Unpredictable Life

"Moony!" Sirius yelled and Remus looked up from the book he had been reading. His black-haired friend burst into the dormitory and immediately hauled the werewolf from his bed.

"What's going on?" Remus asked as his book dropped onto his bed and he let himself be pulled unceremoniously out of their dormitory and down to the common room. They saw James tapping his foot impatiently by the portrait hole. "Where's Peter?"

"Didn't you know?" Sirius still held his hand and followed James out. "He's not here. An emergency at home."

"Emergency?" Remus asked, curious.

"From what I heard from McGonagall, his mother had a miscarriage. Nasty thing to happen," Potter grimaced. "But that's not the point for bringing you out." The seventh-year Gryffindor who had a huge crush on a certain fiery-tempered female grinned widely.

"Nor was it to put you into a state of depression," Sirius said. Remus was aware that Sirius's thumb was caressing his palm lightly. Sapphire eyes widened innocently as their messy-haired friend suddenly wore a disapproving look.

The blue-eyed boy quickly added, "You know, I'm not saying anything bad about Peter , but it really is no fun when the Slytherins literally treat him like a practice subject. The next thing you know, we absolutely have to get into the melee

Remus too was remembering the confrontation and grimaced as he thought about his performance during the test. He had been so angry at Crabbe that he had unconsciously written profanities in a very small hand around the edges of the answer parchment. Luckily, Professor Binns hadn't seen it. He'd probably have earned a month's long detention if it had been Professor McGonagall's paper. The Slytherins' sudden interest in pranking as much as the Marauders did always caused his temper to fly. Luckily, he was able to control his emotions better than his friends could. However, having detention meant that he'd have less time to revise

"It still escapes me why the Greenies chose Peter, who is a member of the greatest pranksters Hogwarts has ever known. With all the stuff we've pulled on them, wouldn't it be better for them if they stayed out of our hair?" Sirius asked sourly and James shrugged his incomprehension. "I'm sure getting detentions and failing their tests surely was not what they had planned." The tall handsome boy-wizard smiled cruelly as he recalled the expression on Snape's face when he had received a bold 'D' for Charms.

"We're getting sidetracked. Listen, this is the plan

"Are we pulling another prank?" Remus whispered automatically.

"Seriously, Remus. It's rather hard to imagine that a boy like you can spend thirty minutes thinking up twelve different pranks," Sirius said, eyes lit with mischief. "No, we're not doing another prank." They separated and Remus watched James disappear under his Invisibility Cloak.

"Come on. Let's hope that we don't bump into anyone," Sirius said quietly. Later during the night, Remus would wonder why he had not asked his friend to release his hand. At that particular moment though, both of them were running, pausing every time they reached a turn before sprinting off again, hand in hand.

In actuality, the hazel-eyed Gryffindor liked the body contact so he did not say anything about it. After James had accepted Peter into the group several years earlier, Remus had found that he rarely had the opportunity to talk with the blue-eyed boy. He scolded himself for resenting Peter but the opportunity to spend time with Black was too good to be easily dismissed.

They slowed and Sirius carefully pushed Remus against the wall and put his finger against his lips, indicating that they should be silent. It was rather difficult to calm his breathing when Sirius was hugging him. Seconds later, they heard voices belonging to Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, and Professor Flitwick, the Charms professor.

"I hope the Marauders won't jinx the first-years' brooms," Hooch moaned and Flitwick calmed her down by telling her that the boys were old enough not to consider the younger students fair game. The two staff members turned into another hallway and Sirius slowly pulled himself off his flattened friend.

"Remus? Remus!" Sirius shook his friend's shoulder lightly, alarm clear on his face.

"I'm okay." He smiled. "Just a little out of breath."

"Let's go then!" Sapphire eyes twinkled brightly and the boy absently took hold of his friend's hand again. "Finally!" The corridor was dark and the two boys tiptoed as they approached the targeted door. "Inside. Quick."

Remus entered the pitch-black classroom and remained close to the wall. Sirius followed, quietly closing the door before announcing their arrival.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Several girls and boys exclaimed and Remus froze. The room slowly brightened and then he saw James, a couple of their housemates, George Walter, a Ravenclaw, and Lily and her group of friends. At Sirius's command, a birthday song filled the entire classroom and a remote part of the werewolf's mind yelled that they were all going to get detention for sneaking around the castle and arranging an illegal gathering.

"Make a wish and blow out the candles," Lily Evans said with a smile. The rest of the party proceeded in a blurry haze. Remus managed to pull James from Lily

"Sirius, of course," James answered flippantly.

"But how?" Remus pestered.

"By observing you for nearly six years, I reckon," his friend answered and looked at him oddly. It felt as though as the boy knew something he didn't.

"Remus! What are you doing over there?" Sirius bounded up to him and started pulling at him again. "You've got presents!"

"Sirius, calm down!" Remus said and grabbed the slender wrist. "I'm not going to open them now."

"But

"It's rude. Moreover, who knows what you guys have gotten for me? Can't let the girls find out that you happen to have a perverted mind, right?" Remus spoke, looking slyly at his tall friend. Sirius's cheeks turned slightly pink at his words.

Getting back to their dormitories later that night was chaotic. James was the first to leave and again, Sirius and Remus were the last to go. Lily had helped Remus charm his gifts into very minute parcels and promised that she would lift the spell the next morning. Knowing that she would be true to her word, he let her take all of his presents back.

The two Marauders were already near their tower when Remus's alert senses picked something up. Suddenly and instinctively, he slammed Sirius into an alcove. He was breathing hard on Sirius's shoulder with his arms wrapped about his friend's waist. A maddening shriek vibrated throughout the castle as the notorious poltergeist swept into the corridor. More shrieks and curses followed. The two did not know what Peeves had done or who was in the crowd that was chasing the poltergeist.

"God that was so close," Remus breathed. He took a step back and the Marauders looked at each other uncertainly.

"Happy birthday, Moony," Sirius finally said softly.

"Thanks." Acting on impulse, the golden-eyed prefect slowly pulled the handsomest troublemaker Hogwarts had ever seen close to him and kissed him. Sirius had stared at him as if he had gone mad and it cut through his heart. That was the last time he was ever alone with the good-looking Black.