Two Truths and a Lie - Harry Potter - Remus/Sirius - 1/1
Title: Two Truths and a Lie
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete
Warnings: Slash, I guess
Summary: Anything can be a drinking game if you want it to be. A bottle of firewhiskey and drunken honesty. Post-GoF.
Two Truths and a Lie
“Let’s play a game.”
Remus Lupin placed his feathered quill down on top of his parchment, looked at his best friend Sirius, and sighed heavily. He did not want to play a game. He wanted to get back to work, as it was hard enough to come by as a werewolf in the magical world. But the sheer look of eagerness on Sirius’ face shed years off of his face, as though all that Azkaban business had never happened.
“I’m writing a report for the Order, Sirius.”
“It can wait ‘till morning, can’t it?” The look of eagerness could not be swept from his features, a permanent fixation until his demands were met.
Remus sighed heavily again. The eagerness he saw on Sirius’ face…he was happy. He was excited. He rarely acted so jubilant anymore. Not after Azkaban. Not after the war started. He gave in.
“What kind of game did you have in mind, exactly?”
Sirius smirked and set out two shot glasses.
“Oh, Merlin,” Remus muttered under his breath. “A drinking game, Sirius?”
“Of course a drinking game, Moony! What other game would we play?”
“I was thinking something along the lines of Wizard’s Chess or Exploding Snap…” said Remus exasperatedly.
Sirius scoffed. “What are we, second years?”
“Well we’re certainly not kids anymore, Padfoot. Must we play a drinking game?”
Sirius placed a large bottle of firewhiskey on the table. “Of course we must!”
“Fine, fine,” Remus acquiesced and began putting his papers away, clearing the table in front of them. “So what’s the game?”
“Two truths and a lie,” Sirius asserted.
“Is that meant to be a drinking game?” Remus questioned.
“Anything can be a drinking game if you want it to be,” Sirius decided, “and we’re playing two truths and a lie.”
Remus shrugged.
“The rules,” Sirius continued, “are somewhat self-explanatory. You make two true statements and one false. If you guess correctly, the other has to drink. If you’re wrong, you have to drink. Any questions?”
“Is there a point to this game?”
“To get drunk?”
“Ah.”
Sirius shook a stray piece of dark hair out of his eye. “I’ll go first. All my socks are mismatched, I made out with Patti McDonald in the Astronomy Tower, and I once used a shaving charm on my legs.”
Remus snorted loudly. “Third’s the lie.”
Sirius shrugged and stared idly at his shot glass.
Remus gaped at him. “You charmed all your leg hair off?”
“Patti McDonald told me she liked smooth skin!”
“That for a cheap snog in the Astronomy Tower?”
“Well, there and the Ancient Runes classroom. That Patti liked to live dangerously. Now drink.”
Remus filled his glass and took the shot. He coughed slightly. “Forgot how strong this stuff is,” he murmured.
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows. “Your turn.”
Remus spoke slowly, thinking as he went, “I enjoy reading,” Sirius rolled his eyes at this, “I once worked as a waiter in a muggle restaurant, and I failed a test on goblin rebellions in History of Magic.”
“You’ve never failed any test,” Sirius decided, “Far too brainy.”
Remus chuckled and passed Sirius the bottle. “I failed. Just one test, mind you, and it was after a full moon, but I failed. I haven’t however, worked as a waiter in a muggle restaurant. Usually I go for the desk jobs. This,” he gestured to his aging face,” wouldn’t get many tips as a waiter.”
Sirius scoffed. “Hardly, Moony, you’d probably be raking the tips right in. People can’t help but adore your amiable, polite nature.” He took his shot as Remus rolled his eyes.
“Your turn,” said Remus.
And the game continued on. True statements and false statements, shot after shot. They continued playing into the wee hours of the morning, the bottle slowly draining. Alcohol flooded their systems, making them much more open than usual. Hidden truths were revealed, and no territory was off limits. The bottle of firewhiskey was nearly empty, and both Sirius and Remus were tipsy.
“I hate hate hate the color…puce,” Sirius said. “It’s ugly. Other greens are fine, but that one is just…”
Remus rubbed his bleary eyes. “Your other two?”
“Right,” Sirius slurred. “The other two. Uh…I enjoy leather-bound books. And I wish I could fly without a broom.”
“Second,” Remus decided.
“Quite right, ‘ol chap!” Sirius took his umpteenth shot.
“I like the color puce, I secretly enjoy listening to Celestia Warbeck, and I think the new girl Tonks is attractive.”
“That’s my cousin you’re talking about,” Sirius warned. But it was hard for Remus to take the threat seriously, as the slur in his voice was still apparent. “And…that one…the third one is a lie. I’m not sure you fancy girls at all.”
Remus widened his eyes and slowly sipped his shot for a change, recognizing that Sirius was right - but only about Tonks. “Of course I fancy women,” he proclaimed in a shaky voice. “I’ve had girlfriends.”
“Yeah,” Sirius agreed, “I guess. I just don’t think your heart was in those relationships. I don’t know…I always got that feeling from you.”
“Feeling?” Remus gulped.
Sirius shrugged and said no more.
There was a pregnant silence.
Remus spoke, “Your turn.”
Sirius sighed. “Fine. I hate ice mice, I once took Rosmerta back to my place after a drink at the Three Broomsticks, and I’m madly in love with you.”
Remus stared at him for a long, hard time. Sirius was unreadable.
Finally, Remus spoke into the silence. “Third must be the lie,” he said softly.
Sirius looked down at his shot glass but did not drink. He did not move to grab the firewhiskey. He didn’t do much of anything at all. He simply stared into his empty shot glass.
“Sirius…” Remus whispered.
Sirius spoke abruptly, looking at the bottle now, avoiding eye contact. “You should take your shot now.”
“Sirius…” Remus tried again.
Sirius pointedly ignored him, filled his friend’s glass for him, and passed him the shot. Remus irritably took the shot and downed it.
“Sirius, will you look at me, please?”
He looked up then, and his expression nearly broke Remus’ heart. He seemed so vulnerable. So drunk and lonely and vulnerable. Remus never wanted to see that expression on his friend’s face again.
“I’m sorry, Moony. I shouldn’t have said anything. This is a stupid game, anyway. It was a stupid idea. I’m sorry, Moony,” he repeated again.
Sirius stood up to leave, but Remus grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
“Padfoot, stop apologizing.” He paused. “Is it true? Do you love me?”
“Yes,” Sirius spoke in a raw voice. “I do. I’m sorry, Moony.”
Sirius removed his wrist from Remus’ grasp and began to walk off, unable to stand the lycanthrope’s penetrating gaze any longer. Remus shook his head, followed him, grabbed Sirius’ arm, and pinned him against the nearest wall.
“Didn’t I just tell you to stop apologizing?”
Sirius breathed in sharply as Remus closed the small space between them, pressing his lips roughly against Sirius’, who responded with equal fervor. Tongues dueled tongues, teeth grazed lips, and guttural sounds escaped from the backs of throats. Needing to catch his breath, Sirius reluctantly tore his lips away from Remus’, gasping and trying to replenish his air supply.
Sirius drew in a shaky breath and asked in a ragged voice, “What was that?”
“That, I suppose, would be my way of saying I love you, too?”
“Ah,” Sirius responded.
“That’s all you have to say?” Remus demanded. “‘Ah’?”
Sirius grinned and kissed him hard on the lips, improving his response dramatically.
Fin.