CHAPTER FOUR
When Remus Lupin finally says likes Ambrosia Harkins out loud for the first time in his life it's the summer before fourth year and he's at the Potters home. Sirius and Peter are there too. They're all under a fort Peter had expertly built hours before, out of blankets and pillows; and despite it being nearly three in the morning each of the boys were all still up, wide awake, munching on sweets, talking about whatever came to mind.
"Evans has nice eyes," James said suddenly, once the four of them has calmed down from laughing at a dirty joke Sirius had made. Though James had never come right out and said it, everyone- Sirius once joked -knew he fancied her.
"I guess," Sirius shrugged,"Her hairs nice-not as nice as mine," all the boys snorted when Sirius flipped his long curls over his shoulder, "But still, nice."
"She's tall?" Peter offered, not really sure what to say. He'd never really looked at Lily like that. Sure she was pretty but James, his friend, liked her, so why even bother?
"What about you Remus?" Sirius snorted, "Do you agree with James and think Lily has nice eyes?" James tossed a jelly bean at Sirius's head for the words double meaning, which he caught in his mouth. "-Yum, caramel."
Remus felt his face heat up, like Peter he never thought of Lily that way, not only because she was his friend but because he was too busy looking at Ambrosia Harkins.
"I dunno," Remus murmured, red faced as he thought of Ambrosia Harkins and her smile, "I guess, I never really looked."
"Remus," Sirius whined, flopping dramatically onto Peter's lap, "You're face is red. You can be honest, have you been eyeing Evans?" Remus didn't have to look at James to know that a small frown was starting to form on ends of his lips.
"No," Remus denied, looking at James, "I don't like Lily." James's lips tipped upwards at that
"Then who do you like?" Peter asked. The three looked to their shortest companion.
"What?" Remus asked,
"You said you don't like Lily-not that you don't like anyone," Peter said with a sly smile and mischievous glint in his apple green eyes, "So who do you like?"
The muscle in Remus's jaw tightened as he murmured something at an inaudible level.
"What was that?" James asked, craning his neck towards Remus, a hand upping his ear.
"Ambrosia," Remus said again, "I like Ambrosia."
"Harkins?" Sirius said sitting up. Remus nodded. Sirius tilted his head back, squinting his eyes, "I see it."
"See what?" Remus asked as James and Sirius shared a troublesome smirk between them,
"Nothing bad," James said, "Just you two would look cute together-"
"-Because you're both nerds." Sirius cackled, finishing James' sentence. Remus didn't stop himself from tossing both his pillows- one in eaches direction -at them while Peter snickered at his friends antics.
Friends. Remus surveyed his friends and felt his chest becoming tight, because Peter, James and Sirius were the three best friends Remus could ever ask for.