The record player next to Remus is quietly playing David Bowie and the new book Sirius gave him immediately captivated him.
It's Sunday 10th March, which means it's also Remus' birthday. His birthday isn't particularly important to him, and he doesn't necessarily need the presents, but it's nice to spend the day with his friends and family.
Remus and Sirius moved in together straight after school, so he was lucky enough to bring Remus breakfast in bed this morning and be the first to wish him a happy birthday.
Of course, since yesterday was Saturday, they stayed up (which means they fell asleep on the couch, but Sirius was able to congratulate him when they went to bed at 2am).
However, he doesn't tell Sirius that Lily wrote to him at the stroke of midnight and was therefore actually the first. Because Sirius was so happy in the morning that it was Remus' birthday, he congratulated him properly with a small present in bed before he got breakfast.
After breakfast, Sirius insisted that Remus immediately unwrap all his other presents so that they would be the first ones he saw.
Today is really nice weather for March, so Remus and Sirius are going to meet their friends in the park and have a little picnic. Tonight they are going out for dinner with Remus' parents and his sister.
Just as he turns the page, the door opens and a beaming James enters their flat.
"Moony! Happy birthday!" he shouts loudly, pulling Remus into a weird hug as Remus sits and James stands. "Thank you, Prongs."
James sits down next to him on the couch, still with that huge grin on his face. "What are you reading?"
"It's a book Sirius gave me," Remus replies and is about to continue talking when James interrupts him, "where's Pads anyway?"
"I mean, I'm nearly deaf, I can use that as an excuse, but you should be able to hear them," Remus says, putting the book aside with a grin.
Remus takes his mobile phone and sets a different programme for his hearing aids so that he can hear Sirius' loud music from upstairs again.
"Is he listening to Olivia Rodrigo?" James asks, puzzled. Remus switches Bowie off to concentrate better on the music from upstairs.
At that moment, Sirius' voice can be heard loudly over the music from their speakers:
"Oh, I wanna get him back
'Cause then again, I really miss him, and it makes me real sad
Oh, I want sweet revenge
And I want him again"
Grinning, Remus turns to James, who looks at him with narrowed eyebrows. "What?" he asks, letting out a breathless laugh.
"Is everything alright with you guys?" Sometimes you get the feeling that James is more worried about Sirius and Remus' relationship than his own.
Just then, Sirius' voice comes from upstairs again:
"I wanna kiss his face (I want to get him back)
With an uppercut
I wanna meet his mom (but then I, I want to get him back)
And tell her her son sucks, yeah!"
James' expression becomes even more worried and he takes Remus' hands in his. "Did you two have a fight? Did he do something stupid? On your birthday?!"
Sirius really likes doing that. They can just lie in bed together overjoyed, cuddling and she whispers sweet nothings in Remus' ear and spreads a thousand kisses on his skin. Only for Sirius to then get up, to take a shower and sings (read; screams) his soul out to the worst break up songs ever.
Remus really wanted to redeem his friend. And it's really not nice to make James suffer like that, but right at that moment the next song starts.
"I told my friends you were the one
After I'd known you, like, a month
And then, you kissed some girl from high school"
It's also just too funny how James looks at him with concern.
"What happened?" he asks again and when Remus sees that his eyes are starting to watering, he quickly releases him and shakes his head, laughing.
"For some weird second string
Loser who's not worth mentioning
My God, love's embarrassing as hell!!!"
Sirius really doesn't make his situation any better, which is why Remus is really starting to laugh now. Loudly. So that tears come out of his eyes.
Unfortunately, the horror in James' eyes doesn't get any better. "I-It is- you- we-," he tries to say, but is shaken by his laughter every time.
At that moment, Sirius comes down the stairs. Remus stops laughing immediately, Sirius catches his breath (as he always does when she enters the room).
Her raven black hair is long and wavy over Sirius' shoulders. She's done her makeup properly today, with eyeliner and lipstick (red) and everything. It looks incredible, that‘s why it took so long.
She is wearing a black and white striped dress and black (see-through) trousers with black leather heels.
'God, she looks so good', is all Remus thinks. He can't even put into words how beautiful his girlfriend is. He has the feeling he can hear the angels sing. As if the world only turns around her, the sun shines through the window so that her beauty shines even more.
For a moment, he completely forgets that James is still there. "Hiya, Prongs!" Sirius is about to lean down and hug her brother when she pauses. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?!" James repeats angrily. "Why are you shouting songs like that so loudly when you're in a happy relationship! Some people think the worst!"
"Some people? Only you Prongs," Remus interjects, but neither of them pay any attention to him. For a moment, Sirius just stares at James until she, too, bursts out laughing.
"Oh, God, Prongs..." She shakes her head and wipes a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye. "I put the makeup freshly on, don't ruin it!"
Remus stands up carefully, which is really difficult at the moment because of his right knee. Sirius is immediately at his side, supporting her boyfriend.
"Like you said Prongs, I have the perfect boyfriend. To feel some heartache, I'll have to take Olivia's." Chuckling, he gives Remus a little kiss on the cheek and turns away.
"Shall we go?" she asks, her back turned to the others.
As it was Remus' birthday, he was of course forbidden to help. So Sirius has prepared everything for the picnic with their friends himself. Everyone brings something, of course, but at least Remus was allowed to watch and help Sirius in other ways.
"Yep!" exclaims James, and he pops the 'p'. James and Remus put on their jackets while Sirius packs everything into a basket and takes it to the other two.
"I'll go first. Don't dawdle!" James says seriously, looking back and forth between Remus and Sirius for a moment before taking the basket and putting it in the car outside.
-
After a bit of dawdling, as Sirius spoiled Remus with kisses, they were finally in the car. Where Lily was already waiting and congratulated Remus effusively.
Mary, Marlene, Peter and Sybill then met them in the park. The sun was actually out and everyone had a great time.
There was eating and drinking, lots of chatting and little games. They all brought presents for Remus. He is so glad to spend time with his friends and that's the only thing Remus really likes about his birthday.
And of course that Sirius held his hand the whole time and was even nicer than usual.
Afterwards, they quickly took the presents back to their flat before driving to the small restaurant where Remus' parents were already waiting.
Juno, his sister, arrived a little late, but had at least a present with her. (She had "forgotten" it last year and then gave it to him two months later). Which is weird, because she never forgets Sirius‘ presents. But in the end, Remus couldn’t care less about that.
It really is a wonderful birthday. Sitting here with his parents, Juno and the love of his life. It’s all he ever wanted.
His family has taken Sirius in so quickly, everyone at this table already sees him as Lupin, even if he isn't, yet.
His mum, Hope, Juno and Sirius are talking excitedly about a TV series that all three of them are watching. Remus watches it with Sirius every week, of course, but he doesn't really have much to say about it.
His father, Lyall, is of course also forced to watch this strange series every week. They used to watch it when Remus and Juno were still living with their parents.
Remus turns his head away from the three of them and meets his father's gaze. Not only do they look alike, they have exactly the same loving smile on their faces as they listen to their three favourite people discuss the show.
Remus used to dislike his birthday, but now it's his favourite day of the year. With Christmas and New Year and Sirius' birthday, Juno's, his parents', all their friends' birthday and actually every day he gets to spend with Sirius and all his other favourite people.
He looks dreamily at Sirius from the side, which she has probably noticed, because she also turns to him and gives Remus the most beautiful smile in the world.