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fox_confessorFic: These Four Kings (Summer 2/2 part b)
(see part a for all links/explanations/whingings and such)
continued from here
The Next Day
James hated that Remus couldn't be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He'd spent nearly the last two hours outlining a new play he had dreamt about the night before, though Sirius had said it would never work. At his words, Remus had got that thoughtful look, though, the one that meant that plans were afoot, and finally made a suggestion--a correction--that made the whole thing brilliant rather than ridiculous. James was glad he had Remus as a fellow marauder and plotter and he really thought his team would be perfect if they could all be on it together. James had talked Peter into trying out again, convincing him that six times was the charm. He didn't fly as well as Sirius and his reflexes were nothing to James' own, but his weight would make him a good replacement as the Open Side Beater since Finknottle had left school. James had hated to deny Peter last year when James had first been made captain, but it couldn't be helped. Still, Remus would have made an excellent chaser--maybe even a seeker--since he was so light and fast on the broom. Or rather, he used to be.
James glanced up from his stack of parchment covered with Quidditch plays to look over the rim of his glasses to where Remus sat on the ground near where Sirius was working on his bike. Remus couldn't fly anymore--or he wouldn't, he didn't want to try. He'd been happy enough to use Sirius' wand to send conkers zooming across the field for James and Sirius to catch as they played but it hadn't lasted for long. Remus was still unsteady on his feet, especially when he was tired, but he hated his cane and often "forgot" it as they moved from place to place over the last two days. He only used it grudgingly when Sirius presented it to him. Sirius said to give him time, to not bother him about it, but James still hated it. He hated it for Remus.
Late that afternoon, Remus being tired was the reason they were in the old converted thestral stable where Sirius kept his bike. Sirius had a set of secondhand Muggle tools, too, which he used on the engine, assuring James that loud was what he was going for--that it was suppose to sound like that. He was talking a mile a minute now, explaining to Remus was each part did and what had to be replaced still. Remus was leaning back on his hands and smiling placidly, like one might to a small child who was explaining how his favorite toys worked. That was close enough to the truth that James snickered into his sleeve.
"I'm going to make her fly, too, Moony," James heard Sirius whisper as he stroked the handlebars, and James hid another smile. Sirius hadn't had the bike for a week before he asked James if he thought that Remus would be impressed if Sirius could make it fly.
"Her?"
"You have to name them. They run better that way. James even named his broom."
"He didn't."
"Shut it, Pads," James said quickly, standing from his father's old workbench and catching the rolls of parchment he'd been working on before they fell to the ground.
"Please tell me it has nothing to do with Lily Evans."
"No!" But James could feel his face heating up. "Ask him what he named the bike."
"I'm not telling."
"You told Prongs."
"No I didn't. He made that up about naming his broom Lily to get me to tell him but I wouldn't. Maybe when she's all fixed up."
"You said you could ride her now," Remus said.
"I can, but when she can fly--then I'll tell you."
"Are you really going to make her fly?"
"If he can work out the charms. Dad thinks that he has a book in the library that might help but mum won't let him give it to us."
"What do you think, Moony?" Sirius asked as he picked up a rag and slowly began to polish the chassis and engine cover.
"I think you'll end up killing yourself."
"And if I want to do it anyway?"
"He'll need an invisibility charm," James said. "Something he can push to activate so that he won't have to concentrate on it."
"You'll need one on lift and thrust first, something to make it weightless." Remus climbed shakily to his feet and James watched as Sirius dropped the rag in his hand to steady Remus, making sure he could stand on his own before letting go. They stood there then, the three of them, and stared at the bike.
"Something that would eliminate drag and let you fly," Remus said after a while. "I bet Lily would know a good book, and then we could find it in your dad's library. He wouldn't have to tell us that way."
"Evans?" Sirius scowled at the mention of Lily and James elbowed him sharply.
"Who else?" Remus said but he was laughing at them. "She did a special study on levitation charms in fifth year. It was the year that Flitwick let us do projects if we wanted, and you two didn't."
"Waste of time," Sirius said dismissively.
"We could invite her," James said, trying to sound casual. "For tea. Ask her."
"She won't come just because you crook your finger," Sirius teased.
"She'll be more likely to come with Remus here. I can use him as bait." James grinned at Remus but Remus didn't return it, didn't look at him. The idea of it seemed to startle him, his hand going self-consciously to one of the deep scratches on his cheek and his eyes went distant. James was sorry he'd made a joke of it, though it hadn't been much of one.
Sirius saw it, too, and tugged on Remus' sleeve, tugged him closer to where Sirius climbed astride his bike. "Come for a ride, Remus."
Remus shook his head but James could see the way the corners of his lips began to turn up. He watched as Sirius and Remus went back and forth over the roar of the engine about will he or won't but in the end Remus was firm. Won't. But he was smiling again when he said it, pushing James toward where Sirius sat on his bike, to take the ride in his place.
That Night
It was hot, that night, and after James left for his own room, Sirius opened the window and lay down to listen to Remus breath slow and steady in sleep. After a while, he turned to his side to touch the tin soldier that Remus had been wearing--that was his, that was Sirius'. He pressed the back of his fingers just barely against the pulse in Remus' throat to feel his blood thrum. He reminded himself that he was happy with just this. He could be happy with only this.
