Chapter 10
"You kissed?" James repeated dully.
Sirius nodded.
"Well no DUH they kissed," Remus exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Peter!" he called into the other room. "They kissed!"
"FINALLY," Peter grunted from the other side of the door. "I was beginning to worry we'd have to show them how."
James's jaw dropped. "AM I THE ONLY STRAIGHT GUY HERE?!" he demanded angrily.
Remus thought. "You know, that is actually quite possible, James," he replied after a period of deliberation.
Sirius was left gaping. "But- whaaaa . . . how. . . Bowman, you. . . she. . ."
"We did NOT," Remus muttered hotly. "Bowman was. . . an experiment. An unsuccessful one," he added as an afterthought.
"So what, I'm standing in a bathroom full of gay men?" Sirius asked uncertainly.
"I AM NOT GAY."
"We know, Jamie," Remus said impatiently.
Sirius held his hands up, looking like his head was going to explode. "Stop. Hang on. I'm SO confused."
"I'm gay." Remus pointed to himself. "The shrimp outside the door is gay. You are, apparently, gay. James is painfully straight."
"Why didn't I KNOW that?"
"You thought I was gay?" James asked, putting a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I know I'm hot. . . I think there's a support group you can join."
"What, gay men who can't have James Potter?"
Remus shrugged. "It's likely."
Peter tumbled in. "I hate listening at doors," he commented. "Let me get all this straight: everyone here is gay but James?"
"Correct," Remus affirmed.
"I can't believe I didn't KNOW," Sirius murmured angrily. "Why didn't you TELL me?" he demanded, looking at Remus, whose smile disappeared. "You told HIM! You told them BOTH! But not ME!"
Remus looked almost pained. "I didn't tell Peter," he explained. "Peter asked me out."
Sirius's jaw dropped. "You're going OUT?!" he screeched. "And you didn't TELL ME?"
"Of course we're not going out," Remus replied dismissively. "For one thing, for God's sake, think about that." Sirius winced. "EXACTLY. And then for another, we'd certainly have told you then."
"Okay, so that's Peter. What about James?" Sirius questioned suspiciously.
"He asked me out," James answered, pointing to Remus.
Sirius's jaw dropped.
"I did NOT." Remus rolled his eyes. "What happened was, he walked in on me as I was snogging Kyle Everett. Kinda hard to argue with that kind of evidence." He winked.
"You snogged Kyle Everett?" Sirius repeated incredulously.
"And I am PROUD."
"Bitch," Peter muttered, elbowing Remus.
"Breathe, Pete."
Sirius looked around, completely shocked at everything he was seeing and hearing. "I have to take a break, guys," he murmured, suddenly feeling a headache come on. "I'm gonna take a walk."
"I'll come," James said quickly, getting up.
"You most certainly will not. I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to see anyone. I just want to be alone so I can think awhile, okay?" Sirius shrugged almost apologetically. "I'm sorry," he added, looking at James, who seemed almost hurt. "I'm sorry. But can't you see how huge this is?"
"Sirius, we didn't mean to hurt you," Remus said softly, touching his shoulder.
"I know," Sirius replied, though in reality he didn't see how anyone could keep such a secret for any other reason. "I just. . . I just have to walk, okay?"
Remus watched him step out of the bathroom, close the dormitory door. He heard steps in the Common Room, directly below them. Then he turned to his other two best friends. "Do you think we did the right thing, guys?" he asked quietly.
"God, I dunno," James muttered. "I mean, tonight sort of defeats the purpose of NOT telling him. . ."
"No shit," Peter commented dryly.
~~
It was cold. November was almost always chilly, but it was rarely blatantly freezing.
//Great. Everything else wasn't bad enough. Now even GOD hates me. Excellent.//
Severus. Now THERE'S a topic. There wasn't any denying that Sirius as attracted to him. But was it guys in general, or just him? Sirius raised a skeptical eyebrow at the thought that the only guy he could possibly be attracted to was Snape. On the one hand, it was bad enough to think that he was gay. On the other, it was worse to think that someone like SNAPE was enough to make him feel like that.
Someone like Snape? his inner voice asked him. What, you mean someone smart, funny, and willing to look past what everyone else thinks you are?
How can this have anything to do with love? Sirius asked himself. Love, he reasoned, is supposed to have flowers, and hearts. It is supposed to be a guy loving a girl. They are supposed to be exactly alike. Everyone is supposed to think they are adorable together. They are supposed to do everything together, and finish each other's sentences. They are supposed to be beautiful in every way.
