Chapter Text
Remus sits next to Lily in the potions classroom as he listens to Slughorn drivel on about the origins of the Amortentia potion. What annoys Remus the most is that he knows this part. He knows about the origins of the potions, the history, the founders, etc. What he can never seem to grasp is the actual process of making it. The practical part. And yet this is what Slughorn chooses to blabber on about before throwing them in the deep end with actually bloody making the potion. Fortunately, this is why Remus sits next to Lily, who he has found himself best friends with since second year, and is able to get away with not contributing to the practical part as much as he is supposed to. Lily and Remus have been best friends ever since they began to find comfort in the peace from what seems to be their own rambunctious friend groups. And luckily for them those two friend groups seem to collide more often than not. Well maybe not for Lily who has to deal with James’ incessant, frankly childish at this point, pining.
The said person is currently sitting in front of them alongside Sirius, who has just been poked with an elbow most likely for teasing James about Lily as Slughorn drains on about how attraction and love factor into the potion.
Remus’ attention snaps back up to Slughorn as he claps his hands in a way that Remus assumes he is trying to create enthusiasm. Remus doesn’t think it worked.
“Okay so, potion. Since this potion is at a higher level of skill and can have some serious consequences I'd like everyone to do this with me.”
The class slumped in union. Great. The only good part of potions was the talking, now they could do none of that.
Remus watches as Lily follows Slughorn’s meticulously. He slumps into the palm of his hand and almost dozes off. It feels like an eternity that he listens to the monotone voice of Slughorn.
Suddenly, he is hit with the richest feeling. He stands abruptly at the side of Lily who is stirring the potion as he involuntarily inhales the scent of the sensation. He read about this in the books of course but he never knew it would be this… intense. In seconds his head is filled with familiar smells, the warmth of overworn leather, the musk of cigarettes when a window isn’t opened in a room, a specific brand of spearmint flavoured gum. This is when it hits him. When his mind reels backwards. Because Remus only knows one person who always has a packet of that gum. Fights the lingering taste of cigarettes as apparently some girls don’t like it. But no- no. Remus could not like… him. Not because he was a boy, no, Remus had long come to terms with his sexuality and had come out to Lily in their third year. But because he was one of his best friends. Not to mention the fact that he was constantly with new girls. No he would never be interested in someone like Remus. In fact, he would probably be disgusted at Remus for even having these thoughts. So Remus comes to his senses and realizes that there are other people who smoke and chew spearmint gum, he probably just hasn’t met them yet.
Despite this reassurance, Remus finds himself at loss for air around the smell and coughs to try and fill his lungs. It echoes across the classroom, which is silent apart from Slughorn's consistent yap, and turns some heads. He keeps his head down, eyes glaring at his shoes afraid he might meet the gaze of a certain someone. After regaining his breath and waiting long enough that he was certain that no one would still be looking at him, he lifts his head. Strangely though he does meet someone’s eye. Peter gaze trails over Remus, from his seat with Gilderoy Lockhart, before he beams into a shit-eating grin that makes Remus feel scrutinised as if Peter can tap into his thoughts. Of course this is silly, Peter can’t do that, so he returns his focus to the front of the classroom.
However, he is disrupted once again by Lily sliding a note in front of him with eager eyes.
so?
so what??
you know what Remus, tell me what you smelt to have that reaction!!!
just normal things
Remus felt Lily snort under her breath knowingly.
oh yeah like what?
just normal things
nothing that I could link to someone that I know right now
go on just describe it to me
Remus huffed as he knew she wasn’t going to give in. It was okay though, it wasn’t like there was only one answer, her brain wouldn’t also immediately think of Sirius like Remus’ did.
it was just like leather n cigarettes and minty gum
Lily turned and looked up at him with a massive half grin as her jaw sits slack.
YOU LIKE SIRIUS I KNEW IT I KNEW IT
WHAT NO????? NO?? LOADS OF PEOPLE SMOKE LILY
NO BUT ITS SIRIUS IT HAS TO BE
LILY IT COULD BE SOMEONE I’VE NOT EVEN MET YET
It's not though is it, Remus dear?? No in fact I guarantee you could tell me exactly what brand of gum it was, couldn’t you Remus dear?
Remus scoffs but with a sigh he writes.
Wrigley’s Spearmint.
Lily squeals. This of course makes James turn around and then eye the note between them. Remus immediately folds the note in half, praying James didn’t see Sirius’ name written in big block capitals. James turns around again, thank Merlin he’s still slightly intimidated by Lily, but Remus doesn’t have to worry about James blurting out anything to Sirius as Sirius raises his hand to be excused to the bathroom.
The heightened anxiety in Remus’ chest calms as he watches Sirius leave the classroom, maybe lingering on the way his hips move for too long but Remus isn’t blind, he knows Sirius Black is fucking hot. It’s like a well known fact. Like a fact in the foundation of the universe.
