Part II
Part II
Sirius Black was exasperated.
His eyes travelled across the dark ceiling above, following the faint cracks that flowed across it, made visible by the streetlights streaming in through the gaps between the curtains. It was usually a calming process, tracing lines on the grey above, mundane and common, done when he found it difficult to sleep, but he was not feeling particularly calm at that moment. No, he was feeling restless. He was tired and he had spent most of the evening tossing and turning in his bed, trying and failing to get to sleep.
Sirius had done everything he could think of to try and get himself to nod off. He had tried just lying there, closing his eyes and emptying his mind, but his anxieties had quickly crept in. He had tried solving mental mathematical problems, but he had ended up frustrated when he couldn't check if his answers were correct or not. He had tried thinking about boring things, like how clocks worked and tennis, but he didn't know enough about those subjects to focus on them. He had even tried counting imaginary Diricawls, but it didn't work.
In the end, no matter what he tried, he was unable to fall asleep.
So, in lieu of sleep, Sirius found himself tracing nonsensical designs on the canvas above, waiting for dreams or daylight to come, letting his tumultuous thoughts cloud his mind.
A soft snore brought his attention away from his futile thoughts and back to reality, and he turned onto his side to observe the sleeping body next to his. A warm feeling, familiar and wholly welcome, settled in his chest and he smiled. He had always enjoyed watching Remus sleep, even before they were romantically involved. Sometimes he would go to the Hospital Wing at school and watch over Remus after Full Moons just because he could. The other man always looked so peaceful and unguarded when at rest; so beautiful and fragile.
For a moment, as he watched the other wizard dream, he felt at peace. But that didn't surprise him. Remus Lupin had always had the unique ability to make him feel calm, after all – whether he was awake or not. Despite feeling at ease, Sirius still felt wide awake.
Sighing, he turned onto his back and tried to focus on sorting through his jumbled feelings, his traitorous mind plaguing him with worrisome thoughts and possible futures and unanswered questions.
Questions like: Would he really be able to find Andromeda? And if he did, would she even want to see him? What if she didn't want to associate with anyone from her past and that was why it was so difficult to find her? How would she react if they did manage to find her? Would she be angry, or would she be happy? Would she slam the door in his face, or would she welcome him with open arms? But then... what if they didn't find her? What if he spent months or even years searching for her only to find that it was as pointless as the first time? What if he never found her?
Sirius exhaled wearily.
Everything would be different if he did find Andromeda and he couldn't help but think of the possible futures, all uncertain and all plausible. He didn't know if he could handle failure again. He had already lost his cousin twice: the first time being when she ran away, the second being his inability to find her. He didn't want to hope too much only for it all to fall apart and be a waste of time.
Sirius lifted his head and glanced at the digital alarm clock on Remus's bedside table: 02:47, it read. He huffed and glared at the red numbers. He had been trying for nearly three hours to get to sleep and he was beginning to feel more than a little agitated.
Taking one last moment of contemplation, Sirius decided that he needed to relieve some of his restless energy. He needed to have a nice cup of hot chocolate, he decided: sweet and warm and exactly what he needed to make him relax.
With that thought, he quietly slipped out of the bed and crept to the door, mindful not to wake his partner. He closed the door behind himself gently and trudged down the hallway to the kitchen before he flicked the light switch on and moved over to the kettle to make his beverage.
Hot chocolate quickly made, he sat down at the table. As he drank, he thought back to the last conversation he'd had about Andromeda. It wasn't a long or even memorable conversation, he thought, but it must have stuck in Remus's mind for him to bring the subject up after so long. It had been with Remus and it had been a few months ago...
:: … ::
11:36PM in the Black-Lupin flat found the occupants lounging on their bed, sharing a delicious takeaway pizza and drinking a couple of Butterbeers. They were pleasantly buzzed and half-dressed, Sirius lying on the bed in a pair of black boxer shorts with his smart navy shirt unbuttoned and hanging off of him haphazardly, Remus leaning against the headboard with his legs crossed in his own pair of checkered boxer shorts with an old greying t-shirt on.
The pair had just returned from a night of socialising with their friends at The Hippogriff's Neck. The whole gang had been there (James and Lily Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Dyanola Dearborn, Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes, Frank and Alice Longbottom) and James and Lily had made an announcement: they were expecting a child and had been for a few months. The married couple had then made a speech about family and how important it was before they had asked Sirius and Marlene to be Godfather and Godmother to their child respectively. Sirius had gladly accepted, ecstatic that his best mates were expanding their family. The night had carried on pleasantly, the group laughing and drinking and joking around as if they were back in school again.
