nots of the situation— it’ll only kill him trying to be something he never could actually affect with any credence.
Schooling his features to something passably indifferent, Remus pivots to face him again, is startled when he finds Sirius still naked and staring at him with a burning sort of intensity in his storm cloud eyes. 
“He hasn’t said anything, but I guess he’s assuming as much,” he finally says, running a hand through his overgrown fringe, that familiar twitch of the corner of his mouth grabbing Remus’s attention. The one that tells him Sirius is actually irritated about something he’s not letting himself say out loud. 
“Erm, good? Gid’s a decent guy.” Remus mutters, head ducked once it gets to a point that he can’t stand Sirius looking at him like that— Not after how blissed out and ferocious he had been groping every inch of Remus only moments ago. “You guys are nice together.”
And it’s like the breath before the worst of storms when his words collapse between them, making the pregnant silence go suddenly suffocating.
“Right,” Sirius intones once Remus levels their gazes, hurriedly standing and collecting his own clothes, fracturing the moment completely. “Right. Whatever, yeah. I’ll go to the fucking dance with fucking Gideon Prewett. That’s good.”
“Sir—“
“No, it’s fine. You can just stay home, and mourn over that douchebag Dearborn some more, even though you ending it with that dick was the best decision you could’ve made, Remus, and I’m not even saying it just because I’m petty. He is a prick, and you need to finally get a clue how much better you deserve, damn it!”
Remus’s head feels like it’s swimming. Why is Sirius so angry all of a sudden? Does he not like Gideon? Why can’t he just cut it off like so many times before? And why the hell is he petty over Caradoc? The entire situation feels like someone’s just handed him a wedge of Swiss cheese and told him to knit it back together. 
“What is up your ass?” He decides is an appropriate enough question for his floundering, and shutters back only slightly at how fuming Sirius looks when he rounds on him— clothes disheveled and fearsome glower heavy on his face. 
“Whatever Remus, if you can’t see that Dearborn is bad news—“
“I’m not pining for Dearborn,” Remus interjects, really doesn’t feel like listening to one of Sirius’s ridiculous diatribes about him, not now. Not when he’s still so bewildered by everything else. “Why would you think that?”
The fire in Sirius’s eyes vanishes as quickly as someone blowing on a candle, and it’s his turn to gawk, gaping at Remus, shoulders dragged down and eyes wide. “Wait— You’re not?”
“No…. I haven’t even thought about him for weeks.”
“Oh.” Sirius looks contemplative for a moment, before the righteous anger that only he could ever wear with such conviction, melts over him once more. “All right, then what the fuck is this?”
Remus stiffens, feels his veins lace with ice, an his breath catch somewhere in his throat, really does not think he’s ready for this conversation. “This?” 
“Yes, Remus, this!” Sirius demands, sounding harsh in comparison to the barely croak Remus had spoken with. “Listen I don’t care if you want me to wait some more, if you need to lick your wounds or whatever. But why are you like pushing me on other people? Why do you want me not to be around? why do you  want me to go out with other dudes?”
Remus lies back on the chest of drawers now, feels beyond dazed. “What the hell are you talking about, Sirius?”
Sirius clenches his teeth right then, the hinge of his jaw going taught 
before he skulks closer, not letting Remus drop his gaze. “Is it me? Is it that you just can’t see me that way? Are you just stringing me along or something? Because I really didn’t think that was your style, but if it’s that, then Remus—“
“Stringing you along?” Remus asks in a voice barely above a whisper, just needs to feel his lips forming the absolutely risible words, even if it makes it so something dark passes across Sirius’s beauteous features.
“Remus, I swear to God! Stop repeating everything I’m fucking saying!”
“Then start making  some damn sense!” Remus snaps, suddenly heated as he straightens and pins him with a proper scowl. “What in holy hell are you going on about?”
“God! Do I have to spell it out!” Sirius barks, cutting the final step dividing them and grabbing for Remus’s shoulders with a tight squeeze. “I know you just wanted to fuck around with someone after Dearborn showed his extreme dickitude, and listen, I was so fucking ecstatic that you wanted me for it. But I can’t do this in-between shit anymore! I’m sorry, but I can’t! And I get if this is annoying, but I’ve been crazy for you for so long. And I just can’t keep myself at an arms length anymore, not now that we’ve really had each other, not after you let me actually touch and taste and fuck you and— Damn it, this isn’t coming out the way I wanted, all right! Damn it, maybe Evans was right and I should’ve made queue cards like some dumb ass— But then James pointed out how unromantic that was, and Marlene said—“
Gently, Remus puts his shaking fingers against Sirius’s lips, effectively killing off anything else he’s about to say. And slowly, everything is beginning to slot into place, and he’s so spiteful over how they’ve been such idiots this entire time— swears to put salt into Lily’s coffee next time he sees her. 
“I didn’t know you actually were into me Sirius.”
Stunned, Sirius’s dark brows hike up to his hairline. “How the hell didn’t you know?” He demands against Remus’s fingers, thunderous and insulted looking.
“Because you never fucking said as much!” Remus defends himself, feels a mangled sort of laughter squirming out. “God, we’re idiots.”
“We’re?” Sirius asks, hesitant and red faced before Remus moves his hand to peck softly against his mouth. 
“I’ve been half in love with you for years you absolute ass-wipe, it’s always been you! You and always you.” Remus tells him breathily, still fighting down the last remnants of his actual, god forsaken giggle— like he’s thirteen again and getting buzzed off his mom’s peach wine coolers. “I only never said anything because I never thought I’d have a chance with someone like you— Someone so— so— Someone so amazing.”
The smile Sirius favors him with right then is something absolutely incandescent, and his eyes shimmer with a very distinct sort of joy that Remus wonders if anyone besides him has ever witnessed. “Then you’re definitely the biggest idiot between us, Lupin.” Sirius declares, knocking their foreheads together, and lacing his hand into Remus’s own before squeezing meaningfully.
“Fuck off,” Remus snorts, presses forwards for another languorous kiss, not feeling in danger of being swallowed whole any more— finally letting himself drown and knowing that Sirius will be there to pull him back up no matter what. 
“Oh, I could get used to this,” Sirius smirks, snakes his arms around Remus’s waste that bit tighter.
“Hmm, there is the problem that I usually don’t put out until at least the third or fourth date,” Remus says mildly.
“Pff, ‘s fine, Lupin,” Sirius insists, grinning beatifically. “I like you being a hussy for me!— Oof, careful with the merchandize, you were speaking some real exaltations about that part of my anatomy not too long ago.”
Moving his knee from the point at hand, Remus sticks out his tongue at him. “See if you ever get any ever again, Sirius Black.”
When Sirius laughs, it sounds like the strike of lightening against unmarked land, and the honey cloaked side of a knife’s edge, and like everything splendid Remus has ever known. And he thinks that yes, he could get used to this right back.
.-
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raylessneedssleep · 3 years
Note
Have you got any Jegulus headcanons?
Just a few of the many headcanons I have:
HOGWARTS HEADCANONS
Regulus was the first to realize he had a crush on James between 2nd-5th year, but at first he didn’t know it was a crush, he just thought he didn’t like James more than the others because James made him feel weird and he thought it was a bad weird.
Regulus reads muggle poetry and romance books which leads him to realizing he has a crush on James because the books start describing exactly what he feels and they always call it attraction.
I think James noticed Regulus later on—between 5th-7th year. At first, he always knew Regulus as Sirius’ little brother and would refer to him as such—it pisses Regulus off when he does that. He would try to interact with Regulus, but Regulus would always brush him off or snap at him, sometimes Sirius would even tell him not to bother. When he did start noticing Regulus, it started as looking at him longer than usual in the Great Hall, taking in his features like his curly hair, pale skin, blue eyes, strong build, and the moles that were scattered across his face—sometimes he even wondered if Regulus had more moles hidden away from everyone. James’ stomach started feeling weird and his face would feel hot. When Regulus would glance up to meet his eyes, James would either quickly look away and almost embarrass himself with how harsh he threw his head down or would not be able to look away from Regulus, holding his stare until someone else broke it.
James and Regulus’ relationship started out as just friends for the longest because they were afraid of their feelings (and how Sirius would react).
Sirius, despite common assumptions, was actually really supportive of them. Sure, he was freaked out at first because he’s an older brother and that’s his baby brother, but that didn’t last long when he realized he wouldn’t want anyone else with his baby brother because James would treat him right. And the same with Regulus. He knew Regulus would treat James right, so he wasn’t worried.
Remus and Peter knew about the relationship, but they never gave it away that they knew. James and Regulus didn’t even know they knew.
James gets his relationship advice from Frank and Regulus gets his from Pandora and Dorcas.
Regulus would read James some of his muggle books when they would sneak away together. James would always find something to joke about from the book just to make Regulus frustrated and pout.
James would talk about how much he wanted to have a family and Regulus loved hearing him talk about it because he knew James would be a wonderful father.
RANDOM HEADCANONS
Regulus isn’t even that much shorter than James, but James will never stop bringing up the fact that he is taller even though it’s only by a few inches IF THAT.
Regulus’ favorite part about James is his smile.
James’ favorite part about Regulus is his eyes.
