Chapter Text
Snogging is nice. It doesn't even matter what the girl looks like. Not to Sirius at least. If she's a good flirt or bant that's all he needs. The hottest bloke at Hogwarts by far and he'd do just about anyone.
Some may say that Sirius Black is easy. He is. Par you ask anyone who hasn't been on the receiving end of his lips. Those (many) girls would probably call him a tease among other things. He might be quick to rush into things, not limited to snogging, someone's bed is not on that list. (Figuratively, of course, there had been loads of makeout sessions in the dorms and general gossip sessions in various marauders' beds.)
Sex was something so intimate that he couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone he didn’t love. Whether he liked it or not he was a romantic at heart. Every chance he had gotten to go further he couldn’t help having a pit would well into his stomach and he would just freeze. He blamed, like most things, his mother for that. Though The Chronicles of Narnia's religious allegories did happen to play a part in it too when he thought about it.
Aslan, the talking lion and metaphorically Jesus, exactly what he wanted to be thinking of as he had his tongue in the mouth of a mildly fit blonde. Her hands grazed the end of his shirt in question and he kissed her harder as did she. Though a lion might not be far off, the girl kissed with such tenderness the like he’s only seen from the animal.
Have you seen the way a lion kisses? The little head nudges and all. It was adorable. He remembered when Fleamont took them all to the zoo on our 3rd year Easter holiday he had seen the animal in person. Sirius bounded for the creature representing his mighty house of Gryffindor. The lioness was sad if not lovely. Remus, who was much less enthusiastic than the other three at seeing her beauty, laughed sarcastically.
“Do you think she likes being behind that glass, never allowed to truly live?”
She quickly inhaled sharply as his hands touched her waist. Suddenly the memory left him and saw the girl standing before him, her hair a mess. Having not known where his mind wandered she continued. Cold hands planted on his stomach. The beating of his heart roared. A look of intense concentration in her eyes as she slowly lifted the shirt off his skin.
The first thing Peter said to him was “Does this mean it’s safe to go back to the dorm?” No hi hello just are you done having sex? Of course, he wasn’t having any. But as much as he told Pete that he didn’t believe him. Let him believe what he wants. With a mischievous grin, Sirius cheekily shrugged. He ran a hand through his scalp quickly trying to straighten it out. He didn’t use Sleekeazy every day to have it be messed with, unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten that message.
Marlene McKinnon walked past and Peter’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a sigh. It was safe.
With an overly dramatic sigh Sirius took a seat on the window sill. He could almost smell the delicious creation of the house elves wafting through the October air. The Great Hall started serving the Halloween Feast about an hour ago and most of their peers were already there. Sirius wished he could join them except he had agreed to meet up with James who had gotten an (unjust!) detention.
He always loved the feast. Whenever they had a big Hogwarts occasion he felt as if he were home. Smiles all around and good fucking food. It was as a holiday dinner should be. Plus a chance to dress up like the muggle tradition. Through the years they had been Slytherins to marinate.
With a thud Peter followed him onto the makeshift bench, accidentally dropping his sheet and a book in the process. One titled Metamorphing Animagi. An uncontrollable fit of giggles escaped him. Merlin’s fucking beard. Sirius grasped his shoulders and let out a cheer. Peter looked down sheepishly, hiding his smile.
“How’d you do it?”
“A magician never reveals his secrets.”
“You’re fucking brilliant, mate. Brill-iant.”
It's easier to forge a signature than to get one. That's what they had all assumed. No teacher would ever allow them into the restricted section. You’d have to be mad.
It seems Madam Pierce was just mad enough to believe it. Sliding the slip of parchment onto the librarian’s desk James watched as she looked up curiously. “Transfigurations assignment. Extra credit.” He explained, tapping the signature that read Minerva McGonagall. A charming smile hid the fact that he was lying out of his ass. But it seemed the library didn’t notice a thing when she brandished the key. That was until the actual Professor McGonagall strode over.
