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 Two

"I'm bored."

"What's new then?" said Remus, although he had the manners to say it facing away from Sirius so that the other boy didn't hear him. James did, though, and his snort cut through the rest of Sirius' sentence. Remus barely heard some inane plan on sneaking out of the castle at night.

"Sorry, mate, I'm studying Charms with Lily tonight." James's voice cracked when he said Lily's name, although he did manage not to blush like he usually does whenever the girl's name crops up in their conversation. James had finally swallowed his pride and had asked Remus to help him with his decidedly failed attempts to impress Lily. Remus had no earthly idea on how to win the girls over, but he did know Lily Evans since they were fellow prefects and he had an idea on what the problem with James was.

As if to illustrate the point, James went on, "Of course, I don't really need to study. I'm sure I'll get an Outstanding on it in our N.E.W.T's later on. Flitwick would say the very least."

"I hope you don't say such things in front of Lily," said Remus, lightly. This turned out to be a feat because Sirius, suddenly ignored, began transferring his charming self from the couch to Remus' lap. "Get off me, Padfoot. No licking!"

"You guys are disgusting," said James, pleasantly. "Of course I won't be saying things like that in front of Lily. We're going to be studying, not talking about ourselves, like in a date."

"If," said Sirius, from Remus' lap. "You believe what you're saying, mate, I'm ashamed to ever call you my friend. Does this mean you can't join us tonight in a wonderful carouse in the castle grounds?"

"Yes, Padfoot. Most certainly. But perhaps Mr. Moony and Mr. Wormtail would like to join you?"

"Not if he doesn't get off me."

"I don't know… there are exams in Divination tomorrow."

Sirius stood up in a flutter of loose robes and bent over Peter like he was examining a particularly interesting flobberworm. "I didn't know you were particularly interested in crystal balls, Wormtail. If this is about some mental idea on impressing that mosquito—"

"Trelawney!" Peter squeaked, surprising Remus by answering back. "And she's not a mosquito. I think—"

"We know very well what you think, Peter," said Remus, kindly. He still couldn't listen to people his age talking about the opposite sex with such blissful expressions on their faces without wincing. And Peter's crush on the Divination professor was getting old. "He's just being a git, is all."

"Moony, you're breaking my heart." Sirius leaned back melodramatically, clutching at his chest where his heart supposedly was. Some of the girls sitting near the fire looked over at the four of them and began giggling.

"I didn't know you had one. Forgive me, Padfoot."

Peter was looking at the two boys with his mouth slightly open, following their exchange with jerky movements of his head that Remus usually sees him do watching Quidditch matches. James, now the bored one, began to examine his nails in an elaborate manner. In the summer holidays Sirius had finally run away from home and camped out in the yard of James' house, where Remus promptly came for a visit (Peter was on vacation in France with his family). Sirius and Remus then proceeded to do nothing but bicker and eat more pudding than James thought possible for a couple of skinny boys. Like Peter's little crush, it was getting pretty moldy.

"Will you two gits stuff it?" said James, when Peter looked like he was going to break his neck. "Fighting like newlyweds, I mean. It might give people ideas."

Sirius, not the kind of person who spat, sniffed at James. "What do you know about it? Just because you're going out with Evans doesn't mean everybody else is in love, you know."

"He's right," agreed Remus. James thought that he looked more tired than usual, almost years older than his actual sixteen. Remus sighed, running one hand through his hair and making it stand up in all directions. "I think I'm going to bed now."

"Aw, Moony, the night's just begun. Lily hasn't even come down yet." James' expression changed from bored to chagrined so quickly that Remus had to stifle a laugh. Sirius, scowling ferociously behind James, was silent for once. "Sit down, why don't you? I could help you with that Felix Felicis if you want."

"No, it's okay." Remus made a face and began massaging his temples in a pointed manner in front of James. "Maybe some other time. I'm sure Lily's going to be here soon. I'm just tired, Prongs, it's nothing, really."

"Oh, let him go if he wants," said Sirius. "Good little boys shouldn't be staying up late at night, anyway. Better stay with the people who really know how to have a good time."

Peter looked surprised, and somewhat flattered to be considered as someone who knew how to have a good time. But James was shaking his head at his best friend. Nobody noticed Remus, which was just as well.

"I think that's going too far, mate. Moony isn't that bad, as far as prefects go."

"Yes," said Peter. "Remember he was the one who thought of letting the Dungbombs go off in the girl's bathroom? Everyone just thought people—"

"Goodnight, everyone," Remus cut in.

*

Sirius watched Remus go without saying anything more. He wanted to kick himself the moment he made the joke about good boys who go to bed early. It wasn't as if he thought Remus was that bad, really. He just didn't like the way the other boy dismissed everything he said and did, telling him why it was all a bad idea in that calm and pleasant manner of his so that Sirius just wanted to hit him with one of his beloved books. In fact, Sirius hated being dismissed at all. Even by Remus.

