The Unexpected Guest
“Ok, Sirius did you pack?”
“Yes.”
“Toothbrush?”
“Yes.”
“Jumper?”
“We are going to Italy but yes.”
“You’ll get cold.”
“And how do you know that o’ wise one?”
“What are you wearing right now?”
The silence from Sirius’ side of the phone was enough to confirm Remus was right.
“Point made,”- he said with a tone that would probably agitate Sirius more.
“Whatever. It’s not like you’re calling James to check if he’s packed. Go annoy him.”
Sirius didn’t want to come to Italy in the first place. He’d suggested LA for some fucking reason but alas he complied. He did more than comply, he offered his uncle’s summer house, which is technically his house, for them to use. The house was in Venice in a secluded area with a private beach 5 minutes from it. That was all to be said about it since none of them but Sirius had seen it and he wanted it to be a surprise.
“James has Effie. I trust she made sure he’s packed. On the other hand, you live alone and are a bit forgetful; you are the one who didn’t want to go. I am merely making sure you do come,”- and to be honest he should have expected the response he got. He regretted it as he said it.
“Well you can’t exactly make “you live alone” an argument when I’ve asked you to move in for months and you refuse for- “-and Remus just about had it with this conversation because they have it at least once a week, and every week his will to say no gets weaker and weaker. But he can’t. Not until he gets rid of his tiny serious issue.
“Pads, listen to me carefully. I cannot move in with you ok, can’t do it.”
“But you can live with four other people for three months,”-it was three Mary is only coming in July but sure.
“Yes,”-he barely hears himself say it but Sirius heard it. Remus could hear Sirius giving up a little in his voice. If you saw Sirius’ face, he’d be smirking. He would be charm itself but his voice gives it away. And Remus knows he just wants someone there, can’t be alone for too long but Remus would want more and he couldn’t live with it at arm’s length. Always dangling in front of him but never close enough to touch. So, it was a kindness really, him saying no over and over.
“Fine, well if you’re done interrogating me I have to go, got a plane to catch you see.”
“Right yeah on my way see you there.”
Sirius hung up and Remus let his phone slip into the compartment in James’ car letting go of any thoughts related to Sirius or living with him.
“I take it he’s being a little shit,”-James commented after giving him a minute of silence.
“Yup.”
༄༄༄
“Mary are you sure you can’t come?”- Marlene moaned like the dramatic child she is. “We can wait till you pack right Lils,”- Lily rolled her eyes knowing Marlene was being 100% serious even though she knew Mary only took her vacation in July. “Mar you know she won’t come don’t make us late Remus will have your head.”
Lily waited patiently for her friends to separate in front of their building entrance since she’d already bid her goodbyes to Mary. She did try to convince her to come early this year but as always she did not budge claiming “I need to stay at the cafe it gets busy in exam season” as if she doesn’t have a full staff. At least Mary would join them in July which was better than her not coming at all like that one year they were going to Spain and bought tickets for her hoping she’d agree. Spoiler alert: she didn’t. Mary was pretty mad at them for assuming so she decided not to come. Everyone agreed to just go again the next year with Mary but never the less, lessons were learned: don’t get in between Mary and her job.
“Bring Minnie and Cotton will you?”-asked Lily after giving her a last hug. “Yes of course,”-Mary’s reply muffled in Lily’s hair.
Minnie and Cotton are Mary’s cats. She got Minnie after graduating and so it was named after her favourite teacher. Cotton was a birthday present named by a high Sirius. At this point, they were sharing custody of the cats but Mary had them most of the time.
Marlene and Lily get in the car driving to the airport. Next stop: Italy.
༄༄༄
Sirius had fallen asleep. Not only that he had fallen asleep on Remus’ shoulder. This was outrageous. The universe was fucking with him no doubt. Lily on the other hand was having the time of her life.
“Isn’t he so cute Rem? Oh, he looks like an angel don’t you agree?”
Remus couldn’t even look at him. He contemplated taking out his headphones and just ignoring Lily’s teasing but he had to move to do that and that would wake Sirius up so, he sat in misery. They were about to land in one hour it wasn’t that much, right?
“Shut up Lily, this is all your fault,”- it was, she made the bookings.
