Sunday, October 30, 1977
Remus pushed open the door to the library and stepped through into the familiar hushed atmosphere. The faint scent of old books and the occasional rustle of turning pages put him at ease, and he smiled to himself as he scanned the room. He spotted Seven seated at a table by herself, absorbed in the book in front of her. She must have sensed his gaze, because she glanced up and smiled at him, and without needing to speak, he nodded at the aisles of books and she stood up and followed him to their usual section.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked, taking his hands and standing on tiptoe to kiss him.
"Much better." He glanced around to make sure they were not being watched before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. As they held each other in that secluded section of the library, he felt the residual ache of exhaustion and pain melt away as she erased the memories of the transformation. When they broke apart, they were both beaming.
"How did you know reading The Hobbit would make me feel better?"
After his friends had left the hospital wing on Friday, he had spent most of the afternoon re-reading The Hobbit. He had been so engrossed by the familiar story, and so thrilled any time he found one of her little notes in the margins, that he didn't even mind the stabbing pain that shot through his body any time he moved or the cut above his eyebrow that kept reopening and dripping blood into his eye. When Madam Pomfrey told him he was free to go, she had to tap him on the shoulder and repeat herself because he was too immersed in the story to hear her the first time.
"You told me once that it was one of your favorites," she said, shrugging. "I think you called it a 'comfort read,' and said you've read it a bunch of times. I just figured it might cheer you up."
Remus thought back to all the long, pain-filled days he had spent huddled under a blanket in his bedroom at home or in the hospital wing, regaining his strength after a transformation only to do it all again in a month's time. Sometimes getting lost in Tolkien's world was Remus's only escape from the darkness of those post-transformation days.
"But how did you know I needed cheering up?" he asked.
"Well, you just looked so awful on Wednesday night," she said, then clapped her hand over her mouth and giggled. "Sorry, no offense. I just meant-"
"It's all right," Remus said, grinning. "I know I looked like bloody death."
"You did, a bit," she said, returning his grin. "And you could barely keep your eyes open. So when I didn't see you around in the common room Thursday night or Friday, I assumed you were in the hospital wing." She fiddled with the end of her braid and looked at the shelf of books in front of them instead of meeting his gaze. "I wish I could have come and read to you a bit, but…"
She faltered, unsure how to finish her thought, and her words hung in the air as her voice trailed off. For a moment Remus let himself imagine what it might be like to have her curled up next to him in the hospital wing, holding his hand or stroking his hair. It would be so nice to fall asleep next to her, listening to the gentle, rhythmic sound of her voice as she read aloud. But of course this daydream could not become a reality without revealing his most shameful secret to her, and even the thought of doing so made Remus experience a flutter of panic. He studied her face, trying to decipher the hesitance in her eyes, but he could not pinpoint anything definite to suggest she suspected anything. He took a deep breath then leaned in to kiss her, letting the warmth of her lips against his reassure him and quell the vague hint of fear. You're okay, he thought. You're okay.
"That's all right, I can't always have the luxury of being read to," he said once he had pulled away. "Although reading all your little notes was almost as nice as having you read to me."
"You liked them, then?" she asked, sounding pleased. "I was afraid you'd change your mind and be angry at me for defiling your book."
"No, I loved it. Although I highly doubt hobbits wear cardigans."
She laughed and tugged at the sleeve of his jumper. "Why not? I could definitely see Bilbo Baggins wearing this. It feels very hobbity, doesn't it?"
"Hobbity's not a word, Seven," Remus said, grinning, but his face fell as he glanced at his watch. "I should get back soon."
She pulled him into a hug, then tilted her face up to flash him a hopeful smile. "Meet me in the reading spot later?"
"I can probably sneak away for a bit." He kissed her once more before leaving her there among the books. As he strolled out of the library and back towards the common room, his mind drifted back to the daydream of Seven reading to him after the full moon. The idea of her finding out terrified him, and yet there was a part of him that couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Resting his head in her lap while she read to him made him feel so safe and at ease, maybe… But it made him anxious to think about for too long, so he put the thought out of his mind and turned instead to thoughts about his planned meet-up with Seven later.
Tuesday, November 1, 1977
"Macdonald, do you want to go upstairs and shag?" Sirius glanced back at Mary and raised his eyebrows.
"Merlin, Padfoot," Remus said, shaking his head. "You ever thought of being a bit more subtle?"
"What do I want to bother with being subtle for?" Sirius asked, rolling his eyes. "Waste of bloody time if you ask me."
"Let me finish doing your hair," Mary said, laughing at the exchange. "I'm almost done." Her fingers continued tugging his dark hair into a tight French braid before twisting the rest into a bun and securing it all with a hair tie. She sat back to survey her work and nodded in satisfaction at the result.
"You didn't even complain once that she was yanking on your hair," Lily observed. "You must be getting tougher."
Sirius shook his head, making his bun bounce from side to side. "Nah, I just realized when I complain it only makes her tug harder."
She grinned. "You're onto me, Black."
"Do you think I should be more subtle?" he asked as he ran a hand along the back of his head to examine the braid.
She grabbed his hand and pulled it away from his hair before he could attempt to adjust the bun."Why? I'm used to the way you are now. If you changed now it'd just be weird."
"I could stand to see a bit less of you naked," Lily put it, giving him a pointed look, "but otherwise I think we're pretty used to you the way you are."
"Rubbish. I'm a gift to the world naked and I refuse to hear anything different."
