#sirius and james are bright beans

[fiendishfyre]

For the love your fandom asks, thanks @serenlines for asking me 1 & 8! 1) list 3 positive things about your current fandom(s) Okay so I love how HP fandom, it'll be mainly that fandom, has so much events, people take the time out of their lives to create things for others to get involved in! Another thing is I see people here wanting others to appreciate artists and writers. Respecting the crafts. Like fests and days to rec other people's works is awesome. Last list is how open people are to what is created, (at least here on tumblr), like it can be dead dove and someone may not like it but they don't push people away. 8) you hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc) Okay, several things, one is for more to appreciate prongsfoot! And deerhunter (Orion x James), and for people to appreciate how intelligent Sirius and James are in canon! c:

[wo1fst4r]

James sends Regulus a love letter over Christmas break. The letter arrives at the Black manor, and Sirius is the one who gets hold of it first. Seeing the hearts on the envelope and knowing Regulus hardly gets love letters, Sirius assumes it’s for him.

Sirius rips open the envelope, grinning at what he expects to be some sweet, overly-adorable letter but as he reads, his smile fades. At the bottom of the paper, there's a heart with “J+R” inside it. Sirius blinks, staring at the letter in disbelief. He frowns, then bursts out laughing as he realizes the letter is for his little brother.

Grinning mischievously, Sirius pulls out his compact mirror and immediately contacts James, ready to spill the beans. “Oi, Prongs, guess what? Looks like someone’s got a secret admirer, and it’s not you.”

James freezes, his heart skipping a beat. “Sirius, what—what are you talking about?”

Sirius is laughing now, practically rolling on the floor. “This letter, mate—it's so cheesy! Like, really. J+R? Someone's feeling a bit too poetic. Honestly, if it weren’t for the hearts, I would've thought it was a bloody love poem from a five-year-old.”

James’s blood rushes to his head. His cheeks go bright red, his pulse quickening. “Sirius, stop,” he stammers, his heart pounding in his chest.

Sirius just laughs harder, oblivious to how nervous James is. “I’ll find out who this J.F.P. is when we get back to Hogwarts. This person clearly has a thing for Regulus, and I’m gonna track them down, just you wait.”

James feels like he might pass out from the anxiety. He swallows hard, trying to sound calm. “Sirius, don’t—please.”

“Oh, I’m telling you, mate, I’m going full detective mode when we get back,” Sirius continues, completely unaware of how red James has become. “You’re in for it, Prongs. Someone’s got a thing for OUR little brother.”

James just wishes he could disappear into the floor. He knows Sirius has no idea it’s him, and the thought of his best friend figuring it out just makes him more nervous. “Sirius, please, just—forget it,” he mutters, wishing this whole thing would vanish.

Sirius just laughs louder. “Nah, Prongs, I’m telling you, I’m finding this J.F.P. and giving them a piece of my mind when we get back.”

James is sweating bullets now, heart racing as he frantically tries to steer the conversation away. He has no idea how long he can keep up this act before Sirius catches on.

[engie-ivy]

(I wrote a 'day-after-Sirius'-birthday' fic! Totally not just me being late for Sirius' birthday. Nope, not at all. This was planned. With a very Fluffy ending, because Sirius deserves happiness for his day-after-his-birthday!)

@wolfstarmicrofic 3rd: gather

862 words

Remus is doing his semester abroad, and Sirius goes to surprise him with a visit and a confession.

At Your Doorstep

Sirius tries to gather his courage. Not for the first time, he curses James Potter's name, while simultaneously thanking his lucky stars to have someone like James Potter in his life.

Yesterday was Sirius' birthday.

His birthday plans consisted of sitting at home playing sad songs on his guitar while wallowing in self-pity. James came to visit anyway. Sirius wouldn't have blamed him if he hadn't, as Sirius hasn't exactly been fun to be around lately.

Remus left two months ago to do his semester abroad. Of course, Sirius knew he was going to miss him, but god, he hadn't expected it to be this bad! He's been a shell of his normal self, acting cranky, short-tempered and withdrawn.

James did, however, manage to pique his interest with his birthday gift: plane tickets to go see Remus.

When Sirius immediately wanted to grab the tickets, James had quickly pulled them out of reach. "Uh-uh, if you want them, you must first accept the terms and conditions."

"And what are those?"

"You can only go if you promise that when you're there, you're going to tell Remus how you feel."

The prospect of seeing Remus again was too much for Sirius to resist, so he had accepted James' terms. He had promised, solemnly sworn even, something they do not take lightly, to confess his feelings for Remus.

Sirius got on a plane yesterday, flew all night, took a cab giving the driver Remus' address, and now here he is, standing on the doorstep of some student housing appartement getting ready to put it all out there for the person he can't deny anymore he's terribly in love with.

He takes a deep breath and knocks.

The door is thrown open and a lanky guy with bouncing red curls appears.

Sirius realizes this must be Fabian, Remus' roommate. Despite never having spoken with Fabian, or even having seen Fabian before, Sirius does not like Fabian. Remus talks about his new roommate just a tad too much for Sirius’ liking. 'I was having dinner with Fabian yesterday… Fabian took me to this coffeeshop the other day… Fabian and I are going to watch this movie…'

Fabian looks Sirius up and down, and then a flirtatious smile appears on his face as he leans against the doorpost. "Why, hi there. How may I help you this evening?"

"I… uhm, I'm looking for Remus?"

"Oh." Fabian visibly deflates and he straightens. "I'm sorry, Remus is unavailable today, I'm afraid."

"Unavailable?" Sirius repeats.

"Yes, he made it clear he is not to be disturbed from his utmost important task of feeling sorry for himself," Fabian says. "Apparently, his guy back home had his birthday yesterday, and when Remus didn't hear from him, he spent the day convincing himself that his crush has forgotten all about him and must have been out partying with other boys all night." Fabian rolls his eyes. "I've tried to get him out of his room, but he has opted to wallow in his misery about his unrequited crush instead."

"His…crush?" Sirius manages to say, his brain still trying to catch up.

Fabian squints his eyes and looks at him more closely. "Wait… 'tall and broad-shouldered', 'Hair the colour of the night sky falling in soft waves over his shoulders', 'bright eyes with an ever-present sparkle'..." He gasps and clasps his hand over his mouth. "Oh my god, it's you! You're Sirius Black!"

Sirius nods dumbly.

"Oh, no, no, no." Fabian hides his face in his hands and groans. Then he looks at Sirius again, pleadingly. "Please, please tell me you're here to confess your undying love for Remus, so that he isn't gonna murder me for spilling the beans?"

"Uhm, yes?"

Fabian's mood changes instantly, and a relieved grin spreads over his face. "Excellent!" He exclaims, and before Sirius can say another word he turns around and shouts "Remus! There's someone here to see you!"

Sirius hears a door open and close, some shuffling, and a moment later, Remus appears in the hallway. He's wearing pyjama pants that are too big and his most worn-out jumper with both old and new food stains, he has chocolate smears around his mouth and his hair is sticking up in all directions.

He looks perfect.

"Fab, I told you, I don't want to see anyone today. I'm-" His eyes fall upon Sirius and he immediately goes quiet, his mouth falling open.

Sirius has spent his whole flight thinking about what to say, rehearsing the words in his head, but now that Remus is looking at him, and he's looking at Remus, he's overcome with just how much he missed him. Words suddenly don't seem necessary. He rushes towards Remus, and Remus snaps out of his daze just in time to take a step towards him, before Sirius gathers him in his arms.

"What are you… How are you… Is this real?" Remus stammers, clinging to Sirius' shoulders.

"I missed you," Sirius whispers into Remus' hair. "I missed you so much. I just had to see you."

Remus lifts his head and searches Sirius' eyes, and what he finds there is really all he needs to know.

[happyhauntt]

young gods | marauders.

writing masterlist | askbox

summary: the gryffindors have a little tradition on the first night back at hogwarts.

word count: 1.2k.

warnings: pre-established relationships, tooth-aching fluff, a brief mention of war.

notes: a wee excerpt from an old marauders fic i wrote years ago. i reread it recently and this section made me cry so i tidied it up and i'm posting it here as a little ficlet. enjoy!!

     Now, as Dorcas and Marlene slip into the common room, they find their friends in the corner, keeping warm by the fire. Lily and Alice are curled up together on an armchair built for one person, their legs tangled in long, fluffy dressing gowns.

Mary sits on the sofa next to them, legs stretched across Remus and Peter, the latter of which looking as though he has no idea what to do. James and Sirius are sitting cross-legged on a tartan blanket that covers the floor, and the latter looks up and grins as they enter.

     "McKinnon's brought snacks!" he cheers with as much enthusiasm as he can muster, clapping his hands as they approach. Dorcas pushes Mary's leg out of the way and squeezes into the gap between Remus and Peter, before letting Mary return her legs to their former position.

     "Dinner was less than an hour ago, Sirius," Marlene says with a roll of her eyes. She drops the food in the middle of the blanket, so all of them can reach it. Alice is quick to snatch up a handful of droobles. Marlene's tone takes on a falsely disapproving note, and she narrows her eyes mockingly. "You can't be hungry already."

     "McKinnon," he replies, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "there is a profound difference between food hungry and snacks hungry. You ought to learn it, for your life will be much better once you have."

     Marlene quirks an eyebrow. Her hand is halfway to reaching for a chocolate frog. "Is this the same sort of wisdom as when you told me that getting a leather jacket would change my life?"

     Sirius only smirks. He shares a cursory glance with James, who thinks Marlene's jacket has almost become an extension of her sunshine-scary personality. "I was right though, wasn't I?"

     Marlene thinks of that bright yellow jacket, sitting in her suitcase, waiting to be unpacked. She thinks of wearing it when she got onto the train earlier in the day, and how she'd been almost sad to take it off when she had to change into her uniform, and how careful she'd been in stowing it away in her suitcase.

     She allows Sirius a begrudging roll of her eyes. Both of them possess egos far larger than they ought to be, and she will not let him gloat. She'll probably smack him, otherwise.

     The evening moves on. Dorcas suggests that they pass around a box of Bertie Bott's, and Marlene knows it's a mistake when she reaches into the box with her eyes closed and picks out a speckled yellow-and-white bean between her fingers. The taste of rotten egg lingers for a while, no matter how many cauldron cakes she consumes.

     And she consumes many, many cauldron cakes.

     It doesn't take long for the tales of summertime exploits to begin being told with great detail and exaggeration. At some point, the conversation is steered by Lily ( rather expertly, her friend would say, although Marlene would argue that it was by no means subtle ) into the direction of muggle music. It doesn't take long for them to burst into a poor-but-hilarious rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. Dorcas joins in at the first verse, dramatically crying Mama, just killed a man! Remus, much to their surprise, does a fantastic Galileo, Galileo, which makes James and Sirius howl with laughter even though they don't know what the hell is going on.

     It's over too quickly. It grows dark outside, and the fire is dimming, and they're all a little bit sleepy now. There are crumbs all over the tartan blanket, and Marlene's head is resting in Sirius' lap, his fingers running through her tangled blonde curls.

     Lily has fallen asleep on top of Alice, ginger hair splayed out across the older girl's face, while Alice tries not to choke on hair. James is watching them, a dopey grin across his face. It's the kind that only appears when Lily isn't looking because he knows it annoys her now (even though it doesn't, really, but Lily won't tell him that because she's only just stopped wanting to smack him.)

     Peter's snoring away on the sofa. Remus is asleep, too, his head resting on Dorcas' shoulder, and Marlene thinks it's the most peaceful he's looked in a while. She doesn't know why she thinks that, but she does wonder about the scars that cover his body and how he gets so ill sometimes. He's her friend too, and she worries. She worries about all her friends.

     Dorcas is awake, and she's got a soft smile on her face. Mary's still lying across the top of the three of them, except she's asleep now, too, and about to roll right off the edge. Dorcas looks like she'll let her.

     Marlene takes a deep breath. She's not too good at talking about her feelings, but something about this moment feels right. She looks at the lot of them, half-asleep. When she thinks of the word home, this is what comes to mind  ━  her friends, her best friends in the whole world, peaceful and happy together.

     Part of her knows it won't last, but she tries to push that thought away. The war won't catch them, not as long as they are students at Hogwarts, and it's over a year before they have to deal with the danger in the world, isn't it?

     The war can wait. The world can wait. Right now, here, this is everything she needs. Her brothers can leave her behind if they want; if they love her, they'll come back, in the end. In this moment, she can't fix it. She can't save anyone.

     But this is home.

     "I promise I'm not drunk or sleep-talking," she murmurs, letting her eyes fall closed for a moment. She feels Sirius' hand fall still, hovering with expectation. "But I love you guys. All of you. You know that?"

     Lily makes a snuffling noise, as if she's heard Marlene's words, but she stays asleep. James chuckles quietly to himself. Dorcas looks like she might leap across the room and attack Marlene with a hug.

     Sirius looks down at her. His eyes are like steel in the dying firelight.

     "You need to chill or I'll tickle you, because nobody needed to hear that." He says it jokingly, because he did need to hear that. It is a symptom of growing up in a loveless home, he thinks, and he knows Marlene feels it too. One must be told, regularly, that they are loved and wanted.

     James tells him, every day. James, who is more of a brother to him than Regulus is, really.

     Carefully, she rises from Sirius' lap, rolling onto her knees. And then she says, "You'll have to catch me before you can tickle me, Black."

     She grins, suddenly filled with mischief and glee, moving quicker than lightning across the room, and the night ends with him chasing her around the common room.

