A History of Romance
Year 3: PLS
Remus and Peter sat at either end of James and Sirius, who sat across from each other, tense, and deep in thought; a chessboard lied between them, the pieces just as tense as the players.
Remus looked at Sirius, brow furrowed with concentration, long hair falling onto his eyes, and sighed. The boy had been trying to decide his next move for the past fifteen minutes. Then again, James was not an easy opponent to beat.
Little did the four boys know, they were being watched …
As Sirius said, "Knight to E5," the girls two tables over giggled madly.
"Oh, him. Sirius is the greatest, hottest man in the entire universe! One day, I'll totally get him for myself!" one of them said, and all three girls giggled again.
"But, he's way out of your league, Kate," one of the other two girls said.
"You think so? Well, we'll see," Kate responded and stood up.
Her friends watched in awe as she walked over to the four boys.
"Hi, Sirius!" she greeted the boy, putting on her very best smile.
Sirius glanced up, then back down at the chessboard. "Oh, hello."
He ran a hand through his hair as James said, "Bishop to E5."
"Damn!" Sirius cursed aloud as his knight was taken, and rounded on Kate. "Well, what?"
Kate's smile faded a little. "Um, I wanted to know what you were doing on the next Hogsmeade weekend. Maybe you and I could go together."
Sirius' eyes widened. "What, like a date?"
Kate's eyes lit up, and before Sirius could speak again, she said, "Are you asking me! Sure, I'd love to!"
Sirius blinked. "Wait, what?" He glanced at Remus, who was playing with one of the pieces Sirius had captured from James.
"Pick me up at 9:30 in the Entrance Hall!" Kate commanded, and left Sirius sitting there, dumbfounded.
"What the hell just happened!" he demanded to the other three boys.
James burst out laughing, and Peter joined in two seconds after. Remus was studying James' fallen Rook intently. Sirius frowned at Remus.
"Moony?" he asked, uncertainly. He had come up with the nickname over the summer and had been badgering James and Peter to call Remus that, too.
Remus looked up, and smiled. "Well, lucky you! You've a date for Hogsmeade. That's great!"
Sirius shook his head. "No, Moony, don't do that. What's wrong?"
Remus put the Rook down. "I really haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."
He stood up and smiled at them all, but Sirius there was something wrong with his smile.
"It is getting late, though. I'll see you guys tomorrow night. Be sure to tell me everything, Sirius."
Sirius frowned and stood up as well. "Wait, what? Hold on, where you going?"
Remus blinked a few times and muttered, "Furry little problem."
Sirius' eyes widened. "Seriously! I'd totally forgotten. I was kind of hoping you'd help us with the Animagi essay tonight."
Remus stood there, tight-lipped and frowned. "Well, forgive me if my furry little problem gets in the way of you getting answers from me; you obviously seem to be preoccupied with a more social take on life and can't be bothered with remembering one day a month. Good-night."
Sirius was left dumbfounded for the second time that night. He sat back down and ran a hand through his hair. "What is with him?"
James glanced at Peter and rolled his eyes. "Dude, he's mad at you. What you did was pretty low. Your move by the way."
Sirius looked up, offended. "What did I do! Rook to B6."
"Well, tomorrow he's going to need our help, isn't he? You're always there with him right after the sun rises. Tomorrow, you're going to be prancing around with some girl instead of tending to him, obviously he's angry.
"But, why? I wouldn't be angry if you had a date instead of spending time with me! I think Moony's just PLSing," Sirius declared.
"Say what?" Peter asked, obviously lost.
"Pre-Lunar Syndrome," James explained. "I doubt it, Sirius … he's jelly. Knight to B6."
Sirius chewed his lip madly as his Rook was thrown off the board.
"Sod it all, you're destroying me! And what do you mean, jelly?"
James stretched and messed his hair up. "I say, he's jealous."
Sirius frowned and stared at James. "What?"
"Jealous. You know, of you spending time with that girl instead of him, the one day he needs you."
Sirius blinked twice. "So, what are you saying? You think he likes me?"
