This Time

Muggle AU. Remus meets Master's student Sirius Black in the coffee shop where he works, and sparks begin to fly. Rated M for a reason (eventually)

It was just another day for Remus Lupin. Turning up to work at 7am, leaving at 5pm. Cosmos Coffee, its "out of this world", or so the advertisements say. Truth is it's really just another coffee shop, and Remus is just another ex-student, working where he does not want to be, simply to pay of his debt.

A university degree in Film and Directing, and here he was sprinkling cocoa powder onto businessmen's hot chocolates. Not the life he envisioned. But, as always goes at the start of a story, all is about to change.

The lock clicks and I remove the key. The high street is basked in the morning sun as the city begins to rise from its slumber. The sounds of bird song begin to fill the air as the great clock in the city centre begins to chime its deep chime.

Opening the door, I walk behind the counter and switch on the lights. Cosmos Coffee is just another coffee shop, nothing particularly special, though a favourite with some of the locals, those who like to sip hot coffee and watch the crowds flow past the windows. Checking the book, I look to see who else is on. Only four of us work in the shop: Minerva who manages the shop, myself, Lily, a friend of mine from University, and Severus, who only works here because Lily does, much to her disgust.

I'm in luck this morning, for as I open the book, Lily comes through the door. The sun shines through her now Rose coloured hair, neatly tied in a bun. She smiles at me as she comes in.
"Lily!" I exclaim, running forwards. We embrace. "How come you're back from your holiday so quickly?"
"I had to; there were problems with the airline. They broke two of their planes so had to shift their flights forward."
"That sucks."
"Indeed, and I have to be back here to earn all that money I spent on the hotel I should be in right now In Istanbul."
We both laugh, before continuing setting up the machines and refilling the various syrups. All the while we talk, watching the windows to see when the first groups of people will start walking around the city.

We open at around seven-forty-five, and soon enough crowds of the regulars are in. Coffee after Coffee, tea after tea, all varieties of hot beverage are prepared and passed to the customers. Most of them are much older than Lily or I; both of us are in our twenties. The youngest of them must be around forty.

"Thank you Mrs Trelawny" I say politely to the lady purchasing a Chai Latte. It's not uncommon anymore to know the customers or for them to know us. It's just how it works here. Mrs Trelawny thanks me and moves on, and someone steps up. Someone I don't know.

He's young, dark haired, with a serious sense of style. His dark hair flows around his shoulders, falling over his gold and crimson scarf, wrapped around his neck under his extremely defined face.

He's beautiful. He looks up and his eyes lock with mine. They're dark, but with a light behind them one might say was kindness.

"Uhh... Hey. I mean, Good Morning." I say, stuttering slightly. I can see Lily serving another regular shoot me a look. She knows what I'm thinking.
"Morning." The man says. His voice is deep yet smooth as silk. "White Mocha please."
"Yeah of course." I say, still stuttering ever so slightly. "That's two forty-nine. If you wait there I'll get it for you."
He nods and with a murmur of thanks, goes and stands at the end of the counter.

I go and pick up a mug from the cupboard, and all of a sudden, Lily is standing beside me.
"Well?" she asks.
"Well what?" I ask, flicking switches and adding coffee and white cocoa to a mug.
"What did you think?" she asks, more hesitantly this time. Lily's always been interested in my romantic life, ever since we were in University. It partly stems from me being the only gay friend she has, the rest stemming from her desire to see me settled and happy.
"He's cute" I say, nonchalantly, before glancing over my shoulder at him. He's standing there, tapping on his phone and smiling the goofiest smile. "Okay he's ridiculously attractive with a voice of silk and the smile of a god." I blurt, slightly too loudly. Luckily nobody hears.
"You should ask who he is."
"I can't though. He's never come in before, he likely won't again."
"Well then you'll just have to make the best white mocha he's ever had so he can't stay away."

Lily laughs and returns to the till. Finishing the drink, I stir it before adding the Cosmos trademark, a sprinkle of cocoa in the shape of a star on top. I take it to the man at the counter.
"You're white mocha sir."
He looks up, his eyes meeting mine again. "Thanks a lot."

As he turns to walk away I have to stop my knees collapsing. That voice.

The clock chimes four-thirty. I look up at the shop for the first time since this morning. All day since the encounter I haven't been able to think of much else other than his smile, voice and damn sexy face. All I've done is make the coffees.

Lily taps me on the shoulder. Turning to look at her, she motions with her head. Someone has just walked in. It's the same guy. Walking up to the counter, he places the same order with Lily as he did with me, before sitting down at a table, pulling out a laptop and a set of books.

I prepare his drink and bring it over to him. He thanks me, again in the same voice. I make to walk away, but he continues to speak.
"By the way, the coffee was great this morning."
"Thanks. It's my pleasure."
"Look I know you shut in like half an hour, but can I stay here till around five thirty?"
"I guess you can. I don't leave here till around six normally anyway. Why?"
I realise I probably shouldn't have asked. It's not abnormal for someone to stay a bit later than normal, it often happens with local university students who are writing papers.
"Dissertation writing and I can't work at home. Too many people."
"Then sure you can stay, it's no problem."
"That's great, thanks a tonne."

I walk over to Lily who is wiping tables and tell her what's going to happen.
"Do you want me to stay with you? I've got paperwork I can do here."
"You can if you want. He's doing university work so he shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay, well I'll head off into the back room, so if you need me for whatever reason just come grab me."
She hands me the cleaning stuff and disappears behind a door marked "Staff Only".