     In that moment, with hair flying and her friends laughing and the thunder clapping outside, she thinks they are all infinite. They are all invincible. They are young gods with the world at their feet, the ones who will never die, and time stops moving.

      And then Sirius catches her.

      And the moment's over.

[lumosinlove]

Christmas Eve Will Find Me

Two: Sirius

Grimmauld Club

London, England

“Do you want to go get a burrito from that place?”

Sirius looked up from his desk. There were miles of paperwork. Mounds of things to do. A five AM flight to catch. God, did he even want to think about it? No. No, he didn’t, not with Remus Lupin looking at him like that. A smile. Hopeful. Sirius wasn’t sure what kind of hope it was. Two friends getting a beer and a meal after a shift? Or—

“Yeah,” Sirius said. “Brilliant, love to.”

Sirius could see himself sitting there, could see the mess of salsa and chips on his plate. Beans and rice that had fallen out. Each time he went back to that tiny restaurant—alone, no one else could know about it, it was theirs—he’d kept looking at the door. He had to stop doing that, they would think he was going to make a run for it. It was ridiculous, him thinking that if he just stared long enough then Remus might walk in. Cash only here, forgot. Just popped to the machine. Flash him a smile. We’re set now.

They’d stayed too long that night. Far too close to their flight. They hadn’t had a thing to drink but Sirius had felt like he had by the end, cheeks hurting from smiling. They’d stood up at the same time, go-bags in hand. So sure of themselves. Such a team. We’ll have to find at least some time to see the sights in Athens—

“You with me, Si?” James’ voice said.

The waiter had just set their drinks down, vest nearly matching the blue-black velvet walls of The Grimmauld Club. Somehow, it was their favorite even though they were never dressed properly for it. Dirty looks for their lack of jacket and tie, but the whiskey was good, they could see all the exits, and the club had their own reasons for letting them get away with it. The club knew who they worked for, at least in theory.

On my way. Remus’ voice said in his mind. Then his own voice. I’ve got you from above.

“Yeah,” Sirius said. “Sorry.”

James had invited him to stay over at his flat last night. Finn, too. Finn had had too many questions and questions weren’t a good fit for a night alone. Sirius hadn’t slept well, squeezed onto the guest bed next to Finn. He’d had the thought that Finn probably hadn’t slept in the same bed as someone since Logan’s death, and then he just couldn’t shake it. Finn had slipped out early in the morning though, because when Sirius opened his eyes he was alone.

“Sorry I’m late,” said a voice from behind them. Accented. American, but not like Finn’s. Louisiana.

Sirius saw James look up first. There was a familiar flash of bright blond hair, a beat up looking computer bag was slung onto the ground, and Leo Knut sat in the chair beside him.

Leo looked between the two of them, then sent a skeptical roll of his eyes around the club. “Didn’t think they were going to let me in.”

James flashed him a small smile. “I think you still forget who you work for sometimes.”

“Oh? And who might that be?”

James’ smile turned wry. “Oh, traffic control of London, of course.”

“Of course.” Leo did laugh, but his eyes were steady when he looked at Sirius. “So, you’ve told Finn.”

“Yeah.”

“Right before wheels up?”

“Yeah.” Sirius knew he would have to go back to his apartment for his bag. But sometimes that one pot in the kitchen stared at him so vividly he thought he would die. Sirius, honestly, you can’t live on take away. Let me make you something.

“What did Finn say?”

“He had a proper freak, to be honest,” James said. “It hurt to watch.” He sent Sirius a sideways look. “He got his hopes up way to fast.”

“So did I,” Sirius said. “Didn’t you?”

James set his glass down hard. “Yeah, but off of a photograph. We’ve got nothing besides that.” Nothing on Logan, he meant.

Leo leaned forward. “Where is he now? His courses are all finished, you can’t just drop that—”

A waiter came up and looked primly at Leo. “May I get you anything, Mr. Knut?”

“Uh—” Leo blinked up at him. “I—just a—what they’re having.”

Sirius saw the waiter give Leo, and his baby face, a skeptical look, but he gave a slight bow and turned away.

“It wasn’t my idea to tell him,” James said. “Sirius insisted.”

“No,” Leo said. “I’m glad you told him, but you can’t just tell him and leave him in the dark.”

“He slept over,” James protested.

“What choice do we have?” Sirius said. “We don’t know anything else, and we’re going to be out of reach. He’ll have to wait.”

Leo scoffed. “Hey, your husband is alive, see you later?”

“May be. May be alive.”

“Before you go shouting at us,” James said. “What exactly are you doing to speed up the process?”

“All that I can,” Leo said. “My facial recognition program is what found Remus.”

Leo’s drink was set down before him, but Leo paid it no mind. He just sent a glance towards the hallway with a simple WC and an arrow on the wall in golden stencil.

That was the other good thing about Grimmauld. It had some very interesting rooms.

James sighed, but made to get up. “They really shouldn’t have put it near the bathrooms. It makes it look like we’re all going to go together.”

Leo’s back room was full of blinking lights and wide monitors.

“Look,” Leo said as he swung into his chair. He clicked around a bit, then pulled up a video file. “This is what the still you saw is from.”

Sirius leaned forward alongside James as Leo hit play. The video had been frozen on a crowded street, not as cropped as they had seen at Salazar. This time, they had to wait for Remus to walk into frame.

“There.” Leo pointed, but Sirius hadn’t needed to be told. He would recognize him anywhere, it didn’t matter how grainy the footage was. He would know his gait. He would know the tilt of his head. Remus eyes were more like blurs, even with Leo’s enhancing technology, but Sirius knew their gold color.

God, Sirius had missed seeing the way Remus walked.

Leo’s finger hit the space bar the moment Remus turned his head. It was close. They could have missed him. He’d only turned when he was almost out of frame, just looking before he crossed the street. Nothing strange, nothing unusual, besides the fact that he was a walking memory. Sirius scanned the background, looking for any eyes on him, but there was nothing. A fruit vendor. The bank whose camera it was. A man putting his wallet away. Someone sitting reading a newspaper at a café table. A mother holding the hands of two children, one of them crying.

“And Logan?” James asked.

“Nothing,” Leo said softly. His voice held some of the hurt that had been in Finn’s voice. Sirius wondered about that sometimes and ached for Leo. “He’s still a ghost. If they’re together, I can’t tell. Or Logan hasn’t been out like Remus has.”

Sirius and James exchanged a look. “Out?”

“If they had really been in Athens all this time, I would have seen them. A camera would have picked them up long before this. And they would have found us if they could.”

“So, what, you think they escaped some type of captivity?”

“Or just Remus. I don’t know. But it’s possible.” Leo frowned. “Why do you think they haven’t contacted us?”

James let out a tired breath and put a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “If we knew that, don’t you think you would know by now, too?”

They drew their chairs close together and stared the footage down, looking for anything to go on. They looked up shop names and got the street name. Lisiou. They clocked nearby hotels, but Remus could have been coming from anywhere, could have taken a bus or a car. He looked clean. Showered and shaven. They watched the footage over and over. Remus appeared from the South and turned his head just as he was almost out of frame, going North.

“Pause it,” Sirius said suddenly. When Leo complied, he pointed. “There’s writing on his t-shirt. Can you make it out?”

“He could have picked it up from anywhere,” James said thoughtfully. “But it’s still something. He definitely wasn’t wearing it when…”

The room quieted, even chilled, until Leo cleared his throat and enhanced the image.

“Shit,” James said when half of a word came into view. “It’s all Greek to me.”

“It’s kind of twisted, but…” Leo frowned and pulled up the Greek alphabet. He went to work matching the letters, and, somehow, the bottom text box began matching them to the nearest English equivalent. “Pi…Piraeus. Piraeus?” Leo muttered the word to himself a few more times before typing it in. “It’s a myth—a city. It’s a bank—though not the one that caught him. And it’s a port.” He pulled up a separate map. “A harbor, there.”

Sirius leaned back. “That’s not too far. That’s a half hour ride at most.”

“We don’t know it actually—”

“We don’t know anything,” Sirius said. “But we start there.” He glanced at the computer clock. “We should get to the airport.”

As they made to go, Leo stopped Sirius with a hand on his arm. His blue eyes looked painfully young just then. Afraid. They weren’t supposed to show fear.

“Sirius,” Leo whispered.

James didn’t stop, too. He knew when someone needed a second. That was the beauty of James.

“I don’t know, Leo,” Sirius answered before Leo could ask.

Leo asked anyway. “Do you think Logan is…”

It wasn’t something he spoke about. It wasn’t something he wanted in his head more than it already was. He didn’t want the tragedy coating his tongue, he didn’t want it blocking his throat.

“I thought I saw both of them…” Sirius swallowed. Die. “Go. I thought…”

Sirius thought maybe Leo was going to press, but he didn’t. He nearly deflated a step backwards. He sank back into his chair with a nod.

“Okay.”

Sirius put a hand on the doorframe. “Are you…”

“I’m gonna stay here a bit.” Leo looked like he was already pulling up footage of the port. Lupin, Remus and Tremblay, Logan typed into a program and the slide of code running fast through the room.

In the hallway, James jingled his keys in his pocket. “Coming to mine?”

“I should go home,” Sirius said. He ran a hand through his hair. He would take hot water while he could. A long shower, alone in the quiet. Who knew when they’d see it again. Safe houses were always safe, that didn’t mean they were always comfortable. “Gotta get my things.”

+++

It was always strange, being in London the night before a mission. There was, of course, the pesky thought that he’d never see this city again. But it looked different, too. The street lights were brighter. The fresh rain on the pavement smelled better. He’d stop for whatever take away of his choosing. They all knew him, the restaurants, but they didn’t at all, did they? He could remember their names, could spot the different take out bags on other customers form a block away. He could say his work kept him up late and smile and laugh with them.

“George,” Sirius said when he entered the small fish and chips shop. It smelled like vinegar and salty chips, frying fish and the paper they got wrapped in.

“Ah, my friend.” George reached across the table to shake Sirius’ hand, then proceeded in getting his unsaid order ready. Strong, capable hands that went through the motions of his life by memory and touch. Watching him made Sirius wish badly for something that familiar. “How are things?”

No one knew about Remus. It was hard to grieve when the only souls he could tell were right there stuck with him.

“Fine,” Sirius said. “The usual.” At least that wasn’t a lie. “How did Matt’s maths test go? He was nervous on Tuesday.”

“Oh, Jesus, what a kid.” George folded the paper expertly, whipping down the sticker with the shop’s logo on it to hold it closed. “Fucking worries about everything. Takes after his mother in that way—and in the way of getting all the answers right.”

“Good.” Sirius smiled and looked down to his wallet, but when he went to hold out his crumbled bills, George put a hand out and simply slid the food over.

“It’s on the house.” When Sirius looked up, alarmed, George shrugged. “No, no, no. Nope. Blame Christmas.”

“I can’t let you do that.” George’s shop was beloved by the neighborhood—his whole family was—but that didn’t mean business was easy.

“You can.” George hesitated. He rubbed a hand on his red beard, blue eyes honest. “If you don’t mind me saying, you’ve not looked your best lately. Matty’s is worried you’re going to, ah, disappear again.”

Disappear. This is what George’s ten year old son Matt called it when Sirius had to work. He was vague about it to them, but honestly probably more up-front than he should be. Five months was too long to pass as a business trip and there were only so many of the agents that could fake trades that took them to archaeologic digs. Sirius didn’t have a family. He didn’t have friends. It was enough for Salazar to expect him to simply lay low. Maybe it was their fault, then, that he’d made this mistake with Matt. He could still see himself crouching down in front of him. With his mother’s dark hair, he looked a little like Regulus had when he was little.

Sometimes, Sirius had said. Sometimes I just have to disappear for a while.

“Just for a bit,” Sirius said softly. He put his money away and picked up his meal. “Tell…Tell him goodbye for me, all right?”

George’s mouth pulled to the side, but he nodded. “All right. And what about Remus? Will we be seeing him around? Matty’s taken a real shining to him, too. It’s been a while.”

Two days ago, Sirius would have had to leave without answering. No. He’s dead. He’s dead, he’s dead, and I never—I never told him that I—

“Maybe.” Sirius flashed him a brief smile. Please, please, maybe.

“Gonna be back for Christmas?”

“Maybe not,” Sirius said. He held up the packet. “Thanks. Really. I’ve got to run.”

“All right.” George sighed and it sounded almost resigned. “All right but… If you need anything…Okay?”

Sirius nodded. “Okay. You, too.”

The bell above the shop door sent him right back.

“I like them,” Remus said. He had already torn open his packet and was munching on a chip with a satisfied smile. He bumped their shoulders together. “I also like you with them.”

“What does that mean?” Sirius had asked.

It had been cold like this then, too. Remus had been wearing a green beanie, pulled low.

“You smile more with them.”

Usually, before a flight, he didn’t sleep at all. He could tell himself he would sleep as he walked down his familiar street. He could take his keys out of his pocket as he opened the low iron gate and tell himself he was going to take a shower and fall right into bed. He could say all of this to himself, but he knew he would end up on his couch, staring at nothing in particular until he had to go.

Remus had changed some of that. For a moment. For a second. Get some sleep. Laying down beside him, tucking his hand beneath his own pillow. Just close your eyes.

God, Sirius had a single glimpse of a moment where he had thought his life might change for the better.

He looked up, preparing himself to face that same room, empty now.

Finn O’Hara was on his stoop.

“No,” Sirius said before he could ask.

