Work Text:
Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?
All my favorite conversationsAlways made in the a.m.
'Cause we don't know what we're saying-One Direction, A.M.
Remus then slowly walked towards the stairs, as he thought about how useful Sirius's definitive transfer from the Potters was. He, James and Peter had insisted for years with Sirius, begging him to leave his house full of violence and cruelty to move in to James and his parents, who considered him a second child. Sirius had always refused to run away without his younger brother Regulus, who unlike him was still very close to their parents and tried to make them proud.
Almost a year earlier, however, Walburga and Orion had kicked Sirius out of the house after his coming out, telling him that his sexuality was a source of shame for the whole family. Sirius thus found himself forced to move in with the Potters, however unable to enjoy his new family due to the absence of his little brother. Regulus had showed up from the Potters a month after Sirius arrived without any explanation and he asking them for a new home and, of course, Effie and Monty had welcomed him with open arms.
So Sirius's transfer from the Potters had also helped his relationship, secret, with Remus. Allowing the two boys to see each other more often and also outside of school.
Remus had barely taken a few steps in the direction of the stairs when he heard a door open behind him.
When he turned around, ready to explain to James or Mr. Potter, he was shocked at the sight of his best friend Lily, who stared at him confusedly in front of the door of James' room.
“Rem? What are you doing here?" She asked him with her eyes wide open.
“I could ask you the same question! Isn't that your bedroom, or have you moved here in the last few hours and I didn't know?”
Suddenly the bedroom door at the bottom of the hallway also opened and Barty Crouch Jr came out, who was so careful not to make any noise that he didn't notice the other two people in the hallway until Remus murmured something to Lily.
The boy's head snapped at the other two intruders “What the hell are you two doing here?”
The three stared at each other for a few moments confused and embarrassed, then Crouch made that terrifying smile that gave Remus goosebumps and asked “Evans the one behind you is Potter's room right? What are you doing in his house in the middle of the night?"
Remus raised an eyebrow at her best friend, who had suddenly squeezed in her shoulders and was playing with her fiery red braid “These...these are none of your business Crouch! The one you just got out of wasn' Regulus' room?"
Suddenly Barty lost his sway and deflated slightly, while stummering incomprehensible things and before pointing his finger at Remus “He came out of Black's room I guess!”
Remus crossed his arms and emphasised “You came out of a Black's room too.”
The three were in a deadlock for a few minutes as each one of them tried to create a satisfying lie to explain his presence at the Potter house.
Remus was trying to invent a pretty believable lie when he realised he had tucked his huge sweater upside down, only hoping the other two intruders wouldn't notice.
Lily was cursing her fair complexion and was sure she had turned red like a pepper, besides she had no idea why she went to James in the first place, or at least she wasn't sure.
Barty instead didn't think he had to justify himself with the two other guy and was just waiting for their answers to then be able to mock them together with Reg.
Suddenly the second door on the left of the aisle opened “Moony you forgot your watch-“
Remus, Lily and Barty looked at Sirius who was staring at them with his eyes wide open. Remus could see the gears of his brain moving fast as he tried to understand what was going on and at the same time find a justification for the presence of Remus in their home.
Sirius stuttered something incomprehensible as another door opened goes, letting light into the dark hallway and illuminating the four embarrassed faces in the hallway.
James walked out of his room with a huge smile on his face and crooked glasses on the tip of his nose, whistling a cheerful motivated. His whistle stopped when he discovered that he was not alone in the hallway, looking quickly from Lily to Sirius, from Sirius to Remus, from Remus to Barty.
“Why didn't anyone tell me about the party?” James asked smiling again.
Remus cursed and exchanged a desperate look with Sirius, who was shrugging his shoulders and smiling embarrassed.
“Barty what the hell are you doing?” She asked for another voice, coming from Regulus' room, whose door had been saked.
“Reg, I think you should go out and look with your own eyes.” Crouch suggested to him smiling.
