RIGHT THE NEXT DAY Sirius was walking with James to the library. Potter had a meeting with Evans there - she wrote him the other day that she was sorry about her hurried reaction with him inviting her on a date and that if he still wanted that date, they should meet.
That's why now James was heading there and Sirius was with him because he knew that Remus also was in the library, except that with that Ravenclaw, Dylan. Black didn't tell anyone yet about his plan of inviting Lupin on a date and honestly, he wasn't quite certain whether it was actually a good idea.
After all, maybe his first guess was correct and Remus was only jealous cause he wanted that silver necklace.
So Sirius, even though he didn't want to bother James and draw his attention to something that wasn't Lily, he finally decided.
He had to ask someone for an opinion and as James was the only person available at the moment - and also the only person who's opinion he would validate. Mostly because his only other possible option was Maggie and Maggie would always tell him to go for it.
So, even though James wasn't a perfect advisor either, Siriuis spoke.
"Hey, euhm..." He laughed awkwardly, interrupting the comfortable silence that was between him and James. "So, I kinda lied." He admitted and James blinked rapidly, interrupted in the middle of a thought.
"Okay?" He asked, not really understanding in what matter could Sirius possibly lie to him. "I'm not sure I..." He started, but before he got to finish, Padfoot explained.
"I'm not going to the library to study." He announced and James frowned, seemingly confused.
"Uhm?" He muttered. "I mean I thought you only said that you're going to study so that you can see me fail in inviting Lily on a date again." He admitted and Sirius frowned, perplexed.
"What?" He asked. "Why would I do that?" He asked and James shrugged.
"I dunno, I just don't think you ever went to the library on your own, just to learn." He said and Sirius flashed back on all his education in Hogwarts.
Surely he had to go to the library to study alone, at least once. Like he had decent marks, it was impossible that he never came there to at least find a book to write an essay or some other shit.
But... there was actually nothing. As far as Sirius could remember, whenever he went to the library he either was there with someone else and mostly interrupted them or came there to find someone and interrupt them.
"Well I didn't but..." Started Sirius and then shook his head. He had to focus, because they were getting disturbingly close to their destination. "That's beside the point." Black took a deep breath. "My point is that... I want to invite Remus on a date." He revealed finally and James stopped mid step.
"What?!" He shook his head, smiling so widely that it seemed unnatural. And creepy. And like he knew something that Sirius didn't know. "Bro, fucking go for it!" He shouted and Sirius blinked a few times.
Well, that would be it if it came to asking someone for their opinion. It seemed that James was as uncritical as he imagined Maggie would be. Hopeless, just hopeless.
"But are you sure?" Sirius swallowed. "I mean I don't even know whether he's into boys. He only ever dated girls." He pinpointed but James only snorted loudly, starting to walk again. Sirius also came back to marching just next to him, as Potter answered.
"As far as he's concerned you are dating a girl at present." Argued Prongs, his tone cocky and mocking. "And yet you're everything but straight." He added, on what Sirius only huffed.
"That doesn't mean anything." He shook his head, not knowing himself why he was even saying all that. Maybe he wanted to find himself a reason not to do that after all. The reason to put that away on later, the reason to just... stop for a second. "Besides, even if Remus is into boys there's no guarantee that he's into me." Sirius added and James rolled his eyes.
"Oh boy." He laughed. "If only you heard him talking you would..." James paused, his expression suddenly hesitant. Sirius frowned at him, confused, but before he got to figure out what was all that about, Potter finished. "...well, probably think that he's talking about a potato." He laughed again, this time nervously and scratched the back of his neck.
"What?" Sirius shook his head. Potter was amazingly unhelpful that day. Maybe he had a brain seizure after the last Quidditch training.
Or maybe he was just so into Lily that his brain disappeared, Sirius couldn't tell.
"Well, he was talking about... uhm, someone. But it sounded like he meant a potato... I mean no the vegetable... is potato a vegetable?" James shook his head, suddenly looking dizzy instead of cocky. "Never mind. Anyway like he meant a thing so I said that he could mean a potato, because potato is a thing, but really I'm pretty sure he was talking about a person, a male person, but that could be a potato..." James suddenly stopped and frowned, looking like he didn't understand what he just said himself.
Sirius also didn't understand and besides they just stopped before the door to the library so it's not like there was any more time left to talk.
And it's not like he wanted to talk anymore. Cause James was being weird and all that he was doing was confusing Sirius even more, so he decided that it would be better if he went and started to confuse Evans instead.
"Great." Padfoot nodded finally at James who was awkwardly staring at the door. "Go get Evans and I'll think about your potato story." He declared.
For a moment James looked like he was going to say something else, but he finally didn't. Instead, he made finger guns at Sirius, smiled even more awkwardly than before and went into the library.
Meanwhile, Padfoot took a deep breath. He still didn't know what to do. After all, what if Remus wasn't into him? What if he was just going to make a fool out of himself?
What if Remus would get mad at him and tell Peter, and Peter would tell his new soulmate girlfriend, and she would tell the next person, and then suddenly the whole school would know.
And if the whole school would know Regulus also would know. And he wouldn't hesitate to write about it to their parents.
And if Sirius's parents would find out... well, it was enough to say that they already were on the verge of throwing him out of the house.
And as much as Black knew that James wouldn't hesitate to help him and that his parents also wouldn't hesitate to help him... it just wouldn't be the same. His mother might have been a bitch, but it was still his mother. Even if he told his friends how awful she was, he still loved her. He didn't want to lose his family, even if they were who they were.
