The Girl Marauder(Book One)

Chapter 7

The day and a half that lead to the ball was filled with both anticipation and anxiety. As people asked others out, the pressure was on to find a date, and have an impressive costume on top of that. Remus Lupin stared at his own with a slight grimace, wondering if he went overboard with the gray suede shoes. Of course, the shoes were rather nice, and James would be wearing similar ones, but... Oh, to hell with it. He liked them.

“Having second thoughts Moony? You nervous for tonight? With Emmeline?” Sirius’s voice came from the bathroom. Remus sighed, rolling his eyes. Had been teased nonstop since had asked Emmeline Vance to accompany him. She was a kind and smart girl, even if she was a bit quiet, and Remus would be lying if he said he thought she wasn’t pretty.

“Not as nervous as you should be.” Remus called back, rising from his bunk to walk into the bathroom. The mirrors were clouded with steam from Sirius’s shower, and the boy himself stood in front of the only clear one, running a towel through his damp hair. Remus leant against the doorway with crossed arms, watching amusedly.

“I still can’t believe you had the guts to ask her.”

“What?” Sirius scoffed, setting the towel down. “Luna? That was no big deal. She’s a friend, and no one else probably would’ve asked her-”

“Actually, she got asked by multiple people. Diggory, Prewett, even Caradoc Dearborn- and he’s a Slytherin.” Remus said casually, not feeling the need to look up to see the storm brewing inside the pureblood’s eyes. Remus had caught on quickly to how the Black heir felt about the only girl marauder. Not quite a crush, but not quit as only a friend. It was an admiration that Remus had never seen Sirius have before, and as curious as it made him, he refrained from inquiring about it. It was best to not bring it up until Sirius had confronted his own feelings.

“Well, she turned them down, didn’t she?”

“Oh, yes. She’s one to stick to her word. Though I think she was sad to turn Fabian down. She does think he’s rather attractive.” That wasn’t an entire lie. Luna did find Fabian rather good-natured, and appreciated his company, but Remus was sure the girl held no deeper feelings for the sixth year. But to look up and see Sirius’s eyes flash was certainly rewarding.

“Well, perhaps next ball Fabian will get his chance.” Sirius said as he pulled his black button up on. 

Not if you have anything to do with it, Remus thought amusedly. Sirius raked his hands through his hair with much more irritation than he had previously, but he was doing a good job of disguising the angry emotion inside him. Sirius Black was very aware of when people were trying to mess with him, and he was incredibly aware of it now. Yes, he had asked Luna to go to the ball with him. Surely that wasn’t such an odd thing to do?

“I’m going to go get dressed. Don’t leave without me.” Remus hummed as he left the room. Sirius scowled, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out after him. Instead he turned back to the mirror, staring at his own reflection in the eyes. Luna was just a friend. They were going as just friends. Of course, that hadn’t been his intention when he asked- But he had seen the hesitation in her eyes, and he would’ve said whatever he could’ve to get her to agree to go with him. To be able to have just one night with her where he could claim her as his date. Not Amos Diggory’s, Caradoc Dearborn’s, or heaven forbid, Fabian Prewett’s . No, tonight would be his with the girl marauder. And maybe, if he was lucky, he could get a kiss or two.

He wasn’t one for hope, but he desperately hoped that fate would be on his side tonight.

_

Four boys stood in the common room that night, waiting for the fifth member of their party to arrive. Sirius shifted endlessly, nearly pacing as he waited. He played with the cuffs of his jacket instead, the black cuff links he wore shimmering in the light of the fire.