Later that night, however, when Sirius and Remus had stumbled home, James's speech about the importance of family had gotten him thinking.
"James is right: family is important," he stated before he took a bite of his pizza.
Remus hummed in agreement, taking a bite of his own slice and watching Sirius with interest.
"I haven't seen mine in years," he continued. "Sometimes I wonder how they are. Wait, no. I wonder how Regulus is. And Andromeda. The rest of them can go and bugger themselves for all I care." He paused and stared at his pizza pensively. "Merlin, I haven't seen Andy in years..."
Remus stared for a moment before he swallowed his bite and asked, "How long has it been? Since you last saw her, I mean."
Sirius thought about it before he answered, "I was eleven, I think, when she was scorched off the Tree, so... nine years? Nearly ten, maybe?"
Remus hummed thoughtfully and then asked, "Do you want to see her again?"
"Yes," Sirius answered, shifting on the bed to lean against the headboard, shoulder to shoulder with his house-spouse. The warmth from the other man made him feel calm and he continued, "I'd love to find her, but she's lost and I can't, so..." He shrugged. "C'est la vie, as they say."
Remus studied him for a second before he shifted and placed his arm around Sirius's shoulders, pulling the fallen heir into his side. Sirius went willingly and leaned into Remus's embrace, his head resting on Remus's shoulder as he ate his slice of pizza. They were silent for a long moment, then:
"You have us, you know," Remus muttered against his temple. "You have me and James and Lily and Pete. And you have Mr and Mrs Potter. We're your family, all of us, and you're ours." He ducked his head to catch the grey eyes of Sirius. "I know it's different, but you do have family. You're my family."
Sirius thought about this and he knew that Remus was right. He did have family: the Potters and the Marauders were his family. Remus was his family. Family didn't mean that they had to share genes. The blood of the convent was stronger than the water of the womb, wasn't that the saying?
"I know," he replied, placing a kiss on Remus's jaw before he rested his head on Remus's shoulder again. "You're my family too."
:: … ::
Sirius took a sip of his drink and wondered how long that conversation had been on Remus's mind for him to bring the topic up after so much time.
His boyfriend must have been thinking about it a lot... but, then again, Remus was always thinking. His brain was always working, always analysing and contemplating and reflecting, and it often took him a while to fall asleep, hence Sirius's reluctance to be loud and wake him.
Sirius sighed and took one last sip of his hot chocolate before he stood up and moved over to the sink, deciding to wash the mug manually instead of using magic. He would normally use magic – washing by hand was something that Remus and Lily did – but he felt a hands-on approach was needed in that moment. He didn't have his wand anyway and Remus always claimed it was therapeutic. He quickly washed and dried the cup before he placed it back in the cupboard. He then flicked the lights off and tiptoed back down the hallway.
Silent, he entered the bedroom and closed the door behind himself before he stealthily made his way back to the bed. He had almost made it to safety when he tripped over something – it was too dark to tell what, but he suspected the shirt he had thrown off earlier – and he nearly went flying. Luckily, he managed to stop himself from faceplanting the floor with the aid of the wall.
Heart hammering, Sirius straightened up and climbed into his side of the bed, quietly pulling the covers over himself. He lay as still as he could, trying to discern whether he had woken his boyfriend or not. When he heard nothing, he decided that he was safe and he shuffled, trying to make himself comfortable. Once suitably comfy, he lay still and hoped for sleep to claim him.
After a minute, he heard a mumbled, "Y'okay?"
Sirius jolted and inwardly cursed himself. He had thought (hoped) that he had made no noise when he re-entered the room. He really hadn't wanted to wake Remus. But he had failed, as he often did.
Remus rolled onto his side to face Sirius and Sirius turned his head to stare back. As he looked at the moonlit face of his partner, he noticed the concerned glint in those familiar hazel eyes. Remus quirked an eyebrow, silently asking him to answer the question.
Sirius nodded and replied, "I'm fine."
The other man studied him carefully, his face unreadable but his eyes analytic and clear. A second later, he hummed and shuffled closer to Sirius in the bed. He then flung his arm over Sirius's torso possessively and rested his head on Sirius's shoulder, his leg pressing up against Sirius's. It was a simple action but one that let Sirius know that he was safe, that he was not alone, that he was always going to have Remus.
Sirius shifted as well and pressed his face into Remus's hair, taking comfort in the indescribable scent that was pure Remus Lupin. His hands moved up to hold onto Remus's arm, securing their hold on each other, and they lay in silence.
