Chapter Text
“Gerrof!”
“You get off! Oh wait-that’s what you were trying to do asking out Evans again!”
Sirius and James were rolling around the room like idiots, play fighting, though Remus suspected that if Padfoot teased too hard about Lily then James would put a little more force behind his playfully shoves. Never enough to hurt him of course, just another outlet for that limitless Potter energy. Quidditch practise, running from Filch, quidditch practice, running from pranks, quidditch practice, running to class (and still being late, McGonagall threatened to turn them into pocket watches on the regular) and more quidditch practice.
The pair slumped back onto their beds panting heavily but with big grins on their faces.
“Thank Godric! I need peace I’m working!”
Sirius let out a snore at that. “Homework on a Friday Moony? Boring!”
“Working on the Map actually idiot.”
“Oh!” Sirius leaned up on his elbows smiling. “Well time well wasted- I approve!”
“Wasted is nearly what it was! You could have torn it the way you lot came barrelling in landing on me!” He made a point of tucking the map safely into his bedside cabinet drawer.
“Don’t bring me into it!” Peter piped up from by his own bed in the corner where he’d retreated to avoid the other two, looking on apprehensively and ...maybe a tad jealous?
“Sorry Moony!” James grinned straightening his glasses that had gone askew and tucking both hands behind his head. “Just needed to blow-off some steam!”
Remus couldn’t help himself and quirked an eyebrow. “Was that the latest line you used on Lily? Politely enquired if she’d help blow-off-”
Then James was up again, blushing, tacking Remus on his bed this time as Sirius barked with laughter. Sirius joined in too standing next to Remus’ bed as James got him in a headlock and scrubbed his first across his hair and then doing the same to James, who lightly kicked him away. They were making so much noise, shouting various expletives to each other and laughing that some poor bugger revising for OWLs or NEWTs was sure to come and tell them off soon.
“Oi! Two against one here! Bad sportsmanship!” James complained half heartedly, as they stood up beside Sirius, still shoving each other with shoulders and elbows and light kicks. Peter, still watching from the other side of the room seemed confident enough now that Remus was involved that he could involve himself too. They never excluded him intentionally, just he wasn’t usually courageous enough to include himself the way the others did. Now that he saw this chance he was a bit over eager.
He charged from across the room, announcing giddily “I’ll save you James!”
It was a bit of a blur what happened, they’d already been a tangle of limbs before Pete joined the fray. He barrelled into Sirius who hadn’t seen him coming who fell hard into Remus’ back. Remus fell forward landing face first between his bed and his bedside cabinet, which tipped over as he went, sending his books and an ink jar across the room floor. James had fallen back too, his glasses broken. There was a brief stunned silence where Peter stood surrounded by the chaos, eyes wide and face white.
“Remus?” Sirius scrambled over to him worried.
“M’fine!” He said pushing up off the ground, and the panic in Sirius' face subsided a little.
“Merlin’s arse Pete, thought I only had to face bludgers on the quidditch pitch!” James said, taking off his glasses and muttering “Repario!” Before placing them back on and craning to see if Remus was okay.
“Sorry! I didn’t think Sirius would land on him-“ Peter began pleading.
“Don’t go blaming me!” Sirius practically snarled rubbing his side where Peter had made impact.
Sirius reached under Remus’ arm to help pull him up. He turned back to the room, lips with a fresh cut at one corner, glistening red.
“Your lips!” Sirius whispered eyes wide and focused on the cut.
Remus’ eyes flashed for the briefest moment and his mouth twitched suppressing a smirk. Sirius knew what he was thinking though, could practically hear Moony’s playful tones berating him. Not now Padfoot. There’s a time and a place. He didn’t take his eyes of Sirius but licked his lips, wincing as he got to the fresh cut and tasted blood.
“Hit the frame of the bed on the way down.” He shrugged.
“Shit.” James’s grimaced.
“It’s nothing!” Remus insisted.
“It’s not nothing! You’re bleeding!” Sirius’ eyes were frantic again and voice a little high.
“Don’t be daft Padfoot, if I came away this well after a full moon I’d be laughing.”