James likes to put his head in Regulus’ lap while they sit outside. He sometimes falls asleep and Regulus leans forward to block the sun from James’ eyes.
Regulus is surprisingly the most protective one out of the two, always ready to fight someone who tried to hurt James.
Regulus speaks to James in French and, at first, it frustrates James that he doesn’t know French, but he slowly starts learning and gets so happy when he gets a certain phrase right.
James and Regulus love to take walks on the beach and collect shells together.
They love to listen to music and dance in their living room.
James will sing to Regulus while they do things around the house.
James likes to put flowers in Regulus’ curls, especially white or purple ones, because he says they match Regulus’ eyes.
RAISING HARRY HEADCANONS
James is the mother hen while Regulus is the “bad influence” (he’s not actually, he just tells Harry to go for it most of the time and have fun while James is concerned about safety and mother hens Harry). James is always scolding Regulus for saying things around Harry that he thinks Harry shouldn’t hear and Harry just rolls his eyes at them while Regulus just shrugs his shoulders.
When James tries to wake Harry up, Harry will go into their room and crawl into the bed to sleep next to Regulus because neither are early birds like James.
James can’t resist Harry and Regulus’ puppy dog eyes.
Regulus reads bedtime stories to Harry no matter how old he is.
James sings to Harry while he and Regulus tuck Harry in for bed.
James and Regulus are the enthusiastic and emotional parents when it comes to the first day of school.
Harry has Regulus’ sense of humor.
When they found out Harry became a seeker, Regulus danced around the kitchen and laughed while James groaned, knowing he would never hear the end of it.
James and Regulus being at Harry’s quidditch matches is comical because James is freaking out over Harry getting hurt while Regulus screams for him to go for the eyes.
They had family game nights, but it was quickly banded because of the competition between James and Regulus. Harry was so over them he just called it quits.
Regulus started teaching Harry French when he was a baby, so it’s his second language, and they will have conversations in French around James and he pouts because he still isn’t the best at French.
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13tongues · 3 years
Text
random snippet i wrote for fifth year but man, have things changed and this is no longer relevant, but i wrote it so here you go i guess l o l
Ed braces himself for confrontation approximately six hours before any of the Order members are due to arrive.
I’m an emancipated minor, he reminds himself constantly during that time frame. I’m legally an adult in this world, I have lived in this house for over a year, I have the right to be here. I’m allowed to be here.
The first person to arrive is, thankfully, Remus, who lets himself in through the front door.
“Shouldn’t you knock?” Ed says by way of greeting.
“I think we’re well past that, don’t you?”
“Debatable.”
Remus smiles, half exasperation, half fond. Ed grins in return.
“Moony!” Sirius appears in the hallway suddenly, eagerly approaching his friend.
“Sirius,” Remus says warmly.
They hug and start a conversation about something or other that Ed would normally participate in, but he currently can’t focus on.
“Where are the rest?” Ed asks impatiently. He mostly means Dumbledore, but he figures it wouldn’t hurt to learn the names and faces of the other Order members.
“They’ll be here,” Remus answers vaguely. He glances at Ed from the corner of his eyes. “I think it would do you well to be on your best behavior.” He faces Sirius. “You, especially, since you’re the one who suggested this.”
“I’m always on my best behavior.” Sirius grins.
“He is definitely going to fuck something up,” Ed mutters.
“I’ll fuck you up,” Sirius responds. Both Remus and Ed stare at him with pity in their eyes. “What?”
“That sucked and you know it,” Ed says.
“It wasn’t the most eloquent response,” Remus agrees.
Sirius throws his hands up and groans. “Are you both going to critique my quips like this in front of company?”
“Only when they’re that fucking bad,” Ed says.
Remus laughs and heads to the kitchen with Sirius and Ed in tow to wait on the rest of their company. Ed drinks butter beer while Remus sips tea and Sirius shovels crisps into his mouth like there’s no tomorrow. They talk and insult each other as they usually do all summer long, with a growing, underlying tension filling the room as Ed gets more and more restless waiting on others to arrive.
When the bell rings, Ed is already on his feet and down the hallway by the time Sirius has wiped the crumbs from his mouth with the back of his hand.
The entirety of the Weasley clan, with the exception of Percy, is standing on the doorstep. Actually, make that the Weasley clan and Hermione, whose dark skin and curly hair stand out starkly from the sea of redheads.
“Ed?” Fred is the first to speak up.
"Wait, what? Why is Ed here?" Ron and Hermione stare at him.
Perfect. He glares at Sirius, who shrugs, as if he had no idea this was going to happen, when he clearly did.
"Ed lives here," he responds flatly.
"What?"
"How do you know Sirius?" Hermione asks, her suspicion all but obvious.
"Ask him," Ed deflects, not interested in answering questions. Sirius scowls and flips him off. Ed returns the gesture paired with a shit-eating grin, before he’s tackled to the floor by an enthusiastic Fred.
“We haven’t seen you in forever!”
“You literally saw me two weeks ago, get the fuck off!”
Fred allows George to help him up, while the rest of the Weasleys watch, dumbfounded, as the twins interact with Ed.
“How have you been?”
“Just perfect,” Ed grits out.
George laughs. “Thought so. How’d you get around to living with Sirius Black before Order meetings even started?”
“Take a good guess.”
“You and your secrets,” Fred groans.
Ed grins at Fred’s pouting.
“Not that this isn’t great,” Ginny speaks up, “but do you think you can let me in? I’m sweating buckets.”
Ed gestures inside the house and the Weasleys filter in, a few of the unfamiliar ones peering curiously at Ed as they pass by.
“That’s Bill and that one’s Charlie,” George supplies helpfully. “They’re the oldest.”
Ron and Hermione linger behind, whispering not-so-subtly about Ed while glancing at him every so often. It’s Hermione who speaks up, which is unsurprising, given what Ed knows about her.
“So,” she says, trying for casual and coming across as intense, “how did you end up living here?”
Ed scoffs. “I just told you, ask Sirius.”
“Well, that’s just the thing, isn’t it?” She frowns. “Sirius has been in contact with Harry for over a year and he’s never mentioned you.”
“He must have forgotten I was here,” Ed says. “I’m very quiet.”
Fred snorts and George covers his mouth to smother his laughter.
She actually looks offended by his sense of humor. “You didn’t feel the need to mention anything either during this year?”
“Yeah.”
Ed wonders if she’s going to punch him, because she looks like she wants to and he wouldn’t put it past her to try. The more important question would be will Ed let her punch him or is he going to be an asshole and dodge it. (He’s leaning towards dodging it, because he is an asshole.)
“Don’t let him get to you, ‘Mione,” George says. “He’s always like this.”
“With us, especially,” Fred adds.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about –” Ed turns to smile politely at Hermione, whose eye twitches “– I am a god-damn delight.”
Fred laughs and reaches over to rustle Ed’s hair, which he knows he absolutely hates.
“I will murder you, MURDER you,” Ed warns.
“Well, what a way to go,” Fred says and does it anyway.
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the-demelza-robins · 3 years
Text
never understood you before (but i do now) part vi
guess who’s back!! and with the final chapter!! sorry for the wait, and hope you enjoy!
you can also read this on ao3
THANKSGIVING BREAK PASSES in a flurry of turkey, potatoes, and disapproving glances (courtesy of Petunia). When it finally comes to an end, standing next to her parents and waving halfheartedly at Vernon’s car as it backs out of the driveway, all Lily feels is relief.
The moment is short lived. “Lily, dishes,” Laurel says, more of a statement than a question. Lily sighs and walks back into the kitchen. She’s about ten minutes into the seemingly endless pile of plates and tupperware before her mother joins her.
“What did you think of Vernon?” Laurel asks, leaning against the kitchen doorframe. Lily pauses, faucet still running. She calculates. Honesty is not the solution here, but neither is an outright lie.
She settles on saying “I think they’re a good match” while sponging the pan she’s washing a little too aggressively.
Laurel hums. “Petunia’s always been more — conscientious of the future. It’s one of my favorite things about her. She plans and she plans and she plans.”
She’s planning with Vernon, Lily translates. Her future is safe with Vernon.
“I think there are some things you can’t plan,” Laurel continues, smiling slightly. “Your father and I… never in my wildest dreams would I have predicted marrying him. I just — I just worry for Petunia, that she won’t be able to experience that.”
Silence, except for the faucet.
Lily clears her throat. She wishes she could respond I worry for Petunia, too, but the fact is that she and Petunia have never been close, not since they were children, not since — well, not since Severus. In the dim recesses of her mind, Lily can scrounge up some happy memories of her sister — shared Halloween costumes, Petunia’s protective stance on the playground — but they’re both rare and fleeting. Petunia is Petunia, and Lily is Lily, and the former will forever disapprove of the latter in the way that only sisters can. She can’t vocalize this truth, though — even if her mother already knows. Instead: “I think Petunia doesn’t want anything to be unpredictable. I think she’d hate falling in love with someone unexpected.”
Laurel nods, standing up a little straighter. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You’ve been branching out this year. I know you don’t tell me everything, but the Parents’ Association moms are very chatty. I never would have imagined you with Roger Davies, that’s all. I was surprised.”
