Cornerstone Revelations (completed)

.1

Remus loved the first couple of weeks of summer. It was warm, of course it was warm, but it wasn't too warm- like sweltering, sun pounding August would be. His favorite part about the very beginning of summer was that it was the perfect temperature to keep the door of the post office propped open. Remus could feel the slight breeze coming off the channel and smell the salty water that surrounded the island.

The only problem with having the door open was that Remus didn't always hear people enter or leave. This one condition of having the door open on a perfect island day was the only reason Remus dropped an entire box of sorted mail when he turned back to the counter and first laid eyes on the most delicate, yet oddly striking face he had ever seen.

"Hello," the man smiled and greeted him in a slight Scottish accent, "I'm here to pick up my keys."

Remus busied himself with picking up the mail just long enough to convince himself that the slight blush that was creeping onto his neck had receded. It hadn't, actually.

"Sure, um, name please." Remus said, still without meeting the new tenants' eye.

"Black and Evans."

"I'm going to need to see your ID."

The stranger felt around in his pockets before extracting a well used passport.

"You travel a lot, then?" Remus asked while he took the passport with soft corners and a strained binding, no doubt from being shoved in and out of pockets and bags and opened at customs checkpoints across the globe.

The man, who Remus now knew was named Sirius chuckled softly, "just for the family business."

"So you've come to Jersey on a business trip? Not sure what you plan on doing here."

Sirius smiled, even though it didn't meet his eyes like the first one, "no, this is a pleasure trip."

Remus nodded as he looked through the registration book. "You said bookings for Black and Evans?"

"Yes, Sirius Black and Lily Evans."

"You're not sharing a cottage?" Remus asked to continue their small talk while he took their keys off the pegs behind the counter. He was genuinely curious. With any luck, Sirius would say, 'no, Lily Evans is my best mate, I am gay, very gay. And you, you are cute, very cute.'

"No." Sirius said briskly. Remus, apparently struck a nerve.

"So, do you have a car?" Remus asked as he passed the keys to Sirius.

"We have a driver for today."

"Okay, tell them to take this road east for about one and a half miles, then take the first right, then the first left, and another left, then you'll be on the cottage road. You're in cottage 3, Lily will be in cottage 4, but they all connect to a back courtyard which will be where you can access the main house for meals and laundry. There will be more information in your cottages."

Sirius nodded, "thanks."

"Enjoy your stay at Cornerstone," Remus called to his retreating figure.

Back in the car, Sirius passed along the instructions to the driver, who chuckled, "that Remus, always thinking I need a reminder," the driver shook his head a chuckled, "brilliant, handsome, and caring, but not the most trusting, that boy."

Sirius made some noise of agreement as he watched the island pass beside them, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about Remus, the young man he'd just learned the name of. Why hadn't Remus told him his name, maybe he was too nervous. The thought made Sirius chuckle out loud. Him make Remus nervous? Nah.

"Something funny, mate?" James Potter, Sirius' best mate asked from the back seat.

"Remus," Sirius said the new name tentatively, "asked me why Lily and I weren't sharing a cottage."

"And did you tell him that Lily is your best mate's girlfriend, and that you are in fact very gay?"

Sirius looked nervously at the driver, "not to worry boy," the driver said softly while Lily scolded James in the back seat, "I don't listen to conversations, but if I did, I would say that I always enjoy meeting more people like me."

Sirius smiled softly.

"And also do not worry, if it is a boy you're looking for, I know at least one or two who might be looking too."

Sirius found the driver's knack for over sharing endearing, and immediately felt comfortable talking to him. "Thank you, Albus, but I am unfortunately spoken for."

"That's too bad my boy, tell me more?" the car had just pulled on to the cottage road.

"That's a story for another life," Sirius would be damned if he gave another thought to Adelaide and the miserable life he'd be subjected to come 7 weeks.

"Well," said Albus as he turned off the car, "you can always find me in cottage 6," the man smiled before he stepped out of the car and began taking suitcases from the trunk.

"Let's go mate," James clapped his shoulders from the back seat, "Lily and I would like to settle in before dinner."

"Yeah, okay," Sirius agreed before stepping out of the car, his mind still running like crazy recalling his interaction with Remus who Sirius would most definitely have to 'run into' again at the post office. What Sirius would give to never return home. In his dreams he'd spend the entire summer getting to know the beautiful man who worked at the post office. They'd read, and eat, and swim, and love until Sirius gave every inch of himself to Remus. Sirius knew though, that he couldn't expect this back from a stranger, but even Sirius could dream.