“Hi, we are the Potter’s.” saluted a raven haired boy at the entrance of the restaurant. “We have a dinner reservation.”
Peter checked his book. Then he eyed the guy again. It was a large family; well not so much but Peter tried not to stare too much as he tried to connect the dots. There were three young men and an older couple; the young lad with the glasses was clearly the son of the couple, he was practically the male version of his mother. The other two young lads were almost twins; maybe they were actually twins; but they didn’t look like the other three.
“Sure, right this way, Mr. Potter.” Said Peter nonetheless.
The raven haired boy beamed at him and turned to whisper to the bespectacled young man. “He called me Potter.” Said the guy in awe.
The messy haired boy push him playfully. “Is because you are, idiot.”
The boy grabbed the hand of the other raven haired guy, the one who seemed more reserved; and together they entered the restaurant.
Just as Peter was sitting them on their reserved table Alice appeared from out of nowhere.
“Hello there, my name is Alice and…” She said as the customary greeting. “Holly molly! If it isn’t the biggest trouble makers in Hogwarts history.”
The bespectacled man and the raven haired guy jumped out of his seat to embrace Alice.
“Alice long time no see.”
“Says you James.” She said with a big smile on her face. “And look at you Sirius, no more ripped jeans. And Regulus! Oh my god you are so grown up.”
Regulus blushed lightly. He would always be Sirius’s baby brother but that was something to share only with his big brother; other people acknowledging it made him feel embarrassed.
“Alice.” Peter chastised.
“Oh sorry.” said James. “She is a friend from boarding school.”
“Oh great more posh kids.” Said Peter.
Regulus snorted and Peter felt somewhat pride on making them laughed.
“Is not biggie, just don’t let Gideon see you slacking.” Advised Peter to Alice.
Gideon, their boss, was quite chill, however when he was in work mode, he could be a bit strict. The good part was that, as strict as he was, he was also forgiving and when the restaurant was slow or close, he liked to prank the staff. Today, however, the restaurant was packed.
“We’ll I’ll leave you guys, hope you have a pleasant meal.” Said Peter almost bowing. “Welcome to The House of Steaks.”
“Okay guys, what can I get for you?” asked Alice taking out her little notepad.
“Reggie and I will have some strawberry milkshakes.” Announced Sirius. James made a disgusted face. He considered milkshakes to be dessert, not a drink you accompanied your food with; but he was used to Reggie’s and Sirius’s antiques.
“I’ll just have a lemonade.” Said James leaning to whispered something on Reggie’s ear.
Regulus swatted him away, and James behaved after stealing a kiss from his boyfriend. James’s parents smiled at them.
“We’ll have a glass of wine.” Said the woman after exchanging a look with her husband. Because when you’ve been married for as long as they had, some things didn’t need words.
“Sure thing.” Said Alice enthusiastically. “What wine would you like.”
An other exchange look. Effie nodded. “We’ll have some Shiraz.” Said Monty.
“Excellent.” She said writing it all down. “I’ll give you guys a minute to see the menu, and I’ll be back with your drinks in a sec.”
“So glad to see you Alice.” Waved Sirius.
“I am going to go to the loo.” Announced Reggie as soon as Alice was gone.
“Sure thing sweetheart. Go ahead.” Said Monty.
“If your friend is back we’ll tell her we need just a minute, so don’t worry.” Effie practically winked and in that moment Reggie understood James’s inability to lie or keep a secret. His parents were just as obvious as he was.
Regulus rolled his eyes and walk away from the table with a light smile. James distracted Sirius – all part of the plan – as Reggie walked towards the kitchen instead of the loo.
“Alice?” Regulus called when he caught up with the raven haired woman.
“Ah, Reggie, did I forgot something?” she said with her hand on the kitchen door.
“No, no. I was just wondering if… Sirius just graduated from uni. I was wondering if after we finished you could send a cake or something-“
“We can do that, definitely.” Interrupted Alice with a wide smile. “On the house!”
