the black dog

Flashback – 10th March 1976 (Remus’ 16th Birthday)
Remus’ POV

“Come with me,” Sirius told him, interlocking their fingers together as he pulled them through the crowd of people in the Gryffindor Common Room. Their steps were fumbled and less sure, a result of the copious amounts of alcohol in their system.

“Where are we going?” Remus shouted over the sound of the music, continuing to be pulled behind Sirius like a child.

Either Sirius ignored him or couldn’t hear him as he offered no response as they entered the staircase that led to their dorm room. For the amount of alcohol Sirius had consumed he was confident on his feet, moving up the staircase as if he was racing time itself.

“Sirius?” Remus slurred as he almost lost his footing on one of the steps.

The door to their dorm was pushed open revealing an empty room—which was expected since Pete and James were still in the common room. Sirius didn’t release Remus’ hand until he reached the trunk at the end of his bed, pulling the lid up and reaching inside.

“Where did it go?” Sirius said as he rummaged around the mess inside. Remus looked on in confusion, watching his friend who seemed to be reaching a state of panic. Several seconds later Sirius pulled out two objects with a relieved sigh. “Ah, thank Merlin.”

Sirius went to sit on his bed and stared at Remus expectantly until he joined his friend beside him.

“Here,” Sirius said, holding out one of the bottles. “Your birthday present.”

“What’s this?” Remus took the bottle from Sirius’ hand with caution.

“Just drink it,” Sirius replied, slurring his words. Remus watched his friend unstopper the top of the bottle that was still in his hand, appearing as if Sirius was going to drink the other one.

Remus was hesitant to follow Sirius’ request, even as he watched his friend drink the contents in a few gulps. “You haven’t poisoned it, have you?”

Sirius rolled his eyes before a look of desperation bloomed on his face. “Just shut up and drink it.”

Remus unstoppered the bottle in his hand, pressing it to his mouth and letting the liquid fall down his throat. The effect of the bottle—which he now realised contained a potion—was immediate. That fuzzy feeling in his head had begun to vanish until his thoughts were clear and his vision less hazy. He was now as he was at the beginning of the night—completely sober.

He frowned at Sirius, thoroughly confused. “Is this a sober-up potion? I thought we all agreed to get piss drunk tonight?”

“I need us to be sober for this.” Sirius looked deep into his eyes, a raw emotion that Remus could not exactly place residing there.

“For what?” Remus asked, slightly fearful at the ferocity by which Sirius was staring at him.

“This,” Sirius replied, grabbing Remus by his shirt and pulling him down to lock their lips together.

The empty bottle still in Remus’ hands tumbled to the floor as he reached out to catch the boy by his shoulders, leaning into Sirius’ kiss.

Present – 20th May 1983

Remus was yet to turn around, Sirius’ words hanging in the air.

Can we talk?

Can we talk?

Can we talk?

Can we talk?

“Remus?” The voice called out from behind him again, small and vulnerable. That surprised him, at no point in his life did he think he would ever describe Sirius Black as small and vulnerable. Remus had known the man as anything but.

But it had been seven years. He didn’t know Sirius Black as he once did. Before the 17th of March 1976 anyway.

He also noted that Sirius called him Remus, not Moony. He had always been Moony to Sirius. Not that it mattered anymore, he didn’t particularly want any of the names he went—or once went—by to fall from the lips of this man. Even if he realised when he was here a few weeks ago that these lips are so fucking inviting that it’s simply unfair.

He felt like minutes had passed since the voice had said his name. Surely he had left? Surely he got the hint and walked away? His own reassurances gave him the courage to slowly turn around to confirm his suspicions.

Sirius Black’s eyes are still the same shade of grey. That is the first thing that crossed Remus’ mind when his eyes locked on the man’s face—because of course Sirius hadn’t left.

Sirius’ eyes slightly widened as Remus looked upon his face. Remus realised after several minutes of his eyes frozen on his face that this was the longest he had looked at Sirius in seven years.

Sirius looked at him with desperation on every inch of his face, his lips parting slightly as he inhaled. Remus’ eyes fell to the man’s chest, which was rising and falling just as rapidly as Remus’. When his eyes finally returned to the man’s face he watched Sirius’ tongue dart out to wet his bottom lip.

