Best Worst Day Ever

By DramaPhile

Rated: PG

Pairing: Remus/Sirius

Word Count: 1,200

Disclaimer: Do you really think I'd be eating Kraft Mac'n' Cheese if I got paid for this? No infringement intended, blah blah blah.

Summary: They wouldn't forget his birthday on purpose, would they?

A/N: This was just going to be a little drabble in honor of Remus' birthday today, but I guess it got away from me…

Best Worst Day Ever

He didn't blame them, really. He hadn't exactly reminded them about it, he'd just sort of expected that they would remember. It wasn't like they knew and were ignoring it on purpose, right? No, Remus admonished himself, Marauders stick together. They don't betray one another, they don't leave anyone out, and they certainly don't forget birthdays on purpose.

Of course, they still didn't change the fact that no one seemed to remember that today, Remus turned eighteen. He'd been whistling silly tunes all week, something which Sirius never let pass an opportunity to tease him about., happily anticipating what sort of birthday delights his best friends would orchestrate for him, and now-

It's not their fault, he thought with a sigh.

Birthdays were sacred among Marauders, and every year brought something even more special and wonderful than the year before. When he turned twelve, Peter, James and Sirius had awoken him before sunrise and dragged him up to the astronomy tower to watch the sun rise and eat as many chocolate frogs as they could stomach, watching the rest take suicide leaps out of the window and giggling.

On his thirteenth birthday, they'd transfigured a giant banner in the Great Hall to read, "Happy Birthday Remus" and charmed his crumpets to sing at breakfast.

When he turned fourteen, they'd managed to get the back of Professor McGonagall's robes to flash "Happy Birthday" all day long, which he admonished them for, but was secretly delighted.

His fifteenth birthday was celebrated by sneaking into the restricted section of the library with James' Invisibility Cloak and reading wonderfully forbidden books till it was light.

The full moon fell on the night of his sixteenth birthday, when James, Peter and Sirius revealed the results of their secret plotting and researching, and turned into their animagus forms for the first time. He very nearly cried then, when Padfoot toppled him over, licking all over his face, blaming his moist eyes on the dusty shack.

His seventeenth birthday was his favorite so far, James and Peter had bought him what seemed like a lifetime supply of sugar quills and Sirius- oh, Sirius -had taken him into the forbidden forest and shown him a patch of ethereal midnight-blooming lilies and cupped his cheek with one shaking palm and said, "I'm sorry Moony, I can't help it, I- Happy Birthday-" and kissed him, kissed him with late-night sweetness and chapped lips and warm perfection, and Remus thought life could never be better than that moment.

And now, a year later, their anniversary no less (though Sirius would scoff at keeping track of dates like some girl would) it was dinnertime and no one had said a thing. Not Peter, not James, not Sirius, not even Lily, who always sent him a sweet little note in flowery cursive wishing him a happy year, remembered. No, scratch that, he thought bitterly, Severus Snape remembered. He had caught him between classes and sneered smugly, "Guess your friends are finally tired of you, Wolf, I can't say I blame them, I wouldn't want to hang around such a dangerous beast."

And now, he was sitting at the Gryffindor table, half-heartedly poking his lukewarm meatloaf and vaguely nodding at whatever Frank Longbottom was saying to him. They hadn't even come to dinner that night. Sirius said he had an essay to write, and James was meeting Lily somewhere and Peter had muttered something about a project, which Remus imagined was some sort of code for Off Stalking That Cute Hufflepuff Bint Again. He poked the lump of meat again and dropped his fork, irritated and sad.

"Going to go study," he mumbled at Frank and made his way out of the Great Hall, shoulders hunched.

Sirius bumped into him in the corridor, and he tried to shuffle past, not wanting Sirius to see how upset he was.

"Where ya going, Moony?"

"Library. I'm not having a very good day and I think I'd just like some peace and quiet for a while." He moved to pass him again and Sirius grabbed his arms and turned him around.

"Wouldn't you rather go back to Gryffindor tower and hang out in our nice, warm common room? All this studying's just not healthy, Moony, you need a good game of exploding snap, or wizard's chess to cheer you up."

Remus sighed. "I'd really rather not, Padfoot." Sirius held fast to his arms and started to steer him to the tower.

"I'll give you a backrub, if you like." He waggled his eyebrows for effect, and Remus frowned.

"I'm really not in the mood right now." Sirius slide his arms around Remus' chest and buried his face in his neck.

"You sure?" he said in a muffled voice against Remus' skin.

"Yes," Remus said, even though it did feel a bit better being in his boyfriend's arms.

"Too bad then, because you've just got to relax for once." Sirius let go of him and grabbed one hand, tugging him down the corridor. Remus let himself be dragged, too despondent to argue any more. Maybe going to bed early would be nice, he thought, then I can get this horrible day over with. Sirius kissed him on the cheek happily and dragged him down the corridor and up the stairs to the portrait of the fat lady.

"You're looking especially lovely today," Sirius said to the portrait of the fat lady and she smiled back coyly. "Felicem Diem Natalem"

In the split second that it took Remus to realize that the password had changed, the portrait swung open and he was bombarded with dozens of grinning Gryffindor faces.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they shouted, all at once, and the ceiling of the common room lit up with "Happy 18th, Remus!" in shimmering letters, and behind them were streamers and tables piled high with butterbeer and pumpkin juice and cookies and- was that chocolate? Remus stared, shocked speechless. He turned to Sirius, who was sporting a meter-wide grin.

"But- I thought that you- All day I've been- " Remus hadn't thought it was possible, but Sirius grinned wider.

"Gotcha. You didn't really think we'd forgotten, did you, Moony?" Remus wasn't sure whether to punch him or kiss him, so he launched himself at the grinning boy, knocking him to the ground.

"You- You- I'm so going to make you pay for this!" he growled at Sirius, grabbing the front of his shirt in his fists. Fear flashed across Sirius' face and Remus let him simmer for a moment before pulling him up by his shirt and kissing him soundly, laughing and smiling into his boyfriend's mouth. A wolf whistle came from the open portrait hole and Remus sat up, blushing. The entirety of Gryffindor house was watching them, giggling and grinning like there was no tomorrow.

James let out another wolf whistle and Remus stuttered, "Uh- uh- thanks guys?" Sirius pulled him back down to the floor until their noses touched lightly.

"Happy birthday, Moony," he whispered, and kissed him until he had no more breath and forgot about everyone watching and could only think, God help me, I love this boy.

A/N Felicem Diem Natalem is Latin for "Happy Birthday," in case you didn't figure it out.

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