[FIC] Second Chances
Okay, I had to repost this, because LJ is not posting my original submission, likely because I renamed from cappuchino to halftone. Lame, LJ. Very lame.
Title: Second Chances
Author: halftone
Written for: last_radio
Rating: PG for kissing
Summary and/or Prompt: Sirius returns to his ancestral home after his brother is killed in a "hunting accident", thereby leaving him as the only heir to the family title. When he goes to meet with the estate manager, he meets up with a childhood friend.
Any other random notes, warnings, etc.: I am so so so so SO sorry that I'm late on this! My original bunny from this prompt turned into this terribly epic thing that I never would have finished in time, and so I had to go on to plan B. AU setting, using the prompt of "late 1800s", because I am a historical setting h0r. XD; last_radio, I do hope you like it!
It's dusty. That was Sirius Black's first thought upon his return to his family's ancestral home, Grimmauld Place. When he had left home during his last year at Eton, he never intended on coming back, and after being named his uncle Alphard's heir, that determination was reinforced, due to the financial independence and the social status ensured by his new styling of Viscount Guildford.
Unfortunately, due to his brother's mysterious hunting accident, he now found himself in possession of this old mausoleum of a manor house, and the title that he had been groomed for since birth, though never thought to hold: Duke of Grimmauld. The news had reached Sirius while he was in London for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating with his best friend, James, the Earl of Weybridge, and his wife Lily. It was with James' family that Sirius stayed after leaving his home, becoming like a second family to him.
Upon receiving the letter from the family solicitor, he had no intention of doing anything to lay claim to the title so proudly borne by generation upon generation of his overbred, narrow-minded ancestors. However, it was James who convinced him to go, to lay his personal demons to rest, and make sure everything was in order so that he would never have to go back there ever again. Which explained why he was here, feeling like a guest in his own house while he waited for the estate manager to arrive. He hadn't paid much attention to the letter after seeing that his brother was dead and he was the new duke, and he couldn't even remember who the new estate manager was. He was just glad he wouldn't have to deal with the odious little toad of a man who had run the place when he was younger, Kreacher.
Just when Sirius was starting to feel like the walls were closing in on him, another man opened the door of the parlor, where he had been left to wait, arms filled with papers. "Terribly sorry, there was a problem with one of the tenants..." The man trailed off when he realized that he was being stared at with no little amount of surprise. "Your Grace?"
Sirius blinked, eyes trying to reconcile the figure in front of him with the one he remembered from years ago. "Remus Lupin? Is that really you? You're the estate manager of this monstrosity?" This man was the boy he had played with against his parents' orders? When had this happened? When had all these changes taken place? Surely he was taller, his features a bit sharper - and was that a bit of premature grey in his golden-brown hair?
If anything, Remus seemed to only get more formal, hazel eyes quite purposefully blank. "Yes, Your Grace. You'll see that I've brought the estate accounts for your review at your earliest convenience. If you'd like, I can arrange for you to view the grounds and meet the tenants. Or, should you prefer not to, we can discuss them here as well. There's also the matter of the household. If this house will be closed up for a prolonged period of time, some of the staff will need to be let go. Though, if you plan on taking up residence here, more staff will be needed, I am sure, especially should you choose to entertain here."
Sirius, however, had tuned out everything that Remus had said, lost in a memory that had been forgotten until this moment, a small scrap of time at the end of his last summer spent in this overly-large, gloomy place.
"You're going back to Eton tomorrow, aren't you?"
Remus had never been able to hide his emotions from Sirius, and this time was no different, nervousness written all over his face, the tone of his voice laced with it. This holiday had been quite different from any previous one, despite the fact that it was spent with Remus, as was the norm. Perhaps it was the fact that they were getting older, or the fact that Sirius was fighting more and more with his family about their expectations of him, but things had been odd, stilted, between the two friends.
"Yes," Sirius replied, sounding slightly frustrated. "You knew that already, though. I told you days ago that I was leaving tomorrow." Raking his fingers through overly-long hair, unfashionable in this era ruled by Queen Victoria's high morals, though still appealing, Sirius peered at his companion, studying him intently as had been his wont lately. It was an odd compulsion, coming seemingly out of nowhere, but despite the fact that he knew it was an odd thing to do, he couldn't stop himself from doing it either.
"What are you doing?"
"Eh? 'M not doing anything."
Remus rolled his eyes, a slight flush tinting his cheeks. "Right. Whatever you say. I should get going anyway, I have to help my father back at home. There's too much to do this late in the season, and it was hard enough to convince him to let me come up here anyway."
