The Scientist
Summary: One day during Summer Term at Hogwarts Secondary School, the life of school rugby star Sirius Black changes for the better. He meets Remus Lupin, a shy guy, who agrees to tutor Sirius in the sciences. Despite Remus' knowledge of the sciences, he can't see the chemistry between them.
Modern Non-Magic AU set in a high school. Inspired by Coldplay's 'The Scientist' as covered by Holly Henry.
The sunlight glimmered through the leaves of the tree's bordering Gryffindor pitch. This was where the prestigious Hogwarts School's champion rugby team practised.
The team this year was one of the best yet. It's Prop, Ronald Weasley, it's Fly-Half, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and it's Number 8, Sirius Black, had all played at national level, all under 18 years old too. The whole team were very skilled, practising three times a week and often smashing their opposition in the inter-school tournaments. They even beat the Durmstrang Dragons, the best under 18 team in Scandinavia. Coach Hooch led the team; she had won the rugby at the Commonwealth Games at least three times.
Today's practise was rather lazy however. Easter half-term had just ended and it was only the third day back. Everyone was still rather lazy and with lessons back in full-swing, everyone was rather tired.
Coach Hooch looked down at her watch and sighed. They'd only been on the pitch forty-five minutes and nothing much had gotten done, only one or two drills.
"Right Boys." she called out in her sharp voice. "You obviously aren't feeling it this afternoon. I'm calling practice off."
Had this been said at any other point in term, it would have been met with groans. No rugby practise meant going to study periods. Today however was different, no protests came from any of the team.
"Black, Potter, Runcorn, take the equipment back to the office. You're all dismissed."
Sirius, who had been all but off the pitch sighed, turned, and picked up the bag of balls and began walking. James Potter, Sirius' best friend ran to catch up.
"You going to the Library for the study period or just gonna head back to the boarding house?" James asked.
"Probably, I've got physics work from Professor Vector that I need to do which I need to beg Lily to help me do."
James eyes lit up at the mention of her name. "Lily Evans..." he began, "can you introduce us?"
"She knows who you are. Everyone knows you think she's Aphrodite reborn."
"Still, we haven't properly been introduced."
"Yes well, you can introduce yourself. I'm sure wooing her without introducing yourself by yourself would get off to a great start."
"Okay fine. I will in the library, if you get her to come over to our table to help you rather than going over to her."
"Alright, but you'd better not scare her off, cause if I don't get this work in, I'll never have free time again with the amount of detention she dishes out."
The two dropped off their bags of equipment at the sports office and went to get changed. Soon enough, they were back in their uniform and walking through the courtyard to the tall building that was the school library. It was a modern building, one side entirely windows, the rest of the walls covered in bookshelves.
The pair climbed the stairs to the sixth-form workplace on the top floor. It was relatively full, with about a fifth of their year and the year above in there. James immediately picked out Lily from the crowd sitting with her friends. Claiming an empty table, Sirius pulled out the worksheet set for them and his pencil case.
To say Sirius wasn't smart would be a lie. To say he's lazy wouldn't be. Sure, he spent most of his time doing rugby and going to parties, meaning he didn't get all his work in on time, but he had picked some of the most challenging subjects for A-Level. Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and History. His grades were passable, but he'd do better in the exams when all the extracurricular stopped to focus on work.
Walking up to Lily's table to ask for help had become a habit since their AS courses began in September. Lily bless her was always happy to help however. She was sitting at the table with three of her friends. All were rather quiet, focusing on their work, though Lily looked up as he came close.
"Professor Vector's mechanics prep. Help, please." Sirius said.
Lily just chuckled and stood up. "Back in a minute." she said to her table.
She followed him back to his and James' table and sat down next to Sirius. James went a shade of Red brighter than Lily's hair, but she appeared not to notice.
"No, no you're using the wrong equation. You don't know time or final velocity yet." she said, scanning his work.
"Okay, so which do I find?" Sirius asked.
"Time would be better so you can use it for question six."
"And for this one?" Sirius asked as he pointed to a question further down the sheet.
"Just use E = mgh and you're fine."
"Okay. Thank you, you're a lifesaver."
"You really should check your notes or ask for tutoring or something."
"Yeah, but you've said you can't tutor me as you don't have time."
"My friend, you know Remus?"
Sirius raked his brains. "The quiet guy, fairly good looking, smart?"
"Yeah, he has to do a certain amount of hours tutoring for his IB course. I can ask him. He does Chemistry and Maths too so can help you there."
"That'd be great."
"Okay. I'll text you tonight and let you know what he says."
"He isn't here now?"
"No, he's IB, he'll have a lesson now."
"Oh, right. Thanks for the help."
"No problem." Lily smiled, then walked back to her table.
Sirius wrote down what she'd said on the sheet then turned to James.
"You didn't say anything?"
"I... I was too scared okay."
"How unlike you, she won't bite. Well, maybe that's not appealing to you."
James scowled. "How come you have her number?"
"Because we're chemistry lab partners. We need to discuss our IA results and stuff."
