#a piece of wisdom by Remus Lupin

[fabulous-fic-quotes]

“Were you jealous, then?”

“Why would we be jealous? He’s just a bookworm who thinks himself better than us just because he made Prefect!”

“Is he not allowed to?”

Startled, George and Fred exchanged a confused look. “Is he not…?”

“When you win a Quidditch game, don’t you celebrate the win and receive compliments for it? If you do something nice, don’t you want everybody else to know about it? What about your best pranks? Don’t they make you want to boast? So what makes your accomplishments better than his? Is that just because its yours, and not his?”

In Medio Stat Virtus - Lacertae

[arcaneorphic]

Unravel Me

Pairing: Remus Lupin x F! Reader

Genre: Soulmate AU (Reincarnation) Series, Angst, Hurt/ Comfort, Fluff, Slow burn

Summary: Remus Lupin never believed he had a soulmate—until one accidental touch shatters his carefully built walls. The wolf inside him has always known, but Remus refuses to accept that fate could be so cruel as to tie her to him. Haunted by longing and fear, he tries to run, but she is relentless—warmth slipping through the cracks, undoing him piece by piece. As desire wars with self-doubt, Remus must decide: fight fate or surrender to the one thing he’s always denied himself.

Prev. // Next

Word Count: 3966

Chapter Four: This Is Me Trying

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“And that was all she said?” Lily asked Remus as they made their way to the library.  The corridors were filled with other students too consumed by their own conversations and happenings to give the duo much thought. 

“Yup.” 

“Okay,” Lily said slowly as she thought through her next words carefully. “But did she say it like ‘I don’t have to go’ or ‘I don’t have to go’?”

Remus stared at her blankly for a moment, “That… you just said it the same twice.”

The look of incredulity that settled on Lily’s face would have been comical during different circumstances. “Are you dense?” she asked, stopping in her tracks to turn and face him fully. “The tone, Remus! How did she say it? Was it casual? Hesitant? Was she giving you an out or hoping you’d ask her to join?”

Remus blinked, suddenly regretting every life choice that had led him to this conversation. “I—I don’t know,” he admitted, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. “She just said it.”

Lily groaned, throwing her hands up. “Hopeless,” she muttered. “Absolutely hopeless. All of you, every single one.”

Since James and Lily became an item his own friendship with Lily had flourished. It was nice, most of the time. 

She was a force, much like James but with a different kind of intensity—one that was quieter, more precise. She had a way of picking apart his thoughts before he even had the chance to process them himself, which was both helpful and infuriating.

Most of the time, he appreciated it.

Right now, however, as she continued to stare at him like he was the dimmest person alive, he wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t even know why I brought it up,” he grumbled as he continued down the hall. It was a lie, boldfaced and completely. He knew why he brought it up. 

James would be no help. He had known him long enough to predict exactly what he would say—Just tell her, mate, what’s the worst that could happen? And Remus was not about to do that. Because the pessimist that he was, Remus could go on and on about a hundred different ways doing that would end in complete and utter disaster. Sirius would likely say the same, in cruder fashion too most likely. Peter would likely agree with Remus, telling him that it was better to be safe than sorry, better to never give this the chance to turn into something that could potentially hurt him. Maybe, once upon a time, Remus would have taken that advice. 

Which led him to the only other person he could turn to, and one that would likely have better advice—Lily Evans. She was, after all, the only one who wouldn’t tell him to throw caution to the wind like James and Sirius, but also wouldn’t feed into his self-sabotaging instincts the way Peter might.

Lily was practical but not cold. She was honest but not unkind. If anyone could help him untangle this mess—or at the very least, stop him from spiraling any further—it was her.

Which was how he found himself trudging toward the library, bracing himself for whatever blunt wisdom she was about to throw at him.

Remus had a sneaking suspicion that James had already filled Lily in on the basics, he was right of course. He wasn’t particularly mad about it though. He expected it because there was nothing James Potter kept from the redhead. If he had someone like that, someone who knew him, who saw him completely and still stayed—he doubted he’d keep anything from them either.

Not that he was thinking about her in that way.

Not at all.

“I mean,” Lily said after a moment, tilting her head thoughtfully, “you have to let her join, right?”

Remus opened his mouth to argue, but she continued before he could.

“It’ll be a group of us, which would make it less tense,” she reasoned. “You wouldn’t have the pressure of it being one-on-one. Plus, it’d be nice not being the only girl stuck with you lot.”

Remus huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “I suppose that’s a fair point.”

Lily grinned. “It’s an excellent point, actually.”

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “And what if it is tense? What if it’s weird?”

Lily gave him a look. “Then it’ll be weird,” she said simply. “And you’ll deal with it, like a grown adult, instead of running away and brooding over it in some dark corner of the castle.”

Remus groaned, but she wasn’t wrong. 

The pair entered the library, and Remus nearly turned right back around.

Because there she was—sitting at one of the long wooden tables, completely lost in whatever she was studying, utterly unaware that she was the sole topic of their current conversation. He shouldn’t be surprised. Of course she’d be here. She was as much a creature of habit as he was. She always sat there, if the space was available, or on the second floor tucked away at one of the tables if the library was too crowded. 

The only reason he knew that was because he also spent a lot of time in the library and just happened to notice. 

Lily, none the wiser, kept talking, completely unbothered. Because unlike him, she wasn’t acutely aware of her presence, wasn’t pulled toward her like she was meant to be caught in her orbit. No, that was Remus’ plight to carry and his alone. 

“Even if it is bad, right?” Lily continued. “Say it goes horribly wrong—then there’s always next time.”

Remus quickly leads them up the spiralling staircase and away from where she could potentially hear their conversation. He doesn’t respond to Lily until they’re sat at a table, that just happened to have a vantage point to their subject of conversation. 

“What if it all goes to shit though,” Remus counters because he is nothing if not a doomer. ““What if I make a complete arse of myself, and she never wants to speak to me again?” He hesitated, then lowered his voice, almost as if saying it too loudly would make it real. “I will deny I ever said this if you tell anyone, but I think I might actually die if that happened. As in, keel over at that very moment and change the course of all of your lives.”

And then—of course—Lily grinned. She at least had the decency to not laugh in his face. It was when she did things like these that reminded him why she and James got on so well. They were both menaces in their own right. 

“Oh,” she said, smugness creeping into her voice. “Oh, this is so much worse than I thought. Never thought I’d see grumpy Lupin so besotted.  Don’t tell me you've already started scribbling her name in your notes with little hearts around them as well.”

Remus groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t,” Lily sing-songed, looking far too pleased with herself. “But I do love finally getting some honesty out of you.”

Remus risked a quick glance toward the table where she was still sitting, blissfully unaware of his absolute meltdown. Lily was right, of course, it was far worse than he was letting on. 

Far, far worse. Not doodling her name bad… but give it another day and he’s not so sure. 

“I’m opening up to you, please don’t make me regret it,” Remus groaned, burying his head in his hands. This was by far the most vulnerable he’s ever been. Turning into a monster was one thing, but talking about his feelings? A different kind of torture entirely. 

Lily patted his shoulder in what was probably meant to be a reassuring gesture but felt more like amusement.

“Oh, Remus,” she sighed dramatically, “I would never make you regret this.”

He lifted his head just enough to shoot a glare at her.

“Fine,” Lily relents far quicker than Remus knows the boys would have. 

“Let’s imagine it goes horribly wrong, right? You make a fool of yourself, like a proper arse of yourself, and you can’t string a sentence together or—”

“Get to the point,” Remus interrupted before he was sent into another spiral. 

Lily smirked but, thankfully, complied. “The point is, even if you do somehow manage to make a complete arse of yourself—which, honestly, you won’t—what’s the worst that happens? You get embarrassed? You sulk for a week? Do you honestly think she’d hold it against you? She doesn’t seem like the sort of girl to do that.”

Remus doesn’t have a comeback for that, no retort because she’s right. She didn’t seem like that kind of girl.

She was kind.

Not in the way most people were—not in a self-serving, transactional way, where kindness was given with the expectation of something in return.

She was kind in a way that seemed to come as naturally to her as breathing.

It was in the way she spoke to people, in the way she listened, in the way she noticed the smallest things about people and remembered them. It was in the way she had waited for him, in the way she had given him an out but never turned away. The offer hadn’t felt like pressure for him to decide what he wanted then and there, it was just patience. A quiet, steady thing. A kind of understanding that made his chest ache, because who does that? Who waits like that? Who lets someone figure themselves out without expecting anything in return? The answer was no one. No one does that. Except her. 

Because if Remus was feeling all these things, all these echoes of times long passed, then so was she. From the looks of it, she was handling it a lot better than he was. In the very least she wasn’t actively looking like she was constantly on the verge of a meltdown the way he so clearly did.  Or was she just better at hiding it? 

That made him freeze. He’d been so caught up in his own panic that he hadn’t thought about her. He felt so… selfish. Because for all his overthinking, all his agonizing over the possibility of losing her, he hadn’t considered that she might have been struggling with this too. That she might have been feeling the same echoes, the same pull, the same impossible weight of knowing—and yet, she had been the one who handled it with grace.

She had been the one to wait. To give him space. To let him run when every part of her had to have known that he was running from her.

Was that why she had refused to look at him in class?

Why she had avoided his gaze all day?

Was she preparing herself for the possibility that he would tell her that whatever this was—whatever it could be—was something he didn’t want?

The thought sent a sharp, unwelcome pang through his chest.

Because fuck, what if she was? What if she had already started pulling away—not because she had changed her mind, but because she thought he had? 

Because of his hesitation, his avoidance, his complete and utter inability to deal with emotions like a normal person?

For the first time all day, panic coiled tight in his gut—not from fear of what he might feel, but from the realization that she might think he had already made his choice. He had spent days thinking about what their past was like that he ignored what this version of himself was causing. Did she think… did she think he didn’t want her? He couldn’t blame her if she did—because, honestly, what else was she supposed to think? Every single thing he had done since that night pointed to the exact same conclusion.

Avoiding her. Ignoring her. Running every time she got too close.

Of course, she thought he didn’t want her.

But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

He wanted her biblically, in a way that was pathetic.

He wanted her in a way that ached, in a way that made every cell in his body hum when she was near.

If he ever allowed himself, he would drown in her, surround himself in her, let himself have her in every way he had denied himself. He would be at her beck and call the same way he teased James for.

Following after her without hesitation, hanging onto her every word, looking for excuses to be near her—he knew it. He’d seen it happen to James, watched his best mate fall so hopelessly for Lily that he had reshaped himself without even realizing it.

And Remus had laughed. Had mocked him for it.

But now? Now, he was just as bad. Worse, even, because at least James had tried. At least James had done something about it instead of skulking around like a man starved, pretending he wasn’t already half in love.

He doubted Lily, who was currently saying something to him that was going completely unheard, ever felt unwanted. He was willing to bet everything that James had never made her feel like it was a burden to be tied to her; but Remus was, even though it couldn’t be farther from the truth. That made his stomach twist in the worst way, because the last thing he ever wanted to do was make her feel like she wasn’t wanted. Like the burden lied with her and not with him and the beast that called his body home. 

For the first time in his life, Remus was about to do something he’d never dream of doing. He was going to her, let her know that whatever was going on in that beautiful head of hers was wrong. He was going to tell her that his inability to handle his shit had nothing to do with ehr and everything to do with him being a complete and utter prat. 

“I’m… I’ll be back,” is all he offers the bewildered redhead before he’s up from his seat. He moves, not allowing himself the time to overthink the way he’s sure he will later. Instead, he takes the stairs two at a time. The walk to her feels simultaneously like the longest trek of his life and the shortest. The wolf howls with each step closer, eager to finally be close to her once more. 

Remus stops behind her seat, with the realization that he hadn’t exactly planned how he would tell her, just that he knew he had to. He stood behind her chair for a minute, contemplating how to even begin a conversation. He was saved, or punished; the jury was still out, when she glanced behind her. 

“What… did you need something?” she asked, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she looked up at him. He saw her hands twitched, as if ready to close her book and gather her things. Did she think he was about to ask her to leave? 

Remus felt like he was going to pass out, having her eyes on him again made that same pressure settle in his chest, but it didn’t feel as crushing. He probably looked like a right creep, standing there silently until she had turned around and then continued to remain silent. 

“Remus?” came her voice, twinged with worry. 

He felt his heart skip a beat, it was the first time she’d said his name—well his first name. She’d normally refer to him as ‘Lupin’ the way most people did. Hearing his name from her lips though… Merlin there wasn’t a better sound. He cleared his throat, pushing through the warmth beginning to settle on his face and the lump that threatened to make him unable to form a sentence. 

“We usually sit near the back, by the fireplace. At the Three Broomsticks, I mean. Usually one of us goes ahead to make sure the spot isn’t taken, typically it’s me, there was this whole thing with Pete and we just don’t really task him with it anymore.  So if you get there early I’ll… be there so,” Remus rambles and he can’t seem to stop himself even though every cell in his body is screaming at him to shut up. “Not saying that you do. You can get there anytime you want.  Not that I’m telling you you have to go or-”

Her confusion melts into something softer, into something that makes the noise of the library fade. Being seen by her was a vulnerable thing, it was exposed nerves and crumbling walls. Remus had a feeling that being known by her would be a different thing entirely. 

“I’m not good at this,” he confesses to her, like a  penitent sinner seeking forgiveness from the only one that could grant it. “I don’t… me being stupid and flighty doesn’t mean that I don’t…” 

He doesn’t know how to continue because if he does he knows he would have to admit all the things he’s been too much of a coward to. He would have to admit that he had already been half in love with her before this whole mess started and now it was just all… meant to be? He wasn’t meant to die alone? That, yes, fate had been cruel but not that cruel? How is he meant to tell her that all of this has thrown his whole life off kilter and he’s desperately trying to make sense of it all? He can’t say that, at least not now, so instead he’ll give her the only truth he can. 

“I want you to go,” it comes out like a breath he’d been holding in for too long. “I think you might find my friends incredibly annoying and I’m afraid I’ll make a total fool of myself in front of you, but I want you there.”

He pauses, and before he can think better of it he adds in a whisper, “I’m… I’m trying.” 

It’s not perfect. It’s not enough. It doesn’t erase the way he ran, the way he still feels like he’ll turn tail any minute. But it was all he could offer her. He figured she’d tell him that he was a moron for thinking it would change anything, that it would mean anything, but then she did something he hadn’t expected at all. 

She smiled at him and the warmth of it rivaled the sun, it melted some part of him he had long since let freeze. No one had ever looked at him like that—like he was something worth looking at. She tilted her head in that way she did when she was thinking something over, considering it with great care before she responded. “I’ll be there. I won’t be able to make it early, I have had plans with a few friends I’d hate to cancel, but I’ll be there.” 

Remus nodded and held back from asking further questions.  He wouldn’t ask her which friend. He wouldn’t ask her how long she’d think she’d be. He wouldn’t ask her what their plans were. Even though he wanted to know everything she thought, did, or wanted, he’d resist. 

“Yeah… yeah of course. We’re usually there for a while so you can stop by whenever you want,” he can feel his heartbeat in his ears, but he doesn’t stumble over his words the way he thought he would. He was freaking the fuck out—of course—but he didn’t do all the usual things he did when speaking to someone who wasn’t one of the few close friends he had. 

He didn’t break eye contact. 

He didn’t let the words die in his throat when he didn’t know how to continue.

He didn’t shut down. 

He just stood there, before her—vulnerable, exposed, raw, and trying. 

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

“You need to go,” she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. Keeping her eyes open was a herculean task and yet she tried. Sisyphean in nature, as if she could remain by his side by sheer force of will, “you shouldn’t be here. You’ll get—”

“Oh, sweet girl, I’m not going anywhere. Haven’t I already said that,” his voice mirrored hers, soft but laced with a worry that didn’t go unnoticed. He dabbed at her heated skin with a damp cloth, hoping to at least give her a modicum of comfort. He shushed her gently when she tried to protest, “Let me care for you, okay? It’s what I was created for.”

There was nothing more he could do. No magical cure. No miracle to come, no matter how much he prayed or bartered his own life for hers. So, this was all he could do. He could only watch as another cough wracked through her frail body. Could only watch as another stained cloth was added to the pile, stained with a crimson that would haunt him for the rest of his days. 

He brushed the hair from her face, letting his touch linger—for her comfort or his own, he wasn’t sure.  Her skin was too warm, her breath too shallow—he knew what was next. He had known since the doctor came, he knew it when the apothecaries could only offer tonics that could ease her pain but not cure it. But knowing did little to prepare him. How could one even begin to prepare themselves for the single greatest loss of their lives? How was he meant to 

“I’m so tired,” as if she did not spend most of her days as of late lost in dreams, hidden away where the pain could not find her. 

“I know, my heart, I know,” he suppressed his sobs, her last moments would not be in the presence of his sorrow. That could wait, for now all that mattered was her. All that ever mattered was her. “Best to get your rest, hm? Being the fairest girl is such work, that must be why you are so tired.” 

Her eyes, unfocused and seeing a world he could not, met his, “Such work.” 

The next words from her lips broke his heart even further, “I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have a thing to be sorry for,” he responded firmly and filled with so much love it was about to break his heart in two—a piece for her to take so that she is not alone for too long in the place he could not follow her and the other to shrivel in his chest. “Not a thing.”

“I’m afraid,” she muttered, a moment of lucidity that had come so rarely in the passing days. She sounded so small and he could do nothing to shield her from it. The place she would go would be one he could not follow her to. 

“You won’t be alone for long, my heart. I will be there before you know it,” he memorized her face for a final time. “Just wait for me,” he whispered as he carded his fingers through her damp hair. 

Her eyes shut and they did not open again. The sobs that he refused to let her see now tore through him with a vengeance. The sound of a man who had just lost everything that made his days worth living. He peppered her face with kisses, for each time she had refused. If asked, he wouldn’t be able to say how long he kneeled there beside her, just that he had. 

He did not live to see next spring.

 If she was only permitted nineteen, then he would not witness a twentieth without her. It was for the best, really.  His sweet girl, his heart, had left him there and he had to find her. 

It was his job, it was what he was created for. 

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

Unravel Me Masterlist

Taglist: @a1ienmush, @boromoony, @kitkatkl, @moonyswifee, @mxg111, @daydreamandforget

[lulu-recs]

the cadence of part-time poets by motswolo

“they’re… chaos,” remus said firmly. “and chaos is—”

“rock and roll.”

he looked at sirius sharply, and for once, matched his grin. “yeah.”

