Feeling more dirty than clean -- which really didn't make any sense after spending so long in the bath, idly watching the bubbles drift and eventually disappear on top the water, with Sirius behind him, drawing tiny circles on his bare back to ease the tension from his muscles -- Remus at last shrugged on his clean robes, a half-smile raising his lips. He teased his hair in afterthought as he turned away from the mirror, in front of which he had been standing.

Sirius sat at the edge of the tub, watching as the last remaining litters of colored bathwater gurgled down the drain. He wore only the slacks he sported earlier (the towel Lily had thrown at him rested on his head, looking rather silly as it almost made Sirius look as if he had red hair) because he had brought no extra clothes and was far too lazy to conjure some up. Remus had asked Sirius if he wanted him to do it, but the boy just shook his head.

"This is fine," he'd said, winking at the tiniest of flushes that painted Remus' cheeks. "I know you like what you see, so why should I cover it up?"

Maybe that could explain why Remus felt so filthy. What Sirius said had sent a flurry of mental images through his mind -- some of them were not so innocent, much to his vexation.

"Sirius." The boy's eyes were on him in an instant, warm and inquiring. He stood, graceful in manner, almost like a dancer.

"Yes?"

Remus gestured to the door. "Time for us to leave. We've been in here far too long."

Sirius made a face, thinking. "Nah, Moony, it's only been--what?--an hour or so?"

"Two," he corrected, confirming it by checking his wristwatch for the fourth time since he clambered out of the tub. "Professor McGonagall will have a fit if we're late for detention…"

Groaning, Sirius walked to where Remus stood. He grabbed the other's wrist, twisted it a bit, and glared at the polished surface of the antique watch.

"It's only ten," he muttered, dropping Remus's arm. "When's detention start?"

"I haven't a clue," Remus admitted, frowning. "But, it's best if we stay in the common room until we're sought out."

Sirius couldn't argue with that, but that certainly didn't stop him from complaining.

"Oh, what a waste," he exclaimed, pouting in a rather childish manner. Sirius Black did not like it when his weekends were ruined. "What a fucking waste of a perfect Sunday afternoon!"

Remus ignored his language and began walking towards the door. "It's still morning, Pads," he teased, smiling wryly.

"Doesn't matter what time it is now," the pup went on, following Remus with long, quick strides, "when we're in detention, it'll be the afternoon. And don't tell me McGonagall will have the grace to wait till tomorrow."

Remus shrugged, pushing open the portal door and stepping aside for Sirius to go through first. Sirius obeyed, but grabbed Remus's hand, much to the latters' surprise.

Sirius's head appeared out from the shadows of the doorway, grinning like a lunatic. "Hey, question Moons."

Remus raised an eyebrow and tried to appear nonchalant. "What?"

"Before we drag our sorry asses back to the common room," his grin turned into a smirk in a snap, "can I sneak another kiss out of you?"

Blushing, Remus didn't answer. He couldn't find his voice -- it fled in his nervous delight. Unable to say anything, he nodded weakly. Sirius stepped out of the shade, enveloped Remus in his arms and planted his mouth over his.

Kissing back more for the pleasure of Sirius than himself (though no one could deny that a spark of joy burned in his chest), Remus wrapped his own arms around Sirius's naked shoulders and waited for it to end.

"You blokes went to the baths, together," James snapped indigently when the pups returned to an empty common room fifteen minutes later. "The hell were you two thinking?"

James was seated on the largest couch next to the fireplace, arms folded over his chest and face taut in a serious mask; Peter sat in a chair in front of him, hand still hovering over the chess piece he was about to beckon into moving for him. At least Peter's smile held some sort of welcoming.

Sirius snorted and threw his towel at him as Remus quickly untied the knot of their hands. They'd mistaken by thinking everyone would have ventured down to breakfast an hour ago; they should have known James and Peter better than that.