“No, of course not. We’ll pay.” Discussed Regulus.
“Is no problem really, we do it all the time and it’ll be my pleasure seeing as I never thought the day I would see Sirius Black graduated with no wholes on his jeans.” Assured Alice.
“Those jean wore horrendous, weren’t day?” said Reggie with a smile. Sirius had always said they locked edgy; Regulus thought he look as if he had fell down.
“They were.” Laughed Alice. “But don’t worry love, we can even put congratulations on the cake.”
“That would be wonderful.” Said Regulus. “Sirius will certainly be delighted.”
Alice smile as she entered the kitchen; she remembered Regulus as Sirius’s little brother who knew all sorts of big words and a resting bitch face; now, seeing him so happy with James… well she couldn’t believe how much had her schoolmates changed. Even if Regulus stilled used big words.
Inside Peter was already waiting for her.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
“Please, please, please let Remus serve your table.” Pleaded Peter.
“Why?” she asked. “Who is at the front? Must importantly what do I gain?”
“You are terrible.” Said Peter. “The raven haired boy is going to make him melt-“
“Er…. He is with James.” Said Alice.
“No, the one with longer hair.”
“Oh, of course.” She smacked her forehead lightly. “Okay, go on.”
“ Lily and Mary are covering me at the front desk, although I think it was just an excuse so they could flirt alone. And you gain the eternal gratefulness of your work-bestie.”
Alice twisted her mouth as if she was considering Peter’s offer.
“There is a great possibility Remus makes a fool out of himself.” Bribed Peter. Alice arched her brow. “Fine I’ll give you twenty bucks.”
“You had me at Remus making a fool out of himself but I’ll take them.” She said snatching the bill from her friend’s hand. “Besides, you don’t even know if Sirius is gay.”
“I like to think my gaydar is that good.” Answered Peter with a smug smile. Alice stared at him unimpressed. “Well is he?”
“Of course he is.” Laughed Alice.
Peter exited the kitchen with a triumphant smile.
“REMUS! LOVE!” called Alice as she left the drinks order on the counter for the person in charge of the drinks to see. “It’s your turn to serve the table 17.” She singed.
“Is not! That table is on your side.” complained Remus putting vest back on. He was just returning from his break.
“Oh but it is.” She said smiling maliciously. “Last week, Tuesday, I helped you close.”
“But I had a test!” complained Remus. “You said I wouldn’t cost me anything.”
“Poor you for believing in me.”
“I always put my trust in the wrong people.” Said Remus faking drama.
“You do love.” Answered Alice as she prepared the tray with the drinks for him. “Now off you go.”
“But why? You already took they drink order.” Insisted her tall friend.
“Because you love me.” She said putting on her best innocent smile.
“Sometimes I regret being your best friend.” Huffed Remus trying to concealed his smile.
“Yeah, yeah, real pity. Now shoo Lupin.” She said jumping up on the counter. “Oh, the guy with long black hair has graduated from uni, so you’ll bring them a cake that says congratulations at the end of the meal, won’t you?”
“Do I have an option?”
“Not at all.” Said Alice.
Remus took the tray with no effort. He had been working there for almost two years and he was on a basketball scholarship so he was pretty fit. He walked towards the table Alice refused to served, wondering what had gone wrong. She didn’t seemed upset, but it wasn’t very much like her to swap tables out of nowhere.
And then Remus knew the reason.
“Hi, Alice went on her beak, I’ll be serving you for the rest of the night. My name is Remus.” He tried to make his voice come out as firm but kind. He wasn’t sure he had manage it, because in front of him sat the most gorgeous bloke that Remus had seen in his entire life.
“Oh, pity.” Said a man with the messiest hair Remus had ever seen.
However, Remus eyes were not cooperating with him at the moment; they were glued to the grey gaze from, what he assumed to be, the newly graduated commensal.
