the bible didn't mention us
title: the bible didn't mention us
fandom: harry potter
characters/pairings: remus/sirius, remus/tonks, molly weasley
rating: PG
summary: it is remus's wedding day and he's getting cold feet. someone is sent to persuade him that the wedding is a good idea.
author's notes: written for remus_reads
the bible didn't mention us.
Remus looked in the mirror and sighed. His bowtie was hanging limply from his collar and leaning distinctly to the left, his suit was a light shade of grey that didn't become him at all, someone had put too much starch in his shirt, his hair looked greasy and the entire image just - well - the only word Remus could think of was 'dead'.
This day had not at all been as he had imagined it would be. He'd always believed that living the best day of your life would actually feel like it was just that, but Remus did not feel one bit excited.
He did feel nervous, however, even though he knew he shouldn't be. There was no reason to be. After all, he had been the one to bend down on one knee and pop the question. It had been his idea.
This was what he wanted, right?
'Looking smart,' a voice suddenly said.
Remus's eyes widened. He frowned. He knew that voice. But it couldn't be - not here, not now. He looked around the room, eyes searching for something he knew he couldn't find.
Remus shook his head briefly and stared at the knees of his reflection. His heart shouldn't be beating so fast, he knew. He'd been there, five years ago, and he knew it was perfectly impossible.
'Mr RJ Lupin, marching into the Valley of the Unknown,' the voice said again. 'Marching in a big grey suit and a matching bowtie.'
A smile almost crept over Remus's face, but instead he licked his lips and turned his head towards the sound. The rest of his body did not move an inch. It couldn't.
'Only not with a man,' Sirius Black said as he stepped out of the darkness. His long, black hair had been cut into a short, shaggy hairdo, with a few strands of hair that fell right into his eyes, which were just as grey as Remus remembered them. ‘The law wouldn’t let him.’
'You're dead, Sirius,' he said in a steady voice. He was amazed at how calm he managed to stay.
'So?' Sirius Black cocked his head daringly.
'You're not really here,' Remus said again.
'That might be true.' Sirius took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his black, long-sleeved shirt and lit one. 'But you're still talking to me.'
'I thought you gave up smoking?'
'Turns out they can't harm you when you're dead,' he answered, with the cigarette stuck between his teeth.
Remus sighed and took a seat on one of the chairs that had been set out for him. 'Why are you here, Sirius?'
'Beats me.' Sirius sat down on one of the empty tables, with one leg firmly set on it and the other dangling from the edge. Remus only now noticed his jeans were slightly torn at his upper legs and knees.
'This is not really an appropriate time, I'm -' he started, but Sirius cut across him.
'Muffing down the aisle with little miss Dora, I get it.'
'Why are you talking like that?' Remus asked.
'I don't know,' Sirius said, after taking a long drag of his cigarette. 'It's my head - it's full of weird stuff. Probably because you're in it. Ponce.'
Remus gave a bitter smile. 'Not anymore.'
Sirius looked intently at him, his face not giving away any hint of what he might be thinking. 'No, I guess not.'
A silence fell. Remus couldn't do anything but stare at Sirius. He still was so handsome, even though Azkaban and Grimmauld Place really had worn on him.
'So, Tonks, eh?' Sirius asked eventually.
Remus frowned. He didn't feel comfortable talking about this with his deceased partner. What was he supposed to say?
'Do you love her?' The question was careful, but honestly curious.
'Would I marry her if I didn't?' Remus answered.
'That's exactly what I'm asking you,' Sirius told him.
Remus looked right into his eyes. He thought for a moment.
'Yes, I do love her,' he said, and he knew he meant it.
'But?'
The church bells started bellowing and Remus closed his eyes. How was it even possible that this man could read him so well?
'But - I don't know. I - She's not you.' It was the only explanation he could give for not loving her as much as she should be loved. Deep down, Remus knew he and Nymphadora were perfect for each other. They hardly ever had rows, they both liked the same things, they both were different than other people. It should have worked just brilliantly.
'You don't have to make excuses for my sake, Moony,' Sirius said as he leaned dangerously forward. Chills ran down Remus's spine at the sound of the nickname. So few people still knew what it meant. 'I'm dead.'
'It's not an excuse,' Remus said truthfully, ignoring Sirius's painful remark. 'It's good, but it's not what we had.'
'Nothing ever will be,' Sirius told him with a lopsided smile. He waited a while, before saying, 'She's a good girl.'
Remus merely grunted and started biting his nails. ‘That’s exactly what she is. A girl.’
