Harry Potter: Random Years

Author's Note: Harry Potter and the rest is to J.K. Rowling.

Those who'd read the earlier version of "Random Years" would notice that I have merged some chapters to make the story flow more smoothly. Sorry about that. The fact is, I wasn't really going to write more after that scene with Sirius not going home for the holidays. But life is a very surprising thing, and I got stuck with this idea about a bet that I really needed to write about. The tone was quite similar to the original first two chapters that I decided to pin it on that.

I've also added one more scene to Chapter 2 (Chapter 4 in that old version). It's in the last part, so you don't have to re-read the whole thing.

Thanks to the kind reviewers! Yoroshiku!

Chapter One

It was a winter morning, a week before Christmas, when Remus Lupin woke up and realized he was in love with Sirius Black.

He spent five minutes looking at the tattered hangings of his four-poster bed with a slight frown, hugging his pillow close and thinking on it. Yes, he decided, finally. He did love Sirius Black. A surprising thing, really. He often saw the haughty boy more as a pain in the neck than a possible love interest, considering the number of times he actually had to step in and stop Sirius from extremely brilliant, unfortunately equally forbidden, mischief making. Not that he listened very much to what Remus had been saying about maturity, being more occupied with looking out of the window in that bored way of his. Of course, that did hurt Remus more than he wanted to admit, a fact which he had already suspected, but would not have stopped the lecture anyway. Remus sighed. Being in love with a guy like Sirius is like having a constant headache. He suddenly started wondering if he had lost his mind.

He turned to his right side slowly. Did he exhibit the classical symptoms of the lovesick, he wondered. He had eaten quite a heavy meal last night, not being able to say no to the third helpings of treacle tart that Sirius had piled up on his plate. So that, he supposed, rules out the not-being-able-to-eat part. He had passed a restless night, but that was because he was worrying about the work he had missed since the last full moon. And O.W.L.s are looming somewhere in his horizon, asking him why he had wanted to be a wizard in the first place. But just two days ago, hadn't he blushed furiously when Sirius, undressed, stepped into the pool with him? But that could have been owing to the uncomfortably warm water and the cloying scent of lavender of the bath. And he had not been feeling very well then. Must have been the moon cycle.

Remus repeated the sigh. He was going to miss breakfast if he didn't get up soon. And there was also the train to catch. He wasn't even sure if he had packed up properly last night.

The problem was, he had the feeling that he actually wanted to stay for the holidays as well. No… rephrase that. He had the feeling that he would realize that he actually wanted to stay for the holidays as well. After all, hadn't Sirius asked him a few weeks back? And James wasn't down on the idea, too. In fact, he was overenthusiastic about it. Probably because Lily Evans' parents were going off for Majorca on the Eve and had written a month before asking her if it would be all right if she stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas.

But that was out of the topic.

Sirius would not tolerate such goings on. He himself would not tolerate it. He sat up, still hugging his pillow. Well, might as well get on with it, he decided. And he still had enough time for toast and marmalade.

"Wake up, Moony." The drapes slid open with a swishing sound, revealing the mischievous face that he always woke up to for the last five years. Remus closed his eyes, frowning.

"I have," he said, slowly. "Get off, Sirius, I need to go check on my trunk." He swatted vaguely at Sirius, who had jumped onto the bed with him amidst all the soft pillows and loud creaks of the protesting bed.

"Aw, come on. You've checked your stuff half a dozen times yesterday already. And knowing you, they're probably neatly tagged and labeled too. Really, Remus John Lupin." Sirius smiled at him, bouncing a bit on the bed and making it creak more ominously.

"All right. All right." Remus sighed. That was his third for this morning. It was probably another one of those days. "What do you want?" He stood up with difficulty, as Sirius had landed on one of his legs and refused to budge. "And where's James?"

"Really, Remus, you can do better than that. I've been concerned enough to wake you up and all you can do is ask for James? Been snapping at me rather unkindly, too. Where's your Christmas spirit, Moony?" Sirius said, mockingly. He was still lying on Remus' bed, seemingly enjoying the pillows.

"Probably looking around for toast and marmalade. Get off there, Padfoot, unless you want to show me your underpants."

"Do you want to see them? You should have asked me, Moony."

"Up, Sirius." The tone was light, but Sirius stood up hurriedly.

"You're really touchy this morning, aren't you?" he said, cautiously. He thought that Remus would never get the nerve to hex him, but then again, perhaps he had never gone far enough. "Come on, I'll get you your toast and marmalade. Can't afford not to have our trunks neatly tagged and labeled, can we?"

As Remus laughed softly, he realized he had decided on it too.

He should probably stay away from Sirius from now on, as well.

*

Sirius Black woke up first in the dormitory.

He could hear Peter's soft snores, two beds from his, cutting through the lulling silence of the room. He sat up slowly, stretching his arms upwards. Snow fell in arrhythmic thuds against the thick paneled windows, reminding him of the coming holidays. He caught himself sighing. What a way to start a day. But at least classes were out. That was something.

His legs were reluctant to leave the warmer confines of his bedclothes, but he moved them from the bed, anyway, searching around for a horrible moment with his feet against cold stone before they found his worn, but thankfully warm slippers. He shuffled across the room, trying not to make too much noise, but failing miserably. He had already reached his empty trunk and opened it with a loud thud when he heard the same sounds he had made earlier and saw James Potter move out from behind his bed hangings.

