Expressing Yourself
Pairings: Remus/Sirius, James/Lily
Warnings: Well you've probably noticed that there's slash. If you haven't…shoo.
A/N: Okay, we know we promised that it would be a quick update…but we seriously underestimated the amount of work we'd be getting! Sorry!
Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. are ours.
The next morning, it was clear to everyone that Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were 'up to something'. Throughout morning classes, they had been giving each other weird looks. Or rather, Remus was giving Sirius weird looks, which the darker boy was avoiding with all the style and panache of a true Marauder.
Everyone was mostly hoping it wouldn't interfere with the huge Marauder Christmas party that was rapidly approaching. The Marauder parties were legendary but it was the first time that it had been completely open to all houses - and no one could talk about anything else. Wherever the Marauders went, they heard snippets of conversations regarding dress robes, food, drink and bands. The end-of-term feeling had well and truly settled in over the castle, helped along greatly by the ever present Peeves, whose off-colour jokes and doctored Christmas songs could be heard everywhere.
However they had no time to bask in their glory, as a true Marauder party required a lot of planning and even more secret trips out to Hogsmeade to smuggle copious amounts of alcohol and food back into school. Plus Remus was getting increasingly nervous regarding his and Sirius' 'coming out' plans.
"What if they laugh at us?" He asked suddenly, halfway down the passage to Honeydukes with Sirius. They stopped, and looked at each other. Sirius could see just how worried his lover was, and rested his forehead against Remus' own, staring deep into his eyes.
"If they laugh, I'll hex them to the point where, should their heads ever reappear out of their asses, their friends and relatives will have a hard time recognising them." Remus sighed and moved his head to rest it on Sirius' shoulder.
"I'm just not confident like you, Siri. I...You can do stuff like this and get away with it. But me?" Sirius dropped the copious amounts of chocolate he was carrying on the floor and gave Remus a hug, leaning against the rough stone walls of the passage.
"Yes, you," he whispered. "You are going to tell them with me that we've decided we're queer, and no-one is going to say or do anything to hurt you. That's a promise." Remus snuggled a little bit closer, seeking comfort.
"But do we have to tell them so...loudly?" Sirius let out a bark of laughter.
"We have to make sure they believe us. Completely and utterly."
"And no amount of persuasion on my part will convince you that a discreet poster on the notice board will be perfectly acceptable?" Sirius stared incredulously at his boyfriend.
"Since when I have I ever settled for discreet?"
"That's what I thought you'd say." Remus sighed, straightening up. "Alright then. We'd better get that alcohol. Merlin knows I'm going to need it."
…
James and Lily were on evening patrols that night, just 24 hours away from the big announcement.
"What are your friends planning, James?" Lily asked him as they walked hand in hand down the charms corridor on the third floor.
"Planning?" He leaned innocently in for a kiss, but Lily just rolled her eyes and swatted him away with her free hand, only slightly annoyed with herself for having such strong morals about kissing in the corridors after curfew. James attempted a pout and just ended up looking like a strange guppy fish. Lily mock glared at him.
"Stop avoiding the question. Remus and Sirius are up to something and I know it." James smiled charmingly at her.
"But wouldn't that spoil the surprise?" Playfully shoving him away, she continued on down the corridor, calling over her shoulder,
"I don't like bad surprises, Potter. Either you tell me now or no kisses until January. Are we clear on that?"
"What?" James looked horrified and followed her, pleading. "But Lily! I can't tell you! That's not fair." Lily smirked at him.
"Life's not fair, Potter. Get used to it." James watched her walk away with mouth agape. Abandoning his duties (because what was the point of Lily wasn't kissing him?) he ran off to find his two supposed best friends.
He burst into the dorm room and instantly regretted it. Remus and Sirius hastily pulled apart on his entrance and, wand in hand, Remus vanished the remnants of melted chocolate from Sirius' lean torso.
"Ew, ew, ew! You GUUUYS!" James shrieked, covering his face with the first thing that came to hand...sadly, a pair of Sirius' newly-discarded boxers.
"Um, James...?"
"What?"
"Can I have my boxers back? Only, they're one of my nice pairs."
