Tartan Books & Longing Looks

Secrets & Searching

Lily's eyes narrowed as she watched the almost suspiciously cheerful Remus Lupin march around the two's flat, whistling merrily as he made pancakes.
"We're invited to the Potters for lunch today." Lily announced, taking a healthy bite of her pancake before she could spill any further details. The two hadn't spoken since the night before, with a brief interaction between a very dazed Remus and a boiling mad Lily.
"The Potters?" Remus inquired, his tone of fake naivety annoying Lily slightly.
"Yes Lupin, the Potters, remember them? Effie with the stolen hose?"

Remus swatted her away playfully, the huge smile on his face unwavering, making Lily even more suspicious.
"What's gotten into you Rem? You look like the sun's shining out ya arse." she asked, Remus, who was dreamily looking into his coffee.
"Huh? Oh shut up Evans, you dinnae ken what you're on aboot." Remus denies, quickly shutting himself up by shoveling some pancake in his face.

"Don't you gaslight me Lupin! Something happened with that Sirius lad!" Lily teased, always jumping at an opportunity to see Remus squirm. However, instead of the usual bashful grin, Lily would expect, she was met with a sly smile and a casual shrug from Remus.
"You're kiddin' me! Damn you work fast! The lads only been here for a couple of days."

Remus pouts at the accusation but makes no effort to deny it, offering Lily another shrug as he stands to clean his plate. This only irritates Lily, not being used to not knowing every single detail about Remus's life.
"So what happened then? did you finally pull?" Lily asked, swivelling around in her chair to face Remus's back.

"Oh is that the reason we have a broken shelf? you and Black been gettin' freaky on top of some Jane Austen?" Remus turned around at that, giving Lily a scowl and an eye-roll, before returning back to the dishes.

"Yes Lily, we shagged so hard that a bookshelf spontaneously combusted." He deadpanned, tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Lupin! you dog! at least ask Lizzy Bennet for consent!" Lily teased, loving the never-ending scowls that Remus was throwing her.
Offering no reply, Remus simply scoffed in amusement as he cleared their kitchen table.
Lily had prided herself on providing messes that Remus would eventually have to clean up, she had even declared it an art form of her own.

"But you see Lillith, when I recall the shelf collapsing, I don't remember only half of it collapsing..." Remus started. "Hmmm you must have a shoddy memory then, I'd get that checked out. Dementia kills ya know?"
"Unless the fairies came in and fixed it!" Remus fake gasped, holding a hand to his chest."Maybe..." Lily remarked with a laugh in her voice.
"Isn't it funny that the fairies used Mr Potter's toolbox?"
There it was, Lily thought, the thing that Remus had been itching to say since last night. Excuses flew around Lily's head as she thought desperately of the right one to use.
"Ooh now, who's the quiet one? Were you spending some quality time with our favourite Potter?"

"Yes Effie was 'round, thank you very much." Lily almost huffed, leaning back in her chair, feeling like a school-girl being interrogated by her teacher.
"I don't recall Effie being six-foot-tall with round John Lennon glasses..." Lily wanted to kick him, but instead she just growled, offering no reply to Remus's accusations.

Remus felt like a schoolboy, sitting on his counter, fantasizing about Sirius's hands on his body. Currently thinking about what could have happened between them if Dorcas hadn't interrupted.
"Yoo-hoo! Earth to Lupin!" Called a voice, followed by a dark hand waving in Remus's face.
"Huh... Oh, Mary! How ya doin" He replied, blushing in embarrassment.

"Not half as good as you are apparently..." Mary smirked, her lips twisted up in a knowing smirk.
"What can I get for you doll?" He said, deliberately avoiding Mary's question and suspicious gaze as he hopped behind the counter.
"Information?" Mary grinned, her arms crossed, making Remus feel like Dorcas had not kept what she saw last night to herself.
"Information? well, you're best heading to the library then." Remus offered, already boiling the kettle to make Mary her usual chai tea.