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As most things in the Gryffindor tower it started off as a joke. It was the four marauders sitting in the common room, Peter working on his next chess move while Remus read as he waited. James and Sirius had been bickering over which one of them was the most attractive, well most wanted in Sirius words, but when Lily entered the common room their question was now directed at her.
That's when it all really started, the beginnings of a title that haunted Remus in his sleep.
“What about you Evans, if you could choose one of us to sleep with who would it be?”
“Oh, Remus, for sure.”
And that cemented it all.
The start of a quest for an answer only James and Sirius cared about.
It went on for weeks, James and Sirius asking every Gryffindor in their year went on to be asking everyone in the year above, followed by the year below.
The number of people who preferred Remus over the other marauders grew until in a fit of desperation Sirius began asking the fourth years. Luckily James had managed to stop him before he completely embarrassed himself.
“I just don't get why Moony won of all people. I mean look at him.”
“Thanks Padfoot.”
“No offense intended to Moons, I just don't understand.”
“Mate, have you seen Moony? I'm honestly surprised we didn't consider him a bigger opponent from the beginning.”
“Do you two just enjoy speaking about me as if I weren't here?”
They ignored him as they continued on with their conversation. Barely even acknowledged when Peter entered the dorm room to sit at the end of Remus’ bed.
“Mate, did you know you're being called the ‘Casanova of Gryffindor Tower’?
That was the moment Remus could clearly say it all went down hill.
-☆-
Remus sighed as Mary kissed down his neck. A soft bite followed by a gentle kiss. She repeated the action over and over the further down she went.
Her skin warm and her lips sticky with the gloss she loved to wear that always tasted of strawberries. She wasn’t possessive, had no need to be, but always commented on how good Remus wore messy lip gloss.
Remus closed his eyes, tried to concentrate on the feeling of her fingers trailing down his chest, but instead found himself letting out a frustrated sigh.
“Remus, love, are you with me?” Mary sat up on top of him. Her face close to his as she gently whispered her question. A single finger pressing on the center of his forehead to let him know he had her complete attention.
“Sorry Mary, I'm just out of it, I think.” He rubbed his eyes once before he finally looked at her. Her brown eyes were furled in concern but it didn't pull anything from her beauty, because Mary Macdonald was beautiful in every sense of the word.
Also considered the ‘Casanova of Gryffindor Tower’, Mary was exactly what a person dreamed of. Beauty and wit, unmatched by any other. Even Remus placed below her in the desirable scale, but she always wore that title like a crown. Wore it like it was her right, as if it was only a courtesy to those who were unaware of her true value.
He wondered how she did it?
“Does being called ‘Casanova of Gryffindor Tower’ mean anything to you?”
There was a tilt to her head followed by a twitch of her lips. “It means I get to have Remus Lupin whenever I want.” Her words were followed by a slow grind of her hips but Remus was quick to stop her by holding on to her waist.
“Mary.”
Her smile dimmed a little, “Okay, serious talk then.”
Remus rubbed his thumb in circles in appreciation.
“It's a stupid title your friends made back in sixth year that stuck. It's been nothing more than that and any value people add has nothing to do with me.”
“But doesn't it feel strange, as if you're pretending to be someone else?”
“Remus, are you pretending to be someone else?”
“No?”
Mary flicked his forehead causing Remus to cry out.
“Remus what could you possibly have to pretend for. People call you that because they think you're fit.”
“But why Mary, I mean, look at me?”
“I am.” She bit her lips and Remus rolled his eyes.
“Mary.”
“What do you want me to say Remus?” She smiled before she ran her hand down his hair. “You're handsome. People want you, and they like to add value to what they can't have. Makes them feel better for not being able to have it.”
“So you're telling me that it doesn't impact the way people interact with you.”
“Of course it does. Do you think it's easy to find someone who'll fuck you and not tell the whole bloody school that they got with the ‘Casanova of Gryffindor Tower’. It's really exhausting to sleep with anyone who isn't you.”
Remus groaned, “And that is exactly why I don’t want the damn thing. I would gladly hand it over to someone else if it meant not having them just see me as some stupid title.”
Mary stopped running her fingers through his hair.
“Remus, is there a particular reason you're asking?”
“No.” He avoided her eyes and Mary couldn't help but gasp.
“Remus Lupin, do you like someone?”
“No!”
“Godric, you do! Since when, and why didn't you tell me?”
Remus sighed, “It's not like I could do anything about it. I don't want someone to fall at my feet because I have some stupid title that basically states I'm the most wanted gryffindor.”