"Wait!" An outstretched hand stopped Remus as he started to stand up. "I just--wait. Okay?" Sirius just stood there, looking at Remus oddly, long moments passing, until Remus was starting to get quite frustrated. Finally, just as he opened his mouth to say something about Sirius' ridiculous behavior, the other boy leaned in and pressed an awkward kiss to his lips, lingering only seconds before breaking away again. "See you winter holiday," he called out before running to his horse and mounting quickly, going back to the manor house without looking back. If he had, he would have seen Remus standing there, fingers touching his lips lightly, surprise evident on his face.
"I never did see you winter holiday, did I? I got disowned and never came back, and completely forgot that afternoon--until now, that is." Sirius had that same odd look on his face that he had worn so long ago, watching Remus closely. A slight flicker of something was there in hazel eyes, before it was hidden once more under layers of control.
"No, Your Grace. I did hear of what had happened later on, so it was quite understandable. Now if I could direct your attention to this past year's ledgers, you'll see--"
"Wait!" It was like a repeat of the same scene from years earlier, though whereas the first time Remus was trying to retreat physically, this time he was hiding behind a wall of accounts and duties, things that Sirius didn't care a whit about. "Look, we don't need to do this now, do we? You know very well that I hate this mausoleum of a house. Your talents would be wasted here." He could see Remus' backbone stiffening, wounded pride filling his eyes, but Sirius kept talking before Remus could speak up. "You'd be much more valuable at Guildford Manor - should you want the position, of course. Besides, we're old friends, right? Here's the opportunity to renew our friendship," and perhaps discover just what that last summer here was leading up to, he finished in his mind.
Remus opened his mouth and then closed it again, a frown marring his features as he considered what Sirius said. Sirius was afraid he would turn him down, preferring to stay the manager of a closed property that never saw another living person stay within its walls, and he flashed the other man his best, most charming smile, grey eyes hopeful. "Come now, I won't take no for an answer."
After another long moment where Remus regarded Sirius with those unfathomable eyes, all green and grey and even a little bit of gold in them, he exhaled slowly and nodded. "Alright. I accept your offer, Your Grace."
"Brilliant! But none of this 'Your Grace' business. You knew me before all that, and I'm not about to have you call me by some title I never wanted when we're alone." Remus looked as though he would object, but he merely nodded his acquiescence, realizing that Sirius would not accept anything else but. "We can go over this lot tomorrow. As for now, I'd rather spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on everything that's happened since we last saw each other."
At that, finally, a small hint of a smile graced Remus' features, and he settled into a chair, falling back into the comfort of their past familiarity, something he never thought to regain again. Perhaps second chances were possible after all.
Title: Second Chances
Author: halftone
Written for: last_radio
Rating: PG for kissing
Summary and/or Prompt: Sirius returns to his ancestral home after his brother is killed in a "hunting accident", thereby leaving him as the only heir to the family title. When he goes to meet with the estate manager, he meets up with a childhood friend.
Any other random notes, warnings, etc.: I am so so so so SO sorry that I'm late on this! My original bunny from this prompt turned into this terribly epic thing that I never would have finished in time, and so I had to go on to plan B. AU setting, using the prompt of "late 1800s", because I am a historical setting h0r. XD; last_radio, I do hope you like it!
It's dusty. That was Sirius Black's first thought upon his return to his family's ancestral home, Grimmauld Place. When he had left home during his last year at Eton, he never intended on coming back, and after being named his uncle Alphard's heir, that determination was reinforced, due to the financial independence and the social status ensured by his new styling of Viscount Guildford.
Unfortunately, due to his brother's mysterious hunting accident, he now found himself in possession of this old mausoleum of a manor house, and the title that he had been groomed for since birth, though never thought to hold: Duke of Grimmauld. The news had reached Sirius while he was in London for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating with his best friend, James, the Earl of Weybridge, and his wife Lily. It was with James' family that Sirius stayed after leaving his home, becoming like a second family to him.
Upon receiving the letter from the family solicitor, he had no intention of doing anything to lay claim to the title so proudly borne by generation upon generation of his overbred, narrow-minded ancestors. However, it was James who convinced him to go, to lay his personal demons to rest, and make sure everything was in order so that he would never have to go back there ever again. Which explained why he was here, feeling like a guest in his own house while he waited for the estate manager to arrive. He hadn't paid much attention to the letter after seeing that his brother was dead and he was the new duke, and he couldn't even remember who the new estate manager was. He was just glad he wouldn't have to deal with the odious little toad of a man who had run the place when he was younger, Kreacher.
Just when Sirius was starting to feel like the walls were closing in on him, another man opened the door of the parlor, where he had been left to wait, arms filled with papers. "Terribly sorry, there was a problem with one of the tenants..." The man trailed off when he realized that he was being stared at with no little amount of surprise. "Your Grace?"