“maybe that’s my excuse then,” sirius said. “I cause a bit of chaos now, and maybe one day, it’ll turn into rock and roll.”

after losing his mother at age eleven, remus has spent the better part of the last four years bouncing from school to school or else running around london and pretending as though he wasn't the kind of well-bred boy his father brought him up to be. now, with his chances all run out, remus is sent to hawkings independent school as a last-ditch effort to clean up his act. there he meets the very people who will set up the rest of his life, and is forced to confront the pieces of himself he'd long thought had been lost.

cadence: the b-sides by motswolo

a selection of individual chapters written from the POVs of other characters featured within "the cadence of part-time poets".

all true affection by orphan_account

professional cuddling? how was that a thing? well remus lupin is about to find out first-hand when his best mate, peter, gives him three hours credit at stag an doe cuddling institute. after perusing the list of cuddlers, he queries Sirius Black. not sure what to expect, remus steps into a world far outside his comfort zone.

finally found my hallelujah by orphan_account

remus lupin had always been good at sorting out dates and special occasions for people, which is why his best friend and quidditch star, james potter, talked him into wedding planning once they left hogwarts. he lived a solitary, but happy life. that is, until king slytherin, sirius black, strolls into his office and asks for help planning his arranged marriage. remus lupin is nothing if not a professional, but it's not easy when the groom-to-be was the man remus had been fantasising about since fifth year.

my poor heart will only surrender by remy_writes5

remus wasn't expecting much from a night out at the club with his best friend, lily. he certainly wasn't expecting sirius black.

quarter life crisis by captainevilpants

remus is straight, sirius is gay and that's the gospel truth.

that is, until remus walks in on sirius snogging his new boyfriend on their couch and remus starts to feel...weird. desperate to figure out a way to stop feeling so goddamn angry anytime gideon comes within five feet of sirius, remus goes to james and lily for advice. james and lily, in their infinite wisdom, patiently and systematically explain that what remus is feeling is not internalized homophobia, but jealousy.

in the end, it turns out remus doesn't have any issues with sirius kissing guys if it's him he's kissing.

you don't understand me by wilteddaisy (taotu)

“okay, sorry, I know this is completely off-topic and I’m interrupting a conversation I haven’t been listening to for the past five minutes — but I would totally fuck sirius black.”

jealous by Islabubbles4

remus struggles with his feelings for sirius, so james offers an idiotic solution. basically a standard fake relationship with a twist.

primavera by lunchbucket + rococo [ sequel ]

sirius never had an interest in art, not until he found the right person to show it to him, that is.

the story by jupitersky ♡

inspired by spooke's beautiful fame au art. american muggle au.

remus is asked to join some friends for a concert. some new artist to the music scene, no one he'd ever heard of before. when the singer starts their first song his whole world narrows to that moment. he hadn't heard that voice in seven years.

sirius finally got his big break and now he's on tour. tonight is the first time back in boston since his parents moved them away when he was seventeen. it's bringing back a lot of memories as he looks out over his audience. hoping to find a face he knows won't be there.

"just wait and see. it's not the end of the story.”

drenched in you, chanting your name by gardenoflupins

remus and sirius live together peacefully as friends. when remus has his heats, sirius goes out of town until it’s over and vice versa. sirius returns home to find that remus’s heat has lasted longer than expected and needs to resist remus’s pleas along with his own urge to fuck him senselessly.

for my impertinence by synonomy ♡

after two years of avoiding marriage by sabotaging his parents’ matchmaking attempts, sirius’ luck finally runs out. at the end of their rope, they offer him one last choice: marry the lupin boy, or be cast out onto the street.

a regency au with a/b/o dynamics.

as we’ve always been by synonomy

they had always said they wouldn’t let anything get in the way of their friendship. that it didn’t matter what any of them presented as; they would find a way to deal with it.

but now there was an annoying little voice in the back of sirius’ mind, telling him they had been horribly naïve. could they really expect things to remain the same now they knew how good remus could smell?

blind and deaf by cocomouse ♡

remus doesn't do blind dates. they must be the worst possible social situation humankind has ever invented: two strangers some people have decided that maybe they should get in a committed relationship. you have two hours.

so no, he wouldn't touch that with a ten yard stick, not if he can help it.

but he knows better than to try and argue with lily, so, here he is.

stray dogs by msalexwp ♡

harry potter has been begging his godfather and guardian, sirius black, for a puppy, but the one they adopt comes with a condition: they have to make regular visits to the family who adopted his brother. luckily (or unluckily) for sirius, the puppy's brother was adopted by a handsome, golden-haired stranger named remus lupin and his son, teddy.

thank you to the wolfstar microfics account on tumblr for the prompt, "dog days," which sparked the idea for this fluffy little tale.

[theresthesnitch]

Tuesday Treat

Thanks @heartofspells and @brandileigh2003 for tagging me in this!

This is from a fic that’s a ways from being posted, but should be endgame WSB. TW for mild gore, but it’s not descriptive.

~*~

“Lupin, are you going to actually chop the herb, or merely will it into smaller pieces?” Snape huffs, grabbing for the cutting board. “Here, let me do it myself.”

If this were a movie–or, if Wix knew about movies–this is the part where things would freeze frame and there’d be a voice over saying something like “I bet you’re wondering how I got into this position.” Which, I’m sure you are. However, time doesn’t really freeze frame before moving in slow motion forward. Instead, what happened next happened quickly.

Remus tried to block Snape from taking the cutting board. Snape bumped Remus’s arm, which bumped the cutting board, which disrupted the aconite. Which, of course, made it fall and Remus, in his infinite wisdom and, more likely, delayed reactions due to the full moon, tried to catch it.

Aconite and Silver.

Aconite, genus Aconitum, also known as monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard’s bane, devil’s helmet, or blue rocket. A plant with magical properties that is often used in potion making. Aconite is poisonous, particularly to someone who is infected with lycanthropy.

Silver–well, it’s silver. Like bullet to the heart of a werewolf, silver, which it turns out, is not a myth. Really no further explanation needed, is there?

Remus ends up with one handful of aconite and a hand holding a silver cutting board and–oh, right, a silver knife. He wasn’t precisely holding a silver knife though, he had caught it.

Snape hisses under his voice. “Salazar, Lupin, do you have no sense of self preservation? It’s amazing you’ve made it this long as a werewolf without doing yourself in.”

Remus ignores him. It takes some effort, but the throbbing in his hands helps distract him. “Professor? I think I need to go to the hospital wing.”

~*~

Tagging @sliebman10 @squintclover @charmsandtealeaves and whoever wants to play along.

[messers-moony]

Moony Wants, Moony Gets | R.L

Paring: Young!Remus Lupin X Slytherin!Fem!Reader

Summary: Moony has a natural wanting for his mate making his possessiveness visible the closer it gets to the full moon. 

He was always jealous. Blame it on the wolf in him, if you will, but Remus Lupin was highly possessive. Especially over what’s his - maybe not even what’s his but what he wants. She was gorgeous and his perfect mate—long tuffs of h/c hair and gleaming e/c eyes that glittered in the limelight. There was one problem with her, though—one major flaw in her mess of perfection. 

Y/n L/n, cunning, ambitious, resourceful, and charismatic. 

That was the problem. Y/n was a Slytherin, and Remus was a half-blood Gryffindor. To make matters worse, her closest friend was Regulus Black - Sirius Blacks brother. Remus’ best friend's brother. But Remus couldn’t help it. Her voice was like a siren's call, and her beauty was a rival to Aphrodite, but she had the wisdom of Athena. Y/n was a perfect balance of everything. 

Closer to the full moon, his possessiveness became more of a problem. Sirius was noticing the low growl that would erupt from Remus whenever someone stepped close to Y/n. James saw the lingering glares left on any male within a six feet distance of her. Even Peter observed his green eyes turn a shade darker as if someone mixed black paint into his usually bright eyes. 

Y/n sat at the Slytherin table, a cup of coffee beside her as she spoke intently with Regulus. Meanwhile, a Gryffindor across the Great Hall was glaring daggers at the younger Black brother's head. Sirius nudged him, grabbing his attention. 

“Mate, you’re growling again.” Sirius whispered, and Remus’ cheeks turned pink, “Am not.”

James gave an unconvincing grin, “Mhm, totally.”

“I was not growling.”

“I think you were.” James replied, “Definitely was.” Sirius added. 

Remus sighed, pushing his plate away to lay his head on the table, “What’s got Moony all wound up?” James queried, Remus, deadpanned looking at the laughing girl across the room. 

“I think I know.” Sirius simpered, “Do you now? Don’t be a tosser.” James stated teasingly. 

“Turn around. Slytherin, talking with Reggie.” 

He turned and looked back at Remus with his jaw dropped, “No- fucking- way.”

“What?”

“She’s the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, you tosser!” 

“Oh…”

James snorted, “Yeah, oh.”

“Looks like Moony found his mate.” Sirius winked, and Remus groaned, “Shut up about it, will you?”

“Never.” 

It felt weird. James wouldn’t shut up about how brilliant Y/n was, how the Slytherin’s Quidditch team was able to make plays that no one else would’ve even thought about. Sirius wouldn’t stop offering to talk to Regulus to see if maybe he had any intel on her. Strangely enough, Peter was silent but had a guilty look on his face. Guilty sufficient for Remus to comment. 

“Why do you look guilty, Wormtail?” Remus inquired, and Peter's cheeks flushed pink, “She- Y/n isn’t- um….” 

“What do you know that we don’t, Peter?” Sirius queried, his voice harsh, “She isn’t what you think. That’s all I’m saying.” Peter stammered out nervously. 

James tilted his head at the blue-eyed boy, “And you know this how?” 

“She’s my ex-girlfriend.”

“Woah! Hold on a second!” Sirius exclaimed in shock, “When did this happen?!”

“Back in fourth year.” Peter informed, “She seemed nice enough until you start to get serious with her. Y/n’s sharp-tongued and extremely ill-tempered.” 

Sirius sniggered, “Sounds like Moony.”

“Oi!”

“Sorry!”

“So, what does this mean for Remus?” James questioned further, “It doesn’t mean anything. Just be careful. I don’t care if you date her. Means nothing to me.” Peter replied, putting his hands up in innocent. 

Remus stared at Peter with curiosity swirling. How much did he truly know about Y/n? How did he manage to date her? Nonetheless, it didn’t mean anything to Remus because Moony wanted her. What Moony wants is what Moony gets. Later that evening, after prefect patrol, he padded into the library to dismiss any working students. But there were only two students inside. They sat in a secluded corner of the library. Regulus Black and Y/n L/n. 

Was it envy? Was it jealousy? He didn’t have time to ponder. Y/n had her head laid on Regulus’ shoulder and both her arms wrapped around his one arm. Regulus had leaned his head on top of hers, wavy black hair intertwined with her h/c hair. Both their eyes were closed, apparent they were asleep—potion and Transfiguration books placed on top of the wooden table along with an open sketchbook. 

What was he supposed to do in this situation? Wake them up? If it was just Y/n, perhaps he could’ve, but Regulus was with her, and Regulus wasn’t too fond of Remus for being friends with his older brother. Madam Pince had already left for the night, either choosing not to disturb them or didn’t notice them. Remus saw the inkpot beside the Potions book, almost empty. It was Y/n’s inkpot because the ink wasn’t black. It was a deep grape color. 

Remus sighed and grabbed the ink from his bag, charming it the same color. Discretely he took hers and swapped it out with his. Leaving a piece of parchment on top. Remus left the library without another word. Waking them up was a risk he’d rather not take. But now, he laid in his bed wondering how she’d feel about the new ink on the table. 

The sun began to rise, and Y/n’s body felt stiff. Carefully she began to stir awake after noticing a body beside her. Opening her eyes, everything seemed blurry, but after blinking a few times, she recognized the library books and the person's scent beside her. Regulus, her best friend. Y/n yawned and pulled away from him, about to begin packing their belongings, but she noticed a piece of parchment that lay on top of her ink. 

“Noticed you were out. You can have mine.“ 

Y/n hummed appreciatively. She didn’t know who gave her their ink, but she was eternally grateful for them saving her a trip to Hogsmeade. Y/n poked at Regulus’ right side, and he eventually stirred awake. His curls disheveled and his body just as stiff as she was. Regulus opened his eyes and met her e/c ones. 

“Did we fall asleep?” He groaned, and Y/n scoffed, “What do you think, dingus?”

“No need to be mean this early in the morning, Merlin.” 

“Someone saw us last night, though.” Y/n stated, and Regulus noticeably jumped, “Who?”

She shrugged, “Not sure, but they left me a new pot of ink.”

“Lucky you.”

“Lucky me.”

Both best friends cleared their table. Y/n put her Potions books away, and Regulus put his Transfiguration books away. Y/n stared at the writing on the parchment she had received earlier that day. The handwriting was almost unrecognizable. It was messy and sprawled. Whoever this was did not have good handwriting or was in a rush. But the day carried on. In Potions, Y/n sat in the front while the Marauders sat in the back. Remus stared holes in the back of Y/n’s head. 

“She’s gonna notice if you keep staring at her like that.” Sirius muttered. 

Remus sighed and continued to write his notes. If he tried hard enough, he could make out her elegant purple ink from here. It always baffled him why she chose purple over traditional black - suppose it wasn’t really any of his business, but he couldn’t help but wonder. The familiar sketchbook sat on top of the desk as well; he could see doodles in the same deep purple color. Occasionally Regulus - who sat beside her - would nudge her to pay attention, gaining an annoyed groan. 

Potions class always smelt weird. It was a mixture of glue, seaweed, and salt. It was also constantly humid. It brought shivers down Remus’ spine. He noticed it doing the same to the Slytherin girl at the front. Remus craved nothing more than to wrap his robe around her, but he was too late. Regulus was already doing the action, which earned him one of her jaw-dropping smiles. Unconsciously he began growling again. This time, James smacked his arm. 

“Mate!” 

“Sorry…” 

Dinner was even worse. Y/n had yet to remove Regulus’ robes leaving him in a button-down white shirt and the usual uniform. Sirius was surprised at his younger brother's chivalry but didn’t speak much. The full moon was that night, and as dinner progressed, Remus only gained more possessive. James and Sirius gave up on trying to scold him. It was apparent Moony wanted - no - needed her. Slytherin captain be damned, Y/n was going to be Moonys. 

A dry winter night. As usual, Remus walked to the Whomping Willow with his three friends following him. Tonight was normal in the sense of his friends turning into their animagus,’ but the odd thing was letting him out of the shack. The werewolf and the dog ran around the forest together. The rat and stag lagging behind, allowing the two animals to play together. But a stick-breaking brought the attention of the werewolves to the new person. 

He could smell them. Hear their blood running through their veins. Their heart pounding at a standard rate. The dogs barking could be heard, trying to distract the werewolf. The scent was female, and she wasn’t scared. Instead, the girl approached with confidence sticking out her hand to the wolf. Padfoot barked loudly. Prongs backed down, looking nervous. Wormtail squeaked loudly. But she came with confidence and assurance. 

Moony growled, “Shh, shh, it’s okay.” She cooed, “You’re safe with me.”

The h/c haired girl knelt on the grass, “No need to be scared, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Moony hesitantly put his snout in the girl's palm, making her grin. His fur was soft to the touch, and his eyes turned soft. Her smile was beautiful, and Moony nuzzled his hand into her soft palm. She chuckled and patted him more. Padfoot barked excitedly and ran to her, but the werewolf started to bare his teeth again. 

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m yours.” 

The wolf seemed to calm down at her words allowing Padfoot to approach her. Smiling brightly, she pet both animals, “It’s okay, love.”

“My name’s Y/n. I didn’t know that there was a werewolf here.” Y/n greeted as Moony curled up beside her, his head on her thigh, Padfoot doing the same on the other side.

She caught sight of the other two animals and whistled for their attention, “C’mere.”

Prongs and Wormtail approached nervously, but Moony gave no sense of protectiveness. Y/n’s words resonated in his head over and over again, “I’m yours.” The wolf fell asleep beside her, Padfoot doing the same. Prongs approached, and Y/n patted the top of his head. Wormtail sat in front of her knee. They seemed at peace. It was the first time Moony ever felt at ease. They’d be lying if it didn’t make them happy. 

Y/n stayed up all night with the animals. Despite the animals not knowing, Y/n knew that the stag, rat, and dog were animagus’. The werewolf was unknown to her. The following morning when the stag turning into James, rat into Peter, dog into Sirius. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to find out who the werewolf was. When he turned back into a human with his clothes tattered. Y/n continued to run her fingers through his hair as he slept. 

“Morning, Marauders,” Y/n commented. 

“You’re- you-“ James stuttered.

She laughed, “Apparently, your moony really likes me.”

“Would you mind petting me again?” Sirius teased, “Maybe.” Y/n retorted, winking. 

Sirius laid down on her other thigh that Remus wasn’t laying on, smiling; she ran her fingers through their hair, “You’re a godsend, lemme tell you.”

James and Peter sat in front of Y/n, “What made you want to take a walk in the forbidden forest last night?”

“Just wanted some air.” Y/n answered. 

Remus groaned and began pushing his head onto Y/n’s hand, “Morning, Remus.”

The Marauders and Y/n had never seen him jump up that fast, “What- you- I- uh-“

“Didn’t know you were a werewolf.”

“I- uh…”

“Sirius, for the love of God, get off her lap.” James interject, slapping the boy on the head playfully, “But it feels so good.” Sirius drawled. 

James grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the grass. In the process, Sirius got a mouthful of dirt and grass, “You wanker.”

“Did I- erm- hurt you?” Remus questioned shyly, “Nope, I'm completely unscathed.” Y/n smiled reassuringly. 

Remus turned to his friends, “Nope! Y/n saved us all.”

“Are you hurt?” Y/n inquired to Remus, who took a quick look at himself, “I- I don’t believe so….”

Sirius blew a raspberry, “Thank Merlin! Dragging you to the hospital wing is bloody exhausting.”

Silence filled the forest until Sirius smirked, “You know, mate when you were talking about Moony wanting her. I thought you were joking. Turns out you weren’t.”

“Oi!”

“Oh, Merlin…”

Y/n chuckled, “Well, Moony is rather cute if I’m honest.”

Remus’ cheeks blasted with pink, and Sirius laughed. James shook his head with a big grin, and Peter looked amused with Y/n’s confession. Without hesitation, Y/n leaned over to kiss Remus’ cheek, making him hide his face flustered. She stood up and ruffled Sirius’ hand, gently rubbing her nails across his scalp, making Sirius try to lean into her palm. They all stared at her except for Remus, who was equally embarrassed and flustered. 

“If you’re looking for a fifth Marauder, I know the Slytherin common room password.” Y/n winked as she walked to the castle. 

[engie-ivy]

Famous Actor Remus Lupin and Famous Singer Sirius Black, Wolfstar Getting Back Together with a Happy Ending!

Read Part Two here

How It Was With You

“Good evening, and welcome to Celebrity Insights, the show where we give you an insight into the lives of your favourite celebrities!” The pretty hostess beams into the camera. “I am here with one of the biggest actors of the moment, and one of the stars from the most-anticipated film of this season, Mary McDonald’s latest work Wanderings with Werewolves, none other than Gilderoy Lockhart!”

