Work Text:
Remus returned from the library utterly exhausted. Exams were in a few weeks and he had spent every waking moment trying to stuff as much information into his brain as humanly possible. He’d spent so much time in the library that even Madam Pince was starting to feel like a friend. He walked into his dorm room to find the rest of the Marauders intensely scheming for the latest prank they were planning to pull on the Slytherins.
“Alright there, Moony?” James asked him as he dragged himself across the room.
In response, Remus flopped himself face down on his bed and let his books clatter to the floor. “I hate the ministry. Why do we have to have exams anyway?”
Remus felt pressure at the end of the bed as someone sat down, Sirius if he had to guess. He had a tendency to treat other people’s property like it was his own. Whether that meant borrowing Remus’ sweaters or James’ broom.
“It helps show competency. It’s good for job potential,” Peter said from across the room.
“He didn’t actually mean it,” Sirius replied. His voice was closer than the rest of them. Remus took a peek out from his pillow and there he was - long dark hair, wearing a muggle t-shirt that looked suspiciously like one of Remus’ and utterly beautiful.
Sirius glanced over at him and gave him a soft smile, “Come on, Moony,” he said quietly, “You’re wearing yourself thin with all this studying.”
“One of us has got to,” he grumbled. It was no secret that Sirius never studied and always did exceptionally well.
“Go on and help yourself to my supply of sweets then. Merlin knows that if you don’t eat them, Peter will.”
Remus laughed and walked over to Sirius’ side table. It was littered with chocolate frog wrappers, tattered muggle books, and a plate full of brownies. The brownies looked fresh and Remus happily took one.
“Moony, did you hear what we have planned?” James called to him.
“No, I haven’t,” Remus replied as he took a bite of the brownie. It was delicious and not the kind the house-elves usually make. He wondered absently where Sirius had gotten them.
“Well Evans keeps telling me that Snivellius doesn’t really believe all that crap about muggle-borns and half-breeds and that he’s just trying to fit in, so we’re gonna show her that he really feels that way.”
“How?” Remus asked between bites.
“Veritaserum,” said Sirius proudly. “I’ve spent all month brewing it.”
“Is that what that was? I was wondering why you’d taken a sudden interest in potions. I thought you were trying to one-up Snape in some way.”
Sirius scoffed, “Like I need to one-up him. I’m brilliant at potions.”
“So how are you distributing it? Slipping it in his pumpkin juice?”
James lit up at this, “No, that’s too obvious. We told the house elves we wanted to learn more about baking so we’ve slipped Veritaserum into the brownie batter and we’re going to make sure it’s delivered to the Slytherin table. We already got one batch done.”
Remus paled and looked down at the brownie crumbs in his lap. “They didn’t happen to be the ones on Sirius’ side table, were they?”
Three sets of eyes landed on Remus very quickly. “Oh no,” said Peter worriedly.
“This is not good,” said James, “This is really not good.”
“Wait, hold on, we don’t know if it worked.” Sirius approached Remus, “Do I look good?”
“You look amazing,” said Remus against his better judgment.
“Well that was a bad question, I always look good,” Sirius said without a hint of worry in his voice.
“Take this seriously, Padfoot!” shouted James.
“I’m always Sirius.”
Peter groaned from across the room.
“Okay, we need to ask him something that he wouldn’t normally tell the truth about. Just to be sure.” James paused and wracked his mind. Peter looked equally perplexed but Sirius just stared at Remus like this was all very amusing.
“Oh!” Peter said, “What if we asked him about Mary?”
“Ugh,” Remus said as he hung his head. He had told the marauders that his first kiss was Mary McDonald at some party. That was distinctly not true. His first kiss was a boy he met over the summer between fourth and fifth. They had a whole summer fling together but he hadn’t told any of the marauders that.
“Okay,” James said with a wicked grin, “Oh Moony, my dear, was Mary McDonald your first kiss?”
“No,” Remus said into his hands but loud enough for the room to hear.
“So who was?” Peter asked excitedly.
Sirius tried to say something to interrupt Peter but the Veritaserum was faster, “Logan Beechly.”
