Fic: Stalking Sirius 1/4
Title: Stalking Sirius
Author: remuslives23
Length: 36760
Characters/pairing: Remus/Sirius, mentions of Lily/James, hinted Peter/Alice
Rating: NC17
Warnings/Notes: graphic sexual situations, language, non-magical AU. Written for the lupinbigbang. Thank you to my Beta, dogunderfoot for her advice, encouragement and for supplying commas. Thank you to comicsforcate for the gorgeous art work.
Summary: Reluctant paparazzo, Remus Lupin, manipulates his way into secretive rock star, Sirius Black's, life, hoping for a scoop that will kick start his flagging career. Instead, he finds himself torn between his growing feelings for Sirius, and the article of a lifetime.
'Sirius! Sirius, over here!'
'James! Sirius! Come on, lads! Just one photo!'
'James, when are you and Lily going to confirm your engagement?'
'Sirius! Is it true you and Selena Marks are dating?'
'Sirius! Do you think my arse looks big in this?'
Sirius shot a disbelieving look over his shoulder at the skinny, shabbily-dressed reporter who'd almost screamed the last question in his ear. The man grinned cheekily at him then a flash went off in Sirius' face. Realising he'd fallen right into the other man's trap, Sirius shot the reporter the filthiest look he could muster. The man's grin widened and he winked at Sirius before raising the camera once more. Sirius quickly ducked his head and almost fell headfirst into the back of the waiting limo.
'Go,' he snapped at the driver as he lurched into the seat. 'For the love of God, go!'
He was thrown back against the leather seat as the limo jerked into motion and grumbled discontentedly to himself as he fumbled with his seat belt. A chuckle made his head shoot up and he glared furiously at his companion.
'Shut. Up.'
'You always fall for it,' James Potter laughed, shaking his head at his friend. 'He always manages to get you to look. What did he ask this time?'
Sirius mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and James' grin grew.
'Sorry? Didn't catch that?' he teased, leaning towards Sirius. He knew the more evasive Sirius was, the better the reporter's question had been.
Sirius huffily crossed his arms over his chest and said through gritted teeth, 'He asked if his arse looked big in what he was wearing.'
James chortled and Sirius threw a half-full bottle of water at him. 'It's not funny!'
'It's bloody hilarious, mate,' James retorted, pulling out his phone and with a few jabs of the buttons, pulled up his messages. 'I can't believe, after all these months he's been following us around, that you still can't manage to ignore him.'
'He's just so… 'Sirius waved his calloused hands around, trying to find the correct description for the paparazzo that had been practically stalking the members of The Marauders for the last six months.
'… Hot? Cute? Fuckable?' James suggested, thumb busy punching in a text message while he smirked.
'Annoying,' Sirius said darkly, narrowing his eyes at James when his phone beeped. 'A personality quirk you both share.'
James snorted and, after a quick glance at the message, snapped his phone shut. 'Peter and Lily want you to know that you are a knob and that they are planning on mercilessly taking the piss out of you when we get back to the hotel.'
'Why do you feel the need to tell them everything?' Sirius moaned, closing his eyes at the thought of the ribbing he was going to get for allowing the journalist to catch his attention yet again.
'So they can share in the fun, of course,' James said, reclining in the seat and crossing his arms behind his head. 'Besides, they'll see the photos in the paper tomorrow.'
He contemplated Sirius for a long moment then asked, 'You are so good at ignoring the rest of them. Why do you let him get under your guard?'
Sirius frowned. 'I don't do it deliberately,' Sirius insisted, irritated by James' skeptical expression. 'He is just… always there and always manages to bloody surprise me with those stupid questions…'
'Did his arse look big in what he was wearing?' James asked slyly, and Sirius kicked out with his foot, catching James' shin with his booted toe.
'I didn't look,' Sirius snapped, crossing his legs loosely. 'He's a bloody journalist, James. If I looked, it would be all over the front page that the lead singer and guitarist of the internationally acclaimed band, The Marauders, was a flaming fucking queer.'
'Er - you are a flaming fucking queer,' James reminded him and Sirius pouted.
'I'm bisexual,' he corrected pointedly. 'And I prefer to keep that on a need to know basis.'
'Need to know being the moment after you bend a bloke over the speakers backstage but before you stick your cock in his arse?'
'Something like that.'
James tsked at him and Sirius rolled his eyes. 'I am aware of your disapproval of my lifestyle choices,' Sirius said wearily, having listened to James' lectures on the perils of casual sex enough to have memorized them. 'And you know that I find your own path equally as distasteful.'
'Yes, I recall how horrified you were by my decision to settle down with the one woman,' James said dryly then he shook his head despairingly. 'Sirius, one day, all this sneaky fucking around is going to come back and bite you on the arse.'
Sirius stared at his friend, recognizing the note of concern under the biting tone. He refused to acknowledge the little flame of uncertainty that flared to life in his gut and tossed his head, his shoulder-length black hair whipping around his face.
'Bite me on the arse?' he said, leering at James and wriggling his eyebrows. 'That sounds like fun to me.'
James made a huffing noise and pulled his phone out again.
*
Remus tapped the mouse pad on his laptop, choosing the best photographs of Sirius Black and James Potter to email out to various publications along with his brief account of the men's most recent activities. There would be the usual flurried bidding war, the photographs would go to the highest bidder, and Remus' landlord would be off his back for the next couple of months.
Remus added the name of the final recipient to the email then clicked send. 'And the winner of biggest whore goes to Remus Lupin,' he muttered, scowling at the screen of the laptop as the words Message Sent popped up. 'This is not going to win me a British Press Award.'
He slumped back into his chair, reaching for his open beer and gulping down the last warm mouthful. This was not the career he'd envisioned having when he graduated from university five years earlier. He'd had big plans: start off with one of the smaller newspapers to get some valuable, practical experience in the field, then he would dazzle one of the larger papers with a pithy and in depth report on… something interesting… and be the youngest recipient of every journalism award there was going.
But instead, he was freelancing because any permanent position he was offered only paid enough to either feed him or keep the leaky roof over his head. He wasn't investigating political corruption, or bringing down corporations that conned little old ladies and poor families out of their homes and life savings. He wasn't saving the world one keystroke at a time.
Instead, he was chasing mediocre rock stars around London hoping for a photo of them shooting up, or shagging some other celebrity, or just fucking up in some embarrassing way so that he could immortalize the moment on film. He would then prostitute himself - letting the highest bidder fuck his conscience raw - and get to eat baked beans and sausages in his shitty flat with the leaking roof for another day.
He'd fallen more than slightly short of his life goals.
Remus placed his bottle down on the kitchen table with a clunk and minimized his email account. The screen was now filled with thumbnails of the photographs he'd taken over the last few days and Remus' hand seemed to move of its own accord, directing the cursor towards the frame filled with black hair and pale skin.
Sirius Black.
Remus smirked at the photograph that now filled the screen. Sirius Black - lead guitarist and singer for The Marauders - caught staring with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance right down the lens of the camera. The rags he'd sent this to were going to be bitch-slapping each other trying to buy this shot. Sirius was rarely caught without his carefully created public persona firmly in place; the man seemed to have an uncanny ability to know exactly where the press would be and how to avoid letting them get an unflattering shot of him.
But it appeared that Remus Lupin had somehow managed to become the exception to the rule.
Remus' hand moved again, swiftly transferring the photograph to a file of pictures titled 'Sirius Black' then clicked on the slide show option. Eyes on the screen as each photo scrolled past, he stretched his arm across the tiny space between his kitchen table and the fridge, and opened the door, pulling out the last bottle of beer and popping the lid. He watched with a frown as photos of the top of Sirius' head floated past then suddenly… there!
His hand shot out and paused the barrage of photographs on a shot of Sirius' face, his lips parted in surprise and grey eyes wide. Remus put his beer down carefully then leaned forward, his face in his hands and elbows planted either side of the laptop. Sirius Black had dueling reputations amongst Remus' peers: some called him difficult, moaning that his arrogance and sense of entitlement made interviews with him agonizing, but others had practically swooned after meeting him, proclaiming him to be the most charming person they'd ever had the good fortune to meet. Sirius Black, it seemed, was an enigma, a chameleon. Few had managed to get much past the steely façade and no one had ever done more than simply scratch the surface of the man underneath.
And that made him incredibly fascinating to the journalist in Remus.
He touched a fingertip to the screen. No matter what he personally thought about Sirius Black as a person, as an artist, Remus couldn't deny that he was one hell of a beautiful man, and that very much appealed to the sex-starved part of Remus.
Remus traced the outline of Sirius' jaw then brushed his finger lightly over the curve of the slightly quirked lips. He wasn't a fan of The Marauders' style of music - too much noise and not enough focus on actual rhythm for Remus' taste - but Sirius was without doubt a talented, charismatic man who had been born to be a star and played the public and the press like a finely tuned instrument.
Perhaps that was why Remus took so much satisfaction in being the one who had managed to break that famed control.
He sank back into his chair and lifted his drink to his mouth. Stalking Sirius Black might not have made him his fortune, or brought him the respect of his peers, but it was proving to be a hell of a lot of fun.
*
Sirius slammed his bedroom door and stalked across the living area to the suite's kitchenette. Peter Pettigrew put down his newspaper and watched Sirius open and close every cupboard door then wrench open the refrigerator door and stare moodily into its depths.
'You've seen the paper then?'
'Fucking journalists should be fucking shot and hung up by their bollocks.'
'I'll take that as a yes.'