Lily knows that she’s started to blush, but she can’t stop. She and her mother never talk about these things. “I really don’t think I’m in love with Roger, if that’s what you’re getting at, Mom,” she says, thinking of the last time she really spoke with him. The last yearbook meeting, maybe? Anything they’d had had fizzled out after that first date, after she’d somewhat clumsily executed a slow fade. “I haven’t even spoken to him recently.”
“Well, I guess I’m behind the times. Want to catch me up? Anything going on lately?”
“No,” she says, more forcefully. “Nothing.” Inexplicably, Lily pictures James, sitting on the kitchen counter just days ago. She pushes the thought down — she must have had too much wine at dinner, to be randomly thinking about him like this.
“Just checking,” Laurel says, a glint in her eye that Lily can’t interpret and feels vaguely threatened by. “I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow morning.”
“Love you,” Lily calls automatically, already back to the soapy water, her mother’s words echoing in her head. You’ve been branching out lately. Had she, really? Yes, she’d spoken to Roger. Become friends with James. She supposed she had more people to say hello to in the halls now, but that was really just because of her position as head of the yearbook. The fact was, she still felt like the same old Lily, truly open to only a few people, closed off to the rest of the world behind a veil of awkwardness and, at times, imposter syndrome. Her thoughts pull towards James again: how comfortable she feels in his presence, how easy it is to do away with the layers of caution that seem to smother her other social interactions. She shakes her head, turns the water off, examines the now clean kitchen. No more thinking of James Potter, she tells herself firmly. The thought echoes through her head as she gets ready for bed, self defeating by nature.
***   Marlene comes back from Thanksgiving break with a new friendship. She and Remus, she explains, had been volunteering at the same soup kitchen over break. Long hours ladling soup and tearing off bread had created (by Marlene’s telling) an unbreakable bond. “All of this is to say,” she says now as she swerves past a mailbox, Lily hanging on for dear life in the passenger seat of her friend’s car, “that Remus invited me over to watch a movie at James’s on Friday. It’s so funny how they — all four of them, you know — just invite people over to each other’s houses. Squad goals? Anyway, he said the invite was for me, you, whoever else. Dorcas has those damned violin recitals, but hopefully we’ll be able to spring her free — watch it! —” (a pigeon had dared hop into the road, and flew away hastily) “— and Alice and James and Sirius and Peter too.”
“Oh,” Lily says.
Marlene shoots her a look. “I thought it was a wonderful idea, seeing as you've started to become completely platonic, innocent friends with James Potter —”
“— every day, I regret telling you about Halloween more and more —”
“— and there’s nothing like a movie on a Friday night to solidify a friendship, is there, Lily?” Marlene smirks, and Lily can do nothing but silently fume as they pull into the high school parking lot. “Come on. You know it’ll be a good time.”
“I do, and I hate you for it,” Lily grumbles, getting out of the car. “And, for the last time, there’s nothing going on with James. Stop smirking.”
“Speak of the devil,” her friend says in lieu of a response, motioning to where James is approaching them from across the parking lot. For a second, all Lily can do is stare. He looks tanner, she thinks, briefly, before dismissing the thought; he didn’t even travel over the break. She must be seeing things.
He stops in front of them, holding onto his backpack straps and squinting against the sun. “Just the girls I was hoping to run into.”
“Oh?” Lily asks, tossing her hair over her shoulder and glancing up at him before she loses the nerve. Just James. Just a slightly tanner James. Nothing you haven’t seen before.
“For the movie on Friday: Peter and I want to watch Jaws and Sirius and Remus want to watch Love, Actually. Thoughts?”
Lily finds herself sputtering, “But — I barely just agreed to go, how did you —”
Marlene’s dangerously close to smirking again. “I may or may not have told James you’d be a sure thing,” she says, not noticing (or not caring) about James’s hair, or his tan, or the way his biceps flexed slightly when he ran a hand through his hair. How could someone not care about those things? “Have a nice break, Potter?”
“Perfectly fine. Did you like the flowers, Lily?”
Marlene shoots her an incredulous look, and Lily doesn’t know who she wants to murder first. “My mom really appreciated them. Tell your mom she said thanks.”
He pouts. It makes his mouth look — good. Shut up. She knows what it’s like to kiss him. Shut up. To feel his lips on her skin, on her neck, against her pulse point. Shut up.
“— game on Friday,” James is saying, and Lily’s not listening, but it doesn’t matter, because now he’s talking to Marlene. Lily trails behind them, watching as her fellow students move aside to let him pass through the parking lot, through the school entrance, through locker-lined hallways.
“— coming, Evans?” he asks, snapping her out of her stupor. They’re standing outside what she belatedly recognizes to be the math classroom, Marlene long gone.
She blinks once, twice. He raps her temple gently, that teasing glint in his eye again. “Lily?”
She’s so stunned by the fact that he’s touching her — granted, his knuckles are touching the side of her head, not a particularly romantic gesture — that for a second, she can only stand there, scrambling for some excuse, something to fill the suddenly heavy air between them.
Before she can come up with a suitable response, Gretchen Prewett shoulders between them to step into the classroom, breaking their contact and bumping into Lily a harder than strictly necessary. And that’s when Lily remembers — James and Gretchen. Gretchen and James. Gretchen with her curly blonde hair, her brown eyes, and her kindness, her infallible goodness, ever since kindergarten when she offered Lily a turn on the swings — Gretchen ensconced in James’s embrace after the soccer game, Gretchen whispering in his ear at the Halloween party, Gretchen with her arms around his waist at that one house party at the start of the year….
“Lily?” James repeats, this time with more concern. “You okay?”
She blinks again, suddenly unable to make eye contact. “Um, yeah.”
“Thought I lost you for a second there,” he says. “Shall we?”
He steps through the classroom door, and all Lily can do is follow.
***
That night, Lily sits on her bed, calculus notes spread around her, and texts the group chat.
i don’t think i can do this movie night thing on Friday
She exhales, the lie settling in her brain. She adds: something came up
Marlene responds almost immediately.
Marlene: was that something the realization that ur so desperately attracted to james samuel potter, you can’t be in the same room without wanting a repeat performance of halloween night?
Dorcas: i don’t think james’s middle name is samuel
Marlene: semantics
Dorcas: you don’t have to go lily
Marlene: oh yes you do
Lily: his middle name is Fleamont after his dad
Marlene: …
Marlene: why would you ever know that if you didn’t want to submit to the sexual tension that seems to follow you both EVERYWHERE
Lily: i’m a normal person who pays attention to things, that’s how i know his middle name!!!
Lily: and we do NOT have sexual tension
Marlene: pish
Marlene: i saw the way you were looking at him in the parking lot today
Marlene: you were feasting ur eyes
Alice: i wasn’t there but i believe marlene
Marlene: it’s okay tho because he was checking you out too
Lily’s blushing uncontrollably now. She’s always loved Marlene’s relentless determination, her stubbornness; however, it’s almost never been turned on her. What makes her friend’s insistence all the more infuriating is the fact that she’s right. Lily is plagued by flashbacks to Halloween night whenever she’s close to James. She can’t help, really, but admire how smooth his jawline is, or the shape of his collarbone, or the curve of his biceps, which sometimes show, depending on what shirt he’s wearing —
Even his once-annoying habit of constantly messing with his hair has grown on her, if only because she knows what it feels like to run her fingers through it, and wants desperately to repeat the experience.
Lily: okay even if i were a smidgen attracted to him it doesn’t matter because i completely forgot that he had a thing with gretchen
Alice: omg gretchen
Marlene: i thought they were just hooking up???
Lily: idk but she was really aggressive to me today right after i spoke to him
Marlene: huh i didn’t think she had it in her
Alice: go gretchen honestly
Alice: it’s about time she developed some backbone
Dorcas: yeah not with lily tho???
Lily: i don’t want to be a homewrecker
Marlene: you are literally so dramatic
Marlene: just ask James where he’s at with Gretchen
Marlene: on Friday.
Marlene: when you’ll be at the movie night, because you’re coming with us, because i’m picking you up at seven
Marlene: :)
***
At 7:05 on Friday night, Marlene pulls into Lily’s driveway.
“Surprisingly punctual,” Lily comments as she slides into the passenger’s seat, the familiar hum of the engine calming her nerves slightly. There’s a bitter chill to the air, to be expected in early December, and she wraps her coat around herself more tightly.
Marlene shrugs. “I do what I can.”
Then she floors it. All too soon, Lily finds herself standing in front of James’s door, hand hovering over the doorbell. “Is this really —”
Marlene rolls her eyes and jams her finger against the bell. “Yes. It’s really necessary. Talk to him and then ride off into the sunset together.”
Just then, the door swings open, and there he is: hair wet from a post-game shower, wearing a shirt that brings out the green in his eyes — eyes that flick up and down, taking her in, so quickly she almost could’ve missed it.
“Lily, you look great,” he says, then clears his throat. “Um, we’re downstairs. Movie’s about to start.” For the first time, he seems to notice the girl standing beside her. “Hi, Marlene.”
