Big cousin Remus

As the marauders settled into their studies and pranks, Remus began to let his guard down, even if it was just from time to time. Clara wrote to Remus almost every week. Usually, the Lupin´s owl would arrive Fridays with a small envelope that contained small letters with a lot of orthographic mistakes, which told Remus about Clara´s day. Sometimes, they contained adorable drawings and Remus would brag about them to their friends. Sirius thought it was adorable.

“What has you smiling like that, Lupin?” asked Regulus as he and Pandora sat down in the Gryffindor table. Regulus gave James a quick peck.

“Clara says that the beans we planted on the summer are finally growing. She tried to send me a photograph but look at this.” Remus laughed gently.

Remus showed everyone on the table the photograph. The photograph showed, not the bean plant or even the garden, you could only see Clara´s feet and then the camera moved to her face, but only her eyes and hair were visible, it was obvious that the huge magic camera was a bit heavy to Remus´s little cousin.

“Awww she is so adorable.” cooed Pandora.

“Can I see it again, Remus?” asked Peter, who found Clara adorable as well.

Remus passed the photo to Peter and Marlene leaned in so she could also watch the magic photograph again.

“Oh poor Clara, she is so adorable.” laughed Marlene. “Isn´t she cute, Dorcas?”

“She is.” agreed her girlfriend.

Marlene stared at the photograph a bit longer.

“Absolutely not.” said Dorcas.

“I haven´t said anything!” complained Marlene.

Everyone on the table laughed. It was no secret that since the platform, Marlene had some sort of baby fever, Marlene of all people.

“Don´t worry Marls.” assured James. “We can adopt a little child together and then...”

James didn´t even finish the sentence cause Regulus choked on his juice and spat a bit on the table as he coughed. Everyone laughed even harder.

“You don´t want kids?” asked James, and Sirius could see the disappointment on his best friend´s eyes.

“No is not that is just... I just … I wasn´t expecting... shut up, Potter.” said Regulus as he cleaned the little drops of pumpkin juice from his robes.

“You do want kids!” said James excited.

“I...” Regulus looked into James´s eyes. Yes, of course Regulus wanted kids and of course if he were to have kids it would be with James freaking Potter, the most loving and caring person Regulus knew. But Regulus simply said. “I´m not discussing this in the great hall, Potter.”

James stood up. Breakfast forgotten. He extended his hand towards Reggie. “Come on then.”

Sirius watched scandalized as Regulus rose from his seat, packing two pieces of bread for him and James. His best friend and brother exited the great hall hand in hand, and by the way James was leaning into Regulus, while his baby brother tried not to blush, told Sirius that yes, Regulus wanted kids. “Ugh, at least James would become officially my family” thought Sirius. Although those were just cover up thoughts, he was ecstatic his brother had found love with his best friend. Sirius eyes returned to Remus.

Remus had finished folding carefully Clara's letter and he had stacked the photo on top of it. He now was looking inside the envelop once again.

“No drawing this week?” asked Sirius.

Remus always lit up when Clara sent drawings, they were his favorite thing to receive. What´s more, Remus cherished each drawing Clara send and he had taken to carefully hang them on the wall above his nightstand. In the past few months, Remus usually unassuming side of the dormitory had transformed into a little gallery of colorful drawings from the little girl. Sirius found it utterly adorable.

“Oh! Here it is!” beamed Remus with the brightest smile Sirius ever saw.

It was just a doddle of what supposedly was the bean plant. In reality, they were a bunch of scribbles, but Remus appreciated them a lot.

“I´m going to go hang this on the dorm.” announced Remus holding the drawing carefully.

Remus left the great hall and Sirius watched him go.

“He is adorable when it comes to Clara.” laughed Lily.

“He is always adorable.” said Sirius as he watched Remus disappear behind the great hall´s door.

“Is he now?” teased Dorcas.

“Well, yeah, I mean from an objective point of view.” defended Sirius as took a bit from his toast, just to have something to do with his mouth.

“Uh hu.” laughed Marlene.

“Please, you are whipped mate.” commented Peter.

“I´m not.” said Sirius. Marlene gave him an unimpressed look. “I´m not.” he repeated. “Besides, even if I was, Remus like´s a bloke.”

