"Hey."
Remus looked up to see Sirius pull himself up onto the windowsill next to where he was standing and smiled at his dark-haired friend.
"Hey, detention over already?"
"Professor Flitwick let me go early and I thought I'd come pick you up before curfew."
"It's that late already?" Remus returned the book he'd been looking at to the shelf and picked up another.
"It's only eight, but I know you," Sirius teased as he crossed his legs. "Why are you looking for new books? You know Madam Pince enchanted the books so they cannot leave the castle grounds."
"It's not for the holiday. I'm looking for something to read during the Yule ball next week."
"Why are you not going?"
"I don't feel like going alone."
"I don't believe for even a second that you can't get a date. You're smart, kind and a funny guy to hang out with," Sirius snorted.
"I haven't tried to get a date," Remus sighed as he knew his friend wouldn't let him drop the subject. "I don't..."
"You don't want to go with someone you hardly know and couldn't care less to spend an entire awkward evening with," Sirius said knowingly.
"Well...yes," Remus admitted.
"Then go with someone you are comfortable with."
"Sirius, the only people I am comfortable with are the three of you."
"Then go with one of us," Sirius' easy answer made Remus snort.
"You're all guys."
"So? Who cares?"
"Easy for you to say, you're going with a sweet and kind girl," Remus snorted, squashing down the slight jealousy that brewed deep in his stomach as he returned the book to the shelf and tried not to think of his friends all having fun without him.
"No, I'm not. James is taking Pandora."
"What? Why?" surprised Remus snapped his attention back to Sirius.
"Because our best friend is an awkward idiot and wouldn't enjoy the spotlight."
"Huh?"
"James was going to ask you to go with him, but I realised that you wouldn't be comfortable going with him as he's Quidditch Captain and all eyes will be on him."
"True...James was going to ask me?" confused Remus blinked.
"Yes, but figuring you'd be more comfortable with me, we switched. He's taking Pandora and I'm asking you."
"And is Pandora aware of that?"
"Of course she is. She understood and told me to tell you that you owe her a dance," Sirius grinned.
"Siri, you do realise I'm a guy, right?"
"I think I've seen you naked enough times to be aware of that, yes," Remus flushed at Sirius' words as he remembered the countless times the other had treated his wounds after full moons and had to help him shower. "So, are we going?"
"You could get any girl you want to go with you, why me?" Remus silently berated himself as he knew that for the smoothness with which his best friend could interact with girls, Sirius had even more difficulties with letting people in than Remus himself had, and with good reason.
He wouldn't go with someone he didn't trust completely and that list was about as short as Remus' list was.
"Because I want to go with someone I care about, someone I trust. And beside James there is no one I trust more than you," Sirius confirmed his words.
"What about Peter?"
"He ranks fifth on my list, right behind Mum and Dad," Sirius shrugged and Remus couldn't stop the swelling in his heart as being basically told he ranked higher on the boy's trust list than even his adopted parents, knowing how difficult it was to gain it.
"No, I meant why not go with him? He hasn't got a date either," Remus didn't comment on Sirius' words beyond a smile.
"I want to go with you. And he's got a date with a fifth year Hufflepuff."
"He asked her?" Remus asked incredulous.
Peter was usually even more socially awkward than Remus was and he didn't believe for even a second that the timid boy had gathered the courage to ask a girl out.
"She asked him," Sirius' sheepish smile confirmed his suspicion. "I asked her if she would be willing to ask Peter to the ball while I helped her study for Transfiguration."
"And she agreed?"
"It's Marie McClair."
"Ah," Remus bit his lip at the name as it explained everything.
He felt horrible at even thinking it of his friend, but he knew Peter wasn't exactly a social butterfly or someone who'd catch the eye of a girl easily. Not while being fairly overweight and timid, something he knew Sirius and James were more than aware of.
Marie McClair was a kind girl, but dealt with the same problems Peter did on top of always nervously laughing when in contact with the other gender. It had taken ages before the girl had worked up the nerve to look at Sirius during private tutoring lessons.
"She's a good girl and Peter won't be nervous with her," Sirius leaned towards him. "So, what do you say?"
"You're truly serious about wanting to take me, aren't you?"
