An Apology From the Author.
In an attempt to placate all of the fangirls and fanboys that I have neglected lately I have written this one-shot. Hopefully you'll find it fun. A combination of broken computer and upcoming stage play mean that I am, and will be for some time, a little busy. Forgive me.
Slash By Numbers and Words By Fangirls will return when I do.
S.M x
...
Not Mine, don't sue.
...
There was always something... Always something not quite right... No, something a little bit odd, something unusual about Remus Lupin.
Sirius had always said so.
"Something weird about that bloke," he'd told James the first time they'd met the scarred boy on the train.
"He's just quiet," James had dismissed. Sirius knew that that wasn't it, but he knew that one day he would figure it out.
In their third year Sirius had told James, "Remus is... well, there's something strange about him, isn't there?"
"He's a werewolf, you twat," James had laughed. Sirius decided that James Potter would be as clever as he thought he was if only he'd look at anything besides Evans.
In their fifth year Sirius was stretched across his bed. "There's definitely something different about Moony. I just don't know what it is..."
"Could it be that he's the only bloke you've ever been madly in love with?" While James was right, it wasn't what Sirius meant.
It wasn't until years later, when he shared a flat with Remus that Sirius finally figured it out-
Remus Lupin Stared.
A lot.
At inanimate objects.
When Sirius realised it made perfect sense, the boy was always intensely watching. Sirius would have never solved his conundrum however had he not caught Remus in the shower, fully clothed, staring at the mildewed wall muttering quietly to himself. "Well, well, well, what do you know, a headless mermaid juggling puppies..." He ran a thin finger over a grey splodge.
"Moony, what are you doing?" Sirius asked, cutting the silence.
Remus jumped and blushed pink. "Uh, well I-I like to find shapes in things."
"What?"
"You know, in woodgrain, rust and mildew." Remus pointed to the wall.
"Why?"
"It started when I was very young,' Remus' hand swept subconsciously over the bite on his side, "I spent a lot of time in bed. Mostly bleeding. When you spend a lot of time staring at the roof you come up with little games. Little things to keep your mind occupied. In between spider-wars I would pick out little pictures in the dusty roof. The habit stuck. The cracked leather of train seats, woodgrain, flames, swirling snow storms... and this." He smiled shyly and pointed again to the wall.
"Moony, that's insane."
"I know. I-"
"I love it! Can I have a go?" Remus smiled and shifted slightly to allow Sirius into the tub.
...
Twenty minutes later Sirius and Remus had found a cartoon pig's head (Sirius) A fox carrying a turkey (Remus) A stick figure punching a U.F.O (Sirius) A monkey in sunglasses (Remus) An angry lizard (Sirius) A fat parrot, a really fat parrot (Remus) a bear hugging a teddy bear that was itself hugging a small lion (Sirius) and a giant skeletal rabbit in a waistcoat (Remus.)
In the end Sirius turned to Remus with a smile, "Tell me more about Spider-wars."