“Well I was hoping you could just talk and watch a movie together but this is much better.”
“Pretty sure this is a hate crime.”
“Pretty sure you’re being dramatic,”-he rolled his eyes at that. Lily could be so delusional sometimes. She constantly insisted Sirius reciprocated his feelings but he knew it was not possible. It just couldn’t and that was ok, Remus could live with that but with Lily pushing them together he wasn’t so sure.
“Lily, just pass me a book will you?”
“Which one?”
“Anything about killing your red-haired friend?”-she laughed at that. “No, but I’ve got a classic about a mum killing her kids because her husband left her. Sound good?” She passes him a copy of Medea. “Ah yes, female rage written by an old Greek dude. Great!”
He read that for the rest of the trip trying to ignore Sirius’ soft breathing on his shoulder.
༄༄༄
They landed in Venice sore from the two-and-a-half-hour flight. James felt he could collapse right then and there but Remus had other planes to torture him even more, He got a rental car to take them to Sirius’ house. The fucker had slept like a baby and was a ball of energy ready to explode so Remus let him drive while he took a nap on Lily’s shoulder muttering ‘Shut up’ to a snickering Lily. Whatever that was she let it go.
The drive was uneventful since everyone besides Sirius was knackered. By the time they arrived, they were reminded of the fact Sirius never uttered a word about the house so, they promptly woke up.
“Is it some castle-looking villa?”- suggested Lily.
“Maybe. Depends on your perception.”
“Sirius that’s not an answer,”- Sirius only shrugged at that.
“Ok does it have a pool?”-Remus’ question.
“Hmm not exactly,”-says the vague little shit.
“Oh for fuck sake give a straight answer for once.” Sirius only stared at him from the rearview mirror.
“Eyes on the road Black,”-said James. Stop eye-fucking is what he didn’t say. ”So if it doesn’t have a pool then it has something else…a founta- “
“Oh, and we’re here. Everyone out vai vai vai we don’t have all day.”
“So there is a fountain!”-James exclaimed as he closed the passenger door.
“Your uncle had a nice car I see,”-said Lily noticing the car beside theirs.
“Sirius you know I’m right, I know I’m right, tell me I’m right.” But Sirius had other plans. He led them around the parking spot towards the entrance of the house still not saying a word, only smirking. So this was going to be good then. James momentarily let the fountain thing go but only because he was awestruck by the beauty of what was in front of him.
The house was like it was plucked from a movie and put in front of them. Two sections were coming out of either side of the house, forming a U shape. The house was made of brick littered with outgrown vines that wrapped around the balconies and the green wooden windows. The entrance to the three-story house was paved with white cobblestone. On the opposite side, he could see some trees poking out but he couldn’t tell what they were. The house was high enough to be able to see the sea as the sun was only just starting to set. The sun cast a golden light making it look even more unreal.
Malene exhaled “Holy shit,”-and that just about summed it up. “It is quite the view; I’ll admit Uncle Alphard had taste. I hate to break this up but we should go inside before mosquitos eat you alive.”
“Coming right up just a second I have to send this to Mary and Pete they’ll regret ditching us.” Marlene stayed behind while the rest went inside. Sirius was right to keep it a surprise, this was better than Christmas and James loved Christmas.
The interior was as beautiful as the exterior. It felt personalized from the pictures of different places on the white walls to the vase of dying flowers on top of a vanity. It felt lived in, loved. From where he stood he could see the backyard from the opened glass door and yes, there was a big, beautiful, ancient-looking fountain. “Sirius you fucker I knew it”- he stepped away from the door to go into the living room he had seen Sirius get in while the rest of them explored.
James did not expect to see three new faces and a mad-looking Sirius ready to explode. He frowned, confused as ever.
“Who are you?”
༄༄༄
Five hours earlier…
Dorcas hated it. She didn’t even want this but everyone, even Regulus, had agreed to the insane idea Barty had. I mean who in their right fucking mind would think ‘Hmm let’s drive for five hours after a 2-and-a-half-hour flight that will be fun’. And not only was she overruled, but she also had to drive. Why was she friends with them anyway? Barty should be driving, he knew Italy better, but the twenty-two-year-old child called shotgun.
