Author's Notes: So, uh… whoops. Where have I been lately? I guess Real Life has finally sunk its claws into me, and I'm finding less and less time and energy for writing fanfiction… but I will never give up! So here's a Sirius/Remus twoshot to apologize for my absence. I've been working on it on and off for months, and figured I'd finally just step it up and get it finished so that I could post the first half as a little birthday gift to myself today! I've been kind of stuck in a "bleh" place lately, and Harry Potter, and the Marauders especially, have been a big help to me, so I thought it would be nice to give back some of that love… and also just in case anyone was wondering if I was still alive or not, here is proof that I am. XD
The disclaimer! Contrary to popular belief, I am not J. K. Rowling. I know, I was surprised when I found out too. So gee, I guess I don't own the rights to anything! Bummer! Please don't sue me – I'm just having fun.
Pairing(s): Sirius/Remus! Slight side dish of James/Lily.
Summary: It's the summer holidays – the last one of their Hogwarts years – and they're going to make it count. Sirius is charming and brash, Remus has a hard time loosening up, James is eager and oblivious, Peter is awkward, and it all gets a little out of control... but in the end they all collectively agree that it's pretty much the best summer of their lives.
Warnings: Male/male relations, underage recreational activities (depending on your location/world's local laws, I suppose) including tittie bars and booze, swearing, reckless abandon… basically, it's about teenage boys being teenage boys.
Dedication: To my very closest of friends – you know who you are – for always standing by me through thick and through thin. That is what Marauders do.
Other stuff: The songs I listened to while creating this fic, in case you are interested, are "Take It Off" by Ke$ha, "Tonight I'm Fuckin' You" by Enrique Eglacias and "Summer '79" by The Ataris, and most recently during the final home stretch of writing/editing, "We Are Young" by Fun. Feat Janelle Monáe. I can't necessarily say I'm proud of the first two selections, but darnit I'm not ashamed either! They are catchy! … Shut up! If you read closely, you can catch their influential undertones.
.o.O.o.
Summer Nights
.o.O.o.
"Come on, it'll be fun!"
It was at least the fifth time Sirius had said it, in the same whining, irritating fashion. James, the lucky idiot bastard, had already picked his side – same as Sirius – and was therefore exempt from the insufferable badgering that Remus and Peter were finding themselves subjected to. Remus resisted the urge to roll his eyes for the umpteenth time, and replied as levelly as he could manage.
"Sirius, cut it out. Begging's not going to get you anything but backwards progress at this point. Although I'm not sure how much further backwards you can get, from here."
Sirius sighed dramatically. "I'm only begging because you two are being ridiculous! James thinks it's a smashing idea; you're just being stubborn." He stopped, and turned his attention to Peter, specifically. "Come on Pete! It'll be really cool."
"Hey!" Remus interrupted, frowning. "No fair, going for the weakest link. It's a stupid idea, and we're not at school – we would be potentially breaking laws, not just rules."
It was the summer holidays following their 6th year, and the Marauders had gathered together for a weekend at the Potter's, who were always glad to have James's friends over to visit. The only problem was, the older they got, the less there seemed to be for doing for fun at James's house. Long gone were the days that they could keep themselves occupied building forts under tables or in the attic out of boxes, and it had been some time since they had been able to enjoy the grassy lawns and playground structures of the local park with the same level of adventuring abandon they used to. As such, Sirius had taken it upon himself to do some local research on what kinds of age-appropriate entertainment there was to be found, and of course had come back with something not age-appropriate in the least.
"You, Remus, are a stick-in-the-mud." Sirius sniffed haughtily. "We are Marauders, and as such, we are not to be restrained by silly things like rules and laws. Come ooooon, Peter! You know you want to! There will be boobies!"
Peter choked on nothing and spluttered, obviously taken aback by Sirius's blunt approach. "I… well, I mean…"
"Stop peer pressuring him. You know it's not right, with how susceptible he is." Remus insisted, shifting his weight from one arm to the other, both of which he was leaning back on from his seated position on the floor. Sirius was sitting sprawled across "his" bed (having been to visit the Potter's regularly enough to stake claim in one of the guest rooms, while Remus and Peter got pull-out beds on James and Sirius's room's floors), with James by his side, and Peter was shifting awkwardly in the desk chair. They'd been arguing back and forth in these positions for quite some time, and Remus was starting to get sore from the hardwood floor.
"I will when you stop being a fun sucker!" Sirius retorted. "I don't see what the big deal is."
"The big deal is that it's a strip club! A Muggle strip club, Sirius! We'd be given away in no time, with how young we look, or how non-Muggle we act, and they'd throw us out. That's assuming we could even get in in the first place – we don't have any Muggle identification. They check those, at the door. And last but not least, it's tasteless. A titty bar, Sirius? Honestly!"
Sirius sat back and squared himself, obviously formulating his rebuttal. "Oh my dear Moony, how misinformed you are! For one, we are all perfectly capable of acting Muggle, and with all the action that's going to be going on, no one would notice if we weren't anyways. Secondly, I have already procured Muggle identification for us, thank you very much!"