“How´d you know?” asked Lily frowning.

“His little cousin told us at the station. Don´t you remember?” explained Sirius.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, I remember.” said the red-haired girl.

Lily relaxed visibly, which Sirius found odd. It was as if she was hiding something. And then it clicked.

“You know who it is don´t you Evans?” accused Sirius. “Tell me this instant!”

“Nope, my lips are sealed.”

“You traitor!” said Sirius dramatically pointed at her with his spoon. “You do know!”

“Sirius you also know who Remus likes.” intervened Pandora.

Sirius was flabbergasted. “I do?”

“Pandora.” hushed Dorcas.

Pandora shrugged her shoulders. “Think about it Sirius. We only know Remus´s secret man has beautiful eyes. Who here has beautiful eyes?”

“That´s kind of subjective isn´t it?” asked Sirius.

Marlene groaned out of frustration. Was Thier friend really that dense?

“Okay, let me rephrase the question.” said Dorcas indulgently. “Who here has the most uncommon eyes?”

Everyone at the table stared at Sirius. It looked as if he were really thinking hard about it. Marlene wanted to face palm herself. Sirius looked around at other tables and that is when Mary decided enough was enough. Mary abruptly threw the fruit off the silver tray in front of her and shove the tray in Sirius face so he could watch his reflection.

Sirius whole face went through a series of emotions. “Is it... is it me?” he asked genuinely surprised.

“Fucking finally!” said Peter joyfully.

Everyone broke into small chat about Sirius obliviousness while Lily warned Sirius “If Remus asks, I did not tell you anything, okay, Black? You figured it out by yourself.” she said.

“So, what now?” Sirius interrupted.

“Now you ask him out.” said Mary.

“James and Regulus said I should wait.” added Sirius.

Everyone in the table turned to look at Lily. “Well, if they told you to wait maybe.... there might be a reason for it.” said Lily. “But you why don´t you go to your dorm and test the waters, see how Remus responds to the idea, but be subtle about it.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” said Sirius standing up. “Coming Pete?”

“I rather not.” said Peter; he didn´t want to be there if they were going to snog.

“Come on Wormy, I need and objective witness.” tried again Sirius.

“Kay, but if you start snogging I´m leaving.” Peter sighted.

“That actually would benefit me.” teased Sirius.

“Shut up, Padfoot.” laughed Peter.

Once the pair of boys left, the girls turned to Lily once again.

“You know the reason Sirius shouldn't ask Remus, don´t you?” said Dorcas.

Lily tried to hide her sneaky smile with her pumpkin juice cup.

“Well?” prompted Marlene.

“I do.”

“Out with it, Evans.” teased Dorcas, although she was genuinely curious.

“My lips are sealed.” replied Lily, cheekily.

The girls groaned.

.0.

As the days went by Sirius noticed that Remus didn´t cut off when the raven-haired boy flirted. However Moony seemed to never take Sirius advances, well, seriously. The tall welsh boy would respond to Sirius flirting with friendly banter. And so, it was not a surprised to say, that Sirius was fucking confused.

“Good morning handsome.” saluted Sirius as he sat next to Remus in the great hall. He had arrived a bit late, and it was a friday, which meant Remus was busy reading Clara´s letter, so Sirius wasn't offended when Remus didn't answer immediately.

“Hiya Prongs.” said Sirius, turning his attention to the other boys. “Reggie, please mark your toothbrush. Wormy.”

“What toothbrush?” asked Regulus.

“The one you leave in our dorm for when you sleep over with James.” explained Sirius as he served himself and Moony some tea.

“Mine´s the black.” said Regulus.

“Mine is also the black, you git. So I don´t know if this morning I brushed my teeth with my toothbrush or your toothbrush.”

“Ugh, that´s disgusting Siri.” frowned Regulus.

“Why?” asked James. “We shared everything.” Regulus eyes went wide with concerned surprised. “And you guys are brothers. I thought brothers shared everything.”

“James...” started Regulus. “You know what, I´m going to pretend you didn´t said anything for my sake. But please, none of you twats use my toothbrush.”

“Can we still share our socks?” asked James with puppy eyes.