"Wha...AH! Gross!" James threw the underwear at the two boys and turned his back on them, muttering to himself. Sirius snickered as he tugged his boxers back on.
"Really James, if you wanted to keep my boxers that much, I've got a spare pair that you can have." Remus gave him a look of incredulity.
"Please tell me you have more than two pairs." Sirius whacked him playfully upside the head. James groaned and sank, head in hands onto his bed.
"Guys, seriously! Lily has said she won't kiss me until she finds out what you two are planning for the Christmas party!" Sirius snorted and Remus shook his head.
"Sorry, James, but it's got to be kept secret."
"But I need my Lily-kisses!"
"You could always join me and Remus." said Sirius with a saucy wink. He quickly received a smack from Remus and a glare from James.
"You are not Lily."
"Interesting thought though," Sirius mused, a wicked glint in his eye. "Never thought much about role-play before – have you, Moons?"
Remus stifled a laugh as he cottoned on. "Not me, it's too hard to get hands on Polyjuice Potion these days..." James glared over at the pair.
"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking..."
"It would be easy to get one of her hairs though." said Remus, adopting a thoughtful look. "I could just get one from her robes during a Prefect meeting or something." James made a sort of spluttering noise.
"That's...that's..."
"I bet I could get Sluggy to give me some Polyjuice Potion." Sirius said eagerly. "It wouldn't be too difficult you know!"
"You guys are sick. Dis-gus-ting!" James all but yelled into his pillow, trying to blot out the sounds of their laughter.
"Calm down, James." Remus chuckled. "You know we'd never really do it." Sirius nodded.
"Yeah, mate. Way too much oestrogen for me." James rolled his eyes.
"Seriously. What are you guys planning?"
"Shall we tell him?"
"Maybe just a little bit, to keep them hungry for more..."
"Fair enough..." Simultaneously, the boys drew out from under the beds, matching tiaras and huge pots of silver glitter. James blinked, rubbed his eyes and stared. There was a pause.
"S-seriously?" Sirius nodded, a huge grin spreading across his face.
"It's going to be so much fun!" he crowed, clearly delighted with James' reaction.
"I'm gonna be sick." James winced and ran from the room. The remaining two fell over with laughter – Sirius falling right off the bed.
"Oh, man...his face when we go downstairs tomorrow night..."
"It's not his reaction I worry about," muttered Remus, before chucking the tiaras and glitter pots back under the bed, producing some more Honeydukes finest. "Now...where were we?" Sirius grinned and clambered back onto the bed.
"Let me remind you..."
…
Finally the day of the party dawned. Lily had kept her word and James had been deprived of kisses. Girls were avidly discussing what they were planning to wear...if they could make themselves look really gorgeous, maybe they'd be able to catch the eyes of the two most eligible bachelors in school.
"I mean, surely you've seen how Remus looks at me when I study with him in the library on Thursdays..." whispered Emily Walker to Lily at breakfast in the great hall that morning, just as James arrived and sat down on Lily's other side. Both simultaneously choked on bacon at the idea, and had to try very hard not to laugh. Emily gave them odd looks, but resumed her preening in a hand-held mirror and casting flirtatious glances in Remus' direction. Sirius growled protectively.
Remus smiled uncomfortably at her and returned to his scrambled eggs, discreetly squeezing Sirius' hand under the table. Sirius' mouth twitched and rested his hand on Remus' thigh. Remus sent him a warning look but Sirius' hand was already creeping higher...
"Sirius!" Both boys jumped as a blonde pouting fourth year sat herself next to the dark haired boy. Sirius hastily retracted his hand.
"Um, hi...er..."
"Charlotte." supplied the girl with a flirty smile.
"Hello...Charlotte" Remus muttered warily. Charlotte ignored this greeting, and made a great deal of fuss over crossing her legs, revealing not a little thigh.
"Um...Sirius," She breathed, a manicured hand going up to his shoulder and caressing his neck gently. "I was wondering..."
Remus clenched his fists under the table. Sirius stared in barely hidden horror at the long red nails that were currently dangerously close to his windpipe and swallowed.
"Wondering?" he asked weakly.