‘Don’t exaggerate, Moony,’ Sirius said in a low voice. ‘How old is she now? Twenty-seven?’
‘Eight,’ Remus answered without thinking.
‘Twenty-eight, already.’ Sirius sighed. ‘God, where did the time go? I remember when she was just a toddler.’
‘She used to be a right brat, from what I’ve heard from Ted and Andromeda,’ Remus said with a smile.
‘If she was anything like Andy,’ Sirius told him and gave a devious grin, ‘I can vividly imagine. I didn’t see her much, though. There was this one ti-’
Sirius was interrupted by a short, excited rap on the door and Molly Weasley barging in without listening if it was okay to come in, in the first place.
‘Remus, dear, they’re all waiting for you,’ she said in a kind but urgent voice. ‘Heavens, your bowtie!’
She bustled forward, pulled Remus to his feet and rearranged his clothes while smiling at him.
‘Molly, I -’
‘I know, I know,’ she murmured and Remus saw her eyes had grown a little misty. ‘You’re not one of my sons, but by Merlin, it does feel like that. There.’
She took a few steps back, taking in every single thing about him. She was standing right next to the table Sirius was sitting on. She didn’t even notice him, even though he was blowing smoke right at her.
‘You look so handsome. I’m so glad you decided to go for it,’ she said, glowing with pride. ‘It took us a long time to convince you, yet, here we are.’
‘I know, Molly, but -’ Remus tried again.
‘Oh, Remus,’ Molly said with a sigh as she sat down on the edge of the table. Sirius promptly threw an arm over her shoulder, but even if she did feel anything, Molly didn’t give it away. ‘I know you’re nervous. You’re allowed to be. Heaven forbid, I know Arthur nearly left me in front of the altar. But you must remember that real love won’t let itself be pushed into a corner. You’ll never forget about it, it’ll never leave you alone, no matter how hard you try.’
She got up, gave him a hug and left, but before she’d made it out the door, she added, ‘I’ll see you in the church.’
‘Real love, huh?’ Sirius said and he lit another cigarette.
‘I trust you remember Molly Weasley.’ Remus grinned.
‘Is there any way for me not to remember?’ Sirius laughed heartily. It made Remus’s heart stop.
‘She didn’t see you.’
‘Of course, she didn’t,’ Sirius said and shrugged. ‘People very rarely see everything that’s right in front of them. I’m still dead, remember?’
‘Then why are you here?’ Remus asked.
‘You’ve already asked that question,’ Sirius answered evadingly.
‘I know,’ Remus told him, slightly angry. ‘Why are you?’
‘Because you want me to be.’
Another long silence fell, Remus couldn’t imagine how long it was. It could’ve been long enough for Sirius to smoke two or three cigarettes, or maybe that was still the first one he’d lit, Remus didn’t know. But when he was done with it, Sirius said, ‘Molly still is right, though.’
'They’re waiting for me,' Remus croaked, nearly cutting across him. It hurt to say, but listening to what Sirius was trying to tell him would hurt even more. Sirius was so close and he didn't even dare touch him. He wasn’t real. Remus pretended not to have tears in his eyes. ‘I think you should go.’
'You have to let me,' Sirius answered as he got up, putting away his cigarettes.
'What if I don't want to?'
'Then your married life is going to be a lot harder,' he said.
'So I guess this is the part where I choose, right?' Remus asked. He could literally feel pain in his heart. 'It's either you or my marriage.'
'It's not healthy to have an affair even before you're legally wed, Moony. Not even with a dead man.' Sirius sighed and looked at his shoes. ‘You don’t have to choose. I’m not even really here, I’m a figment of your imagination or what-have-you.’
'I loved you first,' Remus told him without thinking.
'Sure.' Sirius nodded and gave a half-smile. 'But you love her now. And she's waiting out there.'
When Remus did not speak, he continued. 'Look, Moony, you know I'm not a fan of this half-baked, gooey, emotional stuff, but you have to know that no matter what you do, I'll always be here. You don't have to put your life on hold. Goodbyes are not forever.'
'I know,' Remus said. 'I guess that's why I got this far. I know.'
'You've made your choice, then?' Sirius asked.
Remus looked at Sirius and took in everything about him. This could be the last time they saw each other. He finally nodded and Sirius knew, because he could read him like a book.
Sirius smiled. 'I thought you would do that, yeah.' He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Remus's lips that he could hardly feel, but his lips tasted so much sweeter afterwards.
'Goodbye, Moony.' Sirius turned around and disappeared.
