InsaneJournal

Sirius wasn't lying when he said he was crap at Valentine's Day, that he didn't really care much, and that being at Hogwarts amidst all the pink and red and flowers and hearts and candies and valentines just made him feel like a prick. Here he was, in a committed relationship, and he didn't have a damn thing planned.

So when the music turned from upbeat to something smoother, something that brought to mind stammering, red-faced boys trying to get up the courage to ask their dates to dance, something indescribable caused Sirius to turn to Remus with an intense look. They were standing off to the side of the professor's table, just a few feet down from the food and punch. "Dance with me," he murmured, extending a hand to his partner.


Remus very rarely minded chaperoning events like this, but Valentine's Day could be somewhat trying. Maybe it was the abundance of Teenage Hormones, or something else he didn't want to think about, but- when Sirius held out his hand, Remus looked at the offering as if he'd never seen it before and couldn't possibly understand what it might be. "What are you doing?"


"Asking you to dance," Sirius said with a small measure of impatience. Wasn't it obvious what he was doing? "I like this song and I want to dance."


Of course, there was no one stopping Sirius from dancing- and Remus nearly said as much aloud- but the crux of the thing, here, was that Sirius wanted to dance with him. Now, in front of the entirety (more or less) of the Hogwarts student body and the collective of their colleagues. (Not that the latter ought to have posed much problem, of course, but it still meant an awful lot of people.)

So instead Remus opted for further stalling and obvious statements. "Why?" Then, "There are people here, Sirius."


"Well, yes, Moony, it's a ball. Other people are here and dancing. And as for a why, I'd have thought it obvious." Sirius flashed him a rather charming grin. "It's Valentine's Day and I love you."


That grin had gotten Remus into trouble on more occasions than he cared to count- now, or ever- and it very likely would do so again, tonight. Once the shock and alarm and worry of it all wore off, which- at Sirius' proclamation- seemed only to heighten. "Padfoot." Remus' voice was a harsh whisper- which, really, likely only drew more attention that saying yes would have done in the first place. "Have you lost your mind entirely?"


He shrugged, his hand still extended as though he still hoped Remus would take it. "Probably," Sirius said casually. "Isn't that what was supposed to happen to me in Azkaban?" He tapped his foot impatiently. "You're stalling and the song's half over. Will you dance with me or not?"


Playing the Azkaban Card (such that it was) was entirely unfair, but Remus would never say that. He had no right to, after all- and if Sirius could find a way to find (or force) humor in the situation after (what was really) a relatively short time, well, Remus shouldn't have protested it.

So instead he wordlessly took Sirius' offered hand. The song was half over. Maybe no one would notice.


It wasn't Sirius's intent to make a spectacle out of them. Or even to maneuver them onto the dance floor. In fact, he was quite content to stick to the edge of the room and dance in relative privacy. He wagged his eyebrows when Remus took his hand. "I'm taking that as a yes," he said, "since I didn't hear you actually say anything."

He tugged Remus toward him and slid an arm easily around his back, holding their joined hands up in between them as he turned them in a tight circle in time to the music.


It was a yes obviously so, as Remus hadn't run from the hall- but he didn't say as much in return. Instead, Remus closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself to listen to the music and not much else- not Sirius' goading, not the students who may or may not have been looking, and especially not his own thoughts. It was easy enough to fall into step with the song, and his free hand moved to Sirius' shoulder as they danced.

(Why here? Why now? Why- What- — No, Lupin, just dance. It doesn't matter.)


Sirius hummed along to the music and stepped barely a centimeter closer to Remus, his fingers curling into the folds of his robes at his lower back. He alternated looking at Remus, who had closed his eyes briefly, and out into the Great Hall. "I hate Valentine's Day, you know," he murmured after a moment, but he kept dancing.


"I know you do," Remus replied, finally finding the normal tone of his voice. He considered a moment, then added, "I don't. It's... overdone, perhaps, and often poorly executed, but the theme isn't an inherently bad one."


"I just don't get why there has to be a day for it. I mean, look at this. It is overdone and hyped up and there are bloody puffy cherubs flying round shooting people. It's good for a prank or two," he said, thinking of his own addition of candy hearts and such to the festivities, "but what's wrong with saying 'I love you' or 'I fancy you' on another day? Why've we got to wait for this one?" His eyes met Remus's and his feet stilled, just for a moment. "I don't think I need to wait for a day to let you know I how feel."


