Descend - Wolfstar + Marauders

Behind the Walls

Remus sat cross legged on the floor, staring down into the box of old documents. He was tempted to throw the whole lot away without even checking them. In all likelihood it was like everything else in the house. No use to him or anyone else. Still, there was this nagging feeling that if he didn’t check and catalogue every tiny thing, he’d miss something important or irreplaceable that would come back to haunt him later.

He felt a pair of strong arms snake their way around him from behind, followed by the warm pressure of a body pressed against his back. He reached up and grabbed Sirius’ hands, pulling him in tighter. Sirius buried his face in Remus’ neck for a moment, kissing him lightly.

"Some of these files are from when he worked at the Ministry. That was more than a decade-and-a-half ago, why wouldn't he throw them out?" asked Remus, not really expecting an answer.

"I can't even imagine Lyall as a Ministry worker. He's the last person I'd pick as a bureaucrat," said Sirius.

"Me either. He's hated the Ministry as long as I can remember. Why would he hold onto these?"

“Maybe you should take a break,” Sirius suggested.

“I just want to be done with it,” Remus replied before turning his head to press his lips against Sirius’ briefly, then turned back to the box.

He continued to stare at it without touching it. They sat like that for another several minutes before Sirius spoke up again.

“I think-”

“You’re right, I need a break,” Remus conceded.

Sirius stood up and reached his hand down to help Remus up. He put his arms around Remus’ waist, kissing him again. They walked out into the living room, now empty but for the piles of boxes and garbage bags. Remus grabbed two bags stuffed full of clothes and tossed one to Sirius before dropping the other in the middle of the floor, collapsing back into it like a beanbag. Sirius mirrored the action.

“I never realized how much shit he owned. He wore the same three outfits on rotation for the last decade, where the fuck did all these clothes come from?” mused Remus.

“How does someone like Lyall own two suits? Where would he even wear them?” asked Sirius. Remus shrugged and shook his head. Sirius smirked. “Do you think he ever dated?”

“Honestly, who knows? Not like he would have told me if he did.” Remus paused a moment. “I hope so. Nice guy, good looking, great cook. Probably could’ve had a waitlist of lonely middle age women on call if he wanted.”

“Probably would have made a killer one night stand, like, just a fantastic shag,” Sirius said thoughtfully, prompting Remus to kick at his shin. “No, think about it-” “I’d prefer not to-” “Hear me out, okay. He was the perfect combination of detail oriented and emotionally detached. Always so focused on making sure other people were happy,” Remus grabbed a book out of a box within arms reach and tossed it at Sirius, “and he was- ow- I know you said good looking but honestly Moony, he was sexy. He was like you but older and rugged.”

“He was more rugged than me? I’m not rugged? This, coming from the poshest motherfucker I’ve ever met?”

“You’ve met James Potter so, obviously, that’s false. Also, yes, he was more rugged, are you kidding? Have you met you?” Sirius said with a laugh.

“I am literally covered in scars. What’s more rugged than that?”

“Well, sure, on most people that would work, but you make it look so cute and nerdy.”

Remus lobbed another, thicker book that flew just to the side of Sirius’ head, but he couldn’t quite suppress his laughter. Sirius laughed too.