Why they hadn’t thought to double-check if the one person they needed elsewhere was there was beyond her. Silently she took the form and with a shake of her head. Before telling his punishment she turned her head just slightly in Sirius’s direction and complicated the calligraphy.
But somehow Peter found a way.
A chill breeze rattled a sharp gasp out of Sirius coinciding just as a soft bang announced Remus Lupin exiting the library. The boy was taken by surprise by their looks; he had assumed James would’ve been out by now and the rest gone. The fact that the marauders wouldn’t leave a man behind still hadn’t gotten into his head even after five years.
The sky was slowly fading into the evening. Still, a faint warm light shone past the boys' heads picking up dust. As he moved to join them he found himself walking straight into the light. To him, it was annoyingly bright and in his eyes, but to Sirius…
Sirius’s eyes lit up when he saw him. His soft brown hair on display almost hiding his tired eyes. The sun was shining around him as if God had personally chosen him. He looked like an angel, there was no other way to put it.
He would almost look normal too if it were for the newspaper boy hat. But he wore his very own sweater vest under a suit jacket. Despite what Remus had thought about the costume making him look silly he looked the furthest thing from that. He looked put together and wise, but mostly kind. He looked exactly as he was supposed to be. Sirius almost laughed in joy at his friend’s perfect Professor Thornwick costume. It was bloody wicked.
For the past month, none of them could agree on the theme. Sirius kept whisper chanting Queen, hoping it would slowly drive them mad enough to agree. Dressing as a typical muggle student was the only idea that Remus could think of. Peter animatedly suggested pirates. Finally, James said with a bit of flare of his hand, “Here me out: ourselves but as girls.” That was quickly shot down. Sirius suspected he just wanted to dress like the way Muggle girls do. In the end, James realized nothing could beat showing up as their favorite Professors (and Binns).
Which is exactly why before either boy was able to greet him James strutted out of Professor McGonagall's office dressed lavishly in a periwinkle robe. A bright smile plastered on his face as he moved to catch up with his mates.
“Minnie sends her love as always. She got a good laugh out of our costumes. I think I might’ve seen her shed a tear over it.” Cracking up at a joke he hadn’t even made yet he nodded to himself. “I think whoever thought it up must be a real genius.” Remus rolled his eyes as James literally jumped to his side. It was like he was some fucking dog or something. Bouncing around all excited to see his owners.
Sirius rushed into his arms, jumping into him as if he too were a puppy. Laughter fell from his lips. Leave it to them; Missing each other’s ghosts after only a few hours. Leaning his hand to his shoulder ingesting a mouth full of cologne in the process, as he gasped out a dramatic sigh and an even more dramatic lie. “It’s been a long war, my dear. I almost feared myself a widower.”
“I fought to return to your side. I couldn’t bear to leave you behind.”
“Err… is this a bad time to admit Evans and I’s affair? In my defense the bed was cold.”
Like the true school children, they are Peter and Remus ohed and ahed at their little show. Especially at the name drop of James’s what felt like a decades long very unrequited crush. In his defense, he didn’t even miss a beat before erupting into a high-pitched laugh.
The sound echoed across the long corridor and even into the grassy courtyard. It was there it caught the ears of a band of Slytherins. One whose eyes were already burned into the two quidditch players. Regulus watched as Sirius practically his tongue down his new brother’s throat.
“Mate, it’s not even been a day and you’re already stealing the love of my life? Not cool.”
“Day? It's been a forever ah James!” Emphasizing his point, Sirius waved his hand through the air.
Barty tapped his shoulder and gently asked him if he was joining them to the Great Hall, but all he heard was the way Sirius’s voice curled around his name in his stupid accent. One he only ever used for Dioneo and their childhood readings of Decameron. One he only used with Regulus.
“You sounded like a vampire there,” Remus said.
“I was aiming for Italian,” Sirius answered as they left for the feast.