in the cards | marlene mckinnon

10. atheneum

Saturday morning was a slow one, and yet the Great Hall was bustling with noise and movement. Since the weekend had finally come, the students were wearing their regular clothes; everything from pretty dresses to worn out band tees.

James and Peter sat at the crowded Gryffindor table, Sirius by their side.

After weeks on end of incessant groveling, the Black boy had finally been let back in. Things were far from normal between the boys, but at the very least they were speaking again.

"How's Moony?" Sirius asked, it seemed that was all he ever did; talk about Remus.

James cast a glance at the blonde in front of him before replying, "He's fine, just like he was ten minutes ago when you last asked."

"Get a grip, Pads, and maybe grovel some more," Peter added, shoveling food onto their plate. "Buy him chocolate; he won't say no to that."

"Yeah, fix this. I can't have you two arguing anymore. It's genuinely worse than when my parents argue," James whined, pushing his glasses on top of his head to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Effie and Monty argue?"

"I've tried! He won't stay in the same room as me for more than five seconds, let alone let me within 5 meters of him!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

"Try harder then, it's driving me insane seeing you stare at him everywhere we go. Get your shit together. Remus won't forgive you if you don't."

Sirius dropped his spoon onto his plate, and it clung loudly against the glass plate. Peter's eyes shot up, immediately moving to study the black haired boy's face.

"You're making the entire hall miserable with your dejection," Peter supplied.

They were prepared to see a scathing look on Sirius' face; one which was moments away from beheading James because of his untimely comment. But what Peter instead saw was Sirius' jaw dropped, eyes glued to something behind the former.

James and Peter quickly caught on, and turned to catch sight of whatever it was melting the last of Sirius' brain.

Remus was sitting between Regulus and Nora, surrounded by their friends. They were laughing about something, indecipherable to the remaining Marauders.

"He looks happy," Sirius wistfully said. "Happier."

"And it's with your brother, at that," Peter grinned to himself, immediately regretting his words and clamping a hand over their mouth.

James facepalmed, murmuring his friend's name with the same voice his mother used when he crashed into the kitchen window while learning to fly a broom.

"What would that have to do with anything?" Sirius huffed petulantly, crossing his arms over his chest as his jaw ticked.

"Yeah, I'd believe you, Pads, if your leg wasn't bouncing uncontrollably under the table," James retorted, kicking said boy in the shin.

Sirius yelped, attracting some unwanted attention from the rest of the Gryffindor table; including the likes of Lily, Marlene, Dorcas and Mary. Even Alice, who usually stayed out of others' business, took notice.

"I am completely fine. Remus can do whatever he wants with whomever he wants."

Sirius cringed visibly the second the words left his mouth, his own body betraying his lies.

Nearby, at the crowded Hufflepuff table, the curious group sat happily chatting together. It was an odd group, but with the addition of Remus, they had students from each house; something Rowan had always strived for.