Sirius shut the fridge door harder than necessary then collapsed into the armchair opposite Peter. 'You are not to let me go out in public alone,' he said firmly, pointing a finger at Peter. 'You must carry a cattle prod at all times and poke me with it if it looks like I'm going to give this Lupin bloke another shot of me looking like a vacant bloody knob. Poke. Me. Hard!'
Peter exhaled in amusement and gave the newspaper a shake before he lifted it once more. 'And the photo of that should buy Lupin a condo on the Riviera.'
Sirius scowled. 'At least he'd be out of my hair there,' he muttered.
Peter closed the newspaper and folded it in half. 'You realise we have a press conference this afternoon to promote the new album?' he reminded Sirius who immediately closed his eyes and groaned as if in excruciating pain.
'God, he's going to be there and he's going to ask me what colour underwear I'm wearing, or if I'm a natural brunette and embarrass me in front of the fucking world!' he wailed.
Peter looked thoughtful. 'Hasn't he already asked you if you were a natural brunette?' he asked. 'I think the photo of that reaction got him on the front page.'
'It was a slow news day,' Sirius snapped then he heaved a loud, put-upon sigh. 'Why can't he pick on one of you for a change?'
Peter pushed himself to his feet. 'Because you are such an easy target,' he teased then reached across the coffee table to slap Sirius over the head with the newspaper. 'And because you're soooo pretty!'
'Oh, so now I'm being literally and metaphorically beaten by those rags,' Sirius said, fending off Peter's second blow and snatching the paper out of his hands. 'And I'm not pretty. I'm fucking stunning, mate.'
'Mm, maybe he fancies your stunning self?' Peter said, tousling Sirius' carefully groomed hair.
'He's got a funny way of trying to get into my pants then,' Sirius retorted, slapping Peter's hand away. 'Public humiliation isn't really my thing.'
'Yet you still get up on stage thinking you can sing,' Peter said in a pitying tone then he laughed as he ducked out of the way of Sirius' swinging fist.
A sharp series of raps on the door broke up their playful fisticuffs, and Sirius sprawled across the soft armchair as Peter disappeared up the hall. The familiar staccato beat of stiletto heels on the tiled floor made him shoot upright once more, plastering a broad smile on his face as he turned to greet their visitor.
'Alice! Beautiful, gorgeous, love of my life…'
'You are going to that press conference, Sirius,' Alice Longbottom said as she breezed past Sirius, her eyes never leaving her black electronic organizer. 'I don't care how those big bad journalists scare you; this is your bread and butter. Without those…'
'Vultures?' Sirius suggested when Alice, distracted by her organizer, paused.
'… reporters,' Alice said, continuing as if Sirius hadn't interrupted, 'you would have no publicity for the launch of the new album which means that no one would know it had been released which would rather negatively affect sales.'
She shut her organizer with a loud snick and looked up at Sirius for the first time with a brisk smile. 'And we must keep you in leather trousers somehow. Irritating journos who manage to get under your skin are the price you pay for those - admittedly rather fetching - perks.'
She looked over Sirius' head, and her smile softened. 'Thanks, Peter,' she murmured coyly, and Sirius was startled by the change from ball-breaker to ingénue. He looked from Alice to Peter - who was flushing a light pink as he handed their blonde manager a cup of coffee - and rolled his eyes.
'God, you're all at it,' he muttered under his breath then he groaned when he caught Peter's silent but insistent hand gestures that Sirius took to mean 'get the hell out'. He begrudgingly rolled off the chair and staggered to his feet. 'I know when I'm not wanted…'
Alice snorted delicately, and Peter chuckled. Sirius made a face and snatched his leather jacket off the back of the seat where he'd thrown it the night before.
'I'm going to visit James and Lily in their suite…'
'Oh, I wouldn't,' Alice piped up, crossing her rather remarkable legs and taking a tiny sip of the coffee. 'They asked not to be disturbed. Having a lie in.'
Sirius swore then, after another of Peter's non-verbal hints, he sighed. 'I'll just…' He waved his hands vaguely. '… go somewhere else. Maybe get some breakfast...'
'You do that,' Peter encouraged before turning to grin at Alice.
Sirius could barely hold back a sarcastic remark at the sight of Peter's fawning expression and hastily left the room before his control snapped.
He made his way to the hotel restaurant; his progress slowed by a group of middle-aged women who recognized him. He signed some autographs and smiled for a few quick photographs, trying to ignore his stomach's increasingly loud objections to such a late breakfast. As he reached the lobby, Sirius noticed that there were still a few photographers lingering outside and mentally kicked himself when he realised he was searching for a glimpse of the annoyingly persistent Remus Lupin.
Annoyingly persistent and cute.
Sirius grimaced at the rogue thought then greeted the concierge who swiftly organized a table at the back of the restaurant behind a privacy screen so Sirius could eat in peace. He placed his order - scrambled egg whites with mushrooms and coffee (he had to make certain he fit into those leather pants) - and sat back in his chair, absently people watching through the silk screen.
He was accustomed to this life now: being recognized wherever he went, having his every move watched and cataloged by the press, not being able to get through a meal without having to sign an autograph. Sometimes, though, he felt disconnected from the rest of the world, as if The Marauders was its own little universe and stepping out in public was like visiting a parallel universe where everything was identical, but just an inch further to the left.
He wasn't comfortable being himself in this world anymore. Not when his ridiculously expressive face would reveal every single emotion he was experiencing at any given moment. Not when every stupid mistake or broken heart would be splashed across every newspaper stand in the Western world to be consumed over a morning coffee along with all the other celebrity gossip of the day.
That was why he created The Mask.
James had decided Sirius' public face needed capitalization, joking that The Mask appeared so often that it should have official status as their fifth band member. It was the device Sirius employed so he could keep just a little bit of himself for himself. He'd learned how to lock away all the notes and chords and lyrics that were the soundtrack of his life. He let the public see little glimpses of it in his music, on stage, in film clips, but only what he chose to let them see. He was paranoid that if he let all the other shit - the speculation, the gossip, the fame - get past his protection, it would infect him. It would take the only thing he had left that was his and his alone, and he would lose himself.
And that was why he hated Remus Lupin - because that damnable man with his tatty jeans and permanently wind-blown hair and cheeky smile had managed to crack through Sirius' carefully constructed armour.
Sirius sighed heavily then smiled at the nervous looking waiter as he approached with his breakfast. He eyed the other man's arse in those tight black slacks as he departed then dug his fork into the fluffy mound of eggs. He was nearly done when he was startled out of his thoughts be a cheery greeting.
'Morning!'
Sirius looked up, automatically plastering on a smile, only to have it fall from his face almost immediately.
'You!'
*
Remus Lupin grinned at Sirius Black then, with a loud scraping sound, pulled out a chair and sat down. Sirius was staring at him with an open mouth and Remus' smile broadened.
'Is the food any good here?' he asked, leaning over and plucking a menu from the next table. 'I've not eaten yet and thanks to you, I can actually afford this place today.'
His words seemed to rouse Sirius from his temporary fugue and his surprised expression morphed into that of anger. 'What the hell are you doing in here?' Sirius hissed, glaring at Remus. 'Journalists were told to stay outside…'
'How do you know I'm not a guest here?' Remus asked archly, as he casually crossed his legs. Sirius raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side, his gaze dropping to take in Remus' faded black t-shirt, baggy jeans and trainers.
'I'm stunned they even let you through the front door in that get up,' Sirius snapped, his eyes now roaming the eating area, obviously searching for a member of the wait staff.
'Ah, but I came in the back door,' admitted Remus, closing the menu and looking at Sirius' mostly empty plate. 'What did you have? Was it good?'
Sirius shook his head in disbelief. 'You have got one fucking massive set of balls,' he said, a little touch of awe in his voice, and Remus laughed.
'You've met my ex-boyfriend then? He used to say that all the time…'
'What do you want?' Sirius interrupted snappishly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Remus cocked his head, wondering if the light flush across Sirius' cheeks was anger or embarrassment.
God, he's fucking adorable when he blushes. Come on, Remus, focus. You have a goal here, remember?
It had occurred to him late last night that sooner rather than later, Sirius would become immune to the shock of hearing such disingenuous questions shouted out at him, and that he would soon be just another pap desperate for a photo. He had to use this tiny bit of power he had over Sirius while he was still able to wield it. He knew what a no-holds barred interview with Sirius Black would fetch him in pounds, and what it could do for him professionally. And for that, it was worth giving up what had rather worrisomely become one of Remus' favourite past times… watching Sirius.
'I want your time,' he answered curtly, steadfastly avoiding looking to see if that blush extended into Sirius' shirt. 'Two whole days following you around. No pre-approval of questions. I get to ask whatever my heart desires, and you have to answer. Truthfully preferably, but I can work with a lie if you don't mind it coming back to haunt you later on.'
Sirius reached out for his coffee and quickly downed the dregs like he was wishing it was a shot of vodka. 'You bastards don't have hearts,' he muttered then he let out a sharp humorless bark. 'You must be out of your fucking mind if you think I am going to agree to that.'
Remus brazenly picked up Sirius' discarded fork and scooped up a mouthful of the now-cold eggs, shoving it in his mouth while Sirius stared at him incredulously. He chewed slowly, trying to ignore his recoiling taste buds that didn't appreciate the taste of cold eggs, and watched Sirius stew.
Sirius was fidgeting in his chair, eyes darting around the room, then he sighed and closed his eyes. 'If - and that is one hell of an if - I consider your proposal, what's in this for me?' he asked, opening his eyes and looking directly into Remus'. He held Remus' gaze as he leaned in closer, resting his forearms on the table, and Remus' mouth went a little dry. 'What could you possibly have that I would be interested in, Remus Lupin?'