Marlene whistles lowly as they head downstairs, and Lily prods her with her elbow, cognizant of the fact that her cheeks are turning more and more red. She tries to take her mind off of James by focusing on her surroundings; she hasn’t been in his house since elementary school, when it was common procedure to invite the whole class to every birthday party. It’s nice — that’s no surprise, considering his family’s considerable wealth — and looks fairly lived in. As she and Marlene step into the basement, fully finished with a giant television and an assortment of comfy chairs and couches, Lily begins to regain her composure.
Sirius and Remus are cuddled up on one end of the couch, with Alice and Dorcas sitting on the floor in front of them, flipping back and forth between Jaws and Love, Actually. Marlene immediately walks over to Remus, and Lily trails behind, dismayed to hear that the two have already begun talking about a class that she doesn’t share. She turns towards Alice and Dorcas, but is stopped by the prickle at the edge of her vision — some subconscious mechanism alerting her to the fact that she’s being watched. Sure enough, Sirius Black is staring at her, eyebrows raised. The almost challenging expression is new to Lily; the Sirius she’s always known has been laid back, easygoing.
That is, before she accused him of trying to take advantage of her best friend on Halloween night. She cringes internally at the memory; she won’t apologize for worrying about her friend, but perhaps she had jumped to conclusions a bit too quickly. She clears her throat and veers towards him, steeling herself.
“Lily.” Sirius inclines his head ever so slightly, watching as she perches awkwardly on the couch’s arm.
“Sirius. I, um, probably should apologize for Halloween night.”
“What part?” he says, and something’s wrong, here, she thinks. “The part when you accused me of taking advantage of Marlene, or the part when you stuck your tongue down my best friend’s throat, then abandoned him?”
She’s so floored she almost falls off the couch. He’s speaking quietly, tone monotone, and if she hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought he was bored by the whole thing. But his gaze hasn’t moved from her face, and she realizes for the first time that Sirius Black, while angry, is worthy of fear.
“I — well — I’m sorry for assuming your intentions with Marlene. I didn’t know you —” she looks towards Remus, still chatting away obliviously with her friend “— I didn’t know you were in a relationship, and I overreacted. As for the James stuff, I — I really don’t know what to say. I thought he just wanted to be friends.”
“Yes, when Remus kissed me for the first time, my first thought was, ‘Oh, I bet he just wants to be friends,’” Sirius mutters acridly, but his expression has softened slightly, and Lily allows herself to relax, just a little bit. “Jesus Christ. This is worse than I thought.” “What is worse?” Lily asks, feeling strangely defensive. “James and I —”
“James has had a crush on you since seventh grade, Lily,” Sirius all but hisses. “It’s so incredibly obvious, I never even considered you didn’t know. I thought you were —”
“Some manipulative bitch stringing him along?” Lily finishes, arching an eyebrow at him, hoping she can disguise the shock reverberating through her. Since seventh grade.
“You’re kind of scary, Lily Evans,” Sirius says drily. “And sharp. Emotionally aware or some shit. It’s intimidating. The poor fool was just happy to have time with you, even if you thought that him fucking kissing you was an expression of platonic friendship — ”
“That’s not — I’m not — I — he was with Gretchen!”
Sirius scoffs. “I can’t explain all his choices. But they were never together, never officially. Gretchen was hooking up with Michael Goldstein at the same time. She can get kind of territorial. I told him not to get mixed up in it, but he was so hung up on — well.” He pauses. “I’ve said too much.” His tone is not apologetic or regretful in the slightest; in fact, Lily can see the beginnings of a smirk on his face. She doesn’t focus on it for too long, though; there’s too much to process. For the first time, the possibility of James — of really being with him, of holding his hand, of FaceTiming with him late into the night, of walking down the hallways together — cements in her head. Her head swims, imagining the potential of it all. “Where’s James?”
“Getting drinks upstairs,” Sirius says, eying her with suspicion. “Why?” “I think he and I need to have a talk.”
***
Lily finds James in the kitchen on the main floor, trying and failing to carry seven beer cans at the same time. When he sees her, they come crashing to the floor, and before she knows what she’s doing, she’s helping him pick them up, avoiding eye contact.
“What are you doing up here? Is something wrong?” James asks once the cans have been dealt with.
She leans against the kitchen island, wiping her palms on the sides of her jeans. His gaze follows the motion before he blinks and makes eye contact again, clearing his throat. Waiting for her to speak.
So she does: “Nothing’s wrong. I just — I wanted to ask you about someone.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “Really? Who? Sorry. Whom.”
Lily can’t help but roll her eyes, his impeccable grammar relaxing her nerves. “Whom? Really, James?”
He scoffs and shakes his head, but there’s no real heat to it. “Only the best for my yearbook editor.” He’s leaning against the wall opposite her, hands in his pockets. When he looks back at her, the air feels like honey: thick and slow-moving, sweet. She’s never had someone look at her like that before. Her heart speeds up. Get back on track, Lily.
“Right. Uh, anyway. I was thinking about Halloween —”
There it is, again. That look. Followed by a brief glance at her mouth — he’s quick, but she’s attuned to his every movement, now — before his eyes flick back up to her face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. And I realized that I completely forgot about Gretchen.”
James breaks eye contact. “What about her?”
One deep breath, then two. “Well. Were you seeing her? Was I — helping you cheat, or —”
“God, no,” he says. “Lily, I would never — we weren’t exclusive, or together, and she was mostly using me to make Michael Goldstein jealous, anyway.”
“Oh.”
He clears his throat again, runs a hand through his hair. It’s dry, now, and looks impossibly soft. Lily’s fingers clench automatically.
“Well,” she says, heart pounding. She senses she’s very close to something, something big; it’s like she’s standing on the edge of a cliff, crystal-clear water below, and she’s terrified of how deep she might fall. No matter that jumping off that cliff is what she’s been wanting to do for months now. No matter that jumping off that cliff might simply mean closing the two feet of separation between her and the boy she so desperately wants. “See you downstairs, then.”
***
Lily bolts.
There’s no other word for it; she walks out of the kitchen as fast as she can, pretending not to hear James calling her name. She knows she’s a coward. She knows that if she’d crossed that final threshold, if she’d turned back around, if she’d stayed, her life might look very different. But she can’t do it.
The fact of the matter is, Lily Evans has been Lily Evans, undesirable, longer than she has been Lily Evans, as-crushed-on-by-James-Potter-since-the-fucking-seventh-grade. She needs to let the notion sink under her skin. She’s out of first moves; she’s out of soul-searing confidence. She asked about Gretchen. It was a baby step. Now she can go downstairs and watch the fucking movie, and bear the brunt of Marlene’s disappointment, and fall asleep fantasizing about James’s lips and hands and body instead of experiencing the real thing. It’s fine. It’s what she’s used to doing, and so far, she’s done perfectly well.
It’s not that she doesn’t like James; no, the opposite holds true. She very much likes James, to an extent that is unfamiliar and sticky and all too attainable. James Potter — the disco ball that’s sharp around the edges, except lately it seems as if they’ve both been childproofing the jagged parts, making them soft and round and welcoming. She doesn’t know how this works, how to navigate a minefield that’s been disarmed and paved over.
Besides, she thinks as she begins to walk down the stairs to the basement, how is she supposed to hold up to the idealized version of herself that must have been growing, festering, in James’s head for the past five years? Lily, who’s only kissed three people, and never done more; Lily, who doesn’t know how to be in a relationship, especially one with one of the school’s most visible students; Lily, who, despite all her newfound confidence, still can’t wrap her head around the idea that James would like her. Would want her. Would —
“Lily?”
Instinctively, her head snaps towards the voice’s source. It’s James, of course it is. He stands at the top of the stairs, the soft glow of the overhead light making him look practically angelic. She nods at him.
“Can I join you?”
“Yes.”
He walks until he’s standing on a step two feet away from her. The trek down to the basement involves two flights of stairs, with a landing in between; on the first staircase, therefore, she and James are hidden from the basement’s occupants, from outside influence, from the world.
“What is it?” she asks, going for unbothered and confident and failing miserably. She can’t meet his eyes.
“I was just wondering — now that we’ve, um, cleared up the Gretchen thing — well, the thing is,” he says, running a hand through his hair and smiling apologetically, “I’m, um, rambling. Sorry. Um, what I’m trying to say is that I’ve really enjoyed being your friend over the past few months. But — and it’s only fair you should know — I’ve really, really liked you for the past few years. God, that makes me sound creepy. It’s not that, I swear. I just — you’re so — so poised and kind and sharp. I always, well, I always thought you were too mature for me, too smart. You — you really don’t suffer fools, Lily, and I am one, but, well, in spite of that — in spite of everything — will you go out with me?”
She looks up at him, eyes wide, heart beating wildly. “You are a fool, James,” she whispers, words almost catching in her throat, because there it is. He’s just given the final confirmation, the truth: that he, James Potter, likes her. Wants her. Wants to be with her. She can’t stop — fuck, she keeps remembering Halloween. His hands on her skin. “I — you’re a complete fool, and you’re also ridiculously charming and intelligent and social in a way I can’t fathom, and I respect you. I really do.”
