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(James POV)
James arrived at the Great Hall still in his Quidditch gear, hair wind-tousled and cheeks a little pink from the early morning chill. He’d gotten up before most students to do a few laps around the pitch, his way of clearing his head before the weekend properly began. He figured he’d grab breakfast first, then swing back up to the dorm to change.
As he stepped inside, his eyes immediately landed on Lily, already seated at the Gryffindor table and she had filled up a plate for him.
He melted right there.
His girlfriend was an actual angel.
An angel who could scare the life out of him and make him fall even harder in love at the same time.
“You know, Evans,” James said, leaning down to kiss her cheek, “if you keep being perfect, I’m going to have to propose right here right now, before we even graduate.”
Lily rolled her eyes, but her smile was soft. “What? And miss out on your grand public proposal in front of the entire Quidditch stadium? Not a chance.”
He grinned and plopped down beside her. “You know me too well.”
Around them, the hall was beginning to fill. Peter was already there, halfway through a second helping of eggs, deep in conversation with someone about a card game apparently better than Gobstones.
James looked around. No Sirius. No Remus.
“Moony’s probably still asleep,” he said, mostly to himself, and made a mental note to take him a plate later.
He turned to Peter. “Oi, Pete! Where’s Sirius? Didn’t see him when I left the dorm.”
Peter barely looked up. “Dunno. When I came down he was trying to wake Moony.”
Must’ve been a while ago, Peter was already halfway through his second plate.
James frowned. That was odd. Sirius usually woke with the sun, bounding down the stairs to steal toast and flirt with chaos. But lately…for two weeks or so, he’d been sleeping in more. Or disappearing entirely in the mornings, bed cold and empty like he’d never come back to it at all.
Weird.
Lily nudged him with her elbow. “You’re thinking,” she said, eyeing him suspiciously.
James shrugged. “Not allowed?”
“You’ve got the look,” she said. “That ‘I smell a mystery and I must immediately meddle’ look.”
Peter snorted. “Nah, this is his ‘I think I know something but I need to gather evidence and scheme about it for a week first’ look.”
Lily leaned in, narrowed her eyes like she was inspecting a rare creature. “Hmm. He’s right. That’s exactly the one.”
James opened his mouth to protest…
And then Sirius walked in.
He looked windswept, his long shoulder-length hair ruffled from the breeze, cheeks flushed from the run, school robes open and billowing behind him as he jogged across the hall with that half-smile that could ruin people. And clearly, it was ruining people, two Hufflepuff girls waved, a group of fourth-years giggled, and Callie Rivers, a Ravenclaw he’d once shamelessly flirted with not 2 weeks ago, to get her to smuggle him a restricted potions ingredients, called his name with a hopeful grin.
But Sirius didn’t even glance her way.
No wink. No usual flirtatious smirk towards the girls. No slow saunter. Instead, he strode forward towards the breakfast table, something like sheer determination etched on his face.
“Good morning, my beautiful people! ” Sirius threw his arms wide like he was greeting a roaring crowd instead of a half-awake Great Hall, coming to a stop near them. He looked positively radiant.
James raised a brow. “Bit dramatic, even for you.”
Sirius just grinned as he flopped into the seat beside him. “Can’t a man be thrilled to greet the day?” he said, far too cheerfully, as he pushed his hair back behind his ear and reached for a plate...
That's when James saw it.
A braid. Tiny, uneven, tucked just behind Sirius’ ear.
James squinted. “Pads… are you trying out a new hairstyle? Is that why you skipped laps with me this morning.?
Sirius looked pleased… no, immensely pleased. He tipped his head like he was showing off an earring. “Cute, isn’t it?”he said, practically glowing.
Lily leaned in, eyes narrowing with interest. “Actually… yeah. It kind of is. Who did it?”
Sirius only grinned wider, pressing two fingers to his lips and miming a zip with exaggerated flair. A secret, apparently.
Marlene, perched just across from Lily, let out a low whistle. “Alright then, secret girlfriend, we see you.”
“Girlfriend? Who?” Peter asked, beating James to the question. Everyone turned to Sirius, clearly hoping for an answer.
But Sirius just winked and reached for the food, already stacking up two overflowing plates. James noticed immediately, one was a chaotic mess of bacon, toast, and hash that screamed Sirius Black. The other? Carefully arranged. Crisp hashbrowns, halved grapefruit with sugar sprinkled just the way someone liked, soft little rolls with strawberry jam tucked into the side.