*
In the church, Nymphadora Tonks and twenty-five guests waited for forty-two minutes before realising that Remus Lupin would never show.
fandom: harry potter
characters/pairings: remus/sirius, remus/tonks, molly weasley
rating: PG
summary: it is remus's wedding day and he's getting cold feet. someone is sent to persuade him that the wedding is a good idea.
author's notes: written for remus_reads
the bible didn't mention us.
Remus looked in the mirror and sighed. His bowtie was hanging limply from his collar and leaning distinctly to the left, his suit was a light shade of grey that didn't become him at all, someone had put too much starch in his shirt, his hair looked greasy and the entire image just - well - the only word Remus could think of was 'dead'.
This day had not at all been as he had imagined it would be. He'd always believed that living the best day of your life would actually feel like it was just that, but Remus did not feel one bit excited.
He did feel nervous, however, even though he knew he shouldn't be. There was no reason to be. After all, he had been the one to bend down on one knee and pop the question. It had been his idea.
This was what he wanted, right?
'Looking smart,' a voice suddenly said.
Remus's eyes widened. He frowned. He knew that voice. But it couldn't be - not here, not now. He looked around the room, eyes searching for something he knew he couldn't find.
Remus shook his head briefly and stared at the knees of his reflection. His heart shouldn't be beating so fast, he knew. He'd been there, five years ago, and he knew it was perfectly impossible.
'Mr RJ Lupin, marching into the Valley of the Unknown,' the voice said again. 'Marching in a big grey suit and a matching bowtie.'
A smile almost crept over Remus's face, but instead he licked his lips and turned his head towards the sound. The rest of his body did not move an inch. It couldn't.
'Only not with a man,' Sirius Black said as he stepped out of the darkness. His long, black hair had been cut into a short, shaggy hairdo, with a few strands of hair that fell right into his eyes, which were just as grey as Remus remembered them. ‘The law wouldn’t let him.’
'You're dead, Sirius,' he said in a steady voice. He was amazed at how calm he managed to stay.
'So?' Sirius Black cocked his head daringly.
'You're not really here,' Remus said again.
'That might be true.' Sirius took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his black, long-sleeved shirt and lit one. 'But you're still talking to me.'
'I thought you gave up smoking?'
'Turns out they can't harm you when you're dead,' he answered, with the cigarette stuck between his teeth.
Remus sighed and took a seat on one of the chairs that had been set out for him. 'Why are you here, Sirius?'
'Beats me.' Sirius sat down on one of the empty tables, with one leg firmly set on it and the other dangling from the edge. Remus only now noticed his jeans were slightly torn at his upper legs and knees.
'This is not really an appropriate time, I'm -' he started, but Sirius cut across him.
'Muffing down the aisle with little miss Dora, I get it.'
'Why are you talking like that?' Remus asked.
'I don't know,' Sirius said, after taking a long drag of his cigarette. 'It's my head - it's full of weird stuff. Probably because you're in it. Ponce.'
Remus gave a bitter smile. 'Not anymore.'
Sirius looked intently at him, his face not giving away any hint of what he might be thinking. 'No, I guess not.'
A silence fell. Remus couldn't do anything but stare at Sirius. He still was so handsome, even though Azkaban and Grimmauld Place really had worn on him.
'So, Tonks, eh?' Sirius asked eventually.
Remus frowned. He didn't feel comfortable talking about this with his deceased partner. What was he supposed to say?
'Do you love her?' The question was careful, but honestly curious.
'Would I marry her if I didn't?' Remus answered.
'That's exactly what I'm asking you,' Sirius told him.
Remus looked right into his eyes. He thought for a moment.
'Yes, I do love her,' he said, and he knew he meant it.
'But?'
The church bells started bellowing and Remus closed his eyes. How was it even possible that this man could read him so well?
'But - I don't know. I - She's not you.' It was the only explanation he could give for not loving her as much as she should be loved. Deep down, Remus knew he and Nymphadora were perfect for each other. They hardly ever had rows, they both liked the same things, they both were different than other people. It should have worked just brilliantly.
'You don't have to make excuses for my sake, Moony,' Sirius said as he leaned dangerously forward. Chills ran down Remus's spine at the sound of the nickname. So few people still knew what it meant. 'I'm dead.'
'It's not an excuse,' Remus said truthfully, ignoring Sirius's painful remark. 'It's good, but it's not what we had.'
'Nothing ever will be,' Sirius told him with a lopsided smile. He waited a while, before saying, 'She's a good girl.'
Remus merely grunted and started biting his nails. ‘That’s exactly what she is. A girl.’
‘Don’t exaggerate, Moony,’ Sirius said in a low voice. ‘How old is she now? Twenty-seven?’