Finn looked just as restless. “I’m coming with you.”

[solitaire-sol]

02: Number

For: @prongsfoot-microfic

Month: August 2023

AO3: Link

Notes: ---

By Third Year, James and Sirius had a certain... reputation. They had no problem scoring higher-than-average marks, of course, but holding the attention of either boy was another thing entirely, particularly with the distraction of each other's company. Only Professor McGonagall had any success in keeping Black and Potter's attention on the task at hand, and even then it was accompanied by a sinking feeling that their focus synced directly with its less-than-school-approved uses. No-one in their Transfiguration class would forget the day they covered the Draconifors spell: While most struggled to do more than give their matchbox or pincushion a scale-pattern, James and Sirius had Transfigured an entire flock from wooden spools and discarded Every Flavor Beans boxes and forks nicked from that morning's breakfast table, the palm-sized dragons gem-like and metallic and an eye-searing orange that had once been Peter's prized Chudley Cannons trading-cards. The classroom had been thrown into chaos, students gaping in awe and fending off the tiny reptiles when they began snatching quills and nesting in peoples' hair. McGonagall, in the midst of restoring order, had leveled a stern look at Sirius and James, who were too busy collapsing in laughter at their own cleverness to care.

Privately, Minerva would admit to being at impressed, though that didn't stop her from assigning the proper amount of detention.

When both James and Sirius signed up for Arithmancy, the decision was met by confusion from most and by satisfaction from a few, who anticipated their humbling by the notoriously difficult subject. Those who'd been hoping to see them fail were disappointed: James and Sirius spoke numbers as easily as they did spells, and Ravenclaws who had the misfortune to share a class with them snapped more than one quill over the course of the term, their pride wounded when they spent all night laboring over numerology tomes to produce what James could rattle off while doodling snitches, what Sirius could correlate and defend while devoting a greater amount of concentration to balancing his chair on two hind legs. The careless way they conducted themselves drove Professor Vector mad, but she was fair: Their homework was timely, their classwork faultless, and she spent enough time grilling them to prove that they weren't copying off each other.

Unlike most students, neither James nor Sirius had any interest in knowing their futures; determined, perhaps, to shape them themselves, or convinced that only bright times lay ahead. What piqued their interest was Arithmancy in spell creation, how it could change or alter a spell, which both boys gravitated towards as if the idea itself was a puzzle to be solved.

Such spellwork, of course, lay far beyond their current abilities, as Professor Vector didn't hesitate to say: Even students as talented as themselves could hardly hope to produce proper results with such limited experience.

“Yes, Professor,” they'd chorused, exchanging glances as soon as her back was turned. As always, what was meant as a proscription had been taken as a challenge.

[padfootastic]

once again i have basket of compliments that you will listen to without feeling overwhelmed or under selling yourself

idk why i have this hunch that while you're normally a confident bean but whenever someone compliments you you're just like pen.exe has stopped working i need a table to hide under

1) sausaude (also the spellings of these are definitely gonna be wrong) -

the entirety of it just i was screaming on the inside. it's SO GOOD.

IT'S SO GOOD THAT I WANT TO DO A DANDWAT PRANAM FOR IT, don't worry I'm not gonna do it

also if you're worried that the break you took made your writing weak or something. don't. that was a masterpiece you wrote.

but esp the end parts like when sirius finally spoke. and just i for .2 seconds wanted them to reconcile cause they have such a history among them and they're the last ones standing BUT then i remembered it's because of that fucking history they can't cause Remus knew padfoot. knew James. knew their bond. and then this happened so no remus will never get padfoot again and they will live on like shattered glass with a piece missing (James) so they can never fix it. they burned too bright and their sun was taken away and now they're just planets with no sun left to orbit

2) notes app drabbles, the entire series like i just— can't tell you how many times i randomly go back to it to read it in middle of night, whenever i want the oomf and saltiness and it's to a point that i now have lines memorised. and boy didn't that hurt? shouldn't he be used to betrayal from that corner in room hits like a gold mine at 3am idk what to say and also the one where harry says (politely) stfu mrs Weasley.

3) shovel talk!!!! i love it so so so much cause it's the quiet arrogance that does it for me. I'm such a sucker for that. and lily going from confidence to pro max to oh I'm talking sirius back and actually feeling that talk which si retroactively hilarious.

4) I FALL TO PIECES WHEN I'M WITH YOU

so we all are all fucking emotional whores here and definitely not prudes so you know that i have definitely read some serious explicit shit with the straightest face ever.

idk what it is about that fic BUT ISTG I BLUSH LIKE A TEENAGE GIRL WHENEVER I'M READING IT AND YOU SAID IT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME WRITING MATURE/EXPLICIT

bhai i really really could not tell that not kidding comes in top 5 best explicit work I've ever read . it's that good for me.

5 ) i can't just lost all of them na, but it's true like i love little tiny things in all of them that i try to type we'll be here for 375849 hours—the descriptions of tattoos/ sirius's lip ring (which knowing about yours is ehfjfjfjn)/ harry liking smell of cigarette/ RANI/ labor of love and that vivid scene of just a kid on counter mashing potatoes while you add masalas.

you invoke imagination like no other.

FOUNDATIONS OF DEACAY I'm so so looking forward to that cause it's intresting so see what harry will do next

ash you— i— i’m so??? incoherent!??

(stop it stop calling me out, i’ve had people physically restrain me while giving me a compliment because i break out in literal hives and even reading this kept making me hide behind my hands and curl my toes because!!!!)

also!!!! the fact that ur fav fics (saudade, shovel talk, fall to pieces) r literally the ones closest to my heart is so—we’re on the same wavelength fr.

ur way too sweet to be real, ash. i don’t even know what to do w myself rn. pen.exe really has stopped working. needs a reboot.

Tell me what you love about my writing

[miss-agliz]

Chapter 7: The Marauders

The morning of 25th December 1971 Remus expected to have the room for himself, as Sirius was an annoyingly early riser. Instead, he woke up surrounded by all of his roommates looking down on him.

“Morning Lupin” started the ever-cheerful James “Do you want to open presents first or go to breakfast?”

“What are you doing here?” blurted Remus not yet fully awake.

“They didn’t want to leave us alone, can you believe them?” answered Sirius “They didn’t want to leave all the fun for just us”

“Now Lupin, presents or breakfast? Cause I’m famished”

“You’re always hungry, Pete, but let me get dressed and we’ll go have breakfast” finally answered Remus, removing the covers and finally seeing the packages at the end of his bed. “The presents won’t move”

He had received many more gifts than he had expected. He saw a few with her mother’s tacky Christmas wrapping paper, green with glittery Santas all over, some with plain brown paper or wrapped in newspapers, and a small mountain of multicolored delicate tissue paper gifts with complex bows that he couldn’t guess who had sent - it was probably a mistake that they were at his bed’s foot, they surely were for one of his roommates.

After a sweet and filling breakfast in the almost empty Great Hall - some of the upper-years had stayed, but most the students had gone back to spend the Holidays with their families -, the four boys were back at their room to open their presents. James had insisted that they do it in turns, that way everyone could see what the others had gotten, Remus wasn’t sure of it being a good idea but decided to not say anything.

Sirius went first, claiming priority as he was the oldest. His pile was the smallest by far, which surprised Remus. Sirius first opened a few presents in silver wrapping, all with a worried face as if he expected someone to jump out and kill him, but ended up being a few winter cloacks with the Black Family’s coat of arms emblazoned on it (from his parents), a small book on traditions (from his grandparents) and a new set of black self-inking quills (from his brother). Then went a square-shaped present, wrapped in old Daily Prophet pages, that ended up being two vinyls (The Beatles’ Let It Be and The Hobglobin’s Flying Dragons) from his favourite cousin, Andromeda.

“Her boyfriend is a muggle-born” Sirius told them, “and our family doesn’t know yet, only Cissy, Reggie and I. Aunt Druella and Mother are trying to convince her to stop working so she can find a husband, but unless Grandfather forbids it, she can.” He glanced at the note. “Apparently Ted proposed, they’re getting married in the spring”

“Can you give her my family’s congratulations?” asked James and, with a more sirious voice, added “I haven’t asked my parents, but I’m sure they won’t have any problem helping them if they need it, just tell your cousin to contact them if she needs it, at the very least my cousin Ignotus”

“I’ll tell her”

And with that, the gift opening continued. Sirius had received a few presents from the Potter family, the multicolored tissue paper ones: a clearly hand-made blue jumper with a black dog in the middle, a box of pumpkin pastries, and a Transfiguration book (’The Theory of Transfiguration: A Simple Guide’ by Everard Gamp).

Next went Peter, full of excitement at the sight of so many packages. His parents sent him a new set of Chess pieces, some Chocolate Frogs and a few pairs of bright yellow socks, all wrapped in past editions of the Daily Prophet. Grandma Bonnie had sent two messily wrapped presents in blue paper with hipogriffs on it, inside there was a new winter cloack and a hand-made orange scarf. Peter had also received some gifts from the neigbours and his old tutor, some in red paper with broomsticks and others in old newspapers, it was mostly basic spellbooks and new rolls of parchment, some quills and ink of different colours. And a few things from the Potters: a box of Bertie Bott’s All Flavour Beans, a hand-made deep green jumper with a broom in the middle, and a book called Sites of Historical Sorcery that described differnt places to visit around Magical Europe. Peter didn’t wait a second to put on the jumper and start eating the candies.

“Do you mind if I go next, James?” asked Remus eyeing his roommate’s present pile. “If you go first I may not touch mine until lunch”

“As you wish, dear Remus”

Remus started with the newspaper ones, he knew they were from his father - a leather bound journal and a calendar with 1972’s moon phases (that he quicly hid inside the journal) -, then went the packages in brown paper from Miss Carol, it had a guide of Scotland’s birds, a (badly) hand painted Christmas Card that looked more like a surrealistic painting, and green socks with wands on them. Next went her mom and grandma Lucretia’s, some watercolours, a brown and cream jumper and a few Muggle chocolate bars. He had left the fancy tissue paper ones for last.

“You know you didn’t have to make your parents send us gifts, right James?” asked Lupin unwrapping a cream colored hand-made jumper with white bunnies on it.

“Please! I had to get you guys something, and with Igny being all grown up Yule is boring now, and he loves knitting.”

Apart from the jumper, there were also sugar quills and a few potion books.

“Potions? Really?”

“You suck at it, dear Remus” answered James with a big smile and dramatic gestures, “I’m just trying to keep you from failing”

And as they laughed, James started to tackle his mountain of gifts. Some new Tutshill Tornados posters and a signed photo of Leslie Cason, the star chaser on the team; from Cousin Igny, who had studied with her. Uncle Charlus and Auntie Dorea gave him pumpkin pastries, multicoloured ink and a photograph of a broomstick, a Comet 220, with a message behind: “Waiting for you at home”. A burgundry quilt with golden dragons, a red hand-made jumper with a white toad on it, and a few new sets of Quidditch-themed socks - all of it from Auntie Dory and Uncle Royston, with the help of Cousin Sinclair -, and a very simple card by Cousin Reese. A new green dragon-hide notebook and a Potions books from dad, and a book about Greek Myths - in Greek, of course - from mom. Some Greek puff pastries and new bright blue and silver dress robes from his mom’s brother and his family (Uncle Apollo, Aunt Elysia, and Cousins Azure, Averill and Altais) who all live in Dokós, Greece, where part of the family originated. Auntie Zoelle and Nina, of course, sent Transfiguration books and essays and explanations of new theories. For last was Auntie Minnie and Auntie Poppy (not James’ actual aunts, but his godmother and her wife) with a Quidditch book, licorice wands and an invitation for tea, with the rest of the boys “if he so pleased”.

“Do you guys wanna go have tea with Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey?”

“Why even do they send you gifts?” asked Sirius

“Minnie is my godmother”

“I’m sorry?” exclamed a shocked Remus “What? How?”

“She’s good friends with mom and dad, and worked a bit with mom’s cousin, Auntie Zoelle, Edric Imore’s mother” he answered.

§§§

After lunch and telling Professor McGonagall they accepted her invitation, James took Remus aside, inventing and excuse so the other two didn’t come.

“I forgot a book, on the library. Do you mind helping me, Lupin?” James said “You guys go without us, we’ll catch you later.” And without waiting for an anwer, James took Remus arm and bolted towards the library, stopping a little bit before and getting in a classroom.

“What the fuck, James?” was the first thing Remus said after catching his breath.

“Language, Remus!” admonished James. “I have no idea how to say this, so I’m just gonna say it. I know you are a werewolf.”

“Excuse me?” started Remus, trying to mask his fear with offence “What on Earth makes you say that?”

“Auntie Poppy didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re worried about, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that you’re sick every Full Moon”

“And that’s all your proof?” Remus exclaimed “Having poor health doesn’t make me a werewolf, you know?”

“Don’t treat me as if I’m stupid, Remus. If I wanted to out you to everyone we wouldn’t be having this converstion. I want to help you”

“Help me? How the fuck are you going to help me? There’s no cure! There’s no treatment! There’s nothing you can do!” Remus had started to cry in frustration.

