the cadence of part time poets

Chapter 39: November (Part 2)

I'm singing this note 'cause it fits in well,
With the chords I'm playing;
I can't pretend there's any meaning here,
Or in the things I'm saying;
But I'm in tune,
Right in tune;
I'm in tune,
And I'm gonna tune,
Right in on you...

- "Getting in Tune" The Who, 1971

Remus could not, under any circumstances, ever look Sirius in the eye again.

And that pissed him off, because it wasn't even his fault!

Sirius had demanded to know of course, what it was that had made him flee so quickly from the bonfire. Apparently Kimmy had done just as he'd asked and told Sirius that he'd gone back to his room, but the aloof attitude with which she'd spent the rest of the night in had been more than cause for alarm.

"I just started feeling bad," Remus said the next morning, trying to rush into the toilet while Sirius got in his way.

"Did Kimmy say something to you?"

"God, no! Can I just piss, please?"

"Sorry, Lupin!" Peter said, slipping into the bathroom behind Sirius.

Remus swerved around Sirius in anger and pounded a fist on the door. "Ugh—Pete, get your sorry arse out here now!"

"You've been moodier than a girl on the blob—if you want me to break up with her just say so!" Sirius said from behind him.

"I don't care what you do, Sirius! Just leave me out of it!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Smashing," James declared, walking into the room with four cups of tea. "Now can you two numpties stop yelling? It's seven in the morning."

They didn't exactly make up after that, but there wasn't any need to. Remus had already resolved for perhaps the millionth time to put Sirius and Kimmy as far from his mind as possible, and now that they were both suitably pissed off at him, it was easier. While Sirius threw himself into his relationship, Remus threw himself into the books, spending every moment he could out of their dorm and in the library. He still missed practising with Sirius, and his music marks were suffering slightly as a result, but he couldn't bring himself to ask him. Every time Sirius so much as glanced at him he assumed that that was it; that he knew what Kimmy had asked him and they'd finally have to talk about it, and Remus couldn't have that.

But he did want to talk about it—just not with Sirius. But who could he go to? Peter and Lottie couldn't keep a secret to save their lives, and Mary would've been just as unable to keep something so juicy to herself. Lily wouldn't tell anyone—except for maybe James, and James knowing felt about as world-ending as Sirius knowing. It left Marlene, who could certainly be trusted but he didn't want her judgement either.

It was all such a mess.

Then it hit him; Tomny and Tonya.

Of course! They knew him, they'd believe him when he said he wanted nothing to do with the girl—that she'd come on to him.

When he finally got the nerve to phone the flat, only Tonya was around. It was almost a relief actually, not to have to explain to Tomny why he was so pissed over another bloke's girlfriend. He wasn't mad because Sirius had a girlfriend, he was mad because that girlfriend was Kimmy. At least, that's what he hoped.

"She sounds like a right bitch," Tonya said.

"God, yes. Finally someone gets it."

"So what are you gonna do?"