"But what if you just said, I dunno, 'Want to go upstairs?' You could leave out the shagging bit and your meaning would still be perfectly clear. We all know what you're up to," Remus insisted.
"So if you know what I'm up to, Moony, what's the point of being subtle?" Sirius looked around at all of them and shook his head. "If you want me to start leaving notes in Macdonald's textbooks or exchanging looks with her across the room and meeting up in a secret shagging spot while keeping it all hush hush, you're going to be disappointed."
Peter shot him a warning glance and Lily clapped her hand over her mouth, but James jumped to his rescue.
"If you're talking about that note I passed Evans the other day, sod you," he said, grinning and putting an arm around Lily. "I was just taking the opportunity to practice writing Runes, including several Runes I came up with myself. Besides, as far as I know, you're all in on our shagging spots, so it's not much of a secret."
"Come on," Mary said, giving Sirius a nudge and getting to her feet. "Let's go upstairs to shag. Or, you know, whatever subtle thing I'm meant to say instead."
"Nice going, idiot," she said once they were climbing the stairs. "That was obviously meant to be a jab at Remus and Seven. Good thing James saved you."
Sirius chuckled and pushed open the door to the dormitory. "I know. I guess I'm just impatient to hear all about their sex life because, you know, that's the sort of weirdo I am."
Mary followed him in and closed the door behind them. "I mean, yeah, me too," she said, smirking. "But I have enough self-control to keep my mouth shut until he decides to tell us, unlike you, you prat."
"I never claimed self-control was a particular strength of mine," Sirius said, shrugging. "But I did think Evans would be the one to open her mouth first."
"Well, they do have patrols together tonight. I bet she'll say something even more stupid than you, don't worry," she said as she gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.
"Are you going to keep insulting me all evening, or can we move on to the bit where we take our clothes off?"
Mary smirked and pulled his t-shirt over his head. "Can't I do both?"
"I suppose we should start patrols," Remus said, closing his book and getting to his feet.
"I really don't mind doing your duty for you," James said. "You can stay here and read all night, and I'll patrol the corridors with Evans and make sure the castle is all under control."
"That's all right," Remus said with a shake of his head. "I plan to do an actual patrol, rather than checking the map every half hour or so and snogging the rest of the time." He glanced at Lily and grinned. "No offense."
She got to her feet, flashing him a sheepish smile. "None taken. That is our usual approach to patrols, so I guess it would be good to actually do my job correctly tonight." She bent to kiss James goodbye, letting her lips linger for a bit longer than was necessary.
"Don't forget to keep your mouth shut tonight," James whispered, pressing his lips against her ear and making her shiver despite the condescending tone in his warning. "If you're the first one to tell him we all know, I'm going to tease you about it for weeks."
"Sod you," she whispered back before giving him another kiss. "See you later," she said to the group before turning and following Remus out of the portrait hole.
The first twenty minutes of their patrol went by without incident. Lily started to let her guard down when they fell into the much-discussed topic of books.
"Do you want to borrow The Hobbit?" he asked as they descended a staircase. "I think you'd like it."
"Sure. Seven liked it a lot, didn't she?" Lily said, thinking of the note she had scribbled about how adorable Remus looked in a jumper.
Remus's mind must have gone in the same direction, because he blushed and shot her a sharp look. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, just that she said she really liked it when she gave it to me to return to you," Lily said. She studied his face, breathing a silent sigh of relief when he shrugged and nodded.
Keep it together, Evans, she urged herself. You're not going to be the one to ruin this.
She got through almost an hour without another misstep until Remus brought up the upcoming Quidditch match.
"I can't tell if James is less nervous for the match now that you're dating because he doesn't have to try to impress you as much, or more nervous because you'll be paying more attention now that you're dating so he feels even more pressure to impress you." Remus peered inside an empty broom cupboard then turned to her with a thoughtful expression on his face. "What do you think?"
"I didn't think he really got nervous before a match," she said, frowning. "He always seems so confident that Gryffindor is going to win."
"Maybe nervous is the wrong word," Remus amended. "It's more antsy, I suppose. And you have to really pay attention to notice it, but he does get a bit edgy the week of a match. You'll see what I mean."
The idea of James getting nervous made her feel a rush of affection for him, and for a wild moment she imagined rushing back to the common room to wrap him in a hug. Instead she asked, "Is there anything I can do to help, do you think?"
He considered this as they peeked into a classroom and found it empty except for Peeves, who gave them a rude hand gesture before continuing to draw a dirty illustration on the board.
"I don't think you need to do anything out of the ordinary," Remus said, shrugging. "You make him really happy just doing the usual things. Although an extra shoulder massage probably wouldn't hurt."
"I think I can manage that," Lily said, smiling to herself as she thought of other ways she could take his mind off of Quidditch. "Does Seven get nervous before a match?"
As soon as the words were out of her mouth she knew she should not have spoken, and she had to fight the urge to press her hands over her mouth.
"I'm not sure," Remus said, tilting his head and frowning at her. "Why?"
"Oh, I dunno, just wondering if the rest of the team felt the same way. What about Bubbles? Or Sunshine? Does anyone on the team have a weird superstition or something?"
The wave of relief was visible on Remus's face as he grinned. "Oh, yeah, now that you mention it, most of them do. You know about James's lucky pants, right?"
