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It was house picture day at Hogwarts, and the students were all milling around the courtyard, waiting to be called into The Great Hall. Inside, the head table had been disapparated to make room for a set of elevated bleachers, and a photographer from The Daily Prophet (who had come in as a special favour to Dumbledore) was setting up. As Sirius looked around, he noticed most of the girls (and some of the boys) were busy primping— straightening uniforms, applying lip gloss, brushing hair. Sirius felt that everyone was being a bit dramatic, it was just a stupid school photo. He had remembered to brush his teeth that morning, and considered that to be good enough.
"Don't laugh.” He turns to find Remus scowling in the direction of Sirius’ feet, his back hunched comically low.
“I'm not laughing, Moony!” He was definitely laughing, but he really couldn't help it. Remus truly looked ridiculous. Like a baby giraffe, all unsteady, knobby knees. He’d had a growth spurt over the summer (his third in a year) and his school uniform shorts now barely reached mid-thigh. He compensated by rolling his maroon socks as high as they would go and slouching everywhere. At least he wouldn't need to worry about being pantsed by the older boys this year, you could already see straight up his shorts whenever he bent over. It’s hilarious, really. Lately whenever the right moment presents itself, Sirius has been using a modified version of Expelliarmus to make Remus fumble his belongings, hoping for a glimpse of the “full moon” (as he and James have taken to calling it). Unfortunately, Remus just uses magic to pick everything up. It’s sort of disappointing, but he keeps trying. It’s funny, after all.
“Oh, leave Moony alone, Padfoot. He can’t help that he’s tall. Padfoot. OI, PADFOOT!”
Sirius jumps at Peter’s shout. He had been studying the long silvery scar that disappears under Remus’ shorts on his upper thigh. He’d first noticed it yesterday in Divination when he was participating in his new favourite activity— drawing all over Remus’ legs with a blue Muggle pen. He had just finished doodling his name above Remus’ knee when he’d noticed it. He really wanted to know if it was as soft as it looked. As soft as the one on the back of Remus’ left hand. He’s always noticing things about Remus and getting distracted these days. It’s just that he wasn’t used to seeing so much of him. Last year his shorts were so long on his slight frame that they may as well have been trousers, and the change was really a bit jarring. Something about seeing those long legs made his stomach flutter in a weird way that he wasn’t going to dwell on.
“Merlin, Peter. I heard you, no need to shout. And I really wasn’t laughing at you, Moony. You look just dashing. Ask Evans, the way she makes cow eyes at you…”
Remus huffs. “Lily does not— and are you sure? You were staring at me again. You can just tell me I look like a freak, everyone else does.”
“Now Moony, it's not my fault your mere visage makes me swoon. Isn’t he just the most handsome, Wormy?” Sirius bats his eyelashes dramatically.
“Oh yeah, every time he walks into a room I get the vapours. Looks like one of those models on the front of Witch Weekly.”
Remus rolls his eyes, but is fighting a grin. “Oh ha-ha. Shut up, I hate you both. Prongs is my only real friend.” Upon hearing his name, James turns his head towards the three boys. He was in the middle of bounding around the courtyard, trying to get Evans’ attention. His new salamander Rupert is balanced carefully on the back of his hand. The Potters had finally conceded in letting him get a pet at the end of the summer and he'd been showing it to anyone who would listen since school started.
“Are we talking about what a striking young man Remus is again? So tall, so mysterious. Come on Moony, give us a twirl.” Remus shoots him the V, but James doesn’t notice. He’s already turned back to Lily who is actively ignoring him, her back turned and talking to Mary.
“Lily! Hey, Lily! Did you know that salamanders are capable of regenerating lost limbs within a few weeks, including tails and toes? It allows them to survive attacks from predators. Wouldn’t that be cool if there was a spell so humans could do it too? My Uncle Az only has four fingers on his right hand, imagine what salamanders could teach us! Lily? Lily, do you want to hold Rupert?”
A brief moment of silence passes and then a piercing shriek can be heard around the courtyard as Lily realizes that James has placed Rupert on her shoulder. She begins screaming and swatting at him. James looks distressed, as if he didn’t see this coming at all. Sirius isn’t sure if he’s more distraught about upsetting Lily or worried for Rupert’s safety.
“Lily, calm down, you’ll scare him.”
“Scare him? Scare him?! Are you joking, Potter? Get this slimy thing away from me!!”
Sirius suddenly has a case of the giggles. Girls are so dumb. He watches as Rupert goes flying off of her shoulder and into some hydrangeas at the edge of the yard. James frantically dives into the bush after him with a yelp.
Sirius turns his attention back to Remus. “Don’t worry, Moons. I’m really close to perfecting that tailoring spell. We’ll have your shorts sorted in no time.”
Remus shifts, uncomfortable. “Pads, you said that last week and then you went and made my P.E. shorts a whole inch shorter. I’m not sure I trust you to have a go at my uniform pair. I only have the one.” That was being a little unfair. Last time had been an accident…sort of.
“Ye of little faith! I know exactly where I went wrong. Leave it to your old pal Padfoot. We’ll have you decent by Christmas.”
Before Remus can respond, McGonagall appears in the entranceway to The Great Hall. “Gryffindor! This way, please. Single file.”
“Come on, Moony. Cheer up. A sickle says I can change Wormtail’s hair purple without him noticing.”
“You’re going to get yourself detention with Filch again, but yeah. You’re on.”
Fifteen Years Later
It’s a clear April afternoon and Sirius is in the office of the tiny flat that he and Remus share in Shoreditch. Remus is out for the day, so he’s decided to do a spot of Spring cleaning. The window is propped open to let in the fresh air, Tangerine drifting in from the front room where they keep the turn-table. He’s already tidied up the book shelf, and has made a discard-pile of books on the leather armchair in the corner for Moony to sort through when he gets home. He’s moved on to the desk and is digging through a drawer, cleaning out old memos and dried up quills, when he comes across an old Gryffindor house photograph underneath some spare parchment. He spots himself immediately, in the back row next to Moony. Sirius is sporting a toothy grin, his arm slung over a blushing Remus’ shoulders— who is stooped low in an effort not to appear so tall. He chuckles fondly at the flustered, but adoring look he’s giving Sirius. They were just stupid, oblivious kids. Completely smitten without knowing it. And Moony— Moony was so very handsome, even then. All auburn curls and freckled cheeks. He was stunning, even when his boyish body felt like a foreign entity that he didn’t quite belong in yet. He strokes a finger lovingly over Remus' young face and then his eyes catch on Lily and James. Lily’s arms are crossed in front of her, her normally silky smooth hair sticking up in all directions. She’s shooting James the dirtiest look that Sirius thinks he’s ever seen a thirteen year old make. James himself is a shade of crimson, a pleading sort of look on his face as if he’s begging to be forgiven for committing a heinous crime. His eyes scan over the rest of the photo, finding Peter laying on the floor in the front, hair bright purple and propping himself up with his elbow. He’s next to a sign that reads Gryffindor 3rd Years, 1973/74. Sirius gives in to a wave of fond nostalgia and sets the photo on the desk, next to a framed picture of he and Moony at the beach— taken on their honeymoon in Greece. Sirius smirks. Moony still looks pretty good in a pair of shorts.