"Sure."
"James, it's strictly friends. I know my reputation of seducing anyone remotely nice or attractive precedes me, but even I'm not an asshole who get's with my best mates crush."
"I know. Just it's cute to girls if a guy is jealous, right?"
"To a point. Now quit being weird, I've got work to do."
Sirius finally got the work finished, and just in time. The next lesson and last of the day was Physics with Professor Vector. Why the teachers were called Professor Sirius didn't know, seeing as this wasn't university and some of them never taught at a university. The lesson was a drag, covering projectile motion and complex equations that Sirius would not remember in a few months time for the exam. After the lesson, Sirius went back to the boarding house with James.
Checking his phone, Sirius saw a text from Lily.
'Remus is cool with it. Text him to sort out a time, and he's happy to do all 3 subjects if you want. Here's his number...'
Sirius added the number to his contacts. He and James entered their boarding house. It was on the corner of Gryffindor Pitch and was named Gryffindor Tower as it was tall and somewhat round. Each room was a semi circle in shape and slept two or three people. The older students got the two person rooms which also had adjoining bathrooms, Sirius sharing his two person room with James. This was one of the boarding houses at the school, along with one nicknamed the Hufflepuff Basement due to being rather dingy. The other two were Ravenclaw Tower by the Ravenclaw Hockey pitch where Lily lived and one called the Slytherin Dungeon, where the house matron was apparently very harsh to the occupants.
Sirius sat on his bed writing a text to Remus while James started to get changed out of his uniform.
'Hey Remus. It's Sirius Black. Lily said you're happy to tutor me. I was wondering if I could meet you at supper tonight in the Hall to discuss times. Thanks.'
He got a text back almost immediately.
'Sure. Will be there at 7:30, I'll be on Gryffindor table."
"James, you know Remus Lupin?" Sirius called, James having disappeared into their adjoining bathroom.
"The IB guy Lily hangs around with. Why?"
"He's gonna tutor me for maths and science. He's on Facebook right; I wanna be sure what he looks like so I can find him."
"He's got brown hair, grey eyes, looks like a dork kind of."
"Helpful." Sirius scanned Facebook, picking him out of Lily's friends list. "Damn. He is attractive."
Sirius could practically hear James roll his eyes. James had been the first person Sirius had come out to, and to be honest, the one he'd worried about most. Not because he was the first, but because they were best friends, and rejection wasn't something he dealt with well. Except when it was his family, who could go stuff it most of the time.
The two changed into their evening clothes and left the dorm. The two headed down to their common room. Taking their usual seats by the coffee machine, they sat and chatted for a while. Peter Pettigrew, a friend (although sometimes more like a devout follower) came and sat with them for a while too. They played a few card games with some others from their year before heading to the "Great Hall" for supper at quarter past seven.
It was called the Great Hall, though in reality it was just an old room which had been part of the original school centuries ago with four long tables and a teacher table in it. It was quite often packed; the school having quite a vast number of pupils, so different year groups came in for food at different times. The 6th Years came in at about seven with the 7th Years while the younger students came in earlier.
They picked up trays when they came in and joined the queue at one side of the wall to where food was being served. For a private school, the food was surprisingly good. After they had collected their meals, they found Lily sitting with a boy and two other girls on a table. They joined her.
Lily was sitting with a strange girl Sirius had seen a few times called Luna and another girl called Hermione. The two were both 5th years but Sirius knew of Hermione, for she was as smart as a graduate and would punch you spectacularly in the face if you pushed her. Luna was known for her eccentricity mostly, but both were nice and greeted them when they sat down.
The boy sitting with them was undoubtedly Remus Lupin. Sirius was to some extent taken aback. He was more attractive than in pictures, not as conventionally pretty but damn was he still tremendously handsome. He was quiet though, and Lily sensing the silence between Sirius and Remus intervened.
"Just to be sure. Remus, Sirius. Sirius, Remus." she said, introducing the two.
"Hey." Sirius said, breaking the short silence that followed. "Thanks for agreeing to tutor me. I'm hopeless at stuff like Physics but I'll put in the effort." 'Especially for a hottie like you' he then thought.
"Wednesday 7+8 in the library good for you?" Remus asked quietly.
"Yeah, okay. Top floor?"
"Yeah, you'll find me in one of the corners out of the way."
"Okay, I look forward to it." Sirius said, brightly. Remus didn't seem talkative, but Sirius would need his tutoring if he wanted to pass his A-Levels and go to university.
"Yeah." Remus said, again quietly. He then stood up, sad a mumbled farewell to us all. Luna and Hermione followed him, and the three walked off together.
"I don't think he likes me." Sirius told Lily immediately after the three were out of earshot.
"Remus just gets nervous around people. He'll open up more once he gets to know you and you start tutoring." Lily assured him.
"I hope so. It'll be hella awkward if he doesn't." Sirius mused.
Still, he could always just admire Remus' face during Tutoring when he was supposed to be working, as was the Sirius Black way.