So he stood under the entrance to the library for a longer moment, trying to make up his mind. Asking Remus out was a risk, but from the other side... James did act weird about it all. Was there a chance that he knew something about Remus's feelings? After all he knew what Sirius felt for Remus and he was winking at him weirdly when he was leaving the two of them alone...
Sirius sighed. It was worth a shot, right? He could do it.
Yes, he would do it. The odds were on his side and he wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.
So finally, Black took a deep breath and before he could start to question his decision again, he marched into the library.
He knew where Remus liked to sit, so he made his way straight to that place. The library was rather empty and on his way he didn't see anyone he knew.
Even James and Lily seemed to have gone somewhere else.
If Sirius was guessing correctly, and he was willing to bet ten Galleons that he was, they were probably making out in some dark corner of the library.
But he quickly wiped that picture out of his mind, once he saw Remus and Dylan, that Ravenclaw, sitting at one of the tables.
Sirius smiled at them as smoothly as he could and tried to also not think about the possibility that Remus was with Dylan.
After all the two of them spent quite a bit of time together and Remus was mentioning that guy a lot.
Oh Merlin, what if he was just interrupting them during a date?
No. Sirius bit his lip. It couldn't be like that, Remus and Dylan didn't seem to have any kind of sexual tension between each other. Even if they were a couple they were a not very apparent one and Sirius would still be able to explain his blunder.
So he finally stopped by their table and, already noticed by both, turned to Remus with a smug smile on his face.
"What's uuuuuuup?" He threw at him and could see Remus squinting his eyes at that. "Can I take a moment?" He asked, this time glancing also at Dylan with a suggestive expression.
"Sure." Answered Lupin, his tone totally unsure. "Uhm, you mean..." He started, but before he could finish, Dylan already got up.
"Whatever that is, I'm out." He declared and didn't even bother to take his stuff. "Call me when it's over." He added, already walking away.
Remus looked after him with the 'you didn't have to' face, but didn't say anything. Sirius, on the other hand, sighed out with relief, happy that Dylan went away, and swiftly sat on his place.
"What is this?" Asked Lupin, finally turning his whole attention on Sirius, and Black took another deep breath.
Those were easy words. James used to say them all the time once and he didn't seem to be bothered by them.
Just seven words and it'll be over. It will be said and everything will be up to Remus. Up to whether Sirius had a good intuition or not. Up to whether Lupin liked him or not.
Just simple words, just like James used to say to Lily.
"Will you go out with me, Evans?" Asked Sirius finally and only then realised his mistake. Oh fuck no. No, he fucked up everything. Now Remus, who was looking at him confused, would think that it was a joke and that Sirius didn't mean it. And everything would be ruined and Black would never gather courage to do that again and...
"Uhm..." Remus managed to mumble out and before he got to say anything more, Sirius cut in.
"I meant, do you want to go on a date with me, Remus?" He mumbled out, unsure of whether Lupin even understood him, especially that his expression was still confused. "I know it sounded like a very bad joke, but it's not, I promise." He took a deep breath. "Merlin, I'm sorry." He added quickly.
Remus was staring at him for a moment and only after those few seconds of torment that he served to Sirius, spoke.
"It's... fine." He started hesitantly and Black frowned, already feeling defeated. Lupin would surely tell him now that he liked him, but not like that, and that they could still be friends and just forget about it. "And I would love to." He answered and Sirius opened his eyes widely.
"Go on a date with me?" He asked, hopefully and Remus nodded, his confusion slowly exchanged for amusement and something else, that Black couldn't describe.
"Yes." Lupin laughed and slowly, with a hesitant movement, grabbed Sirius's hand, which was laying on the table. "You don't have to be so nervous."
Sirius could feel his face getting hot. He never really experienced that. When he used to invite a girl on a date he was always so casual about it, he never really cared whether she agreed or not.
Well, he only cared if she agreed, because of his own pride, but never like that.
Sirius swallowed and let Remus slowly caress his hand.
"I guess I just didn't know if inviting you would be a good idea." Padfoot swallowed, feeling as his nerves slowly disappeared.
"It was a great idea." Said Remus and Sirius smiled at him widely. "So when did you think that could happen?" He wanted to know and Black answered quickly, just like he planned.
"I was thinking of Hogsmeade, this Saturday." He said and took a deep breath. "We could go to Three Broomsticks Inn. On me." He offered and Remus nodded his head. The two of them were looking at each other for a moment before Lupin suddenly seemed to realise something.
He frowned and slowly, as if he was measuring every word, asked.
"But... wait." He swallowed, his expression suddenly worried, not happy. "Aren't you like... with Maggie?" He asked.
Sirius took a deep breath. He was also thinking about that part and though he still didn't tell that version to Maggie, he didn't really see another option.
Well, he did see another option, but he just didn't want to go that way.
"Well... uhm." He scratched the back of his neck. "We broke up." He admitted. "I uh... it just wasn't it anymore. I just didn't... and... yeah. I just stopped feeling something to her. Like a while ago... and she also. Like no." Sirius paused. It didn't come out as he wanted it to, but Remus didn't look like he wanted to press the matter.
Instead he slowly let go of Sirius's hand and said with a soft tone.
"So... you're not together?" He made sure and Sirius nodded eagerly. Remus took a deep breath, his expression seemingly relieved and added, after a few moments of silence. "Well then." He swallowed and winked knowingly at Sirius. "We'll see each other in Hogsmeade."
°•○•°
ahhh, things are going great~
and in the next chapter there's finally going to be the date