Double Date Dangers

Double Date Dangers

'This is all Lily's fault,' Remus thought angrily as he rounded the corner leading to the Great Hall. He'd spent the past night tossing and turning as his mind furiously tried to work through what the redhead had revealed to him in the Gryffindor common room that evening.

''' She's really a great girl, Lupin. I don't see what the problem is.'"Lily's eyes flared in the firelight and he faultered under the pressure.

"'But Evans, I-'"

"'No buts about it! I've already told Victoria you'd meet her at Madam Puddifoot's tomorrow at two.'"

Remus groaned loudly as he watched Lily gather up her books and parchments. They'd been peacefully working on Transfiguration together before she'd dropped the bomb. He'd thought, rather ironically, then that the only thing he needed to worry about was rather or not Sirius and James were really going to rig Peter's diary to sing out its entires.

"'I'll be there with Potter anyway, so I'll know if you don't go.'"

She frowned slightly before patting him on the shoulder and making her way up the dormitory stairs.

"'So you finally gave in...'" Remus chuckled weakly.

Lily stiffened at the bottom of the stair. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she glanced back at the boy in his seat in front of the fire.

"'Count yourself lucky I didn't ask Paisley Parkinson!'"

"'Evans!'"

Cursing the day Hogsmeade trips were created, he slumped down on the bench next to Sirius, who raised his eyebrows.

"Since when do you act like James on a Quidditch day?" he remarked, chomping down on his ketchup, cheese and egg sandwich. James grimanced and threw a piece of bacon across the table at him. Sirius grinned back toothly, looking very much the pup with pieces of egg in his teeth and ketchup dripping down his chin.

"Since his girlfriend decided to interfere in my nonexistent love life!" Remus growled. James shook his head.

"I don't tell her what to do. If I could, I would have told her to go out with me ages ago," the bespectacled boy replied, avoiding the revengeful piece of toast flying by his ear.

"So, what did she do exactly Moony?" Sirius asked.

"SetmeupwithadatewithVictoriaBoot," Remus sped on before taking a large gulp of pumpkin juice.

"WHAT!" James and Sirius screamed. The Gryffindor table teetered a little and the trio ducked down to draw attention away from them.

"It's at Madam Puddifoot's at two," Remus moaned into his hands.

"You've got a date with THE Victoria Boot?" Sirius exclaimed under his breathe.

They looked over at the Ravenclaw table where she sat with her group of friends, chattering away.

With curling black hair that shone with ebony highlights, piercing blue-grey eyes and a figure that never stopped, Victoria Boot was the object of every boy's fantasy. Every straight boy's fantasy.

In Remus' opinion, she wore way too much makeup, even for a Ravenclaw. He might like dark hair and light eyes, but that didn't mean it extended to girls.

Boot looked up and caught the boys' eye. Smiling seductively, she waved and mouthed the words See you later across the room. Sirius snorted.

"She's already got you plucked from the herd, Moony. There's no chance in Merlin's balls Boot'll let you get away now," he remarked, attacking his food with a new vengeance.

James narrowed his eyes at his closest friend. Draping his elbow on the table, he carefully knocked Remus' bookbag in the floor. It spilled open, parchment flying and his inkbottle scraping across the stone.

"Prongs!" Remus moaned, diving under the table.

The other Gryffindors rolled their eyes. Forget the telly, watching the dynamic four every meal was the best drama you'd ever find at Hogwarts. How they always pretended to not know that Remus was gay, Sirius had a crush on the boy and didn't know about Remus' interests, James was hopelessly in love with the Evans girl, and how that short, ratty kid never seemed to be around them when all this was going on, was the mystery of the week.

"Could you be more obvious, Sirius?" James hissed above Remus' bent form. He clocked him one upside the head before Remus sat back up.

"Are you okay?" the werewolf asked as he noticed Sirius clutching his head.

"Never better," he moaned, glaring at the brunette across from him. James whistled softly and kept his attention on his plate.

"Look, I'm just going to forget about breakfast and go to the library. At least I can get a few hours of peace..unlesss..You guys don't want to go, do you?" Remus inquired, looking painfully hopeful that they didn't.

"Sirius and I have something we need to work on here," James replied, staring pointedly at the other, who turned his head away.

Remus sighed in relief. He grabbed up his bag and with a quick nod to his friends, hurried out of the hall.

"You have GOT to tell him, Padfoot! Leaving him in the dark about this is just going to keep hurting him!" James demanded.

Sirius sniffed and ducked his head under his bagstrap, draping it across his chest.

"Look, Jamie, there's no point in telling him whatever you want me to say. Now I've got something to do." he said, shaking his bangs from his eyes.

