A/N: Isn't it wild that I've been part of this fandom for technically ten years and I've never written a thing for it? I'd like to thank my friend for getting me to reread the entire series, and for getting me obsessed with the marauders, bc the first time I read the series, I didn't care much for them. But now here I am. Enjoy!

Gryffindor Common Room
C. 1977
10:38 PM

Sirius had a problem. Usually, having problems was not a problem when one was the uniquely charming, devilishly handsome Sirius Orion Black who'd managed to ace seven years worth of courses without so much as opening a textbook, but this wasn't an issue that could be resolved through flattery or convincing his admittedly more studious mates to do his homework for him. No; rather, this was one of the sticky, emotional conflicts- the kind that involved feelings- he tried his best to avoid.

Sirius Orion Black, better known as Padfoot to his friends and a disapproving Mr. Black to Hogwarts staff, was in love.

Well, maybe love was too strong a word. Love was the word James used when he pined over Lily Evans for nothing short of long six years, and Sirius would be damned before he'd ever stoop to those levels of sappiness. Unfortunately for him, his best mate and his girl claimed he'd hit that bottom of that abyss at some point in their fifth year.

"Why don't you just tell him how you feel?" Lily had asked one fateful morning after James had probably snitched. "It would save you both a lot of time."

"Tell him how I feel?" Sirius had looked at her as if she'd come from the moon. "Are you mad?"

"Well, no? That's how most people do it."

He'd only kept staring wide-eyed at her till she finally gave in with a sigh. "Fine. Forgive me for forgetting that the great Sirius Black is not most people. Let me help."

His mind flashed back to the six years he'd spent helping James try to win her over. He shook his head. "If it's anything like the excruciating lengths Prongs and I went to in order to have you finally give him the time of day, I'm good, thanks."

"Do you really think that lowly of me?" The redhead had then rolled her eyes. "C'mon, let me work my magic. I promise it'll be worth it."

The Gryffindor common room was empty save for the Marauders and a plus one named Lily. That was the perk of being friends with both the Head Boy and Head Girl- no one was snapping at them to mind the curfew. Sirius found himself seated in an armchair directly across from Lily and James, who were being disgusting on one of the couches, and next to Remus, who probably didn't want to be bothered because he was, surprise, reading in that favorite rocking chair of his. Peter had taken to the plump ottoman next to the fireplace. Everyone was in their positions. The plan was ready to be executed.

"You two sicken me." Sirius sniffed disdainfully at Lily and James. "There's rooms upstairs, if you'd do us all a favor by getting one."

"Oh, Pads, you prude." James scoffed good-naturedly as he settled his arm across Lily's shoulders. "It was just cuddling. Not like you've done worse, right?"

Peter stifled a snicker. Using his peripherals, Sirius carefully glanced over at Remus. He was still focused on his book- or, if he knows him as well as he knows he does, trying- but there was a small smirk on his lips, giving every indication that he was listening. Proceed as planned.

"I'll have you know I am pure." He turned his nose up at James. "My innocence was ruined the moment I caught you two snogging on that very couch one night. And you thought I wouldn't notice."

"Right." Lily flipped her long hair, hitting James in the face with it. The poor bloke looked like he hadn't even noticed; in fact, he looked like he didn't mind. "So all that talk in the girl's dormitories is just talk?"

Of course it was. Well, some of it. Sirius liked to think he'd grown out of his so-called womanizing ways, but he supposed girls liked holding on to ill-conceived flings from two years ago. They weren't exactly secret, anyways. Blacks typically didn't air their proverbial dirty laundry for the world to see, but as a rule of thumb, Blacks also didn't run away from home and get themselves blasted off the family tapestry, so. It was all part of the plan.

"What was the name of that blonde Ravenclaw?" Peter asked all-too-innocently. "Or was she a brunette?"

Again, Sirius stole a glance at Remus. He held the next page of his book carefully between his finger and his thumb as if he were about to flip to the next. A contemplative gesture, Sirius knew. It was the thing he did when deciding between setting his reading down and engaging in social interactions like a person, or continue poring over the long, headache-inducing volume of the week. Admittedly and embarrassingly, Sirius allotted a… Considerable amount of time to studying his friend's hands. They were large and pale, with long, almost elegant fingers meant for turning yellowing pages of ancient books or playing some classical instrument like the piano. He shook the thought out of his head with a shake of his head; Remus didn't play the piano. He only looked up when Lily cleared her throat.