And fuck, if his name didn't sound like poetry sliding out from between those lips.
Remus swallowed hard, the eggs feeling as though they were grating down the length of his suddenly dry throat. He coughed into a curled fist, trying to buy some time to disentangle himself from the powerful web of arousal he'd walked straight into. He hadn't expected Sirius to actually know his name.
'You know my name,' he said out loud then coughed once more when he heard how husky his voice was.
'It’s in the corner of every single photograph of me you've sold,' Sirius said, narrowing his eyes. 'I've managed to find out quite a lot about you, Mr. Lupin. Know thine enemy.'
'I'll leave you alone,' Remus said simply, trying to regain the upper hand by being as forthright as possible. He mirrored Sirius' pose, trying not to flinch away from that probing, grey gaze. 'I will stop ambushing you. Cease and desist all stalking. Scouts' honour.'
There was a flicker of… something… that Remus didn't expect across Sirius' face. Was that… regret? Disappointment? Remus felt the corner of his mouth turn up. Maybe Sirius had been enjoying their game as much as Remus had. 'That is… if you want me to stop,' he said slowly.
Sirius' jaw tensed as he looked down at his plate. 'Of course I want you to leave me alone,' he said, low and soft, and Remus couldn't discern any kind of emotion. 'But there are plenty more of you out there.' He gestured towards the front of the hotel and the rapidly growing gaggle of reporters.
Remus let the smile that had been threatening to bleed through. 'Yes, but none of them are managing to get a salable photograph of you every single time you step outside.'
When Sirius looked up, there was no mistaking the emotion that burned in those grey eyes, turning them mercurial. Sirius Black was furious.
'This is fucking blackmail,' he ground out through clenched teeth, and Remus frowned.
'No,' he said with a shake of his head. 'In return for an interview, I leave you alone, and you get a hell of a lot of publicity for your new album. It's hardly blackmail if you're getting something out of it as well.'
'An interview where no subject is off limits,' Sirius spat, balling up the linen napkin and throwing it onto the table. He pushed his chair out as he stood, glaring down at Remus. 'I'll take my chances with the bull run, Mr. Lupin. No deal.'
Remus stood quickly as Sirius edged around the table to leave. He grabbed the other man's arm, the slick, warm leather of his jacket soft under his fingers. Sirius glanced down at his hand then his gaze rose to Remus' face.
'Here,' Remus said quickly, before Sirius could either yell and bring hotel security running, or thump him. He held up a business card between two fingers then tucked it into the pocket of Sirius' jacket. 'My phone number. Just in case you change your mind.'
'I won't,' Sirius said quietly, looking pointedly down at Remus' hand, and Remus hastily released him.
'Well, you could always call just to say hi,' he joked, and despite Sirius' obvious irritation, a corner of his mouth turned up in amusement.
'You are a complete nutter,' he murmured and Remus laughed.
'A complete nutter, who you are keeping in scrambled eggs at the moment,' Remus said, pinching another mouthful of eggs off Sirius' plate. 'Think about it.'
'God, don't eat like a bloody tramp off my plate,' Sirius muttered, screwing up his nose. 'If you weren't such a damn pest, I'd buy you breakfast.'
Remus cocked an eyebrow. 'Would you now?' he asked flirtatiously and was astonished to see Sirius' eyes widen and his face flush.
'Your offer has been rejected,' Sirius said bluntly, taking a step back. 'And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't approach me again like this. I'd hate to have to apply for a restraining order, but I will.'
Then he spun on his booted heel and stalked away, Remus watching with an open mouth and alarms going off in his head. He fell back into his chair, exhaling sharply as his mind raced. Sirius' response to Remus' gentle flirting hadn't been disgust or annoyance; he had panicked, and that kind of reaction to same-sex flirting was one Remus had some experience with. His story sensors were tingling and his gaydar was screeching like a drag queen with a broken fingernail.
A slow smile spread across Remus' face. 'Jesus,' he murmured to himself. 'Sirius Black is in the closet.'
*
Sirius' mouth dropped open as he stared at his manager in shock. He'd been ranting for a good twenty minutes about Lupin's audacity only to be stunned into a stupor by Alice's unforeseen reaction.
'What did you say?' he asked, sure he'd misheard.
Alice glanced at Peter, James and Lily and rolled her eyes before turning her gaze back to Sirius. 'I said that I think you should do it,' she repeated, enunciating the words carefully. 'A rare, in-depth interview would generate great publicity for the album. I'm sure we could get Lupin to agree to some restrictions, and it would get him off your back which, as an added bonus for us, will end your obsessive paranoia when it comes to this man.'
Sirius just gaped at her and she sighed heavily. 'God, give me strength,' she muttered, looking up to the heavens. 'Sirius, I know you value your privacy, but surely you see that your insistence on giving no information about your personal life just makes people all the more curious about it.'
'It's no one's fucking business what I do on my own time!'
'I know it should be that way,' Alice said soothingly but with a slight edge underpinning her words, 'but it isn't. I warned all of you when I took you on that you would be giving up all semblance of privacy if you chose this life for yourselves. The others have managed to strike a balance with how much personal information they reveal, but you, Sirius… you are determined not to let the public have anything of you.'
'Our fans know so much about me it's bloody frightening,' Sirius snarled. He stood up, unable to keep still while his manager attacked him like this.
'Mate, they know the basic stuff, the superficial stuff,' James said, standing and moving to stand in front of Sirius, bringing his pacing to a halt. 'But they want more, you know that. Especially from you because you're up front. You're the first person everyone sees, that everyone thinks of when they think of The Marauders, and you're the one they want more of.'
'Well, they can't have it,' Sirius said sulkily. 'I don't see how knowing where I write, or my routine before a concert, or who I'm shagging is anyone else's business.'
'It's their business because they made you,' Alice snapped, getting to her feet. 'And they can break you. This Lupin bloke might be the first to take this approach, but he won't be the last, Sirius. Or what about when one of your… indiscretions talks and all this secrecy blows up in your face?'
'They wouldn't…'
Peter shook his head. 'We keep telling you not to shag the roadies, Sirius. If one of them gets pissed off with you one day…'
'That's why they sign confidentiality agreements, Peter,' Sirius sneered, curling his lip. 'Anything that happens on the road, stays on the road.'
'Confidentially agreements have been broken before, sweetheart,' Lily said, quiet and gentle, drawing Sirius' eyes to her. 'The notoriety they'll get for being the one to out Sirius Black might prove too tempting for one of them one day.'
Sirius tightened his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets, unable to be as cruel as he wanted to the quietly spoken woman. He turned away from the group, bitter resentment longing to spill over. They didn't understand. They couldn't. None of them had fought like he did for this. None of them struggled like he did; having to listen as everything he'd ever felt, every thought he'd ever had, spilled out on stage night after night, rang out from radios and stereos everywhere they went. He fisted his hands in his jacket, firming his resolve. The public already had enough of him; they weren't getting any more.
There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence then perpetual peacemaker Peter piped up. 'We should get ready for the press conference, shouldn't we?'
'Yes,' Alice said efficiently, glancing down at her watch. 'We'll start letting the press into the conference room in about half an hour.' There was a knock on the door and she made an impatient noise in her throat before striding off to answer it.
'Sirius…' James began, but Sirius held up his hand in a 'leave it' gesture. He heard James' frustrated sigh before Alice's heels heralded her return.
'For you,' she said grimly, handing the opened envelope and note to Sirius. 'You may want to reconsider your little friend's deal.'
Sirius flicked open the folded letter, his frown deepening when he read the contents.
Sirius,
Thought you might like a preview of the questions I plan on asking at the press conference today so you can prepare your answers.
1.What is your favourite lyric from the new album and what inspired you to write it?
2.Why won't you come out of the closet? Are you ashamed of who you are?
3.Who's your favourite cartoon character?
What do you think? I like number 3 myself, but one of the others might be more newsworthy. You've got my phone number if you feel like saying hi.
Remus Lupin
'That fucker!'
Sirius read through the note twice, colour draining from his face, before clenching his fist and crumpling the paper. He looked up at Alice who pursed her lips.
'Is he guessing or does he have firsthand knowledge of your preferences?' she asked stonily.
Sirius heard Lily hiss and James and Peter curse quietly as they realized what the letter contained.
'He's guessing,' Sirius retorted harshly, nostrils flaring as he met Alice's fierce gaze with one of his own. 'I'm not stupid enough to hit on male journalists while they are trying to blackmail me.'
Alice's snort revealed her opinion of Sirius' intelligence might not be as high as his own, and she rapped her fingernails on the plastic casing of her organizer before flipping it open.
'We have almost an hour and a half before the press conference is due to begin,' she said, tapping at the screen with a tiny pen then looking up at Sirius. 'I assume you aren't going to want to make a statement in regards to your sexuality today?'
Sirius stared incredulously at her then glanced over at the trio on the couch who all avoided his eye. He frowned and looked from one to the other. 'You think I should?' he asked, taken aback by their unusual silence.
Peter and Lily looked at James who made an annoyed noise in his throat before he stood up. 'Maybe it is time to tell the truth, Sirius,' he said cajolingly, Lily and Peter nodding supportively behind him.
'I've never lied!' Sirius roared, and James' face darkened.
'You've never been honest either!' he shouted back. 'We've all told you that you should just stop hiding it and make a statement, but nooo, Sirius Black knows best. This bloke isn't just threatening you, Sirius. The whole album release would be completely overshadowed by your personal life if he decides to out you. Did you stop and think about how this might affect us before you made unilateral decisions that concern the band?'
'Who I fuck has got nothing to do with any of you!' Sirius yelled.
