Sirius stood by the door, waiting as the last person walked through, making sure to tell them to remain as quiet as possible â” he had already thrown his motherâs curtains together five times since people had begun to arrive. Closing the door behind a particularly squat and jovial-looking woman, he breathed a sigh of relief. Old and new members of the Order of the Phoenix had been arriving for the past two hours, some giving him suspicious glares, other giving him frightened gazes, but no questions were asked, and of that he was grateful.
The kitchen was cramped; chairs of all sizes had been conjured and pulled up around the table to fit the large group of people who had gathered there. They were all chatting quietly, getting to know those who were going to stand beside them in battles to come.
Sirius looked down at his pocket watch.
Seven o'clock.
He tucked it safely away in his pocket and looked back up, studying those around him. He spotted Remus, sitting beside a bald black man with a gold hoop earring. Kreacher had brought Remusâ full wardrobe back, which consisted of a few tattered jumpers and trousers and two pairs of shoes. Sirius suggested he go shopping. Remus said shopping was for women.
Sirius was pulled from his thoughts by a thin, red haired man. âYou shouldnât let my wife order you around as she did earlier,â he muttered quietly, eyes searching the crowd before looking at Sirius.
He chuckled before replying, âYour wife is a formidable woman. Itâs quite easy to back down under her glare.â
âYes, I suppose it is,â Arthur mused as his eyes stared at nothing in particular.
âWell, if youâll excuse meâŚâ
âOh, yes. Of course.â
Sirius made his way towards the empty seat beside Remus, weaving his way between groups of talking people, nodding his head in greeting and occasionally saying hello to those whom he remembered the names of. He finally made it to the other side of the kitchen table, only after accidentally kicking Alastor Moodyâs leg thinking it was a stool. Sliding into the chair, he caught the slow words that had just slipped out of the other manâs mouth.
ââŚAuror that is in charge of Siriusâ search. Yes, I will probably be telling Scrimgeour and the Minister sometime this week that I have a lead he is somewhere near South Africa.â
He watched as Remusâ mouth moved in response, but he didnât hear the words come out: Dumbledore had just arrived in a flourish of deep blue robes. The chatter died down considerably as people began to greet the withered man, but he took up post at the head of the table instead of socialising. Conversation ceased as he cleared his throat, and people sat down, seats scraping along the wooden floor to get closer to the man standing before them.
âWelcome to the first Order of the Phoenix meeting. As you all well know from the letter that you received from either myself or Alastor Moody, we are here today to discuss the guard of Harry Potter, amongst other introductory topics.â
At these last words, Siriusâs eyes snapped to Dumbledoreâs, only to see the eyes of the old man looking directly back into his.
He continued, his eyes roaming over the crowd, "I'm going to need serious volunteers for a guard to escort Harry here later this summer.â
âWell, I canâ”â Sirius began, but was cut off mid-sentence.
âNo, Sirius, you cannot go. Harry wouldn't want you to risk it, you know that. We also need to set up a group of people to guard the Department of Mysteries. Within those walls is something Voldemort wants, something he needs should he wish to destroy Harryâ”â
âWhatâs hidden there?â
âWeâd like to know jusâ exactly whatâs for protecting âere, Dumbledore.â
Dumbledore let out a slow breath at the interruption and made a calming motion with his palms. âNow, now Mundungus and Remus, we shall know in good time. I trust that you all are willing to do whatever it takes to prevent this from occurring. I should warn you all that telling our secrets, no matter how small, to Harry when writing to him could have serious consequences.ââ”He shot Sirius a lookâ”âMost likely when he finally arrives here, he will be angry and frustrated as well. I assure you, leaving him out of knowledge is the best thing for Harry right now. He's just suffered a horrible tragedy and normal life is what he needs.â
He paused, allowing each member to take in the monologue before asking, âNow, who wants to be part of Harry's guard?"
Sirius watched as various hands shot into the air, volunteering themselves away to help in the fight against Voldemort, but he remained quiet. After Dumbledore had interrupted his attempted volunteering, he knew better than to try again. For now, at least.
