Something just like you

When Remus fell in love, he hadn’t expected it to be the peak of summer.

Summer was inarguably his most dreaded season of the four that shared the year. Three months of stifling humidity and perspiration-clad clothes stuck to the body, Remus would most rather not. If given the chance to play God, the word ‘summer’ would be indecipherable to the mass, only because God Remus would have swept the Earth clean of that dreadful season.

He wasn’t proud to admit it, but it was a topic that he had brooded over extensively, customarily while he was splayed out like a starfish on the hardwood floors that served him no relief. God Remus would have constructed the perfect world as follows: two months of spring, followed by an equitable five months each of autumn and winter. To be truthful, God Remus had been generous by even letting spring exist in the first place.

There were more to follow — how despite his remote dislike for spring, he’d seen the season as a necessity; how winter and autumn were the superior seasons; and how he’d much rather be given Sophie’s dilemma than to choose between the two. In fact, there was a lot more that Remus had to say on that topic if not for its utter irrelevancy to the point at hand, which was — Remus most definitely did not expect to fall in love that summer. 

It had been a little over a full month since Remus had moved into his new apartment, and a little over a week after the party, when he fell in love. It was everything the books and the movies made it out to be — unexpected, euphoric, instant; except in Remus’ case, it wasn’t a human that had him head over heels in love.

Remus had been on his way home from work - a short ten minutes walk from the bus stop to his apartment complex - with his blazer draped over his arm, when he heard something akin to a light squeak. He had on his headphones, but it must have been fate when the squeak sounded out just as he was between songs. He had stopped in his tracks and pushed his headphones aside, uncertain if it’d been a real sound he heard or just a figment of his imagination, when a second squeak sounded out. Though, this time, it sounded more like a cry.

He’d instantly turned the corner into the alleyway, his headphones now wrung around his neck, and crouched down by the black trash bags where he heard the cry from. Hesitantly, he began pushing the bags aside - as gently as he could manage - and he was just about to give up on his pursue of the mysterious animal when it cried out again. 

It was a drawled out meow, and with the realisation that it might have been hurt, Remus made quicker work of his hands as he sifted through the bags. There, sat in the middle of it all, was a single black kitten no bigger than the size of his palm. Its eyes were crusted over almost into a close, and it had patches of fur missing from across its tiny body. The kitten meowed again when it caught sight of Remus, little legs shaking as it stumbled over to him.

Remus fell in love right then and there; he’d always had a soft spot for animals.

Without hesitation, he pulled his blazer off of his arm, folding it into a little nest that was just big enough to cradle the kitten. He reached his hand forward, and when the kitten made no indication to scratch or approach him, Remus scooped it up with a single hand, placing the kitten into his man-made nest. He stood up carefully, the bundle gently pressed into the crook of his left arm, before fishing out his phone to check for the nearest vet clinic in the area.

The nearest vet clinic stood a good fifteen minutes drive from home, and because Remus vaguely remembered James mentioning that he had a car, he rushed back to the apartment in hopes that his neighbour would be around.

He took the steps two at a time when he reached his apartment complex, and if he hadn’t been in such a hurry, Remus would no doubt have taken the time to appreciate his rare display of athleticism for making it up eight flights of steps without so much as a break. Alas, he had a kitten that looked halfway to death bundled up in his arms, and therefore, had to postpone his marvel for another time. 

As he bounded up the last flight of stairs with his eyes fixed on the kitten in his arms, an arm shot out to hold him back in place. “Woah, slow down there,” the voice said, and Remus’ head snapped up in surprise at the sudden contact. 

Sirius was peering down at him, hands gripped firmly against his arms. He must have looked a right sight, because Sirius was regarding him with concern. “Is everything okay?” He asked, and Remus shook his head.

“No—, I mean yes, but no—“ Remus’ mind was whirring, his eyes fleeting from Sirius to the kitten back to Sirius again as he tried forming his words. “James?”

“James isn’t back yet, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” 

Remus shook his head again, before raising his arms slightly to draw the attention to the bundle in his arms. Remus peeled the blazer back, revealing the kitten in his arms, and Sirius’ eyes widened in surprise. “I think it’s injured but I don’t have a car and…” he trailed off, mind racing for a solution now that James wasn’t available to help.

