Fic: A Recipe in Four Parts (4/4)
Title: A Recipe in Four Parts
Author: carmentakoshi
Prompt: #14 from the rs_career_fest by remuslives23
Rating: PG for slight language
Pairing(s): Remus/Sirius, James/Lily
Summary: Present day non-magic AU. The recipe: Remus, a down-on-his-luck junior accountant, is assigned to a small, equally down-on-its-luck business. The ingredients: add one handsome but surly baker, two young parents and co-managers, one energetic toddler, and one concerned best mate. Mix. Bake, let sit, and enjoy.
Warnings: pompous writing, liberties taken with the profession of accountant
Word Count: approx. 33 000
Part Four
In Which The Recipe Is Completed
The stand in the park had been Peter’s idea, but he would accept no payment from the Potters aside from all the pastries he saw fit to consume that first day.
An entire season had passed by then. The snow had long since melted and the early spring rains had washed London clean, leaving only a ceramic blue sky and the silver and stone turrets of the city. It was sunny and wonderfully warm that day, a blessing after the long winter and bleak succession of soggy spring afternoons, which guaranteed an even bigger clientele than any of Harry’s team had ever imagined.
Remus was the last to arrive. He pedaled into Diagon Alley Park at around one, tie ends and jacket tails streaming in the wind. He slowed the bicycle as a throng of small children crossed his path, gesturing excitedly and shouting for cupcakes. Remus smiled as he watched them peel off toward the Harry’s stand, where he could see James and Sirius handing out pastries to a few elderly customers. Peter was lounging against the stand as well, chewing with a look of satisfaction on what looked like his favourite lemon pastry.
“Remus! Remus, over here!”
Remus stopped the bicycle and turned his head. Lily Potter, lovely in a brightly-coloured shift, her red hair loose and flowing, waved at him from his left, then lowered her hands again to continue pushing Harry on his park swing.
As Remus walked his bicycle over to the swing set, Harry uncurled one small hand from the swing chain and waved too, yelling, “Weemus, Weemus!” with unabashed glee.
“Good afternoon, Harry,” Remus said as Harry whizzed through the air before him. “All right?”
“Awright!” Harry replied, mimicking Remus’ greeting to perfection, and kicked his legs to maintain momentum.
Remus propped his bike against one of the swing set’s supports, then came around behind Lily and dropped her a friendly peck on the cheek. She laughed and swatted at him.
“Remus Lupin, you charmer! Sirius will see, and you know how he gets.”
“I do,” said Remus gravely, before breaking into a smile. “How are things?”
“Oh, just lovely. I don’t have a clue how Peter managed to get us a permit to do this. He’s a miracle worker, same as you.”
“It seems he’s found his calling, working here together with you and James. I’ve never seen him so happy.”
Remus glanced over at the stand again. They were serving the clamouring group of children now. Remus watched until the young ones ran off to enjoy their snacks, and their guardian handed James a few notes as payment. Even from this distance, James’ own excitement was clearly discernible.
Beside him, Lily said softly, “It’s all coming together, isn’t it?”
Remus nodded, his eyes still on the stand. “Yes, it is.”
“Thank you.”
He turned to her. She was looking up at him with those clear, brilliant green eyes. In the late spring sunlight, her eyes looked over-bright, and he realized that she was on the verge of tears. Flushing noticeably, Remus stammered to quell them: “O-Oh, no, Lily, it’s not...you don’t have to thank me, really. I was just doing my job.”
“Yes, but you did so much more, also,” Lily insisted. “We couldn’t have done it without your help.”
Without warning, she threw herself at him and latched her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Surprised into silence, Remus embraced her back, his chin resting easily on the top of her head.
Seeing them, Harry exclaimed, “Me too!”
He dug his sneakered heels into the dirt to stop himself, then bounded off the swing and launched himself at Remus and Lily. They stumbled slightly and laughed as he collided with them and attached himself to their legs, and it was several moments before he would consent to detach himself.