"It isn't as if you need the excuse of a holiday for a prank, either," Remus offered- though, of course, the themed ones Sirius had come up with were a nice touch. (Not that he was advocating them, of course, but he'd long since learned his lesson when it came to squashing that sort of activity.)

And he agreed with the rest of Sirius' reasoning, too, though- "Perhaps some people just need the day's encouragement to say those sort of things. There is safety and strength found in numbers- even for fools in love, I'd imagine." He met Sirius' gaze when they stopped, and there seemed to be something more left unsaid- but Remus didn't want to prompt, in case he was wrong.


This was the sort of moment where Sirius would, in normal or, rather, private circumstances, kiss Remus, but he wasn't about to do that here. He knew that would make both of them and, probably, the majority of the student body really uncomfortable. Kissing would have to wait. He squeezed Remus's hand gently. "I'm just saying that I hope you already know, Moony," he said in a low voice.


If there was a hint of flush to Remus' cheeks, well, he'd never admit it. Because he did know, and by all accounts the reminder of it shouldn't have made his heart leap in his chest. (But it did. Of course it did.) "I know it just as well as you do, Padfoot," he replied, carefully, quietly.


Sirius's lips quirked into a grin and he nodded, once, then pulled Remus in closer for a quick, tight spin in place where they were barely still dancing. "Then consider this my grand gesture," he said teasingly, "dancing with you in the Great Hall on Valentine's Day."


Just like that, the sentimental moment had passed- but, maybe it was for the best, now. Instead, Remus only barely repressed an eye roll at Sirius' teasing. "I wasn't aware that I had asked for a grand gesture."


He shrugged and spun them again, just once. "You didn't. But Evans seemed to imply that I was a useless boyfriend so I thought I'd do something, and I didn't think you'd appreciate me doing something quite so grand as pulling you into the middle of the room and proposing or something," he continued on casually.

As the music ended, he slowed them both and let his hand fall away from Remus's back. He stepped to the side and bowed slightly. "Thank you for the dance, Professor Lupin," he said grinning.


"You're not a-" Proposing or something. Remus' mouth snapped shut, whatever reassurances he'd been about to offer completely erased from his mind with Sirius' casual suggestion (and dismissal of said suggestion).

Instead, he stepped back, and offered Sirius a gallant bow in return. "It was my pleasure, Professor Black."


He moved back to his spot where he had been standing, his arms crossed over his chest, where he had a full view of the entire room. "I've got a surprise for you later though," Sirius whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "Something that shouldn't be given here in full view of everyone else." He didn't look at Remus as he said it, trying instead to act normal and everything even though just that one dance had left his head reeling. What would it be like, he wondered, to have been able to pull him out and really dance with him?


Remus stood next to Sirius- perhaps a bit closer than he had been, before their dance- though his gaze, too, was on the rest of the room. At Sirius' words, Remus coughed- clearly unnaturally- but covered up the gesture with a hand held to his chest, as if he was just clearing his throat. "A surprise?" Not that he really expected Sirius to give him any more hints than just that, but it was worth a shot. "Ought I be worried, or flattered?"


His smile grew at Remus's reaction. "Oh," he said simply, "definitely worried. You'll be sore tomorrow for sure." He couldn't help but flick his gaze to the side, just briefly, trying to catch Remus's reaction.


Remus didn't notice Sirius' glance- but only because he'd closed his own eyes in an only-moderately-successful attempt to retain his composure. "Padfoot..." Though, really, he didn't even know what to say to that- or whether saying Sirius' name was a question or a plea. Maybe both.


Sirius's shoulders should in silent laughter, and he felt his own face heating the more he thought about it. He cleared his throat and straightened. "I'm going to go get a drink," he said suddenly, "and maybe some pudding. Can I bring you back anything?" He tugged on the sides of his robes to straighten them a bit, and he ran a hand back through his hair in an attempt to calm it or further muss it up, either way.


Remus finally glanced over to Sirius- and smiled, just slightly, at his newly-mussed hair. "A drink." Then, an afterthought, "One that isn't spiked, please." Not that the qualification should have been necessary, but all the same.

Whatever Sirius was planning, he'd certainly succeeded in leaving Remus curious. The feast couldn't end soon enough.



Sirius glanced back over his shoulder as he walked away and winked, letting Remus know he heard the bit about getting him an unspiked drink. Then he swept his way to the drinks, because if he had stayed beside Remus for a moment longer, they would have both been in trouble.