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“It’s bloody freezing out here,” Remus said, digging his hands deeper into his pockets.
“Well you know, Moony, I’m always open to sharing body heat,” Sirius smirked.
It was the coldest day of the year, which meant it was also the day the Marauders —more aptly, James and Sirius— chose to walk the grounds. For the entire week the sky had been pouring snow, something Remus had quite enjoyed when it was contained outdoors, in a space he didn't have to be. But James and Sirius had grown restless, James especially after the weekend quidditch game had been canceled. So, when Saturday rolled around neither could be persuaded to remain indoors by the very enticing offer of another game of gobstones with Peter.
Thus, Remus, against his will, was spending his morning trudging through half a meter of snow. As a werewolf, his internal temperature ran a bit higher than most, so the cold truthfully wasn’t having too much effect on him, especially bundled up in the snow pants and heavy jacket Sirius had all but thrown at him this morning. Nonetheless, he hoped his incessant complaints might reduce his friend’s enthusiasm and as a result the amount of time he was forced to spend outdoors. Instead, each grumble was met with a crass remark from Sirius about body heat.
“You know, I’ve no clue what Minnie was talking about, saying this isn’t quidditch appropriate weather,” James declared, hands on his hips as he let out a heavy puff of air, “It’s bloody wonderful.”
“Tough talk for a guy in long johns and a fur-lined hood,” Remus muttered, making Sirius snicker.
“Well,” Peter began while extricating his foot from where it had gotten stuck, “the snow would be a nice cushion. If anyone fell.”
“Sure. And blinding too.”
“Lighten up Moony. I just wish there weren’t so many people about,” Sirius said. It was surprisingly true. Despite the freezing temperature, the grounds were littered, albeit infrequently, with small clusters of students building snowmen or hurling snowballs. Sirius was disappointed at this revelation when they had stepped out onto the grounds, having been hoping he might get to enjoy the snow as Padfoot.
“Well if you hadn’t been so adamant about dragging Moony out with us we could’ve been here earlier,” James said with a smirk.
Sirius had a sudden appreciation for the cold and how it tinted his cheeks pink enough to hide his rising blush.
“Alright, enough of all this,” Peter said, waving his red mittens in the air as he stopped ahead of his friends. “Let’s build a fort.”
James’ eyes lit up, stars reflecting in his glasses.
“Marauders’ Castle,” he declared.
“That’s a horrible name.” Sirius shifted his eyes to James.
“No, it isn’t.”
“Yes, it is. It’s not even a castle. It’s a fort”
“Have you got a better idea then?”
“You can argue over names later,” Remus interjected before turning to Peter, “Where are we building this thing?”
Sirius beamed, slapping Remus on the back. “There you go Moons, that’s the spirit.”
“We should build down by the lake,” James said as he pointed to a flat space near the bank. There were a few trees further behind it that could shield the back of a fort.
“Good thinking Prongs, we’ll need a moat,” Sirius agreed.
“A moat? For a snow fort?” Remus questioned, but it was no use; the other three were already booking it to the shore.
“Alright…” Remus smoothed a gloved hand over the hat on the back of his head. “Honestly, it’s not half bad.”
For over an hour the four marauders had toiled tirelessly over what James had called ‘their pride and joy.’ The fort was quite impressive, with a walled lower level fit with chairs and shelves for snowball storage — a necessity, Sirius assured. To one side was a narrow staircase of compressed snow that led to a higher platform ringed with battlements, meticulously carved by Peter. This front platform faced out to the lake, dropping off in a sheer front facade to the ice below. It was especially impressive given that there had been no magic involved in the entire operation– in fact they had left their wands back at the castle. James had insisted, claiming they could all do with some non-magical, outdoor fun. The other three pretended that it had nothing to do with Lily Evan’s scathing remarks the day prior that James couldn’t tell where his wand ended and he began.
In sweat-soaked underlayers, the group stood back to admire their handiwork.