There were two more close calls throughout the course of the evening, and by the time they returned to the common room, Lily felt anxious and on edge from the constant pressure of trying not to say the wrong thing. When she spotted James dozing by the fire she felt an instant sense of relief, and she leaned against the arm of his chair as Remus stifled a yawn and waved goodnight before heading for the staircase.
"Hi," James said as he blinked in confusion and looked at his watch. "Must've dozed off." He gestured at the detailed Quidditch diagrams littering the table in front of him.
"Does this help you learn the plays faster?" Lily asked, peeling one of the diagrams from his face and experiencing another rush of affection for him.
"That's it," he said, grinning and pulling her down next to him. "It's what all the famous Quidditch players do. It's definitely not that I fell asleep and the parchment stuck to my forehead."
She giggled and relaxed against him, enjoying the closeness of their bodies and the cozy light cast by the fire.
"I almost let on that we know four different times," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Why am I so bad at keeping secrets?"
James laughed and kissed her cheek. "I dunno, but it's bloody adorable."
"But what if he finds out we know, and they split up because of it and it's all my fault?" She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.
"You worry too much," James said, pushing a piece of hair out of her face. "It'll be fine. He has to find out eventually, and it shouldn't make a difference. Seven's a fucking gem, and if he lets her go just because his idiotic friends know they're dating, I'll fold back the pages of every single one of his books."
"Wow, that's a serious threat." She sighed and stood up, then went around the back of the chair and began rubbing James's shoulders.
"You don't have to do that," he protested, but as he turned to face her she could see the relaxation already spreading across his tired face. "I didn't even have practice today."
"I found you asleep in your chair with your head on a Quidditch play diagram," Lily said, digging into a tight knot and smiling as she felt the tension in his muscles ease. "I'd say you could use a shoulder massage."
"You're too good to me, Evans." He sighed and let his eyes drift shut as her hands continued to knead at his muscles.
"Rubbish. You'd do the same for me." She glanced down at the discarded diagrams spread across the table and frowned. "Why are you studying those anyway? Don't you know them all by heart? I'd say if you know them well enough to run them in your head during sex you don't need to spend any more time looking over them, but what do I know, anyway?"
James turned around again to grin at her. "Hey, I don't do that anymore," he said, chuckling before turning his attention back to the diagrams. "I do know them by heart." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We all do, even Kath, and she won't be playing unless something catastrophic happens. I just like to be sure I know them all right before a match, just in case. Especially this one." He hesitated, and for a moment the only sound was the pop of a log in the fire and the soft murmurs of Bubbles and his girlfriend talking quietly on the sofa across the room. "Sirius's brother plays for Slytherin, you know. He pretends he doesn't care, but, well, Gryffindor just has to win, that's all." He glanced back at her, his face drawn into an anxious frown.
"Gryffindor is going to win." She placed her hands on either side of his face and guided him to face front again so she could rub his neck. "You've all been working so hard, and you're always brilliant, so I don't see why this match would be any different." Her hand moved up to his head, and she began running her fingers through his hair. "I didn't know Quidditch Captain James Potter got nervous before a match. It's sweet."
He laughed and reached for her hand, guiding her back to the chair to sit beside him. "Don't tell anyone, though. It'll ruin my reputation as an arrogant toerag." He wrapped his arms around her, and for a few minutes they remained that way, sleepy and warm and content.
"Should we go to bed?" James suggested, but he did not sound eager to leave the warmth of the fire and Lily's embrace.
"I suppose," Lily said, but she made no move to get up. After another minute she spoke again, her voice hesitant and almost shy. "I don't want to sleep without you."
He turned to look at her, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I don't want to sleep without you either. Do you want to…" His voice trailed off and his eyes darted to the staircase.
"I do. If that's okay with you, obviously."
He chuckled and got to his feet, then offered her a hand up. "It's more than okay. Although you should know that Peter snores and sometimes Remus wakes up screaming and half the time Sirius ends up naked even if he goes to bed wearing clothes, so I'd understand if you'd rather not-"
"Don't be stupid, of course I still want to." She allowed James to pull her to her feet and laced her fingers through his. "And apparently I have a toothbrush up there already, so I don't even need to go up to my room as long as you don't mind lending me some clothes to sleep in."
"I can probably do that," James said, and despite the late hour and the weariness that weighed down on him, he looked happier and more at ease than he had all night. "Come on, then."
Thursday, November 3, 1977
"Happy birthday, Black."
Sirius opened his eyes to see Mary propped up in bed beside him. Her curls were tousled and she still wore what Mary considered pajamas, which today consisted of Sirius's old Queen t-shirt and nothing else. The sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtains seemed brighter than usual, and Sirius frowned and tried to peer through the curtains to see the clock on James's bedside table.
"What time is it? How come James isn't shouting at me to get my lazy arse out of bed?" The others had found this to be the most effective method of waking Sirius up during the week other than sitting on him or throwing things at him, both of which could backfire if he managed to locate his wand.
"The others are down at breakfast," she said, smiling and pushing a lock of hair out of her face. "They're going to bring back food for you. James reckoned you'd appreciate not having to put on trousers to eat breakfast."
Sirius grinned, then stifled a yawn. "I do appreciate that. And you stayed behind to keep me company?"
"That's right. And to give you your birthday present."
Sirius raised his eyebrows at her. "Macdonald, this is a strictly no gifts arrangement. It starts with a birthday present, and next thing you know we're holding hands in Madam bloody Puddifoot's, calling each other disgusting pet names and talking about our feelings."
