Orbiting

The pub was lively for a Wednesday night, the hum of voices blending with the clink of glasses and the occasional burst of laughter. Sirius couldn’t seem to focus on anything for long. He kept glancing at the door, hoping Remus would show up. It wasn’t like he expected the guy to waltz in or anything—Remus had made it clear he wasn’t interested in joining them for the night out. Still, Sirius found himself distracted, unable to help the flickers of hope that kept sparking whenever the door creaked open.

Sirius, James, Peter, and Lily were all gathered around the table, drinks in hand, catching up on their week. But Sirius was in his own world, still staring at the entrance. He didn’t even notice when James nudged him.

“Pads,” James said with a grin, leaning back in his chair. “You’ve been looking at the door like you’re expecting a bloody celebrity to walk in. What’s up?”

Sirius snapped out of his daze, quickly turning his attention to the group. “What? Oh, nothing,” he said, trying to play it cool. “Just... waiting for someone.”

Lily raised an eyebrow, clearly catching on to the fact there was more to that statement. “Waiting for who? You’ve got us here, right?”

“Yeah, I’m good with you lot,” Sirius said, though it came out a little flat. He couldn’t stop his gaze from flicking back to the door, though he tried to be a bit more subtle with his eyeline. “Just... thought I saw someone I knew.”

“Too bad Remus couldn’t join,” Lily spoke up. “I’d like to hang out with him outside of class. Get to know him a bit more.”

At the mention of Remus’ name, Sirius turned to look at Lily. “You have a class together?” he asked, trying to hide the desperation he felt to receive any piece of information.

“Yeah,” she paused to take a sip of her drink. “We sit next to each other in Psychology of Gender. He doesn’t talk much, but I saw the notes he took during class—made a lot of connections between the lecture and his life. Think he’s quite perceptive.”

Sirius nodded, the wheels in his mind turning. "What about you, James? You live with the bloke. You must know something about him."

James looked hesitant for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, he’s not exactly an open book. Doesn’t spill his guts at every turn.”

Sirius pushed, feeling like James wasn’t letting on. “What does he... I don’t know... do outside of school?”

Peter sloshed his glass around and joined in. “Are we still on about this? Why are we talking about this guy?”

Frustration began to bubble up in Sirius’ chest at Peter’s attempt to change the topic. “Sorry for trying to get to know James’ new mate. Might be good to add some fresh blood to the mix. Known you lot forever.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Well, he’s obviously not that interested. Barely said a word at breakfast and practically shot down the invitation to join tonight before James finished asking.”

Seeing the scowl forming on Sirius’ face, James cut in. “I’m not sure about that, Pete. Think he just takes some time to warm up to new people. Plus, he gets pretty tired after walking around campus all day—his leg’s been causing him some pain.”

“What do you mean? What about his leg?” Sirius couldn’t help the question escaping his throat.

“You didn’t notice the cane by his bed?” James ran a hand through his hair, doing nothing to tame the mess. “Don’t really know much about it, if I’m being honest. Just noticed that he uses it when he seems to be in a lot of pain. He doesn’t really talk about it. Figured he’d tell me if he wanted me to know.”

Sirius frowned, his thoughts spinning faster than he could keep up with. He had barely spent ten minutes with Remus, but he hated the idea of him being in any kind of pain. There was something about him that pulled at Sirius in a way he couldn’t explain.

Taking the moment of silence as an opportunity to change the subject, Peter piped up. “So, James, when does footie practice start? Heard the team’s supposed to be pretty good this year.”

James, of course, took the bait. “Better than good, Wormy. We will be the best! Practice starts on Monday, and I already have some new plays that I want to try out with the lads.”

“Oh, please, don’t get him started,” Lily sighed, but her voice was nothing but fond. “I’ve been hearing about this since the end of last season. He’s even acted it out with kitchenware.”

They continued on with the conversation, but Sirius couldn’t be bothered to pay attention. He could only concentrate for a few minutes at a time, chiming in every now and then to keep up appearances, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the boy still reading in bed and the way his golden-brown eyes had looked up at him. There was something there, Sirius just knew it.

After they finished their third round of drinks, they all decided to head back to the dorms since they still had classes the next day. But somewhere between his second and third pint, Sirius had made up his mind—he was going to find a way to get to know Remus more.

—-

Sirius stood in front of the mirror, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face. The faint light from the morning sun filtered through the curtains of the dorm, casting long shadows on the floor. It was much earlier than usual, but that didn’t matter. Not today. He was determined.

He adjusted his collar, ran a hand over his shirt, and checked his appearance once more. Sirius Black never needed much preparation to look effortlessly good, but today—today he needed to appear just a bit more... deliberate. He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of his chair, pulling it on with a practiced motion. A quick glance at the clock told him he still had plenty of time. No need to rush, he thought. He wanted this to seem natural.