It wasn't long before Sirius began to feel sleepy and he realised that the calming effects of Remus and his hot chocolate were working. He could feel his eyes growing heavier with every second that passed. As he lay there, wrapped in Remus's scent and warmth, he realised (not for the first time) that he did not have to explain himself. He did not have to say what he was feeling or how anxious he was because Remus already knew. Remus knew, and he was not alone.
Soon enough, his worries trickled away into the recesses of his mind and he was finally allowed to let sleep overtake him.
Sirius had visited the Ministry of Magic many times in his life, but it had never seemed as intimidating as it did in that moment.
As he stared up at the massive building, he wondered why it looked so different that morning and why he was so reluctant to go inside. It wasn't like he was new to the place. He had been there many times as a child with his father and he accompanied Remus to all of his mandatory Lycanthropy meetings. Hades, he worked in the Auror offices – he was there five days a week! But looking at the building as he was, it just felt... different. There was no other word for it.
Though, to be fair, the Ministry have never looked particularly comforting or solicitous in the past, so why should it now?
Perhaps he was hesitant to go in because the people in there were all Ministry workers and he didn't know for sure if they would help him or not. Yes, he had friends there, but it wasn't the Auror squad that he needed. No, he needed assistance from the people who worked in other sectors of the institution and he honestly didn't know if they would help him.
Sirius was friendly with those outside of the Auror precinct, but a lot of people still saw him as Sirius Black, son of the ruthless and opinionated politician Orion Black, no matter how hard he tried to change their perception of him. It didn't matter that he had been disowned or that he was as far from a Black as could be, he was still a Black in their eyes and they were afraid of him, and that made some friendships hard to obtain.
"Hey, it's going to be okay," Remus spoke, his voice soft but firm.
Sirius tore his gaze away from the tall building and turned to his partner.
"I promise," Remus added, tentatively slipping his hand into Sirius's and giving it a light squeeze.
Sirius nodded and turned his face back to the building, feeling a bit calmer with Remus at his side.
Sometimes it felt like Remus could read his mind. The other man always seemed to know what he was thinking and he was glad of this most of the time – glad that Remus knew him so well – but sometimes he begrudged it because he often felt like he couldn't read Remus at all. He had spent ten years getting to know Remus Lupin and he was only beginning to understand how the other man worked.
It was fair to say that Sirius probably knew more than most, but Remus was still a mystery to him; always calm and collected, rarely ever ruffled by anything. He had only seen the other man angry or emotional a handful of times – but even with those insights, Remus was still an enigma.
It was an enviable trait - Remus's placid nature. Where Sirius was loud and emotional and quick to react, Remus was quiet and controlled and always thought about his actions. Remus was always so in control of himself and his cool nature was enviable until Sirius remembered the downsides; that Remus always thought about both sides of the argument and rarely ever got passionate or angry about injustices, and when the other man did have those moments of emotion, he couldn't really articulate them or communicate his feelings coherently or smoothly.
Both he and Remus emotional disasters, just on opposite ends of the spectrum where Sirius seemed to feel too much and Remus appeared to feel too little. Perhaps it was cruel or inaccurate to say that Remus didn't feel much, because he did. Sirius knew that he did. But Remus was always so quiet and so put together that it didn't look like it.
They were two sides of the same coin: Remus unable to express his feelings properly and Sirius unable to hide his emotions. Sirius had no qualms with expressing himself and often couldn't control what he felt or said. He just seemed to feel everything more than others. His emotions were pure and deep and uncontrollable, and it was hard for him to suppress them sometimes.
It was one of their main differences, but they managed; actions always seemed to work.
"Padfoot?"
Sirius snapped back to reality and looked at Remus. He realised, judging from the look on his partner's face, that his attention had been called for more than once.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?" Remus asked. "You drifted a bit."
Sirius glanced down at their joined hands and nodded. He wasn't exactly feeling his usual confidence, but he knew that everything would be fine, so long as he had Remus by his side. He offered a tight smile and Remus gave a supportive one in return before he gave Sirius's hand a quick squeeze and let go. He then began walking up the steps towards the doors that granted access to the Ministry.
Sirius gave the building one last cursory glance before he followed. Remus held one of the tall doors open and Sirius hesitated for a split second before he gathered all of his Gryffindor courage and walked into the building, nodding his thanks to his partner.
As he stepped into the building, Sirius noticed that the place felt strange. It looked the same, with people milling around in different coloured robes, hurried and harried, but something felt weird.
