Summary: Marauders' Era. Remus explores his budding feelings for Sirius, intending to keep this secret safe. Too bad he's too oblivious to realize that Sirius not-too-secretly feels the same way. Meanwhile, Peter's excitement for food gets the boys into trouble with McGonagall. SBRL.
A/N: Thanks to StripeyPurpleFish, BubbleGumPowah, and Fishy Custard for the reviews ;) It's really much appreciated! :D Thanks to all who faved this fic, and added it to their story alert!
Hope you guys like my OC Professor Charles Simpson! I'm not too sure how big of a role I want him to play in this story, let's just wait and see how the plot develops, yeah? ;)
Now, without further ado, on to the fic!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, its characters and plot, all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything. I'm only paying a small tribute to the SBRL fandom.
Of Apple Trees and Honey Bees
Chapter 3
In the previous episode, we left a blushing Remus with his clumsy thoughts in Muggle Studies class. Let's check on how our favourite werewolf is doing.
Remus had managed to calm down and assume his normal calm composure somewhere in the middle of his two hour Muggle Studies class. Furiously taking notes definitely helped cool his nerves.
Despite his age, Professor Simpson was a talented teacher. He was animated and kept the class' attention with jokes, photos, and diagrams. Rarely was there a class so attentive and responsive in Hogwarts' long past. One could even cross-reference it in the latest edition of Hogwarts: A History.
He was much unlike Professor Cassels and Professor Binns, who without fail seemed to get majority of their students to drowse into a soft slumber.
There showed the signs that Simpson was definitely going to be popular amongst the range of teachers in Hogwarts. Especially with the distinct lack of homework involved for his lessons.
The other Marauders are definitely going to regret not taking this class, Remus mused, while jotting down more notes.
Their dorm room had been inundated with the suffocating aroma of tea leaves for the past week, and the other three boys have been almost inebriated from drinking so much tea. Peter almost peed his pyjamas one night. So much for Divination being an easy class.
Regardless, Remus was grateful for Muggle Studies class to end for the day.
Despite the day's prior evens, he intrinsically felt that he much preferred Sirius' jubilant yet comforting presence compared to anyone else's. Yes, he preferred Sirius to the presence of a teacher that his seatmate, the strait-laced Lily Evans, caught herself describing as 'hot'.
"I'm tired, Moony," Sirius whined, while dramatically falling onto the smaller boy. "Let's take a break, pretty please?"
Both boys were in detention for at least two hours now, scraping off the bird droppings that have fallen from the humongous heights of the apple tree. The cheery chirps of the birds seemed to mock their plight overhead.
James and Peter had other commitments that day (whatever those may be). Remus did not bother to interrogate them. Seeing the devious smirk on James' face practically gave him away, anyway.
Obviously, he had either a prank in mind, or was out to stalk Lily Evans, again. Nothing new there.
Sirius himself didn't mind James' absence, given that it implied Peter's absence too. Plus, James had promised to saw off the apple tree with Peter the next day, when it was Remus and Sirius' turn to have a day off.
Sirius had not exactly really forgiven Peter for getting them stuck in this unfortunate predicament, and would probably have chewed off his chubby head with his Animagus form, if he could.
"Come on, Reeeemus," the taller boy drawled, "you know you want to have a break too, mate."
Sirius then gave Remus his lost puppy eyes, which he knew the latter obviously couldn't resist.
"All right, you big baby, we can have a rest for a while."
Sirius has the most irresistible puppy dog eyes, Remus thought. His Animagus is a bloody dog, for crying out loud.
But deep inside, Remus knew that wasn't the only reason he succumbed easily to Sirius' charms.
He regarded Sirius as his closest friend in Hogwarts, and felt that Sirius understood him best amongst their peers. With Sirius, he always felt the most safe, the most comfortable.
He knew this status might not be exactly requited, though.
James, after all, took the "best friend" status from Sirius since their first year, although the messy haired boy recently spent most of his time ogling over a particular fiery red-head nowadays.
As for Peter...Remus felt more like a giving tree in their friendship – mostly sharing homework answers to the chubby boy, or giving him the last piece of toast during breakfast (after much begging in Peter's part). When Remus' intelligence or altruism was not in need, Peter would usually cling onto James and Sirius more.