Once he had, Remus left him and Lily to their playing and walked his bicycle across the path to the stand. James and Sirius were busy again, and only had the time to look his way and nod and, in Sirius’ case, to wink cheekily and have his Look pointedly ignored. Peter raised a hand to him in greeting. He was wearing his usual work suit, but Remus did not recall having seen him at the office that morning.
“Didn’t see you at work,” Remus remarked as he leaned his bike on the side of the stand.
Peter shrugged, rather unsuccessfully trying for nonchalance as he reached for another lemon tart on the small counter. “Decided to take the day off. Dad won’t mind too much.”
Remus rolled his eyes but said nothing further on the subject. Behind him, three children, older than the last ones, chorused “Thank you!” after handing James their money.
“No problem, lads! Thanks!” James called after them.
When he turned to the other three, his entire being radiated suppressed excitement, as though he was very much resisting the urge to spontaneously combust.
“I don’t know what to say,” he announced shakily.
Sirius looped an arm around his shoulders and shook him soundly. “Look at him! Overcome with emotion, bless his dear heart!”
Remus and Peter chuckled as James, mock-affronted, ducked out of Sirius’ hold and shoved him away. Sirius stumbled toward Remus instead, fastening himself to him in a possessive embrace that left no doubt as to the nature of their relationship.
Remus sighed, shifting a little so that Sirius’ arms lay more comfortably around his shoulders. “Hullo, Sirius.”
“Hi.” Sirius nuzzled the side of his neck with his nose. “I could have gone to get you, you know.”
“Are you joking? I told you I’m not getting on that thing.”
“It’s a bike just like yours!”
“It has an engine and goes five times faster.”
“So all is well between you two, then?” Peter asked lightly. He had a slightly smug I-told-you-so quirk to his lips that simultaneously made Remus want to kiss him and punch him in the face.
“Very well, Pete,” he said instead, his hands going up automatically to curl around Sirius’ wrists. “It took a while, but Sirius is finally house-trained.”
“Oh, that’s good,” said Peter very seriously.
“Remus! ”
“Don’t pout, Sirius, you have customers,” Remus said with a smile.
Sirius did not heed this last comment and maintained his embrace stubbornly. James only cast him a faintly amused look and went back to serving the new patrons.
Sirius loosened his grip only long enough to move his arms around Remus’ waist, then he held tight again and refused to budge, even when Remus nudged at him, overcome with self-consciousness.
“Sirius. Perhaps we shouldn’t do this here.”
“Well, I can’t leave. James needs help,” Sirius replied primly. He rested his chin down on Remus’ shoulder. “But if you really want, we could go back to your flat in a bit...”
“Not a chance, Mister Black. We both need to go back to work. Besides, my flat is far from here.”
“Which is why I’ve been asking you to move in with me, Mister Lupin.”
Remus could not help the smile that pulled at his lips. “I’m afraid I’d miss my own bed.”
Sirius snorted. “I’ve slept in your bed, Remus. Despite the lovely company, it’s not much of a bed in itself.”
“I didn’t hear you compla-”
“All right, that’s more than enough out of you two,” Peter interrupted, visibly embarrassed. “Discuss these things another time, yeah?”
“You heard him,” said Remus obligingly and with exaggerated relish. “Gerroff, Sirius.”
“No.”
“Peter?”
Peter sprang up from his leaning position against the pastry stand, looking thoroughly stricken at the unexpected sound of his own father’s voice. Mister Pettigrew was approaching the stand from the path, an uncertain smile on his face.
“Dad,” Peter said, eyes wide.
Mister Pettigrew took his time ordering a couple of pastries from James, then turned slowly toward his son, not seeming to notice the couple frozen in an embrace behind him.
“Peter, I thought you had things to do at the office,” Mister Pettigrew said carefully. “Haven’t you been at all today?”
“No, Dad.”
“Why not? Is something wrong?”
Peter swallowed, looking as though he had finally had one pastry too many. Mister Pettigrew was staring at him, but not unkindly.
“Peter?”
“I quit.”
“Peter!” Remus said, jerking involuntarily in Sirius’ arms.
