𝓜𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀$

Sirius glanced over, already smiling. “What’s the occasion?”

Remus shrugged. “No occasion. Just… James is going with some girl—”

Sirius snorted.

“—and I don’t think he’s actually interested,” Remus continued, amused. “He’s just being polite. And Peter got detention.”

“For what this time?”

“The peanut butter incident.”

Sirius visibly shuddered. “Ugh. The horror…” he said dramatically, then broke into a laugh. “Alright, yeah. I’ll go with you.”

Without thinking, he looped his arm through Remus’.

Remus stilled for half a second—then relaxed into it, a small smile tugging at his lips as they walked.

“We can go look at those plants,” Sirius added, glancing at him. “The ones at the apothecary you keep staring at like you want to take them home and raise them as your children.”

Remus huffed. “I do not—”

“You do.”

“I don’t have the money for one of those,” Remus said, shaking his head. “They’re ridiculously expensive. We can just do the usual.”

Sirius waved that off immediately. “Nah. We’re making a day of it.”

He tugged Remus along toward the stairs leading down to the library.

“I’ll get you one of your weird carnivorous plants,” Sirius went on, grinning like he’d already decided it. “And we’ll get chocolate, and books, and—oh, I dunno—maybe lunch.”

Remus let himself be pulled along, watching Sirius more than where they were going.

“How’s that sound?” Sirius asked, glancing back at him.

Remus’ smile softened.

“…Sounds like a date.”

Sirius laughed, bright and easy. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Remus let out a quiet laugh of his own as they reached their usual spot in the library, slipping into their familiar chairs.

Sirius dropped into his seat across from him, still smiling.

—

“Okay,” Sirius said, tugging his jacket tighter around himself as they stepped into the crisp Hogsmeade air. “Honeydukes first? Or Zonko’s?”

Remus didn’t even hesitate. “Definitely Honeydukes. Get something to snack on between the other shops.”

Sirius grinned at him, bright and a little fond. “You’re so smart, Moony.”

Remus rolled his eyes, but there was a smile tugging at his mouth. “I try.”

“I want those English toffee bites,” Sirius added, already steering them down the street.

“You’re addicted to those,” Remus said, adjusting his gloves against the cold.

“They’re amazing,” Sirius said dreamily, pressing a hand to his chest like it was a life-altering experience.

Remus just shook his head, amused, and followed him inside.

—

They spent the next hour wandering.

Sweets tucked into their pockets, chocolate shared between them as they moved from shop to shop. Sirius picked up random trinkets and dramatically debated their importance to his life. Remus lingered over books and odd little magical objects, occasionally pointing something out with quiet excitement.

It was easy.

Comfortable.

By the time they ducked into a small place for lunch, their cheeks were pink from the cold and their hands brushed just a little too often across the table.

—

When they stepped back out, Sirius didn’t slow.

“Alright,” he said, turning toward the apothecary.

Remus immediately caught on. “Padfoot—”

“Nope,” Sirius said, already walking.

“Padfoot,” Remus tried again, following him, “you’ve already paid for sweets and lunch. I don’t need the plant, they’re too—”

“Eeeenough, Moony,” Sirius dragged the word out, shooting him a look over his shoulder. “I want to. Okay? You’ve wanted one for ages.”

Remus opened his mouth to argue again—

—but Sirius had already pushed the door open.

A soft chime rang as they stepped inside.

The air smelled earthy and strange, filled with rows of jars and softly glowing plants. The display window was exactly where Remus had left it last time.

Sirius made a beeline for it.

“There,” he said immediately, reaching for a plant with deep purple leaves and spiraling stalks. As he lifted it, the plant gave a small sway, its toothy little mouth snapping shut with a soft click.

Sirius turned, holding it out. “It was this one, right?”

Remus hesitated. “Yes, but—”

“Moony.”

Sirius stepped closer.

Close enough that Remus could feel the warmth of him despite the cold clinging to his coat.

“My parents give me more money than I know what to do with,” Sirius said, quieter now. Less joking. “I want to at least spend it on someone I lo—”

He stopped.

Just for a second.

“…someone who’s close to me,” he finished, a little softer.

Remus’ heart skipped.

Sirius placed the plant gently into his hands.

“There’s no limit,” Sirius added, his voice warm again, like he hadn’t just almost said something bigger. “Pick anything you want.”

Remus looked down at the plant.

Then back up at Sirius.

“…You’re ridiculous,” he said quietly.

Sirius grinned. “I know, but here I am. Buying you dangerous vegetation.”

Remus let out a small laugh, shaking his head, but he didn’t give the plant back.

