New Year's Eve. HARRY POTTER.
Remus is persuaded to attend a party.
PG
And there’s a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie’s a hand o thine
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang sine
-- “Auld Lang Syne”, Traditional/Robert Burns
“Look,” tries Remus, “I can’t. I mean - ”
“You won’t,” says Kingsley, dark eyes looking levelly at him. “Because I’ve yet to hear you tell my why you can’t in a complete sentence. Or,” he added, “at all.”
Two months ago - exactly! - Lily and James had died. And Kingsley is inviting him to a New Year’s Eve party. And because it’s Kingsley, Remus knows who he’ll be kissing when the lights go out at midnight. As if a regular party would not have been bad enough.
“You can’t be in mourning forever, Remus,” Kingsley says gently.
“You’re going to tell me it’s New Year’s Eve next,” says Remus. “And that - ”
“I was,” Kingsley agrees. “And I’d be right.”
“Well,” says Remus.
“I would be,” says Kingsley. “Come to the party.”
Remus shakes his head. “No. Next year, maybe I’ll be able.”
“This year,” insists Kingsley. “If - ”
“ - I don’t go I’ll regret it?” Remus guesses.
“Yes,” says Kingsley.
Remus almost, almost doesn’t smile. Or he almost does. It’s hard to tell, exactly. “Well, maybe I will.”
That’s all Kingsley is going to bet, though it could mean too many things for him to really be satisfied. He gives Remus the address and the time anyway, and then he leaves.
The party is smaller than he’d expected, and quieter which is both a relief and so incredibly not at the same time. Kingsley is already there, visible from most spots in the room. Arthur and Molly are too, though it’s their bright hair that marks them, not height. Remus can’t look at Molly without think of her brothers (and then he can’t help but think that both of them had tried to sleep with Lily). Amos Diggory, and a bunch of people Remus assumes Kingsley knows.
Two months and a day ago, Remus probably would have said that he knew them too, and give a reasonable imitation of their names.
He’s hovering at the door, noticeable in his own way. Kingsley breaks off whatever conversation he’d been having and moves towards Remus.
“You came,” he says happily. “I think you know most of these people.”
“I came,” agrees Remus. “How many of - no, never mind.”
Kingsley is unfazed, or good at faking it, and points of the cauldrons heaped with ice and brightly colored drinks. “Help yourself,” he says quietly.
“Thanks,” says Remus. He wanders towards the drinks, and then wanders towards a conversation.
He does regret coming, but he knows he would have regretted not coming much more.
Remus knows it’s wrong to kiss Kingsley back. So naturally, he kisses him again even though the lights are on now and he has no excuse. Not that that had been much of one. Remus knows this. So he stops at two kisses. “Thanks,” he says, “for inviting me. Happy New Year.”
He gets out the door before Kingsley - who, after all, had to fight off more than a few girls overcome by the year’s changing - catches up with him. “Remus - “
Remus turns around. “You were right. About it being New Year’s Eve and me not coming and that you can’t be in mourning forever…” He pauses. “But I was right too, and - ”
“I was just going to wish you a Happy New Year,” says Kingsley. “I figured out you were right fifteen seconds into it.”
“Oh,” says Remus, and then again, “oh.”
“Happy New Year,” says Kingsley. “And thanks for coming.”
“Yeah,” says Remus.
Original.
Written sort of for seori, because she asked for Remus slash, like, forever ago, though I doubt she remembers it. But this is probably more of a Remus gen. Okay.