Peter turned and smiled back at him. “It’s all right, Remus. I’ve made up my mind.” He turned back to his father, courteous but completely unapologetic. “I quit, Dad. I don’t want to be an accountant anymore. In fact, I’m not sure I ever did.”
Mister Pettigrew only looked at him. Then he sighed, and accepted his baked goods from a confused-looking James.
“That’s quite all right, Peter. I suspected that you’d...anyway. It’s your life, I suppose. Your mother and I can’t always be making choices for you.”
“M’sorry, Dad,” Peter said in a softer voice, but Mister Pettigrew shook his head.
Peter’s father walked up to his son, placed a hand gently on his shoulder, and said, almost in a murmur, “I’ll see you later.” Then, he left.
Harry said, “Pe’ah.”
Everyone looked down automatically as Harry, unnoticed to them all before this moment, toddled his way to Peter and gripped onto his pants’ leg. Peter gazed down at him with something like fear. Wordlessly, Harry extended his arms up toward Peter, in that way that he often did with his parents, Sirius, and increasingly often, Remus.
Peter’s jaw went a little slack with surprise, then he seemed to come to his senses, and bent to scoop Harry up. He matched Harry’s squeal of happiness with a teary but triumphant cry of his own.
=====
At six thirty that day, Harry’s park division, mid-week shift, closed up shop for the day. As they gathered up the stand’s various components and wrapped up the scant leftovers, James was already babbling excitedly about his plans for the Saturday shift, although his thoughts and observations were so errant and random, his words so quick, that he sounded more like an over-eager Harry than the co-proprietor of a now-respectable London business.
Remus had returned to the park after work to help with the packing up, and was now with the others, walking his bike to the bakery with his briefcase and the box of leftover pastries secured in the basket. Harry was being carried by Peter again and seemed on the verge of falling asleep against his shoulder. James and Sirius were in high spirits, joking and conversing animatedly as behind them, Lily kept an eye on each of her charges while wearing the most glowing smile Remus had ever seen on her.
Remus felt an odd tug in his chest as he watched them all, trailing behind as he did with his bicycle in tow. It was a different sensation than the one he was used to; it was not heavy or stifling, but gentler, warmer, like his heart was being carefully opened up and left to air, freeing it of the musty attic air of his own alone-thoughts. This was freedom, this was happiness - he felt as though this was the moment he had been searching for, the one feeling that had eluded him ever since his parents had been taken from him, all those years ago.
It did not hurt so much anymore to think of them. He no longer wanted to curl up in bed all day when he thought of his father’s voice or the soft touch of his mother’s hands. He could think of them with tender longing now, and feel their love fill him again without feeling the resentment and pain he had nursed all through university and beyond.
It was a welcome feeling, a good feeling, to be virtually carefree again. He could concentrate on other things now, things that would bring him to a purposeful future, instead of back to brooding on his past.
“All right, Remus?”
Sirius had somehow broken away from his conversation with James and was now walking alongside Remus, one hand placed casually on the seat of the bike as Remus led it by the handlebars. His expression was very soft, his grey eyes reflecting orange sunlight from behind the gilt castles of London city.
“I’m fine, Sirius,” Remus told him with a smile. “I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
“Things. Us. Everyone.”
Sirius’ gaze drifted forward toward the little procession preceding them. A small smile, toothless and affectionate, curved his lips.
“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” he said, watching as Lily took Harry from Peter and began to rock him carefully as she walked. “Last fall, James already believed that we were going to lose the bakery. And now look at us.”
“You mean you didn’t think you’d go bankrupt?” Remus asked with an additional upward quirk of his lips.
Sirius tossed his head as though the very thought were completely absurd. “Nonsense. I had faith in us, in our...dream. I knew that as long as we didn’t let the dream go, it wouldn’t let us go, either.”
“That’s putting an awful lot of faith in an abstract notion.”
“Shows what you know,” Sirius said with a sniff.
Remus sighed. “Sirius, you do realize that a comment like ‘shows what you know’ does not actually constitute an argument?”