“But it’s not a full moon!” Sirius countered. Remus just shrugged again.
“What’s one more scar?” He grinned, though it was forced and awkward, probably sore. “I’ll still be better looking than you all!”
That was enough for James to let out a half laugh, half scoff and he waved his wand to upright the overturned cabinet and levitate the books back into place.
Sirius was still staring.
“You should go to the Hospital Wing.”
Remus looked at him as though he were mad, though the tiniest bit amused.
“You’re barking! I’m not going to bother going for this, I spend enough time there as it is thanks!”
“You sure mate?” James asked.
“Positive!” He smiled, unaware as blood trickled down from his lip. Sirius looked unimpressed while James heaved a sigh getting up and heading to their bathroom, they heard him turn on the tap.
“What?” Remus asked Sirius who was still staring.
“You’re bleeding.”
Sirius reached out a hand tentatively as if he was going to wipe the blood away delicately with his thumb, but Remus blinked surprised and quickly raised his own hand to catch the blood dripping down his chin dropping onto his white shirt, then wiped it away on his wrist. Sirius dropped his hand quickly and cleared his throat.
“Still think you should go to Pomfrey.” He said crossing his arms. Remus rolled his eyes.
“She looks after me every month when my whole body and skull splits open, I can take care of a little burst lip myself!”
“Moony where’s your Murtlap essence?” James called from the bathroom.
“I think I’m all out!”
“If only there was a place you could go when you need medical attention that will be stocked with magical remedies.” Sirius muttered petulantly. Remus shot him a look.
“He doesn’t want to go, don’t make him.” Peter mumbled. He hadn’t really moved except to nervously bite his fingers, Sirius had almost forgot he was there but now he was reminded and anger flashed in his eyes before he wheeled around to face Peter.
“You rat! You just don’t want him to tell Pomfrey it was you, not that he would! But you’re just worried you’ll get into trouble!” He spat.
“I’m not!” but he had gone red all the same, “I’m sorry Remus it was an accident!” He whimpered.
“I know Pete it’s fine.”
“It’s not fine!” Sirius shouted, “He hurt you”, then as a slight embarrassed afterthought hurried to add, “He hurt me and Prongs. Turned the room upside down-“
Sirius was grasping at straws a bit, it was only books and things on top of the bedside cabinet.
“You make a mess of the room all the time!” Peter’s voice was high, eyes watery and indignant. With this Sirius very near growled and Peter squeaked and darted out the room.
“Nice going Pads.” James sighed from the bathroom doorway with a wet cloth and small, practically empty jar.
He made to hand both to Remus. Sirius grabbed them first with a scowl.
“If you scrape the insides of that pot, there’s just enough to stop the bleeding. I’ll go see if any of the Quidditch team have some spare murtlup essence then I’ll find and talk to Pete. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone you two eh?”
It was a warning to Sirius to drop it and not start arguing with Remus. They could both be so stubborn and without James as peace keeper usually resorted to roughhousing to resolve it. Nothing too bad usually, some bruises and one bleeding nose and black eye back in 4th year. This wasn’t how James handled things, if it were Sirius and him they’d be out on the quidditch pitch and come back closer than ever. With Remus he’d give him space without giving him the cold shoulder, let him cool off. With Pete he’d talk to him, being direct but comforting usually. He left the dorm, and Remus called out a thanks after him.
Sirius, still looking annoyed, advanced back to Remus with the damp flannel. Remus held out his hand to take it muttering “cheers” but Sirius ignored it and reached up and held it to Remus’ face. He did it gently, much more so than the way he’d grabbed it from James. Remus swallowed hard and let him. He turned Remus’ chin carefully with the tips of his fingers, one finger brushing lightly on his jaw. He began wiping away the blood Remus had smeared across his chin with the back of his hand, gently inclining Remus’ face this way and that and Remus couldn’t help but lean into his fingers slightly. Neither of them spoke, like a spell had been cast. Then as he gently pressed the cloth to his cut lips Sirius moved his free hand from Remus chin, round the back of his head, in his hair, holding him in place. His fingers brushed the nape of his neck and Remus gasped. Sirius pulled back the cloth, the spell momentarily broken.
