"I have something for you, guys" James said with a cheeky smile on his face.
When James spoke, everyone was suddenly silent. Remus learned that he was a natural leader and that people respected him because he was the "typical main guy", cool, confident, heroic. Plus, he made anyone feel special. Remus understood why Sirius admired him so much.
The four boys had been chatting and drinking on James's bedroom carpet. It was the first time Remus visited The Potter's house. Well, actually a mansion. James had transformed the house attic into a big room only for him. It was impressive.
It was New Years' Eve and they were already in the sentimental part of drinking. The part where they talked about feelings and stuff. Remus felt sober enough to appreciate the good time he was having. Just laughing with these cool rich boys. Sirius was sitting very close to him and Remus was liking the way his closeness gave him chills. Blame the strong crush he had on him, plus he smelled very good.
James went to retrieve something from his wide closet.
"Are you going to give us all your clothes?" Peter asked, quite interested.
"I feel like we can obtain all of James's posessions while he is drunk" Sirius said as if James wasn't in the room. But he was looking for something in the drawers.
"I want his play station" Peter demanded.
"I want his collection of watches" Remus nodded "I can sell them and feed all of London"
"I want his cologne" Sirius raised his eyebrows "Actually, I want to live in this room and to have everything that is here"
"Shit, Pads" Peter protested "Why do you have to have everything?"
"I'm his best friend and that's what he woud've wanted" Sirius smirked.
James turned with a scoff "Why are you talking like I am dead and you are sorting through my belongings?" he stood in front of them with three black small boxes "Wait, is this what you are going to discuss at my funeral?"
"Probably" Remus shrugged.
But Peter seemed to be more interested in the boxes.
"Gifts for the dear selfless and not interested friends I thought I had" James answered "But now I am not so sure..."
"Give it here" Sirius extended his arm, sounding very excited.
"My point exactly" James breathed through his nose but he smiled as he gave one of the boxes to Sirius "This one's for you, Pads"
"Wormy" James announced as he threw another box into Peter's hands.
Then he smiled at Remus, making him kind of nervous "Moony, for you"
Remus's hands shook a little as he grabbed the small squared velvet box.
"Don't open them yet" James stopped a very excited Peter trying to open his box. "I want to say a few words first"
And when James dropped down the volume of the music, and sat down in front of them. Everyone knew he was serious.
The truth was that Remus was very surprised. It hadn't been long since he met James. And he couldn't believe he got him something.
Remus was sure he was only part of this group because of his friendship with Sirius. Sirius just liked him because of the nostalgia he had of how once they played together as kids. And the others just liked him because Sirius said so. Because Sirius was a vital part of the group, not Remus.
Lanky, weird Remus was aware he would never actually be part of the special connection these three boys had. They had known each other for years, they shared a history together, they had more things in common. It was impossible for Remus to fit into this group of cool mischevious popular rich boys. He just wasn't any of those things.
Sometimes James made Remus nervous. Peter and him weren't that close yet and Remus only spoke because Sirius encouraged him to.
What James was about to say felt special. Remus felt like an intruder for a second, like he needed to leave and let the friends speak alone. But he had a box in his hands after all. So he stayed, awkwardly, but he stayed.
"When I was little, I felt really lonely" James started, pushing his glasses up "I didn't have siblings and my friends from primary school were only my friends because our parents got along. But I never quite felt connected with them... When I got to Hogwarts, I met you, Sirius..."
James focused his gaze on Sirius with a big proud smile. And Remus noticed how Sirius glowed and beamed under his friend's attention. It was as if Sirius lived to impress James, to please James. It was adoration what Sirius had for him.
"And it was instantly a click" James smiled "Just one train ride spent with you and I knew I wanted you in my life forever. It was as if we'd known each other all our lives, or like it was meant to be. We were inseparable within a day... Love at first sight, ha mate?"
"Are you drunk, Prongsie?" Sirius asked. Remus knew it was because he was overwhelmed but his response was to joke it off. Although Remus saw a glimpse of tears in his eyes.
"Yes, maybe a little. But it's also the truth" James replied "Shut up, call me sentimental but you are my brother, Sirius"
James smiled once more, and Sirius gave him a tiny smile that contained a lot.
"Peter..." James turned to him, clapping his hands.
"Oh God..." Peter mumbled, caught because he had been trying to take a peek of what was inside the box all this time.
"You clumpsy little thing" James sighed, making the others laugh "I remember you had the most delughful pair of cheeks anyone has ever seen"
Sirius laughed louder. Remus smiled. He knew James and Sirius loved teasing Pete by squeezing and pulling from his chubby cheeks all the time.
"I just wanted to squeeze them so badly" James added "Do you remember, Pads?"
"Right" Peter rolled his eyes. But he was also blushing.
