Waving at the Ship
“This is the decider!” Pete announced. “The loser of this game buys the next round.”
The muggle pub closest to Remus and Sirius’ flat had become a favourite since they’d moved in six months ago. Their selection of board games, pool table, dart board and draught ales put it head and shoulders above anywhere else. The lack of a reaction from the regulars to Sirius frequently settling himself in Remus’ lap after a few drinks was also a perk.
The pool tournament had gone, how it usually went, to a final game between James and Sirius to see who’d buy a round of drinks. Pete was superior at darts and Lily and Remus thrashed everyone at most board games, but James and Sirius were almost always the final two at pool.
“And you just… delivered it?” Remus’ face was pale as Lily described a witch showing up to St Mungo's in labour earlier that day. “Just like that? You just… a whole fucking baby?”
“Well, yes.” She laughed, “That’s what I’m training for.”
“I know but…” Remus grimaced, “They trust you with a whole baby? So they’d trust him,” He gestured over his shoulder towards Sirius, “to bring a new life into the world?”
“They would absolutely trust him to do that.” Lily matched Remus’ expression. “And the worst part. He’d be great at it like he is at everything else.”
“I swear to you, once in school he asked if Healers Accioed babies out of the womb.” Lily choked on her wine. “That’s who beat you on the exam last week.”
“That’s genuinely devastating,” Lily said with a grin that Remus didn’t like. “So have you—”
“Lily, darling, what would you like to drink?” Sirius appeared over Remus’ shoulder, clearly having lost the game. His hand automatically went to the back of Remus’ head to play with his curls. Remus leaned into the touch without even thinking about it.
"That was quick, love."
"Potter distracted me. I potted the fucking black." He frowned but there was no malice in it. "Lils?"
“Same again please.” She said, shaking her glass of red wine at him gently. Sirius nodded and headed over to the bar. “I notice he doesn’t need to ask what you want.”
“We live together. It’s different. He just knows.” Remus smiled, not looking Lily in the eye.
“So it’s just flatmate intuition that he knows, without asking, that you’re making the switch from Bass to Guinness at this exact time of the evening?” Lily asked with a grin. “The pair of you are so frustrating to watch.”
“Oh, like we didn’t have to listen to James’ fucking lovesick poetry for six and a half years before you gave him the time of day?” Remus finished the last of his pint of Bass. “Which is beside the point because it’s Sirius!” He hissed, “It’s not like that.”
“Remus.” Lily sighed. “Everyone knows that you’re just going to keep dancing around each other until one of you does something about it. We all thought when you moved in together that it was imminent, but it’s been almost a year. What’s going on?”
“Nothing? Things are just… the same. It’s not a bad thing.” Remus shrugged, “We go to work, we spend time together at home, we spend time with you three and whoever else comes out. It’s fine. It's nice.”
“And what happens when one of you starts dating someone else?” Lily asked, looking genuinely concerned.
“Well, I have no plans to do that,” Remus said. “And it hasn’t been an issue so far.”
“Do you have plans for if Sirius decides to?” She asked quietly.
“Do you think I need to?” He asked with a small smirk. It wasn’t lost on Remus how close they were. He figured that eventually, it would evolve into something else and if it took a while for them to figure it out, then he’d enjoy the journey.
“Red wine for you, Lils, and a Guinness for Moony.” Sirius set the tray of drinks down before sliding into the booth so close to a Remus that he was practically in his lap. “James and Pete are talking about boring work stuff. What are you two talking about?”
Lily caught Remus’ eye and the small smile that passed between them didn’t escape Sirius’ notice. “Lily was telling me how she delivered a baby at work, so maybe we’re no better than they are.”
“You should have been there, Moons, she was incredible!” Sirius leaned his head on Remus’ shoulder, enjoying the way Remus’ arm instinctually snaked around his shoulders, pulling him closer.
“Birth tends not to be a spectator sport.” He said, “Plus I’m definitely too squeamish for that.”
“You get used to it.” Lily shrugged. “What’s new at the library?”
Remus had been fortunate enough (he suspected thanks to Professor McGonagall’s recommendation) to land a job at the National Library of Magical Tomes and Literature as a junior librarian. He’d been anxious about needing time off for moons but his boss, Davey had said that as long as he could make up the hours, he’d accommodate the two days off each month that Remus was likely to need, no questions asked.
Sirius didn’t like it when he talked about Davey. Remus had noticed that early on. Davey was probably in his late twenties and was undeniably good-looking. His long curly hair was often pulled back off his tanned face and the jeans he wore outside of the library were outrageously tight. So he tended not to bring him up when Sirius was around for everyone’s sake.
“Ugh, remember that prick a few years ahead of us at school, Gilderoy Lockhart? Ravenclaw. Blonde hair. Absolute dickhead.” They both nodded, “He’s written a book.”
“About what?” Lily asked. “Haircare products of the 1970s and their impact on how much of a twat they make someone?”
“I’m telling Monty you said that.” Said Sirius with a grin.