This is not what I am feeling. However, I think I'd rather be feeling this than all of that.
And then there were his friends. Where the hell did THAT come from? Briefly, Sirius wondered to himself if perhaps they were just pulling an elaborate prank. But, despite their reputations as jokesters, he rejected that possibility for one reason.
When he had left, Remus had looked so sad. So sad. That face was sticking in his memory and wouldn't leave him alone.
Then why didn't he TELL me? he fumed silently, suddenly furious again. Would it have taken so much work? For everyone talking about what great friends we are, it suddenly occurs to me that for all I know, Moony could be a freaking hermaphrodite and I'd never know.
Now THERE'S a frightening thought.
~~
"Hey."
The voice startled Sirius, who jumped almost a foot in the air from where he'd been sitting by the edge of the lake. "Oh my GOD," he gasped, after wheeling around to find Severus. "You scared the hell out of me!"
"Sorry about that," the other boy murmured, coming to sit next to him.
There was quiet for the next few minutes before Severus broke it. He picked up a smooth, flat stone and skipped it across the lake.
"Now there's talent," Sirius remarked sarcastically, but he smiled warmly.
"Oh, it's an indubitable life skill," Severus replied, grinning back. He studied Sirius's face. "What are you thinking?"
"Is this my thoughtful face?"
"Either that or you're just looking particularly empty-headed tonight; I figured I'd give you the benefit of the doubt." Severus shivered and drew his legs around himself. "I'm serious. What are you thinking?"
"Well, I'm seriously considering running away to America to join the circus." Siriu smiled wanly. "Wanna come?"
"Because I'm funny as hell. Right."
"I don't think you give yourself enough credit."
"Or maybe you give me too much. What's wrong?"
Sirius sighed. "Two of my friends are gay. Who are they?"
"Remus and Peter," Severus answered instantly.
Sirius's jaw dropped and he put his head in his hands. "Why does everyone know but me?" he asked pathetically.
"Because you have terrible gaydar."
"Gaydar?"
"The ability to tell whether someone is gay."
Sirius sighed. "That hurt, Sev." He buried his head in Severus's chest. "I am a terrible, terrible person, aren't I?"
"What in the WORLD would make you say something like that?"
"No one respects me. I'm from a low-life family, and I don't have any class."
Severus's comforting arm found its way around Sirius's shoulders. "See this stone?" he asked, holding up a shiny, smooth, round stone.
"Yeah."
"This is you." Severus held up another one. "This," he said, holding up a rough, jagged pebble, "is, say, Malfoy." He skipped the stone. "The lake is society. You're in it just long enough to get to where you want to be, and the rest of the time you're up in the clouds." The stone sunk, and he threw the other one in. "This one doesn't skip. It just goes straight to society and then it sinks."
Sirius looked up, confused.
"By the time you die," Severus explained, pointing to the end of the lake, "so many people will have loved you that you will have made a profound difference in the world around you. By the time Malfoy dies," he added, pointing to the spot the pebble had sunk, "few people will have known him as a person, and fewer still will have loved him. He will die quietly, most likely alone. But he was a respected person in life."
"You, my friend, are terrible with metaphors." Sirius smiled. "Are you like this all the time, or is this just moonlight-inspired idiocy?"
"Shut up. I'm trying to tell you that I respect you. That I care about you. That all the people that MATTER respect you and care for you."
"Even Remus and Jamie and Peter?"
"Oh, especially Remus and Jamie and Peter."
Sirius smiled a little. "And you?"
"Jumbo especially me."
"Well, I jumbo triple respect YOU and care about YOU."
"I'm done being sappy," Severus murmured, stretching and laughing. "I haven't been kissed in HOURS and it'd certainly hit the spot right about now."
Sirius laughed, for this first time in what seemed like a million years. "Well, we can't have you unhappy," he whispered, and crawled over to kiss him softly on the lips.
"So glad you agree!"
End of Chapter 10
Well I must admit that Remus and Peter being gay was something I hadn't planned on at all. . . it was just the way Peter yelled "I was afraid we'd have to show them how!" that made me feel like experimenting. . . I am SUCH a geek.
Here's the deal, guys: after I'm done with this story, I'm thinking of writing a Harry/Draco fic. Would that be good, do you think? Something you'd read? Let me know!