Especially by Remus.

"What's with you, mate?" said James. "You know he didn't mean anything by it. He's called me git lots of times, too. And other things besides."

Sirius glared at his best friend, who by now should have known the dangers of being caught between his fights with Remus. "You like him so much, why don't you go out with him instead of Evans?"

"Well," said James, his hazel eyes glinting like whenever he was going to do something McGonagal wasn't going to be happy about. "I might, except I wouldn't want to be your rival, mate."

"Listen to you, Potter. If I wanted Remus, he'd be my boyfriend even as we talk, that easy." Sirius held out one hand with his palm outwards as if to illustrate where Remus was going to be if he, Sirius, wanted him. He didn't realize that he was blushing so furiously he was reminding James of a Remembrall.

"Really? I'd like to see you try, mate." James resisted the urge to laugh. He would have to play it perfectly if he wanted it to work. "Ten galleons say you can't."

"And ten says I can," said Sirius. He would never have agreed if he had seen the look on his best friend's face, but he was too busy trying not meet anyone's eyes.

"Done. And don't forget that you have to at least get a snog—" James began.

"At best a shag," giggled Peter.

"Out of him before Valentine's Day."

"That's a fortnight from now," said Sirius, wondering if he was alarmed or not. The joke about snogging and shagging had made him think that he had been too hasty, but nothing short of Voldemort's appearance would make him take his bet back. And even then, Sirius had the feeling even the Git Who Must Not Be Named could make him lose ten galleons over such a mental thing as making his best friend fall in love with him.

That was something only Remus himself can do.

*

Remus opened his book bag and looked inside it for the third time, but the box of Chocolate Frogs remained wedged between his three-feet long essay on Rematerialization and his Arithmancy book. He couldn't remember placing it there before going out of the dormitory this morning. Actually, he couldn't remember seeing the box when he took out his notes at the beginning of their Charms class, but there it was now, like a troll at a veela's dinner party.

"Come on, Moony," said Sirius, waving at him from the door. "James and Peter are probably eating all the steak and kidney pie now, the greedy gits. What are you doing anyway? Checking for Rematerialized books?"

"Padfoot my friend," said Remus, closing his bag for the last time and getting up. The Charms room was empty but for the two of them, everyone else hurrying to the Great Hall for lunch and maybe the library to finish their Transfiguration essay. "You're so brilliant it blinds me."

"And so I would remain the light of your life, mate," said Sirius, impatiently looking behind him towards the general direction of the Great Hall. "You should have told me sooner."

Remus didn't answer, walking several steps behind Sirius and still thinking about the box of Chocolate Frogs. Remus had nothing against giving gifts to people. James and Sirius received gifts from female admirers all the time, let alone a measly box of Chocolate Frogs smuggled inside their bags in the middle of class. It was a fortnight to Valentine's Day. Getting chocolates from an unknown admirer wasn't exactly unusual.

But Remus didn't like getting noticed. He was glad that James and Sirius got all the attention. The less the rest of Hogwarts knew of Remus Lupin and his secrets, the better. The fact that his 'admirer' had 'given' him the chocolates in class meant that they were from Griffindor too, or knew someone who was, and that made things worse because that could mean that they had been watching him for a long time without him being aware of it. The possibilities, aside from being proverbially endless, were blood curdling.

"Oi, what's wrong?"

Remus looked up and realized that Sirius had stopped walking so that they were now standing side by side. "What? I mean, did you say something?"

"It was just a joke, Moony, okay?"

"What?" said Remus. "Was it you?"

"Was I what?" said Sirius, looking as blank as Remus felt. He was glad there wasn't anyone else walking in the corridors, anyone who could see them right now could mistake them for a couple of Slytherin thugs.

"Er— I— What were you saying, anyway?" Of course Sirius could never look like a thug, thought Remus, although the thought didn't help matters any.

"Well, you were looking all serious so I thought you were angry about something," said Sirius, saying the words as if they were leprechaun gold that needed spending. "I was joking about being kept for lunch, right?"

"Well, you should have gone ahead with James and Peter, you know," Remus pointed out. "I did tell you."

Sirius sighed, reaching out to tug at the sleeve of Remus' robe. "You think too much, Moony. I heard that was a symptom of an empty stomach, you know?"

"Funny," said Remus, smiling. "I could have sworn that was your stomach I heard growling at me. You're in charge of that department, right?"

"Hilarious, Moony," said Sirius. "That's pretty rich coming from someone who can't even howl on pitch."

"You're not supposed to howl on pitch, Padfoot. That's the point of it."

"Speak for youself, mate. I happen to howl beautifully."