"Ro?" Remus asked, noticing his brother. "You okay?"

"Hm?" Asked Roman, opening his eyes. "Oh, yeah, fine."

Remus sat down next to Roman on the grass, crossing his ankles and putting his hands on his knees. "You know there are benches here, right?"

Roman shrugged and pulled some grass out of the ground, tearing it up in his hands. "Wanted to know what grass felt like again." He said.

"You worried about the ball?" Remus asked. Roman shook his head.

"No." He lied. He'd gotten very good at lying. Still, Remus could see through it.

"Well, I am." Remus said, pretending he believed Roman's lie. If not for his own sake, it was for his brother's. "I'm worried there's gonna be no one there that I like or that I'm going to embarrass myself somehow. I always find a way to embarrass myself at special occasions."

"Just stay away from alcoholic drinks," Roman advised, "and you should be fine."

Remus laughed a little. "I'm also worried I'll mess up dancing. I never was good at dancing."

"That makes you and me both." Roman said. Remus shrugged.

"Yeah but you have a reason." He said. "I've just got two left feet."

"That's still a reason." Roman said. He sighed. "Yeah, um, I lied. I'm worried too."

"Wanna talk about it?" Remus asked. Roman shrugged.

"Guess." He sighed again. "I'm worried no one's gonna like me at all."

"Why not? You're a catch." Remus said, nudging him with his elbow. Roman laughed. "Seriously. If you tell anyone I said this I'll murder you but you're the better looking twin by far-"

"I knew it!" Roman crowed. They both laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, don't make a big deal out of it." Remus said. "But yeah. And you have way less shit to put up with. You're respectful and imaginative and a pretty nice guy." He nudged his brother again. "You'll get by."

"Yeah, sure." Roman said sarcastically. "With the lack of sight I have?"

"Well, if all else fails, there's always the woodland spirit you fell in love with." Remus laughed as Roman covered his face and groaned.

"Could you not call them that?" Roman asked. "Just because I met them in the woods-"

"You've written off every other possibility I've offered." Remus interrupted. "Now let me have my fun. They're a catch too. You shall meet at the ball and get married and have many, many nieces and nephews for me to turn into little trouble-makers for you to."

"Re!" Roman yelled, shoving his brother. Remus laughed. "Don't talk about that stuff!" Remus laughed even more and fell back onto the grass.

"You're such a baby, Ro!" He teased. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it at least once."

"I haven't!" Roman protested, his face flaming red. "And even if I had, I wouldn't tell you cause then you'd just tease me more."

Remus' peals of laughter eventually died down to weak giggles and he sat up, wiping his eyes. "But in all seriousness," he said, "they're gonna come to the ball, Ro. Woodland spirit or no, you're smitten and I'd guess they were the same."

Roman wrapped his arms around his knees and didn't say anything.

"Aw, come on Ro. Don't be a sulk." Remus said. He poked Roman in the arm. "Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." He said, punctuating every 'stop it' with a poke.

Eventually, Roman gave in and started laughing. "Okay, okay, I'm done sulking. Quit it!"

"Never!" Remus giggled, poking Roman even more.

"I said quit it, stop!" Roman said, trying to find Remus' shoulder to poke him back. "Stop it!" He laughed. Remus laughed.

"Fine, fine, I'll leave off." He said, giving Roman one last poke for good measure.

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Blaize