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Owe You Proper Snogs


Remus ran down the hallway the way Sirius had gone, until he saw Sirius was ahead of him in the corridor. “Hey.” He didn’t slow. “Hey. Sirius.” Still didn’t slow. “Padfoot! Wait a second, stop. Stop.” Remus grabbed both of Sirius’s hands, forcing him to come to a halt, and - though it still felt awkward because it was still so new, he pulled Sirius closer and bent down so that their foreheads touched. He stared into Sirius’s eyes at this angle, “Listen to me. A year from now, are we going to remember this as the day you got expelled or the day we finally smartened up about each other?” he asked, “I’d rather the latter.”

Sirius was shaking with anger, the tears still in his eyes. “He tried to kill James.”

“I know. I’m pissed off too.”

“I hate him!” Sirius’s voice was sharp and he tried to pull away, angry, but Remus pulled him back, staring into his eyes.

“Hey… Hey. Shh.” Remus said quietly and he tugged Sirius’s hands so that they were swaying side to side ever so slightly. “Shh.”

Sirius said, “But Moony…”

“It’s going to be alright.”

Sirius asked, “How do you know?”

“Because Professor Minnie’s on the case,” Remus replied lowly.

“Yeah…”

“And Kingsley, too. And Pomfrey. They’re all very, very smart. Much smarter than you and I. They’re going to make it all alright. You just need to calm down and check that temper.”

“I can’t help it, I get mad and I get fired up.”

“I know, and it’s one of the things I love about you - you’re so bloody passionate. But Sirius, you gotta calm down.” Remus lifted his palm and pressed it to Sirius’s chest. “That temper, it’s not good for your heart and seeing as you’re my new boyfriend and everything, I should like it very much if you took good care of that heart, seeing as it’s partly mine now and all.”

Sirius sighed and Remus felt the tension leaving him. “It’s bloody entirely yours, if you want it.”

“I do.”

“Bit tattered,” Sirius said in a warning voice.

“That’s alright,” whispered Remus, “I’ll be gentle with it.”

“Been broken loads before.”

“Well luckily, I know how to cast a good mending spell.”

Sirius chuckled. “Why do you always know what to say?”

“Because I’m bloody brilliant.”

Sirius closed his eyes. Then, after several long moments of simply enjoying the feeling of Remus being there, so close, of feeling his forehead pressed to Remus’s, Sirius murmured, “Professor Minnie’s gonna curse me if I’m not in her office before she gets there.”

Remus nodded, “I know. But… we didn’t get to finish our ‘good and proper snogging’ before.”

Sirius smiled sadly.

“And I didn’t get a chance to tell you thank you for being brave and - and taking the chance on me,” Remus said thickly. He laced his fingers through Sirius’s.

“You did first,” Sirius said.

“Oh so I’m the brave one, as well as the brilliant one?”

“Looks it.”

“And what are you, then?”

“The good looking one.” Sirius said, grinning widely, then he paused and Remus could see his eyes go playful, “Although you have a corner on that too. Bloody hell. Triple threat, you are.”

Remus laughed and shoved Sirius back, “Prat. Now I know you’re full of dung. Go on and get to Minnie’s office before you end up expelled, Wild Thing.”

Sirius’s nose flared and he smiled. “Thanks, Moony.”

“Yeah, mate,” Remus nodded.

Sirius reached behind him, pulling out the map from where he’d tucked it in his jean’s waistband. “Here,” he said, “Take this back to the dormitory… I’ll… I’ll see you.” He turned and walked off down the hallway. He got most of the way, and he paused, turning ‘round again. “Oi. Moony.”

“Yeah mate?”

“You owe me proper snogs.” Sirius smirked. “I expect to collect when I get back from Professor Minnie’s office.” He quickly turned away again and hurried off down the hall.

Remus watched him go, taking a deep breath. Sirius’s gait was much calmer, his fists no longer balled, and Remus could feel the tension had gone out of him. Remus smiled to himself. He’d done that… he’d made Sirius feel better, just like Sirius had done a hundred thousand times for him. Remus backed down the hall, reluctant to tear his eyes from Sirius until he’d rounded the corner and disappeared. Remus hopped ‘round and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.




Frank Longbottom and Ali were still on the landing when Lily went by, tears streaming down her face and her fists balled. Ali spotted her and her hands dropped from Frank’s, “Lily? Lily what’s the matter?!”

But Lily was in too much of a fit and she ran past without slowing down.

“I’m sorry, Frank,” Ali called and she ran after Lily, leaving Frank stunned and standing in the hall.

Frank stared after the two girls, confused… and then Peter came running up behind, calling for Lily and Frank promptly reached out and reined Peter in, “Oi, hang on,” he said, catching Peter’s arm, “Hang on a second. What’s happened?”

“Severus Snape tried to kill James Potter.”