“My hands are freezing now, though,” Remus said, looking down at waterlogged gloves.
“I could always warm ‘em up for you.” Sirius raised an eyebrow suggestively as he raised his own hand in unspoken question. Remus only rolled his eyes, looking away.
“See now, it’d be nice if we had some hot chocolate,” Peter remarked, despite his outer coat lying abandoned in the snow. He’d thrown it there only ten minutes prior after claiming he was dying of heat stroke.
“Well don’t rest yet lads, there’s one thing left to do,” Sirius began playfully as he turned to face his friends. He waited expectantly for the resulting ‘what is there left to do, Sirius?’, which Peter indulged.
“What castle is complete without a flag?” He grinned manically, picking a stick from the ground around a nearby tree.
“I thought you said it wasn’t a castle,” James grumbled.
“Times change Prongs,” he began as James shoved him goodnaturedly, “Hey! Careful! Don’t want to knock down the new Padfoot Castle, do we?”
“Padfoot Castle? Padfoot Castle? ”
“It was my idea to build the fort in the first place!”
“Call this thing Padfoot castle again and I’ll gladly knock it down.”
Sirius ignored the protests of his companions as he climbed the steps to the top. “Castle Moony then?”
“ … ‘s got a nice ring to it, actually.”
“You’re going to make me sick.”
“ The fort was my idea!”
“Alright!” Sirius conceded, laughing, “We’ll workshop the name!” Stick in hand, he pulled off one of his gloves with his teeth. Remus looked briefly away. Hastily, he tied the middle finger of his glove around the thin stick before holding it aloft to his friends on the ground.
“With the placing of this flag, our castle is complete, gents. Are you ready?”
“Go on, then,” James urged, grinning.
“Then by the power vested in me as the most handsome gryffindor—” At the groans heard below him, he amended his speech, “as the most attractive person in Hogwarts– Well maybe second if you count Minnie—”
“Just get on with it, you git.”
“By the power vested in me I declare this Castle…” Upon remembering there was no name he continued, “Castle!”
With that, he thrust the stick into the snow at his feet to the cheers of his friends. Beaming, he turned to make his descent.
After only a moment of admiration on the ground, the twig snapped in the force of the wind, whipping the makeshift flag onto the ice. Peter laughed as Sirius darted to the shoreline at the side of the fort.
The others joined him there to find the flag thirty-or-so feet out, his abandoned glove lying limp on the glassy surface of the frozen lake.
“Rough one mate,” James said, slapping Sirius on the shoulder. With a careful movement, Sirius put one foot out onto the ice before Remus grabbed his arm.
“Sirius, you can’t just walk out there.”
“Yeah, the ice might break,” James agreed.
“So what do you suggest I do? Leave my glove there?”
“Well, it’s more than just a glove now,” Peter interjected, causing the others to look back at him. “That glove is a symbol of our hard work, our unity.”
“Oh come off it–”
“No, Wormy’s right. This is about our friendship.”
“You know, while I recognize this is a bad idea, I’ve been swayed. Proceed,” James answered thoughtfully. Needing no more urging, Sirius treaded carefully onto the ice.
“Just so we’re clear Pads, if you fall in, I’m not saving you,” Remus called.
Sirius smiled cheekily, “Oh please, you couldn’t live without me Moons.” Upon noticing James mime a gagging motion to a giggling Peter, he added, “You all love me too much to let me die.”
After a few moments and several near falls on the slick ice that had sent the other Marauders into fits of laughter, Sirius held his glove and the twig it was still attached to triumphantly.
“And to think, you all had such little faith in me.” He faked wiping away tears, “it hurts. Truly.”
Cupping his gloved hands around his mouth, Remus called, “Well hurry back before the ice cracks under the weight of your big head!”
James and Peter laughed as Sirius made a hasty retreat. It was when he was almost halfway back that the sound of the first crack filled the air.
Looking from his feet to his friends, then back to his feet again, Sirius’ eyes flashed with fear.
