Harry Potter One Shots

Smile

All rights belong to the author, sick-atxxheart

"My life is ridiculous," Remus John Lupin said to himself, putting his head in his hands and trying very hard to ignore the grin his friend was giving him. From experience, that very same grin had caused him enough trouble for a lifetime.

"Why yes it is, Moony," Sirius replied with the very same smile on his features. "And if we don't get you a girlfriend for your ridiculous life soon, you are going to die!"

Abruptly Remus looked up at his friend, not quite sure whether to be shocked, scared, or amused. He settled with a combination of all three.

"A girlfriend?" Remus asked, shaking his head. "I wouldn't die without one- wait, oh, no way in hell, Sirius." It had taken him a moment to realize that Sirius was no doubt going on what of his scheme-making rampages, and those never- never- turned out well.

"Language, now!" Sirius admonished teasingly, his black hair falling into his eyes. "You have a reputation to uphold, yeah? Can't have you going around swearing constantly."

Remus sighed again. Sirius was so immature sometimes- just like James, and Peter, and the rest of the boys in his year, when he thought about it. Was he actually the only sane one? "Shut up, Padfoot- like you're one to talk."

Sirius, however, true to his nature, completely ignored Remus' retort, and just continued on. "Oh, testy, aren't we?" he smirked, his trademark features curving into a smile. "Don't be so down, Moony- I'm sure there's some nice blokes who would be happy to have you!"

The reaction was immediate, just as Sirius had planned it to be. "You said girlfriend!" Remus cried, his eyes flashing and his voice uncharacteristically whiney. "Girlfriend, Sirius! As in a girl! You, of all people, should know about the differences between male and female anatomy!"

Sirius opened his mouth wide, pretending to be shocked. "Oh, that was harsh!"

Remus smirked back, proud of himself. "Well, I'm not gay, Sirius!"

"Oh." Sirius frowned, looking saddened. "Never mind, then."

As his friend walked away, Remus just watched him, gaping. "Sirius, wait!"

"What?" The larger boy turned around, an evil glint in his eye again as he looked at Remus.

"Did you- erm- did you actually THINK I was gay?" Remus looked downward as he asked, his face flushing from both embarassment and shock.

Sirius grinned. "Well, you know, the pink robes do add to the whole 'gay' thing."

"THEY'RE NOT PINK! They're maroon!" Remus' voice was one of outrage as he paced the room angrily, fingering said robes. Merlin, Remus thought to himself, can't a guy have good fashion sense, and not be labelled as 'gay'?

Smirking again, almost as if he had read Remus' thoughts, Sirius continued. "Maroon, shmaroon. Oh, and the, you know, the not having a girlfriend thing-"

"Dammit, Sirius, how many girls are going to accept that I'm sick and out of school for three days a month?" Remus collapsed into a chair, his smile disappearing rapidly as his thoughts moved to his constant predicament.

Remus didn't look up when he heard the soft scrunch of Sirus sitting down also. It wasn't until he heard Padfoot's soft words that he did, in fact, look somewhere other than the carpet.

"I'm sorry, Remus. You really do deserve it, you know." The older boy's mood had quickly changed from sarcastic to serious as he looked at his friend with concern.

"What?" Remus questioned, wiping his hand across his face quickly, hiding the single tear that had fallen. "What do you mean-"

"I mean," Sirius said patiently, his black eyes sparkling, "that you deserve someone who will love you, and take care of you when you're bloodied and bruised, and not care about your little problem. You deserve it. Don't ever think you don't."

Remus was silent for a few good minutes before he replied. When he did, his words were slow and thoughtful.

"I sometimes wonder," he said, "that if I wasn't so afraid of... hurting... everyone I care about, if I would be different. If I wasn't... what I am."

"I love you the way you are," Sirius offered, being surprisingly emotional for his character.

Remus offered a slight smile as he looked at his friend. "Thanks, Padfoot. But I'm serious. If I wasn't so... quiet and such all the time, would I be different around... girls?" His question was honest and sincere, and he could see Sirius' frown. Maybe he was right- maybe he was hopeless, after all.

But Sirius' answer surprised him. Remus had never considered Sirius to be extremely... emotionally adept, but his words were soft, sincere, and true.

"Anyone would be lucky to have you, Moony," he said, looking his friend in the eye, for once sitting still. "And I'll say it again- don't you ever think otherwise. You do deserve it- you are worth it."

"But- but-" Remus protested, covering his face with one hand quickly, wiping the tears away in a futile attempt for them to escape Sirius' notice. Sirius, however, didn't seem to care as he continued.

"As for you worrying about hurting people, Remus? Doesn't everyone worry about that? If you didn't, especially with your specialness, then I myself would worry about your human qualities. You worry about people because you genuinely care- and that's what matters."

The room was silent for a few long minutes, only filled with the sound of the crackling fire and the bird who seemed dedicated to cracking open the glass pane in the window with its beak. After a few moments of listening to the piercing sound of beak against wood, Sirius rose agitatedly and strode over to the window.

"Bloody bird!" Sirius banged angrily on the window, and with a squawk the animal flew away. Remus just watched for a minute before rising and standing next to his friend, looking out the window also.

"Be nice, Sirius," he admonished. "What did the bird do to you?" Both of them knew, of course, that Remus was just trying to get his mind off everything; but this time Sirius humored him, and responded in turn.

"That bird," Sirius began, turning to him with a wild glint in his black eyes that Remus had come to be afraid of, "was making a noise that agitated my mental muscles, while at the same time stimulating my nerves in a way that was bloody annoying!"

Remus sighed, rubbing his temple with one absentminded hand. "Learn a new word today?"

Sirius stared at him for a long minute before stomping away with a huff, looking indignant but proud. All Remus could do was grin and chuckle.

As Sirius walked away, he couldn't help the smirk that rose off his regal-looking face. He had made his friend laugh again, and that was what mattered.