Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
James had been wondering all summer what this year would bring. Their last year, they were finally at the top. But he wasn't thinking about pranks or earning Evan's undivided love, oh no. He was worrying much more about his best friend Sirius. Sirius had made one drastic change in his life every year. First year it was his plan to date every girl in their year. Second year was declaring a vendetta against Snape. The list goes on, deciding to be punk, cutting his hair drastically short, growing it out unacceptably long, etc. This year, with a headache already setting in, James arrived at King's Cross with his parents and bags. Sirius flounced up with a smirk, clearly having already decided this year's change. Now James couldn't very well ask Sirius what this change was because then the wolfish boy would become offended. So he waited the painfully long amount of time it took them to board the train and wait for Remus and Peter to join them. But when Remus got to their compartment and noticed the look on James's face, and then the one on Sirius's face he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What have you decided to change about yourself this year Black?" Remus asked as he took his seat next to the other canine. James's jaw dropped. Prongs and Padfoot had been friends since birth and yet, Remus was the one that could get away with anything. If James had asked he'd get a slap upside the head and the silent treatment for at least a week. But because it was Remus, Sirius simply smiled wistfully.
"I'm gay." He answered. Now if James's jaw hadn't already dropped from Remus's treatment compared to his own, it would have fallen through the floor. James couldn't believe what his ears were telling him he'd heard. It simply could not be true. Remus, who had come out to them long ago, nodded solemnly and cracked open a book. James couldn't handle how easily Remus had taken the news. Remus should have gotten upset at this joke, this blatant jab at him at the only actually gay marauder. Sirius was NOT gay. "Actually Jamesie, I was wondering-" Sirius batted his eyelashes that would put mascara companies to shame at his longest friend and brother in mischief making.
"No. No. No. Nope. No. No." James held up his hands. He knew he was totally hot, and that anyone would be happy to have him, men and women alike, well except Evans, but he would not subject himself to Sirius! The man was a menace.
"What?" Sirius whined. "I just wanted to know what a hipster is. I heard someone talking about a hipster and I don't know what it is. I figured you'd know." Sirius huffed with a pout. James's head probably exploded at that moment because Sirius really was bad for anyone's health in long increments. When he could string sentences together again, James took a long breath, and looked at his best friend for a long time searchingly. Finally he looked at Lupin for help but the boy had not looked up from his book through the whole mess.
"Lupin." James said slowly. The boy in question looked up slowly, looking about the compartment as if just noticing he was on the train. "Lupin is a hipster."
"What?" Remus asked confused. He looked down at himself before back at James.
"But what makes him a hipster?" Sirius pressed. James sighed.
"His clothes and his personality. But mostly his style." James said. Remus closed his book slowly and looked between James and Sirius with a slightly confused expression. "The beanie, the scarf, the messenger bag. He acts like he doesn't care about anyone's opinions about the way he dresses. He reads books no one's heard of. He's like the perfect example of a hipster." James smiled at himself, proud of how smart he was.
"I don't even know what a hipster is." Remus said frowning. He didn't know if he should be offended or proud.
"He folds up the ends of his pants and wears suspenders." James continued, looking critically at Remus.
"My parents got these pants from a second hand shop so they don't fit properly." Remus said, now clearly defensively.
"Hipster." James pointed across the compartment at Remus who rolled his eyes and returned to his book to hide how offended he was.
"You're upsetting him James." Sirius frowned at his friend. James crossed his arms. Sure it was fine if anyone upset James but if anyone so much as commented on Remus Sirius got all uptight.
"Look Remus, it's not a bad thing." James tried to recover.
"My neck gets cold so I wear a scarf. My ears get cold so I wear a hat. My pants are too big so if I don't wear suspenders they fall off and they're too long so I have to roll them up or I trip on them. My backpack was my fathers. I'm not rich like you lot so I have to dress like this. It's not about style. It's about practicality." Remus sounded quite hurt. It may have been summer but the rain that day was mildly chill supporting Remus's story.
"You can be such an arse." Sirius kicked James in the shins. James huffed and rubbed his shin that now hurt quite considerably.
"Anything from the trolley dears?" Asked the lady who slid open the compartment door.
"Something sweet Moony?" Sirius asked Remus who shrugged and looked out the window. "Give me two chocolate frogs, two Bertie Botts, a couple slugs, some pumpkin pastries, and some cauldron cakes." Sirius said as he took out his money to count out how much it would be. He took one of each before dumping the rest on Remus's lap. "Brighten up love." Sirius said as he took his seat and began chewing in his slug.
"You've got us to buy you nice things." James offered before getting an evil glare from Sirius. Remus began casually munching on his Bertie Botts Beans before wrinkling his nose and spitting one out. Sirius sniffed the slimy chewed and discarded bean before wrinkling his nose and balking.
"Vomit." He stuck out his tongue. "Here you can have my bacon." Sirius offered Remus a bean. Lupin looked at it for a moment before looking searchingly at Sirius.
"Those are your favorite." Remus's eyes narrowed. Sirius shrugged and ate it before searching his box and producing a brown one. He gave it a sniff before offering it to Remus.
"Chocolate." Sirius said grinning. "Your favorite." Remus took it before returning to his own snacks.
When they got to Hogwarts and got to sit for the feast they were in an uncommon silence. This lack of chaos from the four caused more unease from the other students than their usual antics did. They clapped during the sorting and ate in silence during the feast before acceding the stairs to their dorm where their things were waiting. Remus was first to shower and the others sat in silence waiting their turns. "I didn't mean to upset him." James said at last looking hard at Sirius.
"But you did." Sirius growled. "Moony's sensitive. He's not pure blood like us." Sirius bared his teeth at his friend. The silence once again enveloped them with palpable animosity floating from Sirius. After Remus was done and Sirius had gone to the bathroom James decided to try again.
"I didn't mean to upset you Moony." James tried to convey how sorry he was.
"It's fine." Remus shrugged as he dried his hair. His bare shoulders were scarred and pale and his pajama pants were falling lower and lower on his hips. He was the opposite of them, half blood, pale, poor, scarred, so unlike the clean flesh of his pure blood friends. Their unmarred skin practically dripped money and here he was, among them, claiming to be one of their pack while being so glaringly different.
"No Remus. Really, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." James pressed.
"You didn't mean it at an insult." Remus said casually looking at James who nodded eagerly. When Sirius stepped from the bathroom his eyes were drawn to Remus whose pajama pants were now dangerously low, showing mass amounts of light pink scars across his body.
"Remmy honey, pull your pants up." Sirius smiled as he slunk over to his canine brethren and pulled his pants up for him. Remus whose head was still covered by the towel did not appreciate how close Sirius was and how their bare chests were centimeters from each other. Sirius, who did notice this, stepped back with a sharp intake of breath before tripping backwards over a trunk and landing on Remus's bed sprawled quite nicely with a flush in his face. Sirius looked quite wanton for a moment, lips parted slightly and limbs spread across Remus's sheets. Remus, who had pulled the towel off his head and let it rest around his shoulders, let his eyes wander unrestricted over the scene before him. Peter, who was sitting in his own bed, was quite oblivious to the situation and James was in the shower so it was just the two of them. Eyes locked, and for a moment they just stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. At last, Sirius coughed and hurried to slip into his own bed. Remus blinked before shrugging and sat on his bed. Nothing more was said that night but emotions were running quite high.