Lions Inside¹ | James Potter

twenty-two

-//-

(We Are Young//fun)

2nd of November, Saturday, 1974

"I'm about to turn fifteen and I wanted to be honest about something. Honest to my friends, honest to myself," Sirius sighed. Andrea studied him. 

They were sitting crossed-legged on her bed, facing each other and Sirius had been wearing this weird, sober expression ever since he stepped into her room. As soon as the boys had left the library, James had gone out for a late-night run and Sirius had started sulking next to Peter in the Common Room. 

But when Andrea returned an hour later, Sirius quickly followed her up to her dorm, ready to get something off his chest. "You're scaring me. I haven't seen you stay serious for this long since I met you," she said. Sirius smirked. "I'm always sirious. Since the day I was born, I've been Sirius." 

Andrea rolled her eyes. "There he is! OK, now I'm good. Go on," she urged him on, happily. Sirius took a deep breath before looking her right in the eye.

"I think I'm in love." Andrea waited for him to go on. "Actually, no. I know I'm in love. Because every time I think about them, I get warm all over. Every time they look at me, I can feel my heart beating faster. Every second I don't get to see those beautiful, chocolate brown eyes and those gorgeous freckles, I feel physical pain. 

This has to be love, because I have never hated and simultaneously felt euphoric about anything else in my entire life. I'm in love." Andrea felt her cheeks start to hurt from the smile that had not stopped growing.

"I didn't think you were the type to lose your sanity for a girl," she teased him.

"I didn't either," he said honestly. "Well, life surprises us all," Andrea chuckled. Sirius shook his head. "No. I mean I didn't do that either. As in, I didn't lose my sanity over a girl," he corrected her. Andrea furrowed her eyebrows, before letting out a loud, girly squeal and staring at him with wide eyes.

"Does this mean...?" she trailed off, looking at him hopefully. He furrowed his eyebrows at her. "What?" "Does this mean that you've finally figured out that you're hopelessly in love with our book-loving, no-fucks-given, grumpy-ass-sweater-wearing, tea-aholic, werewolf friend?"
Sirius grinned. 

Of course, she knew. He placed a hand over his heart.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, am in love with Remus John Lupin!" he said proudly. Andrea let out another squeal before getting up and jumping onto Sirius in a hug. "Watch my Snitches!"

"You disgust me."

-//-

3rd of November, Sunday, 1974

"Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can make us do whatever you want," James grumbled. Sirius grinned at him. "That's exactly what it means. Show some respect to your elders," he said happily. Remus shook his head but nevertheless headed to do the job Sirius had given him.

They were getting the Common Room ready for his birthday party, and everything was turning out perfectly. Lily and Dorcas had helped Sirius connect his record player to the speakers they had set up around the room, James had been on invitation duty and Remus supervised the number of guests he invited and who entered the common room, in case they were crashers.

Peter was of course set on snack duty and Andrea had gone along with him, so he didn't eat everything he was supposed to bring back. "Where's Peter?" Corinna asked James as she hung up red and gold streamers. James pulled the balloon he was blowing up away from his mouth.