I own nothing you recognize.
For my Duchess. Who is mad that I broke Moony. So now I'm fixing him.

"There had been theories on how she had been murdered," Sirius almost shouted out, the other three boys looking at him with their normal lack of amusement.

"Sirius, just-"

"Oh no! I know it this time. No more theories."

Remus leaned into James and grumbled out "This is your fault."

"Hey, no talking! It's my turn this time and I know I'm right."

He probably wasn't, he rarely ever was, after all, but Remus, James, and Peter would listen all the same.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted-" he shot a glare at Peter before continuing, "There had been theories on how she had been murdered... Perhaps the body was found in the bathroom, but we all know that really she was murdered outside and-"

"Pads, that isn't even an option. It's not even a little bit possible!" James sighed out.

Sirius waved off his concern, pacing in front of the group in his ever dramatic rant- "fine. So she was murdered in the hallway."

"Sirius- be s... be realistic."

"Oh but I am Moony!"

A collective sigh went through the group.

"Once again, as I was saying. Her body was found in the bathroom. And I think-"

Remus tuned him out, it was going to be a few minutes before he even began to explain his real theory. In the meantime, he was able to just observe his crush without anyone really finding out. He was glad that Sirius was so used to wanting and enjoying an entire room's attention- it always hid the slightly too long glances and the tendency to completely lose track of everything.

And then Sirius is pointing at him.

...And Remus has no clue why.

He should probably start listening.

Probably.

But that damn grin knocks him off his train of thought, again.

Plus, James is presently rolling his eyes, grabbing the evidence folder prepared to once again prove Sirius wrong.

Because, really, Sirius usually is wrong.

Not that his confidence reflects that.

No, he's still cocky, but damn it if it isn't the most adorable thing Remus has ever seen.

"-and so, I know that it was James in the Conservatory with the rope."

"Is this your final guess?" Peter muttered out, knowing it probably wasn't.

"Of course not Wormy! You know better. You can't just formally accuse innocent people!"

James snorted. Sirius was, of course, wrong.

Jame spoke up next, "One of these days we're going to take your saying I know who it was as an accusation."

Sirius pouted, "But that would be cheating!"

James put the folder back down on the board and rolled eyes.

Remus pushed forward a card to Sirius- the rope- and the game continued on. It took four more dramatic monologues from Sirius for Remus to, once again, win the game.

"It was a cold and stormy night when the deathly dinner party had begun. My date," Because he always insisted professor plum was his date, "was left in the lounge with the candlestick..."

"By the time the police arrived there were weapons and suspects everywhere. But none were more suspicious than Wormtail in the Kitchen with a dagger..."

"The fun reunion turned into a wake when the Scarlet woman," Remus regretted ever introducing him to the book the Scarlet letter every time they played, "lured our host into the conservatory, hiding a wrench..."

"Picture it with me: we're all dancing with our dates," as he pretends to waltz with a partner as he circled the common room, careful not to bump the board, "and suddenly we realize that the woman who is obviously Lucius in disguise has slipped in from the hall with a pipe."

It was always this way- Sirius had nicknames for each character, and he liked to act out his guesses.

Then he would inevitably make an accusation that was wrong on all three accounts.

Usually, he had one of the cards.

Remus wasn't sure he actually got the point of the game.

Lily had given up after the third time because of that.

But Remus still pulled it out every game night because the look on Sirius' face as he came up with the scenarios was utterly adorable.

The board was being stored away under Remus' bed (because the other three had unidentifiable things under them) when Sirius walked in with a smile on his face.

"So when are you going to finally admit it?"

Remus looked up, puzzled.

"Come on Moony. We all know you pick games for game night."

"Yeah, and?"

"You choose that one for a very specific reason I think."

Remus noticed that Sirius hadn't moved from the door, still leaning against it and being far too distracting with his eased posture that tended to make the girls around him stare. He just had a way to relax and still look like he owned the very walls that he was leaning on... it made Remus stare too if he was being honest.

A snort from Sirius made him realize that he had been caught. He looked at the window instead.

