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"Wormy, I think something's going on between those two."
The words coming from James Potter's mouth caused the shorter boy to look up at their other two friends across the common room. "I think they're just studying, James."
The boy ran his fingers through his messy hair and gave a small grunt. "No, Pete. Something is going on between them. Look I know you've been busy seeing Susan so you haven't noticed it much but look at them." James gestured wildly. Remus was sitting on one end of the sofa, book in hand and parchment and quill resting on the arm of the sofa. Sirius was stretched out, head back on a throw pillow and a book floating above his head. He seemed to be taking in the words of the text book very intently. James squinted once more.
"What kind of something?" Peter tilted his head, and looked at the pair across the room. They didn't seem to be acting any different than normal. Sirius had his legs stretched out on Remus' lap, and Remus himself was taking notes on the parchment he had. The most unusual thing here was that Sirius was actually studying, instead of winging it like he always did. "They're just getting ready for the exams, James."
This was true enough. The seventh year students at Hogwarts had their NEWTs coming up and all the students were scrambling to refresh their knowledge on anything and everything. It was the most important testing time of their schooling career, after all. However right now there were only two things James Potter wanted to study: how many freckles were splashed across his girlfriend's face (Lily never held still enough for him to count properly), and whatever the bloody hell was going on with his two best friends.
"No, Wormtail. Here are the facts: they've spent an unusual amount of time together lately. I caught them laughing at something the other day and when I asked what was so funny-can you believe it? Sirius said it was an inside joke! Since when do they have inside jokes, Peter?"
"James, they're best mates. They have loads of inside jokes. We have inside jokes!"
"Name one!" James huffed, leaning back into his chair. His gaze was still fixed on the boys across the room. What could they be doing?
"Remus isn't the only one with a furry little problem," Peter retorted, throwing a bit of crumbled parchment at his friend.
At this, James smiled weakly. "Yeah, alright that's a good one. Sorry, Petey. But I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."
Peter sighed and set down his quill. "Okay, Prongs. What do think it could be?"
"I think that when they stayed here over Christmas, you remember it was just the two of them for the moon?" At Peter's nod, James continued. "I think Moony must have gotten out, and Pads wasn't able to stop him. Something bad must have happened and now they have this dirty little secret."
Peter slapped a palm to his face. "They would have told us, James. And the news of something really bad would be all over."
James frowned. "They wouldn't tell us if they didn't want us to get in trouble too. Think about it. Sirius is the most loyal person we know. He's man's best friend. If it could get us sent out to Azkaban with them, that secret would go to the grave with both of them."
"I'll give you that, James, but just because he becomes a dog sometimes doesn't mean Sirius is one."
James waved him off but didn't respond, choosing now to try to focus on his studies. He failed unfortunately when he was distracted by Sirius getting up from his reclined position on the sofa and moving to leave the common room. He gave James a quick wave that was returned before exiting. "What's that git doing now?"
A few minutes later, as James was attempting to remember a transfiguration spell, he noticed almost too late that Remus was quickly shuffling out in the direction Sirius had previously taken. "Wormtail! They're gone!"
Peter ignored him, attempting a nonverbal spell on his quill, causing James to groan and run up to the dorms. A quick look at the map and the invisibility cloak would tell him what his friends were up to. It took some searching but he mumbled the words that would grant him access to the Marauder's Map. "Got you both," he smirked. "Mischief managed." He glanced around the room once more before draping the invisibility cloak over his body.
"Psst. Wormtail. You coming with me?" James whispered. Peter jumped and looked around. Upon seeing no one there he frowned and stared entirely in the wrong direction of James' voice.
"I'm studying, James. Leave them alone." He rolled his eyes. "They're probably snogging or something."
"Don't make jokes at a time like this, Wormtail. What if one of them has a serious health condition and the other only found out on accident and they aren't ready to tell us?"
"Do what you want then, I need to study."
"Come on," James whined. "If they get mad at me I don't wanna be ganged up on, Pete. Two versus two is always better."
With a deep sigh of resignation, Peter stood up and James threw the cloak over him before leading the way. His mind was reeling with the possibilities of what his friends could be plotting, and he almost missed Remus ahead of them before Peter nudged him and pointed. "Got you."
The pair quickly caught up and sneaked in through the entrance behind Remus as quietly as they could. The Room of Requirement seemed to have an almost bedroom feel to it right now. Peter pointed out a place they could sit off to the side to observe and the pair sat and waited. It appeared Remus had somehow beaten Sirius here, though James knew this to be impossible as he'd seen his friend's name on the map. He was taking in their surroundings and observing the detailing on the comforter on the bed. He leaned forward, head resting on his hands and mentally noted how warm it was. His thoughts and vision got fuzzy before Peter elbowed him roughly.
James blinked in surprise as he sat up straight, gaze snapping to Peter, who was pointing at the bed. The sight seemed to cause Peter to be frozen in fear, and caused James to bite back a shriek before pulling Peter away and bolting out of the room. "Fuck's sake!" James yelled when they made it back to their dorm.
Peter was in a permanent state of cringing. "I knew they'd been kissing, but I didn't want to imagine that." He shivered and James's head snapped in his direction so fast, Peter was unsure of how he didn't get whiplash.
"YOU KNEW?"
"Well, yeah. I walked in on them snogging in here right before Christmas, and-"
"THAT LONG?"
Peter shrugged weakly. "They weren't ready to tell us and they swore me to secrecy. They didn't want you to hate them for it."
"Wormtail, I've tried setting those two of with loads of people, and they never bothered to tell me that the only one they wanted set up with was each other? Of course I'm mad. I tried to get Sirius with that bloke from Hogsmeade last week. I wasted so much time and effort."
"That's what you're mad about?" Peter asked incredulously. "I'm thrilled you don't hate them for not telling us they're gay, James but really?"
"Sirius is into women too, Peter," James scoffed. "Remus is the gay one. Apparently. Yeah, mate, that's news. They better get married after what I just saw."
"James, you weren't the only one who saw it."
"Saw what?"
James shrieked and Peter fell off his bed, causing Remus to jump slightly and Sirius to wince. "Bloody hell, Prongs. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Remus moved to help Peter up as Sirius flopped in his bed between James' and Remus' beds. "I'm shocked and dismayed that you two haven't just pushed your beds together and gotten over it," James said, arms crossed.
The couple's eyes snapped to Peter, then to James. "Wormtail told you."
James shook his head. "No. No no. I thought you two have been weird. I thought you were plotting to burn Hogwarts down. We followed you. And then we saw too much. And now Wormtail here says you've been shacking up for months."
Sirius swallowed a lump in his throat as Remus sank down onto the bed next to him. "Listen, Prongs, I--"
"You didn't tell me. I tried to set you both up with loads of people. I made jokes. And Moony, you're GAY? I can't believe it. You beautiful bastard. But I hope you know that as soon as we're out of this school, the two of you are getting married, because I saw-sorry, Pete-We saw some unholy things in there."
Sirius gaped. "Shit. Sorry, Prongs. I hope you at least got some pointers because I know Maggie liked a few of the things I did to her, but Moony here says my tongue is sinful." He smirked wickedly and laughed when two pillows were thrown at him.
"I guess I'll have to tell Lily to stop asking after her friends for you, Moony," James sighed.
Remus shrugged. "She's the one who got Sirius to get off his ass about telling me how he feels."
"WHAT?" James yelled once more, causing a whole new chorus of laughter.