James grabbed him by his collar before he could saulter away.

"I know what you're planning and its not going to work!"

The two grappled with each other. James managed to knock him flat before Sirius could yank his hair out.

"Oi! Stop that!"

They looked up to find Paisley Parkinson, a seventh year Slytherin prefect, her hands firmly on both hips. Sirius shook his friend off and got gracefully to his feet.

"Thanks, Parkinson! I owe you one." he winked at the girl, who arched her right eyebrow.

"If you're trying to flirt, Black, it'll take a lot more then that."

"Alright then. How's about Madam Puddifoot's today at oh, say, two?" Sirius laid on the charm.

James glared at his puppy companion with open hostility.

Parkinson rolled her eyes and nodded. She made her way out of the hall, her hips swaying.

"I can't believe you, Sirius!" James hissed.

The boy in question shrugged.

"I can have a date, can't I? It's a free country," he remarked off-handedly.

James loomed over Sirius, brandishing his fist threateningly.

"Not when said date is so you can spy on a certain friend of ours. It's not right, Sirius, and I have half a mind to cancel my date with Evans today just so I can keep you away."

Sirius scoffed.

"But you won't," he muttered. "and there's nothing you can do at about it, so shove off, Prongs."

He shuffled away, his hands jammed down into his pockets.

"DARN YOU PADFOOT!" James howled after him.

The Gryffindors giggled.

Remus glared at his reflection in the window of Honeydukes. Tucking in his shirt and smoothing down his hair, he mentally gave up on ever looking half as good as some of his dorm mates. Glancing around nervously, he checked the time on his watch.

One-fifty-three. Great.

He could already see Prongs and Evans inside. They both seemed extremely bored. James had the same roaming eye he had in History of Magic, taking everything in without ever noticing the important things, namely Evans, who looked like she'd bolt in the next few moments.

"Lupin! Remus Lupin!" Remus turned his head to see Victoria emerging from the crowd. He smiled weakly and waved her over.

"Hello, Boot."

Victoria wrapped her arms around his right bicep and batted her eyelashes.Groaning under his breath, he opened the door and ushered her inside. They found a nice, quiet table at the back. After pulling out Victoria's chair, his mother was a stickler for proper manners and ettiquette, Remus settled himself in the seat directly across from her and right beside a rather large, twinkling tree.

"I'm so glad we came here. This place is so cute!" Victoria exclaimed, gazing at the boy coyly. He hid his chuckle behind a cough.

"Yes, its nice, Boot." he answered, trying to lose himself in the menu's choices. Remus gulped at the prices; his pocket money might not cover both of their teas, coffees or whatever they had.

"I don't suppose," he asked, clearing his throat nervously. "you brought any money with you?"

Victoria's grin fell for a moment before she grinned evilly. Remus felt a strong sense of forboding.

"As a matter of fact, I did, Remus," she purred, taking his hand in hers. Remus's left eye began to twitch.

Across the room, James kept his eye on the couple and the suspicously nosy bush.

"Why do you keep glaring over there, Potter?" Lily hissed behind her menu.

"No reason."

"Well, if you're done glaring a hole into Victoria Boot's chest, can we get on with this...whatever it is?" Lily demanded.

"Yes, we can get on with our date just as soon as I use the loo," James replied matter-of-factly. He got up and, skirting his way around Remus's table, came to stop at an not so empty table hidden behind the bush.

"Enjoying yourself, Sirius?"

The boy in question started.

"I'm..just..waiting for Parkinson!"

"Black, I swear by Merlin's spectacles-" James began ranting before Sirius promptly cut him off.

"There she is now."

Paisley, at this point, entered the shop and stood with her arms crossed at the entryway. Sirius shook his bestmate away and took off before James could catch him.

Resigned, James made his way back to Lily to watch the rest of the show from his seat.

Remus and his date, meanwhile, had ordered and now sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"So, Boot, what Quidditch team do you like?" he said, trying to make conversation.

Victoria tossed her long hair over her shoulder.

"Call me Victoria." she said. She gently began to stoke Remus's ankle with the toe of her shoe.

Remus gulped.

At that moment, Sirius, with Paisley in tow, swooped down on the couple. He clamped a friendly hand down on Remus's shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Hey, mate! Fancy meeting you here!" he chirped.

Remus snorted.

"What do you want?" he asked, privately hoping that Sirius had some excuse to get him out of this catastrophe.

Sirius winked and ruffled Remus's hair. Remus swatted at him and scooted away.

"I thought we might join you." he motioned towards himself and Paisley, who smiled seductively at Victoria. Victoria blinked.

