Trust Fall

Chapter Four: Time (and Quidditch) Heals All Wounds

Remus awoke the next morning, alone in Sirius's bed. He wondered why he had been sleeping in Sirius's bed wearing his school robes for about all of five seconds before the events of the previous night came flooding back to him. He decided to worry about that particular turn of events later. The fact that he was alone however gave some cause for more immediate concern. Sirius was usually the last of them to rise. Tentatively, Remus peeked around the curtains of the bed, and found that he was indeed alone in the room. To his relief however, the clock on the wall told him that breakfast was not yet over, and he'd make it even to that if he hurried.

Pawing through a set of papers on his desk, he snatched up his wand, performed a simple straightening charm on his crumpled robes and mussed hair, and within moments looked more than presentable for a day of school.

He flew down the steps and into the Great Hall then made a beeline for the Gryffindor table, pulling up a bit when he realized that Sirius had saved him a seat right next to him. Remus gritted his teeth at this and unconsciously went into panic mode again. He wondered if Sirius had told James and Peter...no, that was insane. Sirius and James weren't speaking were they? His eyes searched the table -- James was sitting with his arm around Lily over at the other end, and Peter seemed deep in conversation with Arthur Weasley and Derek a few places down from where they were. Neither of them were giving Remus funny looks or anything...so he guessed it was safe.

"Hi!" Sirius smiled quite brightly at him. "You looked kind of tired this morning so I just let you sleep...uh, not to worry." He grinned, reading the expression on Remus's face. "I pretended to check your bed, and told them you were asleep over there. They didn't suspect anything...oh and I didn't LOOK at anything either"

"It's not like we were SLEEPING TOGETHER or anything." Remus hissed in an undertone across the table. Leave it to Sirius to jump ahead and dive in before the whole thing had even gotten off the ground. To be honest, he still wasn't too sure how he felt about this whole 'my-best-friend-might-become-my-boyfriend-and-I'm-a-guy-so-that-would-make-me-gay' scenario.

"Actually we were, but not...like that." Sirius hissed back at him, mimicking his tone and also scoring his second point of the morning on the 'I know what Remus is thinking' scoreboard. "I told you though," he continued in a more normal tone "you don't have to decide or anything right away."

Remus nodded once, then decided to change the subject. "So, uh -- have you thought about what you're going to do tonight with that Quidditch match against the Slytherins?" he asked. "I heard a few of them talking in the halls, they still have no clue what happened thankfully, but they're pretty happy that you and James..." he wondered if it was safe to mention the name, "...aren't talking anymore."

"We'll work out something." Sirius mumbled in a clipped fashion, waving his hand dismissively in the air. He glanced at the clock which read a quarter to eight. "Ready to go?"

Remus nodded, ate the last of his bacon and stood up from the table as the remnants of their food dissolved off the plates. He grabbed his books, one in each hand as they headed out of the dining hall and over to the Northwest corner where the Advanced DADA course classroom was.

As they walked along in silence, Remus watched Sirius out of the corner of his eye. He kept shooting looks at Remus's right hand...did he want to hold it? Well...it wasn't as though it might not be nice, but what if someone came strolling down the corridor and caught the two of them holding hands. He tightened his grip on the book.

"Uh...Remus?"

Remus jumped. "Yeah?" he asked, tentatively.

"I've just gotta ask you...why in Merlin's name is your spell book smoking?"

"Huh?" In surprise, Remus looked down at the book in question. True enough, it was emitting a cloud of what looked to be thick grey smoke. He opened it, and flipped through it, releasing a large cloud of it when he opened to the page where...and he remembered now -- the page where he had stashed the Voldemort letter. The flame script was singeing a page on summoning charms pretty badly...thank god they'd already learned them.

"Hey, what's that?" Sirius asked, waving smoke out of his eyes with one hand and grabbing for the letter with the other. Remus fortunately was faster.

"Oh it's just this piece of homework gone wrong." He said quickly. "I was trying to put an anti-flame spell on it, but it didn't really work very well...it was my first attempt and I said the wrong thing. Stupid thing." He stuffed it inside his robes.

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "err...so why are you actually KEEPING it then if it's just failed homework?"

Now that was a good question. Why WOULD he be keeping it? "Um, because oh -- I wrote my name on it, and the spell made all the letters go fiery. It looked pretty cool, so I figured I'd try and duplicate that some time...you know, just the effect. Maybe jazz up the Marauders Map a little."