“Shows what you-aw, bollocks.”
Remus laughed under his breath. Sirius flashed him a customary grin and reached up to brush the back of his hand gently against Remus’ cheek. Then he let his hand drop, looked up to make sure Peter was somewhat out of earshot, and said in a lowered voice, “I meant it, you know. About having you move in with me.”
Remus wanted to laugh again. “With a man I’ve only just met?” he replied only half-jokingly. “You must be kidding.”
“I’m serious.”
“As always.”
“Shut up, you! I’m opening my heart up to you as it is. The least you could do is give it the attention it deserves.”
Remus really did laugh at this, a single, simple laugh that leapt unexpectedly from his chest like spring after a long winter. Peter glanced back at him curiously, a strange half-smile on his face.
The party turned onto Diagon Alley. The street was lit up with dying light, the old-fashioned streetlamps glinting red and gold like the bygone Christmas lights that Remus still saw in his dreams some nights, when the city was quiet and Sirius lay curled against him in the warmth of midnight.
Up ahead, Lily was saying, “Oh, Peter, you and Remus are more than welcome to have dinner with us tonight. As thanks for all you’ve done for us.”
“Meagre thanks, of course,” James added. “We really can’t thank you enough.”
Peter was notably less skilled than Remus at accepting such lavish thanks, and stammered incoherently even as Remus was calling, “Thank you, Lily, James. We’d be very happy to accept.”
“Weemus, Pe’ah, sup,” Harry said sleepily.
They moved into the Potter household through the side entrance as Remus stayed behind to fasten his bike to the same lamppost as always. He glanced down the gentle incline of Diagon Alley as he did so, letting his gaze go far-off, across the intersecting street and to the shimmering roofs and glinting skyscrapers beyond. He watched the darkness gradually shift over the light, like ink running over a page, until the sky had turned velvety purple and smoothed into peace once again.
Remus picked up his briefcase and turned to enter the house, but discovered that Sirius too had lingered, waiting for him, it seemed. He was leaning against the same wall by which they had finally confronted each other on Christmas Eve, and was wearing that same self-conscious look which Remus had come to secretly know as the real face of Sirius Black.
Sirius did not say a word, but Remus recognized the shine in his eyes and only had time to drop his battered briefcase to the pavement before Sirius swooped down on him and claimed his lips, twining his fingers in Remus’ hair while Remus clutched the back of his shirt and held on tightly, moaning comfortably against the now-familiar kiss.
It was brief, but it was all they needed for now. When they broke apart, Sirius leaned in and touched his forehead lightly to Remus’ - not a customary gesture, but Remus was not complaining - and smiled, nothing but a slight up-curving of lips in the growing twilight.
“So,” Sirius asked in a whisper-soft voice, “How are you doing? In accomplishing that dream of yours?”
Remus smiled faintly in return, tipping his head up to press a simple kiss to Sirius’ lips. “Not too bad. Still lots of work to be done. You?”
“Same. Long road ahead.”
They stood that way in contented silence for some time, until a window was suddenly thrown open above them and James poked his head out, yelling down from the study, “Oi, you two! No shagging in the alley!”
Remus yelped, laughed, and flushed all at once, while Sirius sent a rude gesture skyward, causing James to chuckle and pull back inside. Sirius snatched up Remus’ briefcase and grabbed Remus by the hand to tug him toward the door, but Remus leaned back and stopped him.
“Sirius, wait.”
“Hm?”
Remus hesitated, then looked down to their joined hands and wriggled his fingers a little, lacing them with Sirius’. Then he looked back up into Sirius’ eyes, which were soft with fondness.
Remus said, “What you said before, about us moving in together...”
“Yes?”
“I’ll think about it. Okay?”
A pause, then Sirius nodded and lifted Remus’ hand to his lips to kiss the middle knuckle.
“Okay,” he said simply, and proceeded to pull him inside.
Remus allowed himself to be led, smiling secretively. His chest filled with a warmth that had nothing to do with spring or their assorted dreams. It felt like the beginnings of love, and he had that messy, unwanted file on his office desk to thank for it.