Perhaps it was because he was there on his day off and he usually spent his free time literally anywhere else, normally with Remus or friends. He only really went to the MoM on his days off if he was on-call and working a case or if Remus needed to sort something out. Sometimes Remus was working when he was not, so he would take some lunch in for his boyfriend and they would eat together.
More likely it felt different because he was there, not for work or Remus, but for himself: because he was trying to find someone. The realisation that he might be about to reconnect with his favourite ex-Black any day now made something heavy settle in his chest.
For a second, he just stood there, watching as Ministry workers bustled around the Reception Hall. He started when he felt a hand rest on his back, and he turned to find Remus watching him.
"It's going to be okay, Padfoot," Remus said, turning Sirius to face him. Sirius allowed himself to be guided until his whole body was facing the other man. Remus then placed his hands on Sirius's shoulders, grounding him and making that heavy feeling in his chest just a little bit lighter, and added, "We'll find something, I promise."
Sirius nodded and Remus studied him for a short moment before he trailed his hands down Sirius's arms. He gave Sirius's hands a quick squeeze before he nodded back, steady and confident and everything Sirius didn't feel at that moment, released him and headed towards the Research Facility of the building.
Sirius watched his significant other disappear into the crowd before he turned and headed toward the staircase, electing to get some exercise and release some of his pent-up nervous energy. His feet automatically took him to the Auror Offices.
While Remus was off meeting with someone in the Archives, Sirius decided that he would see if any of his workmates were on shift. He and James had the weekend off, but he knew that Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody would be in (the paranoid Scotsman worked every day, he was sure) along with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hestia Jones, and maybe a few others.
Walking into the offices, Sirius noticed Jones flirting with an oblivious Shacklebolt at their joint desk. He decided not to bother them and instead looked over to the desk at the top end of the room. There, he found Moody at his solitary but large desk, feet up on it, looking extremely bored, and definitely not doing any work. Sirius smirked and walked over.
As soon as the superior Auror spotted Sirius, he dropped his feet to the floor roughly and looked Sirius up and down before he gestured to an empty seat. Sirius nodded curtly and took the proffered chair.
"What're you doin' here, Black?" Moody asked, blunt and straight-to-the-point as ever as he leaned back in his chair and regarded Sirius with assessing eye(s).
"Well, hello to you, too, Moody," Sirius greeted satirically. Moody did not react and just stared at him, so Sirius shrugged and added, "I'm here for personal reasons."
Moody grunted, which meant he wanted Sirius to continue.
"I came in to ask for a favour," he explained.
Moody eyed him with deep suspicion before he asked, "What type of favour? You cannae have next weekend off as well."
"No, nothing like that," Sirius replied, leaning forward to fiddle with the little dragon statue on Moody's desk. "I'm trying to find someone. Someone I haven't seen in a very long time."
Moody hummed noncommittally and glanced around the office. "Go on, then, Black," he said with an air of simultaneous boredom and interest in his voice, his blue eye(s) landing on Sirius again. "Who is it you're lookin' for?"
"My cousin, Andromeda," he answered, still playing with the figurine. "She was... She left the family when I was young."
Moody nodded, and he seemed to understand. He may have been a very stoic and seemingly unfeeling man, but Sirius knew that he secretly – very, very deep down – cared. He knew of Sirius's history and that Sirius didn't have much biological family he cared for, and he seemed to understand that this was a big deal.
"Best to go to the Archives for that, Black."
"Yes," he agreed, "I know. Remus is there now."
Moody grunted his acknowledgement. "Lupin's here?"
Sirius nodded in response.
Most of the precinct knew about Sirius's personal relationship with Remus, so he wasn't worried about Moody's reaction. Moody liked Remus and was fairly open-minded. Being gay in the Wizarding World was not talked about often, but it was not shunned or a particularly big deal. Some of the older families looked down on it but mostly because, to them, it was a way of stopping magical bloodlines and names from being carried on.
"So, why are you here?" the Scotsman asked, one eye travelling the office as the other watched Sirius. It was deeply unnerving. "And not with Lupin."
"Ah, I just thought I'd pop in and see you lovely lot," Sirius replied. It was a half-truth because he did want to see his workmates, but he also didn't know anyone in Filing and Archives, and he reckoned he would be a bit useless down there.
Moody raised a sceptical eyebrow but just shrugged and mumbled, "Hmkay." There was a moment of silence before the Scotsman released an almost-nefarious smile and added, "Well, then. Since you're here, you can help me with some paperwork."