James caught the towel with the polish of a true seeker and flicked it accidentally at Peter, who half-yelped in surprise and managed not only to fumble as he tried to catch the soaking cloth, but also to send a number of the chess pieces flying. The tiny, marble knights, pawns and Peter's queen glared up at him from the crimson carpet and shook their stone fists at him. He dropped the towel behind his chair and made to pick up the pieces, getting pinched as punishment for knocking them down in the first place.

Remus was sure he was the only one to notice the little display, as Sirius's stare was still fixed on James and James was still glaring at Sirius, and went over to help Peter while the other two bickered. Peter smiled in thanks and softly apologized, both to the pieces and to Remus.

"It's alright," Remus soothed, smiling gently as Sirius, now standing next to James's seat, said rather snappishly, "What were we thinking, Jamie boy? Why, nothing at all! What's with that nasty tone, huh?"

Remus and Peter sighed. James stood up, frowning.

"Nasty tone, have I?" This time James snorted. Sirius looked displeased. "Let me tell you, while you and Rem were snogging in the baths--" Remus's face turned the same color red the carpet was dyed; Peter laughed nervously at the sudden (but no less correct) accusation. "--McGonagall came parading in here asking where you two were! You better be grateful that I lied for you guys and said you two went to the Owlery, sending off a letter to my mum about a book you left at my house!"

"Why, thank you, James," Sirius replied sarcastically, but with less of an annoyed edge. Speaking as a brother would to his brother, he asked, "What did that hag want anyway?"

Just like that, the awkward and heavy air vanished, and James took off his angry mask, replacing it with a thin smile.

"Detention, mate, remember?"

"Why were you all given detention," Peter piped up. Sirius waved a hand at him.

To Peter: "Hold on, Pete." To James: "Of course, but it's not right now, is it?"

"Obviously not. She did tell me what we all had to do though," James said sullenly.

During this small exchange, Remus hurriedly gave Peter a brief explanation of what had transpired the night before ("We were caught running around in the forest," he said; Peter looked like he wanted to ask question, but wasn't allowed the chance).

"And that is…" Sirius drawled out the last word, curious.

James's eyes glinted -- Sirius raised an eyebrow, understanding before Remus caught on.

"No. No," the werewolf said, standing up abruptly, "Professor McGonagall wouldn't -- she wouldn't dare give us that as punishment!"

Peter looked confused. "What…?"

"'Fraid so," James said, sighing. "Quote: 'What you three did was a serious and foolish thing that could have killed you all! You're lucky this is what you have to do; you could've been expelled!!'"

"Damnit! I hate doing that!" Sirius growled as he plopped himself down on the couch, James following in suit. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!!"

Remus held out a hand for Peter and helped him to his feet. "We have to clean out the stalls in -- what? -- every bathroom--" (James nodded; Sirius let out another chorus of fowl language) "--in the entire school without magic. It's the worst punishment McGonagall dishes out."

Peter, stricken, let out a feeble squeak. It sounded dreadful, positively, excruciatingly, dreadful.

"I've heard rumors that it'll take all damn day," Sirius groaned, and, finding the news suddenly tiring, he dropped his head into his laced hands. "Fuck!"

"Sirius, hush." Patting his back in reassurance, Remus sat down on the empty cushion next to him. "We'll make it through…"

"Not if I drown myself in a toilet first," Sirius cried out despairingly as he flung his arms around Remus's middle and pressed his cheek into his shoulder. "Don't save me if I try to commit suicide, promise?"

James placed a firm hand on Sirius's shoulder and, with the smallest of grimaces, said, "We'll make sure it's swift, mate."

Peter whined, almost as if he was already attending Sirius's premature funeral. He fell back into his chair, absentmindedly dropping the chess pieces back on top the table. His large, blue eyes shone with empathy.

"Stop being silly, all of you." Remus, the only one who seemed to have kept his head level, addressed everyone in the room with his statement. They all looked at him as if he was the one acting silly.

With another tentative pat, Remus started to pry Sirius off his mid-drift, who only clung harder. "Let go, Sirius. You need to get dressed anyway."

