"Viewing Party", Harry Potter (Marauders), G, Sirius/Remus.

[gorgeousnerd]

Title: Viewing Party
Fandom: Harry Potter (Marauder-era/First War)
Rating: G.
Length: About 2300 words.
Characters/Pairings: Sirius/Remus.

Summary: Crown Prince Sirius gets his first close look at a half-blood.

Notes: For dogdaysofsummer, prompt 11. Click here for the original post, here for the post in chomalfoyfics, and here for the story on AO3.

This story's AU started in "Of Lords and Kings" and is continued in "A Chance".


Viewing Party
The dining area at Gryffindor Manor was, like the rest of the structure, smaller than Sirius was used to. Crowding his guard – ten adult wizards – into the space made the room feel even smaller.

"How's your roast beef, Your Highness?"

Sirius smiled across the table at Lord Potter. "Very good."

"You boys'll need your strength for the viewing party tonight," Lady Potter said. She reminded Sirius of a nicer version of his grandmother, with her old-style robes and lean figure. "Going to be up past your bedtime!"

"Mmm," Sirius replied, taking another bite of his meat..

A servant approached the table and whispered in Lord Potter's ear. He nodded and accepted a piece of parchment. Even from across the table, the green seal keeping the parchment closed caught his eye. Sirius straightened in his seat as Lord Potter broke the wax and unfolded the message. The man read in silence, but his mouth moved as he took in the words. Sirius did his best to ignore the sweat prickling on his forehead.

Why would his father send an owl when he'd been away one day?

"Your Highness, is something wrong?"

Sirius glanced at Lady Potter, who was watching him with concern on her face. He realized he'd stopped eating. He picked up his fork and said, "No."

"My lady," Lord Potter said, turning to his wife. "Their Majesties are sending a half-blood to stay the remainder of the month."

"A half-blood?” she replied. “What for?"

Sirius relaxed, although he had to work to conceal a sigh of relief. He half-listened as Lord Potter explained, since he knew the general answer.

"There's a boy James's age that wants to attend Hogwarts. If he's suitable, he goes with His Highness and James on September the first. If not, he remains here to be trained as a manservant for James."

"Merlin," Lady Potter said brightly, looking at James. "Isn't that wonderful, dear?"

James nodded without raising his eyes from his plate. He was always tight-lipped at meals.

Sirius found his curiosity rising despite himself. He'd seen half-bloods at the palaces, but they were adult and well-trained.

"How's he traveling here?"

"By Portkey," Lord Potter said, after consulting the parchment. "Should arrive an hour before the guests for the party."

Lady Potter clasped her hands together. "If it pleases you, Your Highness, you and James could take a walk on the grounds. Avoid all the fuss with preparations. We'll send the boy out to meet you."

Sirius shrugged. "Okay."

"What do you think, James?" Lord Potter said. It wasn't a question.

James nodded without saying a word.

–

It was only when they walked outside hearing distance from the manor that Sirius managed to prod James into speaking.

"You mean never?" James said. "Ever?"

Sirius shrugged. "My parents don't have time for astronomy."

"But Mum always said they loved the Perseids at the palace."

"Maybe it was my grandparents. Y'know, from before we were born."

James nodded for what seemed like the millionth time since they'd awakened. His grandparents had been long dead at his birth, but Sirius was much the same: he only knew his mother's mother, who spent most of her days in her chamber screaming about Mudbloods working in the Ministry. Sirius didn't know what sort of Ministry she was talking about, but he did figure she couldn't have spent her entire life there.

"Never been alone with a half-blood, either."

"Me neither," James said. "We don't have them 'round much."

Sirius felt a surge of jealousy. "I've never been alone. That I can remember."

James snorted. "'Course not. You're the bloody prince, for Merlin's sake!"

There was a pause, and James seemed to have remembered with whom he was speaking. That was how Sirius's great-uncle put it, anyway: the moment when a fellow realizes he's spending time with the future ruler of the country, or someone who has the king's ear. James lost all color in his face and glanced back and forth from Sirius's guard to his face.