She laughed and shook her head, sending her curls flying. "As far as I can remember, you gave me my leather jacket and that silly hat-"
"It's not silly," Sirius interrupted.
"-both of which are definitely gifts," she continued, ignoring him. "So if anyone's reserving us a table at Madam Puddifoot's, it's you, Black. But there's no need to get all weird about it anyway, because it's not even a proper gift."
He scowled but didn't argue. "Well, what is it, then?"
She didn't answer, but a wicked smile spread across her face as she pulled her hair back and secured it with a hair tie from her wrist before removing her t-shirt and tossing it aside.
Sirius's face broke into a huge grin as he settled back against the pillows. "I fucking love you, Macdonald," he breathed, heaving a sigh of contentment before a look of panic flashed across his face. "Fuck. I didn't.. I only meant…"
She bent to kiss him, and he felt the end of her ponytail tickle his bare chest. "It's okay. I know what you meant. Now stop talking, you knob."
He could still feel his words hovering there, and he still felt a hint of fear tightening his chest, but as she moved further down on the bed and smiled up at him, he exhaled and let the complicated feelings drift away as he enjoyed the unconventional birthday present.
Afterwards Sirius lay sprawled on the bed with his eyes half closed and a lazy, blissful smile on his face. He felt relaxed enough to fall back to sleep, and his eyelids were fluttering shut when he realized Mary was speaking.
"What?"
He turned his head to look at her and saw she was hanging over the side of the bed, rummaging around for something. She pulled herself back up, clutching something in her hand, and grinned when she saw his expression.
"I said, I did get you a proper gift," she said, handing him a small parcel wrapped in newspaper and propping her head on her arm to watch him open it.
"Macdonald, is this wrapped in yesterday's Daily Prophet?" Sirius asked, chuckling as he examined the lumpy, Spellotape-covered package.
"Shut up, I didn't think you were one to care about that sort of thing."
"I'm not, I just hope Evans was finished reading this before you took it, that's all." Sirius pulled himself into a seated position and tore open the package, and his face broke into a wide grin as he held up a black Queen t-shirt. "It's brilliant."
"I got it to-"
"To replace the one you stole, yeah, I figured," Sirius said, his eyes darting to the shirt she had discarded on the floor. "I love it. But how'd you manage to get this? They don't sell Muggle shirts in Hogsmeade."
"Oh, well, I wrote to my mum to ask her to get it for me, but that was a waste of bloody time because she never got back to me." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "So I had to get a bit creative. I ended up writing to that bloke from work who sells me-
"The one you shagged, you mean?" Sirius asked, smirking.
"Sod off."
Sirius glanced sideways at her. "I notice you didn't answer the question."
"I notice you're still an arsehole," she said, grinning and plucking the shirt out of his hands. "I can keep this one too, if you like."
"It's my birthday, Macdonald," Sirius protested, making a grab for the shirt. "There's no being rude to me on my birthday."
She sighed and shook her head. "Anyway, I told him I'd owe him a favor, and he bought the shirt for me and gave it to my mum at the cafe, and she sent it to me."
Sirius raised his eyebrows and nudged her. "What kind of favor? Like the sort of favor you just did for me?"
"Oh, sod you, Black. No, I meant covering a shift for him or something. I only do that if I really like you."
Sirius set down the shirt and looked at her, trying to conceal the rush of joy her words had caused him. Her cheeks flushed as she realized what she had said, and she busied herself with cleaning up the torn newspaper. I only do that if I really like you. Combined with his earlier slipup, her remark gave him a vague feeling that he didn't care to examine. Mary must have had the same thought, because she stood up and glanced at the door.
"Come on," she said. Her tone was breezy, but her gaze was defiant, as if daring him to comment on the implication of her words. "Let's shower before they get back, because if we're naked when they come in, Remus is going to complain, even if it is your birthday."
Sirius got to his feet and followed her to the bathroom, realizing as he did so that balloons filled the entire room. He had to bat them aside to get across the room, and Mary turned back and grinned at him as he sent one bouncing off of her head.
"I told James we didn't need quite so many, but he said we were going big for your birthday," she said, laughing as she sent several balloons bobbing up towards the ceiling.
"That sounds about right," Sirius said, pushing back the balloons to keep them out of the bathroom. Once inside, he let the hot water wash away the complicated emotions and return him to his previous state of relaxed bliss.
When they emerged from the shower wrapped in towels, Mary dressed and began doing her hair, but Sirius lay back down on the bed, in no hurry to put on clothes.
"Today's already been so much better than my last birthday," Sirius said, watching in amusement as Mary dumped what appeared to be half a bottle of Sleekeazy's into her hand and applied it to her damp curls. He reached for the pack of cigarettes on his bedside table and lit one, savoring the first drag and the morning light streaming in through the window and the familiar scent of Mary's hair potion.
"Why?" Mary asked as she flipped her head upside down and scrunched more potion into her hair. "Hang on, you got kicked out of The Three Broomsticks on your last birthday, didn't you?"
Sirius started laughing and had to fumble with the cigarette to avoid dropping it. "I did. Not that I actually remember any of this, but I've been told we got kicked out because I did a somersault off the bar to catch a cherry in my mouth and I knocked over a bloody table or something."
"How have you never told me that before?" Mary asked between peals of laughter. "Merlin, that's such a Sirius Black thing to do."
