Fic: The Summer of Sirius - July 26 & 27 & 28
Part 16 - Remus helps Sirius prepare for his job interview. (Harry Potter, Pre-Azkaban, PG)
Written for dogdaysofsummer
Prompts 26, 27, 28
Title: The Interview
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,016
Disclaimer: JK Rowling's boys, not mine.
Notes: Part of series chronicling the summer that Sirius moved into his flat.
Summary: Remus helps Sirius practice his interview.
Previous: July 1&2&3, July 4&5, July 6, July 7, July 8&9, July 10, July 11, July 12&13, July 14&15, July 16, July 17, July 18, July 19, July 20&21, July 22&23&24&25
July 28, 1978
“How does this look?”
Sirius Black stretched out his arms and turned around once so Remus Lupin could see his outfit. He wore a white long-sleeve dress shirt and black trousers. A maroon tie adorned his collar.
Remus, sitting cross-legged on Sirius’s bed, looked at Sirius from head to toe. “What’s with the tie? We’re no longer Gryffindors, Sirius.”
“Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor,” declared Sirius before removing the tie. He had a job interview with the Ministry of Magic the following day and had invited Remus to help him prepare for it. Since the money his uncle had given him was almost completely depleted, it was critical for Sirius to get this job. He stood in front of the small wardrobe in his bedroom and fingered the different colored ties. “Which one do you like, then?”
“Hmm, try the blue one,” replied Remus.
Sirius tied it around his neck and stood in front of Remus. Remus stared at him.
“Take off your trousers,” he firmly said.
Sirius smirked. “Uh, you really think we have time for that right now?”
Remus rolled his eyes and said, “Try on the grey pair. I think they’ll look better with the shirt. Black and white is too boring. Plus, the grey matches your eyes.”
Sirius grinned. “Finally loving the grey, are you?”
“Well, every time I come here, I can’t help but notice the grey,” said Remus as he pointed to the grey walls. “Now, off with the trousers.”
Sirius removed his trousers and hung them. “James owled me. To wish me luck. Says he and Peter are having a grand time, swimming and horsing around and doing everything the four of us usually do.”
“Do you wish you had gone with him?”
“No,” stated Sirius as he turned around, the grey trousers in his hands, and faced Remus. “James doesn’t let me shag him.”
Remus opened his mouth.
“And Peter doesn’t either,” added Sirius quickly.
Remus closed his mouth.
“I’d rather be here,” said Sirius. He put on the trousers. “Well?”
Remus nodded. “It works.”
Sirius stood in front of the mirror on the closet door to look at himself. He smiled, obviously happy at what he saw.
“Why don’t we go over the questions again?” suggested Remus.
Sirius groaned.
“If you don’t want to get the job, that’s not my problem. But then you will have to sell this flat and go back to living with the Potters. And just so you know, I’m not having sex with you in James’s house,” said Remus.
“Go on, then,” prodded Sirius.
“What three questions will you absolutely not ask?”
“How much are you paying me? Do I get holidays off? Can I have my own office?”
Remus nodded. “Good. Now, when they ask you what your strengths are, what are you not going to say?”
“Snogging,” replied Sirius.
“And?”
“Shagging.”
“And?”
“Snogging and shagging.”
“Okay, and what will you actually say?” inquired Remus, looking intently at Sirius.
“I’m diligent. I’m a quick learner,” responded Sirius before facing Remus. “And I’m Sirius fucking Black.”
“Sirius,” warned Remus.
“And I’m dependable.” Sirius sat on the bed next to Remus. “Hey, should I say I’m punctual too?”
“But you’re not. You’ve never been on time for anything in your life.”
Sirius nodded and exclaimed, “I’ve always been there for the full moons!”
Remus shook his head slightly. “You’ve always been the last one for the full moons.”
“Still,” muttered Sirius.
“What was that?” asked Remus. Sirius shrugged.
“What about your weaknesses?” continued Remus.
“I won’t say that I have none, even though I don’t, but . . .” confessed Sirius.
“What about if they ask why you want to work there?” asked Remus.
Sirius breathed deeply before answering: “I won’t say because I need the money. I’ll say I want to work with the Ministry to control-”
“No!” interrupted Remus. “You can’t say ‘control,’ Sirius."
