Chapter 28

"Gillyweed, Jam- don't look at me like that James Potter because we both know you know it!" Bea exclaimed as she sat at the end of his bed, staring at him as his head fell into his hands, "come on James!"

"I don't know, Bea!" he exclaimed, "I don't know this and I don't know that other one and this is so pointless because I'm stupid!"

"Don't you dare say that James!" Bea huffed, "why are you lying?! Sprout told me you passed the latest test with the highest marks of everyone!"

"Well- I..." he shook his head, "you don't get what I mean, Bea, I had to study for a full week just to memorise it, I couldn't remember a thing after it!"

She crawled up the bed, plopping herself beside her whilst his eyes trained on the book in his hands and soon did she move closer to him to press her lips to the exposed skin of his neck, peppering small kisses over the sensitive skin until she brushed her lips softly over his jaw, feeling him tense under her touch, his heart racing and his cheeks heating.

She nibbled at his ear lobe whilst he gripped her hand that rested on his knee, a smirk to her lips as she spoke, "does this mean we need more sessions?"

James gnawed at his bottom lips, dropping the book in his hand and pulling her into her arms whilst she giggled. His lips found hers soon after and his free hand travelled to the back of her head whilst her arms looped around his neck, "definitely."

The couple were so caught up with each other that they almost didn't hear the groan from the other bed close to them, and finally did Sirius' head pop up to show visible his look of disgust, "y'know this might be why he thinks he's failing!"

Bea rolled her eyes from where she sat on James' lap, reluctantly pulling her lips from James' to turn to Sirius looking at the two of them, "oh I forgot you were here."

She suddenly ducked when a rather thick book hurled towards her head, followed by a loud, "this is my room!" which she matched with a glare.

"That was so uncalled for, Black, I could've died!" she exclaimed, flipping him off and soon did he sit up, mimicking her actions.

"You know you're not really Hufflepuff like, Bea, maybe you should go back to your own dorm and get some lessons on how to be one!" he exclaimed.

"Or maybe I could sting you again and then you could piss off!" she retorted, both of them knowing they were just joking but James was amused nonetheless.

"I'm not too keen on a threesome tonight, Bea," he teased, his cheeky smile widening when she groaned. She had to stop and think about his words for a moment before the realisation settled in.

"It wasn't even a kiss, let it go!" she exclaimed, finally allowing the smirk of her own to fall onto her lips, "and besides, I think we both know I'm not the Lupin you want, babes!"

"Wha- you told her?!" Sirius screeched, standing suddenly whilst Bea moved off of James to round the bed, and looped her arms around Sirius' waist.

"Oh, come on it's not like I'm going to tell him," she laughed, seeing the look in the boy's eye, "it's not that big of a deal, Sirius, just ask him out?"

"Not that simple, Bea," Sirius groaned, head falling into his hands whilst Bea guided him to sit on James' bed, "there's obviously the first obvious fact of he doesn't like me. Number two, well he doesn't like me and there is the blatant number three of he doesn't like me!"

"Never thought I'd see the day where Sirius Black was having relationship troubles," Bea gasped, rubbing his shoulder whilst his eyes narrowed. She wasn't going to let it slip that Remus very much liked him, he would tell him in time but that wasn't going to stop her from speeding things along, "just wear the leather jacket I got you for Christmas, he'll fall at your feet!"

"Are you seriously giving me advice on how to get your brother?" Sirius groaned, his head falling onto Bea whilst she patted his hair, "there's no point, y'know. I've liked him for a while and he doesn't like me so I'll just get with another Ravenclaw or whatever I don't know."

"You are so dramatic," Bea whispered, shaking her head with a laugh, "you know Sirius I love you so much, you're basically my brother and soon to be brother in law so as your non-related sister I need you to get your shit together and just ask him out, what is the worst that could happen?!"

"He could...hear me?" Sirius scoffed, "Bea I know you're just trying to help me but how could I ask him out when he's just broken up with Violet, and there's the added factor of not bloody knowing if he likes boy's bloody hell!"

"I know a lot of things, Sirius," Bea trailed off, turning to James for help, wondering if it was acceptable to just grab Sirius by the shoulders and shake the sense into him, "things you might not believe, actually."

"Like what, that he likes boys and me?" Sirius joked, lifting his head and running a frustrated hand through his hair. Bea didn't think there was any need to speak, she wouldn't be denying it or admit to it, she was just silent.

James was about to speak when Bea nudged him, reaching for his hand when the silence got almost unbearable and the gears in Sirius' head turned furiously, "Bea...please say something."

"Like what?" she whispered, "like you're wrong because I can't do that."

