Bless the Beasts and the Children - 5. Chapter 5

The first breakfast of the new school year was generally boisterous, and this one was no exception. Enthusiasm ran high, along with everyone’s spirits, and even the Slytherins managed to look properly pleased, although they pretty much kept to themselves.

The food was both plentiful and delicious, although Remus did miss his mum’s cooking. Still, he would get plenty of that on his next holiday, and to compensate for the loss of his family he had the company of his friends to sustain him, and his classes. And then there was Sirius, of course. Sirius had become the most important thing at Hogwarts to Remus. He couldn’t imagine his life without the lively dark-haired boy, and he hoped he’d never have to.

“What do you hope our first class will be?” he asked Sirius. Sirius had just filched another scone and was happily spreading clotted cream on it.

“Hmm? What? Oh, classes.” Sirius dismissed the subject in a very offhand way. Easy for him to say, he never had to study for everything. It all came naturally to the brilliant boy. “I don’t really care, as long as it isn’t Potions. I don’t want to face that git first thing n the morning.”

Remus didn’t need to ask who Sirius meant, but before he could change the subject, Sirius had gone on.

“Mind you, History of Magic wouldn’t be bad. I could use the extra sleep.”

“Need more beauty sleep, is that what you said, Black?” James interjected himself into the conversation. “Yes, I can see where you might want to. Those bags under your eyes are damn unattractive, you know?” He leaned around Sirius and winked at Remus, who tried not to snort too loudly. The idea that Sirius might be perceived as unattractive was a ludicrous one, and everyone knew it. Including James, who was only having on with Sirius, as usual.

And Sirius was his usual imperturbable self. “I beg to differ with you, Mr. Potter. Care to place a wager on it?”

“You’re on!” James exclaimed. “But how do you intend to prove such a thing?”

“Never you mind,” Sirius said mysteriously. “That’s for me to know and you to find out. How much are you willing to wager?”

“How about five pounds?” James suggested.

“Give pounds it is.” Sirius turned toward Remus and gave him a most brilliant smile. Remus didn’t feel near as pleased as Sirius looked. “What’s the matter, don’t think I can do it?”

“Oh I’m sure you can,” Remus replied. And that was the problem. Remus knew only too well how many of the students at Hogwarts found Sirius attractive—too damn many, male and female alike. Sirius had the unofficial title of reigning sex god of Hogwarts. Remus didn’t need to have that shoved into his face again. He was insecure enough as it was about his relationship with Sirius, without adding that sort of anxiety to it.

Before Sirius could make any sort of reply, the schedules arrived, and everyone became suddenly busy, figuring out where they were supposed to be when.

Please don’t let the first class be Potions. The last thing Remus needed was for Sirius to get into it with Snape.

Herbology. Thank Merlin.

“Ah, plant life it is,” Sirius commented. “Then animals. Good. I like that one.” Remus had always noticed Sirius had a fondness for animals. Maybe to make up for the way the people in his life treated him. His own family. Remus couldn’t fathom it. And he suspected there were things that Sirius had never told him, things he wasn’t sure he could bear to know and yet wanted to learn, in order to understand Sirius better.

Loving Sirius was going to be a lifetime occupation, Remus could see that. And he welcomed the challenge.

“We have to set a time limit on this.” There was James, going on about that silly bet again. Just when Remus had hoped it might be forgotten as so much hot air.

“Of course,” Sirius said. “Shall we say dinner time?”

“Dinner time it is.” James grinned broadly. “Just show up with your five pounds.”

“Hmmm, you’re very sure of yourself, young Potter,” Sirius said. “Care to double the wager?”

“No, I’d feel bad taking ten pounds from you, but five I can live with.” James laughed.

“Can you live with being late to class?” Lily had suddenly appeared behind them. She clutched her books to her tightly.

“We all need to get going,” Remus said. As prefect, he needed to pay better attention to these sorts of things. “Lily, we’ll do rounds later, right?”

“Right you are, Remus.”

He scrambled up from the bench, Sirius rising after him. Whatever Sirius had in mind, he just hoped he could live with it, Remus thought, as they hastened to Herbology.