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Remus sighed, closing his book and rubbing his eyes. Patroclus could wait until tomorrow. The words had started to blur together, and he knew it was time for a break.
It was a Thursday night, and he had class tomorrow. He could hear his mother talking on the phone in the next room, her voice a comforting background noise like always. The walls of his small flat were thin, and he often found himself unintentionally eavesdropping on her conversations. Today she was talking quietly; Remus pictured her in the living room, sitting on the yellow sofa and absentmindedly twirling her hair as she spoke.
He glanced around his room, thinking about what to do now. The clock beside his bed told him it was 12:30 a.m. Books were stacked on his desk, and posters of his favorite films and bands adorned the walls. His laptop sat open on the little table, the screen glowing softly in the dim light.
“Well, better do it now,” he thought to himself. He picked it up and sat on the bed. Then Remus logged into his university portal, determined to get some work done. It was his first year at university, and he was still adjusting to the workload. The thing he missed most from his high school days was his friends being in the same classes as him.
As he typed away, his phone buzzed with a call from Lily. She was the only one still with him in class. They were both studying to become teachers. Lily wanted to be a math teacher, and Remus always messed with her about it. He picked up the call, grateful for the distraction.
"Hey, Remus!" Lily's cheerful voice greeted him despite the hour. "I just found the funniest thing. Check your messages, superstar."
Remus smiled and opened the message. It was a video titled "Marauders Edit."
He clicked play, curious about what Lily had sent him. James was becoming more viral every week thanks to appearing on a big YouTuber's channel reacting to his football tricks, but to the point they made edits about him? What the hell?
The video was a compilation of clips featuring James and, surprisingly, Sirius. It was well-edited, with funny captions and music that went perfectly with it. Remus was laughing, and he tried to tone it down to not annoy his mother.
As the video played, Remus couldn't help but notice how often Sirius appeared on screen beside James, cracking jokes or making silly gestures. His heart did a little flip every time Sirius's face filled the frame.
"Did you see it?" Lily's voice brought him back to reality. "Yeah, it's hilarious," Remus replied, trying to sound casual. "Who made this?"
"Just a fan, I think," Lily said. "But it's really well done. I thought you'd get a kick out of it." Remus nodded, even though she couldn't see him.
"Thanks for sending it. I needed a good laugh."
After a while, they hung up because Lily wanted to go to sleep. He should sleep too, really. But Remus replayed the video, his eyes drawn to Sirius every time. He couldn’t help but notice the way his ponytail swung, the smile when he looked at James, everything. He wasn't sure what was happening to him. He had always liked watching Sirius, but lately, those feelings had become more complicated.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the old white ceiling. The future felt uncertain; he could imagine Sirius becoming famous. Maybe he had a chance at music after all. Remus glanced at his laptop again, the video still paused on Sirius's face. His eyes were glued to the screen. In that particular frame, Black looked younger.
That reminded Remus of pranks at their high school; it brought back a flood of memories. They had known each other since their first year, and their bond had only grown stronger over time. He knew them like he knew his own self. How would he have turned out without his friends?
The video showed James pulling off a ridiculous football trick shot; Remus supposed Peter was capturing every moment on camera. Sirius's commentary was as wild as ever, and Remus found himself laughing out loud. He loved how Sirius could make even the most mundane moments feel like an adventure.
"Oi, Remus, you look like you're having a blast," Sirius's voice echoed in his mind. Remus smirked, imagining Sirius's mischievous grin.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get too full of yourself," Remus muttered to the empty room, his sarcasm a familiar comfort.
As he lay there, his thoughts drifted to his future career. James was becoming viral everywhere, and Sirius was ready to take the YouTuber train to fame. Peter was going with them. Everyone seemed to have a role in that team… What was Remus?
He had always loved books and films, and the idea of becoming a teacher had been a dream of his for as long as he could remember. He wanted to inspire others, to protect kids, and to share his passion for learning. But for now, he could have fun. He knew how to edit videos for school; maybe editing them for YouTube was not as difficult as it sounded.
Remus's phone buzzed again while he was getting ready for bed, and he saw another message from Lily. This time, it was a meme of Sirius pulling a ridiculous face during one of their videos. Remus laughed, feeling a warmth spread through him. It was funny as hell, the fake beef between her and Sirius.
He had turned off the light and was staring at the ceiling, his thoughts swirling. Remus couldn't help but smile. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought about the future and the adventures that awaited them if they became famous. He knew he had a lot to figure out, but for now, he was happy with what they had.
After all, people could say all they wanted, he was the thoughtful one, little did they know he was also the foolish one who dared to dream big. And with friends like James, Sirius, and Peter by his side, anything seemed possible. With friends like them, he felt invincible.