"How's it going?" James yawned at him, stretching.

"As fine as it would go, I suppose." Sirius answered, glumly. The empty trunk seemed to yawn at him too, reminding him now of the letter he had sent yesterday telling his mother that he wasn't going home for the holidays, not this time. Which is why he wasn't particularly looking forward to Christmas break, who would if they were expecting a Howler anytime soon?

"Aw, brighten up, mate," James said, beaming. "What could she do to you? Hex you through owl mail?" He was already half-dressed, his voice for a time muffled by his jumper.

"No. But she could come here to take me home," Sirius muttered, kicking his trunk shut. Remus gave a soft moan from his bed. "Sorry." he said automatically, although he was sure the other boy hadn't awakened yet. Remus was a surprisingly heavy sleeper.

"Seriously?" James' tone was incredulous. "She'd do that? Is your presence that important in a family get-together you can do any other year?"

Sirius didn't answer. He stared at Remus' bed like he had never seen it before, his eyes narrowed into mere slits. James could almost see the smoke puffing from his best friend's nostrils.

"Well, we'd deal with the problem if it gets here," James said, placatingly. "Hey, I'd be going down, okay? I can almost smell the sausages from here. You coming?"

"I'd wake Moony up first. He's going to miss his train if he won't wake up anytime soon." Sirius made for Remus' bed slowly.

James got his cue. "See you later then," he said, closing the door behind him.

Sirius looked at the closed door for a long moment before sitting back on his bed.

*

"Thanks." Remus reached out for his toast in his vaguely happy manner, licking at his fingers where the marmalade had dripped onto them. "You saved me a lot of trouble, too." He found out that he hadn't packed his books yet, driving him into mild panic as he scurried around the room looking for them.

"Consider staying behind with me?" Sirius said, placing a glass of hot chocolate on Remus' desk.

"With you and James? I must be out of my mind. Or that's what's certainly going to happen if I do. I don't think I want to spend my Christmas in bed with a headache, Padfoot," Remus said, lightly.

"I'll be bored out of my wits here," Sirius complained. "Come on."

"With James? Are you serious?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. That's how I've been named. And James stayed behind because Lily's here…"

"Get a girlfriend, Padfoot," Remus quipped.

"Not interested. Besides, you think I've got enough time to scurry behind anyone, carrying their bookbags?" Sirius said, one eyebrow rising sardonically.

"At your state now, you won't even be able to carry your own," Remus said, finishing his first toast with relish. He reached out for the glass on his desk.

"That obvious, huh?" Sirius muttered, before poking Remus on the ribs. "So, did I just receive a proposition? Would you be my boyfriend?"

"I'm very flattered." His voice didn't sound like it. "But no thanks. Being a madman's best friend is enough for my delicate health, thank you."

"You might regret it." Sirius decided to drop the subject when Remus started groping around for his wand. "What about you? I've never seen you with girls… except Evans, and she'll barely count, does she? Being fellow prefects and all. Haven't you even considered falling in love?"

"What's this? You haven't set me up with one of those scary Slytherin girls, have you?" Remus' voice was mild, but his lips twitched when he said it.

"What? With your delicate health in mind? No way." Sirius sat on Remus' trunk while he attempted to lock it. "Besides, that would be a waste of cute little boys, wouldn't it? Does this mean you've made up your mind?" He gestured at the bulging trunk.

"Probably, I haven't mentioned staying to my parents, have I?" Remus' voice was muffled by his dark green sweater. "I don't think it's fair for girls not to know what I am."

"I think it's cool."

"You think I was talking about the mad percentage in the Hogwarts students list?" Remus said. He looked at his prefect badge before pocketing it.

"You know, I love your dry humor." Sirius smiled, silently daring Remus to make him get off the trunk.

"Thanks. I love you too." Remus looked at him with his arms crossed. Even standing up, with Sirius sitting on the trunk before him, he was not much taller than the other boy. A fact which greatly diminished his severe position. "Get off the trunk, Padfoot."

"Kiss me goodbye." Sirius tapped his cheek with a small smile.

"You wish."

"Come on, Moony."

"Don't make me hex you off that trunk, mate."

"All right, all right. I'm off." Sirius stood up slowly. "So you're really abandoning me to boredom hell? You don't even have to give me a Christmas present. Just stay here and give me a big kiss."

"What's with you and kisses?" Remus sighed. It was his fourth one, but Sirius would not have known that. "Locomotor trunk."

"You're the one who told me to get a girlfriend."

"I'm not a girlfriend." Remus was already at the door. Sirius watched him with his hands on his hips, with a mock glare. "And stop fooling around like that."

"Why?"

"Because I just might—" the trunk fell from the stairs unceremoniously, making Sirius miss Remus' next words. By the time the thumping sounds stopped with a great loud clatter, Remus was already on his next sentence. "And what are you worrying about a Howler when you won't be coming home for Christmas? It's not like you to worry too much, Padfoot."

"Well, don't let the whole world know, Moony," he shouted back, grumpily. But he finished off the last toast with another small smile.