“Oh, I forgot,” said Sirius. “I want to work with the Ministry to help regulate and ensure the proper use of magic. Is that better?”
Remus nodded. “What if they ask about your family?”
“I hate the lot of them,” proclaimed Sirius, falling back on the bed.
Remus patted Sirius’s leg. “You’re not going to say that.”
“Fine. How about ‘they’re all doing well’?”
“Better,” Remus concurred. “Now, what if you get this one: What is something about the Ministry that you do not like, and why?”
Sirius quickly sat up. “That’s easy. Werewolf legislation. I do not agree with the Ministry’s policies at all.”
Remus swatted Sirius’s head. “No, Sirius, that was a trick question. Remember, the instant you don’t like something about them is the instant they don’t like something about you.”
Sirius put his head in his hands. “I’m not going to get hired, am I?”
Remus moved closer to Sirius. “Yes, you will. You just have to watch what you say.”
Sirius said nothing. Remus held Sirius’s hand.
“You know what? You should just be your charming self. Everyone ends up liking you, anyway.”
Sirius lifted his head and smiled. “Like you?”
“Like me.”
“But do you think I will get the job?” asked Sirius.
“If they don’t hire you, it’s their loss,” said a grinning Remus.
“But your gain-you’ll have me around all day,” said Sirius.
“You’ll get it; don’t worry,” insisted Remus.
The young men said nothing for a while before Remus spoke up:
“Sirius? Thanks for thinking about me, though-with the legislation issue, I mean.”
Sirius stood up and placed his hands on Remus’s shoulders. “I’m going to get that job, Moony, and I’m going to change things for the better. For you and for everyone else. You’ll see.”
Remus nodded, his heart filled with pride at this boy who Remus undoubtedly believed could change the world if he tried. “I believe you.”
Sirius winked at him.
“Off with the trousers,” Remus suddenly commanded.
Sirius looked confused. “I thought they looked good.”
“Yes, but I prefer to see you without any for the moment.” Remus raised one eyebrow, hoping Sirius understood.
Sirius did.
**last part will be posted tomorrow, for sure**
Written for dogdaysofsummer
Prompts 26, 27, 28
Title: The Interview
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,016
Disclaimer: JK Rowling's boys, not mine.
Notes: Part of series chronicling the summer that Sirius moved into his flat.
Summary: Remus helps Sirius practice his interview.
Previous: July 1&2&3, July 4&5, July 6, July 7, July 8&9, July 10, July 11, July 12&13, July 14&15, July 16, July 17, July 18, July 19, July 20&21, July 22&23&24&25
July 28, 1978
“How does this look?”
Sirius Black stretched out his arms and turned around once so Remus Lupin could see his outfit. He wore a white long-sleeve dress shirt and black trousers. A maroon tie adorned his collar.
Remus, sitting cross-legged on Sirius’s bed, looked at Sirius from head to toe. “What’s with the tie? We’re no longer Gryffindors, Sirius.”
“Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor,” declared Sirius before removing the tie. He had a job interview with the Ministry of Magic the following day and had invited Remus to help him prepare for it. Since the money his uncle had given him was almost completely depleted, it was critical for Sirius to get this job. He stood in front of the small wardrobe in his bedroom and fingered the different colored ties. “Which one do you like, then?”
“Hmm, try the blue one,” replied Remus.
Sirius tied it around his neck and stood in front of Remus. Remus stared at him.
“Take off your trousers,” he firmly said.
Sirius smirked. “Uh, you really think we have time for that right now?”
Remus rolled his eyes and said, “Try on the grey pair. I think they’ll look better with the shirt. Black and white is too boring. Plus, the grey matches your eyes.”
Sirius grinned. “Finally loving the grey, are you?”
“Well, every time I come here, I can’t help but notice the grey,” said Remus as he pointed to the grey walls. “Now, off with the trousers.”
Sirius removed his trousers and hung them. “James owled me. To wish me luck. Says he and Peter are having a grand time, swimming and horsing around and doing everything the four of us usually do.”
“Do you wish you had gone with him?”
