A/N: I wrote these for the second run of The Five Drabbles Competition organised by alyssialui. I even managed to get them in chronological order this time round!
Many thanks to Coco96, who was kind enough to beta the collection for me.
Prompt: Walking the dog.
It was Remus who came up with a way to get Sirius out of 12 Grimmauld Place. He convinced Hermione to help him buy Muggle clothes, a dog collar, and a map of London under the pretence of an assignment for the Order. No one caught the lie and within a week he had a plan so foolproof that even Molly Weasley couldn't bring herself to reject it.
Sirius was giddy with anticipation and didn't complain about the collar. On one sunny Saturday morning Remus apparated both of them to Hyde Park. He was only vaguely familiar with Muggle London, and had chosen the park purely for strategic reasons: it was far away enough from the Borough of Islington, yet still in the city centre. It surprised him pleasantly – it was large, well-maintained and full of life. The two could easily blend in with the crowd of eccentrically dressed teenagers, tourists carrying futuristic cameras, and seasoned Londoners. It seemed like no one could be out of place there.
It was a gorgeous day and Remus indulged in running like a young boy after Sirius and playing catch. When they both tired, the werewolf sat on the grass and fished a sandwich out of his bag. Still in dog form, Sirius snuggled against him.
'I wish our world could be like this,' Remus said in between bites.
Sirius nodded and tilted his head towards a young couple that was passing by. The two men were holding hands and laughing at some inside joke they shared. No one seemed to bat an eye and Remus smiled. Wizarding society, with its dwindling numbers, quietly disapproved of such public displays of affection. There were worse things than being gay, of course – like being a werewolf, for example, or an Azkaban escapee – but it still caused unsavoury comments.
'Maybe we should just move to Muggle London after the war. Hide our wands and spend entire summers in the park.'
Sirius snuggled closer in agreement.