"You know she's a nightmare." Jame said.
"She isn't." Sirius replied magically lifting Alice's long hair with his wand and watching her whip around trying to figure out what was happening.
"She is. And she hates you." James added, turning a page in the Quidditch magazine he was reading. Over the course of the last couple weeks Lucy had spent sometime with the Marauders much to everyone's disappointment. Though she was grateful for Sirius help she had a hard time not showing her annoyance for the marauders and how they acted. In turn the Marauders didn't enjoy her constantly huffing in annoyance, or rolling her eyes.
"She doesn't hate me we are just different." Sirius said. Him and James were the only two of their friends left in the common room. Peter had went up to bed 10 minutes, and Remus had went straight from the library up to bed. He sat with the rest of them less and less, and spent more and more time in the library. "Opposites attract and all that."
"That means that two people who are different and compliment each other well. Like one is loud, and talks a lot and the other is quiet and listen to them talk. Or someone is reckless and gets in lots of trouble and helps someone who is a bit uptight lighten up and the reckless one helps relax the uptight, and the uptight one keeps the reckless one alive." James said and Sirius couldn't think of him blabbing one as Remus listened calmly or how everytime Sirius almost went one step too far, in a prank or joke, Remus pulled him back. "It's not opposite attract like two people who hate each other date."
"We don't hate each other" Sirius said it weakly though it was true. Though they would probably murder each other if they did date, and spent a lot of there time disagreeing, they had developed a very platonic fondness for each other. It was mostly built on eye rolls, and scarcasm but all great friendships were.
"Well you aren't madly in love." James said "Not like Lily and I"
"Lily is madly in love with you. I'd love to be there when she finds out" Sirius said, stopping flicking Alice's hair with his wand as he had to duck a book she threw at him.
"Well I'm madly in love with her and she is learning to tolerate me. She sat with us at lunch today. I didn't even imperio her into it." James said grinning proudly. Sirius was pretty sure Lily had only sat with them at lunch in an attempt to cheer up Remus, who she had a rather large soft spot for, but he was glad the conversation of his own girlfriend was over so he didn't mention it.
"I think imma head to bed. I've got an early detention with Minnie." Sirius said yawning over dramatically and getting up "You ever wonder if maybe she likes us, and misses us too much on evenings and weekends, and that's why we get so many detentions."
"I think you've cracked it Padfoot. I'll write my Mum and Dad tomorrow and tell them they can just ignore all the letters Hogwarts is sending home, it's only cause Dumbledore just wants to hang out with us, and has nothing to do with you dying all the Slytherin robes pink." James said gathering his stuff as well, clearly also resigning to bed.
When Sirius head hit the pillow, it was moments till he was asleep. It had been a long day full of not listening in Charms, and not listening in Transfiguration, and listening a little bit in Quidditch practice. However as soon as his eyes closed it felt like they shot open again as he heard a soft thud on the other side of the dormitory. At first he thought it was just someone heading into the washroom, but the lights were off. So his eyes went to window and he saw the faint light presumably from Remus wand. He debated for a moment pulling the covers up over him, and just going back to sleep, but he knew he couldn't not. And that small annoying voice in the back of his mind whispered how much he wanted to be alone with Remus for the first time in weeks. So quietly Sirius quietly rose from his bed and wandered over to the wind sliding it open. Remus looked up with a bit of surprise and fear on his face.
"Can I umm join you?" Sirius asked quietly and a little awkwardly.
Remus hesitated for a second in a way that hurt Sirius more then he tried to let on. Only weeks ago Sirius would have just been able to climb out and speak with his friend like nothing, but now awkwardness and tension just filled the silence. Eventually Remus just nodded, so as quietly as he could Sirius slid the window open and climbed out. Unlike last time he was trying his best to keep some physical distance from Remus but the ledge, but this was almost impossible, so once he was finally seat his legs lightly pressed against Remus. He closed the window as Remus produce a joint from his pocket. For a couple minutes they just sit in silence. Remus light the joint with the end of his wand. Then said nox and let the light on his wand vanish. Now the only light was the small embers at the end of the joint. Finally Remus broke the silence by saying.
"You want a hit?" Remus said quietly and in a voice that sounded strange, and distant.
"Sure" Sirius said, the smoke burnt his longs but he resisted the urge to cough. "Where do you get this stuff?"
"A muggle boy in my village sells it." Remus said "he gives me a good rate cause he is scared of me. There is a rumour I haven't really denied that all the scars are from fights I get into at the mysterious boarding school I go to, so he is very scared of me."
Remus tone relaxed a little, and that in turn calmed Sirius' own nerves.
"I can't believe anyone would think you could get into fights. You're way too soft." Sirius said taking one last long drag before passing the joint back to Remus.
"I'm not soft. I'm a literally werewolf." Remus said. Sirius could tell if he was imagining it or if their legs were gently pressing together more and more.
"Yes a werewolf who is legit a ball of fluff I've seen it. You might be the fluffiest werewolf in all of England, maybe the world." Sirius said and the more the two talk the more he felt his heart warm. It gave him a weird feeling in his gut that took a moment for him to place. But he realized slowly it was like the first night back at Hogwarts after summer holidays when he used to spend them with his family, he'd get back into his four poster and take a couple deep breath, and realize he was home and safe. And that's how he felt now, home and safe.
"Well I'll take it." Remus said "all the other werewolves can suck it. I'm the fluffiest it's official."
"I'm sure Greyback is very jealous." Sirius said, savouring the happy tone in Remus' voice.
"How's Lucy?" Remus asked, after a pause, the happy tone gone, and his voice regaining some of its coolness. Sirius wished he could read his expression but the darkness hide it. The voice in Sirius head that quietly nagged him about the sandy haired boy, whispered that he hoped his face showed jealousy.
"Good." Sirius muttered "have you been seeing Lukas?"
"No" Remus said immediately "I swear I was telling the truth. We just bumped into each other, he could tell something was off was me and asked about it. But that was all, I have no interest in getting back with him."
"Okay" Sirius said not sure what really sure what to say. He felt a wave of relief that Remus was not interested in getting back with his exe but he could articulate that in a way that wouldn't give too much away.
There was another pause and in which Remus took a long drag from his joint which seemed to give him some courage.
"What are you doing with Lucy?" Remus asked.
"Dating." Sirius replied awkwardly.
"Please just be honest with me Padfoot. You don't even like her." Remus said his voice having a tint of desperation in it.
"Sure I do." Sirius said "She's hot."
"You barely look at her, you never laugh with her, you can't honestly tell me you guys get on." Remus countered and it hurt a little hearing his logic and how much he clearly watched the two of them though he always had his head hidden in a book when Lucy was around.
"Maybe I just want a good shag!" Sirius wasn't sure were it came from but suddenly anger he'd been feeling at literally everyone expect Remus spilt over. His anger for Lucy at having to hide her relationship. Anger at society for all these stupid rules and labels that he seemed to be drowning in. His anger at everyone who had ever said and bad word behind Remus' back or to his face about his sexuality. But most of all his anger at himself, for how he had been treating this beautiful kind boy. But he couldn't help it. The words were tumbling now and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "Maybe I just think she's hot and she thinks I'm hot. Why is that so hard for people to understand! Jesus Moony just cause you fancied me doesn't mean I can't find other people hot, doesn't stop me from wanting to shag Lucy. And she's a damn good shag too! We made out twice Moony, we aren't fucking married, I told you I just wanted to try it out but I'm just not like you! Get over it. Stop being cranky you're worrying James. It was just a bit of bloody fun Okay! But I'm not fucking like you! Why can't you understand that!"