By morning they’d both decided it was an aberration, an abnormality bought on by a combination of extreme randiness, conversation with inappropriate sexual content and a bad, bad, bad batch of Firewhiskey. This opinion was reached as their paths crossed on the way to the bathroom - Remus having just emptied his stomach, Sirius’ gut still debating its options.
‘Hey, Pads.’
‘Hey.’
‘Sick?’
‘I feel like I spent the night trying to squeeze my head up Snivellus’ arse.’
Remus snorted with laughter then grabbed his head between his hands with a moan. ‘God, don’t make me laugh…I’ll puke again or my head will implode.’
Sirius’ stomach gave a lurch and he took another step closer to the toilet, making sure before he opened his mouth that only words would come out.
‘Hey, listen, Remus…last night…’
‘God, that was…’
‘Yeah.’
Pause.
‘Moony, you know it was just…
‘Course. I’m…you know…I like girls and that and…’
‘Yeah, me too. We were so…’
‘…pissed. Forget it, Pads.’
‘Remus…’
‘Forget it.’
‘Oh, right…yeah, good. I just…we’re alright, yeah?’
‘Mmm…oh shit…’
Remus staggered back to the bathroom and at the sound of his retching, Sirius’ stomach made a decision as well, Peter screaming, ‘For Merlin’s sake, Padfoot… Shit! Now it’s all over my toothbrush…!’ as the brunette expelled the remainder of his stomach contents and dignity into the sink.
Despite Remus’ insistence that they should just ‘forget’ that kiss, Sirius found himself taking more direct action to prove to himself that the lip lock with his friend (or rather, his enthusiasm for said lip lock and his subsequent physical reaction) had really been just the booze talking. He cornered Kelly Wright after breakfast - easily the easiest girl in the school - and arranged to meet her in a particularly private cupboard later that night, experiencing an urgent need to confirm his heterosexuality status with some no strings shagging.
Feeling a little better, he made his way to Charms only to be deflated almost instantly by James’ asking, ‘So, what did you two get up to last night after Pete and I passed out?’
Such an innocent question should not have inspired such fear in the heart of valiant Gryffindors but the frightened look Remus and Sirius shared before they answered betrayed their house’s reputation of being the place where the brave at heart dwell.
‘Nothing.’
‘Fell asleep.’
‘Then woke up and went to bed.’
‘Our own beds.’
‘Pads, what the…?’
‘Sorry.’
Peter and James looked at them in obvious confusion as the words tripped out of the other boys' mouths.
‘We must have really knocked off a hell of a lot of brain cells last night, Prongs,’ Peter said with a frown. ‘Because that didn’t make a bit of sense - even for them.’
‘Mmm.’ James looked from one boy to another. ‘Maybe we’re still too drunk to get it.’
They sat in their usual places for Muggle Studies, the awkwardness between Remus and Sirius diluted now there was some distance and two whiskey scented bodies between them. Neither paid attention to Professor Gable’s lecture on Muggle underwater apparatus. Remus took vague notes for a few minutes, illegible for the most part, then fell into something resembling a catatonic state, staring out the window vacantly and not noticing Peter sketching a caricature of two people coupling on his parchment. Sirius had no memory of the class whatsoever, having fallen asleep after the teacher said, ‘Good morning.‘
