Yay, another update! Lol.

Just to clarify, they got detention because public displays of affection + wagging a test = heaps of trouble, not because they're gay or anything xD

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The detention is by far the longest and most difficult Remus has ever served, and by the time he finally staggers up to his room it is long past 3 in the morning. He glances at Sirius's bed, but the drapes are still open and it lies empty.

He half expects his friend to be waiting for him in his bed, but when he reaches it his sheets are cold and undisturbed. Remus climbs in, exhausted, and although he has every intention of waiting up for Sirius and finding out what's going to happen now, he falls asleep almost immediately.

---

Remus is an expert in awkward, but the next few days teach him that there is a whole new realm of awkwardness he had never even known to exist. It's a subtle kind of awkward, a silent one that he's almost positive only he can feel.

When Sirius plonks himself down beside him at breakfast, he feels it. When one of the Ravenclaw girls from his party tries to flirt with Sirius in the hallway, he feels it. When he and Sirius reach for the same flask of newt oil in potions and their hands touch for just a moment before they both jerk away as if burned - he feels it.

He's not sure if Sirius can feel it. He is sure that he will never get the chance to ask him, and that even if he does he won't have the courage to do so.

It's a terrible kind of awkward. By the fourth day, Remus has taken to hiding in the library.

He tells himself he's studying, that he's doing his homework, that it's all very important, but the fact of the matter is that he is hiding. He has managed to avoid being alone with Sirius since the night of their detentions, believing this to be the best tactic, all things considered.

He assumes that Sirius agrees with him, if his sudden and great interest in his and James' latest prank is anything to go by. The pair have been very secretive, discussing nothing but their grand scheme for days now. Remus has spent most of his time with Peter.

But now James is at Quidditch practice, Peter is in detention, and Remus is definitely hiding. He stares blankly at his books.

"Wotcher, Moony," Sirius says, making Remus jump and bang his knees painfully on the bottom of the table. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were, you know, avoiding me."

Sirius makes himself comfortable, sitting down opposite Remus and unceremoniously shoving his books out of the way to make room for his feet on the tabletop. His boots are muddy. Remus twitches.

"I'm not avoiding you," he says, not meeting Sirius's eyes. He makes a move to salvage his books, and Sirius kicks his arm lightly.

"You are! You won't even look at me," Sirius starts prodding his arm with his boot. "I'm rather nice to look at, you know, you're missing out."

Remus can feel his face heating up, and tries to ignore it. Very slowly and deliberately, he looks up. One corner of Sirius's mouth lifts in a small grin. Remus feels his breath hitch and looks quickly back down at his books.

"See, that wasn't so hard."

"Of course not, because I'm not avoiding you," Remus says, sighing. "I'm trying to study, Padfoot. Some of us can't just shoot perfect grades out our rears."

"What can I say, it's a gift."

Silence stretches between them. Remus stares at his books, hoping that he is creating an effective illusion of study. He can't even remember what he's supposed to be reading about.

Sirius starts prodding him again. Remus can feel his patience thinning with every prod, and when he risks a glance at his arm and notices the growing muddy stain on his sleeve, he lets out a soft and completely involuntary growl. Sirius starts, and jerks his feet away.

"Did you just growl at me?"

"I am trying to study. You are prodding me. There is mud."

"You did, you growled at me!"

Remus closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, stop it," Sirius says, his tone suddenly bitter. "If you've got something to say, Remus, just bloody say it and get it over with."

Remus freezes. He opens his eyes very slowly, and sees Sirius glaring at him. Very few have mastered the art of the glare like Sirius Black. Remus swallows, and fiddles with his tie.

"I don't think I know what you mean," he says, quietly.

"The hell you don't."

"Well, alright. I just- I don't really think I have anything to say. About that," Remus looks down at his hands.

Usually, Remus Lupin tries to say the sort of things he thinks people like Sirius Black and James Potter and Peter Pettigrew want him to say. Ever since he became a 'Marauder', he has learned that there are parts of himself that need to be censored, little thoughts in the back of his mind like nostalgia and pity and all manner of other things that normal teenage boys aren't supposed to think.

Unfortunately, he can't think of any precedent at all that deals with kissing your best mate on the mouth - let alone one that deals with both parties enjoying it all very much, and then getting caught by their head of house practically going at it in the supply room.

Finally, Sirius swings his feet back onto the floor. He fixes Remus with a look.

"Would you stop? Just once, can you honestly say what you're actually thinking?" He demands, sourly.

"Me?" Remus says, incredulously. "Me say what I'm actually thinking? You're the one who-"

"Me? What the fuck did I do?"

"Everything! I didn't even know what- and you just- and now! And now!" Remus gestures between them, aware of the fact that he probably looks insane, but not caring very much. "Now look!"

"You didn't even- I'm the one who's got to listen to McGonagall yell at me about soiling your perfect Prefectly virtue and how it's all my fault if you don't get bloody Head Boy and-"

"What?"

Sirius clips his mouth shut, as though just realising he's said too much. He glares at the table.

"McGonagall said that to you?" Remus asks, after a moment.

"Of course she did," Sirius snaps. "And I- why? What did she say to you?"

"Well, pretty much the same thing, I suppose," Remus says, slowly. "Except that it would all be my fault, you see, for letting you get me into this mess in the first place."

Sirius doesn't say anything.

"I don't- I don't really think it makes any difference, though," Remus offers. "I mean, if they were going to prevent me from being Head Boy because of who I hang around with then, well. I wasn't ever seriously in the running in the first place, was I?"

Sirius looks up and meets Remus's eyes.

"You're not going to be Head Boy," Sirius says. It sounds like a question.

Remus has never seen Sirius look so unsure. It suddenly occurs to him that maybe he doesn't know what's going on, anymore than Remus does.

"I doubt it. And I didn't really have much, um, 'prefectly virtue' left either, I don't think," Remus says, smiling ruefully and hoping that Sirius gets his meaning.

Sirius smiles back, looking genuinely relieved. He stands up, walking around to Remus's side of the table. He sits down next to Remus, and reaches over to hold his hand. He threads their fingers together, and taps the back of Remus's hand absently with his thumb.

"So this is, uh. This is okay?" Sirius says. "No more avoiding me like I've got some sort of hideous contagious disease?"

"Not until you actually get one. Padfoot does spend an inordinate amount of time rolling about in the mud, it's not entirely unlikely."

Sirius laughs, leans over, and kisses Remus lightly on the lips.