James put his face in his hands. "Dear Merlin, where was he when common sense was handed out? Just move, already."
"Tell me! Does he like me? Does Remus like guys? Is he queer? Did he tell you?" Sirius demanded, in a hushed voice.
"Go, already, Sirius!"
"Tell me, James!"
"Make a move!"
"Bishop to A5!"
"Check!" James yelled, victoriously, and grinned up at Sirius in a way that let the boy know, he wasn't going to tell him a word.
Sirius shook his head and sat back down as James declared, "Checkmate. Play again?"
Sirius nodded and they set up their pieces once more. They played well into the night, Sirius losing game after game, shooting glances at the strip of moonlight that came in through the window. And, thus, the three fell asleep at the chessboard, in their seats.
In the morning, they awoke to the sound of various people chattering around them, third years and up making plans for Hogsmeade, second and first years looking around, mournfully and wondering about what they were missing.
Sirius groaned and opened his eyes. "Damn … James, what time is it?"
"I think it's, like, ten or something. Everyone's getting ready to leave," James responded.
"Blast! I have to go see Moony!" Sirius declared and stood up.
"Siri!" Kate yelled, a few feet away. "You didn't meet me like you said! But, that's okay, we can be together now!"
She hooked her arm through Sirius' and dragged him away from a grinning, obviously amused, James.
Kate dragged poor Sirius down the stairs, out onto the grounds, where a crowd had gathered to be let out to Hogsmeade.
"This is great, isn't it Sirius? Our first date-" Kate blabbed on and on, but Sirius wasn't very much listening; he had seen a flash of green robes over by a cracked statue near the door.
Sirius glanced over at Snape, Lucius, and Regulus, who were all deep in conversation. He shook his head disgustedly; ever since he'd left for Hogwarts, Regulus had turned into a completely different person in his absence. Now, he was hanging around scum like Malfoy and Snivellus. This could only turn out bad.
Kate talked, talked, and talked some more as they made their way to Hogsmeade. Sirius was regretting ever being sorted into Gryffindor, but then again, Kate would have found him in Slytherin, anyway.
He thought of Remus and how the boy was alone in the Shrieking Shack, probably miserably tending to his various wounds, trying to vanish the blood spots. Sirius felt incredibly bad suddenly. It had always been his job to bandage Remus' wounds. How would Moony manage now!
He looked at Kate, who was talking about color schemes, of all things! Sirius didn't really know where she was leading him, but he did not care to find out. How could he have left Remus alone?
He caught sight of Honeydukes and knew how he would make it up to Remus.
"Hey, listen Kate, I have somewhere to go. I'm sorry but …" Sirius looked for a way to tell her that he didn't want a date with her in the first place, and that he'd never go out with a girl like her anyway, in a nice way.
To his utter amazement, Kate dropped his arm and burst into tears. "It's my hair, isn't it! I told Beatrice you wouldn't like it!" she wailed, and Sirius backed away, slowly, eyes wide.
Kate ran in the opposite direction, crying her eyes out, and Sirius was left staring after her for a second, before remembering Remus and making his way to Honeydukes.
Remus lied in the bed, bandages either tied to tight or too loose (it's difficult tying your own bandages, after all), watching James trying to vanish blood stains from the walls, and Peter making a pathetic attempt to cheer him up.
"And then the hag says: I don't want things getting hairy!" Peter grinned at Remus, who forced himself to smile.
Peter noticed Remus had no idea what the joke was, and attempted to explain. "See, one's a hag, and the other one's a vampire, and the other one's a werewolf. So, so, the hag says-"
James coughed loudly. "Methinks your joke sucketh big time."
Peter looked at the bedspread. "Sorry."
Remus shook his head and said, "No, no. I'm just not feeling well-- distracted, you know."
James sniggered and teased, "It's because Sirius is out gallivanting with some girl instead of being Prince Charming to Moony, tending to his wounds, and cheering him up."
Remus frowned and protested, "That is not true, James. I could care less where Sirius is. He's probably going steady with that girl by now. They're holding hands … and kissing, maybe … I'm happy for them."