"Yeah, it was excellent," Sirius said, grinning and taking another drag on his cigarette. "Or, you know, so I'm told. But anyway, I wasn't talking about getting kicked out of The Three Broomsticks. I meant the lovely birthday card Walburga and Orion sent me to inform me I'd been officially disowned and written out of the will, along with the smashed up shards of the watch I was meant to receive as a 17th birthday gift." He frowned and exhaled a long stream of smoke, then turned to Mary. "Is that why they're bringing breakfast up to me? So I don't get another thoughtful birthday correspondence and try to set the whole bloody Great Hall on fire?"
Mary gave her hair one final pat before sitting down next to Sirius on the bed. "Well, I think that might have been a consideration," she admitted.
"I don't think they needed to worry," Sirius said, reaching over to toy with one of Mary's curls before she slapped his hand away. "They won't bloody bother this year. They no longer acknowledge that they ever had another son. I doubt they'll even remember it's my birthday." He noticed the expression on her face and put a hand on her shoulder. "No need to look like that. I honestly don't fucking care. Things are better now."
He thought of his very first morning with the Potters after he had left Grimmauld Place. He had slunk into the kitchen, too hungover to think of an explanation for the cuts and bruises on his face, and dreading the moment Fleamont and Euphemia would look at him with pity in their eyes before telling him he would have to leave. Except that moment never came. Instead, Fleamont handed Sirius a cup of tea and Euphemia asked him for help with her crossword, and they continued having breakfast as if Sirius had always lived there. His mind turned to the many evenings he had spent around the common room fire with his friends, playing Exploding Snap or doing homework or sitting around strumming the ukulele to annoy Remus; or the nights (and mornings, and afternoons) he had spent with Mary in the dormitory or in various secluded spots in the castle; or the affection in James's voice when he had said We're your family now as they had sat together sharing a flask after Sirius's uncle Alphard had died. Things are better now did not even come close to expressing what all these memories meant to Sirius, and yet somehow Mary seemed to understand, because she smiled and nodded.
"Things are better now, aren't they?" She hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Did you really try to set the Great Hall on fire?"
He grinned and shook his head. "Nah, not really, I just lit the parchment and envelope on fire, but it was fully contained. I did also light a cigarette right there at the table, which, if you can believe it, McGonagall did not find amusing."
Mary laughed and shook her head again. "You really are something, Black." She gave him a pointed look. "Do you plan on getting dressed today at all?"
He dropped his cigarette butt into the Butterbeer bottle on the floor by his bed, then stood up and let his towel fall to the floor. "I've never known you to complain about me being naked," he said, smirking as he dug around in his trunk for clothes. He had just enough time to wriggle into a pair of pants and pull his new t-shirt over his head before the door burst open to admit the rest of the group.
"Happy birthday, Pads," James said, setting two plates of food on Sirius's bed before taking a seat on the floor. "Oh, Mum and Dad sent you something, Pete has it."
Peter handed him a letter and a small parcel, then took a seat on James's bed, pushing a balloon out of his way as he did so.
"You look very cheerful for this early in the morning," he remarked.
Lily set down the full carafe of coffee and the two mugs she had been levitating and gave Mary a sly look. "I'd say we have Mary to thank for that. But it's all right, there's no need to tell us all about it, Black. We can use our imagination."
"Here, we brought you a whole plate of just bacon," Remus said, rolling his eyes and handing the plate to Sirius. "Happy birthday, you needy tosser."
"Shut up, you know you love me," Sirius said, sending several balloons in Remus's direction as he shoved half a piece of bacon into his mouth.
"The plate of bacon was Moony's idea," Peter said, grinning.
Once Sirius and Mary finished eating, Sirius stood up and began wandering around the room, checking under beds and inside trunks.
"What're you looking for?" James asked.
"His trousers, probably," Remus said. "I'd check in your own trunk, Padfoot."
"No, I'm not looking for my bloody trousers, I'm looking for my presents," Sirius said, leaning against James's bedpost and looking around at them all. "Macdonald's the only one who's given me anything."
"It's down in the common room," James said, hopping to his feet. "Would you like to go see it?"
"Trousers are required," Remus said, grinning. "Birthday or no birthday, the trousers rule still stands."
"And I'd put on the rest of your uniform if you don't want points docked for dress code," Lily pointed out. "But that's your call, really."
Sirius sighed. "Fine. But I'm wearing the cowboy hat."
When they all filed down the stairs and arrived in the common room, Sirius scanned their usual seats for a gift but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He looked around the rest of the room but found his view obscured by a crowd of Gryffindors gathered by the window.
"What are they all looking at?" he asked, but everyone shrugged, trying and failing to conceal their smug smiles.
Puzzled, Sirius strode across the room and peered over Kath's head to see what the commotion was about, then felt his face break into a huge grin as he realized the younger students were gawking at his birthday gift, a sidecar for his motorbike, stuck all over with red and gold bows
"Do you like it?" Peter asked, hurrying over and eying Sirius anxiously. "It's from all of us."
"Of course I bloody like it, it's brilliant!" Sirius waited for the others to join them before continuing, "How the hell did you manage it?"
"Mum and Dad helped," James said, grinning and admiring the sidecar. "We've had it hidden up in the girls' dormitory for the last couple of days. Do you like the bows? That was my idea."
"The sidecar itself was my idea," Remus said, looking pleased with himself.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Was it?"