It isn’t much longer of Slughorn’s drivel before the class is allowed to break into chatter to discuss the practical. Of course, no one does though.
James immediately swivels round in his chair to face them both with an eager grin.
“So! Whatcha two talking about?”
“Nothing.”, Remus replies, seemingly slightly too quickly and slightly too high as Lily snorts before returning to a solemn smile.
“Nothing for you to worry about, Potter.”, she says.
Remus’ distress must have put Lily in a good mood because she never speaks to James like that. Masochist.
James beams before his eyes shift back to Remus before dropping to the note of paper, flicking between them. They pounce for the note at the same time but it slips just out of Remus’ grasp and James grins triumphantly. He squeals momentarily victorious before Lily leans over the desk and viciously snatches it back and holds it out to the side of her away from his grasp, soothing the knot of panic rising inside Remus.
However, Lily doesn’t seem to notice that seated in the desk across the aisle is Peter Pettigrew. Peter, who is currently slipping the note out of Lily’s hand with ease and about to open it. Remus scrambles desperately out of his chair and around Lily’s at the same time as James. Luckily, Remus manages to grip the paper just as Peter began to unfold it. But Remus is fully aware that James is still clambering towards him and with the sheet now unfolded he can’t risk either of them seeing the contents spread across the page in large capitals.
YOU LIKE SIRIUS
So Remus –in his full state of complete panic–, knowing he wouldn’t be able to fight off James Potter, scrunches the paper up completely in his grip. Then, as James plummets towards him, his only instinct is to throw the paper ball as far as it will possibly go.
The note is soaring through the air before Remus has a chance to think about it. It’s like time stops as he watches it above their heads.
He watches as it heads to land on the other side of the classroom, by the door. It’s at this moment though that the door is opened by none other than Sirius Black. Of fucking course.
Remus feels every internal organ stop working inside of him.
Sirius stops as the ball rolls by his feet before looking back up at what can only be a ridiculous scene across the class room. Remus’ jaw slack open in shock with his arm still in the air from throwing said ball. Sirius’ other two best friends either side of him, clambering over tables. It’s very obvious that the note was trying to be hidden and was private. So any decent person would respect this privacy. But Sirius doesn’t do that. No, why would he?
No, instead, Sirius grins and furrows his eyebrows curiously before bending down to pick the scrunch of paper up and unfold it.
Remus can only watch in horror.
He sees Sirius face fall before morphing into a shit-eating grin. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Sirius bites his lower lip as he laughs at the end of the note before looking back at Remus and winking. Bloody winking.
Remus feels his face fill with warmth and embarrassment.
“Boys, what are you doing, sit. Please!”
Quickly the marauders sit down. Remus first, almost burying himself in the comfort of a textbook, head in his hands and eyes burning into the paper. He misses Sirius returning to smell his potions and smile knowingly.
Despite being at the back of the class, Remus is the first to leave when they are finally dismissed. People quickly avoid him as he scatters out into the hallway and makes his way to the library. He doesn’t fancy lunch today.
Unfortunately though he only makes it to the stairs when he has someone chasing after him. Remus is able to run without worrying about bumping into anyone as everyone is heading towards the great hall but his stamina up the stairs slows slightly till he hears.
“REMUS WAITT!!”, Sirius' voice at the bottom of the stairwell makes him jump and turn around on instinct. This, however, was a mistake as he feels his foot slip on a step and then he’s tumbling down. Stupid. Fucking. Lanky. Limbs.
And then because some otherly higher power hates him even more, he manages to land on top of Sirius. Like properly facing him on top of him.
Sirius lands with an exhale of air as his back hits the floor with Remus’ chest hitting his. Remus wishes he could be grateful for the softening of the blow but Sirius’ solid chest is currently underneath him and his thigh is placed Merlin knows where.
Flustered, he pushes himself up onto his arms away from the warmth of Sirius’ body. But Remus’ hands are placed either side of Sirius’ head so that he’s practically caging him in with his face above him. Slowly realising this, Remus meets Sirius’ gaze as his expression shifts from surprise into a devilishly handsome grin.
“Well, hello there.”, he teases and his voice melts like chocolate and itches that one spot in Remus’ brain. He tries to pretend he didn't hear the small sound that left his throat.
Remus can feel his face burning and he suddenly realises he needs to remove himself from this situation very quickly before he does something very stupid.
“S- Sorry.”, Remus manages to stutter in his state of fluster and he quickly scrambles away from Sirius’ body. His own body screams at him for doing so.
He hurriedly clambers down the hallway, needing to escape. To not be around Sirius before he does something that would leave Sirius disgusted.
Remus misses the way Sirius watches him leave longingly. The way he has to shift his robes slightly before he’s able to stand again.