Sirius reached into his pocket, drawing out small, laminated cards and flourishing them at Remus importantly with a smug look on his face. Reluctantly, Remus took them for a look, and found that they were indeed quite passable. He hadn't seen many Muggle identification cards, but these certainly looked authentic, wherever Sirius had gotten them from. They even had their pictures on them.
"And thirdly," Sirius continued. "It is not a titty bar, you uncultured swine! It is a strip club. Meaning that in addition to breasts and booze, there will be music and a dance floor, and you can go to the washrooms without fearing for your virtue or sanitation. Did I mention there will be boobies?" The last part was aimed slyly at Peter, who seemed to be warming up to the idea.
"Maybe… maybe we could just go check it out a bit." He hedged. "Just to see."
"That's a good man!" Sirius barked, scooter over into James, and patting the newly vacated seat next to him on the bed. Looking pleased, Peter hurried to take it.
"Just you left, mate." James pointed out, grinning. "As much as I'd love to see how long you can hold out against him, you know he's going to win over in the end. Maybe you should just quit while you're ahead, yeah?"
Remus glowered, realizing that James had a point. Once Sirius decided that he wanted something, he stopped at nothing to get it, and had a nearly flawless track record of success. As well, Remus was starting to feel rather outcast, still seated on the floor on his own, with everyone else comfortable on the bed. Maybe James was right.
"If we go…" Remus cautiously began. "We're not going to be stupid about it. One wrong move and we could end up getting rung up for breaking the Statute of Secrecy or something. If we're told to leave, we'll leave quietly, and I reserve all rights to cut you off from the drinks you're sure to be having when you've had enough."
Sirius narrowed his eyes, looking Remus over carefully and weighing what he had said. Then, breaking out into a grin, he stuck out a hand.
"You, sir, have a deal!" He said, grasping tightly to Remus's hand when he offered it, dragging the slighter boy onto the bed with them in a jumbled heap. Remus found himself pulled right on top of Sirius, having his back thumped enthusiastically as James whooped and Peter cheered.
And Remus, though he tried not to, couldn't help but smile.
.o.O.o.
"Where are we?"
It was Peter expressing the doubts, looking around suspiciously, as though there were eyes watching him from behind every trash can and down every dark alley.
"Almost there!" Sirius informed the group excitedly. "Just a little bit – oh! There it is!"
It was the next evening, and they had Apparated as close to the club as they were able, and taken a short trolley ride from there. The trolley let them out only a few blocks away from their destination, but it was apparent that they now found themselves in a seedier part of town. Neon signs flickered garishly, and nearly all of the establishments along the street were closed, with the exception of a few bars, and a 24 hour market. The "there" that Sirius was indicating was a little hole-in-the-wall highlighted by a glowing entrance with a queue formed outside it and a gruff looking bouncer. Remus rolled his eyes; they would never be able to get past security. Nonetheless, Sirius and James looked alive with excitement, and even Peter, through his nerves, looked morbidly curious.
Remus didn't see what the big deal was. They could sneak Firewhisky into their dorms any old day, and this club was sure to be too hot and too full of people and loud music. That did leave the "boobies" that Sirius kept going on about, but Remus didn't really see the appeal. Breasts were aesthetically pleasing enough, but the thrill was rather cheapened when he knew they would be presented by girls paid to be on show, covered in glitter and too-much makeup. But if this was what the others wanted, he would go along with it, and try to keep them out of as much trouble as he could.
"We're in line!" James whispered excitedly, pulling out his identification card and gripping it by the edges with both hands in childlike delight. "Forgive me, Lily, for the trespasses mine eyes are soon to make!"
Sirius laughed. "I'm sure she'll forgive you. Seeing as she still hasn't warmed up to your advances yet, and could care less about what you're doing and who you're doing it with." James scowled at him, but Peter couldn't hold back a chortle, and even Remus felt his lips twitch upwards. It was rather hopelessly pathetic, the way James kept chasing after the redheaded girl, and acted as though they were already an item and she just hadn't received the memo yet.
They waited their turn, and before long stepped to the front of the line, where the bouncer looked them over skeptically. "I.D.?" He asked.
One by one they handed the cards over, and surely they were going to be caught. No matter what the cards read, Remus was sure that it was dreadfully obvious that they were underage. From their over-eager expression to the way they had dressed for the occasion in crisp, fitted Muggle shirts and trousers, there was no way they convincingly looked the part. Preemptively smug at being right from the start, he handed his card over last, watching the bouncer eye it critically. Any moment now he was going to call them out and send them on their way with some parting taunts.
Remus was shocked, therefore, when the large man merely handed their cards back, unhooked the rope barring their way, and ushered them in with a detached "Alright, go on."
Sirius and James's eyes widened in surprised excitement, and Remus could tell it was all they could do to not rush the door in their haste to get inside. Peter, although looking intimidated, was also positively quivering in excitement.
"Alright, then." Remus muttered, following his friends.
The muffled bass that could be heard from outside suddenly became booming, and there were lights everywhere. It smelled of smoke and alcohol the sweat of many bodies packed into a confined area, and Remus looked around curiously. He had never been to a place like this before. It was… wild. The thrumming music seemed to commandeer his chest, and replace his heartbeat with its own wild pace. The lights were flashing and pulsing, making the scene seem more like a quick succession of photographs than a fluidly moving landscape, and there seemed to be flashes of glitter and bright feathers positively everywhere.
