Authors Notes: Been wanting to write a Remus fic for a bit now so here it is! I always see him as the Marauder whose more of a closed book and is harder to read and therefore verrrry interesting. Reviews are very much loved and wanted so please do!
Remus sat alone at his desk absorbed in the torrent of thoughts that hounded his mind. Running his quill back and forth along the desk he slowly scored a deep scar across the surface. First class of the day and he was disturbingly early, something almost unknown to any of the Marauders, but Lupin found at the moment he seemed to have a lot on his mind and found sanity in the regular rhythm of his class timetable.
Slowly the empty seats around him began to fill as students reluctantly joined him with text books, quills and parchments. As ever the Marauders sloped in last and as they slid into the desks around him he let their usual banter wash over him.
"Seriously though Padfoot, how the hell did you manage to get Silvia Glade?" hissed Peter as he leant across Remus to interrogate Sirus.
James who had been staring idly into space and ruffling his already rumpled black hair sat up in shock and stared at Sirus incredulously. "That's who you were with last night? But she's…"
"Smart, witty, intelligent and not to mention one of the most gorgeous looking Ravenclaw?" finished Peter.
"Well Yeah"
Sirus grinned nonchalantly and leant back lazily on his chair. "I think it should be you asking HER how she managed to get ME"
The Marauders rolled their eyes in exasperation at this and suddenly from behind a rolled piece of parchement hit Sirus roughly around the head.
"Ow!" he yelped rubbing his head and craning round to see the abuser.
Remus by now intrigued twisted round to see Lily brandishing the offending parchment. "Tell me Black is it hard to stay upright with a head that big?"
Sirus grinned winningly at the red head and leant back further towards her "Now, now Lily there is no need to degrade yourself to low insults" he replied running his fingers through his long, slightly dishevelled raven black hair "It's sometimes difficult to go through life with this devilish charm and my roguish good looks. " he sighed in fake despair "Please tell me Lily what can I do to stop women throwing themselves at me?"
At these words Remus, James and Peter looked at each other and with a slight nod from James they simultaneously reached forward and pushed Sirius lightly. Already leaning precautiously backwards this final push caused Sirius to fall backwards flailing and hit the floor with a crash.
The look of shock and hurt on his face as he lay sprawled on the floor caused the class around him to erupt in laughter. Remus couldn't help smiling widely at his close friend as he made no attempt to get up or move in any way. Watching the scene in front of him he couldn't help but muse. No matter how stupid or embarrassing a situation was somehow Sirius always managed to look good, it was almost as if his large ego ensured he was never the laughed at but was laughed with.
Behind he caught sight of Lily and Skye collapsed on the desk giggling helplessly as Siruis made a show of bowing to the class as he stood up. Lily's emerald green eyes sparkled with laughter and her red coils of hair shone in the sunlight streaming through the window, but Remus only had eyes for Skye. He watched as she tried to compose herself her delicate lips curved into a smile as she retied her light blonde hair back into a perfectly messy knot that allowed strands to fall, framing her face.
As the Professor walked in and began the lesson Remus relucatantly forced himself to turn round and returned to absentmindedly scoring the scar in the desk deeper and deeper.
"So Moony who you thinking of taking to this winter ball type thing Lily's decided the commitee should organise this year?" asked James as he reached across for a second bread roll at Lunch. Remus sighed heavily and fiddled with his goblet of Pumpkin Juice knowing full well what he'd like to say but couldn't.
"Erm not really thought about it" he lied suddenly becoming very absorbed in choosing a piece of cheese.
James put down the bread roll and frowned as he watched his friend carefully. "Lupin no one sighs like you just did and then says they haven't thought about it. Is there something I should know? he raised an eyebrow in mock interrogation mode.
Remus swallowed hard and attempted to look unconcerned "No…" he said searching for a believable excuse "the sigh was because I haven't thought about it and you've just reminded me I've got to!" he smiled pleased with his quick thinking and concentrated on trying to move the subject away from him. "You?" Immediatly he mentally kicked himself, after thinking such an effective lie why the hell did he have to follow it up with that?
As expected James looked incredulous and then frowned harder "Now I know there's something up with you, otherwise you wouldn't have asked a pointless question like that! I'm going with Lily of course"
As if on cue Lily slipped into the space next to James and slapped him lightly on the hand "Oh are you now?" she teased raising an eyebrow "You haven't asked me yet..What if I say no?"
"Ohh so it's like that is it?"
"Yes it is"
"You actually want me to ask you officially?"
Lily smiled "You didn't just assume I was going with you?"