I make a start wiping down tables, and soon enough I'm wiping down the table behind the guy. Glancing over his shoulder, I see his screen, with his title and name in the header.

Sirius Black - How is death portrayed in children's media?

He must have felt me looking, as he turns to look at me. "Like the title?"
"Yeah, sounds interesting. Better than what I wrote mine on."
"What did you write yours on?" He says, actually sounding interested.
"Horror, and how different techniques and camera angles can be used to raise tension in the viewers."
"Sounds pretty good. I'm guessing you took film?"
"Yeah, I took it here too."
"I did film as well, as my bachelors degree. I changed into a joint English-film masters degree though. Were you taught by Slughorn?"
"His lectures were always the best."
"I definitely agree." Sirius says before pausing. "I'm guessing you've already read my name, but I'm Sirius. Sirius Black."
"Remus Lupin" I reply, shaking his hand.
"So if you're not too busy, you couldn't help me with some of the film stuff could you?"
An invitation, to sit and just talk to him. How could I refuse?

"It'd be no problem."

So that's what I spent the next hour doing, sitting with Sirius and talking to him about his work. To be frank, it was the best hour of the day.

Sev opens the door to me the next morning.
"You're late."
"And you're not Minerva. It's five past, I got caught at the lights, it happens."
"It's not an excuse."
"No because it happened." I say, striding past him into the shop. Since Sev is here, Lily won't be. Ever since he professed his undying love, devotion, soul and such to her, she stopped working the days that he did.

The morning begins as yesterday did. Right up to Sirius walking in at about 10 o'clock. I'm right at the back, cleaning the steamer when Sev comes and taps me on the shoulder.
"Some guy here to see you. Says his name is Sirius or something."
I nod, and come over to the counter. There he stands, beautiful as a Greek mythological hero.
"Hey, I wanted to know if you'd be okay helping me with stuff again tonight."
"Sure, it's good to hear I was a help."
"My tutor thought so, as did I. Said my arguments improved exponentially, and that wherever I was getting these great ideas and such should be consulted again."
"That's great to hear. We shut at 3 today, as it's a Sunday. I can see you then if you want?"
"Sounds great. I'll meet you here then." Sirius says, smiling his somewhat goofy style before leaving.
"What was that about?" Sev asks, curiously.
"Nothing concerning you Sev, now serve that lady, she's been waiting for ages." I reply curtly, winking to Mrs Trelawny who's waiting at the counter. She winks back and we share a laugh.

Three couldn't come quick enough, and before I know it, Sev is packing up and out the door, leaving all the rest of the cleaning up to me.

I've only just started the tables when a knock comes from the door. But instead of Sirius, it's Lily and Minerva.
"Where's Sev?" Minerva asks as she barges in, heading towards the back room.
Minerva is a lovely woman, most of the time. When angry, she becomes vicious, but she has a good heart, and is one of the kindest people I know. She doesn't seem happy now, storming around the place.
"He left at about quarter to."
"As per usual." Lily adds. Turning to me, she asks if I had to clean everything up.
"Yeah I did, and Sirius is coming back. He asked for my help again."
"I'll make sure Minerva and I are out of your way then." Lily replies, pulling on a pair of cleaning gloves.

After another fifteen minutes there's another knock. This time it is Sirius, a bag of books and a laptop in his hands. The shop is pretty much clean and, upon Sirius' arrival, Lily heads into the back room to help Minerva with the accounts.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, got held up at home."
"It's no problem, there's always stuff that needs doing here."
"Still I should have let you know. Here," he says, pulling out his phone. "I may need your help a few times, so if it's okay, can I have your number so I can text you?"
"No problem. Whenever you need help, if I can, I will." I say, putting in my phone number.
"Great, you are literally the best." Sirius says. "I've texted you so you've got my number now. Okay there are some things I want to go over. Let's start with the brothers Grimm."

We sit there till five. I see Minerva stride by outside, meaning Lily convinced her to use the back door rather than disturb us.
Sirius is a good worker, if slightly dense at some times. He's ambitious and eager though, constantly running his (often good) ideas past me before adding them.
"You have been so great Remus seriously." he says, as he closes his document and begins to pack up his laptop. The clock outside has just started chiming five in its deep tones.
"It's no trouble dude. I mean I'm enjoying myself as well, it's always interesting to learn new stuff."
"Yeah I get that. Well I've almost reached the required words and I only really need to rework the conclusion. Can we do that tomorrow?"
"Yeah we can."
"What time? I'm pretty much free all day tomorrow."
"Can we do morning, say eight o'clock. I'm not working tomorrow but I'm sure Lily and Minerva won't mind if we work here."
"That's great. This is really helping me out. I can't thank you enough." and before I know it he's hugging me, and I'm hugging back.

He scent is one most peculiar yet insightful. The smell of forest clings to him, but not in a bad way. He smells fresh, yet vaguely musky, and it's horrifically attractive.

The hug ends, but slowly, like neither of us want to let go.

"I'd better get going." he says, standing up.
"Yeah. See you tomorrow Sirius.
"You too Remus."

And then he's gone, and a Lily has just emerged from the backroom, bounding towards me rather excitedly.
"Who's got another date?" she asks, excitedly.
"You. Sev's really excited." I say dryly, before we both burst into laughter.