All of Remus’ favourites.
James arched a brow. “Fine, keep your secrets, Black. You staying down here or…?”
Sirius shrugged, still wearing that maddening smile. “Nah. Figured I’d take breakfast up to Moons. Said he’d help me with Arithmancy if I bribed him with food.”
The way he said Moons made something twist in James’ chest. Too soft. Too easy.
Too fond.
And James knew that fondness. He’d seen it for years, small glances passed across study tables, the way Sirius always moved closer when Remus laughed, the way Remus softened when Sirius entered a room. James had suspected for ages that they were in love with each other.
No one else seemed to notice, but he knew .
Sirius never talked about it, not directly. Sometimes, when they were alone, he’d hint at things, drop the occasional line about liking both girls and boys, vague and casual like he was testing the waters. James never pushed. He figured Sirius was still figuring it out himself.
And Remus? Remus had never dated. Never even shown interest in anyone else. But sometimes James caught him looking at Sirius like it hurt. Like there was too much longing in his eyes to be casual.
The same way James used to look at Lily before she ever gave him the time of day when she was still hexing him for breathing too loud.
And now… Sirius with a girlfriend?
If that was true, it meant one thing: gentle, quiet, hopelessly in love Moony might be having his heart broken in silence.
James hated the thought.
Sure, Sirius looked happy. But he didn’t want either of them to be miserable. And if they didn’t figure themselves out soon, James was going to hex them both and lock them in a room until one of them confessed something.
They’d been dancing around each other since fourth year. All the eye contact. Well… eyefucking to be honest. Really. All the “accidental” touches. All the things that went unsaid.
It was their seventh year now. And James was tired .
Still, he kept his tone light as he jabbed his fork into his eggs.
“Alright,” he said, raising a brow at Sirius, “but you missed laps this morning, mate. That means you’re training with me, this afternoon.”
Sirius paused. “Right, yeah. Sure, coach.”
James narrowed his eyes. “And where even were you this morning? With your secret girlfriend?”
“I—uh—nowhere, really, but sure,” Sirius said quickly, clearly making no sense and knowing it. His cheeks were tinged pink as he tucked the loose braid behind his ear like it was a nervous reflex. “I should go before Moons changes his mind.”
“Since when are you so diligent about studying?” Lily asked, arching a brow.
“Well, since Moons beat me last year, I’ve gotta catch up,” Sirius replied, utterly lacking in competitive fire. It wasn’t even a jab, it was pure affection in a sentence. His tone was easy, fond.
“Pads, don’t forget the coffee toffee thing!” Peter called as Sirius stood, balancing the two plates with practiced ease.
“Ah! Yes! Can’t forget the coffee toffee for my Moonbeam,” Sirius said brightly. He spun, grabbed the small wrapped sweet from the table, and offered a casual salute. “Cheers, Pete!”
And just like that, he was gone.
James stared after him, brow furrowed.
“He’s up to something,” he muttered, mostly to himself.
There were questions...
Why had Sirius been vanishing in the early mornings?
Why wasn’t he flirting with anyone anymore? Not even Callie Rivers and her impressive collection of illegal potions samples.
And the braid? there was no way Sirius did that himself. He wouldn’t charm his tie straight half the time.
So… who was doing them? Was there really a secret girlfriend?
And if so, why hadn’t Sirius told James? Sirius shared everything with him. From the dream he once had about marrying a mermaid (with both girl parts and boy parts and what exactly it did in graphic details) to his oddly specific fear of enchanted garden gnomes. Hell, he once asked James to check if he had a spot somewhere very private that he was convinced was turning into a third nipple.
So why not this?
Was he being pushed out?
Was this mysterious girlfriend pulling Sirius away from the Marauders? From him ?
James squinted, lips pursed, mind spiraling.
“Uh oh,” Lily said beside him, watching his expression shift like clockwork.
“That’s the scheming face,” Peter muttered through a mouthful of toast.
“No,” Lily said thoughtfully, tilting her head and leaning in. “That’s his ‘I think I know something but I need to make absolutely sure before I say anything’ face.”
James blinked back into the present, turning to her with a grin. “Nope. That’s my ‘I’m madly in love with you and about to snog you senseless’ face.”
And before Lily could say a word, James leaned in and kissed her, sweet and quick, stealing the breath right out of her laugh.
Peter groaned loudly into his eggs. “Again? Really?”
A sharp, pointed throat-clearing sound broke through the moment.
