A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. Prompts are below :)
Also, please note: I am removing Tonks from the Black family in order for this AU to work. She's still Teddy's mother, but she isn't related to Andromeda or Sirius :)
Word Count: 8258
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.
Enjoy!
Teddy grinned up at his father, his grey eyes sparkling with joy. "Go fish!"
Remus exaggerated a sigh as he picked up another card from the fish pond, but he was pleased his five-year-old son was having such a good time. It wasn't easy to keep Teddy's attention lately, but his new love of Go Fish was not unwelcome. It kept him occupied and quiet, even if Remus was roped into three or four games a day.
The grinning boy asked for a two of hearts, which Remus handed over, hiding a smile when his son whooped in celebration. They played a few more rounds until the bell above the door rang.
Remus ruffled Teddy's hair and put his cards down. "I'll be right back, Teddy. I have to go check on the customer. Stay there, okay?"
Teddy nodded. "Okay!"
Remus made his way to the front of the bookshop, confident that Teddy would keep his word. And even if he didn't, it was a small shop; he'd be able to tell where he went.
"Remus! There you are."
Remus ran a hand through his tawny hair and grinned at his friend. "Hi, Alice." He watched her bouncing on the balls of her feet for a minute before he continued. "You're excited. Good sales at the bakery?"
"What?" Alice looked caught off guard, and then she groaned. "Oh, don't tell me you haven't heard! You remember the alien ship the satellites picked up on weeks ago?"
Remus' brows rose. "Yeah…" he said slowly. "What about it? I thought they were negotiating."
In truth, the ships fascinated Remus. The thought that there was life beyond their universe was incredible to him. Many nations had been much more wary of the visitors, but it was eventually decided that the foreigners would be heard out.
Alice rolled her eyes fondly at him. "Check the news, Lupin. They do update it, you know. One of the ships is landing today—here! Can you believe it?"
Remus' amber eyes widened. "They're coming here?"
"Yes!" Alice put her hands on her hips. "Frank and I are taking Neville—are you going to take Teddy?"
Remus glanced over at his son. It would be very crowded since it was such a monumental occasion, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He doubted Teddy would appreciate being kept from the biggest thing since the moon landing because his father was afraid he'd get lost in the crowd.
"Teddy, go get your shoes on," he called over his shoulder. Alice started cheering. "We're going to go see some aliens with Aunt Alice and Uncle Frank."
Teddy scrambled to get ready—he'd been asking Remus all sorts of questions regarding space ever since he heard the news at school—and Alice wrapped her arms around Remus.
"I'm proud of you. A couple months ago you wouldn't have left the shop."
Remus kissed the top of her head and pressed his scarred cheek against her dark hair. She'd become like a sister to him since Tonks' death. His wife had been his support system, and even though they weren't soulmates, he'd loved her very much. He'd been a wreck, which hadn't helped his transition from stay-at-home dad to breadwinner at all. Then the Longbottoms swept in.
Alice, an old friend of his from uni, dropped by unexpectedly a few weeks after Dora's passing, took one look at him and then demanded he tell her everything. So he had. Without a word, she moved into town and helped him buy back the old bookshop his parents had owned. He moved into the apartment above the store, reopened the business, and the rest was history. Money was still tight, and progress regarding his mental health was slow, but he was doing much better now—so was Teddy.
"Well, Dora did say that she didn't want me to stop living," he murmured.
Alice pulled back from their hug and peered at him closely. "Are you over her, then?" she asked softly.
"I still love her," he said quickly, "but… I think I'm ready to start moving forward."
Alice smiled at him. "Good. This will be good for you, you'll see." She grabbed his right wrist and tapped the three horizontal silver lines with her finger. "Maybe you'll even meet your soulmate."
Remus snorted. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. One step at a time, yeah?"
Alice rolled her eyes. "All right then, Lupin. I'm going to go pick up Neville and Frank, okay? Meet us at the park in twenty minutes, our usual spot. It's time to witness history!"
The ship was unlike anything Remus had ever seen. It was shaped like a large disk, and the material that made it up was shimmering brightly in the sun. It was a blinding white that stood out against the cerulean blue sky, and Teddy, atop Remus' shoulders, pointed it out excitedly as soon as he spotted it.
The ship landed slowly, the crowds kept far away. The doors opened, and Remus could barely make out silhouettes exiting the ship. Government officials went up to greet the newcomers, and after nearly an hour they made their way towards the crowd, four of the aliens in their midst.