“True” James answered with a kind smile, putting a hand in Remus’ shoulder, “but I can do your homework those days, or help you with it if you prefer it, and I can convince Auntie Poppy to give you extra potions for the pain, or I can make or buy some; and I’ve seen how you shiver all the time, I can give you some of my jumpers, I have a lot of them, they won’t be the best fit, but they’re warm; and you’re an awful, awful liar, so I can help you with that, and tach you, Merlin knows you need it; and…”

Remus hugged him, effectively sropping his rant. “Ok, you can help me, but don’t tell the others”

“I think you should tell them. They care about you“ said James, tightening his embrace, sensing that Remus was about to let go. “Peter is the one who pointed out that you’re always sick. And Sirius is smart enough to have already guessed it”

“I don’t know, James…”

“Tell them tonight, I’ll be with you, and if anything happens we’ll tell Auntie Minnie, and she’ll solve it. I’ll take all the blame if something bad happens” James let go, took a step backwards and put his hands in Remus’ cheeks, making him look at his eyes. “I promise. Everything will be okay, I promise”

Later that night, after Peter had been absolutely beaten at Chess by Professor McGonagall, and they had gotten even more food in, Remus told them that he had to tell them something before they went to bed. And while the others put on their pyjamas, Remus was giving himself a pep talk in the bathroom.

“Come on Lupin! Don’t hog the toilet, the rest also have to go”

“One second, Sirius” Remus yelled back and, with a last sigh, opened the door.

James was smiling at him, giving him a thumbs up from his bed. Remus breathed in and out a few times, going to sit next to James, he was self-aware enough to know that he needed the extra support.

“Ok… So…” Remus started ”I… Well… When I was… No… Ahh”

“Come on, Lupin, just say whatever you wanna say” insisted Sirius.

“Yeah… The thing is I don’t know how to”

“The faster you go the sooner it will end” encouraged Sirius

“Ok… Well, so… I’mawerewolf,don’ttellanyoneplease, please, please”

Peter was the first one to speak “That’s… unexpected… but I still wanna be your friend”

“A werewolf, okay, yeah, no, okay, good, no, yeah, okay”

“You alright Black?” asked James

“Yeah, yeah, no, a werewolf, okay, why not? It does make sense, yeah” he kept muttering until he made eye-contact with Remus’ shiveing form and expectant eyes. “Okay, yeah, so… this changes nothing, right? Beacause, we still need a nerd between us, and you are our only option Lupin”

“I think James is much more of a nerd than I, Black” said Remus, and regretted it immediately as he was tackled into cuddling by the boney form of James.

“You think? He’s not as smarty as you, tho”

[honeysucklehotchner]

by the lakeside ⭑ sirius black x reader

a/n: hi loves!! this wasn’t requested, just something i wanted to write to get my creative juices flowing! def my favorite thing i’ve written so far! as always hc and one-shot requests are open- just send me an ask!!

synopsis: your best friend, sirius, accidentally confesses his feelings for you one beautiful day by the great lake.

warnings: none that i know of! just a bunch of toothachingly-sweet fluff!

like many things in your life, sirius black (for lack of better words) hit you like a brick wall. from receiving your hogwarts letter, to trying the earwax flavored bertie’s every flavor beans, life in the magic world never failed to deliver an abundance of surprises. he, however, was by far your favorite.

sirius black walked into your life the moment you boarded the hogwarts express. he was just a small boy with dark, messy hair who accidentally bumped into you while being chased by one of his ever-mischievous friends. cliché, maybe, but sometimes you like to believe it was love at first sight- even if you were only 11 years old.

quickly becoming friends over the years, your fondness of the boy only grew stronger, your heart aching every time he’d flash a smile at any girl who wasn’t you. you could open your own library with the amount of journals you had filled writing about him.

“just. tell. him. how. you. feel.” your best friend, lily evans, said, swatting you with a spare rolled up piece of parchment in between each word. what was supposed to be a productive morning doing homework in the library had quickly turned into another conversation about your feelings for sirius. “y/n, i swear on merlin’s beard that he’s in love you,”

”he is not!” you sighed, closing your book and standing up a little too loudly, earning a scornful look from madam pince. “sorry!” you whispered, nodding your head towards the door, hinting for lily to follow you out.

”well if you don’t tell him soon, i’ll do it for you!” she said as you two headed outside for some fresh air, “i can’t take it anymore, y/n, i’m going insane!” she held her hand to her forehead, pretending to feel faint. you rolled your eyes and laughed.

the two of you walked down to the great lake, dropping your bags down by a tree and plopping down against the bark. it was a fairly quiet day on the hogwarts’ grounds, most students had gone to hogsmede for the day but you preferred to spend your weekends relaxing. these days were your favorite to spend outside. when the sun was bright in the sky but the air carried just enough breeze to make you comfortable in a light sweatshirt. it was mostly quiet except for the sound of birds flying over head, singing to one another. the sunlight glinted off of the water so perfectly that you wished you could capture it in a jar to keep beside your bed.

you finally succeeded in changing the subject away from sirius to your friends, remus and tonks, who were obliviously pining over one another and whether or not the slytherin quidditch team had deserved to win that week. suddenly, two familiar voices interrupted your conversation. you turned to see sirius and james sprinting down the hill, laughing and shoving each other. they reached yours and lily’s tree, sirius collapsing to the ground in a fit of laughter while james grabbed lily from behind, kissing her on the cheek.

“so much for our quiet weekend,” you giggled, nudging sirius in the side with your foot. he looked at you and smiled, shoving your shoe away from him.

“you will never believe who just tried to give sirius a love potion!” james said, still laughing and trying to catch his breath.

”addison greenglass?” you asked, still watching sirius who was laying in the grass, trying (and failing) to untangle his hair.

“wh— yeah! how the hell did you know?” he looked at you, confused.

“sirius, you idiot- she’s only been in love with you since she got here, everyone knows it,” you said, a pang of jealously hidden in your voice. addie was in the year below you and your friends, she was blonde, funny, and sweet. she was always put together and had all the boys in her year drooling over her. you were surprised sirius didn’t jump at the opportunity.

”well, yeah, who isn’t?” he winked at you, sitting up and brushing dirt off his t-shirt. he reached for your bag, stealing your water bottle and taking a drink.

james stood up and took lily’s hand, helping her up and kissing her sweetly. “if you’ll excuse us, there’s two mugs of butterbeer waiting for us at the three broomsticks,”

you pretended to gag, earning a laugh from sirius. “see you at dinner then!” you yelled, the couple already half way up the hill, hand in hand.

sirius sat down next to you, throwing his arm around your shoulder. you were close enough to smell his cologne, a smell you weren’t a stranger to by any means but one that made your face flush.

you leaned against his shoulder, watching the water in front of you gently ebb and flow. “there’s two mugs of butterbeer waiting for us…” sirius mocked, “i bet you james doesn’t even like butterbeer, y/n! i think lily put on a curse on that man, he’s whipped,”

”don’t be mean!” you swatted his arm, “they’re just in looove!” this time it was you who mocked your friends. sirius laughed. “why don’t you just go out with her?” you asked, surprising yourself with the words that came out of your mouth.

“hm?”

”addie— she’s pretty and smart and—”

”and clinically insane,”

”hey, i’m serious!”

”so am i! who tries to give someone a love potion without consent?”

”fair enough,” you mumbled, “but besides that, why not? aren’t you always saying how you’re sick of third wheeling with lily and james? might as well give it a go, right? she’s got everything!”

”but she’s not you,”

”what?” you snapped your head around to look at him. he was already looking at you.

”sorry, i—” sirius black never got flustered, who was this sitting next to you? “i didn’t mean—”

”you didn’t mean it?” your face dropped.

“no! no, i did mean it!” he ran his fingers through his hair, “i just— i didn’t want you to find out this way,”

you smiled and started to laugh.

“hey! i just opened my heart up to you, you’re not allowed to laugh at me!” he said, playfully pushing you away from him but you grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards you and kissing him on the lips. he kissed back, wrapping his arms around your waist while you cupped your hands around his face. you felt him smile.

“so maybe i should’ve just thanked addie instead of passing the potion on to peter…”

”you did not!”

”it would’ve been a shame for all her hard work to go to waste!”

”sirius!” maybe what he had done was a little cruel, but you couldn’t wipe the smile off your face.

he just laughed and pulled you closer to him, falling to the ground and pretending to wrestle with you, eventually finding himself hovering over you, your giggles echoing across the lake.

“hi,” you said, tucking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear.

“hi, love,” he replied, leaning down to kiss you again.

[caz66]

Hi Caz,

Wolfstar Prompt: Sirius not knowing how to react to Remus and getting all flustered when ever he his around him?

I had fun writing this one:

@greyeyedmonster-18 I took a little bit of inspiration from you! X

Flustered

It had been a long week thought Sirius as he laid out on the sofa with a bag of peas on top of his head. 

It all started on Monday when Remus came home with a new undercut haircut that somehow flaunted his already handsome face. When he first walked in through the door, Sirius had tripped over his own shoes, resulting in a twisted ankle (and feeling rather dazed, but he suspected it had nothing to do with the injury)

Tuesday

Sirius was running late, he had overslept slightly and was rushing around so that he was not late for work. But then Moony had walked out of the bathroom with only a towel (a very short towel) wrapped around his waist, water still dripping down his now very sculpted abs. Sirius felt himself swallowing hard, trying to stare too long. 

‘Think those gym sessions with Fab are starting to pay off eh?’ Sirius’ eyes shot up to look at a smirking Remus, before he winked at him and walked off to his bedroom. Sirius was left standing there like a floundering fish trying not to get caught staring at his roommate's ass while being completely and utterly flustered. 

Wednesday

‘Don’t wait up’ the text message from Moony had read, ‘Lily is dragging me out shopping’. Sirius was using the free time to listen to his new record, while dancing around the kitchen microfiber cloth in one hand, cleaner in the other. 

‘Well this is quite entertaining,’ a deep voice suddenly came from behind him. 

‘Fucking shit!’ Cried Sirius, jumping out of his skin, bagging his hip on the corner of the table.  Remus gave a full belly laugh from the doorway. ‘That's not…not fun-ny.’ Sirius tripped over his words as he caught sight of his roommates new, and very tight fitting, outfit. 

‘What do you think? I'll still shove a good old jumper over the top, but I quite like it.’

‘Yup, yeah, looks great, good, yup.’ Sirius quickly turned away to re-wipe the already clean work top, feeling his face go bright red. He was pretty sure he heard Remus chuckle as he padded away. 

Thursday

The table had left a deep purple bruise on his hip, and he was walking with a slight limp. Thankfully Remus was at work all day today, so there could be no sneak acts of captivating handsomeness to derail him today. 

Or so he thought. 

As Sirius was using his best culinary skills to make himself beans on toast for lunch, he got a text message from Moony. 

Moony: Good job I have a spare set of clothes in the locker. (Inserted picture of his new tight trousers with a big white stain beside the crotch) 

Sirius choked on his mouthful of beans, eyes watering. He quickly got a glass of water to ease his spluttering.

Moony : Too much mayo in my wrap. 

Friday

Then there was today. They were meeting the gang for their normal Friday evening drinks at the pub down the road. Lily and Remus were upstairs getting ready. James and Sirius were playing Fifa on the Xbox in the living room. 

Lily had come bounding into the room announcing that they were ready to leave.

‘You go ahead, I’ll lock up,’ Sirius said, grabbing his leather jacket. Lily, James and Remus waited just outside the front door for him, it was then he lost all of his dignity. 

Upon seeing Remus, with his new undercut, new tight fitting clothing and now with what appeared to be a simple dash of eye liner around his golden orbs, Sirius lost all sense of direction, walking smack bang into the door frame hitting his bruised hip, hissing in pain he turned at full force, catching his temple on the edge of the door itself.

‘Sirius?’ Remus’ bewitching face appeared above him. How did he end up on the floor?

‘Dam Pads. That's going to need some ice pronto.’ James’ voice floated somewhere above them. ‘Re you get the peas, I’ll get this eejit to the sofa.’ 

And that is how he found himself here, with frozen peas for a hat. James and Lily had just left , again, for the pub. They were going to join them in a bit once the swelling was under control. 

‘How are you feeling?’ asked Remus coming to perch on the side of the sofa by Sirius’, placing a not un-welcomed hand on his stomach. 

‘Like an idiot.’  Remus chuckled, scrunching up his face in the most adorable way.

‘Humm, you have had quite the week Pads.’ Sirius looked up at Remus to find him biting his lip, while staring at Sirius’s own. Without further hesitation Sirius launched himself, and the peas, towards Moony, with the intention of kissing him. The surprise attack however, was slightly misjudged, resulting in Sirius headbutting Remus’s forehead. 

‘Shit Pads!’ Remus laughed, 

‘Fuck, Sorry Re, I wasn’t intending to do that’ Sirius gently placed the peas on Remus’s forehead. 

‘Let me,’ Sirius thought Remus meant he was taking the peas from his hands, but then felt a warm hand cup his face and gentle lips on his.

[lovely-jily]

potions and locked closets

hey!! sorry this is such a long fic BUT i just wanted to say that i’m also working on this same fic but from lily’s pov lmk if you’d want that:))) thanks and i love you all so freakin much <3

James tried to steady his breathing. His heart was already beating too quickly for his liking, and he hadn't even seen her yet. He was already surprised that she agreed to be his partner; they both know that it would likely be another hour of pointless bickering but nonetheless. Lily Evans had agreed to partner with James for their weekly project Slughorn had assigned. She finally said yes to something.

"Fine," she had said after he asked her, following it up with, "But I'll undoubtedly need help with Transfiguration this week, so if you swear to help me, then I suppose we can partner."

In all honesty, James wasn't having too much trouble with his Elixer to Induce Euphoria, but he just wanted an excuse for Lily to be with him. And maybe if she saw that he had matured at least a little bit, it would make her start to tolerate him.