Sirius blinked, eyes trying to reconcile the figure in front of him with the one he remembered from years ago. "Remus Lupin? Is that really you? You're the estate manager of this monstrosity?" This man was the boy he had played with against his parents' orders? When had this happened? When had all these changes taken place? Surely he was taller, his features a bit sharper - and was that a bit of premature grey in his golden-brown hair?
If anything, Remus seemed to only get more formal, hazel eyes quite purposefully blank. "Yes, Your Grace. You'll see that I've brought the estate accounts for your review at your earliest convenience. If you'd like, I can arrange for you to view the grounds and meet the tenants. Or, should you prefer not to, we can discuss them here as well. There's also the matter of the household. If this house will be closed up for a prolonged period of time, some of the staff will need to be let go. Though, if you plan on taking up residence here, more staff will be needed, I am sure, especially should you choose to entertain here."
Sirius, however, had tuned out everything that Remus had said, lost in a memory that had been forgotten until this moment, a small scrap of time at the end of his last summer spent in this overly-large, gloomy place.
"You're going back to Eton tomorrow, aren't you?"
Remus had never been able to hide his emotions from Sirius, and this time was no different, nervousness written all over his face, the tone of his voice laced with it. This holiday had been quite different from any previous one, despite the fact that it was spent with Remus, as was the norm. Perhaps it was the fact that they were getting older, or the fact that Sirius was fighting more and more with his family about their expectations of him, but things had been odd, stilted, between the two friends.
"Yes," Sirius replied, sounding slightly frustrated. "You knew that already, though. I told you days ago that I was leaving tomorrow." Raking his fingers through overly-long hair, unfashionable in this era ruled by Queen Victoria's high morals, though still appealing, Sirius peered at his companion, studying him intently as had been his wont lately. It was an odd compulsion, coming seemingly out of nowhere, but despite the fact that he knew it was an odd thing to do, he couldn't stop himself from doing it either.
"What are you doing?"
"Eh? 'M not doing anything."
Remus rolled his eyes, a slight flush tinting his cheeks. "Right. Whatever you say. I should get going anyway, I have to help my father back at home. There's too much to do this late in the season, and it was hard enough to convince him to let me come up here anyway."
"Wait!" An outstretched hand stopped Remus as he started to stand up. "I just--wait. Okay?" Sirius just stood there, looking at Remus oddly, long moments passing, until Remus was starting to get quite frustrated. Finally, just as he opened his mouth to say something about Sirius' ridiculous behavior, the other boy leaned in and pressed an awkward kiss to his lips, lingering only seconds before breaking away again. "See you winter holiday," he called out before running to his horse and mounting quickly, going back to the manor house without looking back. If he had, he would have seen Remus standing there, fingers touching his lips lightly, surprise evident on his face.
"I never did see you winter holiday, did I? I got disowned and never came back, and completely forgot that afternoon--until now, that is." Sirius had that same odd look on his face that he had worn so long ago, watching Remus closely. A slight flicker of something was there in hazel eyes, before it was hidden once more under layers of control.
"No, Your Grace. I did hear of what had happened later on, so it was quite understandable. Now if I could direct your attention to this past year's ledgers, you'll see--"
"Wait!" It was like a repeat of the same scene from years earlier, though whereas the first time Remus was trying to retreat physically, this time he was hiding behind a wall of accounts and duties, things that Sirius didn't care a whit about. "Look, we don't need to do this now, do we? You know very well that I hate this mausoleum of a house. Your talents would be wasted here." He could see Remus' backbone stiffening, wounded pride filling his eyes, but Sirius kept talking before Remus could speak up. "You'd be much more valuable at Guildford Manor - should you want the position, of course. Besides, we're old friends, right? Here's the opportunity to renew our friendship," and perhaps discover just what that last summer here was leading up to, he finished in his mind.
Remus opened his mouth and then closed it again, a frown marring his features as he considered what Sirius said. Sirius was afraid he would turn him down, preferring to stay the manager of a closed property that never saw another living person stay within its walls, and he flashed the other man his best, most charming smile, grey eyes hopeful. "Come now, I won't take no for an answer."
After another long moment where Remus regarded Sirius with those unfathomable eyes, all green and grey and even a little bit of gold in them, he exhaled slowly and nodded. "Alright. I accept your offer, Your Grace."
"Brilliant! But none of this 'Your Grace' business. You knew me before all that, and I'm not about to have you call me by some title I never wanted when we're alone." Remus looked as though he would object, but he merely nodded his acquiescence, realizing that Sirius would not accept anything else but. "We can go over this lot tomorrow. As for now, I'd rather spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on everything that's happened since we last saw each other."
At that, finally, a small hint of a smile graced Remus' features, and he settled into a chair, falling back into the comfort of their past familiarity, something he never thought to regain again. Perhaps second chances were possible after all.