rock and roll all night
They weren’t lying when they said rockstars don’t sleep. But neither do writers. Remus feels right at home. They get pissed until early hours of the morning and walk back stumbling and holding each other up.
The glamour of it all.
———-
Sirius wonders how she got here. When did playing in James’s garage turn into sold out shows. How did Peter’s old, beat up Volkswagen turn into a tour bus? Sirius fondly remembers when Effie and Monty were their biggest fans. When they would come to some dodgy places and be the loudest in the room. She even remembers when they were the only two in the crowd.
But god, it can be pretty overwhelming sometimes. She doesn’t want to take it for granted but for fucks sake; a break would be great. Being surrounded by the people she loves definitely helps but by the last leg of the tour she’s tired. She desperately needs some variety. A change of scenery, tour is very tedious it turns out.
And that’s where Remus comes in.
Sirius is instantly mesmerized by her. After reading her work, she was a bit of a nerd about it. Once she met her that was it. Sirius was enchanted by her: her mind, her hair, her huge cable knit sweaters, her laugh. For fuck’s sake, Sirius could listen to her laugh and never get bored. It’s almost instantaneous how she’s enthralled by her.
But she needs to stay focus. She is on tour and everyone’s eyes on her. You can’t have The Marauders without the lead singer. She can’t fuck it up, the whole band is relying on her. So she puts any thoughts about Remus in the back of her mind.
…
Once in Manchester, the band is immediately hustled to the concert venue.
Forced into hair and makeup with no time to come up for air. Forty-five minutes later they’re in position and ready for the show.
…
The beginning chord of the opening song is played and Remus is on the edge of her seat. After the first show she saw, she listened to their entire discography and fell in love. She obsessed over every tiny detail of the songs. She knows when James does his special move on the drums. She knows when Peter has a guitar solo and when Sirius is going to start belting out notes.
The lights turn on and they all look like angels on Earth. All adorned in their glitz and glamour, they all look amazing but Remus isn’t looking at them. She’s focused on Sirius. She looks absolutely beautiful in a long crimson red dress and her signature beat up leather dress. Her makeup is all glittery and glowy, her hair is in plaits framing her face. Remus has to force herself to breathe.
She not going to fall for a rockstar, that’s the last thing she needs right now.
So she pushes those feelings down. After the first song, it all blurs together between their more rock centric songs and Regulus’s piano ballad plus Peter’s guitar solo. Remus might be fangirling a little bit but she’ll never admit it. She makes friends with the security guards, she learns their names are Barty and Evan and they have been friends with Regulus for the longest time. When you get them talking they don’t stop, Remus learns.
One of the girls she met, Lily, is the concert photographer and she shows Remus her pictures. She must have a gift or something because every picture is pure art.
“Thank you Manchester, we love you. Goodnight,” Sirius blows the crowd kisses as the band leave the stage.
“Anyone fancy an after party?” Barty asks with a mischievous look.
“You do this every show, it’s not an after party, it’s you and Evan getting high out of your minds,” Marlene fires at the both of them.
“Damn McKinnon, I didn’t know you were such a buzzkill,” Evan retorts.
“Hey, I didn’t say I was joining in,” she says with a wicked grin on her face.
…
So that’s how they ended up in the tour, some of them high, some of them drunk, most of them are both.
Remus is the only one sober, which she thinks is a crime. She does, however, realize that many of them become whole different people under the influence. Barty and Evan don’t change, Regulus becomes a lot less stone faced, James is a lot more lovey which is very surprising, Peter is a weepy sentimental drunk. Sirius is just Sirius, she doesn’t really change but Remus also hasn’t seen her drink anything or smoked.
“You guys, I just really love all you so much,”
Peter stammers.
“Yeah yeah, we get it Pettigrew,” Marlene slurs.
Marlene has her hands draped over Dorcas’s shoulders and they’re swaying along to the slow Bowie song that’s playing.
“I need a breather, wanna come outside with me?” Sirius yells over the music.
Remus follows her outside and they sit. Sirius lights a cigarette, takes a hit and passes it to Remus.
“Do you still get nervous? Going on stage, I mean,” Remus inquires.
“It depends because if it’s the first show of tour I am a nervous wreck. By the 10th show I have a routine and I know what to expected so not really.”
“How did you meet everyone?”
“Damn, Remus are you interviewing me right now?”
“Kind of but I really just want to get to know you a little too?” Remus’s voice hitches in her throat.
“Regulus is my brother so obviously we always know each other. James and Peter have been my best friends for forever it feels like. We met in school. Barty, Evan, and Regulus are a packaged deal so they tag along. And the girls we all knew from school and now tag along everywhere. Mary and Lily were my roommates. What about you? Why do you write?”
“That’s a loaded question, holy shit. Growing up it was always a safe haven for me. My dad was never really around and my mum was always busy so to amuse myself I wrote. What about your parents?”
Sirius has a look of pure disgust when Remus asks.
“My parents don’t really like my or my brother’s career choices. Always said we were letting down the family and that they were disappointed with how we turned out. Real lovely people, I know. But it doesn’t really matter to me because I’m doing what I love with the people I love.”
They talk back and forth for a while before the cigarette is done.
“That was all off book, right?” Sirius asks before they head in.
“Yeah, the personal stuff of course.”
“Thank you, love.”
Remus has to pause for a second. She feels her face getting hot. Did she just say what she thinks she said? Remus hides her face in her jumper and rejoins the party.
Everyone has gotten progressively more drunk during the time she was away. Most of them are looking very rough. So she helps the girls into their bus, which is like rounding up children. Lily is giggling like crazy and is slumped against Mary’s shoulders. Marlene and Dorcas are trying to run away. Pandora is in her own little world: just humming to herself. Remus, biting back laughter, finally get them into their own tour bus. Then settling herself in.
Did Sirius call me love? Wtf was that, she thinks to herself.
She internally curses Sirius for making her feel like this.
God this better be a good article.