Disclaimer: None of the characters herein belong to me. I am making no money off of this whatsoever.
Pairing: Remus/Peter
Warning: Slash herein, and some sexual situations. Obviously involving men.
Dedication: This is for Tara…because she asked for it, and because I *won*! Regardless of all else, I did win. Don't worry, she knows what I'm talking about. :-)
Summary: Gryffindor has (nearly) won the house cup, and Remus and Peter get to celebrating.
Rating: R
Author's Note: All right. This is a gift for my good friend Tara. But...aren't *all* my Remus/Peter fics gifts for her? Anyway, it's uper-fluffy and pointless and just plain cute. If you're looking for depth or plot, look elsewhere. This is just cute goodness.
The Joy of Winning
Remus sighed rather happily. After six long years, they had finally won the house cup - or as good as. It was doubtful that Slytherin would catch up two hundred and fifty points in only a week. It had been a hard won victory, too, but well worth it. Especially considering it was the Marauder's last shot.
"We did it Moony!" Sirius exclaimed, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
"We did," the werewolf agreed, smiling widely. Oh, but victory was a sweet thing indeed. Of course, they had to deal with quite a few low blows from the Slytherins, but that wasn't anything new. And they had, recently, become downright childish.
"All hail the Gryffindors!" James exclaimed, standing on a table in the common room. "And fuck all Slytherin losers!"
That was met wit a chorus of cheers. Speaking of being childish...
Remus watched the common room with interest, legs folded up under him as he did so. He wasn't much for wild celebrations, really. He was more then happy about winning, of course, but...it just wasn't his scene, so to speak.
"Everything okay?"
"Hmm?" Remus looked up at the sound of a voice behind him. "Oh, yes Peter."
"You're not jumping around and screaming like everybody else," the smaller boy said, with a bit of a grin.
"I'd rather not lower myself to that level," Remus said, returning the smile.
"Me neither," Peter agreed.
There was a moment of awkward silence. There oftentimes was, now. Remus had been well aware of something building between them for some time now, but what he wasn't certain, and it seemed that Peter felt it as well. He was lowering his eyes, a pink flush staining his cheeks.
"Perhaps we could go up to the dorm?" Remus suggested. It *was* quite crowded and noisy down here. Peter nodded, looking up from below lowered lashes.
//You know, he could very well take your invitation the wrong way, // Remus thought, and frowned. //No. Peter's mind doesn't work that way. If it were Sirius...//
But the young werewolf dismissed those thoughts. He gave a smile, and the two Marauders headed up to the dorm. No one seemed to notice them leaving, or if they did, didn't care.
"This is much better," Remus said, sinking onto his bed with a sigh.
"I can't believe it's almost over." Peter said, sighing heavily as he joined Remus on the bed.
"I know." Seven years. Seven of the best years of his life, really. Of course, there had only been eighteen years altogether, but still.
"What now?"
"I don't know."
And there lay the big question. After graduation, what happened then? Would they remain together, friends to the bitter end? And of course, there was a war waging.
"Are you...scared, at all?" Peter's voice was small and quiet, and Remus felt for him very much in that instant.
"Sometimes, yes," Remus admitted. How could they not be? There was death in the paper everyday, warnings and portents and shadows of disaster. Anyone would be frightened.
"What's going to happen?"
"I don't know." Remus hadn't exactly envisioned this sort of conversation when he'd invited Peter up. "But I can imagine..."
"Yeah?"
"Oh yes." He had to do something to assuage his friend's fears. "This dark lord, whatever he wants to call himself, will be defeated. It's happened before. There may be some bad times, but it will all work out in the end."
"I hope so."
"I know so," Remus assured him, putting and arm around his shoulders. "You've nothing to worry about, really."
"I just...I can't help it." Peter looked up, eyes watery and lips trembling. Remus felt his heart lodge in his throat at the sight.
"It's all right," he whispered. "Don't worry about it now. Right now we should just be happy about winning the House Cup." But, in light of all that was happening, that sounded so petty. There were those dying - innocents! - and they were extolling jubilant over the mere winning of a stupid school tradition. It was childish, truly.
"You're right." Peter nodded, wiping at his eyes. "I just..."
"I know," Remus nodded. "Come on...let's talk about happier things, okay?"
****
Peter hated himself. They were supposed to be celebrating, and here he was acting like a baby. Remus probably thought he was stupid.
"What did you want to talk about?" Peter asked, swallowing hard. He wasn't going to cry in front of Remus, he wasn't!
"I'm not sure..."
