Talent Show
“You've got to be kidding me," Sirius muttered, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at the bright purple sign posted on the camp's notice board. It was impossible to miss, boldly announcing, *"Talent Show Tonight! Everyone Must Compete in Some Way."*
Sirius blinked at the words, his stomach sinking. He had no particular talents—aside from the ability to sketch a decent portrait—and even then, he was far too shy to perform in front of an audience. The thought of being center stage was enough to make his palms sweat.
"SIRIUS!" James's voice rang out across the clearing as he bounced over to the notice board with a gleam of excitement in his eyes. He read the sign with a broad grin plastered across his face, clearly thrilled by the idea.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Sirius frowned, still trying to process the idea of having to perform. "Uh... no?" he said slowly, unsure of where this conversation was headed.
James rolled his eyes dramatically, as though the answer should have been obvious. "We should totally do a dance number! All four of us!" He beamed at the thought, already imagining the applause and cheers that would follow.
Sirius froze, his jaw going slack. "A what?" he asked, looking at James as though he'd lost his mind. "You want us to dance? All of us? Are you serious?"
Before James could respond, Remus, who had been reading a book nearby, looked up with a horrified expression. "Four?!" he spluttered, his face paling. "I’m not doing that! Absolutely no way, no chance!"
Sirius felt a moment of relief. At least Remus wasn’t going to be roped into this madness. Without him, though, their plans for a group number were doomed.
James, ever the optimist, wasn’t ready to give up yet. "Alright, well, if Remus isn’t in, then you and I, Pete, can do the dancing. Sirius, you can... do your thing. Maybe some sketches or something?"
Peter, who had been nervously eyeing the sign from a distance, gave a hesitant nod. He wasn't much for dancing either, but he trusted James, and the thought of being left out was even worse.
Sirius groaned, still overwhelmed by the idea. "And what am I supposed to do, then?" he grumbled, already knowing he’d end up being dragged into whatever ridiculous performance they concocted.
James grinned, his excitement infectious. "Don't worry, mate. We’ll figure it out. It’s going to be brilliant!"
Sirius could only shake his head in resigned disbelief. It seemed there was no escaping this ridiculous talent show now. He only hoped he'd somehow survive the night without embarrassing himself too much.
The air at Camp was thick with anticipation. Everywhere you looked, campers were practicing their talents: someone was trying to juggle flaming torches by the lake, a group was rehearsing a dance routine to an upbeat pop song, and a boy was strumming out a familiar tune on his ukulele under a tree.
Sirius sat on a bench near the mess hall, tapping his fingers nervously on his knee. He wasn’t much for the spotlight, and the idea of performing in front of everyone made his stomach turn.
He was a painter, not a singer or a dancer. But when the counselors announced that *everyone* had to participate this year, he felt trapped. The thought of backing out wasn’t even an option.
Beside him, Remus was flipping through a notebook. His brow furrowed as he absentmindedly doodled.
He’d barely spoken to him in the past few days, but they both knew why—there was something between them, something unspoken and fragile, hanging in the air like morning mist. They’d shared too many looks and awkward silences, and now, this talent show thing was making it even worse.
“Ugh,” Sirius muttered, crumpling a corner of the sheet of paper in his lap. “I can’t believe they’re making us do this. What are we even supposed to do? I’m not… I’m not performing a skit or anything.”
Remus glanced over at him, his brown eyes catching his for a split second before he quickly looked away. “Yeah, me neither,” he said, a little too quickly. “I’m not much of a performer.”
“Well, you’re playing guitar for your talent, right?” Sirius asked, his tone light but slightly teasing. Sirius knew he was good, better than he let on, but he hadn’t volunteered that information. He was kind of hoping he’d get stuck doing something silly, just so they could laugh about it later.
Remus winced, looking uncomfortable. “I guess so,” he mumbled. “But I don’t know. I’m not exactly… I’m not really into showing off, you know?”
Sirius nodded, unsure how to respond. He felt the same way. But there was something else, too, a deeper feeling that hovered between them like a secret neither of them had figured out how to say aloud.
They’d both been quietly crushing on each other for days, but neither of them had dared to make a move. They were stuck in this awkward limbo—friends, kind of, but with an unmistakable pull between them that neither could ignore.
“I’m thinking about doing a live painting,” Sirius said after a long pause. “Just, you know… something calming. Maybe I’ll set up by the lake, or the campfire, and paint while everyone else is doing their thing.”