“Too sore?” He asked concerned, though they both knew the gasp wasn’t from the pain.
“No, s’fine.” Remus whispered. Sirius continued gently dabbing Remus lip, his knuckles gently brushing his face each time, pretending it was unintentional.
“It won’t scar.” Sirius said quietly.
“Hmm?” Remus barely managed as another knuckle brushed his cheek.
“You said ‘what’s one more scar’ but this wasn’t a magical injury like your other scars.”
“What’s wrong with my scars?” Remus teased.
“Nothing at all.” Sirius breathed. Remus could have sworn his hand tightened on the back of his neck for a second.
“So you agree I’m still the most handsome out you lot.” He joked, trying to provoke Sirius.
Sirius didn’t rise to it, just nodded slightly dazed in agreement, blue eyes flicking from Remus lips up to meet his whisky coloured ones. The colour that made Sirius feel drunk when he looked into them too long. He pulled down slightly with the cloth, pulling Remus lips apart a little. He continued dragging the damp cloth lightly down his chin, his jaw, his throat and along his neck to his collar bones, even though there wasn't any actual blood smeared there. He squeezed the cloth a little so that water squeezed out onto Remus' skin and ran down beneath his stained shirt, making him shiver.
Sirius’s scraped the insides before discarding the empty pot. He could only manage to get a small amount of the treatment on his fingertips. He pressed what little there was to the deepest part of the cut.
Remus hissed through his teeth with with the pressure but didn’t pull away. He could feel it working it’s magic, his mouth hurting a little less as the bleeding stopped.
Sirius leant up and gently brushed his lips to the now slightly healed, but still tender and raw looking corner where Remus was cut, and gave a soft kiss.
“Sorry.” Sirius whispered pulling his hand from Remus neck.
Remus felt cold without it there and the water droplets running down his shirt didn’t help.
“You should change your shirt before dinner.” He fingered at the blood stains on Remus white shirt, dried in.
Remus just nodded dumbly and pulled on his tie loosening it and yanking it over his head with one hand and made a start on the buttons with the other. Sirius wanted to watch his long slender fingers as he unbuttoned his shirt deftly with one hand but forced himself to look away and walk over to his bed.
There was an empty cracked ink jar lying beside it. He picked it up with his free hand and then realised he was still holding the bloody, damp flannel with the other.
He ducked into their bathroom throwing it in the wash basket and bumped into a half naked Remus throwing his dirty shirt in too.
“You alright? Look like a Prongs caught in the headlights.” Remus tried, trying to the lighten the mood. Sirius just nodded quickly and walked back over by his bed.
They hadn’t been alone like this for months, the air in the room too heavy, touching each other the way they had taken to in the last couple of years.
“What’s that?” Remus nodded to the ink jar in Sirius hand as he pulled out a clean shirt and slipped in his arms. Sirius watched Remus dumbly and looked down at the jar he had forgotten he was holding, but that he was clutching so tightly his knuckles were white.
“Ink jar. Was here by my bed on the floor. It’s cracked but don’t worry it was empty.” He croaked, his throat felt dry.
Remus strolled over still not having buttoned up his clean shirt. Sirius wished he would, he kept having to force himself to avert his eyes.
“Shit!” Remus let out a low groan and Sirius dearly wished he wouldn’t.
“It’s just cracked you can repairo it?”
“No it wasn’t empty, it had the last of the invisible ink we use for the map in it, we’ll have to make more now.”
Remus took the jar from Sirius, hands prying it out of his. This time Sirius inhaled sharply but he played it of as a sniff. He didn’t look at him but the uninjured corner of Remus’ mouth turned up as he pretended to inspect the jar. He swapped it in his hand, took out his wand repairing the crack and set it down on Sirius’ bedside cabinet.
“You okay Pads?” Remus fought a smile.
“Yeah.” Sirius managed.
“You’re still mad?” Remus asked brows raised.
“No. I wasn’t mad just...frustrated.”