Sirius hated it. And so, he laughed. Hard.

The mischievous smile reappeared on James's face. "You know, it's not hard to give these types the slip. If you're interested."

"I might be," Sirius said.

James's eyes narrowed, as if he gave the idea serious thought. "There is the half-blood."

"What about him?"

"Your parents sent him. Don't you think he could tell?"

Sirius shrugged. "Can't say I care."

James punched his arm. Sirius punched back.

"Git," Sirius said.

Peters stepped up and sank to his knee. "Your Highness, the half-blood has arrived."

"Send him over," Sirius replied.

Peters seemed aghast. "We haven't searched him."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "It's fine."

"Your Highness, your parents--"

"Bugger my parents!" he cried, and was pleased to see Peters flinch. "I'm highest ranking here, and I say send him over. Unless you'd rather hand me your wand?"

Sirius wasn't sure the threat would work; after all, he'd never been allowed to choose if he could dismiss his guard and break their wands. But Peters bowed his head, rose to his feet, and beckoned a distant guardsman forward.

James looked at Sirius with wide eyes. Sirius gave him a little shake of his head and hoped James understood.

The guardsman stopped with the rest and let the boy in front of him step forward. He came up to within a few feet of Sirius and bowed stiffly. "Your Highness."

"Hello," Sirius said. "What's your name?"

"Remus Lupin, Your Highness."

"Call me Sirius. While there's no one else around, anyway. This is James, Lord Potter's son."

Remus turned to give a smaller bow to James, and Sirius inspected him. He was a little taller than Sirius, and skinny, like he'd never had a square meal. And from the little Sirius knew about half-bloods, maybe he hadn't. His hair was shaggy and brown, but neat, and his robes were plain but richly made. They'd probably dressed him at the palace, if the cut of the collar was any indication; sharp lines were popular and dug into Sirius's neck something awful.

"Nice to meet you...um..."

"Call me Lord of All Things Crawling and Generally Filthy," James said with a completely straight face.

Remus didn't straighten, but his eyes flickered up. "Of course, my lord."

Sirius snickered. "Where'd that come from?"

"It's what Mum calls me," James said.

"Charming."

Remus was still bent over, so Sirius waved a hand. "You have to tell us where you're from. Hogsmeade? Paris?"

"Do I sound French to you, Your Highness?" Remus asked as he straightened.

"Sirius," Sirius said, but he smirked. "And yes, you sound very French."

Remus smiled. "London."

"Oh, do you live near the palace?"

"Not hardly!" Remus flushed. "I mean..."

Sirius groaned. "Come off it! I've had enough correcting this one today; I don't need another."

"Don't worry, I won't make that mistake again," James said.

"Great." Sirius resumed walking. "All I expect is that Mr. Lupin entertains us with stories of his impoverished background until the party."

Remus complied, and looked Sirius directly in the eye as he spoke.

Sirius loved it.

–

The party was pretty much what Sirius expected: adults with alcohol – which, of course, he wasn't allowed – staring up at the sky. They all came by to pay their respects at his seat of honor. It had been the first time Sirius had received guests solo, so he pretended he was his parents for several hours. James and Remus never came within view of his chair and might as well have been invisible.

It wasn't until the sun set and the stars appeared that he realized how true that was.

There was a Light Charm set up that Sirius hadn't seen before; it cast light on the people at the party without ruining everyone's night vision or obscuring the stars. He was half-heartedly scanning the faces of the crowd for anyone his age when James's voice whispered by his ear.

"Say you have to go to the loo."

Sirius sat up bolt straight and snapped his head in the direction of the voice. He saw nothing.

"Don't!" James hissed. "Say you're going to pee behind the bush."

"Which one?" Sirius whispered back.

"Southeast. Behind the punch."

Sirius rose to his feet, and St. Clair, the guard's shift lead, went to his side. "I'm going to relieve myself," he said in a prim voice.