"Would I ask if I weren't?"
"People will talk," Remus warned him even as his stomach flip-flopped at the idea of going with Sirius, knowing they'd have a great time without any awkwardness.
"And why do we care about that?"
"Because they will think we are there together."
"We will be there together," Sirius cheerfully reminded him, making Remus laugh.
"No, together, together. As a couple," Remus stuttered.
"And people say you are the eloquent one?" Sirius teased. "I solemnly promise I will not kiss you unexpectedly."
"But you will expectedly?" An image of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland flashed through Remus' mind at the grin that split over Sirius' lips.
"Depends on if you're a good date or if there's mistletoe," Sirius winked.
"Oh goodie, I'd better make sure there is some then," he shot back, relishing in the laugh his pathetic attempt at flirting caused.
"You're horrible," Sirius grinned, "So, pick you up at five?"
"We share a dorm, Siri," Remus reminded him.
"Are you going to be so cynical our entire date?"
"Just pointing out the facts, Pads," Remus frowned as he realised something. "I don't have any dress robes."
"You do, consider it an early Christmas present from James and me."
"The two of you share a strange obsession with getting me into clothes."
"Did you rather have we tried to get you out of them?" Sirius shot back without missing a beat, making Remus choke on nothing.
"What on earth has gotten into you today?" he eventually managed to bring out as his laughter subdued.
"Sorry, James found a book on how to woo a girl and he wanted to try it out."
"So he's been practising pick-up lines on you?" Remus chuckled at the pained expression that slid across Sirius' face as he turned from him to look at the row of books. "That bad?"
"Worse. I already took the book from him and burned that load of disrespectful crap. But it seems it did rub off on me, sorry."
"It's all right. I rather have you flirt with me than accidentally giving someone else the wrong idea," Remus laughed as Sirius pulled him backwards to wrap his arms around his neck and nuzzled his shoulder blades.
"Why are you so freakishly tall?"
"You're not exactly small either, Siri," Remus bend slightly so that Sirius could comfortably hug him without having to stretch his arms out too much.
"You could also just sit down, you know?"
"Are you tired?" Remus asked as he did just that, half turning so that he could slip his arm around Sirius.
"A little. How did you know?"
"Because your eyes are closed. Is your leg still bothering you?"
"A little, it's throbbing again," Sirius admitted as he leaned against him.
"Want me to look at it when we get back to our dorm?"
"James already massaged it early this afternoon."
"A second massage can't do much harm, you should be more careful, though."
"Tell that to Peter, he didn't tell us he'd let that chocolate frog escape until after I'd tripped over the stupid thing," Sirius grumbled.
"I have to admit, it's not like Peter to let any type of food go to waste. Especially not candy," Remus mused even as Sirius hummed.
"Are you still coming over for Christmas?" Sirius suddenly asked, shifting slightly to look up to him.
"Yeah, my parents will drop me off on Christmas Eve and I'll stay until New Year."
"You know Mum and Dad won't mind if you stayed longer, right?"
"I know. But you know what is a few days later and Dad wants me home for that."
"Hmmm," Sirius' expression turned thoughtful for a moment. "I'll think about that later, you still haven't given me an answer."
"To what?"
"If you'll go to the ball with me, silly," Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Oh, I don't know how to dance."
"Be sure to say sorry to Pan's toes then when you dance with her."
"Not to you?"
"Heck no, I'll just be sure to teach you how to dance beforehand. We still have a full week before the ball to ensure you'll not squash any toes."
"Are you calling me fat?" Remus poked Sirius in his side, making the other chuckle.
"No, just freakishly tall," Sirius slid from the windowsill, holding out his hand to help him down, too, and Remus accepted it despite easily reaching the ground by himself.
"Will we be in matching clothes, love?" Remus choked on a laugh as Sirius actually paused.
"I don't know actually. I picked out your, Pete's and James' robes, but James picked mine and has been hiding them from me. Yours are black by the way; I knew you'd be uncomfortable in colour."
"You know me too well," Remus smiled as he slipped a hand in Sirius' as they made their way out of the library.
"I should, you're one of my closest friends," Sirius snorted. "But I'm still waiting for your answer."