“Come with me, let’s go,” Sirius grabbed hold of his elbow, turning him back down towards the steps as they both hurried down in quick steps. “I have a bike,” Sirius explained without Remus asking, and it was somehow absolutely fitting for Sirius to ride. “Do you know where the nearest clinic is?” Sirius asked, snapping him out of his daze.

Remus nodded, slightly out of breath as he made the way down the flights of steps he just ascended, and wrangled his phone free from the pocket he had shoved it back into earlier. He clicked back into the maps application, handing it to Sirius who only needed a quick glance at the address before returning the phone back to him. The kitten had significantly quietened down since their first meeting, and worry coursed through him at the implication. 

Remus followed Sirius as they jogged towards the open parking space, the latter periodically turning back to ensure that Remus was close behind. They were two steps away from the bike when Sirius came to an abrupt halt, cursing. “Fuck,” he hissed under his breath, turning back to look at Remus who had also stopped in his track in confusion.

For a short moment, they stared at each other wordlessly — Sirius in consideration, and Remus in confusion. Then, as if having made up his mind, Sirius pulled the helmet he had been holding out from under his arms, gently reaching up to fit it over Remus’ head. Remus watched as he took hold of the swinging clips, his fingers brushing against his jaw as he fastened the clips below Remus’ chin. A heat rose to his cheeks at the sudden contact, and Remus quite literally sent a prayer to God that he wasn’t a blusher. 

He swung his legs over the bike, in Sirius’ stead, and sat awkwardly behind the other with the kitten cradled between them. “Where’s your helmet?” He asked, while his eyes searched for a place to grab ahold of.

Sirius twisted around to look at him, then the kitten, before shaking his head as his gaze returned to him. At the realisation that Sirius’ helmet was the one fastened to his head, Remus reached for the buckle, only to be stopped by Sirius’s hand over his own. “I’m fine, you keep it on,” he pulled Remus’ hand away from the buckle before turning back to face the front, not letting up an opportunity for Remus to protest.

He revved the engine, and through the side mirror on his bike, caught Remus’ gaze. “Hold tight,” he said, and due to the lack of things to hold on to, Remus quite panically grabbed onto the fabric of Sirius t-shirt. At that, Remus turned around with a teasing smirk, “C’mon now Lupin, too straight to touch a bloke?” He asked, before taking ahold of Remus’ free hand and placing it by his side with a wink of an eye.

Remus flushed under the change in position, pointedly not correcting Sirius’ assumption on his sexuality just for the sake of it, and instead, chose to direct his attention towards the kitten that was still laying in silence in his arms. “Both ready?” Sirius asked - unaware of the turmoil that he had brewed within Remus’ mind - and with a nod of his head, Sirius took off.

Honest to God, Remus remembered nothing from the ride of death. His thoughts oscillated between “Keep the kitten alive,” and “Fuck balls, I’m going to die,” and it was only with a sheer amount of determination that he had managed to keep himself from plastering his entire body against Sirius in fear of death. Instead, he had kept his eyes glued on the kitten, until the constant slapping of Sirius’ hair against his face had caused him to screw his eyes shut. 

The fifteen minutes ride couldn’t have felt any longer, and by the time they pulled up at the side of the road, Remus had had his fill of bike rides for the remainder of his life. Sirius kicked the stand into place, helping Remus out of the bike after he himself had gotten off. He steadied Remus by the arm as he kicked a leg over the bike, and the moment both feet were back on the ground, Remus darted towards the clinic, helmet still in place on his head.

It was all a blur from there — a vet technician had appeared to retrieve the kitten from Remus at the receptionist’s request, and Remus was tasked to fill in a bunch of forms after the kitten was taken to the back room. The forms were a breeze to work through - since there was close to no information he could provide having just met the kitten half an hour ago - and when he was done, Remus was told to be back in an hour’s time.

Sirius approached him as he turned away from the receptionist, and with a friendly clap against his back, he guided him out of the clinic. “Come here,” Sirius mumbled, arms reaching out towards Remus once they stepped back out into the streets. 

His fingers reached towards Remus - pale digits that had brushed against his jaw just minutes ago - and before he could get in over his own head, Sirius’ fingers reached for the buckle under his chin. Remus flushed under the attention, though it was directed more towards the buckle than himself, his eyes trained on the crown of Sirius’ head as the other worked the helmet free. In all his panic and nervousness, he’d forgotten all about the helmet. 