James’s face falls. “Right. Well, I’m glad you respect me, and I’ll just — I’ll just go now, I guess —”
“I don’t want you to go,” she bursts out. This conversation is getting out of her control (when had it ever been in her control?), the words slipping away from her. You can’t do first moves, grand proclamations, the voice in her head whispers snidely, but she ignores it. “I want you to stay. I respect you, and I like you, and I want to be with you. See?”
It’s his turn to look gobsmacked. “Oh. As friends, or —”
She pounces on him. There’s no other word for it, not really; she reaches the staircase step below his, and then she guides his mouth down to hers, hands around the back of his neck, back arching under his. If she stands on her tiptoes she can make the angle better, and… there. Something like a sigh falls from James’s mouth. His hands wind through her hair, glasses bumping slightly against her forehead. It’s not a perfect kiss. But it does accomplish the most important thing, for James Potter, jagged around the edges, and Lily Evans, sharp to the touch, have changed.
Both are now soft, malleable, in each others’ arms.
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seaweedbrain404 · 3 years
Text
Wolfstar Au!: Hot and Cold (pt 2 of Parties and Morning Regrets)
@icitlali asked if there was a second part and um- yeah i wrote this, there may be more parts to come
pt 1
pt3
read it on ao3
Remus thought inviting Sirius up was the right thing to do which is the only reason he did. He dared to let himself hope but he didn’t really want to see Sirius. Still, Remus had manners and it was so cold outside that his own fingers were turning purple. Leaving Sirius out in the cold and making him probably walk home seemed too mean, even for Remus. Although, he thought Sirius definitely deserved it.
He followed Sirius up to the flat, Lily looked more than surprised when she saw Sirius come in and gave Remus another look. It was one of those looks that Remus didn’t like getting, the we’re-going-to-talk-about-this-later kind of look. He shrugged it off, too preoccupied with his bloody hip.
“Remus, did you really walk all the way here?” Lily crossed her arms over her chest as Remus closed the door behind them.
“Yeah, so what” He replied through gritted teeth. “I’m going for a shower to wash off the smell of stale alcohol”
“You’re going to be the death of me one day, Remus Lupin” Lily’s voice called to his retreating back. “Sirius, how are you?”
Remus heard vague small talk as he navigated his way to his bedroom. The pain in his hip wasn’t unbearable exactly. It was just bad enough for it to consume all his thoughts. All he needed was a warm bath, some painkillers and to limit his movements for the rest of the day. Easy. Unfortunately, the bath would have to wait until later though seeing as it would probably be rude to soak in the tub while having a guest over.
Showering after a night out was always a pleasant experience. He emerged from the shower just a couple minutes later with damp hair, a stolen pair of Lily’s yoga pants and a clean jumper.
“Ah, here’s the idiot who has no regard for his health” Lily smiled as Remus walked into the kitchen. “Are those mine?”
“Maybe, painkillers please?” He walked across the room and leaned his chin on Lily’s shoulder.
Sirius watched the interaction between the two with some hint of longing in his eyes. Remus wasn’t sure why, maybe it was because he had never been so casually touchy with anyone but now him and Lily were even closer than they were in school.
Lily wrapped an arm around his waist, rubbing circles on his hip. “Sirius, there’s a small pill bottle in the cupboard just there-“ she pointed to the right above her head “-would you mind grabbing it please?”
Sirius blinked for a moment, seemingly frozen at the sight of them. Then, he nodded. “Yeah- yeah, I got it”
He passed Lily the retrieved painkillers without looking at them. Lily hummed gratefully in return, easing Remus, who had hid his face in the crook of her neck, off her. He leaned back against the counter and Lily switched the kettle on.
“I promised Mrs Pettigrew from next door that I’d pick up her groceries today” Lily turned to Remus, glancing at Sirius, “and do a bit of cleaning for her since her grandson is out of town, do you think you’ll manage?”
“Yeah” Remus breathed out. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay”
Lily pursed her lips and looked to Sirius again. “Make sure he stays home, yeah?”
Remus made a noise of protest as Sirius nodded, “I doubt he’ll want to listen to me”
“Lily, I can take care of myself”
“Hardly, you’re in a right state after being without me for a few hours” She scolded, “If you strain yourself any more then you’re going to really fuck up your hip”
“I can’t fuck up something that’s already fucked, can I?”
“I mean it, take it easy and don’t be an idiot”
“Alright, fine”
“And I want to talk to you later”
Remus paled a little at that, despite fully seeing it coming. He made a noncommittal sound and Lily, satisfied with herself, left the room to layer up on clothes and help the nice old lady who lived across the hall.
There was a tense moment when she left. The kettle went off and Remus poured himself a cup, then paused. “Tea?”
“Sure”
Sirius seemed more relaxed now that Lily had gone. It was as if he had been on best behavior when she was there and now he didn’t have to be. Remus couldn’t really blame him, Lily could be very scary sometimes and she was always unreasonably overprotective of Remus. In all fairness, he felt the same way towards her.
So Remus poured two cups of tea and then added milk and sugar accordingly. He had assumed that Sirius took his tea the way he did back in school and he was only a little ashamed he still knew what the other man liked in his tea off the top of his head.
“Am I allowed to ask about the accident?” Sirius picked up his cup and took a sip.
“Why do you want to know?” Remus retorted, taking a painkiller.
“Lily wouldn’t tell me… and I’m…. worried” Sirius looked embarrassed to admit it but he did admit it which was good enough for Remus. It showed some sort of growth, some kind of potential.
“Depends on whether you’re going to pity me or not because frankly, I don’t care much for it”
“Jesus, you don’t have to be so snappy”
Remus scowled at him, not saying another word. He didn’t care about being snappy in that particular moment. His hip hurt like hell, he could feel his leg slowly going as well and whenever he told people anything about the accident they all treated him like a fragile porcelain doll.
Sirius cleared his throat before speaking again. “I won’t pity you, if you don’t want me to”
“What do you want to know?” Remus asked, disregarding what Sirius had said.
“What happened?”
“I worked at this publishing place, had a late night so I took a cab home” Remus began, even thinking about that night made his heart race and his eyes sting. “Someone was driving under the influence and hit us- the cab, I mean.. and it was really bad but they put these screws and plates all in my side, shoulder down to my shin”
Remus paused a moment, wiping his eyes on the back of his palm. Sirius made to touch him but he jerked away, a little too fast and hissed in pain. Sirius retreated his hand, looking crestfallen.
“Anyway, I had to quit the job cause it was too far to walk and I refused to get in any type of car or bus or really any type vehicle since then” Remus rushed the end of the story, his hands were shaking and his throat felt tight.
Sirius took a step forward and this time Remus allowed him to. He carefully opened his arms and slowly wrapped them around Remus, giving him more than enough time to move if he didn’t want this.
Remus, however, was just exhausted. He collapsed right into Sirius’ arms which tightened around him. The bad thing was, he was still shaking, his lungs refused to take in air and oh, there was the whole thing about just falling into his ex-boyfriend’s arms. Good thing was, he felt safe.
Then he started crying, his own arms wrapping around Sirius’ waist while his arms were around Remus’ back. He was pretty sure the only reason he still remained standing was Sirius’ strength forged by years of playing rugby. Remus wanted to kick himself, everything about this situation was just so pathetic and he hated it. He hated himself for it.
Sirius, meanwhile, said nothing and just rubbed circles on the taller man’s back. “I’m sorry, I’ve been horrible to you and now you’re literally comforting me, maybe I am the asshole”
“Nah, I kind of deserved it”
“Yeah you did”
“Hey! you’re not supposed to say that”
“But it’s the truth”
“Shut up”
Remus let himself laugh quietly. He was mortified by this display of vulnerability and dearly wished the ground would open and swallow him whole. Then he made a feeble attempt at pushing Sirius away, nearly toppling over himself. He had to grip the counter behind him to stop himself from hitting the floor. Sirius made to catch him but Remus swatted his hand away.
“I think you should go”
“But I promised Li-“
“I’m tired and she’ll be back soon”
Lie. Remus knew that Lily would be gone for at least two more hours, maybe more if Mrs Pettigrew offered biscuits.
“Then I’ll just stay till she comes back, she really worries about you” Sirius shrugged like it was final and Remus didn’t want to talk about it so he slowly hobbled to the living room.
“Do you-“
“No”
Sirius started asking but Remus snapped at him before he could finish his question.
“Sorry” Sirius mumbled, hands up in surrender. Remus could feel eyes on his back as he managed to get to the couch. He switched on the telly, laying on the side of his body that hurt the least.
Remus figured that if Sirius didn’t leave, then maybe he could ignore him to the point of leaving. Unfortunately it didn’t work because this was Sirius so instead of sitting on the chair near the couch or even on the floor, he stood at Remus’ head. Hands were gesturing for Remus to sit up but he ignored them.
“Remus, squish over a minute”
With a groan, he turned onto his back and sat up. Sirius slid into the open space and Remus turned so that his feet were at Sirius’ lap instead of his head. He wasn’t sure how his body would react if Sirius started gently twirling strands of his hair and admiring them as if they were made of gold.
Remus closed his eyes, feeling fingers tracing shapes on his exposed ankles.