Feeling Remus casually lean back and throw his arm around Siriusâ chair took his mind completely off the task at hand and onto the one behind his back. Turning to Remus, he caught his eye, if only for a moment, and in that moment, he knew Remus was remembering his presence. He saw a jaunty grin slide onto Remusâ face, and in that moment, it was obvious. The air between them had thinned and cleared due to this small gesture, and it made Siriusâ stomach twist into knots. His life was falling back into place.
He settled comfortably back in his chair, the heat of Remusâ arm barely touching his back, but he liked it that way. It was almost taunting him to move closer, but he knew he shouldnât.
Remus looked briefly at Sirius, as if he was contemplating a tough decision before raising his hand in the air to claim a position on Harryâs Advanced Guard. Watching as Dumbledore took note of Remusâ offering, and Remus slid his hand back to the armrest before looking back at Sirius, his eyes filled with guile.
Remus whispered as he leaned toward Sirius, âI figured you would rather someone you trusted gather Harry than a new member of whose allegiances we arenât certain yet.â
Understanding lit within Sirius at this comment, but he neednât respond. The meeting continued to flourish around them, people volunteering for this position here, Dumbledore assigning times of post at certain places, and the general chatter of new acquaintances all seemed to exclude Sirius and Remus. The world seemed to fade, and all Sirius could hear was the beating of his heart and the breath escaping Remusâ mouth. He continued to stare ahead at Dumbledore, but his mind was focused on the man beside him.
The end of the meeting was brief. Dumbledore assigned people to the watch of Harry and the Department of Mysteries on rotating shifts. Sirius, of course, was not part of either watch. Instead, he would be barricaded inside the house that he had loathed as a child and swore he would never come back to.
Vaguely registering that those around him were standing to leave, Sirius pulled himself out of his thoughts and into the action of the room, only to see Remus stationary beside him. Sirius nudged his chair. Receiving a slight nod in response, he stood and vanished his Conjured chair.
He watched as those around him departed, and felt Remus standing beside him. Nodding every so often in goodbye, he hardly participated in post-discussion of the first meeting. He was too busy thinking about the meeting to voice his opinion. Harry was going to be watched secretly, and Sirius wasnât allowed to notify him of it. He wasnât able to tell him anything, really. Welling anger soon accompanied the pang of regret that had taken residence in his chest. Dumbledore was purposefully leaving Harry in the dark, and Sirius knew that it would not make Harry happy in the slightest. Feeling a light elbow in his side, he looked to his left to see Remusâ eyes level with his.
âAny particular reason youâre staring so hard at the sink?â Remus asked him through the corner of his mouth.
âItâs Harry. I know heâs not going to take well when he finds out heâs been watched all summer,â Sirius replied as he closed the door behind the final personâs back. Molly and Arthur had retired to their room for the night, so the kitchen was vacant save for them.
Sitting at the table, Remus said, âItâs for Harryâs own good. I know that he will be frustrated and angry with everyone here, especially Ron, Hermione, and youâ”â He looked pointedly at Sirius ââ”but Dumbledore has his reasons, and we best stick to his orders.â
By this time, Sirius was sitting across from him. âRemus, I understand all of your logic clearly, but I donât like it. I donât like this whole situation on Harryâs behalf. Why not just bring him here earlier?â Sirius asked, his emotion taking control as he slammed his hand on the table.
At that precise moment, as the echo of flesh slapping wood echoed through the room, a crash came from the hallway, followed by a muffled curse word and the shrieks of Walburga Blackâs portrait.
âI didnât hear the doorbell ring. Wonder whoâs here?â Remus mused as he stood. Sirius mirrored his motions, pushing himself up from the table by the support of his palms and stepped over the sitting bench. Moving swiftly across the room, Sirius heaved the door open and moved up the stairs. He heard Remus following close behind him. When he reached the top of the rotting, black stairs, he saw a body lying on the floor, complete with a shock of green hair. She was face down, but her arms were bent in attempt to right herself. Beside her lay a toppled trollâs leg umbrella stand. He rushed over and thrust together the moth-eaten curtains, and the hallway was shrouded in silence, the lack of noise ringing in his ears.
