The room was dead quiet, every person sat as still as statues looking eyes fixed to the front. No one dared move, much less breath. Peter looked strained trying to suppress a sneeze, his eyes bulging, cheeks flaming red, and hands gripped tightly to the edge of the desk. He couldn't hold it in any longer, he sneezed, flinging spittle all over the table in front of him. Groans could be heard throughout all the classroom as the teacher stirred from his sleep.
"Nice going Peter," Sirius grumbled as he wiped the spit from his blank paper.
"Cover your mouth," Remus added as he daintily picked up his slick paper half covered with notes with two fingers. They both grimaced.
"Sorry," Peter mumbled.
"We almost made it the entire class, we ALMOST got no homework," Sirius growled as the teacher groggily looked up and around at his surroundings.
"Sorry class!" the History of Magic teacher, Professor Binns, hollered. Everyone turned to him, five minutes and class would've been over and they wouldn't have been assigned the project, no one looked at Peter.
"Alright, I suppose I should give you the project now, yes just partner with whoever you want and come over to me, I'll give you the assignment."
Remus had to suppress a groan, he always got stuck with Peter who didn't do any of the work or just did all his share poorly. Sirius was also not happy with James being his partner because he took control of the project and gave all the work to Sirius. Sirius glared at James to his left and then looked over to Remus, who was frowning. Remus turned and saw Sirius, he understood the pain.
"Do you want to be partners?" he mouthed behind Peter. Sirius nodded enthusiastically and they quickly got up. James and Peter spluttered.
"Where are you two going?" James asked haughtily.
"We always work together Remus," Peter reminded them as if it just slipped their minds.
"Not this time Peter, I'm tired of doing all the work," Remus said and walked to the front of the class, Sirius at his heels. Peter and James glared at their backs, getting up as well.
"James always takes control of the project and then doesn't actually do anything," Sirius whispered.
"You think that's bad Peter won't do anything unless I force him and even then it's low quality," Remus griped back.
"I'm tired of being called the slacker, those two do nothing."
"You're hardly any better."
"I'll show you."
"Good."
They both smiled at each other.
"Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black do you want your assignment or are you going to stand there smiling at each other all day," Binns interrupted.
"Right, we're going to be partners," Remus informed him. Binns nodded and handed them a paper. They pretended to be busy looking at the paper as they walked by James and Peter.
Sitting together at the table they actually looked over the assignment.
"Just lots of research and a long essay it seems," Remus murmured. He looked fixedly at the peice of paper, scanning of the contents and biting his lip.
"Hmm," Sirius hummed.
"Some friends you are," James grumbled taking his seat, this time with Peter to his right instead of Sirius.
"You'll be good for each other," Remus promised, smiling.
"You both are bossy anyway," Peter mumbled.
"Excuse me for wanting to get the work done AND a good grade," Remus snapped.
James rolled his eyes, "Guess we knew they'd catch on eventually and we'd have to actually do some work."
The bell rang dismissing class and the four got up, forgetting their slight spat.
RL/SB
"Then I said, 'No your a bastard' and hexed him!" James finished proudly.
"That is the single greatest comeback I have ever heard James, really a riveting story," Remus said sarcastically, his eyes staying steadfastly fixed to the map.
"No respect," James huffed.
They waited in the silence of the dark hall under the invisibility cloak for five more minutes before Peter and Sirius sprinted out of Filch's office. Quickly Remus pulled the cloak off his and James' heads and let the others in.
"Got it?" James asked, excited.
With gleaming eyes Sirius held up a key ring with hundreds of assorted, exotic looking keys. The two smiled wickedly at each other.
"That's lovely, now Filch is coming, it's time to go," Remus interrupted, breaking their shared dorky smiles.
"We can't move that fast with the four of us under here how about two go with the map and two go with the cloak?" James offered.
Giving a long withering sigh Remus shrugged the cloak off.
"Someone get out here, we don't have time for this," Remus warned. Sirius appeared in the next moment.
No words needed to be spoken as they sped walked down the hall towards a short cut to the Gryffindor common room.
"Let's go this way," Sirius offered and dragged Remus along with him to another side hallway.
"Where are we going?" Remus blustered, the halls zipping by to fast for him to identify the route.
"A different, more risky way," Sirius told him excitedly. Remus tried pulling Sirius the other way but the boy had his wrist in a death grip. They ran through the corridors, Sirius dragging Remus behind him on the path only he knew. Remus chanced a glance at the map and felt the adrenaline kick in.
"Filch, coming up to our right," he cautioned in Sirius' ear. Sirius immediately made the new adjustments to his plan and made a sharp left. He screeched to a stop in front of a portrait, making a harsh noise, and searched for something, probably an exit.