"Nooo," he moaned, "Let me wallow in despair for a moment longer! Please, darling?"

Maybe it was the surprise of being called such a thing as 'darling' or the fact that it had been sprung up so suddenly, but, whichever it was, it distracted Remus enough to pause him in his actions for a fair share of moments. Peter took the free, quiet moment to ask them a question.

"So, you two are…together?" His tone wasn't sarcastic, merely intrigued. "James wouldn't tell me any details, saying it was a breach of privacy."

Remus blanched at the question, but Sirius, blotting upright, just grinned in a happy-sort-of-way. He was the one who answered Peter's innocent question, and thank Merlin for that. Remus had misplaced his voice again.

"Yup, me and Moony are a thing now," he said merrily, mirth ringing in every word. "A true couple! Thank Merlin's balls for that, eh, James? You were probably sick of me talking about him none stop over the summers."

James pushed his glasses up his nose, grinning just as wide as Sirius was.

"What do you think, Sirius, brother?" He let out a short, but not a mocking, laugh. "Oi! You wouldn't shut up about Remus long enough to eat or sleep! Always, Remus this and Remus that -- you were obsessed, mate."

"Really?" Remus and Peter both asked at the same time. This took Sirius and James aback and they glanced at each other to make sure they hadn't heard the same thing.

"Well, yeah," Sirius said, feeling awkward; Remus almost chuckled at his shift in moods, but caught it and held it back. "I mean, your something to talk about, Remus. You may not know it, but you're rather…erm…adorable."

The color burned back onto his cheeks, and Remus had to look down at the floor. Adorable? Him? Nonsense…

James full out laughed. "Oh, Lord, Padfoot! You said a lot more than that!! What were some of the favorites, eh?" He furrowed his brow in thought. "Oh! I remember -- you used to talk about how his eyes were the loveliest shade of amber you had ever seen! What did they remind you of again?" Sirius threw him a dangerous look. "Molten honey, was it?"

"James -- shut up!" Sirius warned. A faint pink color dusted the edges of Sirius's high cheekbones. Was he blushing?

"And your arse, Moony…He used to talk about it like it was the most perfect thing he's ever seen!"

Sirius snapped; he lunged at James and smacked his hands over his mouth.

"I said shut up, you git!" Then, in lower tones, he added, "What kind of brother does that?! You're betraying me!!"

Peter shifted awkwardly in his chair -- he didn't like hearing talk about Remus's arse, which, as a matter of fact, Remus didn't find all too amusing either. It was mortifying.

James, managing to weasel out a single hand from underneath Sirius's body, pulled the latter's hand off long enough to say, "Well, mate, wouldn't matter if I told him now or later. Remember? You're offing yourself during detention!"

More of a silly chapter for today's update. I missed writing funny and cute scenes. That's all.

…Okay, okay. Caught me -- I missed James and Peter! I haven't written a chapter with little Peter in it in a while…figured we needed to see 'im.

So, you wanna know why I've been gone longer than two weeks, eh? Well, here's the scoop.

The thing I started out for a friend was a big hit -- everyone I let read it, loved it. I figured, well, if it's that damn good, I should just write a book.

And that's what I'm doing.

What do you all think? I think I've developed a style (sorta…) and I honestly believe that if I write a book, it would be published. I could just be an idiot, though.

I'm also writing a short story to send into Realms of Fantasy, to see if they'll publish it. But, again, what do you all think?

Reckon I have a chance of being an author? Would you guys, my loyal and inspiring fan base, read my book if I get the chance to have one?

: ) If you're awesome, would you answer those questions in your review? I love you all!! -hugs-

Hm, I'm in a busy mood -- so, six reviews in three days and I'll post up the next chapter two days (I usually laze about instead of writing -- it only takes me a few hours to write a chapter) after that, kay? ; ) Surprise me by your love.

Cheers and best wishes,

Ele.