James grinned "No, but honestly" he said in a more serious tone "I know that we weren't very nice to you at first..."
This was something Remus didn't know. The three of them seemed to close that he had thought it had always been like that.
"We might've thought you were kind of annoying and nosy, always following us around..." James said looking embarrassed. Peter looked down "But then we rescued you from those sodding slytherin bullies, remember? And we took you under own wings, we realised you were the most amazing little bloke there was"
"You had an incredible sense of humour and you were loyal, and clever, and knew fun facts about things we actually didn't care about but we found useful..." That made Peter snot and Sirius smile "But suddenly Sirius and I couldn't image ourselves without you. You were one of us"
Remus knew Peter wasn't used to the attention, especially when it came to compliments. So the poor boy went red and smiled awkwardly. But Remus could tell he was really pleased. It was the James effect. If James Potter said something nice about you, you felt momentarily awesome.
"Plus, you still have delightful cheeks" James spoke quickly as he squeezed and pulled one of Peter's cheeks making the boy whine. But James was pleased with himself and he laughed.
Remus was feeling glad and proud of James's words towards his friends, he had been smiling, that when James's eyes turned to him, Remus felt kind of nervous.
He couldn't possibly imagine what James had to say about him. He figured he would say something nice, but not that profound because they didn't have much history. But what James said next truly surprised him.
"I have to admit that I was jealous of how close you are with Sirius. My Sirius" James began, making Remus blush. The new and strong crush he had for his friend wasn't helping and he could feel Sirius's stare on him "But I started to get to know the beautiful person you are and I'd grown very fond of you"
Remus didn't know what else to do but to smile. Although he wanted to ask. He wanted to ask if he meant it or what there was to like about Remus. He was nothing compared to James, or Sirius or even Peter.
"I know that you haven't been around us since the beginning, but you quickly gained our trust and respect" James continued "You are loyal, and you listen..."
Remus knew instantly that James was talking about his situation with Lily. While Sirius and Peter took James's crush as a joke, Remus lent his ear whenever James wanted to speak about her or promised to use his closeness to the red-head to speak well about James to her.
"And you kind of calm Sirius down when he is being a total bitch" James joked.
Remus felt his cheeks on fire.
Sirius exclaimed "Oh fuck off!" as Peter laughed. But Remus dared to look at Sirius. For a second, they exchanged glances. For a second, Remus's world stopped, lost in that grey ocean. Then Sirius smiled and his heart skipped a beat.
"Which is difficult" Remus joked making the others laugh. Sirius wanted to roll his eyes but he smiled more, and his cheeks went slightly pink which made him look even more beautiful.
"But Remus, you kind of complement the group in a perfect way that nobody else could" James spoke again, making Remus freeze "I mean there is a reason why we never called ourselves The Three Musketeers..."
"Because the name is lame" Peter added.
"Because we were never meant to be three in the first place" James corrected "We were always meant to be four. You were always meant to be part of us. A Marauder" James smiled "Welcome to group, Moony"
Remus smiled awkwardly because he didn't know what else to do. He was in shock.
"Only I can call him that" Sirius protested.
It was Sirius who called him like that nickname since Remus was ten and only him. But he didn't mind that James or Peter used it.
"We adopted the nickname, so shut up, Padfoot" James clapped his hands "Ok gentlemen. With that said, open your gifts"
Remus was still overwhelmed as he carefully opened his. Inside the box was a handmade bracelet with red and gold (Gryffindor colours) and embroded in black, the word MOONY. He assumed the other's had their respective nicknames.
Suddenly, Remus had a strong knot on his throat and the strong urge to cry.
He heards gasps and the distant reaction of his friends, thanking James or calling him sappy but telling him how much they loved him. He heard James saying embarrassing responses about how it was his mother's idea to get them because a friend of hers made them and how he wanted to get them something special, and how bracelets were cool and manly and not girly at all.
Remus was still in shock.
All his life, he had wanted to belong. For a long time, he hadn't felt good in his own skin. Not being the girl he was expected to be but a boy, being called a freak and sick and mental by his last classmates. Being hated and tormented. Trying to convince his conservative Da about his real identity, losing his Ma to cancer.
And sure, he had been part of Fenrir's pact, accepted by Grant, the other boy he loved. However he had had to prove himself to them, selling drugs and getting into fights, saving Fen from a flying bottle and gaining scars on his face. They still called him a cub because he was too young and too fragil and not part of them yet.
Remus had never thought he would have friends his age. Hang out and do normal teenage stuff. Have someone to talk to without having to seem older and tougher. Be accepted for just who he was and not what he had to offer.