“Frustrated?” Remus smirked now, unable to help himself.
“Yes.” Sirius replied tentatively.
“Frustrated with me?”
Sirius swallowed and grit his teeth. “Yes.”
“Sorry I frustrate you.” Remus licked his lips to hide a smile.
Sirius didn’t trust himself to say anything.
“Sorry you’re so frustrated.” Remus teased again getting closer.
He put his arm on Sirius’ shoulder. It was a friendly gesture, but those long nimble fingers were under his hair now at the nape of his neck.
“Thanks for kissing it all better.” Remus whispered smiling, the fingers on the back of Sirius’ neck spreading out and up into in his hair.
This was it for Sirius, who couldn’t take it anymore and leaned up to kiss him again as Remus crashed down. Their lips met for a few seconds and then Sirius pulled away suddenly concerned.
“Did that hurt?” He asked panting. Remus just shook his head hurriedly.
“S’fine!” He mumbled quickly before pressing his lips back against Sirius’ harder and began using his tongue.
It did hurt but it was a good kind of hurt. It tingled and burned a little but nothing compared to the way Remus’ body was tingling and heating up all over. His hand twisted in Sirius hair and his other hand found his jaw, taking hold of it firmly.
Sirius hands were grasping frantically. First in Remus’ hair, on his neck, his bare shoulders, running down his chest to his hips and back up again, all the while they were pushing each other round the room, hitting off bedposts, against the wall, against a trunk.
He grabbed at the edges of Remus’ open shirt with his fists pulling him near. The back of Sirius’s legs hit a bed, he wasn’t even sure who’s they had danced around the room so much, and he was dizzy anyway from kissing Remus.
Finally kissing Moony again!
His hand slid down the front of Remus bare torso once more, over the slightly raised scars he liked to linger on but didn’t want Remus to feel self conscious. He slid his hands round his back under the open and now fairly crumpled shirt. He pulled him closer, a hand tantalisingly low on his back and Remus moaned into their kiss. It sent waves through Sirius and he forced himself to stop because even his lips were hurting now, he was sure Remus’ must have been.
Instead he frantically kissed his jaw, his neck, tongue swiping across his exposed throat, nipping gently along his shoulders and Remus gasped as Sirius moaned and hummed into his skin. Remus slipped his fingertips into the waist of Sirius tight (and getting tighter by the minute) trousers and tugged him closer by the waistband the way he knew Sirius loved. Sirius groaned and he thought he maybe blacked out for a second. Remus pulled him near as he pushed closer and they both landed back awkwardly on the bed.
***
“Your lips are red.” Sirius said buttoning up his shirt.
“So are yours!” Remus grinned back. Sirius let out a laugh, doing up his tie.
Remus walked over to the window opening it to let in some air, he was still too hot.
“Are they sore?” Sirius asked biting his own lip now. Remus’ eyes darted down and blurred out of focus for a second to admire Sirius doing this.
“Huh? Oh...I’m fine. Prongs’ll be back with the murtlap essence any minute. Hopefully with Pete.”
Sirius made a disgruntled noise in his throat.
“Sirius, you will say sorry to Pete.” It wasn’t a question when it was his old prefect voice. He hardly ever used it, so when he did, something in Sirius stomach would tug and he was oddly inclined to do as Remus told him to.
“If he says it!” Sirius pouted.
“He did.” Remus reminded him.
“He apologised to you, not to me for colliding with me! I’ll bet he’s bruised me!”
“So I have I.” Remus smiled wickedly nodding to purple marks on Sirius’ neck just hidden from view by his shirt collar. “And you’ve left a trail of bruises down my front again, Padfoot!”
Sirius smiled despite himself blushing and they both laughed.
“Didn’t hear you complaining!” He grinned back. Then he turned quiet. “I overreacted, it’s just...you’ve been hurt enough, every bloody month! Don’t want to see you get hurt anymore.”
Remus was quiet and stunned sitting up on the ledge by the open window smoking a cigarette he'd lit.
He blinked and said with a straight face, “You are so sweet, Padfoot.”
