So, originally this was going to be my next story for the Quidditch fanfiction competition...and then I realised I'd forgotten my additional prompts, but I was in too deep to rewrite it. Enjoy!


Remus sighed tiredly from his spot behind the counter. It was yet another slow day in the bookshop and it was driving him slowly crazy. That and the fact that he knew if business kept going the way it was the shop would get shut down and he'd have to go job hunting. Getting this job had been hard enough, he'd be lucky if he even got an interview for another job, what with the way shops were closing left, right and centre. Bloody recession.

With another sigh he got up from his spot and decided to walk around and organise the books for probably the millionth time that day. He swore that the only reason the paper volumes didn't get dusty was because he moved them around so often.

Going towards his favourite section first, he started moving around the fantasy books, making sure all of the series were together and that the authors were in alphabetical order. It was tedious, yet strangely satisfying work. Then again, any work felt satisfying at this point, since it helped the slow hands of the clock move faster than when he was sat behind the counter staring at them, cursing their lack of haste. Didn't they know that work was boring and that he had a lot of things that he could be doing rather than sitting in an empty shop?

He froze as he heard a bell tinkling. Quickly, he put down the book that had been in his hand and rushed back to the counter before whoever had entered saw he wasn't there in the first place. He assumed it was his boss, Mrs McGonagall. She liked to check up on the shop every few days and she hated it when Remus wasn't behind the counter. According to her, he should be there at all times so that customers knew where to go if they needed help. On several occasions, Remus had had to resist the urge to point out that the shop was not that big. It would be easy to find him no matter where he was, especially as his name tag proved he wasn't just another shopper. It was his love for McGonagall, his job and his hatred for annoying her that had made him bite his tongue when talking to the old woman about the subject.

However, as he quickly took his place behind the counter, the person who had entered the shop came into view. And he was definitely not McGonagall.

The boy that was approaching him was gorgeous – there was no other way to describe him. He looked as if he was roughly the same age as Remus, with dark hair almost reaching his shoulders and a walk and posture that screamed self-confidence. As he got closer Remus could see his dark brown eyes, and the smile that looked like it was never off his face.

Remus tried not to openly ogle him as the boy stopped just in front of the counter. "Hi. I'm looking for a present for someone, although I could do with a bit of help," he admitted, his voice deep and adorably scratchy and happy and almost shy and Remus realised he should probably start focusing on what the customer wanted before his thoughts ran away from him completely.

"Right, yes, of course. Any idea what they like to read?" Remus asked, starting to move once again from his spot behind the counter so that he could go to whatever section the customer directed him to.

"Well…she's into history?" He said, as if uncertain that that was the correct answer, His heart dropping, Remus noted the use of the word she. Probably a girlfriend. Not that Remus had had much chance in the first place, but there definitely wasn't any now.

"Okay, well the history section is this way," he smiled and started to walk towards one of the largest sections of the shop. McGonagall loved history and stocked every book she could within the genre. Remus personally didn't enjoy the subject that much, but then again his high school teacher, Mr. Binns, could've made the subject of time travel boring. He just had one of those voices that droned on and made you want to fall asleep.

He glanced back at the first customer of the day and noted with a small amount of amusement the overwhelmed and slightly panicked look on his face. "I really don't know what I'm doing," he mumbled, barely loud enough for Remus to hear what he was saying.

"Do you know what period of history she likes specifically?" Remus inquired, trying to be helpful.

"I think…I think she likes reading about the witch hunts?" He replied, still sounding unsure as to whether he had said the right thing or not. Even in his confusion, Remus could see a small smile tugging on the corners of the boy's lips. He quickly snapped his thoughts back to attention before they could run away from him again.

"Ok, well. I know my boss has a particular preference for this book," he stated, walking over to the witch hunts section and pulling out one of the many copies of his boss's favourite book. She really was quite biased when she was buying in the stock. "I'm sure it'll make a great gift," he continued, turning to the confused boy and once again trying not to stare as he handed him the book.

He looked down at it, bouncing the book slightly as if weighing it up. "Well, if it's good enough for the owner of such a fine establishment, then I'm sure it's good enough for Evans," he said finally, as if Remus knew who Evans was. He assumed it was the girl's last name and realised that it did ring a faint bell. However, he ignored it and nodded along with the customer's words.

"Alright. Is that all?" He asked politely.

The man looked up at him and Remus felt the irrational urge to blush. He felt like he was being studied. It was a few moments before he answered, "Yeah, I guess so," he replied with a small nod.

"Well, if you'd like to follow me back to the counter…" Remus trailed off, starting to move before the other had the chance to respond. "I can gift wrap that for you if you like?" He offered over his shoulder as he once again went back behind the counter.

