The Last Prank of The Season
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
To Becca Eddy, a rather late gift.
It was one of those lazy summer afternoons, the kind where you don't want to do anything. Where the sun's at just the right angle, the temperature's neither too hot nor too cold and there are no gnats and mosquitoes slinking around ready to pounce on bare skin. It was Midsummer Day and the whole of Gryffindor house had decided to go outside to celebrate. The grass was a checkerboard of rugs as everyone sat with their friends talking; the House Elves had been kind enough to provide food for them all so not a single one of them had attended the feast in the Great Hall at dinnertime.
The Marauders had a whole rug to themselves underneath one of the trees which offered them some seclusion and the chance to watch the antics of their housemates unobserved. James sat playing Exploding Snap with Peter, his attention more on Lily Evans, who was talking to some friends, than it was on the game. Peter was busy eating and seeing how many opportunities for snap James would miss. Remus sat with his back against the tree and his legs stretched out in front of him eating strawberries from the bowl next to him, whilst Sirius, to whom Remus would occasionally feed a strawberry, lay with his head on Remus' thighs looking up at the canopy. "Stop mooning over Evans, Prongs," Sirius teased. "You're loosing to Wormtail."
"Snap!" Peter said grinning, as James turned to scowl over his glasses at Sirius who ignored him. "Are you guys planning a prank?" Peter enquired starting a new game.
"What?" Sirius asked sitting up. Peter found himself the centre of the whole groups' attention.
"It's only that… well, the Common Room has been left unattended and I only thought that, maybe, since everyone is busy it might be a perfect opportunity." James looked at Sirius and grinned.
"You know Pads, he does have a point."
"Very true Prongs, we should do something. It wouldn't be right if we didn't."
"The only question is what. Do you have any ideas?"
"Well we could… No! We've already done that…"
"Maybe you should surprise everyone and not do anything," Remus put in. "Surely it would cause more chaos, especially if we disappeared for a while, if people kept trying to discover a prank that wasn't there."
"You know Moony, that isn't a half bad idea," Sirius said looking at James. "It'd drive everyone barmy, especially if we kept dropping hints."
"And we couldn't possibly get in trouble because we hadn't done anything." Remus muttered softly, although from the widening of Sirius' grin it was obvious that he had caught it.
"I don't know," James hedged looking uncertain.
"Aw come on Prongs, don't tell us Evans has made you go soft!" Sirius teased. "Besides, if we use Moony's idea we can do two pranks at once. We can go and ambush the Slytherins on the other side of the lake and at the same time we can pretend we've done something in the Tower. It's brilliant." James sighed.
"I suppose it could work," he said grinning. He stood up, "I'll just go and get some old parchment of mine so we can plan. Come on Peter, I'll need you to keep an eye out for me." He winked at Sirius as Peter scrambled hurriedly to his feet, then turned and headed back towards Hogwarts with Peter trailing after him like a lost puppy.
Sirius turned back to face Remus once James and Peter were out of sight, his grey eyes gleaming with laughter. "That was brilliant, Moony," he said. "Prongs and I would have missed that."
"Yes, Padfoot, you do rather have a knack for missing the obvious," Remus returned his tone heavy with irony. He had discovered in the middle of a prank in their fifth year that his feelings for Sirius rather went beyond the platonic, but in two years he'd never said anything although James had guessed.
He reached into the bowl and grabbed a strawberry then held it out to Sirius who, holding his gaze moved forward and closed his mouth over the strawberry his lips grazing lightly over Remus' fingers. Under Sirius' smouldering gaze, Remus found himself blushing and unable to look away. Slowly Sirius moved forward, as if even then he wasn't sure whether or not he would be pushed away, and brushed his lips gently over Remus' lips, all the time searching his eyes. Whatever he was looking for he saw there; he moved forward with more confidence and pressed his lips harder against Remus in a searing kiss. Remus' eyes closed as he kissed Sirius back, slowing and deepening the kiss. His hands moved up into Sirius' hair, pulling him closer, as Sirius wrapped his arms around his neck.
Eventually they broke apart, both breathing heavily. Sirius' hair rivalled James' in its wildness and he looked thoroughly snogged with his lips swollen from kissing. The air was thick with tension, as if what happened next would define the future of their relationship. Sirius grinned at him lazily and Remus felt himself relax and return the grin. "You know, I've wanted to do that for ages," Sirius remarked. Remus felt his grin widen, then he began to chuckle and then to laugh. Sirius looked at him perplexed for a moment, then his lip twitched and he joined in the laughter.
Once he had control of himself Remus settled back against the tree, Sirius moved so that he was resting against Remus with his head on this shoulder. They sat like that enjoying the silence and the closeness of each others company. "Not been causing too much trouble I hope, Padfoot," James called interrupting the silence, carrying a piece of old parchment with Peter following dutifully behind. "He hasn't, has he, Moony?" Remus glanced at Sirius and his lips twitched, but he managed to keep his face straight.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that Prongs. You know Padfoot." Sirius hit Remus in the ribs using his elbow smiling. James looked between his friends frowning as he noticed there was something subtly different between them, but he couldn't tell what. Putting the problem aside for another day he drew out his wand and placed it on the parchment and whispered; "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."