"Wondering...whether you're taking anyone to your party tonight?"
"Um..." Those nails were far too pointy for comfort. "It's not really that sort of party..." Charlotte giggled and leant a little closer.
"So you'll be free then?" she murmured.
"Not really..." Sirius gasped, edging as far away from her as possible. Charlotte merely scooted ever closer, until she was practically sitting on his lap. Remus came swiftly to his lovers' rescue.
"Sirius, mate? Remember that, um, essay McGonagall wanted us to finish for first thing? Well, uh, I forgot to write in that thing you were, ah, saying about, um...animagi, and I've sort of..."
"No problem, mate!" Sirius said quickly, standing up and depositing Charlotte back on the bench. "I help you with that right now!"
Emily Walker frowned as the two boys left the Great Hall.
"Since when does Remus need help from Sirius?" she asked Lily.
"Um..." Lily tried hard not to laugh as she watched Charlotte flounce off. It didn't help that James was giving her a look, accompanied by a sock-clad foot slowly rubbing itself up and down her calf.
She sent him a look that told him he could keep trying until he turned blue, but he still wasn't getting any kisses until after the party. Or at least...she hoped that's what her look said. For all she knew her eyes had just portrayed a sense of animalistic lust that, egged on by his foot caressing exercises, was only just under the surface of cool, collected exterior. Damn him.
Hastily she stood up, making her excuses to Emily and exited the room, making a beeline for the girls' dorms. Potter and his damned sexy eyes couldn't follow her there.
…
Potter and his damned sexy eyes landed on hers the moment she emerged from the girls' dormitories, however, and Lily felt the telltale blush creeping over her skin. Over the past few hours, she'd tried to finish some last minute homework before finally giving into Emily's whining that she needed to get ready for the party.
James stared at her as she made her way slowly down the staircase. She reached to tug self consciously on her hair, only to have her hand slapped away by Emily who hissed,
"Don't touch it, you'll ruin it!"
"You put so much hairspray in it; I doubt it's going anywhere."
"Hush. The hairspray as a tool is second only to the wand." Lily snorted, and turned back to watch James Potter visibly gulp as she descended the stairs, doing her best not to trip. She don't know how Emily managed to persuade her to wear these damned shoes...and these jeans were far too tight...and she'd never worn a top this low before. Dammit, what the hell was she doing here? She suddenly stopped, causing Emily to turn round.
"What...?"
"I'm going back upstairs."
"Why?" Emily grabbed her arm before she could get away. "You look incredible, honey! Just be confident!" Lily cringed as Emily dragged her down the remaining stairs...towards James Potter.
"Lily...I..." he stuttered, looking at her as though he'd never seen a girl before, let alone Lily Evans. Lily rolled her eyes in a very practised way at Emily, who pretended not to see and rushed on ahead to join the crowds stampeding towards the drinks table.
"So...now will you tell me what they're up to?" James looked pained as he shook his head. Lily sighed. "Fine. Aren't you going to ask me to dance?"
"Um...wanna dance?"
"Smooth, Potter, gravel smooth." Lily grinned as she pulled a considerably more cheerful looking James onto the dance floor.
…
"Aw, Prongs looks happy." Sirius grinned at Remus' revelation.
"Well, duh. He's bagged the hottest girl in the room." Remus gave him 'the look'. "I said the hottest GIRL! Honestly, you know who I think the hottest PERSON in the room is." Another 'look'. "Besides me, obviously..."
Remus rolled his eyes and turned back to watching the common room from the top of the dorm stairs. Sirius has insisted that they wait up here 'until the right moment arrives'. Remus didn't really care about the right moment; he just wanted to get this over and done with.
"Now?"
"No, not yet. I told you, we need to make an entrance."
"But...but..." Sirius put a finger to Remus' lips, not failing to pick up on the irony of the role reversal of the situation. Clearly, this had to be rectified.
"No buts, my Remie. Our entrance must be a thing to remember. It must be still being talked about three months from now."
"Sirius, I don't think we're going to be able to stop people from talking about it." Sirius grinned widely.
"I know. Isn't it brilliant?" Remus sighed and gave up. In all honesty, what did it matter if he was humiliated now or later?
