Author's Note: Harry Potter and the rest is to J.K. Rowling.

Those who'd read the earlier version of "Random Years" would notice that I have merged some chapters to make the story flow more smoothly. Sorry about that. The fact is, I wasn't really going to write more after that scene with Sirius not going home for the holidays. But life is a very surprising thing, and I got stuck with this idea about a bet that I really needed to write about. The tone was quite similar to the original first two chapters that I decided to pin it on that.

I've also added one more scene to Chapter 2 (Chapter 4 in that old version). It's in the last part, so you don't have to re-read the whole thing.

Thanks to the kind reviewers! Yoroshiku!

Chapter Three

Two days after the full moon saw Remus still running around trying to catch up with the work he'd missed when he was 'sick'. Probably the rest of Hogwarts thought of him as a delicate thing who'd fall down with the touch of a breath, but that can't be helped. The fact that he can't seem to put on weight no matter how much he ate only sealed the delicate image with a fluorish.

That Thursday morning, he had already managed a couple of toast with jam and sausages when James and the rest came yawning down from the dorms.

"You're an early bird," said James, in the middle of stretching.

"Considering that this bird had been out of commission a few days ago, he has plenty reason to be," said Remus, getting up from the bench. "I always seem to choose the most inconvenient times to get sick."

"Every excuse to miss class is a precious jewel," Sirius put in. He was barely awake himself and was using his fingers to keep his eyes open. "You're leaving?"

Remus nodded. "There's still that essay on dementors I need to write, so I better squeeze in some library time before classes."

"Don't forget about the work we still need to do on the Map," said Peter, who hated doing things alone.

"Yeah, the last time I checked, all the ghosts turn into walking armor when they reach the North tower. Whose part was that, anyway?" said James, reaching out for some toast and almost overturning the milk jug on someone's copy of Advanced Potion Making.

"Padfoot's," said Remus. Sirius made a face at him, but didn't say anything. They were still wary about the 'good boy' remark and neither really felt like fighting so early in the morning.

"I forgot," said Sirius. "It was easier to write them off as armor first, see, before putting in the spell to identify them as ghosts."

"So you took the easier way out again," said Peter. His voice suggested his wonder at not having thought of the same thing. Peter loved anything that could make his work easier; he wouldn't have agreed to write the Map in the first place, considering the amount of work needed to be done, except that it was James who'd suggested it.

"Laziness is the mother of invention." Sirius shrugged, making way for Remus as the latter passed him on his way to the library. "Hey, Moony, you have something on your face— here."

Remus looked up in time to see Sirius lean close so he could lick a trace of jam from the corner of Remus' mouth.

"Thanks," said Remus, smiling vaguely before going on his way. He had already gone halfway up the staircase when he realized what Sirius had just done, and he was glad that no one was around to see him blush.

*

"What was that about?" said Peter, looking closely at Sirius' face.

"Smooth, mate. Very smooth," smirked James, through a bite of toast and marmalade. "You might win those ten galleons after all."

"I don't see what the fuss is all about," said Sirius. "I was just helping him get clean. It's good grooming."

"I guess." James laughed. "It's what you do when you're in canine forms, isn't it? Well, you better watch out. It's ridiculously easy to misinterpret such scenes as signs of burning passion, you know."

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you, James?" said Sirius, taking a sip of hot chocolate and trying to forget what happened earlier altogether. But the memory of Remus looking up at him with the familiar vague smile made him choke a bit so that Peter had to thump him rather strongly on the back to get him breathing again.

"Why not? Someday, perhaps when you're a doddering old man you're going to look back and realize what a great help I'd been to you in your youth," said James. "We're young only once, Padfoot, old friend. Grab all the chances while you could."

"I never thought I'd live to hear someone say that to Sirius Black," said Peter.

"I know. Sound more like something you'd tell Remus, eh?" said James. "But you're acting real different, too Sirius, so I guess the normal rules don't apply."