"Yup. It's so I don't have to spend any more time pressed up against you the next time you inevitably force me to take a ride on the damn motorbike." He grinned and nodded at Mary. "Mary should be the only one groping you, as far as I'm concerned. I like my personal space, thanks."
"Rubbish. You know you love it," Sirius argued.
"You know, not everyone thinks you're the sexiest thing on the planet," Mary pointed out, casting Remus a sly glance. "I'm pretty sure Remus prefers someone with a Seeker's build."
A flush spread across Remus's cheeks as he glanced sharply at Mary. James suppressed a grin as he raised his eyes at Mary and said, "Are you talking about Rosie Roberts who plays for the Harpies? Because it's Sirius who fancies her, not Remus."
"I don't fancy her, I said I wouldn't mind shagging her," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "There's a difference. And besides, I'm not too keen on her now that she's left the Cannons."
"It's not like she had a choice, Padfoot," James argued. "There was nothing she could do once they decided to trade her."
"I know, but she didn't have to look so pleased about it," Sirius said. "Anyway, that's neither here nor there." He gestured at the sidecar. "Hop in it, Moony," he urged. "I want to see how you look sitting in there."
"I'm not doing that," Remus protested. "You hop in, if you're so keen."
"Moony, it's my birthday, for fuck's sake. Just climb in the damn sidecar, would you?" He fixed Remus with a pointed stare until he sighed and moved past Kath to hoist himself into the sidecar.
"There. You happy?" Remus asked, scowling.
"Moony, you were meant to ride in that sidecar," Sirius said. "You look bloody adorable."
"How did I know you were going to say that?" James said, chuckling.
"You really do, though," Lily said.
"Black, I didn't know you had a motorbike," Kath said, turning around to look at him. "Can you take me for a ride on it?"
"I don't have it here at school, Kath," Sirius said. "Where would I put it? But tell you what, if you're in London this summer, I'll take you out on it, all right?"
Kath nodded, beaming, then jogged off to catch up to her friends.
"Speaking of which, where are we going to keep this?" he asked, frowning.
"I was thinking, we could probably keep storing it in our dormitory," Mary suggested.
"Isn't it in the way?" Sirius eyed the sidecar, which took up a lot of space even in the spacious common room.
"Well, a bit, but we moved my bed up against the wall and sort of wedged the sidecar between my bed and Lily's, and it isn't too bad. Obviously if I want to use my bed it's a bit annoying but…"
She glanced at Sirius, a silent acknowledgment of the fact that she barely slept in her own dormitory anymore. They had never talked about it, yet somehow the occasional night spent in his bed had become more frequent until it was unusual for them not to wake up together. Sirius chose not to think about how natural and right it felt to fall asleep next to her, and how much he felt her absence on the rare nights she slept in her own bed. Like all other complicated emotions, it was better to simply ignore the existence of these thoughts.
Sirius grinned and winked at her. "That's all right, Macdonald, you're always welcome in mine."
"Should we move it up to the dormitory now, do you think?" Lily asked.
"Nah, too much work," James said, shrugging. "It can stay here for now. Should we go to class, then? It'll take us a minute to walk to Herbology."
"Oh, hang on, we almost forgot!" Mary pulled her wand from her pocket and Summoned something. A moment later five hats came whizzing down from the staircase to hover in front of her, and she reached for her own top hat and placed it on her head before handing around hats to everyone else.
"Was this your idea, Macdonald?" Sirius asked, grinning as he watched Lily put on the glittery fedora he had bought her this past summer. "I was just complaining that you two weren't getting enough use out of your hats."
"It was." She gestured at Remus, Peter, and James, who all wore replicas of Sirius's red cowboy hat. "They didn't have any silly hats, so Lily helped me make copies of yours."
"They're charmed to stay on our heads all day," Lily added. "In case teachers try to confiscate them, or if one of us gets tired of looking silly and tries to take it off."
"She's talking about you, Moony," Sirius said, straightening the hat on Remus's head. "Except you all look excellent, not silly. But Head Girl Evans, you realize this means you'll be docked points for dress code, don't you?"
Lily scowled. "Don't call me Head Girl Evans. And yes, obviously I realize that, but it's your birthday and these hats amuse you, so I'm willing to make a sacrifice."
"That's kind of you, Head Girl Evans. All right, let's go see how Sprout likes our hats," he said, leading the way out of the portrait hole and feeling far more cheerful than was typical for a Thursday morning.
Professor Sprout, it turned out, liked their hats so much that she didn't even ask them to take them off. Sirius even convinced her to try his hat on, and she wore it for a good portion of the class until she bent down to retrieve a pair of pruning shears and nearly dropped the hat into a vat of fertilizer. McGonagall, on the other hand, did not find the hats amusing when she spotted them during lunch.
"Happy birthday, Black," she said briskly, then added, "Take those ridiculous things off." She attempted to pluck the hat from James's head and frowned in irritation when she found it would not budge.
"No can do, Professor," James said as he helped himself to pumpkin juice.
"Don't lie, you know you like them," Sirius said. He pulled off his hat and held it out to her. "Would you like to try it on?"
She sighed and waved the hat away. "No, I don't want to try it on."
"But it's my birthday, Professor," he insisted.
"I know it's your birthday," she snapped. "You wrote down all of your birthdays on my desk calendar and charmed them to light up a full week before the actual date. I've had to cover my calendar with a piece of parchment so it doesn't blind my students."
