All four Marauders were studying, it was a shock to the rest of the students in Gryffindor tower who had tried, not very subtly mind you, to get as far away from them as possible, after all they had to be up to something or planning something or well something! It was all very wrong, and not one of them felt comfortable with it, even the infamous Lily Evans, who never backed away from any confrontation, had eyed them warily when she walked into the common room, and had left almost immediately after with a look of sheer disconcertion on her face.
Completely oblivious to the shock they had caused to their house mates, the four boys were sat in a small circle by the fireplace, lounging on the sofa, or if you're Sirius, flopped down in front of the fireplace in a very canine manner, swapping ideas, knowledge and their usual banter, and had been for several hours now.
"No Girdlehook the Ghastly was the one who started the 1665 war, not the war of 1708. That one was the war of the Over played Crumpet started by Ulkbark the Unhinged"
"But wasn't that the war against Tombkite the Toothache?"
"Hmm but I thought that one was with Obskin the Obnoxious over who would rule when king Dagbone the Dangerous died,"
"Oh no look here," James pointed to a paragraph, "that one was because Obskin tried to elope with his daughter Bodgirdle the Barely Attractive, no wait, that's not right, umm hang on this is so confusing,"
"Hey wise and all-knowing Moony. Why do all these famous goblins have to have those weird descriptions to their names?"
"They're not descriptions Pads, they're titles the goblins bestow upon any of their number who make it into the history books, and those weird descriptions are an honour to them."
"What!.. Even Bodgirdle the barely attractive?"
"Yup, no one wants an attractive goblin woman do they?" James answered this time with his usual cheeky smirk,
"That really is just bizarre,"
"Really? We went over all that last week you guys,"
"Yeah, but we weren't really paying attention then Moons,"
"Hhhmmppff"
"What was that Lupin? You weren't just trying to cover up your expletive just then were you?" Prongs said gleefully,
"Ha, oh don't glare like that Moony, if you do you'll get premature wrinkles!"
"Well that would be the worst thing wouldn't it you vain git"
"But Moooneeyyyy…."
"Shut up Pads, or I'm letting all of you do this without me and my notes!"
"He's threatening us Jamie!" exclaimed Sirius in a stricken voice.
"How could you be so cruel!? Please don't abandon us! Well not me anyway, the others don't matter so much!"
"Pipe it you guys!"
"Okay," Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail piped together,
"And don't sound so cheerful after I've yelled at you! It's irritating"
"Okay" the other three piped again even more cheerfully,
Remus growled and flopped down across the sofa he was sat on, and almost (successfully) sending Prongs flying onto the floor.
Padfoot rolled onto his front and crawled over to where Remus was lying, he put his face up far too close to the other boys' than was strictly normal. "Moony," he began very quietly so the other two marauders could barely hear them, and they both looked away feeling slightly awkward at their position, his light breath tickled Remus' cheek sending a small shiver up his spine and goose bumps up his arms "my oh so lovely wolfy, please don't be cross, if you help us now then I shall become your knight in shining armour, and as proof of my brave and knightly nature, and to show you how noble I am." He paused for dramatic effect, "I shall release some of my honeydukes chocolate into your possession," he paused with a grin at the look of serious consideration on the young werewolf's face, "come on Moons you know the chocolate is just begging you to help us," he spoke in a deeper huskier voice there and gave a very suggestive wink, that made Moony laugh and internally gulp.
"Okay I guess I can help for a little while longer, only if you promise to behave that is, well that and you show proof of this newly freed chocolate soon." he tried looking at the other boy sternly, and failed miserably, his close proximity to Sirius was having a rather strong effect on him, and his breathing, he cursed inwardly it was getting more and more difficult to hide his growing attraction to the dog animagus, not to mention the wolf was howling at him for not jumping on Sirius Now. Now. Now. it really was awfully distracting.
"Moony," James looked awkwardly down at his hands and he stood up next to the werewolf, "can I have a word with you please, in private" Remus looked up at his friend curiously, James was never awkward, and he had never wanted to keep anything from the other two marauders before. This must be serious.
Sirius and Peter however looked indignant, "Hey, what you trying to pull Prongs?"
"Yeah why don't you want us to know?"
"You're not gunna try anything with my Moony are you?!" exclaimed Pads suddenly, "Because he's mine and just because Evans won't say yes does not mean you get to try with him! He's all innocent and I don't want you corrupting him with your sneaky and perverted stag-gy ways!"
James went pink, "No!" he exclaimed, "that's not it at all I just need to talk privately, and you'll laugh at me Siri so no, I'm not going to tell you!"