They broke apart to see Professor McGonagall standing behind them, eyebrows raised high enough to qualify as a threat.
“ Mr. Potter ,” she said coolly, handing him a folded list, “since you appear to have regained full function of your lips, perhaps you can use them to announce the Quidditch tryout list I’ve so kindly brought down for you.”
Lily’s cheeks went crimson as she buried her face in her hands, giggling helplessly.
James took the parchment with the sheepish grin of a boy who had very much been caught red-handed…again.
And just like that, breakfast moved on.
But James couldn’t stop thinking about that braid.
~
James had been right to worry about the braid.
Because it didn’t stop there.
The braids kept coming. Slowly at first. Then more frequently, whoever it was was getting better, they became neater. Tighter. More delicate. Like someone’s taking their time. Like someone cares . Small, intricate braids that seem to appear overnight, threaded through Sirius' thick dark hair like quiet secrets.
By the end of the week, there was one twisted delicately along the nape of his neck—tight, perfect, and clearly done by someone with actual skill.
And Sirius?
Looked obnoxiously good with them.
Like some rakish pirate from those Muggle books Lily had once read aloud to him in the common room. The kind of pirate who drank rum and read poetry and made you fall in love without even trying.
It wasn’t long before people started whispering.
About the braids.
About the mysterious girlfriend.
About how Sirius Black, serial flirt, chaos incarnate was suddenly... off the market.
It became a thing .
And Sirius didn’t help. He offered no names. No details. Just dreamy little smiles and vague, infuriatingly unhelpful answers. Shrugged shoulders. A wink. A cryptic, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Worse still was Remus. He didn’t seem miserable , exactly…but quieter. Distant. More withdrawn than usual. James hardly saw him anymore. In fact, he rarely saw either of them these days. When had that happened?
It was… weird. And maybe it shouldn’t have been. They were almost seventeen. They were growing up. Meeting people. Maybe that was just how things went.
But still.. was this it? Was this what everyone warned about?
School friends don’t last.
You grow apart. Drift away. Life gets in the way.
Was James already catching a glimpse of that future? Surely not. Not them .
Sirius had been James’s other half since they were eleven. His soulmate, not in the romantic kind of way, but he was the one who kept him grounded, the one who made him laugh when things got too heavy.
His friends were the ones who had somehow… miraculously convinced Lily Evans that James’s love was real, deep, and entirely hers.
He didn’t want to lose that.
Didn’t want to lose them.
James knew he needed to talk to Sirius. To figure out what was going on. To ask why everything suddenly felt... out of reach.
But between the looming pressure of NEWTs and the way everyone seemed to be off in their own orbit lately, the days kept slipping past.
~
That weekend, the Gryffindor common room was warm and buzzing with quiet chatter. A group had gathered near the fireplace Lily curled up against James’ side, one of her legs thrown lazily across his lap while he messaged her delicate little toes. Merlin, she is perfect. And his…
Across from them, Remus sat in the armchair, a thick book open on his lap. Sirius was sitting on the floor, right between his legs, like he always used to, his back pressed to Remus’ shins, one hand resting absentmindedly on Remus’ knee as Mary Macdonald painted the nails of his other hand in a sharp metallic blue.
“I’m starting to think the girlfriend might be imaginary,” Marlene said from the couch, sipping hot cocoa. “Or a ghost.”
“Or a Slytherin,” Dorcas added darkly, squinting suspiciously at Sirius.
“Are you ever going to tell us who she is?” Mary asked, looking up as she blew on Sirius’ fingers. “Because we’re all dying here.”
James watched from his spot beside Lily. His hand was still around her ankle, but his attention had drifted.
He didn’t miss the way Remus’ fingers tensed around the edge of his book.
Didn’t miss how his eyes didn’t lift.
How he stayed very still.
“Yeah, Pads,” James said, voice light, teasing. “You’re starting to act suspicious. New hair, shiny nails, love-struck smile. If you don’t fess up soon, people are going to start drawing charts .”
Sirius only grinned, far too pleased. “Let them.”
Lily nudged James playfully. “You’d look good with a braid.”
James snorted. “I’d look good with anything . But yes, please braid me. I want to match the mysterious heartthrob over there.”
“You wish you looked like a heartthrob,” Lily teased, ruffling his hair. “You’re a disaster in Quidditch socks.”
“You love my socks,” James murmured, kissing her cheek.
“I tolerate them.”