But the crowning eye-catchers and crowd-pleasers were definitely the girls. Raised platforms with poles were placed interminably through the dance floor and around the walls, upon which writhed scantily clad ladies. Remus's eyes widened to see that most of them, underneath the glitter and feathers, were wearing little more than skimpy, bedazzled panties. As they moved, their decorated bodies caught the light, and their full breasts swung heavily. Remus blushed. It was all so… in-your-face. Even with them on full display, he felt as though it was rude to look.
After a frozen moment of taking the surroundings in, looking much like they had the first time they entered Zonko's, Sirius and James were pushing to the crowd towards the bar. Peter was rooted to the spot in shock, and Remus shook his head, grabbing the blonde by the wrist and tugging him to the bar to join the others.
"Four shots of your finest Firewhiskey!" Remus heard James demanding as he pounded enthusiastically on the bar top. Sirius clapped him on the back in wild support, and Remus redoubled his efforts to get to them, tugging harder on Peter's wrist, as the blond seemed intent on taking his sweet time; caught up in the lights and half-naked girls.
"James!" Remus hissed, finally reaching the bar. "There's no such thing as Firewhisky, remember?"
"Oh." James replied, looking surprised. "Right! Well in that case… hey, where'd he go?"
"Don't worry about it." Sirius assured them. "All he heard was 'whiskey', and if he did catch the 'fire' bit, he's just going to come back with some sort of mix drink. Relax, Remus."
Despite his fears that this adventure was already headed for disaster, Remus did relax. Sirius was right. The bartender was already headed back their way with four shot glasses full of amber liquid. It was going to be fine. He must not have looked relaxed enough, though, because Sirius grabbed him and pulled him into a one-armed embrace.
"It's fine, Moony. We're just out for a night of fun. You really do worry too much."
"Maybe because with you three around, I'm never for lack of something to worry about." Remus replied, but relaxed into Sirius's hold on him all the same. Even though Sirius seemed to cause most of the trouble, he was also ironically the one to reassure Remus the most in times of need. Remus leaned in to Sirius's firm embrace, and took comfort in his familiar scent. He didn't know if it was because he was a werewolf, or just because he was for some reason awkwardly attuned to his closest friend's scent, but Remus could always smell Sirius. Tonight he had some of his musky, 'special occasion' cologne on, but underneath it was the familiar smell of Sirius's shampoo and laundry detergent and something that was uniquely Sirius himself.
Remus took a moment to ponder if most boys knew so much about how one of their closest friends smelled, and felt when being held, but before he could start defending his thoughts to himself (because the answer was a very definite 'no') the bartender was setting their drinks down in front of them.
"Cheers!" James said with a grin, raising his glass. The others followed suit – Sirius and James took theirs easily, but Remus grimaced a bit at the burn and sharp tang in his mouth. But he refrained from spluttering at least, unlike Peter.
"Another round?" Sirius triumphantly asked, slamming his empty shot glass down on the bar.
"Not too fast, or Remus is gonna cut us off before we can have any fun." James reminded him with a grin at Remus, who returned a wry smile.
Sirius rolled his eyes, but didn't remove his arm from around Remus. "Right, right, we'll wait a bit then, Mr. Party Pooper."
"You'll thank me later." Remus replied, elbowing him with a grin. "When you're dancing or looking at girls or whatever your evening's plans are, rather than being bent over a toilet throwing up. I know how little self-control you two have."
"Fair enough!" James laughed. And it was true – Remus had been in charge of herding them to the bathroom and leaving them to complain and hold each other's hair back or whatever they did in between yarfing on several occasions. Peter usually just passed out and suffered the hangover damages the next morning, but when Sirius and James got excited and competitive they were lucky to make it through the night in one piece.
"Speaking of!" Sirius said. "Why don't we go have a sampling of the dancing and girls? That's what we came for, right?"
"Right!" James enthusiastically agreed.
It wasn't easy getting through the crowds to an ideal place on the floor. It was a Saturday night, so they had to push their way through the mass of people, nearly losing track of each other several times. Remus, being of slighter frame, nearly got bumped completely off track, but was pulled back by Sirius clasping his hand. Not around the wrist, as Remus had with Peter earlier, but a palm-to-palm grasp, fingers entwined. It made Remus's stomach erupt into tingling, squirming nerves, which was stupid, because it was just Sirius.
They broke through the worst of the crowds until they were able to find an area open enough to breathe in, and right alongside one of the raised platforms, where two girls were circling a pole, and each other, sending heady glances all around. James wolf-whistled, and Peter look as though his eyes were going to bug out of his head, but Sirius simply grinned.
"Told you, Moony!" He shouted above the music, swaying with the beat. "Told you this was a good idea!"
It didn't take long for them to lose track of each other. James was only going to go 'just that way a bit', and Peter was just going to stay 'one more minute' at ogling one of the girls on a platform near the corner of the room, and when Sirius started to drag Remus back to the bar for another round to bring everyone, it was already too late. By the time they returned, James and Peter were nowhere to be found among the great mass of writing bodies.
"Ah well, we'll find them eventually!" Sirius commented, seemingly unbothered. He took one of the extra shots, offering the last to Remus, who accepted it only to keep Sirius from becoming too far gone too fast. "Hard keeping a group together in a place like this anyways! Wanna dance?"