"I'll escort you," St. Clair said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

He frowned like his mother, as if having a woman with him was the ultimate indignity. "I'll go behind a bush. Three minutes."

"I still have to watch after you, Your Highness." To her credit, the idea of pissing outside didn't seem to bother her.

"Fine. You can watch my back."

He walked toward the bush with a purpose and hoped James had some sort of plan. St. Clair, as promised, followed without leaving breathing space. She didn't ease when they broke away from the crowd, or when he stopped by the bush.

"Can't you give me some room?"

She shook her head.

"Just a little," he said. "For privacy."

"No."

"I'll aim for your shoes."

She sighed. "Not much, you understand."

"I'm not asking for much."

St. Clair backed away a few paces. Sirius mimed pulling his robes open and hissed, "James, you--"

"Here."

James's and Remus's heads bobbed on the other side of the bush. Sirius blinked hard once, then again. "What in Merlin's..."

"You've never seen an Invisibility Cloak?"

"No," Sirius said. "They're forbidden at the palaces."

"Talk later," Remus said. "She's looking away."

Sirius stepped into the opening James created. The air grew slightly stuffy and filtered; he'd never seen anything like it. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Remus and James, who were now completely visible, if shadowed.

"Let's go," James said.

They walked carefully until they left the charmed area. Sirius wasn't sure where exactly, since they didn't have wands yet and he kept his eyes on his feet, but it was dark and grassy.

It seemed to take forever, but after a few minutes, James said, "This should be good."

He flipped the cloak off their backs, and the world focused once more. They moved apart, and Sirius stretched his arms into the air and yawned.

"That's brilliant," he said. "What now?"

"Whatever we want," Remus said. "But James'd probably know best."

James shrugged. "There's a pond nearby if you want to go swimming."

"In the dark?" Sirius asked.

"Or we could watch for meteors," James snapped. "You seemed so keen on it."

"Actually..."

"You've got to be kidding."

Sirius shook his head. "I like the idea. Out here, anyway."

"I've seen it before." James walked over to a tree and plopped on the ground. "You don't mind if I catch some sleep, do you?"

"No," Sirius said. "Why would I?"

"Dunno. Just thought I'd ask."

Sirius exhaled. "Promise me something."

"Yeah?"

"Don't ask me about every little thing when we get to Hogwarts."

James smiled and leaned against the trunk. "Sure."

Sirius laid down and stretched out on the grass. The stars above him were as bright as they'd been by the manor, but they seemed nicer this way.

"What about you, Lupin?" he asked. "Sleep or stars?"

Remus didn't answer. Sirius tilted his head back to make sure he was still there. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Remus said.

"Come on." Sirius patted the ground. "Lots of space."

After another moment's hesitation, Remus slowly lowered himself into a lying position. His breath seemed shallow and forced.

"Seriously. What is it?"

"I just..." Remus cleared his throat. "You know James's parents have lost their minds by now."

"Sure."

"This could end my chances."

"If it bothered you, why'd you come?"

"Because." Remus sighed. "I can't be afraid of what might happen."

"And it can't hurt to have the Crown Prince on your side, right?"

He expected a laugh. What he got instead was another direct look; Remus's eyes seemed as intense and focused as the starlight. "I want you to know...I'm not using you to get into Hogwarts."

"What does it matter?" Sirius asked, putting his hands under his head. "Wouldn't be the first time. Maybe not for Hogwarts, but..."

Remus reached out hesitantly, then put his hand on Sirius's arm. "You've got to have men at your back that you can trust. And I mean, really trust."

"I trust my guards."

"You don't think they wouldn't kill you if someone paid them enough?"

Sirius frowned. He'd never thought of it. "I guess some of them might."

"Just know..." Remus paused. "I'll do anything for you."

"Thank you," Sirius said. He meant it.

Remus squeezed his arm and stretched out again.

Sirius spotted three meteors before he realized he was falling asleep. He let his eyes drift close and rolled into Remus.

It was the safest he'd ever felt.