As everyone burst into laughter and the guessing continued, James’ eyes drifted again.
Remus hadn’t said a word. He was still hiding behind the book, chin tucked down, spine ramrod straight like he wasn’t even listening…but James knew him too well for that.
Every time the conversation circled back to Sirius and his mystery girl , Remus shrank a little smaller.
It was subtle, but heartbreaking.
So James pivoted.
“Oi, Moony,” he said, casually kicking his foot from across the room. “What do you think? Do I have the bone structure for a braid? Be honest.”
Remus looked up, blinking. “You barely have the bone structure for eyebrows.”
Everyone cackled, as James pouted. “Rude. You wound me.”
Remus offered the smallest smile. But James could see it… the crack in the armor.
And that night, after he walked Lily to the tower stairs and kissed her goodnight (complete with a “Potter, you are ridiculous” and a grin she tried and failed to hide), he headed up to the dorms and stopped short.
Sirius’ bed was empty. Still perfectly made.
Peter was already in his pyjamas, humming to himself as he shuffled his cards.
Remus’ curtains were closed. A faint shimmer of magic glowed around them. Silencing charm.
James frowned.
“Where’s Pads?” he asked, peeling off his Quidditch jumper.
Peter shrugged. “Dunno. Wasn’t here when I came in.”
“You think he’s off with…” James didn’t finish. Just waved vaguely.
Peter raised an eyebrow. “Secret girlfriend?”
“Yeah.”
Peter dealt the cards. “I give up. He’s weird. You playing?”
James hesitated for a moment. He glanced at Sirius’ bed. Still empty.
Then at Remus’ closed curtains.
“Yeah,” he said, finally. “Yeah, deal me in.”
They played a messy round of Exploding Snap. Peter cursed every time his cards ignited and James laughed maybe a little too hard—until a muffled groan came from behind Remus’ drawn curtains.
Whoops.
Guess Moony had accidentally dropped the silencing charm.
“Moony you okay? Wanna join us?”
A heartbeat later, the shimmer flared back up around the bed.
The charm back in place. Back to quiet. James didn't laugh after that. Well…Not as loudly.
Later, when Peter was snoring and James finally got up to change, he noticed something else: His invisibility cloak was missing from the trunk at the foot of his bed.
Sirius had definitely taken it.
Probably to sneak off to wherever his secret rendezvous was.
James sat down on the edge of his mattress and rubbed his face. He glanced once more at Remus’ drawn curtains.
He thought about knocking. About asking if he was okay. About saying something. Anything to comfort him.
But maybe now wasn’t the time.
Not after what Remus had to listen to tonight. About the mystery girlfriend.
So instead, James lay back, arms folded behind his head, staring at the canopy above. Hoping sleep would claim him.
~
A month later, all the seventh years were clawing their hair out over NEWTs.
James had done his fair share of panicking… especially when he remembered that one extremely unhelpful Divination essay still floating in the abyss of his satchel. But mostly, he was trying to keep focused. He had plans. Big ones.
He wanted to play professional Quidditch, he had already gotten offers. But there was always the other dream, too. The one that followed in his dad’s footsteps. Auror training. Fighting the good fight.
He wasn’t sure yet. He just knew he wanted to do something. But he knew one thing for sure, Auror or Quidditch star he would be marrying Lily Evans.
Which was why he was supposed to be at the Quidditch pitch right now, helping with drills for the new recruits. Only some Slytherin had thrown a fit during team selection and nearly hexed a second-year. James, thoroughly annoyed, had volunteered to go get Sirius.
No one shut down entitled Slytherin dramatics quite like Sirius Black.
Pete had gone off to the library hours ago, practically hibernating in a corner with four textbooks and a bag of lemon drops. So James trudged back to the dorms alone.
He was halfway through muttering complaints to himself when he heard it.
Laughter. Soft. Familiar. Sirius. “....Love when you do that.”
Then Remus’ voice “Focus, little darlin’.”
Little darling? James froze outside the door.
"...Okay, final question,” Sirius said, his voice low and playful. “What’s the incantation for summoning hot cocoa and making your boyfriend stay just a bit longer?”
There was a beat. Then Remus: “That’s not in the books, my love. You’re making things up again. But I know the answer, it's another kiss.”
"Really? That easy huh?"
"Always so easy for you, love." Remus' voice was muffled.
James could hear the smile in his voice.
Sirius laughed, quiet and fond and nothing like the bark of chaos he usually unleashed. It was softer. Full of something James didn’t have a name for, but knew all the same.