Teddy tugged at Remus' hair, his little neck craning to get a peek. "Daddy, I see them! I see them, Daddy!"
Remus chuckled. "That's great, Teddy! Wave at them!"
The little boy obeyed enthusiastically, bouncing up and down. Remus laughed when he saw Neville, a bit older than Teddy, do the same to Frank. As the group moved through the gap in the crowd, Remus' wrist started prickling. He rubbed it absentmindedly, trying to catch a glimpse of the group. He looked down at his wrist when the prickling grew in intensity, and didn't notice when one of the aliens stopped walking and looked at his own wrist.
Frank noticed his struggle. "Remus? What's wrong?"
Remus wasn't sure. The sensation didn't hurt, but he wanted it to end. Something within him was trying to pull him forward. It was a moment after he came to that conclusion that he realized the pull was coming from his soulmark. His soulmate was here somewhere.
With shaking hands, he lifted Teddy off his shoulders and handed him to Alice without a word. She and Frank were questioning him, and some of the people nearby were looking on curiously. But Remus knew he had to move, he had to pursue this—what if he missed it? What if this was his only chance?
It was a thought that terrified him even more than finding his soulmate.
He stepped through the crowd, looking around for someone with the same bewildered expression that was surely on his face. Then he felt a hand on his wrist and his eyes snapped over to see the most attractive man he'd ever seen gazing at him with curious eyes.
Remus tore his gaze away and looked down at their hands. Three horizontal amber lines were printed on the other man's wrist, and Remus watched as identical lines appeared to vertically cross his own; silver lines appeared and crossed the other man's soulmark. The man laced their fingers together and raised their hands, so that their soulmarks were touching.
Remus' mind was whirling. This was it. The man before him was his soulmate; their soulmarks had combined in a way he'd never heard of before, almost like a tic-tac-toe board. He wondered briefly, in his slight hysteria, whether Teddy would insist on playing a game on his arm.
There was a bright flash of a camera, bringing Remus back to his senses. He looked back up to his soulmate's face, taking in grey eyes the same silver as his mark and long, black locks that fell in waves to the man's shoulders. Then he noticed that the man's fingers were slightly longer than they should have been, the strange clothes he was wearing, and his suspiciously unblemished face.
Fuck, Remus thought to himself, my soulmate is an alien.
The next few hours passed by in a blur. Remus was fairly sure that he'd been whisked away from the public by some government officials, into a car with tinted glass. Remus appreciated the privacy, but he really wished Alice was with him—someone who knew how to talk to intimidating people, because the minister had just climbed into the car and he did not know what to do.
Minister Bagnold took off her sunglasses, glancing over at him with piercing blue eyes. "Hello," she greeted him. She stuck out a hand. "Millicent Bagnold. Who are you?"
Remus swallowed and shook her hand. "Ah, yes, hello Minister. I'm—I'm Remus Lupin."
She smiled. "Well, Mr. Lupin, it seems like you've had quite the day, haven't you?"
If she was trying to put him at ease, it wasn't working. "I don't… I don't understand what happened, exactly," he admitted.
She tucked a stray piece of brown hair behind her ear before she responded. "Your soulmate," she said slowly, "is Sirius Black, the leader of the… expedition our visitors have gone on. We know they want to settle on Earth, but we don't know why yet—I believe that is being negotiated as we speak."
Remus leaned back against the seat. "I don't know what to say to that." He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shuddering breath. "Minister… my son. He's in the crowd somewhere with my friends…" Remus sat up straight as the panic began to set in. "I need to find him, make sure he's okay in all the confusion—"
Minister Bagnold put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "You're married?" she asked sharply.
Remus spluttered. "I'm—I was! But what does that matter, my son is—"
She held up a hand to silence him, then rolled down her window. Someone standing outside—Remus heard a deep voice and saw dark skin and what looked like an earring—leaned down to confer with her. She glanced at Remus. "What is your son's name? And your friends'?"
"Teddy," he whispered. "Teddy Lupin. And Frank and Alice Longbottom."
She nodded once and relayed the information to the man who must have been guarding the car. Minister Bagnold turned back to him.
"Shacklebolt will find them, Mr. Lupin," she promised. "Now, there are certain matters we must discuss."
