Sirius was a fidgeter. He constantly had to be doing something with his hands. Twirling his wand. Messing with his tie. Or, until Lily had declared that all of the Marauders had to quit or they couldn't be near the baby, smoking.
The Marauders all chose new vices. Remus started eating even more chocolate. James started baking. Peter tried cycling, jogging, and then settled on writing poetry.
Sirius found knitting. Muggle knitting. It kept his hands busy and he got warm, wool clothes of it. Sirius dove into the fiber arts needles first. His favorite projects were socks.
"Remus, I think I found my next pair of socks," said Sirius, thrusting a knitting magazine in Remus' general direction.
"Mmhmm."
"Are you going to look?"
"How about you surprise me when you finish them in two days, Pads?"
With a quick kiss on the cheek from Remus, Sirius left the room to gather his supplies, plop down in his second favorite spot, and cast on. All was going well until he got to the chart.
"How in Merlin's name? Ahh. Right. Good. I've got this. Just a pair of socks."
He kept on knitting, getting into a steady rhythm. Glancing at the chart, keeping his tension even, and just enjoying the click of his needles. Never fully reading the pattern.
"MERLIN, CIRCE, AND MORGANA! Where am I supposed to put the bloody heel flap?!"
"Pads?"
Remus walked into the room to find Sirius surrounded by orange and purple yarn. It was adorable.
"Bloody chart! Can't have clear instructions! Why do they have to read from right to left and the bottom up anyway? That's not even the problem this time. Merlin's saggy balls!"
With a swish of his wand, the tangle of yarn was back in neat cakes.
"Pads, love, did you read the pattern all the way through before you started or did you charge in needles first?"
Sirius stared at him and Remus just shook his head, walking out of the room.
"Ok, I can do this. It's just a pair of socks. I've knit loads of them before. I don't need to read the whole pattern."
Sirius settled back in and cast on the frustrating pair of socks again. After finishing the ribbing, he sat staring at the chart and the photo of the finished object.
"Ahhh, fuck it!"
Sirius chose to start where it looked like the chart would be centered across the ankle. It looked right. It looked like what would work. It felt right…and then he started to doubt. When he got to where the heel flap would be on any other pattern, it was obvious that the sock wasn't going to look exactly right.
"MERLIN, CIRCE, AND MORGANA! If I had that right the first time...Fucking yarn and socks. 'Knitting is a relaxing hobby' my fine arse!"
Remus once again poked his head around the corner to see yarn thrown everywhere. Sirius had twisted his double pointed needles into his long, black hair so he didn't lose them in the mayhem.
"Well yes, Pads, you do have a mighty fine arse. Everything alright?"
"No. No, it is not alright. This bloody chart and the damn picture do not line up! Merlin only knows how the bloody fuck this chart turns into that pair of Circe-forsaken socks. I have half a mind to wonder if someone let Peeves write a knitting pattern just to drive people batty!"
"Pads, read the whole pattern."
"Can't do it, love. It's personal now. I'm figuring out these damn socks. I will not be beaten by a pair of bloody socks!"
Sirius cast on for the third time. Turning the pattern over in his mind as he worked the ribbing. Mapping out how that chart could possibly result in those socks in the picture.
"Maybe if I… but then it… but if I turn it just right...fuck...fuck...FUCKITY FUCK!"
Remus slid around the corner to find Sirius looking at the socks and pattern with a malice he thought was only reserved for Severus Snape.
"The heel flap starts across needle 1 and then doubles back halfway to go halfway across needle...fucking...4," Sirius ground out the written instructions as he confirmed his suspicions.
"What?"
"I didn't have to frog it that last time. I had it right bloody there and now I have to do it all over again, Moons. Again! Merlin, Circe, and Morgana!"
"So you finally read the instructions?" Remus said with a smirk spreading across his face as he moved closer to Sirius.
Sirius only glared and went back to his knitting. Remus leaned down, gently grabbing his chin, placing a soft kiss on Sirius' lips.
"The socks look lovely, Pads. I'm glad you sorted the pattern," Remus leaning his forehead against Sirius'.
"Thank you, Moon. I love you."
"I love you too. Even when you won't read an entire pattern like a normal person."
"Oi!" he exclaimed with false indignation, leaning in to kiss Remus again.
The socks lay forgotten on the nightstand as Sirius settled into his absolute favorite place.