Chapter 5 - My Pink Valentine
Finally back in their own dorm - still no trace of James and Peter -, Sirius heeded to the words of the Grey Lady, for he never doubted the voice they'd heard had been hers. In his right pocket, he felt a piece of thin, crumpled cardboard. Taking it out of his pocket, he recognized the pink Valentine card from this morning. Amidst all the excitement about James and his adventure with the ghosts later on, he'd forgotten all about it.
"Sirius," Remus said carefully, "I..."
But Sirius had already opened the card, and gazed with wonder at its contents. There stood, in nicely printed letters, only two words, but an entire letter couldn't have conveyed more to the boy, for the two words read as a single name he'd most hoped but never expected to read on his card. 'Remus Lupin'
After a second or so, he sheepily looked up at his friend.
"I know you haven't tampered with it, so I'm sorry I suspected you earlier. It's just..."
Sirius nodded with understanding. "You thought it was all another prank on my part to unsettle you."
"Stupid of me, really. And I know it doesn't mean anything, I mean, we're all four of us the best-matched friends I think Hogwart's has ever seen, but..."
Remus trailed off, and Sirius searched the face of his friend for a sign of something he wished desperately to find.
"It could," he finally said carefully, his eyes never leaving his friend's. "Mean something, I mean. If you want it to."
"Do... would you?"
Sirius waited for a long moment, but he found only acceptance in Remus' eyes, and... something else, something akin maybe to his own vigilantly guarded longing.
"I would," he smiled.
"As would I," Remus answered, and there really was no need for any other words as their lips finally met in an awkward, tentative first kiss.
There's no knowing where this would have lead to, but just at that moment Remus' keen ears could make out the steps on the stairs leading to their dorm, and remorsefully broke away from Sirius. They would tell their friends about this newest development, of course, but for now it seemed to be something so new and precious that they wanted to keep it to themselves just a little longer.
So, when James and shortly after him Peter came into the room - it was near bedtime already - they found their two friends calmly lying on Sirius' bed on their belly's, going over homework together.
Much excitement ensued afterwards. There was, of course, James' detailed and very happy recounting of his evening with Lily, which had (of course, his friends all thought with some exasperation) turned out to be a full-blown success. There was also, a little less excited but nevertheless happy, Peter's evening with Melissa, who had - much to his own amazement - never even mentioned James.
And as is way when such tales are recounted, time flew past quickly, and soon all four of them felt quite tired and finally went to their own beds yawning, though not before a secret look of promise was shared between Sirius and Remus.
***
A/N: And this, gentlebeings, is where I could leave you. If you've enjoyed the story, or (almost more importantly) if you thought there was something I could have managed better, I'd appreciate a review. There is more to this story, and part of it posted here, but it inevidably leads to a censored NC-17 scene which you will have to request by email if you would like to read it, so continue at your own discretion.
Finally back in their own dorm - still no trace of James and Peter -, Sirius heeded to the words of the Grey Lady, for he never doubted the voice they'd heard had been hers. In his right pocket, he felt a piece of thin, crumpled cardboard. Taking it out of his pocket, he recognized the pink Valentine card from this morning. Amidst all the excitement about James and his adventure with the ghosts later on, he'd forgotten all about it.
"Sirius," Remus said carefully, "I..."
But Sirius had already opened the card, and gazed with wonder at its contents. There stood, in nicely printed letters, only two words, but an entire letter couldn't have conveyed more to the boy, for the two words read as a single name he'd most hoped but never expected to read on his card. 'Remus Lupin'
After a second or so, he sheepily looked up at his friend.
"I know you haven't tampered with it, so I'm sorry I suspected you earlier. It's just..."
Sirius nodded with understanding. "You thought it was all another prank on my part to unsettle you."
"Stupid of me, really. And I know it doesn't mean anything, I mean, we're all four of us the best-matched friends I think Hogwart's has ever seen, but..."
Remus trailed off, and Sirius searched the face of his friend for a sign of something he wished desperately to find.
"It could," he finally said carefully, his eyes never leaving his friend's. "Mean something, I mean. If you want it to."
"Do... would you?"
Sirius waited for a long moment, but he found only acceptance in Remus' eyes, and... something else, something akin maybe to his own vigilantly guarded longing.
"I would," he smiled.
"As would I," Remus answered, and there really was no need for any other words as their lips finally met in an awkward, tentative first kiss.
There's no knowing where this would have lead to, but just at that moment Remus' keen ears could make out the steps on the stairs leading to their dorm, and remorsefully broke away from Sirius. They would tell their friends about this newest development, of course, but for now it seemed to be something so new and precious that they wanted to keep it to themselves just a little longer.
So, when James and shortly after him Peter came into the room - it was near bedtime already - they found their two friends calmly lying on Sirius' bed on their belly's, going over homework together.
Much excitement ensued afterwards. There was, of course, James' detailed and very happy recounting of his evening with Lily, which had (of course, his friends all thought with some exasperation) turned out to be a full-blown success. There was also, a little less excited but nevertheless happy, Peter's evening with Melissa, who had - much to his own amazement - never even mentioned James.
And as is way when such tales are recounted, time flew past quickly, and soon all four of them felt quite tired and finally went to their own beds yawning, though not before a secret look of promise was shared between Sirius and Remus.
***
A/N: And this, gentlebeings, is where I could leave you. If you've enjoyed the story, or (almost more importantly) if you thought there was something I could have managed better, I'd appreciate a review. There is more to this story, and part of it posted here, but it inevidably leads to a censored NC-17 scene which you will have to request by email if you would like to read it, so continue at your own discretion.