DISCLAIMER – Not mine, none of it. Well, except if I make a mistake, then it's mine, but other than that, it's all HERS.

ROMANCE FROM EVERY QUARTER

Sirius leant against the wall and pretended he wasn't in the least bit nervous. It wouldn't do for any first year to see SIRIUS BLACK being nervous. It wouldn't do for ANYONE to see him being nervous.

Besides Moony. Moony could see him nervous, if he really wanted to.

But in truth, Sirius was figuratively shaking in his boots.

Figuratively, because boots were SO not in this season.

He wasn't nervous, really. Sirius decided, he was more...dramatically apprehensive.

He may be the school's most confident teenager, but he had never actually ACTED before.

But here he was, rereading his lines before going into that room to audition for the part of Tom.

Why was he auditioning for a role that would include a lot of acting?

Well...he didn't rightly know himself.

Maybe it was because he had read the script and quickly realized that the role of Tom was made for him, because he WAS Tom.

Or maybe it was because Remus would be playing Phillip.

That was as a disturbing thought as it was a comforting one.

It depended on how you looked at it, really. There were three sides to examine it, Sirius decided.

On the one hand, it was good that Remus would be playing the other half of the couple, because probably the other person he would be acting opposite was Snivellus Snape, and Sirius could think of nothing worse.

But then, on the second hand, was it right for him to want to spend so much time with another male, even if it was his best friend?

On the third hand, it was perfectly normal for friends to spend time together, wasn't it? Besides, he'd be saving REMUS from playing alongside Snape as well.

So that was really four hands, Sirius thought in confused agitation, before the door burst open and the Head Boy David strode out, looking decidedly harried.

"Black!" He called sharply. "Sirius Black!"

Sirius stood up quickly. The way David looked, if he didn't show himself soon, he was going to miss his opportunity.

"Hey, David." He said casually, flashing a smile. "You look tired."

David flashed a grateful but miffed look.

"You have no idea." He said with feeling, and let Sirius inside the hall.

There he was confronted with the sight of Dumbledore, Annette and McGonogall sitting dominatingly on a long, thin table in the middle of the hall.

David followed Sirius into the hall and took his seat beside Annette.

"Soooo." David said, leaning back in his seat. "You intend to play the part of Tom, do you?"

Sirius nodded and grinned.

"Uh huh."

"Well, let's get right into it, then." Professor McGonogal cut in briskly. "Annette will read the lines of your partner, Phillip. Are you ready?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sirius grinned disarmingly.

"This is Act 3 Scene 6." Annette began. "Ah, Tom! There you are! I've been looking for you."

"Really Phillip?" Sirius asked, looking up suddenly, and talking to any imaginary Remus ... er Phillip. "Why would you be searching for lil'ole me?"

"Because," Annette replied. "I need you."

Sirius quirked up an eyebrow, and fixed Annette/Remus/Phillip with a look.

"Really? And what kind of need would that be?"

"My broom is malfunctioning." Annette intoned. "You're the only person I know who can make it rise."

"Having problems making your broom rise, are you?" Sirius mused, rubbing his chin. "Well, that sounds serious."

If Sirius didn't know that Annette was acting, he would swear she was blushing.

All in all, Remus thought, the audition went very well.

Dumbledore had smiled merrily as he had left, and said he had a good chance of getting the part.

But then...Dumbledore always grinned merrily, and his only competition WAS Severus, so he had half a chance. 50/50. That wasn't bad.

It all came down to the image they were looking to present. If they wanted a sleazy, oily character, they would cast Severus, but if they wanted the sweeter, nice, clean character, which could carry off insinuation well, then they would cast Remus.

Walking past the Great Hall later on that day, Remus was astonished to find himself almost running straight into Sirius. He was entirely too close to him, and close proximity was not a good thing, when Sirius was concerned.

Well, it was, if you looked at it from the other way.

Which I'm not going to do! Remus reprimanded himself.

"Sirius!" He said heartily, perhaps too heartily, as Sirius looked decided flustered. "What are you doing?"

Was that...was Sirius Black ... BLUSHING?