The golden eyed boy mused that the rat Animagus must still be terrified of quiet Remus' vicious werewolf alter-ego. In the food chain, wolves were obviously far superior to rats, after all.
So in that light, perhaps Peter's fears were intrinsically valid.
Although Remus might like to point out that wolves usually hunt for larger game, and never really gave a damn for small fry like rats and mice.
"Moony... I'm bored... Entertain me..."
Sirius' half-dead drawl shook Remus out of his reverie. Other than food and drink, Sirius seemed to have a constant appetite for entertainment that needed to be regularly sated.
"Let's play a game, then?" Remus suggested.
Sirius' eyes suddenly came back to life, and twinkled in that way when he and James came up with a notorious prank idea. "Great idea, Messr Moony."
"Heard that he's a vegan."
"Well, I heard that he's secretly a muggle Nazi in disguise."
"Pish posh, my sources tell me that he's closet training to become a monk."
Remus tried to stifle a laugh, but failed miserably. He burst into laughter.
The mental image of Severus – his usual greasy hair shaved bald, whilst clad in hooded monk robes, was way too hilarious for the werewolf to bear.
The two played a game of giving Severus Snape the most ridiculous descriptions. Whoever gave in and laughed first would lose, and become subject to the winner's mercy.
"You lose, Moony!" Sirius exclaimed, and proceeded to tackle his sandy-haired friend, tickling his sides wildly.
"Si-Siri, s-stop it!" Remus howled, barely containing his laughter.
"Why should I?" Sirius smirked, while his hands continued their tickling non-stop.
"Ti-tickling can b-be fatal to we-werewolves!" Remus replied, gasping between breaths and laughter.
Sirius stopped abruptly.
"Are you serious, Moony?"
"No, my name is Remus. You are Sirius, Padfoot," Remus deadpanned, quickly recovering and wriggling away from the other boy's grasp. A trademark Moony-smirk graced his lips.
He absolutely loved goofing around with Sirius.
On the other hand, the raven-haired boy chuckled at the blatantly overly-used pun. It never seemed to wear off its hilariousness.
Maybe it's because it's about my name, Sirius considered seriously. He was never too humble to deny the size of his own ego. His chest swelled with pride.
He was a Black after all, and some intrinsic qualities would simply never yield. James' almost ubiquitous presence never really helped to abate that either.
Or maybe, it's because of Remus, don't you think? A tiny, almost microscopic, non-solipsistic part of Sirius argued. It waggled its microscopic eyebrows suggestively.
In the depths of Sirius' mind, there were a few whole seconds of stunned silence.
Sirius was slightly taken aback by this sudden revelation. Not that it irked him. No, definitely not that.
It just simply never occurred to him before – that Moony, with his sandy blonde Moony-hair, golden brown Moony-eyes, and symphony-of-church-bells Moony-laugh, was the one responsible for his effervescent mood whenever the skinnier boy was around.
It was with Remus' initiative, that Sirius didn't mind sharing his toast with Peter.
Yes, yes, Sirius replied to his pseudo alter-ego, it kinda makes more sense that way.
I told you so. Now stop talking to yourself. He's calling you.
With a knowing chuckle, Sirius' inner voice withdrew once more to the not-so-deep recesses of his mind.
"Huh?"
"Earth to Sirius," Remus half-yelled, whilst frantically waving his wand wildly at his dark haired detention buddy.
"You're slobbering, mate. What gives?"
At that point, Sirius indeed caught himself drooling, with a loopy smile caught in his lips.
Loopily intoxicated with Remus Lupin.
Sirius almost drooled his way back into his dreamlike state again.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Why does Peter ask for everyone's toast? What is James up to? And what travails await our favourite boys? We can only find out, in the next update.. :D
Thanks for reading until this far, guys! And please leave a review, so I can know what you all think! Kudos!
Here's a sneak peek in Of Apple Trees and Honey Bees, Chapter 4!
Remus never really understood why there were orchestra symphonies perpetually playing in Hogwarts' Great Hall. It gave too much of a regal Christmas feeling. And it induced people into an overall happy emotion.
Remus did not particularly wish to be happy at that moment.