Sirius
They fought all morning.
Sirius had woken up early to make them both breakfast, unaware that Remus usually just had a cigarette and a piece of chocolate. When he caught Remus scraping his eggs and toast into the garbage, he felt incredibly stupid and only offered a cold Oh-kay.
They didn’t talk until the next argument about when to leave for their lunch with Molly Weasley. Remus wanted to be early. Sirius didn’t want to go at all.
Then, there was the issue when Remus had the audacity to suggest side-along apparition, which resulted in a Who do you think I am? Still that young, rich brat from the Hogwarts Express? I am a twenty one year old man, Remus.
I just thought-
Well, keep thinking, sweetheart. I can take care of myself.
Remus apparated to the Weasley’s front stoop, but Sirius somehow managed to land right on top of the glass table in the garden, smashing the teacups and carefully placed finger sandwiches.
“I haven’t been here in a while,” he snapped, rounding the corner of the house to stand next to Remus. “Their lawn isn’t quite how I remembered.”
Remus rolled his eyes and knocked on the door. From inside, there was a crash and the sound of yelling. Remus rolled back on his heels, hands deep in his pockets. Sirius could almost feel the judgment simmering from him.
After a tense silence, Sirius asked casually, “Do you have anything to say about the table?”
“No.” Remus shook his head.
“Why not?”
“God, Padfoot, do you want me to?”
“No. But I’ve ruined two tables in a very short amount of time. I bet you have some thoughts about that.”
“Oh, I do. But I’m done commenting on the idiotic situations you get yourself into. If I said something about every one, we’d be here all day.”
“So you do care about my feelings! That’s news to me. Maybe we do make good coworkers.”
Remus’ hand flew to his temple. “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding—”
The door swung open and Molly Weasley threw up her arms to hug them both. “Remus! Sirius! You don’t know how happy I am to see you!”
Sirius made a strangled sound into her shoulder and Remus patted her back apprehensively.
She broke away and took a step back, admiring the pair of them with her hands clasped together underneath her chin. “Arthur tried to convince me that you two wouldn’t get back together. Can you believe that? He told me time and time again that you were just too different, that you argued too much at Order meetings. But I said no! They’re made for each other, can’t you tell? Just look at the way they look at each other!”
Sirius’ eye twitched and he could feel Remus beside him actively trying to avoid eye contact.
Sirius cleared his throat. “Molly, we’re not really‒”
Molly pushed past them. “Here, come with me, boys. We’ll eat in the garden. Percy helped me make these wonderful finger sandwiches…”
Remus opened his mouth, but Sirius quickly gestured for him to shut up. To his surprise, Remus listened.
Molly took Sirius’ arm to balance herself, her huge stomach causing her to teeter a little on the garden path. “I have to warn you, Fred’s discovered some magic. He can shoot little fireworks out of his fingertips when he’s angry or excited, and most times his finger is pointed at George. If that happens, just move George out of the way and try to distract Fred with something else. It should be splendid.”
“Yes, splendid,” Sirius breathed.
Molly paused, turning her back on the table so she could see both Sirius and Remus. Sirius nervously shot a glance over her shoulder, and sure enough, the table was still littered with broken glass and food scraps. He cleared his throat.
“It’s so lovely that you two volunteered to watch the children.” Molly beamed at them. “You don't know how much this means to all of us.”
“Well, we are excited,” Sirius choked out, elbowing Remus. “Right?”
Molly’s smile grew bigger, and Sirius worried that if she smiled any more her face really might split. “And it’s also helpful for you two, of course. You know what advice I always give people when they ask how Arthur and I are so close? I say, the best way to strengthen a relationship is just to have a bunch of kids and raise them together. Kids bring out the best in your partner. You’ll learn so much about each other over the course of the summer.”
Sirius could feel the disgust dripping from his face. He could feel the sting of bile creeping up his throat.
Remus looked how he felt. “Thanks for the advice, Molly,” he said weakly.
Sirius hoped his stare would make Remus wither away. But of course it didn’t.
Remus boldly held eye contact, like he always did, making Sirius' knees weaken.
A strike of panic shot through Sirius’ heart, because he knew. He knew what Remus was thinking. It was as easy as judging his own emotions or suddenly looking at his own mind standing in front of him. Sirius saw Remus' gaze traveling from Sirius to the table to the far off road in the distance.
Didn’t they just console a weeping James? Didn’t they just promise they wouldn’t back out now, or ever? But he still saw those flickers of doubt in Remus’ eyes, the tiniest hint of self-contradiction, and an anger towards Remus Lupin started to boil like molten lava under his skin. Remus wanted to give up, but Sirius wouldn't let him.
Sirius Black was going to do this. And Remus Lupin was coming down with him.
Molly gasped, and Sirius knew she had caught sight of the table.
“Oh, no,” he said with entirely too much sympathy. “Could’ve been the garden gnomes.”
Molly sighed, hands on her hips. “I put my money on the twins. No bother, I’ll go inside and find something else.”
Remus’ mouth opened again, but he closed it by his own accord. He let out a tired sigh that exactly mirrored Molly’s.
“Oh! One more thing,” Molly patted Sirius on the back as she walked slowly back towards the house. “You need a name. The twins throw fits when I tell them they're going to Padfoot and Moony's house. You need a name for your little child care program. An interesting one.”
Sirius and Remus watched her open the front door and disappear.
“Splendid,” said Remus.