Warning: This chapter may be incredibly terrible. I hate to make excuses but I've had a bitch of a week. I've been in and out of hospital for the past couple of days and I only just managed to write this in the time between. It's piecy and I couldn't even bare to try and read it back. Apologies, I promise I'll up my effort next week!
Hogwarts, it seemed, was not churning out any vulnerable girls that morning. In fact, Hogwarts seemed to take on the qualities of a ghost town in the early hours of the morning. The entirety of the Great Hall was empty when they arrived, making every step they took echo. Despite the eerie atmosphere, Sirius seemed perfectly at ease, sliding gracefully onto the bench. As soon as he sat, the table around him filled with food. Good to know at least the house elves were awake.
Remus plopped onto the bench with not even a fraction of the elegance displayed by his friend, huffing as he did so. Sirius looked up mildly.
"Don't fret, Moony," he said cheerily, "Plently of desperate fish in the sea."
Remus fixed him with a sharp glare.
"Thank you for that." he snapped icily, "And that's not what I'm mad about."
Sirius didn't look up as he piled toast onto his plate but his eyebrows rose interestedly, "Oh?"
"You robbed me of at least an hour's sleep, Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, dropping his voice when his protests screamed back at him from the walls, "And will you stop acting so..."
"So...?"
"Aloof!"
Sirius smirked amusedly at him.
"Goodness, Moony, you're awful tense."
Remus almost punched him. Sirius rolled his eyes as he poured himself and Remus some coffee.
"Relax, Remus. It won't kill you to wake up a little earlier." he said, sliding the steaming cup across the table, "Besides, think of it as practice. For, y'know, the future."
"What future? You're rich! You probably won't work a day of your life!"
"Excuse you! I take offense to that!"
"You take offense to everything, Padfoot, because you can't just let anything go." Remus reminded him.
"You're damn right! But where would you be if it weren't for my drama? Bored, that's... where. Poor James probably goes into hibernation if there's nothing to gossip about." Sirius protested smugly, "And I'll have you know that I plan to be out of that horrible house the second it's possible."
Remus almost regretted his words, remembering the type of people Sirius's family were. Almost. Every time he tried, though, he remembered how early it was.
"Sirius..." Remus started but was cut off with a glare.
"Never fear, Remus. Nothing in life is free."
"Um... Great."
"I mean hard work will be rewarded."
"What do you..."
"Perserverance, Remus."
"Are you just... saying words now?"
"REMUS! Pay attention!"
Remus jumped, silenced under Sirius's scolding tone.
"I mean that all of this will pay off. The results will be completely worth it."
Remus sighed, "Sirius, I'm not even sure I want a girlfriend. I like having time to myself. Christine was nice and I had fun but... I dunno."
"So get a boyfriend."
Remus rolled his eyes, "I'm being serious."
"So am I."
"No puns this early in the morning. Actually, no puns ever."
Sirius huffed, "I wasn't making a pun. Believe me. I get enough of them without fueling the fire myself. But I wasn't kidding. Get a boyfriend."
"What? Why? I'm not gay!"
"People change. You could learn to love it, who knows?"
"That's messed up, Padfoot."
Sirius shrugged, turning to take a sip of coffee.
Remus had little patience for Quidditch. He did, however, need to distance himself from Sirius Black. So when James announced he was heading out for some late night Quidditch practice after dinner, Remus was eager to tag along.
"So it's going as well as you thought, huh?" James asked, grinning, as they walked down to the pitch.
Remus groaned, "It's a nightmare. If you only knew half of what goes on in that brain of his..."
James laughed, "That's Sirius. Love it or hate it."
"Hate it." Remus confirmed, "I had no idea it'd be this bad."
"You saw the contract!"
"And that wasn't even the half of it!" Remus argued, "I thought it'd be... I dunno, a little nudge in the direction of some girls. Maybe a little smooth talk coaching. Not the total and uncomprimising upheaval of my entire life!"
James looked him over, "It's not all bad. You dress better."
Remus rolled his eyes, "He's actually going to kill me."
"You did agree to let him help you," James reminded him gently, "And he's only got your best interests at heart. That's the beauty of our Padfoot. He doesn't do anything without a good reason."
Remus made a begrudging noise of agreement. They reached the pitch in silence and James ducked into the changing rooms to shed his uniform. Remus found a seat in the stadium while he waited. When James emerged, he joined him while he clipped the tail of his broom.
"So I suppose you were up at some ridiculous hour this morning." James said conversationally.
Remus groaned at the memory, "I don't know how he does it. He reckons it's because girls are lonely and desperate in the morning."
"What?" James laughed.
"Something like that, I don't know, I didn't pay too much attention."
James shook his head, grinning. Remus remembered the conversation he'd had with Sirius that morning.
"He said something weird today." Remus mentioned.
James raised his eyebrows, "When doesn't he?"
"True... But this was really weird."
"Do tell."
"Well I was trying to get out of this whole thing this morning. I was telling him I don't really want a relationship- No, a girlfriend right now and he says 'Get a boyfriend'." Remus explained.
"You know him, he's just giving you a hard time." James shrugged, continuing working on the broom.
"That's what I thought! But he was actually genuine about it. He said something like 'people change' and I'll 'get used to it'."
James nodded as if waiting for Remus to finish the story.
"So?" Remus urged.
"So what?"
"Feedback!" Remus snapped, "Reaction, comments! Give me something here!"
James frowned, "What? It's hardly a surprise."
Remus blanched, "I just told you that your best friend has been promoting homosexuality to the point where one could almost suspect him and you're 'hardly surprised'? Come on James!"
"What do you mean, 'one could almost suspect'?"
"What do you mean, 'one could almost suspect'?"
"We're going in circles..."
Remus took in a deep breath of the cool night air.
"Okay." he said slowly, "Sirius said something today that hinted at activities of the homosexual nature. That's what I know."
"So? Actions speak louder than words, don't they?"
Remjus continued taking in soothing breaths to avoid an explosion.
"What actions?"
James rolled his eyes, "Oh come on Moony, you can't be that daft, he's not exactly quiet about it."
The puzzle pieces were sliding into place. Slowly.
"About what?"
James laughed, "You can't not notice! He's had it off with nearly every guy in Gryffindor!"
"WHAT?"
