Disclaimer:I don't own the Harry Potter characters. I never will! Everyone belongs to J.K. Rowling, except for Peter's girlfriend Grace. I'm pleased to say I own her.
Glitter, Spice, and Everything Nice
Chapter 4 - The Random Chapter
Regulus Black had a reputation among his fellow Slytherins. Normally, the Slytherins regarded him with respect and awe, even among the sixth and seventh years. This was because Regulus was the favoured son of the Black family, easily the most aristocratic and proud pure-blooded family throughout all of Britain. They loved his practise of ridiculing Muggle-borns and half-bloods - 'Mudbloods', if you will - and eagerly joined him in taunting everyone with Muggle ancestry who resided within Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw.
But this new reputation was a reputation Regulus could have done without. He was, as he had correctly predicted, now known as the 'brother of the Gryffindor cross-dresser'.
"As if it isn't bad enough that he's a pouf!" he wailed in despair to Severus Snape. "He's a cross-dressing, make-up-wearing pouf!"
Snape merely shook his head and concentrated on his essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts. "So he's a blinking fruit. He's been that way since he was your age."
Regulus nearly choked on the Ice Mice he was eating. "Since he was my age? That's disgusting!" He looked panicked. "Dear Lord, Severus, why didn't you ever say anything! The house is probably infested with his cootie germs!"
Snape rolled his eyes to think there was still a thirteen-year-old on the planet who worried about 'cootie germs'. But then again, Regulus also had an irrational fear of dogs, and that was a tad ridiculous too - at least in Snape's opinion. "I wouldn't worry about it," he said mildly, sifting through his notes. "Have the house-elf burn his bed."
Regulus was silent for a moment, probably making a mental note to write to his mother and have the bed burned. Silence reigned in the gloomy common room as Snape scribbled and Regulus stared into the fireplace, his chin in his hands.
"Say, have you kept in contact with Lucius lately?" Regulus finally asked, blinking rapidly and turning to Snape.
Snape kept his face neutral. "He's getting married, I hear. To your cousin Narcissa." He didn't mention how much that idea pained him.
"You and Lucius were friends, weren't you?"
"He was in his sixth year when I arrived here," Snape said stiffly. "We had a passing acquaintance, not a deep friendship." 'Friends' hardly described their relationship. But he wasn't about to go into something as complicated as that story, especially not when his audience was a rather immature thirteen-year-old. "Can we discuss something else?"
Regulus' grey-blue eyes narrowed a bit, as if realising Snape was hiding something from him; but he didn't say a word. "Sure. How's the essay going?"
"Decent," Snape sighed. "I'm almost done."
"You know, I saw you looking at Remus Lupin the other day."
Snape growled. This was not the exact change of topic he had had in mind. "So what?"
"Not just looking. Staring, more like. What's wrong? Have you got the hots for him now?"
"What do you mean, now?" Snape asked testily.
Regulus held up his hands. "Nothing. I just thought... well, you never really fancied him before, did you?"
"Fancied?" Snape let out a derisive snort. "Far from it. Now can I please finish this?"
"Fine." Regulus leaned over and fished his own homework out of his bag, brushing his longish raven hair out of his eyes. He could tell there was something Snape wasn't telling him. A rather large something. He wasn't being completely honest about his relationship with Lucius, or his feelings about Lupin. But trying to get him to talk about it would be more difficult than trying to force a hippogriff into a pair of frilly knickers.
With a sigh, Sirius' younger brother began to work on his "List Three Ways To Recognise The Crup" essay.
At the same time, a meeting of the minds was taking place in the prefects' lounge. Remus was sitting in an overstuffed chair, talking with Janet Green, one of the Hufflepuff prefects. James and Lily, who had been announced as Head Boy and Girl at the beginning of the year, were shuffling through some papers and talking softly. Remus watched them from the corner of his eye, smiling slightly to see how much better they were getting along. He hadn't the slightest idea why Lily had thawed to James the way she had; he could only assume something had happened that neither of them wished to share.
Janet attracted his attention by commenting, "I bet Sirius is as mad as hell that he's not here."
"That's a bet you'd win," Remus smiled at her. Sirius had bemoaned the fact that his best mate was Head Boy; he had positively whined over his boyfriend's appointment as prefect for the third year in a row; and he had very nearly thrown a tantrum when he realised his best mate and his boyfriend were privy to all kinds of information about goings-on at the school. Sirius hated to be left out of things, no matter how obscure.
"He looked so good on Saturday," Janet said dreamily. "You're so lucky, Remus."
"Er - thanks," Remus said awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. He had been receiving complements on how good his lover looked ever since the embarrassing charade, and still didn't know what he was supposed to tell them. The number of girls who found Sirius in drag as attractive as he, Remus, did, was disturbing. But then, Remus had never quite known what went on in girls' heads.
"Okay, quiet down," Lily spoke up at last, looking up from her sheaf of papers. "First things first, we have to sort through all these reports of misbehaviour in the corridors..."
And while everyone Sirius had an interest in was off doing something that didn't involve him, Sirius himself was left in the dormitory with Peter. The room was silent except for the sound of Peter's quill scratching on paper; he was working on some late homework. Sirius was sprawled across Remus' bed, hugging the pillow to his chest and inhaling Remus' scent. All his homework was done. His latest letter to his cousin Andromeda had been written and sent care of his owl, Oberon. He had nothing else to do but sit there and think.
With a sigh, he rolled over on his back and stared up at the canopy over Remus' bed. He shut his eyes and conjured up Remus' face in his mind, detail by detail. His sparkling hazel eyes, his soft smile, his creamy skin and delicate jaw line. He fell into a comfortable doze, waiting for the moment when Remus would return.