For a moment, Remus was taken aback, thinking Sirius was asking him, specifically, but it was short lived, as Sirius indicated the floor and added:
"I mean, there are some pretty good-looking birds out there, and it shouldn't be too hard to charm the pants off them into some bumping and grinding, yeah?"
"Oh." Remus replied, not sure what to say and resorting to speaking without thinking. "Yeah, sure."
He was dragged out onto the dance floor, and, as predicted, it wasn't long before Sirius was able to "charm the pants off of" a girl. She was very pretty, with long lashes, blonde hair styled into attractive waves and curls around her face, and a tight fitting dress. And yet, watching Sirius slide up to her and pull her into a dance that left little room for mistaking the implication, Remus found himself disliking her. It seemed unfounded, but for some reason he just felt as though he would have been happier if Sirius had not found her.
"Hey."
Remus turned to the tap on his shoulder, more than the voice near his ear, to see a rather cute girl smiling at him. "Uh, hi?"
"Wanna dance?"
Remus was so taken aback he almost said no. But he looked at her again, and something about her straight dark hair that swept into her face in a styled, side-swept fringe, and her light eyes, and her lack of intimidatingly large breasts made him change his mind.
"Ah, sure." He replied, and let her drag him closer as she started to move against him.
It was weird. Hogwarts didn't really have school dances except on very special occasions, so Remus felt awkward as all hell next to this girl who obviously expected him to know what he was doing. Her arms were up at his shoulders, so he put his at her waist, marveling at how small it was. Being around his friends, all male, Remus didn't have much experience in touching girls, as he didn't make it common practice to feel them up in the hallways at random. He was used to hard, solid physical contact that was sure and deliberate, and this girl was all soft curves and fluid, gentle touching.
She moved closer, pressing right against him, and Remus tried not to panic. She smelled… too much. Too sweet; she was all perfume and lotion and lip gloss and whatever products she used to get her hair so shiny and straight. It was overwhelming, and he wondered if all girls smelled like that. He tried to imagine how Lily Evans smelled when she sat next to him when he studied with her in the library, and came up short.
This girl – he didn't even know her name – may not have had voluminous breasts, and was in fact rather lacking in that department, but it was still more than he was used to on a chest. He was used to hard and flat, and although the change should have been welcoming, he found them rather cumbersome. They got in the way, and as if sensing his thoughts, she moved even closer, smiling at him encouragingly. He felt her move to straddle his leg as the pulsating music drove their movements, and he suddenly, irrationally was overcome with a panic that she was going to be wet, and that was going to be gross and awkward and very unappealing. She wasn't, of course, but the absurd worry lingered all the same, to the point where he drew away slightly, and she looked up at him in confusion.
"Are you okay?"
She was actually very nice, Remus absently noted, and wondered if the girl who had captured Sirius's attention was equally so. It should have been enough to ease his worries, because Remus was usually very receptive to kindness, but the situation was just all wrong. Her hair was dark and fell in her face in a purposefully attractive and casually messy manner, and her eyes were light and framed by dark lashes, but after that it all started to become a bit dizzy. She had freckles dusted across her nose and upper cheeks. Her hair was right in the front, but too long in the back, and there was just too much of it that he worried he would accidentally snag it. She wasn't straddling him anymore, but her pert breasts were still so close, and so irrationally soft that it worried him to feel them for some reason, as though he might hurt her. She wasn't dressed up in an overly provocative way, but her shirt was just low cut enough to draw attention, and her tight pants were tucked into heeled boots, and it just seemed to look more uncomfortable than anything else to Remus.
"Hey, you alright?"
Remus realized that he still hadn't answered her, and was simply internally flailing and being completely non-responsive, which probably seemed very strange.
"I'm sorry." He said, feeling himself flush in embarrassment. "It's… it's not you, but… I just… I'm sorry."
"It's okay." She said, stepping back, looking embarrassed and hurt. She made to turn away, probably find someone else to dance with, but her expression made Remus grab her by her arm to stop her. She looked at him in confusion, and although he didn't know what to say, he felt compelled to assure her, somehow. He sensed that there weren't many genuinely nice girls in this club, and she seemed to be taking his rejection personally. Maybe she had been feeling just as alone and out of her element as he had.
"What?" She asked, looking on the verge of a pout.
"It really isn't you." Remus said. "You're very pretty, and sweet, and you're not dressed all… well, like the other girls in here."
"Like a slut?"
The corner of her mouth was pulled up in an amused sort of way, and Remus grinned sheepishly. "Uh, yeah."
She looked at him funny for a second before hesitantly responding. "Look, maybe I'm way off the mark here, but are you, um… you know, not really interested in girls? Just because, from what you're saying, and I saw you with that fit bloke earlier and… well, I guess it would just make me feel a little better about myself if that was the reason, and not something else."
Remus gaped. She was looking properly abashed for the assumption, but seemed a bit hopeful as well. "I…" He started, and faltered, before trying again. "That's not… I have to go. Sorry. Have a nice night."
But from the relieved look on her face, it seemed as though she felt she had gotten her answer.
