#no idea what Sirius truly feels in this situation

[neverenoughmarauders]

Sirius at the Potters’ wedding - nearing the end of his best man speech: All this to say, despite your many flaws, you’re an adorable couple. HOWEVER, you could both have done so much better. Either of you could have had me.

Lily pretending to consider this: He’s got a point, you know?

Sirius to Lily: We’d make the best looking couple, don’t you think?

James, protectively putting an arm around Lily but at the same time meeting his best friend’s grey eyes - and neither breaking eye contact. Eight years of practiced non-verbal communication makes it impossible for anyone else to participate in this conversation.

James, finally: She didn’t choose me for my looks.

Sirius, raising his eyebrows: That much is obvious.

Then, quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear: She chose you because she’d be an idiot not to.

[unconventional-lawnchair]

Stray {Blurb}

Postwar!Remus Lupin x Muggle!Reader

Summery: After drifting aimlessly and struggling with the aftermath of war, Remus finds an unexpected ally in a compassionate woman who sees beyond his scars. Through her unwavering kindness and the simple life, Remus maybe he deserves the similar things in life.

Wc:3860

Cw: Use of {Y/N}, fem reader, self doubt, mentions of major character death, financial insecurity, drifting, self indulgent.

Remus Lupin never really believed in rock bottom. Everytime he thought he'd hit it he would fall harder and deeper than he ever thought possible.

After the war there was a long period of time he was drifting. Not necessarily liking the idea of staying in one place too long, not that he could if he tried. Most of the highlands were packed with nosey wizards and witches, his paranoia getting the best of him every time someone asked a bit too many questions, and then it was on to the next town.

It didn't help that no one was enthusiastic about hiring him after learning of his special requirements. He couldn't hold down a job let alone a stable place to stay, staying in the rougher bits of London and Scotland, too busy wallowing in grief to truly feel sorry for his situation.

His full moons were the worst of it. Without James, Peter, and Sirius, Moony reverted back to its most volatile form. His mental state didn't help much either. He had grown comfortable, complacent, with the nurture his friends provided him those nights. So much so he forgot what it was like to have battered and bruised skin. What the scars on his body felt like.

Everything was back to his normal.

Well, not everything. This was the first time he's woken up to the sight of a gun barrel in his face. His body throbbing and his leg caught in a snare. If he looked just past the barrel, he could see glimmering eyes. Fear. He was used to that look.

Though, he could argue he should be the fearful one, considering his lack of dress and immobile position. Bleeding and scared, with a women he's never seen before saying something his ringing ears couldn't quite comprehend.

Soon, his blood loss and blurry eyes made him unable to stay awake. The last thing he saw was a large white dog coming up to sniff his face.

~~~

It was soft, everywhere he turned. Like he was being held in a cloud, he was sure she must have shot him.

When his eyes opened he was greeted with a dim room. It was small, a cream off white with floral designs, it looked like his mother’s, truthfully. He tried to shift his leg only to notice a sizable weight, looking down to see a large white cattle dog, he couldn't quite place the breed immediately, but the moment he shifted it seemed to wake up. Staring at him in his very soul.

The large beast gave a low and steady grumble before he gave a few barks, something he didn't quite know how to place. He just sunk back into the soft plush bedding, giving a low sigh. “Bloody hell..” He mumbled and closed his eyes.

He was still in pain, a lot of it, and he could feel the throb of his injuries pulsing through his body. But there was also a strange sense of comfort in the softness of the bed and the warmth of the room. Even the soft smell of Shea butter and thick wool. It had been so long since he had felt anything remotely close to comfort that it almost seemed foreign to him. He almost convinced himself to fall right back asleep, screw the consequences.

The dog continued to bark, and soon after, Remus heard the soft patter of footsteps approaching. His instincts kicked in, and he tried to sit up, but his body protested vehemently. Leaving him to prop pathetically on his elbows.

As the door creaked open, he came to the conclusion that he was most certainly dead. And he guessed the muggles were right about God. Why else in Merlin’s name would an angel be stepping into this room? With a tray of food, no less.

Like that, the barking stopped. The dog satisfied he notified his master in time.

The woman who had been holding the gun stood in the doorway, looking significantly less threatening now. She had a cautious yet gentle expression, her eyes scanning Remus with a mix of curiosity and concern. Retracing his now bandaged chest and bruised skin, clicking her tongue before she walked over. Setting the tray down and picking up two pill bottles from the side of the bed.

"You're awake.” She assessed softly, her voice carrying a lilting accent that Remus recognized to be Scottish. "I wasn't sure if you'd make it through the night.”

Remus tried to respond, but his throat was dry and his voice came out as a weak croak. She poured a glass of water from the tray and handed it to him, with three pills in her palm.

He didn't think twice before he took them, his concern for his life had far since left his mind. He just felt.. safe.

As the cool water soothed his parched throat, Remus couldn't help but wonder who this woman was and why she was helping him. He hadn't known genuine kindness from anyone since he entered the war- everyone was a suspect until proven otherwise. He glanced around the room, taking in the subtle details- the worn but clean furniture, the soft light filtering through the curtains, and the faint smell of herbs mingling with the scent of the shea butter that he could now conclude came from you.

"Thank you.” He managed to say, his voice still weak but sincere. "For... everything."

The woman gave a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You're welcome. My name is {Y/N}." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "You're lucky I found you when I did. The Highlands aren't exactly the safest place for someone to be..” She gestured vaguely. “What were you up to? Naked forest dancing?”

Remus let out a weak, humorless chuckle at your comment. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but appreciate your attempt to lighten the mood. His muscles protested every small movement, but he managed to shift slightly, trying to get more comfortable.

"Something like that. I'm Remus.” He muttered, his voice still hoarse. He didn't dare dream of expressing the full length of his woes; the full moon, the transformation, the uncontrollable rage and pain. It was too much to burden you with, not to mention the rapid fire excuses he'd have to come up with. Still, he still felt horrid for lying, especially to someone as kind as you.

You seemed to sense his reluctance and didn't press further. Instead, you busied herself with adjusting the pillows behind his back, making sure he was as comfortable as possible. "Well, whatever it was, you're safe now.” You muttered gently. "You need rest and time to heal. Those pills should help with the pain and prevent any infection."

Remus nodded, grateful for your understanding. "Thank you, {Y/N}.” He repeated, feeling a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the cozy room or the medication. "I don't know how to repay you for this."

You waved off his gratitude with a dismissive huff before walking over to set up the simple bowl of oatmeal and apple slices you had managed in the kitchen.

“Seriously, I don't have much but-”

“Your money's no good here, I fear.” You remarked calmly and turned to face him as you handed him the bowl carefully, wrapped in an oven mitt so he wouldn't burn himself. “But your body is.”

Remus blinked, taken aback by the statement. He opened his mouth to respond, but you quickly clarified, sensing his alarm.

"Not in that way.” You quickly corrected with a soft laugh, the first sign of genuine amusement he'd seen from you. "I meant, it's coming up on winter. Once you get better, if you'd like to repay me, there are holes in the barn that need to be patched. There is wood to be collected, there is always work.”

Relief washed over him, and he nodded slowly, understanding the exchange you were offering. That was something he could do. Easily. "I can do that.” His voice was still weak but filled with sincerity. "I'm more than willing to help out."

You smiled, this time a bit more genuinely. "Good. We'll worry about that when you're back on your feet. For now, just focus on getting better." You placed the bowl of oatmeal and apple slices on his lap. "Eat up, you'll need your strength."

Remus took the bowl, feeling a deep sense of,, peace. It had been so long since anyone had shown him patience and kindness this real. He spooned some of the oatmeal into his mouth, savoring the warmth and simple flavor. It was raw. Something unfiltered and unprocessed. You had made these from scratch, while it wasn't impressive, it made the gesture all the more real to him.

As he ate, you busied yourself around the room, tidying up and making sure everything was in order. The large white dog, now lying by the foot of the bed, watched him with curious eyes.

"What’s his name?" Remus asked, nodding towards the dog.

"That's Hugo.” You hummed, a fond smile tugging at your lips. "He's a good boy. A fine worker, too. Found him as a pup wandering near the woods. Much like you, I suppose."

Remus chuckled softly, though it hurt his chest a bit. "Well, I'm glad he found his way to you. And I'm glad I did too."

You paused for a moment, looking at him with a studying looking in your eyes. "We all need a bit of help sometimes.” You said quietly. "No shame in that."

Remus nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat. For the first time in a long while, he felt a glimmer of hope. The care you had shown him was a balm to his weary soul, and he couldn't help but feel that perhaps, just maybe, things could get better from here.

As he finished his meal, he felt a wave of exhaustion washing over him again. The combination of the medication and the warm food was making it difficult to keep his eyes open. You seemed to notice and gently took the empty bowl from his hands.

"You should rest.” You said softly, but stern, placing the bowl back on the tray. "Sleep will help you heal faster."

Remus nodded, unable to argue with common sense. As he settled back into the pillows, he felt the soft weight of Hugo shifting in a commando crawl up to his side, offering him a sense of security and companionship. His heavy head resting on his chest.

"Thank you, {Y/N}, Hugo.” He murmured one last time, his voice trailing off as sleep began to claim him.

You watched as his eyes closed, a small smile playing on your lips. "You're welcome, Remus," you whispered, turning to leave the room. "Rest well."

As Remus drifted off into a deep, healing sleep, he couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, he had found a place where he could finally stop destroying himself and start rebuilding.

~~~

The days turned into weeks, and Remus slowly but surely regained his strength. Each day, he marveled at the patience and empathy you and Hugo showed him. It was a simple life, far removed from the chaos and pain of his past, but it was exactly what he needed.

You never pried into his past, never asked questions, never pushed past what you needed to know in the moment. You hardly even acknowledged the night he showed up on your property. Instead, you offered gentle conversation, warm meals, and a quiet companionship that Remus found deeply comforting. In return, he began to help around the property as he had promised. Fixing the holes in the barn, chopping wood for the winter, and tending to any task you needed of him.

It was symbiotic. You got the help you needed, and he felt like he was contributing to something meaningful without the threat of being chased away.

As the weeks turned into a month, the next full moon loomed. Even as his irritation grew and his stomach sank with dread, you never said a word. You filled his plate, kept him busy with work on your land, and didn't question him when he took a stroll into the woods on the night of the full moon. Though you were a bit baffled when Hugo went with him.

That morning, you were on the porch waiting for him. You said nothing about his tattered clothes and suitcase, just welcomed him home with a warm smile.

It was more than he ever thought he'd deserve. You reminded him of nectar in the mornings and like fine wine most nights. As sweet as honey but as deep and rich as the most ancient oak, your presence grounded him in ways he hadn't thought possible. Each day with you was a melody, a harmony that soothed the tempest within him. He found himself looking forward to your soft laughter, the way your eyes sparkled with unspoken thoughts, and the gentle touch of your hand as you handed him a steaming cup of tea.

Your kindness wasn't just a balm for his physical wounds; it seeped into the deepest recesses of his heart, mending the fractures that years of pain and loss had wrought. He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment it happened, but somewhere between your shared meals and quiet evenings by the fireplace, he realized he was falling in love with you.

It wasn't a whirlwind or a blaze; it was a slow, steady burn that warmed him from the inside out. He cherished the simplicity of your life together, the unspoken understanding that passed between you, and the way Hugo seemed to understand it all, lying at your feet as if guarding this fragile, precious thing you were building together.

In those quiet moments, when the world outside seemed a distant memory, Remus realized he had found something he never thought possible: a home, a sanctuary, and he didn't dare hope for more.

Even as you sat on the small couch, in the simple living room. Knees tucked to your chest as you continued to fight with yourself.

“Writer's block?” He prodded as he walked over, sitting down in front of you. Your eyes flickered up to his, your expression still holding slight irritation. “You've been looking at that page for ages.”

“I have ideas.” You argued, looking back down at your pages with a huff. “Just not sure.. how to work them together.”

“Isn't that supposed to be the fun part?” He teased softly and that earned a playful glare form you. He flicked his hands up in defense, slowly smirking.

You managed a soft laugh, your irritation melting away under his gentle look. "Easy for you to say, you're not the one staring at a blank page.” You challenged, but there was no real bite to your words.

Remus leaned closer, peering at your notes with genuine curiosity. "Maybe you should write something else. Just for today. Heard it's supposed to help, yeah?”

You sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on your lips. "Alright, Mr. Lupin, what do you suggest I write about?"

“Maybe your affinity for strays?” He teased and that earned a belly laugh from you.

“Do you hear him, Hugo? He just called you a stray.” You smirked and Hugo gave a huff and a long sigh from were he laid on the floor by Remus’s feet.

“I meant the both of us, really.” He muttered, eyes drifting away. But he knew you knew that already. You would do anything to make him think he wasn't burdening you, but self doubt was his biggest flaw.

Your eyes softened that way that made him feel his stomach turn. Then, your lips turned upward, eyes sparking with amusement. “You make it sound like a talent.” You hummed before you leaned in a bit. “But I wouldn't call you a stray, Remus. You're no more a stray then Hugo.”

Remus felt his mouth go dry as he stared down at you, his heart pounding with an intensity that made his ribs feel bruised. The way your eyes seemed to look straight through him, seeing every hidden part of his soul, left him feeling exposed, yet desperate for the intimacy of it all. The air between you crackled with a palpable tension, each second stretching out as his expression turned thoughtful.

He watched as you slowly reached out, your fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against his arm. The contact sent a shiver down his spine, and he couldn't help but lean into your touch, his breath hitching.

“I mean it, Remus.” You whispered, your voice barely audible but the loudest thing he's ever heard.

He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving yours as he nodded, inching closer. The space between you seemed to shrink and expand all at once, his movements hesitant yet driven by an undeniable force he couldn't fully understand.

“Yeah?” He whispered, his voice raw and almost pleading, his vulnerability never felt more purposeful.

“Yeah.” You affirmed without a moment's hesitation, your grip on his arm tightening as if to anchor him to your reality. A reality he wanted to understand more then anything. Your gentle loving reality, one that fooled him again and again into safeties he didn't think he deserved. “You're home, Remus.”

The words hung in the air, a lifeline he desperately needed. The tension between you reached a breaking point as you tilted your head. Every so slightly, your eyes lingering on his lips.

It wasn't long before his lips were on yours, not giving himself time to second guess it all. It was patient. It was sweet. It was ancient and timeless and yet as new as the flowers that were blooming just outside the door. Winter had come and gone and yet here he was, still demanding more of you. As he moved in closer, you felt the book fall against the ground. Not that you minded, it freed up your hands to slide along his chest.

He continued to test the waters, his hand coming up to cup your cheek and deepen the kiss. Affection you reciprocated easily. Just as hungry for it as he was. He couldn't find himself wondering if he should think it through. He didn't have much of a choice, the way your hands traveled up to his hair, the way you shifted your legs to make room for him.

“You're home, Remus.” You whispered again, much softer, in between the ever heating kisses. He pushed you fully on your back, his lips traveling the bare skin of your neck. His breath was warm against your skin, each kiss igniting a fire that spread through your veins. The words you had spoken echoed in his mind, grounding him in the moment, making everything feel more real and more impossible to resist. He whispered your name, a reverent prayer, as his hands explored the contours of your body, committing every inch to memory.

