Sirius loved breathing in the cold, crisp November air. He loved the puff of smoke that came out every time he exhaled. He could even make smoke rings, if he concentrated really hard.

This night, he was walking around the Hogwarts grounds, breathing out hard, so every breath was accompanied by a puff of smoke. He looked up at the dark sky that reflected the dark indigo of his eyes. His gaze followed the few stars in the sky that night, and swept down do the ground, where he saw something that looked familiar. A book. Where had he seen that book before?

He picked it up, and looked at its red velvet cover. Red velvet…why couldn't he remember? He tried to think back to the last time he had seem that book…he knew it was in the common room, and he knew it had been near the fireplace…Remus! Remus loved to sit next to the fireplace, but what did this book have to do with Remus? He cracked open the cover, and read on the first page:

Remus' Diary Journal

Diaries are girly.

And I am a man.

Sirius, put the book down.

Wow, Remus was clever. Knowing him, he probably put a hex on the book, so he put the book in one of the pockets of his cloak, and he continued walking.

How did that book get there? He hated puzzles he couldn't solve. Like when some girl, he didn't even know who, had left him a note in his Potions book. The handwriting was so unfamiliar, and he had looked at every girl's notes that week, comparing the dots of the i's and the crosses of the t's. But he couldn't find a match. And he was unbelievably pissy that week. He threw the Quaffle at James' head. It was an accident, but still. James had a bump.

The wind was picking up, so Sirius decided to go back to sleep. He could picture Remus' face when he returned the book: relief, then fright, anger, then that crinkly smile that was saved for prank. That was his joke gauge, Remus' smile. If it was a bad one, his expression wouldn't change. If it was cruel, the kind that he made about Snape, it was a sort of half-frown, half laugh. His eyes would light up, but the corners of his mouth would turn down. Then there was the crinkly smile. And last, the smile, the laugh that Sirius worked the hardest for. His laugh that reached his eyes, that made his entire body shake from the tremendous shudders of laughter. This year, he had achieved that laugh 5 times. Each time he did, he did a victory dance, that made Remus laugh even harder, but as he was now laughing AT him and not WITH him, he'd take off a sock or sweater or shirt or anything near by and chuck it at Remus' head. Which only made him laugh harder, which in turn made Sirius shove him on the floor or on top of the couch or on the bed, and pin him down until he stopped laughing. It never took a short time, because that laugh reached his soul, and Sirius knew it.

He had kept on walking, and didn't realize where he was until he heard a cackling. Who else but Peeves had popped up in front of him, blocking his path.

"Ickle Black out after curfew?"

"Peeves, shut it, I'm going back now."

"Maybe I'll yell, so everyone knows you're out!"

Sirius knew he wasn't kidding, so he took off running in the opposite direction. He'd have to run through the South Tower, and around as to not have any professors wake up and get him in trouble. He slid around a corner and saw someone coming out of a side hallway. He tried to slow down, but his stupid cloak was too long and he kept shooting down the hallway, smacking right into the person.

"MOTHER-"

Sirius clamped his hand over Remus' mouth, leaving injured Remus muffling curses and insults. Sirius made eyes at him; the ones that said 'just shut up and ask questions later'. They sat crouched in a corner, half hidden by Sirius' cloak, waiting for Peeves to go find someone else to bother. Sirius' hand was still on Remus' mouth, and as they were both breathing heavily, Remus' breath tickled the hairs on Sirius' hand.

They sat in silence until Remus attempted to say something, but all that was heard were muffles.

"Sorry." Sirius removed his hand.

"No, it's ok. Just…what are you doing here? And…is that my journal?"

"Uh...it's not what it looks like…I, uh…"

"Were you reading it?" Remus was on the verge of losing it. That was his personal book, where he wrote everything. He wasn't about to let anyone, not even his best friend, read it.

"No, I swear, Marauder's promise. I just found it on the grounds, and was going back to return it to you." He handed the book back to Remus, and Remus looked relieved that it was back in safe hands.

"Marauder's promise? What is that? Don't make stuff up just so that I'll forgive you. I believe you, I mean, you are my friend, and I know you wouldn't lie to me."

"Well, if we're on the 'no lies' policy, why can't I read what's in your non-girly journal?"

"You little-" He took his journal and smacked him over the head. "You read it!"

"Just the first page, to see whose it was! I was afraid if I read further, I'd get hexed!"

Remus laughed, the crinkly laugh, and through the laughing they had reached the common room.

"Snow Breeze," whispered Remus, as to not disturb the Fat Lady. They both crept into the common room, and both went to their respective beds, pondering that nights events.