"He's coming right towards us," Remus said. Sirius sent a fleeting glance down the corridor and then grabbed Remus' wrist again. He dragged the werewolf along another corridor and around another turn.
"Right behind us," Remus breathed, by then he was totally amped up by adrenaline.
Sirius looked back and smiled, he took off into a full run. They heard Filch yelling behind them but weren't close enough to make out the exact words. Portraits, doors, corridors, whipped by them as they ran. Remus felt his heart beating in his chest, it was exciting. Sirius had to contain a gleeful laugh.
Finally Sirius halted again and lifted the flap of a portrait, which had a secret passage behind it. Remus sent a glance behind his shoulder right before he ducked in. When he saw Filch round the corner he was out of sight in a second. They ran a little ways down the passage but stopped close to the other opening to catch their breath. Once they were out they would be no more than a stones throw from the Gryffindor tower. The adrenaline started to wear off, their heart beats slowed and breathing became more regulated.
"We could've been caught," Remus said disapprovingly then he smiled, "We could've been caught."
Their chuckles bounced off the stone walls of the small corridor. They both leaned on either side of the passage looking right at each other. It was completely dark, the kind of dark your eyes never get used to. Remus lit his wand and looked at the map again.
"Peter and James are in the common room, perhaps we should go," Remus suggested.
"That was fun, wasn't it?" Sirius sighed, completely ignoring Remus' earlier statement.
"Yes, but also dangerous. One of these days you're going to get caught," Remus reprimanded.
"Puh-lease, I've gotten caught plenty of times, it's still fun."
"It's also going to get you in serious trouble one day, I just don't want you to get hurt."
Remus lifted his wand to illuminate both their faces in the dark corridor, he forced unwavering eye contact.
"Well, you'll just always have to stick around, to keep me in check."
"I plan to," Remus smiled. Without another word they headed to the common room.
RL/SB
Their corner of the library was dark, the moon was the only source of light and it silhouetted both their figures. Remus sat on the edge of the table looking up at Sirius, who stood practically between his legs. There was no movement, no sound, as they looked into each other's eyes. Remus tilted his head up a little more and Sirius moved his face down a tad. Their lips were so close it would take no effort to close the distance. They remained like that for a minute, saying nothing, yet many things. They were both paralyzed in this moment, in the silence, in the tension. Remus let out a breath, it felt soft against Sirius' lips, his heart beat faster. They were so close, there was no one watching, if he just...
Concrete. Why was he on the floor? Darkness. Wasn't he just with Remus? It was a dream, a very vivid dream, Sirius realized as he regained cognitive awareness. He fell out of bed and woke up, dreams always end before they get good he sighed. It didn't make sense anyway, why wouldn't there be any lights on, why were they there so late. Sirius groaned and sat up, the room was still, no wait Peter just snored.
"Sirius?" a voice called.
"Mmf."
Remus crept over to Sirius' side of the bed and looked down on him with pity.
"Did you fall out of bed?" he laughed.
Sirius scowled, "Yes."
"Must've been some dream, are you OK?"
"Fine." Sirius stood up so he was eye level with Remus. "Just fine."
"Good, I'm off back to bed then, unless you change your mind," Remus teased. He backed away, fixing him with a smirk that Sirius would have to label flirtatious.
"Now that you mention it, my bed is quite cold, you should probably help me warm it up," Sirius suggested coyly.
Remus tilted his head and looking at Sirius sympathetically, "Careful Black, one of these days I might just accept."
Remus swept off leaving Sirius with his thoughts, specifically I wouldn't mind if you accepted. He climbed back in bed but sleep did not befall him easily.
RL/SB
Peter and James begged to tag along to their first project work session but both adamantly declined. The two would probably just distract and steal all their work. Remus and Sirius set off to the library before dinner, without their two friends. Actually, Remus had just walked in the common room, no explanation, and dragged a very confused Sirius out the portrait hole. Sirius righted himself, taking his wrist away from Remus' grip and smoothing out his clothes.
"I think they're going to fail," Remus mused as they walked. He had a faint smile and was twisting a piece of hair with one finger.
"They might," Sirius responded, swaggering down the corridor like it was his runway.
"You have a swagger," Remus pointed out. He smiled fondly and twisted his hair some more.
"Do I? I never noticed." Sirius smirked and walked faster, ahead of Remus, his hips swaying even more with his exaggerated swagger.
"Now you just look ridiculous."
Sirius tilted his head back and let out a bark of laughter as Remus made long strides to catch up.
"Did you smoke recently?" Sirius guessed. Remus looked coyly down at his shoes, but when he looked up he had a dreamy smile.