Your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, as if afraid he might disappear if you let go. The urgency of your kisses matched his own, a silent agreement that this was right were you both belonged.

~~~

The next morning, you woke up in your bed. Remus was hugging you from behind, his nose buried in your neck and still sound asleep.

The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room. You felt the warmth of Remus's body against yours, his steady breathing a comforting rhythm that lulled you into a delightful peace. For a moment, you simply lay there, savoring the feeling of being so intimately connected to someone who had come to mean so much to you. Your heart ached with affection, selfishly hoping he'd wake up so you could stare into his lovely eyes again.

You shifted slightly, careful not to wake him despite yourself, and turned to gaze at his sleeping face. There was a peaceful calm there that you hadn't seen before, a loveliness that spoke of a man who had finally found a measure of peace. It made your heart swell with a mixture of love and protectiveness.

As if sensing your gaze, Remus stirred, his eyes slowly fluttering open. When he saw you looking at him, a soft smile curved his lips, and he tightened his hold on you, pulling you closer. Your eyes indulged in his own like it was sin.

"Good morning.” He murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Good morning.” You whispered, your own smile mirroring his. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have in years.” He admitted, his eyes searching yours for any sign of regret or hesitation. Finding none, he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to your forehead. "Thank you, {Y/N}."

"For what?" You asked, absolutely melting as he continued to trail kisses from your temple to your neck.

"For everything.” He sighed, his eyes filled with a depth of emotion that took your breath away. "For giving me a place to heal, for your patience, and for... well, for last night." He cheeked.

Your cheeks flushed at the memory of the previous night, but you couldn't help but smile, playfully glaring at him. "I should be the one thanking you, Remus. You've brought something into my life that I didn't even realize I was missing."

He looked at you with a mixture of surprise and gratitude, his fingers gently tracing the contours of your face. "I'm not easy.” He whispered.

“I've always been one for a challenge, Remus.” You whispered as he leaned down to bury his face into your neck. “Unfortunately, I find falling for you quite easy.”

He chuckled, the base in his voice bringing a shiver to your spine. “... I'm a lot of work.”

“You earn your keep, Remus.” You whispered softly and he slowly began to let his hands slip up to your waist, lowering himself to draw lazy kisses along your chest.

“You'll tire of me. When you know me.” He urged and you closed your eyes blissfully.

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

“You'll-” Before he could finish and fall deeper into his own self doubt, you covered his mouth. Cupping his jaw to pull him into another kiss. One he returned with full earnestness.

You broke the kiss and stared up at him with your doe eyes he almost caved.

“I'll love you, Remus. I do. I will. I'm not going to give up that easily,” You huffed. “No matter how much convincing you try to do.”

He stared at you a moment longer, leaning in and running his lips along yours. “It's rotten work.”

“I've never shied away from work.” You whispered and pulled him close. Letting him hide away from the world in your room. “I'm never going to shy away from you.”

Remus sighed deeply, the weight of his doubts lifting as he whispered, "Then I'll never let you go."

And in that shared promise, they found a peace that neither had ever dared to hope for.

[moonstruckme]

Hey! I have a potentially odd request and I’m not sure if you write stuff like this anyway so if not please just disregard. I am in a strikingly similar situation Sirius with Regulus and for some reason this past week I’ve been feeling guilty as hell. Could you maybe do something where Remus and James are comforting Sirius like it’s okay, it’s not your fault, you had to leave, etc? Or maybe something with Remus James and Sirius comforting reader with the same idea but Sirius being especially emotional and like it’s okay, I get it, you can’t blame yourself etc? Thank you lovely <3 <3

Hi sweetheart! I wasn’t sure exactly which Siri+Reg situation you meant but my first thought was the one where Sirius left Reg alone in their parents’ home, so I hope that’s what you were intending. Thanks sm for requesting! It was a great excuse to listen to regina spektor’s two birds on repeat :’) 

cw: implied past abuse, older sibling guilt (also I am a wee bit drunk editing this so if it’s bad let’s blame it on that)

poly!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 1.1k words

“I know,” you croak, and you’re speaking quietly enough that Remus gathers you aren’t eager to be overheard, but you’ve made no move to go upstairs and have a truly private conversation. You lie on your back on the couch, one hand covering your eyes and the other holding your phone to your ear. “Yeah, I know how they are. No, it sucks, I just—” 

You press your lips together as the voice on the other end of the phone increases in volume. When it pauses, you hum. “Yeah, I get that. I think it’s a good idea. Just keep to yourself, if you can. It’ll be okay. I’ll try and—no, I know.” You swallow thickly. Remus’ heart heavies. 

He sneaks a look at your boyfriends, both pretending to be busy whilst they eavesdrop. Sirius, just on the other end of the couch, has ceased typing on his laptop and is scrolling aimlessly back and forth on the same page. Meanwhile, James is stirring a pot of water on the stove that’s barely simmering. They look about as tense as Remus feels, Sirius most of all. They all know who you’re talking to. They can gauge the subject. 

“I’m sorry.” Your voice dips, quiet and abashed. “I want to, I just—wait, don’t—” 

You let the phone drop onto the couch, releasing a sigh as you bring your other hand to your face. They hung up. 

There are a few seconds of fraught silence before James pipes up from the kitchen, “Everything alright, angel?” 

You hum in affirmation, but the sound is pitchy and broken. 

Sirius forgoes pretense. He closes his laptop, setting it aside. “What did they want?” 

You take in a deep, shuddering breath. It’s not enough; your voice cracks anyway. “For me to come home,” you say, the last word a sob. 

James switches the stove off, nearly jogging into the living room to be at your side. 

“I’m sorry, dove,” Remus says quietly. “I know it must be hard, but you did the right thing by leaving.” 

“I don’t think so,” you choke out. James makes a pained sound as he sits by your feet, between you and Sirius, and rubs his big hands up and down your calves consolingly. Remus sneaks a glance at Sirius, and his boyfriend has his jaw clamped tight, watching you with heartache in his pale eyes. 

“You did,” James says. “Sweetheart, it’s not your fault.” 

You shake your head, still hiding behind your hands. “I—I can’t—” You nearly lunge for James, who looks all too relieved to take you into his arms. He maneuvers you so you’re in his lap, sitting sideways with your face pressed against his collar. His palm covers the back of your head. 

“Shh, it’s okay,” he hushes you, tone fraught with a compassion so intense it sounds like it hurts. “It’s okay. Just cry it out if you need to.” 

You do. You cry until Remus is sure your head has to be pounding. You don’t try to breathe through it, don’t wipe your nose as it runs. Your tears come hot and fast and painfully quiet, like you learned how to hide them as soon as you learned how to cry. Sirius doesn’t tear his gaze from you as your shoulder’s shake and James’ shirt grows wet. When he swallows thickly, Remus reaches over from the armchair to take his hand. 

Once your tears start to slow, Sirius says, voice uncharacteristically quiet, “The best thing you can do is give them the advice you wish someone had given you.” His free hand twitches in his lap, and Remus realizes he’s keeping still on purpose, not messing with his hair or crossing his arms or doing any of the things that would give away how upset he is. “You can’t go back.” 

“I know,” you mumble into James’ shirt. 

“Do you?” Remus asks gently. “I understand if you want to, right now, but you just…you have to do what’s best for yourself.” 

A powerful sob shakes you, and James’ palm presses into your back with something akin to desperation. “I’m the big sister,” you say. “I’m supposed to be there for them.” 

“You didn’t ask for that.” Sirius’ words are inlaid with a quiet ardency. “It’s not—you can’t blame yourself.” 

You sniffle, pulling your face from James’ front to look at Sirius. There’s a rawness between you that hurts Remus to look at. “I know you know what it’s like,” you tell him, voice wavering on the edge of a whimper, “and I’m sorry. I just—” you take a ragged inhale “—didn’t think it would feel like this.” 

James looks like he is just barely restraining himself from tucking your head back into his shoulder, but he holds still as Sirius pulls his hand from Remus’ to reach for you, pushing a damp piece of hair away from your eye. 

“Baby, you don’t need to be sorry,” he promises. “I get it. It’s hard to feel okay about it at first, but you’ll…it gets easier.” 

You nod, and even though it’s obvious to all of them that you’re only being a good sport, Sirius offers you a small smile. 

“What made it easier?” you ask softly, swiping under your eyes. James coos and bushes your hands away gently, kissing your tears off for you. 

Sirius looks between Remus and James, then shrugs. “I don’t know. Drinking, maybe.” 

“Fuck off.” Remus sticks out a foot, pushing at Sirus’ thigh harshly. “Does she seem like she’s in the mood for jokes?”

But you laugh wetly, and they all grin for hearing it, James mushing a few quick kisses into the side of your head. 

“Gonna turn our sweet girl into an alcoholic,” he says against your skin. 

“Fine.” Sirius rolls his eyes extravagantly. “I don’t know, I guess you guys helped a bit too.” 

Before Sirius can react, James has an arm around his neck, tugging him close. “Oh, you,” James says, and Sirius makes a horrified squawking sound as his boyfriend presses a firm kiss to his temple, then yours. “Such a romantic. We helped a bit, huh?” 

Remus hums. “Ingrate.” 

“The point,” Sirius says, wrestling free of James’ grip, “is that it does get better.” He looks at you, features softening. “It’s not that it’s ever easy. But give it time.” 

“Got it.” You give him a small smile. Still wan, but more genuine than the last. “Thanks.” 

“Do whatever you need to to feel better, sweetheart,” Remus tells you, leaning forward until you meet his eye. “Just stay with us, yeah? Don’t go anywhere.” 

You lean into James’ side, the affection in your gaze all too heavy. “I could never.”

[ecstarry]

hi 🤍 congrats on your follower milestone u truly deserve it!!

i would love to hear ur 💌 thoughts… from sirius to regulus after finding out about jegulus… pls feel free to get as dramatic or as silly w it as u please 🙂‍↕️🤍

My love, James

Lil Bro

Dear Reggie

Potter-Blacks?

Black-Potters?

To my two brothers?

James and Regulus,

I know.

I knew even before you two did. So please stop the terrible act you attempt to pass as 'desinterest'.

Regulus, drama is my strong suit, not yours. Stay in your lane.

And James, just... stop. I don't even know what to call the foolishness I have witnessed whenever you are around my brother.

It was Remus' idea to do this through a letter. I was half-way through planning my rock-opera extravaganza, explaining in depth everything from my point of view but it seems the world is not ready for that level of cunt yet. So a piece of paper it is.

I love you Regulus. Don't run and don't panic with whatever you are feeling. Love is a good thing, it always is.

I love you James. You're not too much, be yourself, you won't scare him away.

Now kiss!

okay bye,

Sirius Black

send me a 💌 with a character and situation and i'll write a letter or a cute note from that pov

[iamnmbr3]

Great answers! I do love the idea of Sirius as DADA teacher!

Here's another one for you: rank these characters from worst to best for the post of Minister of Magic

Albus Dumbledore

Lucius Malfoy

Sirius Black (again cause I love him and I read a fic about this once)

Minerva McGonagall

Barty Crouch Sr.

oh god. these clowns would all be such terrible minsters of magic. why are you doing this to me? ok fine. here goes.

Lucius Malfoy: I think because movie!Lucius was sort of toned down and defanged fandom sometimes forget what a nasty piece of work book!Lucius was before he had his downfall and got all sad and pathetic. Fanon!Lucius often gets turned into kind of a joke but book!Lucius was out there torturing muggles for fun by night while he had the ear of the Minister by day and was, seemingly, extremely adept at subtly spreading his pureblood supremacist agenda in government. (Honestly, better at it than Tom because unlike Tom he actually cared). Also in book 4 it's very clear that if he had gotten hold of Hermione - a fourteen year old child - on the World Cup grounds he would've attacked her without hesitation (been eager for it, in fact). Yeah he wasn't down with Voldemort's whole thing but that was more because of the effect it had on him personally. with Voldemort out of the picture he was top dog and he was doing just fine. All this to say, as Minister the policies he enacts are...not good to say the least. He'd be out there building a violent pureblood supremacist dictatorship in a heartbeat.

Albus Dumbledore: Albus says he can't be trusted with the power of being Minister and honestly...I believe him. He'd still play the same messed up manipulation games he plays in canon but on a much larger scale (while simultaneously feeling bad about it and telling himself it's for the greater good). He does some truly epic mental gymnastics to convince himself he needs to make himself dictator for life and then things spiral because obviously anyone who resists him is evil right? Right? Of course! The alternative is that he is wrong and he doesn't want to think about that. Also, he doesn't seem that bothered by house elf slavery and his ideas for getting nonhuman magical creatures on his side in canon seemed to involve asking nicely but not actually granting them rights. So I'm not super optimistic on that front. So yeah. This just turns into the whole of wizarding Britain getting gaslit and thrown into insane situations by a madman who seems so wholesome and lovable and yet... Also. Given how poorly organized the Order is I think it's safe to say that all other flaws aside, the man does not have a gift for management.

Barty Crouch Sr.: Listen. He ALSO sucks. Very clearly ok with slavery, not a fan of due process, and allowed Aurors to torture confessions out of suspects. His only saving grace is that he does love rules so he'd probably eventually step down and wouldn't make as many potentially damaging changes as Dumbledore.

Minerva McGonagall: Her no nonsense attitude ensures that any meeting she runs actually accomplishes things. She's smart. She's sane. She's stable. She doesn't care about ending slavery or changing the status quo, but she's a lot better than most of the options. She's not especially creative or good at political games though which often hampers her ability to carry out objectives and prevent bad actors (i.e. Lucius and his faction) from getting their way.

Sirius Black: What does the man who hates authority do when he finds himself in a position of ultimate authority? I don't know but I'd love to read about it! Sirius is actually pretty shrewd (contrary to fanon) and I think he'd actually turn out to be a natural at handling politics (much as he might hate it). He also understands traditional pureblood society (he is a Black after all) but he doesn't idolize it (he hates being a Black) which would allow him to understand and work with multiple factions. Additionally he can be forceful and authoritative. He's impatient, often biased and unfair, sometimes quite cruel, can be temperamental, and again, has 0 problem with slavery. So like. He's not good per say, but he's actually better than some of the others. (At least with him meetings are never dull because if he gets bored enough he just turns into a dog and eats the agenda).

[letstrythisout4]

Thinking about Fleamont adopting…basically any and every child in need of guidance.

Very “We may not know each other but if you ever need help, I’m here.” energy.

Like people always talk about Euphemia being everyone's mother and I agree 100% but Monty??

Don’t play with him.