Remus laughed. "It would be an honour to go to the ball with you."
"Then it's a date," Sirius decided with a smile. "And don't worry. James and I will teach you how to dance before the ball."
"I will hold you on that," Remus threatened, making Sirius laugh.
"Don't worry, Moony. I promise that when we're done with you, you'll be a true master in dancing."
"I doubt that, but do your best," Remus was sure the two would do their best.
And he was not mistaken as James and Sirius did their very best to teach both him and Peter how to dance, taking every opportunity to pull either of them in a dance and spending many an evening teaching.
On the day of the Yule ball, Remus actually felt somewhat sure of himself as he pulled on his black dress robes, staring at himself in the mirror in disbelief.
"Want me to get Sirius to make a photo for your parents?" James' soft voice made him turn around.
"What did you do to these robes?"
"Bought them in a fitting size?"
"No...I mean, they are as soft as the sweaters Sirius has been making for me."
"Oh, that's just the fabric. Dress robes are supposed to be soft. You look good, very dashing if I may say so. Sirius made a good choice," James complimented him.
"Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself," Remus nodded approvingly at the dark red robes that fit James like a second skin.
"Yeah, wait until you see Sirius."
"He doesn't count. I suspect he'd look good even in a trash bag," Peter grumbled, a little envy in his voice that made James laugh as he adjusted Peter's black robes.
"Yeah, I'm jealous, too. He looks good in just about everything, but he looks gorgeous tonight," James sighed. "I spend two hours with him to get my hair like this and he's just..."
"Rolls out of bed with perfect hair," Remus offered with a grin as it was something that always annoyed him, too. Especially as the other didn't care at all about appearances.
"Yes! It's totally unfair!"
"What's unfair?"
Remus turned to see Sirius in the door opening and smiled.
James hadn't exaggerated when he'd said Sirius looked gorgeous, because he did.
The dark blue robes with light green edges were well fitting, very different from the slightly baggy clothes he preferred to wear and the shape showed off his slender body very well.
"You look quite dashing," he complimented.
"Right back at you. And seriously, James!" Sirius stepped around Remus to push James onto the bed. "Two hours I've been fighting that hair of yours at your own request, despite my objection that it looks better the way it normally is, and you run a hand through it?"
"Ah..." Remus tried in vain to stifle a laugh as James' expression turned mournful while Sirius ran his hands through James' hair.
"Don't laugh, it's a disaster!" James pouted. "You have to bind my hand or slap me if I touch my hair again."
"You'd be sore before we reached the Great Hall," Peter teased as Sirius finished bringing the hair back into shape before pausing with a calculating look in his eyes and giving a sweep of his wand.
"Brilliant!" James suddenly grinned and Remus stepped forward interested.
"You modified the Petrificus Totalus?"
"Though it might work," Sirius ran a hand through James' hair again, smiling as it immediately fell back into place. "It's still mostly soft, too."
"Thank you!" James wrapped his arms around Sirius and pressed a kiss on his cheek with a loud smack.
"Oi, don't make moves on my date," Remus tried to fake a look of jealousy, but knew he'd failed when all three of them laughed.
"No worries, Moony. I'm already quite taken with another. Think she'll dance with me if I asked?"
"Don't push it."
Remus frowned at the clear warning in Sirius' voice, but even as he opened his mouth to ask what he meant, James already nodded.
"You have to save me a couple of dances, though. Same counts for the two of you."
"I'm not that good," Remus protested.
"Good enough to not step on our toes too often," James grinned as Sirius straightened his robes before turning to Peter to do the same as he'd already wrinkled them again.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. Don't look at your feet and just remember to have fun," he said as he brushed Remus' robes down, straightening them a little.
"I know. You'll be with me, right?"
"For as long as it takes for you to become comfortable. If you don't want to dance with someone, it's not forbidden to say no."
"I'll remember that," Remus took a deep breath as James gave Sirius a last check over, too.
"We should get going or we'll keep Pandora and Marie waiting," Peter shifted nervously.
"Then lead the way," Remus' grinned as James and Sirius nudged Peter to take the lead, making the nervous boy squeak before they descended from the stairs, only to stop in the Common Room for Sirius to make several photos of them before they could actually be on their way.