People cheer, and Gilderoy Lockhart throws his thick, wavy hair back with a flourish, while giving a practiced wave to the audience.

“I must say, it’s an honour to have you here, Mr Lockhart!”

“It is,” Gilderoy confirms. “But please Marlene, call me Gilderoy.”

Marlene chuckles. “Alright then, Gilderoy. First we need to talk about your new film! Mary McDonald is known to be very demanding of her actors, requiring them to give each character a deeper layer. Was this challenging for you?”

Gilderoy laughs. “I can imagine it might be challenging for some actors, but for me, it just comes natural. So no, I can’t say I found it challenging.”

Remus snorts as he stuffs another piece of chocolate into his mouth, sitting cross-legged on his hotel bed in front of the telly. The guy had nearly driven Mary to despair! While Mary had tried to keep reporters and fans away from the set, Gilderoy had cared more about having his picture taken and handing out autographs than getting into character. Remus had managed to convince him to practice lines with him, but only by swallowing his pride and stroking Gilderoy’s ego by making him think Remus needed his help.

“Well Gilderoy,” Marlene says with a cheeky smile. “There is of course one thing we need to talk about...”

“Alright, I’ll say it!” Gilderoy laughs. “Yes, these really are my real teeth.” He gives the audience a toothy smile. Only a few people cheer.

“That’s... lovely,” Marlene says. “But not what I meant. We need to talk about your on-screen romance with Remus Lupin turning into an off-screen romance!”

The audience whoops and whistles.

“So tell us everything! How did you two got together?”

“As it turns out,” Gilderoy begins. “Remus has always been a huge fan of mine. When I arrived at the set, poor guy was totally star-struck. But I did what I could to make him feel at ease, and even helped him with his acting, and eventually he gathered up the courage to ask me out, and I thought, why not?”

Remus groans into his pillow. Of course. Of bloody course he was going to paint Remus as some lovesick schoolboy gushing over him! Remus had wanted to come up with a story together in advance, but Gilderoy had said “While some actors may need lines for everything, the more naturally gifted ones can improvise.” He had told Remus not to worry, to just watch tonight’s live show, and stick to the story he would come up with.

Marlene laughs awkwardly. “I’m sure you must’ve thought something more than ‘why not’? I mean, it’s Remus Lupin! The hottest actor of the moment, widely acclaimed by film critics, and overall fan favourite! I can imagine you were ecstatic!”

“Right,” Gilderoy says. “Of course, it’s nice to date a fellow actor. It’s in my nature to help others when I can, and I don’t mind imparting my wisdom, so to say. Remus was very grateful for my advice, and you could tell I made his performance better.”

“It’s not like he was struggling before,” Marlene says, trying to keep her tone light. “He has already won two Oscars, after all.”

“Well, he has always admired my work,” Gilderoy smiles. “I’ve always been an example to him when it comes to acting. Did you know his Oscar-winning performances were actually inspired by me?”

“And yet, you’ve never won an Oscar yourself,” Marlene says sweetly.

Gasps can be heard from the audience, and Gilderoy’s face flushes in anger.

Marlene blinks, seemingly startled by her nasty reaction herself. She’s not afraid to ask the tough questions, but her show prizes itself on always keeping a friendly vibe and making the guests feel at ease. “Eh, right. Let’s... Let’s go to some questions from the audience! Yes, you love! What would you like to know?”

A girl in the audience gets up, and Remus groans. She’s wearing a Mischief Managed shirt, and Remus already knows what she’s going to ask.

“Hello Mr Lockhart! I was just wondering, how do feel about Remus being Sirius Black’s ex?”

Someone was bound to bring up Sirius. He and Remus had been society’s it-couple. The most beloved actor of the moment, with his dazzling smile, warm eyes and angelic-like beauty, and the best musician of the moment, with his undeniable sex-appeal, bad boy appearance, but heart of gold. People had loved them together, had been obsessed with them, and many still hadn’t accepted the break-up. Remus can relate.

Gilderoy ostentatiously rolls his eyes. There might be some spite there. “I don’t care,” he says in a haughty tone. “If anything, it makes me think it must be quite an improvement for him to be with someone on my level. If he was dating some ignorant rock star before, he must be very happy to be with someone with some substance.”

“Booooo!” Remus throws a pillow at the TV, which only results in making his hotel bed less comfortable. By the sound of it, the audience seems to agree with his sentiment, only they have no pillows to throw. Remus gets that it’s no fun to be compared to someone’s ex-boyfriend, especially when that ex-boyfriend is bloody Sirius Black, but Gilderoy doesn’t have to go and talk shite about Sirius!

“Ignorant?” Marlene raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “Sirius Black has never struck me as ignorant. He’s never afraid to voice his political opinions, and even in his music, he sometimes addresses quite heavy themes. And if you listen to Lie Low with You, the lyrics are so deep and profound...”

The song Sirius has written about the break-up is his greatest hit so far, topping the charts all over the world. The song is constantly being played on all radio stations. And isn’t that just splendid? What could be more fun than hearing the song your hot and famous ex-boyfriend, who you’re quite possibly still very much in love with, wrote about your break-up every-bloody-where you go?

The song isn’t nasty. It’s heart-wrenchingly beautiful, not nasty. The break-up wasn’t nasty. There was no arguing, no fighting, no shouting, not even simply falling out of love. They broke up because of practical reasons. And somehow, that makes it even worse.

When they met, Sirius had just finished his American tour, and was searching for inspiration for new music, and Remus had just wrapped up filming, and had decided to give himself a break. They had all the time to just be together. But then life came and disturbed their precious little bubble where nothing else existed but each other.

Sirius’ management was pressuring him to do an European tour, and Remus got casted in Mary McDonald’s new film. It’s hard to be in a long-distance relationship. It’s extremely hard, if not impossible, to be in a long-distance relationship when you have no idea when you’ll be able to see each other again, when you’re both so busy you’ll barely have time to even call, when you’re constantly surrounded by reporters who’d love to stir up any drama between you and people throwing themselves at you wanting your relationship to fall apart. The memories of their time together were so good, they didn’t want them to be tainted by inevitable miscommunications, suspicions, and false accusations. No, better to end it before it went sour.

So they did the smart thing and it was all for the best. Well, if you ignore the fact that Remus is still desperately in love with Sirius, and feels like he’s been walking around with only half of his heart these last months, that is.

Gilderoy looks thoroughly unimpressed with Marlene’s defence of Sirius. “If you say so,” he says in a slightly mocking tone. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t listen to his music. My taste is more... refined than that.”

“I must say, I admire your confidence,” Marlene laughs, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “I honestly don’t know if I could be so calm about it if I were dating someone whose ex is widely considered to be the most eligible bachelor, and who has been voted Sexiest Man Alive three times in a row!”

The audience laughs as well, but Gilderoy’s expression darkens. The spite in his expression is now evidently clear, and that can’t be good. “Black is no competition,” he says firmly. “At all. Whatever he and Remus had, it was never real. Remus told me himself that sure, Black was nice to look at, but nothing more, and he quickly grew bored of him. There was nothing meaningful between them.”

Remus can only shake his head in stunned disbelief at the blatant lie.

Marlene frowns. “That’s... contrary to everything we saw of them when they were together.”

“Oh, yes,” Gilderoy says, really getting into it now. “It all looked great on camera, but that were all appearances. There were no real feelings, believe me. Remus just couldn’t connect with Black. Remus told me that, at times, Black had quite a temper, and the rest of the time he was just detached. Like someone who was, say, under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”

Marlene’s jaw tightens. “Those are dangerous insinuations, especially when uncalled for and unfounded. We will not make such insinuations in this programme.”

Gilderoy laughs and holds up his hands. “I’m not insinuation anything! Just making an observation. Like how it’s also an observation addiction runs in the family for Black.”

Remus is seething. How dare he! Remus can and will deny it a thousand times if he must, but it has been said, and the implication will linger.

Sirius grew up with an alcoholic, violent father, and his younger brother nearly died of an overdose just last year. Sirius hates drugs and alcohol, and won’t touch them!

Gilderoy has to wait before he can continue, due to the loud booing coming from the audience. “Anyway,” he says airily, throwing his blond hair back. “Remus says Black can’t hold a candle to me, and he’s just happy to be with a real man, who knows how to satisfy him,” he adds with a wink.

Remus wants to gag and laugh at the same time. Gag because, gross. And laugh at the idea that Sirius wouldn’t have satisfied him. If he just thinks back on those nights with their bodies intertwined while nothing else existed...

Remus is pulled away from his thoughts by his phone ringing. His private phone only a few people use, which means it must be Lily, his PR manager, to yell at him for saddling her with this PR nightmare of Gilderoy painting him as an arse-kissing twat who talks shite about his ex.

He starts pacing the hotel room, to release some of his frustration, while he picks up the phone. “I swear, I had no idea what that fucker was going to say!”

“Never real?!” The voice on the other end of the line asks incredulously.

Remus stops in his tracks upon hearing that voice. While he’s been hearing that voice in every car, every store, every bar he’s been in these last weeks, it still feels like he hasn’t heard it in forever. “Sirius...”

“Nothing meaningful? What the hell, Remus?”

Remus feels something warm swell in his chest at hearing that, despite all the shite Gilderoy said about him, it’s the suggestion that their relationship wouldn’t be real that’s making Sirius angry. “Look, Sirius,” Remus says, running a hand through his hair. “I swear to god, I never said any of those things! That pretentious stuck up bastard made it all up himself.”

“You and your boyfriend have some weird pet names,” Sirius replies.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

Even though Remus can’t see Sirius, he can just picture him arching an eyebrow. “You might want to inform him of that.”

“It’s a fake relationship,” Remus explains. “His management contacted me, saying how it would be good for both our media coverages, and great publicity for Mary’s work... You know how these things go.”

“I thought you hated that kind of fakery?” There’s disapproval in his voice, yes, but Remus also thinks his voice sounds somehow lighter, though that might be just his imagination.

“Well, as it turns out, I hate it even more to be constantly bombarded with questions about my love life and...” Remus doesn’t finish his sentence, but the word ‘you’ hangs heavily in the air.

The reporters really had been awful.

‘Remus, why did you and Sirius break up?’

‘Mr Lupin, do you think your relationship with Mr Black was a mistake?’

‘Is it true you and Sirius Black were engaged before you broke up?’

‘Remus, do you agree with the speculations that the entire ‘Moonless Nights’-album was written about you?’

“What do you make of Sirius Black being spotted with Fabian Prewett, Remus?’

Each question made Remus want to rip his heart out. Remus had tried to do it the proper way. He had placed himself in a vulnerable position and made a statement saying that he was going through a difficult time, and needed space to heal, and requested the reporters to give him that space. They didn’t.

Remus doesn’t feel bad about feeding the reporters a fake story, as they blatantly ignored his mental health to get their headlines. Questions like ‘Is it true that you had a thousand flowers delivered on set to win Gilderoy Lockhart over?’ ‘Were you and Gilderoy already together before you started filming?’ ‘Are those Gilderoy’s real teeth?’ make Remus want to puke, but that’s a hell of a lot better than ripping his heart out.

“Yeah, it was hard to be constantly confronted with it,” Sirius agrees. “In hindsight, writing that song about our break-up that’s constantly following me around might not have been such a good idea either.”

Remus snorts. “You think?” Then he sighs. “I’m going to end the pretend-relationship with Gilderoy anyway. Even fake, I don’t want to be with someone who would say those things.”

“You shouldn’t be!” Sirius says firmly. “He was totally belittling you and your career!”

The warm feeling is back. Gilderoy basically called Sirius an ignorant drug-addict, and here he is, angry that Gilderoy wasn’t respectful enough towards Remus. God, he loves this man. Oh god, he loves this man.

After a moment of silence, Sirius asks “It was real, right?” and there’s a rare vulnerability in his voice.

“Do you even doubt it?” Remus asks quietly.

“Well, I have it on good authority you’re quite a decent actor,” Sirius laughs, but Remus can hear the anxiety in his voice.

“It was never an act with you, Sirius.”

Sirius lets out a shaky breath. “It was the realest damned thing I’ve ever had in my life.”

Remus swallow against the lump in his throat. “You were the one real thing in a world full of fakery.”

“Do you...” Sirius begins hesitantly. “Do you think that maybe we’ve... made a mistake?”

YES! Remus’ mind screams. YES, YES, YES!

“I don’t know,” he says carefully. “I suppose we had valid reasons at the time...”

“It just seems a bit silly now,” Sirius says. “Ending it because we didn’t want to end up unhappy, and what did that result in?”

“Are you unhappy, Sirius?” Remus asks quietly.

“I just... miss you so damned much, Remus.”

“Me too.” Remus’ voice breaks. “I miss you too.”

Both of them fall silent again, except for the ragged breaths while they try to control their emotions.

“I could get on a plane,” Sirius suddenly says. “I’m in America at the moment. I don’t have any performances planned for the weekend, only some interviews, which I can by video call. I could get on a plane and be with you.”

Remus opens and closes his mouth, his mind racing. “I don’t want you to get on a plane,” he eventually says. “If it’s only for the weekend. If you do get on that plane, I want us to actually try this time. You and me, giving it a real chance. Otherwise, please don’t bother.”

From Marlene McKinnon:

Rem, I don’t know Gilderoy very well, and I don’t want to be judgemental of your relationship, but I need you to know that I almost punched your boyfriend in the face on live TV.

From Lily Evans:

Well, that was a train wreck. I’ll drop by tomorrow so we can talk about what to do, and what statement you want to put out. And Remmie, don’t worry too much, okay? It reflects worse on him than it does on you.

Gilderoy Lockhart Finally Talks about Something Other than Himself, and We Kinda Wish He Hadn’t...

“Sirius Black is a Drug-Addict and Remus Lupin Never Had Feelings for Him”: Why Lockhart is Facing Backlash for his Latest Interview with McKinnon

Gilderoy Lockhart Claims Remus and Sirius Didn’t Love Each Other, Here Are 20 Pictures that Suggest Otherwise

Remus sends Marlene and Lily a quick reply, and scans through the headlines, feeling relieved that Lily seems to be right. He’s too anxious to really read any of the articles, however.

The smart thing to do is to text Sirius the name of his hotel, so that when his plane has landed (He must’ve gotten on the plane. Yes, he most likely got on the plane. But what if he didn’t get on the plane? Oh god, he didn’t get on the plane!), he can come to see Remus, and they can talk face-to-face about where they both stand and what they both want, without drawing too much attention. Yes, staying here and waiting for Sirius to arrive (If he arrives!) would definitely be the smart thing to do.

Ten minutes later, Remus is sitting in a cab on his way to the airport. Unsurprisingly, his arrival at the airport lobby causes quite a stir.

“Oh my god, is that-?”

“Yes, yes, it is!”

“Is that really Remus Lupin?”

“It has to be! Who else has eyes like that?”

“I can’t believe I’m in the same room as Remus Lupin! I can’t believe I’m breathing the same air as Remus Lupin!”

“I hope he’s fleeing the country after saying those things about Sirius Black!”

“I hope he’s fleeing the country to get away from Gilderoy Lockhart as far as possible!”

“He’s so beautiful, it hurts my eyes!”

“I don’t think that’s biologically possible.”

“Do you know what’s not biologically possible? To be that beautiful!”

“His hair looks so soft, I just wanna run my fingers through it!”

“Great. You can immediately get his autograph on you restraining order.”

Remus ignores the buzz of voices around him, and searches the crowd, getting more anxious by the minute. Suddenly, he sees a man standing near the end of the hall. He’s wearing sweatpants and a hoodie with the hood pulled up, covering his hair and obscuring most of his face, but Remus recognizes his slightly too upright posture, that he never quite learned to shake from his upbringing, and the way he’s opening and closing his hands, which he always does when he’s nervous. When his eyes meet Remus’, he knows for sure.

Remus starts to run. Well, he is an actor, after all, and he does have a taste for the cinematic dramatics. He throws himself into Sirius’ arms and Sirius hugs him tight.

“Sirius,” he whispers.

“I got you,” Sirius speaks against his hair. “I got you, and I’m never letting you go again.”

When Remus pulls back slightly to look Sirius in the eyes, he’s vaguely aware of talking all around him and the clicking and flashing of cameras, but his attention is mostly drawn to those silver-grey eyes, with a sparkle that hadn’t been there all those times he saw them on a television screen these last months. “You came.”

“Of course I came,” Sirius smiles. “How could I not? I love you.”

“I love you too,” Remus says, and the words come easy as he pulls Sirius into a kiss.

The situation with Gilderoy is still a mess, and being spotted kissing his hopefully-no-longer-ex-boyfriend in public will only make it worse, but he can’t bring himself to care.

It’ll be okay. They’ll be okay.

Part Two

[startanewdream]

Fic Back Friday

Jumping with @constancezin wonderful art of two James' (or the best thing I've seen this week) to share the my emotional Dreamverse , or those fics in which James comes back to "bestow his wisdom upon lost souls" (as he would say).

A Figment of Your Imagination

After fighting with Lupin in Grimmauld Place, Harry wondered if his father would have approved what he had said to Lupin. Fortunately, James comes to give Remus his piece of mind. Set during Deathly Hallows.

Chasing dreams

When Ginny Potter is having doubts about her pregnancy, her father-in-law shows up to give her some help, to fly together and, of course, to present his suggestion of baby names.

The fawn and the stag

When six-years-old James Sirius has a crisis about never showing magic before, a familiar friend comes to help him.

[fruitcoops]

Wisdom With Age

Follow-up to Leo getting his wisdom teeth out: it’s Loops’ turn! Hope you enjoy :) Coops credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for dental work, wisdom teeth removal, anesthesia, and surgery (mentioned)

Sirius carefully, but firmly, set his hand on Remus’ knee to stop it from bouncing. “Sorry,” Remus muttered, then immediately began worrying at the hem of his old t-shirt.

“Okay,” Sirius said under his breath, turning in his seat and taking both of Remus’ hands in his own. “Sweetheart, look at me.”

“I don’t like this,” Remus muttered as his eyes flickered up to Sirius’ face. “Honey, I really don’t like this.”

“I know, but you have to do it.”

“Why? They’re my teeth, it’s my mouth, and is it such a bad thing if I don’t want people poking around in it?” The leg started bouncing again. “I mean, humans survived for thousands of years with their wisdom teeth, and—and teeth serve a lot of very important purposes besides chewing. This could fuck up my ears, and my hearing—”

“Remus.”

He swallowed hard and clenched his jaw.

Sirius began tracing slow circles over his knuckles. “You know better than anyone why this is important, and it’s dangerous to keep them in any longer than you already have. I totally respect that you’re freaked out right now, but you’ve got to calm down. These guys do this all the time.”

“There are always exceptions.”

