lilies *James Potter*

Chapter 42

Remus wasn't expecting everything to happen so soon as he glances into the rearview mirror of the newer car he had forced himself to buy after a tearful mourning of Crappy Old Joe.

He was happy Sirius was with him, being a self-known passenger princess.

The atmosphere was tense besides the awkward occasional drumming on the sterling wheel Remus would make when a possible conversational starter would build up in his head only to be killed with a knife before the words escaped his mouth.

"Are you two gay?" The turquoise and white-haired boy asks from the back seat finally the one of the three to break the silence. Although the blunt question threw Remus into a direct hit of a coughing fit.

"I'm bi," Sirius answers with a small smile peering into the backseat. He points over to Remus with no remorse for his coughing fit. "He's gay."

"Uh-huh," Teddy hums with his honey-brown eyes narrowing. "You'd be the third gay couple to have tried and taken me in with the whole motto of 'we can change him for the better'. What's it in for you? The money? The hope of wanting to start a family through adoption only to figure out that I'm not it for you to start a family with?"

The 11-year-old's snarkiness had no tolerance with Sirius as the passenger princess became dog-like, growling while twisting in the seat to glare back at the boy.

"Listen here, you little brat," He begins which earns a small squeak noise from Remus and Teddy glueing his mouth shut in surprise. "I will not have you insult my Moony like that after him being grateful to open his home to you. I know what it feels like to be hopeless and desperate, I know. But you have no right to do whatever little devious plan you have brewing up in your head varying from stealing food to this car itself. You can sure try, be our guest, but if you think he'll be tossing your arse back into that home you're sourly mistaken. We protect and love and hold onto our family that we've created with our claws dug in tightly of no chance of running. You're not going anywhere. J'ai compris?"

Teddy sat still in his seat glaring out of the window. For a moment Remus swore he'd make a report of Sirius snapping the way he did the moment they would arrive back at the flat.

"Comment connais-tu le français?" It was a small question, Remus assumed it was a question, that Teddy had directed towards Sirius catching him off by surprise. Remus hardly knew French besides a few phrases Sirius would end up babbling when they shared the bed together when they were younger... and a bit nowadays when he stays too long after helping with the room and sharing a glass of wine or two.

Sirius kept his eyes on the road ahead as Remus started to drive into the city, ten minutes or so before they would arrive at his flat. "Ma merdique famille, et toi?"

"Des gars que j'ai rencontrés dans la rue. Je l'ai récupéré au fil des années."

Remus didn't like how they were having a full-blown conversation and him not know a single word being said and shared. But when he glanced over towards Teddy in the rearview mirror again he could see the boy showing cracks in his seemingly permanent angry expression.

Maybe Sirius was the key to making this boy who seemed so helpless to so many people, finally have the help and connection he needed.

"Je vois. Je déteste la langue, mais... ça fait partie de moi, tu sais?"

Whatever Sirius had said made Teddy's face harden again and he glared back out the window. "Je ne sais pas."

Remus glances over to Sirius when he has to stop and Sirius only gives him a small nod and a tiny smile.