Sirius took a deep breath, wiped his hands on his trousers, and made his way out of his room, he was sure James would be up by now. He made his way to room 104, the door creaking as he knocked lightly before entering.

James was sitting up in bed, his hair an unkempt mess and his eyes still heavy with sleep. But when he saw Sirius standing there, fully dressed, the surprise on his face was instant.

“Blimey, Pads, you up already?” James blinked, rubbing his eyes as if he wasn’t entirely sure if he was awake yet. “You never get up this early.”

“You know, you really should lock this door, don’t want any tosser just walking in.” Sirius grinned, leaning casually against the doorframe. ”I’m surprised you aren’t up yet. Thought you’d have already gone for a run and showered by now. Anyway, I was wondering if you two wanted to join me for breakfast at the canteen before classes?”

James raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “Thought I’d have a bit of a lie in after last night, but sure! Why not? Sounds like a good way to start the day. Let me just—” He started reaching for his glasses on the bedside table.

“How about you, Remus?” Sirius added smoothly, smiling at him. He wanted to make sure Remus didn’t feel like it was just a casual invite for James.

Remus hesitated for a second, eyes flicking between the two of them. His book remained open in his lap, but Sirius could see the subtle way he shifted, clearly uneasy with the attention.

“I–” He paused and Sirius could practically see him working through a list of excuses in his mind. “Yeah…ok,” Remus finally said, his voice sounding a bit resigned. He folded his book, sliding it onto the bedside table with a quiet thud.

Sirius felt a little thrill. He’d gotten Remus to agree. It was small, but a win nonetheless.

The three of them made their way to the canteen, the stillness of the morning only interrupted by their footsteps. The sound of chatter grew louder as they entered the dining hall, the warm smells of breakfast filling the air. After making their way through the food line, Sirius led the way to an empty table.

He noticed that Remus had four different spreads smeared across his toast: marmalade, butter, jam, and—was that lemon curd?

Sirius couldn’t help himself. He smirked. “Four different spreads, huh?”

Remus looked up at him, a blush creeping up his neck. “I... I just like the variety,” he said in a soft voice.

Sirius’ lips twitched into a smile, feeling potentially too gitty for learning such a small fact. “Looks great, think I might have to give it a try one of these days.”

James, meanwhile, was happily tucking into his eggs, blissfully unaware of the quiet exchange between the other two. But Sirius didn’t mind; he was focused on getting Remus to open up, even just a little.

“So, Remus,” Sirius began, trying to keep his tone casual, “how’s your week been so far? Everything alright in your classes?”

Remus looked up at him, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, with a small shrug, he replied, “Yeah, it’s fine. Schedule’s pretty decent.” He seemed to say it almost as if it were a routine answer, the words not carrying much weight.

Sirius nodded, tapping his fingers against his cup as he thought of another question. He wasn’t going to give up that easily. “What’d you get up to this summer? I live with James outside of school, so I already know everything there is to know about him.”

Remus hesitated, his eyes flitting to the table, his fingers curling around his mug as he sunk down a bit in his seat. “Nothing special just spent it in Wales like normal.”

Sirius watched him carefully, trying to read the subtle hints of discomfort in his body language. Remus was polite but closed off. Sirius didn’t want to push too hard; he didn’t want to make him feel cornered. Still, he couldn’t help the curiosity burning in his chest.

"Wales, yeah?," Sirius said after a beat trying to find a way to keep the conversation going, "You don’t sound very Welsh to me."

Remus gave a noncommittal shrug. “Not really from there, just moved there when I was a kid,” he said softly, his attention still on his toast, cutting it carefully as if it required far more focus than it actually did.

Sirius couldn't help but wonder what it was about Remus that made him so hard to crack open. It was almost like he wanted to be known, but there was a barrier he kept up, one Sirius couldn't quite get past.

The conversation lulled as they ate, James happily chatting about his idea for a date with Lily while Remus kept to himself, answering with polite monosyllables when necessary. Sirius continued to throw in a few more questions, all small, harmless things—but Remus’ answers were always so vague, so distant.

It was like talking to a ghost, someone present but not truly there.

Sirius kept his smile, but inside, he couldn’t help but feel a little pang of frustration. There was something there—he was sure of it. And one way or another, he was going to figure out what it was.

Remus stood up, pulling Sirius from his thoughts. “I have to go see about the position open at the library.” before Sirius could ask any follow-up questions about the job, Remus was heading for the exit.

James leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he watched Sirius fidget with his mug. “So, Pads,” he began, stretching the word out like a cat toying with a mouse. “You’re really into him, aren’t you?”

Sirius' head snapped up, his cheeks flushing slightly as he quickly took a gulp from his mug. Okay, so maybe James hadn’t been as oblivious as Sirius had thought. "What? I’m not—what are you on about?"

James raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment. “Oh, c’mon. You’re practically chomping at the bit every time his name comes up. And since when do you get up early with a casual invite to breakfast? You’re hooked.”

Sirius let out an exasperated grunt, slamming his mug down a little harder than necessary. “I’m not hooked!” he protested, but his tone betrayed him. “It’s just—there’s something about him, alright? I can’t figure him out, and it’s driving me mental.”

James smirked. “Aha, so you are interested. Well, go on then. What’s the deal with Remus?”

Sirius leaned in a little, voice low as if he didn’t want anyone else to overhear. “How does he look so bloody good when he practically dresses like a grandpa?” he muttered, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I mean, seriously. He wears cardigans and shoes that look like they belong in a retirement home, but... there’s just something about him and I can’t stop thinking about it. I mean, who looks that attractive while looking like they just crawled out of a bloody knitting club? It’s not fair.”

James barked a laugh, clearly amused by how worked up Sirius had gotten. “So you’ve got a thing for the ‘grandpa chic’ look, huh?”

Sirius shot him a sharp look. “It’s not about the cardigans, you wanker. I know there’s more to him than meets the eye. It’s like there’s this whole other side to him that he’s holding back, and it drives me insane that I can’t get him to talk about anything.”

James paused, his teasing grin softening slightly as he watched Sirius. “You really care about this, huh?”

“Yeah,” Sirius shot him a sidelong glance. “There’s something... magnetic about him. I can’t stop wondering.”

“I’d say ‘good luck,’ mate, but I don’t know if you’ll ever figure him out. Remus keeps his cards close to his chest.” James leaned forward again, eyes glinting. “Maybe that’s part of the charm.”

Sirius fixed him a playful glare, but there was a definite spark in his eyes. “You’re a right git, you know that?”

“Play nice, remember, I live with him, and I’ve been told I’m quite good at swaying opinions. I could be your only asset seeing as your charm isn’t getting you very far.” James said with a wink.

“Christ, you are such a cheeky arse,” Sirius replied, unable to hide the amusement in his voice.

They finished their breakfast before heading off to their classes for the day, though Sirius was predictably distracted, his mind focused on trying to come up with a plan to see Remus more often. But by the end of his classes, he still hadn’t come up with anything. Maybe dropping by with an invitation to dinner would work? It seemed like giving Remus less time to think up an excuse was his best course of action. So, with that in mind, he finished some reading for his constitutional law class, which would have been boring on any given day but felt like a slow death today when his mind kept drifting, and he had to reread the same section eight times. When it was finally an acceptable time to eat, he walked to the familiar dorm room and gave his signature knock.

The door swung open to reveal James, who immediately looked him up and down with a bemused grin.

“Well, well, well,” James said, leaning casually against the doorframe. “You’re here again? Really trying to make this a thing, are you?”

Sirius straightened up, his attempt to appear nonchalant failing spectacularly. He cleared his throat, offering a shrug. “What? No, just—just passing by. Thought I’d check-in. You know, see how things are going. Maybe see if you were up for dinner.”

James raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Sure, passing by,” he drawled, the teasing in his voice evident. “With your entire ‘I’m here to see Remus, definitely not making any moves’ energy. You’re as subtle as a brick wall, mate.”

Sirius shot him a glare, “Shut up, he’ll hear you!”

“Actually,” James continued, clearly enjoying the situation, “no need to worry. Remus got the job at the library. They asked if he could start right away, so he’s on his first shift today. Want to come in?” He turned his body to let Sirius through the door before continuing, “I’m taking Lily out for dinner so I’ll have to pass on your invitation that was clearly not meant for me anyway.”

Sirius rolled his eyes, but his attention was drawn to the small desk across the room, where Remus’ schedule was neatly laid out. Without missing a beat, Sirius moved a step closer, pretending to inspect the room more thoroughly. He knew exactly what he was doing—he just needed a quick look at the schedule. James wasn’t paying attention; he was too busy getting ready for his date.

With the subtlety of a pro, Sirius pulled out his notebook and began jotting down the hours he saw listed on the paper. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Enough to plan some times to cross paths with Remus at least.

James stepped out of the bathroom, toothbrush hanging from his mouth as he asked, ”What do you think of my outfit? I mean, I know it’s no knitted cardigan and trainers, but think Lily will like it?”

Sirius, without missing a beat, slipped the notebook back into his bag and gave James a bland look. “Yeah, sure, Prongs. You look proper nice.”

James laughed to himself and, still clearly amused, shook his head before going back to the sink to spit out the toothpaste in his mouth.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Catch you later,” Sirius called over his shoulder, his voice casual, though his mind was already a step ahead, plotting the next move.

The door clicked shut behind him, and James was left to finish getting ready, none the wiser to the exact kind of planning that had just taken place under his nose.