Sure, being at Hogwarts was a dream. Studying in a castle that looked out of a fairytale and have classes with rich and important kids was great. Remus had met nice people, like Lily. Like Marlene. Like Mary. He thought having Sirius around everyday was enough of a dream come true. Sirius had fought to have him in the same dorm as him and his friends. Remus liked being included in The Marauders' adventures. But he figured they just included him because Sirius said so. They were nice because they were good people. And that was it.
However, Remus never thought he would be as part of the group as he wanted. The new guy, always watching from the outside, trying to catch their inside jokes, learning their history. Remus was not funny enough, not cool enough, not interesting enough.
The Marauders were the most amazing group of friends someone could ask for. The ones that made the other feel included, feel like family, feel like part of something great. They teased each other and joked around but at the end of the day, they were there for each other no matter what. They were the most beautiful kind of family.
Remus couldn't believe he was lucky to get to know them, worse be part of them.
"Moony, are you alright?"
Coming back to reality, Remus realised he was being stared at by the worried faced of his friends. And as he blinked, he realised he had tears in his eyes.
Remus was spoiling any opportunity he had by being bloody pathetic.
"Sorry" he sniffed "I don't know what's wrong with me"
"James's taste is awful but you don't have to cry" Peter joked making everyone laugh.
"If you hate your gift so much give it back, Wormy"
"No" Peter snapped, pulling the bracelet to himself.
"No" Remus chuckled "I love it, James. Thank you"
"I'm never taking it off" Sirius added,
"That's the way to speak, Pads" James commented.
Sirius turned to Remus "What's wrong then, Moony?"
"I don't know" Remus sighed "I guess I cannot believe someone like me has the honor of being part of this group. I am so ordinary"
"You're nothing but ordinary, Remus" James shook his head "You're quite special"
"You're magical" Sirius added with such confident that made Remus shiver as he looked into his eyes.
"You are a good friend" Peter added "And very clever with your ideas. For pranks and stuff"
Remus chuckled "I thought you were nice to me because I am Sirius' friend..." he looked down.
"Maybe at the beginning, yes" James nodded "But we got to know you and we understood why Sirius talked and talked wonders about you"
Sirius snorted but he was blushing profoundly. Remus's heart jumped inside his chest.
"But there are cooler people than me" Remus protested, ignoring how much he liked that Sirius had been talking about him "Like Kingsley, he was your dormmate before and you never included him. Why me?"
"Kingsley was a twat!" Sirius snapped, but scooped closer to Remus "Never tried to understand us. Critisized us all the time"
"Plus he was boring" Peter added under his breath.
Sirius rolled his eyes "But with you it's easy, Moons. You make others feel good about themselves. You make them feel special. You listen and care. You are selfless and you have a good heart. Plus you are very funny and smart and handsome enough to be a Marauder" Sirius was getting even pinker as he spoke "That's why, Moony. Others have tried hard to impress us and belong to us. Not you. You are just special. And you didn't even have to try"
Remus felt goosebumps hearing Sirius's words. It felt amazing that someone as beautiful, special and shinny as Sirius thought that of him. Remus couldn't believe how lucky he was to have met Sirius all those years ago. Never thought Sirius felt that great about him as well. It gave him joy. He was dizzy with excitement. So much he smiled like a fool.
James blinked "Yeah whatever Sirius said" he said, then smiled "I mean it was easy to be your friend because you are easy to be around. And like a said, it was meant to be. The four of us"
James looked around in search for approval. Both Sirius and Peter nodded with conviction. Remus felt somehow like his urge to cry was stronger. But cry of bloody happiness.
"I hope that we are friends forever, lads" James carried on "As sappy as it sounds. And these bracelets are the symbol of that" he rose to his feet "Now come here and let's have group hug, ha?"
The others rose as well getting into James's embrace. Peter was a bit hesitant but James kind of pulled him in as well. Remus was at the top of the world as he felt so loved and accepted by these people. He had had them so little in his life which wasn't fair, but he wasn't ready to lose them any time soon. He wanted to have them in his life for a long time. Maybe forever.
When they broke apart, all four of them had their eyes watery. It was a sentimental, overwhelming moment. Remus felt the urge to look at Sirius. And by some powerful magic force, he looked back. They smiled at each other. Remus was grateful that he had opened him a spot between his friends, inside this wonderful group.
"Can we stop being a group of sissies and carry on drinking?" Peter asked.
The others snorted and agreed.
"Yes" James took a deep breath "I will try and convince mum and dad to let us go to a club with The Mckinnons. We need to celebrate this, boys!"
"Yes, please! I want to go clubbing" Sirius exclaimed.
As James walked to the door, Remus put his bracelet on, because the others already have theirs on their wrists. Even James. Remus promised himself he would take care of it as much as he would take care of his friends.
James smiled "Of course, Moony" he said "But please call me Prongs"
