intertwined
Sirius (mostly)
Sirius’ heart had certainly skipped a couple beats when Remus spun around, the square vinyl case he and a digital artist had spent weeks designing and perfecting in his hand. The corners of Remus’ mouth tilt upwards and Sirius' stomach somersaults. He wishes he could take a picture of him that very second and frame it in gold.
“This is you?” Remus says, pointing to where Sirius is playing his favourite electric guitar in the monochrome picture that makes him look a lot cooler than he actually is.
“Yeah,” He nods, grinning probably a bit too widely. Remus hums, setting the record down gently on a nearby table and walking back towards where they all are stood (or sat - Sirius and James still haven't gotten up yet for some unknown reason) in a slightly wobbly semi circle.
“Well,” He claps his hands together, earning back Sirius’ attention and gaze. “Looks like we’ve found ourselves a celebrity,” As comfortable silence falls, they all smile and look around at each other as if to say, ‘What now?’.
“Celebrities,” James corrects after a few seconds as if he couldn't help it. Marlene snorts which quickly turns into her and Dorcas giggling which inevitably leads to the rest of them doing the same. Though, Sirius thinks they are all less laughing at the joke and more at the absurdity of the situation they've unexpectedly found themselves in. Soon enough the sound of a new voice clearing its throat interrupts them.
They all pause, going silent and straight-faced to see a woman with one white earbud dangling down the front of her apron, and the other presumably tucked under her masses of curls somewhere. Her eyes flick up and down the group of them judgingly. That look alone makes Sirius want to apologise even though he hasn’t done anything wrong—at least he doesn’t think he has, anyway. Remus’ eyes bulge as he notices her, and he quickly glances at Marlene and Dorcas to see them having similar reactions. He attempts to rearrange his face into a hopefully somewhat convincing friendly smile.
“Mary!” Remus exclaims as if he was waiting for her the entire time and hadn’t completely forgotten about her at all (he had). Mary gives him a heavy side-eye as a response and struts over to where Sirius is sitting on the floor, looking up at her like he's slightly scared of what she's going to do.
“Are you going to tell me why Sirius Black is sitting on our floor?” She asks, raising her eyebrows and folding her arms. Her gaze shifts to James. “And who’s this guy?” She doesn't get an answer. “Hm?” Remus’ shoulders begin to shake with laughter which he attempts to disguise rather poorly as a cough into his elbow.
“They were uh- were being chased by the paparazzi?” He says eventually, his voice going high at the end of his sentence as if it was a question. Mary nods and narrows her eyes. Glancing to the side, Remus watches as Marlene and Dorcas try so very hard to hide their obvious amusement behind their hands, only to fail and amuse him even further in the process.
“Mm, okay then, and you didn’t think to come and get me?” She asks, looking very unimpressed. James and Sirius catch each other’s eyes and James has to fold his lips inwards and turn away quickly to suppress the laughter he is very much struggling to hold back. He glances at Remus instead who is looking somewhat terrified.
“No?” Remus says gradually, wincing as his voice goes high again. This is when Marlene loses it and one of her loud cackles escapes from her lips, splitting the short, slightly tense silence left in the wake of his answer in two. Her eyes go wide and her hands fly to her mouth as if she surprised herself, above all of everyone else. Mary cracks a smile, looking round at them all.
“I’m just playing,” She laughs, watching amusedly as all of their faces drop in relief. She holds out her hand to Sirius, who stares at it, confused. “Hi, I’m Mary,” His expression melts into realisation before he grins and shakes her hand.
“I think you already know who I am,” He replies, winking at her cheekily and she chuckles and nods before shaking James’ hand. He gives her a dashing smile as he gazes up at her. After greetings are over and done with, Mary steps back and frowns.
“Seriously, why are you guys on the floor?” She says, gesturing to the countless chairs to choose from all around them. Sirius and James look at each other and shrug, they honestly don't know. Remus sticks his hand out beside Sirius, Dorcas doing the same for James. Sirius takes it, and can't help but stare at how their fingers look intertwined. They fit like they were made for each other. To his surprise and delight, which he decidedly doesn't think too deeply into, he catches Remus staring too. When Sirius has finally risen to his feet, they grin as they break the contact, both quickly looking away and pretending to busy themselves as if they're shy schoolchildren on the playground again after they've just held hands for the first time. Which they actually have, some tiny, stupid, unhelpful, insignificant voice in the back of Sirius' very irritating mind adds. Sirius glances to his right to find James already looking at him, he arches an eyebrow suggestively and Sirius’ eyes widen. James turns away, smiling knowingly.
Sirius’ ringtone blasts out from his back pocket, startling them all. He rolls his eyes when he sees the name at the top of his phone screen. He punches the green accept button with hesitation, pressing the phone to his ear.
“Hello Mr. Karkaroff,” He says wearily, knowing what's coming. On the other side of the line, he hears a heavy sigh that matches how he's feeling quite well.
“Mr. Black, we have been through this many times, you simply cannot keep running off to these places.” His manager’s cold voice crackles in his ear. The manager his parents had employed for him years ago that he can't get rid of for another three months because of shitty contracts or something. That’s basically what his lawyer, Minerva, tells him at least once a week whenever he asks anyway.
“What, so I can’t leave my house unless you say so now?” He responds, tone sharpening. He stares at his shoes, feeling everyone’s eyes on him.
“That is not what I said, but these little trips to the countryside have to end.” His voice starts to rise. Sirius genuinely sees no logic in what he is saying.
“Why?” He asks, eyebrows drawn together.
“The paparazzi attack you, Sirius, like today,” He replies, tone stern. Sirius cannot believe what he is hearing.
“Maybe stop calling them on me then!” He shouts into the phone and slams his finger onto the hang up button. He screws his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose. He wills three months to come quicker than ever. He opens his eyes to see concerned faces staring back at him. He clears his throat.
“Sorry you had to see that,” He mumbles, catching James’ sympathetic gaze.
“Three months,” He mouths and Sirius nods slowly.