“Let’s grab a bite,” Sirius offered, tucking the helmet under his arm.

Remus shook his head, “I’m not hung—,” His words were interrupted by a loud growl from his own stomach, and he completely froze in place.

His eyes snapped up in surprise just as Sirius let out a bark of laughter, and the moment their gazes caught, they dissolved into juxtaposed laughter — Sirius in amusement, and Remus in sheer embarrassment. 

“Let’s grab a bite,” Remus acquiesced in self-consciousness, nudging a still laughing Sirius down the pavement that they stood on. Unfortunately for Remus, it didn’t seem like his laughter would cease anytime soon, nor was he trying to rein it in. “Stop laughing!” Remus eventually swatted at Sirius, who instinctively brought his arms up to deflect the attack, laughter still ringing loud as they walked down the street.

Despite his laughter, Sirius still managed to guide them towards a place that he frequented, occasionally reaching out to pull Remus into the correct direction when the latter strayed down the wrong path. They eventually arrived at the destination, a chicken sandwich shop a short ten minutes walk away from the vet, and Sirius tugged Remus in behind him by the wrist.

Remus had insisted that Sirius ordered for him, overwhelmed by the extensive menu plastered behind the counter, and Sirius was happy to oblige. He took a seat towards the back of the shop, and when Sirius returned, it was with a tray full of food, and a toothy grin to go along with it. Unconsciously, Remus mirrored his expression, and all prior worry over the kitten was washed away from his mind at the sight of the other.

Sirius distributed the food between them - a sandwich, cup of fries, and a drink each - and Remus was instantly taken aback by the sandwich that was placed in front of him. It was double the size that of Sirius’, and when Sirius caught the look of confusion that must have been plastered across his face, his grin turned mischievous. “I doubled up on yours since your stomach was literally screaming for food earlier.”

“Oh, toss off!” Remus groaned, reaching down for a fry before flinging it towards the man that was not sat opposite of him. Unlike Peter who would have simply laughed it off, Sirius surprised Remus by reaching for his own fry, before tossing it right back at him. It hit him square on the forehead, lingering for a moment, before falling back down onto the table.

There was a moment of silence as they exchanged anticipatory gazes, and just as Remus reached for another fry, so did Sirius. Their arms were raised by their sides, and when Remus took note of the two pieces of fries in Sirius’ hands, he conceded defeat. “Okay,” He said, dropping the fry in his hand, before raising his arms up in surrender, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah,” Sirius nodded his head, eyes never leaving Remus’. “That’s what I thought,” he said, before bring the fries to his lips once Remus’ hands were free. Remus rolled his eyes at the other - childish little fucker he was - and when Sirius had visibly let his guard down, Remus threw a fry at him.

It hit him right between the eyes, and Remus laughed aloud when Sirius coughed mid-chew in surprise. Instantly, Sirius reached towards his tray to retaliate, but before he could make contact with the cup of fries, Remus’ caught his wrists mid-air in one hand. “Let’s call a truce,” he offered, hastily. 

At first, Sirius didn’t seem willing to take him up on the offer, but as Remus’ stomach growled to life for the second time that evening, Sirius was absolutely done for; and so was Remus. “Fuck me!” He groaned, dropping Sirius’ hand in surprise to clutch against his stomach, while Sirius dissolved into his second bout of laughter.

“You got away lucky this time, my dear.” Sirius shook his finger at him, after regaining his composure, before gesturing back down to their food with a smile. Taking it an acceptance of the truce, Remus finally did make a grab for his chicken burger, unwrapping the parchment before sinking in to the thick sandwich. A groan of satisfaction left his lips as he tasted the burger, and he nodded his head in acknowledgement at Sirius’ anticipatory glance from opposite him.

“Bloody hell,” Remus commended after swallowing, and Sirius’ eyes creased into a smile as he took a bite of his own.

They ate in silence for a while, mostly because Remus was way too fucking hungry to keep a conversation going, and within ten short minutes, he polished off his food. Sirius was near done with his own, and only as he took in the sight of a well-dressed Sirius, did he realise that Sirius was on his way out when they bumped into each other. “Were you headed somewhere?” He asked.

“Oh, right, yes,” Sirius nodded, and after a short moment of consideration, he added, “remember Evan?”