Remus raised an eyebrow. “A live painting? That’s… actually kind of cool. You sure about that?”
Sirius shrugged, pretending like it was no big deal. But the truth was, he wasn’t sure. Painting was his thing—his escape—but to do it in front of a crowd? That was terrifying.
“Maybe I’ll just bail,” he muttered, staring down at the paint-splattered paper in his lap.
Remus’s gaze softened as he looked at him, and for a moment, his usual guarded expression faded. “You’ll be fine,” he said gently, “You’re an artist, right? So go out there and… paint something amazing. Don’t worry about what everyone thinks.”
Sirius smiled, touched by the unexpected encouragement. “Thanks,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
They both fell into an uneasy silence again, the weight of their unspoken feelings pressing down on them. Just when Sirius was about to speak up again, a voice broke in.
“Sirius! Remus!” It was Arthur , the overly-enthusiastic camp counsellor. “You two need to practice! The talent show is only a few hours away!”
Sirius winced. “I’m trying to get a head start on… you know… panicking,” he said, glancing at Remus .
Arthur grinned like he knew exactly what Sirius meant. “Come on, you’ve got this. Remus, you’re playing your guitar, right? Sirius going to do his painting. It’ll be perfect.” He gave them both a thumbs up and darted off before either of them could protest.
Sirius turned back to Remus , feeling the pressure mounting in his chest. "Okay, so now we really have to do it. Are you sure you want to perform?"
Remus hesitated, his fingers tracing the edge of his notebook. “I guess I’ll just play that one song I wrote,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. “I’ve never done it in front of anyone before.”
Sirius’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait, you wrote a song?”
Remus blushed, running a hand through his hair. “Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s not a big deal. It’s just something I do when I’m alone. Thought it’d be a good way to get it out there.”
Sirius felt a flutter in his chest. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to hear him play. “You have to perform it,” he said before he could stop himself.
Remus glanced at him, his face softening. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. It sounds like it’s… a part of you,” he added, feeling his cheeks redden.
Remus didn’t say anything, but the look he gave him told him everything. There was a mix of relief and something else—something unspoken but clear.
Later that evening, the camp gathered around the campfire for a pre-show pep rally, and sirius sat nervously with his friends, the cool night air biting at his skin.
His canvas was set up near the edge of the campfire, ready to be filled with whatever came to mind. He couldn’t focus, though. He kept thinking about Remus, how he was probably backstage tuning his guitar and getting ready to perform.
The talent show began, and one by one, campers showed off their skills. Some were surprisingly good. Others, not so much. Then it was Remus’s turn. Sirius tried to breathe, to calm his nerves, but his pulse raced as he watched him step onto the stage, guitar in hand.
He met Sirius’s gaze for just a moment before looking away, his fingers strumming the first chord. The sound was raw and beautiful, a mix of vulnerability and strength that made Sirius’s heart ache.
He sang softly at first, but as the song progressed, his voice grew more confident. He could hear the emotion in every note—something he’d never shared with anyone before. It was his story, his heart, laid bare for all to see.
When the song ended, the crowd went wild with applause, but Remus was looking right at Sirius, his expression vulnerable and hopeful.
His heart pounded in his chest. Without thinking, he stood up and clapped louder than anyone else, his hands raw from the force of applause.
And when Remus saw him smiling with pride, his face softened, and for the first time all summer, the tension between them seemed to melt away.
As the night went on and the performances came to a close, Sirius and Remus found each other by the campfire. The flickering flames illuminated their faces, casting long shadows. Neither of them knew what to say at first, but the air between them felt different now—lighter.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” Sirius said softly, still buzzing from the song.
Remus gave him a crooked smile. “You didn’t know the half of it.”
Sirius smiled back. “Well, now I do.”
Remus took a deep breath, looking at him with an intensity that made his heart skip a beat. “Sirius,” he began, his voice quieter than usual. “I’ve been wanting to… I don’t know, tell you something.”
His pulse quickened. “What is it?”
He stepped closer, his breath warm against Sirius’s cheek. “I’ve been crushing on you for a few days,” he admitted, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.
Sirus blinked, his heart racing. “Really?”
Remus nodded, his eyes sincere. “Yeah. Really.”
And just like that, the silence between them was no longer awkward. It was a space of understanding, a moment of mutual realization. And under the stars, with the crackling fire as their witness, they both smiled, knowing that whatever happened next would be worth the leap.