"Damn it." Remus swore, pushing through the crowd and making his way towards the bar. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He had known this was a bad idea. Nothing specific, but it was a perfect storm of trouble just waiting to happen, and he had been right. Oh, no one was hurt or in any sort of trouble, but Remus found himself selfishly wishing that that could have been the case instead, because that he could deal with. This… this was unexpected, and troubling for entirely different reasons that Remus wasn't sure how to face.
"Hard cider, please." He asked of the bartender, when the man looked his way. Remus knew better than to get smashed, but for this self-confrontation he was going to need a bit of liquid courage. The two shots of whiskey were still running through his veins, but he wanted something actively contributing, and the physical bottle would be a stabilizing object to cling to.
Remus didn't allow himself to think until his cider had been delivered, and with the first cold sip of the brisk liquid he finally admitted to himself what had him so spooked, relishing the bite and aftertaste of his drink.
That girl was right. Remus hadn't distanced himself from her because she wasn't pretty or nice, but because she was a girl. That, Remus told himself with a frown, should have been incentive to keep her close, not push her away. He never had much close physical or emotional contact with girls, with the exception of Lily, who was just a casual classroom friend, and not really like most girls anyway. So why was he not thrilled at the turn of events that put him in a situation that many hot-blooded males would have killed for?
It didn't make any sense, he thought with a frown as he took another swig from his bottle. It should have excited him, not intimidated him. But it had done what it had nonetheless, so much so that the girl had noticed, and even gone so far as to suggest…
But maybe he wasn't interested in girls. He listened to Sirius, and James, and even Peter, talk about who they had their eye on, and what sort of conquests they had attempted. The stories were exciting and funny and made him feel so much a part of something, but if he really thought about it, it wasn't the girls that made the boasting and leering so much fun. It was hearing his friends talk and laugh about it amongst each other, just as a group of teenage boys who liked things that teenage boys were supposed to like. It felt familiar and comforting… and overall, very male.
That girl… Remus had only started panicking when he started to notice how she was different from what he was used to. The only reason he had said yes to a dance in the first place had been her dark hair and light eyes – she almost a dead ringer for Sirius's features. She had even implied that he was involved with Sirius in some way, because she had seen them together. Was it that obvious?
Head starting to ache, Remus stood, intending to find the bathroom and close himself off into white tile, and silence, and alone-time. It meant pushing through the throngs of drunken club-goers with a bottle in his hand, but Remus plowed ahead, regardless. He knew it should be near the back of the room somewhere, it was just a matter of –
"Remus!"
Stopping and looking around, feeling lost, Remus searched for who had called his name. It could only have been one of three people, of course, but it was hard to tell whose voice it was over the sound of the music, and he wasn't sure exactly what direction the shout had come from, or who to be looking for.
"There you are!" Remus heard, suddenly much closer, and directly to his left. It was Sirius. Of course it was. The very person he was suddenly struggling to come to terms with, what luck. "We've been looking all over for you!"
Remus frowned. "We? I thought you ran off with that…" He trailed off, not trusting himself to not use a rude word for her.
"That breasty blonde?" Sirius filled in with a grin. "Yeah she was fun for a bit, but that ran its course pretty quick. I know better than to sneak off for a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am with the types you find in places like this – no telling what sort of hand-me-down's you'll be getting. I'm all for cheap thrills, but not the kind that linger, you got me? And it's not like she was interesting enough to hang around with for fun. She's just some bird."
Remus found himself wanting to point out that they themselves were a 'type' in a 'place like this', but was too pleased to find Sirius rid of her so that they could go back to Marauder-ing to say anything.
Sirius's hand found Remus's free one, twining their fingers together, and pulled him towards the back of the club, where Remus had been heading in the first place. Remus clutched his bottle of cider close to his chest, and felt his heart flutter pleasantly when Sirius squeezed his hand, pulling them closer together to navigate through the thick crowd gathered near what looked to be a back entrance.
"Hey, didn't I see some girl snatch you up as well?" Sirius suddenly asked, as a belated afterthought. He looked back to catch Remus's eye, and Remus looked down embarrassedly, feeling his insides twist, and his head spin from the alcohol.
"Oh well… she was just some bird." He echoed.
"Too right!" Sirius grinned, pushing through a door.
It was dark out, and Remus's eyes took a moment to adjust to the change. There were a few dingy streetlamps in the corners of what appeared to be a walled-in back patio. James and Peter were leaning against the far wall, drinking deeply from their own bottles. James was holding two, and handed one to Sirius as he and Remus approached.
"So what's the game plan?" James asked brightly, obviously inebriated.
Sirius held up a finger, indicating them to wait for his reply as he took a long swig from his beer. "Well." He said when he'd finished. "I figured we all ought to re-group and see what we want to do from here, and share progress reports."
"I'm drunk!" James proudly announced.
"Yes, we did notice that." Sirius replied with a roll of his eyes. "That it? Haven't been romancing the ladies? Just hitting the bar?"
"Wouldn't be fair to Lily…" James mumbled, and Sirius looked like he was about to start in another one of his tirades of chastising James for keeping after Lily, but Remus intercepted, not wanting them to drunkenly argue with each other.
"What about you, Peter?"
"Oh." The blond said, looking and sounding surprised to be asked before his features broke into a mischievous expression. "Well… I touched some, you know. Some boobs."