Evan? It wasn’t a name that Remus had heard before, though Remus hardly knew of any of Sirius’ friends. Just as he was about to voice out his thoughts, Remus’ eyes widened in recognition, before falling back into a guilty frown. “I buggered up your date…” His voice trailed quiet towards the end, and Sirius shook his head hastily.

“Quite the opposite actually,” He grinned sheepishly at Remus, tucking his hair behind his ear. When Remus only stared back at him in confusion, he further explained, “I was going to call it quits today.”

Right, he hadn’t been a fan of the guy because he was too much of a finance bro, verbatim. “Wait, in person?” Remus asked, mostly in surprise, and Sirius shot him a suspicious look, brows quirked questioningly. “I mean, isn’t it awkward? To break up in person? How do you even part ways after that?”

Remus watched as realisation dawned onto Sirius, and quite unlike what he expected, Sirius was beaming down at him in amusement. “Remus Lupin!” He exclaimed, “Are you insinuating that you’ve never broken up with someone in person? Like a coward?” His harsh words were betrayed by the absolute delight on his face.

“It’s awkward!” Remus retorted, glaring at Sirius who had begun laughing in disbelief. In Remus’ defence, he’d only ever broken up with two people, and they had both been long-term partners, which meant that it was fine in Remus’ opinion, anyhow. 

“All those poor ladies—“

“Or men,” Remus interrupted, teasing smile back on his lips, as Sirius paused in contemplation.

“You’re gay?” He asked, eyes trained on him, as he tucked his hair behind his ears.

Just like before, he looked nervous to ask the question, and Remus reveled in teasing him. “Still not telling you,” he said with a shrug, and this time, he failed in dodging Sirius’ attack. The man had flung his straw at him, splattering tiny droplets of soda between them both, and Remus had leapt back into his chair in surprise. 

“You’re never going to know now!” He cried, throwing his own straw towards Sirius, who also failed in avoiding the attack as droplets of coke zero splattered against his face when the straw made contact.

Remus was instantly bent over in laughter, arms clutching against his stomach as Sirius extended his face over the table, in an attempt to avoid dripping the soda on his jeans. “You’re sooo childish, Remus,” he grumbled, and as if to proof his point, Remus stuck his tongue out at him. 

Once he had his fill of laughter, Remus handed a serviette over to Sirius, who gratefully took it to clean the mess on his face. “Anyway,” he started, giving Sirius’ foot a soft nudge with his own, “Thanks for your help today.  I’m sorry I spoiled your plans.”

“Forget about it,” Sirius waved him off as they both stood to leave. “Maybe I’ll even take one out of the Remus Lupin Manual and break up with him over text!” He suggested, turning around to look at Remus with a teasing smile on his face. 

Remus rolled his eyes at him, jokingly, “For your information, I only do it to long-term relationships. I’m not a scoundrel.”

Sirius looked at him with gaped lips, as if there were a million things he wished to say to that, before shaking his head in resignation as the previous smile returned. “With men?” He asked, and it was Remus’ turn to laugh.

He pulled the door open, gesturing for Sirius to walk ahead of him. “Or women,” he said, tagging along behind him. 

“Oh fuck you, Lupin,” Sirius said, whirling on him as they made the way back down the path towards the clinic. He was walking backwards, hands shoved into his jeans pocket, a slight pout on his lips and while Remus usually despised that look on another man, for Sirius, he’d make an exception for Sirius.

Remus bounded forward, just enough to nudge Sirius with his side. “You bloody wish!” He retorted, before stalking ahead of the other as Sirius caught up with him from behind.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

The kitten, thank the might Lord in Heaven and all the Gods that graced the universe, was relatively unharmed. He had a bad case of fleas, as to be expected of any stray, and the vet had already given it a flea bath prior to its discharge. Remus was also informed that the kitten was a boy, and he’d have to administer antibiotic drops to his eyes every morning and night for a whole week. Only then, when all was said and done, did it occur to Remus that he hadn’t a clue on how to take care of a kitten, let alone raise one.

Remus looked towards Sirius in panic as the nurse rattled on, and the distress must have been showing on his face because Sirius reached out towards him, hand rubbing soothing circles at the lower of his back. Sirius nodded at him before turning back to the nurse, a silent reassurance, and Remus felt a wave of comfort wash over him as he, too, returned his attention to the nurse.