Yes, I know, I’ve been thinking about all those scenarios for the past two weeks. “And you won’t be one of them. How long did you spend finding this place, again?” There was a beat of silence. “Re.”

“Four hours,” he muttered.

“Exactly. You did your research.” Remus’ eyes wandered up to the clock and his grip tightened when he saw how little time was left until their appointment. Distraction, distraction—“Tell me why you chose this place.”

That got his attention. “What?”

“You spent four hours sifting through dentists’ offices online, right? Tell me why this one stood out to you.”

“Um. Well, I guess it was just a combination of things. They have really good ratings and this is where Leo got his out, which went well. He was on his feet within a week, which was impressive. The equipment is good quality and—”

“Remus Lupin?”

“Oh, fuck me.” The nurse raised her eyebrows at him, and he flushed deep red as Sirius hid a smile in his shoulder. “Sorry, sorry. Hi, that’s me. Remus Lupin. I’m…a little nervous.”

Her face softened as she walked over. “That’s perfectly normal. We have a little bit of paperwork for you to look over and then we’ll get started. Is this the person who will be driving you home?”

“That’s me. How long will it take?”

“Oh, an hour or so. Not long.” She handed Remus a pen before turning back to Sirius. “We do these procedures all the time, so there’s nothing to worry about. The surgery is quick and easy.”

Remus’ hand skidded across the page on the word ‘surgery’ and Sirius squeezed his thigh gently as he took a trembling breath. “Thank you for doing this on such short notice,” Sirius said with a smile while Remus read. “We really appreciate it.”

“Why does this have to be so important?” Remus mumbled as he signed the last page.

The nurse shrugged. “Human bodies are funny things.”

He snorted. “Tell me about it.”

“Are you a doctor?”

“I was a physical therapist for six years,” he said, handing the clipboard back to her. “Unfortunately, that means I know exactly why putting this off for so long was a bad idea.”

“I don’t know about a bad idea.” The nurse tilted her head to the side. “You still came in to do it before there were any problems, right? That seems pretty smart to me, and very brave.”

“She’s right,” Sirius said quietly, knocking their shoulders together. “You’ve got this, mon loup.”

The nurse waited patiently while he took a few deep breaths before standing up and hugging Sirius tight around the chest. “You’ll be here, right?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and the inside of his wrist. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

The tension returned to Remus’ shoulders as he followed the nurse out of the lobby; Sirius sat down and grabbed a magazine to distract himself for the next hour.

------------------------------

Twenty minutes later, the nurse came back out. Sirius stood up immediately as fear bolted through his chest. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” she soothed, taking the seat next to his with a sigh. “There was a bit of trouble getting him to fall asleep, though.”

“Oh?” Sirius tried to keep his voice neutral as he sat down, but even he could tell it didn’t work that well.

She gave him an amused look. “Your boy is stubborn. We get nervous people all the time, but he seemed to have a personal vendetta against our anesthesiologist. The countdown usually lasts three seconds, maximum, but I made it all the way down to five before he was out.”

“But he’s okay?”

“He’s just fine.” She patted his hand.

“He’s been avoiding this for about four years now.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Hates hospitals and dentists, but still got a medical degree.” Sirius huffed. “His mom threatened to drive here from Wisconsin and drag him in by the ear if he didn’t schedule it soon.”

The nurse smiled. “You’d be surprised by how many young folks we get in here shaking in their boots. It’s really not that bad of a procedure, but all you hear about are the times it went wrong.”

Sirius hummed in agreement. “Is it normal to be nervous for him?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good.”

“Lots of people cry while they’re waiting, though I haven’t quite figured out why. Feel free to do some wailing if you think it’ll help.”

“I’ll pass, but thank you for the offer,” Sirius laughed. There were a few heartbeats of comfortable silence before he spoke again. “I don’t like the idea of him being in there all alone.”

“Oh, honey, nobody does.” She gave his hand a quick squeeze. “We always want to be there for the ones we love. Boyfriend?”

“Fiancé.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“This summer.” He smiled to himself. “I’m really excited.”

“How long have you been together?”

“We’ve known each other for six years or so, but we’ve only been dating for one.”

They chatted back and forth, and Sirius felt his nerves melt away as the conversation turned to Harry, then Regulus and Jules, until a tall man in a white coat poked his head into the lobby. “Do we have a companion for Remus Lupin in here?”

Sirius raised his hand. “That’s me.”

“Come on back, he just woke up.”

The dentist’s office smelled different than a hospital, which Sirius was grateful for. Remus wouldn’t like waking up with the scent of rubbing alcohol all around him. The walls were painted a cheerful yellow with various murals for the younger patients—each room had its own name tag with stickers.

“Remus?” The doctor knocked on the door as he opened it. “We’ve got someone here for you.”

“Hmm?” Remus blinked sleepily at them from the table; his face was puffy from anesthesia and gauze.

“Hey, Re,” Sirius said, taking his hand and rubbing it between his own. “Are you ready to go home?”

Remus squinted at him for a long moment. “Did it hurt?” he asked.

“Did what hurt?”

A smile twitched at the edges of his mouth. “When you fell from heaven. Hiya, handsome, I’m Remus.”

“Oh my fucking god.” Sirius looked back at the doctor, who was hiding his laughter in his hand.

“Here’s your aftercare sheet,” he said, pushing the wheelchair a little closer and handing Sirius a piece of paper. “Can you get him outside by yourself?”

Sirius nodded. “It might take some manhandling, but I’ll be fine.”

“Damn right, you’re fine,” Remus snorted.

“Merde,” Sirius muttered. “Alright, you shameless flirt, can you sit up by yourself?”

Remus winked at him, though it was more like a slow blink. “Might take some manhandling. What’s your name, angel?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

He shrugged as Sirius helped him clamber into the wheelchair. “I need something to yell.”

“Holy shit, Re!” Sirius spluttered, nearly steering him straight into the cupboards in surprise. “You can’t just say that in the middle of a dentist’s office!”

Remus frowned and glanced around the room. “Is that where I am?”

“Yes!”

“I don’t like dentists. Or hospitals. Super fuckin’ creepy.”

“Yes, I know.” The hall was mostly empty, thank god. “You’ve told me.”

“Have we met before?” Remus stared up at him and nearly went crosseyed. “You’re being so nice to me.”

“We’ve known each other for six years.”

“Huh. I really hope we’re dating, because there’s no way I’m passing up a chance to tap that.”

“You know, Leo was incredibly sweet when his wisdom teeth got taken out,” Sirius sighed as they went down the next corridor. “He called Finn ‘pretty’ and then only wanted cuddles for a few days. You, on the other hand, were apparently so stubborn that they had to spend twenty minutes putting you to sleep, and now you’re hitting on me like a drunk frat boy.”

“I can call you pretty if you want.” Sirius stopped walking as Remus reached up to trail a surprisingly steady hand down his cheek; some of the flirty mischief was replaced by awe. “You really are beautiful. What’s your name? For real this time, I want to know.”

“Sirius.”

“Like the star.” The corners of Remus’ eyes crinkled. “Brightest one in the sky. It fits.”

“Just for that, I’m going to let you in on a secret,” Sirius said as they neared the exit.

“Oh?”

“We’re engaged.”

“What?”

[moonyswolfie]

Seer

Remus Lupin x Potter!reader

Warnings: panic attack, angst, mentions of death

“Harry, mama loves you. Dada loves you.”

“Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off-“

“Sirius Black was – and remains to this day – Harry Potter’s godfather!”

“Not only did Black lead You-Know-Who to the Potters that night, but he also killed one of their friends, Peter Pettigrew.”

“The ones that love us never really leave us.”

“I can’t leave him!”

“Stay close to me.

Always.”

“The boy must die.”

“I don’t want your help!”

“I’m sorry, I never wanted any of you to die for me.”

“Nice one, James!”

“Avada Kedavra!”

The images were changing fast, too fast for you to piece them all together. You woke up with a scream, tears rolling down your cheeks, but you couldn’t open your eyes. You tried catching your breath, yet no intake of air seemed to be enough. When you opened your eyes, four boys were watching you with very worried expressions.

“Love, what’s wrong, what did you see?” Sirius asked, grabbing your hand gently and moving his thumb in small, soothing circles on the back of it. You couldn’t answer it though, as you were in the middle of a panic attack.

You felt Remus’ arm wrap around your waist, bringing you closer to him in an attempt to calm you. You buried your head in the crook of his neck while squeezing Sirius’ hand , trying to regulate your breathing enough to reassure your friends.  You couldn’t, after all, tell them what you’ve seen. It was against the law and they knew it.

“N-nothing. I just- I’m sorry I woke you guys. Just a bad dream, s’all.” you said, voice still shaky from the visions.

“That was more than a bad dream, Y/N! You saw something, how bad was it?” James asked, losing his patience. He was worried, they all were.  

You turned towards your twin brother, but you couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Deadly” you whispered.

You started having visions before you came to Hogwarts, and not all of them were bad. Back then you’d have very few and far away, but as you grew older, they came more often. You’d have them at all times of day, but most of them during the night, usually waking you (and your roommates) up.

Since you started dating Remus, you spent more nights in the boys’ dormitory and while they assured you that they weren’t bothered by you, just crazy worried, you still felt bad when you woke them in the middle of the night. Like now.

James sighed and raised from his kneeling position on the floor, kissing your forehead and going back to his bed, Sirius following quickly after he kissed the top of your head. You smiled at the gestures, they were the best brothers you could ever ask for.

The last to rise from the foot of the bed was Peter, who gave you a small smile that you didn’t return. You couldn’t, not after everything you’ve seen tonight.

*

It pained you, to keep quiet all these years, but you knew that sharing this knowledge would only make things worse. It was a warning that both Dumbledore and McGonagall gave you that night, when you slipped out of the boys’ dormitory and went to seek their wisdom.

“Miss Potter, what are you doing out of bed at this time of night?” McGonagall asked, rather surprised to find you knocking on her office door.

She took in your current state, the tears now dried on your cheeks, the hand you were constantly dragging through your hair and your eyes, showing your conflicted mind.

“I need your advice, Professor.” you never came to her before regarding your visions, despite her constantly assuring you that her door was always open. “I saw something, tonight, and I…I don’t know what to do. I know I can’t tell them, but how could I let it happen?”  

You buried your face in your hands, shaking your head as if trying to get rid of the images that were plaguing your mind. McGonagall raised from her seat behind her desk and approached you, placing a hand gently on your shoulder.

“Come, dear, I believe this is a conversation that Professor Dumbledore should be a part of.”

You nodded and walked slowly towards the Headmaster’s office.

Yet watching it all unfold now, you couldn’t sit and do nothing.

“James, a word?” Sirius asked, dragging your brother out of the room.

You closed your eyes and took in a long breath of air, exhaling softly a moment later. You couldn’t. you shouldn’t. And yet…

You sprinted down the hall and pushed open the door of the small bedroom, interrupting James and Sirius mid-conversation. They both looked at you, confused expressions gracing their features.

“Don’t. Please, don’t make Peter the secret keeper.” you uttered between gulps of air.

James’ expression turned from confused to surprised, then slightly annoyed.

“Look, Y/N, I don’t know how you found out about this, but the decision has been made. I know you don’t like Wormtail all that much, but he is our friend.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, James! He isn’t your friend and he cannot be trusted!” you yelled.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Sirius inquired.

“I...I can’t talk about it, you just have to trust me on this, please.” you tried again, to which your brother only rolled his eyes.

“It’s safer that way, Y/N. Voldemort expects us to make Sirius the secret keeper, which will cause the best distraction. He’ll never know who the real secret keeper is. It’s a sound plan, sister.”

“Then make me the secret keeper. Keep up your charade, tell everyone what you will, but choose me. You know I can be trusted.” you begged.

“No, we can’t risk your life like that.” Sirius said and his tone suggested the decision was final.

You had only one option left, consequences be damned.

“I had a vision, James. I saw it happening, I saw you dead, that’s how I know about your stupid plan.” you said, looking him straight in the eye.

James sighed and that’s when you knew. He didn’t believe you.

“Visions can change, you said so yourself.”

“Yes, if the person in cause changes their mind!” you retorted.

“Y/N, Sirius and I have a lot to discuss. Leave us, please.”

You left the room and closed the door behind you, almost knocking into your boyfriend on your way back to the living room. He took your hand and led you to the chamber the two of you shared.

“I take it he didn’t listen?” Remus asked, pulling you to his chest when he saw the tears streaming down your cheeks.

You shook your head and held onto him tight.

“Tell me what you saw, darling.” he whispered, kissing the crown of your head.

And you did. Remus listened to your every word and tried his best to fight back his tears when you told him of your friends’ deaths.

“He doesn’t believe me, Remus. He thinks the visions change all the time but they don’t.”

“I’ll talk to him later, try to convince him to change his mind.”

You nodded, but you knew he won’t succeed. Once your brother made up his mind, there was no changing it.

*

You nearly fainted when you heard the news. Dumbledore had sent an owl to yours and Remus’ house, bearing the news.

They survived. James, Lily and Harry, they were all alive and well.

James trusted you. He believed you. You didn’t know how Remus convinced him, but what you knew was that your brother was alive, that he and Lily would get to raise their beautiful son together and that Harry will grow up surrounded by love.

You were clutching the letter to your chest, stained with tears of relief, while your other hand was making soothing circles over your baby bump, when your husband joined you on the living room couch.

“My love, what’s wrong? Is it the baby?” Remus asked, worry written all over his face. As your due date was nearing, the baby grew more restless, which worried him immensely.

“No, the baby’s fine, my dear. Here, Dumbledore sent news.” you handed him the letter.

You saw the relief taking over his handsome features as he read, and let out a small laugh. Then, he seemed to remember something.

“But what about the vision?”

“They can change only if the person changes their mind. I don’t know how you convinced James to reconsider, but thank you, Remus.”

“I didn’t, Y/N. He told me there was no going back when I spoke to him, that it was all done.”

A screech broke the sudden silence, as an owl entered through the kitchen window and delivered a letter into your lap. You opened up the envelope, smiling at the sight of James’ messy handwriting.

I’m sorry I had to keep you in the dark, sister,

but I had too much to lose to risk sharing my plan.

I’ve always believed in you, my favourite fortune teller.

Your loving brother, James

You smiled at the nickname he used to call you when you were kids and your visions were still so new. It always bothered you back then, but you were happier than ever reading it now.

“I say we should pay them a visit soon, what do you think?” Remus asked, having read the small note over your shoulder.

“It’s settled then.” you agreed, leaning into him and placing a kiss to his lips.

[gryffindors-weasley]

Finding A Light

Ron Weasley x Fem!Reader

Summary: Ron was left broken in the aftermath of the wizarding war. In an attempt to build a better life, he feels he may have unknowingly met someone who could put those pieces back together.

Warnings: angst, mentions of death, grieving, fluff

A/N: Remus is very much alive in this series! This will be more than one part, I hope you enjoy!

Ron Weasley was a man of few words when presented the daunting task of expressing his emotions, preferring to stuff them down and deal with the consequences later. He never outright says what he’s feeling unless it’s pried from him, and in those times it’s usually expressed through anger. He isn’t great with his words either, so it didn’t come as a surprise to Harry and Hermione to see him so closed off after the war had concluded its disastrous rampage.

It was a battle that anyone and everyone involved was more than likely to never forget, the losses and hardships engraved in their minds as a permanent reminder should their memory allow it as they age. Some had come out on the other side more fortunate than others. Some had handled it far better than others. Ron was not one of those people.

His long awaited ambitions on becoming an Auror were rapidly diminished and pushed to the very back of his mind for a good while. He had wanted absolutely nothing to do with magic beyond that very day, thought that maybe if he hadn’t used it, it wouldn’t remind him of his tragedies. That maybe that part of his life would be forgotten in time if he tried hard enough. So, his wand, his robes, his Hogwarts letters and what was left of his sentimental wizarding memorabilia were hastily shoved into a cardboard box, taped shut and stuffed away to collect dust. Out of sight out of mind was his reasoning, though it didn’t quite work out that way.

The loss of his childhood home paired with the devastating loss of one of his older brothers had been a weight too heavy to bear, pressing down on his chest with each day that passed. He nearly lost two of his closest friends amidst the chaos the Dark Lord left in his wake. Such a lifetime of pain and loss was something he never anticipated to experience all by the young age of eighteen, and it left him feeling like a mere shell of the person he once used to be. As if the years of extraordinary magical endeavors prior to that day were completely erased and replaced with utter heartache.

It took him four years to bring himself out of the pit he found himself stuck in and find some semblance of strength, if only for his mother, and he wanted to build a better life for himself. One without so much sorrow written into his story. He wasn’t entirely sure how to go about doing so, knowing a return to a normal life simply wouldn’t be feasible. Not that his life had ever been considered normal per say.

The emotional scars were something that would never go away, he understood that, but he didn’t think he could go another day having the same mundane routine night and day. He felt ready for more.

Now, at the age of twenty-two coming up on twenty-three, he found himself returning to Hogwarts with hopes to become a professor. His heart nearly beat out of his chest when he arrived, sick to his stomach with nerves as he stopped and stood in the middle of the newly constructed stone bridge. His letter crinkled under the pressure of his tightly clenched hand, luggage in the other, eager students curving their stride to avoid running into him. The castle was more grand than he’d remembered it to be, perhaps they’d made it bigger to house more young witches and wizards, perhaps it wasn’t. Either way, against his instincts, he forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat and continue forward before he convinced himself to turn around and apparate home.

He quickly found that things had been kept fairly the same as he roamed the grand halls in curiosity, as similar to the school he’d grown up in as it could be. The wondrous ceiling of enchanted candles in the Great Hall was a detail that briefly gave him watery eyes; the varying hues of reds, oranges and yellows coloring the Gryffindor common room, down to the house flags pridefully ornamenting the new quidditch pitch. He found himself turning to express his awe to Harry or Hermione on more than one occasion, but was only met with the unfamiliar faces of new students. His shoulders would slump as he exhaled a deep sigh.

It had taken him nearly two months to fully adjust to his newfound routine, to come to terms with the memories that flashed in his mind of their own volition. Whether they be good or bad, they had a habit of making themselves known at the worst of times. Over the course of that time period crumpled pieces of parchment had accumulated around the desk in his room, unsent letters to his mother of his wishes to return home. All of which were written hastily in either frustration or tears, or a mixture of the two. And of the ones he had sent, they were promptly returned with enchanted letters vocally telling him with the utmost of love and sternness that he will be staying, he needs this. Those letters kept him going on those days.

Amongst those days and nights it was strange not having his two best friends there, loneliness still having its hold on him.

Remus Lupin had made his return all the more welcome though, himself and McGonagall being two of the only familiar faces that he’d truly connected with. He felt it was an honor to be taken under his wing and trained, he always had been Ron’s favorite instructor of Defense Against The Dark Arts. He’d even go so far as to say he’s the best if he was being honest.