Remus’ breath hitched in his chest. Fuck. He reprimanded himself silently. It had to be the alcohol—even if it was only a few drinks. He couldn’t possibly be having this reaction to Sirius if he was completely sober.

Sirius broke eye contact to turn his head away, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He eventually turned his head back towards him. “Remus. I’ll be out the back.” He pointed to a door that had ‘no access’ printed across it. “You can come back there if you want to talk. I’ll wait.”

Sirius walked past him, not looking away from Remus until he was past him. Remus fought the urge to turn around and watch the man walk away. Instead, he turned back to the bar to watch Rosa walk over to stand in front of him.

Whatever remained in Remus’ glass quickly disappeared as he picked it up and finished it in one go. Placing it back down on the bar, he made eye contact with Rosa who gave him a sly smile.

“You need another refill,” she asked, gesturing to his empty glass.

Does he? It sure felt like Remus needed it. Merlin, he really should be checking to see where Reg ended up.

“Maybe later,” he told Rosa as he turned his head around to scan the room for any sign of Regulus or James.

When he found James somewhere near the door without Regulus he knew that the man would be waiting outside for him. This was his way out. He slid off the stool and took a few steps through the crowd. And then he stopped in his tracks.

Remus looked at the door. The door that he knew Sirius was waiting for him behind. And fuck he really shouldn’t have thought about Sirius right now. Sirius was his stupidly perfect lips and his stupidly perfect hair and his stupidly perfect body.

He held back a groan. He really was stupid, wasn’t he?

He told himself it was the alcohol in his system as he pushed through the crowd towards the door. Perhaps it was better to blame the full moon approaching the following week. It certainly would explain the heaving of his chest and the overwhelming heat in his system. Either way, he swung the door open to reveal a short corridor that seemed to lead to a small lounge area. His eyes didn’t dwell on what was beyond the corridor for long, his eyes immediately falling on the figure that was leaning against the wall a few metres away.

Sirius’ head was tipped back against the wall, his eyes squeezed shut as his lips moved, muttering words that Remus couldn’t make out from the background noise of the bar. Fuck. Now his attention was back on Sirius’ mouth.

He let the door shut behind him with a soft click, just loud enough for the man’s head to swivel towards Remus, a hopeful glance on his face. Sirius made no movements to get off the wall and bridge the distance between them. In fact, he seemed to slump further into it as if he needed the stability of it to stay upright.

“Remus? Oh, thank Merlin,” Sirius told him with a shaky voice.

He started to say something else but Remus’ brain filtered it out. It was like he was underwater and Sirius was on land.

He took a step towards Sirius.

Another step.

“Remus?” He was able to make out that word as it fell from Sirius’ lips.

There was an arm’s length between them now, Sirius’ head was no longer in contact with the wall, leaning forward as if magnets were pulling the two of them together.

“Remus, I am so sorry. That day… That day is one of the biggest—”

Remus took another step towards Sirius, his eyes narrowed on the man’s face. Whatever Sirius was going to say died on the man’s lips as his eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion.

Remus swore he could hear the breath Sirius sucked in through his teeth. “Moony?” The sound was a quiet rasp, a whispered question.

And that name fell from Sirius’ mouth. His name. The name that he had tried so hard to forget because of how it was inextricably intertwined with this man.

Sirius shook his head slightly as if he was trying to clear his thoughts. His eyes darted to the floor before returning to Remus’ face, eyes pointedly fixed on his chin. “I will spend as long as—”

“Shut up,” Remus murmured, his voice quieter than a whisper. It was the first thing he had said directly to Sirius since the day before he woke up in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.

“What?” Sirius immediately stopped the apology, his eyes moving from Remus’ chin up to his eyes. His mouth hung open—in fascination or disbelief; Remus didn’t know the answer.

Remus’ voice was louder as he answered Sirius’ question. “Shut the fuck up.”

And then his mouth was on Sirius’, his hands threading into the back of the man’s head, tangling with messy curls there. Remus Lupin was kissing Sirius Black, 2627 days between the last time he had tasted the heat of this man’s mouth and now. It was just the two of them completely caught up in each other, completely lost to each other in a moment of pure lust.