'Stop being so bloody obtuse!' Peter said loudly, stepping up to stand beside James. 'Who you fuck does reflect back on all of us, and it's about damn time you started accepting that. You can't keep going on hiding behind The Mask, Sirius. Someone has seen through it, and you're going to have to deal with that. With him.'
The three men stood, hands on hips, glaring at each other until Alice stepped between them.
'Alright,' she said, making a gesture for James and Peter to sit down. 'Put your testosterone away, boys. Alice will fix this.'
Sirius looked at her, anger and fear bubbling like hot, molten lava inside. He wanted to scream, to hit, to hurt, and he was shaking with the suppressed desires.
'How will you fix this?' he asked, horrified when he heard how badly his voice was shaking.
Alice put her organizer away and pulled out her mobile phone. 'Give me that card he gave you,' she said, holding out her hand, a look of steely determination on her face. 'I think it's time we sat down for a chat with Mr. Lupin.'
*
Remus stood outside the hotel room, willing the butterflies in his stomach away. He glanced down once more at the message in his hand: the note from Sirius Black's manager that had found its way into his hand minutes before The Marauders' press conference began.
Mr. Lupin,
Mr. Black has agreed to discuss your earlier proposition with you, on the condition that you ask no questions at the press conference this afternoon. I understand that you may feel disinclined to agree to this condition, but I think you would agree that the possible return is well worth the investment of trust.
Come to Suite 02 at 5pm and we can discuss terms.
Alice Longbottom
He had remained silent during the press conference, eyes fixed on a blank-faced Sirius Black as he answered questions in a monotone. Not once did his eyes meet Remus' and, when it was over, Sirius was the first off the stage.
Now, Remus scratched uneasily at his calf with his foot, guilt twanging unpleasantly in his gut. 'What am I doing?' he mumbled, screwing his nose up in distaste at his recent actions. 'This isn't me. This isn't what I want to do with my life.'
But as he was about to turn away, his stomach growled - he'd been too nervous to eat lunch - and he was reminded of how very far just this one interview could take him, how it could give him some long-term security instead of living from photograph to photograph to pay his rent, or relying on small time reporting gigs to put food on the table.
'It's just two days,' he told himself. 'It won't be so bad. Just two days out of his life then he's free of me.'
And why did the thought of not seeing Sirius Black on a regular basis make his chest tighten just that little bit?
Shoving aside the disturbing little flashes of realisation that were attempting to push through to the forefront of his mind, Remus raised his arm and knocked decisively. The door was opened almost immediately by Sirius' blonde, thirty-something manager, the clear disapproval on her face startling Remus into taking a step back.
'You are late, Mr. Lupin,' she admonished sternly, reminding him of his mother for a long, frightening moment. 'Try not to make that a habit.'
Remus took a swift look at his watch. 'I'm two minutes late,' he said defensively then wished he hadn't when her manner - already cool - turned positively frosty.
'We run to a tight schedule, Mr. Lupin,' she said, biting off the end of each word. 'It would behoove you to ensure you do the same should you become an invited guest of Mr. Black.'
Remus repressed the urge to shuffle his feet and call this woman who was scarcely five years his senior 'ma'am'. He settled for nodding, slightly shamefaced, and obediently trailed behind her when she made an imperious gesture for him to do so. From under his eyelashes, he snuck quick glances around the suite, realising approximately three steps inside the hallway that he was definitely not in Kansas anymore. Money and class practically oozed from every single surface and Remus tried very hard not to feel inferior in the sand-coloured trousers that were fashionable two seasons ago, and his well-worn blue dress shirt.
They came out into a light, airy room. The first thing Remus' eyes fell upon was the view of London at dusk through the bank of windows on the far side of the room. The sky was clear for a change, gold and pink interwoven through the dull grey of twilight.
'Wow,' he whispered as he took an involuntary step forward, entranced by the sight of his hometown as he'd never seen it before.
'It's breathtaking isn't it?' a very male voice said softly.
Remus started, his head swiveling sharply to his left to take in another spectacular view - Sirius Black reclining on a green suede lounge. His ankle was loosely crossed over his knee, his arms resting casually along the armrest and the back of the couch. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a plain white tee, his dark hair a stark contrast as it brushed his broad shoulders, and his feet were bare.
Christ, the man was fucking gorgeous.
'Mr. Lupin,' Sirius said in greeting, uncrossing his legs and standing, the only indicator of his mood were his hands which were clenching and unclenching at his sides.
Remus glanced quickly at Alice Longbottom who had taken a seat in an armchair and was tapping at one of those electronic organizers then lifted his chin and met Sirius' eye.
'Mr. Black,' he replied with a nod, mimicking Sirius' pleasant but formal tone.
Remus was surprised when the hand Sirius extended wasn't curled into a fist and aimed at his jaw, and he quickly reached out to take it. Sirius' grip was firm, his hand warm and calloused, and Remus couldn't help but wonder how it would feel wrapped around his cock. He could feel blood rushing to parts he certainly didn't want it to be rushing to and, with a perfunctory shake, he let go of the… rather large… hand.
'Right,' Alice said, breaking into Remus' thoughts about the correlation in size between men's hands and other parts of their bodies. 'Now the pleasantries are out of the way, let's turn our attention to the issue at hand. I'm sure you both want this sorted out as quickly and painlessly as possible.'
Sirius muttered something indistinguishable under his breath as he sank back into the puffy couch. Alice looked at Remus and indicated that he should sit in the armchair opposite the lounge. He perched on the edge, the butterflies in his stomach - temporarily caged by the beautiful distractions - taking flight once again.
'So, Mr. Lupin,' Alice said, her strident voice cutting through him. 'You're branching out into blackmail?'
Remus couldn't stop his wince in time and caught the edge of Sirius' smirk before the other man schooled his face back into blankness. 'As I've already explained to Mr. Black,' Remus said, 'I'm not sure blackmail is usually so advantageous to both parties. You know that there will be a resultant upswing in album sales if a no-holds barred interview with Sirius is released in conjunction with the new CD.'
'You're doing this to help with album sales?' Alice said, in a syrupy, sarcastic tone. 'How altruistic of you, Mr. Lupin.'
Sirius snorted softly and this time, the smug little smile was lingering on his face when Remus looked at him. He felt his temper rising, and he abruptly stood, wiping the smile off Sirius' face.
'I was told we were here to discuss my proposal,' he said, eyes boring into Sirius' as the other man slowly rose to his feet. 'If you just wanted to pull pigtails, you should know I don't usually like an audience, but I might make an exception for you.' He finished up with a wink and, to his enormous satisfaction, Sirius' mask cracked.
'You are a fucking bastard,' he snapped, taking a step closer to Remus, face contorting with fury. 'No matter how you try and fucking spin this, you are manipulating me for your own benefit. This interview will make you a bloody fortune!'
'And you're considering doing the same damn thing to me to get publicity for your album, to make even more money to waste on fancy hotel rooms and leather pants,' Remus snapped back, moving forward so that only the suddenly very small coffee table lay between them. 'So you tell me which of us is the bigger fucking whore?'
Remus could see Sirius shaking with anger and knew that he was trembling as well. His hands closed at his sides, fingers crushed against his palm, but as he and Sirius tried to stare each other down, he wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to punch the other man in that smartarse mouth, or grab a handful of that pretty fucking hair and kiss him until he surrendered.
Either way, those lips would look fantastic all puffed up.
'Well, that was certainly interesting,' Alice said brightly, breaking the stand-off, and both men turned to glare at her.
Remus didn't like the calculating expression on her face, but when she waved her hands at their respective seats, he cautiously sat back down.
'We can ensure this arrangement is beneficial to all,' she said, glancing down at her organizer. 'Mr. Lupin, we are prepared to allow you to tail Mr. Black and The Marauders for forty-eight hours precisely.'
She looked up at Remus pointedly as she placed heavy emphasis on the end of her sentence. Remus squirmed a little and, apparently satisfied her point had been made, Alice continued.
'However, we are not willing to agree to an 'access all areas' pass in regards to your questioning of Mr. Black.'
Remus had expected this. Excitement sparked up and down his spine and he dug his fingers into the arms of the chair to avoid punching the air in triumph. Whatever access they granted him, it would be far more than any other journalist had ever been allowed. Fuck, he'd really done it!
'I've prepared a list of topics that Mr. Black is prepared to discuss with you…' She brandished a sheaf of papers and Remus took them out of her hands. 'And there is also a standard contract agreement for you to sign.' She looked up, face set, and held out a pen. 'No signature, the deal is off. Take it or leave it.'
'I'll want a chance to peruse the contract and the allowable topics,' Remus objected when he realised that she expected him to sign it right then and there.
Alice nodded and tossed the pen down onto the coffee table, paying it no mind as it skittered across the surface. 'You have one hour,' she told him, standing up and glancing over at Sirius, who also pushed himself to his feet. 'You will stay here - that contract does not leave this room until it is signed - and this is our only offer, Mr. Lupin. There will be no negotiation over terms. We've extended to you a generosity that no journalist has had before, or is likely to have again. Consider that when you read over those conditions.'
And with that, she turned on her heel and left the room. Sirius took a couple of steps in the same direction then looked back over his shoulder at Remus.
'Me,' he said quietly, and Remus frowned in confusion.
'Sorry?' he said then a shudder ripped through him as, for the first time, he saw Sirius Black with no walls, no hint of a mask. A deep, abiding sadness shadowed those grey eyes, and Remus felt a lump form in his throat in sympathy.
'I literally sell my soul with every lyric I write,' Sirius said, his voice oddly flat. 'That makes me the bigger whore, I think.'