Suddenly Sirius spoke. “You and Lily have gotten really close”
His eyes shot open, a little startled by the tone. He wasn’t sure how long he was out but he definitely slept at least twenty minutes.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” His voice was groggy with sleep, the side of his mouth damp from drool
“It’s weird, I’ve never seen you so much as hug anyone”
Remus wiped the side of his mouth. “People are allowed to change and Lily is my best friend”
“It’s just- you’ve changed so much and I’m struggling to keep up” Sirius’ tone was strange, the most un-Sirius thing Remus had ever experienced him do since they met.
Remus’ eyebrows knit together, a frown now playing on his face. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, y’know… besides, I don’t have to change according to your terms”
“I never said that” Sirius spat.
Remus sat up in response, leaning back on his elbows. “Then why are you constantly bitching about how much I’ve changed?”
“Because you have! It’s like you’re this whole new person and I don’t even know you”
“I haven’t spoken to you since we were 17, that was 6 years ago and you expect me not to change?” Remus ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, I went to college, I got in a horrendous car accident Sirius, do you really expect me to be the same person I was when we were teenagers?”
“No- it’s just, I don’t like change”
“Fucking hell Sirius, the world doesn’t care and guess what? that’s constantly changing too”
“Yeah but not as drastically as you! You work in a bakery for Christ’s sake when I know you always wanted to be a writer”
“And I know you vowed to never work for your parents and here you are, doing daddy’s dirty work no doubt”
“Remus”
“What”
“You were never this cruel”
“No, I suppose not”
The two sat in silence, and it took all of Remus’ willpower not to kiss him.
“Can we just be friends or something” Sirius looked sincere enough, good natured enough for Remus to want it.
“Something? Something like wh-“
But Remus never got to finish his sentence because suddenly Sirius’ knees were straddling his hips and they were kissing.
What the fuck!
Remus wanted to scream, he was tired and annoyed and now he didn’t know what to feel. He pushed Sirius away for a second time that day, both their breaths coming in uneven.
“No” Remus breathed out, shutting his eyes tightly.
“No?”
“Yes, no… I can’t… what were you thinking?”
Sirius looked both hurt and surprised but Remus wasn’t concerned about that, he was more confused than anything and also there was the almost unbearable pain in his hip.
“I- well you were being cruel and this is the only way I knew how to shut you up effectively”
Now it was Remus’ turn to look hurt, he pushed Sirius again with more force than before. He brought his head back down and refused to say another word.
“Remus”
Nothing.
“Remus”
He shut his eyes, willing himself to go to sleep again.
“I’m sorry”
“Remus, I’m really sorry”
“I know I shouldn’t have said that”
“I did want to kiss you, I also wanted you to stop being mean”
“Come on Moony”
Remus’ eyes shot open at the childhood nickname. “Leave me alone Sirius, I’m tired and sore”
“Are you cross?”
“With you?”
Sirius hummed in response.
“Yeah but mainly cause I’m tired”
“Oh, I’m sorry”
“Just stop talking”
Sirius did just that. Remus felt bad though, he very carefully and hesitantly moved again so that his head was on Sirius’ lap. “I’m sorry for being a dick” he whispered, eyes closing again.
“I’m sorry for not thinking before I speak” came Sirius’ soft reply.
Remus felt Sirius’ fingers move through his hair tentatively as if he was uncertain whether or not this was allowed. “No, I’m being a moody git, all hot and cold on you”
“I couldn’t blame you for it”
“Well you should”
Sirius didn’t reply and Remus remained on the side that didn’t hurt him, facing away from Sirius and towards the telly.
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awanderingdeal · 4 years
Text
In which Sirius takes back Halloween
My fic for the fabulous fic -o-ween! This is not even remotely scary and is basically a big fluff ball. I hope you enjoy your Halloween as much as Sirius and co!
A big shout out to @ais-for-alex for being my beta for this fic. I did make a couple of changes as I was re-reading this morning (who can resist) so any mistakes are most likely my fault.😂
And finally, a massive thank you to @lumosinlove for lending us these wonderful characters to play with. They really have been a massive part of my lockdown sanity.
Rating: G
CW: Food mentions
“Do you think I should sell this house?” Sirius mused, tapping his long fingers against the rim of his mug.
Remus looked up slowly from his tablet, from which he’d been reading the daily news. “Why would you want to do that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s just so big, you know,” Sirius shrugged, taking a second to formulate his thoughts into a coherent reply. “I kind of just brought it as an act of rebellion when I got my first pay check. We’re never really here and even when we are, we use what, maybe five of the rooms.” He leaned back in his chair, pushing his hair back off his face. “It just feels so soulless,” he finished, glancing at Remus to gauge his reaction. His boyfriend was as impossible to read as ever, not giving an ounce away until he opened his mouth to speak.
“So, give it soul then.” Remus said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Like you said we’re never here. But we could be. We can make memories here if you want to,” he smiled gently at the thought. “Maybe, we could start with me officially moving my stuff in here?” he added, biting into a doughnut casually. If Sirius didn’t know Remus better he would have thought that the monumentality of the question had bypassed him.
Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus's waist pulling him close, smiling into his curls at the memory. It had taken place two years ago now and of course, Remus had been right. Sirius couldn’t imagine living anywhere else now. A crunching sound interrupted his thoughts. He shook his head, but didn’t comment on his boyfriend’s breakfast, a leftover toffee apple, knowing from previous experiences that it would only encourage him to make worse choices.
The conversation in his memory had been the reason that he’d first thrown his annual Halloween bonanza, a tradition (if something that had only been done twice could be called a tradition) that was quickly becoming infamous. It was a family affair with all the team bringing their loved ones to enjoy what was quite frankly, an outrageous display of wealth. Each year, Remus and he turned their back garden into a fete with, pumpkin carving, a hay maze, apple bobbing, spooky cupcake decorating and face painting to name but a few things. No expense was spared. But it wasn’t about the money really.
A soft kiss to his jawline pulled him out of his thoughts again. Remus sighed contentedly and leaned into his chest, body warmth radiating between them. Sirius glanced down at the shorter man, giving him a reassuring smile. Remus could always tell when he was in his own head.
“Just thinking about last night,” Sirius hummed, his eyes flickering to the giant corkboard on the wall. It was currently monopolized by the polaroids that had been taken the previous evening. The collection showcased exactly what the party was all about.
It was the photo of Logan, his teeth clenched around an apple, sticky liquid dripping down his chin and eyes glimmering with competition. Next to it, the photo of Katie Dumais hugging a huge, black stuffed dog, almost the same size as her.
“Logan won me a new stuffie!” she had beamed as the photo was taken. Logan, much to Katie’s distain, ruffled her hair and told her, “N’importe quoi pour vous.” Anything for you.
It was the image of a frantic James declaring, “I have lost my child!” Olli and Timmy laughing in the background because they could see a tiny Harry dressed as a pumpkin toddling around behind his father.
It was the one of Talker, for once sitting still, albeit in a chair designed for small children, his eyes closed but his mouth moving. Across from him, Noelle’s expression was fondly exasperated as she tried to finish painting his face. Another photo evidenced that she had been successful; there were two matching skeletons (Thomas and little Xavi) with faces warped by laughter.
It was the collection of photos towards the top of the corkboard. Reg and Leo. Reg and Celeste. Reg and Jules. And his personal favourite, Reg and Remus.
“I love this one,” Sirius said aloud, his fingers reaching out to brush the picture he was referring to. Even now it still baffled him to see his brother interacting with his boyfriend so casually. At this point the two men had their own relationship outside of Sirius, founded on nerdy things that he failed to understand. His heart swelled as he took in the image of the two most important people in his life.
“It’s a great photo,” Remus agreed. He and Regulus had their heads close together, hands waving as they enthusiastically discussed something. Remus had a smug expression on his face, Reg looked disgruntled. The photo captured their personalities fantastically. “I think this is my favourite,” Remus added, pointing out a different polaroid.
This one was taken inside. An entanglement of blankets and sleeping children. Smitty’s youngest, Noah, had started it. He’d crashed around 9pm after an almighty sugar rush, and his father had laid him down in the quiet of the lounge to sleep. Katya Ivanov and Katie Dumais followed soon after. Harry had put up a valiant effort not to join them. In fact, there was a photo a little to the left of Sirius rocking his godson who was fighting his drooping eyelids. Never the less, he ended up in the pile too.
“One day, we will have one of our own to add to that pile,” Remus smiled, giving Sirius a squeeze.
“One day,” Sirius agreed, wiping a thumb across Remus's lips to remove a trace of toffee. "We better go and wake those two up. Marcie will be here soon – she won’t want to clean around them,” Sirius declared, his head inclining towards the lounge. Remus chuckled in response, spinning in Sirius’s arms and taking his hand to lead him to the other room. Sirius allowed himself to be led, picking up the camera from the counter as he passed.
The camera flashed and pushed out a photo with a click. Sirius grinned, shaking the small square whilst it developed. Slowly it revealed two men curled into one another, the taller of the them had his arms wrapped around the smaller. They looked peaceful. Remus tried to wake them up gently, but apparently the small shake to Kuny’s shoulder was enough to startle the pair. A string of Russian – almost certainly profanities – left Kuny’s mouth as he pulled himself away from Nado. Sirius noted the blush that spread over Kuny’s cheeks as he realised how entwined they had been. 