Remus’ lips didn’t lose contact with Sirius’ as he slid his knee between the man’s thighs, using it to hold him in place.

Fucking Merlin, there was a reason Remus was so infatuated with this man’s mouth. Sirius kissed like it was life or death. And as much as he saw this man as someone who tore his soul out the day that he ruined Remus’s life, this kiss, this moment, breathed life back into him. Remus’ soul could be torn out by a dementor and he was still sure that he could be brought back to life by Sirius Black.

Sirius didn’t push Remus away. Did Remus find that strange? Maybe. Did he care? Fuck no. When their lips had collided the man had groaned into his mouth. Groaned. Remus drank in the sound, letting himself succumb to the alcohol in his system as he poured his rage for this frustratingly attractive man behind his kiss. Rage for what had happened years ago. Rage for how Sirius had ruined things between them just as they had begun to start. Sirius had snuffed out their flame when he let his anger at Snape jeopardise Remus’ life. But oh fuck, Remus could feel the fire begin to flicker inside of him.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he could walk away from his past only to walk back into it years later. It wasn’t fair that Sirius was just as handsome as ever and Remus’ intoxicated self couldn’t help but go against everything to lose himself in the man.

Sirius was panting as he ground down on Remus’ thigh, his hands reaching out to grab onto Remus’ shoulders. Remus caught the man's wrists before they could make contact with him, holding them together in one hand as he pinned them to the wall above Sirius’ head. Because if he let Sirius put his hands on him right now he was sure there would be no going back. A rush of heat coursed through his body at the very thought. So yes, that definitely wasn’t an option.

He broke the contact between their mouths so he could press his just beneath the man’s jaw. His mouth quickly found the pulse point on Sirius’ neck and sucked hard, his teeth grazing the soft skin there. A soft moan fell from Sirius’ lips as his hips ground down harder against Remus’ thigh.

Fuck. Just that sound alone was enough to kill a man.

“Remus,” Sirius panted as he continued to place hot open-mouthed kisses along the man’s neck, from his collarbone to his jaw to his ear. Some of them would surely leave marks on Sirius’ flawless skin. A part of Remus enjoyed that—he blamed the wolf.

Remus’ mouth returned to Sirius’ with a growl—the wolf again—and used it to stop any more words from falling from the man’s mouth. The man groaned and Remus took advantage of it to slip his tongue inside between Sirius’ lips. He only broke the kiss again what felt like minutes later when he was sure the man had gotten the message to stop talking. His mouth returned to Sirius’ neck and his hands released Sirius’ wrists.

One of his hands moved to Sirius’ waist, pinning him against the wall while the other moved to the button of the man’s trousers, swiftly unbuttoning it. Sirius’ hand was grasping his wrist before he could pull down the zipper, a heat running through his body from where Sirius’ hand made contact with his arm.

It was enough to break Remus out of the haze. Out of the lust. It was as if Sirius’ words had flipped a switch inside his brain and he was suddenly cold, his body tensing up as he did everything but shove Sirius away to create distance between them.

“Remus, please.” Sirius took a step towards him which Remus mirrored by taking a step back.

His face hardened when he looked at Sirius—surely rivalling the dark look James had given him when he saw Regulus in his lap. Sirius’ hands raised slightly like he was fighting the urge to reach out towards Remus.

“I need you to hear me out. I need to apologise.”

Remus shook his head and turned away, putting his back on the man as he took a step towards the door that led back out into the bar.

“Tell Reg I’m sorry.” The words were blurted out of Sirius’ mouth, catching Remus with enough shock that he stopped dead in his tracks.

“What for?” He said carefully, his voice hoarse. He didn’t dare to turn around and look at the man.

A long pause. “For what just happened.”

Remus stood in silence, deep in thought. He was then struck with the realisation of what Sirius believed he was apologising for. “I’m not with your brother.”

“Oh, I—”

“But it truly astounds me that that is what you want to apologise to him for out of everything,” he scoffed, shaking his head once again. He then continued walking towards the door, not hesitating as Sirius’ pleading voice called out to him from behind.

“Remus. Moony. Please. Will you let me explain? Can we talk about that night? Please. I—”

The sound of the door shutting behind him as he entered the bar again drowned out Sirius’ words.

