RUB A DUB

Chapter 6

The next week went by kind of awkwardly. They weren't speaking to each other, and the dinners were spent silently, Sirius glaring at James, James glaring at Mary, and Remus head bent, avoiding everyone else's eyes. The girls shot guilty looks to each other every now and then, and Peter couldn't even escape as his girlfriend, Dorcas, had dumped him right after the party, saying she never really liked him.

At the end of the week Remus still hadn't said a word to Lily. She had looked for him in the library, in the common room, and in every place she thought he might be every day but she couldn't find him. He was successfully avoiding everyone, only showing up for dinner in the great hall.
Lily was desperate to find a way to make up with him. So, on an evening, she asked the girls "Seriously, what could I do? He won't even talk to me."
"I've no idea, Sirius isn't talking to me either."
"I still have an idea." Marlene said, reading her book peacefully.
They both looked at her, expectantly.
"You know, it's not a bad thing to ask for help when you need it." She said with a smirk.
Lily sighed. "Okay, tell us. What is your idea?"
Dropping her book at once she went over to Lily's bed. "So, you know how next Saturday is Valentine's day?"
"Yes."
"Well I thought-"
"Let me guess, you wanna invite Sirius in Remus' name and Remus in Sirius' name so they're each other date at the ball and realise they're both madly in love with each other and live happily ever after together and have hundreds of children?" Mary said with a flat voice, narrowing her eyes.
"That's not how that works. For the children I mean." Lily added.
"Thanks, I know. And no, that wasn't my idea. Plus they would never go as each other's date. In public at least. Remus is nowhere to be seen. But, Sirius isn't. So if we get to talk to Sirius, explain everything to him and convince him to ask Remus on a date for Valentine's day, while everyone is at the ball, so they can be alone together, Remus might forgive you."
"...That's not as bad of an idea I thought it would be. But it's really unlikely. How do you get to talk to Sirius anyway?"
"Don't worry, I'm taking care of it. I'll make him come in here, then we can trap him and explain everything. First we tell him Remus likes him too, then we give him the idea of the date."
"Well, if you can bring him here then I don't see why we couldn't try."

On the next day at breakfast Marlene shoved a piece of paper in Sirius pocket. One hour later he was climbing the stairs to their dorm. Alice came in rushing past him. "He's coming!"
Mary and Lily run to the door, hiding behind it.
"Marlene?" the door opened.
She was sitting on her bed, leg-crossed with a book.
"Yes? Come in."
He looked around the room carefully, then seeing only Alice here walked toward her bed. The door slammed shut and the girls crawled on the bed bringing him with her.
"Sirius! Please! Listen to us, it's for your own good." Lily hurried.
"Oh piss off I knew I shouldn't have trusted you."
"2 minutes. Just listen."
"I don't wanna listen to you you liar-"
"We did it 'cause Remus likes you too." Mary intervened.
Sirius stopped moving. "What?"
"Yes."
"I swear to god don't play with me that's not funny."
"I am not. Listen-"
"Remus couldn't stop talking about you since Christmas and I was tired of it, then Mary told me you had a crush on him, but you weren't talking so we thought we could help. I know it was some twisted scheme but we meant no harm I swear." Lily cut her.
"So he likes me?" Sirius asked perplex.
"Yes! That's what we're telling you." Marlene said raising her brows.
"But why hasn't he said anything?" His voice went higher than intended.
"Cause you friendzoned him you dumb-head." Mary said deadpan.
"No I didn't!"
"You said you were friends and didn't want to talk about it ever again." Lily interjected.
"Oh."
"Yeah oh." Mary narrowed her eyes.
Sirius shot her a glance.
"Anyway, we wanna help you. And give you two a reason to forgive us for the other day." Marlene continued. "Next Saturday is Valentine's day. Everyone will be at the ball, except Remus of course, he'd rather spent the night in the library. So we thought, while everyone is away you could invite him on a date, and we'll help you organize it." She said smiling.
"A date? You want me to ask him out?? But what if he says no? It'll be awful. If it's already awkward it'll be ten time worse." Sirius said anxiously.
"Sirius. He likes LIKES you. He won't say no if you ask nicely." Mary said a smirk on her lips.
Sirius surrendered "Okay... What's the plan?"