Part Two
Author: remuslives23
Length: 36760
Characters/pairing: Remus/Sirius, mentions of Lily/James, hinted Peter/Alice
Rating: NC17
Warnings/Notes: graphic sexual situations, language, non-magical AU. Written for the lupinbigbang. Thank you to my Beta, dogunderfoot for her advice, encouragement and for supplying commas. Thank you to comicsforcate for the gorgeous art work.
Summary: Reluctant paparazzo, Remus Lupin, manipulates his way into secretive rock star, Sirius Black's, life, hoping for a scoop that will kick start his flagging career. Instead, he finds himself torn between his growing feelings for Sirius, and the article of a lifetime.
'Sirius! Sirius, over here!'
'James! Sirius! Come on, lads! Just one photo!'
'James, when are you and Lily going to confirm your engagement?'
'Sirius! Is it true you and Selena Marks are dating?'
'Sirius! Do you think my arse looks big in this?'
Sirius shot a disbelieving look over his shoulder at the skinny, shabbily-dressed reporter who'd almost screamed the last question in his ear. The man grinned cheekily at him then a flash went off in Sirius' face. Realising he'd fallen right into the other man's trap, Sirius shot the reporter the filthiest look he could muster. The man's grin widened and he winked at Sirius before raising the camera once more. Sirius quickly ducked his head and almost fell headfirst into the back of the waiting limo.
'Go,' he snapped at the driver as he lurched into the seat. 'For the love of God, go!'
He was thrown back against the leather seat as the limo jerked into motion and grumbled discontentedly to himself as he fumbled with his seat belt. A chuckle made his head shoot up and he glared furiously at his companion.
'Shut. Up.'
'You always fall for it,' James Potter laughed, shaking his head at his friend. 'He always manages to get you to look. What did he ask this time?'
Sirius mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and James' grin grew.
'Sorry? Didn't catch that?' he teased, leaning towards Sirius. He knew the more evasive Sirius was, the better the reporter's question had been.
Sirius huffily crossed his arms over his chest and said through gritted teeth, 'He asked if his arse looked big in what he was wearing.'
James chortled and Sirius threw a half-full bottle of water at him. 'It's not funny!'
'It's bloody hilarious, mate,' James retorted, pulling out his phone and with a few jabs of the buttons, pulled up his messages. 'I can't believe, after all these months he's been following us around, that you still can't manage to ignore him.'
'He's just so… 'Sirius waved his calloused hands around, trying to find the correct description for the paparazzo that had been practically stalking the members of The Marauders for the last six months.
'… Hot? Cute? Fuckable?' James suggested, thumb busy punching in a text message while he smirked.
'Annoying,' Sirius said darkly, narrowing his eyes at James when his phone beeped. 'A personality quirk you both share.'
James snorted and, after a quick glance at the message, snapped his phone shut. 'Peter and Lily want you to know that you are a knob and that they are planning on mercilessly taking the piss out of you when we get back to the hotel.'
'Why do you feel the need to tell them everything?' Sirius moaned, closing his eyes at the thought of the ribbing he was going to get for allowing the journalist to catch his attention yet again.
'So they can share in the fun, of course,' James said, reclining in the seat and crossing his arms behind his head. 'Besides, they'll see the photos in the paper tomorrow.'
He contemplated Sirius for a long moment then asked, 'You are so good at ignoring the rest of them. Why do you let him get under your guard?'
Sirius frowned. 'I don't do it deliberately,' Sirius insisted, irritated by James' skeptical expression. 'He is just… always there and always manages to bloody surprise me with those stupid questions…'
'Did his arse look big in what he was wearing?' James asked slyly, and Sirius kicked out with his foot, catching James' shin with his booted toe.
'I didn't look,' Sirius snapped, crossing his legs loosely. 'He's a bloody journalist, James. If I looked, it would be all over the front page that the lead singer and guitarist of the internationally acclaimed band, The Marauders, was a flaming fucking queer.'
'Er - you are a flaming fucking queer,' James reminded him and Sirius pouted.
'I'm bisexual,' he corrected pointedly. 'And I prefer to keep that on a need to know basis.'
'Need to know being the moment after you bend a bloke over the speakers backstage but before you stick your cock in his arse?'
'Something like that.'
James tsked at him and Sirius rolled his eyes. 'I am aware of your disapproval of my lifestyle choices,' Sirius said wearily, having listened to James' lectures on the perils of casual sex enough to have memorized them. 'And you know that I find your own path equally as distasteful.'
'Yes, I recall how horrified you were by my decision to settle down with the one woman,' James said dryly then he shook his head despairingly. 'Sirius, one day, all this sneaky fucking around is going to come back and bite you on the arse.'
Sirius stared at his friend, recognizing the note of concern under the biting tone. He refused to acknowledge the little flame of uncertainty that flared to life in his gut and tossed his head, his shoulder-length black hair whipping around his face.
'Bite me on the arse?' he said, leering at James and wriggling his eyebrows. 'That sounds like fun to me.'
James made a huffing noise and pulled his phone out again.
*
Remus tapped the mouse pad on his laptop, choosing the best photographs of Sirius Black and James Potter to email out to various publications along with his brief account of the men's most recent activities. There would be the usual flurried bidding war, the photographs would go to the highest bidder, and Remus' landlord would be off his back for the next couple of months.
Remus added the name of the final recipient to the email then clicked send. 'And the winner of biggest whore goes to Remus Lupin,' he muttered, scowling at the screen of the laptop as the words Message Sent popped up. 'This is not going to win me a British Press Award.'
He slumped back into his chair, reaching for his open beer and gulping down the last warm mouthful. This was not the career he'd envisioned having when he graduated from university five years earlier. He'd had big plans: start off with one of the smaller newspapers to get some valuable, practical experience in the field, then he would dazzle one of the larger papers with a pithy and in depth report on… something interesting… and be the youngest recipient of every journalism award there was going.
But instead, he was freelancing because any permanent position he was offered only paid enough to either feed him or keep the leaky roof over his head. He wasn't investigating political corruption, or bringing down corporations that conned little old ladies and poor families out of their homes and life savings. He wasn't saving the world one keystroke at a time.
Instead, he was chasing mediocre rock stars around London hoping for a photo of them shooting up, or shagging some other celebrity, or just fucking up in some embarrassing way so that he could immortalize the moment on film. He would then prostitute himself - letting the highest bidder fuck his conscience raw - and get to eat baked beans and sausages in his shitty flat with the leaking roof for another day.
He'd fallen more than slightly short of his life goals.
Remus placed his bottle down on the kitchen table with a clunk and minimized his email account. The screen was now filled with thumbnails of the photographs he'd taken over the last few days and Remus' hand seemed to move of its own accord, directing the cursor towards the frame filled with black hair and pale skin.
Sirius Black.
Remus smirked at the photograph that now filled the screen. Sirius Black - lead guitarist and singer for The Marauders - caught staring with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance right down the lens of the camera. The rags he'd sent this to were going to be bitch-slapping each other trying to buy this shot. Sirius was rarely caught without his carefully created public persona firmly in place; the man seemed to have an uncanny ability to know exactly where the press would be and how to avoid letting them get an unflattering shot of him.
But it appeared that Remus Lupin had somehow managed to become the exception to the rule.
Remus' hand moved again, swiftly transferring the photograph to a file of pictures titled 'Sirius Black' then clicked on the slide show option. Eyes on the screen as each photo scrolled past, he stretched his arm across the tiny space between his kitchen table and the fridge, and opened the door, pulling out the last bottle of beer and popping the lid. He watched with a frown as photos of the top of Sirius' head floated past then suddenly… there!
His hand shot out and paused the barrage of photographs on a shot of Sirius' face, his lips parted in surprise and grey eyes wide. Remus put his beer down carefully then leaned forward, his face in his hands and elbows planted either side of the laptop. Sirius Black had dueling reputations amongst Remus' peers: some called him difficult, moaning that his arrogance and sense of entitlement made interviews with him agonizing, but others had practically swooned after meeting him, proclaiming him to be the most charming person they'd ever had the good fortune to meet. Sirius Black, it seemed, was an enigma, a chameleon. Few had managed to get much past the steely façade and no one had ever done more than simply scratch the surface of the man underneath.
And that made him incredibly fascinating to the journalist in Remus.
He touched a fingertip to the screen. No matter what he personally thought about Sirius Black as a person, as an artist, Remus couldn't deny that he was one hell of a beautiful man, and that very much appealed to the sex-starved part of Remus.
Remus traced the outline of Sirius' jaw then brushed his finger lightly over the curve of the slightly quirked lips. He wasn't a fan of The Marauders' style of music - too much noise and not enough focus on actual rhythm for Remus' taste - but Sirius was without doubt a talented, charismatic man who had been born to be a star and played the public and the press like a finely tuned instrument.
Perhaps that was why Remus took so much satisfaction in being the one who had managed to break that famed control.
He sank back into his chair and lifted his drink to his mouth. Stalking Sirius Black might not have made him his fortune, or brought him the respect of his peers, but it was proving to be a hell of a lot of fun.
*
Sirius slammed his bedroom door and stalked across the living area to the suite's kitchenette. Peter Pettigrew put down his newspaper and watched Sirius open and close every cupboard door then wrench open the refrigerator door and stare moodily into its depths.
'You've seen the paper then?'
'Fucking journalists should be fucking shot and hung up by their bollocks.'
'I'll take that as a yes.'
