Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter One Hundred-Four - The Truth About The Marauders

Author's Note: I've been doing good this month but this week was close to being a updateless week due to being tired. So I just want to say now that there might be a week where I don't update, and I don't really want to post a note every time it happens so just from here on out if there isn't an update some Tuesdays, I'll be back the week after I promise

-x-

Remus felt immensely guilty whenever he thought about his birthday gift, but he also felt very excited to maybe find a new owl. The likelihood of finding one that would be comfortable around him was slim, but if he couldn't find any this time he could keep trying; the store usually got new owls every month. Plus Miss Fawley's addition didn't have any date on it so even if it took him until his fourth year it would be fine.

The rest of Monday went by fast, and he managed to take a long nap before Astronomy. While it wasn't snowing, there were some icy winds, and all the students huddled together while Spring gave his lecture. Sirius had his arms wrapped around Cassie until Spring took some points off for being too intimate during class.

"We were only trying to stay warm since you won't do anything about this," Sirius complained, earning him some more points removed from Gryffindor. "Is this a problem?" he asked and then wrapped his arms around Remus in the same way he had been holding Cassie, holding him tight against his chest, which made all blobby thoughts of anger from the house thing dissolve into lava that pooled in his stomach.

Spring frowned. "Of course not," he said, and then continued talking.

Sirius let out a quiet 'hmph' but kept his arms around Remus. "You're really warm," he whispered after a few seconds.

"I used a spell earlier," he lied, trying not to sweat or go red or die.

"That's why you're Brains."

That night he had strange, foggy dreams that kept waking him up soaked in sweat. After the third time he went to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face, trying to calm himself down; it was one (awful) thing to have dreams of being in a boy's arms and kissing him, it was another (worse) thing when it was his best friend.

Then of course it got even worse the next morning. Lily told Cassie to go ahead to class and as she and Remus walked slowly behind, Lily gave him a look. No, not a look. A Look.

"What?"

"Sirius holding you."

He knew his face went red. "Do you mean last night?"

Lily's eyebrows arched high. "Yes. Why? Does that happen often?"

"Wh—no!" he hissed out. "I—he—what are you trying to say? He was only making a point to Professor Spring."

Lily flipped some of her hair over her shoulder. "It's funny he chose you and not Potter."

He wished he knew that tongue-locking spell Snape did so he could shut her up, knowing perfectly well what she was going to get at.. "And?"

"And... I thought it was a bit... you know... you know."

He shook his head. "No. I don't know, and neither do you. Please stop, all right? It's—you're making a cup of water out to be a potion."

"I never understood that saying." She swung her satchel over her shoulder and tilted her head thoughtfully. "For Muggles we say a mountain out of a molehill. A molehill most likely would never become a mountain, yet a cup of water could easily be turned into a potion."

"Smart arse." She stuck her tongue out at him. "In any case, wizards can easily make molehills into mountains. Or shrink someone down to be ant-sized, then the molehill will be a mountain."