“I’ll tell him you’re the one who broke the rope swing over the pond that he spent days making.”
“How was I meant to know it wouldn’t hold two people? Plus, that’s telling on Moony too, and he’s innocent here.” Remus sighed, trying not to think about Sirius’ thighs wrapped around his waist as they’d plunged into the chilly water of the pond, or how Sirius hadn’t relinquished his grip for well over five minutes once they re-emerged on the surface, “Sorry Moons, what’s this about Lockhart?”
“Apparently he’s been on some big tour of the U.K., coming across magical beasts and has documented his trip.” Remus scowled, “It’s called Wandering with Werewolves.”
Sirius inhaled sharply. “How bad is it?”
“Pretty fucking bad. All the stereotypes. Apparently, he watched a pack stalking a family with a little kid for months. That just… that wouldn’t happen! It doesn’t happen! Werewolf attacks on children are so fucking rare. I should know!” Remus realised he’d pulled Sirius even closer and relaxed his arm slightly, but Sirius stayed where he was. “How can anyone publish bullshit like that? Let alone publish his bullshit?!”
“Rich family.” Sirius said quietly, “Probably just happy that he’s out of their hair, and willing to fund whatever keeps it that way. Fuck knows what Reg is going to get himself into next month.”
Remus suspected as much, “But other than that, things are great at work. Davey’s been letting me go through the archives in the afternoons when we’re slow, and there’s some super interesting stuff there. Gryffindor’s diaries from when they founded Hogwarts, that man fucked, that’s all I’m saying. Also, an early gossip rag from the 1800s speculating about incest in the Black family.” He nudged Sirius slightly.
“Maybe you could sneak me into the archive so I can take pictures of them and post them to Walburga and Orion.” Sirius tilted his head so he could look up at Remus. “Plus, exploring the archives sounds like fun.”
“Do you see me coming to your job to see if I can accio a baby out of someone?” Lily snorted. “I’ll see what I can do about pictures though.” Sirius huffed, “How am I meant to sneak you in?”
“The cloak,” Sirius said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“No.” Remus looked down at him with a fond smile, “I’m not sneaking you into my job just so you can taunt those arseholes. As much as I hate them, I love my job more.”
“And what about how much you love me?” Sirius grinned up at him, “Or do you love your job more than that?”
“Get a room!” Pete said as he pulled up a stool to the end of the table. James slid in beside Lily. “Anyone want a game of darts?” Pete asked.
“Actually, yes! I brought life into the world today. Let’s see what else these hands can do.” She looked at James, “Yes, but later.” She said before he even opened his mouth.
“I need a piss, then count me in. You in Moons?” He asked as Remus took his arm back.
“Alright. I don’t know why I bother, but you need someone to lose and do the maths I suppose.”
“That’s the spirit!” He pressed a kiss to Remus’ shoulder before sliding out of the booth and heading to the loo.
“So?” James said with a smug look.
“So?” Remus knew exactly what was coming.
“Any plans to ask him out?”
“Not since the last time you asked me.” Remus said, “Which was four days ago.”
“A lot can change in four days!” James said, “One of you has to do it eventually, why can’t it be you, and preferably now?”
“Because I don’t want to fuck up our friendship. Plus, I live in a flat that he mostly pays for, that’d be weird.”
“I wonder why he’d do that.” James feigned stupidity. “Why on earth would Sirius Black help out the friend that he’s been flirting with for years?”
“Key word there, Prongs. Friend.” Remus took a mouthful of Guinness. “Look I’m not saying never and I’m certainly not saying that it’s not something I want. I just can’t do that right now.”
“Ugh. Fine.” James stood up as Sirius made his way back from the toilet and they all headed over to the dartboard. “The pair of you are insufferable.”
“Imagine how much worse we’d be as a couple,” Remus said in his ear as he passed him. James knew he had a point.
After two games of darts, Remus was almost falling asleep in his chair. It wasn’t even ten o'clock, but the moon was in three days and he was starting to get ‘Moon-Grumpy’ as Sirius called it. Lily called it Moon-PMS. He didn’t know which he hated more.
“Go home.” Sirius’ face appeared in front of him. “You’re knackered.”
Remus frowned, “I’m fine.”
“Shut up, and go to bed.” He smiled at Remus. “I have my keys, and I’ll be quiet when I come back I promise. We won’t be out much longer anyway, but this chair looks very uncomfortable.”
Remus had to agree that it was. His neck and all down his left side ached. “Fine.” He huffed, “but if you wake me up—”
“I know, I know. You’ll rip my intestines out through my mouth and throw them out of the window for the foxes to chew on.” Sirius shrugged. “I’ll be extra quiet, I promise.”
“Alright then.” He let Sirius pull him to his feet and wrap his arms around him. “Won’t be long. You alright getting home?”
“It’s a two-minute walk, love. I’ll be fine.” He extricated himself from Sirius’ arms. “Thanks, though.”
“Sleep well, Moons.” Remus smiled at him over his shoulder as he went to say goodbye to the others.