"You do realise that our friend there can't keep a secret to save his life?" Remus had a mini internal panic, did they know? Guess? Oh crap "And will just tell me, and Pete," he added as an afterthought, "later when I use my super awesome persuasion skills"
"Yeah well, I'd still rather just talk to him alone and let him tell you later when I'm not around for you to laugh at me, so there!"
"Five year old much Prongs?" Sirius smirked at James,
James ignored the last comments and looked beseechingly at his second best friend, "Please Remy, pretty please with extra chocolate sauce?"
Moony nodded his head, "Alright then how could I refuse such a request," he smiled "though lets go to the kitchen for this so I can actually have some chocolate already, I'm thinking ice cream to go with that sauce" Remus smiled at James, then he turned to look at the others with a stubborn look on his face, "okay we'll be back within the next hour and we will be taking the map so you won't be able to sneak up to listen so don't try, just keep studying kay?"
"But Moonyyyyy," Sirius started to whine, "That's no faaaiiirrr!"
"Oh no how in Merlin's name did we forget that our entire existence revolves around keeping things fair for the mangy mutt," The werewolf winked a large amber eye at his friend, that sent butterflies cascading down into Sirius' stomach where they proceeded to have a very loud and obnoxious party "besides if you have such super awesome skills it shouldn't be too hard for you hey Pads?"
"I don't know why I put up with this sometimes!" he grumbled lowly, trying to cover his reaction to his friend.
"Because you love me" James coughed shifting slightly looking uncomfortable, And Sirius felt the butterflies turn into something heavier and much more uncomfortable, if you only knew he thought sadly.
"Can we please go now Moons? Before I lose my nerve to talk about this." The other boy begged,
"Well okay" Moony looked at James with a look of concern now. "Are you okay Prongs? You look really worked up over this"
"Yes, but I want to get this over with as soon as possible," the bespectacled boy was now fidgeting badly.
"Alright then go grab the map while I pack up my stuff and we'll head down then" Remus ordered gently, "I think it's in my bedside drawer, it'll be near the front of the draw so be quick, then you can tell me what the heck is going on with you"
"You know what screw privacy, you're just going to tell him anyway" James exclaimed suddenly. "And I think I need to see both of your reactions to this if I want an honest answer"
"I wouldn't have said a thing if you asked me not to, you know that," Remus looked a little hurt, "I thought you trusted me, hey what do you mean the both of us? Which both off us? And what reactions?" he started to have a weird sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen.
"I do trust you but you'd tell him this! And I mean Sirius obviously" James looked like he was ready to flee, and Peter looked slightly affronted, "Ummm okay, and Wormy don't look like that you'll be glad you weren't included in this" all three boys sat up and looked at James, one attentively, and the other two with mild fear, he leaned in towards them, "Wormtail this isn't something you'll want to hear but I won't send you away because I won't leave you out, but if you want to run away now is the time." the chubbiest marauder looked confused but very clearly not moving, James sighed looking even more awkward than before "okay then, but don't say I didn't warn you," he sighed again twisted round eyeing the rest of the common room occupants with suspicion.
Remus' eyebrow rose up, "So are you actually going to get to the point there James?"
James went pink again, "Look if we're wrong then I don't want other people to hear me okay?" he took a large breath to try and calm down the nervous feeling roiling in his gut, "so me and Evans,"
And was interrupted "Evans and I, and honestly James you claim to love the girl at least call her Lily, you might start to get somewhere with her if you did," James glared and it was Moony's turn to flush.
"Any way Lily and I," he looked pointedly at his friend, "were talking, it was a wonderful conversation, she didn't hex me or anything," he caught himself just as he started to drift off topic, "Only then it went in a weird direction and I laughed about it then and I told her she was imagining things, but then I started thinking about it, and it is possible, I mean you always act differently around each other than to anyone else, even all those girls you've gone out with Siri and I know it's strange for me to even consider it but she made a strong case and now I'm seeing things that really are making me question you guys, and if she's right then dear Merlin's saggy underpants that woman is amazing and scary, but I thought about it and saw these disturbing things and if I didn't know you guys I would have said she was definitely right, but it's you two and you've always acted like this, ever since we found out about your furry issue Rem, you know Siri got all overprotective and stuff, I just want to know the truth! So then if it is true then I won't be caught out of the loop if it all comes out, also if it is true then you are both in so much trouble for keeping this from Wormy and me! We're your best friends so how you can keep this from us is awful! We tell you everything, and we trusted you with all our secrets so the fact you would deliberately hide this from us is against everything we as the marauders stand for! I won't stand for this and you will confess now!" he ended his tirade, panting slightly and arms crossed looking way beyond stubborn.
