Sirius stretched lazily in the warm, rich sunlight, his back and head cushioned on the thick and springy grass by the lake. The water glinted in the summer sun, and Sirius screwed up his eyes against the reflected glare.
"Can't see?" Remus's words were soft, and said in an amused, low tone, that spoke of laughter and easy intimacy. His long, strong fingers combed Sirius's dark hair out of his eyes. Sirius grinned back at him, utterly content, as Remus bent forward, hovering above him. Tentatively, Sirius lifted his hand, and placed it against Remus's cheek. His skin was warm, and soft, the faint prickle of the almost-stubble abrasive against his palm. Remus nuzzled into his hand, his scent of soap and clean..Remus smell that was entirely his own, overwhelming Sirius. He half sat up, his other hand balancing him, until they were face to face, Remus's grey eyes steadily looking into his own, their hands pressed together, and with a slight dip of his head, Remus lowered his lips to Sirius's...
Sirius thrashed as he woke violently, his legs entangled in the sheets. He sat up, his back bolt upright in bed, shivering against the pillows, the thick eiderdown fallen to the floor. James, in the bed next to him, murmured, half-lifting his head, a pillow crease marking his cheek.
"Wassamatter?" he slurred, blinking sleepily. "Y'all right, Sirius?"
"Yeah, go back to sleep," Sirius managed, his fingers tight on his sheets, pale. James needed no further encouragement, satisfied that everything was all right, he dropped straight back onto his pillows, and was sound asleep.
Sirius was wide-awake however, panicked. It was a dream. It meant..nothing. He'd simply associated a memory of a summer's day with Remus talking to him the previous day. It was harmless. He didn't...He couldn't... He wasn't... Miserably, he curled up against the post of his bed, and watched the dark of the night fade into the dim, thin light of the morning through the narrow casement window, cold and worried.
At breakfast, his stomach churned rebelliously. He forked at his now cold egg, spilling the yolk until it ran runny yellow over the congealed white. His stomach rolled, and he laid his fork down on the china plate carefully. As he looked up, attempting to catch the conversation, he noticed Remus's small frown, and that the steady grey gaze was focused on him.
"You alright, Sirius, mate?" James said cheerfully, raising his eyebrows. "You look like the living dead."
"So polite, James," Remus drawled, smirking at the black haired boy, who immediately riled at the bait.
"I was only asking!" he protested, running a hand through his hair, shaking it out of his hazel eyes. "And being honest. Because he does, haven't seen Sirius look awful in ages. Be harder to find him a date for the Ball if he looks trashed," he added, thoughtfully. "Unless we get one who likes the tortured poet look. Is that what you're up to, Sirius? Writing poetry late into the night?" he grinned.
"I don't think Sirius is quite that far gone," Peter observed, "Unlike someone else we know." He looked pointedly at James, and cleared his throat. "Oh slender neck, and clear white skin, oh eyes of emerald green, such luscious hair of ruby red, like sunset, I would wean'." He rolled his eyes, a split second before the plates went flying as James made a grab for the small boy, who was snorting with laughter.
"You read my bloody..!" James howled, trying to haul Peter –over- the tabletop, and yank his hair off his head. With a small sigh, and a look of exchange, Remus and Sirius waded in to save Peter from James's wrath...and bad poetry...
"Right," James said, with determination – and rather lopsided glasses now after the small brush with Peter that morning – "This is it." He sounded almost hopeful, looking at the others, who were faintly bored. They'd been here before.
"I'm going to ask her," he clarified, looking for some hint that they gauged the seriousness of the situation. Remus, Sirius and Peter looked at one another.
"And...?" Peter ventured, on behalf of the other two. James glared at him. "It's important! This is my only chance, if she won't go with me now.." He cast a worried look in the mirror once again, and twitched the collar of his robes into place, then adjusted his 'Quidditch Captain' badge into more prominent position.
"You're meeting her in the corridor," Remus said quietly, "At lunchtime. And you're nervous about your appearance? You'd better not –eat-, James, or those gravy-stains will give Lily the impression that you're a messy eater." He glanced at his nails, with a small smile. "Not of course, that you are."
"Shut up," James snapped, watching the red-haired girl step out of her Charms class, still talking with Professor Flitwick, and began to walk very quickly down the corridor, trying to catch up with the girl. He tapped her on the shoulder, Sirius, Remus and Peter waiting, with somewhat baited breath at the entertainment unfolding before them.
"Lily," James said, nervously, and then tried to correct his voice. He shouldn't sound nervous, or she'd realize. Lily stopped, and sighed as she saw who it was.
"Potter," she folded her arms, her green eyes showing irritableness. "What is it?"
James cleared his throat, then shoved his hands in his pockets, for want of anything he could think of to do with them. "Lily," he said again, with a touch of desperation, "Would you, please, accompany me to the Ball?" He looked up at her hopefully, sending her the pleading expression he'd spent ages cultivating.
"Why?" Lily asked, a tinge of exasperation in her own voice. "Why is it me who has become the object of your dubious affections, Potter? Why is it whenever I look around, you're following me?" She folded her arms again, blinking. "If it's not some effort to impress me, it's an attack on someone else. I don't want to go out with someone who is vain, shallow and arrogant. I don't want to go out with someone who doesn't appear to have a clue what I want. I don't even think you want me, James. I'm just the only one who doesn't fall into your lap." Silently now, Lily turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing in the corridor. She left James, wordless in her wake.
Sirius, Remus and Peter paused, in shocked silence. That had been...unexpected.
"Well, I think this qualifies as an 'Oh bugger' moment," Peter said, feelingly.
A/N: So there was a small amount of slash there for those anxiously awaiting the resolution of this – may I tell you all, it's gonna be a while, but I'll keep sending you teasers – and Lily finally managed to stun James into silence.
Next chapter – a bitter Potter and company take revenge on Snivellus, and yes, the arrival of Sirius's father.