Sirius glanced at the tall stack of paperwork.
After a moment of consideration, he removed his cloak and draped it over the back of his chair. He then took half of the pile and picked up a quill, with the reasoning that he was brilliant at paperwork and he had nothing else to do and Remus was going to be a while yet, so he figured he might as well help his superior.
Moody's smile widened – it made him look a little smug and a lot constipated – and he took the other half of the heap, picking up his own quill and getting to work.
And then, in mutual silence, they worked through the paperwork, and Sirius waited for his boyfriend to finish up and collect him.
It was well over an hour before Sirius finished his stack. He leaned back in his chair and extended his arms above his head in a well-deserved and languid stretch.
Truth be told, he found paperwork to be quite a soothing process, especially when his job as an Auror was always fast-paced and action-filled. It was nice to take a second to slow down and think about what had happened. The questions were the same, but the answers were always different, and it was important work. It had to be done to ensure the right people stayed locked up and the public stayed safe. It was essential and he preferred to do it himself, so he knew it was all done.
Sirius glanced over and found that his boss still had another file left but the older man leaned back as well and sighed. Unlike Sirius, Moody was not a fan of paperwork.
"Coffee?" he suggested.
Sirius nodded and with that decision, they stood up and wandered over to the small Auror kitchenette where they made coffee. When they returned to the large desk, they found Remus sitting in Sirius's previously vacated seat. Moody reclaimed his seat and took a large gulp of his steaming hot coffee, his eye(s) glancing between Remus and Sirius.
Sirius stayed standing. He bit his lip and stared at his boyfriend, expectation and hope pummelling his stomach. He didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe for Remus to say that they couldn't find her? Maybe for Remus to say that they had found her but she had changed her name and moved to a forest in Iceland and clearly didn't want to be found?
Then Remus looked at him, a small smile on his lips, his hazel eyes calm and collected, and the negative possibilities that had plagued Sirius's mind melted away because Remus would not look at him like that if it was bad news.
"I've asked," he said. "They said it might take some time to locate her file but they're going to look as soon as possible. They're busy with the Talkalot/Pearson case at the moment, trying to dig up dirt for the courts, but they said they'd contact me as soon as they find it."
Sirius dragged a seat over from another desk and sat down beside his boyfriend. "As soon as they find it?" he asked, because it wasn't if they found it – it was when they found it.
Remus nodded. "They're going to find it, Padfoot," he said. Then he took the cup from Sirius's hand and took a sip, making a face because he was more a tea man than a coffee drinker. He handed the cup back to Sirius who took his own sip, then turned and greeted, "Hello, Moody."
"Lupin," Moody nodded curtly, his words curt but his smile congenial. He was not a smiler and he did not like many people, but he always offered a smile to Remus. Sirius would be jealous if he didn't trust Remus so much. "You going to be there tonight, then?"
No clarification was needed: 'There' referred to the traditional Saturday Night Piss-Up, hosted on the first Saturday of every month, wherein all Aurors on Squad 42 and their spouses were invited.
"Yeah, I'll be there," Remus answered. "James and Lily are coming too, but Lily is heavily pregnant so I don't think they'll be there long. And Pete is bringing his new girlfriend, so... Will you?"
Moody grunted and replied, "Of course I'll be there. I'm Scottish – I never miss the chance for a drink."
Remus laughed.
Sirius took a final sip of his coffee before he stood up and placed his cup in the kitchenette's sink. He then returned his chair to its desk and said, "We should head off."
Remus glanced at Moody who seemed to understand that the other man didn't want to be rude and just leave. Moody grunted and said, "Go on, bugger off. I've got some work to do and you're distracting me."
Remus snorted and replied, "I'm a distraction?"
Moody just grunted, picked up his never-ending quill, and muttered, "Aye, y'are."
Sirius removed his cloak from the chair and ignored the twinge in his gut at the way Moody was acting with his boyfriend – because he found Remus distracting as well, and he hoped it was for a different reason than his boss.
"Alright, then," Remus replied, standing up and pushing the chair in. "See you tonight."
Moody hummed and Remus shared an amused glance with Sirius, who felt his stomach stutter at the look. He was so in love, it was ridiculous. Then he and Remus walked out of the office and eventually out of the building.
Sirius glanced back the building, feeling more at ease now that their task was done. He turned back to Remus, who was watching him carefully. He didn't say it out loud, but his face said it: they were going to find her – they were closer than they ever had been before. It made Sirius feel hopeful.
"Food?" he suggested, feeling light and optimistic about the whole venture – nervous and anxious, but ready for the outcome, whatever it was.