"Um, Prongs?" Remus asked, both Remus and Sirius were experiencing similar sinking feelings, both feeling dread set in, but Remus had to know for sure, after all it could be something really silly and nothing to do with romantic stuff at all, he wasn't holding his breath however.
"What Rem?"
"Are you actually going to tell us what were supposedly hiding from you? Or do we need to guess?"
"Yeah," Sirius put in, "what the bleeding hell have we supposedly done you speccy git?"
"Well you know," both Remus and Sirius responded with a supremely derisive look, "well Lily seemed to think, and it really does seem like it sometimes, but she seemed to think you two were like, you know together!"
"Huh?" Padfoot looked amused, though felt completely nauseous how could he have been so obvious about his feelings? He was a Black for crying out loud, "together? Like snogging, shagging, boyfriend like together?" he looked at the tawny haired marauder catching his eye before they both started laughing, and unknown to the other wishing with all they had that it was actually true.
"James what on earth made you believe her drivel?" Remus spluttered slightly hiding his embarrassment at the situation under his only slightly hysterical laughter.
"Well I didn't at first, but then after she said it I couldn't help notice that you two are, well closer to each other than the rest of us, not to mention there's all your jokes you have between you two that Pete and me never understand, and there's so many innuendos, then Pads gets all possessive of Moony, he called you his Moony just then! HIS! Come on." James was trying desperately to defend himself, surprisingly Wormtail decided to share his views on the matter just then, backing up their 'leader'.
"You know it's not actually that hard to believe, you two have always acted like a couple, Siri don't look at me like that think about it, you're always buying him things,"
"Yeah but almost always chocolate, you know he's always ill and it helps! Besides I have the most money here!"
Peter carried on as though no one had said a word, he was simply watching the others reactions, "Rem always has your breakfast dished out for you Pads including your coffee by the time you make it to the great hall"
"But Padfoot is useless in the morning, last time he made his own he put salt in his coffee, and made scrambled egg and kippers on croissant! It hurt me and my stomach!"
Again he carried on, "how about all the times you go looking for each other? I mean Pads broke off mid snog with Meredith Conway, who is amazingly hot by the way, and asked us where you were once Rem, that was when she slapped him and called him a pig you remember Prongs?"
"Ha yeah that was funny I don't think I've ever seen Padfoot look so shocked" James smirked as Pete had started building up the case for him. "You also touch more than is normal for just friends,"
"What?!" Moony started to splutter, "That's… I mean... It's not... Umm Pads help?"
Sirius gave Prongs and Wormtail an extremely dirty look, but it didn't stop them from continuing both looking surprisingly smug, it was as though they had just worked out the puzzle of the century.
"And now I actually think about it, you're always making eyes at each other when the others not looking! It's so obvious now that I think about it!" he paused in his speech, eyes widening comically, "Hang on so if you're not together does that mean that…" Prongs faltered,
"You fancy each other don't you?" it was Wormtail who finally finished, his voice surprisingly soft. Moony stood up, the colour was gone from his face, and walked out of the common room to their dorm room without looking at anyone.
Sirius stood up and glared at them, "You know what you two. Yeah you're fucking right. I do bloody well love Rem, but thank you for telling him before I got the chance, now you screwed everything up, I had a plan and was going to," he broke off, "but he wouldn't even look at me! If he hates me now I swear I will make your lives hell"
James gaped at his oldest friend, "Pads I was kind of taking the mick, I just wanted to prove Evans wrong, I didn't really mean for that, shit I'm sorry, why didn't you tell me?"
"Why do you think?" Sirius scoffed, "stay away from the room I'm going to go speak to him, so keep your noses out if you can manage that small task" and rushed off after Remus.
"James?" Wormtail asked his voice still soft,
"What is it Wormy?" James sighed, he felt like an arse,
"Did Sirius just say he loved Moony?"
"Well bugger me sideways, he did didn't he?" he looked over to the other boy his expression one of guilt, "have I just screwed this up for them?"
"Jamie, I honestly think you may have helped them." Peter smiled at the dark haired boy, and hoped that he was right.
Remus was lying on his bed face down in his pillow, he couldn't believe what had just happened, he had thought he was keeping his stupid crush under control, he had thought he was being subtle but after everything it came out anyway. He really shouldn't be surprised after all look how well he had kept his 'furry little problem' under wraps, he was an absolute failure at keeping secrets, and because of that he would lose his best friend, but he honestly couldn't help falling for the gorgeous idiot no matter how hard he had tried not to.
They had been so understanding about him being a werewolf, but him being gay and fancying his best friend? That was something they couldn't be as understanding about surely. He sniffed into his pillow trying not to cry, this could be it the last time he could call Siri his friend, it could be the last time he could call any of the marauders his friends, he felt the tears welling up behind his eyelids and his throat start to constrict when he heard the door creak open.