The End
Author: carmentakoshi
Prompt: #14 from the rs_career_fest by remuslives23
Rating: PG for slight language
Pairing(s): Remus/Sirius, James/Lily
Summary: Present day non-magic AU. The recipe: Remus, a down-on-his-luck junior accountant, is assigned to a small, equally down-on-its-luck business. The ingredients: add one handsome but surly baker, two young parents and co-managers, one energetic toddler, and one concerned best mate. Mix. Bake, let sit, and enjoy.
Warnings: pompous writing, liberties taken with the profession of accountant
Word Count: approx. 33 000
Part Four
In Which The Recipe Is Completed
The stand in the park had been Peter’s idea, but he would accept no payment from the Potters aside from all the pastries he saw fit to consume that first day.
An entire season had passed by then. The snow had long since melted and the early spring rains had washed London clean, leaving only a ceramic blue sky and the silver and stone turrets of the city. It was sunny and wonderfully warm that day, a blessing after the long winter and bleak succession of soggy spring afternoons, which guaranteed an even bigger clientele than any of Harry’s team had ever imagined.
Remus was the last to arrive. He pedaled into Diagon Alley Park at around one, tie ends and jacket tails streaming in the wind. He slowed the bicycle as a throng of small children crossed his path, gesturing excitedly and shouting for cupcakes. Remus smiled as he watched them peel off toward the Harry’s stand, where he could see James and Sirius handing out pastries to a few elderly customers. Peter was lounging against the stand as well, chewing with a look of satisfaction on what looked like his favourite lemon pastry.
“Remus! Remus, over here!”
Remus stopped the bicycle and turned his head. Lily Potter, lovely in a brightly-coloured shift, her red hair loose and flowing, waved at him from his left, then lowered her hands again to continue pushing Harry on his park swing.
As Remus walked his bicycle over to the swing set, Harry uncurled one small hand from the swing chain and waved too, yelling, “Weemus, Weemus!” with unabashed glee.
“Good afternoon, Harry,” Remus said as Harry whizzed through the air before him. “All right?”
“Awright!” Harry replied, mimicking Remus’ greeting to perfection, and kicked his legs to maintain momentum.
Remus propped his bike against one of the swing set’s supports, then came around behind Lily and dropped her a friendly peck on the cheek. She laughed and swatted at him.
“Remus Lupin, you charmer! Sirius will see, and you know how he gets.”
“I do,” said Remus gravely, before breaking into a smile. “How are things?”
“Oh, just lovely. I don’t have a clue how Peter managed to get us a permit to do this. He’s a miracle worker, same as you.”
“It seems he’s found his calling, working here together with you and James. I’ve never seen him so happy.”
Remus glanced over at the stand again. They were serving the clamouring group of children now. Remus watched until the young ones ran off to enjoy their snacks, and their guardian handed James a few notes as payment. Even from this distance, James’ own excitement was clearly discernible.
Beside him, Lily said softly, “It’s all coming together, isn’t it?”
Remus nodded, his eyes still on the stand. “Yes, it is.”
“Thank you.”
He turned to her. She was looking up at him with those clear, brilliant green eyes. In the late spring sunlight, her eyes looked over-bright, and he realized that she was on the verge of tears. Flushing noticeably, Remus stammered to quell them: “O-Oh, no, Lily, it’s not...you don’t have to thank me, really. I was just doing my job.”
“Yes, but you did so much more, also,” Lily insisted. “We couldn’t have done it without your help.”
Without warning, she threw herself at him and latched her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Surprised into silence, Remus embraced her back, his chin resting easily on the top of her head.
Seeing them, Harry exclaimed, “Me too!”
He dug his sneakered heels into the dirt to stop himself, then bounded off the swing and launched himself at Remus and Lily. They stumbled slightly and laughed as he collided with them and attached himself to their legs, and it was several moments before he would consent to detach himself.
