Written for:
Quidditch League - Round 8
Holyhead Harpies - Beater 1 - K-drama - Temperature of Love. Theme - unexpectedly meeting someone you had been in love with later on in life despite having had to part ways with them before.
Prompts
1 - Word: Forgive
5 - Dialogue: "I've waited this long, yet suddenly now I'm impatient."
7 - Phrase - On his knees
A/N - I confirmed with one of the QL mods that 'later in life' meant at least a year.
Four Years Later
WolfStar
Muggle!AU
Remus' fingers were entwined with Sirius' and his heart was racing. He knew that his parents would go crazy, but he couldn't stop himself.
He had thought it was just a trip out to Edinburgh with the other students, but Sirius had whispered about a surprise and Remus assumed they would be visiting castles. When they had stopped by the registry office where James and Peter were waiting, Sirius had dropped down on one knee.
Remus never knew that Scotland allowed sixteen year olds to marry. The law was eighteen in England and Wales. It was insane, romantic and spontaneous—three things that he had learnt to associate with Sirius. He knew that he wanted to spend his life with Sirius Black.
On the seventh of July, with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew as witnesses, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin tied the knot.
Sirius clutched the handle of his suitcase as he stepped off the train. He had never been to Wales before.
He headed out of the station and looked around. The town filled Sirius with a sense of calm he hadn't felt in years.
Ever since the day he lost Remus.
He walked towards the pub he was staying in. As much as he wanted to find Remus, Sirius told himself that he could wait until morning. He was worn out and needed to make a plan because Remus wasn't going to welcome him with open arms.
When he reached the pub, he couldn't help but smile. It was just as Remus had described to him when they were younger, and staying there made him feel a little closer to Remus.
When Sirius' parents came to collect him from school, he could tell that they knew about the marriage. He had no idea how, as the only people present at the wedding were him, Remus, James and Peter.
He was ready to fight, but the journey home was silent and it made Sirius uneasy. It was the calm before the storm — or the hurricane, when it came to his mother.
By the time they reached the townhouse, Sirius had already planned what to pack for his trip to Wales to stay with his husband.
The door shut behind them and Regulus disappeared upstairs, Sirius prepared himself for the torrent of screaming. Only, there was none.
"You'll end it, immediately," Walburga ordered, her long, blood-red nails tapping dangerously against her forearm. "You'll never see him again."
"You can't stop me from being with him," Sirius replied arrogantly.
Walburga's lips curved up into a smile. "Can't I? When I was alerted to your little… stunt, I purchased a cottage in Wales that was being rented to the Lupin family. I've made sure to get all the information I need on them—"
"—It's only been two weeks!" Sirius exclaimed. "How can you… you couldn't have bought his cottage."
"I have the documents in the study. The mother is a frail woman, health issues, I've heard. Imagine if she were to lose her home too." The implications were clear in her tone.
Sirius' eyes widened. He knew all about Hope Lupin's health issues. His mother was cruel enough to evict the family just to get her own way. If she did, Hope's health would deteriorate, and it'd be all Sirius' fault.
"Father, please," he said desperately, turning to Orion.
Orion turned away from his son. "You can stop this by going to live with Cygnus and his family in France, and stop all contact with the Lupin boy and his family."
Sirius wanted nothing more than to be with Remus, but he knew the threat wouldn't go away and he couldn't be selfish. He had to put Remus and the Lupins first. If that meant agreeing to his parents' demands so Remus could keep living safely in the cottage, well, so be it.
"Can I at least say goodbye?"
"You can call him today and explain that the marriage is over. Tell him to expect the annulment papers. Make sure he understands it's final," Orion ordered.
"And when will I go to France?"
"Once the annulment papers are signed, you can leave."
Remus had paid little attention to the knock on the front door, expecting it to be someone for his parents, so it was unexpected when his father knocked on his door a couple of minutes later.
Lyall walked in, his gaze landing on Remus, who was engrossed in an old book.
"That one again?" Lyall asked.
Remus nodded. "1984 is an amazing book."
They both ignored the fact that the first two pages contained a love letter from Sirius to him. It was the only thing that wasn't in a box in the back of his wardrobe.
It was also a favourite of his, and if he lingered on those first pages, well, no-one needed to know.
Lyall sighed. "Son, I… we just had someone at the door. I didn't want to spring it on you, so I sent him on his way." He paused reluctantly. "It was Sirius. He just left, and you could probably catch him if you wanted—"
"—No, that's fine," Remus interrupted, his fingers tightening around the book. "Let him go."
Lyall began to close the door, but paused. "Are you sure?" he checked.
Remus nodded his head, resisting the urge to run to the window and look out. "He made his choice back when we were sixteen."
"Things change. I know he hurt you, but you're clearly still hurting. Maybe just hear what he has to say for himself?"
"I heard everything he had to say that day on the phone," Remus insisted. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I'd really like to be alone."
