Remus' room is still stacked high with boxes, most spilling out clothes or books. He searches through a box until he finds "Monologues that will get you the Lead." He's always been a mild fan of theatre, so he figured, why not? He'll audition for the role and a maybe a secondary character. The interest meeting got him excited enough with how professional it seemed. Most schools completely ignore the arts and focus on sports.
Across the way, Sirius is observing Remus. He recognizes the monologue book from his elementary school days. Amateur. Sirius hops over to his neighbor. When he knocks on the window, Remus jumps.
"Can't you use front doors?" Remus jokes nervously when he opens the window.
Sirius let's himself in the room. "Unnecessary. Anyway, I saw you were using that outdated book and thought I might help you out."
"Outdated?"
"Honey, that book is older than my parents beliefs. If you want real auditioning material that'll stand out, come with me." Sirius saunters over to his own room, Remus following quickly behind.
Remus takes in the various acting metals and awards displayed about the room. "I assume you've been acting a while?"
Sirius snorts. "A while he says."
"How long then?"
Sirius points a manicured finger to a medal handing above his bed. "Lion And the Mouse. Preschool. I was awarded best actor." He starts to dig in a bookshelf. "Have you done any acting?"
Remus shrugs. "A bit. I was always a secondary character."
"Hm. I can't relate."
Remus has to hold back an eye roll.
"Here you go." Sirius tosses a tattered book at him. "I've used these all, but I've never heard of anyone else using them. You'll get something probably."
"As long as I'm not a tree."
Sirius doesn't hold back a hard eye roll.
~
In a weeks time, the school is practically roaring with students trying to last minute memorize monologues. It's on this day that teachers allow students to be pulled out of class for auditions, similar to when athletes get excused for physicals. Lily is stationed at the front office to call for students who have signed up for auditions. It's a lengthy process that drags on all day. Peter gets the entire day off of classes; him and the principal are tight. By the time Remus is called, it's one, and Peter has started to lose his mind. The talent has been awful up to this point, but that's the case every year. They go in order from least to most experienced. When he sees Remus has a little expletive, he lets out a sigh of relief.
"When you're ready."
~
Sirius is the last to audition, strutting on stage at 4:39. "About time. You should just start cutting them off after five seconds if they're garbage."
"I've had about ten cups of coffee and ten orange slices as nourishment today. I'd like to go home."
"Fine, Mr. Grumpy. Firstly," Sirius does a full spin in his pink stilettos. His fur coat twirls with his dress. "Just so you can see my comfort with cross-dressing."
Peter rolls his eyes. "How'd you get out the house like that?"
"Fire escape."
~
The normally process Peter goes through then takes a week. He shreds the first twenty pages of names because they were garbage. Next he picks walk ons and minors. He then decides callbacks supporting roles, and leads.
He doesn't end up announcing the results until a month after. There is no introduction to the meeting. He just starts with naming who we're walk ons, who got what minor roles, and who got callbacks. For the lead "female." There was a trans-girl, a hispanic lesbian, and a black nonbinary student. A girl beside Remus complained he was being "racist against straight white people" which made Remus hard eye role.
"And callbacks for main male lead... Sirius Black and Remus Lupin."
The auditorium is silent with shock at first, but it soon erupts with hysteria. Sirius raises his eyebrows, ready to throw a diva fit.
"Oh no," Lily sighs. "I know that look."
"He.. got a callback? I'm a fucking star though? Who the fuck does he think he his? I gave him those auditioning monologues! The fucking nerve!"
Sirius spots Remus across the way, frozen with shock. A few people around congratulate him. As soon as people realized who Remus was, they all rushed to him.
"Well." Lily grins. "Looks like you're not the star anymore."
Sirius' eye twitches.