Once he had, Remus left him and Lily to their playing and walked his bicycle across the path to the stand. James and Sirius were busy again, and only had the time to look his way and nod and, in Sirius’ case, to wink cheekily and have his Look pointedly ignored. Peter raised a hand to him in greeting. He was wearing his usual work suit, but Remus did not recall having seen him at the office that morning.
“Didn’t see you at work,” Remus remarked as he leaned his bike on the side of the stand.
Peter shrugged, rather unsuccessfully trying for nonchalance as he reached for another lemon tart on the small counter. “Decided to take the day off. Dad won’t mind too much.”
Remus rolled his eyes but said nothing further on the subject. Behind him, three children, older than the last ones, chorused “Thank you!” after handing James their money.
“No problem, lads! Thanks!” James called after them.
When he turned to the other three, his entire being radiated suppressed excitement, as though he was very much resisting the urge to spontaneously combust.
“I don’t know what to say,” he announced shakily.
Sirius looped an arm around his shoulders and shook him soundly. “Look at him! Overcome with emotion, bless his dear heart!”
Remus and Peter chuckled as James, mock-affronted, ducked out of Sirius’ hold and shoved him away. Sirius stumbled toward Remus instead, fastening himself to him in a possessive embrace that left no doubt as to the nature of their relationship.
Remus sighed, shifting a little so that Sirius’ arms lay more comfortably around his shoulders. “Hullo, Sirius.”
“Hi.” Sirius nuzzled the side of his neck with his nose. “I could have gone to get you, you know.”
“Are you joking? I told you I’m not getting on that thing.”
“It’s a bike just like yours!”
“It has an engine and goes five times faster.”
“So all is well between you two, then?” Peter asked lightly. He had a slightly smug I-told-you-so quirk to his lips that simultaneously made Remus want to kiss him and punch him in the face.
“Very well, Pete,” he said instead, his hands going up automatically to curl around Sirius’ wrists. “It took a while, but Sirius is finally house-trained.”
“Oh, that’s good,” said Peter very seriously.
“Remus! ”
“Don’t pout, Sirius, you have customers,” Remus said with a smile.
Sirius did not heed this last comment and maintained his embrace stubbornly. James only cast him a faintly amused look and went back to serving the new patrons.
Sirius loosened his grip only long enough to move his arms around Remus’ waist, then he held tight again and refused to budge, even when Remus nudged at him, overcome with self-consciousness.
“Sirius. Perhaps we shouldn’t do this here.”
“Well, I can’t leave. James needs help,” Sirius replied primly. He rested his chin down on Remus’ shoulder. “But if you really want, we could go back to your flat in a bit...”
“Not a chance, Mister Black. We both need to go back to work. Besides, my flat is far from here.”
“Which is why I’ve been asking you to move in with me, Mister Lupin.”
Remus could not help the smile that pulled at his lips. “I’m afraid I’d miss my own bed.”
Sirius snorted. “I’ve slept in your bed, Remus. Despite the lovely company, it’s not much of a bed in itself.”
“I didn’t hear you compla-”
“All right, that’s more than enough out of you two,” Peter interrupted, visibly embarrassed. “Discuss these things another time, yeah?”
“You heard him,” said Remus obligingly and with exaggerated relish. “Gerroff, Sirius.”
“No.”
“Peter?”
Peter sprang up from his leaning position against the pastry stand, looking thoroughly stricken at the unexpected sound of his own father’s voice. Mister Pettigrew was approaching the stand from the path, an uncertain smile on his face.
“Dad,” Peter said, eyes wide.
Mister Pettigrew took his time ordering a couple of pastries from James, then turned slowly toward his son, not seeming to notice the couple frozen in an embrace behind him.
“Peter, I thought you had things to do at the office,” Mister Pettigrew said carefully. “Haven’t you been at all today?”
“No, Dad.”
“Why not? Is something wrong?”
Peter swallowed, looking as though he had finally had one pastry too many. Mister Pettigrew was staring at him, but not unkindly.
“Peter?”
“I quit.”
“Peter!” Remus said, jerking involuntarily in Sirius’ arms.