It was funny how strongly Remus affected him, he had often thought. Remus was like a highly addictive drug, in a way. The more of him Sirius had, the more he wanted. The mere thought of his lover could send him into ecstasy. Just a look or a word, and there was no turning back. Sirius felt he would die if anything ever separated them.
It hadn't always been that way, though. Sirius had always been known as one of the most attractive boys in school (his only competitor being the golden-haired, Greek god of a Hufflepuff known as Gilderoy Lockhart), and the girls had lavished attention on him even when he was a lowly first year. Naturally this had given him a bit of an inflated ego (though it was nowhere near as inflated as James'), and he had flirted right back with the girls. He had lost his virginity at thirteen to a Ravenclaw fourth-year named Mary Alice Summerby; following that he had briefly courted a number of girls.
The realisation that he was in love with Remus had come as a complete shock in the middle of his fifth year. Right out of the blue, it had just hit him that he was in love with Remus. Remus, who happened to be his friend. His male friend.
After realisation came denial; Sirius couldn't believe he was in love with Remus and so tried to prove he wasn't by getting involved with even more girls. But as time wore on, he discovered to his horror that the girls just didn't excite him anymore - sex with them was now a remote possibility. He lapsed into a kind of quiet depression after that, dropping all his girlfriends without a word. He had been the cause of many broken hearts and was sorry for that; but what could he say to them?
Sixth year had barely begun when Sirius had gotten into a foolish argument with Severus Snape, during which he told Snape to head down to the Whomping Willow and poke the knot with a stick if he wanted to see what happened to Remus. James had stepped in and saved Snape at the last moment, but the prank had made everyone furious at Sirius. Remus was enraged at him for causing Snape to discover he was a werewolf; James and Peter had been appalled at Sirius' lack of consideration for his friend. And soon Sirius had found himself on the outs with everyone in Gryffindor Tower.
'On the outs' was putting it nicely. Sirius had been the black sheep of Gryffindor, much like his standing within his own family. But this hurt worse, because he loved his friends so much more than his family. Worst of all was the thought that Remus now loathed him. He often spent his nights tossing and turning, unable to sleep, emerging from behind the hangings the next morning with shadows under his eyes. More than once, his mind strayed to the enticing possibility of suicide. His mind stayed on that track for two months - the longest two months that had ever existed. Finally, Sirius went to visit Remus in the hospital wing, where he had apologised for hurting Remus and confessed to loving him. It hadn't been easy - they had both cried, but in the end it was better.
Since then the relationship was roses. The issue of sex was on hold; Remus wanted to wait awhile, and Sirius was happy to wait. He wasn't going to force Remus into something he wasn't ready for. Neither of them were the least bit unhappy with the other, and hardly ever argued (unless it was their typical quarrel over Sirius' unfinished homework). Not the least bit unhappy, that was, until sniveling gits like Snape started groping Remus with their eyes. Not that it was Remus' fault. If anyone should be blamed, it was himself for making his boyfriend so beautiful. Well - accentuating his boyfriend's incredible beauty.
With a grunt of frustration, Sirius sat up and tossed the pillow aside.
"Something wrong?" Peter asked, looking up from his parchment. It was obvious he hoped there was; any excuse to draw himself away from Astronomy.
"Nah," Sirius said quickly, dashing those hopes. He wasn't about to get into Snape-related relationship issues with Peter. Quickly, he redirected the conversation. "So you asked that girl Grace out, didn't you? The one from Ravenclaw."
"Yeah," Peter said, blushing.
"She's pretty," Sirius offered.
"Yeah," Peter repeated, blushing more furiously. "She is."
"Good luck, then," Sirius said, before flopping back on the bed.
"You act like I'm totally hopeless," Peter bristled.
"That's not what I meant," Sirius sighed. "I just wanted you to know I'm on your side when it comes to her, okay? It's not like I'm going to try and steal her from you. She's not my type, mate."
Peter glared. "Blonde hair and blue eyes isn't your type? Cut the shite - I know you don't mind. Just because she's a tad pudgy -"
"Oh Merlin, will you let it go? Blonde hair and blue eyes is not my type anymore. I'm seriously hooked on brunettes with hazel eyes. One in particular. Okay?"
"Glad to hear that," Remus' voice came from the doorway. He had just entered the dorm, followed closely by a starry-eyed James. He sank onto his bed beside Sirius and brushed a hank of hair out of his boyfriend's eyes. James meandered dreamily over to his own bed, walking into Remus' trunk and the corner of Sirius' bed in the process.
"Jim? You okay?"
"He's fine," Remus said dryly. "He's just spent an hour and a half in close proximity of Lily Evans, so he's a little out of it."
"I see. Bloody impossible." Sirius closed his eyes and sighed happily as Remus continued to stroke his hair.
"Just wait until after the Hogsmeade visit. An entire day with Lily?"
"He'll be so far gone we'll have to send a rocket after him."
"What an idea." Remus kissed his forehead and rousted Sirius off his bed. "Goodnight, love."
"Aww, I wanna sleep with you!" the Animagus protested.
"Too much information!" James called.
"Yeah, yeah..." Sirius heaved a sigh of utter despair, looking so pathetic that Remus could only giggle. He patted his boyfriend on the head.
"Maybe another time, love."
"That's what you always say..."
To Be Continued.
(A/N: Sorry if this chapter seemed utterly pointless. You see, the next big event is the Hogsmeade trip, but it was too early for that, and I didn't want to suddenly jump so far ahead in time. So that's why we have this random chapter of random things. Most likely I've started a bunch of plot lines I'll have to finish eventually, and won't remember until it's too late. For that, I apologise. See you in Chapter 5!)