Remus reluctantly sat back in his seat, still on edge. "Yes?"
Bagnold eyed him seriously. "Are you married?"
Remus frowned. "No. Not… not anymore. My wife passed about a year ago."
The minister looked pleased. "Excellent. That certainly makes things easier."
Remus reeled back. "How is that a good thing?" he asked icily. "I loved her! She wasn't—"
"Wasn't your soulmate," the minister interrupted. "So she wasn't perfect for you."
That stung. Dora might not have been his soulmate, but he still loved her; a part of him always would. They'd been happy. And who was to say that the universe couldn't be wrong?
He reached out and grabbed the door handle. "I will not sit here and listen to you insult my family," he said, voice deathly quiet. "I don't care who you are, you do not get to say those things about my relationship with my wife."
Bagnold looked surprised for a second before lowering her eyes. "You're right, Mr. Lupin. I apologize. I was putting politics above personal feeling—a fault in many politicians, you'll find." She raised her head once more and put a hand on his knee. "Mr. Lupin, I think we should cut to the chase. I think it's in the world's best interest if you were to… expand your family."
Remus blinked, confused. He took his hand away from the door, but he was still wary of the conversation. "Excuse me?"
Bagnold's voice was soft. "We don't know that the aliens promise peace. All we know right now is that one of their most important members is soulmates with an Earthen man. If you were to act on this soulmate bond… well, I believe that it would be beneficial to both parties. The other world leaders seem to agree," she added.
She was waiting for him to say something, but his mind was a jumble of thoughts. He had an inkling of what she was trying to say, and it made chills run up his spine.
He laughed nervously. "It sounds an awful lot like you've all arranged a marriage for me."
She raised an eyebrow. "If Mr. Black agrees to it, then I daresay we have."
Remus felt faint. "You can't be serious," he rasped. "That's ridiculous. Don't I get a say in this?"
The minister's eyes flashed. "You have the chance to ensure peace, Mr. Lupin. Are you telling me that you would put yourself over the world?"
Remus' chest felt tight. "Of course not. But… but isn't there some other way to—"
"Our hands are tied, Mr. Lupin," she cut in. Minister Bagnold looked exhausted, and it struck Remus that maybe she didn't want to do this—maybe this was her last chance to ensure peace.
He felt guilty, then. It really was a small price to pay, in the grand scheme of things. "I need to think about this," he murmured. "You'll tell me what he says?"
She nodded, looking relieved. "I will."
"Daddy, your arm changed."
Three days. It had been three days since Remus had met his soulmate, and Teddy would not drop this question. Remus knew he would have to explain eventually, but he wasn't really sure how to. Teddy was too young to remember much of Dora, but he wanted him to see her as more than the woman who had birthed him. He wanted to make it clear that they'd all loved each other… but that Remus could still be with someone else.
Or maybe he was trying to convince himself of that.
Whatever the case, he sighed and sat down on his bed. They'd been confined to the apartment due to the press outside, and Remus had been forced to keep the shop closed. He smoothed Teddy's hair down—the same shade of brown as his—and kissed the little boy on the forehead.
"Yes, Teddy," he murmured. "It did. Because I… I found my soulmate."
Teddy looked at him with wide eyes. "But you don't look happy, Daddy."
Remus looked at him fondly, if a bit sadly. He couldn't explain that the pressure put upon him was taking its toll, he couldn't tell him that he was feeling the strain of a rushed relationship, that his bond no longer felt special because everyone had something to say about it—but he was glad that his little boy was so concerned. Empathy was a trait Remus wanted him to learn.
"I'm just nervous," he said softly. "A lot of people want this to work… and I'm not sure if it will."
Teddy was silent for a few moments. "Do you miss Mummy?"
That was the question he'd been waiting for, but it still struck him like a blow. He cradled the boy closer to his chest. "Of course I do, Teddy. But… it's okay if I… if I start to see other people, isn't it?"
Teddy frowned, confused, and Remus hurried to explain. "Mummy wants us to be happy, right? I love Mummy, I always will, but now it might be time for me to start loving someone else, too."
Teddy nodded slowly, still thinking it over. "Okay. But you'll still love Mummy?"
Remus' eyes softened. "I'll always love Mummy," he said sincerely.
Teddy considered that for a moment before nodding. Then he looked up at his father with a shy smile on his face. "Can I draw him a picture?"
