SIX PERHAPS
At precisely an hour before their curfew, Victor found himself beside Maeve as the two of them sat in the library awaiting the two people they were supposed to be meeting. Maeve's feet were kicked up on the table while Victor's pale fingertips drummed anxiously against the dark wood. His eyes flickered from the room around them to the face of the girl next to him, but no words were spared between the two of them.
After a moment, Maeve threw her head back with a groan, "You would think Remus of all people would have any respect for punctuality."
"Charming as ever, darling," Sirius's voice came out of the woodwork as he appeared in front of them with Remus by his side. He gracefully plopped into the chair beside Maeve, pressing a kiss to her cheek as a greeting to which the girl just smiled and ruffled his hair. The way they acted with each other was so natural and fitting, Victor hated himself for wishing the same act upon himself. Victor tore his eyes away from the two of them, hearing Sirius say, "Moony, you have the floor."
Remus sat down in the chair, twiddling his thumbs as he began to explain his idea, "So, I was thinking we start small, you know, get him back with a small prank and leave just enough gap that we let him think that's the end of it and then we really get him back. I don't have an idea for the big one, but I know a simple hex that'll make his life hell for a bit."
"Which is?' Victor asked, leaning forward in his seat as he made a careful note to not look over at Sirius who had his arm wrapped around Maeve and the girl with her head resting on his shoulder. It pained him more than he would ever admit, that much he knew. The more he fought to look over at them, the harder it got. So, he focused all of his attention on Remus.
"Easy, he got you soaked, we get him soaked. I know a hex that'll get a little rain cloud to follow him all day. It'll soak him to the bone but won't bother anyone else. Even the water that drips will stay within James's parameters. It's easy, I can teach it to you this week," Remus explained with a simple tone as if this was the most casual thing in the world. He shrugged, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms as his eyes met Victor's with raised eyebrows, "What do you think?"
"Brilliant as always, Moony," Sirius jeered from beside Maeve, a smile on his face that could kill Victor if he looked at it for too long. The raven-haired boy turned to Victor, saying, "So?"
"I like it," he nodded, "It'll pass the time until we can think of something bigger, lure him into a false sense of security and all that. When will you have time to teach it to me? I wanna get this down as quickly as possible."
Remus shrugged, "Probably after classes tomorrow we can start if that works for you?"
He nodded, "Perfect. Thank you, Remus."
"Yeah, no problem, Sirius owes me now for getting me on your guys' side so really it's a win for me. Also, I like testing hexes on James, his reactions are always awfully dramatic so it's fairly entertaining," the boy smiled, moving to stand from his chair, "If that's all you guys needed me for, I'm gonna head back to the common room and probably to bed, you guys staying for a bit?"
"We won't be far behind, night, Moony," Sirius called as the boy bid his goodbyes. Once he was gone, the dark-haired boy turned to Victor, "Pretty brilliant to start off with, eh? He plans everything for us so I knew once we got 'im on our side we'd be set."
"Thank you, Sirius," Victor mused as he went to stand up, "I think I'm going to head to bed as well, so I'll see you two back at the common rooms?"
Maeve spoke up, saying, "We won't be long, but if I don't see you, goodnight, Vic."
"Night, Maeve, Sirius," he nodded at them before leaving the library, jogging to catch up with Remus. "Remus, Remus!"
"Victor," the boy smiled as the two fell into step beside each other, "Left the lovebirds?"
He scoffed at the name, saying, "Of course, no one wants to be the odd one out with those two. Um, can I ask you something?" Remus raised an eyebrow at this, but motioned for Victor to continue, "You and William."
"That doesn't sound like a question."
"Sorry, sorry," Victor let out an awkward laugh, "I just wanted to ask, sorry if this is too personal, um, how did you... how did you know that he was... or that you were, you know."
Remus shrugged at this, "I dunno, really. I never really fancied girls, but I didn't think anything of it until James started chasing after Lily. I couldn't fathom the idea of wanting a girl that badly. Sirius was the one to help me figure it out, actually, but I suppose he may have told you about that already seeing as he told you about William and I, I'll have to get him back for that later, but I know he trusts you which means there's no reason for me not to."
"What do you mean he helped you figure it out?" Victor asked, his curiosity piqued as they walked through the empty halls of Hogwarts. It was strangely comforting to know that Remus was like him, that he wasn't alone in these strange affections.
"It's an awkward story, really, nothing of romance or dramatics. We stay up sometimes, casting a silencing charm so no one can hear what we talk about, James will join us sometimes, Peter's always asleep before we can even invite him, but oh well. It was just Sirius and I one night, this had to have been third or fourth year, I don't really recall. I was complaining about James's obsession with Lily and Sirius's crush on Maeve because I didn't understand it and Sirius asked me if it was because I liked boys. Frankly, I hadn't known it was an option, so Sirius said he'd kiss me and see if I liked it. I did, as it turns out."
"So you and Sirius...?" the question drifted off, but Victor knew Remus would know exactly what he meant. Been there, done that, flashed in his mind for the millionth time that week.
Remus laughed openly at this, "Were never anything, no. I think I helped realize something for Sirius as well, but he was too deadset on Maeve to ever feel anything for me, not that I mind. I befriended William closer to summer near the end of fourth year, turns out we shared... certain wants in common. So, we uh... give into those certain wants from time to time. Can I ask why you're so curious about this? We're hardly friends, it's a strange icebreaker, one would think."
Strangely, Victor felt safe with Remus and this conversation. Maybe it was a taste for sharing secrets, for a promise of mutually assured direction should this conversation ever be shared with another, but more so it was that Victor knew Remus held no malice towards him -- towards anyone, really. He would be too kind to ever willingly destroy someone with something that was told to him in confidence.
"I... I suppose I am the same way you are," Victor admitted, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, but his calm voice reflected no such thing. "I don't think I've ever said that out loud."
"Well, you've got to start somewhere," Remus shrugged as they entered the common room, "My advice, although it's perhaps unsolicited, don't run from it, Victor. Your feet will tire. Anyway, I'm off to bed, but I appreciated the chat. Perhaps we will be friends, yet."
A chuckle rolled off of Victor's tongue as he nodded, "Perhaps."