Good Man Moony

"Hey Padfoot!" James called across the Gryffindor common room. "How come you missed dinner, mate?"

James and Remus hurried across to where Sirius was sat alone at the edge of the common room, looking dejected. Curled up in his armchair, he looked morosely at the two of them as they approached. The room was almost deserted as everyone was still in the great hall finishing their dinner.

"Why weren't you at dinner?" James asked again, as they pulled up chairs and sat either side of him.

Sirius ignored the question and asked mournfully, "Do either of you know what day it is?"

James looked puzzled. "It's Wednesday, isn't it?"

"Today," Sirius continued, "is me and Jess' six-month anniversary."

James mouth opened wide in shock. "Six months! That must be a record. Moony, has anyone of us ever been out with the same girl for six whole months?"

"I thought it must be coming up to about six months," said Remus. "But that doesn't explain why you look like last week's potions disaster, Padfoot."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" James answered quickly. "Human nature. You can't go out with the same girl for six months- it's unnatural! What you need, mate, is a night out with the Marauders and a change of scene. I heard Bethan Davies fancies you."

But Sirius shook his head. "I forgot," he said mournfully. "I bloody well forgot, and now she's crying in her dormitory and won't talk to me. I think she might finish with me. What am I going to do?"

James offered no advice, he simply stared in amazement at his best friend, his mouth hanging open yet again. Remus, on the other hand, was more practical. "Send a note up with one of the girls," he suggested.

"Already done it. That's how I know she's crying, but she didn't come down or write back or anything."

Remus sighed and pulled parchment, quill, and ink from his bag. "Dear Jess," he wrote in his loopy scrawl. "Sirius is a prat, we all know it. But he is very sorry for forgetting and he looks dreadful, so please come down and talk to him. Remus."

"Um, excuse me. It's Rachel, isn't it?"

The blue-eyed first year that had been passing nodded, her eyes wide that Remus had known her name.

"You couldn't do me a favour and take this note up to Jess in the fifth year girl's dorm, could you?"

Rachel nodded again, grabbed the note and hurried off. Remus gave Sirius an encouraging pat on the shoulder, screwed the lid back on his bottle of ink and accepted James' challenge of exploding snap.

"Fancy a game, Padfoot?" James asked hopefully.

"Me and Jess used to play cards all the time," Sirius said. His head was hidden in his hands and his voice was muffled.

"Fair enough," James said brightly when it became clear that they would get nothing more out of him. He dug in his pocket for the cards, and after two false alarms, (in the shape of a half-empty box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and a broken penknife) he finally withdrew a battered and well-used pack of cards.

They were halfway through their second game when Remus noticed that Rachel was standing nervously by his shoulder, a folded piece of parchment in her hand. Thanking her, he took it from her and unfolded it. Sirius brought his head off his arms hopefully. James took the opportunity to check what cards he had coming up next.

Remus frowned as he read the note. He glanced at James, who was now casually looking at what cards Remus had. Remus threw the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans at his head. Then he dug in his pocket for a square of only slightly fluffy chocolate, and read the note again. Sirius could bear it no longer. He impatiently waved Rachel away and she scurried off, looking only too happy to disappear.

"Blast it Moony! What does she say?" he said, leaning forward.

Remus looked up, "You never said anything," he said evenly, "about Jess walking in on you when you were kissing Becky Millwood in the Charms classroom."

"Oh." Sirius' face fell. "Is she, err, is she still upset about that?"

"Still?" Remus groaned. "For Merlin's sake, it was yesterday, Padfoot!"

James tried hard to hide his smirk and failed, miserably.

"What's so bloody funny Potter?" snarled Sirius.

"Nothing mate, nothing," James said hurriedly. "In fact I think I'll go and find Pete. Yeah, I'm starving, they just don't feed us in this place. I'm off to find some food. And Wormtail. Moony's much better at this sort of thing than I am anyway. Yeah." And with that he leapt off his chair and half ran to the portrait hole, fully aware of the look that Remus must be shooting after him.

Remus was indeed glaring after James. Despite the fact that James was Sirius' best friend, it always seemed to be Remus that had to deal with Sirius' messy break ups. Although, he had been basking in a long deserved holiday from this. Jess had been either smart enough or stupid enough to ignore Sirius' difficulty with being faithful for six whole months.

"Pass me the note then." Sirius interrupted his thoughts in a dull, leaden voice.

Looking as though it was against his better judgement, Remus passed it over.

Remus,

Sirius is much worse than a prat. A prat I could live with. But even a prat doesn't let me walk in on him KISSING REBECCA MILLWOOD in a Charms classroom, the DAY BEFORE OUR ANNIVERSARY! I don't care if he's sorry, I'm glad he looks dreadful and I don't give a damn if I ever see him again.

Jess

P.S. Don't bother trying, Remus, I don't think even you can solve this one.

"She hates me," Sirius moaned, running his hands through his hair for the hundredth time.

"I wouldn't argue with that," Remus said calmly, taking the tear stained note from his friend.