A strange look passed on Peter’s and James’ faces. “That doesn’t sound like a girl’s name,” Peter said.
“It could be,” James mused, “it could be gender-neutral, like Sam or Mason.”
Sirius' expression had turned unreadable. Remus met his gaze weakly before looking away.
“Leave Moony alone guys. You know he can’t answer how he wants.”
“At least we know your potion worked, Padfoot,” James said.
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
“How long does it last?” Peter asked.
“... I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?!” Remus erupted. “When the fuck am I gonna go back to normal, Padfoot?”
“Look, I’ve never tested it before.”
“If anything,” James said, “this is great research for the prank.”
Remus wanted to make a sarcastic remark but the potion wouldn’t let him. “This fucking sucks for me in the meantime, James.”
James looked at him shocked. Remus was never one to be so rude.
“Maybe we should leave Remus alone for a while,” Sirius said. “We can bring you up dinner from the Great Hall if you want?”
“Sure, thank you, Sirius.”
“Anything for our moony,” he replied with a smile. “Come on boys. Let’s give Remus some peace.”
-
The boys returned an hour later, disrupting the quiet Remus had created to study.
“Oh Moony, man of truth, we have returned,” James proclaimed as we sauntered to his bed.
“We missed you at dinner, Moony!” Peter said kindly.
“Yeah, even Lily was asking about you,” said James, “You’re not stealing the love of my life, are you?”
“No, I’m not,” Remus said through gritted teeth which made James turn away in guilt.
Sirius came and sat at the edge of Remus’ bed, “I brought you dinner. They were serving brownies for dessert but I thought that would be cruel.”
Remus gave him a small laugh, “Thank you, Sirius.”
“Of course.” Sirius stayed sitting at the edge of Remus’ bed, watching Remus with a small smile.
“Did I miss anything at dinner?”
“Hmmm, let me think.” Sirius leaned his head back on the bed frame. “Well, Lily came looking for you, which prompted James to ask her if the reason she kept rejecting him was because you two were secretly dating. Which of course made Lily furious and led to a ten-minute feminist rant on how women are not men’s playthings and can exist outside of a relationship to a man.”
“Wow,” Remus breathed.
“Yeah, it was kind of terrifying to witness. How was being here?”
“It was alright, I guess. I was too scared to leave the room in case anyone tried to ask me any questions.”
Sirius studied Remus for a moment. His eyes observing Remus’ scarred skin and baggy sweater. Remus tried not to fidget under his gaze. “What does it feel like?” Sirius asked finally, “being on Veritaserum?”
“It’s simultaneously really hard and so easy. I don’t have to think. The words are just there and out of my mouth before I can process them. But it’s terrible if you try to resist it. I tried to say the sky was the wrong color and it was like someone pulling thoughts out from your mind.”
“I’m sorry,” Sirius said.
Remus shrugged, “It’s okay. You didn’t know what I was eating.”
Sirius glanced at the other boys. Peter had drawn his curtains for bed and James from the looks of it was getting ready to go bother Lily Evans in the common room. Neither of them were paying Remus or Sirius any attention.
“Still,” Sirius said as he stretched out and laid himself on the bed beside Remus, “I should’ve warned you. I know what it's like to have your mind invaded.”
"With your mother?"
"Yeah," Sirius said quietly. Remus took his hand and squeezed it as a comfort. Sirius squeezed back.
The beds at Hogwarts weren’t small, but they weren’t meant to accommodate two people either. Sirius’ side pressed against Remus as they lay next to each other and he still had not let go of his hand. Remus could feel the heat radiating from him. He could hear each breath Sirius took. It was a welcome comfort to not have to speak.
“Put a record, will you?” Remus asked. Sirius glanced over to Peter’s bed. “I don’t really care about Wormtail’s sleep habits. He can wear earmuffs if he wants to go to bed this early.”
Sirius laughed, light and sweet, and with a wave of his wand put a vinyl on the record player he “borrowed” from Remus in their second year and never gave back. Across the room, Peter’s arm stretched out from beyond the curtain and grabbed a pair of earmuffs.
