Chapter One. "When We Were Young."
Title: When We Were Young
Chapter: 1/?
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character(s)/Pairing: Marauders, eventual Remus/Sirius
Word Count: 1400
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter One
There is something as endearing as it is irritating about James' obsession with Lily Evans. He is zealous, fanatical, and unfailingly devoted - he might date other girls briefly, but rarely does he come back from a date and not immediately compare the poor girl to Lily. Nothing is as wonderful as Lily, nothing is as marvelous, as beautiful; James describes her as though she were an angel. Sirius has been tempted to ask the ginger minx several times where she keeps her halo.
Sirius does not question that it is possible to fall in love at fifteen, but he certainly questions the practicality of it. Every girl James compares to Lily is another girl that he'll never get to love. There may be something in the argument for quality, Sirius muses, but he is more than content to focus on quantity.
After all, one of them ought to at least be able to boast success with the fairer sex, if only to keep the wild, glamorous reputation they have worked to build. It wouldn't be Peter, poor bloke, as the only female attention he ever received came from classmates asking if they could borrow his notes. Remus could fare better, though he might faint if a pair of breasts ever accosted him in a broom closet one cold, lonely night - just from the shock of the impropriety.
Sirius grins, amused by the thought of his bookish friend letting out a breathy "Heavens" as some tart gives him a feline smile and tries to undo his trousers.
It is probably not the most appropriate train of thought for the breakfast table, though, and as James grabs another sausage Sirius shakes it out of his head.
"She won't even look at me."
The poor young chaser looks downcast and disappointed, the distinct air of a kicked puppy about him. Sirius swallows a bite of egg. "And why should she?" he askes blithely, paying the red-haired girl a few seats down no heed. "She doesn't exactly like you, mate."
James rolls his eyes and Sirius is grateful that at least there is not yet desperation. He suspects they may be a shrine, but he has no desire to search for evidence. The longing meal-time adoration is always as fervent as prayer, and that is all Sirius has the stomach to witness. Any late night vigils - with an effigy or otherwise - are the poor boy's own business.
"She's scary," Peter asserts, picking absently at his plate. "Got a temper."
If he'd been a girl, Sirius swore James might have swooned. "She's vivacious."
"You even know what that means, Jim?"
Sirius chuckles to himself as James glares at Remus. "I agree with Pete," he says, putting his elbow on the table and cupping his chin in his hand. He gives a half-hearted, dreamy sigh. "Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the morn." He does not see it, but he knows Remus is smiling. He looks at his friend and thinks 'And you think I don't listen.'
"What's that, then?" Peter asks curiously, looking over at Sirius. He recognizes the tone that indicates the most arrogant of the four is quoting something.
"Tolkien," Remus answers, turning another page of his book. Sirius is very nearly impressed by his show of total aloofness.
"Token?" Peter tries to repeat. "A... a token of what?"
"Don't be thick, Pete," Sirius says, a shade contemputuously. "It's Tolkien," he enunciates carefully. "He's a writer - quite famous, actually." He smiles a bit and Peter squirms; he is always very aware that Sirius and James - and Remus, too, though he is less showy - exceed him greatly in mental capacity. Sirius' smile turns into a grin. "Of course... he's a muggle."
"Oh." Peter frowns, looking a little flustered. Sirius was always so good at making him feel like a fool. "Well... Well of course I didn't know the name then! He's a muggle, not any sort of person."
Sirius pauses, his fork still in his mouth. He swallows and gives Peter a look. "You sound like my mum," he says, putting the utensil down. His voice is light, but when James clears his throat Peter stiffens and his eyes widen as he stutters out a hasty retraction.
The conversation continues in this vein - Sirius talks the most, nearly as much to himself as to the others, James goads him on and occasionally pines. Remus reads. He will occasionally offer his own sensible input, and Peter just tries to keep up. Sirius is always a bit too ready to tease him, but it is never done with any sort of malice. They all have class, though, and before too long Remus reminds them of this.
"Class?" Sirius asks, stretching his arms high above his head. Two girls in fourth year giggle at his show and he gives them a quick, flirtaious wink. "Think I'll pass today. Thanks, though," he says, clapping Remus on the back.
"I thought you were doing better," Remus remarks with a frown. "You've been in the library for hours at a time these past few weeks."
Sirius plays dumb. "Have I?" he asks bemusedly as they all rise. "Hmm, that doesn't sound like me at all."
Remus gives him a suspicious glare, and Sirius is unable to stifle the grin that breaks out across his face. "No. It doesn't."