Peter turned and smiled back at him. “It’s all right, Remus. I’ve made up my mind.” He turned back to his father, courteous but completely unapologetic. “I quit, Dad. I don’t want to be an accountant anymore. In fact, I’m not sure I ever did.”
Mister Pettigrew only looked at him. Then he sighed, and accepted his baked goods from a confused-looking James.
“That’s quite all right, Peter. I suspected that you’d...anyway. It’s your life, I suppose. Your mother and I can’t always be making choices for you.”
“M’sorry, Dad,” Peter said in a softer voice, but Mister Pettigrew shook his head.
Peter’s father walked up to his son, placed a hand gently on his shoulder, and said, almost in a murmur, “I’ll see you later.” Then, he left.
Harry said, “Pe’ah.”
Everyone looked down automatically as Harry, unnoticed to them all before this moment, toddled his way to Peter and gripped onto his pants’ leg. Peter gazed down at him with something like fear. Wordlessly, Harry extended his arms up toward Peter, in that way that he often did with his parents, Sirius, and increasingly often, Remus.
Peter’s jaw went a little slack with surprise, then he seemed to come to his senses, and bent to scoop Harry up. He matched Harry’s squeal of happiness with a teary but triumphant cry of his own.
=====
At six thirty that day, Harry’s park division, mid-week shift, closed up shop for the day. As they gathered up the stand’s various components and wrapped up the scant leftovers, James was already babbling excitedly about his plans for the Saturday shift, although his thoughts and observations were so errant and random, his words so quick, that he sounded more like an over-eager Harry than the co-proprietor of a now-respectable London business.
Remus had returned to the park after work to help with the packing up, and was now with the others, walking his bike to the bakery with his briefcase and the box of leftover pastries secured in the basket. Harry was being carried by Peter again and seemed on the verge of falling asleep against his shoulder. James and Sirius were in high spirits, joking and conversing animatedly as behind them, Lily kept an eye on each of her charges while wearing the most glowing smile Remus had ever seen on her.
Remus felt an odd tug in his chest as he watched them all, trailing behind as he did with his bicycle in tow. It was a different sensation than the one he was used to; it was not heavy or stifling, but gentler, warmer, like his heart was being carefully opened up and left to air, freeing it of the musty attic air of his own alone-thoughts. This was freedom, this was happiness - he felt as though this was the moment he had been searching for, the one feeling that had eluded him ever since his parents had been taken from him, all those years ago.
It did not hurt so much anymore to think of them. He no longer wanted to curl up in bed all day when he thought of his father’s voice or the soft touch of his mother’s hands. He could think of them with tender longing now, and feel their love fill him again without feeling the resentment and pain he had nursed all through university and beyond.
It was a welcome feeling, a good feeling, to be virtually carefree again. He could concentrate on other things now, things that would bring him to a purposeful future, instead of back to brooding on his past.
“All right, Remus?”
Sirius had somehow broken away from his conversation with James and was now walking alongside Remus, one hand placed casually on the seat of the bike as Remus led it by the handlebars. His expression was very soft, his grey eyes reflecting orange sunlight from behind the gilt castles of London city.
“I’m fine, Sirius,” Remus told him with a smile. “I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
“Things. Us. Everyone.”
Sirius’ gaze drifted forward toward the little procession preceding them. A small smile, toothless and affectionate, curved his lips.
“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” he said, watching as Lily took Harry from Peter and began to rock him carefully as she walked. “Last fall, James already believed that we were going to lose the bakery. And now look at us.”
“You mean you didn’t think you’d go bankrupt?” Remus asked with an additional upward quirk of his lips.
Sirius tossed his head as though the very thought were completely absurd. “Nonsense. I had faith in us, in our...dream. I knew that as long as we didn’t let the dream go, it wouldn’t let us go, either.”
“That’s putting an awful lot of faith in an abstract notion.”
“Shows what you know,” Sirius said with a sniff.
Remus sighed. “Sirius, you do realize that a comment like ‘shows what you know’ does not actually constitute an argument?”
“Shows what you-aw, bollocks.”