Remus, Sirius, and James turned to Peter as one, astonished and disbelieving.
It was Remus who found his voice first. "I'm sorry, you what?"
Peter grinned, more confident now. "I touched a girl's boobs! They were right there, and I've never felt, you know, boobs before! So I did it!"
Silence and astonishment and confusion followed, but this time it was Sirius who found the words to say in response. "Hey Peter…" He said, voice lilting into the unmistakable sound of concealed amusement and faux innocence as a smirk twisted up his lips. "Where'd you get that shiner?"
Upon closer inspection, it appeared as though Peter did have a freshly blooming bruise on his high cheekbone, one that certainly hadn't been there when they had arrived earlier. Peter looked down as he wrung his hands, embarrassed now.
"Well I… I'd gotten pretty close to the stage at the far side of the room. And the girl… she was beautiful you guys, and they were just… she was leaning over, and smiling and winking and dancing, and I just… I reached out and I…"
He didn't need to finish. The others were fully capable of putting the pieces together for themselves, and had erupted into great, gasping peals of laughter. Remus clutched his arms around his heaving stomach as Sirius doubled over, hands on his knees and leaned against Remus for support. James fell over completely, taking a trash can down with him with a loud metal clatter.
"It's not that funny!" Peter shouted indignantly, frowning.
"No, no of course not." Sirius managed to get out between gasps for air. "Not funny at all that you tried to grab a strippers titties like a kid in a candy shop."
The laughter redoubled, and as Remus reached out to support himself with a hand on Sirius's back, he felt so alive, and so perfectly himself, that the previous awkwardness and discomfort of the evening washed away. This was where he belonged, and this was where he was accepted, so why should he worry about anything that some silly girl might think or say? Even if he could admit truth behind it. He didn't need heaving breasts and giggles and too-sweet perfumes to feel completely and utterly surrounded by all the companionship he would ever need.
"Ah Pete, this is why we keep you around." James sighed, pushing his hair out of his face and getting back to his feet. Peter didn't take kindly to the comment if the way he crossed his arms over his chest was any indication, but he knew better than to try and defend himself at that point.
"Alright, well." Sirius began, standing and throwing an arm around Remus's shoulders. "What do you say we go back inside, get another round of drinks, and have another go on the dance floor before they kick us out? One last strip club hurrah, Marauders style?"
"No more splitting up!" James demanded. "Not if we all want to get out of here in one piece, and someone's gotta keep an eye on Peter's sneaky grabby boobie fingers!"
"Hey!" Peter protested, but Sirius waved a hand at him dismissively.
"James is right. We came here for a night of Maraudering, and that can only be done in force. So everybody grab a buddy and let's get back into the party!"
It appeared as though Sirius had already picked Remus as his buddy, whatever that meant, and was grabbing his hand again, pulling him through the throngs of people in between them and the bar. Remus felt a slight tug of James taking hold of the back of his jumper, and thought of what a funny picture they must have made; four young boys linked up like a human train. It seemed childish, if he really thought about it, but since when had they given a care to what other people thought of their exploits?
They made it to the bar without losing each other, and Sirius heartily demanded another round of drinks. They cheered to the night, and to each other, and Remus was finally having an excellent time. They were young, and free, and the world was theirs.
"So!" Sirius said, after they'd downed their drinks, clapping his hands together. "Who's ready to take the floor by storm?"
Some of Remus's newfound confidence and exaltation faded. The prospect of being prodded back into the arms of another girl sounded like a repeat disaster, and his trepidation must have showed on his face, because Sirius's smile dropped into confusion.
"What's wrong?"
Remus smiled sheepishly. "Oh, just… I don't know if the dancing is really my thing…"
"Nonsense!" Sirius exclaimed, pounding the bar. "Moony, you will come and dance even if I have to drag your skinny ass out there myself by force."
Remus gave Sirius a fond but suffering look. "Sirius, really. It's fine…"
James took his cue to step up to the plate. "No more splitting up! We all agreed!"
"That's right!" Sirius said, looking triumphant. "So really, Mr. Moony, you have no choice."
"I really don't…"
"Yes you do!"
"Sirius, it's fine, I'll just…"
"No you won't, and that is that!" Sirius said with finality. "Remus, you are going to dance, and you are going to have fun, and I am personally going to make sure of it. Up you get!"
And Remus really had no choice after that, because Sirius was dragging him by the wrist onto the floor, James following with an excited whoop, tailed closely by Peter. Remus sincerely hoped that Sirius wasn't going to force him upon another unsuspecting random girl. He wasn't sure if he could take that sort of embarrassment again. But as it turned out he was in for embarrassment of an entirely different sort – Sirius suddenly turned to face Remus, grinning, before grabbing the smaller boy around the waist, hauling Remus flush up against him.
"S-Sirius, what are you doing?" Remus stuttered, pressing his hands to Sirius's chest defensively.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "This is called dancing." He said, purposefully pulling Remus closer so that the shorter boy had to raise his hands up to grab instead at Sirius's shoulders, to keep from being squished. "It's something that people do for fun when they go out and there's music!"
Blushing, Remus looked down at his feet in embarrassment. "I know what dancing is." He grumbled. Remus found himself pulled closer once again, and Sirius was smirking at him in a way that made Remus's heart flutter nervously.
