A Siriusly Good Prank (Marauders/Jily/Wolfstar)

21-The Other Half Of Me

"Oi, Padfoot!"

Sirius cracked an eyelid as James Potter came bearing down on him, surrounded by Lily and Peter.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"It's fine," Sirius said. "Don't wake up Moony, he needs his sleep."

"I'm already awake," Remus mumbled drowsily. "And I wish I wasn't. What'd you lot have to come in here for?"

"To get Pads, and hopefully you. We can't do the prank with only two Marauders."

"You'll be just fine." Remus tightened his arm around Sirius's shoulders. James looked concerned. Lily looked slightly smug.

"Come on," Peter pleaded. "After its done, you can come right back here and sleep all you want. We need you, Moony."

Remus sighed, surrendering. "Fine. Fine. But you all have to drag my carcass around the halls. I'm too exhausted to think for myself."

"You and Sirius can have the Invisibility Cloak," Lily told them. "No sense in you getting in trouble."

James nodded. "Okay. Moony and Padfoot, you do the pumpkins. Wormtail, Lily and I will handle the doors. Lily, Moony, remember the Protean Charm, and the timer charm goes off in twenty-four hours for the pumpkins and twelve for the doors." He surveyed all of them. "Got it?"

"Jeez, Prongs," Sirius muttered.

"This is our last Pranktober, ever! I want to do this right." He tossed a bundle of fabric to Sirius, who unfolded it to reveal James's Invisibility Cloak.

"Then let's go," Remus said.

James gave a stiff nod. "Let's go."

............

"That didn't take long."

"We should probably go find Prongs or Lily," Sirius said reluctantly. "Find out what the deal is for the doors. Fix whatever Wormtail messed up."

"Hold on," Remus said. "I need to sit for a second, or I might pass out."

He did look pale, under the cloak. "Are you okay?" Sirius looped an arm around him, searching for a seat.

"Fresh air wouldn't be the worst thing," Remus breathed.

They were closest to the front doors, Sirius calculated. He turned them down a left corridor and hurriedly propelled Remus along with him.

It was midday, but streaky clouds had turned the sky a grayish pink in a very Halloweeny fashion. The air was cold, biting into their faces. Sirius whipped off the cloak as the door shut behind them and tucked it into his pocket.

"Thanks," Remus mumbled, half-collapsing onto the stairs. Sirius sat down next to him, letting Remus rest his head on his shoulder.

"Prongs..." he started. "Prongs probably thinks we're..."

"Together? I know," Remus said. "I saw his face."

"But you don't want him to." It was a question, and Remus knew it.

"James knows I'm not ready for a relationship."

"And yet you keep kissing me," Sirius muttered.

"You're not exactly blameless there."

"Remus, we wouldn't have to tell a soul," Sirius said.

"I can only keep so many secrets," Remus said wearily. "Sirius..."

"You love me."

"I don't just love you. I am in love with you. I am unquestionably, ridiculously in love with you." He wasn't looking at Sirius anymore, but at the trees in the distance. "But no matter how many times we talk about it, no matter how honest with each other we are, it's all the same at the end of the day."

Sirius was silent, staring at the ground.

"And yet...I can't make it through my life without you." Remus's hand found Sirius's, linked with it. "I promise you, that once we're out of school, once we're really out in our lives, we can start over. We can try again."

"Only one more year, then?" Sirius gave him a small smile.

"Give it a few," Remus scoffed. "We have the entire rest of our lives."

"And I want to spend mine with you."

They watched the sun break free of the clouds, thinking about the future, waiting for it to start.

............

They missed their next class. And the one after that. They were under the Hufflepuff bleachers on the Quidditch field with a book, and Sirius was reading to Remus, and Remus was lying on the damp grass, watching his face with every word.

"...you are the better, other half of me," Sirius read, "and I care about you more than I care about myself."

Remus smiled. "I still think he's in love with him."

Sirius snorted and set down the book. "Even though they're practically brothers? They swore a vow to be only platonic forever?"

"Keep reading," Remus instructed. "I want to know what happens next."

So Sirius picked up the book and continued where he had left off.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize how much you were hurting. I didn't see it then, but I see it now."

"I'm not anymore," Remus whispered.

Sirius smiled, and it was like watching a dark night transform into the sun breaking over the hills. "I'm glad."