"So, are you going to admit it?"

Remus kept looking out the window, pretending he didn't hear Sirius.

"Remus, I know you can hear me. The room isn't that big."

Remus simply shrugged. How exactly does a person explain to their best friend that the reason they regularly picked that game was to give him an excuse to stare at him?

He sighed, that would end with Sirius trying to nicely let him down and then they would be awkward and it didn't seem worth it.

Sirius didn't seem quite as ready to just let the subject drop.

"Moony?"

He looked back over his shoulder, "If you don't like it we don't need to play it again."

"You're still avoiding the question."

Remus muttered under his breath "obviously not very well."

Sirius chuckled and pushed off the door with his elbow, letting his body gently straighten from the relaxed posture he had leaning against the door.

Remus looked back to the window. No use watching his expression drop- he'd rather keep the gentle smile in his memory.

"So, are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what Pads?"

Sirius his arm on Remus' shoulder, wrapping it around and holding the opposite side, resting his chin on his own hand,

"Tell me why it's always that game."

"It's not always that game."

He snorted, "Moony."

They were both staring out the window, even though there really wasn't much to see. They weren't on the higher levels where you could watch the giant squid. Instead, the lower parts of the tower got a good view of the roof of the main castle.

Remus took a few deep breaths- everyone just got used to Sirius constantly draping himself over them. It was his favourite way to go against his family's training.

"I," Remus started, but couldn't get past that single syllable.

"And maybe you can tell me why you always pick Professor Plum, even if I obnoxiously insist he's my date- every. single. game."

He tried to shrug Sirius off, but it was about as successful as always- which was precisely not at all.

One does not simply detach from an overly affectionate puppy.

"I was thinking maybe you'd switch eventually. But no. You're always Professor Plum."

Remus didn't want to admit exactly why. He tried to focus on anything besides Sirius.

It wasn't easy- he couldn't ignore the warmth at his back when the cold seeped in through the window and chilled half his body.

"You see, if you had switched to Mr Green, you might find I call Mr Green my boyfriend."

Remus twitched a little in his arms, so Sirius continued, gently bringing his hand closer to Remus' hip.

"And if you decided to grab the Scarlet woman- I might have been able to close my eyes and picture all the fun things you could have done to earn the letter on your chest." He hummed a bit, "That would have been a delightful game. I think I could have gotten James to blush with some of the jokes I had come up with."

If Remus noticed the hand that had finally managed to land on his hip, he didn't react at all.

"But no- I don't get to ask you if you have Mrs White's maid costume. Or make comments on just how amazing your eyes would look in Colonel Mustard's suit, especially when Moony is feeling a little playful."

He gently tugged Remus against him, waiting for any outward response- but Remus was still and silent.

"There's really not much I could do with Professor Plum once I ran out of detention jokes. I was rather disappointed in myself. You made the most adorable faces when I was telling those."

"Sirius-"

"You see," he continued on, ignoring the interruption, "I just enjoyed calling you my boyfriend or my date. Even for a short bit."

"I-"

"And then I finally noticed it. Your eyes never really leave me."

Remus looked down as much as he could with an arm under his chin.

"And I thought maybe you just might like it too."

"Pads-"

"So... was I wrong?"

He took a deep breath again, "No."

Sirius went up on his toes and kissed Remus' cheek.

"So, maybe I can call you my date when we're not playing the game?"

Remus stepped away, turning back towards Sirius- who was currently a mix of confidence and concern.

"Huh?"

"Well, I mean, I guess I couldn't really call you a date all the time. I mean... that wouldn't make sense. Maybe just Hogsmeade this weekend?"

"Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah."

"Sirius..."

"I mean, of course, I'm Sirius, but like, I really do want to go with you."

Remus smiled, but Sirius was in full awkward ramble mode by now.

"Because I really... I can't just walk around saying- hey this is my date, Remus. People would wonder what is wrong with me that I consider a class a date. It just isn't classy."

"Sirius."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, I'd love to go... And, uh... you'd say we're dating if you want to tell people."