"Alright, Wormy." Sirius regained his composure. "Go on, then. Tell us about your exploits if you're so eager to talk about mine."

Wormtail shrugged and recounted the story of a some blonde Hufflepuff. If this were just mates being mates, Sirius supposed he'd be happy for his friend for scoring, but this was work. As it'd been in years past, when there was still time and energy to prank, these kinds of things were meticulously planned and could afford no sort of distraction. Remus had finally set his book down. He stretched in his seat and the positively studious sweater he was wearing rode up to expose a creamy strip of skin between the wool of the sweater and the band of his trousers. If Sirius hadn't any dignity left, he'd blush as red as Lily's hair for thinking the thoughts he'd just thought.

"What about you, Moony?" James' voice jarred Sirius back to whatever plane of reality he'd previously been on. "You've been awfully quiet. Care to share any encounters of the close kind?"

Remus shrugged. "I'm content listening to Wormtail's Hufflepuff stories."

"Liar." Peter said. Remus grinned.

"I don't for a second believe you haven't anything to brag about." Sirius prompted, kind of wishing it were true. Hopefully he bought into that subtle compliment of his attractiveness. Hopefully. "Go on."

"He wouldn't, of course." Lily scoffed jokingly. "Because Remus doesn't objectify women like that, he's quite a gentleman. Right, Remus?"

"If you say so." He smiled at Lily, but then did the typical Remus Thing where he stiffened up immediately as if struck by some dark thought. He'd done that so much, too much, in fact, during their first couple of years at Hogwarts. "Also because, what if my hypothetical hook-up finds out I'm an extremely dangerous dark creature?"

Once, that sort of comment had been the cause of awkward silences where no one really knew what to say. In this particular situation, however, it was the cause of contingency plans.

"Well, then she'd be a right cow." James said with a note of finality, as if daring Remus to find a way to counter him. "You're a handsome lad, Moons. This hypothetical bird would be missing out."

"Thanks, Prongs."

"If I had to date one of us, it'd probably be you, mate." Peter offered. Sirius tossed him a dirty look. "I mean, if I had to."

"That means a lot, Pete."

"Yeah, me too." James added with a sly glance at Sirius that clearly said: go, now's your shot.

"Really." A hint of a grin had returned to Remus' lips. "I'm flattered, lads." He looked at Sirius with a bit of a glint in his honey-colored eyes. "And you, Padfoot?"

Oh, fuck. He knew, didn't he? Of course he knew- he was Remus, for Merlin's sake. He'd been a prefect, he read for fun. On one hand, it'd make this a hell of a lot easier. Conversely, it might just be his own hopes and expectations projecting themselves onto reality.

"I guess." He said so smoothly that he impressed himself. "What's there not to like?"

"You tell me."

Before he could start on the things he did like- the many, many things- Lily spoke up. "Though I think these blokes were validation enough, every girl in Gryffindor has had a crush on you at one point or another."

"Me included."

In very rash, very impetuous, very typical Sirius Orion Black fashion, Sirius had managed to do exactly as Lily advised in the first place: tell Remus how he feels. Before he could feel too proud of himself, though, he realized that while he may have aced the test, it was worthless because it was an annulled assignment; the fact that Lily said girls made his own comment so incredibly stupid and tactless, so unbecoming of his usual cool charm. Merlin, is this what it was like to be so in love with someone? That their very presence robs you of all your God-given talent? He was fucked.

"What?" He glared at his friends, trying to regain whatever shred of decorum he'd possessed prior to that outburst. Think fast, Black. "I said Lee. Do you lot not know her?"

"I guess you could send her my way, then." Remus said sarcastically after much too long. He got up from his seat and again stretched his long limbs. This time, Sirius wasn't treated to a stretch of skin. "I'm going up to bed. Good night."

"Good night." He echoed softly.

"Pads." Peter started wearily once Remus was out of earshot. "There isn't anyone in our House named Lee. Or in our year. Or probably in the school."

"I know that." He nearly snapped. "I just… Messed up, alright?"

"We can still work with it." Lily shook her head. "Just… Trust me, alright?"

If it was important to her, it was important to James, which automatically meant it was important to Sirius. "Alright."

A/N: Leave thoughts, please!