Regardless, despite his own personal conflicts, he was beginning to feel more comfortable residing there than he had ever thought he would. It was as if the nagging rain cloud dumping over his head was starting to dissipate for the time being.

“You did very good today, Ron,” Lupin says once his final class of the day has left, “the teaching of boggarts is never easy I’ll say, and if I recall correctly it wasn’t your favorite lesson.”

Ron chuckles at the thought, pushing his chair in when he stood. “Not particularly. I still have a nightmare or two about that bloody spider.”

Lupin laughs, nodding at the pleasant memory. Things fall quiet for a few moments as Ron moves to sling his bag over his shoulder. “Off you go, Mr. Weasley, enjoy your weekend,” he urges, grabbing Ron’s attention again before he gets too far. “Here’s your weekly report. You’re becoming a fine up and coming professor I’d say. I have no doubt that I will be leaving my classroom in the best possible care.”

Ron nods with a soft laugh, cheeks flushing a pale crimson at the reassurance as he takes the parchment from him, tucking it into his bag to be read later. “Thank you, Professor Lupin, really. It means a lot to hear.”

He smiles appreciatively before making his way across the long classroom, stopping in his tracks. He takes a breath to gather his thoughts before spinning on his heel to face him again, returning to the desk he sat at. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I suppose.”

He offers Ron a smile upon seeing the clear hesitancy written all over his face. Ron gulps, fumbling with the strap of his bag that rested on his shoulder. He could practically see the gears turning in the ginger boy’s head if such a thing existed. “Was it…was it hard coming back here? After the war, I mean.”

Lupin huffs out a soft laugh at the sudden ask of such a deep question, though he can’t say he was surprised. “I was waiting for this question to arise,” he says, lifting a hand to stop Ron from apologizing. “To give a short answer, yes. It took great thought. To give a long answer, one you may not like but I’m sure you already know, there will always be bad days after experiencing such trauma. It is not easy being born into a life where magic is real and not just a trick of the eye. While it can be wonderful it also brings with it a great deal of damage.”

Ron nods as he listens to his words, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Despite all of it, Hogwarts is a place that can be good just as much as it can be bad. You just have to take it in your stride. You’re stronger than you think, Ron. If you really want to be here, I believe it is worth it to try.”

Ron exhales deeply, taking a moment to process his insightful words, a certain wisdom he appreciated. It left him feeling considerably lighter than he had before, like he was a bit more hopeful of a better experience here. “Thank you.”

That’s all he can manage to say.

The blue eyed man in front of him nods. “Go on now, you’ve had a long day, Weasley.”

—

Ron found himself to be rather excited for this weekend. It would be his first time making a trip to Hogsmeade in nearly five years, though he’d been putting it off because the experience wasn’t quite the same when doing it alone. Third years buzzed around him with the excitement of their newfound privileges and independence, bouncing from shop to shop to fully take in all that it had to offer.

He, however, walked at a leisurely pace amongst the students bustling around him, taking a moment to fully appreciate everything he hadn’t seen for so long. Catching details that otherwise went unnoticed like the chipping pink paint on the curved windowsills of Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop, and the happy young couples residing inside. The vibrant green moss that formed inbetween the crumbling cracks of the old cobblestone walkways. However, the sight of Zonko’s Joke Shop made his heart lurch in his chest the moment he saw it.

He averted his gaze immediately, swallowing thickly as he tugged at his shirt collar that suddenly felt a little too constricting. It had been Fred and George’s favorite shop to frequent, always buying new things to add to their inventory of pranks. But now that one half of the pair was missing it wasn’t such a fond memory anymore, moreso a taunting one.

The sound of a couple students joyously greeting with a chorus of ‘Hi Mr. Weasley!’ pulled him from his thoughts and he was quick to smile, giving them a half wave as they had already begun to walk away. He let his hand fall back to his side, huffing out a sigh as he continued to walk along the path towards the one place he looked forward to the most, Honeydukes.

The little bell overhead alerted his entrance as he opened the door, the air noticeably sweeter than outside. He found himself smiling as his gaze bounced around the near unchanged shop, any candy you could possibly think of lining almost every brightly painted wall. Though not every single one is a desireable find, he learned that one the hard way. He almost didn’t know where to begin, much like how he felt the first time he ever entered the place, and every time after that for that matter. So he perused the shop, something he’s never done by himself.

His eyes landed on familiar chocolates, and he was quick to grab a box for Hermione because he knows they’re her favorite. Despite such knowledge she still adamantly denies having a sweet tooth to this day. To go along with that, he snags one of the last chocolate frogs for Harry.

It was a fond memory when he thought of it, a tradition they’d had as young students. He’s still got the cards he’d collected from each frog, they were tucked away in that box filled with other things. Maybe when he returned home he’d have the courage to reopen it.

He continues to look around for a bit more, finding himself wishing he had the same sense of enjoyment and innocence as some of the younger students held. For they were fortunate enough to narrowly miss being involved with such negative events. He had to remind himself that it wasn’t looming over his head anymore, to let himself enjoy this very moment. So, he tried his best to clear his mind and bring himself back to his current situation in the middle of an aisle filled with hard candies.

When he had turned the corner of said aisle he collided with something, someone to be more specific, the box clutched in his hands opening on impact and sending the assortment of sweets clattering to the ground with the addition of others. The chocolate frog had fell from its decorative box and hopped out of sight before he could process it.

“I’m so sorry!” A soft voice sounds in front of him, a warm hand enveloping his wrist.

“It’s okay…” Ron trails off when he matches the voice to its owner, blinking slowly as his mouth hangs slightly agape. He found himself staring at the girl, he was quite sure he’d never seen someone so alluring, so captivating. He didn’t know if he could manage to stop gawking. “I-it’s okay.”

His cheeks redden when he realized he’s repeated himself, the fiery heat of embarrassment burning from the very tips of his ears down to his neck, leaving his pale skin flushed. You too came to the realization that you were still gripping his arm, quickly dropping it as you laughed softly to stave off any awkward silence. He averts his eyes momentarily, needing a moment to regain his composure and not make a complete fool of himself in front of the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. Though he’s quite sure he already has.

“I told Mr. Flume it shouldn’t be quite so cramped in here, but he never seems to listen,” you laugh, looking at the smattering of sweets scattered around the two of them. Ron was focused less on the mishap and more on the way you smiled brightly at him, knowing his cheeks were undoubtedly the same shade as his hair. “Give me just one moment, please!”

He nods just a little too late as you rush off around another corner and out of sight, leaving him to stand there awkwardly as students in the vicinity stared at the mess sprawled at his feet. Shortly, you indeed did come back, a new box of chocolates and what was now the last chocolate frog in your hands. You thrusted them in his direction with a warm smile, one that made his heart flip in his chest. “Take these, it’s on the house.”

“Oh I couldn’t do that,” Ron rushes.

“Please, it was my mistake. I insist.”

He laughs softly, nodding after a moment. “At least let me help you clean up?”

You nod up at him with a laugh of your own, “deal.”

He tries not to think about the way your fingers brush over his as they pick up chocolates from the checkered floor, tossing them into the nearby trash bin. And he tried not to think about the way you’d had his stomach twisting in knots as if he was a thirteen year old again experiencing his first crush.

“I’m Y/n, by the way.”

He scrambled to think of a response, seemingly forgetting his own name momentarily. It hadn’t gotten any better when you looked up at him politely as if waiting for a response. “I’m Ron…Ron Weasley.”

He could’ve kicked himself for being so awkward, knowing him stumbling over his words couldn’t possibly give off any sort of appeal. He brushed his hands off with a sigh as he stood to his feet. Though you didn’t seem to mind his nerves as you brushed your hands off on your jeans.

“Nice to meet you, Ron. I only wished it were on better circumstances.” The pale blush on your face deepened a shade.

“That’s quite alright,” he says with an airy laugh, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “It was nice meeting you too.”

That same silence took up the absence in conversation again as Ron tried desperately to think of something to say, not quite ready for the interaction to be over. You beat him to it.

“I hope to see you around here again, maybe without the mess,” you say with a soft smile, “and don’t forget your chocolates.”

He was confused for a moment, too caught up in the way your eyes sparkled as they looked at him, or the way your hair fell around your face before following where you’d been pointing. “Oh! Y-yeah…thank you,” He grabbed his sweets in his shaky hands, feeling rather bold suddenly, “I’ll see you around then, Y/n.”

He was sure your words were only friendly, something you probably said often as a kind gesture. Probably not because you actually wanted to see him again. But he let himself think otherwise if only for a moment.

You simply nod, your grin widening a fraction, “bye Ron.”

—

Ron’s lifted spirits did not go unnoticed, not by Mrs. McGonagall who made it a point to bring it up at dinner later that evening. He could tell she picked up on it, could tell by the very way she’d glanced at him frequently. Though he wasn’t sure he was hiding it very well. He pretended not to notice, focusing his gaze on the rows of tables occupied by dozens upon dozens of students seated at them, the hardwood adorned with some of the best food he’s ever eaten. Second only to his mother.

“Is there a particular reason you’re so cheery, Mr. Weasley?” She finally asks, and he sighs at the question.

“Not particularly,” he responds using her wording, glancing at her as a smile pulls at the left corner of his mouth. He watches as she raises a skeptical brow; he knows what’s coming.

“I haven’t seen you smile like that in a number of years, Ronald. I know when you’re lying,” she says with a soft laugh, though she doesn’t pry.

Ron chuckles down at his plate as he shakes his head, pushing his food around as he thought about her. The way she smiled at him, so brightly the corners of her eyes crinkled. It still felt as though those butterflies were still fluttering around in his stomach. He quickly found himself wanting to hear your voice again, or hear your laughter—

“I’ve met a wonderful person today, that’s all,” he blurts, looking to his side.

She gave him a fond yet knowing smile, nodding her head. “I know the look of young love when I see it.”

“I’m not in love, Mrs. McGonagall,” he urges almost immediately, cheeks reddening once more at her preposterous conclusion, “I’ve only just met her today.”

“If you insist, my dear.”

“I do insist.” He tries to be sure of himself despite his inability to get you off his mind, but he hides his smile behind his goblet as he takes a sip.

Later that night he went to bed with something other than sorrow clouding his thoughts, instead feeling rather optimistic about the week ahead. Or maybe it was the plans he’d had at the end of it that had him so eager, time feeling agonizingly slow. It was definitely that. He couldn’t wait to see you next Saturday.

—

[fabulous-fic-quotes]

"Forgive what I am about to say," she says without sounding very apologetic "but I find those who fight a battle with nothing to gain to be fools. It is good then, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, that you are not hopeless fools. Those who fight without a goal, guided only by the pure good intentions of the heart, are destined to lose, for it is only by having a purpose that we can endure the adversities to come. It is the prospect of the future, whatever we hope awaits us on the other side, that drives us to keep fighting... No war has ever been won, but by those who fight with a purpose."   

A thousand bells ring in my heart (how hard it is to ask for forgiveness) - Alfonsiny

[onlydreamofmysoul]

Let Them Eat Cake Part VI

Here we go!!! I’m so so sorry about the extra wait for this one guys, but thanks for sticking with me!!! I hope you like it!

Tonight on The Great British Bake Off…

“Are you talking to yourself?”

“Now get out of here you cheeky buggers.”

“The person not going to the final is-”

The morning of the signature and technical challenges, Remus woke up with Sirius in his arms. 

Remus smiled down at Sirius still asleep, his dark eyelashes brushing the tips of those high cheekbones. Ever so carefully, Remus reached to grab his phone and turned off his alarm - it only had two minutes left in it anyways and now Remus could wake Sirius up slowly instead of subjecting him to that heart stopping adrenaline rush that came from having a blaring noise announce the dawn on a new day.

“Sirius,” He whispered, kissing the other man’s forehead. “It’s time to wake up, love.” 

Remus watched, unable to take his eyes away as Sirius’ breathing changed from that deep relaxed state to one more aware of the world. His eyes flickered open and focused immediately on Remus’ own.

“Re?” He mumbled sleepily, moving forward to press his face against the hollow of Remus’ throat and securing his grip around Remus’ waist. “Time is it?” Remus slipped his hands under Sirius’ shirt, relishing the feel of Sirius’ ridiculously warm skin against his hands. “It’s a little past seven, we have to get up, we’re filming today.”

Remus shivered as Sirius’ sigh was warm against his skin, but soon Sirius sat up, stretching high into the air, his joints cracking. Remus laughed and threw a pillow at him as he slid out of bed and padded to the bathroom. 

“I’m just going for a shower, I’ll just be a few minutes.”

Sirius nodded, still yawning. “I should go back to my room anyways, before the world is awake and all that.”

Remus nodded and returned to his side to kiss him goodbye. “See you tonight?” He breathed. Sirius rolled his eyes laughing, “Re, you’ll see me in like, an hour.”

“Yeah,” Remus pouted, “But then everyone will see you. Only I get to see you tonight.”

Sirius smiled, lazily twining his arms around Remus’ neck, leaning against him. “That’s very true, I suppose I’ll see you then too.”

Remus grinned, then pushed his boyfriend away gently. “Go,” He said reluctantly, “Before anyone sees.”

Sirius kissed his cheek, then shoved his feet into his shoes and vanished out the door. Remus wandered to the steaming bathroom in a daze, not quite sure if this was all still just a long, elaborate dream. 

He and Lily wandered down to the tent together, as was tradition at this point.

“I’m not superstitious,” Lily was saying, “But I mean, I’ve gotten this far and if there’s anything I’ve done that’s helped me get here well I’m not going to risk it.” She turned and changed the topic so quickly, Remus was pretty sure he’d get whiplash if he wasn’t so accustomed to her ways. “So how’s Sirius.”

The topic of himself and Sirius was a secret to the world, bar two people - Lily and James. Sirius and Remus had both agreed they wanted a little time to see let their relationship grow a little before being exposed to the public, but there was no denying that both of them needed to tell their best friends. In Remus’ opinion, getting to tell your best friend was one of the very best things about even being in a relationship.

Remus knew the smile on his face was ridiculous and yet he just couldn’t help it. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Lily stuck out her tongue at him. “Very funny. You know what I mean, how are the two of you getting on?”

Remus wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze before pulling away. “So fucking good.”

“Well you sure as hell look like a love-struck idiot.”

It was Remus’ turn to stick his tongue out at her, but his cheeks flushed a little. “Oh hush. You’re one to talk, you’re not too far away from being a love struck idiot yourself.”

Sirius and Remus had a bet to see when James and Lily would finally get their shit together and start dating. Remus said before Bake Off ended. Sirius said after. Remus was trying to do everything in his power to make sure it happened before the end of filming the final (The official ‘cut off’ time) because if there’s one thing to know about Remus Lupin, it’s that he liked to win.

(And also that he thought he might be falling in love, but it was far too early to entertain such thoughts).

The tent was cooler today than it had been other weeks and Remus was glad for it. It was always chilly starting off, but the tent quickly warmed up and Remus would take any reprieve from the overwhelming heat that he could get. Tonks was already at her bench and Remus and Lily went to her, chatting before they had to get in their places.

“It’s weird without Peter isn’t it?” Tonks said, glancing at his vacant station. 

“So weird.” The others agreed, all looking over. Can you believe next week is the final?”

“Shh, Lily don’t jinx it.” Remus said, covering her mouth and then ripped it away cringing. “You licked me!” He rubbed his hand on his apron before going to the sink at Lily’s station and washing his hands.

Lily just shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You totally just licked me, ew.” 

Tonks blinked, the picture of a perfect alibi. “Lily is far too civilized to ever lick people Remus, don’t be ridiculous.”

Remus pointed a finger at Lily. “I’ll get you back for this.” He swore, not at all satisfied when she just stuck her tongue out at him. 

“I look forward to it.” She chirped before Marlene called time and everyone went to their own stations. Remus snuck dirty looks at Lily when the camera’s weren’t on him (and once accidentally when they were - Remus could only imagine the ‘Lily and Remus Fight?’ all over bake off twitter). Sirius and James headed to their spot at the front of the tent and suddenly they were off.

“And we’re back! Welcome everyone to The Great British Bake Off!” Sirius started, smiling broadly for the camera. “Things are getting exciting, aren’t they James?”

“Oh yes,” James continued seamlessly, “Things are really heating up, we’ve made it to this season’s semi-final! I almost can’t believe it, it flew by didn’t it?”

Sirius nodded along. Remus had to smile a little at the extra bits of banter they had to slot in now that there were fewer bakers to cover. Sirius’ eyes flitted to Remus, just for a second and then he scanned the rest of the tent, but Remus knew Sirius was really looking for him. “For sure James, for sure. I think no one expected such a good year!”

Lily snuck him a little smirk and Remus rolled his eyes, miming licking his own hand to turn her mind to other things. Tonks was far more perceptive than people gave her credit for and Remus wouldn’t be surprised if she figured out about himself and Sirius just from a couple of well placed looks. 

“Our lovely judges have decided that today marks the start of biscuit week!” James said, motioning to the two judges standing to the side. “Any words of wisdom for our bakers?”

“They should taste good.” Dumbledore said pleasantly, as if it wasn’t the entire point of the competition and Remus had to couch to cover the sound of him snorting. 

“Well thanks for that absolutely useless piece of advice.” Sirius said with a brazen grin. “For our signature challenge, our judges would like you to prepare twenty four short-bread biscuits.”

The camera’s turned to capture the baker’s reactions while James continued. 

“They should be crisp and crumbly, but still able to maintain their shape, with a golden bake, but be careful that they don’t burn.”

The bakers nodded, more than ready to begin, just waiting for the official go-ahead. 

“On your marks,”

“Get set,”

“Bake!”

“So Remus,” Sirius said as he came up to Remus’ station a little bit in. “What’re you baking for us this week?”

‘You’d think you’d remember, considering I’ve been hand feeding them to you all week.’ Remus wanted to say. But of course instead he just smiled and continued weighing his sugar.

“Lemon and lavender.” He said, offering a sprig of lavender to sniff. “It tastes good, but it also smells so good. It’s a win-win really.”

Remus very pointedly did not look at the way Sirius crushed the flower between his thumb and forefinger before lifting his hand to his face to take a delicate sniff. Remus had to bite down a retort about his etiquette and instead began grating the lemon rind. 

“Well it certainly looks good so far,” Sirius said, so perfectly camera-ready and ready to make some wholesome family entertainment. Remus just smiled at him and returned to his work as Sirius drifted off to chat to some of the others. 

Remus made the biscuits in a bit of a haze to be perfectly honest. He had originally been surprised when he discovered the challenge was shortbreads - he thought they might be a tad simple for something as grand as the semi finals, but he learned pretty quickly that if you looked away for a second, these little bastards would go and burn on you. 

“You look all nice and innocent now,” Remus said to his dough as he folded in the lemon and lavender. “But I know it’s all for show.”