“Yeah, Jamie. Socks are fine.”

Sirius passed the cup of tea to Remus, who hadn´t chimed in on the conversation yet. He was about to make fun of his brother for sharing his socks when Prongs interrupted him.

“Moony, what´s wrong?” asked James.

Sirius head snapped back to Moony, all the snide comments to his brother had been forgotten. Remus´s hands where shaking. Sirius noticed that he was not reading the letter anymore but rather, holding Clara´s weekly drawing.

“Moons?” asked Sirius gently. He caressed gently Remus´s hair.

Moony looked up, with watery eyes. “What is it Remus?” asked Regulus with unease. Remus Lupin crying in public was not a common occurrence.

Remus put the drawing in the center of the table carefully, so everyone could see. The four boys immediately leaned in. Clara´s drawing this week, depicted Remus on the night of the full moon, standing beside a majestic wolf, surrounded by a sea of pink and red hearts.

“She did this?” asked James. Which was a stupid question, but it was at least a decent place to start, so they could figure out why was Moony so upset.

Sirius watched the drawing a bit longer. “My lovest cousin Remus” Said the drawing. And it didn´t mattered that Remus's wolf was brown and not grey. It didn´t mattered that “lovest” was not even a word.

Suddenly it clicked.

“Oh Moons!” said Sirius holding back tears as well. Sirius guided Moony into a hug and Remus hid his face on Sirius' s neck. It was kind of a weird position since Moony had to crouch down so much to accommodate to Sirius´s height. Remus took a few calming breaths.

“What is happening right now?” asked Peter, watching the scene unfold in front of his eyes.

“Moony this is a wonderful drawing.” tried James.

“It is ins´t it?” Remus looked up, his voice trembling.

“Then what is it?” asked Regulus carefully.

“It´s just... I... she drew me.... the letter says she stayed up at night to watch me in wolf form and I...” Moony drew in a breath, it seemed that he was drowning in his own emotions.

Sirius intertwined his fingers carefully with Remus´s. Moony let out a surprised gasp. And instantly his eyes, still a bit wet, gained a shine that nobody had ever seen on the werewolf.

“I never thought I´d see the day when I wouldn´t feel like a monster for being a werewolf.” he explained silently to his friends. Although he was exclusively looking at Sirius. Sirius and his lovely grey eyes. “The drawing, and the letter... it´s like... she is a kid. Kids are afraid of monsters, aren´t they?” it was a rhetorical question and Remus leaned into Sirius´s space with an adoring look. “But she´s not afraid of me. She even saw Moony, and she... it´s must mean I´m not a monster.”

“You were never a monster, Moony.” Sirius whispered.

Remus let out a choked laughed and Sirius felt a tear scape his own eyes. Because he knew this time, Remus meant it. He had finally gotten it. Moony was gentle, kind, funny, smart and everything that was right with this world, according to Sirius.

Remus carefully wiped Sirius´s tear with his thumb.

“I´m so sorry, love. I didn´t mean to make you cry.” said Remus as he brushed his knuckles gently against Sirius´s cheekbone.

“That´s okay. I´m just really fucking happy for you.” said Sirius with a bright smile.

“Are we just ignoring the fact that Remus called him love just know?” asked Peter. “Hush, Pete. Don´t interrupt.” said Regulus. “Oh my merlin!” he said loudly. Remus and Sirius attention was redirected to the younger black brother. “Are you crying Jamie?”

“Yes! I can´t help it! It such a beautiful moment.” whined James.

“You are the purest human being, mon coeur.” Regulus shook his head amused as he took James glasses off his boyfriend to clean them.

“So....” Sirius started, trying to act casual. “Love, huh?”

“Is that okay?” asked Remus with a lopsided smile.

“Yeah, I like it.” said Sirius with a firm shake of his head.

As Sirius began to prepared Remus´s and his cup of tea, Remus use his other hand, the one that hadn't remained under the table intertwined with Sirius´s, to prepare a toast. He made sure to put extra strawberry jam on it, as he always did. Maybe that day he put an exaggerated amount of jam on it, but that´s just cause Sirius always stole a bite from his breakfast and Sirius liked strawberry jam.