"How am I going to live without her?"

"You'll manage," was the brisk reply, as Remus felt under the table for the Every Flavour Beans. He emptied the packet onto the table, and rooted around for an acceptable flavour. He risked a pale green one and happily discovered it to be apple-crumble.

Sirius curled up in his armchair again and eyed Remus reproachfully. "Moony, I don't think you realise the intense pain I'm in," he complained. Shifting uncomfortably he reached over to the table and scooped up a handful of the coloured beans. "You're supposed to help me through it, Moony! It's your job."

"Now you're whining," Remus scolded gently, but it had no effect. "Come on Sirius, snap out of it. What did you expect? Not only did you cheat on her, but you didn't do anything for your anniversary. Last time I checked, they were the two most unspeakable things you could do to a girl."

"Oh yeah? And how would you know anything about things you did to girls?" Sirius scowled.

"Because of you."

Silence fell as Sirius re-ran the conversation through his mind. Remus ate three more sweets and didn't even notice the spinach one.

"Sorry."

"It's alright," Remus sighed.

"I am."

"I know."

Silence again.

Remus reached into his bag, pulled out a battered book and began to read. Sirius let his head fall back into his arms. The common room was starting to fill up. Chattering students shattered the previous peace; they edged closer and closer as seats began to fill. Sirius knew Remus could read at a 'Salamanders' concert, but he was more easily distracted. He scanned the room over the back of his chair, nothing. No wait; there was Lily and Pamela. But no Jess, she obviously hadn't come down yet. Lily and Pamela were talking in low voices, not far from them.

He tried desperately to hear what they were saying, but the group of second years between them made it impossible. Lily looked angry though, Pamela frustrated and worried. Were they talking about him? Suddenly he realised that Lily was staring straight at him, looking furious. She could match a Chimaera when she was angry and he ducked back behind the chair. When he risked another look he was just in time to see her disappearing up the girl's staircase, Pamela in her wake.

"Lily and Pam have just gone up the girl's staircase," he reported to Remus.

"Good."

"She looked like she was about to explode."

"That's nice."

"Do you reckon they're talking about me?"

"Good."

"Moony! Are you even listening to me?"

"That's nice."

Sirius hit him with a cushion; there were times when Remus' unflappability and serene calm annoyed him- just a little bit.

"I'm listening, I am!" Remus complained, although he didn't take his eyes from the page.

"If only I had got to talk to her before Lily did. She'll turn her against me; she hates us all! Well, no, she hates me. And James too, and she's never really got on with Wormtail ever since that incident with her towel. But she likes you! Maybe you could talk to her."

"You need Jess to forgive you, not Lily," Remus reasoned, then instantly regretted it as he sensed the light in Sirius' eyes.

"Yeah that's true. Alright, Operation: Make Jess Forgive Me. I could... err, pick her some flowers, that worked last time, or maybe some thing from Honeydukes- those little hearts, you know..." he stuttered to a halt under Remus' glare.

"I really don't think that's a good idea, Sirius."

"Something bigger then? New dress robes? A necklace?"

"Padfoot! Are you even on this planet? There is nothing you can buy to make Jess forgive you. I doubt there is even anything you can do either. Let's face it." Sirius opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it as Remus continued. "This is the third time she's caught you cheating, and I know she never found out about you and Angela. I really think you've had it, mate."

Sirius scowled but said nothing, choosing instead to stare up at the ceiling this time, ignoring Remus. Unconcerned, Remus picked up his book again but, after glancing over at Sirius sighed and put it back in his bag. He found another piece of parchment instead and dipped his quill into his ink.

After about five minutes Sirius was bored of sulking. "What you writing, Moony?"

Remus looked around him, checking no one was listening that shouldn't be. "You know how we were having a bit of trouble keeping track of the moving staircases on the map?"

Sirius nodded and shifted over so he could see what was on the parchment.

"Well, because you weren't at dinner I didn't have to worry about anyone stealing my pudding, so I had a chance to think. And I, well, I think I've got an idea about how to get round it."

"Brilliant! Moony, you are a genius!"

"I don't know whether it'll work yet."

"Of course it'll work; your ideas always work."

Remus decided not to argue this point, although he could still remember the great custard spill from last month. Sirius, he knew, had a very selective memory when he wanted. Still, if it would keep his mind off poor Jess, it would do. He began explaining his idea to an eager Sirius, who happily seemed to be forgetting how depressed he was.

And so, when James and Peter returned from a successful excursion to Honeydukes, they found Sirius happily telling Remus what wonderful pranks they would pull once they got the map up and going. Remus was methodically putting the final touches to his idea, nodding along to Sirius' babble.

James dumped his load of goodies on the table with a cheerful greeting and, after rooting around in the heap, pulled out a super size bar of Remus' favourite flavour of Honeyduke's Chocolate, Caramel Crunch. He presented it to Remus with a grin and patted him heartily on the shoulder.

"Good man Moony. We owe you one!"

"Another one," corrected Remus through a mouthful of chocolate.