Sirius rolled his eyes groaning and hiding his face in his hands as Remus’ face broke into a teasing smile.
“Really sweet. Sweeter than chocolate.”
“Fuck off Moony.” Sirius grinned sheepishly.
“So you’ll say sorry to him then?”
“Oh fine!” he said said leaning back on his elbows. Then his smile turned cheeky and thoughtful, “Might even thank him.”
He winked and it was Remus’ turn to blush.
***
“Got some!” James came into the room triumphant.
“About bloody time you’ve been ages, could’ve found a murtlap and extracted it’s essence by now! ‘Least we know why you’re not a bloody seeker!”
“Shut it tosser. Here Moony.” James handed over the jar.
“Cheers Prongs, who’d you get it from?” Remus asked.
“McKinnon.” James said looking at Remus, frowning. “I’d apply some now before dinner Remus your lips are really swollen.”
Remus nodded and bent his head opening the jar, eyes glancing up at Sirius on his bed pretending to read The Daily Prophet. He was grinning when he caught Remus’ eye over it and his shoulders began shaking with silent laughter.
“You’ve got a bruise on your jaw too did you hit that when you fell or...you two weren’t fighting while we were gone we’re you?” James asked frowning, eyes narrowed and darting between Remus and Sirius hidden behind the newspaper.
Remus shook his head trying to look innocent and quickly applied the thick liquid to stop James asking more questions. He instantly felt relief. The throbbing in his lips ceased and he could feel his lips tightening more than the first minuscule dose as the wound closed up. He ran his fingertips over his mouth and the previously split open lips were now no wider or deeper than a paper cut. He’d apply more after dinner and it would probably be gone.
“Couldn’t find Peter then? I’ll check the map.” Remus said.
“No I found him, he was sulking in the kitchens. Wouldn’t even eat anything though.”
“Where is he now?”
“Downstairs in the common room waiting to see if it’s safe to come up. I was to go back down if there was still an atmosphere.” James was speaking directly to Sirius now, “And there’s not and there won’t be? Right?”
“Yeah yeah. Moony already gave me a hard time.” A heat rose up Remus’ neck at the innuendo but fortunately there was a creaking as the door to the dorm opened.
Peters face was tear stained and his eyes were red. Remus heart went out to him but he didn’t address it, pity was the last thing he himself would have wanted.
“Alright Wormtail?” He asked nonchalant, trying to appear as normal as possible.
“Yeah. Are you? Remus? Alright?” His puffy eyes full of concern.
“Yeah mate, I’m fine.” Peter nodded at this, relieved and nervously turned to Sirius.
“Sorry Padf- sorry Sirius.” He said quickly, foregoing nicknames to convey his sincerity.
“Forget it Wormy.” Sirius gave a tight smile eyes still on the Prophet he was folding up. Remus and James gave him pointed looks from behind Peter.
Sirius sighed, “I’m sorry too.” Peters shoulders visibly slumped a little with relief as he let out a breath he appeared to have been holding and this made Sirius’ face break into a proper smile. “Daft prat”, he joked to relieve the tension, “I don’t blame you, I blame Potter.”
“Why?” James grinned, now that peace was restored.
“None of this would have happened if you could live up to your name as a chaser and score with Evans.”
“Prick.” James shook his head still grinning as the other three laughed. “C’mon lets go down early, me and Pete are gonna sneak away after dinner, I’ll need to store the invisibility cloak before we go to the hall so I’ll check the map for Filch & you can distract him with dungbombs Pete.”
“What are you pair up to?” Remus pulled the map out his drawer to hand it to James who just grinned.
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” It served as both an evasive response to Remus but also revealed the hidden ink on the marauders map.
Only this time, it wasn’t just on the map that ink appeared.
The four of them were surprised to see a big pool of ink on the floor by Sirius’ bed and two sets of footprints that had walked through it across the room, into their bathroom and back. Sirius blushed at the close proximity of the footprints to each other, between each other, especially when they led haphazardly (up against the wall! he remembered blushing harder) to Remus’s bed which had some ink smears on the crumpled sheets and pillow too.