"Perhaps you'd me like to conjure some nice pink heart confetti to match your mood?" said Sirius, rather sourly. He wasn't a morning person, and the talk they were having wasn't helping things any, except that he realized that he really wasn't sleepy anymore. "You guys are talking like a couple of first year girls."

"Aw, you're just not romantic," James quipped. "You'd better watch out, I could sure use those ten galleons."

"Who said you'll win the bet, anyway?"

"I don't bet when I'm not sure I'll win."

*

To say that Sirius Black was mightily pissed off would be like saying that dementors are a bit unsettling: he had the feeling there just weren't enough words yet in the English language to describe how he felt, which was sort of depressing coming from a wizard.

He finished his toast as quickly as he could, planning on going to the library to see Remus as soon as he could. He still didn't have any idea on what to do or say once he got there, but he couldn't let James win the bet sitting down. Remus was probably one of the easiest person to talk to that Sirius knew, so he was hoping that it would all come to him when he's actually there. He'd always worked better under pressure anyway. It was just like taking the N.E.W.T.s: nothing to it.

Or so he liked to tell himself.

Standing before the doors to the library, though, he was having second thoughts about his plan (or lack of it). But before he could decide on what to do, he heard footsteps coming closer. It was times like these that prompted the writing of the Marauder's Map, though it would have helped if they'd thought about it sooner. With a muttered oath, Sirius went inside the library. Not one of the brightest things he'd done, but he really wasn't in the mood to talk to Filch or one of the professors.

The door to the library opened again as Sirius slithered behind one of the shelves.

"Aw, come on, Evans, you don't have a date on Valentine's Day anyway," said James.

Sirius, hiding a smile behind his hand, couldn't believe his luck. Now he'd just have to make sure James and Lily wouldn't see him rubbing shoulders with moldy books on goblin rebellions because this was a scene that must be preserved for future reference. And while he was the one who was going to do the preserving, he shouldn't ruin it all by interrupting the two.

"And so you assumed I'd be going with you. Aren't you just full of yourself, Potter?" Lily said. But her tone was light, and Sirius figured that James wasn't so daft for listening to Remus' advice on girls after all.

"Full of you," said James. "As you should have known with me in this state and all. Really, Evans, how many times do I have to tell you I'm not in this for kicks?"

"I didn't know you had a sweet tongue," said Lily, drily. "I just think you should meet someone who could say no to you."

"Haven't I just?"

"But you won't settle for that, would you?" Lily said, laughing softly.

"In light of recent events, I think it's best for people not to give up."

"I don't think you should speak so lightly about that, Potter."

"Oh, believe me, Evans, I don't," said James, ruining the effect whe he added, "But who could think about Voldemort and his terrible feats when they're with you?"

"You're impossible," said Lily. And Sirius was strongly reminded of Remus in one of his uptight moods. "You think it's all a joke, don't you? Because we're all safe here in Hogwarts and the real world is miles away. Because you know that Voldemort's always been afraid of Dumbledore. Or do you have delusions of your own greatness, that Voldemort would be no match against you?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Evans?" said James. "Or a coward? You think I don't think about my family or everyone I know, and how I get nervous everytime the owls come to deliver my letters because that might mean news about someone getting killed or worse? What silly git do you take me for?"

There was a pause, then Sirius heard Lily mutter "I'm sorry" so softly he had to lean forward a bit to hear her properly, risking letting them catch a glimpse of the corners of his robes.

"Look, I know how serious all this business with Voldemort is, and I'm going to do all I can to help Dumbledore rally against him and the Death Eaters, are they are getting called. But that doesn't mean we have to stop living, you know?"

"And so we go back to that."

"Like I said, Evans, I never give up."

"Oh, all right. Now let me do my research in peace before McGonagal fails me for turning in a foot of blank parchment."

"Three Broomsticks okay with you? Then we could walk around, see the sights?" James used his best wheedling tone.

"All right."

Sirius made sure that both of them had walked away before going out of the library himself.