“Remus, sweetheart?” Marleen asked, coming up to his station. 

“Yes?”

“Are you talking to yourself?”

Remus flushed. “No… I’m talking to my dough,”

Marlene nodded bemused. “Because that’s much more normal.”

Remus bit his lip. “Yes?” He said again a lot more hesitantly. Marlene just laughed and began to move on.  “You sure are one hell of a man Remus Lupin.”

Remus just chuckled as he started rolling out his dough. 

“What’ve you done now?” Lily asked, half teasing, half curious as she came back from the bathroom. “I leave for five minutes and I miss everything.”

Remus flicked a bit of extra flour at her as he passed by, leaving tiny white flecks speckled like snow in her hair. “Nothing you haven’t heard a hundred times before.”

“Oh were you talking to your cakes again?”

“Yup.”

“I should’ve known.”

Remus sat with his back against Lily’s station as he stared at his oven. 

“Remus?” James said tentatively.

“Yeah?”

“Did you ever hear that expression - ‘a watched pot never boils’?”

Remus just raised an eyebrow, but didn’t look towards James. “Likewise I think you could say; a watched shortbread never burns.”

James laughed as he slid onto the floor next to him. “You know what? That’s fair, I can get on board with this.”

Remus knew several cameras were trained on them but he didn’t look. “Oi, James, I think you’re using talking to me as a chance to sit on your arse.”

James slung an arm over Remus’ shoulder. “Oh Remus, my love, my life, how you wound me.”

“You can stay if you make us tea.” Remus offered and nearly choked on his laughter when James half-flew from his perch to boil the kettle. 

“You drive a hard bargain, but you have yourself a deal Remus.”

Remus smiled and a few minutes later he happily accepted a steaming mug from James as they both just stared into his oven.

“Psst, Remus,” James whispered. Remus gleaned over at him wryly. 

“Yes?”

“Is it supposed to be this boring?”

“Doing practically nothing and getting paid for it? Why yes, yes I believe it is.”

James laughed but didn’t say any more for a moment. Remus was suddenly very aware that he was sitting next to one of the very few people who knew about himself and Sirius. He liked James, he liked him a lot and while they got on great, they had never really spent any time just the two of them. And while this wasn’t exactly the two of them hanging out - they were literally working, surrounded by people and being filmed nonetheless, it still felt a little important. Remus wished he could say something, but there was no real way to say ‘Hey, I’m falling for your best mate, let’s get to know each other better’ and be totally discreet. But James reached over and ruffled his hair once and when Remus shoved him off, laughing, he knew. 

James was thinking that too. 

Remus kept staring at the oven, but on the inside, he was smiling. He and James would be good friends. 

James moved on after a little while, but Remus stayed where he was. At one point, he took the tray out of the oven and covered it loosely with tin foil.

“You cover it lightly, like this, see?” He explained for the camera, “This is a good trick for cakes especially - it’ll keep cooking but it prevents the top from burning. Our oven when I was growing up was a bit dodgy and it loved to burn the tops of my cakes while the inside wouldn’t even be cooked, that’s why I picked this trick up.”

Marlene grinned and gave him a thumbs up. “That might be the longest time I ‘ve filmed you without you cursing.”

“Fuck yes! Wait shit, I mean fuck, I mean, ugh just go.”

Marlene left laughing and Remus popped his tray back in the oven, making sure the tin foil was only covering the top - not secured around it, otherwise the cookies would just sweat inside and go soggy. 

Remus had just taken them out of the oven to start plating them when Sirius called the ten minute mark. 

“Christ this will be interesting.” Remus muttered, again to himself as he started transferring the, still hot, biscuits onto the plate.

“Don’t break, don’t break, don’t break.” He chanted, managing to get ten transferred successfully until the eleventh split in two.

“Oh you fucker.” Remus cursed, rearranging everything so he could hide it under the others. The rest however went well and in the end he had twenty four pretty good looking biscuits, all stacked neatly.

The judges came in, smiling at them. Remus had thought they might become more open when there were fewer of them, but it had seemed the opposite. He figured they must to want to get attached to anyone, let it influence or bias their decision. That was the best call, but Remus was still a little disappointed, he’d looked up to them all his life and he had barely interacted with them ever since he’d arrived. 

“Mr Lupin,” McGonagall greeted as they arrived at his station, “What’ve you got for us today?”

“Lemon and lavender.” Remus said and it only took about seven weeks, but his voice didn’t tremble at all.

Dumbledore took one first, breaking it in half. “It doesn’t have the ‘snap’ we were looking for, but that’s probably just because they’re still a little warm.”

They both took a bite and there was the awkward sound of nothing but their chewing for a moment. “These are excellent.” McGonagall said and Remus thought this was it, he could die happy now. An ‘excellent’ from McGonagall, he was set.

“The flavours are lovely, and you balanced it quite well, I was worried the lavender would be too overpowering.”

Remus laughed, remembering the first time he had tried it, using so much lavender they had tasted more like soap than cookies. “A little goes a long way.” He admitted. 

They both nodded, smiling as they chewed and then they were gone. Remus sighed as he sat down, those challenges were getting simultaneously more and less nerve wrecking. He was growing accustomed to them, which helped, but the stakes were infinitely higher than they had ever been before. 

Remus welcomed the lunch break gratefully, all of them taking the hour to relax. They had all done really well on the challenge. Which was good, Remus supposed, but it meant there really was some tough competition if he wanted to stay. 

They grabbed a spare tablecloth and threw it on the grass, collapsing down on it. Lily lay with her head in Remus’ lap and Remus had to hide his laugh when both James and Sirius looked slightly put out by it. Tonks spent the entire time trying to re-do her hair which had all fallen from the tight braids she had that morning, until Kingsley offered to take over, his fingers quick and nimble, even with Tonks’ short hair. 

“Damn Kingsley, a man of many talents.” Sirius said with a low whistle.

“I think,” James began grandly, “I think that we should all just go to sleep.”

“That would make a riveting episode.” Remus agreed, I can see it now, half an hour of footage of us just sleeping.”

Lily snorted. “I mean, we could finally clear up the ‘does Remus snore’ issue. I vote yes.”

“Nah, he doesn’t.” Sirius said, Remus’ eyes snapping to him, heart pounding in his chest as he watched Sirius realise what he said. “That’s what I’d vote for anyway.” He said quickly, rushing to recover. "Look at him, does he look like someone who snores to you?”

Remus laughed, trying to move past the moment. “It’s Lily who snores.”

“I do not!” Lily protested, sitting up. “You know who snores? Tonks.”

Tonks flicked her newly plaited hair. “I shall neither confirm nor deny.”

“Translation,” Sirius added, “She definitely snores.”

“I think everyone snores, they're just all in denial.” Kingsley said, and everyone laughed, continuing eating. 

“Except for me.” James said, breaking their silence and everyone just groaned. Remus lay back, staring up at the sky through the trees. All was good. 

“Welcome back for our technical challenge!” Sirius welcomed as soon as the cameras had begun recording. “For today’s challenge, our judges would like you to make jammie dodgers.”

A burst of surprise lit in Remus’ chest, he had never actually made jammie dodgers, but they were a favourite of his grandmothers, so he used to always have them whenever he would go visit her. 

“The biscuit should be buttery and hard, with a jam filling of your choosing.” James elaborated, clasping his hands together. “Judges? Anything to say?”

“We’d also like to see a shape in the centre of the cookie.” Dumbledore added. “Which is of course, of your own choosing.”

“Okay well thanks for that.” Sirius said, beginning to shoo them out. “Now off you go, you cheeky buggers.”

The entire tent burst out laughing and Remus knew he’d have to mock Sirius for that one later. 

“Alright well, if no one see’s Sirius after today it’s because McGonagall has given him detention.” James quipped. 

“Ready?”

“Set.”

“Bake!”

Remus lifted the white and blue checked cloth to peep at his little pile of ingredients and equipment. 

“I don’t think I’ve had jammie dodgers since I was ten and visiting my gran.” Lily called and Remus chuckled, turning around. 

“That’s literally exactly what I was thinking.”

“Hot take,” Tonks said, throwing a tea towel in their direction to get their attention, the cameras circling them all like vultures. “Only grannies like jammie dodgers, McGonagall set this challenge and hence, she has big grandmother energy.”

“Um, no,” Remus sassed. “If anyone’s the granny of the pair, it’s obviously Dumbledore.”

“Remus is the granny of our group so I think he knows best.” Lily agreed, gesturing wildly at Remus’ cream knit cardigan. Remus just laughed as he rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands. 

“If I’m a granny then I’m those cool ones who teach the kids curse words and give them ice cream even when the parents say no.”

Kingsley looked up from where he was intensely studying his recipe and nodded. “Remus is a cool nan; confirmed.”

Everyone applauded and Remus took a little bow. “Thank you, thank you very much. It's such an honour and as much as I’d love to address it and give you guys an hour long speech, I’m not gonna ‘cause we have a fuck ton of work to do.”

“Remus!” Marlene shrieked and he blew her a kiss. All in all, things were going well.

“These biscuits are going to be the death of me.” Remus half sang to himself as he coated his cookie cutter with far more flour than one would ever deem necessary but the dough kept sticking and Remus’ perfect circles were looking a little less than perfect. Or circular. They were more like strange blobs. His actual grandmother would have found them charming. McGonagall on the other hand, well Remus figured she’d think otherwise. 

“Come on you little fucker.” He murmured and finally he managed to cut one out properly. “Oh thank fuck. Okay right let's keep this going.”

His dough seemed to agree that holding it’s shape did indeed seem to be the best course of action and pretty quickly, they were ready to be filled with jam.

“Hey Re, how’s it going over here?” Sirius asked as he came over, leaning his elbows on Remus’ counter. 

“Alright, I’m just about to put the jam in.”

Sirius perked up, peering into the pot waiting on the hob. “Ooh, what kind of jam did you make?”

Remus grabbed a teaspoon and gave it to Sirius. “Try it and see.”

Sirius eyed him, “Just so you know, I’m sure your jam is excellent but I will have no idea what flavour it is.”

Remus laughed, grabbing a spoon himself to start coating the biscuits. “Just give it a go, I think even you will get this one.”

Sirius looked dubious, but did as he was told. Remus didn’t watch the way his boyfriend’s lips closed around the spoon, nope, no sir. He was a perfect professional. 

(But for the record, Sirius had lovely lips). 

Sirius hummed for a minute, taking his time. Taking so long in fact, Remus had assembled four whole biscuits by the time he finally, tentatively mumbled; “Raspberry?”

Remus grinned. “Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!”

Sirius’s face lit up with such excitement, Remus would swear he was like a little puppy. “Really? Is it actually raspberry?”

“Yup.” Remus affirmed, popping the ‘p’ as he placed the top on another cookie. “You’re doing amazing sweetie.”

Sirius grinned and moved on just as Remus finished putting all the pieces together. E had to say, he was pretty happy with how neat the all looked, finally shaped like actual circles with a perfect little hole in the middle. He sprinkled some castor sugar over the tops and popped them in the oven, setting the timer and then he could finally relax for a moment. 

“Does anyone want a cup of tea?” He asked the crew and spent the next few minutes boiling and reboiling the kettle as he took orders and made more cups of tea than Mrs Doyle in ‘Father Ted’. The remainder of all their biscuits from the last challenge were still hanging around, so Remus and the others passed them out too, everyone enjoying a nice tea break in the middle of filming. None of this section would make it into the actual final cut anyways, it never did. No one wanted to spend their night watching a bunch of strangers stare into their ovens. 

The puff of hot air when Remus opened the oven was intense, but it softened and soon the tent smelled warm and welcoming. Remus transferred his biscuits carefully (none of them breaking this time) and put them on the plate just before Sirius called time.

“Alright bakers, please bring your biscuits to the table at the top of the tent.

The table looked strikingly empty with only four pictures on it. In Remus’ mind there were still ten of them, but moments like this swiftly brought in back to reality. His place today was the last in the line, furthest away from the judges, just after Kingsley. They all took their seats and then; the judges were brought in. 

“Hello again everyone.” McGonagall greeted. “I hope you all haven’t been cheeky buggers.” She said with a glance towards Sirius. Sirius shot her a wink and Remus hand to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing. 

“Right then,” Dumbledore cut in, “Let’s get started shall we?”

Lily was first and her blueberry jam went down nicely. Tonks’ elderberry jam wasn’t quite as well received - she had been a little light on the sugar and it was a tad tart apparently. Not that Remus would know but, he took their word for it. Kingsley’s was ‘unexpected’, a salted vanilla jam that Remus absolutely had to try and finally, it was Remus’ turn to be judged.

“These are a lovely golden colour to start,” McGonagall said as he picked one up, biting into it. And then she smiled. 

Remus nearly stopped breathing, he got a smile from McGonagall.

“These remind me of my youth.” Dumbledore commented, unaware of the absolute chaos that was Remus’ brain in that moment. 

“Me too, I love the raspberry - sometimes it’s nice to stick to the classics.” McGonagall said and then they were finished and talking quietly amongst themselves to rank them. Remus was holding hands with both Tonks and Lily, Lily on his right and Tonks on his left. 

“Okay right, let’s start.” McGonagall said and once again, they were off. 

“I can’t believe you called McGonagall a cheeky bugger.” Remus said as he lay with his head on Sirius’ chest that night, tucked under the quilt all snuggly and warm. 

“I regret nothing.” Sirius hummed, squeezing Remus’ waist. “You know what I can believe? That you won the technical.”

Remus let out an amused huff. “You’re an eejit oh my god.”

“A loveable eejit though.” Sirius countered. Remus rolled his eyes but agreed. “Yeah, a loveable eejit.”

“Half way through this week’s episode.” Remus commented, stating the obvious. Sirius’ chest rumbled gently beneath him when he would speak. 

“Woah, we’re halfway there-”

Remus twisted, resting his chin on his hands so he could peer up at Sirius. “Are you really singing Bon Jovi right now?”

Sirius shrugged, smirking. “Living on a prayer, baby.”

Remus traced Sirius’ bottom lip with his thumb. “I always hated ‘baby’ as a pet name, but you say it and I just…” His words left him so he just pressed forward, kissing Sirius. The arm around his waist coiled tighter and his hair was lovingly pushed back as he pulled away.

“So it’s good?” Sirius asked softly. 

“Yeah sweetheart. Yeah, it’s good.”

“It’s time for our showstopper challenge!” James announced, looking far too peppy for seven o’ clock in the morning. Remus made a little mental note of that - Lily was a morning person too. 

He was still tying his apron when Sirius continued; “For this challenge, our lovely judges have asked you to make any 3D structure or statue of your choosing.”

James picked up right where Sirius left off, the pair in perfect sync. “Your structure can be made of any kind of biscuit, and as many different types as you like, but it must be 3D and unsupported by anything inedible.”

“Basically,” Sirius translated for the audience, “We need to be able to eat it all.”

“On your marks,”

“Get set,”

“Bake!”

Remus cracked his knuckles and set to work, moving quickly. He had managed to perfect his idea in practice, he had even managed to do it all within the time limit, but he was cutting it close. He could do it all, he just had to move fast.

“How’s the house going Lily?”

Lily grinned, looking up from where she was measuring flour. “Well I’m not gonna lie Remus, currently, it’s not looking great.”

Remus laughed and went back to weighing his own ingredients. Lily was making a little replica of her house back at home. Or what she said was a replica. Honestly she could build Buckingham Palace and claimed she lived there and no one would be any wiser. 

Remus was working with a lot of gingerbread today. For no particular reason, aside from the fact that it was easy to work with and good for holding its shape. Gingerbread houses were made of gingerbread for a reason. He also knew however, that everyone else had gingerbread in their structures somewhere, so they were all working to try to find ways to make theirs just that little bit different. 

Remus had just put his first batch in the oven and was melting chocolate on his Bain Marie when Sirius arrived at his side. 

“So Remus, what’ve you got for us today?”

“I’m making my bike.” Remus said, sliding the reference picture he had brought across the table. He saw the camera’s zoom in on it as Sirius looked it over. 

“You ride a bike.” Sirius was saying. “Of course you ride a bike.”

Remus blushed. “It’s a good method of transportation I’ll have you know.”

“Can you drive?”

Remus glanced up from his chocolate at that. “Technically? Yes. Legally? No.”

Sirius laughed and all Remus wanted to do in that moment was lean forward and catch it, taste that laugh on his lips. Instead, he gave the chocolate a bit of a stir. 

“Well I’ll leave you to it.” Sirius said and with that, he was gone. Remus left his chocolate melt as he went to make the biscuit for the wheels. They were going to be matcha an white chocolate and Remus just hoped they tasted okay because none of them were gluten free so he had never tasted them himself. The ‘metal’ part of the bike was gingerbread that would be coated in chocolate. 

He took the gingerbread out of the oven right as he put the matcha in, taking a deep breath of the warm spicy scent. He quickly set them out on the cooling racks, as spaced out as possible because he needed to get them cooled quickly. While he was waiting in everything, he began setting up the plate he could be presenting it on, brushing it all with edible paint to look like grass with a country lane cutting through the middle. He grabbed one of the biscuits he had made just for this purpose and crumbled it up, sprinkling it over the plate to look like dirt. 

After cutting the gingerbread ever so carefully into the shapes he needed, Remus coated them all with chocolate before pulling the matcha cookies out of the oven. He let them cool while he melted white chocolate and dark chocolate separately.

“Wow Lupin, you’ve got a lot going on here.” James said with a low whistle, standing back to watch Remus go back and forth between his several little tasks, stirring and cooling and assembling. 

“Hi James. Can’t really talk - lot’s to do.”

“No worries, we’ll leave you to it. Just a heads up - there’s twenty minutes left.”

“Fuck, okay, thanks.” Remus said, not even glancing up as he went from the white chocolate to the dark. 

He dipped the matcha in the white chocolate, setting those aside to cool as he ‘glued’ the bike together with chocolate, holding them in place as they dried. 

“Fuck, fuck, I need more hands.” Remus glanced up frantically and spotted Sirius just leaving Tonks’ station. “Hey Sirius? Could I borrow you please?”

Sirius nodded and half jogged over. Remus sent him to wash his hands first, and then Sirius took his place holding the bike together while it dried so Remus could work on everything else.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He said, coming so close to kissing Sirius’ cheek before freezing and just moving past him. 

“That’s alright.” Sirius grinned. “I’m here for more than just my good looks you know.”

“Oh really? What reasons would those be? Certainly not your sharp wit anyways.” Remus quipped, tapping Sirius’ hip lightly with his own. 

“Oi! I could just leave you know!” Sirius said in mock outrage and Remus laughed as he filled his piping bag with dark chocolate. 

“No, no, I’m sorry, please stay.” He met Sirius’ eyes and there it was just a second, but it might as well have been forever. 

It would be easy to fall in love with him, Remus thought. 