“Shit. It was the ink for the map in the jar that fell.” Remus remembered.
He looked up now and they were all giving him funny looks as he himself had noticed Sirius and his eyes went wide. Sirius had dark ink smudges on his face, his jaw, down his neck and disappearing below his shirt which had some ink stains on it too, hand shaped ones. Remus’ hand prints. Remus realised he and Sirius must have unknowingly got invisible ink on their hands when they each held the cracked jar. Remus could imagine the ink stains on his own face trailing down his neck from Sirius horrified gaze. Peter looked confused and James’ eyes narrowed darting between them and the ink covered floor.
“I bloody knew it!” James yelled suddenly.
“James-“
“It’s not-“ both Remus and Sirius began at once.
“I said you’d been fighting!” James yelled.
Remus’ heart was still beating too hard he was sure the other three could here it but Sirius, ever the bullshitter, recovered quick enough.
“Yeah, yeah Potter, relax no harm done.”
“Can’t you use your big boy words instead of resorting to violence? Do you always have to get physical?” He pulled the invisibility cloak from his trunk, his back turned. Remus did not meet Sirius eyes at this but could hear the grin in Sirius voice.
“Moony’s a man of few words.”
“Here’s a few: Fuck. Off. Wankers.” Remus counted them off with his fingers, grinning.
“Well you better change your clothes and clean the ink off yourselves before dinner not to mention the rest of the dorm,” he nodded back at the floor, sounding alarmingly like Mrs Potter, “We’ll see you in the hall, no more fighting!” he warned and bounced out the dorm.
“Weren’t really fighting, just...blowing off some steam.” Sirius had a small smile, enjoying his risky game with the oblivious Peter, and was watching Remus squirm from beneath his long dark hair that had fallen over his face.
Remus glared at him but Peter missed the quip and was heading for the door after James.
“Oi Pete,” Sirius smirked wickedly, not breaking his intense gaze fixed on Remus, “Sorry again...and thanks.” Remus flushed as Sirius played with fire.
“Thanks for what?” Peters brows were knit together.
Remus shook his head slightly willing, imploring, Sirius to stop, but this just made it more fun for him. Normally Sirius was oddly inclined to do as Remus’ told him. Eager to even, Remus had noticed more than once, the realisation making him dizzy. Sirius was at heart still mischievous and sometimes the chance to defy and push the boundaries of any authority figure- his mother, Professors and Remus to name a few- was just too good to pass up.
“The murtlap essence!” Sirius smiled innocently, finally tearing his gaze from Remus who was fighting a coy smile himself.
“Oh that was James!” Peter told him with a wave of his hand and starting back out the door again.
“Thanks anyway!” Sirius called after him grinning madly at Remus who leapt at him once Peters footsteps got quieter.
“You heard James’, c’mon. Clothes off! Prong’s orders, you’re filthy!”
***
“Still no sign of them on the map?” Remus asked putting his quill in his mouth so he could unstopper an ink jar.
“Nah can’t find them. Don’t spill that on my sheets, Potter’ll go spare if he sees another stain. Will think we didn’t clean up properly before dinner, he’s getting more like his mother everyday.”
“I think it was the stains he couldn’t see he was worried about.” Remus muttered scratching the nib over the parchment, stopping when he realised what he had said, “That’s not-I meant the invisible ink stains.”
“Mhmm.” Sirius just smiled coyly one brow raised, reclining back with his hands behind his head.
“I did. Pervert.” Remus grinned and continued working.
“Wish we hadn’t left before dessert now. Can’t be arsed going down to the kitchens.” Sirius mused.
“Worth it though. What, I’m not sweet enough for you? Not my fault you just had to have me-“
“Piss off! Godric, Moony you’re not actually doing homework are you after we just-“ he trailed off and Remus smirked.
“You can’t even say it can you?”
“Pffft! Bugger off.”
“Go on Padfoot, after we just..?” He was enjoying embarrassing him.
“You’re a bad man, Moony.” He just smiled sheepishly rolling over onto his front, with a groan burying his face in the pillow.
