Grindelwald
The moment James and Sirius woke up in their hotel room, they started to get dressed immediately. They showered and did all the basic hygiene measures with more gusto than usual, brushing their tongues more thoroughly and rinsing their mouths with mouthwash three times each. When it came to their actual appearances, they put a lot more effort in.
James actually brushed his hair and attempted to style it. Sirius put on a little eyeliner, then proceeded to cry it off when it didn't match on both sides, so he put in eye drops to get rid of the redness and left the eyeliner alone this time around. He figured he could dazzle the cute waiter with the irresistible charm...and his hair that took him an hour and a half to do.
Sadly, the two boys didn't take into account when the tiny restaurant would open. So when they showed up to their destination, instead of being greeted by a pretty girl, cute boy, and amazing food...they were faced with no lights and a locked door. They paced awkwardly out front for a few minutes before a voice made them jump.
"Wow, you guys actually came back." Lily stepped around them and proceeded to unlock the doors. James watched her with a smile the whole time.
"We told you we would." James tried to come off as nonchalant as possible, but his obvious lie of 'the food was just that good' made Lily look at him with a raised brow.
"And it would have nothing to do with my waiter that your friend here couldn't get enough of?" She glanced over at Sirius with a cocky grin.
"Oi!" Sirius protested. James was supposed to be getting embarrassed, not him.
Lily opened the door and walked in, James following closely behind, "Don't worry. He thinks you're cute too."
Sirius instantly shot up straight with raised brows and a cocky grin, following James inside.
They sat at the same table as the night before and Lily spoke from over by the water dispenser, "Peter and Remus won't be in for another 30 minutes," she placed two glasses of water on their table, "so you'll have to deal with the boring owner until then."
She walked to the table where the register and menus were kept and James sat up straight in his seat, "You're the owner?" She gave him a small smile and nod (that went straight to his heart and made it flutter), "I hope this doesn't come out as rude or awful but...you do not seem old enough to own a restaurant."
She laughed a little and James decided that was his new favorite sound. "In a conventional matter you're completely correct, but this whole ordeal is anything but conventional."
"We've got time." James smiled softly, "What's the story?"
She continued to bustle around the small building to prep for open, but talked as she did. "I came to Paris for Uni and I really needed a job. I found this place and it was small, the only two workers being the owners. Albus and Gellert, a darling couple, a bit odd, but darling. They had been together basically their whole lives, they were very kind and needed a waitress. They took me on and showed me the ropes and I worked here ever since. About a year and a half ago, they passed, a few hours from each other, romantic really. Turns out they liked me more than I thought because in their will they left me the place. Signed it over to me as owner."
"Really?" James listened to her speak intently.
Lily nodded, "I thought about selling, but there's something about this place, I couldn't part with it. So I begged two of my best friends from home to move to Paris and help me run the place. I'm lucky they love me enough to have said yes."
"She's lucky Peter and I never regretted it."
Remus' voice rang out from the front door, and Sirius was suddenly very worried about his posture.
"I hope you don't mind Pete and I coming in early. He's just unloading some produce from his truck."
Lily walked over to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "Not at all."
Remus walked past their table and over to the menu table. He was tying his apron around his hips and he looked up at the two boys'. "It's good to see you again." He spoke to both of them but had his eyes locked onto Sirius', a small smirk playing at his lips.
Sirius held the eye contact, "Couldn't stay away."
Remus' smirk turned into a full smile as he blushed and turned away.
"Nice." James whispered to Sirius, who winked at him in return.
A few minutes later Peter came in with arms full of food. James and Sirius (hoping to do some impressing) helped Peter carry everything into the kitchen. They introduced themselves to him and thanked him for the food he had made them the day previous. Word must of spread because he told the two boys he would make them food anytime they wanted after a tip like that. James and Sirius didn't quite understand why the generous tip they had left meant so much to the three friends, but they gladly took the praise.
They spent the rest of that week and the following eating at the small restaurant everyday. Talking *flirting* with their new friends. Every night they paid their bill and left a large tip, and every night Lily would tell them it was too much with a smile and James would refuse to give any less.
One night, James and Sirius walked into The Phoenix Cafe for dinner, but something was off.
The place had never been super busy, only ever having three or four tables filled and tonight was no exception, but Lily, Remus, and Peter seemed stressed and on edge.
Part of their, now daily, routine consisted of Remus tending to them immediately and flirting shamelessly with Sirius. Lily coming to walk behind James and 'accidentally' bumping into his back and Peter calling to them from the kitchen window. But they sat at their regular seats for five minutes before Remus came by with two menus and set them down with no words other than, "Hey guys...I'll be with you in a second." Lily never came by, never even looked up from the podium where she was doing some type of paperwork and Peter worked wordlessly from the kitchen, keeping his head down.
"What the hell is going on?" Sirius whispered behind the menu over to James.
"I don't know but I really don't like it."
Remus came by and wordlessly took their orders, taking it over to Peter who also didn't say a word. "He hasn't flirted with me in French once tonight!"
"I know! And Lily hasn't even noticed us!" Their yells were whispered back and forth, paired with careful glances around the room.
"And look at Pete! He looks like he's two seconds away from crying!" They both looked up at him as he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his chef's coat.
"Well this isn't good."
