Chapter Text
This was all Remus Lupin’s fault.
Sirius had only wanted to cheat on his Ancient Runes exam. He didn’t even need to cheat, he just wanted to prove that he could.
Besides, making a potion that showed him the answers seemed a whole lot easier and more efficient than actually studying.
The potion was simple: mandrake root, slug slime, pixie wings, spiders legs, and willow tree sap. Stir three times, think about your intention, and the “reality you wish to see” will appear in the swirling green liquid.
So here he was, sitting in a small unused classroom near the Gryffindor common room thinking about his intention.
It had all been going perfectly to plan, (Well, he had had to use doxy wings instead of pixie wings because Slughorn had none when he raided his store cupboard the night before, but his copy of Advanced Potion Making had stated it was a suitable replacement in 98% of potions, and he’d kept the quantities the same!) until Remus Lupin walked in.
Sirius had just finished putting in the final ingredient when the door opened to reveal his friend. Sirius’ eyes flicked to him briefly as he leant against the doorway.
“I thought I told you not to make that potion?” He said, but there was no hurt in his voice, only humor, and Sirius knew without looking that he was smiling.
Sirius stirred the potion once. Ancient Runes exam answers.
Sirius looked up at Remus and gave him a wink in lieu of response.
He stirred the potion twice. Ancient Runes exam answers. And - oh, did Moony just blush? He looks so pretty when he blushes.
And that was when it happened. Sirius’s mind had the smallest, tiniest, unintentional thought, and suddenly he was thinking about making Remus blush like that again. What he wouldn’t give to be able to hold his hand, or - or kiss him. How he wished that there was even a possibility of a reality where they could be together.
He stirred the potion a third time.
There was a sickening bang as the potion exploded below him.
Sirius felt the force of it knocking him back, he heard Remus shout and felt a sharp pain run through the back of his head.
And then everything went black.