But the tone of Remus' voice led Peter to believe that yes, he did know. And the hesitance and slight stumble led Peter to believe, also, that it wasn't exactly happy as Remus had promised.
"Um...." Peter searched his mind for something, anything, but his mind never worked properly around Remus, and less so when Remus' arm was wrapped around him.
"Peter..." Remus began, slowly. He always spoke so slowly.
"Yeah?"
"Er...I was wondering..." And then nothing.
"Wondering what?" Peter prompted. He had gotten a hold of himself. It was difficult. He was afraid. How could he not be?
"We've been… close for a few years now, right?" Remus asked. Peter nodded: they had been. It was beginning to be a bit of a problem. Peter felt very close to Remus.
"I was simply wondering if…perhaps…what I suppose I'm trying to say..."
Peter honestly had no idea what Remus was trying to say. He supposed, that to someone perhaps more bright then he, it would be obvious.
"I...I don't know what you're getting at," Peter admitted, flustered.
"I'm not very good at this sort of thing," Remus said, his tone apologetic.
"That's okay." He was still left wondering what 'this sort of thing' was.
"What do you think we are, to each other?" Remus asked suddenly. The question threw Peter, and he had to think a few moments before he could think of answering. What were they? Well, friends, most certainly.
"Friends..." Peter offered.
"Yes I know," Remus nodded. "But...does it ever feel like, sometimes, there might be more?" Remus was looking out of the corner of his eyes now. Peter frowned, puzzling it over in his mind. He was rather certain he understood what Remus was asking. He just couldn't believe it.
"Sometimes...." Peter was very cautious about what he said.
"I feel that way also."
Peter was stricken. He couldn't have heard that properly. He looked up at Remus with wide eyes. What? No…. He frowned, opening his mouth to speak but having no words.
"Is… Oh Peter, I'm sorry," Remus immediately said, taking his arm from around Peter's shoulders.
"Why?" Now it was Peter's turn to panic. What had he done? He hadn't said anything. Had he? Sometimes he spoke without realizing it...
"That was very forward of me, I shouldn't have." Remus looked down at his lap, and Peter realized he had to have made some sort of mistake.
"No… It was okay." Peter said, his mind working as quickly as it could. "I…I guess I feel the same way."
"Yes?"
Another awkward silence. This, Peter reflected, was almost as bad. This was awkward with A Purpose. It was out in the open now.
"Should we kiss now?"
It was probably the stupidest thing he had ever said. And Peter had said a lot of stupid things in his life.
"I think that's generally how it's done," Remus agreed.
Then they looked at each other. The moment between them stretched out into what seemed like eternity. Peter had never kissed anyone before. He was glad that Remus would be his first, though.
"We kind of need to…you know. Put our lips together," Peter mumbled, turning beet red.
"I know," Remus said. "I was just watching you."
"Oh."
Peter licked his lips, closing his eyes as he leaned forward slowly - he knew that was how it was done - and he felt Remus' lips against his, slick and warm and completely foreign. He pulled away, after a few moments.
"How was that?" Remus asked, frowning.
"Um…" Peter didn't want to say it had been bad...
"I know. Perhaps we ought to try again..." Remus offered.
"Yeah." The second time had to be better.
Well, it wasn't. But the fourth time was. Remus decided to introduce tongues. Remus' tongue, Peter decided, was his friend, and his own tongue was quite eager to make its acquaintance. And to keep that acquaintance.
"That was much better," Remus said, drawing back and panting lightly.
"Oh yeah," Peter agreed, knowing he looked like an idiot with a wide grin plastered over his face. But he couldn't help it!
"We'll have to do that again," Remus decided, nodding.
"A lot."
"Oh…listen to us," Remus chuckled softly. "We sound like…like children. We're about to graduate."
"Well, so?" Peter could feel himself blushing. He didn't mean to be so immature...
"I know. We're both rather stunted when it comes to matters of...of an intimate nature."
Peter decided not to point out that they were nowhere near a stage where the word 'intimate' would apply. He hoped, in a very small and specific part of his mind, that at some point they would be though...
"We'll figure it out," Peter assured him.
"Oh, I'm sure. And....it will be rather easier to figure it out when we aren't sharing a dorm with Sirius and James."
"Yeah." That would be embarrassing!
"Shall we kiss some more?" Remus asked, and Peter had to stifle a giggle. He looked...well, perfect like that. Sort of flustered and nervous. Oh, and wanting to kiss.
"I think that's a good way to celebrate..." Peter said, and Remus seemed to agree.
They celebrated for a good hour, until Sirius and James trudged up to go to bed. But there would be plenty of other times. Peter was sure of it.
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