@wolfstarmicrofic May 15, word count 406
“How much time do you think it’d get if I just outright murdered him?” Sirius asked as he watched his brother and best friend laughing together by the lake, hand in hand.
“Murder? 12-14 years because you’re under eighteen,” Remus told him, his head in his lap as he basked in the warmth of the sun, letting his aching bones heal.
“That’s Muggle law. What about wizarding law?”
“Oh, that one’s easy. Life in Azkaban.”
“Hmm,” Sirius mused, going through the pros and cons in his head. “Yeah, not worth it. Damn.”
“Well, that’s only if you get caught. The forbidden forest is a big place, and the acromantulas are always looking for something to eat.”
“Fucking hell, Remus! I was only joking!”
“You did ask,” Peter chimed in.
“Yeah, I know, but… Oh, sod it. At least I know who to come to when I need to dispose of a body.”
Sirius concentrated on stroking Remus’s hair, fascinated with the way his fingers parted his soft curls and revealed the pale scalp beneath.
“Sirius, do not look up,” Peter warned, but, of course, Sirius did exactly what he was told not to do and looked up. He regretted it instantly. James, his best friend in the whole world, had his tongue down his brother’s throat. Sirius retched.
“I think I need to go back inside now,” he grumbled, feeling slightly nauseous.
“No, need, look,” Peter pointed out. James and Regulus were getting to their feet, giggling to each other as they scampered back up to the castle.
“Sirius, breathe,” Remus reminded him, and he dragged in a deep breath before shaking off the images of his brother and James together and going back to stroking Remus’s hair.
“Wanna sneak into Hogsmeade and get some mead?” Remus asked, his amber eyes shining up at him.
“Merlin, yes,” Sirius said, thankful for his Moony.
“Is that an open invitation, or are you abandoning me?” Peter asked.
“You can come,” Remus laughed, getting to his feet and grabbing Sirius’s hand to haul him to his feet.
“Think I might get some cockroach cluster while we’re in the village and pour it over them if they’re still at it when we get back,” Sirius mused aloud.
“Whatever you want, Pads,” Remus chuckled fondly, and they walked back up to the castle and up to the third-floor corridor with a certain one-eyed witch statue.