A/N: RAvenclaw, Standard, Stand in for YEar 5, Room of Requirement, 1221 words
Harry digs through the pile of dirty socks, chocolate bar wrappers, and spare pieces of parchment on top of his dresser, his search proving more fruitless with each passing second.
"Ron?" he asks, turning to where Ron is lying on his bed, flicking through a Quidditch magazine. "Have you seen the Map? I can't find it anywhere."
"I think I left it down in the kitchen," Ron replies, his eyes never leaving the article in front of him. "Kreacher might have tidied it up, though."
"Thanks, mate." Harry slowly opens the door to their bedroom then walks down the stairs as quietly as he can. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place is silent by this time of night, full of sleeping Weasleys that he doesn't want to disturb.
To his surprise, the kitchen is not yet deserted, candles still illuminating the room. A hunched figure sits at the table, fingers tracing over a piece of parchment in his hands.
"Lupin?" Harry says softly, coming to sit beside his former professor.
"Oh, Harry, I didn't see you there." Remus looks up at Harry with a smile, though it doesn't quite meet his eyes. Then he sighs heavily, glancing down at the map resting on the table. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but reminisce when I saw the map. With Sirius…"
He trails off, and Harry feels a pang in his chest at the mention of his godfather. Out of everyone, he and Remus understand each other the best.
"I suppose you want the Map back, then."
Harry almost accepts the parchment in Remus' outstretched hands, before thinking twice and shaking his head. "I do, I just wondered if you could tell me something. I'd always meant to ask Sirius, but…" Remus nods encouragingly, placing a steady hand on Harry's shoulder. "How come the Room of Requirement isn't on the Map? Did you guys not know about it?"
Remus laughs fondly, as if remembering something he hadn't thought of in years. "Well, only Sirius and I ever discovered it. And we wanted it to stay that way…"
Remus collapses in an armchair in the Common Room, groaning loudly.
"What's up, mate?" James asked, looking over at his exhausted friend from his spot on the sofa. "You look knackered."
"I've been plotting the Seventh Floor Corridor for the Map." Remus notices Sirius smirking to himself and has to struggle not to roll his eyes. "I can't get it right."
Peter's brow furrows in confusion. "That corridor's empty though. What's tricky about it?"
Remus' brain goes blank, and he curses himself for saying anything. If Peter and James knew about the Room of Requirement it would only end up in disaster. An end-of-friendship, huge rift between the Marauders type of disaster too. "Um-"
"Well, Pete, I'd like to see you try and map it out," Sirius interrupts and Remus shoots him a relieved smile. "Right, I'm exhausted. Anyone coming up to the dorm with me?"
"Can't, sorry." James replies, shrugging apologetically. "Lily'll be back from Charms Club soon and I promised to wait up for her. And Pete's keeping me company."
"Remus?" The boy in question doesn't miss the twinkle in Sirius' grey eyes and lets himself be hauled to his feet, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.
They get up to the dorm and as soon as the door slams shut behind them, Sirius is on him, pressing Remus against the bedpost and trailing kisses down his neck.
"Padfoot, stop," Remus protests, though makes no real effort to get away. "Someone could come in."
"Could they?" Sirius laughs, his breath hot against Remus' neck. "Well let them."
He leans in, but Remus pushes him firmly away, trying his best to look disapproving. "No, Sirius."
"Fine," Sirius drawls, pouting in a way that almost makes Remus want to give in. "But we meet in the Room tomorrow, while Prongs is at Quidditch practice and Wormy's got his Potions tutoring."
"Sounds like a plan," Remus replies, lying back on his bed, already wishing it was the next day.
Morning comes quickly and soon Remus is sitting across the breakfast table from Sirius, who has been grinning from ear to ear from the second he'd woken up. Remus can't stop smiling in anticipation either. Finally, James leaves for the Quidditch pitch and Pete disappears down to the dungeons.
After his final bite of toast, Remus looks up at Sirius, who is still halfway through a massive plate of bacon and eggs. "Shall we…?
"Merlin," Sirius replies, standing up from his seat at once, "I thought you'd never ask."
They hang around in the Seventh Floor Corridor for a while, until it is completely deserted. It's their secret, and that's how Remus wanted it to stay. Waiting is agony, but it's worth it when they step into the Room and are finally alone.
Sirius throws his arms around Remus at once, but Remus wriggles out of his grip, pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket. "The reason I was so exhausted is because I finally figured out how to get it to work yesterday."
"Really?" Sirius' eyes light up with almost childish delight and he snatches the Map out of Remus' hands. Tapping it with his wand he recites, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," and watches as ink spreads across the page.
"All you need to do is tap where the Room of Requirement would be on the map and then say the password. So we can see who goes in and out, but James and Peter don't know when we're in here."
"That's brilliant! Honestly, Moony, you're a bloody genius!" Remus blushes, shaking his head at the praise. "But what's the password?"
"I thought I'd let you decide." It's probably a bad idea, but Remus thinks he'll be able to bear whatever Sirius comes up with just to see him smile like that.
"Merlin, I love you." Sirius presses a kiss to Remus lips, and Remus doesn't think he could ever get tired of it.
"I love you too, Pads, I love you too."
"...And so if you tap with your wand right there," Remus points to the very spot, "and say 'Sirius has the best hair in the whole school and and Remus can't resist him' you'll be able to see the Room of Requirement."
Harry chuckles, imagining a young Sirius and Remus sneaking away to the Room of Requirement every chance they got. "Did my dad ever find out about you two?"
"Oh, eventually, of course. And he didn't mind, so the whole keeping it a secret thing was really a big fuss over nothing," Remus says, the thought of James turning on his two best friends for being together so ridiculous he doesn't know why he ever entertained it. "But he never did find out about the Room of Requirement, so it's not really on the Map."
Harry yawns loudly, tiredness suddenly overcoming him. "I'm going to head up to bed now. Night, Remus." He stands from the table, heading out of the kitchen.
"Wait, Harry," Remus calls out to him, and Harry turns back to face him. "I think this belongs to you."
Harry takes the the parchment from Remus' hand, and smiles down at the Marauders Map and all the memories that it holds.