In London.
And he refused to move claiming he ‘had better taste in music so he would be the DJ’ which was a lie. Everybody knew Dorcas had the best taste and Barty was currently proving her point.
Che confusione
Sarà perché ti amo
È un'emozione
Che cresce piano
Stringimi forte e stammi più vicino
Se ci sto bene
Sarà perché ti amo
Barty sang at the top of his lungs. Dorcas quite liked the song but she started to hate it after the 5th replay sang directly at Evan who was sitting right behind her. It was a miracle Reg and Pandora hadn’t woken up but Pandora could sleep through a hurricane and Regulus probably hadn’t slept at all.
E se l'amore non c'é
Ma dimmi dove siamo
Che confusione
Sarà perche ti amo.
“If you play that song one more time I’m throwing you out the window.”
“I thought you liked this kind of music,”-Barty said defensively.
“Yes, when you aren’t singing it five times at your boyfriend making heart eyes like a sap.”
“Awww Cas I’ll find you a girlfriend! Why didn’t you say so earlier?”-the child exclaimed.
“You are insufferable, change the fucking song Bartemius.”
༄༄༄
Regulus woke up from Barty’s singing. By looking out the window he could tell they weren’t very far from the vacation house so he didn’t bother to go back to sleep.
“You’re up?”-asked Dorcas.
“Mmm”
“We’re almost there.”-she said.
“Ok.”
They have been going for four years. The first year he’d expected to see his brother but he never came. Should have seen that coming. Yes, the house was technically Sirius’ but it was his favourite summer house and well Sirius wouldn’t know. Not like he’d ever show up, God forbid he remembered his existence. Uncle had left Regulus his London flat and gave Sirius the rest which was fair, Sirius had had nothing to his name and Uncle had a soft spot for him. The point is, Sirius didn’t care about the summer house or anything involving Regulus.
As Dorcas pulled up to the house he slowly woke Pandora up. He got up, took his luggage and went straight to the third-floor room he usually occupied.
“I’m making pasta you guys want some?”-Barty screamed from the kitchen. He had half a mind to just go back to sleep but his stomach didn’t like that idea so he went downstairs to the living room. He lay on the couch facing the light coming from the side of the room which was not ideal seeing as he was trying to get a blink of sleep. The sun had other plans.
“We’re going to the beach tomorrow and then we’ll go out for dinner, sound good?”-Dorcas had enough energy to make plans after driving for five hours? Guess the world isn’t ending yet. Hurray!
“Yep sounds great,”-drawled Evan from the couch beside Regulus, also trying to sleep
“Yes yes.”-he replied.
“Alright.”
“Regulus?”
No.
It can’t be.
He sat up instantly glaring at the person at the door he hadn’t seen in seven years.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Sirius had the nerve to ask glaring; a perfect mirror of his facial expression to be sure.
“What am I doing here? No, what are you doing here?”-he shot back at his brother. Regulus couldn’t believe it! He actually came, the hypocrite.
“What do you mean? This is my house!”
Oh, he had the nerve? Great Regulus also had the nerve.
“Right and wasn’t it you that sad you were never going to set foot in a house where a Black lived?” He was being mean, sure, but he hadn’t seen his brother in years. There were so many things left unsaid, as there are with any pair of siblings, but he couldn’t say them so he just fought back just to take out some of that anger.
“Who are you?”-came a new voice. Well, Regulus knew who it was so not that new but, a different voice. Different from what he’d expected him to sound like.
James Fucking Potter.
The boy Sirius never shut up about. It hurt that he didn’t know who Regulus was when he knew so much. Had Sirius never talked about him to his friends? Never shown a photo?
Anything?
Nothing?
The first thing Sirius had done when he came back from school that first year was tell him all about James Potter. James this, James that, look Reg this is James, James and I had so much fun pulling that prank you should’ve seen it, James hated the history teacher but I quite like him, James, James, JamesJamesJames.
“You brought him here too? Oh, this is gold!”-Regulus couldn’t keep it in, he was furious.
“Umm I’m not sure what’s going on,”-James said and Regulus rolled his eyes.
Of-fucking-course.