Mary hummed in agreement as she settled back down against Remus. “You could always tell me about them. There are some perks to being the school's gossip you know.”
Remus scoffed, “There is no way I'm saying a word about them.”
“Them? So you really don't want me to know. Okay then, let's go down the list of potential suitors I created to see if your special someone has been approved by me.”
“They need your approval?”
“Well as your best friend and the person who's currently sitting on top of you half naked I say yes, they very much do need my approval. Now play along.”
Remus rolled his eyes.
“Okay, my first choice is me.”
“You?”
Mary hummed, “I mean think about it. We're in the same year, good friends, both casanovas of the tower.”
At the last statement Remus raised his eyebrows.
“Yeah I know after what you just said I wouldn't qualify, but a girl can dream."
Another eye roll.
“My next choice would have to be Lily.”
“You'd let me date your best friend after sleeping with you for six months.”
“Obviously I'd have to cut your dick off for using Lily as a rebound, but if she were to come to you first I can't interfere or judge, she did develop a crush on Potter early in the year so I can't help her if she makes any mistakes.”
“So if Lily and I got together it would be a mistake?”
“Don't put words into my mouth Lupin.”
“But you just–”
“Next would be Peter, and before you ask it's because he's sweet with you. His face gets all scrunched up when he's playing chess and it's absolutely adorable. You two enjoy a lot of the same things and he would be a good partner for you.”
“Are you sure you're not the one who fancies Peter?”
“Shut up, I'm talking. After Peter, I would have to say Sirius, but only because he has these sudden moments of obsession. I swear to you it's like clock work, at least once a month he's like a rabid dog when it comes to you.”
Remus couldn't help but laugh, “Yeah, Pads can be a little protective. Now tell me why James would be left at the bottom of your list.”
“Oh that because I genuinely believe he'll date Sirius before he'll ever date you."
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“It's nothing against you Remus. It's just that if James was to date anyone other than Lily it would be Sirius.”
“Way to crush my hope, Mary.”
“You know I'm joking, plus I still have one final person to consider.”
“I'm assuming you left the best for last right.”
Mary hummed, “My final choice: Regulus.”
“Black?”
“Do you know any other?”
Remus stared at his friend in confusion.
“Why him of all people?”
Mary adjusted herself so that she was once again sitting up properly against Remus.
“The drama, Remus, think of all the drama.”
Remus laughed at her outcry. “Okay then, what brought me and my best friend's little brother together?”
“Easy, you two are prefects, meaning you patrol together. Now your attraction to each is sparse. You deny that you feel anything for him because he is your best friend's little brother, oh, but he has a soft side. He's misunderstood, he's nothing like Sirius makes him out to be.”
Remus laughs and Mary just pinches his stomach before she continues on with her story.
“And maybe one night you brush hands and he blushes and you think, ‘he's so beautiful, but I can't have him’. It's forbidden, how could you ever see yourself betray your best friend just to have his little brother who he claims to hate.”
“Is there an end to this?”
She pinched him again but laughing herself, “Shut up, I'm almost done. Then one night it happens, he confesses his undying love for you and you must decide should you follow the temptation he represents or stay loyal to the friend that is like a brother to you. But he gives you no chance to think, because he kisses you. Deep and passionate and nothing like you've ever experienced before and that is when you come to accept ‘Mary was right, he is the one i love’. Then there's the sneaking in between class, the dry humping during patrols, the sex, the reveal, the heartbreak, the reunion and then the happily ever after.”
“You've thought about that a lot haven't you?”
Mary shrugged, “I mean if I had to lose you to someone I wouldn't be disappointed if it were to Black.”
“Sirius or Regulus?”
“Either, you’ld be fulfilling one of my fantasies."
“Seeing me with another man?”
Mary hummed, as she ran her hair through his hair causing chills to run down his body. Her mouth pressed softly against his jaw. “Seeing you with any other good looking person. Everyone wants to see it. whether it's me or one of the Black brothers or some other student.”
Her fingers left his hair and ran down his arms as she continued with the soft press of her lips.
“They say Evan Rosier and Barty Crouch are the cassanovas of their respective houses. Maybe you should try seeing what it's like to be with them.”
Remus lifted his head to look at her properly.
“And why would I do that?”
“Experience, diversity, I don't know Remus. Being with me all the time has to get a little boring.”
“I would never consider you boring Mary."
“Oh please, as a best friend you have to say that.”
Remus smiled, “Do you want me to show you instead?”
Mary could only laugh as Remus flipped their positions to better focus his attention on her.