They’re in Diagon Alley and a sales associate is being really just underhanded while talking to Remus and all of a sudden Remus just feels two massive heavy hands on his shoulders and Monty just starts tearing into worker, making incredibly specific but accurate reads into who they are as a person until they look like they’re going to cry. Once he feels satisfied he just steers Remus away, bringing him back to the others, not even bringing up the interaction that they just had.

They’re all at Slughorn's party and some high member of a subsect of the ministry makes a comment about how impressive it is that Mary and Lily are so talented given their “backgrounds” and Fleamont is just like, “What do you mean by that?” The person sputters some incomprehensible nonsense before excusing themselves hurriedly. The second they’re gone Fleamont turns to the girls telling them that if the situation is safe to do so that they should never let people speak to them in such a manner, “When that happens and no one says anything, they grow comfortable. Never let them be comfortable.” Even though he speaks softly as to not be overheard by god knows who, his tone carries enough weight for the message to stick with the girls for the rest of their lives. 

James would come and complain how his friends are being treated; how Sirius is crushed under expectations, how Remus (despite being the most competent person his knows) may never get a job, how Lily and Mary are always spoken down to, how Marlene and Dorcas get treated like shit by half the school since going public and how everything just isn’t right. 

And Fleamont would listen, he would listen as his son goes on and on about the injustices of the world and how he can’t understand, why and how? Fleamont feels a little crushed as he hears his son's voice crack as he asks his father for answers that Fleamont knows he can’t give. He and Euphemia tried their best to raise their son to be aware of the issues of the world. And he was aware, he just didn’t know. There are some things that one just has to witness to truly comprehend.

And so Fleamont is honest. “Why? Well, wizarding kind has built itself off of expectations, rules, standards that are meant to uplift our kind and keep us safe. And so that is, what many believe, to be the root of the issues you present. Sirius has so many, too many, expectations placed on him because his family fears the unknown of abandoning the expectations, rules and standards that their ancestors placed however many years ago. Wizards decided centuries ago that werewolves were dangerous and have kept that standard. They also set the standard that old magic, family magic, is superior therefore muggleborns get treated as if they are inferior. The entire standard of old magic comes from the idea of magic being passed down parent to child parent to child through “natural” births and so Marlene and Dorcas may never be treated in a far manner, for where you and I see a happy healthy couple, others see opportunities for magical improvement through magical marriages -and children- ending.”

Cue James adamantly stating how everything his father said is bullshit with no backing. Fleamont calms James down enough to explain to that as high society pureblood men, they have an obligation to those around them to speak up in places that those with less standing aren’t able to. 

Fleamont is an absolute menace in Wizengamot. The Potter family is a gray family, but when it comes to social matters, that man is on the dark family's necks. 

A dark family will propose a new law and give a long winded speech -that is just fear mongering at its finest- only for Monty to speak up at the end to swiftly rebuke every single point that they brought up. 

Why? Because he refuses to allow people to turn the world that his son and his children-in-arms live in into a world of fear. 

[r0mantic-f00l]

(sirius and the Marauders are not like good people in this story fyi, I apologise please don't kill me :D )

Thunder

Sirius Black was an intoxicating man.

That was a feature most admired of him yet most feared.

He was exhilarating, he could make you feel as if you are eternal, as if you could fly through the clouds, as if you could stay forever young and naïve.

He was also dangerous. Not dangerous in the sense of crime, but rather in the sense of entrapment. Once you felt the exciting rush that came with the mere presence of Sirius Black, you were trapped. Imprisoned in a constant cycle of happiness, of waiting and of misery.

Imprisonment is not the right word, no. Rather, you willingly stayed, going along with a cycle that became normal. Because no matter what he did, no matter how painful he tugged your heart, you stayed. Your heart was his.

-♡-

Booming music vibrated against the floorboards, yet the roaring laughter of Sirius Black and his friends rung over it.

It was a small gathering, not a party, could not be defined as one with only a handful of people there. All were Sirius' friends, friends that you had met only a couple of times. The person you were closest to the most from his little circle was Lily, yet even then it could barely be called a friendship.

You sat in the corner, feeling the water droplets from the condensation of your cider can running down into your fingertips as you watched Sirius with his friends.

He grinned brightly as James told a story about his job or whatever it was, and laughed when Remus mumbled something whitty.

The girls were talking in the kitchen about something, whilst you waited for Sirius to invite you over to his side. You scolded yourself for being so dependant on him, yet you felt like you had no choice but to depend on him in that situation, when you were surrounded by people you barely knew.

"You OK there?" You lifted your head up to Lily, who smiled softly at you, holding a wine glass in her hand.

You nodded and took a sip of your cider.

"Yeah, are you?"

She nodded and took a sip of her wine.

"Can't complain."

She then sat down next to you and glanced over at her fiancée talking to your boyfriend.

"How're you and Sirius?"

Not good. Not healthy. Stuck in a loop of arguing and apologising. Yet you would not exchange it, would not leave him, for anything.

"Good. You and James?" You replied.

"Never better." Lily smiled whilst gazing at James with such adoration in her eyes.

James felt her gaze, like their minds and souls were connected, and smiled at Lily, looking at her in a way that showed his strong love for her, in a way that made everyone know just how much James Potter truly treasured his future wife.

It wasn't fair. It felt cruel watching their love, seeing the way his smile only grew whilst her cheeks deepened in its red colour.

Sirius seemingly had forgotten you were there in the corner, talking loudly to his three friends.

"God, you lot have no idea how frustrating it is to date someone so needy and desperate and clingy. I just want her to fuck off, you know? To just leave me alone sometimes and... I don't know, cling to someone else."

The group laughed in shock to his words.

"No, I'm not joking, honestly if she came home and said she wants an open relationship or some shit, I'd be relieved. Maybe she'd give me a fucking breather or something." Sirius mumbled, grinning when James patted his shoulder whilst chuckling about how 'awful' he is.

"Oh my God, I can't believe he said that." Lily gasped, staring at Sirius with wide eyes as if she was suprised.

You knew she wasn't. You knew she expected that of him, that she knew how harsh he could be with his words. How he broke hearts as if it was nothing but a bit of fun to him.

"It's OK." You murmured, plastering a smile on your face whilst your eyes turned glassy.

This was not the first time you had pretended you were not hurt by him, and it wouldn't be the last. You would let him say the most vile things about you as long as he would come to you with open arms and hold you delicately like you were his everything.

Because you believed you were. Like he was your everything. You loved him. And you believed he loved you. Even if the only times he would say it was when he was inside you.

"Really? You're not gonna say anything to him?" The red-haired girl raised her eyebrow at you, staring at your smile as you stared at Sirius.

You didn't answer her.

"If that was James saying that, I'd throw my ring at his head." Lily murmured whilst lifting her glass to take a sip of her wine.

Her words stung, made you feel like you were a weak, stupid girl.

You weren't. You were in love. You were addicted to Sirius Black.

Lily then left your side to go join the other girls, and you felt truly alone.

Then he looked at you.

Just one glance, one second before he turned away.

And you felt like you had everything you needed right there, with him.

-♡-

It was midnight when you both returned to your shared apartment.

Sirius was drunk, although he argued he was only tipsy whilst slurring his words, and you were sober. You were always the sober one whilst he was always the drunk one, and it would always lead to something different, something that he would say once and never again.

He stumbled into the living room when you unlocked the front door, immediately taking off his shoes and throwing them somewhere that you would have to find the next day.

He unbuttoned his white shirt all the way but left it hanging on his shoulders, and he walked over to the wall-length mirror, pointing at his tattoos and smiling whilst he explained the meaning of them to you.

You grinned, already knowing the meaning of them all, but you let him explain nonetheless.

"We-we should get matching tattoos." He gasped, turning to face you.

"Yeah?" You smiled, knowing he didn't mean it, knowing he would forget he even thought of it the next morning, yet you would still cling to the idea of having an imprint of you on his skin forever.

He nodded enthusiastically and walked over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"Yeah, we could get hearts or flowers or something..." Sirius trailed off, bending down to nuzzle your neck, sighing like he had found his permanent home.

You ran your fingers through his soft hair whilst your other hand rested on the back of his neck, letting yourself relax in his arms.

Unexpectedly, he picked you up and began spinning around, laughing whilst you squealed but joined in with his laughter.

"I'm dizzy." He murmured, and he stopped spinning, yet he still held you like you were a fragile doll.

Before you could say anything, Sirius walked over to the couch and dropped onto it, groaning as you fell with him.

You shook your head whilst chuckling, moving to straddle him as you brushed his hair out of his eyes.

He was gazing up at you like you were the Sun, like you were a goddess, like you were his everything.

"I'm gonna marry you."

You froze.

"W-What?"

He smiled in a goofy way, moving his hand to caress your cheek whilst the other cupped your jaw.

"I'm gonna marry you." He repeated, firmer in his voice, and you kissed him.

You didn't say anything, not even when he called you his bride, not when a couple days after he told you he wanted four children with you, not when two weeks after he told you he wanted to grow old with you.

You didn't say anything when he ignored you, when he complained about you to his friends, when he stepped too close to pretty girls in bars and clubs.

You didn't say anything because deep down, you knew he didn't mean any of it. Yet you still loved him. You always would.

Even if he came home at 4am smelling of beer and perfume, even if he pretended you didn't exist, even if he didn't care when his friends talked shit about you.

You would always end up in his arms.

-♡-

[cassieb1617]

Risky nights under the moon💌

Pairing: Remus Lupin x fem!reader

Angst

Summary: Submitted to the power of the full moon, Remus accidentally hurts the one person he swore to never hurt, how will they handle the complicated situation that takes place in Hogwarts‘ hospital wing?

Warnings: reader get injured but nothing too badly, Remus feels so bad about it, mentions of scars, language I think, let me know if there‘s more

A/N: this is probably far from canon because I honestly have no idea about werewolves but I hope you enjoy it anyway! And yes, in my head Poppy knows about the Marauders animagi abilities.

To be fair, you knew the risks. All of you did, Peter, Sirius, James and you. Remus knew you knew the risks too. Remus grew restless under the full moon, not that that is his fault. It was an accident and all of you knew that. Remus can‘t control himself when he‘s moony but he was always more gentle with you. Why Moony was that way no one knew but it started back in the middle of fifth year. The boys noticed that, of course they did, but they blamed it on the fact that the wolf can probably smell that you‘re a female not a male and he felt protective of you because of that. It didn‘t truly make sense but it was one explanation. Another one was James‘ theory. In his eyes it was all pretty clear. Remus was in love with you so Moony was as well but the problem in his theory? Remus hadn‘t realized how deeply in love with you he was.

Madam Pomfrey was by far the best mother-figure Remus ever had. His father hated werewolves and when Remus got bitten by one which resulted in him being one as well, his father had given him to an orphanage. Remus was only a kid, barely a kid actually when he lost his family through another man‘s revenge. Madam Pomfrey was caring about him since his first year at Hogwarts, she knew about his monthly trip in the woods and she tended his injuries with a care that only a mother had. She was also the only other person who knew about Remus‘ friends' little secret: that they are animagi. The woman had seen the worst of Remus‘ transitions, his first ones here in Hogwarts where he thought he would be alone and some where he came out with more scars littering his body than before. But this one was the messiest she had seen in all the six years the woman had known him. 

You came in the middle of the night to the hospital wing with Peter by your side, helping you to walk. The woman barely had time to recognize your pained cries and Peter‘s helpless shouts for help before she saw you two. Your arm was around his shoulder to help you not to fall down. There was a big slash across your thigh that reached downwards to your knee. The full moon was still not over but that wasn‘t Pomfrey‘s thought. She already had a theory on what happened and she certainly wasn‘t ready for the morning if the night already smelled like trouble. „It‘s a hard moon?“

At her question, you nodded numbly as she led you and Peter to the hospital bed, thanking every God out there that you were alone. „He- it was an accident but he slashed me, Poppy, it hurts. Please, make the pain go away!“ Your cries for help broke the poor woman‘s heart. She knew that you didn‘t just meet your pain but also Remus‘ pain of hurting you. Pomfrey had her wand out as she warned you, „This will hurt for a bit, my dear, but it will numb the pain.“ She muttered a spell and you hissed in pain, holding Peter‘s hand a tad tighter for comfort. The short boy bit his other fist as to not scream from you grip and shook his hands as you let go of his hand. 

„Oh, fuck! Sorry, Pete, didn‘t want to hurt you.“ Madam Pomfrey shook her head at your words, of course you would apologize to him when your leg got critically hurt. Pete waved his hand in dismissal and you smiled at the older healer, „Thanks, Poppy. It doesn‘t hurt anymore, you can work your magic now.“ The woman smiled at you and began healing you with spells, giving you a few potions against the pain and with that you called it a night, Peter sleeping on a neighborly hospital bed as you waited for the morning. 

Sirius and James were worried. They already predicted that this full moon would be a harder one, Remus was more stressed and more on edge the week before the night, far more than usual. They‘ve been helping the scarred boy on full moons since fifth year and they got hurt a lot, sometimes because Moony decided deer looked fascinating tasty that night or because a dog was a good playdate but Moony has never hurt you. Sweet you who cared so much about Remus that even Moony was protective of you. The pair of best friends knew the feelings that Remus held for you but on the first full moon they realized just how strong they were. Whenever Padfoot, Prongs or Wormtail came close to your animagus form, Moony would growl or even latch out, shielding you from the other guys. This time though you got hurt and your whole group knew that it was Moony. He didn‘t bite you but the scratching of his claws did enough damage. You were bleeding and Sirius and James would forever remember the moment Moony‘s eyes shifted as he realized he had hurt you, precious, loving you. 