"Maaaaybe," he sang followed by a round of giggles.
Now it was Sirius' turn to smile fondly, Remus always got more bubbly when he was high. Also ten times more creative and focused so this session would go great.
"Can we get some food first?" Remus inquired, tugging on Sirius' sleeve in the direction of the kitchens.
"Sure little Moonykins we can skip dinner and just eat it now."
Remus beamed and grabbed Sirius' hand. He swung their conjoined hands back and forth as they walked quickly down the halls. They ignored any and all strange looked they received.
"I think you should make your motorbike fly," Remus said suddenly. He sounded wistful when he said it, looking up at the ceiling.
"For you Remus, I'd fly to distant galaxies," Sirius said equally as dreamily. He cringed at the cheesiness, he always said stupid stuff around Remus. At least Remus was a bit inebriated and wouldn't laugh at the turn of phrase.
Remus did not laugh but smile contentedly and leaned his weight on to Sirius.
"I'd miss you," it was soft, barely above a whisper but it meant a lot to Sirius. It meant a clench of the chest, a quickening heart rate, and a swirl in is gut. That was the first time Sirius realized he may be in love with Remus and the first time he had hope Remus may be in love with him.
RL/SB
Dinner would be starting in thirty minutes and they just finished their meals. Remus ate twice as much as usual, which was just a little above a Sirius' average meal size.
"You don't eat enough," Sirius complained on their way back to the library.
"Thanks for your concern James," Remus said airily, Sirius wasn't sure if he was joking or if he actually thought he was walking with James. Sirius shook his head and smiled fondly, he thought Remus was a dork.
"I'm not James," he reminded Remus.
"I know that! Your Sirius, with raven black hair, piercing grey eyes, and," Remus abruptly stopped and turned to Sirius, "Cheekbones as sharp as knives," he concluded dramatically.
"Is that how you describe me in your head?"
Sirius liked the description, it made him feel like a rock star or a mysterious biker. Remus had a way with words, high or not.
"Only when you wear eyeliner."
Sirius smiled, he may have to wear eyeliner on a more permanent basis.
As they walked into the library a group of girls was exiting. Sirius gave them a charming smile and all three giggled. He swaggered away, knowing the girls were watching. Remus found a fairly secluded table and set his messenger bag down in one of the chairs.
"Do you think they'd be disappointed to know you're gay?" Remus asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"They'd find me twice as untouchable and three times as attractive," Sirius said confidently.
Remus looked at him with challenge in his eyes, "Then why don't you tell anyone?"
Sirius fidgeted. Remus leaned closer. Sirius looked desperately for a distraction. Remus sustained eye contact. Sirius twitched. Remus used his 'intense eyes', the ones where it looks like there's gold in them somewhere, the ones where it looks like he's staring into your soul. Sirius felt uncomfortable.
"We should probably do some work," Sirius managed, his voice inclining every syllable. The truth was that below all the vibrato he was insecure, he was worried what everyone would think of him if he came out and Remus knew that. Remus was possibly the only one who saw the truth, that Sirius Black worried about what others thought of him.
Remus scowled but said nothing else as he started pulling out papers. The scowl was soon gone when he took a look at Sirius' notes from History of Magic.
"These are terrible," Remus giggled, "Look that one you just wrote animals names all over the page."
"That class is boring!" Sirius defended. He snatched the notes from Remus' hands and looked over them, why didn't he have any recollection of making these notes?
"I think you wrote poetry on this one out I can't read what it says, your handwriting's too messy."
Sirius' eyes widened, he remembered that. He remembered the sun streaming in the classroom window glittering in Remus' hair, making it look golden. He remembered liking that color. He remembered thinking how elegant Remus' fingers were, so long and lithe. He remembered looking over Peter's sleeping form to glimpse the scars on Remus' otherwise smooth cheeks. He remembered realizing Remus was very attractive, that he found Remus attractive. He remembered wanting to capture that beauty so he wrote terrible poetry, that he forgot to burn.
Sirius again snatched the paper from his hands. Remus looked up in shock, he looked so innocent, like a kicked puppy, Sirius felt bad.
"Sorry," Remus mumbled and went back to his own notes.
"It's just terrible, I wrote it because I was bored," Sirius insisted, he wanted to quell any of Remus' doubts.
"What's it about?"
Remus asked the question offhandedly but something about he way his eyes stayed vigilantly to the paper made Sirius think otherwise.
"Just something I love."
Sirius forced down a smile at the sentence. He loved Remus, he totally loved Remus. He had said it out loud too, sort of. He felt like a weight had been lifted, no maybes, he loved Remus.