Lyall nodded and closed the door.
Remus lasted three minutes before he headed to the window and looked out, only to find an empty street. As much as he told himself that he didn't want to have anything to do with Sirius, he also wanted to know why Sirius had returned.
He had never expected to lay eyes on him again. Ever since the phone-call when he was sixteen, Remus had told himself that he'd put Sirius behind him and move on.
It was easier said than done. Sixteen-year-old Remus had been heartbroken: crying over the end of the relationship and the forms that arrived to annul their marriage.
Two weeks. For two whole weeks, it had been perfect. They had their beautiful secret and whispered into the early hours of the morning about the future they would have together. They had made promises on top of the vows in the registry office. They had held each other close in Remus' bed in their dorm as they fell asleep.
And then Sirius had shattered everything with one phone call.
"I'm sorry. It was a big mistake." Sirius forced the words out.
"Mistake?" Remus repeated. His previously warm voice was hollow now. "Was it all a mistake, Sirius?"
"Yes," Sirius said, trying not to let his voice portray his emotions. "We had fun, Remus, but it went a little far. I'll send papers."
"Sirius, is someone… is this your choice? Just answer yes or no. If someone is making you—"
"—this is entirely my choice," Sirius insisted. He could have taken the easy way and said 'no'. He could have found a way to call Remus and explain what was really going on.
But by doing that, he was putting the Lupins at risk. Maybe Remus would understand one day, because Sirius knew that he'd find a way to fix this mess somehow. He knew he would go to Wales, find Remus and tell him the truth and beg for forgiveness.
The voice on the other end of the phone was cold now. Not a drop of warmth left, just anger and despair and hurt. It didn't even sound like Remus anymore.
"Goodbye, Sirius."
The dial-tone followed and Sirius replaced the phone with shaking hands. He barely looked at his father, choosing to stumble down the hall to his room.
Once inside, he dropped down on his knees and allowed the tears to fall.
For seven days, Sirius had turned up at the house asking for Remus. Remus had hidden indoors like a coward. He kept telling himself that he'd confront Sirius the next day and demand answers, but when the next visit came, Remus found that he couldn't do it.
He hid in the room next to the door, listening to the conversation.
"I'm sorry to bother you again, Mrs Lupin. I know you're probably sick of the sight of me. This will be the last time, I promise. Remus doesn't want to see me, and I don't blame him in the slightest. If the tables were reversed, I'd have made the same choice, so I'll be heading to Nottingham tomorrow."
"Have a safe journey," Hope insisted softly, pulling her blanket tighter around her.
"Can you… can you just pass on a message to him for me?"
"Of course."
"Tell him… tell him that I have some things to discuss with him. Things that… I'd prefer to do in person. Also… I just want one chance to explain myself to him before I leave tomorrow. Can you tell him that I'm staying at the Leaky Barrel in town? But I check out tomorrow at eleven and then I'm off to the station. I hope he'll come and talk to me."
"I'll pass on your message," Hope promised. "Goodbye, Sirius."
"Goodbye, Mrs Lupin."
She closed the door and turned towards the bathroom where Remus was hiding. "He looked quite distraught."
Remus shrugged. "He'll be gone tomorrow and we can get back on with our lives like this never happened."
Hope smiled, reaching out to brush Remus' hair from his eyes. "Darling, I can see it in your eyes as much as I can see it in Sirius'. You're both hurting. I think you should go tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Because you'll spend your life wondering what he was going to say," Hope replied. "I better get back to the kitchen to check on dinner. I suggest you have a think about this. You may not get another chance to ask your questions and get your answers."
Remus thought about it long and hard through the night. By the time he fell asleep, he still didn't know what he wanted to do.
He woke up the next morning, only to see that it was almost eleven o'clock. Without questioning it, he began to rush around to get dressed. He didn't know what time Sirius' train was, but he knew he needed answers.
And a part of him wasn't prepared to let Sirius walk out of his life again. Not without seeing him face to face at least.
Sirius sat in the office that had once belonged to his uncle. The other partner in Alphard's law firm, Mr Phillips, shuffled through his papers, before turning his gaze on the Black family.
Walburga sighed pointedly. "Is this going to take much longer?" she asked.
Mr Phillips shook his head, glancing around. "To my darling niece, Andromeda," he read. "I bequeath unto you my townhouse in Nottingham."
"Her? The Townhouse?" Walburga shrieked, forgetting all of her composure as she jumped up from her chair. "That house has been in the family for generations! Andromeda Tonks isn't a Black!"
"The house belonged to Alphard Black," Mr Phillips replied firmly. "If you don't sit down and contain yourself, Mrs Black, I'll have to ask you to leave."
Walburga gave him a withering glare before carefully arranging her skirt and sitting back down. "Continue," she ordered.
Mr Phillips turned his gaze onto Sirius, and Sirius was certain he saw a quirk of the man's lips as their eyes met. "For my dearest nephew, Sirius, I leave a cottage in Wales." The man smiled slightly as he continued to read.
