“I’m almost done with the porch,” Sirius said, leaning in to press a lazy kiss into Remus’ hair. “Gonna start your greenhouse in a bit.”
Remus hummed, lowering his book and glancing over the top of the page. He smiled, reaching up to wipe a streak of dirt from Sirius’ jaw. “Need any help, love?”
“Nah, ’tis a surprise. Enjoy your book...it’ll only take about an hour. You’re going to be so impressed.” He winked, caught Remus’ hand, kissed his palm and strode out the back door.
Remus smirked, curling deeper into the armchair, appreciating Sirius’ rather lovely retreating form…until
“Twenty-eight!” George’s voice rang out from the couch, where he and Fred were sprawled, parchment between them as they planned something undoubtedly illegal for the upcoming school year.
On the rug, Ron groaned, not even pretending to touch his homework. “Oh, brilliant. I said twenty-seven. Just my luck, innit?”
“Pathetic,” Fred scoffed. “Amateur, brother o’ mine. I went with fifty-nine. Go big or go home.”
“Fifty-five,” Hermione said calmly, not looking up from her neatly arranged summer homework on the coffee table.
Harry, lying on his stomach beside her, quill tapping his chin, said, “I’m sticking with sixty-four.”
They’d been at this for nearly an hour now. At first he had ignored it, assuming it was one of those strange summer games children invented. But now every so often one of them would blurt out a number with alarming urgency, and every single time Sirius happened to be somewhere nearby.
Sirius was having an off day today and had decided to do a little mending around the cottage. but in practice this meant he spent half his time wandering back into the cottage for supplies and emerging with things Remus was fairly sure had no business being used.
In the last hour alone he had come in for twine, a golden tray, one of Molly’s old mixing bowls, a hand mirror, and, for reasons unknown, a spoon. Remus adored it though, because he got to kiss his boyfriend everytime he passed by.
The counting was probably nothing, Remus decided and went back to reading.
Almost another hour later, after a lot more numbers had been shouted, Remus decided to get to the bottom of it.
“Sixty three!” Ron shouted far too loudly for someone who apparently had lost, from whatever game they were playing..
Fred rolled his eyes. “That’s not how this works, Ronald.”
“Oh shut up, I’m tracking the score now.”
“Almost” Harry was grinning to himself. Hermione had, rather suspiciously, stopped reading altogether. The twins were peering over the back of the couch toward the open back door, intensely.
Remus lowered his book. “Alright, what are you lot doing?” His curiosity was now impossible to ignore.
No one volunteered an explanation. Too lost in whatever was happening
Then Sirius came in again, streaked with dirt, a smudge of green across one cheek, and headed straight for the kitchen, but not before squeezing the back of Remus’ neck and pressing a soft kiss to his temple.
“Yesssss!” Harry pumped his fist. Hermione glared at him.
“Harry?” Remus started, but before Harry could reply Sirius ruffled his hair then blew him a ridiculous little kiss before disappearing again.
“Aaaaannd Time!” Harry announced, sitting up fast . “Two hours. Final count: Sixty Six.”
There was immediate uproar.
“No, no, no, that’s absurd,” Fred said, throwing his hands up. “Sixty-six?”
Hermione shut her book with a snap. “That is wildly unfair. Harry lives here. He had an advantage.”
Ron, already digging into his pockets with a look of deep suffering, nodded. “Yeah. You should’ve been disqualified from the start.”
Harry said smugly, holding out his hand.. “You’re all just sore losers.”
With much grumbling, Ron surrendered four Chocolate Frogs.
Fred slapped down two Fizzing Whizzbees.
George contributed a crumpled bag of Acid Pops, muttering darkly about corruption.
Hermione placed one packet of sugar quills in Harry’s palm and said, “This was poorly regulated from the beginning.”
Remus stared at the pile of sweets now accumulating in front of Harry.
Then finally, because he could not bear it any longer, he asked, “Would someone mind telling me what, exactly, you’ve all been betting on?”
Harry looked instantly sheepish. Ron looked delighted to expose him.
Fred and George both turned toward Remus at once, mouths already opening.. But before anyone could answer, the back door swung open again.
Sirius stepped in and crossed straight to Remus, bent down, and kissed his cheek. “Babe,” he said, as if this were the most natural thing in the world, “come see. I finished the new enchanted sprinkler system and only got moderately attacked by the hose.”
Remus looked from Sirius, to the children, to Harry’s heap of sweets. Understanding dawned.
“Oh my god,” he said, already laughing. “You were counting how many times he’s kissed me.”
“Yep! Sixty-seven times in two hours. Pads has no self-control whatsoever.”
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