Those Ocean Eyes

Chapter 67

*Hey, I'm really sorry for not updating as often as I wish I could, I'm really busy lately. I'm trying my best and I love you guys!!*

Lily and James walked the corridors hand in hand now. Their arms swung in synch, fingers clasped together sweetly. James would occasionally raise their hands to kiss Lily's own hand, making the girl blush and smile. That was how they showed their love.

Sirius and Remus, on the other hand, fucked mercilessly. They, of course, couldn't hold hands in the halls and kiss publicly in fear of being harassed, but they quite preferred fucking anyway.

They had cut it close a couple times, with James even barging in on them in the middle of it. Sirius had claimed they were "looking for a lost button" in Remus's sheets.

Luckily for the two of them, James was about as bright as a fire without a flame, and believed his lie.

It was Remus's birthday. Usually Remus wouldn't be happy that his friends had bought him something expensive, but Remus was ecstatic when he opened their present.

A brand new record player, red with gold highlights. They got him a lot of albums, Sirius thinking he was hilarious when "Werewolves of London" was opened, but Remus wouldn't stop listening to Queen.

Something about the way Freddie Mercury's voice filled the room, the emotion behind it, and the music urging him on just made Remus feel like he was floating on a cloud.

"Remus turn that down, will you?" James asked timidly for the fourth time that morning.

"No." Remus replied flatly, eyes still closed.

"Please?" Peter begged, practically shouting over the music.

"No."

"Remus, as much as I love this song, you've played it ten times now." Sirius said with a half grin.

"And?"

"Please."

Remus grumbled as he turned the dial on the record player a miniscule amount to the left.

"Thank you, I guess." James rolled his eyes.

"I can barely hear it now, but I'll sacrifice that for your happiness." Remus stated dramatically, closing his eyes again.

"You barely turned it down, Lupin, the dormitories upstairs can probably hear it!" Peter exclaimed angrily.

Remus lifted his head and glared at Peter. The smaller boy shrunk a little.

"So." Sirius said, breaking the awkward silence in which the record begged to be flipped. "What do you want to do today? Lucky your birthday landed on a Sunday."

"I want to lay here in my bed. Making no noise. Pretending I don't exist." Remus said flatly.

After a pause, Remus got up and flipped the record, starting the music back up again, then he flopped back down onto his bed.

"Moony, is everything okay?" James asked over the blasting music.

"No."

The music stopped suddenly in the middle of a note. Remus opened his eyes. He hasn't noticed James stride over and take the record out.

"What's wrong, Remus?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"You just said-"

"I said something's not okay. But it's completely the same as always. Nothing wrong about it." Remus sat up, leaning against his headboard and closing his eyes again.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked, exasperated.

"Honestly, I don't even know anymore. Turn the music back on?" Remus asked hopefully, turning towards James, who still stood next to the record player.

James opened his mouth to speak, but the door to the dormitory burst open.

"Everyone decent?" Marlene called, her hands over her eyes. "Never mind that, unless someone has boobs."

The girl smiled and took her hands off her face.

"Happy birthday, Remus! Have my ears finally blown out, or have you stopped the music?"

"Hi, Marls." Remus grinned.

"Oh, so you'll talk to her but not us?" Peter glared.

"Yes."

Marlene frowned as if thinking hard.

"All right, all you boys get out. I need to talk to Remus." She said, sprawling onto Remus's bed with him and joining him in staring at the ceiling.

Reluctantly, they all left, muttering something about 'it's my dorm too'.

They waited to speak for a while, both of them knowing the rest of the marauders were obviously listening at the door, shown from the shuffling and the giggling.

"I thought you and Sirius had made up?" Marlene finally asked, breaking the silence.

"We did."

"Remus, if you aren't going to talk to even me, then you might as well get new friends." She raised an eyebrow teasingly.

"He never apologized for kissing her. Just about the werewolf thing."

"The...?"

"Shit." Remus turned and banged his head against the bed post. "Shit."

"What werewolf thing? What did you do?" She asked frantically.

"Nothing. Oh, it already slipped out. Shit. Okay, so. I'm a werewolf." Remus offered her a slight smile.

"Like. With the...?" Marlene stretched out her hands and mimicked claws, baring her teeth in a grotesque face.

"Yeah."

"I see. Oh! And the scars?"

"Exactly."

"I'm so sorry, Remus. That's terrible."

The girl gave a sympathetic smile, patting his hands and calming his nerves.

"Alright, so what about Sirius being a bitch?"

Remus laughed.

"That's more literal than you know." He told her with a grin before quieting and telling her the story.

Remus shuffled anxiously, waiting for Marlene's reaction. He was probably leaning too far into the whole thing, and overthinking it as always.

"Obviously he didn't. Sirius has always been bad at that sort of thing. Probably something to do with the hell hole he grew up in. Fucking nightmare to even think about."

Remus simply nodded in response, secretly thinking it might have been better growing up rich, at least. He, of course, didn't ever complain about the orphan home, but he always envied his friend's lives, especially James and his perfect family.

He picked at the strings on the faded red and yellow Gryffindor quilt lying on his bed, taking a deep breath in as Marlene spoke. The air at Hogwarts smelled like classical piano music, if music had a scent. Old and woodsy and beautiful.

"But it's not an excuse, Re. You should talk to him about it."

"It's alright. I'm sure he didn't mean it." Remus replied halfheartedly.

"Talk to him. Fighting with someone you love feels like drowning with someone cheering you on." Marlene said, allowing Remus to chuckle.

"Thanks, Marlene. I love you."

"I love you, too. Now go make up with your boyfriend." Marlene left, leaving the dorm room feeling very empty.

Remus flopped back down on his bed. Maybe Sirius could wait just a bit longer. He wanted to smell the piano music once more.