Remus stood there, holding the tray with no effort whatsoever, just… staring.
“The milkshake looks delicious, doesn’t it Sirius?” commented again the same young man.
Sirius blinked several times and Remus remembered he was supposed to hand them their drinks.
“Uhm, wine?” he asked tentatively.
“For us dear.” Said the older woman gesturing her and her husband.
“Lemonde?” he asked.
“That’ll be me.” Said the guy with the glasses.
“And the milkshakes are for you I assume.” Said Remus. He put down a milkshake in front of the raven haired boy with the short hair and walked towards Sirius to leave his drink.
“Yes, those one are for us.” Said Sirius cheerily. “My brother here thinks it’s disgusting to drink milkshake with meat.” Laughed freely the man.
Remus couldn’t help his hand shaking as he was settling Sirius’s milkshake down. He could only hope, no one had seen him, but damn was that not the most wonderful laughed Remus had ever heard.
“Well, it is disgusting.” Answered the man with glasses.
“I put sausage on the cereal so who am I to judge?” shrugged Remus with a tiny smile.
Sirius snap his head towards Remus. “You do not!” he exclaimed with wide eyes and an amused smile.
“Oh my god, Sirius you have found someone as disgusting as you.” Snorted Regulus. James elbowed him. “Oh, sorry, no offense.” Said Regulus to their waiter.
“None taken. It sounds pretty disgusting to be honest but I swear it tastes good.” Remus should have turned to answered directly to Regulus but he couldn’t help staring at Sirius and his stunning lopsided smile.
The table went silent for a minute and Remus seemed to have forgotten he was supposed to take his order.
“So… can we order now?”
“James!” scolded his mom.
Remus practically jumped as he rushed to get his notepad out.
“Sorry, not in that way but if you two need an other moment for your eye flirting-“
“James!” said Sirius this time. He looked at his brother with an scandalized look. Everyone on the table watched as Sirius ear turned bright red. Everyone, including Remus, who began stammering.
“I… no… just… I…” he said as James laughed hysterically. “Sorry… I… just…”
Sirius was hiding behind the menu and he briefly consider going under the table but this would only make James laugh even harder. So he stayed there, being fully aware that the menu wasn’t enough to cover his red blushing face.
Remus cleared his throat as he tried to put himself together. “Would you… I mean… all of you, not just..” he seemed in despair “What can I order for you?” he choked out.
“Oh good god, please, earth, swallow me now.” He thought to himself. “Is what can I get for you, Lupin.” He mentally smacked himself. “Please make me disappear now.”
“I would like a steak house burger, well done, please .” Said Regulus indulgently.
Remus could hug him, for saving him from such an embarrassing situation. Remus began scribbling the order, purposefully avoiding Sirius and James’s eyes.
“Make that two please.” Chimed in James.
“Burger and lemonade?” asked Regulus unimpressed.
“Like you are one to talk.” Said James stealing a sip from Reggie’s milkshake.
“I would like a roast prime rib of beef.” Continued Effie.
“How would you like it?” asked Remus, swallowing the not on his throat that had formed due to embarrassment.
“Medium is fine.”
Remus nodded. “Sure thing. And for you mister?”
“I’ll bother you with the soup of the day and a chicken Caesar salad to share.”
Remus wrote the order down and turned to Sirius who had his nose stuck on the menu.
“I would like a steak please.” Said Sirius as he lowered the menu. His cheeks and ears were still a bit red but the color was fainting.
“Sure.” Said Remus looking at him. He truly had the most wonderful eyes, Remus had ever seen. He didn’t even wrote down what Sirius had said. “How do you like it?” he asked not breaking eye contact.
“Uhm…” said Sirius who was just as entranced by Remus, as the other boy seemed to be by him. “I … uhm.. dead.”
Remus nodded and slowly backed away.
James howled with laughter, and soon everybody at the table was laughing.
“Dead?” mocked Reggie, washing a laughter tear away. “Really?”