James slammed his cup down in exasperation. Lily's eyes narrowed as she tried to mop at the puddling tea.

"If you're not going to even bother faking paying attention, then I'm leaving." She threw her napkin down and began gathering her things.

James grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving.

"Stop, Evans," he pleaded. "I'm sorry I haven't been more...attentive then I should. I've been waiting for this date for ages and now I'm ruining it, all because of stupid Sirius!"

Lily paused.

"What's Black got to do with this?"

James sighed heavily.

"It all started this morning..."

Sirius was bored. Twenty minutes of trying to avoid Remus's questioning looks and Paisley's blatant flirting with anyone at the table, literally had him clawing for a chance to leave with Remus.

Frankly, he was fed up with looking for a 'good excuse'. He wanted to take Remus and run, get away from these women. Sirius wanted to keep him somewhere safe, void of roaming eyes and hands. He wanted...He wanted Remus to himself.

Glancing over at him, he caught the other one's eye. In that second something flew between them, something Sirius couldn't control or hide. Remus's mouth gaped open; he stared at the boy wordlessly.

"You're...gay?" he finally got out. Paisley halted her flirting; she watched calmly as Sirius spat out his tea.

"And that's why Sirius got this supposed date with Parkinson. So he-"

"Could spy on Lupin without looking too suspicous? I know," Lily finished.

James's mouth gaped open.

"Really, Potter, you look like a fish. Close your mouth," Lily said. " I knew all along what was going on over there. I just didn't think you'd be that..distracted. Parkinson and Boot are helping me out with a little..experiment."

"How in Merlin's-"

"Did I know? What do you think half the school gossips about? Your good looks?"

James coughed.

"I always thought it was our reputation for-"

"Breaking the rules. Please, that's a piece of cake. Now getting two people to realize they're in love, that's a challenge." Lily replied.

"Can you let me finish one sentence?" James demanded.

Lily nodded.

"I have one question. Is that the only reason you went out with me? After all that time I kept asking you?"

Lily leaned over the table and smiled the first real smile James seen from her. His heart skipped.

"Why don't we see..," she gestured towards the others. " how that goes over there first?"

"That's impossible. How could you have kept something that important a secret, Sirius? After everything we've done, you couldn't tell ME?" Remus shouted, losing his composure. Sirius yanked his seat back and stood.

"You would never have believed me anyway. Sirius Black, reported skirt chaser, likes blokes? That'd be like Peter actually showing up once in a while..."

"You didn't think I'd understand..," Remus began to shake.

Sirius slowly backed away a few feet.

"Hahahahahah..snort, hahahahahaha."

"Don't tell me you're laughing?"

Remus nodded as tears streamed down his face.

"Well, I think we've seen enough. How's about you, Boot?" Paisley remarked dryily.

"Definately." Victoria grabbed her bag and followed Parkinson out the door.

"Siri..ius....I'm not laughing at you." Remus gasped.

"How could you bloody tell? What, am I giving off poof pheromones or something?" said Sirius.

"No...Trust me, I'd know if poofs gave off any type of phermone. It'd make my life much easier."

Sirius's face paled.

"What do you mean by that, Moony?" he asked, ducking his head.

Remus sighed and came closer. When they were inches apart, he took his finger and gently lifted Sirius's chin until they were face to face.

"I'm gay, Sirius. Now why don't you tell me why you put me through all these little charades." Remus purred. Sirius felt oddly intimidated

"See, I told you James. My plan was perfect." Lily threw down her galleons for her tea and stood.

"I can't believe you-"

"Got them together? I'll take that as a compliment. Now about that answer..." Lily came around to where James sat, confounded. She pecked him quickly on the lips.

"You were just too darn cute to keep refusing." Lily said solemnly. She left him there in a stupor.

Remus and Sirius, having finally remembered that James was there, plunked down beside him. The massive grins on their faces and the goofy glances between them told Prongs everything.

"About time I'd say." James remarked.

"You know Padfoot, always the last minute," Remus said.

"How'd it go with Evans?" Sirius eyed the galleons on the table."I take it she's already left and not in the loo or something. Poor Messr Prongs fails again."

"I most certainly did not."

Remus laughed again; he'd seen the quick peck over Sirius's shoulder.

Sirius threw his arm over Remus's shoulders and pulled him flush against him.

"I could get use to you doing that." Sirius stated.

"Doing what?" Remus gazed at him, puzzeled.

"Laughing," he whispered in Remus's ear. Remus shivered. "think of all the things I could do to get you to do that."

Remus gulped.

Evans deserved a metal. Or maybe a chocolate frog.