Sirius shut the fridge door harder than necessary then collapsed into the armchair opposite Peter. 'You are not to let me go out in public alone,' he said firmly, pointing a finger at Peter. 'You must carry a cattle prod at all times and poke me with it if it looks like I'm going to give this Lupin bloke another shot of me looking like a vacant bloody knob. Poke. Me. Hard!'
Peter exhaled in amusement and gave the newspaper a shake before he lifted it once more. 'And the photo of that should buy Lupin a condo on the Riviera.'
Sirius scowled. 'At least he'd be out of my hair there,' he muttered.
Peter closed the newspaper and folded it in half. 'You realise we have a press conference this afternoon to promote the new album?' he reminded Sirius who immediately closed his eyes and groaned as if in excruciating pain.
'God, he's going to be there and he's going to ask me what colour underwear I'm wearing, or if I'm a natural brunette and embarrass me in front of the fucking world!' he wailed.
Peter looked thoughtful. 'Hasn't he already asked you if you were a natural brunette?' he asked. 'I think the photo of that reaction got him on the front page.'
'It was a slow news day,' Sirius snapped then he heaved a loud, put-upon sigh. 'Why can't he pick on one of you for a change?'
Peter pushed himself to his feet. 'Because you are such an easy target,' he teased then reached across the coffee table to slap Sirius over the head with the newspaper. 'And because you're soooo pretty!'
'Oh, so now I'm being literally and metaphorically beaten by those rags,' Sirius said, fending off Peter's second blow and snatching the paper out of his hands. 'And I'm not pretty. I'm fucking stunning, mate.'
'Mm, maybe he fancies your stunning self?' Peter said, tousling Sirius' carefully groomed hair.
'He's got a funny way of trying to get into my pants then,' Sirius retorted, slapping Peter's hand away. 'Public humiliation isn't really my thing.'
'Yet you still get up on stage thinking you can sing,' Peter said in a pitying tone then he laughed as he ducked out of the way of Sirius' swinging fist.
A sharp series of raps on the door broke up their playful fisticuffs, and Sirius sprawled across the soft armchair as Peter disappeared up the hall. The familiar staccato beat of stiletto heels on the tiled floor made him shoot upright once more, plastering a broad smile on his face as he turned to greet their visitor.
'Alice! Beautiful, gorgeous, love of my life…'
'You are going to that press conference, Sirius,' Alice Longbottom said as she breezed past Sirius, her eyes never leaving her black electronic organizer. 'I don't care how those big bad journalists scare you; this is your bread and butter. Without those…'
'Vultures?' Sirius suggested when Alice, distracted by her organizer, paused.
'… reporters,' Alice said, continuing as if Sirius hadn't interrupted, 'you would have no publicity for the launch of the new album which means that no one would know it had been released which would rather negatively affect sales.'
She shut her organizer with a loud snick and looked up at Sirius for the first time with a brisk smile. 'And we must keep you in leather trousers somehow. Irritating journos who manage to get under your skin are the price you pay for those - admittedly rather fetching - perks.'
She looked over Sirius' head, and her smile softened. 'Thanks, Peter,' she murmured coyly, and Sirius was startled by the change from ball-breaker to ingénue. He looked from Alice to Peter - who was flushing a light pink as he handed their blonde manager a cup of coffee - and rolled his eyes.
'God, you're all at it,' he muttered under his breath then he groaned when he caught Peter's silent but insistent hand gestures that Sirius took to mean 'get the hell out'. He begrudgingly rolled off the chair and staggered to his feet. 'I know when I'm not wanted…'
Alice snorted delicately, and Peter chuckled. Sirius made a face and snatched his leather jacket off the back of the seat where he'd thrown it the night before.
'I'm going to visit James and Lily in their suite…'
'Oh, I wouldn't,' Alice piped up, crossing her rather remarkable legs and taking a tiny sip of the coffee. 'They asked not to be disturbed. Having a lie in.'
Sirius swore then, after another of Peter's non-verbal hints, he sighed. 'I'll just…' He waved his hands vaguely. '… go somewhere else. Maybe get some breakfast...'
'You do that,' Peter encouraged before turning to grin at Alice.
Sirius could barely hold back a sarcastic remark at the sight of Peter's fawning expression and hastily left the room before his control snapped.
He made his way to the hotel restaurant; his progress slowed by a group of middle-aged women who recognized him. He signed some autographs and smiled for a few quick photographs, trying to ignore his stomach's increasingly loud objections to such a late breakfast. As he reached the lobby, Sirius noticed that there were still a few photographers lingering outside and mentally kicked himself when he realised he was searching for a glimpse of the annoyingly persistent Remus Lupin.
Annoyingly persistent and cute.
Sirius grimaced at the rogue thought then greeted the concierge who swiftly organized a table at the back of the restaurant behind a privacy screen so Sirius could eat in peace. He placed his order - scrambled egg whites with mushrooms and coffee (he had to make certain he fit into those leather pants) - and sat back in his chair, absently people watching through the silk screen.
He was accustomed to this life now: being recognized wherever he went, having his every move watched and cataloged by the press, not being able to get through a meal without having to sign an autograph. Sometimes, though, he felt disconnected from the rest of the world, as if The Marauders was its own little universe and stepping out in public was like visiting a parallel universe where everything was identical, but just an inch further to the left.
He wasn't comfortable being himself in this world anymore. Not when his ridiculously expressive face would reveal every single emotion he was experiencing at any given moment. Not when every stupid mistake or broken heart would be splashed across every newspaper stand in the Western world to be consumed over a morning coffee along with all the other celebrity gossip of the day.
That was why he created The Mask.
James had decided Sirius' public face needed capitalization, joking that The Mask appeared so often that it should have official status as their fifth band member. It was the device Sirius employed so he could keep just a little bit of himself for himself. He'd learned how to lock away all the notes and chords and lyrics that were the soundtrack of his life. He let the public see little glimpses of it in his music, on stage, in film clips, but only what he chose to let them see. He was paranoid that if he let all the other shit - the speculation, the gossip, the fame - get past his protection, it would infect him. It would take the only thing he had left that was his and his alone, and he would lose himself.
And that was why he hated Remus Lupin - because that damnable man with his tatty jeans and permanently wind-blown hair and cheeky smile had managed to crack through Sirius' carefully constructed armour.
Sirius sighed heavily then smiled at the nervous looking waiter as he approached with his breakfast. He eyed the other man's arse in those tight black slacks as he departed then dug his fork into the fluffy mound of eggs. He was nearly done when he was startled out of his thoughts be a cheery greeting.
'Morning!'
Sirius looked up, automatically plastering on a smile, only to have it fall from his face almost immediately.
'You!'
*
Remus Lupin grinned at Sirius Black then, with a loud scraping sound, pulled out a chair and sat down. Sirius was staring at him with an open mouth and Remus' smile broadened.
'Is the food any good here?' he asked, leaning over and plucking a menu from the next table. 'I've not eaten yet and thanks to you, I can actually afford this place today.'
His words seemed to rouse Sirius from his temporary fugue and his surprised expression morphed into that of anger. 'What the hell are you doing in here?' Sirius hissed, glaring at Remus. 'Journalists were told to stay outside…'
'How do you know I'm not a guest here?' Remus asked archly, as he casually crossed his legs. Sirius raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side, his gaze dropping to take in Remus' faded black t-shirt, baggy jeans and trainers.
'I'm stunned they even let you through the front door in that get up,' Sirius snapped, his eyes now roaming the eating area, obviously searching for a member of the wait staff.
'Ah, but I came in the back door,' admitted Remus, closing the menu and looking at Sirius' mostly empty plate. 'What did you have? Was it good?'
Sirius shook his head in disbelief. 'You have got one fucking massive set of balls,' he said, a little touch of awe in his voice, and Remus laughed.
'You've met my ex-boyfriend then? He used to say that all the time…'
'What do you want?' Sirius interrupted snappishly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Remus cocked his head, wondering if the light flush across Sirius' cheeks was anger or embarrassment.
God, he's fucking adorable when he blushes. Come on, Remus, focus. You have a goal here, remember?
It had occurred to him late last night that sooner rather than later, Sirius would become immune to the shock of hearing such disingenuous questions shouted out at him, and that he would soon be just another pap desperate for a photo. He had to use this tiny bit of power he had over Sirius while he was still able to wield it. He knew what a no-holds barred interview with Sirius Black would fetch him in pounds, and what it could do for him professionally. And for that, it was worth giving up what had rather worrisomely become one of Remus' favourite past times… watching Sirius.
'I want your time,' he answered curtly, steadfastly avoiding looking to see if that blush extended into Sirius' shirt. 'Two whole days following you around. No pre-approval of questions. I get to ask whatever my heart desires, and you have to answer. Truthfully preferably, but I can work with a lie if you don't mind it coming back to haunt you later on.'
Sirius reached out for his coffee and quickly downed the dregs like he was wishing it was a shot of vodka. 'You bastards don't have hearts,' he muttered then he let out a sharp humorless bark. 'You must be out of your fucking mind if you think I am going to agree to that.'
Remus brazenly picked up Sirius' discarded fork and scooped up a mouthful of the now-cold eggs, shoving it in his mouth while Sirius stared at him incredulously. He chewed slowly, trying to ignore his recoiling taste buds that didn't appreciate the taste of cold eggs, and watched Sirius stew.
Sirius was fidgeting in his chair, eyes darting around the room, then he sighed and closed his eyes. 'If - and that is one hell of an if - I consider your proposal, what's in this for me?' he asked, opening his eyes and looking directly into Remus'. He held Remus' gaze as he leaned in closer, resting his forearms on the table, and Remus' mouth went a little dry. 'What could you possibly have that I would be interested in, Remus Lupin?'