âHello, Iâm Sirius Black, I take it you had a duel with the trollâsâ”Tonks!â Sirius rambled before promptly interrupting himself once his cousin had stood up completely. âYou look⌠different.â
âSurprising, you know, to see a Metamorphmagus change appearance,â she replied, a sly grin jumping to her lips. âAnyway, wotcher, Sirius! Itâs been a while. What, thirteen, fourteen years?â
She moved forward and grasped Sirius in a friendly hug before pulling back and glancing at Remus.
âLast time I saw you, you were all pigtails and not in school. Canât believe I recognised you as isâŚâ Sirius trailed off, a thoughtful look taking residence in his eyes. âRight, this is Remus Lupin, you remember him, perhaps, from my school years?â
Tonks looks hard at Remus, the grin appearing once again on her heart-shaped, playful face. âNo, donât recall him. Pleasure to meet you,â she said. He nodded his regards. âWhereâs the meeting?â
Sirius shot Remus a look of confusion, only to see interest written in the features of his friend. Slightly taken aback, Sirius spluttered, âM-meeting ended about twenty minutes ago.â
Shaking away the sudden contemptuous feeling at his cousin for evoking such a look from Remus, he relaxed his composure and turned to her. She wore a look of confusion, her brows close together, forming a âvâ of thought, and her mouth pursed.
Sirius remained quiet for a moment before he said, âFancy a drink?â
Seeming to forget that she had forgotten the meeting, she replied, âSure, is your friend going to join us?â
Sirius let out a laugh as he turned and led the way back down the steps and into the kitchen.
--
Remus sat across from the two relatives, a drink in hand. The small witch in front of him chattered merrily about her job as an Auror, about how she had barely passed her examinations, but her ability to change appearance pulled her through parts of the test better than others. He watched as she unknowingly knocked her drink over, then immediately laid her robe on the spreading liquid. The bubbling ale seeped into the fabric of her sleeve like a dry sponge, and she instantly yanked her arm up, effectively showering Sirius with droplets of the liquid.
She apologized profusely for spilling on the table and getting him wet, but Sirius rebuffed both apologies. He whipped his wand out, vanished one mess and dried the other. Remus couldnât help but smile at the two people in front of him.
He mentally slapped himself. He should only be staring at one of the people on front of him. Only the man on the right should cause this faint attraction to bubble inside him like the carbonation of his drink. But strangely, this woman, or girl, really, had caused him to instantly be interested in her lively tales and chipper mood. She seemed so alive to him, the opposite of her surroundings, as if she were completely unfazed by the gloomy doorways and sombre elf heads. No, she didnât seem to have a care in the world.
âRemus, you still awake over there? You havenât said a word to our guest. Iâve known you to be a gentleman,â Sirius said, pulling Remus from his thoughts. Remus took a sip of his drink, looking between the two sets of curious eyes that were gazing back at him.
âIâm listening politely, as a gentleman would do, instead of bombarding her with comments, as you are doing,â Remus replied. He took another sip of his drink.
âYou, dear Moony, are ignoringâ”â
âBlasphemy! I am not ignorâ”â
âMoony?â The small voice croaked from amidst Remus and Siriusâ playful, yet strained, banter. âWhy is your nick-name âMoonyâ?â
The two men instantly fell into silence, searching for the right way to word the explanation. Setting his drink down, Remus prepared himself for yet another moment in his life when he exposed what he was to another person. Across from him, Sirius was opening and closing his mouth like a fish in search of oxygen. Neither seemed able to find the right words so quickly.
âWell, Tonks,â Remus began, taking a slow breath. âI am aâ”â
âAfraid of the sun! So we call him Moony,â Sirius finished. âYou know, a moon is the opposite of the sunâŚâ
Tonks looked nothing short of affronted. âYouâre frightened of the sun?â
Remus shook his head. âSirius, that makes me sound stranger than I really am.â
âRemus, you are not strange,â Sirius said forcefully, leaning across the table towards Remus. The latter sighed at the worn out reassurance from Sirius. He had heard it almost too many times.
