Bonus Fic: In Progress for Nathaniel_hp

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Title: In Progress
Author: sambethe
Recipient: nathaniel_hp
Rating: PG
Contents or warnings (highlight to view): *drinking*
Word count: ~500
Summary: Please provide a brief description of your previous three relationships.
Notes: Nathan, thank you so much for volunteering to pinch hit! We appreciate it immensely.


'Well, Lupin?'

Remus felt himself flush and regretted agreeing to one last round.

Lily stretched out across James' bed and grinned. 'You're the one who wanted to play.'

He downed the remains of his drink while glaring at her over the rim of his glass. When he was done, he said, 'think the alcohol has sapped your brain. This was all Sirius' idea.'

'Psh, no sense passing blame. Besides, what does telling now matter anyway?' She tilted her head in the direction of the heap on the floor that was James and Peter. 'They're passed out and from the looks of it the one you'd really be concerned with is right where you want him.'

He looked down at Sirius, who had fallen asleep next to him, and resisted the urge to run a hand through his tangled hair while Lily sat there staring.

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Quit stalling and be out with it already. I want to head to bed sometime before sunrise.'

'My three previous relationships?'

'No need for names. Just tell me how you'd describe them.'

Remus grabbed a pillow and stuffed it between his head and the headboard.

'Reckon wet would best cover the first. It lasted three snogging sessions behind Greenhouse Two and there was entirely too much tongue.'

Lily snorted and sipped on her drink.

'Two – mad hot. Best six weeks I've ever spent at my aunt's Anne's. Shame he was an utter pillock.'

Lily laughed. 'Well, at least you have a type. Remind me to drag the full story out of you at a later date.'

'Not a chance.'

'We'll see,' she replied. 'And the third?'

Remus looked down and chewed on his lower lip as Sirius shifted beside him. 'In progress,' was what he finally settled on.

Lily raised an eyebrow. 'Does he know?'

Remus smiled to himself. 'That's part of the in progress.'

*

Lily left not long after. Remus debated moving Peter and James to their beds, but found he couldn't be arsed to get up, not with Sirius there next to him. He didn't trust himself to Wingardium Leviosa them at this point and left them to sort themselves whenever they woke up.

He dug his wand out and closed the beg hangings before pulling up the duvet and settling down next to Sirius. Deciding that if he were caught out he'd blame it on the whiskey, he turned so that his chest was up against Sirius' back and tentatively ran his fingertips down his side and across his stomach.

Sirius made a humming sound as he grabbed Remus' hand and laced their fingers together. 'In progress?' he whispered, causing Remus's stomach to clench.

'You heard us?'

Sirius nodded, pressed back against him and pulled Remus' arm tight. 'Soon as I'm awake I'm going to work out a way to ensure that the words 'mad hot' are only ever used in the context of describing me.'

Comments

[secretsolitaire.livejournal.com]

*grins* I love that Sirius heard him! Lovely.

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Doh! Nothing like cleaning up your inbox to realize you didn't reply to comments.

Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed!

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

Ha! Oh, Sirius! Mad hot, indeed! Love Remus trying to be all subtle and casual, too! :-P

♥

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Ta!

Subtlety. Not a strong point of either of them, huh?

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

Awwww, love this. I adore the sweet conversation with Lily and Remus trying to answer yet be subtle. The end is all tingly and sweet. I have full faith in Sirius' being able to claim those words for himself!

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

So glad you enjoyed!

(Too bad it has taken me all month to remember to comment back. :P)

[brighty18.livejournal.com]

I have so much love for this. Siriusly. You manage to say so much in so few words, and yet everything is just right. The intimacy here is so lovely, too. And I don't just mean between Sirius and Remus - though that is quite lovely - but between Lily and Remus. I've always seen them as good friends and it's nice to see her so comfortable with all of them, really. It makes me somehow happy for all of them.

But the ending? Sirius made a humming sound as he grabbed Remus' hand and laced their fingers together. 'In progress?' he whispered, causing Remus's stomach to clench.

'You heard us?'

Sirius nodded, pressed back against him and pulled Remus' arm tight. 'Soon as I'm awake I'm going to work out a way to ensure that the words 'mad hot' are only ever used in the context of describing me.' Guh! How perfect is that, really? I also really loved it that Sirius was rather quiet about the whole thing. That was slightly unsuspected and yet worked exceedingly well.

Great job with this!

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Your comments always tickle me. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to everyone, not just me, with such depth. It is really lovely to get these and I know how much time they must take you.

*hugs*

[nathaniel-hp.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, thank you! I wasn't expecting to be gifted anything which makes this all the better.

You create such a lovely image of the Marauders' Hogwarts days. Drunken evenings in the dormitory, I can totally see that. What I love especially is the friendship and familiarity between Lily and Remus.

And of course Sirius being sneaky and holding his tongue for once. That made me smile. That, and the fact that he can't help but be his cocksure self.

A wonderful ficlet! Thank you so much!

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

You are so welcome! We do try to not let anyone walk away from the fest without getting something, even if it is just wee, in return.

Thanks again for stepping up!

[m3535.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is so goddamn cute!

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Cheers!

[shutupeccles.livejournal.com]

perfect

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Thanks!