And fuck, if his name didn't sound like poetry sliding out from between those lips.
Remus swallowed hard, the eggs feeling as though they were grating down the length of his suddenly dry throat. He coughed into a curled fist, trying to buy some time to disentangle himself from the powerful web of arousal he'd walked straight into. He hadn't expected Sirius to actually know his name.
'You know my name,' he said out loud then coughed once more when he heard how husky his voice was.
'It’s in the corner of every single photograph of me you've sold,' Sirius said, narrowing his eyes. 'I've managed to find out quite a lot about you, Mr. Lupin. Know thine enemy.'
'I'll leave you alone,' Remus said simply, trying to regain the upper hand by being as forthright as possible. He mirrored Sirius' pose, trying not to flinch away from that probing, grey gaze. 'I will stop ambushing you. Cease and desist all stalking. Scouts' honour.'
There was a flicker of… something… that Remus didn't expect across Sirius' face. Was that… regret? Disappointment? Remus felt the corner of his mouth turn up. Maybe Sirius had been enjoying their game as much as Remus had. 'That is… if you want me to stop,' he said slowly.
Sirius' jaw tensed as he looked down at his plate. 'Of course I want you to leave me alone,' he said, low and soft, and Remus couldn't discern any kind of emotion. 'But there are plenty more of you out there.' He gestured towards the front of the hotel and the rapidly growing gaggle of reporters.
Remus let the smile that had been threatening to bleed through. 'Yes, but none of them are managing to get a salable photograph of you every single time you step outside.'
When Sirius looked up, there was no mistaking the emotion that burned in those grey eyes, turning them mercurial. Sirius Black was furious.
'This is fucking blackmail,' he ground out through clenched teeth, and Remus frowned.
'No,' he said with a shake of his head. 'In return for an interview, I leave you alone, and you get a hell of a lot of publicity for your new album. It's hardly blackmail if you're getting something out of it as well.'
'An interview where no subject is off limits,' Sirius spat, balling up the linen napkin and throwing it onto the table. He pushed his chair out as he stood, glaring down at Remus. 'I'll take my chances with the bull run, Mr. Lupin. No deal.'
Remus stood quickly as Sirius edged around the table to leave. He grabbed the other man's arm, the slick, warm leather of his jacket soft under his fingers. Sirius glanced down at his hand then his gaze rose to Remus' face.
'Here,' Remus said quickly, before Sirius could either yell and bring hotel security running, or thump him. He held up a business card between two fingers then tucked it into the pocket of Sirius' jacket. 'My phone number. Just in case you change your mind.'
'I won't,' Sirius said quietly, looking pointedly down at Remus' hand, and Remus hastily released him.
'Well, you could always call just to say hi,' he joked, and despite Sirius' obvious irritation, a corner of his mouth turned up in amusement.
'You are a complete nutter,' he murmured and Remus laughed.
'A complete nutter, who you are keeping in scrambled eggs at the moment,' Remus said, pinching another mouthful of eggs off Sirius' plate. 'Think about it.'
'God, don't eat like a bloody tramp off my plate,' Sirius muttered, screwing up his nose. 'If you weren't such a damn pest, I'd buy you breakfast.'
Remus cocked an eyebrow. 'Would you now?' he asked flirtatiously and was astonished to see Sirius' eyes widen and his face flush.
'Your offer has been rejected,' Sirius said bluntly, taking a step back. 'And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't approach me again like this. I'd hate to have to apply for a restraining order, but I will.'
Then he spun on his booted heel and stalked away, Remus watching with an open mouth and alarms going off in his head. He fell back into his chair, exhaling sharply as his mind raced. Sirius' response to Remus' gentle flirting hadn't been disgust or annoyance; he had panicked, and that kind of reaction to same-sex flirting was one Remus had some experience with. His story sensors were tingling and his gaydar was screeching like a drag queen with a broken fingernail.
A slow smile spread across Remus' face. 'Jesus,' he murmured to himself. 'Sirius Black is in the closet.'
*
Sirius' mouth dropped open as he stared at his manager in shock. He'd been ranting for a good twenty minutes about Lupin's audacity only to be stunned into a stupor by Alice's unforeseen reaction.
'What did you say?' he asked, sure he'd misheard.
Alice glanced at Peter, James and Lily and rolled her eyes before turning her gaze back to Sirius. 'I said that I think you should do it,' she repeated, enunciating the words carefully. 'A rare, in-depth interview would generate great publicity for the album. I'm sure we could get Lupin to agree to some restrictions, and it would get him off your back which, as an added bonus for us, will end your obsessive paranoia when it comes to this man.'
Sirius just gaped at her and she sighed heavily. 'God, give me strength,' she muttered, looking up to the heavens. 'Sirius, I know you value your privacy, but surely you see that your insistence on giving no information about your personal life just makes people all the more curious about it.'
'It's no one's fucking business what I do on my own time!'
'I know it should be that way,' Alice said soothingly but with a slight edge underpinning her words, 'but it isn't. I warned all of you when I took you on that you would be giving up all semblance of privacy if you chose this life for yourselves. The others have managed to strike a balance with how much personal information they reveal, but you, Sirius… you are determined not to let the public have anything of you.'
'Our fans know so much about me it's bloody frightening,' Sirius snarled. He stood up, unable to keep still while his manager attacked him like this.
'Mate, they know the basic stuff, the superficial stuff,' James said, standing and moving to stand in front of Sirius, bringing his pacing to a halt. 'But they want more, you know that. Especially from you because you're up front. You're the first person everyone sees, that everyone thinks of when they think of The Marauders, and you're the one they want more of.'
'Well, they can't have it,' Sirius said sulkily. 'I don't see how knowing where I write, or my routine before a concert, or who I'm shagging is anyone else's business.'
'It's their business because they made you,' Alice snapped, getting to her feet. 'And they can break you. This Lupin bloke might be the first to take this approach, but he won't be the last, Sirius. Or what about when one of your… indiscretions talks and all this secrecy blows up in your face?'
'They wouldn't…'
Peter shook his head. 'We keep telling you not to shag the roadies, Sirius. If one of them gets pissed off with you one day…'
'That's why they sign confidentiality agreements, Peter,' Sirius sneered, curling his lip. 'Anything that happens on the road, stays on the road.'
'Confidentially agreements have been broken before, sweetheart,' Lily said, quiet and gentle, drawing Sirius' eyes to her. 'The notoriety they'll get for being the one to out Sirius Black might prove too tempting for one of them one day.'
Sirius tightened his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets, unable to be as cruel as he wanted to the quietly spoken woman. He turned away from the group, bitter resentment longing to spill over. They didn't understand. They couldn't. None of them had fought like he did for this. None of them struggled like he did; having to listen as everything he'd ever felt, every thought he'd ever had, spilled out on stage night after night, rang out from radios and stereos everywhere they went. He fisted his hands in his jacket, firming his resolve. The public already had enough of him; they weren't getting any more.
There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence then perpetual peacemaker Peter piped up. 'We should get ready for the press conference, shouldn't we?'
'Yes,' Alice said efficiently, glancing down at her watch. 'We'll start letting the press into the conference room in about half an hour.' There was a knock on the door and she made an impatient noise in her throat before striding off to answer it.
'Sirius…' James began, but Sirius held up his hand in a 'leave it' gesture. He heard James' frustrated sigh before Alice's heels heralded her return.
'For you,' she said grimly, handing the opened envelope and note to Sirius. 'You may want to reconsider your little friend's deal.'
Sirius flicked open the folded letter, his frown deepening when he read the contents.
Sirius,
Thought you might like a preview of the questions I plan on asking at the press conference today so you can prepare your answers.
1.What is your favourite lyric from the new album and what inspired you to write it?
2.Why won't you come out of the closet? Are you ashamed of who you are?
3.Who's your favourite cartoon character?
What do you think? I like number 3 myself, but one of the others might be more newsworthy. You've got my phone number if you feel like saying hi.
Remus Lupin
'That fucker!'
Sirius read through the note twice, colour draining from his face, before clenching his fist and crumpling the paper. He looked up at Alice who pursed her lips.
'Is he guessing or does he have firsthand knowledge of your preferences?' she asked stonily.
Sirius heard Lily hiss and James and Peter curse quietly as they realized what the letter contained.
'He's guessing,' Sirius retorted harshly, nostrils flaring as he met Alice's fierce gaze with one of his own. 'I'm not stupid enough to hit on male journalists while they are trying to blackmail me.'
Alice's snort revealed her opinion of Sirius' intelligence might not be as high as his own, and she rapped her fingernails on the plastic casing of her organizer before flipping it open.
'We have almost an hour and a half before the press conference is due to begin,' she said, tapping at the screen with a tiny pen then looking up at Sirius. 'I assume you aren't going to want to make a statement in regards to your sexuality today?'
Sirius stared incredulously at her then glanced over at the trio on the couch who all avoided his eye. He frowned and looked from one to the other. 'You think I should?' he asked, taken aback by their unusual silence.
Peter and Lily looked at James who made an annoyed noise in his throat before he stood up. 'Maybe it is time to tell the truth, Sirius,' he said cajolingly, Lily and Peter nodding supportively behind him.
'I've never lied!' Sirius roared, and James' face darkened.
'You've never been honest either!' he shouted back. 'We've all told you that you should just stop hiding it and make a statement, but nooo, Sirius Black knows best. This bloke isn't just threatening you, Sirius. The whole album release would be completely overshadowed by your personal life if he decides to out you. Did you stop and think about how this might affect us before you made unilateral decisions that concern the band?'
'Who I fuck has got nothing to do with any of you!' Sirius yelled.