"Remy? Are you okay?" it was Sirius, he sounded wary as though he was approaching a dangerous monster, he choked on his own breath, funny that it would be this that made him seem less human to the other guys than his monthly affliction.
"Sorry, sorry," his voice muffled as he tried to bury himself further into his pillow, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to I swear, I just happened and I wouldn't act on it ever, please don't hate me." He hated the way his voice broke and how his body curled in on himself, but he couldn't stop it, he needed his friends, he needed his pack.
"Shit Rem, why are you sorry? It me who should be sorry," that caught Remus' attention,
"Huh? Why are you sorry you silly mutt? You didn't do anything other than be stupidly wonderful." He smelt Siri get closer, his scent was warm and spicy and wonderful, but still refused to look up at him, he couldn't stand to see pity, disgust or anything similar on the other boys face. He felt his bed dip down as the black haired buy sat down next to him.
He then looked up in shock as he felt Siri start to run his fingers through his hair, "Rem I didn't want you to find out like that and I wanted to tell you but I didn't know how, so I guess now is as good a time as ever even if you hate me for it," Moony couldn't quite keep the hope from shining through, he hoped he was understanding Sirius right, he prayed he was understanding Sirius right.
"What is it Pads?"
The dark haired boy looked down at his hands, "you see Moony, well the thing," then everything poured out in a rush of words, though they both heard it clearly, "I love you Moony I have for years and I only realised how much at the end of last year and I want you to be mine and stay with me forever he looked into Remus' eyes then, amber to grey, "I freaking love you Remy, and if you want me I'll be here for you for the rest of our lives, but if you don't please tell me already please." And then without warning, his lap was suddenly full of lithe, teenage werewolf, the other boy had quite simply launched himself at Sirius.
"Thank Merlin." Remus grinned up at him, snaked an arm around Sirius' neck, grabbed a handful of long black hair and slammed their mouths together with a bruising force.
The two boys had then proceeded to spend the next few hours making up for all the time they had kept themselves apart. They refused to let the other go out of arms reach and stayed cuddled together on Remus' bed, where they hadn't moved since Remus had tackled Sirius onto it, they had spent the best part of the day just talking, about nothing at all and everything all in one, and they both for the life of them couldn't get rid of the humongous smiles splitting both their faces.
"So Pads, I was thinking," the dark haired boy hummed for him to continue, Remus gestured between them "does this mean we're like, you know together now," he smiled as he repeated Prongs' earlier words only slightly mockingly.
"Well my dearest wolfy, if you refused me now I would have to turn to my families genetic insanity and give it free reign, so you really should be accept that from now on we are together, like snogging, shagging boyfriend like together." They both laughed at that for the second time.
It had long past curfew when they heard a tentative knock on the door to their room, and a shock of black hair poked its way around the doorway, "um, I don't suppose we can come to bed yet?" James asked, he was slightly nervous still and didn't want to do anything that could be construed as interfering or damaging, (which honestly went against the very nature of the mischievous boy).
Remus laughed "Course you can Prongs", just as Sirius said quite seriously,
"No, bugger off and sleep downstairs." James and Peter both came in past the door but stood awkwardly, James started rubbing the back of his neck trying to think of something to say other than stating the obvious, but Peter decided just to out with it.
"So are you guys actually together now?" the two boys on the bed grinned and answered as one,
"Yup"
"Cool, we thought you might but I just wanted to make sure in case I said something that would make it awkward."
"Don't worry Wormy, I promise if you make it awkward for us then I'll just make it even worse for you." Padfoot said grinning his eyes twinkling with a slightly malicious light, that pretty much begged Pete to please try make it awkward as I have plans that will upset you and very possibly make you go a funny green colour, Pete seemed to sense this and eyed Padfoot warily.
"Just so you guys know, we're both very happy for you because we thought since you both really… umm… like each other, so if your both happy then we're both happy for you, but." James trailed off awkwardly,
"Oh not this again," Sirius looked at James his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "what is it this time? What other revelation do you have for us?"
Remus eyed the messy haired boy slightly warily then, "oh dear what is it? Come on out with it! I'm not going through all that rubbish again!"
"It's just... well you see… hmmm… i…. look I know you guys really well so I know it won't be long before Pads gets all handsy and you start… well start doing stuff.. And could you please… what I mean is..."
Sirius caught the gist then and barked out a truly amused laugh, "What's that Prongsie I can't hear what you're saying over the uncomfortable stutter."
James glared at the laughing boy, then exclaimed "for the love of Merlin, please use silencing charms!"
Remus then proceeded to go an unusual pink and truly gave it his all to be swallowed by his mattress.