SPLITAPARTS: lessons in love ✔️

Lucky Star

London England - Mid-Summer 1979

Remus threw back the blanket and sprung out of bed, after having seen the clock. He was about to be late for work and he groaned remembering that there was supposed to be a large delivery awaiting his arrival. Throwing his clothes on and glancing in the mirror, he winced; he should shave. He touched his wand to his face, muttered an incantation and watched the growth disappear from his face. He'd have to make a conscious effort to remember that he'd done it, else he'd look wolfy by mid-day; the facial hair growing in with a vengeance. He ran down the steps and grabbed his coat.

"Late for work again Remmy," Sirius asked.

"Lucky guess," Remus grinned.

Sirius shook his head.

"You look exhausted."

"Yeah I am," Sirius confessed. "Long night."

"Don't forget to pick Cassie up this after noon at the airport, please? Last night, Lily made it a point to ask that she be brought here straight away, even before she checks in to her hotel."

"Wouldn't dream of missing it." Sirius shook his head. "Half past four, right?"

"Yes, that's when her plane arrives. Thanks, mate, I owe ya!" Remus opened the front door, stepped over the threshold and onto the stoop and dissaperated for work with a pop.

Sirius had just returned home from the midnight shift and sat back in the chair at the kitchen table with an unopened bottle of muggle ale sitting before him. He was enjoying the muggle conveniences that Lily had brought with her to their world, but his body ached and all he really wanted was a shower and sleep. The aurors had joined up with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts unit and conducted eleven raids the night before. James had managed to miss this particular duty, but he was confident that James would get his turn soon enough. He returned the unopened bottle to the cupboard and trudged upstairs to the bathroom just in time to see Lily exit her bedroom hell-bent on making it to the bathroom before him until she saw how disheveled he was.

"You look like hell, Sirius."

"Thanks, Lily. I feel like hell. You going to be long?"

"No—"

"Alright."

"Why don't you go ahead, I can wait."

"No, you do your thing, I need to put some stuff away."

"Suit yourself."

He wearily walked the length of the corridor toward his room momentarily wishing that he was at his own house...his large bathtub would be welcomed by his aching body. He opened the door and glanced at his bed with a sigh...he missed the simplicity of the bare walls of his bedroom, the satin sheets of his own bed and his own kitchen. The only good part about not living at his own house, was that he was not completely alone...while he desired his privacy and solitude, he actually hated being separated from his family of choice...knowing they were always nearby was an incredible comfort to him. 

Seconds later, he collapsed on the bed, without undressing. An hour later, James was knocking on his door. "Sirius—you a'right, mate?"

James received no reply and with much concern, opened the door just enough to stick his head in and peek around the door. Sirius was laying nearly face down on the bed, arms at his side, with only the ends of his boots hanging over the edge. James tiptoed in and checked to see if his friend was still alive and hearing slowed even breathing, he chuckled quietly and removed Sirius' highly polished boots and placed them at the foot of the bed. He became a bit uneasy though as Sirius, being the light sleeper that he was, hadn't stirred at all and he checked him for injuries or undesirable spells with his wand. Satisfied when he found none, he left the room just as quietly as he entered.