As the man appeared in front of him, the look of relief was clear on his face. "Could you? I'm rubbish at gift wrapping, I usually just stick a bow on it and call it quits," he admitted with a soft chuckle. Remus chuckled with him, crouching down to grab the wrapping supplies from the shelf under the desk, using the short time he had to calm the blush that had decided to bloom on his cheeks as he heard the man chuckle. He'd never heard such a sweet sound before, it made him want to tell every corny joke he'd ever heard just to hear it again.

Once the blush had gone away, he straightened up, laying out the wrapping paper and taking the book back. He kept his eyes and focus on the process of wrapping the book. He felt as if the long haired man was staring at him – not at his hands, as most people did when he wrapped books for them - but at his lowered head, which seemed strange, but made him want to blush again anyway.

"So, Remus, what do you do when you aren't wrapping gifts for people who can't even put tinfoil around a sandwich?" A voice interrupted his methodical thinking. He momentarily freaked out about the other guy knowing his name, since he was positive he hadn't told him it, before remembering he was wearing a name tag.

He shrugged, "Reading, watching TV…regular, non-work related things I suppose," he answered, somewhat vaguely.

"Reading isn't work related?" The customer asked sceptically. Remus chuckled, glancing up and seeing the sceptic look the man's face.

"Ok, apart from reading I do non-work related things," he conceded, once again focusing on wrapping the book.

"I guess your girlfriend's into reading?" The seemingly casual question once again jolted Remus and stalled his methodical thinking.

"I don't have a girlfriend and I never will," he stated simply, praying that the guy wasn't homophobic because that really would ruin his daydream of running off into the sunset with the handsome stranger.

"Boyfriend?" He inquired innocently.

"Don't have one of those either," he replied, feeling immensely relieved that he hadn't been crushing on a homophobic asshole. He'd made that mistake before and it had not been fun to know that the guy he had liked hated him with every fibre of his being.

"Cute guy like you? You must be fighting them off with a stick," he retorted, sounding strangely relieved, Remus decided he was imagining it as the bright blush coloured his cheeks.

"Th-thank you, but believe me, I'm not," he replied, finally finishing wrapping. He looked up and made eye contact with the customer, who was grinning as if it he had only just realised it was Christmas Eve. "That'll be £13," Remus said finally, once he'd remembered how to speak, which took a lot longer than he would like to admit.

"Right, yeah…" He nodded as if he too was coming out of a daze, pulling out his wallet and pulling out £15. "Keep the change," he said as he stuffed the wallet back into his pocket.

"Thanks, I'm sure your girlfriend will love the book," he commented with a small smile before he put the cash into the till. When he looked back up the customer was still standing there, giving Remus a confused look. "What?" Remus asked finally.

"Lily isn't my girlfriend!" He blurted, as if the idea was insane and completely impossible.

"Oh…right, uh…sorry…" Remus stammered, his cheeks turning pink. It was then that something clicked, "Wait, you're getting this for Lily Evans?"

He slowly nodded, "Yeah…"

"I know Lily Evans. She used to work here," Remus lightly shrugged. "She still dating, what was it, James?" He asked, trying to remember. He was still in touch with Lily, but they didn't talk often and Remus had never met her boyfriend.

He smiled, "Yeah, they're still together. I don't think they're ever breaking up – I think they'll make it to marriage and everything," he commented, the words coming out as if he'd spoken them many times before.

"That's good," Remus nodded.

"My name's Sirius. Do you have a pen?" He asked, the question seeming quite random to Remus considering what they had just been talking about.

"Yeah, right here," he answered, plucking the pen from its hiding spot behind the till before offering it to Sirius.

"Thanks," Sirius took the pen and pulled off the lid, lightly grasping Remus's hand so that the back of it was facing towards the ceiling. Before the bewildered worker could say anything, Sirius was scribbling a series of digits onto his hand before giving the pen back to him.

"Lily was right. She said you were cute and sweet," Sirius stated, the smile on his lips widening as Remus started blushing. "And even if I'm not her boyfriend. I'm very open to the possibility of being yours," he continued, winking at Remus as he picked up the wrapped book.

Remus suddenly didn't know how to formulate a sentence, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Sirius chuckled, grinning at Remus. "See you later, Remus," he said cheerily before leaving the shop, looking more like he was leaping out rather than walking. The small bell tinkled and once again Remus was alone in the shop.

He looked down at the number like he couldn't believe it was actually written there. As he realised that he wasn't imaging things and that the number really was there, he grinned and made a mental note to text Sirius as soon as his shift was over. And to text a thank you to Lily.