HPFC Writer's Tournament.

Prompts: Setting Two - The Three Broomsticks, Prompt Two - Confused

Thanks to Rayne for her help with this :D

Remus Lupin clutched the Valentines card in his hand as he left the castle.

His heart was pounding hard and he couldn't resist opening the card and reading it again.

Remus,

'I fully expected you, the Gryffindor, to make the first move, but I know how shy you can be. In lieu of Valentine's Day, I've decided to put my feelings out there."

I know you've noticed the way I look at you. I see you looking at me the same way.

I'll be waiting in the three broomsticks at your usual table.

Signed,

You know who I am.'

He took a deep breath and folded the card, putting it back into his pocket and walked towards Hogsmeade. He had definitely noticed the looks Sirius had been giving him, though he thought he was imagining them. He knew that Sirius had caught him looking on more than one occasion too.

It was just like Sirius to do something like this - to write in a card that he was interested in him and arrange a surprise date.

...oOo...

Severus Snape smoothed down his robes before leaving the castle. He had taken a huge risk in sending that card to Lupin... Remus, but Remus had smiled when he opened it. That was a good sign. Hopefully this would be the first of many outings.

He had always been fond of the quiet Marauder and even if Remus Lupin didn't always stop his friend's from being arrogant Gryffindors... well, he was always so kind and polite. He was smart too. Severus knew he would be able to have intelligent conversations with him.

...oOo...

Sirius Black looked around the Quidditch pitch. This was the perfect place to set up the picnic. It was sunny, and it was private as he had made a deal with all the students. This would do perfectly.

He sent a Patronus up to James, asking him to send Remus to the Quidditch pitch.

As he waited, he began unpacking the food that he had gotten from the kitchens and he left Remus' Valentines day present in the basket, ready to surprise him with the gift-card to Honeydukes and the box of chocolates.

He lay back on the blanket and watched the door nervously. It was only a few minutes before James came rushing out to him.

"Remus just left. He's going on a date, mate. He said something about a card and meeting a certain someone in the Three Broomsticks."

Sirius threw the food back into the basket and the blanket on top of it.

"Well, we're going to go there and get him," Sirius growled, starting towards the gates, James by his side.

There was a rule at the school. You do not make a move on anyone the Marauders have set their sights on. Clearly someone had forgotten the rule, or thought themselves above rules and Sirius and James was going to remind whoever it was that Remus was Sirius'.

After Sirius had removed Remus from the three broomsticks of course.

It's not like Sirius had been that secret in his feelings to Remus, it was just that Remus was quite oblivious.

...oOo...

Remus sat down at the table, his heart pounding in his chest and his eyes on the door. He pushed away thoughts that it could be someone other than Sirius who had sent the letter, and waited impatiently for the other boy to turn up.

He hadn't even gotten Sirius a present, though there was a card that he had chickened out of sending hidden under his pillow. He could give the card to Sirius after the amazing date they were about to have.

His eyes drifted down to the table as he allowed himself to imagine how the date would go. He didn't notice someone slip into the chair in front of him. It was only when that person cleared their throat, did he look up at them.

"Severus?"

Severus gave a small smile.

"Remus... you look surprised to see me."

"Yes, I mean no. Uhh. What are you doing here?" Remus asked, extremely confused.

"The card," Snape replied. "You came here so you were accepting my invitation."

"Your invitation," Remus whispered, pulling the card from his pocket. "This is from you?"

Severus frowned. It wasn't going as he expected.

"Oi, Snape. What do you think you're doing," came a shout from behind them. They looked up to see Sirius storming over, and the basket was put on the table between them as the card was snatched up.

Remus pulled the card from Sirius' hands, returning it to his pocket and Sirius' gaze narrowed.

"I planned this really romantic picnic. I promised every student a prank free week if they stayed away from the Quidditch pitch, Slytherins included. But you chose him over me." He pointed at Snape. "How could you betray us, he's a Slytherin."

Remus stared at him, completely baffled.

"You know what, you both enjoy the picnic, I'm out of here," he said, turning and storming from the Three Broomsticks.

Remus looked torn at what to do. His gaze darted from the basket to Severus to James and to the door where Sirius had walked through.

"You might want to go after him," James suggested. "You know Sirius is stubborn. Deal with this now or it'll take weeks for him to come around and forget."

"James, keep Severus company and be nice to him," Remus ordered. James could hear the 'or else' in Remus' voice and took the seat as Remus grabbed the basket. He knew Remus was concerned about leaving Snape there alone, and if this was the only way to get Remus to go after Sirius and for the pair to admit their feelings for each other... well, friends sometimes did things they hated to help each other.

"I'm really sorry Severus - it's Sirius, you know?" Remus added, before rushing out.

The two wizards stared at each other in silence.

"You really sent Remus a card?" James asked and Snape slowly nodded.

"Where have you been? Those two act like a married couple," James said. "The whole school know it's only a matter of time before they get together. Today was supposed to be that day."

"But they weren't together," Snape replied. "Not yet."

"And you thought you had a chance with Remus," James said, snickering.

"I believe you sent a card to Lily and she set it on fire," Snape replied, smirking as he remembered the sight at the breakfast table.

"Yeah, I really need to learn a fireproof charm," James sighed.

"Oh, James and Sev... this is... are you both..." came a female voice. The pair looked up to see Lily standing next to their table.

"It's actually really sweet. It all makes sense now. no wonder you couldn't leave each other alone," she said, turning away. The pair caught the words "Sexual tension" being muttered as she returned to her friends.

"And that's my good deed for the day," James said, jumping up from the table and rushing out before anyone else got the wrong idea.

...oOo...

"Sirius, you forgot your basket," Remus said, catching up to Sirius at the gates of the school.

"Keep it," Sirius replied, not looking at Remus.

"I thought the date in the Three Broomsticks was with you," Remus blurted out. "The card wasn't signed. It said 'I see the way you look at me', and the only person I look at is you, so I thought it was you."

Sirius stopped walking.

"So you didn't choose Snape over me?" he asked, turning around.

"No, I'd choose you over anyone," Remus admitted, his heart pounding again. He held the basket tightly silently praying to anyone that was listening that Sirius would give him a chance.

Sirius took the basket and began walking again.

"Sirius?"

"Are you coming for our romantic picnic or not?" Sirius snapped, still slightly angry. Remus who quickly followed.

...oOo...

The pair lay on the ground staring up at the sky as it began to get dark. They had been out for hours, not wanting the date to end.

Sirius hadn't sulked for too long when Remus explained what had happened in more detail. He was relieved that Remus thought it was from him and Remus had been right about the suprise date... though Sirius' was a much better one. Picnics and cuddling under the stars was better than the Three Broomsticks.

On that thought, he pulled Remus closer and the continued to gaze up at the sky.

Remus felt bad for Snape. He could only imagine how hard it must have been to put his heart on the line like that, only to find that Remus didn't return his feelings.

But for Remus, it had always been Sirius and that wasn't going to ever change.

Review please :)