James shrugged carelessly and a glint came into his dark eyes "Ok then" Standing up he grabbed both of Lily's hands in his.
"Lily Evans" he began loudly, immediatly around him intrigued students swung around in their direction in interest.
Lily face began to glow as red as the tendrils of hair that hung loosely around her.
"For Merlin's sake James sit down and stop making a spectacle of yourself" she pleaded "I was joking!"
But James just grinned at her shook his head and continued louder than ever "Please would you do me the great honour..(By now two thirds of the Great Hall were craning to watch) of accompanying me to the Winter ball dance type thing?"
This earned him a ringing of laughter and a few groups of girls to look with great envy at Lily as the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team awaited her answer.
Lily put her head in her hands in embarrassment and gave a muffled reply "If I say Yes will you sit down and shut up?"
"Is that a Yes?"
Despite her embarrassment Lily couldn't help but laugh as James stared at her with a forlorn puppy look. "Ok, ok Yes!" she replied and stood up kissing him lightly on the cheek.
The Gryffindors burst into applause and someone wolf whistled loudly. Shaking her head Lily grabbed James's hand and dragged him back down. Frowning she tried to push of James's attempts at affection but when she turned Remus could see the look in her eye told a different story.
He smiled out of relief realising he'd just narrowely skipped interrogation off James thanks to Lily.
"How abooouuttt her?"
"Cady? Nope she's taken already"
Sirus was lounging on one of the large armchairs by the fire in the Gryffindor common room casually scanning the room. Idily leant against the armchair sat James and Peter following his line of gaze. Beside them at a low table Lupin was knelt working away
"Hey, any of you guys know what's important about Jupiter being in the third house this week?" Remus asked frowning at a complicated planet chart in front of him. Tatters of parchment with long calculations scrawled across them littered the floor around him and text books wobbled precautiously in large piles.
James gave him an absurd look "Your seriously asking us? I mean you know for a fact I make divination up as I go along…in fact I think its almost Hogwarts tradition over half the class make it up"
Remus looked up tiredly and pushed his long dark blonde hair away from his eyes. "Yeah your right maybe I should admit defeat"
Sirius grinned excitedly "That's the spirit Moony! Come on you can help us!"
Remus gave him a look of total non amusement. "Yes, yes I'd love to join in your game of 'lets pick any random girl that isn't taken that Remus can take to the ball" he said the sarcasm high in his voice.
"Oh come on Moony it's not like that! Almost every damn girl in the school would say yes to you!" James exclaimed "Cept' for maybe the Slytherins" chipped in Peter. James shot him a look and continued "It's just you'll probably not get round to picking a girl and it's keeping Padfoot highly entertained!"
"Heyy is this just to keep me quiet then?" said Sirius
"Well partly.."
Sirius attempted to look hurt, got bored and went back to the game. "How abooouut her?"
Remus shook his head in exsaperation and gathered his books together, catching sight of Lily in the opposite corner of the Common Room he made his escape.
"Help me" he yelped as he collasped beside her in a tired heap.
Lily looked up from her book and glanced over at the Marauders who were now fighting over whether Sirius had been out with some random Gryffindor girl once or twice. "Dare I ask what your escaping from?"
"They're trying to pick someone suitable for me to ask to the Ball" he mumbled fiddling with the hem on his robes
"And your letting them?" asked Lily shaking her head in disbelief.
"Welll not exactly...it's not as if I'll listen to their advice and any way James is right it IS keeping Sirius entertained for once"
Lily sighed tiredly and leant her head on Remus's shoulder, "Isn't there anyone you'd like to take anyway?"
"Well yes.."he admitted his eyes downcast, fearing that if he looked Lily in the eye somehow she would reveal his secret "but it's complicated, especially as she's taken"
"Hmm I'm guessing that would pose a problem, ok I've got some good advice then are you ready?"
Remus smiled slightly "Well if your advice is anything like the advice I'v been given by that lot in past (inclining his head in the direction of the Marauders) then no!"
"Trust me, Ok here it is and I think its pretty simple, why don't you just take someone you get on well with and will have a good time with even just a friend?"
Remus turned to look at Lily "You know Lils I think that might be the best advice I've been given in a long time" he smiled pulling himself up "Thanks"
Lily watched as the quiet Marauder left the common room and shook her head, for all the years she'd known him she felt she'd barely scratched the surface to the man beneath.
Notes: More indepth in the next chapter I swear! I felt this first chapter was definatly just sorting out the base storyline and everything. Please review now you've read!