They stayed until closing, going unnoticed by the workers. Peter wished them a very quick goodbye as he walked out the door where his girlfriend, Lisa, was waiting for him. When Remus came out of the backroom, still looking stressed, he looked up and made eye contact with the two boys who were watching him nervously. He sighed and walked over to them. "God. I'm sorry about tonight. I can't imagine you two enjoyed it very much."
Sirius lightly placed his hand on his shoulder, urging Remus to look at him as he spoke softly, "It's alright, don't worry about it but...what was going on? I mean, the entire place seemed off?"
Remus looked at him for a second before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, "It's...it's a long story."
"Do you want to go for a walk?" Sirius nodded to the door, "You can tell me about it?"
Remus gave him a small smile, "I have to help Lily clean up-"
James cut him off, "Go. I'll stay and help Lily."
Usually, Remus and Sirius would make a joke about James' crush or a snarky comment about shagging on the tables, but tonight, Remus just simply nodded and followed Sirius out the door.
James busied himself with cleaning the tables when Lily came out of the back room. She saw the back of James head as he collected napkins off of a table.
"James?" he turned and smiled at her, "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged, as if he wasn't standing in the middle of her restaurant at midnight. "Sirius took Remus out for a walk, figured I could help you clean up."
She gave a small laugh, but was obviously still full of tension. "I wish they would just snog already and put everyone out of their misery." They both laughed but when James looked over he could see her face was troubled.
"What was going on tonight?"
She shrugged off his question, "Everything was fine, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Lily." She turned and looked at his serious expression, "I've been coming here everyday for almost two weeks, it's never been this tense or depressing before."
They both couldn't help but laugh again, but stopped laughing as Lily sat down and buried her head in her hands. She stayed there for a second and James let her. "I told you about how I was given this place..."
He sat down across from her, "Yeah."
"Well. They didn't say in the will how much it cost to keep this damned place open. It's never been busy but, they never had a problem. I guess that's because they were filthy rich, me on the other hand..." She took a deep breath, "We're out of money. At this rate, I'll only be able to keep this place open for a few more months."
"Shit, Lily...I'm sorry." He placed a comforting hand over hers.
She smiled slightly, "It's not just that. This morning before opening, Remus and Peter, they know about the money problems, and they-" she let out a frustrated breath, that turned into a laugh at an attempt to hold back her tears, "they tried to give me back their paychecks to help pay some bills and I told them no. I can't-" she was crying now, "I can't let them do that. They've already done so much. I'm not going to stop paying them just because we're about to lose the place. I couldn't do that to them. I already have to pay them less than what they should be earning. We had a big argument about it, and I don't know I just..." she looked up and saw that he was still listening, it was written all over his face that he genuinely cared and she laughed again. "This fucking sucks."
They both laughed and James handed her a napkin to dry her eyes. She smiled a 'thank you' and pulled herself together.
"I don't want them to give up their tiny paychecks for me, not when I can't even afford to pay myself, or buy Pete the best products or pay the fucking building off-"
"Wait?" James interrupted and Lily looked up at him, "You don't pay yourself?"
She shook her head, "All the money we make goes to paying Remus and Peter, paying the building off, bills, and stock. I'm just lucky my parents are kind enough to pay for the rent on my apartment, for now."
"I'm so sorry Lily. Is there something I can do to help?"
She smiled at his gesture, but shook her head, "I don't think so, but thank you anyways." He smiled and she stood up, shaking away her thoughts, "Well, I guess you could help me clean this place up."
He smiled and stood up next to her, "That I can do."
Remus and Sirius were walking silently down a random road. Remus' entire body, tight with tension and stress.
"Voulez-vous que je vous donne un massage?"
Remus' mouth gaped open and he coughed, looking over at Sirius' *Serious;)* expression. "I'm sorry?"
Sirius laughed and walked behind Remus, placing his hands on his shoulders up close by his neck, and pressing his thumbs into his skin there, "You're so tense. You need a massage to loosen you up."
They both laughed and Remus swatted Sirius' hands away, "Cut it out, you weirdo."
They smiled and Sirius bumped into Remus' side, "Really though, what's wrong?"
"There was a bit of an argument this morning."
"About what?"
"Money. The restaurant is struggling a bit right now, and Lily won't let Peter and me help. She says we've done enough."
"Well I mean, you have." Remus looked at him questioningly, "You moved to a whole different fucking country to help her."
Remus laughed, "I know but, Lily...she's my best friend and she loves the place. It's her dream, and I would do anything to help her keep it, you know?"
Sirius nodded, "Yeah. Yeah I get that." And he does. James is his best friend, his brother too, but he knows that if James ever needed anything, he would do anything to help him.
Remus smiled at him then turned to face forward again, "I wish I knew how to help her."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You and that beautiful, giant brain of yours." He grabbed onto Remus' face and brought his head down so he could playfully play in Remus' hair as they both laughed.
"You don't know what my brain looks like. Bold of you to assume it's beautiful."
"Eh bien, s'il vous ressemble du tout, c'est."
Remus blushed and Sirius smiled.
Remus bit his tongue before he spoke with a goofy grin, "Tu as l'air d'une bite quand tu parles en le Français."
They both laughed and Sirius decided the best form of payback for that comment was jumping onto his back and forcing him to carry him.
That night, James and Sirius lay awake in their hotel beds. They briefed each other on what Lily and Remus had told them and they decided that they would help them save The Phoenix Cafe. And if they happened to pull two lovely people in the process, then that was just a bonus.