They worked through dinner, as expected. A good half of the project was completed and they still had an entire week to finish the rest of the essay.
"I don't really want to go back to the others yet," Sirius said, he really just wanted more time with Remus, "Let's just walk around a bit."
Remus smiled, his high had worn off so this smile was genuine. It reached his eyes, making him look younger than usual. Remus was stressed about doing well in school, about being a werewolf, and it showed in his weary face. Sirius treasured these moments where Remus practically glowed.
Collecting all their papers neatly and putting them in his messenger bag, Remus consented to the idea.
"Do you want me to carry your bag?" Sirius offered as they headed out the library.
"No, I've got it. Do you want to walk around the lake?" Remus suggested, already heading in that direction.
"Alright!" Sirius chirped and bounded ahead of Remus. He turned and smiled back at Remus. Despite valiant efforts Remus couldn't walk as fast as Sirius with his bag weighing him down.
Remus rolled his eyes and Sirius waited patiently for him.
They were almost out of the castle when James and Peter came dashing towards them.
"Hey!" James hollered, "You missed dinner."
"Remus had the munchies, we just ate before and worked through dinner," Sirius explained.
"Where were you headed off to?"
"Walk around the lake," Sirius told them begrudgingly, it was supposed to just be him and Remus. He knew what the next question would be before they asked.
"Mind if we join?" James asked.
Remus and Sirius sent hesitant glances at each other and started fumbling for reasons to say no.
"Ummm," Remus began, he looked at Sirius for help.
"We were just going to walk together..."
James and Peter looked between each other.
"So?" James prompted.
"Just us..." Remus finished lamely.
"I see when we're not wanted," James huffed. He and Peter looked slightly offended, they marched off without another word.
"Drama queens, like we can't spend time together," Sirius griped when they were gone.
"They got sensitive when we partnered up too," Remus added.
They walked in silence, contemplating this until the brisk air outside hit them.
"Autumn is my favorite season," Remus confided. He looked up at the deep blue sky, the sun was almost set, and breathed in the clear air. Sirius did the same. Leaves crunched and cracked beneath their feet, some danced nimbly down from tall branches, and some remained on trees to provide them with gold, red, and orange cloaks. First Sirius felt tranquility, then regret as he shuddered in the cold without a coat.
Smiling sympathetically Remus pulled off his pair of soft, woolen gloves. "Here."
Sirius wanted to refuse, but the breeze cut into his bones, he took them.
"I don't have a favorite season," Sirius said pulling on the gloves, which were warmed already by Remus' hands.
"It's not a requirement," Remus assured him. He rubbed his hands together without thinking.
"Now you're cold!" Sirius exclaimed, he made to take his gloves off but Remus stopped him.
"I have a coat, you don't, it's only fair."
Scowling Sirius grabbed one of Remus' hands and sandwiched it between his two gloved ones. He rubbed furiously until it felt like Remus' hand was warm and Remus was smiling at him like he was an idiot, an idiot he loved. Sirius froze, they had stopped walking some time ago. Slowly, as to not scare Remus, he interlocked their fingers and dropped his other hand. Remus did not break eye contact as he lowered their hands to their sides.
"So it doesn't get cold later," Sirius breathed, why did it feel like electricity was shooting through his hand?
"Of course," Remus breathed back and then they were walking again. Discretely they held hands, walking so close their robes covered up their conjoined hands.
Sirius watched Remus out of the corner of his eye, Remus who's hair was getting windswept and cheeks flushed. Remus who's hand he was holding, for warmth he reminded himself, but then again, didn't Remus have pockets? Couldn't he have just used them for warmth?
They walked, hand in hand, pretending it meant nothing for two friends to share warmth by using such and intimate gesture. The longer they walked the closer they became until they were pressed right into each other, side to side. Sirius' heart stuttered as he realized their proximity, he felt dizzy.
Somehow in Sirius' dreamlike state they managed to get back to the castle. Holding Remus' hand had become so natural he forgot to let go, as did Remus. They walked through the halls, unthawing a little bit, comfortably touching each other just slightly. It was only when Remus nearly ran into a wall and Sirius stopped him did they realize their mistake. With no lack of awkwardness they both let go and walked back to the common room as if opposite magnetic poles.
"There you two traitors are," James scowled as they arrived back into the dormitory.
Remus was completely unconcerned with James' feelings so he disregarded the comment completely. Sirius decided to change the subject. He went over to his trunk and searched for a few minutes, finally he righted himself with a proud smile.
"So, who wants to go put snakes in Slughorn's office?" he sang holding up the key ring and jiggling it. Any hostility immediately forgotten James and Peter jumped up with matching excited smiles.
