Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Seventy-One - He Had It Coming

Peter wound up hanging out with Remus in the library after Defense Against the Dark Arts, since James and Sirius went off to Hogsmeade. Which would have been fine except he mostly doodled, daydreamed, and complained about being bored. So after just about fifteen minutes they left to find something else to do. Remus wanted to study however because Peter did not he figured they might as well go do something they'd both enjoy. They went outside, since the sun was shining warmly. There was quite a cold chill in the air but they just bundled up a little extra then ran off onto the grounds, down to the lake where they skipped stones and told jokes. Peter also brought his camera, taking several pictures.

"These are really good," Remus said as he sat on his cloak, going through an album Pete had put together. Some were just generic photos of the four boys however most were very artsy sort of photographs. The sun shining through some branches, a colorful sunset reflecting off the lake, an owl mid-flight into the night sky... There was a really good one of Sirius looking out the dorm window with the full moon behind him, though it also made Remus shudder a little bit, as if a picture of the full moon could seep out and pull the wolf to the surface.

"They're okay," Peter mumbled, sitting next to him.

"No, honest, they're terrific." A bright pink flower they had harvested in Herbology in January. Peter had set his against the snow to take a picture of it. "You've got a great eye."

Peter blushed brilliantly red. "Th--thank you. It's silly--"

"No! It's awesome. I could never do this."

"It's easy..." But Peter looked even more pleased, going even redder somehow.

"Pete, my pictures would probably all turn out as blurry closeups of my thumb or something," Remus said causing Peter to laugh. Remus turned the page to see a really good photo of him, Sirius, and James. It was the day they skipped class. "Please tell me you've got James falling."

"I did that one the magical way." Peter turned the page and they both bust up laughing watching as James flourished his arms then fell out of the tree. "I can make copies if you like."

"Please!" Remus wheezed out. "Oh Merlin's beard, yes." That's when he realized most the other pictures had been done the Muggle way. "How come they're not all moving?"

Peter shrugged. "I dunno. I like the Muggle way more, really. Like... I don't have to worry about the before or the after, it's just that one second. Like this one..." He pointed at one of Remus walking along the corridors with his nose in a book, a picture Remus had no memory of ever being taken. "You tripped a few seconds after I took the picture. I like it like this. Not you tripping."

Remus felt quite warm. "Well, thank y--"

"But here...!" He flipped through. "This one's funny." Another one of Remus walking with his nose in a book except this one he ran straight into a wall. The picture-Remus flailed a moment, nearly falling, somehow managing not to.

"Thanks," Remus said, this time flatly. Though it was kinda funny. Sorta. Maybe.

"Sirius wanted a copy of that one."

"Wh--what?!" Remus looked up in horror. "You didn't." Peter averted his gaze, chewing at his bottom lip. "Fine then, give me a copy of whatever--whatever embarrassing thing you've got Sirius doing."

"I--don't really have any," Peter admitted. "He rarely falls over or runs into things or anything like that. The only embarrassing things he ever seems to do are things he does on purpose soooo it's not really embarrassing-embarrassing."

Remus reluctantly had to agree with him on that. While he, Pete, and James all had their clumsy moments (him a lot more so than the others) Sirius just seemed graceful which was another super unfair thing about him in addition to his perfect hair. That's probably why he and James got away with so much. They pulled pranks, but they were both so good-looking and charming that nobody seemed to really care that much. At least, he figured James was good-looking. Was he? He knew Sirius was, he could tell that easily. He supposed James was too. He hadn't really thought of that before.