"Er...nothing." Sirius said. "I was just...I was going...to the library!" He covered, catching sight of Remus's book bag.

Remus raised an eyebrow.

"YOU'RE going to the library? Sirius, when have you ever willingly gone to the library?"

"Er...since...since...since I remembered that we're Seventh years now, we're allowed in the Restricted Section!" He said triumphantly.

Yes, that sounded like Sirius. Remus thought fondly.

"Well, come on then." He said, hoisting the bag on his shoulder, and heading off in the direction of the library. "You can do that while I do my Arithmancy homework."

Sirius grimaced inwardly, and found himself following Remus down the relatively unknown corridor towards the Library.

But there was an upside to being stuck in the library.

Two upsides, in fact.

Both beginning with R.

Remus and Restricted Section.

I did not just think of Remus as an upside. Sirius admonished. And I did NOT, I repeat, NOT just think in such a corny one liner. If this is what the play is going to do to me, I am not playing the part. Oh, god, there I go again.

"Do you think you'll get the part?" He asked Remus, to bring his thoughts away from his disturbing one liner thoughts. Dammit!

"I don't know." Remus said honestly, frowning.

Oh, great, now I've made him frown. Sirius thought.

"Oh, sure you will, Moony!" He said boisterously. "I don't know anyone who was better for the part."

Remus looked slyly at him.

"You think I play the part of a homosexual in love with his best friend very well?"

Oh dammit.

"Er...that's not what I meant." Sirius fumbled. Then realized Remus was taking the mikky out of him. "Oi, you!"

He cuffed his friend over the head, and hastily bewitched his book bag to rip spontaneously every time Remus healed the tear.

Life was good.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Pants heavily There. I did it. That was written especially because I got so many reviews!!! I couldn't believe it. I didn't think I would get so many when I started writing slash. In fact...I think, in the short time this has been up, that I've had more reviews on this than my other, THANKS SO MUCH! I got onto hotmail from school, and I'm going around showing people my reviews. They were quite amused, because usually I'm very quiet. Say, for the record, was McGonogall even a Professor at school the same time as the Marauder's? Anyway, I'm HOPING that my chapters have managed to ort themselves out, and I think that chapters one and two are the same, but I can't do anything about that now...can I? Anyway, review responses! (Because I have reviews to respond to!)

HETERA – I know! I can't understand the weird chapter thing, but I think it's fixed. Thanks for reviewing!

SAMMYBLACK80 – I'm glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!

BLACKPAWS22 – Lol, that good is it? Glad you think it's good. Thanks for reviewing!

MORBID – Very interesting name! Thanks for your review!

ANGELOFSOUL – Sorry about the thoughts in italics thing. Usually I do that, but for some crazy reason, whenever I use italics, it doesn't show up in fanfiction format. Oh, well, I tried again this time, and I'll try saving it as a HTML document. Thanks for your review!

LILASTAR – I am so honoured that you read my story! No, seriously, 'cos I think "It don't mean a thing" is THE best story in THE entire world! I swear it's my favourite fanfic full stop. And your Remus is exactly the way I think Remus should be, and if that's you, then you're Remus! Does that make sense? Anyway, thanks SO much for reading!

IVY CRANE – Oh, my, do you know how much your name made me laugh? I don't know if it's your name (so sorry if it is!) or if it's the same Ivy Crane I'm thinking of, but oh gosh it cracked me up. It reminds me of Ivy Crane from this crazy tv show Passions, sorry, I had to say that! Thanks SOOO much for reviewing!

QUICK-FIX – I'm so glad you like the second chapter as well! Ugh, can you imagine Severus as Tom? It would be so weird. Anyway, sorry if I sounded like I was angry with you before. You're right, it probably was kind of hypocritical, but I didn't see that the first time. Thanks so much for reviewing!

AFFECTED MANGO – Very interesting name! Why'd I update twice? I have no idea what happened, seriously. Something crazy happened with the fanfic, and updating and stuff, so I don't know. Thanks for reviewing! It's your review that made me update, did you know? Thanks!