A History of Romance

Chapter 1: Talking to No One

It was a normal day for the students in Hogwarts, the best for starting the day of their second week at school. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and everyone had slept warm and well. Everybody was ready for a day of learning.

Oh, yeah, except for "The Marauders," James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew, who had taken to following the two around. No peace for them, no, no. They preferred to tease and bully random Slytherins, like Severus Snape.

"What're you reading, freakish-looking boy?" Sirius asked Snape as they passed him on the way to the Gryffindor table.

The Snape boy didn't even look up from his black, leather-bound book.

"I don't think he heard you, Sirius," James taunted with a grin and Pettigrew snickered.

"Maybe if he cleaned the slime out of his ears, he could," Sirius said, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Snape.

Snape stiffened and turned very slowly, his eyes narrow. "I don't understand what I ever did to you. Leave me alone," he said firmly.

James drew his wand as well, "Oh, now you're trying to act tough! You called Miss Lily a mudblood, you scum! Come on, just you and me, slime ball!"

Pettigrew nodded and hid behind James.

Snape stood up and whipped his wand out. "My quarrel is not with you! Leave me be or else!"

He turned to Sirius. "And you are a disgrace … a Black associating with these blood-traitors, and mudbloods-"

Sirius raised his wand and opened his mouth to curse Snape when another, unfamiliar voice spoke up.

"Let him be, unless you want points taken off," the stranger said.

Sirius turned and attempted to glare at the person who had dared interrupt him, but only ended up speechless. Before him stood a boy slightly shorter than him, with light-brown hair, and the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. They were brown, but looked amber-colored in the light. Long, dark lashes framed the boy's eyes, and the frameless half-moon glasses he wore only made him more mysterious. He recognized the boy from Defense Against Dart Arts class, as the only one who ever knew any answers to Professor Loyd's questions

James noticed Sirius gawking at the boy and shot him a look that plainly said, "You're embarrassing."

Finally, Sirius found his voice. "Y-you're saying you'd tell McGonagall on us? What a goody-goody!"

The brown-haired boy just blinked and turned away.

Sirius followed him, asking questions and clearly, annoying the boy. James, not wanting to be left behind, glared at Snape, who was already reading again, and ran to catch up with Peter at his heels.

"Well, what's your name?" Sirius was asking the brown-haired boy. They had sat down to breakfast already, side by side, and the other boy was doing his best to ignore Sirius.

"Hey, c'mon! What's your favorite Quidditch Team? Mine is Chudley Cannons all the way!" Sirius yelled enthusiastically and half the Gryffindor table turned to stare at him, Sirius didn't seem to notice, as he poked the unusually neatly-dressed boy on the arm.

"Poor guy. He seems helpless to Sirius, huh, Peter? Let's join them," James said, shaking his head sadly.

"Whatever you say, James!" Peter responded brightly.

"I think not, fellow comrade!" James said, sitting on the other side of the "neat boy."

"Oh? How so?"

"The Falmouth Falcons are the champions of the world!"

Sirius' eyes met James' and they broke into song. "We are the champions, my friends!" they sang, and put their arms around the neat boy, swaying in time to their awful singing.

James, noticing how stiff the boy had become, dropped his arm and asked, politely, "So, what's your name?"

"Lupin," the boy said, almost shyly. "Remus Lupin."

Sirius, who still had his arm around Remus, thought for a moment, "Lupin … Lupin … nope, never heard of your dad."

"Just as well," Remus mumbled.

"Did he ever kill anyone?" James asked seriously.

Remus' eyes widened and he said quickly, "No!"

"Blow someone up?" Sirius asked, catching on.

"No."

"Steal anything?"

"No!"

"He wouldn't happen to be a dark wizard?" Sirius asked, with fake enthusiasm.

"Of course not!" Remus responded quickly.

"Ah," Sirius said knowledgeably. "That explains it. I wouldn't know him if he's never done anything illegal. My parents wouldn't think he was respectable enough to be introduced to."

When Remus looked confused, Sirius held out his hand. "Sirius Orion Black, pleasure."

Comprehension dawned on Remus' face. "Ah, Black …"

James nodded. "Catching on, are we?"

Remus finally shook Sirius hand. "You wouldn't know me. Although my father is pureblood, he married a muggle-born."

"That's really cool. You're a half-blood, right?" Sirius asked, his hand still holding Remus' hand.