(see part a for all links/explanations/whingings and such)
continued from here
James hated that Remus couldn't be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He'd spent nearly the last two hours outlining a new play he had dreamt about the night before, though Sirius had said it would never work. At his words, Remus had got that thoughtful look, though, the one that meant that plans were afoot, and finally made a suggestion--a correction--that made the whole thing brilliant rather than ridiculous. James was glad he had Remus as a fellow marauder and plotter and he really thought his team would be perfect if they could all be on it together. James had talked Peter into trying out again, convincing him that six times was the charm. He didn't fly as well as Sirius and his reflexes were nothing to James' own, but his weight would make him a good replacement as the Open Side Beater since Finknottle had left school. James had hated to deny Peter last year when James had first been made captain, but it couldn't be helped. Still, Remus would have made an excellent chaser--maybe even a seeker--since he was so light and fast on the broom. Or rather, he used to be.
James glanced up from his stack of parchment covered with Quidditch plays to look over the rim of his glasses to where Remus sat on the ground near where Sirius was working on his bike. Remus couldn't fly anymore--or he wouldn't, he didn't want to try. He'd been happy enough to use Sirius' wand to send conkers zooming across the field for James and Sirius to catch as they played but it hadn't lasted for long. Remus was still unsteady on his feet, especially when he was tired, but he hated his cane and often "forgot" it as they moved from place to place over the last two days. He only used it grudgingly when Sirius presented it to him. Sirius said to give him time, to not bother him about it, but James still hated it. He hated it for Remus.
Late that afternoon, Remus being tired was the reason they were in the old converted thestral stable where Sirius kept his bike. Sirius had a set of secondhand Muggle tools, too, which he used on the engine, assuring James that loud was what he was going for--that it was suppose to sound like that. He was talking a mile a minute now, explaining to Remus was each part did and what had to be replaced still. Remus was leaning back on his hands and smiling placidly, like one might to a small child who was explaining how his favorite toys worked. That was close enough to the truth that James snickered into his sleeve.
"I'm going to make her fly, too, Moony," James heard Sirius whisper as he stroked the handlebars, and James hid another smile. Sirius hadn't had the bike for a week before he asked James if he thought that Remus would be impressed if Sirius could make it fly.
"Her?"
"You have to name them. They run better that way. James even named his broom."
"He didn't."
"Shut it, Pads," James said quickly, standing from his father's old workbench and catching the rolls of parchment he'd been working on before they fell to the ground.
"Please tell me it has nothing to do with Lily Evans."
"No!" But James could feel his face heating up. "Ask him what he named the bike."
"I'm not telling."
"You told Prongs."
"No I didn't. He made that up about naming his broom Lily to get me to tell him but I wouldn't. Maybe when she's all fixed up."
"You said you could ride her now," Remus said.
"I can, but when she can fly--then I'll tell you."
"Are you really going to make her fly?"
"If he can work out the charms. Dad thinks that he has a book in the library that might help but mum won't let him give it to us."
"What do you think, Moony?" Sirius asked as he picked up a rag and slowly began to polish the chassis and engine cover.
"I think you'll end up killing yourself."
"And if I want to do it anyway?"
"He'll need an invisibility charm," James said. "Something he can push to activate so that he won't have to concentrate on it."
"You'll need one on lift and thrust first, something to make it weightless." Remus climbed shakily to his feet and James watched as Sirius dropped the rag in his hand to steady Remus, making sure he could stand on his own before letting go. They stood there then, the three of them, and stared at the bike.
"Something that would eliminate drag and let you fly," Remus said after a while. "I bet Lily would know a good book, and then we could find it in your dad's library. He wouldn't have to tell us that way."
"Evans?" Sirius scowled at the mention of Lily and James elbowed him sharply.
"Who else?" Remus said but he was laughing at them. "She did a special study on levitation charms in fifth year. It was the year that Flitwick let us do projects if we wanted, and you two didn't."
"Waste of time," Sirius said dismissively.
"We could invite her," James said, trying to sound casual. "For tea. Ask her."
"She won't come just because you crook your finger," Sirius teased.
"She'll be more likely to come with Remus here. I can use him as bait." James grinned at Remus but Remus didn't return it, didn't look at him. The idea of it seemed to startle him, his hand going self-consciously to one of the deep scratches on his cheek and his eyes went distant. James was sorry he'd made a joke of it, though it hadn't been much of one.
Sirius saw it, too, and tugged on Remus' sleeve, tugged him closer to where Sirius climbed astride his bike. "Come for a ride, Remus."
Remus shook his head but James could see the way the corners of his lips began to turn up. He watched as Sirius and Remus went back and forth over the roar of the engine about will he or won't but in the end Remus was firm. Won't. But he was smiling again when he said it, pushing James toward where Sirius sat on his bike, to take the ride in his place.
It was hot, that night, and after James left for his own room, Sirius opened the window and lay down to listen to Remus breath slow and steady in sleep. After a while, he turned to his side to touch the tin soldier that Remus had been wearing--that was his, that was Sirius'. He pressed the back of his fingers just barely against the pulse in Remus' throat to feel his blood thrum. He reminded himself that he was happy with just this. He could be happy with only this.