James glanced at Peter with a 'Sure-he-is' face. "Yes," James piped up. "They'll be engaged soon, and get married upon leaving Hogwarts; they'll have three kids, a dog named Regulus, and live in a house made of chocolate."
Remus moaned longingly. "Oh, I could use some chocolate right about now."
Suddenly, they heard a loud bang, and the three boys tensed. Someone was coming up the stairs, slowly and deliberately.
The door burst open and Sirius stood at the doorway, laden with chocolate and candy.
"Did someone say chocolate?" Sirius announced as James rushed forward to help him bring the loot and dump it on Remus' bed.
Sirius looked pleased as he handed Remus the biggest chocolate bar he had ever seen.
"I know you like almonds," he explained, and Remus nodded, taking the impossibly large bar into his trembling hands.
"Thanks you, Sirius. How was your date with Kate?"
Sirius grinned, and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for a Sugar Quill. "I have no idea; she just talked, and talked, and talked about herself. Plus, what I really wanted to do was get back here with you, Moony."
Remus blushed and carefully tore the wrapper off the chocolate bar. "Wow, really? I- this is a really big chocolate bar!"
Sirius laughed. "Share?"
Remus broke off half and handed it to Sirius, who just stared at him. "You're right, this is huge!"
Remus bit off a piece. "Mm! This is so yummy! It's my favorite type of chocolate. Thank you so much, Sirius!"
Sirius leaned close. "You've got a bit of chocolate … just there, Moony."
Sirius wiped a bit of chocolate off Remus' lip and looked into Remus' eyes, smiling. Remus' cheeks turned pink and he smiled back, nervously. They both stayed there, Sirius' hand on Remus' thigh, their noses almost touching, smiling stupidly at each other, until James giggled.
"You two are too much! Dear Merlin, just start snogging, already!"
Sirius pulled away at once and glared at James. "That's not funny."
James' eyebrows rose. "Hey, I have no problem with you guys being poofters. After you find out one of your friends is a werewolf, there's nothing that surprises you, anymore."
Sirius' cheeks turned a dark shade of red. "I- I … James, you're going to die! Run, because you're going to die!"
James stopped prodding a bloodstain on the window frame with his wand. "What! Sirius, c'mon, not this again! You're not going to chase me like you did when I ripped your Chudley Cannons poster!"
Sirius stood up, arms outstretched. "Run, James!"
James ran out the door and down the stairs, Sirius on his tail. James yelled as Sirius pounced on him and they rolled down the stairs.
"Dear Merlin, you're insane! You'll make your mum proud, Sirius, when she finds out you strangled me to death! What are you, a dog! Get offa me! Remus is the one you want!" James yelled as he untangled himself from Sirius.
"James, James, you're brilliant!" Sirius yelled, shaking James' shoulders so hard, his head threatened to break off.
"Hold it. What?"
"Dogs! Animals! Us! We can be animals! Don't you see? If we become Animagi, we can be with Moony on the full moon! This'll be so great!"
James mussed his hair up. "Yes, and then that make-believe with, the Tooth Fairy, will help us by waving her wand and saying Abra Cadabra-- instantly making us all Animagi!"
"I'm serious!"
"I know!"
"No, I mean, seriously, we can try! If anybody can do it, it's the Marauders! C'mon James, what do you say?"
James stood up and helped Sirius up as well. "Fine, okay, okay, we'll try."
Sirius nodded and started up the stairs. "Only, let's not tell Moony. You know him, he'll tell us it's too dangerous and illegal, or something, Plus, I want it to be a surprise."
James rolled his eyes and said, "Just declare your love to him!"
Sirius grinned down at James. "Because that's worked so well with Lily, hasn't it?"
James' ears turned red. "Hey, that's uncalled for! She's weakening, too! I'll bag her, just you wait!"
And thus, the two boys walked up the stairs, where Remus was waiting for Sirius who would not let him down again.
A/N: Sorry for the late update. Will not happen again, promise. "smile" Please review!