“Oh my god! I did not just said dead.” Sirius let his head fall on the table.
“This is the best day ever!” Said James grabbing his stomach and trying to catch his breath.
“If it’s any consolation, he seems to like you sweetheart.” Offered Monty.
Sirius did not looked up. He had never been so embarrassed before. But he couldn’t help it the waiter was really cute and funny and he even had even shared his weird food combinations.
“Hi again.” Said Remus. Sirius sat up as if he had a spring in his arse. “I.. uhm.. sorry… I forgot to take the menus.” He explained shyly.
Once Remus had left Effie offered comfort again. “See he is just as love-struck as you. He forgot the menus.”
“Or maybe he was just dumbfounded cause you like your stake dead.” Teased Regulus.
“Mom!” complained Sirius, like a five year old.
After that dinner was a relatively normal affair. Remus returned with their order and they began eating. He and Sirius exchanged furtive looks as the meals were being served but neither said anything else. Regulus excuse himself to the loo once again.
“Hey.” He said when he found Remus.
“Oh, hi.” Said Remus, he was carrying an other’s table drinks but he did not seemed to mind to stop to talk to Regulus. “Is everything all right with your meal?”
“No, yeah, everything is exquisite. I told Alice, Sirius, my brother, the one you were flirting with-“
“I wasn’t-“
“He graduated from uni and I asked her is she could bring a cake but I don’t know if she told you.”
“Oh, yes, that.” Remus said. “Yeah, it’s all set. I’ll bring it out in a sec.”
“Perfect, thanks.” Said Regulus, he turned around to leave but hesitated. Remus stood by. “My brother is not usually like that.” He said.
“Oh, is not big deal, really I-“
“He really liked you.” Said Regulus, smirking.
“He did?” asked Remus. “But I made an ass of myself.”
“Uhm, it appears that does it for him.” Teased Regulus. “Besides, he is far more ashamed than you are, I assure you. James and I are never going to let him live this day down.”
Remus laughed shortly. “You are terrible.”
“Would you like me to tell him to give you his number?”
“Really?” asked Remus, cringing internally at how hopeful he sounded.
“Sure. He is a decent bloke, he was just a bit love-struck back there.” Explained Regulus.
“I mean, I was too.” Said Remus averting his gaze.
“So? Phone number?”
“Oh, yeah, sure I would like that.” Remus smiled sheepishly. “I have to deliver these.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Regulus stepped aside and after Remus passed with the tray he returned to the table.
“Why are you returning from that way if the loo is over there?” asked Sirius as Regulus returned to the table.
Now, you must know that, Reggie and Sirius’s parents had never celebrated anything with them, not one single achievement, so this was the first time Sirius would celebrate his accomplishments with his whole family, and Regulus didn’t want to spoil the surprise. And so he chose the other option.
“I asked Remus if he would like your number.” Said Regulus simply.
James sighted with relieve.
“You did what now?!” asked Sirius. Regulus just stare at his brother. “Well?”
“Well?”
“Well, did you gave it to him?” asked Sirius.
“Oh…” trailed off Regulus. A malicious smile was formed in his aristocratic features. “No I said that you would personally give it to him.”
“Me?!”
“You are not twelve Sirius, you can give it to him.” Complained Regulus.
When Sirius was around twelve or thirteen he would sent Reggie to give blokes his number; that was until he was fourteen and James’s ego rubbed on him.
“The good news is he does wants your number Pads.” Reassured James.
“You are right.” Said Sirius suddenly perking up. “I can give him my number, I have given out my number plenty of times.”
“Or you can ask for his.” Suggested James.
“Do you wants us to go outside for a moment love?” asked Effie.
“So you can ask for his number more privately.” Completed Monty.
“No, that’s alright.” Said Sirius. Suddenly his face was one of determination. “In fact I’m going to ask him for his number right now.” Declared Sirius standing up.