James pushed the door open slowly. Quietly.
And there they were. Sirius sat in Remus’ lap on the window seat, legs loosely draped over his. The light of late afternoon poured through the glass, turning both of them gold. Sirius’ hair had been swept over one shoulder, loose and shining, the strands catching the sun. And Remus… gods, Remus was smiling, eyes half-lidded as he braided a section at the back, fingers careful and practiced.
Sirius was holding a book in one hand, reading quiz questions in a soft, teasing rhythm.
Remus answered in hums without looking, too focused on tucking a strand just right.
And when he finished the braid, he bent forward and pressed a kiss to the back of Sirius’ neck. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. like it’s something he’s done a hundred times before. They both looked disgustingly happy.
Neither of them noticed James standing there.
He watched, silent. Letting the moment settle in his chest like a warm weight. And then, gently, he pulled the door closed again without a sound.
It was surreal.
Like walking into a dream he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding onto.
James stood outside the door, hand still on the knob, heart light in a way it hadn’t been for weeks.
They were happy. His best friends. Together.
The braid. The breakfasts. The quiet touches. The mystery. It had all led here. It all made sense. And James realized, with relief…he hadn’t really needed to be afraid of Remus getting his heart broken.
Finally. He thought as he smiled and walked away, silently promising to never, ever say a word.
~
Well…. He couldn't not “Not say a word”… It was three days after The Moment™ that James finally decided he’d had enough.
He’d kept his mouth shut. He’d smiled. He’d watched Remus show up to breakfast with a dazed expression and Sirius float around the castle like he’d just been named King of Gryffindor.
And neither of them had said a damn word. Which was just rude, honestly. After all that emotional turmoil? The hiding? The braids ?
So that morning, James waited until all four Marauders were in the dorm. Remus had just come back from the library. Sirius was flopped dramatically on his bed, shirt half-buttoned, socks mismatched. Peter was fiddling with his wand, trying to charm his quills to color-code notes on their own.
James leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking far too casual.
“So,” he said, and that was the only warning.
Sirius glanced up. “So… what?”
James smiled. Slowly. “You and Moony finally shagged or what?”
Peter choked. His quill exploded in purple ink.
Remus made a noise that could only be described as a squeak and nearly dropped the stack of books in his hands.
Sirius froze. Blinked. “I—what—”
James shrugged, pushing off the wall like he hadn’t just detonated a bomb in the center of the dorm. “I mean, it’s fine if you haven’t,” he continued breezily. “Just wanted to know if I should start calling you 'Mr. and Mr. Repressed’ or if we’ve finally graduated to ‘Obnoxiously Domestic Couple No. 1.’”
Sirius sputtered. “We—we’re not—”
“Oh please,” James said, flopping onto his own bed with theatrical flair. “I’ve seen the way you look at him, Pads. Like he’s the last Chocolate Frog in the Honeydukes window. And Moony over there? I mean, come on. The man braided your hair.”
Sirius groaned, dragging both hands over his face. “How long have you known ?”
“Three days, how long have you two been together?” James replied smoothly.
“Since last Christmas….” Sirius looked a little sheepish.
Remus just stayed silent, his eyes not leaving Sirius.
Peter, now wiping purple ink off his sleeve with a look of deep confusion, muttered, “I’m never catching up to any of this.”
James only grinned. “You two are so in love it’s almost embarrassing. But I’ll give you guys credit… you managed to hide it from the rest of the school.” He tilted his head. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Sirius opened his mouth. Closed it again. His eyes flicked toward Remus, who was still looking at him.
Then, soft and unsure, he said, “Moons?”
Remus exhaled. “I—we didn’t know how it would change things,” he said quietly. “With the group, I mean. We didn’t want to make things weird.”
Sirius nodded. “And I didn’t… I didn’t know how you’d react,” he added, looking at James now. “You and Pete. I guess we just—kept it to ourselves. For a bit.”
James blinked. And then laughed.
“You idiots ,” he said, flopping back onto the bed like this was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’ve known you were in love since fourth year. I was just waiting for you two to figure it out.”
Remus blinked. “Wait—fourth year?”
“Yep.”
“That was years ago!”
“Exactly,” James said smugly. “Welcome to the bloody party. Truly are idiots.”
Remus let out a quiet laugh and looked back at Sirius who was staring at him like he couldn’t believe this was real. Like it was still sinking in.