He was saved the trouble of saying anything more by the appearance of a scared-looking Peter, who scurried up to join the two as they lay sprawled out of sight on the narrow landing space. He looked them up and down and failed to suppress a snort.
Remus pointed at Sirius.
"Blame him. Blame it ALL on him..."
"Aww, Remie, you're too kind..." Sirius leant in towards Remus just a little bit, causing Peter to wrinkle his face.
"Just save till I'm gone, alright? James says everyone's here." Sirius scowled as the podgy boy scurried back downstairs.
"He's just jealous cos he could never look this good in a tiara."
"Let's go, Sirius. Your audience awaits." For the first time, Remus watched a badly-disguised spasm of fear cross Sirius' face before it was turned once more into a look of playful mischief. From down below, he could hear James making some sort of announcement. "If we don't get out of this alive, and failing to see how this could in any way make things worse, I thought I should tell you now that I don't think anyone could look as good as you do in a tiara. Period."
Sirius grinned and gave him a quick fierce kiss.
"Thanks Moony. And just so you know, you are so wearing those leather trousers to bed tonight." Remus laughed and grasped his hand tightly. Here goes nothing...
…
"Ladies and gentlemen...this is unusual, even for a marauder party, and even I'm not entirely sure how to put this..."
"Get on with it, Potter!" Someone at the back of the room growled. James laughed nervously.
"Well it needs a bit of an introduction. Don't worry folks; you'll get your show tonight." A couple of girls shared excited looks. James swallowed and threw his arms. "Ladies and gentlemen! I present to you two people who've...oh, sod it. I haven't got a clue about what they're up to, in all honesty. Moony? Padfoot? Do us a favour and get your rears in gear, Lily's giving me death glares and I-" James laughed nervously again as Lily truly did give him a glare "-packed full of love and devotion for yours truly, naturally. Oh. Merlin."
Remus and Sirius had finally made it down the stairs, hand in hand.
Sirius strode out in front, wearing bright pink spandex trousers and a matching top. A pink tutu was fastened firmly round his middle and the tiara was perched jauntily on top of his hair. Remus followed him, his beet red face clashing with his glittering tiara. He was clad in leather from top to toe. Tight leather. Both boys were completely drenched in silver glitter. They sparkled in the brightly lit common room as Sirius leapt up onto a table, dragging Remus with him.
"We have a little announcement to make. Please hush for a moment." Remus had the grace to roll his eyes as he blushed, if possible, even deeper. The common room was so quiet they could hear a wand drop. "Oi, you at the back!" Sirius yelled to a frightened first year who Remus thought was far too young to hear what he was clearly about to. "Pick up your wand! This is no time for interruptions!"
"For Merlin's sake, Sirius." muttered Remus, glancing apprehensively round the silent common room. "Just get it over and done with."
"Fine, fine. Anyway! We want to announce that me and Remus…" he pointed at himself and the werewolf, as if anyone could miss them in all their glittering finery."…are gay. Fairies." he added for the benefit of the hard-of-thinking. "Poufs, queers, shirt-lifters, pillow-biters, fudge packers, arse bandits, playing for the other team, dancing at the other end of the ballroom..."
"Alright, I think they get it!" Remus interrupted; for fear that his face would melt with embarrassment.
"I just wanted to make sure they get it, that's all." Sirius hissed, causing one pretty sixth year to snort derisively.
"Clearly, the Marauders are playing a joke on us girls for a change." She looked around for support. There were murmurings of agreement from several girls. The sixth year, whom Remus vaguely recognised as Sylvia from Ravenclaw, batted her eyes at him, clearly hoping to receive some sort of special treatment for 'getting the joke'. Sirius frowned at her.
"No...we actually are gay. Together."
"Prove it!" Remus glared at Lily who was grinning at them from the front row.
"I don't think..." he began, but suddenly found that he couldn't continue, as Sirius' lips were muffling the sound and Sirius' tongue was stopping the words from being formed. Oh well, Remus thought, there are worse ways to tell people they're gay...
We know we also said this would be the last chapter…but it was slightly longer than expected. So one or two more will come! Love xxx