“Shagged? Fucked?” Remus leant down to whisper into his hair with a laugh. Sirius looked up now, eyes narrowed enjoying the challenge, like a game of dares.
“Made sweet, sweet love?”
“Oh aren’t we romantic, posh prat.” Remus laughed but he looked pleased all the same.
“Don’t deny it Moony, I know I’m the best you’ve ever had.” Sirius sighed, his cocky nature returning.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever had.” He muttered and rolled his eyes.
“Aha! You didn’t deny it! I’m the king of shagging. My love making is the sweetest!” He rolled onto his side propped up by one elbow to face Remus.
“Dick.” Remus snorted.
“See, it’s all you can think about. Already knew I was the best anyway from the noise you make when you-“
“Alright, alright! You win, it’s good, you’re good.” He cut in cheeks pink. Sirius raised his eyebrows still not satisfied with this response. “Really good.” Remus told him grudgingly so that Sirius face broke into a wide smile, very pleased with himself.
Remus dragged the feather of his quill lightly down Sirius jaw and neck, across his bare chest. He shivered and hummed with the sensation.
“Put some bloody clothes on.”
“Nah think I’ll sleep in the buff tonight so you have a really hard time thinking off me from your own bed.” He mused sliding under his sheets as Remus smacked his arse none too lightly. “So tell me,” his voice matter of fact, “Since we’ve established I’m a really great lover like you said, how you can possibly be doing homework right now? It was my intention to see to you so thoroughly I’d make you forget your own name. Thought I had succeed in that endeavour since you only seemed able to remember mine...”
“Sirius!” Remus cried out, flushed.
“Exactly like that, yes. So how can you be focused enough for bloody homework?”
“I’m not doing homework, you arrogant prick! I’m doodling!”
“Not writing ‘Sirius Orion Black’ over and over with little hearts?” he batted his eyelashes furiously at him.
“No I reserve that for the back of my History of Magic textbook, you know that.” He joked deadpan. “It’s an idea for the map.”
“Do tell.”
“Well I got the idea earlier after seeing your footprints on the floor. Your dainty little dress shoes looked so pretty-“ it was his turn to tease now and he was going to relish in it.
“My feet are not little or dainty!” Sirius sat up sharply to face Remus, his sheets falling dangerously low around his hips.
“So tiny and graceful!” Remus was laughing now, stoppering the ink jar before he really did spill it.
“I’m perfectly proportioned! We don’t all wear those big bloody boots of yours, and your tall!” Sirius whined.
“Petite and elegant!” Remus gasped through his laughter.
“Fuck off! Let me see what you’re drawing!” He demanded. Remus showed him the little trail of little black footprints he’d been sketching on the spare bit of parchment.
“Instead of the dot we have for people’s whereabouts on the map, we can follow their footprints?” He was wiping a tear from his eye from laughing. “Your footprints really!”
“We are not putting that on the map!”, he yelled indignantly. “Give me that!”
He made to grab for the bit of parchment but Remus was quicker in swiping it away and taller, so he held it out of his reach. He leapt up off Sirius’ bed in his boxers to run away. Sirius pulled his bedsheet with him held loosely round his middle with one hand to chase after him.
“You know what they say about little feet Padfoot!”, Remus laughed running around the room.
“Well you already know that’s not true!” Sirius huffed.
“Such darling dress shoes too, maybe we should change your name to Prettyfoot!” He yelled over his shoulder.
“Oi! You know what my family were like! Only the best for the most noble and pretentious house of Black!”
“Oh yeah I’m sure you had to be prepared to waltz at the drop of a hat with your lovely, lovely shoes!”
“Right that’s it’s! You wanna dance, granny jumper boy?” He lunged after Remus around the room just barely holding onto his sheet.
Remus loudly sang the chorus to a song some of the muggleborns had started drunkenly singing at parties but changing the lyrics ‘Waltzing Matilda’ to ‘Waltzing Minerva’.
“Waltzing Minerva! Waltzing Minerva! You’ll come a waltzing with me!” Remus finished the song, panting.