He blinked and secured the nozzle on the piping bag, pulling the matcha cookies close and piping the spikes and wheels of the bike on, trying to keep his hands steady and lines clean as possible. 

“Okay Re, these are dry.” Sirius said, pulling his hands away to reveal all the pieces holding together on their own. 

“Oh my god, amazing, thank you so much, I hereby set you free.”

Sirius brushed back a stray strand of hair, flashing that iconic Sirius Black smile. “No problem. Okay, this is your five minute warning.”

“Oh Christ, okay thanks go away so I can work please.”

Sirius’ laughter filled the tent but Remus wasn’t even smiling as he focused on setting the finishing touches. He added the wheels and carefully transferred the whole thing onto the plate-

“Bakers! Your time is up!”

Remus let out a sigh of relief as he stepped back, his bike looking pretty good, all assembled and plated. He was just pulling out his stool and sitting down when the judges walked in. 

They loved Remus’.  They loved all of them to be perfectly honest. This was the final, and everyone had brought their A-game. Tonks had made the leaning tower of Pisa. Kingsley had made a lovely little bookshelf, complete with little novels. Remus was more than a little jealous of that one, he had to admit. The judges were gone as quickly as they had come and the four contestants moved to sit at the top of the tent as they waited for their return.

“This is it.” Lily murmured. “Here we go.”

For the first time that day, Remus’ stomach was rolling. He wanted this so bad. It wasn’t even about winning - he just wanted to make it to the final. To prove it to little Remus, to his younger self who had dreamed about this. To his future self who could look back at this. 

The judges emerged with Sirius and James, their faces blank and impossible to read.

James spoke first; “Today I have the honour of announcing our star baker.” He looked around at the four of them, pausing for dramatic effect. “Tonight, our star baker is… Kingsley.”

Remus grinned and patted Kinsley’s shoulder in congratulations. He nodded at them and at the judges, a little smile on his face, but his eyes were sparkling. 

“That means I have the horrific job of announcing who’s going home.” Sirius said, his face looking actually drawn. Remus’ chest clenched, was it him? Was his boyfriend about to tell him he hadn’t made it?

“The person who won’t be joining us in this year's final is… Tonks.”

Remus’ heart soared and fell at the same time. He was staying, his friend was not.

He turned and pulled Tonks into a tight hug, her arms slipping around his waist.

“It’s alright,” She was saying, ever the positive presence, “I’m just happy to have made it here in the first place.” She pulled back and kissed Remus on the cheek before hugging Lily, the judges and presenters coming over to join them. Remus could hear McGonagall and Dumbledore talking to her, telling her how close it had been and that she was a truly fantastic baker and Remus smiled to himself. He met Sirius’ eyes and suddenly he wanted all of this to be done with so he could give a hug to the one person he actually wanted. 

He sent Sirius a quick text a little later that he and Lily were going to be with Tonks, helping her pack. He laughed when Sirius responded with “Help her pack, or watch her pack?” Before he set his phone aside and went with Lily to Tonks’ room. 

“Knock knock.” Lily said aloud, pushing the door that had been left slightly ajar, open. “It’s me and Re.”

“Hey guys!” Tonks said, her bright head popping out from the bathroom. “Come on in!”

Tonks was packing her toiletries so Lily and Remus threw themselves on her bed. 

“We brought hot chocolate.” Remus boasted, luring Tonks out to them.

“Of course you did.” She said, sighing fondly. “I would expect no less from the two of you.”

Remus and Lily pulled her onto the bed, sitting her between them. They all sat with their backs against the headboard, legs out in front of them as they sipped their drinks.

“I can’t believe you’re not coming with us to the final.” Lily sighed, resting her head on Tonks’ shoulder.

“I know,” Tonks said, sliding her arm around Lily’s shoulder. “But I’ll be watching from home don’t you worry!”

“Any advice?” Remus joked. 

Tonks raised an eyebrow, knocking her foot against Remus’. “I don’t think I’m the best person to get baking advice from, considering I’ve just been sent home, however I do have one or two things to say.”

“Oh?” Lily prompted.

None of them were even looking at each other, just staring straight ahead, but it was nice, peaceful. The window was cracked open ever so slightly, but the room was still warm and snuggly, made all the better by the abundance of hot chocolate. 

“You, Lily Evans, need to get your act together and ask James out.”

“What?” Lily cried at the exact moment Remus enthusiastically nodded his head in agreement.

“Sorry Lily,” He said, leaning forward so he could see her. “But you totally do. The pair of you are mad for each other.”

“Oh you’re one to talk.” She scoffed, then covered her mouth, her eyes wide. Remus waved her off.

“It’s alright, I was going to tell her anyway.” He said to Lily, before turning to look at Tonks. “Sirius and I are dating.”

Tonks nodded. “Oh I know. I was just waiting for you to bring it up.”

Remus blinked a few times. “Wait, what?”

Tonks nodded like it was obvious. “Yeah, since like, the first week, right? It was so obvious, sure you were worse than Lily and James.”

Lily blushed, but Remus flushed harder. “We only started going out last week.” He spluttered, skin burning. That was the first thing that had surprised Tonks all night.

“Wait really? Fuck, why are boys so dumb?”

“Hey!” Remus protested, looking to Lily for help, but his friend just shrugged.

“It’s true.” She said, “They are.”

Tonks turned to look at her in accusation, pointing a long finger at Lily. “Exactly. Boys are dumb. You know this. That’s why you have to be the one to put James Potter out of his misery before you make the rest of us go insane just from watching you.”

Remus just laughed at Lily’s face and pulled Tonks in for a hug. “I’m gonna miss you.” He murmured as he kissed her iconic hair.

“Me too, but you guys can come visit, yeah?”

Remus smiled. “Oh, just try and stop me.”

Remus crept to Sirius’ room carefully, checking the hallway was clear before knocking on the door. Sirius opened it straight away, stepping aside to let Remus in before pulling him in for a kiss as soon as the door was closed. 

“Hi,” Remus said, all breathy and amused. “I missed you.”

“You were with me all day.” Sirius quipped. 

“Ah yes.” Remus agreed, wrapping his arms firmly around the shorter man, “But as you pointed out so astutely, there were other people there today.”

Sirius hummed happily into another kiss. “I do make an excellent point.”

Remus laughed and guided them both to the bed, the pair exhausted after a long day on their feet. 

“Wanna watch a movie?” Remus asked softly as Sirius curled into his side. Sirius nodded and Remus grabbed the TV remote, turning it on with the press of a button. 

“You made it to the final baby.” Sirius whispered, his voice smooth with sleep. Remus smiled, running his thumb soothingly over the skin of Sirius’ waist, just under the elastic of his sweatpants.

“I did. Now sleep love, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night Re.”

Remus smiled and brushed back Sirius’ inky hair as a movie began to play.

 “Night darling.”

[pulaasul]

Ode to the Departed

An Ode to the Characters who died in the Harry Potter series of books.

FFN I AO3

--------

Ode to the Departed.

Colin Creevey

Colin Creevey was a young wizard, Who trained at Hogwarts. He was an excited fellow, Exuberance you cannot mellow. Magic brought him joy, Even more than a toy. When his home away from home was attacked, He left the comforts of his family and came back. He took the risks that returning entailed, It didn't matter if he failed. As long as his training was repaid. Even if he became pale. His debt to his hero was paid.

Cedric Diggory

Cedric Diggory was a Hufflepuff, The glory he sought was rough. It wasn't for self-satisfaction, Rather, it was for his faction. To dispel the nasty names that took root, As loyalty was his boot. The glory he sought was in his hands, But a traitorous rat had other plans. To Dumbledore's army that didn't matter He was an inspiration for others, His path may have strayed to the Dark Lord's But as a Hufflepuff, he never left Harry alone.

Fred Weasley

Prankster, Jokster, Charming are some things to describe, This particular bloke, those who knew him subscribe. Fred Weasley was one of a kind, Even if he did things with his twin by his side. His last action however wasn't with his twin, But with his estranged brother, they took a win, The price of victory however Would take root forever A set of twins was subtracted by one But his smiles were always fond.

Severus Snape

Spite and Bitterness were the things that pushed him to join the Dark Lord, One declaration later, he had to cut the cord. Severus Snape was Dumbledore's spy, In a wizarding world that's full of lies. To protect he had to sneer, While doing his side job without fear, It did help that the one he protected, Was the son of a man he hated. Even if he was also the son of the woman he loved. In the end it didn't matter, For the boy would soon after, Win the war with his sacrifice, And survive the curse twice.

Remus Lupin

Remus Lupin was afraid of many things. The full moon, family and friends. He feared that all his relationships would end. If people knew of his affliction, He knew they would leave without condition. Some of his fears were unfounded, As he found himself supported, By friends dearly beloved, And a wife that loved him dearly. He left behind a son, A son who would understand That they fought to protect his future And time would be his suture. Lupin's fears stem From Things out of his control He soon found that they were unfounded And found himself beloved.

Hedwig

A loyal companion to the very end, Who's job was to deliver mail She went beyond the call of duty And protected her owner, truly She was born to soar and deliver And died as a protector.

Albus Dumbledore

Wisdom in spades Intentions in shades. Greater good was his mantra It was one of his centra. Albus Dumbledore was a Headmaster Also the Elder Wand's master He acted as a mentor and confidant, This gained him a lot of covenants. He founded the Order of the Phoenix, To combat the ever changing helix. The Dark Lord has introduced, Philosophies he induced, That lead to a war that reduced. In the end, Dumbledore's intentions were pure, That, all of us are sure Questionable, his actions maybe, It couldn't be denied that he wanted this war to cease and for everyone to live in peace.

Nymphadora Tonks

Cheery, clumsy, snarky and a bit zany That's what Nymphadora Tonks was to many Sweet, Loving and Caring, She was to Remus Lupin after marrying. She hated her given name with a passion, She'd hex even in the middle of action, If you're caught referring to her name You'd best apologize before you go in flames. She left behind a son, Who, no doubt, she'd love, She fought for his future, So he may prosper, Without a Dark Lord looming over. Tonks fought for love and peace, Something the Dark Lord doesn't have a piece, It didn't matter that she and Lupin left him, Because she knew others will love him for them.

Sirius Black

Sirius Black was always Sirius. As a Maruder, he was always not serious. Easy going, and a joker. That's what he and the marauders were after. Everything changed when his best friends were killed, A treacherous rat forced him a cell to fill. A simple explosion seemed to fit the bill. Transfiguring himself to escape, The dementor-filled hellscape. Once escaped however He took a vow forever, Be there for his godson Like how his best friend's parents treated him as a son. He once had other plans, To fillet the rat in a pan If not for his godson's nobility He'd have truly been a murderer in reality.

Ted Tonks

Ted Tonks was Eden's apple, To a family of pure-blooded people. He was a good father and husband, Even when his wife's family acted like a baboon band. And agreed with the unfortunate name of his daughter. As he was on the run, Due to the propaganda, Introduced by Voldemort. He protected a child, From the Dark Lord. A muggle-born he may be, A decent man is all you can see. Loving as a family man Hero to everyone.

Regulus Black

A boy strayed by family and prejudice, Following the family's tradition and malice. Served dutifully as the Dark Lord's vassal, Until something happened that he cancelled. Discovered how atrocious the Dark Lord at the crux, The making of the darkest artifact – a horcrux. He recovered the artifact, replaced it as a matter of fact, Rebelling against the Voldemort He didn't even end up in a morgue. Killed for his defiance, But gave everyone a chance.

Dobby.

A house elf who only wanted to protect Harry Potter from a threat that was erected He offered protection in the most roundabout way, Aiming to steal, injure and maim just to get his way. While the life threatening situations were unwarranted, The intention of those actions were appreciated. It got him freed from his master, Making him a free house elf, offering help faster. As his own master, he aided his friend Which ultimately got him to his end To escape captivity From Voldemort's activity.

Amelia Bones.

Fair, Just and Uncompromising This Department head was promising Law Enforcement was her game Bribery and Trickery was her bane. Amelia Bones was an amazing Department Head. She's what Dark Witches and Wizards dread. One of the many reasons why she was among the first To be killed in the Dark Lord's Immortality thirst. Murdered, she may be Among the first casualties we see But she was among who the Dark Lord feared The threat she posed would put a stop to all his dreams, he supposed. Hence she was opposed and killed in her home.

Dennis Creevey

Excitement and Joy You'd think he received a toy. His first bout of adventure Was meeting a deep water creature That was even before he was sorted To brave Gryffindors where his brother was first posted. Dennis Creevey was a lot like his brother Excited with magic all over Not all is what it seems however As magic also dimmed his life forever He sneaked into the battle Despite the teachers' prattle He fought alongside his brother Protected some others When he saw his brother's corpse lay Was when the floor gave way Fallen to pits unknown His body nowhere known.

Alastor Moody

Stared at the darkness more than once or twice Paranoia has become his vice. "Constant Vigilance" was his motto, It saved his life and others thereto. He died during the battle of the seven Potters, Escorting someone polyjuiced as Harry Potter, Despite the boy's utter disapproval of the plan. Mad-Eye, he was known to everyone who knew him Without him, the world would have been a lot more dim. There was a time his motto worked to his detriment When the Dark Lord ordered one to impersonate him His imposter copied him to great effect Even jumpstarted the Dark Lord's return, unchecked. By making sure Harry Potter's name was ejected, From the Goblet of Fire – An ancient object.

Others

Casualties were many during the wars Many of whom were innocent by far. No idea of the war they were involved in Ignorant of the ideals against them. Some died as heroes who protected, The people who were neglected. Muggles who gained the Dark Lord's ire Ignited the heroes' protective fire. Fighting what they think was right In protection of others, with might. Others who had a greater sense of self-preservation, Something that Gryffindors need to be taught with vocation Died on the run, hoping to outrun the Death Eaters Even if the circumstances were worse than any eaters. Others died after defecting Hoping to escape the inevitable ejecting. Alas they failed But their sacrifices has derailed The Dark Lord's plan from fruition Even if they were without recognition. And others may view it as dying in cowardice Worse than dying with avarice. I will say this in explicit No one really wins in wars Both sides lose so far Both sides suffer casualties Both sides suffer injuries This is for the Departed For all factions that interacted Voldemort's, Grindelwald's, Dumbledore's Hoping that future generations learn From mistakes we earned. For the departed May your lessons that have imparted Would bring us to a bright and hopeful future And in time heal our sutures.

[chaoswillfallrpg]

DORCAS MEADOWES is TWENTY-TWO YEARS OLD and a AUROR in THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT at THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC. She looks remarkably like ALISHA BOE and considers herself aligned with THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. She is currently TAKEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: death

Determined and strong minded, Dorcas Meadowes became her own hero when she needed one most. Raised to know the power of her own self and mind, Doe was taught not to wait for a knight in shining armor to save her, but rather pick up the sword and rescue herself. Born to MATHEW MEADOWES a Muggle professor in linguistics and CHARLOTTE MEADOWES an auror in the Ministry of Magic, having longed for a child of their own for so long Dorcas was their shining star in the night. Growing up in their family home in Oxford, Doe was taught that power came in knowledge and a strong sense of self.  Adored by her parents, they were keen to embark the wisdom of their years onto her with affection, grace and kindness. Drawing pride in the fact that Dorcas encapsulated the best parts of them both. Holding her father’s keen thirst for knowledge, the written word and education and her mother’s bravery, drive and persistence, it became clear to her peers that Doe could easily stand her own. Believing in the idea that it was up to a soul person to craft their own path rather than wait for life to happen and pass ideally by. Fate and destiny are mere fairytales in the young witch’s mind, knowing even then that it was up to her to forge her own path. Writing her own story that she hoped one day they could all be proud of.

Growing up within both the Muggle and the Wizarding World, it gave Doe dear appreciation for them both. Cherishing how her parents had found one another and held a love despite the odds. As a Half-Blood, it was particularly important to her mother that Doe understood what it meant in the Wizarding community to have a Muggle father. The last thing she wanted for her daughter was to be lacking the knowledge she needed to make informative decisions and above all else to know her own worth. While they recognized as a witch her life would be heavily magic based, they wanted to instill in her the marvels of both. Teaching that despite the prejudice that many carry in the Wizarding community, she was not worth less value than those deemed ‘higher’ merely because of blood. Being a part of both worlds was a gift and something she should cherish and that she did. Despite her love for the Muggle World, coming to Hogwarts was like a dream come true. Dorcas craved the knowledge that she could gain while among the ancient walls. Following in the footsteps of her mother and grandparents, Doe longed for lectures on Transfiguration and Ancient Runes; unable to contain her excitement at the opportunity to learn about every area of magic she could. Though what she hadn’t expected was to make such dear and close friends. 

Sorted into Gryffindor, it wasn’t long before Dorcas found kinship with fellow first years and dorm mates: LILY EVANS, and MARY MACDONALD. All unique and brilliant in their own right, each brought their own personality and marvel to the group. Marlene was the rebel, challenging and brave with her keen need to prove herself; Marlene could easily file her nails while simultaneously beating you in Quidditch. Mary was the party goer, holding a wishful sense of wonder to them and a romantic at heart, they were the day dreamer of the group. Fantasizing about their newest crush, doodling hearts on parchment and filling the group in on the latest gossip. Lily was the angel, as intelligent as she was kind, she noticed you even in the quietest of moments when no one was watching. Holding your hand unexpectedly for comfort, she was warm and assuring. Dorcas was positive that she had never met someone as kind hearted as her. Doe herself took pride as the voice of reason and the more analytical member of the group. Logical with a strong sense of morals always guided her true, blunt sarcastic words pulled her friends back to reality and out of their antics. Though, it never meant that she was less fun. Marlene and Doe gladly answered any question their two Muggle-Born dormmates held, thrilling Doe to share her deep knowledge as if she were a library book. The group were inseparable. Spending late nights gossiping with one another, to painting their nails with the polish Mary harbored, to following Marlene as she led them to The Black Lake. Only to meet there the famous Marauders, JAMES POTTER, SIRIUS BLACK, REMUS LUPIN and PETER PETTIGREW. 

At first Doe was skeptical about Lily’s choice to befriend the male group. Of course knowing them from class and the common room, Doe often found the arrogance that both James and Sirius carried baffling. Their charms always fell short and missed the mark on her, unlike the rest of the close friendship group. Though Mary pointed out rightly, that her dislike for both of the males could be held in jealousy. With Doe’s suppressed feelings for Marlene, the relationship Marlene shared with James and her close friendship with Sirius left Doe feeling disheartened and forgotten. Remus became Doe’s confidant through it all. While she was closest with Mary out of her dorm mates, Remus became an unexpected best friend. Doe expressed her frustration at the situation and how she was unable to do anything out of fear of losing Marlene. Between shared chocolate squares, he listened to her rant and watched her make the occasional rock explode with a quick and easy flick of her wand. Matters of unrequited love never held well in hearts, though the burden was lessened with Remus by her side. Love and the arrogance of men were soon to be the least of her worries with the end of her fifth year bringing heart retching tragedy. Pulled out of her Transfiguration class, Dorcas was brought to the Head Master’s office to be delivered the news that while on their research trip to Norway, her parents had been ambushed. A group of radicalized wizards attacked, killing her father instantly. While her mother had fought tactfully to ward off the invaders, she was exposed to Dragon Pox and died merely a few days later. 