All she wanted was for her two boys to be happy, Remus and Sirius deserved that much and she knew they'd make each other happy, the feelings they both had for each other were eating them alive and neither of them decided to take matters into their own hands.

So instead, Bea did.

"I think I need some air," Sirius mumbled quietly, suddenly standing and rushing out of the dorm.

It was silent for a few moments when Bea turned back to James with a sheepish smile only to see an amused smirk on his lips, "Phoebe Meddling Lupin, has a nice ring to it."

"Oh, shut up!" she exclaimed, "they'll be kissing by the end of the night!"

-

Sirius didn't leave the Gryffindor tower after exiting the dormitory, he was far too...distracted when he got the bottom of the stairs. He was watching someone, that someone being a boy he called his best friend for the longest time and taking his eyes off of him was quite impossible.

He was sitting on the arm chair with a book on his lap, completely invested in what he was reading with his teeth gnawing at his thumb and his eyebrow furrowed. His sandy brown hair fell over one of his eyes in an unusually messier way than it always seemed to be and the jumper he had on drowned him more than usual.

He looked tired.

Very tired, actually, and Sirius realised how close it was to the next full moon, the unsettling feeling rising at the thought. He hated seeing Remus go through so much pain, and neither of the boys - or Bea - had noticed that Sirius was always right beside the wolf whenever they went out, no matter if Prongs or Wormtail moved away, or strayed back or moved on, Padfoot would always be right next to his moony.

He didn't think it would be possible to walk by Remus after what Bea had basically confirmed for him, the thoughts he had doubted for so long seemed to vanish and in its place was a new light for hope and Sirius wasn't sure how to handle it, and yet all he knew was that he wanted the boy sitting on the arm chair.

Every day passing, every new cut or scar was just an added bonus of who Remus was and no matter how much Remus hated the cuts littered on his body, Sirius loved them, and he loved him and he didn't care about him being a werewolf and he didn't care that he had multiple scars because it made him Remus.

And Remus is beautiful.

He wandered over to him very slowly, taking a seat on the couch near him and as though Remus sensed him, he lifted his eyes and closed the book, a lazy but prominent smile sent in the boy's direction, followed by a small, "hey."

"Hi," Sirius whispered, clasping his hands together, his long hair falling over his features. The nearing full moon illuminated through the window, shining the grey eyes that Sirius had whilst Remus tried not to stare too much, "how are you?"

"Alright. The full moon is soon, though," Remus tutted, trying his best not to let it get to him but Sirius knew more than to listen to the false voice Remus did in hopes to hide the pain he was in.

"You don't need to pretend like it's already affecting you," Sirius spoke quietly, leaning on his hand and giving his full attention to Remus near him, "I know you're already in pain, Moony, I can see how tired you are."

"Things keeping me up at night, s'all," Remus choked out. He hadn't realised until now just how much he had longed to be alone with Sirius for just a moment, that maybe just a minute alone with him would get him to show how he really felt and yet here he was with the boy he hadn't been alone with in so long and he couldn't find the words he wished to say.

"Like what?" asked Sirius, not exactly giving the boy time to answer before he spoke again, "cause if we're talking about things keeping us up, Moony, then you are number one on my list."

"What?!" Remus' eyes widened, as though he had been dreaming of hearing something like that come from Sirius' lips that he had just imagined it.

"You heard me," Sirius spoke, pushing himself in front of the chair that Remus spoke, crouched down, his head near his and unable to break the eye contact the two had, "promise me one thing?"

Remus could barely find the words to speak, "mhmm."

"Don't kill Bea."

And with that, Sirius had grabbed the front of Remus' jumper to pull him closer to him, connecting their lips as though a firework had exploded and the colours popping out wasn't just imagination anymore, it was something he had longed for, something he wished to have long ago and now with Remus' warm lips on his, it was everything he had ever hoped for.

Everything and more.

The taller boy's hands found Sirius' face, hands rough with scars and long fingers clutching at the wavy black hair whilst Sirius looped one of his arms around Remus' neck, trying for all he could to get closer to the boy. Sirius nibbled at Remus' lip when nothing was going further, but Sirius needed it, he needed so much more of Remus that when a gasp fell from Remus' lip, Sirius took it as an invitation to slip his tongue into his mouth. His chest heaved with a gasp of breath but neither boy could breathe properly when they were so close to each other.

But Sirius realised that he didn't need the oxygen around him when his eyes closed and Remus' lips were on his, he didn't need to know what was going on around him, or the in-depth knowledge as to why Remus and Violet broke up so quickly, or why it took him so bloody long to finally do what he was doing right now.

Why it took him so long to kiss the boy he loved.

He didn't need to know this, he didn't need anything.

Because the only thing he needed was to survive and for that he needed air.

And Remus Lupin was his air.