Carve Me Open / r.l. + s.b. /

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There was Peter on his bed, gnawing on a celery stick reluctantly, spitting it out immediately afterward and replacing it with a crisp. Remus supposed their first year was full of unnecessary tension and was sure that Peter once made the comment that he'd felt stuck in the middle. Now, with it all past them, he was able to be free to think and speak, which must've lifted his burden.

There was James, now spinning on his stool with his wand pointed at Sirius's face, occasionally, ready to fire back if given the need. He hadn't been much different from who he was their first year. James was still a spitfire and an excellent dueler; he'd had much practice on the boys in their dormitories despite Ivan Strix's multiple reprimands and the loss of over one hundred points thus far. James particularly loved testing his new defense tactics on Sirius.

Then there was Sirius. There was so much to be said about him that Remus couldn't quite put it all together. He hadn't known how to feel about him their first year, and he certainly wasn't the same. There were days when Sirius reverted back to his dignified, aristocratic ways – the attitude that now reminded Remus of the boy his mother wanted him to be. Then there were days like this when he was untamed and free to be whomever he liked. Sirius taunted and jested like a boy his age should. Upon the newest revelation, Remus worried more now than he had been his first year, and the same went for Sirius for Remus.

Their friendship was odd. It was unlike Sirius's friendship with James, and he wasn't sure why that was. With James, he seemed chummy like the boys on Muggle television. It would appear as if they were brothers for life, inseparable and bonded in a way that no one would intercede. For a while, Remus had wanted that, yearned for that connection. Envy reared its ugly head in his chest every now and then at the sight of Sirius warming up to James and Peter more than him.

But then he realized there were moments with Sirius that Remus was sure he hadn't shared with the other boys. Remus had noticed that while it was nice to have those cordial relationships every now and then, it was hard to be yourself. Not that Sirius had to hide who he was from his best friends; instead, it was challenging to be defenseless--vulnerable.

Their night went well into the morning despite each of them knowing that they had classes the following day. The highlight of his night had been Peter shoving a handful of Pepper Imps into his mouth and belching balls of fires for hours on end. Even when he'd fallen asleep, tiny sparks would dance from his nose every so often. Sirius had also managed to summon an entire bottle of Gillywater, which he then coerced Remus to chug. Of course, some of the contents came pouring from his nose, but it made for a good laugh. Remus had earned a bit of money, considering they placed a bet on whether or not he could get through it without vomiting.

Remus was a few galleons richer.

Sirius had been the first to fall asleep, draping his body across Remus's bed while saying it was 'the most comfortable bed in the room.' Remus wondered how he'd come to that conclusion seeing as though he'd never slept in the bed before, but decided to save that question for later. Peter followed soon after, not minding if his pillow got scorched throughout the night. James shut his curtains for him, shaking his head to himself.

It was only him and Remus left, then, to clean up the mess left behind. Unfortunately, things were still awkward between the two boys. Memories of their rocky friendship merely a year prior continued to haunt conversation now and then. It was never on purpose, but James was different from Sirius. He was aggressive, assertive. The words he uttered had a bit more bite, whether it was intentional or not.

Remus tried his hardest to understand, and James caught himself most days. Still, it didn't stop the impact or the sting that followed days after.

"I think Sirius did this on purpose," James snickered, piling their banner into his trunk.