PETER WAS FLIPPING through the pages of a book, thinking anxiously to himself as Claudia and Remus continued to act like an old married couple.

This basically meant that Claudia was reading a book, and Remus was doing the same with his head on her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Suddenly, however, Remus was no longer reading. No, the boy had come to admiring the girl who was so engulfed in her book that her lips curled absentmindedly and her eyes crinkled.

Of course, Claudia noticed his staring. She always did (according to herself) and this time around it was obvious considering his head was right on her lap.

"Don't look at me from that angle," she said, covering his eyes with her hand.

"Why not?"

"Because I look hideous," she spoke as he removed her hand from his eyes, causing her to only cover her face with her book.

"You could never look hideous," Remus scoffed. "You're bloody perfect."

Claudia's eyes peeked out over the top of the book, "Say that again."

"You're perfect," he chuckled. "The most perfect person there is."

"You just earned yourself some serious boyfriend points," Claudia smiled, putting down the book and placing her hand on his cheek.

"And what can I get from those points?"

"A reward," Claudia whispered, leaning down towards his face to kiss him, only for a loud sigh to interrupt it.

"Pete?" The girl questioned. "Are you alright?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, I know we aren't supposed to be all cheesy around you. I'll go-"

"Not everything is about you two," Peter said quickly, immediately regretting it. "Sorry, that's not what I meant! I only meant that you don't have to go, Claudia."

Claudia and Remus shared a worried and amused glance all at once, and then the two were suddenly on one side each of Peter, who was having some sort of existential crisis.

"Tell me what's on your mind, Pete," Claudia said softly.

"I want to die," he groaned.

Claudia and Remus shared yet another look.

"That's not good, mate," said Remus.

'Really?' Claudia mouthed to the boy, who shrugged in return.

"I don't think you want to die," Claudia said slowly. "But maybe you could tell us why you say so?"

"A girl kissed me."

Another look was shared between the couple, this one rather smug.

"That's great!"

"Maybe," Peter mumbled. "Except I felt...weird."

"Weird?"

"Weird."

"What kind of weird?"

"I don't know," Peter moaned, burying his face in his hands. "I think something's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you," Claudia assured. "But why do you say that?"

"I just...I just don't feel the way I think that I'm supposed to," said Peter awkwardly.

"In what situation?"

"Like...I just- I mean I've had crushes. I even had one on you."

"Which was very flattering by the way," said Claudia, causing Remus to clear his throat, mouth a 'really?' and receive a shrug in response.

"But...It's not in the way most people have crushes, if you know what I mean?"

"You're saying your crushes are different?"

"No, well, maybe," Peter mumbled. "I just don't feel all the things I'm supposed to."

"I'm sorry, mate, but I don't think we understand what you're saying right now," said Remus.

"Oh. Well, how about this? Remus, when you weren't together with Claudia but you fancied her...what did it feel like?"

"Well...I was constantly thinking about what it would like to be with her. What it would be like to know her completely. To be around her all the time. To grow with her. And..."

"And you were constantly thinking about the other parts," Peter spoke awkwardly.

Remus' mouth formed an 'o' as Peter fell into a furious blush.

"I'm sorry, what other parts?" Claudia asked.

"The other parts," said Remus.

"Yeah, and I just asked you what that means?"

"The, uh, the...more passionate parts."

"Oh," Claudia breathed. "You mean that you thought about that?"

"Of course I did," Remus said, him too feeling a bit awkward at this point. "I'm a teenage boy. Maybe it's uncomfortable of you to hear that now-"

"Remus," Claudia chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you've forgotten that I'm a teenage girl. I thought about it too."

"Friendly reminder that you two are still in the same room as me," Peter said, clearing his throat as Remus blushed and Claudia grinned.

"Right," she said. "So, Pete, what you're saying here is that you don't feel those parts?"

"Sort of," he mumbled.

"You don't feel...sexual attraction?"

"I don't know," he said. "I mean, that's what I'm supposed to do."

"You're not supposed to do anything."

"Well, I just don't know. I mean, everyone else is talking about it and I just don't see the appeal. I just don't think about it. And when I do it doesn't appeal to me. And when that girl kissed me, it felt nice because she's sweet and I like her as a person but...I just don't care about her kissing me again. I mean she could, and it would be nice, but not in the way it's supposed to be."

"Peter, nothing is supposed to be in any way," Claudia said softly. "That's what you've been told, but it's not how it is. If you don't feel like having sex or doing anything like that simply because you don't want to it's fine. If you don't want to because it doesn't appeal to you it's fine. And, if you want to that's be fine too. You just do what you want, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded. "But won't it make me weird if I don't do it like everyone else?"

"Of course not," said Remus. "It really doesn't. People shouldn't be caring about that anyway."

"But what if I find someone and they won't accept me because of that?"

"Then they wouldn't be worth your time," said Claudia. "Just because you don't want to have sex it doesn't mean that you aren't worthy of love. It just isn't for you. And you know what?"

"What?"

"You're still just as great as always, Pete," she smiled. "People may have different preferences and such but it doesn't change who they are. It's just about what you want and what you don't want. Who you love, and why you love them. Not about what other people think about it. And, Pete, have you heard about asexuality?"

"What's that?"

"That's when you don't feel sexual attraction to anyone," she said. "Now, you might be this. Or maybe you're not. It doesn't matter. And, besides, I'm no professional at this."

"It kind of sounds like you are."

"Well, maybe," Claudia chuckled. "But that's because I learned a lot when Inez was struggling. I learned for her, and then I learned through her. So, maybe you should talk to her if you're comfortable with that?"

"Maybe," he mumbled. "She's gay, right?"