Review! Please??
"You kissed?" James repeated dully.
Sirius nodded.
"Well no DUH they kissed," Remus exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Peter!" he called into the other room. "They kissed!"
"FINALLY," Peter grunted from the other side of the door. "I was beginning to worry we'd have to show them how."
James's jaw dropped. "AM I THE ONLY STRAIGHT GUY HERE?!" he demanded angrily.
Remus thought. "You know, that is actually quite possible, James," he replied after a period of deliberation.
Sirius was left gaping. "But- whaaaa . . . how. . . Bowman, you. . . she. . ."
"We did NOT," Remus muttered hotly. "Bowman was. . . an experiment. An unsuccessful one," he added as an afterthought.
"So what, I'm standing in a bathroom full of gay men?" Sirius asked uncertainly.
"I AM NOT GAY."
"We know, Jamie," Remus said impatiently.
Sirius held his hands up, looking like his head was going to explode. "Stop. Hang on. I'm SO confused."
"I'm gay." Remus pointed to himself. "The shrimp outside the door is gay. You are, apparently, gay. James is painfully straight."
"Why didn't I KNOW that?"
"You thought I was gay?" James asked, putting a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I know I'm hot. . . I think there's a support group you can join."
"What, gay men who can't have James Potter?"
Remus shrugged. "It's likely."
Peter tumbled in. "I hate listening at doors," he commented. "Let me get all this straight: everyone here is gay but James?"
"Correct," Remus affirmed.
"I can't believe I didn't KNOW," Sirius murmured angrily. "Why didn't you TELL me?" he demanded, looking at Remus, whose smile disappeared. "You told HIM! You told them BOTH! But not ME!"
Remus looked almost pained. "I didn't tell Peter," he explained. "Peter asked me out."
Sirius's jaw dropped. "You're going OUT?!" he screeched. "And you didn't TELL ME?"
"Of course we're not going out," Remus replied dismissively. "For one thing, for God's sake, think about that." Sirius winced. "EXACTLY. And then for another, we'd certainly have told you then."
"Okay, so that's Peter. What about James?" Sirius questioned suspiciously.
"He asked me out," James answered, pointing to Remus.
Sirius's jaw dropped.
"I did NOT." Remus rolled his eyes. "What happened was, he walked in on me as I was snogging Kyle Everett. Kinda hard to argue with that kind of evidence." He winked.
"You snogged Kyle Everett?" Sirius repeated incredulously.
"And I am PROUD."
"Bitch," Peter muttered, elbowing Remus.
"Breathe, Pete."
Sirius looked around, completely shocked at everything he was seeing and hearing. "I have to take a break, guys," he murmured, suddenly feeling a headache come on. "I'm gonna take a walk."
"I'll come," James said quickly, getting up.
"You most certainly will not. I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to see anyone. I just want to be alone so I can think awhile, okay?" Sirius shrugged almost apologetically. "I'm sorry," he added, looking at James, who seemed almost hurt. "I'm sorry. But can't you see how huge this is?"
"Sirius, we didn't mean to hurt you," Remus said softly, touching his shoulder.
"I know," Sirius replied, though in reality he didn't see how anyone could keep such a secret for any other reason. "I just. . . I just have to walk, okay?"
Remus watched him step out of the bathroom, close the dormitory door. He heard steps in the Common Room, directly below them. Then he turned to his other two best friends. "Do you think we did the right thing, guys?" he asked quietly.
"God, I dunno," James muttered. "I mean, tonight sort of defeats the purpose of NOT telling him. . ."
"No shit," Peter commented dryly.
~~
It was cold. November was almost always chilly, but it was rarely blatantly freezing.
//Great. Everything else wasn't bad enough. Now even GOD hates me. Excellent.//
Severus. Now THERE'S a topic. There wasn't any denying that Sirius as attracted to him. But was it guys in general, or just him? Sirius raised a skeptical eyebrow at the thought that the only guy he could possibly be attracted to was Snape. On the one hand, it was bad enough to think that he was gay. On the other, it was worse to think that someone like SNAPE was enough to make him feel like that.
Someone like Snape? his inner voice asked him. What, you mean someone smart, funny, and willing to look past what everyone else thinks you are?
How can this have anything to do with love? Sirius asked himself. Love, he reasoned, is supposed to have flowers, and hearts. It is supposed to be a guy loving a girl. They are supposed to be exactly alike. Everyone is supposed to think they are adorable together. They are supposed to do everything together, and finish each other's sentences. They are supposed to be beautiful in every way.
