In the Room
Harry Potter; Remus/Sirius; pg; 915 words
Sirius is moving in. Remus just doesn't know it yet.
Written for
the West Wing title project, from a prompt from
luzdeestrellas. Thanks to
angelgazing for reading it over.
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In the Room
i.
"And then she said, 'Pets aren't allowed, Mr. Lupin.'" Remus holds the leash and collar out to Sirius. "I told her it belonged to a friend, who would be taking it home shortly."
"But Moony, how else can I be sure the RSCPA won't try to lock me up?" Sirius grins and grabs the other end of the leash, pulling Remus close enough to kiss.
What with the kissing and then the shagging, Remus forgets all about the leash until he finds it under the bed two mornings later. He shakes his head and hangs it on the doorknob in the bathroom. He'll remind Sirius to take it home the next time he comes over.
*
ii.
Remus doesn't think twice about it when Sirius shows up four nights in a row with takeaway. He doesn't even really question it when Sirius turns up again on Friday to help him polish off the leftovers. But when his cupboards are full of tins of Sirius's favorite biscuits and his refrigerator is full of Sirius's favorite beer, he says, "Shouldn't this be taking up space in your fridge?"
"Can't get good Muggle beer in my neighborhood, and it never tastes the same after you Apparate with it." He puts a pint of milk in the fridge as well. "It was on sale," he says with a shrug when Remus raises an eyebrow, because Sirius doesn't take milk in his tea.
He's ready to argue, but then Sirius presses a bar of Honeydukes finest chocolate into his hand. There's no arguing with that, so Remus smiles and thanks him with a kiss.
*
iii.
It's normal enough for Sirius to keep a toothbrush in Remus's bathroom. It doesn't take up any space, and Remus is actually grateful for it. Sirius spends a lot of nights in Remus's bed, and even without taking the Padfoot factor into account, his morning breath could level a troll. Remus jokes they should send him out to breathe on the Death Eaters; Sirius laughs and kisses him before he brushes his teeth, making Remus wish he'd kept his mouth shut.
So the toothbrush doesn't bother him, nor the extra sets of robes and the jeans hanging in his closet--Sirius even has a few pairs of y-fronts and socks stashed in Remus's chest of drawers, which is all to the good, because he stretches out Remus's socks with his ridiculously large feet, and after the infamous crusty underwear incident of '74, Remus never again wants to see Sirius wear the same pair of pants for a week straight.
No, it's the pair of trainers that appears underfoot that trips Remus up, literally. They seem to be everywhere--in the hallway leading from the kitchen to the bathroom, at the top of the stairs, next to the bed. They're multiplying like pygmy puffs, and they don't belong to him.
When Remus asks, Sirius says, "Sometimes I forget to wear shoes when I come over as Padfoot."
"Daft bugger," Remus says indulgently, ruffling Sirius's hair and laughing. "Try to remember to line them up in the hallway, so I don't break my neck, okay?"
"Sure," Sirius says, but he never does.
*
iv.
At first, Remus thinks it's a mistake when issues of Bike and Motor Cycle News start appearing in his mailbox. He saves them, because Sirius is interested in them, thanks to that monstrosity he's charmed into flying, but it's not until the issues are stacked up on the flimsy end table next to the sagging sofa that he notices they're actually addressed to Sirius.
"Muggle post doesn't come to my flat," he says when Remus asks him about it. "Seemed easier to just have them sent here."
That seems reasonable, which should make Remus suspicious, but the moon will be up soon, and they have to hurry to the Shack to prepare.
When Sirius's copy of Quidditch Weekly shows up a week later, Remus just sighs and adds it to the pile.
*
v.
Every morning, Remus wakes up next to Sirius. They jostle for space in the small bathroom, shaving and brushing their teeth and getting ready to face the world, just like they used to in the dorm at school, and it's so familiar that Remus doesn't think to question it, until he thinks back and realizes that it really is every morning--Sirius hasn't gone home in a few weeks.
"Don't you think you should?" he asks mildly that night over dinner. "You don't know what your laundry's got up to, and the mold in your shower's probably staged a coup."
Sirius runs a hand through his hair and for one of the rare times since Remus has known him, he looks awkward. "Uh, about that, Moony. I don't actually have a flat of my own anymore."
"What?"
"I live here now."
"What?"
"I thought you'd've noticed, what with my clothes hanging in your closet and my post coming to your address. Not to mention my arse in your bed every night." He grins, then, awkwardness dissipating. "Though I admit, my arse is so fit it could have distracted you."
"Your fit arse?" Remus says, trying to process the conversation. It's something he should be used to, after nearly eight years of friendship with James and Sirius, but sometimes, Sirius still catches him off guard.
"Indeed. Kind of you to say so."
"Merlin's wrinkly nutsack."
Sirius grimaces. "I think my arse is nicer."
"Tosser."
"Wankstain."
"Berk."
"I can stay, then?"
Remus laughs and kisses him. "Of course."
end
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