That seemed to satisfy Padfoot. He also grabbed Remus's now free hand and twined his fingers through it. Resigning himself, at least for now, he allowed himself to be lead down the corridor, hoping to whatever gods there were that nobody would come along and see...well...that.

Nobody did however, and he found himself letting go a little reluctantly when they got close to the DADA classroom. No one, male or female had ever bothered to hold Remus's hand in a companionable way before, and the sensation was quite a pleasant one. 'Still' he reminded himself 'Sirius and I are still just friends'. Nothing more until I say so for sure.

Remus spent most of this lesson thinking about the "for sure" part. That wasn't entirely unpleasant.

---

As the day progressed, the excitement in the halls of Hogwarts became nearly a tangible thing. The event of the day was the school Quiddich cup match, and Gryffindor versus Slytherin was always a low-down, dirty, dishonorable, penalty-filled, long and generally exciting match. Just the way the students liked it. There was some worry with that as well though- With the Captain and his star player not speaking...did Slytherin actually have a chance this time?

Everyone at Hogwarts knew that Gryffindor's starting lineup was nothing to sneeze at with Sirius Black as a Chaser. There had been matches where it didn't well matter whether the other team's seeker caught the snitch or not, it would be a Gryffindor victory just the same -- Sirius was that good. James, also playing under the position of chaser was an equally admirable flyer, but he lacked the speed and strength that made Sirius the star that he was. What he lacked in strength and speed however, he made up in strategy and this was why he was team Captain. The Gryffindor team was centered on the collaborative scoring efforts of Sirius and James...but...if they weren't speaking...

At any rate, Remus and Peter watched as both the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams walked out onto the pitch to tumultuous applause from the entire crowd -- as far as Remus could see, the entire first string of Gryffindors were all there...neither of his warring friends had decided to back out. The question was, would their new-found rivalry become a help or a hindrance?

Down on the pitch, Professor Moore -- who had agreed to referee for the day, blew his whistle, and both the green and red garbed blurs far below whooshed into focus as the players shot into the air. From the commentators box, Rachel, the Hufflepuff girl from the Advanced Defense against the Dark Arts class shouted a play-by-play into a magically enhanced megaphone.

"And it's Black with the Quaffle...OOH, nice bludger work there by Avery...but Slytherin isn't fast enough -- Potter's got the Quaffle...go go go...YES! Potter scores!"

Remus rose to cheer James on with the entire rest of the Gryffindor supporters. Perhaps the argument wouldn't even come into play as a problem. He snapped his attention back to the field as Rachel's voice rang out once more.

"It's Black with the Quaffle again, looking pretty determined there -- Yes, good job there -- he's got Avery's number this time...Wow, that was one nasty foul for Slytherin...what was Snape thinking? Furthermore, where was Potter for that one?"

Moore's whistle accompanied Rachel's words. Sirius looked as though he wanted a time out and his nose was bleeding from the Bludger Snape had smashed right in his face, but James stonily pointed towards the goal where the Slytherin Keeper stood waiting.

Sirius picked up the Quaffle and streaked towards the Slytherin goalposts. He threw it with such force that the Keeper actually ducked out of the way in shock, allowing it through with no hindrance.

"AND BLACK MAKES THE PENALTY!" Rachel reminded all of them. More cheers from the Gryffindor supporters as Sirius flew haughtily back past James towards the rest of his team mates, wiping away the dribble of blood that still leaked from his nose.

From there on in, it was suddenly as though a different game was being played. Sirius and James were not only trying to out-do each other, but the other team as well. Instead of playing Quidditch, they were only putting on a display of fancy broomwork -- and the Slytherin score was mounting because of it.

"Where is our seeker when you need him?" Remus hissed to Peter. The other boy shrugged wincing as the Slytherin Team got their sixth goal in. Remus turned back to the pitch and mumbled aloud "Oh come on you two, get off of it."

"That...would take a miracle" Peter muttered sullenly. "We're gonna lose the cup in our last year."

Remus sighed.

"What ARE Potter and Black doing out there?" Rachel hollered into her magical microphone, then "OH NOO! Slytherin scores AGAIN! Seventy -- Twenty Slytherin!"

This time, Remus gritted his teeth. His eyes scanned the sky for the Gryffindor Seeker and found her hovering around the middle of the field, eyes scanning the sky desperately for the snitch. The Slytherin Seeker was tailing behind, trying to be a distraction. To Remus's relief however, Andrea Bell was having none of it, and seemed to be focusing exclusively on finding the small fluttering golden ball. No worries there...now, if only James and Sirius could just get back on task.