See, the thing is, that in that very instant Remus was approaching the table with the little cake. But Sirius stood so abruptly that his chair blocked Remus path. The taller boy tried to manuver around the chair but he was already tripping. Sirius gasped in horror as he tried to catch Remus, and although he was strong, he was still far smaller than Remus. They both went crashing down with the cake in between them.
The whole restaurant went silent. Sirius was on top of Remus and could feel his ears burning. He had cake on his cheek and on his lashes. Remus on the other hand, had taken the worst part. His whole uniform was stained with cake and his chin was full of cake frosting. Sirius froze on his place, he was mortified. Not only had he made Remus fall, he could feel every eye one the room on them; and not in the good way.
Remus was assessing the situation. His eyes were scanning every inch of the clothes that had cake on them. But to Sirius it look as if he was avoiding his gaze.
“Remus I am so sorry.” His voice was barely audible.
Remus lifted his eyes. A wide smile appeared on his features and Sirius was flabbergasted.
“S’okay.” He said softly. “Actually, I was wondering if you would like my number.”
Sirius blinked. One, two, three times.
He must have heard wrong.
“Really?” he asked. Remus nodded. “After all this?”
“I get the feeling that you are very special.” Said Remus daring to clean some cake from Sirius’s lashes.
“Oh.”
“Congratulations on ruining your own cake Sirius.” Said Reggie shaking his head, trying to hide a smile.
“Oh it was mine?” asked Sirius with a distress look.
“Congratulations are in order I guess.” Said Remus, not even making an attempt to move.
“I…”
“Would you like to go out with me on Friday?” asked Remus. “Don’t worry I already know how you like your steak.”
Sirius buried his face in Remus’s chest, getting even more dirty from the cake.
“Please don’t remind me.”
“So is that a yes?”
Sirius lifted his eyes slowly. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Yes! He got the guy everyone!” shouted James.
Some people just stared awkwardly, other one laughed, but a few people clapped and James joined them as Sirius made his way back to the table; a bit stained but with a huge grin.
After that Gideon apologized profusely to the Potters, however Sirius explained it was all his fault. Remus was thankful for it; he evaded the rage of Gideon. The Potters promised it was nothing to worry about and that they would return other day. Remus promised to take Sirius out that very same Friday.
“I’ll be two seconds, guys.” Said James as his family was leaving.
Remus was cleaning the floor where some of the cake had fallen.
“Thanks for everything Remus.” Said James. He extended his hand. “I’m James by the way.”
“Nice to meet you.” Said Remus, taking his hand after wiping his own hand on the rag he had with him.
“Sirius really likes you.”
James had stayed behind to made the whole “if you hurt my brother” speech. Not that Remus looked like a player but with Sirius heart it was best to take lengthy measures.
“So I heard.” Remus said. They stood a moment in silent, watching as Sirius chatted with Regulus animatedly. “He is something else isn’t he?”
Remus leaned his chin on the tip of the mop. James saw the way Remus looked at Sirius, and he knew; there was no point on giving him "the speech".
Remus had a sheepish smile and his gaze was soft, as if even from the distance he could touch Sirius gently, reverently. And, although it would take an other two whole months for Sirius and Remus to say "I love you", James knew right away that Remus adored Sirius. And it was far too obvious that Sirius was head over heels as well.
James watched Sirius as he took the complimentary mint from the front desk. He made a funny face a soon as the sweet was on his mouth.
“You’ll never be bored, Remus.” Said James.
“Yeah, I have the feeling I will never get bored of him.” Said Remus. Then his head snapped towards James. “Please don’t tell him I said that. We haven’t even gone to our first date.”
“I made no promises Remmy.” Laughed James.
“Then you better leave me a good tip.” Teased Remus back.
“You bet.” James winked. “He’ll be happy to hear how in love you are.”
“James!” called Remus as James blew him a kiss before exiting the restaurant.
He smiled to himself as he resumed cleaning.
He had a date with Sirius Black.