‘Eight,’ Remus answered without thinking.
‘Twenty-eight, already.’ Sirius sighed. ‘God, where did the time go? I remember when she was just a toddler.’
‘She used to be a right brat, from what I’ve heard from Ted and Andromeda,’ Remus said with a smile.
‘If she was anything like Andy,’ Sirius told him and gave a devious grin, ‘I can vividly imagine. I didn’t see her much, though. There was this one ti-’
Sirius was interrupted by a short, excited rap on the door and Molly Weasley barging in without listening if it was okay to come in, in the first place.
‘Remus, dear, they’re all waiting for you,’ she said in a kind but urgent voice. ‘Heavens, your bowtie!’
She bustled forward, pulled Remus to his feet and rearranged his clothes while smiling at him.
‘Molly, I -’
‘I know, I know,’ she murmured and Remus saw her eyes had grown a little misty. ‘You’re not one of my sons, but by Merlin, it does feel like that. There.’
She took a few steps back, taking in every single thing about him. She was standing right next to the table Sirius was sitting on. She didn’t even notice him, even though he was blowing smoke right at her.
‘You look so handsome. I’m so glad you decided to go for it,’ she said, glowing with pride. ‘It took us a long time to convince you, yet, here we are.’
‘I know, Molly, but -’ Remus tried again.
‘Oh, Remus,’ Molly said with a sigh as she sat down on the edge of the table. Sirius promptly threw an arm over her shoulder, but even if she did feel anything, Molly didn’t give it away. ‘I know you’re nervous. You’re allowed to be. Heaven forbid, I know Arthur nearly left me in front of the altar. But you must remember that real love won’t let itself be pushed into a corner. You’ll never forget about it, it’ll never leave you alone, no matter how hard you try.’
She got up, gave him a hug and left, but before she’d made it out the door, she added, ‘I’ll see you in the church.’
‘Real love, huh?’ Sirius said and he lit another cigarette.
‘I trust you remember Molly Weasley.’ Remus grinned.
‘Is there any way for me not to remember?’ Sirius laughed heartily. It made Remus’s heart stop.
‘She didn’t see you.’
‘Of course, she didn’t,’ Sirius said and shrugged. ‘People very rarely see everything that’s right in front of them. I’m still dead, remember?’
‘Then why are you here?’ Remus asked.
‘You’ve already asked that question,’ Sirius answered evadingly.
‘I know,’ Remus told him, slightly angry. ‘Why are you?’
‘Because you want me to be.’
Another long silence fell, Remus couldn’t imagine how long it was. It could’ve been long enough for Sirius to smoke two or three cigarettes, or maybe that was still the first one he’d lit, Remus didn’t know. But when he was done with it, Sirius said, ‘Molly still is right, though.’
'They’re waiting for me,' Remus croaked, nearly cutting across him. It hurt to say, but listening to what Sirius was trying to tell him would hurt even more. Sirius was so close and he didn't even dare touch him. He wasn’t real. Remus pretended not to have tears in his eyes. ‘I think you should go.’
'You have to let me,' Sirius answered as he got up, putting away his cigarettes.
'What if I don't want to?'
'Then your married life is going to be a lot harder,' he said.
'So I guess this is the part where I choose, right?' Remus asked. He could literally feel pain in his heart. 'It's either you or my marriage.'
'It's not healthy to have an affair even before you're legally wed, Moony. Not even with a dead man.' Sirius sighed and looked at his shoes. ‘You don’t have to choose. I’m not even really here, I’m a figment of your imagination or what-have-you.’
'I loved you first,' Remus told him without thinking.
'Sure.' Sirius nodded and gave a half-smile. 'But you love her now. And she's waiting out there.'
When Remus did not speak, he continued. 'Look, Moony, you know I'm not a fan of this half-baked, gooey, emotional stuff, but you have to know that no matter what you do, I'll always be here. You don't have to put your life on hold. Goodbyes are not forever.'
'I know,' Remus said. 'I guess that's why I got this far. I know.'
'You've made your choice, then?' Sirius asked.
Remus looked at Sirius and took in everything about him. This could be the last time they saw each other. He finally nodded and Sirius knew, because he could read him like a book.
Sirius smiled. 'I thought you would do that, yeah.' He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Remus's lips that he could hardly feel, but his lips tasted so much sweeter afterwards.
'Goodbye, Moony.' Sirius turned around and disappeared.
*
In the church, Nymphadora Tonks and twenty-five guests waited for forty-two minutes before realising that Remus Lupin would never show.