"Oh you think you do, do you?" Sirius questioned, moving a hand to Remus's lower back, pressing firmly. "Well we'll see about that."
And see about it he did. Remus found himself pulled into a back-and-forth movement of bodies that was quite a bit more than he thought "dancing" strictly entailed. The speakers were already pumping a steady, pulsating beat through the club that Sirius was rhythmically syncing his movements with, but when the song changed to something with a much more seductive, heavy bass and quicker tempo, it was game over.
It was like suddenly Sirius knew about the conflicted thoughts that Remus had been trying to squash out all evening, and was having none of it. He pulled their bodies flush together, and pushed them apart, before bringing them colliding back together again, running his strong hands up and down Remus's sides, holding onto his waist on occasion. He was smirking, and obviously enjoying himself as their bodies bumped and slid against each other, and Remus was just as absolutely mortified as he was utterly turned on.
"Sirius, I –" he began, but was cut off.
"You're looking good, Remus, don't over-think it."
Remus couldn't tell if Sirius was specifically referring to the dancing, assuming that Remus was still nervous about only that, or if the words held a deeper meaning that implied what Sirius wanted Remus to go along with. It didn't help, a moment later, that Sirius slid a leg between Remus's, coaxing them into a slow grind. Remus gasped, absolutely sure that he was going to have a problem hiding his feelings on the matter in a minute or two if that kept up, but Sirius didn't seem bothered in the least.
"Do you even know what you're doing?" Remus asked over the music, both trying to extract Sirius's leg from between his, and unable to help pushing into it experimentally. He wondered how drunk Sirius really was, and how aware he could possibly be about the situation he had created, and was in fact furthering with each passing second.
Sirius smirked, moving one hand to grip Remus's hip and guide its motion, and slipping his other to the back of Remus's neck, threading through the hair at his nape. "Course I do." He replied, smooth as could be, as he leaned in closer to whisper in Remus's ear. "I'm seducing you. Is it working?"
Remus gaped, completely unable to tell if Sirius was joking or not, and couldn't have responded even if he had wanted or known how to. But this didn't seem to faze Sirius, who didn't appear to expect an answer, and carried on with grinding and sliding up against Remus. When Sirius's hand tightened in Remus's hair, and tugged lightly, Remus's mouth dropped open in a silent gasp, and he knew now for a fact that it was only a matter of time before Sirius noticed the condition Remus was sporting between his legs.
When Sirius dropped his sweat-soaked forehead to Remus's, leaving their faces mere inches apart, Remus wondered how this had happened, and how it was that it was beyond a doubt the most erotic experience of his life. All of his nighttime fumblings beneath the hem of his pajama bottoms, and the secret viewings of Muggle porn that Sirius had gotten a hold of and screened at James's house while his parents were away didn't hold a candle to this hot and sweaty mess. Remus's fingers interlaced behind Sirius's neck, and deciding to throw caution to the wind he tilted his head up just a fraction, bringing their faces even closer. So close that one more nudge and their lips would be touching…
"You guys!" came a voice, startling Remus out of his fog. He blinked rapidly, spied Peter pushing towards them, and hastily pulled away from Sirius. What had he been thinking? They were at a Muggle strip club, for god's sake, right in the middle of public, and he still had no idea if Sirius was joking or not, but judging by the wobble and dazed expression on Sirius's face as they broke apart, it seemed very likely that this was all just a drunken misunderstanding. And Remus had almost… he had nearly…
"Peter?" Sirius slurred. "What are you yelling about? We were in the middle of –"
"But it's James!" Peter desperately wailed, looking distraught.
Instantly Sirius was alert, and Remus could practically see the ghost spirit of his Animagus dog's ears perking attentively.
"Where is he?" Remus asked quickly, concerned as well.
Peter turned and led them across the room, coming up to the bar, where Remus could see a gathered crowd hanging a wide berth around the close end of it.
"Oh no…" Remus said to himself, bracing for what he thought they were going to find.
James was slumped halfway over a bench, dry heaving with gusto, and there was already a splatter of sick beneath him. He looked up, briefly, and spotted them, pushing his glasses back up his face, and attempted a cheery "hey guys!" but was cut off halfway through, as he was sick all over the floor.
"This guy with you?" the bartender asked, looking not at all pleased.
"That's my best mate!" Sirius happily announced, coming up beside James and patting him bracingly on the back. James coughed pathetically.
"Well I'd appreciate it if you'd get him out of my bar." The bartender told him with a growl to the edge of his voice. "Him being sick all over the place isn't doing anything for business."
"We're so sorry." Remus cut in. "We were just about to leave anyways. Here, I'll settle the tab and we'll get him out of here."
Sirius and Peter dragged James out of the club while Remus paid the tab with the Muggle money they'd converted earlier that day – making sure to include a generous gratuity for the trouble. With a final apology, he pushed his way to the door, caught off guard by the cold night air, which came as a bit of a shock after the stuffy hear of the club.
Spotting his friends, Remus made his way over to where they were; James slouched over in a slumping seated position on the curb, leaning into Sirius as Peter stood and attempted to hail a taxi.
"Feeling better?" Remus asked, as James groggily rubbed his eye.