"Well, we wanted you to have enough prior notice," Sirius said, shrugging.
Remus flashed her an apologetic grin and said, "So you can plan for balloons following me around or Sirius covered in wrapping paper tagging along after Peter because his friendship is a gift in itself, or James hopping up on the table to lead the whole Great Hall in singing happy birthday-"
"I've never gotten up on the table before," James said, glancing at the table in front of him with a thoughtful expression on his face.
McGonagall gave a tiny shake of her head and sighed again. "What have you done, Mr. Lupin?" Her eyes fell on Lily. "You too, Miss Evans?"
Lily put a hand on her glittery fedora and nodded. "Afraid so."
"What a shame." She gave them one last lingering look before adding, "Five points from Gryffindor." She strode away towards the staff table, looking back over her shoulder to call, "Have a good birthday, Mr. Black. Don't set anything on fire."
Sirius tipped his hat to her. "Thanks. I'll do my best."
"She must really like you, Black," Mary gave Sirius an appraising look and shook her head. "Only five points for all six of us wearing funny hats? Plus half your buttons are unbuttoned, and what the hell happened to your tie?"
"Oh, it's in here somewhere," Sirius said, gesturing at his bag. "I decided it didn't go with the hat." He intended to say more, but his words were drowned out by James's voice, magically enhanced to be heard over the chatter of the student body.
"Oi!" he shouted from his position on top of the table, and Sirius yanked a goblet out of the way before he could spill pumpkin juice all over Peter's lap. "This is important, so stop stuffing your faces for a minute and listen up! As some of you may know, it's Sirius Black's birthday today, so I'll need you all to join me in singing 'Happy birthday' to him."
"Potter, get down from there!" McGonagall called from the staff table, but James did not seem to be listening.
"Actually, Sirius, get your arse up here too, so everyone can see your handsome face while we serenade you."
James held out a hand, and Sirius allowed himself to be pulled up onto the table, then stood there grinning as James slung an arm around him and began to sing.
After dinner they were gathered in their usual spots in front of the fire, deciding what to do with the rest of the evening, when a familiar, stern voice cut through the common room chatter.
"Black and Potter, could you please explain why there is a sidecar in the common room?"
McGonagall stood in front of their cluster of armchairs with her arms crossed and her lips drawn into a tight line as she gestured over at the sidecar in front of the window.
"Now hang on, Professor," James said, running a hand through his hair. "What makes you think we have anything to do with it?"
"Yeah, for all you know, that could be Peter's sidecar," Sirius pointed out. "Or maybe Evans dragged it up here, or maybe one of the first years? Seems like the sort of thing Ukiluki might do."
She frowned and mouthed Ukiluki, then shook her head and plowed ahead. "There are bows all over it, which leads me to believe it is a birthday present. Since every person at Hogwarts was made aware that today is your birthday, I made the assumption that this sidecar has something to do with you. Now, I repeat, what is this sidecar doing in the common room?"
"How did you find out it was here?" James asked. "Did someone complain about it?" He hopped up on top of his chair and turned to address the common room. "Oi! Who complained to McGonagall about the sidecar? We specifically told you to come to us if any of you had a problem with it and we'd be happy to move it."
"Mr. Potter, get down from there," McGonagall said, shaking her head in exasperation. "You've exhausted your quota of standing on top of things and shouting for the day. Nobody complained about it, I just happened to overhear a first year student boasting to her Hufflepuff friend about how impressive the Gryffindor common room is because it has a motorbike sidecar. Now, this struck me as odd, because as far as I am aware, the Gryffindor common room is not the home to any such sidecar. A sidecar does not belong here, and yet here it is."
"Isn't it excellent?" Sirius said, staring across the room in admiration. "It's my birthday present."
"I've gathered that." She raised her eyebrows and frowned. "Does this mean that someone made the misguided decision to sell you a motorbike?"
"It was hardly misguided, but yes," Sirius said, a note of pride in his voice. "I'll take you for a ride this summer if you're ever in London."
"Don't do it, Professor," Remus advised her. "He drives like a maniac."
"That does not surprise me in the slightest," McGonagall said, and Sirius thought he detected a hint of affection behind her disapproving scowl. "The sidecar cannot remain where it is, so please move it to a suitable location." She hesitated for a moment, studying them. "Should I expect to be woken up by the sound of fireworks tonight? Am I going to have to come back down here to break up some wild party?"
Sirius shook his head. "No fireworks. No party."
She raised her eyebrows. "Are you saving the wild party for Saturday night after we win the match against Slytherin?"
James grinned. "Course we are."
"You should dig out that banner for the match," Sirius added. "You know the one we mean."
A tiny smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but she managed to maintain a neutral expression. "I'll see you tomorrow, and make sure you move that sidecar." She gave them a little wave and bustled across the room and out the portrait hole, muttering under her breath as she went.
"She's probably going to throw her own wild party when we graduate," Lily remarked.
"Nah, she'll miss us," James said, nodding at Sirius. "Don't you think?"
Sirius grinned and nodded. "Definitely." He stood up and glanced at Mary. "Want to help me move that, and then we can all go up to the dormitory and have a nice, quiet birthday celebration?"
A short time later they were gathered up in the boys' dormitory, seated on Sirius's bed or sprawled on the floor. Mary had produced two joints, and the smoke still lingered in the air. For a minute no one spoke, and they all enjoyed the comfortable silence of each others' company as music played in the background.
