Blind Date
By weasleywheezes

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I thought about it, and I've decided it is indeed not fair to leave the readers hanging on Remus' realization without knowing how Sirius feels. So the story continues...

Saturday morning, Messrs. Prongs, Wormtail and Padfoot sat in the common room, waiting for their friend Moony to join them for breakfast. Wormtail had told the other two friends that he had encountered Lupin running up to the dormitory, flushed and sweating.

"Overbite put out for him?" James asked incredulously.

"I doubt Remus would have taken her up on it," Sirius replied sagely.

"Think about it." James, crestfallen, nodded his agreement.

Peter snickered. "But what if she attacked him?"

"Well, we'll see if there's any bite marks on his neck when he comes down for breakfast," James said.

The trio sat, patiently waiting for a half hour. Peter hummed to himself while James and Sirius continued an old game of wizard's chess. "So, do you think he's got bite marks on him?" James asked.

"Well, I glanced over at him this morning when I got out of bed," Sirius said. "He was still wearing the sweater I let him borrow. I don't think he got out of those clothes last night."

"Well, could it be he's hiding something?" James quizzed.

"Maybe. Or maybe he was just really tired and crashed before taking his clothes off."

Peter's voice echoed off the walls. "You guys, I'm hungry..."

"Stuff it, Wormtail," Sirius barked. "We're talking about more important matters right now."

James stifled a giggle. "Since when was Remus' love life a serious matter?"

"Since you've decided to set him up on these bloody ridiculous blind dates!"

They sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, Peter stood up. "C'mon, guys. We've got to get some food. I'm dying!"

James stood, also. "My stomach is growling. I've got to get some toast at least. Let's go, Peter. Sirius, are you staying here?"

"Yeah. Yeah, someone's got to wait for Remus' ass."

James laughed as he and Peter walked out of the room, chattering to the Fat Lady as the door swung shut. Sirius sat in the wingback chair in front of the fireplace, waiting until Remus appeared from the bedroom. Fifteen minutes crept by until finally Remus appeared, dressed in a ratty pair of trousers and a threadbare pullover.

"Good morning, loverboy," Sirius said quietly.

"'lo, Padfoot."

"How was your date?"

"Eh...em...it was a date."

Sirius rounded on his friend, blocking his path to the door. "Remus, you've been dodging us. What the bloody hell happened to you last night?"

Remus diverted his eyes to the floor. The last thing he wanted to do was look Sirius in those mysterious gray eyes. "We did date stuff. Walked around the grounds, ate some candy, sat in the garden, talked. You know, date things."

"Doesn't sound like you had a good time, mate."

Remus continued to stare at the floor. "I didn't."

"I told James it was stupid. I told him not to do it," Sirius said angrily. "Sometimes he's too headstrong for his own good, that one."

"Come off it, Sirius. You're one to talk about being headstrong. He meant well. I can't blame him for that."

"I can," Sirius scoffed. "Someone has to look out for you, Moony. You certainly can't do it alone."

Remus nodded, looked up and caught Sirius' stare. Those gray eyes twinkled slightly and it gave Remus butterflies in his stomach. God, why did he have to be so damn good-looking? "It was..." he sighed. "It was truly dreadful."

"Why didn't you just say so?" Sirius asked.

"Because...it's not as simple as that. Because I kissed her."

"You've kissed Sarah Underwood?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"What happened?" he asked, genuinely inquisitive.

"I...erm...I kissed her."

"Yes, I know this, Moony," Sirius said impatiently. "What else?"

"She was just sitting there, looking sad and pathetic, her hands cupped over mine. I couldn't get away. So I kissed her. But it was horrible. It was like kissing a block of ice."

"Oh, really?" Sirius let out a sharp bark of laughter. "What else? I know there's something else."

"I thought about someone."

"Really?" Sirius' eyebrow arched, and he smiled broadly. "So, a heart beats under that wolfish exterior, aye?"

Remus smiled shyly. "Yeah, I suppose it does."

Silence. Sirius stared at Remus for a few moments, waiting for him to divulge his secret. Finally, he spoke. "Well, who was it?"

Remus flushed. "I can't tell you, Sirius."

"Why not? We tell each other everything! Is it someone we know?"

"I can't tell you."

Sirius frowned. "Lupin... are you going to play this game with me? You have to tell me. You have to. I'll find out eventually. You know I will. I know you better than you know yourself."

Remus shook his head no. "I can't, Sirius. I just can't."

Sirius stood for a moment, his hand on Remus' shoulder, his face screwed up in thought. "My god, Lily Evans!"

"No!" Remus said quickly. "No, no, no. Oh, no. Not Lily. Definitely not Lily."

"Remus doth protest too much! My god, you sicko. Lily! That's James' girl and you know it!"

"God, no! I wouldn't...couldn't... it's not Lily."

"You've probably been waiting for the right moment to pounce on her and steal her away!"

Remus drew back, a look of horror on his face. "No! I could never do that to James."

Sirius smiled, let out one of his barking laughs. "I knew it wasn't Lily. I was just yanking your chain. Merlin, Remus, don't be so serious all the time."

If you only knew how Sirius this was... Remus thought to himself. "Yeah. Right," he laughed nervously.

"Remus, I'll find out, if I have to drag it out of you. You do know that you talk in your sleep, don't you?" Remus regained that horrified expression as Sirius laughed at him. "Lighten up, Moony! I'm kidding with you again. You haven't had a decent sense of humour since you were made Prefect." Sirius eyed him strangely, and then said seriously, "I worry about you sometimes, my friend."

Remus swallowed, partly out of habit and partly out of fear, but there was little moisture in his throat. "Just leave it."

"Are you hungry, Remus? Because Peter and James have already gone down to the meal. They couldn't wait any longer. Twits," Sirius smiled at Remus, walking over towards him. "I waited for you. Proves what kind of a guy I am."

Remus smiled. "That was really nice of you, Sirius. Really."

"Hey," Sirius said, draping his arm around Remus' shoulder, "anything for a friend."

Remus smiled, but he felt like vomiting. Sirius still had no idea. His secret was safe, but it killed him inside to keep it that way. Anything for a friend. Oh, this was going to be much harder than he could have planned.