“Right boys. I hate to kick you out but my housekeeper will be here soon and she does not need to be subjected to your hungover asses,” Sirius said, although he didn’t sound regretful at all.
Nado grumbled, showing Sirius his middle finger and sweeping his hair back of his face. “Come on Koon, I’ll drop you home.”
Leaving Remus to deal with their two unexpected guests, Sirius wandered back into his kitchen to pin the photo he had just taken with the rest. There wasn’t a lot of room left, but he managed to squeeze it between a photo of Natalie and Kasey holding their carved pumpkins, and a particularly sweet one of the cubs. Finn’s lips were pressed against Leo’s nose, red from the cold. Logan cocooned between them, resting his head on Finn’s chest. Sirius couldn’t help but smile as he realized that none of them were wearing the same sweaters they had arrived in, seemingly having swapped them over the course of the evening.
Remus came back soon enough, shaking his head and huffing out a laugh. Sirius didn't want to know. “They'll be gone soon. We should pick up. Marcie isn't paid enough to deal with…this" Remus said, gesturing towards the chaos of the kitchen. Sirius looked around, a grimace forming on his face before he nodded his agreement. The floor was littered with costume parts, either lost or removed as games were played and alcohol was drunk – devil horns here and iron man’s mask there. There was a stain on the rug where a bowl of perfectly spiced pumpkin soup had been spilt. Toilet paper had managed to make its way into the craziest of places, casualties of the mummy competition. Popcorn crunched under his feet – the impromptu viewing of ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ had happened two rooms over - how popcorn had ended up in the kitchen, Sirius did not know.
Despite it all, Sirius would do it all again tomorrow. Growing up, Halloween had been characterized by loneliness and jealousy. His overly religious parents had declared the holiday heinous and banned even mentions of the event. In the supermarket, they snatched offered candy out of his hand and Sirius had listened on wistfully as the other children spoke about their hauls. The memories made him a little sad, but it was okay now, Sirius had reclaimed it  – Halloween was his again.
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omgrachwrites · 4 years
Text
Tell a Tale of You and Me - Chapter One
Pairing: Sirius Black x Reader
Summary: You knew that making a bet with Sirius Black was like making a deal with the devil but you just couldn’t help yourself. You had never been a heavenly woman.
Warnings: fluffy fluff, the gang being bff’s, Remus being adorable
Words: 1920
A/N: Hope you guys enjoy, please let me know what you think and if you would like to be tagged, I might make a playlist for this series! I love you all very much! xxx
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Chapter One
You smiled in slight surprise as you walked into the bright kitchen and you saw your brother, Finn out of bed. He was actually smiling as he poured himself a glass of homemade pumpkin juice, his thick curls bouncing as he moved.
“Good to see that you’re out of bed, kid,” you grinned, ruffling his hair
Finn pouted at you before smiling himself, “I didn’t think that it was such a good idea isolating myself in bed, there’s nothing that I can do about my … problem,” the way he spoke made him sound much older than his eleven years, “and Dumbledore sent an owl to mum, telling her that I’m still allowed to come to Hogwarts.”
You smiled at him proudly as you too poured yourself a glass of iced pumpkin juice, you couldn’t wait to be sitting in the sunshine outside The Leaky Cauldron with your friends, “well, you’re braver than me and of course, Dumbledore would never turn anybody away. You belong at Hogwarts.”
You were pretty surprised that your mum had confided in Dumbledore about your brother’s affliction. She had kept it a well-guarded secret from the rest of the village; she was worried that it would affect her and your dad’s job at the Ministry. They were highly respected Aurors. They were nowhere to be seen at the present moment so you fixed your brother some lunch – a cheese and tomato sandwich with the crusts cut off and you cut the sandwich into triangles, it was the only way that Finn would eat it.
As Finn ate it, he looked at you, “are you going to be on the Quidditch team this year, Y/N?” he asked and you scoffed, sipping your pumpkin juice.
“I don’t think so, I’d love to but my stage fright would never let me, you know that,” you smiled at him cheerfully; you couldn’t feel too down on such a beautiful summer’s day.
Finn pouted at you, his eyes going round, “oh, I thought it would be pretty cool, going to my first Quidditch match and my sister being on the team.”
You grinned at him, he was your biggest supporter and you appreciated that more than anything else. You were saved by replying, for your parents walked out of the living room with a beautiful woman. She was beautiful but she had hard, sharp features, it was her grey eyes that marked her, though they had none of her son’s warmth.
“Ah, Y/N L/N, you definitely grew up in beauty and grace,” she smirked at you; there was no playful glint to it. It was quite menacing to be honest.
“Mrs Black, it’s good to see you,” you lied through gritted teeth; you would never forgive her, not after what she did to Sirius.
It seemed that Mrs Black picked out your lie because her smirk widened, “so, it’s you is it? You were the one who used to pine over my eldest son.”
“A lot has happened since then,” you bit back in a defensive tone, and it was true, a lot had happened since fourth year, that was three long years ago, “I’m going to meet the gang, so I’ll see you later, you little monkey,” you kissed the top of Finn’s head and you bade goodbye to your parents, ignoring Mrs Black.
You walked over to the white marble fireplace and flung your Floo Powder down carelessly, “Diagon Alley!” you shouted clearly and you disappeared in a whirl of green flames.
When you had reached Diagon Alley, you brushed the soot from your summer dress as you carried on towards The Leaky Cauldron. You grinned, shooting a wave at James and Lily who were sitting out in the warm sunshine. Lily’s hair shone like blazing fire in the sun. They had started dating at the end of the previous school year and they were the best couple that you knew.
You walked inside the cool pub – it was alive with many people and there were even creatures such as hags, you also saw some of your Hogwarts schoolmates – and you spotted the tousled hair boy at the bar. You smiled and made your way over to him.
“Hey cutie,” you grinned, standing on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Remus flushed a bright red colour across his scarred cheeks, you loved flirting with Remus but the both of you knew that you would only ever be good friends.
“Hey Y/N,” he grinned as he pulled you into a side hug, “how is your brother doing?”
You smiled, it was so sweet of him to ask, “he’s doing great thank you, and he’s taking it all in his stride. Much braver than I could ever be.”
Remus nodded, “he seems braver than all of us but it’s good that he’s doing well. If I can be of any help, you just let me know.”
You beamed, jumping slightly as you felt two strong arms wrap around you from behind, “looking as pretty as ever, Y/N,” Sirius said in your ear.
You giggled and turned around to give him a proper hug, it was so weird to see him not wearing his usual leather jacket, “you’re still a flirt I see,” you had once hated his flirtatious behaviour but you had recently realised that it was no use. He was never going to change.
Sirius smirked at you before his warm grey eyes looked at something in the distance, and he whistled beneath his breath, “I’ll catch up with you guys, yeah?” he flounced off without waiting for a reply. You and Remus rolled your eyes and shook your heads fondly before taking the iced Butterbeers outside. Iced Butterbeers sounded like a weird concept but it was surprisingly delicious!
“Hey lovers,” you grinned at James and Lily as you pulled out a chair and sat down, “where’s Wormtail?” you asked.
“He’s still on holiday, I think,” James started, sipping his Butterbeer, gaining a foamy moustache in the process, “he’s been pretty secretive lately, but I suppose it’s only to be expected now that we’re getting older,” he sighed, “where’s Sirius?”
Remus snickered around his glass, “annoying some girl, knowing him.”
Moments later, Sirius came wandering over to the table, slamming a box of chocolates down in the middle of the table before he slumped into the free seat with a glum look on his face, “Marlene rejected me,” he muttered before anybody could ask.
You and Lily exchanged amused glances; the both of you knew exactly why Marlene had rejected him. Though, you did feel sorry for Sirius, he probably hadn’t been rejected by a girl before, and if he had, you couldn’t remember it. You glanced at the box and saw that it was a box of chocolate cauldrons, the ones with the Firewhisky centre. They were both yours and Remus’ favourites.
“Well, how about we share them? It’s not as bad as it seems Sirius, trust me,” he looked up at you, giving you a grateful smile that only served to enhance his handsome features.
Your idea seemed to be a good one as the five of you filled yourselves up with iced Butterbeer and chocolate cauldrons; you all laughed and joked with one another. You all lamented over the fact that this was your last year at Hogwarts and reminisced about years gone by. That afternoon was one of the best in your life. You wished that you could all stay that way forever, young, and seventeen. Though, you knew that summer couldn’t last forever.
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Sirius tapped his quill against his forehead, almost in an attempt to knock the answers from his head, he did kind of regret not doing it at James’ – he’d been living with his best mate for the past year and he couldn’t be happier. He had wanted to make the most of his last summer of freedom; he had spent the best part of it playing Quidditch with James. Sirius looked outside the compartment window at the rolling hills to distract himself from writing his essay.
The compartment door slid open and Y/N came walking in with a relieved smile as she sat down next to Remus, “everything alright?” Remus asked, not once looking up from his book.
“Yeah, everything is perfect,” she smiled, gazing out of the window.
Sirius sulked as he felt a twinge of jealousy; Y/N had been talking with his younger brother, Regulus. It had looked like she was really confiding in Regulus about something and Sirius just couldn’t imagine why she hadn’t talked to him. She wasn’t even friends with Regulus.