And he didn’t miss what Sirius had almost said.

They walked back toward Hogwarts at an easy pace, the late afternoon sky streaked with gold and pink. The chill had settled deeper now, but neither of them seemed to mind.

Remus held the small bag close to his chest in one hand, careful and protective. The warming charm stitched into the lining kept the plant comfortable, and every so often he’d peek inside like he needed to reassure himself it was still there.

Sirius noticed, but he didn’t say anything—just smiled to himself.

“Did you know Alice in Wonderland was based on a real experience?” Remus said suddenly, breaking the quiet.

Sirius snorted. “How? Thought it was just some acid trip.”

Remus huffed. “Nope. It’s exaggerated, obviously—most stories are—but there’s some truth to it.”

Sirius glanced over, amused. “Go on then, Professor Lupin.”

Remus rolled his eyes but continued anyway, warming to the topic. “It was this Muggle girl—Alice. She spotted a rabbit, but it wasn’t just a rabbit. It was an Animagus. She followed it through into the Wizarding world.”

Sirius raised a brow. “That seems… like a security issue.”

“Massive one,” Remus agreed. “But it happened out in the Ariundle Oakwood. Remote enough that it probably went unnoticed for a while.”

Sirius nodded slightly, listening now.

“The Mad Hatter,” Remus went on, “was real too. Well—sort of. He was a hatter, and he was mad, but that part came from mercury poisoning. Still, he was also a wizard.”

“Charming,” Sirius muttered.

“And the rabbit at the table—the March Hare?” Remus added. “Not a hare at all. A Centzon Tōtōchtin. They’re these strange magical rabbits from The Aztecs that thrive on chaos and… drunken parties, apparently.”

Sirius let out a laugh. “Of course they do.”

“Though I’ve no idea what one was doing in Strontian,” Remus admitted.

“Holiday?” Sirius suggested lightly.

As he said it, he reached over—almost absentmindedly—and took Remus’ hand.

This time, he didn’t hesitate. He laced their fingers together.

Remus kept talking for another second before it registered.

But he didn’t pull away.

“Could be,” he said, a little softer now, glancing down briefly at their joined hands before continuing. “Anyway… the Red Queen wasn’t a queen at all. Just a dark witch. She was using the Imperius Curse on the villagers—controlling everything.”

Sirius’ expression shifted slightly at that. “That’s… darker than the book.”

“Yeah,” Remus said quietly. “All the creatures Alice met—most of them were real magical beasts. Some we’ve studied. Others are just… recorded sightings.”

“And she just—what?” Sirius asked. “Stumbled through all that with no idea what she was looking at?”

“Exactly,” Remus nodded. “She was a Muggle. None of it made sense to her. So it turned into nonsense. Dreams. Talking animals.”

Sirius hummed thoughtfully.

Then squeezed Remus’ hand just slightly.

“So how did she defeat the Red Queen?” he asked. “As a Muggle?”

Remus smiled faintly.

“She didn’t,” he said. “Not really.”

Sirius tilted his head. “Then what happened?”

Remus glanced ahead, then back at him.

“She ran,” he said simply. “Escaped. Found her way back out.”

Sirius considered that.

“…That’s a bit anticlimactic.”

Remus shrugged. “Sometimes survival is the victory.”

There was a quiet beat.

Sirius looked at him, then gave his hand another small squeeze.

“…I think I like your version better,” he said.

Remus smiled.

“I had a good time today, Moony,” Sirius said softly.

He lifted their joined hands, turning Remus’ slightly in his own before pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles.

The gesture was so simple—so natural—and yet it sent warmth rushing straight to Remus’ face.

He flushed immediately, breath catching just a little. “Me too.”

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Sirius’ lips parted like he was about to say something else—but the words never came.

Instead, he leaned forward.

Slowly. Carefully. Like he was giving Remus time to pull away if he wanted to.

Remus’ heart hammered in his chest, loud and unsteady. His fingers tightened slightly around Sirius’ without thinking.

His eyes fluttered shut.

His lips parted—

—and then Sirius’ were there.

Soft.

Warm.

The kiss was tentative at first, more a question than anything else. A gentle press, like they were both testing the reality of it.

Remus leaned in just a fraction more, and Sirius responded instantly.

Their lips moved together in a quiet, careful rhythm—soft pushes and lingering pauses, neither of them rushing, neither of them quite believing this was finally happening.

It felt… right.

The world seemed to fall away around them—the cold air, the path back to Hogwarts, everything except this.

Sirius’ free hand hovered uncertainly for a second before settling lightly at Remus’ waist.