They left the clinic together, with the kitten safely deposited into the helmet at Sirius’ encouragement, and the flea-ridden blazer shoved into a paper bag provided by the clinic. Sirius shot a text to Lily, who had a cat of her own, pleading for her to come over with some supplies, and to help them with the kitten since they were utterly clueless about the next step. Her response came not long later, and Remus reluctantly climbed back atop the revving death trap that brought him home in one piece.

Remus held the door open for Sirius, who wandered in with alit fascination, head whipping left to right as he took in the apartment, with the helmet containing the kitten in his arms. From behind him, Remus pointed out the empty room that stood at the end of the hallway, and Sirius let himself in without further hesitation. Per Lily’s instructions over the phone, it was best to keep the kitten contained to a room until he had acclimatised himself to the change in environment. 

He trailed in behind Sirius, closing the door behind him, and only then did Sirius pick the kitten out of the helmet and placed him onto the ground. The room was still bare - Remus hadn’t had the time nor inspiration to fill the room - and because there were no hiding spots available, the kitten scurried over to a corner, where he sat huddled to himself. Lily had warned them about that.

Sirius settled himself down a little away from the kitten, lying flat down against the floor in an attempt to look less intimidating to the tiny creature. The kitten regarded him with cautious eyes and a curious tilt to his head, and Remus’ heart quite instantly melted at the sight. “Wait here,” he said to Sirius, before tip-toeing his way out of the room, afraid of spooking the kitten.

He rummaged through his cabinets for a spare container, but when nothing came to light, he settled for his own ceramic plate that he used for his meals. At the very least, he had another plate left. He filled the plate up with as much water as it could hold, carefully making his way back to the room, though he was spilling with each step that he took. 

He pushed open the door with his foot, gingerly making his way over to the kitten, where he sat the plate down beside him. He watched as the kitten give the plate a sniff, and when he made no attempts to drink, Remus left again. This time, he headed for his room, sifting through his wardrobe for a spare sweater that he folded up and placed into a cardboard box that he had yet to clear. He re-entered the room, placing the makeshift bed down by the kitten’s side, before moving the plate of water away.

With nothing left to do but wait for Lily, Remus slid down against a wall, settling himself down beside Sirius, who was still lying flat on his stomach. They sat in silence as they watched the kitten begin to explore the room, and occasionally, Remus let his gaze fleet towards Sirius. His eyes were fixed on the kitten, tracing its every step with a soft smile on his face, and a smile subconsciously tugged at Remus’ own lips at the sight. God, how was he the same person as the tosser Remus met from a month ago?

“What shall we name the little guy?” Sirius’ voice broke through his thoughts, and Remus cleared his throat as he looked away, pretending not to have been staring at him when Sirius turned around.

He hummed in response, considering. “Toothless?” He suggested, the black kitten bearing an uncanny resemblance to the dragon, and Remus frowned at him.

“Too basic,” Sirius shook his head, before pulling himself up into a sitting position. He scooted backwards on his bottom, planting himself right next to Remus against the wall. “How about Cronus?”

Remus let out a groan of disgust, grimacing as he looked down at Sirius. “Ew, no,” He said, ignoring the glare that Sirius shot him. “It sounds too much like anus in my head.” He faked a gagged, tilting away from Sirius with a laugh when the latter tried pushing him over.

“Fine,” Sirius huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, “Phaenon,” he suggested, and Remus looked at him in resignation.

“I know what you’re doing, Sirius,” he chimed, shaking his head as the other bit his tongue between his teeth. “If anything, the kitten should be named after me, don’t you think? I reckon Romulus Lupin would be easy enough for people to make the connection.”

“Oh, so now he’s a Lupin?” Sirius laughed, and Remus nodded his head vehemently.

Before either of them could speak again, Sirius’ phone buzzed by his side, pulling them both away from the discussion. Lily and James were outside, he had announced, and Remus excused himself to fetch them, while instructing Sirius to stay put and accompany the kitten. 

Their hands were stuffed full with items and paper bags when he opened the door, and Remus hurriedly stepped aside for them to enter. “Thank you so much for coming,” he said, hands reaching out t0 grab what he could from Lily’s arms. She gave him a side hug with her now-free arm, and James nodded at him in acknowledgement with an easy grin as they made their way down to the room that housed the kitten.

After a short greeting between the friends - where Sirius caressed James’ cheek in passing before enveloping Lily in a tight embrace - and settling everything down on the floor, James and Lily instantly flocked towards the kitten, crouching down low as they approached him. Apprehensive at first, the kitten had backed itself back into the corner, but at Lily’s encouraging coos, it began approaching them with hesitant steps.