Heart broken and consumed with grief, a piece of Doe was stolen that day. Turning colder and blunt, the young witch found comfort in more dangerous activities. Following the lead on the more reckless shenanigans that Marlene, James and Sirius took part in, her new found wave of carelessness did bring concern to some of her close friends. Namely, Mary and Remus. But if the burn of fire whiskey down the back of her throat, the smoke of a cigarette and flying over the Black Lake gave her the adrenaline she needed to distract her from her pain, then that is what she would do. True she knew that maybe her parents wouldn’t approve of how she was handling their passing, but they weren’t here to say otherwise. Someone that seemed to find calm in Doe again was GWENOG JONES. After a passing challenge to join her in flight, the pair quickly found a connection with one another. For the first time Doe’s affection was equally reciprocated. Their love was a whirlwind. Wound up in their last years of Hogwarts, it was filled with each other’s firsts. Gwen holding Doe up when she needed it the most, together they pieced back the broken shards of their hearts. Tender kisses trailed over shoulders, clasped hands and the brisk breeze of air on their faces as they chased the sunset like nothing could ever tear them apart. Unfortunately, change came when Gwen was scouted to join the Holyhead Harpies. Though they held deep affection for one another with a job lined up at the Ministry the two parted ways so they could both fulfill their dreams with heavy hearts. Though never loosing the love they both held for one another. 

For safe measure, when moving out of her Aunt’s home after graduation, Doe uttered a memory charm to erase her Aunt’s recollection of her existence. A Muggle and the last living relative she had, the witch hoped the eradication of her presence would keep her Aunt safe from befalling the same fate as her parents. Mary was quick to assure her that the friends they’d made at Hogwarts would be her family now. Holding and lifting each other just as they always had. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Dorcas joined the ranks of Aurors at the Ministry of Magic. Working alongside forces such as HESTIA JONES, ALICE YEN and EMMELINE VANCE, all three dominating leaders, inspirational women and three trailblazers that she couldn’t help but look up to. Though Hestia seemed more hesitant at embracing Doe into the ranks, Alice welcomed her with open arms. Recognizing the great passion and drive for equal rights within Doe, she scouted and informed her of a new group forming under the rank of PROFESSOR ALBUS DUMBLEDORE. An elusive group called The Order of The Phoenix, set on helping to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. Hoping to safeguard the Wizarding World from radical wizards set on burning society as they knew it to the ground. Doe accepted without a blink of hesitation. For so long she’d been craving a purpose, a way that she could honor her parents' memory. Now with the chance to fight for the equal world they brought her up to dream on, to loudly advocating for charge and hold bravery in even the darkest of moments; finally she hoped she could make them proud.  

→ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status →  Half-Blood

Pronouns → She/Her

Identification → Cis Female 

Sexuality  → Homosexual 

Relationship Status → Single

Previous Education →  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Family → Mathew Meadowes (deceased father), Charlotte Meadowes (deceased mother) 

Connections  → Lily Evans (best friend), Mary MacDonald (best friend/room mate), Marlene McKinnon (best friend/object of affection), Remus Lupin (best friend), James Potter (close friend/adversary), Sirius Black (close friend/adversary), Peter Pettigrew (close friend), Gwenog Jones (friend/ex-girlfriend/potential love interest), Maren Linwood (friend), Emilia Grey (friend), Cassiopeia Kim (friend), Cressida Abercrombie (friend), Gilfred Abbott (friend), Caradoc Dearborn (friend), Poppy Hookum (friend), Aurora Sinistra (friend), Alice Yen (colleague/mentor), Emmeline Vance (colleague), Hestia Jones (colleague)

Future Information → N/A

DORCAS MEADOWES IS A LEVEL 7 WITCH.

[ziezie13]

Fics of the Week

@lostdiadem1 recently expressed a need for a good long fic, so I figured now is as good a time as any to do a rec list. I am hoping they haven’t read at least one of these.

Till We Have Arrived Home Again by prouvairing

Summer, 1999. Harry comes home with news. Quite a lot of news.

Harry takes a deep breath. “I'm quitting the Aurors,” he starts with, which is followed by a moment of stunned silence. “What?” Sirius says. “All right," Remus says. “Do you know what else you want to do? Did you think about it?” Harry blushes, the way James used to—a rosy glow lighting up his brown skin—and says, “I wanted to—that is, I thought I might be a teacher.” Remus, quite suddenly, seems to have something in his eye. "Oh." “What?” Sirius says. “And uh—there's more. I was thinking I might like to. That is. I want to become an Animagus.”

Words: 43,559; Chapters: 13/13; Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling; Additional Tags: Explicit; Last Update: 05 Apr 2020

Relationship(s): Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Harry Potter

Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, Background Original Characters

Additional Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-War, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin Live, Animagus Harry Potter, POV Outsider, Sirius and Remus Move To A Muggle Village

Quarter Life Crisis by captainevilpants

Remus is straight, Sirius is gay and that's the gospel truth.

That is, until Remus walks in on Sirius snogging his new boyfriend on their couch and Remus starts to feel...weird. Desperate to figure out a way to stop feeling so goddamn angry anytime Gideon comes within five feet of Sirius, Remus goes to James and Lily for advice. James and Lily, in their infinite wisdom, patiently and systematically explain that what Remus is feeling is not internalized homophobia, but jealousy.

In the end, it turns out Remus doesn't have any issues with Sirius kissing guys if it's him he's kissing.

Words: 12,609; Chapters: 6/6; Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling; Rating: Explicit: Last Update: 12 Feb 2018

Relationship(s): Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom

Characters: Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, Lily Evans Potter, Harry Potter, Alice Longbottom

Additional Tags: Get Together, wolfstar, Remus is an idiot, Sirius is an idiot, Marauders' Era, Marauders, Marauders AU, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, SO MUCH FLUFF, and a wee bit of smut at the end

Sweet Nuthin' by Kattlupin

When the summer between third and fourth year begins, Sirius expects it to be nothing but lazy days, harmless pranks with James, and the occasional meet-up with the rest of his friends from Hogwarts. Those plans go out the window rather quickly when he gets a sudden glimpse of Remus Lupin, a mysterious boy who changes everything about Sirius Black's life and shows him that love will always win in the end.

Words: 28,358; Chapters: 3/3; Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling; Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Last Update: 17 Apr 2020

Relationship(s): Sirius Black/Remus Lupin

Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Evans Potter, Euphemia Potter, Fleamont Potter, Lyall Lupin, Hope Lupin, Orion Black, Walburga Black, Regulus Black, Peter Pettigrew, Severus Snape

Additional Tags: wolfstar, Getting Together, Remus Lupin Never Went to Hogwarts, but sirius finds him anyway, because love finds a way no matter what, sirius blacks gay awakening, Gay Remus Lupin, euphemia and fleamont potter are great, hope and lyall lupin are loving parents, walburga and orion black are predictably terrible, Muggle Studies, lots of wizard in a muggle world adventures, Teenagers, so expect lots of cute dumb stuff, and absolutely no sexy stuff, but there is kissing, sweet first kissing, plus a bunch more after the first, and first declarations of love, tw child abuse, tw homophobia, even with those two triggers this is still a fluff piece, Fluff, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, magical au, Summer Love, magic book

Camp Casanova by Farquad

All lonely 11 years old Remus Lupin wants is a friend. But when he arrives at Slughorn's summer camp for teenage boys his world turns upside down since he finds himself sharing a cabin with three other boys; James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black.

As the years pass by Remus finds himself birthing friendships, fighting bullies, but above all battling his own feelings which soon gets out of control.

He struggles to keep his biggest secret, and he wonders how he could've fallen so deeply in love.

Words: 155,942; Chapters: 29/29; Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling; Rating: Explicit; Last Update: 06 Dec 2017

Relationship(s): Sirius Black/Remus Lupin

Characters: Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Horace Slughorn, Rubeus Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore, Lily Evans Potter, Severus Snape, Evan Rosier, Minerva McGonagall, Regulus Black

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Summer Camp, Romance, Drama, Humor, Angst, Secrets, First Love, First Kiss, Slow Build, Marauders, Friends to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Bonfires, Mystery, Pining, Sexual Tension, First Time, Fluff, Smut, Time Skips, POV Remus Lupin, Happy Ending, Hide and Seek, Dancing, Get Together

Text Talk by merlywhirls

Sirius is in boarding school, Remus is in hospital, and they don't know each other until Sirius texts the wrong number.

Words: 141,250; Chapters: 14/14; Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling; Rating: Not Rated; Last Update: 31 Dec 2015

Relationship(s): Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, wolfstar - Relationship

Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, Lily Evans, Lily Potter, Alice Longbottom, Frank Longbottom

Additional Tags: text, Texting, text fic, Hospital, Boarding School, MWPP, Marauders era, The Marauders - Freeform, Maurders AU, AU, Alternate Universe, Modern AU, texting fic, School, Injury, Mention of family abuse, mention of depression, family stuff, Parents, Illness, Homophobic Slurs, Mention Of Homophobia

[halictus-writer]

Welcome to Seattle (Ch. 2 of 5)

The next week went by smoothly. Remus had gotten into a familiar routine with his new job, and became more friendly with his colleagues who also wrote for the newspaper. He had always had a tough exoskeleton, but it didn’t take too long to become comfortable enough to let some of his walls down for a few select coworkers. In stark contrast to his friends from college, these coworkers did not press him for details about his dating-- or as James more bluntly put it, sex-- life. In any case, both were nonexistent.

*James changed the name of the chat to “Operation get Remus laid”*

James: Alright, here we go. Remus, are you ready to read some wisdom coming from yours truly?

*Remus removed James from the chat*

The truth was, Remus wasn’t opposed to getting back out there. The only drawback was that he didn’t know how to get back out there. His relationship with his ex had started organically, with little effort on Remus’s part. And being in a serious relationship for so long had saved him from having to learn how to flirt and casually date new people.

*Lily changed the name of the chat to “Help Remus get back out there, if he wants to”*

*Lily added James to the chat*

James: Alright Remus, you’ve had a chance to get all settled down in your new place, but now it is time to wake up and smell the coffee

Lily: What James means, Remus, is that we think you should maybe try to re-enter the dating scene. Only if you feel ready, of course.

Remus: is this an intervention?

Lily: no

James: yes

Dorcas: ooh are we voting? Marlene is driving so she can’t text but we both vote yes

James: Remus. My son. Fruit of my loins. You are a total catch. It is time for you to take your beautiful face out from behind those sad Jane Austen novels I know you’re rereading every night and get your freak on

Remus: I appreciate your investment in my sex life, I really do, but I think I’m doing fine.

Remus: also you’re not my dad. I’m older than you by five months

James: Oh really? Let’s play a game where you say True or False to each statement I make.

Remus: Fine. But only until my lunch break ends

James: Here’s the first one: My name is Remus Lupin

Remus: ...true

James: My favorite food is chocolate.

Remus: true

James: The most recent time I had sex was within the last 2 months

*Remus removed James from the chat*

Remus spent the rest of his lunch break walking through Pike Place Market. He loved the lively atmosphere of the place, and mentally mapped out the places he would like to spend more time in, in the future. No longer constrained by a vacation schedule, he can see as many shops and stores in Seattle as he would like.

He also sent pictures of the most interesting areas to the friend group via Snapchat. Having multiple avenues of communication proved to be very helpful for a group of people as prone to theatrics as they were. Any arguments or disagreements could stay in whatever platform they originated in, and if people were (temporarily) removed from that platform, they would still have access to another. This unspoken agreement allowed the group to plan James and Lily’s upcoming visit on Snapchat, while Remus kept up his faux-anger at James’s nosiness in the messages app. Remus knew he would tell them everything when he saw them in person, but being ambushed with the topic on a Tuesday while he was at work was not his preferred arena.

***

Saturday morning found the group reunited at a breakfast nook within the Market. Remus sat next to Lily in one booth, opposite Dorcas and Marlene, while James sat in a wooden chair on one end. Remus appreciated that his friends made sure their seating configuration didn’t highlight his own status as the fifth wheel.

After catching up on everyone’s lives, and many pointed glances directed at James from customers who evidently didn’t want to hear the piercing falsetto James used when reenacting conversations with Lily’s sister, the conversation found its way back to Remus’s dating life.

“Remus, you’re a catch and a half. It’s been a few months since your relationship ended, and it may be time to get back out there.” Lily started.

“It’s true,” Marlene added, nodding, “if I weren’t dating Dorcas I would be all over you and your wool cardigan. Almost makes me forget I’m a lesbian.” She laughed as she dodged a light flick from Dorcas.

“If you were a woman I’d totally sleep with you.” James said sincerely.

“Uh oh, misogynistic comment tax!” Dorcas swept in and took a piece of bacon from his plate before dividing it between Lily and herself. “For the vegetarian,” she made a half bow gesture from her seat as she presented Marlene with a liberated strawberry.

“Um, thank you for the votes of confidence, I think,” Remus began. “I appreciate it, I really do, well maybe not what James said, but I’ll admit defeat. I have been thinking about getting back into the dating scene.”

“A-ha!” James shouted, gesturing his final piece of bacon towards Remus. “The man is smelling the coffee. I can see it, he’s smelling it.”

“But,” Remus said softly, hoping that his reduced volume would subtly encourage James to be quieter as well, “I don’t really know how to meet people. I mean, we’re not in school anymore.”

“It isn’t easy, but you are in a much bigger city now,” Lily reasoned, “so theoretically your dating pool is much larger.”

“And there’s all kinds of designated queer spaces here!” James added. “You can go to gay bars and stuff, right?”

“I would pay to see Remus at a gay nightclub,” Marlene said, laughing.

“I would pay to see Remus awake past nine PM,” Dorcas said, “and not because you’re finishing a book.”

“Okay, okay, thanks everybody. I appreciate it.” Remus said flatly.

“Alright, let’s reel it in. Point is, you can meet people organically here, and we’ll support you.” Lily said. After she gave pointed looks around the table, the others nodded, although James was still smiling. “We can switch the topic now, but you better plan on keeping us updated on all your dating endeavors.”

James continued to smile mischievously, and added “And all of your casual sex endeavors. I need to know the exact starting date of your post-breakup hoe-phase. Get on the dating apps! You’d be a beast on there.”

“No.” Remus and Lily said in unison.

Lily continued, “I think you’ll have better luck meeting people organically. Dating apps can be creepy.”

When Dorcas finally changed the topic by prompting Marlene to tell the story of the cat she swore was taking the bus by itself last week, Remus sighed in relief.

***

A few days after James and Lily’s visit, Remus and Dorcas met for coffee before work. Once they had gotten their iced coffees, and in Remus’s case, a giant brownie (he hadn’t been to the Italian restaurant in a few days, so it was well-earned), Dorcas began a monologue that could hold its own against one of James’s.

"Alright. We love James and Lily. We love their beautiful, heterosexual, suburban lives. I am in awe of their enchanting, heterosexual love story, and how they met heterosexually and organically in their Communications class, and how it must have been meant to be when James was late to class and took the only available seat, next to our heterosexual princess.”

Remus laughed in silence, trying not to choke on a bite of brownie.

“Their heterosexual hearts are in the right place. Their heterosexual advice is kindly meant. And yet!” Dorcas announced, punctuating with one pointer finger, “you’re gay!”

Remus, having just finished swallowing the brownie and mistakenly taken a sip of coffee, struggled to not spit it out.

“Dating apps can be weird, of course, but it’s so much easier to meet other queer people there, and not worry as much about hoping the person you flirt with isn’t going to be offended by your existence.”

“Fair point,” Remus said, consciously not eating or drinking until Dorcas was finished.

“Until they open an LGBTQ+ bookstore coffee shop combo, which they totally should, and you would totally thrive in, you should get on Tinder."

Somehow Remus blushed at that, despite being a twenty-six year-old man who has dated before.

Dorcas called him on his blush, and laughed. “You are the most wholesome person I know, it’s too adorable. I won’t make you talk about it in public if it’s embarrassing, but just consider it.”

Remus agreed to do so, but secretly considered the pros and cons of staying single forever. Making a dating profile sounded anxiety-inducing.

***

When Remus walked through the doors of the Italian restaurant for the third time, he instantly felt a little better, as if his brain was already beginning to associate the place with the healing effects of the pizza he would soon be eating.

He had been feeling a little down this afternoon, with his thoughts often gravitating back towards his ex. He considered reaching out to one of his friends, since he knew they would be more than happy to talk him through it, but decided that a little alone time would do him good. Besides, he hadn’t eaten margherita pizza in over a week. It was time to indulge.

Looking up from his booth, he was momentarily surprised to find Sirius standing right in front of him, ready to take his order. Sirius hadn’t been working during Remus’s most recent visit, and Remus tried not to stare at the wavy pieces of hair framing his face, the rest tied back in place. Realizing that Sirius had spoken, Remus tried to regain composure.

“Hi, um, sorry, what was that?” So much for composure, Remus thought.

Sirius smiled warmly, holding eye contact. “You’re good. I just asked what I can get started for you today.” He added a little gesture to the pen and notepad he was holding.

“Oh, um, one small margherita pizza, please. And some water would be great, too.”

“Coming right up!” Sirius announced, and turned towards the kitchen. Remus pointedly looked away from the view, reminding himself that he was here to feel sad, not lustful. But, then again, maybe the latter would help him get over the former. Either way, his spirits were already lifting.

When Sirius returned carrying a beautifully steaming pizza, Remus was ready to devour it. He was also ready to speak words to Sirius like a normal person, having mentally rehearsed “Thank you, this looks great.” a hundred times.

“Thanks, you look great!” Remus expressed, looking at Sirius. His blush immediately materialized. “Wait, oh god. Sorry–”

Sirius laughed, “No worries! People tell me ‘you too’ when I tell them to enjoy their food, like, at least once a shift. You’re in good company.”

Remus smiled and felt a little more relaxed. “Thanks.”

Sirius shuffled for a second, looking like he had more to say, before saying “Well, enjoy your pizza!”

“You too!” Remus said, in mock sincerity. They both laughed.

***

When Sirius brought the check, he also dropped off a piece of tiramisu. “It’s for you!” He said, smiling and already walking away, as Remus tried to protest.

Remus ate about forty percent of the cake, mentally focusing intensely on the next plot point in his novel. Eventually, the soggy texture overpowered his desire to appear grateful for the free dessert, and he left the restaurant quietly when Sirius stepped back into the kitchen, away from sight.