Under the Cloak

"Oh, come off it, Moony, he's my best mate!"

"I thought I was your best mate."

"Oh, for Merlin's- we're ALL best mates!"

Sirius sighed heavily, and pushing his freshly unpacked robes to one side, sat down on the bed. He supposed he should have seen this one coming. His moving in with James was no trivial event; he couldn't have expected the dynamics of their friendships to remain the same. All the same, this was Remus- level-headed, sensible Remus. Sirius had always considered him their grounding force, the one who held them all together through the minor squabbles and falling-outs which were sure to arise when four such... distinctive personalities were combined. But this- this was the type of rash, hot-tempered behaviour he'd expect from... well, himself.

"Moony, please," he began, calling on what little patience he could muster, "I'm sorry you've been stuck here over Christmas. You know if we'd had our way, you'd have been there with us."

Remus remained silent, sulking.

"And yeah," he continued, "it's been a nice change staying with James's family. Hell, Azkaban'd be a nice change compared to that lot of self-important, bigoted..." Remus raised his eyebrows "... well, suffice it to say I'm going through something here as well, yeah?"

"I know, Pads," Remus softened, "It's just... it's always been you and Prongs, hasn't it? Black and Potter, rebels and troublemakers and together until the end- and me- I'm just that dull prefect you lot keep around to keep Filch off your trail."

"Oh don't be daft," Sirius cut in, "you know that's not true."

"That's what people see, isn't it?"

"No, it's not! They see... a brilliant, talented, sensible bloke, who must be thick in the head to hang out with a bunch of pompous gits like us." Remus could not help but smile.

"You forgot handsome," he added quietly. His expression was mirthful, but something in the way the sandy-haired boy didn't quite meet his eye told Sirius that all was not yet forgiven.

"What does it matter what they see, anyway?" he continued, aiming a playful jab at Remus' shoulder. "Who needs that lot? We have each other."

But Remus was resolutely glum.

"Yeah, some couple we are, staying in shut up in Gryffindor tower while the rest of the year is out in Hogsmeade, enjoying their last few hours of freedom."

"Well, we Marauders have an advantage there, don't we? We can go into Hogsmeade anytime we like," he grinned, mischievously.

"I don't mean like that, sneaking out, under the cloak."

"What's wrong with the cloak?"

"It makes us invisible."

"That's kind of the idea of the cloak, mate," Sirius deadpanned.

"Well maybe I'm sick of it- being invisible. Stuck up in here, while Prongs is out with Lily, showing her off, taking her for tea in Madam Puddifoot's..."

"You want to go to Madam Puddifoot's?" Sirius looked positively befuddled

"No!" Remus' expression of disgust at this thought almost rivaled Sirius'. "Of course not, I just... I hate all this secrecy, this hiding! Sneaking around after hours, keeping it from the others-"

"You've never seemed to object to sneaking around after hours before," Sirius interjected, then immediately felt sorry. He knew Remus was getting to the crux of it, to the real concern they'd been dancing around for months. But if Remus' curse was to cage his true feelings in quiet humility, Sirius' was to disguise his with perpetual mirth.

"I hate the feeling that you're ashamed of this," continued Remus, noting Sirius' rueful expression.

"Of course I'm not ashamed! It's just...well... I can't very well go shouting it from the rooftops, can I?"

"Why not?" Remus challenged.

"Why not?" he echoed, "well...same reason you can't go shouting about your furry little problem, I suppose"

"Oh, well, it's nice to know you see our relationship as a curse," Remus threw out, only half-joking.

"Now you're being daft," chastised Sirius, rolling his eyes

"Am I?"

Sirius exhaled, pressing the heels of his palms to his closed eyes.

"Well, it's not exactly a blessing, is it?"

Before Remus could protest, he amended,

"I just mean... I don't know. Maybe I am ashamed. Not of you- of course not, Moony, you know that, but... growing up in a house like mine..." He shook his head, weakly. "...I can't imagine what mum would say. Well, no, actually I can, that's the problem," he amended, with a halfhearted smirk.

Remus met his gaze with a muted smile of his own.

"But it's not just her," he conceded.

Sirius pursed his lips, barely concealing his resentment.

"No it's not, is it?" He plucked at a stray piece of lint on the duvet cover beside him.

They sat in silence for a few heartbeats.

Remus finally broke the silence, adding conversationally:

"Imagine the mayhem that would ensue if word got out that the great Sirius Black fancies blokes: girls throwing themselves off the North Tower by the dozen-"

"Bloke," interjected Sirius.

"Pardon?"

"I don't fancy blokes. I fancy one bloke. Singular."

Remus looked up at him, cautiously, through a mop of messy brown hair

"...then James...?

"Moony." Sirius took him by the shoulders and shook him gently, pinning him lightly against the headboard.

"Listen. To me." He took Remus' chin in one hand, tilting it to meet his gaze.

"James is my mate. But you are the only, well, mate mate I want."

Remus softened visibly, a penitent furrow appearing on his brow.

"I'm sorry, Pads, I've been so stupid."

"Don't mention it, Moony," he soothed, smiling slightly. "Besides," he added, his eyes literally twinkling, "I'm used to it. I drive girls mad all the time."

Remus elbowed him squarely in the ribs.

"Oi! What was that for?" He shoved back, lightly, feigning indignation.

"Git."

The shoving match quickly escalated to a level decidedly more enjoyable to both. They collapsed back onto Sirius' loosely made bed, drawing the curtains as they went.

After a few agreeable minutes, Sirius disentangled himself without warning, and clambered over Remus towards the staircase.

"Where are you going?"

"Rooftop," he said, casually.

"You wouldn't!"

"You're forgetting one thing, Moony," he added, raising a finger demonstratively.

"Oh? And what's that?"

Sirius grinned.

"I'm a rebel, mate."