'Stop being so bloody obtuse!' Peter said loudly, stepping up to stand beside James. 'Who you fuck does reflect back on all of us, and it's about damn time you started accepting that. You can't keep going on hiding behind The Mask, Sirius. Someone has seen through it, and you're going to have to deal with that. With him.'
The three men stood, hands on hips, glaring at each other until Alice stepped between them.
'Alright,' she said, making a gesture for James and Peter to sit down. 'Put your testosterone away, boys. Alice will fix this.'
Sirius looked at her, anger and fear bubbling like hot, molten lava inside. He wanted to scream, to hit, to hurt, and he was shaking with the suppressed desires.
'How will you fix this?' he asked, horrified when he heard how badly his voice was shaking.
Alice put her organizer away and pulled out her mobile phone. 'Give me that card he gave you,' she said, holding out her hand, a look of steely determination on her face. 'I think it's time we sat down for a chat with Mr. Lupin.'
*
Remus stood outside the hotel room, willing the butterflies in his stomach away. He glanced down once more at the message in his hand: the note from Sirius Black's manager that had found its way into his hand minutes before The Marauders' press conference began.
Mr. Lupin,
Mr. Black has agreed to discuss your earlier proposition with you, on the condition that you ask no questions at the press conference this afternoon. I understand that you may feel disinclined to agree to this condition, but I think you would agree that the possible return is well worth the investment of trust.
Come to Suite 02 at 5pm and we can discuss terms.
Alice Longbottom
He had remained silent during the press conference, eyes fixed on a blank-faced Sirius Black as he answered questions in a monotone. Not once did his eyes meet Remus' and, when it was over, Sirius was the first off the stage.
Now, Remus scratched uneasily at his calf with his foot, guilt twanging unpleasantly in his gut. 'What am I doing?' he mumbled, screwing his nose up in distaste at his recent actions. 'This isn't me. This isn't what I want to do with my life.'
But as he was about to turn away, his stomach growled - he'd been too nervous to eat lunch - and he was reminded of how very far just this one interview could take him, how it could give him some long-term security instead of living from photograph to photograph to pay his rent, or relying on small time reporting gigs to put food on the table.
'It's just two days,' he told himself. 'It won't be so bad. Just two days out of his life then he's free of me.'
And why did the thought of not seeing Sirius Black on a regular basis make his chest tighten just that little bit?
Shoving aside the disturbing little flashes of realisation that were attempting to push through to the forefront of his mind, Remus raised his arm and knocked decisively. The door was opened almost immediately by Sirius' blonde, thirty-something manager, the clear disapproval on her face startling Remus into taking a step back.
'You are late, Mr. Lupin,' she admonished sternly, reminding him of his mother for a long, frightening moment. 'Try not to make that a habit.'
Remus took a swift look at his watch. 'I'm two minutes late,' he said defensively then wished he hadn't when her manner - already cool - turned positively frosty.
'We run to a tight schedule, Mr. Lupin,' she said, biting off the end of each word. 'It would behoove you to ensure you do the same should you become an invited guest of Mr. Black.'
Remus repressed the urge to shuffle his feet and call this woman who was scarcely five years his senior 'ma'am'. He settled for nodding, slightly shamefaced, and obediently trailed behind her when she made an imperious gesture for him to do so. From under his eyelashes, he snuck quick glances around the suite, realising approximately three steps inside the hallway that he was definitely not in Kansas anymore. Money and class practically oozed from every single surface and Remus tried very hard not to feel inferior in the sand-coloured trousers that were fashionable two seasons ago, and his well-worn blue dress shirt.
They came out into a light, airy room. The first thing Remus' eyes fell upon was the view of London at dusk through the bank of windows on the far side of the room. The sky was clear for a change, gold and pink interwoven through the dull grey of twilight.
'Wow,' he whispered as he took an involuntary step forward, entranced by the sight of his hometown as he'd never seen it before.
'It's breathtaking isn't it?' a very male voice said softly.
Remus started, his head swiveling sharply to his left to take in another spectacular view - Sirius Black reclining on a green suede lounge. His ankle was loosely crossed over his knee, his arms resting casually along the armrest and the back of the couch. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a plain white tee, his dark hair a stark contrast as it brushed his broad shoulders, and his feet were bare.
Christ, the man was fucking gorgeous.
'Mr. Lupin,' Sirius said in greeting, uncrossing his legs and standing, the only indicator of his mood were his hands which were clenching and unclenching at his sides.
Remus glanced quickly at Alice Longbottom who had taken a seat in an armchair and was tapping at one of those electronic organizers then lifted his chin and met Sirius' eye.
'Mr. Black,' he replied with a nod, mimicking Sirius' pleasant but formal tone.
Remus was surprised when the hand Sirius extended wasn't curled into a fist and aimed at his jaw, and he quickly reached out to take it. Sirius' grip was firm, his hand warm and calloused, and Remus couldn't help but wonder how it would feel wrapped around his cock. He could feel blood rushing to parts he certainly didn't want it to be rushing to and, with a perfunctory shake, he let go of the… rather large… hand.
'Right,' Alice said, breaking into Remus' thoughts about the correlation in size between men's hands and other parts of their bodies. 'Now the pleasantries are out of the way, let's turn our attention to the issue at hand. I'm sure you both want this sorted out as quickly and painlessly as possible.'
Sirius muttered something indistinguishable under his breath as he sank back into the puffy couch. Alice looked at Remus and indicated that he should sit in the armchair opposite the lounge. He perched on the edge, the butterflies in his stomach - temporarily caged by the beautiful distractions - taking flight once again.
'So, Mr. Lupin,' Alice said, her strident voice cutting through him. 'You're branching out into blackmail?'
Remus couldn't stop his wince in time and caught the edge of Sirius' smirk before the other man schooled his face back into blankness. 'As I've already explained to Mr. Black,' Remus said, 'I'm not sure blackmail is usually so advantageous to both parties. You know that there will be a resultant upswing in album sales if a no-holds barred interview with Sirius is released in conjunction with the new CD.'
'You're doing this to help with album sales?' Alice said, in a syrupy, sarcastic tone. 'How altruistic of you, Mr. Lupin.'
Sirius snorted softly and this time, the smug little smile was lingering on his face when Remus looked at him. He felt his temper rising, and he abruptly stood, wiping the smile off Sirius' face.
'I was told we were here to discuss my proposal,' he said, eyes boring into Sirius' as the other man slowly rose to his feet. 'If you just wanted to pull pigtails, you should know I don't usually like an audience, but I might make an exception for you.' He finished up with a wink and, to his enormous satisfaction, Sirius' mask cracked.
'You are a fucking bastard,' he snapped, taking a step closer to Remus, face contorting with fury. 'No matter how you try and fucking spin this, you are manipulating me for your own benefit. This interview will make you a bloody fortune!'
'And you're considering doing the same damn thing to me to get publicity for your album, to make even more money to waste on fancy hotel rooms and leather pants,' Remus snapped back, moving forward so that only the suddenly very small coffee table lay between them. 'So you tell me which of us is the bigger fucking whore?'
Remus could see Sirius shaking with anger and knew that he was trembling as well. His hands closed at his sides, fingers crushed against his palm, but as he and Sirius tried to stare each other down, he wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to punch the other man in that smartarse mouth, or grab a handful of that pretty fucking hair and kiss him until he surrendered.
Either way, those lips would look fantastic all puffed up.
'Well, that was certainly interesting,' Alice said brightly, breaking the stand-off, and both men turned to glare at her.
Remus didn't like the calculating expression on her face, but when she waved her hands at their respective seats, he cautiously sat back down.
'We can ensure this arrangement is beneficial to all,' she said, glancing down at her organizer. 'Mr. Lupin, we are prepared to allow you to tail Mr. Black and The Marauders for forty-eight hours precisely.'
She looked up at Remus pointedly as she placed heavy emphasis on the end of her sentence. Remus squirmed a little and, apparently satisfied her point had been made, Alice continued.
'However, we are not willing to agree to an 'access all areas' pass in regards to your questioning of Mr. Black.'
Remus had expected this. Excitement sparked up and down his spine and he dug his fingers into the arms of the chair to avoid punching the air in triumph. Whatever access they granted him, it would be far more than any other journalist had ever been allowed. Fuck, he'd really done it!
'I've prepared a list of topics that Mr. Black is prepared to discuss with you…' She brandished a sheaf of papers and Remus took them out of her hands. 'And there is also a standard contract agreement for you to sign.' She looked up, face set, and held out a pen. 'No signature, the deal is off. Take it or leave it.'
'I'll want a chance to peruse the contract and the allowable topics,' Remus objected when he realised that she expected him to sign it right then and there.
Alice nodded and tossed the pen down onto the coffee table, paying it no mind as it skittered across the surface. 'You have one hour,' she told him, standing up and glancing over at Sirius, who also pushed himself to his feet. 'You will stay here - that contract does not leave this room until it is signed - and this is our only offer, Mr. Lupin. There will be no negotiation over terms. We've extended to you a generosity that no journalist has had before, or is likely to have again. Consider that when you read over those conditions.'
And with that, she turned on her heel and left the room. Sirius took a couple of steps in the same direction then looked back over his shoulder at Remus.
'Me,' he said quietly, and Remus frowned in confusion.
'Sorry?' he said then a shudder ripped through him as, for the first time, he saw Sirius Black with no walls, no hint of a mask. A deep, abiding sadness shadowed those grey eyes, and Remus felt a lump form in his throat in sympathy.
'I literally sell my soul with every lyric I write,' Sirius said, his voice oddly flat. 'That makes me the bigger whore, I think.'
Part Two