"Well, not exactly," said Claudia. "She's unlabelled. She doesn't put a word on it. But that's okay too, you know? We don't have too decide things like these. We can just do whatever the hell we want."

"Whatever the hell we want," Peter repeated.

"Yeah! Honestly, we all just fall for who we fall for. Or we fall for them in ways some people don't. We're all a little bit of everything, probably."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not sure," she smiled. "But Inez says we're all a little gay. Or a little straight. Or a little this, or a little that."

"Even you two?" He asked. "I mean, you're both the straightest people alive."

Claudia and Remus shared a look, both laughing slightly, "You should hear her talk about Stevie Nicks. She'd probably leave me for her," said Remus.

"And the way he talks about David Bowie has me thinking that he's already packing his bags," Claudia smiled.

Peter let out a small giggle, "Thank you. Both of you."

"Of course, Wormtail," said Remus, smiling proudly at the girl who had, despite having previously expressed just how awkward she felt comforting people, just made Peter feel a whole lot better.

"Just do whatever the hell you want," said Claudia. "And talk to Inez, if you want."

"I think I will," Peter said with a small smile. "But you won't tell James or Sirius, will you?"

"We won't," Remus assured. "But why shouldn't we?"

"Well, I'm not sure how they'd feel about it."

"Remember Inez's words. Everyone's a little gay," said Claudia.

"They're gay?"

"Well," Claudia shrugged. "That's not what I meant. I just meant that they don't care. And I promise you, Sirius has snogged boys as well and he would most definitely not judge you."

"What about James?"

Claudia and Remus laughed, "James is way too much of a softie to ever judge anyone. Especially you."

"I am indeed a softie," said a grinning James, who entered the room immediately at the mention of his name. "What's going on here? Are you two in parent mode or something?"

"What?"

"You look like two parents giving your child a pep talk," James grinned, and then that grin faltered. "That's what's happening, isn't it?! Is everything alright?!"

"Calm down, mummy dearest," said Claudia. "Wasn't gonna take your place. Go on and take over."

"No, I want Claudia to be the new mother of the group," said Peter, grinning because he knew the pain that would cause James.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"She should! She would be a great mum. Actually, she and Remus would be great parents."

Remus looked cautiously at Claudia, expecting her smile to fall or something just like his had, but as he saw her still smiling, he couldn't help but to do so himself again.

"Well, I wouldn't argue on that," said James. "I'd bet they'd be cool parents. They would have a bunch of plants around their house and all their children would wear floral clothes and be cool as fuck."

"You think about that a lot, do you?" Claudia smiled.

"Of course I do," James replied. "I love thinking about the future. You two are going to be cool parents, but nothing will beat just how cool Lily and I will be."

"If she heard you talking like this she'd murder you," said Peter.

"But she'd secretly love it," he grinned. "Alright, Claudia, how about you become the honorary mother of the group?

"It's fine, Jamie," she chuckled. "And besides, I thought I wasn't apart of the group? Wasn't I just an honorary Marauder before?"

"I don't think you are anymore," he smiled. "Though, you do need your inauguration. You need to pull a real prank. So, how about it?"

"You want me to pull a prank?" Claudia questioned, smiling like an idiot because she was supposedly apart of the Marauders in some sort of strange way.

"Yes," he nodded. "So, you free tomorrow?"

"I've got prefect stuff."

"Saturday?"

"Homework and quidditch."

"Sunday?"

"Homework and Remus."

"Remus is an activity now, aye?"

"Yes. When will I pull the prank?"

"How about now?"

"No, we've got to go to Ingannamorte's class in like five minutes," said Remus.

"Damn it," James sighed. "Well, I guess we have to wait then."

"Guess so," Claudia said, ruffling Peter's hair before getting up so that she and Remus could leave.

"Actually, that reminds me," said Peter. "Do you really know Expecto Patronum non-verbally, Claudia?"

"Oh, I've been wondering this too!" James exclaimed. "For months!"

"No," Claudia said. "I lied."

"You lied to a teacher?!"

"Damn, Prongs, you're starting to sound like Lily," Remus grinned. "Maybe you really are soulmates!"

"Of course we are," James replied as if it was obvious. "But did you really lie, Claudia?!"

"Well, yes," she chuckled. "I lied to you just now."

"So you do know it non-verbally?"

"I do."

"That's insane," Peter said out of pure awe.

"How did you do it?"

"Well, I've had loads of time on my hands, haven't I? Living in that boring manor of horrors."

"But you aren't allowed to do magic outside of school?"

"No, I know. But I did loads of thinking and practicing without using magic. I thought about my happy memories. Mostly ones with my mum. And recently with you idiots."

"Awe, she likes us," James smiled. "But it's still fucking crazy that you can do it."

"It is," Claudia nodded. "But I just tried one day after a million attempts and I could do it. And then I could eventually do it non-verbally."

"Why did you learn it, though? I mean, it's not very likely that you'll ever have to face a dementor."

"Well, if I do then I'll be prepared. And I read as a kid that they can make you relive your worst memories over and over again. That just scares me, I guess."

The boys all went quiet.

"Merlin, I keep ruining the mood, don't I? Let's go, Remus."

And so, they left to Ingannamorte's first class.

__________________________________

a/n: heyyy, so there was a lot of talk about sexuality in this one but i honestly felt that some people might need it so!

love is, as cheesy as it may sound, love. plain and simple. and if you ever give a fuck about who somebody else loves or what someone else prefers, u honestly suck!

i know you all have a million headcannons about the sexualities of the marauders so i'm leaving you to decide for yourself! or don't, like i do!

because, let's face it, labels aren't all that! do whatever the hell you want, and love whoever the hell you want!

love,

maia <3