GOOD OLD FASHIONED LOVER BOYS | marauders band au | wolfstar

seventeen: cosmic dancer

songs mentioned in this chapter: "cosmic dancer" by t.rex

Somehow the Marauders managed to escape detention for their performance at breakfast on Valentine's, much to their surprise. As they had stepped down from the table, McGonagall merely chastised them for standing on such an old piece of Hogwarts' history, but otherwise sent them off to class with what Remus could have sworn was a small smile. 

Talk of their performance followed them around for the next week and a half and Remus was surprised at the amount of students that actually knew his name. He even got cornered by a nervous but sweet looking Hufflepuff girl who asked him if he would want to sit with her at lunch. He made the excuse of having to get some study time in, which wasn't exactly a lie what with all the time and effort the band required that was slowly steering him away from his studies.

So the next week and a half after Valentine's, everything was going wonderfully. The band was getting more recognition than ever and Remus had gained about a hundred new friends that now smiled at him when he passed through the corridors. It was a few days before the full moon, however, when Remus started to feel off. It couldn't have been anything more than a small winter fever, but what with the transformation drawing closer and his limbs aching as he prepared for the full, Remus was not looking forward to it.

The transformation ended up being a bad one. The night itself wasn't all that awful considering he had the other Marauders for company, but once the sun began to rise, Remus lay shivering and helpless in the corner of the Shrieking Shack, his fever running high, worse now that he had put his body through so much strain. He barely noticed Sirius' pained expression as James dragged him out of the shack as the sun began to rise. They couldn't risk Madam Pomfrey seeing them when she arrived to bring Remus back up to the castle despite how ill he was. He barely registered Sirius' protests as he tucked an old worn blanket from one of the small cots in the shack around Remus' shoulders before leaving and promising to be in the hospital wing as soon as they could. 

Remus slept, dreamlessly. Madam Pomfrey must have slipped him a potion to help him sleep as when he awoke he barely remembered any of the events from the night before. As usual, James, Sirius and Peter were all sat surrounding his bed, discussing something quietly so as not to wake Remus.

Remus yawned and tried to push himself up into a sitting position, instantly alerting his friends who stopped their conversation to gush over him carefully.

"Moony! How are you feeling?" James asked, worry creasing in the centre of his forehead.

Remus nodded. "Spectacular." He replied, sarcastically, as Sirius placed his cool fingers on Remus' forehead to check his temperature. 

"You're really hot, Moon." Sirius said anxiously as he removed his hand.

James smirked. "Hannah Brown certainly seems to think so."

Sirius and Remus both turned to look at James, questioningly.

"Who?" Sirius asked, sharply.

James grinned. "She's our year. Hufflepuff. I think she was quite taken by our sexy Moony here when we performed on Valentine's day."

Remus' mind suddenly went back to the shy Hufflepuff who had asked him if he'd like to sit with her at lunch sometime. It was only now occurring to him that she might have been hitting on him.

Sirius made a scoffing noise but didn't say anything.

"Yeah well, I bet she'd really fancy me now when I look like utter shit." Remus muttered. He could feel the heat all over his body like fire in his veins, his skin burning, sweat dripping down the back of his neck and his curls lying damp and heavy on his forehead. If he looked anything like he felt then he was sure this Hannah Brown would soon start looking elsewhere for romantic conquests.

"Oh shut up, Moony." Sirius rolled his eyes, not quite meeting Remus' gaze. If Remus knew that Sirius found a sweat drenched Remus Lupin with his curling hair a shade darker and glistening on his forehead to be alarmingly attractive then his fever would probably take a lot longer to go down.

Eventually, James, Peter and Sirius had to get to classes as they had already skipped first period to wait for Remus to wake up. Once they had left, Remus soon found himself drifting back to sleep and when he finally awoke again it must have been roughly midday. Remus opened his eyes, sleepily, to see Sirius sitting in the chair beside his bed, quietly flicking through a thick, paperback book.

"Pads?" He murmured softly as Sirius jerked his head up from the book he was reading, quickly scooting his chair closer to the bed so that his head was level with Remus'.

"Hey, Moons." He said softly as he checked Remus' temperature again. "How you feeling?"

"Not great."

"You need anything?"

Remus shook his head.

Sirius hummed, resting his chin on the edge of Remus' pillow as he watched him carefully. "Pete and Jamie are in class." He explained, quietly.

"Why aren't you?"

Sirius shrugged. "Was worried about you." He said, his voice soft.

Remus closed his eyes, too tired to force down the small smile that formed on his lips.

"I'll be alright, Pads." He reassured him.

Sirius nodded, sitting back up and tossing his long black hair out of his eyes, still watching Remus carefully.

"I brought some records and my record player if you wanted to listen to something. Madam Pomfrey's in her office and there's no one else in the hospital wing."

"Sure." Remus smiled as Sirius fumbled with the record player, pulling T.Rex's 'Electric Warrior' album from it's sleeve before placing it down on the record player and letting it spin before dropping the pin carefully onto the black vinyl.

Remus closed his eyes as he listened to Marc Bolan's voice drift from the speakers.

"I also brought you some food." Sirius said suddenly, reaching behind him as he pulled out a large bar of chocolate from the pocket of his robes hanging on the back of his chair.

Remus grinned. "Chocolate always makes you feel better."

Sirius grinned. "Wise words that I take to heart whenever you're feeling ill."

Remus took the chocolate gratefully, unwrapping the green and pink striped paper from Honeydukes before biting into the sweet treat.

"Just don't tell Madam Pomfrey or she'll get annoyed that I didn't bring you lots of vegetables to help you get better."

Remus smiled. "You know actually chocolate contains a lot of potassium and we lose a lot of it when we sweat and get ill so it is scientifically good for you when you have a fever." Remus told him as he took another bite.

Sirius grinned. "Sure, Moony."

"I'm serious!"

"No, I'm Siri-"

Remus whacked him on the arm as Sirius laughed heartily, before leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the hospital wing bed. Because Sirius Black never simply sat. He lounged, long legs draped over anything within reach, his inky black curls licking over the backs of chairs that he leaned back in.

The two sat in silence for a minute as Remus ate his chocolate, the two of them listening to Cosmic Dancer spin out from the record player beside them. Remus supposed he should tell Sirius to get back to class now that he knew he was okay, but a small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that this was actually the first time he had spent alone with Sirius since the Christmas holidays, and it was no longer awkward. They didn't need to say anything. Remus felt as though he knew everything Sirius was thinking and feeling and there was no need to exchange words in their peaceful silence. There was also a selfish part of him that was glad that Sirius was missing his classes to be with him. He hated being alone after the full and he was usually feeling well enough by this point in the day to at least go to his classes so he was always surrounded by students. There was something about being with people that reminded him that a part of him was still human. The most important part.

Is it wrong to understand
The fear that dwells inside a man?
What's it like to be a loon?
I liken it to a balloon