If that were even possible.

The dungeons were decently empty, but Lily had intentionally reserved the potions room in advance so no one else would be around. Meaning they would be completely and totally alone.

When he walked into the room, she was fiddling with the size of the fire under the cauldron. She was at the desk she usually sat in, the second row to the left, with her back to him.

"Evening Evans," He said, setting his bag on the table and standing next to her, "I see you've started already."

"Well, I actually want a good score on this," She exhaled through her mouth and flipped through her Potions book, her dainty fingers lingering on the words "Elixer to Induce Euphoria".

"I'm right there with you," he said, rolling up his sleeves. He watched Lily's eyes dart from his arms back to her textbook. From what James could see, she already gathered the ingredients and had them neatly organised in front of them.

"Alright, you can start by skinning these then?" She said, swiftly handing him the Shrivelfigs.

"Got it," he noted the way her eyes darted up to his for a second when she was handing him the Shrivelfigs, their skin touching momentarily. While it was only a second, it was long enough to cause James to hitch his breath in an all too noticeable way.

He started skinning the flower, trying to ignore the way her perfume smelled or the curve of her jaw. She tied her hair up in a low ponytail, pulling out tiny wispy hairs that framed her face. He chastised himself for the dirty thoughts that followed, but, Jesus, he couldn't help his want to do the most unholy things to her when she did that.

She started working on porcupine quills as he attempted to pull himself together.

"I wish we got Amortentia."

James took a sharp inhale, resulting in him coughing on his own spit. She, Lily Evans, the same Lily Evans who insisted she hated every fibre of his being every day since they were twelve, wanted to make a love potion with him- James! James Potter! As in the same James Potter that she would shoot daggers at any excuse, the boy she would scold any second she could, the boy-

"It's just so much more of a challenge compared to this one," she finished.

Right. Of course. That's why Lily wanted to make that potion, no other reason, as much as James wanted there to be.

"At least we didn't get Felix Felicis. That takes a while," He ignored the feeling of his heart sinking and his stomach twisting as he finished up the Shrivelfigs. He should've known that was the reason, but he couldn't help but innocently jump to conclusions with her.

"What did Amortentia smell like for you?" She asked, causing James to start jumping to conclusions again.

How do I answer this honestly without giving away the fact that I smelled her?"

"Fresh bread, rain, and- uh- my mother's shampoo," He mentally kicked himself for bringing up his mother, but it was the quickest thing he could think of on the spot, "What about you?"

She sighed, stirring in the quills, "The ocean, my mum's hot chocolate and a cologne of some kind, but I couldn't place where that one was from."

A pang of jealousy beat along with James's heart as he thought about her smelling another lads cologne. Whoever he was, he was a prick.

She shook her head quickly as she seemed to panic for a moment, hastily saying, "Anyways, I'm sure it doesn't matter."

She fiddled with the ladle, brushing the few hairs out of her face. Her cheeks were bright red.

"You alright there, Evans?" He asked as he turned to look at her. He swallowed what felt like all his dignity and pride but was actually just the extra spit that always was around with Lily.

"Just fine," She cleared her throat and handed him the Sopophorous beans, not looking at him, "Would love it if you could start working on these, though."

"Got it," he mumbled as he started dicing the beans.

"No, Potter," His heart lightened a little at the sound of his name in her voice, even if it was to chastise him, "Those are far too small. They'll dissolve too quickly."

"What do you mean, this is how Slughorn does it-"

"Slughorn always cuts things too small, but he makes up for it by moving a little quicker-"

"Well, that's stupid. What kind of a teacher-"

"James," She looked up at him, sighing, and despite her exhausted expression, his lungs lifted immensely at the sound of his first name. She never used his first name.

"Yes, Evans?"

"Could you perhaps go find more in the Potions closet? I think it'll just make things a lot easier."

"Got it."

The closet was cluttered, full of misplaced ingredients from students whose first priority clearly wasn't organisation. After a solid minute of staring at the mess, he called her in to help him.

"What do you mean 'Can't find them'- I just saw them," she huffed, shoving herself next to him in the tight space. James would be lying if he said he didn't do this on purpose but let the boy live. He would take any excuse to be in close proximity to the girl.

"Not sure how anyone could find anything in here. I feel bad for the poor bloke who has to clean this during detention," He said, hands on his hips as she stood in front of him, green eyes scanning the shelves. The closet door closed behind her, and while they weren't any closer than they were by the desks, it almost felt like she was right on top of him. It was taking his total concentration to not think about shoving her against the door and having a long-awaited snog.

"It'll probably be Sirius," she said, glancing at him, a smirk on her face.

He chuckled as he looked at the messy shelves, suddenly shy from her eye contact, "Probably. Maybe we should leave him a note."

They faced each other, her back towards the door and his towards the shelves of messy ingredients. There was just enough room between them for her to fold her arms against her chest, her smile making James's lungs feel extra airy, "Or we can charm the Wolfsbane to fall off every time he tries to put it away."

James laughed, shaking his head as he looked down at her. Their faces were only inches apart, and his heart was beating so hard he was worried she could feel it.

"You know, for such a stickler for rules, you're quite creative with pranks."

She smirked, "I've learned that you can get away with a lot more if you aren't so obnoxious about it."

James let out a fake, dramatised gasp, "You?! A Prefect breaking rules?"

She just shrugged, a smirk still painted on her face. James took a second to look at her, feeling fortunate that not only was he was in the potions closet with her, but she had chosen to carry a conversation with him. This friendly banter was still a little rare, even though they had been getting a little closer lately. Since the incident at the end of fifth year, roughly nine months ago, James decided to get his act together. Mainly for the sake of Lily, but also the threat of war was becoming more than just rumours, and he knew that a war was no place for an immature bully like himself. He was not a person that he- or really anyone- was proud of, and he wasn't okay with that.

James was about to say something when her eyes lit up at something behind his head.

"There it is!" She said and reached her arm out to grab something just next to his ear.

Under normal circumstances, James would've been disappointed that she found it because it probably meant that his time in a closet with her, the girl he's wanted to shag since he had first laid eyes on her, was now over.

However, when Lily reached forward to grab whatever they were looking for (James had since forgotten. Other things had occupied his mind the past couple of minutes), she had subconsciously pressed her body up against his. In a panic, James put his hands on her waist. They both looked at each other with panicked eyes when they realised what was going on, faces close enough that James felt her heavy exhale as she attempted to catch her breath. Her eyes darted to his lips as he was suddenly aware of how naked they felt without hers on them. He instinctively bit them.

James cleared his throat and politely turned his head away from her, trying to reduce the awkwardness.

"Er-Um-Sorry," He said, taking his hands off her waist and shoving his hands into his pockets. Lily's hand was still grasping the beans behind him, and she was staring at him, seemingly debating something. Feeling shy and awkward as she studied his face, James was staring at her left earlobe, noticing the freckle resting next to her small pearl earring.

"Don't worry about it," She mindlessly whispered, still looking intently at him. She seemed to be deep in thought and was not thinking about the words she was saying.

James was just surprised she wasn't showing any signs of being uncomfortable. He would've guessed that she would be yelling at him by now.

"So-uh- I guess we should get-" James cleared his throat as he reached for the door handle behind her. He was nervous under Lily's stare and was having a hard time keeping composure. He wasn't sure what she was thinking, and that honestly bothered him more than if she was yelling at him. At least he knew how she felt then, but he was entirely in the dark right now, "We should get going. The potion's probably been simmering for too long."

Lily blinked and shook her head as if leaving a deep trance. Suddenly embarrassed and blushing, she nodded her head and cleared her throat.

"Right," She said as James tried the door handle.

It didn't move.

He tried it again.

Nothing.

"Well, shit," James said, trying to jiggle the door handle again with both hands despite knowing it wouldn't work. She probably thought he did this on purpose (Which wouldn't be a terribly bad idea if James wasn't so afraid of her), "It's locked."

Lily's eyes widened in a panic, and she promptly turned around, trying the door handle for herself. When it inevitably didn't work, she turned back around and sighed as she leaned against the door, looking up. She groaned and brushed the hair out of her face.

"I forgot that Slughorn keeps it locked," She said, still huffing, "Normally, it doesn't matter because he just keeps it open, but..."

James felt his pockets for his wand and remembered he left it on the desk, "You haven't got your wand, do you?"

Lily looked down as she felt her own pockets, looking back up as she shook her head.

It was then, at the sight of a dishevelled Lily Evans, that James realised that he was locked in a closet with her, and he had a hard time remembering why this was such a bad thing. He tried to shove out the thoughts that entered at the way she looked dishevelled and breathing heavily. The things he would do to be the one making her look like that...

"Sorry, Evans. I feel partially responsible for this predicament," He shook his head, trying to regain self-control. What was he thinking? This was Lily Evans he was thinking about. The girl who never failed to let him know just how much she wanted to strangle him at any given moment.

She said nothing, instead resumed studying his face. He sheepishly messed up his hair, unsure what to do with his body under her gaze.

"Oh, Christ, James," She said in annoyance, biting her lip softly.

"What did I do? I didn't know about the lock!" James said defensively, finding it odd that she was just now getting mad at him.

She rolled her eyes and just looked at him.

"Fuck it," She said, and before James could form a confused expression, her hands were pulling his neck forward, and her lips were being slammed against his.

"What the fuck?" James said, shock widening his eyes as he pulled away slightly. He clearly was baffled beyond logical thinking and reason because Lily would be shoved up against the door if he were thinking clearly. There was no way that Lily Evans, the same Lily Evans that swore she wouldn't ever go out with him not even nine months ago, had just kissed him. Passionately, at that.

"Are you complaining?" She asked, a soft smirk resting on the lips that James was just kissing.

"What-No? Of course not, I just-"

"Then shut up," She whispered, feeling her way from his neck to his tie, which she pulled him forward with so their faces were close again, "And give me a good snog."

"Yes, ma'am," James smirked and tilted his head, pushing her against the door and kissing her firmly without a second thought.

[wolfpants]

Sirius stretches over and grabs the box of jelly beans, tearing it open. Pops a green one into his mouth and tosses a pink one at Remus’s head.

It bounces with comical effect against his cheek, skittering onto the floor and rolling off of the edge of the tower.

Sirius grins and arches back against the narrow space of wall behind him, licking his lips, his tongue bright with the taste of green apple. Remus’s ears are pink in the dwindling glow of the evening sky.

“Well?” Remus asks him, still shifting awkwardly on his knees. Sirius stares at them and swallows.

“Well what?”

“What did you bring? This is a two-way deal, remember?”

Sirius hums. “I remember.” He arches back again, stuffing his fingers into the pocket of his tight Muggle jeans, his current weekend uniform du jour, as James likes to call them. The jacket, though - that rarely comes off of his back.

Unless Moony pushes it off for him.

read more (In You, I Count Stars) on ao3 <3 (rated T, 1.5k words)

[ghostlywritten]

If Only I Had Stayed In The Shadows - Chapter Twelve

James Potter x OC

A/N: At last, the long awaited chapter. Sorry for the wait, my laptop has been failing on me. Hope you enjoy.

Words: 3,8k

Prologue  Chapter One   Chapter Two  Chapter Three  Chapter Four  Chapter Five  Chapter Six  Chapter Seven  Chapter Eight  Chapter Nine  Chapter Ten  Chapter Eleven

It was the last weekend before the beginning of the exams for literally everybody. The library was packed with not a single seat unoccupied as well as the common room, where people had even taken to sitting on the floor to study, the dorms being too sitfling.

I had been one of the lucky ones to get a seat at a table, revising my notes with James next to me.

"How do you brew the Elixir to Induce Euphoria?"

"You add shrivelfig, porcupine quills and stir four times anti-clockwise. Then you add a sprig of peppermint, Sopophorous beans and wormwood and stir six times anti-clockwise," James recited, twirling a strand of my hair between his fingers.

"That is correct."

"Yes!"

"Alright, your turn-"

"Hey, what about my reward?" James asked and I looked at him questioningly, "My kiss?" He pouted and I gave in almost immediately, not being able to resist his big earth-coloured eyes as I leant forward to press my lips against his.

"Hmm, that's it," he hummed approvingly and it made my face grow as I thought of him saying it during certain other circumstances. I was a girl, a sixteen year old girl, and of bloody course my mind would wander towards certain things that I could be doing instead of studying, now that I had a boyfriend...things, that I couldn't have had managed before on my own. And with a boyfriend as hot as mine I couldn't help but let my gaze linger whenever he stretched himself during Quidditch warm-ups, causing his shirt to deliciously rile up and reveal his abs, or watching him bite his lips whenever he concentrated hard on something, wishing he would bite me-

"Love? Cec? Hellooo?" James snapped his fingers in front of my face and I blinked. "Are you spacing out on me? Siriusly? After you dragged my ass to sit and study with you? Jeez, then ungratefulness stinks," he huffed in mock-annoyance and I shook my head to get the thoughts out.

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

"It's my turn. What colour does the Potion have and what is it for?"

"The colour should be a bright yellow and as the name implies, it's supposed to induce the drinker in a sudden euphoria."

"That is absolutely correct!"

"Of course it is," I replied arrogantly, flinging my hair before giggling. James smirked, leaning forward. "Come and get your reward then." My heart leaped in my chest but I managed to stop him with a hand on his chest. "Nah, I'm good," I teased with a shrug, briefly wondering where Marlene was. She would have been so proud of me right now. James frowned for a second before promptly throwing himself on me. "Uff, James!" I exclaimed, pearls of laughter escaping as he snuck his arms around me to lessen the blow of landing on the hard floor, pinning me down effectively with his body.