This is not what I am feeling. However, I think I'd rather be feeling this than all of that.
And then there were his friends. Where the hell did THAT come from? Briefly, Sirius wondered to himself if perhaps they were just pulling an elaborate prank. But, despite their reputations as jokesters, he rejected that possibility for one reason.
When he had left, Remus had looked so sad. So sad. That face was sticking in his memory and wouldn't leave him alone.
Then why didn't he TELL me? he fumed silently, suddenly furious again. Would it have taken so much work? For everyone talking about what great friends we are, it suddenly occurs to me that for all I know, Moony could be a freaking hermaphrodite and I'd never know.
Now THERE'S a frightening thought.
~~
"Hey."
The voice startled Sirius, who jumped almost a foot in the air from where he'd been sitting by the edge of the lake. "Oh my GOD," he gasped, after wheeling around to find Severus. "You scared the hell out of me!"
"Sorry about that," the other boy murmured, coming to sit next to him.
There was quiet for the next few minutes before Severus broke it. He picked up a smooth, flat stone and skipped it across the lake.
"Now there's talent," Sirius remarked sarcastically, but he smiled warmly.
"Oh, it's an indubitable life skill," Severus replied, grinning back. He studied Sirius's face. "What are you thinking?"
"Is this my thoughtful face?"
"Either that or you're just looking particularly empty-headed tonight; I figured I'd give you the benefit of the doubt." Severus shivered and drew his legs around himself. "I'm serious. What are you thinking?"
"Well, I'm seriously considering running away to America to join the circus." Siriu smiled wanly. "Wanna come?"
"Because I'm funny as hell. Right."
"I don't think you give yourself enough credit."
"Or maybe you give me too much. What's wrong?"
Sirius sighed. "Two of my friends are gay. Who are they?"
"Remus and Peter," Severus answered instantly.
Sirius's jaw dropped and he put his head in his hands. "Why does everyone know but me?" he asked pathetically.
"Because you have terrible gaydar."
"Gaydar?"
"The ability to tell whether someone is gay."
Sirius sighed. "That hurt, Sev." He buried his head in Severus's chest. "I am a terrible, terrible person, aren't I?"
"What in the WORLD would make you say something like that?"
"No one respects me. I'm from a low-life family, and I don't have any class."
Severus's comforting arm found its way around Sirius's shoulders. "See this stone?" he asked, holding up a shiny, smooth, round stone.
"Yeah."
"This is you." Severus held up another one. "This," he said, holding up a rough, jagged pebble, "is, say, Malfoy." He skipped the stone. "The lake is society. You're in it just long enough to get to where you want to be, and the rest of the time you're up in the clouds." The stone sunk, and he threw the other one in. "This one doesn't skip. It just goes straight to society and then it sinks."
Sirius looked up, confused.
"By the time you die," Severus explained, pointing to the end of the lake, "so many people will have loved you that you will have made a profound difference in the world around you. By the time Malfoy dies," he added, pointing to the spot the pebble had sunk, "few people will have known him as a person, and fewer still will have loved him. He will die quietly, most likely alone. But he was a respected person in life."
"You, my friend, are terrible with metaphors." Sirius smiled. "Are you like this all the time, or is this just moonlight-inspired idiocy?"
"Shut up. I'm trying to tell you that I respect you. That I care about you. That all the people that MATTER respect you and care for you."
"Even Remus and Jamie and Peter?"
"Oh, especially Remus and Jamie and Peter."
Sirius smiled a little. "And you?"
"Jumbo especially me."
"Well, I jumbo triple respect YOU and care about YOU."
"I'm done being sappy," Severus murmured, stretching and laughing. "I haven't been kissed in HOURS and it'd certainly hit the spot right about now."
Sirius laughed, for this first time in what seemed like a million years. "Well, we can't have you unhappy," he whispered, and crawled over to kiss him softly on the lips.
"So glad you agree!"
End of Chapter 10
Well I must admit that Remus and Peter being gay was something I hadn't planned on at all. . . it was just the way Peter yelled "I was afraid we'd have to show them how!" that made me feel like experimenting. . . I am SUCH a geek.
Here's the deal, guys: after I'm done with this story, I'm thinking of writing a Harry/Draco fic. Would that be good, do you think? Something you'd read? Let me know!
Review! Please??