It wasn’t difficult to find Regulus when he walked out of The Black Dog—for what he hoped would be the last time.

Regulus was leaning against the wall of a neighbouring shop with his arms folded across his chest, glaring at Remus with a calculating look on his face. Remus stopped in front of him and stood by as Regulus looked him up and down. He fucking knew, didn’t he?

Regulus smirked. “You sure took your time.”

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Remus ran his hands through his hair, voicing the curses that had coursed through him ever since he left the back room of the bar.

Regulus’ face immediately darkened, leaning away from the wall. “What happened? Do I need to throw more punches?”

Remus winced, before looking at his friend with a horrified look on his face, “Regulus. You aren’t going to believe me.”

Regulus’ eyes looked at Remus’ mouth, before returning to his eyes. “Who’d you fuck?”

Remus did not provide Regulus with a verbal answer, hoping the panicked expression on his face was a hint. He truly did not want to say the words out loud.

Thankfully—or perhaps not—Regulus figured it out, his mouth dropping open in shock. “No. Fucking. Way.”

Remus buried his face into his hands with a groan. “It was just a snog.”

Regulus snorted. “Just a snog?”

“Yes,” he hissed before he began to walk further into Absconditus Alley, further away from The Black Dog. “Let’s go, I don’t want to be anywhere near here for the rest of my life.”

“What happened to 'make them pay?' I thought we were in this together?” Regulus called out.

“I don’t know!” Remus yelled back, quickening his pace.

“You better brace yourself for Lily, Evan and Barty.”

“Fuck.” He stopped and turned around to look back at Regulus.

“Yes,” Regulus nodded. “Fuck indeed.”

Present — 21st May 1983

Remus and Regulus were sitting at the table in their apartment when the door flew open, and three figures entered the room. It seemed like Lily was taking full advantage of her key privileges. What surprised Remus—and from the look on his face, Regulus too—was that Barty and Evan were following closely behind.

Lily stormed over to the table, a stack of paper in her hand which she slammed down on the table in front of Remus and Regulus.

“What the fuck is this?” she demanded, looking between the two of them.

Remus looked at the newspaper and internally groaned. It was for Rumours!—the company that thrived on made-up gossip and misinformation. For Merlin’s sake, they published that Regulus had drowned.

He watched as Regulus looked at the newspaper dismissively before looking between his three friends with narrowed eyes. He eventually settled on Lily, who was still seething with rage.

“You brought Barty and Evan with you? Why?”

“We bonded last night,” Evan answered and Remus watched as Barty threw an arm around Lily’s neck.

Remus could make out Regulus muttering “This is a fucking nightmare” under his breath.

“We are here for this,” Lily said, tapping her finger on the newspaper cover. “Did you know about this?”

“Can this be quick?” Regulus asked, glancing at the clock on the wall.

“Got someplace to be?” Barty asked.

Regulus scowled at his friend. “I have someone coming over actually.”

“WHAT?” Barty screeched, followed by Evan’s “WHO?”

Lily, seeming to momentarily forget about the newspaper, looked at Regulus with a grin on her face. “Is it that Silas guy? You told us he was cute.”

“YES,” Barty nodded. “I want to meet this man and see if Regulus still has good taste.”

“Still?” Lily turned her head to look at the man.

Barty nodded casually. “James Potter was hot.”

“He was,” Evan agreed with a nod.

Remus huffed in amusement. “You should see him now.”

He made sure not to look at Regulus, feeling the man’s rage and targeted glare on the side of his face.

“It’s not Silas,” Regulus told his friends.

Seeing the twinge of disappointment on Barty’s face, Remus opened his mouth again. “But oh this person’s cute, Barty,” Remus snorted and nodded his head. “Just your type.”

“I will judge that for myself,” Barty replied, looping his arm around Evan’s waist to pull him closer. “But my type is right here.”

Regulus wrinkled his nose. “Barty, when the fuck did you get so cringey?”

“It took you until now to notice,” Lily asked. “I had to deal with this the entirety of last night. Those two are so codependent it’s unhealthy.”

Remus nodded in agreement. “They truly would be lost without each other. I certainly couldn’t handle Barty if he and Evan weren’t together.”

