March 1978
Remus wasn't sure if Alexander was up to something or not, but if the devilish gleam in the Ravenclaw's blue eyes was anything to go by, trouble was brewing.
"Come on! We've got to hurry!" Alexander insisted, dragging his partner along as they ran through the hallways.
Hogwarts was slowly thawing of ice and snow as the spring sun began to heat the sky and countryside around them, so students were emerging from the castle to bask in the warm rays.
"Can you please tell me where we are in such a hurry to get to?" Remus huffed, trying to keep up with Alexander's long strides.
"Nope!" Was all the other boy said.
Remus sighed but didn't push for more information. He knew he wouldn't get any.
When Alexander Lark had a scheme in mind, there was nothing that could stop him from following through with it.
"After all this time, you should know to just go along with my craziness, Remy!" The blonde boy laughed as they ran through the courtyard and out towards the Quidditch pitch.
Remus grinned and shook his head. "I should have learned my lesson by now."
They practically threw themselves down the hill to the pitch in a reckless run.
"Lark! You are going to break our necks at this rate!" The young Werewolf yelped.
"How many times do I have to tell you to relax!"
"A lot more, apparently!"
Once they had reached the flat ground of the field, Alexander pulled them to a stop and turned to beam at his adored.
"Okay, now you need to close your eyes," He said, his own eyes twinkling with excitement.
"I'm suspicious." Remus crooked his head, and a couple of brown locks drooped over his forehead.
"It's one of your few flaws, but I shall learn to live with it," The blonde sighed dramatically.
Remus gave him an 'Are you serious?' look and crossed his arms.
"Just do as I say, please!" Alexander whined, pouting.
Giving in to the hurt-puppy-look he was getting, the Gryffindor huffed and reluctantly closed his brown eyes.
"Fine. But, don't lead me into something illegal," Remus pleaded.
"Lame!" Alexander sang, grabbing his hand and pulling the Werewolf along, "But fine. If that is what you want, love."
A small grin spread over the brunette's face at the troublemaking Ravenclaw's words.
They managed to make it onto the Pitch's field without Remus running into anything and hurting himself.
"There! That wasn't too bad, was it?" Alexander asked sarcastically.
"Can I open my eyes now?" Remus sighed.
"Go ahead!" The blonde let his hand drop and watched with bubbling excitement as his partner glanced in front of them at the small crowd gathered with beaming smiles.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The other members of the Marauders and their friends cheered as Remus looked on in awe.
"Happy birthday, dearest," Alexander said softly.
Remus turned and felt his heart flutter and a gentle ache in his chest ignited a flame of joy that spread throughout his body.
"You did this?" He asked quietly.
Alexander shrugged and smirked at him. "I know, I'm awesome!"
Remus rolled his eyes and glanced back to where his friends stood.
Adelaide and James were smiling at him, holding a banner that read, Happy Birthday.
Della and Wren were painting beautiful designs made of colorful sparks in the air with their wands.
Peter and Sirius were assisting the Prewett twins in holding up an extremely large pinata that was in the shape of a unicorn.
Lily and Severus had turned their wands into sparklers and were gently waving them around while Royan was attempting to light one of the twin's red heads of hair on fire with his sparks.
Harriette was scolding him, and Jaxson stood by chuckling with a devious smirk.
"You really are," Remus whispered.
Alexander blinked in mild surprise, before shaking himself out of his daze and grinning at the other boy.
They joined the crowd, and everyone started to wish Remus a happy birthday.
"Well, how do you feel joining the old man's club, huh? Pretty awesome, right?" Sirius joked, teasingly ruffling his friend's hair.
"You say that every year!" Peter said, rolling his eyes.
"And every year we all get older!" Sirius retorted smugly.
"Except for James. He's the baby of the gang!" Remus said, shooting a grin at the bespectacled boy whose face was a deep shade of red.
"Oi, don't embarrass me in front of pretty girls!" James hissed, glancing down at Adelaide, who was chuckling beside him.
"You're the youngest?" The redhead asked, trying to hold in a laugh.
"Only by a week or so!" He argued.
"It's okay, I'm the youngest too," She said, winking at him, which only caused him to blush harder.
"Yup, he is so whipped," Remus thought to himself.
"Lupin! Get a move on so we can eat cake!" Royan shouted, gaining applause from the Prewetts.
Harriette whacked him upside the head and told him to be nice.
Wren crossed her arms and rolled her purple eyes. "You boys are so immature."
"Adelaide made the cake," James said, as he and Peter carried a tray that held a giant chocolate confection that looked heavenly.
Everyone gathered around the young Werewolf as he watched with delight.
They began to sing happy birthday to him and Sirius started to croon horribly out of toon.
Remus was in a daze as he glanced around and listened to his family, as they did something that warmed his heart.
They were celebrating him.
They didn't fear him or think of him as a monster.
They only saw him in the way he wanted to be seen; as a good person.
He turned his brown eyes towards the blonde-haired Ravenclaw next to him, and his heart clenched with an emotion that was still new to him.
It hurt, but in a good way.
Alexander felt eyes burning into the side of his head and turned to meet the intense gaze.
He crooked a brow at the Gryffindor in confusion.
"Thank you," Remus whispered.
"The party was actually Sirius's idea," Alexander admitted.
"Not for that. For ... being here, and for, well ... for being you," The words came out in a rush, and Remus smiled shyly at him.
Alexander inhaled and let himself enjoy the emotions of what was just said.
"You should know by now, that I would do anything for you, Lark," He said so that only the two of them could hear.
"And, for that, I love you," Remus breathed.
Alexander stood stark still. Then, he did something that the young Werewolf did not expect.
He gently placed a light kiss on his lips and pulled back to grin at the awe-struck boy.
"And I, you," Alexander whispered. "Happy birthday, my love."