"What a bloody great birthday," Sirius said as he lay on his bed staring up at the balloons bobbing around above him. "You're not rubbish, as far as friends go."
"Which in Sirius Black speak means 'I love you and thanks for being great friends,'" James said, looking up from his position on the floor. "We love you too, mate."
"Don't put your sentimental sod words in my mouth," Sirius said, batting a balloon at James. "All I meant was, you're all right and it was a good day, that's all." He returned his gaze to the balloons above him and began to sing along with the music.
"Black, who sings this song?" Mary asked from her position beside him. Her curls fanned out across the duvet and she had one leg draped over his. Their hands rested next to each other, and Sirius kept brushing her fingers when he adjusted his position, but of course they were not holding hands, because they weren't that sort of couple. We're not a couple at all, Sirius thought, glancing around in panic to make sure none of them suspected he was having sentimental thoughts.
"What?" He turned to look at her, realizing she was grinning at him, expecting an answer.
"I said, who sings this song?" She reached out and began running her fingers through his hair, and he relaxed into her touch for a moment before his brain registered what she had said.
"Macdonald, you know this song." Her fingers faltered, and he pushed his head against her hand to prompt her to continue.
"Of course I know it, but who sings it?" she insisted.
"It's-" Lily began, but Mary held up her hand to silence her.
"I want Black to tell me," she said.
"Macdonald, if you don't know who sings this song, I don't think we can still be friends," Sirius said, sliding himself around to allow her better access to his hair.
"No, you're supposed to say - oh, never mind." She sighed and rolled onto her side, combing her fingers through his hair and letting the strands fall back into place. "How do you have such nice hair?"
"Quit complimenting his hair, it makes him insufferable," Remus said. He lay on his stomach across James's bed with his chin resting in his hand, and he still wore the red cowboy hat, although it had tilted forward to cover one eye.
"It's my birthday," Sirius said, giving Remus a rude hand gesture without looking up. "I'm allowed to be insufferable."
"Oh!" Peter scrambled to his feet and went to retrieve something from his trunk. "I almost forgot." He returned a moment later carrying a cake which he set down on the bed next to Sirius before returning to the trunk to retrieve plates and silverware.
"Did you make this?" Sirius asked, sitting up to examine the cake. Happy birthday, Padfoot was written in red and gold icing, and underneath was an illustration of Sirius sitting atop his motorbike and wearing the red cowboy hat. "This is the best looking cake I've ever seen."
"Of course you'd say that," Mary said, grinning and peering down at the cake. "It has your face on it."
"I didn't make it," Peter said. "The house elves did. But I'm glad you like it." His eyes were bloodshot and his face was split into a lazy, dreamy smile.
"You sure?" Sirius tilted his head sideways and continued to study the cake. "It has a very Peter Pettigrew look about it, you know?" He glanced around at the others for confirmation. Remus, Lily, and Mary merely shrugged and grinned, but James gave a thoughtful nod.
"I know what you mean," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I know exactly what you mean."
"Well, I don't," Peter said, shaking his head at the pair of them. "I think you're both just stoned. Are you going to cut it, or do you want me to do it?"
"I've got it," Sirius said, reaching for a plate and a knife and cutting a large slice before passing it to Mary. "And Pete, I'm giving you the piece with my face on it. You're welcome."
"Peter, is this bacon on top?" Lily asked after taking a bite of her cake.
"Yeah, it is," Peter said, looking apprehensive. "That was my idea. I thought it would work with the chocolate, but is it too weird?"
"I feel like it should be disgusting, but it definitely works." She dipped her finger into the frosting on her plate and licked it off. "It's brilliant, actually."
"Yeah, this is the best fucking cake I've ever eaten in my entire life," Sirius announced, finishing the last of his slice and licking the remaining frosting from the plate. "Why doesn't every cake have bacon on it?"
After they had finished most of the cake, they sat around laughing about nothing and sharing another joint. Sirius wouldn't have minded staying up longer, but when Remus fell asleep on Peter's shoulder they decided it was time for bed. Lily made a show of getting up to go to her dormitory, but Sirius insisted it was his one birthday wish to have a sleepover with everyone, and she settled into James's bed with only the most feeble protests. Once the rest of them had collapsed into bed, sleepy and full, Sirius lay curled next to Mary listening to the soft breathing and rustling sounds of five other people settling into sleep. A cozy, homy atmosphere of safety and comfort lingered in the dark room, and he sighed, savoring the feeling.
"Black?" Mary whispered, reaching for his hand under the blankets. "You awake?"
He moved his head so his lips rested just next to her ear. "Yeah, are you?"
Although he couldn't see her, somehow he could sense her breaking into a grin. "You're an idiot," she murmured. "Did you have a good birthday?"
He kissed her hair and breathed in the scent of marijuana smoke and Sleekeazy's. "Yeah. It was brilliant." He thought about the six of them strolling across the grounds in their hats, and the look on James's face as he stood on top of the Gryffindor table belting out "Happy Birthday," and the way McGonagall had fought a smile when she had seen the sidecar. Really, brilliant was an understatement. "Thanks, Macdonald," he added, pulling her closer.
"You're welcome," she breathed, nestling into her pillow.
Sirius wanted to say more; he felt the words like a physical presence between them, as if he could reach out and touch them hovering above their entwined bodies. Yet he allowed the moment to float away, letting the warmth of Mary's body against his and the soothing sound of his sleeping friends lull him to sleep.