Remus laughed under his breath. Sirius flashed him a customary grin and reached up to brush the back of his hand gently against Remus’ cheek. Then he let his hand drop, looked up to make sure Peter was somewhat out of earshot, and said in a lowered voice, “I meant it, you know. About having you move in with me.”
Remus wanted to laugh again. “With a man I’ve only just met?” he replied only half-jokingly. “You must be kidding.”
“I’m serious.”
“As always.”
“Shut up, you! I’m opening my heart up to you as it is. The least you could do is give it the attention it deserves.”
Remus really did laugh at this, a single, simple laugh that leapt unexpectedly from his chest like spring after a long winter. Peter glanced back at him curiously, a strange half-smile on his face.
The party turned onto Diagon Alley. The street was lit up with dying light, the old-fashioned streetlamps glinting red and gold like the bygone Christmas lights that Remus still saw in his dreams some nights, when the city was quiet and Sirius lay curled against him in the warmth of midnight.
Up ahead, Lily was saying, “Oh, Peter, you and Remus are more than welcome to have dinner with us tonight. As thanks for all you’ve done for us.”
“Meagre thanks, of course,” James added. “We really can’t thank you enough.”
Peter was notably less skilled than Remus at accepting such lavish thanks, and stammered incoherently even as Remus was calling, “Thank you, Lily, James. We’d be very happy to accept.”
“Weemus, Pe’ah, sup,” Harry said sleepily.
They moved into the Potter household through the side entrance as Remus stayed behind to fasten his bike to the same lamppost as always. He glanced down the gentle incline of Diagon Alley as he did so, letting his gaze go far-off, across the intersecting street and to the shimmering roofs and glinting skyscrapers beyond. He watched the darkness gradually shift over the light, like ink running over a page, until the sky had turned velvety purple and smoothed into peace once again.
Remus picked up his briefcase and turned to enter the house, but discovered that Sirius too had lingered, waiting for him, it seemed. He was leaning against the same wall by which they had finally confronted each other on Christmas Eve, and was wearing that same self-conscious look which Remus had come to secretly know as the real face of Sirius Black.
Sirius did not say a word, but Remus recognized the shine in his eyes and only had time to drop his battered briefcase to the pavement before Sirius swooped down on him and claimed his lips, twining his fingers in Remus’ hair while Remus clutched the back of his shirt and held on tightly, moaning comfortably against the now-familiar kiss.
It was brief, but it was all they needed for now. When they broke apart, Sirius leaned in and touched his forehead lightly to Remus’ - not a customary gesture, but Remus was not complaining - and smiled, nothing but a slight up-curving of lips in the growing twilight.
“So,” Sirius asked in a whisper-soft voice, “How are you doing? In accomplishing that dream of yours?”
Remus smiled faintly in return, tipping his head up to press a simple kiss to Sirius’ lips. “Not too bad. Still lots of work to be done. You?”
“Same. Long road ahead.”
They stood that way in contented silence for some time, until a window was suddenly thrown open above them and James poked his head out, yelling down from the study, “Oi, you two! No shagging in the alley!”
Remus yelped, laughed, and flushed all at once, while Sirius sent a rude gesture skyward, causing James to chuckle and pull back inside. Sirius snatched up Remus’ briefcase and grabbed Remus by the hand to tug him toward the door, but Remus leaned back and stopped him.
“Sirius, wait.”
“Hm?”
Remus hesitated, then looked down to their joined hands and wriggled his fingers a little, lacing them with Sirius’. Then he looked back up into Sirius’ eyes, which were soft with fondness.
Remus said, “What you said before, about us moving in together...”
“Yes?”
“I’ll think about it. Okay?”
A pause, then Sirius nodded and lifted Remus’ hand to his lips to kiss the middle knuckle.
“Okay,” he said simply, and proceeded to pull him inside.
Remus allowed himself to be led, smiling secretively. His chest filled with a warmth that had nothing to do with spring or their assorted dreams. It felt like the beginnings of love, and he had that messy, unwanted file on his office desk to thank for it.
The End