"Mmm-hm. I am … are you okay with that?" Remus asked, uncertain.

"Please, don't be silly! Me? Care about stuff like that? Hah!" Sirius said, and crossed his arms, finally letting go of Remus' hand.

Remus smiled and said, "Thank you. I'm very glad you feel that way."

"So, have you started Proffesor Binns' essay?" Peter asked Sirius anxiously.

Sirius turned back to Remus, to Peter's dismay.

"Look at me, being rude! Sorry, Remus. This guy here is Peter, Peter, this is Remus Lupin."

Remus smiled and nodded at Peter, who grinned back stupidly, in Sirius' opinion.

"And here, we have the man with the impossible hair, James Potter! James, this is Remus."

James rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah … I already know! Besides, my hair is not impossible. It's beautiful."

"It has a life of its own!"

"Does not!"

Remus looked at Peter, but the pudgy boy was too busy cheering James on. Remus shook his head and began cutting up his toast.

'Come now, Remus,' he told himself. 'If they're kind enough to even approach me, I should give them a chance … no matter how strange they are …'

He looked over at Sirius, long hair flying in all directions as he stood on his seat and stuck his tongue out at James. Remus merely shook his head and ate a bit of toast.

"You're going to go visit your mom again?" Sirius asked from the chair near the fireplace, where he sat levitating some books above his head.

"That's right," Remus said, adjusting his scarf.

"But you went last month, and the month before that, and the month before that, and-"

"She's really sick, Sirius."

Sirius sighed and said, "I don't know how you do it. It takes a whole day by train, but you're always back the morning after."

"I go by Portkey," Remus said quickly. "Dumbledore has one in his office."

"Really? I didn't know … makes sense now, though. Hey, is this visit absolutely necessary? Exams are drawing closer and we should all be studying."

Remus turned around to face him, his eyebrows raised, and he had an amused expression on his face.

"You sound like me, you know that? If I were you, I'd take my own advice."

Sirius' mouth dropped open and he let the books drop by accident. They toppled onto his head.

"Ow! Damn! They were all the heavy history books too!" Sirius said as he bent down to pick the books up.

Remus sighed and walked over to help. He knelt in front of Sirius and began putting the books in a neat pile, by thickness.

Sirius only grumbled and said, "Leave it. It's my own stupidity. I deserve this blasted headache for levitating fifteen books at once."

Remus shook his head. "I got it."

"Leave it," Sirius insisted. "You're going to be late."

"It's okay. I want to help."

"I can get it myself. Go on, leave."

"I'm not leaving until-"

"Just go already-"

The two boys lifted their heads up at the same time and Remus ended up smashing the top of his head onto Sirius' jaw.

"Ouch, my head!"

Sirius fell back. "My tongue! I bit- you made me bite my tongue! Argh! Ow!"

Remus rubbed his head and Sirius licked his finger to check for any bleeding. Then, they each noticed each other's distress.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius! Let me see that. Does it hurt a lot? Is it bleeding?"

"No, no, I'm sorry. Does your head hurt? Do you have a bump?"

Sirius leaned over and rubbed Remus' head, pulling him close. Remus fell onto Sirius and his eyes widened when Sirius whispered into his ear, "Sorry …"

Remus pulled away and looked at Sirius. He smiled and wiped away some of the blood off Sirius' lip.

"It is bleeding. Forgive me," Remus said softly.

"No problem!" Sirius said loudly and laughed.

Remus smile broke into a grin. "You're okay right?"

"I'm fine, fine! Don't worry!"

"Okay," Remus said and nodded. "Okay, um, I'll be leaving."

Sirius nodded as well and watched Remus go. He was left sitting on the floor, the taste of blood in his mouth, the feel of Remus' hair on his hands, the feel of Remus pressed against him … he was very, very confused.

Sirius shook his head, hard, and said to no one, "Okay, that was awkward. It was creepy too …"

He looked at his hand and ran it through his own hair.

"He's hiding something," he said again to no one. "I'm going to find out what … yeah, that's why I feel weird! I'm just curious … I'm nosy! Hah!"

He turned and saw James on the stairs to the dormitory.

"Who're you talking to?" he asked, looking around the common room, suspiciously.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair again and replied, "Me? No one."

James shook his head and with Sirius close behind, began walking up to the dormitory where warm beds were waiting.

A/N: Well, there it is, chapter one. Any comments, constructive critisism, anything at all? Please review.