Sirius waves it off. "Oh, let me act out of character once in a while." His eyes sparkle as he smiles again at Remus. "It's not like I'm up to anything illegal."
At that Peter sputters and as James claps him hard on the back, makes an amateurish attempt to transfrom it into a cough. Sirius is completely unfazed, still smiling, and James' eyes dart nervously between him and Remus. It is a lie, and James wants very, very badly to keep Remus from checking into the legality of their actions. They are doing it for him, regardless of what Sirius sometimes claims, and it would put a bit of a damper on the surprise if Remus found out and put a stop to their research.
The situation is averted, however, because Remus seems to decide that he would rather not know what Sirius is up to in the library.
Peter puts on a smile and says, "Er... w-we've been studying for potions a bit. I couldn't ask you, mate; you hate potions."
That was true, but for Sirius to willingly help someone with classwork seemed a bit of a stretch. "And what's he been doing after?"
"That," Sirius says as they all exit the Great Hall, "may tread dangerously close to a breach of confidence. She's a nice girl, really, and, ahh... Wouldn't want to kiss and tell."
It is the sort of answer Remus expects from him, so he rolls his eyes and drops it - as Sirius knew he would. "I'm going," he says, and though he sounds exasperated the other three know it is an act. He was made prefect, after all, and with that came certain expectations; he was supposed to disapprove of his friends' illicit activities, so often he went with the easier path - ignorance.
Sirius slows as Remus' pace quickens and he sticks out one long arm to stop Pete squarely in the chest. "Speaking of..." he says slowly, looking around to ensure no one is paying close attention. His voice is low and full of a thinly veiled excitement. "I think it's almost time."
"Are we close?" Peter asks, and the others don't even question that he includes himself. He is just as excited as they are, though less sure of the eventual results. He is riding on the backs of giants, he knows, but he never acknowledges that to his friends. "Can we... Can we choose now?"
They'd conjectured - some - about their animal forms, but James had put a ban on anything coming close to definite.
"I don't know that you can choose," James explained, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I think it's just..." He grapples for a moment, looking for a way to explain what he means. "I think it's just what you are."
"We'll know soon enough," Sirius says, confidently. "We'll try on the next full moon, when he's gone." Before either can say another word, he quells any doubt. "And it will work."
~~~
Chapter: 1/?
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character(s)/Pairing: Marauders, eventual Remus/Sirius
Word Count: 1400
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter One
There is something as endearing as it is irritating about James' obsession with Lily Evans. He is zealous, fanatical, and unfailingly devoted - he might date other girls briefly, but rarely does he come back from a date and not immediately compare the poor girl to Lily. Nothing is as wonderful as Lily, nothing is as marvelous, as beautiful; James describes her as though she were an angel. Sirius has been tempted to ask the ginger minx several times where she keeps her halo.
Sirius does not question that it is possible to fall in love at fifteen, but he certainly questions the practicality of it. Every girl James compares to Lily is another girl that he'll never get to love. There may be something in the argument for quality, Sirius muses, but he is more than content to focus on quantity.
After all, one of them ought to at least be able to boast success with the fairer sex, if only to keep the wild, glamorous reputation they have worked to build. It wouldn't be Peter, poor bloke, as the only female attention he ever received came from classmates asking if they could borrow his notes. Remus could fare better, though he might faint if a pair of breasts ever accosted him in a broom closet one cold, lonely night - just from the shock of the impropriety.
Sirius grins, amused by the thought of his bookish friend letting out a breathy "Heavens" as some tart gives him a feline smile and tries to undo his trousers.
It is probably not the most appropriate train of thought for the breakfast table, though, and as James grabs another sausage Sirius shakes it out of his head.
"She won't even look at me."
The poor young chaser looks downcast and disappointed, the distinct air of a kicked puppy about him. Sirius swallows a bite of egg. "And why should she?" he askes blithely, paying the red-haired girl a few seats down no heed. "She doesn't exactly like you, mate."
James rolls his eyes and Sirius is grateful that at least there is not yet desperation. He suspects they may be a shrine, but he has no desire to search for evidence. The longing meal-time adoration is always as fervent as prayer, and that is all Sirius has the stomach to witness. Any late night vigils - with an effigy or otherwise - are the poor boy's own business.
"She's scary," Peter asserts, picking absently at his plate. "Got a temper."
If he'd been a girl, Sirius swore James might have swooned. "She's vivacious."
"You even know what that means, Jim?"