Remus smiled. A little crooked. A little shy. “I mean,” he said, “he’s not wrong.”
Sirius let out a breath then grinned. “Yeah. We are.”
James let out a whoop, launching himself off the bed into the ugliest, most victorious spin the dorm had ever seen. “ Finally! Merlin’s scrotum, honestly, I was about to stage an intervention.”
Sirius rolled his eyes but was grinning now wide and stupid and so full of love it almost made James ache.
Remus ducked his head, but not to hide. He was just happy. Radiating it. He looked like the version of Moony James rarely ever saw.
James looked at the two of them and felt something click. “You two are disgustingly perfect,” he declared, pointing dramatically. “Now kiss.”
Sirius didn’t even hesitate.
He crossed the room and kissed Remus, hands cradling his face like it was something precious.
Peter groaned into his pillow. “Can I get a warning next time?”
They all laughed.
“Now tell me everything about last Christmas!” James sat next to them.
(Sirius POV)
That night, after their friends had gone to bed, Sirius tugged the invisibility cloak out with a grin he couldn't quite hide. Remus raised an eyebrow, but he followed. Of course he did.
The halls were dark, quiet except for the rain against the windows. The kind of rain that made the castle feel tucked in, secret. Safe.
They climbed the stairs to the Astronomy Tower in silence, hands brushing, hearts loud. Rain poured outside, steady and unrelenting, splattering across the glass dome above as they curled up on a neat little blanket Remus had brought, pressed close together.
The sky above was grey and wild, rain streaking across the glass in endless, silver trails. Sirius lay back, heart still fluttering from earlier.
Remus stretched beside him, close enough that their arms touched. Fingers brushed. Then intertwined. Sirius brought Remus’ hand up to his mouth, slowly leaving gentle, barely there kisses, along the crisscross of old scars. One by one. Like he was memorizing them all over again.
Merlin, he thought. I love him so much.
“So,” Remus said softly, “Prongs knows.”
Sirius turned to him just as Remus cupped his cheek, thumb brushing along his cheekbone. Sirius leaned into the touch, smiling.
“Yeah. I’m surprised it took him that long. Almost two months.”
Remus huffed a quiet laugh. “Two months while you insisted on sleeping in my bed every night.”
“Hey,” Sirius grinned. “Nothing gets between me and my Moony cuddles.”
“Of course. Only cuddles, huh?” Remus said, brow arching, voice low. Mischief twinkling in his eyes as his fingers traced the line of Sirius’ jaw.
Sirius chuckled, leaning in until their noses brushed. “Well… among other things.”
Remus huffed a laugh, quiet and breathless, tenderness written all over his face.
They stayed like that, close enough to feel each other’s breath, the hush between them soft and golden. Rain tapped harder against the dome above.
Sirius tilted his head, looking up at the stormy sky. Then, voice barely above a whisper “He was right, you know. I didn’t know.” He murmured, turning back to Remus, eyes shining. “All those years, Moons… I didn’t know I was in love with you.”
Remus turned to him, eyes soft. “Me either.”
Sirius looked up through the rain-blurred sky and laughed, breathless. “Thank Merlin for the spiked eggnog at Potter’s Christmas party.”
Remus chuckled. “Yeah?”
“That night… You kissed my cheek. I nearly lost it. I was tipsy, dizzy, and already so gone for you… I finally had the courage to kiss you back.”
“You said, ‘fuck it’ and kissed me like we were in a bloody fairy tale.”
Sirius turned to him, grinning. “You didn’t complain.”
Remus bumped their shoulders. “I never do when it comes to you.”
Sirius leaned in, pressed a kiss just below Remus’ jaw. Another to the slope of his neck. oh so gentle.
Remus’ fingers slid into Sirius’ hair… like always. Like every time Sirius sat between his knees, and let Remus braid those little strands, cross-legged on the bed or curled up in the common room, pretending to read while Remus studied. It had started as a concentration habit, Remus needed to do something with his hands when he revised, and Sirius, had offered up his hair.
The first braids were crooked. Uneven. Sirius had worn them with pride. And over time, they changed. Neat and careful. Like everything Remus did for Sirius… quiet and precise and full of love.
Sirius had fallen a little more in love with each one.
Now, Remus tugged gently. Just enough to bring Sirius close. Their eyes met. And Sirius saw everything.“I love you,” he whispered, voice trembling with it.
Remus smiled, “I love you.” a gentle whisper, before claiming Sirius’ mouth with a fierce kiss.