Frank’s eyebrows went up. “Excuse me, you’re not serious?”

Peter nodded solemnly.

Frank looked really concerned, “Well where’s he now?”

“James or Snape? James is in the hospital wing! There was blood everywhere - it was awful! And Snape’s just left. He’s told the staff he didn’t mean to do it and he’s gotten out of it!”

“What! Why! How!” Frank looked completely infuriated, “Same thing that happened with Malfoy and Bilius Weasley the time he hexed him into the hour glasses in the lobby!”

“YEAH!” Peter exclaimed, remembering how Lucius Malfoy had wormed his way very slimily out of trouble for that, too. “Blimey, them Slytherins -- and they never got in trouble for hexing Remus all these times, neither! But we lot did for all those pranks last term --”

Frank’s jaw set, “That just peeves me right off!”

“Me too!” Peter exclaimed.

Frank shook his head, “I can’t believe Snape’s done that…” He took a deep breath. Then, “Say, Pete, did we ever remove the firecrackers from under the table last term?”




Lily was a sobbing mess. She ran through the common room, up the stairs to the girls dormitory and into her bedroom. Ali followed closely behind and managed to catch the swinging door of Lily’s bedroom as she ran in before it could slam shut. “Lily!” Ali cried, “What on earth is the matter?”

Lily had flung herself onto her bed. “It’s my fault.”

“What’s your fault?”

“James.”

“Potter?” Ali asked, she went over and sat on the edge of the bed, her hand petting Lily’s hair, “What about him?”

“Severus’s tried to murder him.”

Ali blinked in surprise. “What?”

Lily rolled over, her pretty mint green dress crinkling noisily from the tulle underskirt as she moved. Her hair had fallen from it’s bun during all the drama throughout the night. It seemed like the ball had been eons ago instead of just hours, she could scarcely remember being happy and smiling and pointing at the trees… Had it really been just earlier that evening that she’d been friends with Severus Snape? She covered her eyes.

“He didn’t seriously, right? You’re speaking figuratively.”

“No. He really did. There was so much blood on Kingsley Shacklebolt from carrying him, I’d assume, and James was all pale and funny looking and Sirius Black threw a total fit and he’s probably being expelled and he’s only just finally gotten with Remus Lupin and I’ve ruined it! I’ve ruined it all by being a stupid git…”

Ali pulled Lily into a hug and said, “Noo, you’re not a stupid git…”

“I am. I went with Severus because I knew it would upset James.”

“Well, that part was stupid.”

“And now I’ve ruined everything with Sirius and Remus, too.”

“Okay so I did hear you right. They’re -- they’re together?” Ali asked, her voice shocked.

“Yes, as of tonight,” Lily nodded, “But don’t tell anyone yet, Ali, I don’t know if they want anyone to know.”

Ali stared at Lily in shock, “I knew Remus was gay but - I didn’t know about Sirius.”

“Nobody did until very recently. Tonight, really, other than me and James…”

Ali took a deep breath, “What a mess.”

“I know.” Lily wiped her eyes. “Ali… What if he dies?”

“He won’t die.”

“But what if he does?”

Ali didn’t know what to say. She was silent for a very long time and finally she said, “He won’t.”




It was very late before Sirius returned to the dormitory, escorted directly to the portrait hole by McGonagall herself. Despite the hour, Remus was still sitting on the stairs - on the same step that he’d been on when he’d kissed Sirius at his birthday party. He was asleep, leaning against the bannister, the History of Magic text he’d been reading earlier laid on the stair at his feet, where he’d obviously dropped it again.

Sirius smiled and picked up the book and slid himself down onto the step beside Remus. He held the book on his lap and gently slid his arm over Remus’s shoulders, “Hey… Moony,” he whispered lowly.

Remus stirred slowly, “Hey…” he murmured. “You’re not expelled.”

“Not expelled,” Sirius smiled.

“Detentions?”

“Oh loads.” Sirius laughed, “But they’re with Professor Minnie. And mostly because of my big mouth. And I’ve been warned against revenge on Snape… but… we’ll see. It might be worth it.”

Remus mumbled, “Don’t go getting in trouble…” he shifted so he was leaning against Sirius instead of the bannister.

Sirius said, “It’s my middle name, Trouble.”

“Mmnope,” murmured Rey, “That’s Orion.”

“Very good,” Sirius chuckled. “C’mon, let’s get you upstairs to bed, mate.”

“Not sleepy.”

“You are, though.” Sirius stood up and gently tugged Remus to his feet with a smile.

“Owe you proper snogs…”

Sirius laughed, “Oh Moony, we have loads of time for proper snogs. C’mon. Upstairs with you.”

“Ok… but Snuffles is comin’ to bed… yeah?”

“You want Snuffles or Sirius?” he asked, smirking at Remus.

“Sirius...”

Sirius smiled. “Brilliant.”