Sirius chuckles to himself as James glares at Remus. "I agree with Pete," he says, putting his elbow on the table and cupping his chin in his hand. He gives a half-hearted, dreamy sigh. "Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the morn." He does not see it, but he knows Remus is smiling. He looks at his friend and thinks 'And you think I don't listen.'
"What's that, then?" Peter asks curiously, looking over at Sirius. He recognizes the tone that indicates the most arrogant of the four is quoting something.
"Tolkien," Remus answers, turning another page of his book. Sirius is very nearly impressed by his show of total aloofness.
"Token?" Peter tries to repeat. "A... a token of what?"
"Don't be thick, Pete," Sirius says, a shade contemputuously. "It's Tolkien," he enunciates carefully. "He's a writer - quite famous, actually." He smiles a bit and Peter squirms; he is always very aware that Sirius and James - and Remus, too, though he is less showy - exceed him greatly in mental capacity. Sirius' smile turns into a grin. "Of course... he's a muggle."
"Oh." Peter frowns, looking a little flustered. Sirius was always so good at making him feel like a fool. "Well... Well of course I didn't know the name then! He's a muggle, not any sort of person."
Sirius pauses, his fork still in his mouth. He swallows and gives Peter a look. "You sound like my mum," he says, putting the utensil down. His voice is light, but when James clears his throat Peter stiffens and his eyes widen as he stutters out a hasty retraction.
The conversation continues in this vein - Sirius talks the most, nearly as much to himself as to the others, James goads him on and occasionally pines. Remus reads. He will occasionally offer his own sensible input, and Peter just tries to keep up. Sirius is always a bit too ready to tease him, but it is never done with any sort of malice. They all have class, though, and before too long Remus reminds them of this.
"Class?" Sirius asks, stretching his arms high above his head. Two girls in fourth year giggle at his show and he gives them a quick, flirtaious wink. "Think I'll pass today. Thanks, though," he says, clapping Remus on the back.
"I thought you were doing better," Remus remarks with a frown. "You've been in the library for hours at a time these past few weeks."
Sirius plays dumb. "Have I?" he asks bemusedly as they all rise. "Hmm, that doesn't sound like me at all."
Remus gives him a suspicious glare, and Sirius is unable to stifle the grin that breaks out across his face. "No. It doesn't."
Sirius waves it off. "Oh, let me act out of character once in a while." His eyes sparkle as he smiles again at Remus. "It's not like I'm up to anything illegal."
At that Peter sputters and as James claps him hard on the back, makes an amateurish attempt to transfrom it into a cough. Sirius is completely unfazed, still smiling, and James' eyes dart nervously between him and Remus. It is a lie, and James wants very, very badly to keep Remus from checking into the legality of their actions. They are doing it for him, regardless of what Sirius sometimes claims, and it would put a bit of a damper on the surprise if Remus found out and put a stop to their research.
The situation is averted, however, because Remus seems to decide that he would rather not know what Sirius is up to in the library.
Peter puts on a smile and says, "Er... w-we've been studying for potions a bit. I couldn't ask you, mate; you hate potions."
That was true, but for Sirius to willingly help someone with classwork seemed a bit of a stretch. "And what's he been doing after?"
"That," Sirius says as they all exit the Great Hall, "may tread dangerously close to a breach of confidence. She's a nice girl, really, and, ahh... Wouldn't want to kiss and tell."
It is the sort of answer Remus expects from him, so he rolls his eyes and drops it - as Sirius knew he would. "I'm going," he says, and though he sounds exasperated the other three know it is an act. He was made prefect, after all, and with that came certain expectations; he was supposed to disapprove of his friends' illicit activities, so often he went with the easier path - ignorance.
Sirius slows as Remus' pace quickens and he sticks out one long arm to stop Pete squarely in the chest. "Speaking of..." he says slowly, looking around to ensure no one is paying close attention. His voice is low and full of a thinly veiled excitement. "I think it's almost time."
"Are we close?" Peter asks, and the others don't even question that he includes himself. He is just as excited as they are, though less sure of the eventual results. He is riding on the backs of giants, he knows, but he never acknowledges that to his friends. "Can we... Can we choose now?"
They'd conjectured - some - about their animal forms, but James had put a ban on anything coming close to definite.
"I don't know that you can choose," James explained, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I think it's just..." He grapples for a moment, looking for a way to explain what he means. "I think it's just what you are."
"We'll know soon enough," Sirius says, confidently. "We'll try on the next full moon, when he's gone." Before either can say another word, he quells any doubt. "And it will work."
~~~