The Bug Collector | marauders

Prometheus and Epimetheus

The lights were dim in The Three Broomsticks, glasses clinked together all around the room, conversations brewed throughout the establishment.

Rose sat directly in front of James, their booth in a far corner of the room.

"You're lucky, Sirius is always too distracted to figure this stuff out on his own." James said, sounding like a disappointed parent.

"Look it's not as bad as you think. We haven't even done anything." Rose explained

"It's not really about that, Rose. It's about who he is."

"Who is he James? He's not Sirius' brother anymore, and to be frank he's nothing like Sirius."

James removed his glasses, placing them on the table, before running a hand over his face and sighing.

He was definitely in an odd position, being loyal to both his friends in this situation would be a task.

Rose had slumped down into her seat, holding a nearly empty butterbeer in her hands, James reached over and took the glass from her, placing it on the table.

"I didn't want you to start seeing Sirius in the first place. I knew it was a bad idea the first time you peeked your head out from his bed curtains." He said, another sigh escaping his lips as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I won't tell him, but I'm not going to help you keep it from him. If he finds out some other way that's on you." He continued.

He put his glasses back on and got up, extending a hand to help Rose out of her seat.

"Thank you, and I'm..I was thinking about going to see him tonight." Rose admitted, James groaned agitatedly.

"Rose." He reprimanded.

"I want to see him."

"I can't believe I'm letting this happen." He said before leading the way to the passage they came from.

—

The moment James and Rose entered the boys' dorm they heard a muffled "Fuck you, mate" and saw Sirius tumble out of Moony's bed, landing disheveled on the wood floor. He glanced up at the two who entered, a few curls had fallen in his face and he wore his usual smug smile. The necklaces and chains he wore hung loosely around his neck.

"Well hello, Prongs, Thorns." He said, nodding to each of them as they got closer, then standing.

"Just a little disagreement with Moons." He continued, which prompted another "fuck off" from Moony from within his closed bed curtains.

"How may I be of service?" Sirius asked, straightening his hair and tugging at his collar a bit.

"I was just hoping to see you, you know since I was so hard to find yesterday." She said, glancing over him, tattoos shining through the light fabric of his shirt, his chest was beginning to fill with them.

"And I want no part of that." James added before flopping down on his bed, bringing a pillow to his face.

"We should be going then." Sirius said before calling out over his shoulder as the two made their way to the exit of the room.

"Night, Moony."

Remus and James both groaned in response, Peter was rather quiet throughout the interaction.

—

Rose whispered, hands pressed firmly against Sirius' chest, both their leather jackets were thrown to the bottom of the bed, but no other articles of clothing had been removed, save for their ties.

"All my roommates are here." She said in a hushed tone.

"So I'll stay and be very quiet." He whispered in response, shuffling under the covers, that sly grin he always had on his face present.

"Just to sleep." She informed, placing her head gently on his chest, listening out for his heartbeat while running a hand over the rose tattooed on his arm.

"Do you remember, back in like fourth year, I had you smell that amortentia? Any chance you remember what it smelled like?" She asked, tracing up and down his tattoos.

"I do actually." He spoke, after taking a moment to think.

"At first I smelled leather, and old books, then something sweet, followed by something warm, like cinnamon and honey." A smile came to his face then.

"And, broom polish, from Prongs." He added.

"It will change over time right? Or do you think the potion knows what we'll always want?" She asked, he just pulled her closer to him.

"So curious. You should have been a Ravenclaw." He said, burying his face in her hair, ready for bed.

"Wait." She said, lifting his head up and grabbing her discarded green tie from the bedside table, then placing it tenderly around his collar, making a dissatisfied face as she did so.

"It doesn't suit you at all." She said.

"Well, I could have told you that, twat." He said, removing the tie from his neck and placing it rather roughly back on the bedside table, taking his place next to her once more.

"Siri?" She asked for his attention, he mumbled a response and she shook her head.

"Never mind." She said, paying close attention to his heartbeat once more.

"Goodnight, Pads." She whispered.

"G'night, Thornsie."