"How dare you reject my generous offer of rewarding you with a kiss?" James said gravely, chuckles drifting through his words, "You shall be punished with more rewards."

"Bite me!"

"Gladly!" I squealed as he started attacking my neck, nipping playfully at the sensitive skin.

"Can you stop with your childish antics?!” Lily's voice ripped through our laughter. She stood up with a peeved look, gathering her things. "Some people are actually trying to study!" She stormed off before any of us could form an answer.

James sprang up, adjusting his glasses as he held out a hand for me whilst looking after her. I brushed off any dirt from my clothes and went to sit down.

"I should probably go and check on her," he suggested and I wanted to ask why when he was already taking off.

"Alright," I said lamely to his back, watching until he disappeared through the portrait hole. I plopped back down on my seat, glancing at Alice, who was completely immersed in her notes, not even aware her best friend's departure. Looking down at my own notes, I tried to focus but my eyes kept drifting from word to word without taking anything in as my mind kept replaying the way James ran after Lily with little to no hesitation. 

'You're thinking too much into it...

...I wonder what they are doing right now...'

I sighed loudly, frustrated that I couldn't let it go. Peeking at the only studious girl at the table, I stood up. "I'm...gonna go to the loo," I excused myself and left when I received no response.

Walking out of the common room, I promptly slapped myself on the forehead.

Was I really going to follow them like a creepy, insecure girlfriend? Obviously.

Was I going to find them with the head start they had now? Obviously not. Dumbass.

Glancing back at the portrait of the Fat Lady guarding our entrance, I pondered whether to go back inside or try looking for them. Lily was most likely heading to the library to join Remus at his study table that he had occupied since this morning. I cringed at my own behaviour when I decided to look for them. 'Im just making sure she's fine so I can focus back on my exams,' I reassured myself, 'Nothing creepy about tha-'

"Ow-!"

"Oi, Cec," Sirius greeted me gruffly, holding onto my arm until I steadied myself as he had bumped against me quite strongly, "Sorry about that. Didn't see you from the corner."

"It's all good," I replied, glad for the distraction as I straightened my robe and looked up at him. He seemed distraught, his hair unkempt and his tie hanging loosely around his neck. I would have guessed he had a good snogging session if it weren't for the sad glistening in his eyes. "Hey Sirius," I called softly as he fidgeted, already turning away, "Is everything alright?"

"Hm?" he looked over his shoulder, his expression carefully blank, "Yeah, of course. Everything is fine. Why?"

I shrugged, not wanting to point out how he seemed less than his usual joyful facade. "Just asking. Where you've been anyway? I thought we would study together in the common room?"

His face twisted into something akin to anguish and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I was with Reg..ulus," he said, turning away.

"Did som-"

"Look, I don't wanna talk about it," he snapped.

"Sirius..." He stormed off towards the portrait hole and I was left staring after a back for the second time this day. I felt the worry built up, sensing that something bad must have happened. Because, no matter how hurt or angry Sirius was, he was always very good at hiding it. Unless he was drunk or something major had happened. And since he didn't seem drunk right now...my feet started moving before my mind had been made up, walking back towards the Fat Lady and pushing every thought of James and Lily into the back of my mind. This was urgent, my platonic soulmate was in pain after all.

Stepping into the common room, I spotted the black-haired boy rush up the boys dormitory and steeled myself before following him upstairs, hoping nobody saw me step to left instead of the right passage towards the rooms. I tentatively walked down the small hallway I had never dared to step in in all my six years before, searching the signs on the doors for the Sixth Year's dormitories. Pressing an ear on one of the doors, I listened for any sound. Fortunately, there were some shuffles and the familiar voice of my friend cursing as he dropped something heavy. Just as I contemplated on whether to knock, the door swung up revealing Sirius, who had rid himself of his robe and jumper, holding a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand and the other tightly wound around the door handle.

"What are you doing?" he asked, narrowing his shining eyes.

"I-"

"Just leave," he grumbled, his voice tense as he was holding back the tears that hadn't fallen yet. Dread filled me now as he rushed past me to the bathroom, shutting the door soundly behind him. Something was seriously wrong. This time, I didn't hesitate to follow him, pushing back the cringe at opening a boy's bathroom and peeking in. The room was empty except for one shower cabinet in the far back where the water was turned on, running at full blast.

"Sirius, I hope you are not naked, because I'm coming in," I warned, giving him a second before I opened the cabinet to find him sitting on the floor, drinking from the bottle of Firewhiskey as the water pattered down on him.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" he mumbled, his voice thick and croaky from the burn of the alcohol, "I don't want to talk about it." He leaned his head back, closing his eyes as the water trickled down on his face and further, drenching his clothes.

"We don't need to talk," I said quietly, hoping he could hear me over the water, "I just wanna be here for you." And with that, I stepped in fully-clothed and closed the cabinet door behind me, sliding down next to him as I proceeded to get completely wet in a less than a few seconds. Sirius kept quiet, only raising his bottle to me before pressing it against his own lips when I shook my head, wondering which of the drops trailing down his face were from the shower head and which from his sorrowful eyes.

I wasn't sure how long we sat there but Sirius got up after what seemed like hours, clearing his throat as he lowered the water volume. "I'm...gonna get you the Invisibility Cloak so you can sneak out. Wait here." I nodded. "And don't turn the water off or someone might come in." I nodded again and he stepped over me, pushing the door open and disappearing from sight. I sighed as he left, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of my clothes sticking to my skin. He came back after a few minutes with cloak and wand in hand, casting a Hot Air Charm over me as I got up and turned off the shower head. It was completely silent, but somber in some way as we proceeded to walk out of the bathroom with me under the cloak and him at the front. He held the door open, squinting to see if I had passed and I mumbled a quiet 'thanks' when I was out.

Nodding, he stepped out as well, shoving his hands into his pockets, having dried himself as well. "I will...see you around," he said, a softness in his voice and slightly slurring, "I'm just gonna head to bed."

I nodded before realising he couldn't see me. "Okay. Sleep well, Sirius."

"You too."

Turning away, I took a few steps when I heard Sirius whisper my name. "Cec, I- thank you. For being there," he stammered, seeming uncharacteristically unsure of himself. I wondered then, how many people he had shown his emotional side before. Guessing from what I knew about him, I would say it dwindled down to the four people he kept the closest plus maybe Regulus. It warmed me, that he now included me into that circle as well even if I kind of forced him to as I had followed him around. "Cec?" he called out questioningly, his grey eyes flittering around as he pondered whether I was still there or not. I quickly stepped back towards him, carefully taking his hand and squeezing it slightly. "You're more than welcome, Sirius," I whispered and his eyes softened when I raised my cloak to let him see me for a split second. "Good night."

"Good night."

Walking down to the common room, I noticed a considerably less amount of people were gathered around to study, mostly Fifth and Seventh Years. But Alice was still there and even Marlene had joined her, though her face rested on her notes as she drooled on them, fast asleep. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I noticed it was past nine o'clock. The thoughts of Lily and James that I had pushed into the back of my mind resurfaced and I swept the room with my eyes in search of either of them. There was no way Lily would have gone to bed so early on the last days before the exam and I briefly remembered all the times we had together to study until past midnight for our O.W.L.'s last year. 'Was she still at the library?' But the library had been closed for an hour now.

My stomach grumbled in that moment and the sound resonated throughout the otherwise quiet room. I blushed, despite the fact that no one could see me under the cloak, as a few heads raised in confusion. Only now did I realise how hungry I was since I had missed dinner and also skipped lunch earlier this day. 'A quick snack from the kitchen it is,' I decided, walking towards the entrance and out of the common room. 'And on my way I can make a short detour to see if Lily actually managed to convince Madam Pince to let her stay past the closing hours to study. Wouldn't put it past her to play the Prefect Card for this.'

Skipping down the stairs, I took the corridor to the library and found it entirely deserted. I sighed relieved, not knowing what exactly I was relieved for, as I turned away to head towards the kitchen. The halls were empty and dark, with the occasional light of the half-moon breaking through the tall windows and I breathed in the fresh air of a summer night, enjoying the peaceful silence as I strolled towards the kitchen.

But the peace would only last for so long.

I reached the corridor with the painting of the fruit bowl, fastening my steps as my stomach gave another protesting growl. Just when I was about to tickle the pear in the painting, anticipating all the good food the elves would cook in a matter of minutes, the door opened from the inside, nearly banging against my forehead. I stumbled back as the door swung to the side, revealing James. My heart skipped a beat in surprise but also at the sight of twinkling eyes that seemed unnaturally light in all the darkness surrounding us. Grinning, I grasped at the hem of the cloak, ready to spook him when he turned back towards the kitchens, engulfing his face in a warm glow of light coming from the big room.

A shadow crossed his features and he held his hand out for Lily, who was laughing softly as she took it, letting him help her out of the hole. "Thanks," she said.

"You are very welcome," James replied with a grin as the door shut close, engulfing us all in a sudden darkness. I blinked, squinting in hopes to see better as my eyes adjusted. For a second everything was silent before the two started walking. Biting my lip, I followed them before I could think about what I was doing. 'We are all headed to the same direction, I can't help it that I need to walk behind them. And since I'm not hungry anymore- oh, who am I kidding, I'm starving,' I complained to myself, cursing my brain for having the urge to spy on the two in all my insecure glory.

They walked in silence for a while before standing on the staircase.

"Thanks for the food," Lily spoke up as they waited for the stairs to stop moving, "I really needed it."

"Figures. You didn't eat anything today," James replied.

"How do you know that?"

"Eh," I could practically feel him blush as he stammered for an answer. "I just saw you and Cec studying all day, so I guessed that you hadn't eaten anything yet. Cec hasn't at least."

"Right," Lily said quietly, walking up the stairs as they stopped moving. I followed silently, watching the moon reflect on her brilliant red hair and noticing James did, too. "You know, I was surprised how you two suddenly got together."

"Hm?" James hummed, looking at his shoes as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his robes.

"I mean, one day you were asking me out and the other you were suddenly hanging around with her and started dating," Lily said in joking manner and James chuckled along, though I couldn't grasp the joke in it. "It was...surprising, yeah," she ended awkwardly and the mood turned somber.

"Well, I guess it surprised a lot of people," James chuckled again, seemingly nervous as he ran a hand through his messy mop of hair. "But, Cec is great. She is amazing, really," he added, his voice turning steady and gentle, tugging at my heart strings. I felt a smile form on my face.

"She is quite great, yeah," Lily agreed softly. Now I felt bad for eavesdropping. 'You're siriusly messed up, dumbass,' I scolded myself. But I didn't stop. "I'm happy for you guys. It's nice to see Cec so happy and seeing a normal side of you."

James scoffed, "Normal?"

"What?" Lily giggled.

"What side of me has not been normal before?"

"I'm just saying, it's refreshing to know a side of you that wouldn't enchant cupids to read me sappy poems and throw pink glitter all over me," Lily recalled, laughing to herself as James blushed beet-red.

"Well, normal is overrated anyway," he muttered into his tie, smiling as Lily bumped her fist against his arms.

"I kinda miss it," she said and I noticed her eyes widen as soon as the sentence left her mouth. James' lips quirked up, his eyes shining. "Do you now?" he asked smugly, laughing as she slapped his arm.

"I mean," she started but paused. The mood turned slightly somber as she fiddled with her sleeve.

"You mean?" James prompted almost eagerly and I bit my lip, the tugging in my heart strings turning to harsh pulls.

Lily sighed, "It's nothing. Just, now that I know the 'normal' side of you, the one, you probably show to your friends and Cec...I think, all the stuff you used to do was quite endearing."

James kept quiet for a second. "You mean, when I endlessly chased after you?"

"All the things you did to ask me out. The cupids, the flowers, the sweets...," I distinctly heard Lily gulp as she stopped and turned towards him, causing him to falter in his steps, too. "I didn't recognise it back then, but it must have cost you a lot of effort and I think that's sweet..." James held his breath. "...and a little bit excessive." They both chuckled lightly before turning quiet, staring at the other.

"So, it was not for nothing after all," James muttered softly, almost as if he were dazed as he stared into her eyes. I clutched at the cloak tightly, feeling cold all of a sudden.

Lily cocked her head to the side, strands of red hair gliding over her shoulder like ocean waves. "Yeah. It did not get me to say yes back then, but..."

"But?" James pressed, taking a step forward.

Lily took a deep breath as if she were preparing herself for something, "But...if I had known this side of you before, I might have agreed. To- you know." I stilled, my tight grip on the cloak loosening slightly. James' eyes widened and I could see the elation spread through his face even if he didn't smile.

"To going out with me?" he asked breathlessly. Lily hesitated before she nodded. For a minute, we all stood in silence as James stared at her, dumbfounded. Lily's eyes flickered around as if she were scared to get caught. "Anyway, it doesn't matter!" she stated, too loudly for the quiet atmosphere, "I mean, you are with Cec now and you guys are happy."

"Yeah...yeah we are," James said, still in stupor.

"Yeah, so..." Lily gestured forward, turning to start walking again.

"But what if we aren't?" James spoke up, causing her to halt in her footsteps. My heart stopped.

"What?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

It was James' turn to take a deep breath as if he were preparing himself for something, "What if Cec and I weren't happy?"

Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean? You guys look besotted with each other."