"God, yes," Remus replied.
And then, they headed for the nearest restaurant or café, their shoulders brushing as they went.
Sirius watched in a strange trance as the paintbrush in his hand covered the wall with cream paint, stroking the surface easily and spreading the viscous liquid evenly.
It was oddly satisfying and somewhat therapeutic; he understood now why Lily had wanted the room to be painted the Muggle way. It was a monotonous task but simple and calming. He had been working all day and he couldn't wait to go home and cuddle up with his boyfriend on the sofa whilst they ate takeaway and watched television, but Remus was stuck at work, so he had agreed to help James paint the nursery in preparation for the baby. And now he was standing in front of a flat canvas, painting and feel content in the simple process.
"I'm searching for her again," he blurted, because he couldn't keep secrets from James Potter. He had wanted to tell his friend sooner but they had been drinking on Saturday with others, and then James had been Baby Stuff Shopping with Lily, so he hadn't had the chance. Now seemed as good as any.
James pushed his glasses up his nose with the heel of his hand and opened his mouth, as if he was trying to figure something out. Then he asked, with a curious frown on his brow, "You're what?"
Sirius lowered the brush and turns to his brother, leaning against a dry piece of wall and grinning when he saw flecks of dry paint covering James's dark hair – a result of a previous paint fight.
"Andy," he said. "I'm searching for her again. Moony reckons we might be able to find her, so..."
James did not respond to this straightaway. Instead, he dipped his paintbrush in the tray and then started swiping across the wall with abandon – no rhythm or process, just pure James Potter madness. Then he said, "This is... good. Right?"
Sirius watched his friend paint without precision and answered, "I guess."
James hummed, and it struck something in Sirius.
"What?" he asked.
"What?" James returned, glancing over his shoulder.
"You know what," Sirius replied. "If you have something to say, just say it."
James sighed and lowered his brush before he turned to face Sirius. "It's nothing," he said. "It's just... I don't know. You sound a bit – odd? Apprehensive, maybe?"
Sirius shrugged, dipped his own brush in the paint, and then returned to his task of coating the walls. "I suppose I am, a bit," he admitted. "I mean, there is every chance that this search could be as fruitless as the first. There are no guarantees that we'll find her. But Moony is optimistic, and if there's any time to look for her, it's now."
"Have you found anything yet?"
"Not yet."
James hummed and asked, "When did you start looking?"
"Only a few days ago," he answered, grey eyes on the wall in front of him. "Moony brought it up last week, and we went to the Ministry on Saturday to make the request."
"Hold up." James moved to stand in front of him, blocking the wall. Sirius stepped back, feeling a little too close to his brother in all but blood. James continued, "Sorry, but you went to the Ministry four days ago and I'm only just finding out about this now?"
"Well, there was no time to discuss it before," Sirius explained. "We were surrounded by people on Saturday and then you went shopping with Lily for the baby and then we were at work and then you had the baby scan... I just couldn't find a good time to bring it up."
James just stared at him with unimpressed brown eyes.
"I didn't want to bother you with my drama," Sirius explained. "I would have told you. You know I would have. I just... I guess I wanted some results first. I didn't want to mention it in case nothing came of it. I was hoping that we would've heard something by now, but nothing yet."
James stared at him for a long moment before he placed his hand on Sirius's shoulder and said, "You idiot. Your drama is my drama. I know there was a lot going on but you could've told me. I always have time for you."
Sirius felt his heart swell and he offered a smile. "Thanks, mate."
James just shrugged and said, "You don't have to thank me, but you're welcome." He punched Sirius in the arm and added, "I'm glad you told me." He then went back to his wall to paint without care. "Go on, then. Tell me what's been happening."
Sirius refreshed the paint on his brush and began painting again. "Ah, there's not much to tell yet. We went to the Ministry and Remus got his mates down in the Archives to do a bit of research. They're busy with some big case at the minute, so we're still waiting for word from them."
James hummed and said, "Well, keep me updated." He paused and threw himself at Sirius, hugging the other man from behind, and muttering, "I hope you find her, mate."
Sirius laughed and patted James's hand. "Thanks," he replied. "And I will do."
James let go and returned to his wall. Sirius brushed over his own wall, letting the smooth process occupy his mind whilst his brother prattled on about whatever gossip he had heard in the cafeteria.
Sirius checked his wristwatch (a gift from Remus for his eighteenth birthday) and grinned. Only an hour to go before he could go home and do nothing with his house-spouse.