“Alright boys,” James said as he ran a hand through his hair, “wish me luck.”
“Good luck!” Sirius called to him.
“I hope she dumps water in your face and you finally move on,” Remus said which, unfortunately, was the truth.
“Sirius hit Moony for me,” James said as he walked out the door.
As the door shut, Sirius did, in fact, hit Remus square on the chest. Remus wanted to call him a twat but was afraid his words would betray so instead he just hit Sirius right back. Which of course, because it’s Sirius and Sirius doesn’t do anything half-assed, let to a tickle fight. Sirius gained the upper hand and climbed on top of Remus so he was defenseless to his attacks. Between Sirius’ legs Remus writhed with laughter while screaming, “Stop! Stop it!”
Sirius was laughing with him and finally, he let up and they were just laying there, Sirius leaning over him, both with smiles on their lips. Suddenly, it wasn’t a game anymore. They stared at each other for a moment. Remus could feel every part of their body that was touching like he was on fire. He would’ve moved away, made a joke, were it not for the look in Sirius’ eyes, something unreadable and yet vaguely familiar. It was the way Remus sometimes caught Sirius staring at him in the Great Hall, or in class, or across the dorm. He never knew what to do with that look.
“Remus,” Sirius almost whispered, “can I ask you a question about Logan?”
Remus swallowed and Sirius’ eyes seemed to track the movement, “sure.”
“Is Logan a girl’s name?”
Even if Remus wasn’t under the Veritaserum, he would’ve answered the same, “No.”
Sirius nodded for a moment and Remus waited nervously for what his response would be. Whatever it was, Remus would take it. Even if it meant never being this close to Sirius again. Even if it meant pretending this never happened. As long as he kept Sirius in his life.
“Can I ask you one more question?”
“Of course, Padfoot,” Remus said in a whisper.
“Can I kiss you?”
Remus didn’t even try to give an answer. He grabbed the back of Sirius’ neck and pulled him down to meet his lips. Sirius’ lips felt intoxicating on his, soft and sweet. Remus lost himself in Sirius' lips for a time and he desperately wanted more. He deepened the kiss, letting his tongue slip into the other boy’s mouth. They stayed like this for a while, Sirius’ body lying on Remus’, sharing kisses between them. It was comforting and warm and better than Remus could ever imagine.
Eventually, Sirius pulled away and they laid side by side, legs and arms intertwined. Remus started running his hands through the other boy’s hair. Kissing was wonderful, but this, this was perfect. In this moment, Sirius was all his. No one else could say they knew Sirius as he did. They didn’t know what he looked like with a soft tired smile on his face and how he fit perfectly in Remus’ arms.
“Sirius,” he said finally. Sirius gave him a hum, “I do not want this to end ever.” Remus cursed himself internally. The Veritaserum was clearly still running through his system.
Sirius looked up at him with a lovesick grin, “Neither do I.”
Outside, they heard the telltale laughter of James coming up the hall. Remus gave a look of panic. He really didn’t want to get teased about this in the morning. Sirius quickly grabbed his wand and brought down the bed curtains around both Sirius’ and Remus’ bed.
“Sirius!” James said as he entered the room, “Oh shit, sorry. Goodnight lads,” he said in a whisper as he realized all the other boys had gone to bed.
Remus stifled a laugh and then happily settled down for the night next to Sirius.
-
In the morning, Remus and Sirius waited until they were sure James and Peter had left to emerge.
“Is the Veritaserum still working?” Sirius asked.
“I don’t think so,” Remus said, “ask me a question.”
“What color is the sky?”
“Green,” Remus said with a grin. This prompted a cheer from Sirius which quickly turned into a kiss.
“Come on,” Remus said reluctantly, “We have to go down to breakfast.”
In the Great Hall, James wasted no time, “Is it still working?”
“Nope,” Remus replied.
“Okay, good. How long did it last?”
“A few hours at least.”
James nodded and was clearly formulating the next move for his prank.
“I’m sorry we accidentally gave it to you,” Peter said guiltily from James’ side.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Remus said as he placed his hand on Sirius’ knee under the table, “it wasn’t too bad.”