"Yeah, that's the thing," James said firmly, determination flooding his features. "We look like we are besotted with each other. It was an act." I swayed slightly as if I had been punched in the chest. "It was just an act." It was just an act. The words seemed to echo in the hallway, pounding relentlessly into my eardrums as I stood frozen, staring the bespectacled boy.

"It was an act?" Lily asked incredulously. James nodded. She turned towards him fully in disbelief. "You were acting like you were together?!" James nodded again. "Why?"

"I was trying to show you a more civil side of me," he said and my eyes widened. 'Be civil' I heard my own voice resonate through my mind. I tried to keep my breathing even as my chin trembled. "I wanted you to see what kind of guy I am since you wouldn't go out with me. I wanted you to see the real me. How I would be if we were together."

Lily stared at him. "I don't even know what to say...," she trailed off.

"Since you appreciated all the efforts I put into asking you out, you could appreciate this as well?" James asked hopefully and I was starting to feel sick. It was just an act. Something in me shattered. I turned away, trying to shield the little, constricting organ in my chest from his words.

"But wait, is Cec part of this? How is she managing to pretend this whole time?" she pondered and James' face fell. Noticing this, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Is she pretending, James? Does she know about your relationship being an act?"

James tensed up, biting his lip as he glanced away and it was all the answer that Lily needed. Her emerald green eyes widened. "James...," she breathed in disbelief, "How could you do this to her?"

"Listen, Cec won't take it too hard," James tried as Lily shook her head in disbelief, "She knows it's nothing serious. We've grown closer, yes, as friends."

"I don't think she sees it like that," Lily responded and I chose that moment to walk away. Because she was absolutely right.

Chapter Thirteen

[weighty-ghosts]

‘One Hundred With You’ (wolfstar)

One Hundred With You, by weightyghosts

“Remus felt renewed guilt over not having thought about how his life expectancy would affect Sirius. He’d made the assumption that his lycanthropy was and always would be something that happened to him alone, but now that he’d chosen to love someone, and that someone chose to love him back, it was happening to both of them. Could Remus keep enduring decades of monthly transformations for Sirius?" ~ A story of accepting the love you deserve, and choosing the future you want.”

Rating: teen

Word count: 3672

Pairing: Remus x Sirius

Published: June 24, 2021

Warnings: swearing, mild angst

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32144269 

     “Would you rather win a million galleons but only live until you’re one-hundred, or win no galleons and live until you’re two-hundred and eighty?”

James’ head snapped up at Peter’s question, scrambled eggs perched on his fork in mid-air, his eyes bright behind his smudged glasses. “Live until I’m two hundred and eighty obviously,” he answered straight away, then looked at the others expectantly.

“Same,” Sirius replied with a shrug, taking a long sip from his pumpkin juice.

Remus forced a quick smile at the boys sitting across from him, as he pushed a few stray beans around his plate. The four marauders were sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, having a late Saturday morning breakfast after Sirius and James’ Quidditch practice.

Peter rolled his eyes and made a disappointed noise. “Of course you two would choose that.”

“But think of how much you’d get to do and see!” James exclaimed, “Who cares about the galleons?”

“Lots of people!” cried Peter, “You and Sirius are just used to extravagance and wealth-”

“Then we’d have the most to lose if we chose option two, wouldn’t we, Wormy?” Sirius pointed out, propping an elbow on the table to rest his chin in his hand, completing his well-perfected look of disdain that was now aimed at Peter.

Peter gaped back at Sirius as if he’d finally, truly lost his mind, then turned to Remus, who was noticeably quieter than usual. “Moony, you agree with me, don’t you? You’d take the galleons, right?”

Remus was in the middle of contemplating whether or not he actually even liked baked beans, but looked up at Peter when he realized the question had been directed at him. He reached for a bread roll and asked in a thoughtful tone, “Can I take two million galleons and live until I’m fifty?”

Sirius frowned at him while the other two laughed. Remus glanced at them, then back down at the roll he decided he’d rather tear into pieces. There was a beat of awkward silence as the laughter died out when they realized Remus wasn’t joking.

“That’s not one of the-” Peter started.

“Why would you say that, Rem?” James interjected, a worried crease between his brows.

Remus shrugged, pointedly not looking at any of them.

Sirius’ eyes narrowed by a fraction. “But why would you want to do that?”

“It’s just a game,” he said dismissively, then after a moment, he cleared his throat and added, “But you know why.”

James’ eyes flickered anxiously to Sirius sitting next to him, trying to assess his mood by the number of times his jaw muscle twitched. He was fairly certain that Sirius was nearing a level of rage where he wouldn’t hesitate to hex anyone who got in the way of his wand.

“No, tell us, Moony,” Sirius invited, his voice sharp as he dropped his hand and sat up straight.  “Why don’t you want to live past fifty?”

Never mind the beans he wished he hadn’t eaten, Remus was now deeply regretting coming to watch their Quidditch practice that morning. Actually, he was regretting leaving his bed at all. But here they were, and Remus inhaled slowly, air filling his lungs until there was no room for his fears inside.

He met Sirius’ gaze head on. “I don’t know if I’ll live past fifty anyway. Might as well get some galleons out of it if Pete’s offering.”

James and Peter both glanced at each other in alarm, then at Sirius, nervously awaiting how he would react to this news and his boyfriend’s fatalistic attitude. Confusion flashed across Sirius’ face, but it was clear his anger was boiling just under the surface as he took deep, steadying breaths.

“What are you talking about, Remus?” James asked, while Sirius tried to find his voice.

Remus took a few seconds to respond, his fingers making quick work of demolishing the bread roll into crumbs. He looked around them briefly to see if anyone was sitting close enough to hear, but it was nearing the end of breakfast and the Great Hall was relatively empty, save for a few Hufflepuffs at the next table.

Remus dropped his voice anyway. “The life expectancy for... someone like me isn’t…” he swallowed, “Isn’t very high.”

Sirius barely let him finish speaking before demanding, “Who told you that?”

Remus hummed ambiguously, internally debating how much to tell them; but this only served to infuriate Sirius even more.

“Where did you learn that rubbish, Moony?” He didn’t let Remus answer though, steamrolling past the question as his voice grew louder. “Whoever told you that is wrong. You’re a wizard, wizards can live until they’re one hundred-and-eighty.”

“Human wizards,” Remus muttered.

Sirius clenched his fists on the table, and turned to James, silently communicating with a brief, pointed look that James immediately recognized as Sirius wanting him to step in before he said something he’d regret.

“Remus,” James said in an even voice, “Where did you learn this?”

“Books.”

“They’re all bullshit and you know it,” Sirius snapped, earning him an admonishing glance from James; he was supposed to be cooling off while James handled Remus. Being a level-headed intermediary was essentially James’ primary role in their relationship.

Remus elaborated, “I asked Madam Pomfrey about it too.”

“She’s a moronic troll,” Sirius growled.

“Sirius!” Peter exclaimed, apparently quite offended on Madam Pomfrey’s behalf.

“I also asked Dumbledore.”

“He’s a fucking troll too!”

“Sirius!”

“Stuff it, Pete!” Sirius shouted.

A couple of Hufflepuff heads turned around at the commotion, and Remus prayed for patience, feeling a blush spread up his neck from the unwanted attention and growing annoyance. He finally gave up on the bread, wiping his hands on a napkin before steeling himself to meet Sirius’ eyeline once more. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Sirius barked a humourless laugh. “You brought it up so you better believe we’re going to bloody talk about it.”

“Clearly I shouldn’t have said anything,” Remus said, his tone leaving no question that he wanted the conversation to end.

“Maybe we should talk about it...” James added hesitantly.

“How long have you known?” Peter asked, surprising Sirius with the shrewd question.

Remus shrugged again. “Few months-”

“MONTHS?”

“Oi, Black!” One of the Hufflepuffs was shouting, “Some of us are trying to enjoy our breakfast!”

“Piss off, MacMillan, or you’ll be wearing your breakfast!”

“Sirius, stop,” Remus commanded, his own anger finally coming through, “I may have only found out about this recently, and I’m taking it really well, thanks for asking, but honestly I’ve always suspected.”

Sirius opened his mouth to interject but Remus shook his head. “Pads, you know the transformations are torture for me.”

That made Sirius pause, and there was something about the way he and Remus were looking at each other, like they were the only two people in the entire Hall, that made Peter and James suddenly feel like they were intruding on something private.

“The transformations were easier when I was a kid,” Remus continued, “because my bones were still pliable and growing, but every year it gets a little bit harder. I can’t even imagine what they’ll be like when I’m fifty, and frankly, part of me doesn’t want to find out.”

James and Peter were silent, trying to process this grim information, but it seemed to have the opposite effect on Sirius. He was fuming, sitting as still as the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore’s office, with eyes as fiery as a dragon ready to fight for its next meal.

“You don’t want to find out? You’re just going to give up? You don’t care how the rest of us feel about that? How can you be so fucking selfish, Remus?”

“I’m allowed to be fucking selfish for once in my life when it’s my life we’re talking about. You have no fucking idea-” Remus cut himself off. His hands were shaking he was so angry, and he clenched them tightly into fists a few times before relaxing them again. He didn’t want to have this argument in the Great Hall. He wished he’d just agreed with Peter and kept his mouth shut.

“It’s not just your life, Moony,” Sirius pointed out, his voice as hard as jagged rocks.

Remus looked him dead in the eye and replied, “Yes, it is.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck you too,” Remus responded evenly. He grabbed his bag and stood up from the bench, whipping around and almost bumping straight into Lily.

“Er, hi,” she greeted slowly, looking around at all four of them, then back at Remus, “I just wanted to see if you’re alright-”

“He’s fucking fine, Evans-”

“Stop,” James whispered, putting a hand on Sirius’ arm.

Lily wasn’t paying attention to them though, she was entirely focused on Remus. “Let’s go for a walk,” she suggested, taking Remus’ hand in hers. He nodded and they left the Great Hall together.

Sirius watched them go, daggers practically shooting from his eyes at their backs. “She’s a bloody- she can’t just-”

“She’s his friend,” Peter murmured.

Sirius glared at Peter, whose face suddenly started turning pink as he pulled on the collar of his shirt.

James swatted Sirius’ shoulder. “Stop trying to wandlessly choke Wormtail,” he chastised.

Sirius narrowed his eyes further, then gritted his teeth and pushed his plate away. “I’m not hungry anymore,” he grumbled, standing up and turning away from them, ignoring James’ calls to come back.

~

“What did he do now?”

Remus frowned in disapproval, more out of habit than anything else, at Lily’s implication that Sirius was the one who had done something wrong. She wasn’t Sirius’ biggest fan, though she’d mostly stopped criticizing him since he and Remus had gotten together.

Remus let out a puff of air as he slouched down onto a bench in the courtyard, moving over so that Lily could sit down next to him. She turned towards Remus with a concerned look on her face, and waited for him to speak first.

“I can’t say exactly what it was about-”

“Ah, something to do with this mysterious part of your life you’re not ready to tell me about?”

Remus smiled sheepishly at her. He was pretty sure she already knew about his lycanthropy, but he appreciated that she respected how he wanted to tell her himself, on his terms.

“Essentially,” Remus confirmed, before the smile slipped from his face. “I found out something recently...that was hard for me to process. And I made a comment that Sirius didn’t take well-”

“Was it self-deprecating and morbid?”

Remus snorted. There was no way Lily didn’t know he was a werewolf; the girl picked up on everything.

“Maybe.”

Lily shook her head, a small smile on her lips, and gestured for Remus to continue.

“He just- he didn’t even ask how I was feeling about it, he just jumped to conclusions and got angry and called me selfish.”

“Were you being selfish?”

This was the only problem Remus had with their friendship; Lily wasn’t afraid to push him, and always asked questions he didn’t want the answer to. But if she was asking it, there was probably a good reason, so Remus ran his hand through his hair a few times and thought it through, for Lily’s sake.

Was he being selfish? When he’d first read the average life expectancy of werewolves, the first person he’d thought of was himself. He was scared, naturally, but then he actually felt relieved- which then made him feel guilty. He’d been carrying around the weight of that guilt for the last few months, growing heavier when his friends would talk about their futures and goals. Not that they spoke of being older than thirty, and their goals were mostly how many ex-girlfriends they’d have (Peter), or how many kids they’d have (James), or how many muggle pubs they’d get tossed out of (Sirius), provided they survived the war no one seemed to talk about.

Even in silly conversations like those, Remus would find an excuse not to speculate about his future. He didn’t see the point in hoping for a long and happy life when he knew what was in store for him.

“I think we all have to put ourselves first sometimes,” he eventually replied.

“I believe that’s true,” Lily agreed, “But I also believe it’s better to find a way to put yourself first without hurting or neglecting those around you.”

Remus looked at her thoughtfully, absorbing her words. He didn’t want to hurt Sirius, but if he was being honest, part of him had never expected them to last. Remus had learned as a child not to get his hopes up too high.

The only time he dared to let his mind wander and imagine, was when Sirius would speak of their future together. He wouldn’t say anything about growing old together, Sirius didn’t like to think about growing old, but in the last few weeks Remus had noticed his boyfriend talking about their plans; he didn’t usually say ‘I’ anymore, he would say ‘we.’

“It’s vitally important that we only look at flats that are close enough to Prongs and far enough away from my mother, Moony.” “No marmalade allowed in our kitchen, Moony. Absolutely not.” “We’ll find a place for all your books.” “We’ll figure that out.”