"All five of my nieces and nephews: Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy, Sirius Black and Regulus Black, will receive an equal share of my monetary estate."
"What about me?" Walburga interjected arrogantly. "What do I get, if not the townhouse or the money?"
Mr Phillips' smile grew. "Some documents," he replied, a knowing tone in his voice. "Which it says here, should be presented to you at the same time as the documents to your son." He stood up and walked around the desk, handing the files to both of them at the same time, watching them both intently.
Sirius curiously opened his file, and the slight smile at his mother's previous displeasure disappeared as he looked at the forms inside. Right at the front, he saw the annulment papers he had been forced to sign four years ago, the same ones he thought about every single day. Why would his uncle remind him of this?
"What are these?" Walburga demanded, shuffling through impatiently. Sirius glanced over, noticing that she had a photocopy of the same forms. He assumed she was searching for deeds to properties or something of value to her.
"Those are forms that my former partner...forgot to file four years ago," Mr Phillips stated. Congratulations, Mr Black, it appears you've been married for the last four years."
Sirius stared at the papers again, suddenly seeing them in a new light. His uncle hadn't filed the annulment that would end his marriage, and had left him a cottage in Wales and money to support himself. It was clear what Alphard wanted for him.
Feeling a sense of freedom that had been denied to him for the last four years, Sirius stood up, removed the annulment papers from the file and tore them into four pieces.
"I'm off to Wales to find my husband," he announced. "Andromeda, I'll be in touch."
"Good luck," she said with a smile. "If you need anything, you know where I'll be."
"Yeah, in that lovely big townhouse in Nottingham," he laughed. He tossed the ripped form at his mother's feet before walking from the room, ignoring her as she shouted after him.
"You're leaving."
Sirius looked up where he had been hunched over on the uncomfortable metal seat at the train station. For the first time in four years, he was laying eyes on Remus Lupin.
Remus hadn't changed much, but the ever-present smile that Sirius remembered was gone. Remus' lips were set into a firm line and Sirius got the impression that Remus rarely smiled anymore.
"You didn't want to talk to me. I was going to write you a letter when I got to Nottingham. Why are you here?"
"My mum suggested I meet with you and get some answers." Remus walked over and sat down. "How long until your train arrives?"
"Twenty minutes," Sirius said. "Do you want to hear what happened?"
"Honestly, I hadn't planned to ever see you again. But you've come back and… I'm curious. Why did you do what you did? Why did you hurt me?"
Sirius sighed. "I had no choice. My parents—"
"—if you blame this on you being unable to stand up to your parents, I've wasted my time coming here," Remus said. "We talked about that when we were sixteen and you said you could."
"They blackmailed me," Sirius continued, hoping it was enough to get Remus to listen. "When they found out we were married, they bought your cottage from the people who owned it and threatened to throw you guys out. Your mum was sick, Remus. If your family ended up homeless…" he paused, taking a deep breath. "I was faced with two options. Be with you, but cause your family to lose their home, or end things, go to France and… and never speak to you, James or Peter again. I guess they thought that I'd pass messages through Peter or James."
"Is that the truth?" Remus asked softly. "You broke my heart because you thought you were protecting us?"
Sirius nodded. "I thought I could call you when I got to France, but I was always watched. It wasn't until the will reading the day before I came to Wales that I could get out of there."
"What changed?" Remus asked.
"Uncle Alphard was the family lawyer. He handled the end of our… or he was supposed to. Everything was signed, he just didn't send it all in. Technically we're still married. He also gave me the deed to a cottage in Wales. It was clear what his intentions were. I came straight here to find you."
"How does that change things?" Remus asked.
"Because my mother made a threat and she's cruel enough to follow through with it. But now I have a cottage near yours, your family won't be homeless. But we still need to discuss the fact that we're still married."
Remus sighed. "I've been hurting for a long time because of this."
"I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't know what else to do," Sirius murmured.
Silence followed the conversation and the pair sat side by side until the train pulled up.
Sirius turned to Remus. "When I get to Nottingham, I'll write you a letter and include a phone number." He hesitated, his gaze sweeping over Remus' face. "For what it's worth, not a day has gone by where I haven't thought about you. I've never stopped loving you, not for a second. Take care of yourself." He leaned in, his lips brushing Remus' cheek. "I hope one day you can forgive me." He grabbed his suitcase and walked off towards the train.
Remus realised that he couldn't let Sirius walk out of his life again. He rushed forward, grabbing Sirius' arm. "You can't tell me that you did this all to protect my family, and that you still love me and you're still my husband, then try and leave," he said. "I'm not letting you go anywhere."
Sirius smiled softly. "I'm not going anywhere," he promised. "I've waited this long, yet suddenly now I'm impatient."
"Impatient?"
"To have a future with you," Sirius explained.
Also written for:
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