“Alright lads?” James grinned.
They hadn’t heard heard him and Peter come in. He had his invisibility cloak bundled under one arm. James wasn’t phased at all by the two half naked boys running around the room, Remus jumping from bed to bed to evade Sirius. They had all grown up in the same room so they weren’t exactly shy, least of all James who shared a boys locker room with the quidditch team. Peter was slightly more weary at Sirius’ lack of clothes but kept quiet and avoided looking in his direction.
“Nothing!” Sirius looked at Remus pointedly who was still grinning madly, red in the face from all the laughing and exertion.
“Just playing with the dog.” Remus laughed grabbing his pj bottoms from under his pillow, discreetly slipping the bit parchment underneath too.
Sirius shoved him with a scowl and flopped back onto his own bed, sheets still wrapped round his middle.
“Where were you two, couldn’t find you on the map.” He frowned.
“Yeah what were you up to?”
James clapped a hand on Peters back. “Well, when I found Wormtail earlier he had an idea-“
“He what?! Finally! It was bound to happen eventually! Quick, someone fetch a copy of Hogwarts: A History so we can properly document the occasion or nobody will ever believe us!” Sirius called out dramatically.
“Dickhead!” Peter grinned as James and Remus shook with laughter.
“Suppose you don’t want anything then?” He started pulling out packets and packets of brightly coloured sweets from all his pockets and dumping them on the bed as James did the same.
“You’ve been to Honeydukes! That’s where you went before dinner! To store the invisibility cloak behind the one eyed witch statue!” Remus realised.
“Why didn’t you just tell us?” Sirius pouted slightly. He hated being left out, even if it had meant he got to be alone again with Remus.
“Wanted to do something nice to make it up to you.” Peter smiled shyly. “And we all know how much Moony loves chocolate!”
“You’re mental, you shouldn’t have bothered!” Remus shook his head.
“You’re saying you don’t want one?” James piped up.
“Of course I do! But you’ve got enough to feed the whole of Gryffindor!”
“I think you underestimate how much chocolate we’ve seen you eat, Moony!” James replied. “Anyway, thought we’d get extra to give to Mckinnon to thank her for the murtlap essence.”
James began causally picking up a couple chocolate frogs and some Bertie Botts every flavour beans.
“Oh yeah, taking all that for Marlene are you?” Sirius eyed him suspiciously.
“Well she might be with friends...” James mumbled not looking up. “Would be rude not to give them some.”
“Friends like Lily?” Remus grinned.
“Yeah I guess...or Mary!” He spluttered.
“Pathetic!” Sirius laughed as he left but James just stuck up his middle finger behind him. “Reckon I’ll have one too though, cheers Wormy.” Sirius sighed as he made to get up.
Peter yelped and slapped his hands over his eyes. “Honestly Padfoot, put something on! I’ve seen enough of your arse!”
“Oi!” Sirius barked, “How rude! I’ve got a terrific arse!”
He looked at Remus as he said it making a show of turning his back to him as he grabbed some sweets and retreated to his bed. Remus just nodded in agreement and appreciation, taking advantage of Wormtails still shielded eyes.
“You are a terrific arse!” He smirked, tearing open a chocolate frog packet.
That night Remus did have a hard time thinking about Sirius, but he was tired and content, full off chocolate and his cheeks still hurt from laughing. His lips were much better, they only tingled when he thought of Sirius’ pressed against them or having them wrapped tightly around his-
A floorboard creaked interrupting this train of thought.
Remus pretended to be asleep, eyes forced shut. He would not give Sirius the satisfaction of knowing he was awake thinking about him, hoping and waiting for him to come over to his bed in the night. Not even when he felt a hand slide under his pillow and pull out the piece of parchment he’d forgotten about, and the footsteps retreating away. He dozed off to sleep, satisfaction warm in his stomach knowing that even though he was thinking about Sirius, Sirius was obviously having a hard time thinking about him too.
‘Sweet, sweet love.’ Remus drifted off to sleep thinking about the words not hearing the quiet scratchings of a quill scribbling away across the dark room.