Moony ran away after that, deeper into the woods and it was an agreement they made beforehand that if someone got hurt, Peter would go with them. It was nothing personal, obviously, but someone had to follow Remus and Peter was the smallest due to his animagus. This was the case this time, you got hurt so Peter helped you to the hospital wing as the two other boys followed the confused wolf into the forbidden forest. Remus was fast and more aggressive after he hurt you, Prongs and Padfoot almost got as hurt as you did as well but they always escaped in the last second before another critical injury was inflicted. 

In the morning, Remus, Sirius and James woke up in the Shrieking Shack again. Remus‘ memory was always vague after a night in the full moon but this time it wasn‘t. Remus can remember exactly the moment the night went into a disaster, the moment he hurt you. And not just a small scratch, no he slashed your thigh. The three boys knew that Madam Pomfrey would come in any minute to bring them to the hospital wing and Sirius and James were not prepared for the upcoming storm of emotion from Remus that they knew for sure would come any minute. They heard the footsteps from outside just as predicted and a few moments later Poppy opened the door and held her hand in with a few old clothes for Remus. Sirius stood up, took the clothes and thanked Madam Pomfrey as he handed them to the naked boy on the ground. James and Sirius turned around as he got dressed, helping him with his pants or sweater when needed. Madam Pomfrey stepped in when they gave her the ready and together, they brought the taller boy to the hospital wing, not yet ready for Remus‘ emotional outburst.  

The moment they stepped into the hospital wing, Peter was up on his feet to greet them. You would come too but Madam Pomfry told you to keep it easy and walk as little as possible. You watched as Sirius and James hovered him to the hospital bed next to you that didn‘t hold Peter moments before. James looked at you and you watched as his eyes drifted to your leg. His eyebrows raised slightly and his eyes moved back to yours, he motioned to help you to come over and you nodded. Remus was already lying in bed, Madam Pomfrey next to it and already tending his wounds. James helped you sit up as Sirius was pulling a chair for you next to Remus‘ bed. The two boys helped you up and into the chair, Peter getting your blanket and throwing it over you. You reached for Remus‘ hand as his wounds were treated by Madam Pomfrey. 

„How are you feeling?“ You asked the question as soon as Madam Pomfrey stepped away, eager to hear if the night got worse after you got injured or if things quieted down. Remus looked, understandably, tired. He had dark bags under his eyes and fresh wounds that were still fresh pink. His grip on your hand was weak but it was there, a sign of comfort coming over you. „Doesn‘t matter, how are you? I- I‘m so sorry that I hurt you. I don‘t know what‘s gotten into me-„ 

You interrupted him before he could even start blaming himself, the Marauders watching the interaction with heartbreak in their eyes. „Oh, Remus. It‘s not your fault and not Moony‘s either. You aren‘t you on the full moon and it‘s always a risk to go out with you and the rest in the nights. I know the risks of getting hurt and I did it anyway. It‘s not your fault, Remus. If anything, it‘s mine.“ 

The boy shook his head at you and tears gathered in his eyes. The three animagi next to you two looked at the scene in sadness. Whenever one of them got hurt on the full moon, Remus always believed it to be his fault. „I hurt you, I did that. You shouldn‘t even come to the full moon with us, with me, none of you should.“ 

James intervened with Remus‘ statement next, „Now, Moony, don‘t exaggerate the situation. She got hurt, yes, so did we all at one point but don‘t you realize that we help you a lot on those nights? You‘re a lot calmer and getting hurt is normal.“ The curly haired boy gestured to you, „It may seem bad now but Poppy‘ll fix her up in no time and she‘s gonna be alright again.“

„Listen, this is the first time you hurt her and she‘s tough, she‘ll get through this.“ Sirius' words made Remus flush slightly but the boy still looked as guilty as ever. 

„Remus, every other full moon you kind of, like, protect me. It‘s truly okay if you hurt me once. I may not be able to properly walk now but I will in no time. And anyway, I will have a badass scar on my leg now and imagine how cool it will be when someone asks for it: „How did you get the scar on your leg?“ - „Oh, I survived a werewolf attack!“ That‘s pretty badass isn‘t it? I almost have to thank you.“ Your giddy smile and words made the group smile and even Remus cracked his tense expression up a bit. You had imitated voices as you spoke and it helped let Remus lose a lot. You reached your hand out to smother his brow, „I‘m going to be OK, Remus, don‘t you worry about me.“

The boys shook their heads at you two, „You know, you would think they‘d be a couple by now but no, they have to take their special time.“ Sirius mumbled words made  Peter and James crackle and you and Remus looked at them in confusion. „What did you say, Sirius?“ The long haired boy shut up at your words and the group laughed as you and Remus shook your head at them. 

Madam Pomfrey watched the group with a smile, the older woman couldn‘t wait to hear the words of you and Remus dating, having rooted for you two since she first saw you at the hospital wing after the full moon. Youmay not be together now but she knew you will be. 

[hollowed-theory-hall]

so in your fic there's Sirius/Barty Jr ship. i reread your analytics of their character and pretty understand the connection. but i would still like to read opinion about their ship 👀

Glad you enjoy my various writing!

Yeah, okay, so Sirius/Barty Jr is a little rare pair my beta reader and I came up with for a different fic that never really got written, but we liked it so much it made it into my current fic, A Matter of Chance.

I'll note that it's gonna take quite some time in A Matter of Chance until Sirius and Barty actually meet and even longer until they get together in any meaningful way (but also my writing plans are super vague, so I don't really know). So there's some waiting until that tag is gonna be relevant. That being said, why I ship them and my thoughts on the ship:

So, I wrote a bunch about Sirius, and a bit less about Barty, but they have, like, a lot in common:

They're both incredibly loyal.

They both suffered Azkaban.

The way Sirius described Barty's father always struck me as him being familiar with the situation: "should've spent more time at home" and might've been showing the bitterness towards Orion.

They both have reason to hate Crouch Sr for sending them to the dementors.

They both care about Harry (pretty shocking on Barty's part, but it truly seems like he does) and are as involved as they can be.

both of them are hands-on in their approach, of, well, literally anything.

I feel Sirius and Barty would get each other's sense of humor that's a bit on the crueler side too. They won't make the other feel guilty over stupid shit.

They also communicate in a similarly straightforward way. They say what they think pretty damn clearly when they're free to do so.

So, as you can see, they have a surprising amount of things in common. As for Barty being a Death Eater, well, I illustrated in my posts about him that I don't think he was that much of a loyal Death Eater and I don't think he tortured the Longbottoms (it's outright stated in the books he wasn't caught with the Lestranges, but with a different group of Death Eaters that walked free!). I think Barty was a Death Eater more as a teenage rebellion than truly believing in everything (though he likely isn't a fan of Muggles). Like, the way Sirius went all in on Dumbledore and the Order as rebellion, Barty did in the opposite direction.

I don't think Barty really killed and tortured many people, but unlike Draco or Regulus I think he could if he felt he needed to, he isn't as sadistic as Bellatrix (or Sirius, honestly). He's tamer but still colder and more willing to respond with violence than Draco or Lucius.

The main quote I'm basing this ship on is the entire conversation in which Sirius talks about Barty in GoF:

Sirius smiled grimly. “Crouch’s own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who’d managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power.” “Crouch’s son was caught?” gasped Hermione. “Yep,” said Sirius, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak, flinging himself back down on the ground beside the loaf of bread, and tearing it in half. “Nasty little shock for old Barty, I’d imagine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn’t he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while . . . gotten to know his own son.” He began to wolf down large pieces of bread. “Was his son a Death Eater?” said Harry. “No idea,” said Sirius, still stuffing down bread. “I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I’ve found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I’d bet my life were Death Eaters — but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf.” “Did Crouch try and get his son off?” Hermione whispered. Sirius let out a laugh that was much more like a bark. [...] Crouch’s fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn’t much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy . . . then he sent him straight to Azkaban.” “He gave his own son to the dementors?” asked Harry quietly. “That’s right,” said Sirius, and he didn’t look remotely amused now. “I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can’t have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though . . . they all went quiet in the end . . . except when they shrieked in their sleep. . . .” For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius’s eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them. “So he’s still in Azkaban?” Harry said. “No,” said Sirius dully. “No, he’s not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in.” “He died?” “He wasn’t the only one,” said Sirius bitterly. “Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. [...] Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son’s body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it.”

Sirius talks about Crouch Sr and Barty's relationship. He knows a surprising lot about Barty's backstory and childhood for someone who didn't even know for sure if he was a Death Eater and only found these things out after he escaped. Like, where did he learn all this from (sure, he likely read old newspapers, but how much of this information is actually likely to be there?). He also talks about both Bartys with a certain familiarity "ol' Barty". He's dull and bitter over Barty's death, he watched the only "funeral" Barty got, probably the only "attendant" besides the dementors. And he talks about hearing Barty screaming until he died in Azkaban... Yeah, I like that angst, I'm so here for an Azkaban romance (and post-Azkaban romance).

And, like, Barty was in Regulus' year, they probably joined the Death Eaters around the same time, maybe even together. And Sirius probably didn't talk to Barty at all his own when they were in school, he had no reason to, but he knew his little brother hung out with him occasionally. And from the quote above it's clear Sirius felt sorry for him, felt sympathy for someone else he thought might've been innocent. Someone in the same situation as he is that he might've felt protective over, like he could succeded in saving Regulus this time. And Barty has no one, basically, no friends, no family, just haunting memories, a situation Sirius is so familiar with. And Sirius is like a sorta friend, he's basically Regulus if you squint (not at all but at first), they share an experience (and hatred for Crouch Sr) that could feel so isolating when speaking to someone who doesn't know. He's someone Barty could potentially trust since neither of them trusts the ministry, or Voldemort, or Dumbledore. They can be in their own little corner where they have no one (well, Harry is there, but no other adults. Remus has way more faith in Dumbledore than Sirius does)

So, imagine this: Sirius lost everyone, he lost James, he lost his brother, he and Barty are in the same boat. So, like, imagine them talking quietly through the bars, each treating the other as a Regulus stand-in even if their personalities are more similar to each other than to Regulus. This grows into somewhat getting to know each other, something that's almost friendship. A cold comfort in the coldness of Azkaban. Then, Barty seemingly stops talking to Sirius and dies soon after, and Sirius doesn't know what to make of it. After Barry dies, he starts staying in Padfoot form more and more.

And then, post-Azkaban, they gonna meet again and bond over escaping Azkaban and caring about Harry.

There'll be healing. There'll be bad coping mechanisms. There'll be a desperation for any familiar connection and a lot of dark humor. They're on the run from both Voldemort and the ministry. And, like, if anyone thinks Sirius Orion Black won't be willing to help get away from Crouch Sr's body, they don't know Sirius Black.

Like, I think they'd just get each other, but also keep making incorrect assumptions about each other at the same time all the while being desperate for what the other represents — people they lost, time they lost. I think it's a fun concept with angst potential.

They're also both incredibly intelligent and skilled wizards (Barty tricked the Goblet of Fire, which is no easy feat). I think they could see each other, eventually after they get over the initial mess of shared losses, as equals and partners in crime. They just have such a vibe, idk. Like, I imagine them pseudo-parenting Harry together, and all I can come up with would be hilarious, but also, like, surprisingly good for Harry. Harry needs more people in his life who would appreciate him for him, more people that'll raise his ridiculously low self-esteem.

Do you know who's the first character to tell Harry he has talents? Barty Jr.

“Well, I’m not going to tell you,” said Moody gruffly. “I don’t show favoritism, me. I’m just going to give you some good, general advice. And the first bit is — play to your strengths.” “I haven’t got any,” said Harry, before he could stop himself. “Excuse me,” growled Moody, “you’ve got strengths if I say you’ve got them. Think now. What are you best at?”

(GoF, 344)

Basically, I think they'd be messed up, but also make it work under their specific circumstances.

(Can you tell I love trauma bonding ships?)

[deathnguts]

A while back I saw a post thing about how like in a Bartylus and wolfstar situation when both couples break up after fights Remus and regulus sleep together and then Barty and Sirius sleep together and they like wrapped it up saying it didn’t matter they looked back and laughed and shit, yeah I’m gonna tell you why that’s not true and it’s a thought that’s tortured me for a month (tw, because genuinely this is a harrowing thought and I write it as such)

Barty sleeping with Sirius would be regulus’ thirteenth fucking reason. He wouldn’t be able to sweep that under the rug, he’d never be able to sweep anything under rug ever again. He’d never be able to even look at Sirius or Barty after that.

Because that’s Sirius. His Sirius, his brother. Who left him. Who hates him. Who he’ll never be good enough to be forgiven by. Who he’ll never be as good as. Regulus strives to be as accomplished as possible just to delude himself into thinking he might be near as good as Sirius is. Regulus will never feels he’s truly good in anyway way becaus if he was then certainly Sirius, his Sirius, would have seen it, right? Right?

And that’s Barty. His Barty. Who’s always been there for him. Who knows him like no one else. Who he’ll never be able to describe just how big his feelings are for the boy that entertains the idea that maybe regulus might be good. Regulus loves Barty more than anything. He knows Barty loves him more than anything. That’s the only thing he truly knows, it’s his lifeline. Barty is a lifeline and he lives in his heart and he means eveyrthing to him in a way that’s just as true as a fact of life because Barty is his life.

So the idea that Barty, his Barty, would even for a second think- let alone act on a feeling even close to that with Sirius, his Sirius.

Nothing will ever be regulus’ again. Regulus must truly be nothing. He must have been right. He must be awful, he must have never been good and Barty was lying. Or worse, he’d let Barty close enough that he saw how awful he was and left for someone better because Sirius will always be better.