Remus exhaled softly against his lips.

When they finally pulled apart, it wasn’t by much. Just enough to breathe.

Sirius’ forehead rested briefly against Remus’.

“…Hi,” he murmured, a little breathless.

Remus let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh.

and now its like 1 am, regulus' friends have no clue where tf he is and are either too drunk to care or too drunk to function

regulus, drunk enough for his brain to not fully function but not so drunk he blacks out, is walking down the halls, cuddling a bottle of firewhiskey humming and singing to himself

coincidentally, remus (or really any marauder) is still outside, either preparing a prank or just talking a walk

anywho so on regulus goes, singing songs to himself --- he's determined; he's going to find the gryffindor dorms, and more importantly, he's going to find sirius

becuz drunk!regulus randomly remembered a time sirius told him a white lie when regulus was like 6, and now that regulus is older and smarter and wiser, he Knows about the lie, and he has a bone to pick or some other equally dumb reason

remus hears humming, he's about to take it as a sign to get out of there, but the humming is getting close and hogwarts walls echo, so he sneaks closer to get whoever it is to shut up and not bring filch over

reggie spots him just as soon as remus spots him; but other than just blinking and/or ignoring him, regulus excitedly waves, before going right back to singing

remus: regulus? are you drunk

regulus, singing: all go up in smoooooooke let me whisper in your eaaaaaar angie, angie angieeeeeeeee

remus: right

remus: okay you're totally wasted; why are you here? u should be in slytherin

regulus: thats what maman said too

remus: what?

regulus: why r u tall

remus: uh genes?

regulus, staring at his pants, confused:

remus: okay this is getting us nowhere, come on lemme take u to ur dorms

regulus, clumsily dodging him: noooo; i need to go to---to go

remus: what? where do you need to go

regulus, singing softly: go go go goooooooooo i feeeeeeel so riiiiiight toniiiiiiiight don't stooooop, doooooon't stoooooooop, go go go go go gogogogo

remus: ur worse then sirius

regulus: sirius! im gonna go see sirius

remus:

remus: is that why you're here? ur looking for sirius

regulus: yeah :)

remus:

remus, knowing sirius highkey misses his brother and spends his time sadly staring at the 'regulus black' dot on the map: okay okay fine, how about we stay quiet, and i take u to see sirius?

regulus:

regulus: okay :) ur nice lupin, i hope my brother marries u

remus: fajsldfjads what

regulus: yeah and not pot--potter; he's stupid

remus, chuckling, pulling regulus away from bumping into a wall: is he?

regulus: lots of talking

remus: u know what, fair

regulus, stopping randomly: i dont wanna walk

remus: what? u have to walk, u cant fly there

regulus:

regulus, raising his arms: take me there

remus: r u fucking with me

regulus: no

remus: oh that u understood, okay ugh fine. whatever, get on my back

regulus: :)

*after a long tedious walk to gryffindor tower where regulus randomly burst into various songs, got distracted, snoozed a little, and still managed to down more of his whiskey*

remus: sirius, sirius wake up, someone is here to see u

the marauders waking up to remus calling for sirius, and regulus beside him laughing, unbothered

sirius: wha--

remus: someone's here to see u

sirius: what who-- regulus?????

regulus, giggling stopped, Remembering his mission: sirius u stupid bitch drinking milk didnt make me taller

sirius:

sirius: what

remus: what

peter: this is why i woke up?

james, not wearing his glasses, half asleep: did sirius clone himself

regulus: ok bye bye

remus: wait. wait. i carried u all the way here, becuz of that??? i thought u had something important to say; i thought you missed him????

regulus:

regulus: can u take me back

remus: NO.

regulus: but im sleepy :(

remus: still no????????

regulus, staring sadly at remus, at his bottle and at his feet, becuz he rlly rlly doesn't want to walk and he wants to nap:

sirius, half convinced that he's having a weird dream: reggie? is everything okay

regulus, stumbling his way to sirius' bed, pushing him to the side and laying down: sleepy

sirius:

sirius: take ur shoes off u heathen

regulus, asleep:

remus:

sirius:

james, already asleep:

peter, already spelling his curtains to be soundproof so he can go back to sleep:

remus: he was walking around drunk, i thought he missed u so i brought him here

sirius: oh yeah i mean better him here than passed out in the hallway. thank you

remus: don't worry about it, but u owe me in damages; i had to listen to him mix up every song he knows i think and then sing it in my ear

regulus, asleep, reaching over to smack sirius before he can respond

and yeah

when they wake up they talk or this keeps on happening until sirius tentatively starts to assume that regulus misses him and then they talk