Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

chapter 82

All of the snow outside has melted away, leaving the grounds mushy and muddy. Aside from the soggy grass hills, the day is perfect. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Remus is...blushing. Why is Remus blushing? I follow his gaze and it suddenly all makes sense. Violet and him are exchanging shy little glances across the classroom.

I smirk at Remus until he catches onto my staring, and looks at me. "What?"

I wiggle my eyebrows, "You know what."

His ears and cheeks turn impossibly redder and he picks up his quill to fidget with. "I think I'm going to ask her on a proper date. Today."

I squeal and punch his arm a little too roughly with my newfound excitement. "Do it! Do it after class so I can watch!"

"I think I will." He nods and straightens his back, smiling back at me confidently.

I hang back after Potions to watch my lanky friend make his way over to the girl he fancies as she packs her things up in her bag. I can't hear what's being said but given both of their unwavering smiles, I take it things can't be going too badly.

It doesn't take long for him to come prancing back over to me with the dopiest smile dangling from his lips. "I'm taking her out to Hogsmeade tomorrow."

"Oh Merlin! What will you wear? You should take her to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. That place isn't for everyone...in fact I find it bloody dreadful, but Violet enjoys it! Do you want me to give you some extra money so you can buy her everything? How about –"

"Chiara!" Remus chuckles, interrupting me from my word vomit. He puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk out of the class together. "Relax, alright? We have time to prepare and everything will work out nicely."

It's ironic that he's the one to tell me to relax, when on the day of the actual date he couldn't be farther from the word.

Remus has been in a frenzy all morning; rushing around the dorm room and carelessly tossing objects from his trunk to a pile on a the floor. He stands up with wide-blown eyes and starts anxiously tugging on his sandy brown hair. "What if she expects me to kiss her at the end of it?!" He paces a hole in the floor. "I wouldn't even know to do it right! Maybe I should just cancel...yes, that's it, I'll cancel. I'm not cut out for this whole dating thing! How do I position my lips—"

"REMUS JAMES LUPIN, SHUT THE HELL UP!" James screams so loudly that we all have to cover our ears to keep them from hurting. "For heaven's sake, pull yourself together, mate!"

The room is overtaken by a silence with the only exception of Remus' heavy breathing.

James stalks right up to Remus and speaks again, "You really want to know how to kiss, well fine! Here we go!" And just like that, James cups both of Remus' cheeks and pulls him slightly down for a kiss.

As if planned, my, Sirius' and Peter's jaw drops as we stare, wide-eyed and breathless, at the scene.

Remus is frozen in place with his arms stuck at his sides, while James keeps his firm hold on Remus' cheeks. The kiss doesn't last more than a couple of seconds before James pulls away with an unfazed smile. "There."

Remus is left dazed and confused with his lips parted and red, and his face flushed. "Wha..."

"You wanted to know how to kiss so there you go. It's easy, just a press of your lips." James shrugs, casual as ever. "It's not a big deal. I taught Sirius, too."