“Good thing that isn’t going to happen,” Barty remarked, pulling Evan even closer to his side.

Remus rolled his eyes. “Okay, possessive bastard. That wasn’t a threat.”

Lily’s attention was back on the wizarding newspaper. Fuck. Remus wasn’t ready for this conversation.

“You never answered my question,” Lily said, levelling Remus with one of her infamous glares. “Remus John Lupin. Did you know about this?”

Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, which Lily decided to take as an answer.

“Did he do this in front of you? That fucking bastard. I might not like violence but I’m convinced I am going to snap at any minute.”

Remus stared at her in shock.

Regulus had the same expression on his face. “What do you think happened?”

“Did you not read it?” Lily said.

Regulus scoffed. “Why would I bother with this shit. Remember it said I died?”

“Just read it,” Lily said, pushing it in front of Regulus.

Remus watched as Regulus skimmed the article, his eyes moving across the words of the page. He paused halfway through to look up at Remus with an expression that was a mix of disgust and horror. When he finished reading the article, he laid it back down on the table and pushed it across to Remus.

“Yeah. You should read this,” he said, an amused smile on his face.

Remus picked up the article with caution and began reading.

Sirius Black seen with man in his bar ‘The Black Dog’

Sirius Black opened his new bar in late April of this year in Absconditus Alley, welcoming new customers to this establishment. This bar has been a hit for wizards and witches across London, its liveliness and crowds only having grown since its opening.

The question about Sirius Black’s love life has always been something that has plagued the public. As the best friend of beloved Quidditch star and Puddlemere United player, James Potter, Black has found himself in the spotlight constantly regarding his sexuality and relationships. Black openly announced that he was gay in 1980, with Potter expressing his support for his friend. However, Black has never given any indication of having a relationship.

We at Rumours! have heard whisperings of what occurred last night at The Black Dog between Black and who is being labelled as his mysterious lover. Multiple witnesses have described seeing Sirius sneak out into a back room of a bar with a man. One key witness describes that she could clearly hear what was going on back there, stating that the ‘Moans were so loud I could hear it through the door and over the music.’

Black was then seen emerging back into the bar about half an hour after the other man left. What surprised witnesses was that Sirius Black’s neck was adorned with fresh love bites, his hair and clothes a dead giveaway of what went on in that back room. Surely if Sirius had wanted to keep this a secret, he would have used his wand to cover the marks?

The questions that remain in our minds are: Who is this mysterious lover? Is Sirius Black in a committed relationship? Will this stranger make a reappearance at The Black Dog?

I’m sure all visitors to The Black Dog in the following weeks will be surely keeping their eyes out for this mysterious man.

“I have to give Rumours! my praise, this is actually pretty believable,” Regulus mused.

“Did Sirius really do this at the bar last night? Did he really do this in front of you?” Lily said, her eyes filled with concern and the rest of her face unbridled rage.

Regulus hummed. “Well, I was doing the same with James.”

Remus wanted to curse Regulus for trying to provoke Lily. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Lily focused her anger on Regulus. “It’s okay when you and Remus do it. It’s not okay when they do it. You guys aren’t in the wrong here.”

“Hmm. Still sounds hypocritical.” Regulus shrugged.

Lily’s face ticked and she took a deep breath as she turned back to Remus. “Did you know who Sirius was with last night?”

Regulus chuckled. “Oh, we know who Sirius was with last night”

“Who?” Evan, Barty and Lily said in unison.

Regulus was looking at Remus, who had decided that the table was where the focus of his gaze should be.

“YOU?” Lily screeched, clasping her hand over her mouth. “Remus? What the fuck? What. the fuck.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know,” he said, burying his face in his hand.

“You didn’t think to bring this up last night?” Lily asked incredulously.

Remus was saved by the sound of a knock on the door. He watched as Regulus’ face twisted into something of horror.

Barty and Evan’s face lit up as they both raced towards the door.

Regulus was scrambling to his feet. “Barty, no! Don’t you dare open that door—”

Remus watched from the table as Barty opened the door with pure eagerness. The silence in the room was heavy as Remus fought the urge to chuckle. He was sure the look on Barty’s face was something of pure shock and horror. Regulus was blocked from reaching his guest by Evan and Barty, still standing frozen in the doorway.