He sniffed their outstretched hands, little pink nose wiggling as his whiskers bristled, and Remus found himself smiling down at his kitten — yes, sometime during the night, Remus had begun referring to the kitten with possessive pronouns. It was his baby now; Remus was now a proud father at the young age of twenty-four. 

They left kitten Lupin to acclimatise to the new presence, moving over to the other side of the room as Lily and James began setting out all the items they brought over. There were ceramic food and water bowls, toys and scratchers, food even, and instantly, a wave of gratitude washed over him. Despite having only interacted that one time at James’ party, Lily had dropped everything and rushed over at his - well, Sirius’ - plea, and really, Remus was immensely touched by kindness.

With flushed cheeks, Remus tentatively tapped her on her arm, calling for her attention. “Thank you,” he whispered, and Remus had never seen anyone quite as beautiful as her, when she beamed back at him instantaneously. Really, it was a smile that rivalled Sirius’. 

Lily began telling him everything she could think of, from how to mix the wet food for a young kitten, to the clearing of the litter box, and Remus listened in on it as attentively as he could. He jotted down notes on a spare cardboard piece that he tore from a stray box that sat just outside the room - he didn’t have paper, sue him - and he followed her around as she provided him with helpful tips on caring for a kitten. 

It was only as they were making their way back from the bathroom - where Lily had been showing him how to get rid of the cat litter - when he realised that Sirius had been with them all along. He, too, was taking down notes in his phone app, and Remus caught himself staring at the sight of the other, focused. Somehow, he figured that a focused Sirius was a rare sight.

When all was said and done, Remus had them settle into the sitting room, the only of which that housed seats for guests. He still hadn’t gotten down to purchasing a television, and if he helplessly hoped that no one would have noticed, Sirius was quick to point it out with a joking laugh. “No one uses television anymore!” Remus had retorted, before making his way to the kitchen where he looked for drinks to serve his unexpected guests. Alas, he only had water, and only because it came from the tap.

“Are you sure you even own cups?” Came a voice from behind him, and Remus stopped in his search for the aforementioned cups to glare down at the noiret.

Sirius was leaning against the doorway, quite like he did the first time they met, eyes crinkled into a smile at his own tease. Remus made a face back at him in response, and when he finally located the cabinet that contained the cups, it wasn’t his proudest moment. He fished the two mismatched cups out from deep within the cabinet, the only two he seemed to have, and Sirius quite audibly barked a laugh at the sight.

The jokes ensued. 

He had bounded over to look into the cabinet himself, and when he saw that there were truly nothing else in there, he had dissolved into a fit of laughter. Remus nudged him away to get to the sink, but Sirius paid him no mind as he continued teasing him about his lack of everything in the apartment. He even compared what Remus owned to the basic necessities that were granted to a prisoner, the bastard did.

So, it was with nothing but pure vengeance when Remus held the filled cup of water high up into the air later, when Sirius had made a grab for it. “No,” he spat, holding the cup out of Sirius’ reach. The man might have been tall, but Remus was taller. 

He sat the cups down onto the table when they re-entered the sitting room, and when Sirius reached for it, Remus had swatted his hand away much to Lily and James’ amusement. Sirius had glared at him for that, and Remus eventually made a show of relenting before handing him one of the cups. 

They spent the remainder of the night chatting away, sometimes about nothing in particular, and other times directed question out of curiosity. Remus learnt that Lily lived about a twenty minutes drive away, and that she owned an orange maine coon that was as dumb as he was big - Lily’s words, not his. Eventually, James and Lily said their goodbye, with James insistence on sending her back that had Sirius faux gagging into his hands despite the fond smile on his face, leaving Remus in the lone company of Sirius yet again.

They headed back into the room to find the kitten, while arguing about possible names again, only to find kitten Lupin fast asleep in the cardboard box that Remus had set out for him earlier that evening. The sight brought fatherly tears to his eyes, and Remus had rewarded Sirius with a kick to his shin when the latter had looked at him with a mix of concern and barely suppressed laughter. The man was hell-bent on getting on his nerves, and Remus found that he didn’t quite mind.

It seemed like, believe it or not, Remus had made a friend out of Sirius. He, for one, could hardly believe it himself.