“What were you and Regulus talking about?” he narrowed his eyes at the pretty girl that was sitting opposite him and he ignored Lily’s smirk.
Y/N looked over at him with a mocking grin, “if you must know, your mum came over to my house over the summer to speak to my parents. I thought that Regulus might know why. I would have asked you but I think it’s plainly obvious that you wouldn’t know. I know how much you hate your mum.”
“Oh,” Sirius said lamely, the jealousy disapparated from his body, leaving him feeling pretty stupid.
“Were you jealous, Black?” Y/N smirked, causing Sirius to scowl at her.
“In your dreams, Y/L/N,” he muttered.
Lily laughed at this interaction as she leaned over James to speak to Y/N, “never mind about him, how is Finn feeling about his first year?”
Y/N sighed happily, “oh, he’s so excited, he’s just worried about getting put in Slytherin, I think he’s more worried about my reaction. So, I told him that no matter what happens, it’ll be okay and he’ll always be my little best mate.
“Well, Slughorn was a Slytherin and he’s a nice enough fellow, he didn’t go bad or anything like that,” Lily commented reasonable, causing Y/N to beam and nod at her.
“Everything really will be alright Y/N,” Peter spoke up, taking the words right out of Sirius’ mouth.
“Yeah I know, thank you Pete,” she gave him a pretty smile.
It seemed like all too soon that the six friends were sitting in the magnificent Great Hall as they waited for the sorting ceremony to start. While they were waiting, Y/N engaged Nearly Headless Nick in conversation about his summer. Nick was complaining that his request to join the headless hunt had once again been rejected. Sirius thought that it was very sweet of Y/N to take the time to speak to him. She tried to speak to all of the ghosts, even The Bloody Baron.
The boy’s marauding plans were interrupted by the start of the sorting ceremony; all six of them seemed to be holding their breath when the Sorting Hat was placed on Finn’s little curly head, “Slytherin!” the hat called out, and little Finn looked so nervous as he wandered over to the cheery Slytherin table.
Fury rose in Sirius as Lucius Malfoy looked through the sea of people to smirk at Y/N as Finn sat down next to him, “I’m sorry Y/N.”
She shrugged, smiling at him as Gryffindor gained their newest student, “well, it was definitely the worst case scenario. In a perfect world he’d be a Gryffindor,” she sighed and Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “as long as he doesn’t hang around with Malfoy then I’ll be pretty happy, thank you though,” she giggled and grinned as the sorting ceremony ended and the golden plates were filled with mountains of delicious foods.
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Taglist: open
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xomarauders · 4 years
Text
there are not enough fics about marlene and dorcas so here you go
also, I know that national coming out day was yesterday, but I didn’t get this fic finished until today. but, to anyone who is out or is not out or has no idea who they are quite yet, this fic is for you. I love you and I am proud of you. 💗
Marlene was walking around the grounds with her arms looped through Lily’s and Alice’s. The two girls were laughing at something funny that had happened in herbology that day, throwing their heads back as their giggles filled the air. Marlene stood between them, her heart racing just a little bit as she stared at two of her best friends, a secret on the tip of her tongue that she desperately wanted to say out loud.
I’m gay.
She wondered what would happen if she said it. Would they just keep laughing like nothing happened? Would they unhook their arms from hers and leave her behind? Would they accept her?
“What do you think, Marls?” Alice said, bringing her out of her reverie.
“Huh?”
“About the quidditch game coming up. You’re on the team. You think we have a shot against Slytherin?”
Alice and Lily looked at her expectantly. She swallowed, her secret being pushed to the side, and smiled.
“Definitely.”
There was no one else in the common room except for the Quidditch team. James was pacing in front of the fireplace, going over the game plan while Marlene was sat on the couch between Gideon and Sirius. She looked around at her teammates—Frank was giving all of his attention to James, Gideon and Fabian were sharing mischievous looks as if they knew something the others didn’t, Emmeline was attempting to take notes, and Sirius had his eyes closed, probably having already heard the game plan James had made a million times before. Marlene sat stiffly, those words echoing in her mind once more.
I’m gay.
She wondered how her friends would respond. Would James kick her off the team? Would Emmeline become uncomfortable around her? Would they make jokes about her?
“Marlene, are you listening?” James’ voice brought her back to reality. His eyebrows were raised and his eyes filled with an intensity only quidditch could enact.
“Uh, yeah. Yes. Stay on the outskirts of the field and keep my eye out for the snitch.”
James nodded his approval and continued on. Marlene let out a sigh and forced herself to pay attention for the rest of her captain’s speech.
The library was nearly empty and so quiet. The soft sound of quills scratching on parchment was the only thing breaking up the silence. Marlene was sat across from Remus, one leg tucked under the other as she stared down at the blank page in front of her. She was supposed to be doing runes homework but she found her focus lost once again. There was no one else around. No one there to eavesdrop on any conversation. She glanced up to watch Remus as he wrote fervently and felt those words crawling up her throat again.
I’m gay.
She wanted to scream it at this point. It had been eating her up for so long and she just needed to say it out loud. But what would Remus do? Would he offer her a kind smile paired with a slab of chocolate? Would he pack up his things and leave?
“Remus?” She said suddenly, surprising herself. Remus glanced up, eyebrows slightly raised and an open expression on his face.
“Yeah, Marls?”
“Um…” She looked down at her parchment. “Do you know anything about ancient runes?”
Remus eyed her for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. Here, let me see the assignment.”
She passed over her book silently and listened as he explained the theory, nodding along even as her brain screamed at her.
Sirius was acting quieter than usual, Marlene thought. Though, so was she. Usually when they ran laps around the Black Lake they would chat a bit or try to race or something. But today they had both ran in silence, their breath coming out in small puffs. Now, as they sat at the edge of the lake, cooling down from their run, Marlene took in the quiet between them. Sirius seemed to have something on his mind. He kept opening his mouth to say something, but then would shut it and go back to picking at the grass near his feet.
Marlene felt her own mouth opening to speak, her body telling her to seize the opportunity.
I’m gay.
“I’m—” She paused.
Sirius looked up. “What was that Marls?”
“Oh, uh. I was just going to say that I’m…” say it, just say it! “tired. I’m tired.”
Sirius contemplated this a moment, and then nodded. Marlene went to get up and Sirius grabbed her wrist.
“I’m—” He paused for a moment. “I’m tired, too. Let’s walk back together.”
They walked back in silence, the loudness of their thoughts stifling any conversation they may have engaged in.
She was sitting alone in the astronomy tower, staring up at the dark sky. It was a bit cold, but she didn’t mind. It was refreshing almost, like a shock to her system. It helped her feel less numb. As Marlene stared at the sky, she felt those words creeping around her head again.
I’m gay.
She closed her eyes. Why couldn’t she say it? Why couldn’t she let herself be free? She knew it would help, knew that it would relieve whatever pressure had started to build on her shoulders, but something stopped her every time.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was up here.” A voice said. Marlene turned to see a girl with dark, curly hair standing at the edge of the doorway, a stunning but awkward smile appearing on her face. Marlene’s breath caught in her throat.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind the company.”
The girl beamed once more and took a seat next to Marlene.
“You’re Marlene, right? The Gryffindor seeker?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Dorcas. I’m one of the Ravenclaw prefects.”
“So, you know Lily and Remus then?”
“Yeah. They’re nice.”
The two of them fell into silence and Marlene looked at her feet.
“What brings you up here so late?” Marlene asked after a moment.
Dorcas shrugged. “I sometimes can’t sleep. Bit of an insomniac and my dorm mates don’t like when I pace around the room, so I come up here occasionally. What about you?”
“My mind won’t shut up.”
“Oh yeah?” Dorcas raised an eyebrow. “What won’t it shut up about?”
Marlene stared at the girl sitting next to her, the soft smile on her face, the almost innocent wonder in her eyes, and she felt compelled to tell her. Maybe this was the opportunity she had been waiting for, a kind stranger to indulge her secret to. Someone to listen.
“I’m gay.”
For a moment, Marlene regretted it. She wanted to run and hide and hope that Dorcas forgets about the interaction altogether, but then…a sense of relief washed over her. She had said it. She had said it out loud, and no matter what reaction Dorcas gave her, Marlene finally said it.
“Thank you for telling me, Marlene.” Dorcas said and Marlene looked up at her. She was smiling, genuinely and Marlene felt her heart flutter.
“I haven’t told anyone before. It was a secret.”
“I’m honored that you shared it with me.” Dorcas looked thoughtful for a moment, and then slid closer to her. “’Can I share a secret, too?”
Marlene nodded.
“I’m also gay. Well, half I guess. Bisexual. I like boys but I also like girls.”
Marlene grinned. “Thank you for telling me, Dorcas.”
The two girls smiled at one another, and Marlene suddenly felt like she wasn’t so alone. And maybe, just maybe, there were other kids, just like her and Dorcas, who were waiting for the opportunity to be open and honest. Marlene looked up at the sky just as a shooting star went by, and she wished so hard for those kids to get that opportunity soon, so they could finally feel as she did in that moment; whole.
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