Remus felt renewed guilt over not having thought about how his life expectancy would affect Sirius. He’d made the assumption that his lycanthropy was and always would be something that happened to him alone, but now that he’d chosen to love someone, and that someone chose to love him back, it was happening to both of them. Could Remus keep enduring decades of monthly transformations for Sirius?

“What if I had to hurt myself to avoid hurting Sirius?” His voice was as small as he felt in that moment.

Lily frowned at him, trying to understand his words without all the information. “I don’t think he would want that.”

“I don’t know what he wants,” Remus sighed dejectedly, “Maybe we’re just not good together. I tried to tell him that a year ago.”

“Not good together?” She repeated his words as if she couldn’t understand them.

“I don’t know if we can have a future together, Lily.”

Remus didn’t expect to see such a strong reaction from his friend; she looked surprised, confused, even affronted.

“Remus,” Lily wrapped her fingers around his wrist closest to her, her grip gentle but strong. “I want you to listen to me. You have a tendency to think the worst and then accept it before you even try to change it. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You assume that you and Sirius won’t be good together, so you’re right, you probably won’t be. But if you actually tried, hoped, stayed optimistic about your future...maybe you would be great.”

Remus stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly open.

“What?” Lily asked self-consciously.

“You just- you always say exactly what I’m thinking but don’t want to admit out loud.”

Lily chuckled, a hint of pride in her voice. “It’s a talent of mine.”

“One among many.”

“Of course,” she agreed, tossing her hair dramatically over her shoulder, “And make sure to tell Potter that.”

It was Remus’ turn to laugh. “If you don’t think he already knows how obnoxiously wonderful you are, you’re insane.”

Lily grinned and leaned over to rest her head against Remus’ shoulder. After a beat of comfortable silence, she asked, “Are you going to go talk to him?”

Remus nodded, but lay his head on top of hers while he gathered his thoughts. He wanted to get this right with Sirius, and there was so much that needed to be said between them.

~

Remus walked into the Gryffindor common room and spotted Sirius, James and Peter at a table by the windows. Peter was attempting to do homework, and James and Sirius were talking in low voices, the parchments and quills in front of them forgotten.

“Hey,” Remus said as he got closer.

Sirius looked up at him, his expression guarded, though not hostile. “Hey.”

“Can we…” Remus nodded towards the staircase that led to the boys’ dorms.

Sirius nodded back and stood up, leaving his things scattered on the table with their two friends who were sending very sympathetic looks their way. Sirius led the way up to their dorm and held the door open for Remus, then walked over to sit on the other’s bed, which Remus took as a good sign. He sat down next to Sirius and twisted to face him, one leg bent on the bed.

“I’m sorry,” Remus stated earnestly.

Sirius’ eyes searched his face as he took in Remus’ words. Then, Remus watched his anger deflate, expelling in one big breath as if he’d been holding it in since breakfast.

“I shouldn’t have blown up at you about it, I’m sorry too.” Sirius leaned his forearms on his legs and dropped his head, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Honestly I think it...it scared me.”

“I know. It scared me too.” Remus paused before expressing what he’d been truly afraid of revealing to Sirius, but he couldn’t hold it in any more. “Fuck, Pads… I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep doing this every month for the rest of my life. I don’t know if I can- can take it.”

Sirius’ hand dropped and he glanced back at Remus, his expression unreadable.

“Well, there is a war coming,” Sirius said in a deadpan, “With any luck we'll die like heroes in battle, and you won’t have to deal with it.”

“Sirius!” Remus rolled his eyes. He knew Sirius was joking, it’s what they’ve always done when talking about something heavy, but this time Remus didn’t think it was funny. He turned away from Sirius and crawled to the top of his bed, sitting cross-legged with his back against the headboard. He started picking a loose thread on the hem of his trousers.

Sirius sighed and followed, sitting down in front of him, close enough that their knees knocked together. When Remus didn’t look up at him, Sirius used one elegant index finger to tilt his chin up. Remus reluctantly met his eyes, and was surprised to see how soft they were, while also full of a fervor that he’d fallen in love with a long time ago.

“Moony,” Sirius’ voice was firm, confident, and everything Remus needed to hear right now, “You’ll keep doing this every month because you don’t have a choice. You need to keep going. I need you to keep going.”

Remus felt tears fill his eyes, distorting the vision of his beautiful boyfriend in front of him. “It’s not that easy, Pads,” he said in a low voice, “I may not have a choice-”

“Hush,” Sirius cut him off with a whisper. He moved both hands to cradle Remus’ face, wiping his cheeks dry. “You’re not going through it alone. I’ll do everything I can to help you, you know that.”

It was true. If there was anything Remus could rely on, it was Sirius’ support; Sirius’ devotion to making Remus’ lycanthropy as painless as possible; and making his life full to the brim with love. Sirius was brilliant, he’d already done the absolute wildest, best thing someone could ever do for a werewolf. Remus felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized how lucky he was to have found this remarkable person.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice unsteady with emotion, “I do know that, because you already have.”

Sirius grinned, and Remus only realized what that cheeky smile meant half a second before Sirius disappeared and the entire left side of Remus’ head was being licked by a large, shaggy black dog.

“Ugh, Padfoot!” Remus cried, trying to turn his head far enough away to escape the wet tongue, “Get off me, you mangy mutt! No kisses!”

There was an odd choking noise that quickly turned into a human gasp. “You don’t really mean that, Moony!”

Remus stopped struggling when he felt paws become hands, and fur become skin. He had slid down on the bed in his attempt to fend off the dog, and was now looking up at Sirius hovering above him on his hands and knees. His grey eyes were bright, a warm smile playing on his lips.

“No,” Remus admitted, “I don’t really mean that.”

Sirius’ eyes flicked down to Remus’ mouth, and he leaned in to kiss them softly. Remus sighed happily; he felt relieved again, but this time, it wasn’t because he wouldn't have to endure his monthly transformations for long; it was relief that he wasn’t alone, and that he wouldn't have to be alone for the full moon ever again. And if he got to have Sirius every other day and night of the month, he could live off of that love and happiness until he was old and grey.

“Thank you,” Remus said after they’d broken apart.

Sirius tilted his head in confusion, very much like Padfoot would do. “For what?”

“For being you. You do so much for me...sometimes I get lost in my own head and I forget that you actually want to be there for me.”

“I do,” Sirius agreed. “I’d do anything for you, Moons.”

Remus smiled and ran his hands up and down Sirius’ forearms reverently. “Love you.”

“Love you too, you ridiculous creature,” Sirius said with a chuckle. He relaxed his body on top of Remus’, bumping their noses together softly. “So… Does this mean you’ll live to be one-hundred with me?”

Remus snorted. “Wait- I thought you wanted to live until you’re two hundred and eighty?”

“Nah,” Sirius scoffed, “I’d rather have the galleons and spoil you rotten until we die from eating too much of the world’s finest, richest chocolate.”

Remus laughed, feeling lighter than air, and pulled Sirius in for another kiss.

That sounded like a future he could look forward to.

~

[fierte-verte]

Valentine’s Special: Amortentia Headcanons💖

A/N: What you would smell in your cauldron, according to your crush or significant other! But beware—it’s called the world’s most deadly potion for a reason.

Marauders Era

James Potter:

Cedar wood, leather from quidditch gloves, clean cotton, and pine

True to his rambunctious and cheerful character, James’ scent would carry a woodsy, refreshing tone

Sirius Black:

Cigarette smoke, coconut hair conditioner, brown sugar, and sage

A character of many depths, Sirius’ scent would be a heady and elusive one

Remus Lupin:

Melting chocolate, baby powder, rain/dew, and gingerbread

Thoughtful and ever attentive, Remus’ scent would be warm and soothing

Lily Evans:

Lavender hair wash, almond, apple spice, and ginger 

Kind-hearted with a feisty streak, Lily’s scent would be a blend of floral and zest

Regulus Black:

Eucalyptus oil, black currant, sandalwood, and quidditch jersey 

Cool-headed but somewhat mischievous, Regulus would carry a clean, piquant scent

Severus Snape:

Fire smoke, metal, black pepper, and dried asphodel  

Pensive and discreet, Snape’s scent would take on a thick and musky tone

Marlene Mckinnon

Guava soap, fizzing whizzbees, citrus, and sunshine

Independent but fiercely loyal, Marlene’s scent would be equally zingy and welcoming

Lightning Era

Harry Potter:

Treacle tart, figs, chamomile tea, and broomstick wood

Extraordinarily brave and determined, Harry’s scent would be reassuring and slightly fruity

Hermione Granger:

New parchment, quill ink, spearmint toothpaste, and rose oil

Diligent and righteous, Hermione would adopt a keen as well as subtle floral note

Ron Weasley:

Wool, chestnut, orange pulp, and cinnamon

Amiable and always trustworthy, Ron’s scent would be toasty with nutty undertones

Draco Malfoy:

Mint, green apples, jasmine, and white tea

Quick-witted and driven, Draco would carry a scent both stimulating and tangy

Luna Lovegood:

Strawberry mousse, daffodils, lemon soufflé, and moist earth

Possessing incredible creativity and confidence, Luna’s scent would be equally intriguing as it is pleasing

Neville Longbottom:

Fresh dirt, orchards, apricots, and banana bread

Bashful but chivalrous, Neville’s scent would be earthy, wispy, and reassuring

Ginny Weasley:

Irises, honeywater, lemongrass, and grapefruit

With a compelling and lively presence, Ginny would carry a citrusy and subtly sweet scent

Fred Weasley:

Lemon ginger cookies, firecrackers, floo powder, and pumpkin juice

Daring and courageous in every sense, Fred’s scent would take on a  crackling, savory note 

George Weasley:

Cloves, canary creams, toffee, and washed sweaters

Jovial with a bright mind, George’s scent would be a blend of sweet and spice

Cedric Diggory:

Vanilla bean, ash, pumpkin spice, and fall leaves

Strong and a paradigm of modesty, Cedric would have a scent that is natural and familiar

Oliver Wood:

Fresh grass, wood from broomstick handle, butterscotch, and nutmeg

An athletic and assertive character, Oliver’s scent would be an uplifting and permeating one

Dean Thomas:

Chalk, old notebooks, cranberry juice, and pear custard pie

Open-minded with an even temper, Dean would have a mellow and smooth scent

[happyyyandcrazyyy]

the marauders as seasons

summary: three out of the four marauders as seasons ( + lily ).

this idea just popped into my mind one day and i had to write it down.

gif’s not mine. credit to the owner.

james is like summer.

he’s the happiness that is brought by the end of the semester and the beginning of vacations. he’s the heat of sunny days, the taste of cold lemonade and the feeling of water dripping down your skin after a day swimming in the lake. he’s the excitement of quidditch matches and the buzzing of bumblebees floating around. he’s the feeling of late night adventures and deep conversations under the stars. he’s the smell of one long barbecue and the feeling of friends always being nearby. he can sometimes be like drinking alcohol during summer parties, too; a feeling of intoxication and liberation at the same time. he’s the awe of traveling to new places, exploring and discovering, the sound of ocean waves, the smell of sun lotion, the feeling of skin being warm to the touch. but, above everything else, james potter is the memories that you create during this season; eternal.

remus is like autum.

he’s the tenderness of cool air brushing your skin but also the light sun preventing you from being cold. he’s the smell of parchment and ink, a scent of home. he’s the coziness of hoodies and scarfs, the feeling of hands affectionately holding each other for the first time. he’s the calmness of the environment and the ability to fall in love with nature once again. he’s the sound of leaves crunching under your feet, the foggy light that creates a mysterious sensation around the castle, the smell of pumpkin scented candles. he’s the bright moon on a clear night, the impression that everyone and everything seems to slow down. he’s the gentleness of the air and the picturesque sceneries. but he’s also the sadness of watching the whomping willow lose its leaves, a reminder that everything comes to an end. remus lupin is the sounds and smells and sights of autumn that stir the soul, a delight mixed with a twinge of melancholy.

sirius is like winter.

he’s the warmth of the fireplace, the delicious taste of hot chocolate with melting marshmallows and the peace of being tucked in bed with only a book for company. he’s the comfort of a hug, the sound of christmas songs, the feeling of a kiss under the mistletoe. he’s late night trips to hogsmeade, stealing sweets from honeyduke’s. with those he cares about he’s the sound of laughter, he’s the affection and kindness that is spread during the holiday dinners, he’s the beautiful shimmering of the decoration lights in the christmas tree. he’s the laughter during a snowball fight, the delighted screams of enjoyment after sliding down a mountain in a sled, the twinkling of joy in children’s eyes as they open their gifts in the early christmas morning. but sirius can also be reserved. he can also be the icy cold winds, those that are frigid and paint your cheeks a rosy pink. sirius black is like snow, both alluring and beautiful but also threatening if not handled carefully.

(bonus)

lily is like spring.

she’s the rays of sunshine in the morning, the scent of coffee beans and pumpkin juice for breakfast. she’s the tweeting of birds, the exhilaration of watching flowers bloom again. she’s the caress of the warm breeze during a stressful day, the gorgeousness of a clear blue sky. she’s the tranquility of having a picnic with your friends and watching the sunset, enjoying the way the sky turns from a baby orange to a light pink. she’s a boost of energy, the taste of raindrops and the felling of soaked clothes against your skin. she’s the awakening after months of cold weather, light and beautiful. lily evans is the glee of spring, an overflowing feeling of joy and companionship.

———

i tried so hard to write peter but i just couldn’t, i really dislike his character. so instead i added lily, because she’s totally spring.