The bedroom door then opened wide, revealing Reg with a shapy look and messy hair, wearing short shorts and an oversized sweatshirt. Regulus opened his eyes wide at the sight of the other four. People who occupied the corridor. The boy stepped forward a few steps and stood by Crouch's side.
“You owe me 5 pounds.”
Barty snorted and rummaged through his pockets, taking a 5-note and passing it to the other guy.
Regulus took them and explained, looking at his brother “Barty thought you idiots would only get together in the last year, he said you are too stupid to be able to communicate.”
Sirius looked at Remus with the lock wide open and James burst out laughing, leaning against the doorjamb of his room and crossing his arms. “What you have on your neck what is Regulus?”
The younger brother Black cast an irritated look at James and brought his hand to his neck, where a bruise was beginning to form.
James then reached out to Remus, who immediately understood what the other boy wanted from him. So he also started rummaging through his pockets as Crouch had done a few seconds earlier and then handing a £10 bill to James.
Sirius raised his eyebrows confused and Remus explained “James and I in the third year had bet. I thought Crouch had a crush on Rosier, while James was aiming for your brother and Crouch.”
Barty and Reg stared at them in surprise and Sirius suddenly realised Lily's presence in the house, because he pointed to her and looking at James said to him “Marlene then owes me 20 pounds! Please James, tell me you at least kissed her!”
James smiled and Lily elbowed Sirius, threatening him “Shut up Black or I swear I'll make you swallow those 20 pounds.”
Remus looked at James and raised an eyebrow with a silent question, to which James nodded and Remus couldn't help but feel happy for his two best friends. From the first year James had been in love with Lily and she had tried to despise him since then, but in the last year it was clear that his feelings were very different from what the redhead let believe.
James also raised an eyebrow, pointing with the boss Sirius, who was still busy arguing with Lily. Remus immediately understood what his friend was asking him, but he just shrugged his shoulders and smiled, shaking James' head, who returned to look at Lily with a smile as he swore he would give Sirius, as a prefect, punishment, throughout the school year.
The boys were so distracted that they almost didn't notice the deep voice that spoke to them from upstairs of the Potter house “James? Is that you?"
Everyone immediately shut up and looked at James, who opened his eyes wide and replied, “Yes Dad, it's me.”
Mr. Potter probably returned to his room and slammed the door behind him and immediately James pushed Remus to the stairs “Anyone who doesn't live here must leave now!”
Remus laughed when Sirius ripped him from James's grip and gave him his watch, after giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Lily and James exchanged an embarrassed hug as Barty gave Regulus a quick kiss on the lips, as he murmured to him “Prenderemo in giro questi idioti domani, ti va? Buonanotte, amore mio.”
Remus didn't think he would ever see Regulus Black blush, but apparently Barty Crouch Jr had that super power.
James and Sirius then accompanied them to the door of the Potter house, giggling between them and pushing each other.
When James opened the door and the icy winter air hit them Sirius put his arm around Barty's shoulders and told him “Je garde un œil sur toi Crouch.”
Remus didn't understand French and even when Barty gave an answer in Italian that angered Sirius he didn't understand the meaning of the sentence.
Barty freed himself from the grip of Sirius and slipped out of the Potter house, followed by Lily and Remus, who greeted James and Sirius quickly.
When Remus, Lily and Barty were out of the Potter garden Barty suddenly got serious “This- this will stay between us, okay?”
Remus had always found Crouch, an idiot, a madman and a possible serial killer, annoying, but without even thinking about it he reassured him “What happens from the Potters remains from the Potters.”
A shy smile appeared on Barty's face, very different from the one that gave Remus goosebumps.
After a few metres of silent walking the three saw a figure on one of the balconies on the second floor of their friend Marlene's house.
Remus dragged Barty and Lily with him behind the house garden wall and found that the person was not trying to enter the house, but was trying to go down the gutter of the house. When she finally succeeded they found out that it was Barty and Regulus' best friend, Dorcas.
Barty laughed and Remus got goosebumps “I'm going to make fun of Dorcas for her entire existence now.”