A Good Friend Would Run Another Friend Over With Their Car
“I need you to not get mad.”
“And I need you to not greet me like that,” Remus said, not looking up from his work.
“Well, I think I’m going to need you to run me over with your truck,” Sirius said sitting at the counter. “Unfortunately, Harry only has a learner’s permit. And I would hate for that poor boy to not be able to get his license later this year because he has killed me with a car.”
Remus looked up from his order guide to see a very disheveled Sirius slumped over. “I will not.”
“Why? I thought you cared about me!” Sirius said.
“What gave you that idea? I care because you and your son give me at least twenty percent of my income every year,” Remus gave wat he thought was a smirk, but it just made Sirius even more depressed.
“So, you can come and replace my water bubbler, but you won’t hit me with your truck? Some friend you are,” Sirius huffed.
“Leave him alone,” Harry said also coming up to the counter. “And please do not go around all day asking people to hit you with their car. Or jump into traffic.”
“What’s going on with him?” Remus asked Harry.
“Dinner at the Black’s tonight, he is handling it very well,” Harry explained.
“Then why is he trying to get me to hit him?”
“He just wants to be injured enough so that he doesn’t have to go tonight, but not so injured that he dies. But also injured enough where he won’t have to go for a few months, and he hopes that in that time frame his parents will forget that we have to go over there every Friday for dinner.”
“That’s crazy,” Remus said. “Doesn’t he know that he will just be saddled with medical bills and then have to ask his parents for even more money and run the risk of having to spend both Friday and Saturday with them?”
“Will the two of you please stop talking like I am not here. I am dramatically staring out the window here!”
“I don’t get why you are so freaked about tonight. Go, eat, and then leave,” Remus said. “Kind of like what you do here.”
“You need to know that there will be some sort of fight. A fight of epic proportions,” Sirius said.
“We can fight right now if you want,” Remus offered.
“Can we get two coffees to go?” Harry asked. “Pads, I need to get to school, and you need to get to work.”
“And you need to go reline your left eye, you missed the waterline big time,” Remus said putting the lids on the cups. Sirius just stared at him, a small smile on his face.
“We can just take these, right?” Sirius said grabbing the cups and getting off the stool.
“No, you need to pay.”
“What I’m hearing is to just take these? Because I am having an awful day?”
“Your day hasn’t even started yet!”
“Thanks Remus! You are a lifesaver!”
Remus watched as Harry opened the door, the overhead bell ringing, and Sirius slinked back out of the diner. “I’m putting that on your tab!”
+++
Friday night came and went for Remus, without Sirius and Harry coming in for their Friday regulars, everything else was the same. Marlene came in just before close. Mostly to bother him Remus assumed.
“Where is Thing One and Thing Two?”
“London. Dinner at the parents.”
“What’s that all about anyway?” Marlene asked grabbing one of the day-old donuts.
“No idea.”
“You have some idea, but fine don’t tell me.”
“Okay.”
“What is up with you?”
“Nothing, just trying to close and get to bed.”
“Any thoughts about that date?”
“With you? No.”
“With a single dad who’s in London right now?”
“We’re just friends. I serve the food; they keep my business afloat.”
“Right, right,” Marlene said wiping her hands on her skirt. “Maybe then you and I could go out then sometime?”
“What? I already said no,” Remus said, he finally looked up at her and there was a smirk on her face.
“Every thought of listening to me?” The smirk turned into a smug smile.
“That has never crossed my mind,” Remus said shaking his pen at her.
“You know, one day he’s going to meet someone. And then boom! Off the market. His kid is going to that posh school, maybe he’ll meet some other hot, grumpy guy but this guy will be rich.”
“Sirius and I are nothing but friends and will never be anything more. I don’t know where you got this crazy idea from.”
Marlene shrugged, “We work together. Just got that vibe from him you know?”
“That vibe was probably for you.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“Speaking of sleeping, I need you to go. I need to close.”
“Can I take this last donut?” Marlene asked jumping off the stool and grabbing her purse.
“I suppose. Good night.”
“Night.”
Remus was certain that even if Marlene was right, there was no way that he could ever go out with Sirius. Sirius had too much to worry about, between his job at the Inn and Harry there was too much that Remus could ruin.
Plus, there was his relationship that Remus had with Harry. The kid seemed to have some sort of connection with Remus, not that he was complaining. Harry was a good kid, and without kids of his own, Remus found himself honored that Harry would want to talk with him.
Remus was just a lone wolf, and he was okay with that. There was only room in his apartment for one, he had enough belongings for one. His business was thriving, he was in good health, and adding a relationship to his current life was just not in the cards.
He was plenty content of being the friend. The maker of the coffee. The bringer of the food. It was a good friendship, and it was something that he did not want to mess up.