Love Lessons

Chapter Two - Secrets and Suspicions.


"Isn't he gorgeous?"

James looked up from his essay on Lethifolds and smirked at Sirius, who was practically drooling as Professor Flint stacked a pile of books onto his desk.

"How should I know? I'm not a big pouf like you!"

Sirius' eyes followed the Professor as he crossed the room. "He's better looking than Evans."

"Lily isn't a bloke!"

"Wouldn't bet on that one, mate."

Remus chuckled and nibbled on his quill from the desk in front of them. He turned to face them with a small smile playing on his lips. "Don't be mean, Padfoot."

"Awww! Does little Remmykins have a thing for Evans too?"

James shot Remus a searching look, his glasses flashing with suspicion. "Do you?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Don't be so stupid. Anyway, if I did fancy her I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I? You'd rip me limb from limb!"

"Everything alright over here boys?"

Professor Flint smiled as he approached the table were James and Sirius were seated. Sirius turned red and gaped stupidly. James grinned lazily at the Professor and nodded.

"Just dandy, Professor."

Remus scowled as Professor Flint walked off to another table. "Put your eyes back in, Sirius!"

Sirius licked his lips and turned around slightly to watch Professor Flint bend over to check someone's essay. The Animagus smirked and allowed his eyes to travel up and down the man's slender frame, imagining rather graphically what he would do to that body if it was devoided of robes. He was brought back down to earth with a thump when Remus jabbed him hard in the eye with his quill.

"Ahhh!" Sirius squealed girlishly and clutched his face. He glared at Remus furiously, though he found the effect wasn't half as good when only using one eye. "What the fuck? Why did you do that?"

"You only have 10 minutes left of this lesson," Remus answered swiftly. He turned his back and ignored James and Peter, who were almost crying with laughter. "And as far as I can see, you've only completed half of your work. The rest of your parchments just covered in doodles. Get on with what you're supposed to be doing instead of mentally molesting Professor Flint."

Sirius blinked rapidly and opened his eye. He cried out rather loudly as he found that his vision was all blurry and he clutched at James. "Prongs, he's BLINDED me!"

James chuckled and patted Sirius comfortingly on the back. "You'll be okay, Sirius."

Sirius kicked the back of Remus' chair, covering his sore eye protectively in his hand. "Bastard! I hate you!"

"I love you too, Sirius."

Remus nibbled his lip and furrowed his brow when Sirius fell silent. He listened to the vauge scratching of a quill and the odd tut, smiling slightly. His essay completely forgotten, Remus thought about Sirius (which was becoming a habbit). He imagined what it would feel like if Sirius actually loved him back. Would things be the same?

'No, don't be so daft!' Remus thought. 'If he loved me, things would be better than they are now. I'd have someone to wake me in the mornings with kisses and I'd never have to bottle up my emotions anymore, because I'd have somebody to talk to. And I'd actually be getting some action too.'

He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he jumped when the bell rang and knocked over his pot of ink. It seeped across the desk and Remus only just managed to snatch his essay out of the way. Sirius laughed at him fondly and with a small wave of his wand, the ink was gone and the desk just as clean as before. Remus suddenly turned red and mumbled a quick 'thank you' before hurrying out of the classroom and off to his next lesson.

James watched him rather suspiciously. Remus had been acting very strange recently. His odd behaviour had began on the night the Marauders had returned to Hogwarts the previous week. James wasn't really as dumb as he appeared and he took notice of all the small things, like the way Remus changed colour quicker than a set of traffic lights whenever Sirius touched him. He also noticed the looks that Remus would give Sirius whenever he thought nobody was looking, a kind of wistful stare that one would normally give their lover.

Bearing all of this in mind, James decided to keep a very close eye on his friend. He was pretty certain Remus had a thing for Sirius, and if this were true, he would just have to do something about it then, wouldn't he?

- - -

"Oy! Severus!"

Severus Snape swung around and grinned (a thing he never usually did), turning pink as Lucius Malfoy caught up with him in the empty Charms corridor. Lucius just seemed to have that effect on Severus. The blonde Slytherin just seemed to make him oddly happy. Severus struggled to compose himself as Lucius ground to a halt besides him and Lily. Lily gave Lucius a cold look and he glared back at her before turning towards Severus.

"Severus, I need you to help me," Lucius said, his blue eyes shining. His cheeks appeared oddly flushed and he ran a hand through his unatrually long hair. "It's that essay McGonagall set...I'm not too good at Transfiguration. Do you think you could help me out?"

Lily scoffed. "Well, go and see McGonagall about the essay, you docile prat."

"Piss off, Evans! Who asked you to stick your overlarge nose in?"

"What the fuck did you just say to me?"

"Sure," Severus said, stepping smartly between Lily and Lucius. "How about tomorrow in the Common Room?"

Lucius pulled a face. "Not the Common Room. It's the Quidditch season soon and everyone'll be too rowdy. How about the Dormitory at 9pm? The other guys are all going to be out then. Nott's sneaking off to meet that Ravenclaw girl and Goyle and Crabbe have an extra Potions class with Slughorn."

Severus nodded and Lucius grinned at him and shot a look of loathing at Lily before wandering off down the corridor. Was Severus just imagining that glint in the other boy's eyes? And that smirk tugging at his lips?

Severus watched Lucius go with his eyebrows raised and quietly said to himself, "But Quidditch doesn't start for another two month..."