Bewitched | wolfstar au

Thirty

Author's Note

Hello everyone, hope you're doing good today. I've missed you.

It's been a while since I wrote anything, so forgive me if today's update is not up to the usual standard. I'm trying my best. Consider this a filler, if you will.

Also, I recommend you read the last chapter (or the last few chapters, if you're up for it) because you might not remember what happened and all that. I'm saying that  because I had forgotten (I'm old, so it could be just me).

I won't take up anymore of your time... but I have to thank you for being part of my life.

Enjoy xx

All the love,
Your author.
12/09/2020

***

Remus' eyes shift to Sirius more out of habit than of necessity. His eyebrows are raised, but there's a hint of a smirk on his lips. He's looking at James, who couldn't look more upset if Lily suggested they dig up his dead grandmother.

"Why him..." James sighs, pulling a face. It makes Lily laugh, and she nudges his shoulder with hers. "Because he works for the Quibbler, silly," she grins, "And he can help us spread the word."

"I already like him," Auguste decides. James rolls his eyes at Auguste. "He's not the only journalist to exist on this planet, you know." he says flatly. "Maybe, but if you don't like him, he's sure to be great." Auguste replies swiftly. James gives him a look, having no comeback.

"I haven't seen him in ages," Sirius chews on his lip. Watching him do that makes Remus blush, and he doesn't really know why.

But he can make a damn good guess.

"Why am I the only one who can't stand him?" James pouts, slumping forward in his chair.

"Well, I, for one, am stupidly gay for Snape..." Regulus sighs dreamily, resting his chin on his hand.

With a sigh, Sirius lets his head fall forward into his palms. A moment later, he speaks. "You're gay for ninety-nine point nine nine percent of the boys you meet, Regulus." Even if his voice is muffled by his hands, the deadpan effect is definitely not lost.

"That's because I only associate with boys who meet my standards. And I'm not just gay for Snape. I'm stupidly gay for him. Have you even seen his hair?"

Sirius raises his head, only to disappointedly shake it. "All my friends..." he mumbles sulkily, and his sentence, whatever it was meant to be, goes unfinished.

"It's not my fault that all your friends are hot," Only Regulus Black can say that sentence and make it sound threatening. "Besides, he was my friend too. From the Slug Club."

"You joined a club for slugs?" Auguste frowns.

"It wasn't a club for slugs," Regulus says, in a much milder tone. "It was Professor Slughorn's little club for extraordinarily brilliant students... like myself. And Lily, of course. That's how we met."

"Who's Professor Slug-"

"Our Herbology professor," James interrupts. "Can we just call Snape and get it over with?"

"If Remus is okay with it."

Hearing his name makes Remus snap out of something that is neither a daydream nor a trance. He blinks, raising his eyes to look at Sirius, who's waiting for a reply. As much as he loves his friends, Remus feels an unbearable urge to go to bed, crawl under the blankets —preferably with a cat... maybe all four, no, three of them— and sleep.

"I'm... yeah, call him." His voice comes out a little strained. He takes a sip of the little left of his tea, disappointed that it's no longer hot, only tepid. He quickly finishes it before it can go cold.

Cold tea is a crime against humanity.

An hour later, the phone call to Severus Snape long since dealt with, the singular conversation at the table has shattered into several isolated fragments. Regulus has launched into a list of reasons why Snape is irresistible. Lily watches him, amused, while James looks like he wants to either cry or throw up. Auguste is saying something to Sirius in a low voice. 

Seeing his chance to escape, Remus quietly excuses himself. Sirius turns to him, but doesn't make an attempt to stop him. Lily, too, gives him a look, as if to ask if he's okay, and Remus gives her a small smile. She smiles back, and turns to James to cheer him up. 

As he leaves, Remus feels a pair of eyes on his back. He doesn't have to turn around to know whose eyes they are.

On his way upstairs, Remus runs into Mentos, who's being chased by Mittens. "Whoa, there," he can't help his grin as he bends down to pick Mentos up. Mentos pushes at Remus' face with his paw, not ready to calm down anytime soon. Remus has to put him down when he starts wriggling in his arms. 

"Ow," he murmurs, rubbing at his collarbone, wincing when it stings. "You didn't have to scratch me," he sighs. He moves aside to let Mittens catch up to Mentos, who has now disappeared somewhere downstairs. With a small smile, he resumes his long journey up the stairs. 

He's panting by the time he stumbles into the bedroom. He's so out of shape it isn't even funny. "Oh," he gasps upon seeing Marshbutton stretched out on Sirius' bed. "No, you can't do that, Marshbutton," shaking his head, he picks her up, carrying her over to his bed instead. Marshbutton, not very pleased, tries to slip away, but Remus holds her down and scratches the soft fur under her chin. "No," he pouts, "stay with me." He slowly removes his hand, and when the cat makes no attempt to move, spreads the blankets over himself. 

He sinks into the simple bliss of a warm bed under him and a warmer cat beside him, and waits for that warmth to seep into his heart. When he's on the very brink of sleep, however, the little bubble of peace breaks. His eyes fly open, only to be met with the sight of Marshbutton back in the same spot on Sirius' bed, staring directly at Remus.

Of course.

"Fine," Remus glares at her. "You win. Don't come to me when you want food again. Go to him instead, if you're such a big fan." Huffing, he turns around, facing the wall. The tiredness from earlier is quick to catch up to him, and he falls into a dreamless sleep, undisturbed this time.