Moonage Daydream [Stand-alone vers]

Winter Ends

       Although the springtime was lovely in the countryside, they weren't ready to relax just yet. Exam season was upon them which meant it was time for the fifth years to hunker down and study for their O.W.L.s.
       The group of them sat at a table in the library, the wood almost entirely covered by notes and textbooks for various classes. Remus, Lily, and Dorcas seemed buried in books— Barely looking up and scribbling furiously while Peter sifted through Remus's notes with increasing looks of stress and dismay on his face.
James, Sirius, and Marlene however, were not so productive.. Sirius's eyes tracked a small paper ball as James suspended it in midair, flicking his wand to toss it to Marlene. She'd just begun to pass it to Sirius when someone called his name. The paper ball rolled under the table as a large stack of books shifted and Remus poked his head out. He gave a weary sort of smile, Sirius tilting his head curiously.
          "Could you quiz me for potions? I've my notes right here—" Sirius nodded and scooched his chair over, leaving James and Marls to goof off without him. He took the parchment Remus was holding out, squinting down at the loopy writing to make out the boy's practice questions.
          "Alright— What ingredients would you need to make a polyjuice potion?" He asked, messing with the edge of the parchment idly as Remus thought it over.
           "Um— lacewing flies, boomslang skin... knotgrass, bicorn horn? Err— A part of the person—" He furrowed his brows. "Um..." he muttered.
           "You're just missing two." Sirius reassured him. The boy's lips pursed as he screwed up his eyes. Sirius watched his knee bounce slightly as he racked his brain.
"Shit— Um— Fluxweed, right?" Sirius gave a thumbs up as Remus looked intensely at the table, scouring his memory for the last ingredient.
           "D'you need a hint—?" Remus nodded, letting out a long breath and Sirius froze up slightly. He realized he had no idea how he was meant to act out an ingredient like this— He thought for a long moment before sighing and pulling a rather stupid face, sucking at the air.
Remus looked momentarily bewildered before a cheeky sort of smile stole across his face. "You on a good night, then?" Sirius smacked at the side of his head hard and Remus doubled over, laughing rather explosively.
"It was leeches, you fucking idiot—"

         They worked in the library for hours, talking and laughing and swapping notes until Madam Pince sourly kicked them out and they were forced to move their studying to the common room.
         Sirius personally had tried very hard to sneak off to the dormitory, but Remus had caught him before he'd made it to the stairs. Now he sat restlessly on one of the smaller couches. They'd swapped, Remus now holding the potions note sheet.
        "I'm just fine at winging my exams, Moons.." He said earnestly, eyeing James, Mary, and Marlene who'd taken to joking by the hearth. He felt his brain straining against his skull. "And besides— You know I work so much better under pressure—" Remus seemed to be ignoring him, utilizing selective hearing as he skimmed through the questions he'd carefully written out.
          "What's Golpalott's third law? It wasn't that long ago Slughorn covered that one—" Sirius leaned dejectedly back against the couch, foot tapping mutedly on the patterned rug as he searched for the answer.
         "Err.. I know it has to do with antidotes—" He mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. He felt Remus nod, waiting for him to elaborate, but his brain felt criminally empty. He should know this— Slughorn was always engaging in his lessons— It was Binns that was dead air..
        "Um.. Blended poisons have antidotes that are.." He paused, trying hard to focus on antidotes as he felt Remus shift beside him. "More than the sum of antidotes for.. each component— separately?" He hazarded, hoping he'd memorized that correctly. Remus smiled, biting at the corner of his lip absently as he nodded..
         "Off to a good start—" Sirius smiled weakly, letting his head fall back against the couch.
          He hated studying.. To an extreme degree.. But listening to the questions in Remus's low, expectant tone made it almost bearable. He glanced over at the other boy as he stared down at his sheet. The firelight played patterns against his cheeks.
          In a desperate attempt to avoid another study question, Sirius cleared his throat, finger nudging against the side of Remus's palm.
          "Your hair looks nice today—" He purred softly. He saw the other boy's frame twitch slightly, his amber eyes scanning Sirius's face. Then he scoffed.
           "Yeah whatever.." He muttered, smacking the top of Sirius's head sharply.
           "Oi! I was just noticing it! Honest!" He caught Remus's small eye roll, the corners of his lips fighting hard against a smile. Finally he permitted himself a small one, leaning in.
            "Well thank you." Sirius nudged their foreheads together very quickly, trying not to draw in any outside attention.
             "You're very welcome—" He whispered, nose scrunching slightly as he felt Remus's thumb graze his wrist.
          Then the boy leaned even closer, lips right up against his ear.
              "Your hair looks nice too. It's quite pretty when you put it up like that." Sirius felt the boy's breath against his neck as he spoke and a shiver went through him. He pulled away, mouth opening and closing. Remus just laughed. He watched the boy lean back against the couch, eyebrows raised.
            Sirius felt his heart pounding in his ears and he had never been so glad to hear Marlene yell his name. He couldn't have responded if he'd tried to—
           "Oi Black— Come over here." Sirius scrambled up, nudging Remus's shoulder affectionately before making his way to the fire.
            "What d'you want, slag?" Marlene tossed a cushion at him and stuck out her tongue.
            "Horrendous manners truly speaking.." She said, cocking her head to the side. Then she gestured for him to sit down. Once he had, he properly took in the fact that the three people by the fire were no longer James, Mary, and Marlene— James was gone and Dorcas sat in his place, hunched over her ancient runes textbook. He turned around to survey the common room, wondering if maybe James had gone to bed when he noticed the boy sitting all tucked into the window seat beside a redheaded girl. Marlene sucked her teeth.
           "Leave it to Potter to play the damsel in distress.." She said, voice dripping with amusement. Sirius snorted as James pushed his glasses up his nose, feigning a look of dedication to whatever subject Lily was explaining. He turned back around to waggle his eyebrows at Marlene.
           "Mm.. What are the odds he actually lands a date this summer then?" Mary frowned, tilting her hand back and forth.
           "I'd give it a good 60/40.." Then she grinned. "If it wasn't for that damned pride of hers I'd bump it up to a good seventy five though.." As Sirius laughed, he felt someone coming up behind him. Remus set his books down and settled onto a cushion between Sirius and Mary.
           "What are we giggling about then?" He prompted, raising an eyebrow. Marlene jerked her head towards the window seat.
            "The newlyweds over in the corner." Remus glanced behind him for a brief moment before turning back to the fire. He shook his head and opened his charms textbook with a small smile.
            "About time—" He muttered. Sirius grinned, leaning slightly against the boy's shoulder. He felt the boy lean back, nudging against him subtly as the fire warmed them.
             Sirius hated studying, but he figured this was alright.