This is it, regulus would think when he hears the news, or god forbid sees the evidence. This is what death feels like. The end of everything. It horrifying. He’s going to throw up. He needs to scream, but he can’t breathe. There’s a numbing cease of every function in his body that used to make him human, the color leaves the world and his sight is so blurry he can’t see and his ears feel pressure of water and he can’t hear anything and his mind is ringing in silence of every possible thought as his body acts on pure instinct and his heart physically hurts and it’s clawing at his ribs with a vengeance that will never be quelled.

And no matter how much Barty or anyone says he’s sorry or anything even close, they must be lying again and regulus can’t keep lying or being lied to and nothing will ever be good again and he’ll never be good and he never was and nothing is worth it if he has to continue living with this never ending hurt in his chest and it’s over everything is over.

If a betrayal like that ever happened to regulus I think it would genuinely break him, and nothing would be able to fix him.

[thelyinggrapevine]

Word count: 1,077 | Jegulus

He was dragged here by Barty and honestly didn't even want to be there, but a deal was a deal and he had to honor it, no matter how much he wanted to absolutely shove his foot so far up his-.

Y'know what, it wasn't even worth it.

The party was already in full swing, and Pandora had gotten her Gryffindor friends an invite so they were all huddled around one of the coffee tables in the Slytherin common room and an empty bottle in the middle.

The most shocking thing about it was that his brother deigned to step foot into the home of the snakes. It actually made him faulter in his steps for a second, before he remembered that they had recently decided to try and mend their relationship after Sirius fled their house to find refuge with the Potters.

Regulus could feel his hand being tugged again, so he refrained from rolling his eyes and sat down at the circle, acting as if he could truly not care any less about what he was doing there.

"Hey, Regulus, you made it!" Evan's voice was already higher pitched, something that happened when he tried to act like he wasn't affected by the alcohol. It was honestly pretty funny when he tried to pass it off to Horace. Really, with how much fucked up shit he gets to with Barty all of the time, you would think he could hold his liquor.

He saw Sirius stiffen, hesitating to continue the conversation he was having with his boyfriend, but Remus nudged him and shook him out of it.

"Hey guys. So, I'm told I am to drink something in order to participate?" He glanced over at Marlene and she had a smirk etched onto her face; this was clearly her idea. Well, she probably also had help from Barty and Evan let's be honest; they are a terrifying trio when they want to be.

Barty's voice sounded from his left, "Ah, yes, here it is, my dear. Drink up!"

Regulus eyed it, as the other's voice was far too gleeful for it to just be alcohol, although Regulus had a feeling on what it was.

He was proven right when he tasted absolutely nothing at all from the vial.

"You are such a cunt." The veritaserum wasn't even needed for that, but he appreciated the added proof behind his words.

Barty just continued to smirk (bitch) and cleared his throat, catching the attention of everyone else in the group. "Alright everybody, our last participant has arrived and has drunk truth, so let's get started!"

Ah, so that's what they were doing. Obvious, now that he knew of the serum, but... damn. He had a feeling this would put a stopper in his and Sirius' developing bond again.

Turns went by, some embarrassing stories told and some secrets revealed. It was when it was Barty's turn that things started to get... off-track.

"This one is a little special, as I have a feeling this one will be fun. As such, there will be rules applied to this particular round: if you have done this multiple times, you have to drink for each one!"

Regulus did not like the sound of his friend's laugh, not did he like the way that he was staring directly at him. This was when he got a twisting feeling in his gut.

Barty's grin continued to widen, looking over at Evan who was giving the same reaction. "Never have I ever kissed someone, other than my partner, who is here in this group."

There was silence for a few seconds, before Marlene took her shot, which led to a domino effect of people taking theirs. The one that really got people curious, sadly, was Remus.

Evan, being the absolute git that he is, decided to be openly annoying about it. "Oh? Remus, was this before or after you and Sirius started dating?" Regulus could practically feel how amused he was at the situation.

Remus took a casual look around the room before giving a shrug, "before we got together. He was actually my first kiss."

Regulus tried not to look, but Barty's smile was getting wider and wider.

"Oh, is that so? Reg, what about you? You've been dating Jamie over here for almost a year, isn't that right?"

Regulus just rolled his eyes and gave a scoff. "Same as him."

How ironic.

"What a coincidence, don't you think?" Mary's voice was gleeful, and it looked as if she had a manic glint in her eye.

Regulus gave a hum in response.

Sirius was looking between them, brows furrowed with confusion before his eyes widened and he gave dramatic gasp, jumping up to his feet. "Remus! My dearly beloved, how could you do this to me?! What does my brother have that I don't?!"

Remus dignified him with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders, seeming to enjoy the response he got.

Regulus noticed James coming over to him, and gave a smile.

"Hi Reggie," his voice was quiet and his eyes were soft.

Giving a quiet laugh, he rested his body against his boyfriend's, reveling in his close presence and the comfort he gave.

Watching as his brother and Remus bantered, James leaned his head down, "are we just going to ignore how Pandora literally downed four shots while Barty was interrogating you two?"

"Absolutely. Just let the others figure it out, it'll be amusing to watch them try and figure it out, no matter how obvious."

"We are talking about Sirius, right?"

"Of course, my love. I'm still surprised that Sirius didn't realize about mine and Remus'. You both were literally there."

"He was busy trying to flirt with Madame Rosmerta, my star."

"Ah, yes, that makes more sense."

All in all, not as bad of an outing as he thought it was going to be, so he guessed he could let the veritaserum slide.

He still would've liked to have known about it beforehand, though.

But, for now, Regulus would just lay against his sun, and bask in the warmth that was his friends and family, enjoying their laughter and light-hearted arguments as he closed his eyes and got some well-needed rest.

He could put off studying for his N.E.W.T.S. for one day. Besides, in Sirius' words, they still had an entire week before it would really become a "necessity".

[siriusblack-the-third]

Headcanons for Sirius black?

YES YOU CAN HAVE THEM

Smart. Like, really fucking smart.

Has silver eyes. Not grey. It's the brightest hue of silver you have ever seen, and he has this habit of staring straight into your eyes that makes him absolutely terrifying.

Intimidating as fuck. He's six foot four and built like a fucking tank, and has the most intense Resting Bitch Face™ ever. People literally scramble to get out of his way when he's walking down a corridor.

French. I know I've posted about Indian Black Family, but I have a soft spot for French Sirius.

Has the best poker face ever. The only time you will see him fazed is when James is hurt, insulted, or in danger. The whole school learnt very quickly (as early as the marauders' second year, in fact) that going after James is a Bad Idea™. Sirius could and would kill them slowly and painfully if they dared.

Gets annoyed easily, but almost never gets angry. He's scared of his own anger, because it's so similar to his mother, and the only times he has ever gotten truly angry was once when he saw Regulus being tortured by Walburga and the second time at Peter on the Samhain of 1981.

The exact opposite of reckless. Contrary to popular belief, he hates jumping into situations before thinking shit through, and has stopped James from making impulsive decisions way too many times to count. Even when people think he's being reckless, he knows exactly what the fuck he's doing, what the consequences are going to be, and how to deal with said consequences.

Wears black and emerald green the most, but also likes sea/sapphire blue shades. Surprisingly, he hates wearing red, because the colour reminds him of the deep red velvet drapes and cushions in Walburga's room.

Plays the violin, and enjoys it. He's good at it, too. At Hogwarts, people will form a silent gathering in the common room to listen to him as he plays in his empty dorm. It's become a thing. Everyone thinks Sirius doesn't know,but James told him the first time it happened. Sometimes, he plays on the first day of school after the summer, winter or Easter holidays, as a form of comfort to the children who don't really feel at home in their own houses.

Absurdly competent. He's outstanding at everything, even if he doesn't work at it— one of those people who don't need to work to get excellent results. James is the same, and it annoys the fuck out of Remus and Peter, but they help everyone out with schoolwork a lot so nobody actually has too many negative feelings about it (ahem- except for one Severus Snape)

N E R D. Seriously. Will talk nerdy shit with James for hours on end, because both of them are Nerds™. I will die on the hill of Nerd!Sirius Black, and your opinion is invalid if it's not the same as mine bc my opinion is actually canon I don't make the rules.

Long, wavy hair. He had short hair up until the end of fourth year, but then puberty hit and he realised long hair went better with his developing features. Makes him look so much like his grandfather that he has been mistaken for Arcturus several times.

School heartthrob, but didn't actually date anyone/have sex with anyone in school. He found out he was on the ace spectrum in fifth year because asked James to kiss him. He liked it, but the thought of going further didn't excite him like he thought it would. So he asked Marlene, and the outcome was the same.

Biromantic. Sex positive asexual.

No man at Hogwarts is straight, simply because of him. He's ridiculously handsome, and has people fawning over him and falling over these to get into his good books. Unfortunately for them, Sirius knows the names of like seven people out of the four thousand students that attend Hogwarts during his school career, and can't be bothered to remember the names or features of the rest of them.

Rude but polite, if ykwim? Gets called mean a lot, but argues that rudeness is not the same as mean. Rude is when you can't be bothered with pleasantries, he says, and mean is when you're cruel just for the sake of being cruel.

Him not being mean does not negate the fact that his cruel streak is wider and deeper than the Grand motherfucking Canyon. He has a particular talent for weeding out your insecurities, and will not hesitate to use them against you if you piss him off too much.

Prefers verbal sparring rather than a duel, but any fight he gets into, he wins. He has both intelligent quips and powerful magic up his sleeves and he will use them to his advantage if need be.

Absolutely loves mint dark chocolate, for some odd fucking reason. James and Peter always give him shit for it, and he always laughs in their faces before taking an even bigger bite out of the bar.

Nobody knows how many languages he speaks. So far, people have heard him speak English, French, Ancient Greek, Old Norse, Gaelic, Latin and Italian. James gets asked the question "how many languages does your best mate speak?" and he breaks into silly giggles. Refuses to tell the answer, says he likes to keep people on their toes. (Sirius speaks nine languages.)

Wears eyeliner sometimes. It's bold and winged and perfectly done, and has caused multiple fainting incidents because of the way it makes his silver eyes stand out even more than they already do. He says it makes him feel powerful when his eyeliner is perfect, and James answers that he is more than powerful enough, he doesn't need any more.

[shivstar]

Sirius, Peter and Remus

Though I dislike Wolfstar to an absolute unhealthy degree, I will admit that I can see two man who feel like total losers for being absolutely nothing in their thirties, one due to circumstances and other due to his woe is me attitude, finding solace in each other's arms on purely physical way. I can actually see a benifit arrangements happening.

But nothing emotional. Because they can never trust each other. Remus because after so many years thinking and believing that Sirius is a responsible for all things gone wrong, his subconscious works that way now. And Sirius because however much a good person you are, at the end of the day he will always be a little resentful at being the one who suffered so much for no reason at all.

But what I absolutely can't stand is -

Gaslight campaign to make us believe that Sirius was lusting/crushing over Lupin since their teenage days

That Sirius chased Lupin while the other played hard to get.

That Sirius wore Remus down and that they actually dated post Hogwarts.

Because all this takes away Sirius's core personality in itself. I will explain it ----

We see him being a passive aggressive friend with Peter. Although I never propagate the idea that Peter was stupid idiot because a person who played so many people like fickle can never be anything but creatively intelligent. But Peter has his moments where he due to reasons and situations hid his own self and went on to present himself as what he thinks other wants him to be.

In poa, he acted remorseful and apologetic to get sympathy. In swm, he becomes a cheerleader to James whose core personality is being an arrogant asshole to almost everyone except Sirius.

He is the most Slytherin-like Gryffindor to ever exist. In school he needed James to survive, not because he was stupid Or needed help with study but because he was absolutely low on social status. His social skills left too much to be desired. So a kid Peter really admired how easy it comes to James to be so charming. That admiration turned to hero worship.

As an adult, he bets his everything on Voldy's win because again he wished to be unharmed and be on the wining side.

So, I hc that Sirius sees Peter's potential. His intelligence. (Common guys why do people forgot that irrespective of who helped him, he himself achieved animagus magic as a 5th year.) He is truly deserving to be one forth of marauder and was not part of it out of pity.

Anyway, Sirius hated that Peter just becomes this fangirl of James. He finds that creepy because he thinks that everyone should have their own agency. He is a guy who ran away when he felt that he was loosing his own agency in grimmauld.

By that logic, Sirius's ideal partner will have to have their own agency and not be influenced by anything that is not their own moral and ethical rules.

But Remus's entire personality is surrounded by his being a werewolf. He has a dual persona. First where every decision and shortcoming in his life, he blames on his condition, giving birth to self pity. While on the other hand where he suppress and hides his creature side as if it is not even there. Which makes him want to make everyone believe that he is a good guy who does good things.

If i have to compare him to anyone in real world, I will say he is like a person with internalized homophobia.

He has an aspect to his personality which he can not change, either just supress and believe that it is not there or just allow himself that space and accept that yes I am like this and it is just how I am.

We see him being troubled by his lycanthrophy but his mental attitude is that of a person who has not yet accepted his condition and made adjustments to live a comparatively happy life. Proof is him blaming Snape for losing his job instead of coming forward and taking the blame in what happened the night prior or asking harry if he and his friends are alright because he a responsible adult who forgot to take his potion and might as well have killed three school aged kids. But no, the entire conversation is him looking for sympathy from a kid who was severely traumatized just the previous night.

It will not come as a big shock to me if the golden trio had ptsd from that night. If they had a phobia of werewolves because one was about to kill them.

In real life people loose limbs in accident, get paralysis, we see people on both ends of spectrum in dealing and accepting their situation and in between.

Lupin proves that any amount of time is insufficient for him to just forgive himself for an event that happened in his childhood which changed his life forever.

