III. TOO QUICK TO BE SEEN
Potions, as usual, was horrid. Sirius chopped a mandrake root gingerly. James watched him. "You're chopping it too fine," he said.
"Why don't you do it then?" snapped Sirius. His forehead dripped sweat. Lupin, his face flushed from the heat of the dungeon, looked over.
"Calm down, Sirius. What's wrong?" he said, soothing the restless boy with his voice. James's eyes clouded with his now-endless confusion of the relationship between Sirius and Lupin.
"I'm nervous," Sirius said.
"Really?" James quipped.
"Why?" Remus asked.
"Why do you think?" said Sirius, panicking.
"Is there something I need to know?" James said.
"Shut up, James!" Sirius cried.
"Mr. Black!" the Professor said called. "Will you keep your exclamations to yourself?"
"Sorry, sir," Sirius mumbled.
"James," Lupin said, "do you like me?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"Just as a friend?"
"Of course. What do you mean?"
"Well, I like Sirius. As more than a friend. And he likes me, too," Remus whispered. "Just thought you should know."
***
Sirius pulled back the curtain to Remus's bed. "Can't sleep," he told the werewolf.
"Come here," Lupin said, opening his sheets. "Lie with me."
Sirius slipped into his arms. "How did I get so lucky as to have you?"
"You didn't have to be lucky," Remus whispered into Sirius's neck. Sirius turned his face to meet Lupin's; they kissed slowly, tenderly, as if it was the first time.
Sirius kneaded Remus's flesh. Lupin, in turn, bit and kissed his lover. The night passed in rosy flashes, until early morning, when Sirius crawled back into his own bed. He slept until breakfast.
***
Peter sipped his pumpkin juice suspiciously. Sirius and Lupin had been acting strange lately; he didn't know exactly why, but they always seemed to have something to say to each other, or another exclusive joke. The air around them seemed charged, as if lightning flashed between the pair. James knew why; James's quiet discomfort at being left out of the sudden bonding had eased.
Peter woke from his thought as James said, "So, ready for McGonagall this afternoon?"
"I'm never ready," Sirius said, pausing. "For her, at least."
Remus smiled.
James blushed and ran his fingers through his hair as Lily Evans walked by. He regained his usual smug calm and called out, "Morning, Evans!" She did not seen to take notice, only shook her head briefly, causing her auburn hair to shimmer.
"Well, she likes you well enough," Sirius said sarcastically.
"Don't be cheeky," Remus said. Sirius promptly laughed.
"I'll be cheeky with whom I want."
"Is that so?"
"Why don't both of you shut up?" James said, grumbling. "I've been after Evans for this whole year. Why hasn't she noticed?"
"Maybe she has," Sirius said, "and she just doesn't want to put up with you as a boyfriend."
"Sirius," Remus chided.
"I'm going to the library," Peter said. "See you later."
"Bye," the three said.
As Peter walked away, Remus bit into his bacon sandwich and said, "What's his problem?"
"Dunno," James said. He added in an undertone, "Have you guys told him yet?"
"No," Sirius said.
"Then that's it," James said.
"What do you mean?
"Well, if you're around the two of you a lot, which he is, you notice it."
"We don't do anything in public," Sirius said, slightly offended.
"We do," Remus said. "You look at me, don't you? And we love each other...it's obvious when two people are in love. You all right, James?"
James looked up. "No. It's weird," he whispered. "But I'm getting used to it. The two of you make sense. It's natural, I suppose, to think of you two together. But it's still weird."
Sirius smiled at Remus and quickly darted his fingers against Lupin's thigh, too quick, he thought, to be noticed by anyone else.
Unless you were Severus Snape, three tables over, who had been watching this Sirius-Remus spectacle since the beginning of breakfast.
Potions, as usual, was horrid. Sirius chopped a mandrake root gingerly. James watched him. "You're chopping it too fine," he said.
"Why don't you do it then?" snapped Sirius. His forehead dripped sweat. Lupin, his face flushed from the heat of the dungeon, looked over.
"Calm down, Sirius. What's wrong?" he said, soothing the restless boy with his voice. James's eyes clouded with his now-endless confusion of the relationship between Sirius and Lupin.
"I'm nervous," Sirius said.
"Really?" James quipped.
"Why?" Remus asked.
"Why do you think?" said Sirius, panicking.
"Is there something I need to know?" James said.
"Shut up, James!" Sirius cried.
"Mr. Black!" the Professor said called. "Will you keep your exclamations to yourself?"
"Sorry, sir," Sirius mumbled.
"James," Lupin said, "do you like me?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"Just as a friend?"
"Of course. What do you mean?"
"Well, I like Sirius. As more than a friend. And he likes me, too," Remus whispered. "Just thought you should know."
***
Sirius pulled back the curtain to Remus's bed. "Can't sleep," he told the werewolf.
"Come here," Lupin said, opening his sheets. "Lie with me."
Sirius slipped into his arms. "How did I get so lucky as to have you?"
"You didn't have to be lucky," Remus whispered into Sirius's neck. Sirius turned his face to meet Lupin's; they kissed slowly, tenderly, as if it was the first time.
Sirius kneaded Remus's flesh. Lupin, in turn, bit and kissed his lover. The night passed in rosy flashes, until early morning, when Sirius crawled back into his own bed. He slept until breakfast.
***
Peter sipped his pumpkin juice suspiciously. Sirius and Lupin had been acting strange lately; he didn't know exactly why, but they always seemed to have something to say to each other, or another exclusive joke. The air around them seemed charged, as if lightning flashed between the pair. James knew why; James's quiet discomfort at being left out of the sudden bonding had eased.
Peter woke from his thought as James said, "So, ready for McGonagall this afternoon?"
"I'm never ready," Sirius said, pausing. "For her, at least."
Remus smiled.
James blushed and ran his fingers through his hair as Lily Evans walked by. He regained his usual smug calm and called out, "Morning, Evans!" She did not seen to take notice, only shook her head briefly, causing her auburn hair to shimmer.
"Well, she likes you well enough," Sirius said sarcastically.
"Don't be cheeky," Remus said. Sirius promptly laughed.
"I'll be cheeky with whom I want."
"Is that so?"
"Why don't both of you shut up?" James said, grumbling. "I've been after Evans for this whole year. Why hasn't she noticed?"
"Maybe she has," Sirius said, "and she just doesn't want to put up with you as a boyfriend."
"Sirius," Remus chided.
"I'm going to the library," Peter said. "See you later."
"Bye," the three said.
As Peter walked away, Remus bit into his bacon sandwich and said, "What's his problem?"
"Dunno," James said. He added in an undertone, "Have you guys told him yet?"
"No," Sirius said.
"Then that's it," James said.
"What do you mean?
"Well, if you're around the two of you a lot, which he is, you notice it."
"We don't do anything in public," Sirius said, slightly offended.
"We do," Remus said. "You look at me, don't you? And we love each other...it's obvious when two people are in love. You all right, James?"
James looked up. "No. It's weird," he whispered. "But I'm getting used to it. The two of you make sense. It's natural, I suppose, to think of you two together. But it's still weird."
Sirius smiled at Remus and quickly darted his fingers against Lupin's thigh, too quick, he thought, to be noticed by anyone else.
Unless you were Severus Snape, three tables over, who had been watching this Sirius-Remus spectacle since the beginning of breakfast.