The Conqueror Of The Moon Boy

Chapter 1:- The year that may differ

Sirius would be lying if he said he wasn't annoyed. He tried to hide it, but four years of listening to James ramble about the 'amazingly smart and extremely beautiful Lily Evans (someday to be 'Potter')' finally wore him down and he was at his breaking point. The train hadn't even left the station and James was already bursting into a speech about her.

"Prongs," Sirius interrupted James mid-speech about how it was only natural Lily was made Prefect, "You know I love you mate, but I cannot listen to another year of you drooling after Evans." It came out more bitter than he intended but he wasn't about to take it back. James had to be stopped.
"But Padfoot, this could be my year ! I feel it, something is different, something big is going to happen this year."
"You're mental. And you say that every year."
"Well, one year I'm definitely going to be right. I would bet a galleon that it's this year," James said as he puffed his chest out in the most James 'i am alpha male' potter way. He knew it was silly and he didn't put much belief in Divination, but something in the air that day at King's Cross felt like it differs from the past years, like there was a hum of magic around them. Well, different magic - an older magic more true magic.

"Fine, one galleon. When I get my prize money at the end of the year I'm going to change it to Muggle money and buy myself all the records I can find and play them loud enough to drown out you talking about Evans all summer when she, inevitably, doesn't fall madly in love with you this year like ever year." With that, Sirius sprawled out dramatically across one of the benches, folding his hands under his head. At this moment, Peter stumbled into their compartment and nearly dropped his luggage onto Sirius' head.

"Oi! Wormy! Watch where you're going, you nearly landed your trunk on my face." Sirius quickly sat up as Peter tried to wrangle his trunk into the overhead rack. James, taking pity on the shorter boy, helped him hoist it up safely.
"Sorry, Pads. Mum was fussing this morning, getting all sentimental about it being our fifth year and all. It's not like we don't do this every year, I dunno why she can't get sentimental on the 31st," Pete grumbled as he sat down next to James, rolling he's eyes and began to rifle through his bag, likely for a Sugar Quill. Unsuccessful, he glanced around the compartment and asked, "Has anyone seen Moony yet? He's usually here before me."

The three friends all turned as the door slid open to reveal Remus. Immediately, Sirius catalogued the changes in his best friend. Remus left them in June as a lanky teen with his too-large jumpers and scruffy hair. He returned to them taller (taller than James now), broader (he filled out his jumpers quite nicely), and with a brand-new haircut. He must have gotten it when Lily visited toward the end of the summer, which he remembered from his letters. James had been inconsolable in his grief that Remus was getting such intimate time with 'the lovely Lily', but Sirius reminded him that Moony was gay and not out to "steal his girl". His mood bounced back almost immediately as he realised Remus could give him some insight on how to better woo her once they returned to Hogwarts. Sirius doubted Remus would comply, but it got him out of his funk.

"Padfoot. Pads. Sirius!"

Sirius snapped out of his internal assessment of Moony's new look and realised they must have been talking to him without him hearing a word.
"Hmm... What?"
"I have to go for a minute but I'll be back. Don't plan any good pranks without me, I have some ideas myself." And with that, Remus spun on his heel and left the compartment as quickly as he entered. The only evidence he had been here was his trunk in the overhead rack and a warm feeling inside Sirius. Pete, still staring at the spot Remus just occupied, murmured "Did anyone notice his robes? I think he had a badge, a Prefect badge..."

This observation was met with a beat of stunned silence, followed by an outpouring of excitement as all three boys talked over each other.
"A Prefect! The bugger never told us he was made Prefect!"
"Does this mean we won't be able to pull pranks?"
"Don't be daft, Moony would never shut us down."
"Not to mention he said he had some ideas himself."
"Oh good point Wormy, observant as always."
"Do you think he'll have rounds with Lily? Do you think he'd talk me up to her??"
"Prongs, he values her friendship, he's not going to talk you up on rounds. They'll be too busy being swots anyhow."

As the excitement wore off, the boys settled down into their own activities and waited for Remus' return. James was leafing through a Quality Quidditch Supplies magazine and circling items to send to his parents for Christmas present ideas. Pete was sucking on a Sugar Quill and playing chess against himself on an enchanted board they had all pitched in to get him last year. Sirius was staring out the window, absently playing with his hair. He was deep in thought about Remus' appearance and the warm feeling it left in his stomach, both of which were new.

Sirius and Remus were both out and had each been in a few romantic relationships in the time since. Sirius was no stranger to meetings in empty classrooms at night or broom closets between classes, nor was Remus. They'd never been single at the same time, and Sirius had never thought about dating his best friend. After all, just because they were bent didn't mean they automatically fancied each other. None of their relationships lasted very long, however, once the other person realised they would never be soulmates. A simple touch could doom a relationship before it started, and those without soulmate marks tended to date extensively, understanding they'd never know but still wanted the experience, or never date at all, resigning themselves to the fact nobody would be perfectly compatible. Neither boy had a soulmate mark and dealt with their lot in life differently: Sirius was of the former, while Remus had been slowly turning into the latter. It's a pity, Sirius thought, that Moony doesn't date anymore. Anyone who had Moony's love would be the luckiest bloke alive.

After about an hour, Remus returned to their compartment with assorted sweets from the trolley, even though it hadn't yet come through the train.

"Remus John Lupin, are you already using your Prefect privileges to steal chocolate? Does your sweet tooth have no conscience?" James smirked as he tossed his magazine aside and helped himself to a Cauldron Cake. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but I thought it'd take at least a week or so of relentless badgering to get you to use your new position for personal gain."

"I was passing the trolley lady as she was loading up and bought some before the good stuff was purchased, since we always sit at the end of the train and it's picked through by the time it gets to us," Remus said, snapping a piece off of his chocolate bar and popping it into his mouth."Shame, I thought we would get to abuse your power without putting in any work.""In your dreams, Prongs. I won't be won over so easily. But just because I won't be actively participating in as many pranks doesn't mean I won't be providing counsel during prank planning should I overhear parts that I know would coincide with Prefect rounds or other such official business." A slow, mischievous smile spread over Remus' face as he leaned back in his seat and finished off his chocolate bar. Sirius, Pete, and James stared at him with disbelief at his ready admission of using his knowledge to aid their pranking.

"Jamie boy, loathe as I am to admit this, I think you were right. Something different did indeed happen this year." Sirius pulled his bag down and began hunting for the promised galleon and tossed it to James. Remus shot Pete a confused look, to which he shrugged in response. Sometimes it was better not to ask when it came to bets between Padfoot and Prongs. James smiled, mischief in his eyes. "This is it lads, this is our year. I can feel it..."

As the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station and the four boys gathered their things, Sirius wondered if this wasn't only the beginning of all the changes this year would bring.