And this is the biggest thing that makes me repulsed seeing Sirius paired with Remus- propagating the belief that the best Sirius can do during his peak- pre azkaban days- is being with a person whose hate for himself oozes out of his pours.

A person who can never love himself can never love others. so Wolfstar at best can be a lust story (unbelievable as canon Remus is not all that attractive in physical or emotional or mental level) and at worst a toxic story where Remus gaslights the shit out of Sirius and abuses him behind closed doors. Both physically and emotionally. And presents to be the picture perfect bf in front of society.

[I will definitely love to read a story where Sirius agrees to give it a try when Remus, his close friends reveals his feelings, although he was never attracted to or interested himself in being in a relationship with Remi. Soon, Remus begins using his manipulation techniques and gaslight tools to trap Sirius. It continues for a year or two but somehow he finds that he is abused and gets out of this relationship and then finds his way in life. Etc. ]

I can totally picture Lupin as an abusive partner or husband or father even. In fact i hc that had they both have survived, tonks would have found herself part of a very stressful marriage.

And actually this is not an attack on people who love to read the ship, my beef is that one ship has overpowered entire fandom that we never see Sirius with anyone else as if it is a crime.

It would have been good as a medium fans ship but the large traction makes their fanon characteristics becoming a rule of thumb.

He deserves better than a person who will depend on him financially and emotionally. He deserves to be cared for and cherished and protected and not always having to be the strong one, the one who keeps on apologising for his belief and reasons.

[pascaloverx]

To Begin Again

CHAPTER TWENTY

Summary: You're a new teacher at a large and influential school. It's a risky step for you, as you've been running from your ex for almost two years. But when Dumbledore asks you to take on a class at the renowned Hogwarts, you can't refuse. However, your life as a newly arrived teacher won't be easy. Especially when the other teachers don't seem eager to make friends. Or rather, two teachers in particular: Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

Author's Note: Welcome, dear readers. Please leave your comments if you enjoy fanfiction. This fanfic takes place almost in the real world (with the addition of werewolves) and is not a wizarding fanfic. There will be some differences and changes in things from the Harry Potter story or other fanfics in the HP universe, but I promise to do my best writing this fanfic. Dear readers, I'm back. With a significant time jump, Harry, Draco, and others who were once children are now teenagers, almost adults. More mature themes will be portrayed in this fanfic. Come and see how Y/N navigates her new life as a maternal figure for Draco while trying to help Sirius and Harry move forward with their lives. Enjoy the read!

PART TWO TWENTY ONE

The next morning, you were the first to wake. You slipped out of your room and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast in peace. First, you scrambled the eggs while the coffee brewed, and the bacon sizzled in the fryer. As the bread toasted, you began setting the table, focusing on arranging everything just right. Then, you heard someone coming down the stairs but continued with the table setting. Suddenly, you felt someone standing close behind you, almost leaning over to see what you were doing.

“So, is this the pampered life you’ve given Draco? And yet you have the nerve to criticize how I’ve cared for Harry,” Sirius murmurs, practically embracing you from behind, his voice soft in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine.

"You mean I pointed out how neglectful you were with him, don’t you?" you reply, nudging Sirius with your elbow, drawing a small groan from him before he moves to grab the toast from the toaster. He also retrieves the orange juice and milk from the fridge, setting them on the table.

"Do you think Harry will ever forgive me?" he asks, his voice dropping to an unexpectedly serious tone as the two of you finish setting the table. You meet his gaze, pausing thoughtfully as you weigh the right words to say.

"I believe he has a good heart—better than yours, without question," you reply, aiming for an understanding tone. "He just needs you to stop being the reckless godfather and start becoming the father figure he can truly rely on." Sirius's expression shifts, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes as if he can see a path to regaining Harry’s trust.

"And that's how you ended up in this situation, where Draco calls you 'stepmother'? By being the mother figure he needed?" Sirius asks genuinely, his gaze searching yours.

You let out a deep sigh before replying. "When we went to the United States, I had no idea how to be what Draco needed. I tried being the teacher he admired so much, but our relationship was more than that. I tried being the 'fun aunt' instead—until he ended up suspended for two weeks for punching a classmate who called him an 'orphan.' When he got home after that, I realized he needed to understand boundaries and respect them."

You pause, then continue, "So we had a long talk. I told him he'd be starting therapy, that we'd find a way for him to feel supported. During those sessions, he admitted he didn’t want to forget his mother, but he needed me to fill the void her absence had left. After that, I became his stepmother."

"Must have been challenging for you both, given that your father..." Sirius starts, but you quickly place a firm hand over his mouth, cutting him off. "If you even think of mentioning what my father did, I’ll end you," you whisper, leaning in to make your threat seem more convincing. But Sirius only looks at you with curiosity rather than fear, a faint smirk playing at the edge of his lips.

Just then, the sound of raised voices echoes down the staircase. Instinctively, you push Sirius into a corner between the living room and the kitchen, hidden from view but within earshot of Draco and Harry’s bickering.

"How can you just act as if nothing happened between us?" Harry asks, his voice low and tense, clearly trying to keep the conversation private. You maintain your grip on Sirius to prevent him from interrupting as you observe the two boys approaching the breakfast table, each taking their place at opposite ends.

"How am I supposed to act, genius?" Draco shoots back, beginning to assemble his breakfast plate. It's evident that both boys are on edge. Sirius glances toward the exit, eager to leave the concealed spot, but you hold him back firmly.

"I know you're angry about what I said—that you don't know how to love someone. But can't we just move on, like we used to?" Harry speaks softly as he inches closer to Draco. Both have set their plates down on the table and are locked in a tense gaze. It's difficult for you to eavesdrop while keeping Sirius from interrupting, but you do your best to listen in.

"Are you suggesting we go back to the days when we hated each other and I used to hit you? Honestly, I could consider it, but I need to eat first," Draco replies casually as he inches closer to Harry, who appears to be flirting back.

"I'm suggesting we return to the way things were before our last argument; we were always talking, and you mentioned how much you wished we could be closer, don't you remember?" Harry says, wrapping his arms around Draco's waist and whispering something in his ear. Draco gazes at Harry, as if on the verge of exploding; his usual bravado seems to wane slightly.

"Of course, let's keep going. That way, when your idiot godfather finishes ruining his life and yours, you'll take it out on me. No way. Not in a million years. If you're looking for someone to wet your lips, find someone else," Draco retorts, regaining his usual confidence while still in Harry's embrace. At that moment, he leans closer to Harry, their faces nearly touching as if about to share a kiss.

"Are you sure you want me to find someone else?" Harry asks, planting a quick kiss on Draco, who is completely captivated by him. At that moment, you can hardly see anything else. Sirius is too preoccupied, nearly grinding against you, to be shocked by the fact that Draco and Harry are romantically interested in each other. Although, when Draco insulted him earlier, you had to restrain Sirius from reacting.

"Could you stop using this moment to try to seduce me?" you say, shooting an annoyed glance at Sirius, who lets out a muffled laugh. Your voice must remain low to avoid alerting Draco and Harry to your presence.

"You put us in this tiny spot, and I'm the one trying to seduce you?" Sirius says, leaning in unusually close. However, you notice that Harry and Draco have fallen silent, prompting you to act before they discover your hiding place. Without hesitation, you pull Sirius's face closer and initiate a kiss. It was meant to be a calm, emotionless kiss, but Sirius firmly grips your waist, deepening the kiss unexpectedly.

"What are you two doing?" Harry asks as he and Draco stumble upon the small hiding spot where you and Sirius are. "Well, Potter, you wear glasses; can't you see that your godfather can't keep his hands off my stepmother?" Draco replies, his tone disapproving, clearly annoyed by the situation.

Relieved they hadn't caught on to your spying, you felt little need to act regretful about kissing Sirius. Nonetheless, you stepped away from him and moved toward the breakfast table, with the three following close behind. "Look, you’re both grown; adults have… needs and impulses. What matters is that it's none of your business," you say, brushing off the topic, though a bit flustered. "Now, I'll be heading to Hogwarts today to enroll both of you in the summer program. Anyone care to join me?" You attempt to change the subject, hoping to ease the awkwardness lingering in the air.

"I’d like to accompany you, if that’s alright," Harry says, deliberately avoiding any mention of what he just witnessed.

"And we're supposed to pretend we didn’t just catch you sneaking around with that brute, Sirius Black?" Draco exclaims, almost shouting. You look at him with a silent reprimand, and he quickly realizes he may have crossed a line.

"I fail to see why you're acting as if I did anything your stepmother didn’t appreciate," Sirius adds smugly, casting a victorious glance at Draco, who immediately rolls his eyes in response.

"Enough. I want everyone silent." You look firmly between them, your tone leaving no room for argument. "Draco, please set aside your disdain for Sirius and try to get along with him. Since Harry will be coming with me to Hogwarts, you’ll accompany Sirius into town to handle his probation meeting and buy both your uniform and Harry's. And yes, that’s an order—non-negotiable." Draco and Sirius both bristle with indignation, while Harry can’t help but smile at the scene.

"I am not going with him!" Sirius and Draco declare in unison, causing Harry to burst into laughter. You step forward, gaze sharp and authoritative, letting the weight of your words settle between them. "Oh, you most certainly will," you reply, voice firm as steel. "Or both of you can find new accommodations—on the street."

Draco and Sirius both exchange a glance, clearly agitated, but they fall silent under your unyielding stare. After a moment, Draco rolls his eyes and mutters, "Fine. But if he says one thing I don’t like…" He doesn’t finish, giving Sirius a pointed look. Sirius, equally unamused, huffs, crossing his arms.

Sirius narrows his eyes at Draco. "I dare you to finish that sentence, spoiled brat," he growls, trying to intimidate him. Draco glances away, almost instinctively moving behind Harry, who steps in with a smirk. "Take it easy, godfather. Draco’s only half as annoying as you, after all," Harry teases, both defending and ribbing Draco. At first, Draco looks pleased, but his expression quickly shifts to one of irritation. Sirius also makes a face, clearly unamused by Harry’s defense of Draco.

You sigh, cutting through their bickering. "If you children are quite finished, I’ll be upstairs getting ready. Harry, do the same. As for you two—Draco, Sirius—there’s no saving either of you. Spend time together or don’t; it’s hardly my concern.” Finishing your coffee, you turn and head to your room, leaving them to sort themselves out.

You don’t take long to get ready, though your mind drifts to the kiss with Sirius and the realization that Harry and Draco have romantic feelings for each other. As you head downstairs, you find Harry already dressed, waiting patiently on the sofa. Sirius, too, is ready but looks visibly impatient as he waits for Draco, who seems to be taking his time in front of the mirror.

"At this rate, we’ll grow old waiting for him," Sirius mutters, rolling his eyes. Harry gives a slight smirk, and you manage a calm, collected expression, though internally, you’re bracing for whatever might unfold between them today.

"You’re already old enough, Sirius!" Draco shouts as he joins the group, laughing at his own joke. Sirius shoots him a look that, if looks could kill, would have left Draco in the dust. You give Draco a light tap on the arm, prompting him to mumble an apology, which only makes Harry tease him further.

"Didn’t think I'd ever see the day Draco Malfoy apologized," Harry grins, crossing his arms.

Draco huffs, shooting him a mock glare. “Don’t get used to it.” You roll your eyes at their banter, feeling like you’re managing a group of overgrown children, yet you can't help the amused smile that slips through.

“Say goodbye to each other while Sirius and I go get the cars. Draco, don’t forget to lock the door,” you instruct, leading Sirius by the arm and giving the boys a moment of privacy.

“I don’t think it’s wise to leave those two alone,” Sirius whispers as you gently push him along.

“They’ll be fine,” you reply, casting a glance back at the boys, who are already engrossed in their playful bickering. “They need to work things out, and besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“You convinced me. So, if I understood correctly, besides a kiss, you’re giving me a car?” Sirius laughs, stepping in front of you to block your path, clearly intent on provoking you.

“The car is actually Draco’s. He’ll probably want to drive. But you’re the adult… or maybe not, considering how you two act like you’re the same age,” you say, your gaze narrowing as you step closer. “So let me be clear—if he doesn’t come back in one piece, I’ll end you.”

He lowers his head to meet your eyes, smirking. “And if I don’t come back in one piece… promise to take care of me?” he murmurs, teasingly close. Without missing a beat, you step on his foot, forcing him to stumble back as you head toward your own car. “In your dreams.”

You head to separate cars in the spacious garage, but Sirius keeps giving you a flirtatious look, as if he believes his kiss might actually make you reconsider your decision about taking guardianship of Harry. It leaves you a bit unsettled, uncertain of his intentions. After a few minutes, Harry and Draco appear, their faces flushed and visibly irritated, and you catch sight of Draco already locked in a heated debate with Sirius over who gets to drive the car. On the drive to Hogwarts, Harry hums a few Arctic Monkeys tunes, eventually landing on "Suck It and See." The lyrics catch your attention, subtly hinting that Harry may be more drawn to Draco’s sharp, sometimes cruel demeanor than you initially thought. The revelation lingers in your mind, and before long, the familiar sight of Hogwarts looms on the horizon.

"Miss, can I go find Hermione and Ron while you handle the paperwork?" Harry asks, looking at you with pleading eyes, almost like a puppy.

"Of course, dear," you reply with a gentle smile. "But don’t plan on wandering too long; I won’t be here all day." As you both step out of the car, Harry pulls you into a quick hug before darting off toward the school, leaving you to your task.

You make your way to the main office, paperwork in hand. The familiar halls of Hogwarts feel both welcoming and a bit surreal as you navigate them with purpose. Once you reach the secretary’s desk, you lay out the necessary documents, prepared to finalize the details of Harry and Draco's summer studies.

As you finally catch sight of a figure approaching—sun-tanned and looking renewed—you immediately recognize Remus. He must have just returned from wherever he was with his fiancée, you assume. Alert, you turn to the secretary and politely ask if the paperwork will take much longer. The kindly woman reassures you that it’s nearly complete, mentioning something about how lovely the weather is today. You nod along absentmindedly, all the while planning an escape route; facing Remus after everything that’s happened would be unbearable.

