Chapter four: air quotes and potions

It has been a week since the 'incident' as it now has been dubbed. Everyone was friends again and all has been forgiven.

"Remus?"

"Yes, Peter?"

"What is Sirius doing?"

What in fact was Sirius doing? He was now talking about Quidditch with James (Lily had an important essay due and was in the library) after every other word Sirius would lift up his hands and flick his fingers.

"Ah, well turns out that dubbing the 'incident' the 'incident' has shown Sirius how much he loves air quotes." Remus smiled amused at his friend. Peter nodded but still looked rather confused.

By the end of the day Sirius was still expressing his love for air quotes.

"So "Moony" what "class" do we "have" next?" he asked.

"Potions. And if you don't stop doing air quotes I am going to hex your fingers off," Remus replied annoyed.

"You "know" you "won't "do that. "These" fingers "provide" too much "pleasure"," he smirked and Remus was too annoyed to blush at his innuendo.

"Good Morning, class," the potions master Professor Slughorn greeted them warmly. "Today we will be making the potion 'Euphoria' can anyone tell me what this potion does?' he smiled as Lily's hand shot up immediately.

"It is commonly known as the draught of happiness." She answered when he nodded at her. "It gives the drinker the feeling of being blindly and utterly happy."

"Excellent ten points to Gryffindor. Now who can tell me why someone would want to use this potion."

"It's a good reliever of stress, is particularly useful when a person is going through a hard time such as a death of a loved one and it also offers insights that the drinker would otherwise be unaware of." Snape was the one to answer.

"Exactly, ten points to Slytherin. What insights might this potion offer?"

"It gives off the aroma of what would make the maker perfectly happy. Also once it is drunk the drinker feels free to express themselves and to attempt to achieve their heart's desire." Lily said.

"Yes! Another ten points. Okay you will be working alone on this project. Who can tell me why that is?"

"Because the potion is based on its maker's heart's desire and would not come on properly if there were another maker involved. That is also why one cannot drink a potion like this that is made by someone else. It would have no effect. Everyone's heart's desire is different." Snape announced.

"Perfect! Another ten points to Slytherin as well," Slughorn beamed at the students. "Well let's get to work shall we?'

After an hour of work almost every cauldron in the room was sunshine yellow and emitting positively alluring smells. Remus's was near perfect and gave off the aroma of cinnamon, rain and something else, something that was just so Sirius. Remus knew that this was due to the fact that Sirius was his heart's desire.

As the first waves of the scent floated around his head he breathed deeply and closed his eyes.

He saw Sirius on his broomstick. Diving and weaving through the clouds. The wind dancing through his dark locks, His laughter ringing through the sky that belonged to no one but him. How Remus wished to be able to take part in Sirius's world up in the clouds. How Remus wished to a part of Sirius's life in that way.

Though they were best mates (not as close as him and James were of course) Remus always felt he was on the outside looking in. It wasn't just his lycanopathy. It was more. He knew that he and Sirius were connected in ways that exceed friendship. It was almost animalistic. Remus thought it was because they were both canines.

All he knew was that he wished Sirius could feel it too. But that would never happen. Sirius had his fan clubs and the world at his feet. He truly seemed to be the Dog Star. Unattainable, especially by a lone werewolf like himself. Sirius is so very much a part of the world above the earth as his namesake and Remus, it seemed, is and will always be eternally rooted to the ground.

Remus shook his head. He needed to stop thinking these depressing thoughts. He was half tempted to sneak a sip of the Euphoria potion but the consequences were too great. Remus opened his eyes and the immediately were looking into a pair of emerald green orbs that were dancing with amusement.

Lily was turned around in her chair. She was sitting in the desk in front of him.

'What?' He mouthed at her. She smirked at him and pulled her chair closer.

"Hmm," she said taking a deep breath of the pale yellow mist that was hanging around his cauldron. "That smells familiar."

"I have no idea what your talking about." he said crossing his arms and glaring at her. She knew damn well what it smelt like and why and he didn't appreciate her taunting him. "And what, dare I ask; does your potion smell like? A certain messy haired seeker?"

"Oh heavens no, it smells like chocolate cake," she said and they both chuckled.

"Oi, Moons," Sirius hissed at his friend. Remus who was still talking to Lily didn't hear him. He picked up a pickled newt's heart and chucked it at the werewolf's head. His Quidditch skills caused it to hit his mark perfectly.

"Hey! What was that for?" Remus yelled as he turned around.

"Well you weren't paying attention to me!" Sirius pouted. Remus rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"What do you suppose Snivillus's potion smell like?

"You hit me with a dead animal's body part to ask me that?"

"Yeah" Sirius said not seeming to understand what was wrong with that.

"Well than take a whiff." He said like talking to a two year old which he often thought he was in fact doing.

Sirius gave him a confident nod and got up and strolled nonchalantly over to Snape's cauldron. Remus watched him lean over and talk to a Gryffindor who was sitting near his target. When Snape turned his back Sirius took a deep breath of the pale vapor that was coming up from the sunny potion.

Sirius headed back to his table with a perturbed look on his face.

"Well?" Remus asked. But Sirius wouldn't look at him. "Sirius! What is it?" Sirius finally looked up.

His eyes were darker than usual and filled with an emotion Remus couldn't decipher. He couldn't even sense what was up.

"Sirius?" He asked a little concerned.

"I-it smelt like-like…uh" he croaked out. "Like…lemons, parchment and …and chocolate."

Remus looked at him confused. What does that have to do with anything? Then his eyes widen

Wait…no…

"It smelt like you, Moony," He hissed. His eyes flashed with anger.

"No, no you must be wrong Pads. I mean he knows what I am and he's a Slytherin. There's no way."

"Way or not I know what it smelt like. And I know that those smells indicate you." Sirius snarled. Why was he so angry?

Because I don't want that slimy git anywhere nears my Moony. Wait…my Moony? Where did that come from?

While Sirius had his little internal battle Slughorn was announcing the end of class.

"C'mon Sirius. It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything," Remus said squeezing his friend's shoulder reassuringly.

"I just don't want that slimy git to get any ideas is all," he muttered gathering his stuff. Remus nodded understandingly. He didn't want Snape to be in love with him anymore than Sirius did.

Why was he so upset? And how the hell does he know what I smell like?

The group left the classroom and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. Remus shrugged off the feelings that class had just arisen. But Sirius wasn't so lucky. He was unusually quite throughout the rest of the meal.