You never can know what to expect with James around, really. We’ve all, as Marauders, learned to expect anything and everything while at his house, including the random visits of Sirius’ father to check up on his son, complaining that Sirius could at least give him some warning the next time he disappears, and the random appearances of various members of the Order of the Phoenix to make plans on how to destroy Voldemort.

However, there are some things even we cannot expect. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first one. The second was the actual existence of a time hole in his bedroom, which is firstly illegal and secondly very hard to create. I should know. Er…not that I’ve ever tried to make one or anything.

But, of course, as accustomed to James and his house as we were, we took everything for granted and simply began to read the book, unaware that anything odd would be happening from it. Who would’ve thought that it would be James’ son, that Lily Evans, James’ long-time crush would have become his wife? Who would’ve even bothered to suggest that James and Lily would have been killed by Voldemort? And who knows the reason for any of it? Fate works in mysterious ways.

Then, of course, as soon as we were no longer the slightest bit concerned of the book from the future (probably because we had finished reading it), we come back upstairs from lunch to find even more surprises. Time holes were never meant to spit out people, but it seems as if James’ likes to be different (no big surprise there). We’d found a dazed-looking Harry Potter sitting on James’ bed, staring at us as we entered as if the lot of us were phantoms. And next to him was the next book in the series.

I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence, and I have no doubts that all the others are pondering the same thing—what the purpose of these books, this person, being in James’ room could possibly be. If it were simply to prevent James and Lily from being killed, a newspaper would have sufficed, and wouldn’t have gotten me asking questions to myself that I can’t answer, remaining quiet in the crowded kitchen as we all eat breakfast. Every so often, I can feel James and Sirius glance over at me, probably wondering why I’m thinking so much right now. Even I’m not usually this quiet over the summer.

I suppose I should stop pondering all this, though. I won’t be able to concentrate on making fun of the book we’re reading, and I’m sure Harry isn’t accustomed to my "scholar phase," as Sirius once dubbed it.

So, as breakfast ends and we walk up the stairs to gather back in James’ room, on James’ (overcrowded) bed, I decide to take a little trip to the loo and wake myself up a bit. I quickly splash water on my face, glare at myself in the mirror as a little voice in my head that sounds remarkably like Sirius yells at me to stop thinking so bloody much and to join in the fun! I quickly resist the urge to grumble to the voice (out loud, I might add) that there’s another more interesting way to have fun.

Not that he’ll ever know how I feel. I’ve tried my best to keep it hidden, Sirius is way too busy with the girls in school to bother wit me. And I know for a fact he’s straight anyway. I don’t expect the two of us will be dong much anytime soon.

So, of course, when he drags me back out of James’ room just as I enter, I’m really very surprised.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" I ask him as he drags me out and slams the door behind me.

He doesn’t answer me right away, though. Instead, he stares wordlessly at me for a while. I start feeling rather nervous eventually, wondering why he’s staring at me like that. Sirius doesn’t do the quietly thoughtful thing very often, and when he does, it’s only when he thinks nobody’s watching him.

I don’t think he’s ever realized that I’m always watching him.

"Sirius?" I ask, trying to make him say something to break this uncomfortable silence.

"James says you like me," he states simply, eyes boring into mine. I freeze, mouth open, and stare back speechlessly. Oh, I’m going to kill James! "Is it true?"

I can only make a strangled noise in reply. How did James know? I thought I’d kept it secret pretty well, I’m good at keeping secrets! (Though, the fact that the guys figured out that I’m a werewolf would suggest otherwise, I suppose.)

"Rem?" he asks, moving closer to me. I back up into the door, and he stops walking, looking at me worriedly. "Please, Remus, answer me. I need to know."

Slowly, uncertainly, I nod my head. He grins in…relief?

"Good," he breathes. "Good. I’m glad." And before I can so much as blink, his lips are pressed against mine. I make a rather embarrassing squeak as he wraps an arm around my waist, his other hand holding my chin firmly so I can’t turn away. Not that I would. As it is, I can’t help but melt against him, wrapping my arms firmly around his neck. This is too good to be true.

We eventually break apart for air. I stare up at him and feel a shy smile tugging at my lips, which I don’t bother attempting to repress. Sirius answers with a full-blown grin.

"I like you too," he sates stupidly through his grin.

"Really? I couldn’t tell!" I smile back at him sarcastically. He laughs slightly.

"We’d better go back in before they start to wonder what we’re doing," he snickers. "But first, just one little thing…."

"Yes?" I ask, nervous again. I’m not really all that sure I want to know….

"Stop thinking so bloody much! You’re not anywhere near this bad over holiday!"

I laugh slightly in both relief and amusement before pulling him down for a brief kiss.

"Whatever you want, Siri. I’ll stop thinking, just for you."

"Good," Sirius nods. "You think too much anyway. Being stupid is good for your health, you know."

"Since when?" I snort.

"Since my stupidity made you fall in love with me."