“Just come back very slowly, Pads, you’ll be alright,” Remus soothed, holding his hands out in a placating gesture.
“You ‘ought to try laying down and shimmying back, I heard that makes it break less. Something about… weight or something,” Peter said.
“I’m not going to army crawl back, Pete. I’ll be fine. It was just a stress crack. Nothing to worry—”
He was cut off as another crack sounded, deafeningly loud, even from the shore. He stared at his friends, wide-eyed.
“No Pads,” James began shaking his head as he read Sirius’ expression, “don’t—”
Sirius took off at a full sprint, rapidly closing the distance as the ice splintered underfoot.
15 feet, 13 feet, 10 feet, 9 feet, almost there and—
The ice finally gave way. With arms thrown above his head, the lake swallowed Sirius whole.
Cold shocked his system, soaking through every layer that wrapped his skin. His breath had left him as soon as he’d begun his fall and he choked on the icy water. After seconds that felt far too long he was breaching the water again, though he couldn’t fully tell whether the force removing him came from his own two feet or the hands around his torso. It seemed to be a combination of both as, with guidance, he stumbled out of the lake.
As soon as he’d dropped, James, Remus, and Peter had charged into the churning water, pulling him out by his charcoal coat, now drenched as black as his name. Once safely on the shore, James kept an arm around him to support his weight while Peter stood behind, hitting his bag in an attempt to dislodge the water in his throat. Remus Stood in front of him, fiddling with the zipper on his coat.
“What the hell Moony, I’m cold enough already,” Sirius said breathlessly as soon as he regained control of his voice, fumbling to push off Remus’ hands.
“And that’s only going to make you colder Pads, just hang on a minute.” Remus shoved the coat off, leaving Sirius in a long-sleeve with the overalls of his snow pants. Unzipping his own jacket, he pulled Sirius to his chest in one swift movement.
Sirius let out a short gasp at the sudden contact as Remus grimaced at the cold, wetness pressed to his front. The next sensation Sirius encountered was warmth causing him to let out a shuddery breath that brushed against Remus’ neck, which Remus definitely didn’t notice. Sirius tightly wrapped his arms around Remus’s middle beneath his coat, reasoning that his current state of freezing warranted him to forget all usual reservations about passionately embracing your best mate in front of your other best mates.
“Let’s get him back to the castle, yeah?” Remus spoke to James and Peter over his head, the vibrations transferring to Sirius’ own frame. Remus was grateful Sirius couldn’t see the twin smirks the other two were sending his way.
They began the trek back up to the castle, James and Peter complaining about their cold and wet feet while walking ahead to clear a trail in the snow, given that Sirius couldn’t exactly watch where he was going in this awkward hug-walk they were doing.
“You’re a bloody fool, Pads,” Remus said after a moment, “You could’ve gotten hurt.”
Several beats of silence passed before Remus attempted to look down at the boy in his arms.
“What? No cheeky reply? No, ‘ it was for the greater good Moony’ ?”
Sirius chuckled at Remus’ impression. “I don’t sound like that,” he mumbled. In truth, Sirius kept his replies short because he was trying to compose himself. The sudden proximity had taken him by surprise and as grateful as he was for the warmth, he was also incredibly cognizant of the proximity of his face to Remus’ neck, his smell, and his arms, which were encircling Sirius with a comforting pressure.
“Sure you do.”
It had been two minutes since his tumble, so he figured at this point he couldn't blame his breathlessness on his time underwater anymore.
“You know, for someone who made so many jokes about sharing body heat, you sure are quiet now,” Remus chuckled.
“Shut up,” Sirius mumbled, causing Remus to let out a full laugh that made Sirius smile. He almost wished Remus would keep talking so he could feel the hum of his words in his chest. For a brief moment, as he rested his head against Remus’ neck, he was sure that if he wasn’t walking around on frostbitten toes, he could’ve fallen asleep just like that.