Remus looked at Sirius from under hooded eyes, winked, and looked to Tonks. âIâm a werewolf.â
Tonksâ reaction to Remusâ confession was the opposite of anything heâd ever experienced. Instead of seeing horror fleet across her face, then offering her condolences, she said, âWicked! Well, not the transforming bit, but with the Wolfsbane, you get to roam free, right? I bet itâs interesting to see the world from a wolfâs eyes.â
Her face was full of attentiveness, and she too had leaned towards him. Now both bodies opposite him were leaning forward in what appeared to be keen interest.
âIâve never looked at it that way,â he cranked out slowly, his words crawling off his tongue. âItâs always been more of a burden than a blessing.â
âI see where youâre coming from, obviously, but think about it. You have an advantage over everyone else, save other werewolves, to see the night in a way they do not,â she said, her voice almost a whisper, as if she were disclosing some terrible secret that was suppose to be left untold.
Again, Remus felt Siriusâ penetrating eyes upon him as Remus looked at Tonks with a strangled delight. He wouldnâtâ”couldnâtâ”see that side of his condition, but it was refreshing to hear the words voiced in the open, all prejudices aside.
âYou must understandâ”â Remus began but was cut off by Siriusâ slicing glare, then his words.
âRemus, donât you agree itâs time to go to sleep? Itâs getting quite late,â Sirius said promptly.
Remus lifted his arm from the table and looked at his worn gold wristwatch. A frown furrowed his eyebrows. âSirius, youâre hardly one to set in early, and itâs only ten oâclock.â
âFull moon in two days. You should be getting your sleep, Moony. I shouldnât have to remind you of that,â Sirius said, as he did his best impression of Molly Weasley, tut-tutting and all.
Remus Vanished the liquid from his glass and Levitated it to the sink. âI feel strangely like the roles have switched here, Padfoot.â
Sirius ignored his comment as he gathered the remaining dishes and put them in the sink. Remus and Tonks rose from the table after throwing each other, then Sirius, significant glances. The two said their goodbyes to the lively girl in the kitchen before creeping quietly into the entry way and parting ways. Remus and Sirius continued up the worn stairs, past the severed elves heads, and onto the first floor landing. Remus made to walk into his respective room, which was located diagonally across the hall from Siriusâ. However, Sirius grabbed hold of Remusâ robes and pulled him into his bedroom.
âWhat was that?â Sirius hissed, throwing his arms in the air, extremely reminiscent of a hippogriff.
Remus knew what he was getting into, but still, he asked, âWhat are you on about?â He sat down lightly on the edge of the bed.
âYou are far smarter than that, Remus John Lupinâ”yes, I used your full name, and yes, I know I only use it when Iâm angry,â Sirius said, responding to the silenced protests from Remus as he paced back and forth in front of him. His hands continued to make wild gestures in the air.
Sighing, Remus did know why Sirius was acting this way. This was a hole he had dug himself into, and he was more than ready to get himself out of it. Sirius meant more to him than anyone at this point in his life. He stood from his recently reclined position and moved beside Sirius, who was standing next to the window. Siriusâ heavy brows were creased with thought as he looked through the curtains of his room and into the courtyard. Remus moved between his penetrating gaze and the window, his actions hesitant but firm.
Looking levelly into Siriusâ eyes, Remus thought only a moment before he spontaneously grasped Siriusâ face and kissed him. It was the first thought that came to mind when he stood near his adolescent friend, to hold him and kiss him. But right now, he needed it. There was no greater need in Remusâ body than to reassure Sirius that he was the one, not Tonks.
He pushed himself roughly away from Sirius, as if he were ripping apart a piece of paper. Inches in front of him, the dark eyes and features of Sirius Black, the manâs name perfect yet so contradictory, showed questions that still hadnât been answered.
âHave I shown you my presence enough yet, Black? Or would you like me to extrapolate?â Remus said, his voice guttural and shaky. The questions in Siriusâ eyes seemed to fall liked leaves from a tree, only instead of settling on the ground, they blew away in the wind, vanishing from his eyes.
âExtrapolation would be niceâŚâ Sirius said, as he now grabbed hold of the man standing close in front of him, grasping him hard against his body. Remus hadnât felt this alive in years, and every memory of why he had loved Sirius came flooding back to him in this moment. It was the true feeling of life he gave Remus.