“No,” stated Sirius as he turned around, the grey trousers in his hands, and faced Remus. “James doesn’t let me shag him.”
Remus opened his mouth.
“And Peter doesn’t either,” added Sirius quickly.
Remus closed his mouth.
“I’d rather be here,” said Sirius. He put on the trousers. “Well?”
Remus nodded. “It works.”
Sirius stood in front of the mirror on the closet door to look at himself. He smiled, obviously happy at what he saw.
“Why don’t we go over the questions again?” suggested Remus.
Sirius groaned.
“If you don’t want to get the job, that’s not my problem. But then you will have to sell this flat and go back to living with the Potters. And just so you know, I’m not having sex with you in James’s house,” said Remus.
“Go on, then,” prodded Sirius.
“What three questions will you absolutely not ask?”
“How much are you paying me? Do I get holidays off? Can I have my own office?”
Remus nodded. “Good. Now, when they ask you what your strengths are, what are you not going to say?”
“Snogging,” replied Sirius.
“And?”
“Shagging.”
“And?”
“Snogging and shagging.”
“Okay, and what will you actually say?” inquired Remus, looking intently at Sirius.
“I’m diligent. I’m a quick learner,” responded Sirius before facing Remus. “And I’m Sirius fucking Black.”
“Sirius,” warned Remus.
“And I’m dependable.” Sirius sat on the bed next to Remus. “Hey, should I say I’m punctual too?”
“But you’re not. You’ve never been on time for anything in your life.”
Sirius nodded and exclaimed, “I’ve always been there for the full moons!”
Remus shook his head slightly. “You’ve always been the last one for the full moons.”
“Still,” muttered Sirius.
“What was that?” asked Remus. Sirius shrugged.
“What about your weaknesses?” continued Remus.
“I won’t say that I have none, even though I don’t, but . . .” confessed Sirius.
“What about if they ask why you want to work there?” asked Remus.
Sirius breathed deeply before answering: “I won’t say because I need the money. I’ll say I want to work with the Ministry to control-”
“No!” interrupted Remus. “You can’t say ‘control,’ Sirius."
“Oh, I forgot,” said Sirius. “I want to work with the Ministry to help regulate and ensure the proper use of magic. Is that better?”
Remus nodded. “What if they ask about your family?”
“I hate the lot of them,” proclaimed Sirius, falling back on the bed.
Remus patted Sirius’s leg. “You’re not going to say that.”
“Fine. How about ‘they’re all doing well’?”
“Better,” Remus concurred. “Now, what if you get this one: What is something about the Ministry that you do not like, and why?”
Sirius quickly sat up. “That’s easy. Werewolf legislation. I do not agree with the Ministry’s policies at all.”
Remus swatted Sirius’s head. “No, Sirius, that was a trick question. Remember, the instant you don’t like something about them is the instant they don’t like something about you.”
Sirius put his head in his hands. “I’m not going to get hired, am I?”
Remus moved closer to Sirius. “Yes, you will. You just have to watch what you say.”
Sirius said nothing. Remus held Sirius’s hand.
“You know what? You should just be your charming self. Everyone ends up liking you, anyway.”
Sirius lifted his head and smiled. “Like you?”
“Like me.”
“But do you think I will get the job?” asked Sirius.
“If they don’t hire you, it’s their loss,” said a grinning Remus.
“But your gain-you’ll have me around all day,” said Sirius.
“You’ll get it; don’t worry,” insisted Remus.
The young men said nothing for a while before Remus spoke up:
“Sirius? Thanks for thinking about me, though-with the legislation issue, I mean.”
Sirius stood up and placed his hands on Remus’s shoulders. “I’m going to get that job, Moony, and I’m going to change things for the better. For you and for everyone else. You’ll see.”
Remus nodded, his heart filled with pride at this boy who Remus undoubtedly believed could change the world if he tried. “I believe you.”
Sirius winked at him.
“Off with the trousers,” Remus suddenly commanded.
Sirius looked confused. “I thought they looked good.”
“Yes, but I prefer to see you without any for the moment.” Remus raised one eyebrow, hoping Sirius understood.
Sirius did.
**last part will be posted tomorrow, for sure**