“How cruel of you to let a little old lady walk up all those flights of stairs only to greet her with such a look,” Margaret shook her head before her mouth cracked into a smile. “Regulus, my dear, it seems that you are friends with the younger version of me.”

Regulus shooed his friends away with a scowl. “Yes, I know. This one,” he pointed at his friend, “is Barty.”

“Ah, Barty,” Margaret nodded. “The one I said I’d get along with.”

Regulus led Margaret into the room and helped her get settled on the couch.

“Where are your manners, Regulus? Introduce me to the rest,” Margaret scolded.

“I wonder where your manners are half the time,” he scowled. “The blonde one is Barty’s boyfriend Evan, the redhead is Lily, and Remus you already know.”

“Nice to see you again, Margaret,” Remus told her with a smile.

“Keep up the good work,” she replied with a knowing grin. “Now I was promised about a rundown of last night.”

“She knows?” Barty asked with wide eyes.

“It wasn’t just you who told Regulus here to snog another man in front of James Potter.”

“She knows knows?” Evan asked.

“Of course I do.”

“What’s all that racket in there?” A loud voice called out as there was a bang at their door. “Some of us like to hear ourselves think.”

“No,” Barty groaned. “Not Gary again.”

“Let me,” Margaret said, climbing to her feet.

“No,” Regulus said. “You shouldn’t have to deal with Gary. He’s a grumpy old man who has nothing better to do than scream at his neighbours.”

Evan grunted. “It’s the only way he can socialise with others.”

“Don’t be silly,” Margaret shook her head as she walked towards the door. “I can handle a grumpy old man.”

Remus believed everyone in the room collectively winced as Margaret opened the door, Regulus staying close to her side.

“What’s with the banging on the door? You gave this poor old woman a heart attack,” she told the bald man.

Gary frowned at the old woman. “Who are you?”

“That’s a very rude question to ask a lady,” she scolded. “I am Regulus’ grandmother and I’m here for tea and a catch-up.”

Gary looked between Margaret and Regulus in disbelief, likely a result of the physical differences between Margaret—a black woman—and Regulus who was as pale as snow. “Grandmother?”

“Yes, I know, I look young for my age.”

Barty snorted and Remus watched Evan clasp his hand over Barty’s mouth.

“Now what can I help you with, handsome?” Margaret continued.

Gary stuttered, a bewildered expression crossing his face. “I… Well… Just keep the volume down in here.”

“Keep the volume down…”

“...Please?”

“We’ll try our best,” Margaret told him before shutting the door in his face.

Barty and Evan immediately broke down into laughter.

“Never in my day did I think I would see Gary with that expression on his face.”

“Reg, why didn’t we meet her sooner?”

“You weren’t supposed to meet her at all. Full stop.”

Margaret was just in her seat when there was another knock at the door.

Regulus groaned. “How many visitors can one person get in such a short amount of time?”

“Maybe Gary has returned.”

“I fucking hope not,” Regulus said as he pulled open the door.

“SURPRISE!” A voice called out as a figure threw herself at Regulus, pulling him into a big hug.

“Dorcas,” Regulus said in complete shock, his arms eventually returning the gesture. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Well, if you all followed Quidditch you would know that the season starts up again this weekend. We are back from our European travels so she can commence training.”

“Oh my god, Marlene?” It was Lily’s voice that called out as another figure stepped into the flat. Then she was rushing across the apartment to give her friend a hug. Dorcas turned to give Evan and Barty a hug.

Remus slowly climbed to his feet and walked across the room. He was nervous. Fuck. This was one of those moments that he was dreading. He hadn’t said goodbye to Marlene seven years ago. He was too hurt and embarrassed to bring them in that night, only wanting Lily to comfort him in his final moments at Hogwarts. He and Marlene were never as close as him and Lily but she was still a friend. A friend that he regretted not giving the courtesy of a goodbye or an explanation to.

He saw the moment she looked away from Lily and saw him. Disbelief. Shock. A ripple of grief. More disbelief.

“Remus John Lupin, is that really you? You are here? With Regulus Black and the rest of Dorcas’ friends?”

He shrugged nervously, “It’s where I’ve been for the last few years.”

