Bittersweet (Wolfstar)

Four

S I R I U S

"You've never been disowned? Pity. You should try it sometime." Sirius says spitefully, but not towards the cute girl he is currently talking to. She giggles, pushing short black hair behind her ear. She's flirting with him, and Sirius can't say he minds.

"How old are you, Sirius?" The girl, Francine, asks, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"Nineteen. You?" He questions, and she leans forward and kisses his lips.

"Does it really matter? You'll fuck me either way, huh?" She bites his bottom lip in hers, earning a small smile from Sirius. Their kiss was, however, completely ruined when Remus walked into the restaurant. Sirius didn't find himself as distracted by Francine's tits as he did by Remus in general. He apologized and got up from their booth, strutting over to the boy, a smile plastered on his face.

"How are you, Remus?" He asks, surveying the boy. Remus turns to face Sirius quizzically, unsure of who it was. His warm face softened a little more at the sight, nodding at him.

"I'd rather not answer." He replies, and Sirius bites his tongue.

"Right. What are you doing here?" The way he casually began a conversation with Remus struck him as odd. He left a girl to talk to him. They weren't really friends, yet he still ditched her.

Maybe they should be friends.

"Lunch. Dad is at work and told me I had to be out and about. It's the first time he has left me alone for more than an hour since...I last saw Dora." Since the day Nymphadora died was honestly what Remus had meant to say, and Sirius knew it, but he knew it best not to say that out loud.

"Well, you shouldn't be alone, then. I'll eat with you." Sirius offers, earning a skeptical look from Remus. "Oh, come on. I'm not a dog, I don't bite." He laughs, grabbing Remus by the elbow and guiding him to a booth.

Sirius sits opposite of Remus, who only pretends to be searching the menu thoroughly. "So, I've been thinking, Remus, about why you won't share at the group. Why-" Remus glances up at him, cutting him off quickly.

"You won't share either. If I wanted to talk about it, I would have. Can we drop it?" He asks, rubbing his thumb over a thick scar on his wrist. Sirius couldn't help but notice them every time they interact, lining his exposed skin as well as his face. Across his arms and neck. Remus pulls his sleeves down, realizing that he was being stared at.

"Yeah...okay." Sirius blinks, biting the inside of his cheek. "So about this party tonight. I'm pretty excited." He shrugs, changing the topic completely. Remus looks up, about to reply when a waitress comes up to the table, pen at the ready to take their order. She was skinny as a pole with thick glasses too big for her face that made them look like insect eyes.

"Drinks?" She asks, and Sirius glances between Remus and the girl. "Water, thanks." He mumbles, looking expectantly at Remus.

"Me, too, thank you." He answers, looking back at the menu fervently.

"You two...are you..." She points between them, earning questioning glances from them both. "Together, I mean. Are you together? You look compatible. I sense the presence of love or lust here. You'd be great partners if you aren't. Emotionally and physically." She winks, her voice scratchy and gentle. "I'm Sybil. Sybil Trelawney. If you need anything, I'll be around. Just think about me and I will be here. I think of it as a gift. ESP maybe." She grins, walking to the counter with their orders. By the time she was gone, Remus was a deep shade of red and Sirius was chuckling with delight.

"Hear that? We ought to be together. Great together physically." Sirius smirks, causing Remus to somehow turn a darker red."Anyways. Party? Are you excited?"

"I guess." He shrugs, which seems to please Sirius.

"Let me know what time to pick you up." Sirius rips a piece of napkin off, and jots down his home phone number on it, handing it to Remus. "Call me whenever." He stands to leave, and Remus gives him a crazy look.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes? Can I not leave? You want me to hang around to see if she was right, huh?" Sirius winks at Remus, smirking triumphantly.

"You've ordered a drink." Remus points to Sybil, who is on her way over holding two cups of water.

"Right." Sirius nods, handing Remus two pounds and heading out of the restaurant. He goes home to his apartment, only stopping to pick up a pack of cigarettes at the market.

//

Sirius had an ongoing bet with himself that Remus wouldn't call at all. If he called, Sirius would stay sober at the party. If he didn't call, Sirius would get black out drunk.

So when his home phone rang at eight thirty, he prayed to the Phone Gods it wasn't who he thought.

"Hello." He answers nonchalantly, though inside he is dreading the caller's voice.

"It's Remus." Says the boy timidly, hoping the number wasn't a fake.

"Dammit." Sirius mutters, earning a silence from the other end. "I'm glad you called, really. I just had this...never mind. I've chosen not to go along with what I said." Sirius said, deciding that he was going to ignore his bet. "Don't mind me. Anyways, are you ready now?"

"Yes." Mumbles Remus, earning an unseen grin from Sirius.

"Brilliant...er...do you have a nickname? Remus seems too formal for me." Sirius questions, picking up a notepad and jotting down possible names for his new friend. "I have a list here; R, Rey, Loopy Loony Lupin, which is my personal favorite, RJ or just Mus? Mussy?"

"Um? Loony...Moony...Something? What was the third one again?" He seems distraught by all of the nickname choices. However, he gave Sirius an idea.

"Moony! That's even better! Loony Moony, or just Moony because that sounds funny but also cool as hell." Sirius concludes, laughing at himself and at Remus, who isn't saying much now. "D'you like it? You did it to yourself, if you don't."

"Yeah. It's good. I like it."

"Good. I'll come to your house now. What's the address?"

Remus says his address, his voice small and quiet. Almost inaudible. Sirius responds in a gentle, airy tone.

"I'll be there in a few minutes then, Moony." Sirius grins, hanging up the phone.