𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧 ✹ remus lupin ¹

i. if staring was a sport

CHAPTER ONE. IF STARING WAS A SPORT.

Despite it being September, it's a rather nice day. Warm enough to go out without a jacket and spend time by the lake. It's what Sirius was doing, watching his group of friends laugh and joke with each other while he watched from afar. That was, until, someone sneaks up behind him.

"You're staring."

Sirius startles, dropping the book that was in his hands into his lap. Rosemary collapses down on the grass beside him, a cheeky smile on her face making him grumble, "Was not."

"It's unbecoming, especially for the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"I wasn't staring."

"Oh, really? So you're just reading. . ." She tilts her head to get a better look at the title, ". . . A Collection of Above Three Hundred Receipts in Cookery, Physick and Surgery for fun. . . and upside down?"

He huffs, arms folding over his chest, chin raised indignantly, apparently extremely dedicated to his poorly put-together lie. Rosemary snorts with a shake of her head, shifting to move the book and wiggle down to lie her head in his lap.

"Sirius, you don't even take Potions— you hate it!"

"Yeah, well, I like to. . . to read in my spare time."

Rosemary raises an eyebrow, "No, you absolutely don't."

"I— oh, fuck off."

She laughs, a lovely melodic tune, and Sirius can't help but grin down at her. Rosemary's laugh is contagious like that. Enticing, like a siren's song.

"My loves! Did I tell you Lily Evans gave me a piece of parchment today in Transfig?" James drops down on the other side of Sirius who cannot refrain from rolling his eyes. James leans over Sirius's lap to look down at Rosemary with a grin that could, if she's quite honest, light up the whole sky.

"James, you're pathetic." She muses lightly, lifting a hand and patting his cheek pitifully. James's mood doesn't change.

"What've you two been up to, then?" James probes, leaning heavily into Sirius's side, almost toppling them all over in a heap on the grass. Sirius slaps the side of his head, but James's previous grin doesn't waver.

"Let's just say, if staring was a sport, Sirius would get gold." Rosemary teases, and he glares down at her as James gasps mockingly, "Oh? Is it, by any chance. . . a certain hufflepuff that we know and love?"

"Why yes, dearest, it is." Rosemary confirms. Sirius looks just about ready to kill the both of them.

"Ah," James nods in understanding, "Then he'd definitely be getting gold— they might even make a special medal, just for him!"

"I'm going to murder the both of you," Sirius declares, his glare extending to James, "No magic, just with my bare hands."

Rosemary rolls over his legs, jabbing her elbows in painfully as she does, to situate herself behind James. She hooks her chin over his shoulder, "If you kill us, Padfoot, who would put up with you then?"