“Years? You’ve been in London for years? Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” Marlene gave Remus a look of pure hurt that made Remus’ eyes get teary.

“I was embarrassed. I was filled with regret. I thought you and everyone else would hate me for leaving.”

“Oh I am mad as hell right now,” Marlene shook her head with a sharp laugh, blinking back tears in her eyes. “I’m mad that you would ever think that.”

A tear escaped Remus’ eye and Marlene walked up to pull him into a hug, her face resting above his shoulder. “I could never hate you, Remus,” she whispered.

When they pulled back she took his face in her hands. “Oh Merlin, you Remus Lupin got fucking hot. I’m a raging lesbian and I can acknowledge it.”

“Not hot. Hotter.We all got hotter,” Dorcas agreed.

Marlene let go of Remus’ face and turned around to look at her girlfriend. “How’d you know and not me?”

Dorcas shrugged. “It wasn’t my place to tell. Remus sent me a letter a week ago saying that I could bring you here when we were back in London.”

“You are lucky I love you, Cas.”

“That I am,” Dorcas replied, pulling her in for a kiss.

“Fucking hell we are just missing Pandora now,” Dorcas laughed looking around the room. “And Mary.”

Regulus had gone to sit beside Margaret, who watched on fondly at the reunion. Barty and Evan had pulled chairs from the table to sit with them.

The others quickly joined them in the space, sitting on the floor or pulling up the rest of the chairs. Remus had never seen their flat this crowded. It reminded him of the Gryffindor Common Room—minus the arrangement of people in it—it had the same energy and comfort that he had in his earlier years. Regulus made his introductions of Margaret to Dorcas and Marlene—Dorcas had already known about the older witch from the letters she had exchanged with Regulus on her travels.

“I have something I want to ask,” Marlene said from where she was leaning up against the wall, Dorcas tucked in between her legs. “My first Quidditch game for the second half of the season is this Saturday and I want you all there cheering me on.”

Remus immediately looked at Regulus for his reaction. Marlene did play on the same team as James after all. It seemed that everyone aside from Marlene had their eyes fixed on Regulus.

Marlene, confused, glanced towards Regulus, “Am I missing something?”

“Oh this is good,” Barty chuckled, receiving a soft slap to the shoulder by Lily.

Regulus turned to Remus and nodded at him.

“Regulus might be… familiar with someone on the team,” Remus supplied, choosing his words carefully.

“Familiar? Oh.”

Regulus nodded and Remus could see him shift uncomfortably.

“Did it not end well?” She asked.

“That might be an understatement,” Regulus responded.

“Who is it? I must not know them well,” Marlene frowned, deep in thought. “Is it one of the reserves?”

“Oh you know them, Marlene,” Regulus scoffed. “You know them really well.”

“Really well?” She looked around the room for a clue.

“They were in the same year as us in Hogwarts…” Lily prodded.

Marlene gasped. “Emma Vanity?”

Barty’s laughter was loud and boisterous, his body shaking from the force of it.

“I am gay, Marlene,” Regulus glared at Barty, who choked on his laughter. “Very gay. It's common knowledge.”

“No,” Marlene said in disbelief as realisation crossed her face.

It seemed that she had finally put two and two together.

“Yes,” Dorcas replied.

“No,” she said, turning to look at Lily.

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Hogwarts.”

“Why didn’t James tell me?”

Regulus frowned. “That I don’t know the answer to.”

“So you won’t come to the game?” She asked.

Regulus paused. “I’ll go if Remus goes.”

Remus knew exactly what he meant by that. If Remus was there it was much more likely for him to run into Sirius—a spectator—than James, who would be on the field. Fuck. He hadn’t even thought about that. Surely Sirius had some sort of special privilege that let him sit super close to the team so Remus wouldn’t come across him.

“Why Remus?”

“Oh Merlin,” Barty giggled. “These last few weeks have been the most entertainment I’ve had in forever.”

It was Dorcas’ turn to frown. “What has happened the last few weeks?”

“It’s a long story that really should start at the beginning,” Remus sighed.

Regulus nodded. “I hope you are free for the rest of the day if you really want to hear this.”

“Oh, I have no intention of leaving until I know everything that I have missed.”