"Th' air helps." He replied, and Sirius chuckled even as he had a hard time maintaining his drunken balance with James's added weight.
"If only Lily could see you now…" he said, in mock-longing.
James attempted a glare as best he could, still looking pale. "You… you hold your tongue about Lily."
Remus anticipated a drunken brawl, but thankfully it was at that moment that Peter called out "Got one!", and a taxi pulled to the curb.
The ride home was jumbled and crowded, but they got in eventually, trying to stay as quiet as they could so as to not wake Mr. and Mrs. Potter even with James and Sirius giggling and fumbling with the latch, and Peter clumsily bumping into things in the dark hall. Remus was still feeling lightly buzzed as well, if his coordination and light-headedness was anything to go by, so after helping James to the bathroom and bed, he gratefully stripped out of his sweaty, smoky clothes collapsed and into his own mattress.
"G'night all." He heard Sirius mumbled from his position face-first in his own pillow on his bed. Peter managed a return grunt, and Remus mumbled something incoherent as well. He worried briefly that he would have trouble falling asleep with all that had taken place over the course of the night troubling his overactive brain, but before he could even begin dwelling on the mishaps and unsettling new revelations, he was fast asleep.
.o.O.o.
The next morning came and went without a stir from the four boys sprawled about in various beds in the Potter household, and it was after noon, nearing half past one, that they slowly began to awaken from their slumber. One by one they fought for the bathroom, until eventually they all just shared, using the toilet and showering and brushing teeth co-habitatingly.
"Hey." James called from the shower, poking his wet head out. "Someone pass me a towel."
"Get it yourself, lazy." Sirius retorted, through a mouthful of toothpaste.
"I'm naked in here!" James squawked, indignantly. "Just hand me one, you buggering arsehole!"
"Colourful use of language." Remus complimented, as he dragged a comb through his hair.
"As if we're going to be ogling your scrawny ass." Sirius added.
James huffed in an offended sort of way, and settled for stretching his arm out and announcing: "First person to hand me a towel gets next shower."
Instantly there was chaos, as Sirius, Remus, and Peter attempted to locate a towel. In rare polite form, they had unanimously agreed that it was only right for James to get the first shower, seeing as it was his house, but it was now a battle for second.
"Got one!" Peter yelled, holding his fist up triumphantly. But Sirius was already sprinting to the shower, bonking into the fogged glass paneling in his haste to present James with a towel.
"Your Majesty." He said with an elaborately low, sweeping bow, as he held out the fluffy white fabric.
"Why thank you, lowly peasant." James returned with a smile, before grabbing it up and fluffing his hair. Wrapping it around his waist, he exited, and Sirius shucked his pants in a hurry, eager for the warm water. Remus caught a glimpse of his bare rear, and had to turn his face away, willing himself not to blush like a stupid girl.
"Ahhh… that's better." Sirius sighed contentedly, as the hiss of the shower rushed on once more.
"I'm going down to breakfast." Peter grumbled. "Sirius's showers take forever."
It was true, and Peter waddled off down the stairs, followed shortly by James.
"Here." Remus said after he squeezed a glob of toothpaste on his toothbrush, placing a towel on the hanging rack across from the shower. "So you don't get stranded without a towel like James." He knew that if push came to shove, Sirius would have no hang-ups about exiting the shower nude, and rummaging around for one on his own, and Remus wanted to spare himself the embarrassment of being unable to help peeking on Sirius's naked body again.
"Thanks, Moony!" Sirius replied, his voice sounding a bit muffled and echoing from behind the frosted glass paneling. "You always were my favourite."
Remus rolled his eyes, because he knew Sirius was just saying that, but couldn't help a pleased blush from dusting his cheeks all the same. "Flattery will get you nowhere." He quipped around his toothbrush.
"Or everywhere, depending." Sirius replied. Remus could see his vague outline through the shower, and he rushed with his toothbrushing, trying to get it done quickly so he could leave and stop thinking weird thoughts. But Sirius made that impossible by continuing with "So how did you like last night? Fun, eh? Got the hangover of the century to prove it."
Oh. So they were going to talk about it, then? Remus still wasn't sure how much Sirius was intending last night's events to be taken in seriousness, and how much of it was in jest, or how much he even remembered for that matter, so he decided to proceed with caution.
"Well we're all still alive and in one piece." He replied casually. "And I suppose it was a bit of fun to go out. How about you?"
"Oh, 'a bit of fun' my arse! It was bloody fantastic, as far as my memory serves!" Sirius laughed, and Remus's stomach tightened nervously before Sirius continued. "However, my memory only serves so well, thanks to all those drinks… I have a few missing patches, but that's a sure sign of a good time, right Moony?"
Remus let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. So Sirius didn't remember it all, then. Wondering why that made him feel torn between released and disappointed, Remus managed a quick "I suppose so" before scurrying out of the bathroom and down to a hearty Potter breakfast. He made a very valiant effort at distracting himself with his eggs and marmalade-smattered toast, but when Sirius finally joined them at the table – hair ruffled and slightly damp, a fresh grin plastered on his handsome face – Remus knew that he was fighting a losing battle.
It was looking like it was going to be a very long, confusing summer holiday.
.o.O.o.