He had formulated his plan.

*

Remus had Arithmancy that afternoon with Sirius. The four of them had taken the same classes in their third year, but James had given Arithmancy up afterwards, saying it was a complete bore and switching to Runes instead. Remus thought this was a bit unfair, since James had gotten better marks than everyone else, but that was James for you. Peter switched to Runes when James did because he didn't want to get caught up alone between Sirius and Remus' fights.

In the middle of the lecture, Remus began doodling on his notes.

1: Who sent those Chocolate Frogs? Is someone watching me? Do they know my secret?

2: Why didn't I switch to Runes when James did? Why didn't Sirius? Then we wouldn't be bored out of our wits right now. Then again, Runes aren't essentially more interesting than Arithmancy. Perhaps we should have tried Divination instead.

3: What was he thinking back there at breakfast?

4: How is three more magical than four?

Beside him, Sirius was on his third Sugar Quill. When he saw Remus looking at him, he held the half-consumed quill out.

"Want a lick?"

"You shouldn't eat candy in class."

"It keeps me awake," Sirius whispered back. "Besides, I wasn't exactly eating anything. I was just nibbling on it a bit."

"And now you're offering it to me. Charming."

"You look half-asleep yourself, figured you could use it." Sirius shrugged, grinning lazily.

Remus raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"What are you writing, anyway?"

"Haven't you heard about the concept of taking down notes, Padfoot?" Remus tapped at his own desk. "Not that you'd get much written, with those quills."

"I have a real one." Sirius rummaged inside his bookbag to produce a rather beaten-up pen. "See? Writes beautifully too. Pity it's not sweet. But you can't have everything in this world, can you?"

Sirius wrote something on his notebook, tore the page out and handed it to Remus.

"What's this? I'm not too keen on sending hexes by mail, you know," said Remus, looking suspiciously at the page.

"Take it before Flinchly notices," said Sirius, nodding in the direction of the Arithmancy professor.

Remus did, gingerly. He read the note.

Would you go out on a date with me on Valentine's? it impossibly said. Remus flipped the page over, even though he knew Sirius had written nothing on the back.

"All in all I would rather the hex," he said.

"Would you really? I'm hurt, Remus."

"There must be some pressing reason for this," Remus went on. "If you're pining for some butterbeer we could all go for a couple, my shout."

"Don't joke around, mate, I'm deadly serious."

"That's what I was afraid of," said Remus, grimly.

"I'll explain after class."

"There's an explanation. I like that." Remus relaxed. Best friend or not, he didn't trust Sirius. "This better be not one of those time-wasters."

*

What was important was that Remus shouldn't see him blushing. He laid out his plan as they walked to their Potions class. He felt like he was hiding too much from everybody, but that can't be helped. One day he would think about what he really felt about Remus, but after he'd won the bet. It wasn't criminal to take one thing at a time.

"I heard James asking Evans out on a date," Sirius began.

"For Valentine's Day?" Sirius saw that Remus was catching on by the latter's grin. "What did she say?"

"She's going to the Three Broomsticks with him and a romantic walk around Hogsmeade afterwards."

"I think going out with you may have its merits, after all," said Remus, chewing on his lower lip. Sirius couldn't help noticing how white Remus' teeth were against the pinkish flesh, and how his lips looked so soft. If Sirius had been a few centimeters off back there during breakfast, he would have known by now.

If he played his cards right, maybe he still would.

"The thought has entered my mind as well."

"Are we going to tell Peter?"

"And ruin my time with you? How heartless can you be, Moony?"

Remus smiled, and Sirius felt himself blushing after all. He looked away, hoping that Remus didn't notice.

"I don't know about my heart," Remus went on as if nothing was wrong. "But I must be mental, agreeing to go out with you. Don't let anyone else know or all those girls who'd been making eyes at you are going to kill me."

"Moony, how could you? Is going out with me so bad you have to hide it from everyone? Are you ashamed of me, mate?"

"That too. I really must be mental."