At last, she hands you the completed paperwork, and you confirm that both Draco and Harry are now set for summer studies. With a quick thank-you, you make your way to a room on the lower floor, hoping you managed to avoid being noticed. Minutes pass, and just as you begin to feel safe enough to leave, Lupin strides into the room at the exact moment you’re opening the door. You lose your footing in the sudden collision, stumbling as he steps in.

For heaven's sake, why on earth did you have to come in here?" you snap, barely resisting the urge to slam the door in Remus's face. He chuckles, as though he finds the whole thing amusing. "Yes, laugh at my misery. That’s just what I needed," you mutter, brushing yourself off as you stand, letting out a frustrated huff.

Remus steps fully into the room, his smile fading as he extends a hand to help you up. Naturally, you refuse. At times, you’re reminded of Draco in moments like this, and it almost unsettles you. "And what exactly have I done to irritate you this much?" Remus asks, watching you struggle slightly as you get to your feet, an amused curiosity in his gaze.

“Just by existing, Remus. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do,” you say, swiftly leaving the room and heading toward the school’s entrance, deciding that waiting for Harry in the car is the best plan. But Remus isn’t easily shaken. He follows closely, matching your quick pace. Just as you reach the car, he grabs your arm, stopping you before you can open the door.

"I feel we need to talk. I want to understand what I've done to upset you so much. Perhaps we could grab a coffee together…" he suggests gently.

You turn to him, brushing his hand off your arm. "Well then, explain to me how abandoning your eternal love for Sirius and Harry was part of moving on. Because the last time we spoke, you wrote to me saying you had moved on and didn’t want anything to do with your past. I foolishly shared information about werewolves that I gathered, and you didn’t even bother to acknowledge it. I can understand being discarded, but Harry and Sirius were your family." You confront him, your body inching closer as you throw everything back in his face. He looks utterly lost, caught off guard by your words.

"Hey, wait a minute. I don’t know anything about any letter. I only saw the message you sent to my phone telling me to forget you. You don’t want to discuss that, do you? And what information about werewolves did you manage to gather?" Lupin asks, once again grabbing your arm as you try to pull away.

"Go to hell, Remus. Honestly, has your engagement eaten your brain? Don’t try to deceive me. But since you've forgotten, I found a group of werewolves in the United States. It’s a small group, but they knew a lot. There’s a special tea that helps control transformations and a kind of panic room that’s great for passing the time during transformations. If you’re interested, find the letter you ignored and read it. Now get out of my way, or I’ll walk right over you." You’re furious but manage to respond to him, though you can’t understand why you’re so close.

"I didn’t ignore you, Y/N," Lupin says, sounding sincere, the scoundrel. He then releases your arm, and you glare at him with anger.

"I didn’t ask for your company, Remus," you reply sharply, continuing to stride toward where Harry might be. Remus follows closely, the tension between you palpable.

"Well, you’re stuck with me now," he counters, irritation creeping into his voice.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[seriousbrat]

Do you find it difficult to write for Peter? I imagine it's hard to find the right balance in his characterization, especially considering people will be expecting him to be either totally useless and hated by the group or being totally equal and adored. I do think you do it very well though, he seems pretty realistic and in character imo

Ooh thank you so much for saying so! I really love this question.

The answer is sort of, sometimes! Honestly I don't find his voice difficult at all, I really enjoy writing him, but what I think can be a struggle with Peter is that he isn't a character that (initially) moves the plot along, compared to the others. He follows his friends, he trails behind, he's generally a passive character, so it's hard to give him active things to do within a story. I understand why people have a hard time knowing what to do with him, and either make him exit stage left during most scenes or just kind of eternally hover in the background lol. I know I've done that myself, and honestly, even though I think it was okay in part 2, it's part 3 where his arc really started to come together for me.

I'm obviously talking about the Hogwarts years here, since post-Hogwarts he has a pretty clear arc-- so during the Hogwarts years, it's all about setting up that arc, building up his motivations and foreshadowing his eventual betrayal. The way I see it he's already starting to do things that are basically small-scale versions of the betrayal, but because these actions are so minor they go completely unnoticed by the rest.

In my fic the first major turning point for Peter is during a Death Eater attack in their sixth year, when he turns into a rat and escapes, abandoning his friends who he knows are desperately trying to find him. This is never revealed to the rest of them, and Peter is at this early stage developing a habit of running from conflict and lying to his friends. During his seventh year he feels isolated from his friends and starts spending more time on his own as a rat, even failing to show up for his NEWT and lying about it later-- and in many ways that avoidance of real life is more comfortable for him. Obviously, the most extreme version of avoiding real-life consequences in this way is when he frames Sirius and then spends 12 years living as a rat.

He's terrified-- of losing his friends, of rejection, of failure, of the war-- and yet his fear is shameful to him, because cowardice is considered shameful by the in-group (Sirius and James) so he can't admit it to anyone or really face up to it. Instead he avoids it until it's too late, and then he avoids it some more by turning traitor and then by framing Sirius, then by running to Voldemort, etc etc until his death. It's almost like he's constantly in survival mode and always looking for a way out, while finding himself in situations that he feels are beyond his control but are really a result of his own avoidance.

Personally I did struggle a bit thinking of ways for Peter to move the story along or specific plot points for him during the Hogwarts years, basically ways to make him relevant, but overall I knew he was going to start unraveling early on. Peter's arc is initially very internal, nobody is ever aware of what's truly going on with him so unlike others it's difficult to tie his arc to the main plot-- but at the same time he's very observant, so he's a good vehicle through which to view other characters. He is constantly taking in information and thinking hard about that information, more than anyone else realises, which makes him a very good spy.

It can be difficult to find a balance with Peter though! As you mentioned, his standing in the group is tricky to get right, because it's somewhere between an idyllic, equal friendship and total rejection. They care about him, he is a member of their group, but they can also be disparaging, and they have no idea what's going on with him internally. They aren't consciously overlooking him, but he gets overlooked all the same. I don't think this kind of dynamic is that uncommon in real life tbh.

[tracingpatternswrites]

The Patchwork of Us

My darlings, this story is now finally complete and what started as a crazy NaNo project turned into this. I had no idea this silly little Muggle AU about Wolfstar being forced to co-parent Teddy against their wills would turn into such a massive story, but it's truly been a fun journey.

Thank you to everyone who has been following this story from the start and who have been encouraging me with kudos and comments. You are the best and I appreciate you all so much!

Title: The Patchwork of Us Pairing: Sirius/Remus Rating: E WC: 77.3k Tags: Muggle AU, Slow burn, Enemies to Lovers Warnings: Referenced child abuse, PTSD, panic attacks Summary: Remus had never wanted to be a father, and when Tonks told him she was pregnant he walked away. Sirius didn't have a child of his own, but he considered Teddy to be his son in all but blood and when Tonks fell ill, he never hesitated to open his home to them to help her with the boy. When Tonks passes away, Remus is faced with a choice: step up and be a father or stay out of Teddy’s life.

However, reappearing in Teddy's life is not easy. Sirius has trouble forgiving Remus for walking out on Teddy, and Remus thinks Sirius is a stuck-up, posh, know-it-all who believes he is better than everyone else. Now they’re supposed to co-parent a child while also navigating their own complicated feelings about the situation, and each other.

Read on AO3.

Teaser below the cut:

Remus turned his collar up against the wind as he stepped out of the station and onto Church Road. Arriving at Richmond Station always made him a bit disoriented, there were always too many people bustling around and he had to push his way through the crowd and towards the opposite entrance to where everyone else was going.

There was a vicious wind today, a damp sort of coldness in the air and heavy grey skies as if it could start raining any moment (which it probably could, this was London in October after all). It was early, too early, and Remus shivered as he set off at a brisk pace, clutching a once-hot cup of coffee in his hand. He fiddled around against the wind a little before he managed to light a cigarette, his nerves settling slightly at the first drag.

He walked the now-familiar route towards his destination, a nervous sort of flutter in his chest. He wondered how long those nerves were going to be there for, if he would ever just get used to this. It didn’t feel like he ever would.

Too soon he turned onto the right street, unable not to pull a face at the sight of the giant houses lining the streets as he flicked away his cigarette butt. He felt misplaced in his too-thin jacket and cheap clothes. Not that anything he wore was ever dirty or torn, but in this neighbourhood he was simply wrong .

Everything about him was wrong; the fact that his boots were worn down, his coat second-hand, the scarf around his neck hand-knitted, his hair too long and not in a stylish way but more a haven’t-been-to-the-barber-in-a-while way. His limp was wrong. At least it was a good day and he had chosen to leave his cane at home, despite the walk, just because he hated how awkward people got around him when he used it.

He made his way up the driveway to the correct house, his fingers brushing over the giant door knocker in the shape of a dog, which looked more like a wolf, before he used it to knock.

It took unusually long before the door swung open, and to Remus' surprise he found himself standing face to face with none other than Sirius Black. Usually, the other man kept out of the way in the mornings, but apparently not this time.

Sirius somehow didn’t seem out of place in this posh street, even though Remus thought he should with his long hair and tattoos and his motorbike. He didn’t though, Sirius Black looked as if he was born to live on a street like this, in a house like this, and Remus figured he probably was.

“We’re running a bit late,” he grouched, barely even acknowledging Remus with a look before he turned around to make his way further into the house. “You better come in.”

Remus hovered a little awkwardly in the doorway before he did as he was told, pulling the heavy door closed behind him as he followed Sirius inside.

If Remus felt out of place on the street outside, it was nothing compared to how he felt inside Sirius’ house. It was massive, ridiculously large considering it was only two people living there. Remus knew nothing about art or decorating but he had a feeling most of the stuff on the walls, and the furniture, were expensive.

Sirius led him through the initial hallway, further along into the large kitchen at the back of the house. Even though Remus disliked almost everything else about this house, he did love the kitchen. It was light and airy, modern, and the wall facing the back garden was almost completely made out of glass with doors that easily slid open during the summer.

Remus would love to cook in here one day, all the appliances were state of the art and the surfaces shiny and spacious. It was a far cry from his own tiny kitchen in his tiny flat. Remus had picked up cooking a couple of years ago, and he frequently dreamed about moving to something bigger, somewhere he could really test his wings.

“Here,” Sirius said, shoving a mug into Remus’ hands as soon as he entered the kitchen. “You better sit down and wait.”

Remus did as he was told, ignoring the way the palms of his hands burnt as he breathed across the hot liquid. Milk but no honey, Remus noted as he took a sip from the tea. He could feel Sirius watching him from where he was leaning casually against the kitchen counter, his arms folded across his chest, and it took Remus everything not to squirm underneath his gaze.

The silence was heavy around them, and Remus felt an urge to do something about it. To speak, even though he had no idea what he was supposed to say. He swallowed thickly, distracting himself by drinking the scalding liquid too quickly, and he was grateful as Sirius pushed off the counter with a sigh.

He strode back into the hallway, and Remus could hear him as he leaned against the banister of the staircase leading upstairs.

“Edward, don’t make me come up there! Remus is here, you need to go, or you’ll be late.”

“I’m coming ,” sounded an annoyed voice from upstairs. “I can’t find my bag.”

“It’s already down here,” Sirius replied and Remus thought he heard a little strain in his voice. “I’m counting to ten.”

Sirius returned to the kitchen, his eyes snagging on Remus for a moment but he didn’t say anything, and moments later there was the thundering noise of footsteps on the stairs before Teddy appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in his school uniform, smart white shirt and dark trousers together with his blazer and tie, both dark blue with light blue stripes.

The boy’s hair was the same sandy shade as Remus’ had been at that age, his chin and nose a little pointy, eyes a dark brown. Remus never quite got used to seeing hints of himself as a boy peeking through as he looked at Teddy. He stood quickly to distract himself.

“I’m here ,” Teddy said, a sullen look on his face. “Headmistress McGonagall said she’d give me detention if I was late for assembly one more time this week.”

“You better hurry up then if you’re going to have time for your breakfast,” Sirius replied, unphased, as he handed him his bag. “Remember, I’m picking you up and then we’re going to Harry’s tonight for dinner.”

Teddy accepted the bag with a sulk, “Whatever.”

“Attitude,” Sirius warned, a sharp eyebrow raised as he held onto the bag until the boy flicked his gaze up to Sirius’ face, and Remus could see something passing between them before Teddy’s shoulders slumped.

“Sorry,” he muttered, allowing Sirius to pull him into a hug, and Remus saw his arms sneaking around Sirius’ waist.

“That’s alright,” Sirius promised him, gently nudging him to stand straight, brushing an affectionate hand through his hair. “Love you, sprog.”

“Love you too,” Teddy muttered, and Remus felt something needle in his chest, something he didn’t have the words for as the boy turned around to look at him. “We need to hurry.”

“Right,” Remus said, a little awkwardly as he set down his mostly empty mug. “Let’s go then.”

Teddy disappeared into the hallway without another word and Remus cleared his throat, glancing down at the mug.

“Thanks,” he said, then added, “for the tea.”

“Sure,” Sirius said, following Remus as he went after Teddy. “You probably should hurry; McGonagall isn’t joking when she threatens with detention and Teddy really needs to get some food into him before school.”

Remus bristled at the tone, the same tone Sirius always used when he talked to Remus about Teddy. As if Remus couldn’t figure out that an eight-year-old needed to eat breakfast in the morning. Remus wanted to tell him that, wanted to give a scathing comment about exactly how he felt about Sirius’ superior attitude, but he swallowed what was on the tip of his tongue.

“Right,” he said instead as he adjusted the scarf around his neck. “Better be off then.”

Continue on AO3.