"OHMYGOD!" Rachel's scream pierced the air, as the eyes of every player and every observer were diverted downfield. About a metre away from the Gryffindor goalposts, Sirius was hanging by one hand off his broom, the other clutching his head in obvious pain. In just a few minutes he was going to let go and fall off. How had it had happened was clearly not a question. Severus Snape, his beater's bat still drawn back in his hand glared at Sirius as though he wanted to fly forward and bash him off his broom himself. The bludger he had fired at him was dancing off the other way, still spinning with the powerful force with which it had hit Sirius's head.

In a flash, however, James was by his friend's side, holding the broom steady and helping Sirius back on. Remus and Peter gave an extra cheer amongst themselves as Sirius performed a practice lap around the pitch, just to prove that he was all right after all and could continue play. Perhaps this was what they'd been waiting for. James always had said that Sirius would need a good smack to the head to smarten him up -- with luck -- this would count.

And it did.

"It's a new team!" Rachel crowed from her place in the commentary box. Indeed, she was right. For Sirius and James, it was like the first part of the game had never happened. Rapidly, they tied, and then passed the Slytherin score. In fact, everyone was paying so much attention to the return of the dynamic duo that they almost failed to notice that Andrea Bell had managed to catch the golden snitch.

"ANDREA BELL'S GOT IT! GRYFFINDOR WIN!"

And with those words, the stands erupted into cheers, leaving the Slytherins to slink back into the dungeons to mourn their defeat.

Landing finally, Sirius shook his head to clear it of the lasting effects of the bludger.

"Man..." he looked around for someone to share the victory with, but Remus and Peter were nowhere in sight. The only person around was James...so he supposed he'd have to bite the bullet and clear the air with him.

"Uh...James? Look...I'm sorry...about the whole prank thing." He said loudly, hoping beyond hope that the other would turn around and say something -- anything.

"Snape should know by now that two wrongs don't make a right." James began carefully, turning to face Sirius. "But...I kind of realized then that this has gone on long enough. We don't really need to be fighting anymore. We do better as a team. Come on with Lily, Remus and Peter and I and we'll go have a celebration. I've got something important to tell all of you anyway." He walked a few steps towards the showers, paused, and then turned around one final time to give him an apologetic smile. "Oh and Sirius...I don't really believe you're working for Voldemort."

With his heart feeling lighter than it had in a week, Sirius followed his old friend into the locker rooms to get showered and changed for a celebration. Merlin knew he needed one.

---

Peter and Sirius were already seated in the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade when Remus arrived.

"Hey, nice WORK Sirius!" he grinned. "You and James back together is the best news I've had all day...but I wonder what's taking Lily and James so long to get here. I want to celebrate!"

"Probably doing something...fun before they come here." Sirius kicked Remus under the table as he said this, and the other jolted, his cheeks flushing slightly pink. Was Sirius still after this? Part of him had wanted it to be something that would pass after Sirius and James had had their final say. On the other hand...it wasn't that bad a deal....

"Hey guys!" James casually waved to them with the free hand that wasn't previously occupied with holding Lily and strolled her over to the table, taking the last few seats. They had no sooner sat down when Sirius started practically shaking the table with his excitement. Remus laughed. It certainly hadn't taken Sirius long to return to his old self.

"What's the big news?" he demanded immediately.

"Well..." James looked at Lily who appeared uncharacteristically as excited and hyper as Sirius. "As you well know, tomorrow is our very last day at Hogwarts."

The other three nodded, urging them to hurry it up.

"And, we would like our very first Marauders post-Hogwarts activity to be...all of you in attendance at..." he paused again and Remus and Peter had to practically hold Sirius back from throttling James over the cliffhanger "...our wedding!"

Dead silence reigned at the table. The grin faded from Lily's face and she nervously waved held up her left hand to display the gold band on her fourth finger.

"ALLRIGHT!" Peter yelled, surprising them all with his forwardness. "This is going to be AWESOME!"

"Can we get free drinks if he's getting married?" Sirius yelled to the bartender, who actually obliged and brought them a round of Butterbeer, smiling and patting Lily and James on the shoulder as she did so.

"Wonderful news!" said Remus softly, rising and giving Lily a hug then shaking James' hand in a more traditional congratulatory fashion.

They spent the next glorious hour planning for a huge celebration and who they would all invite, however Remus's thoughts kept straying back to his own important decision...seeing how happy Lily and James were had made up his mind for him about the everlasting "for sure" that had been gnawing at his mind all day long.