Remus blinked. "Draw who a picture?"
Teddy shot him an unimpressed look. "Your soulmate."
Remus wasn't sure how they would deliver it—Sirius had agreed to the marriage, which was apparently normal in his culture, but Remus hadn't seen him since the landing. Still, he took it as a good sign that Teddy wanted to do something for him. "Of course you can."
Teddy scrambled off his lap and hurried into his bedroom, where his art supplies was. Remus let himself fall back on the mattress exhaling slowly. The news had come yesterday morning; he'd be married in a month. Technically, he could refuse… but he couldn't do that in good conscious. People were scared, and if this would ease their fears, how could he say no?
He was ripped from his musing by a knock on the door. He sat up, frowning. Government officials had come to keep the press off his property, so there shouldn't be anyone on his doorstep. Still, he reasoned, it could be the Longbottoms, or someone else important.
Sighing, he got to his feet and descended the stairs. When he pulled open the front door, he shielded his face against the flashing of cameras and squinted at his visitors.
A man with hazel eyes and messy black hair grinned at him. "Hullo. Moody told us we could get through. Are you Remus Lupin?"
Remus' eyes widened as he took in the strange clothes he'd seen once before. "Er, yes. I am." He winced at the noise of the crowd, and tried to smile at the three people on his doorstep. "Moody said you could come? Then please, come in."
He stepped aside so they could enter—the man and two other women—and quickly shut and locked the door behind them. He ran a hand through his hair before he turned around. "Sorry about that. What brings you here?" The smile he shot them was strained.
The man grinned. "Sirius was impatient. He wants to know what you're like."
Remus blinked. "He—oh." He tilted his head to the side. "Why didn't he—" Remus stopped himself and cleared his throat. "Er, you don't have to answer that."
The man laughed. "It's okay. He's getting briefed on your culture, so he doesn't accidentally do something… inappropriate when he's around you." He grinned. "I should warn you, we haven't been privy to such information."
Remus chuckled. "Well, I don't know anything about your culture either, so let's just agree to forgive each other for any offence, yeah?"
The man beamed. "Perfect. My name is James, by the way. This is my wife, Lily—" He gestured to the red-haired woman at his side. "—and this is Andromeda Tonks, Sirius' cousin."
Remus shook hands with each of them. "It's nice to meet you. My son is upstairs—have you heard about him, or am I going to have to explain all that again?" he asked warily, realizing that this could cause problems in their culture.
Lily smiled warmly at him, her green eyes sparkling. "Oh, we know about Teddy. Sirius is very excited to meet him—he's our son's godfather, who's Teddy's age. He gets along great with children."
Remus felt himself relax; he hadn't even realized that had been bothering him so much. "Well, that's certainly good to know," he murmured. He opened his mouth to say something—what, exactly, he wasn't sure—but another knock at the door stopped him.
Remus opened it to find Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the men assigned to guarding his house, outside.
"Hello, Remus," he said in his deep, low voice. "Alastor wanted me to… keep an eye on this meeting. Just in case."
Remus let him in without a word. He'd learned the previous day that arguing with Moody wasn't worth the effort. When Kingsley saw James and the others, he quickly introduced himself and stated his purpose.
Andromeda raised a dark brow. "You don't trust us?"
Kingsley laughed. "My superior doesn't trust anyone," he said placatingly. "Don't take it personally."
Remus hung back for a second while James asked Kingsley a few more questions. Lily noticed his efforts to fade into that background right away, though, and made her way over to him.
She pushed her red hair behind her ear. "The last few days have been crazy, haven't they? I mean, we found a new planet to—hopefully—live on, we've been immersed in a new culture… and you've just found out that your soulmate is from another galaxy. It must not have been easy."
Remus cleared his throat. He wasn't an open person, but he appreciated Lily's attempt to help. "Well, no. I didn't even know soulmarks could… I didn't know soulmates could be so far away."
Lily hummed in understanding. "We didn't either. It must have been shocking."
"I didn't expect it," Remus admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck. "How are you finding Earth? I don't know where you came from, but I'd wager things are quite a bit different there."
Lily laughed. "It is. But I like it here. It's a bit cooler, it's less crowded… It's a good place to raise a child."
Remus cocked his head to the side. "You mentioned a son Teddy's age. What's his name?"
Lily smiled. "Harry. He looks almost exactly like James. He's on the ship right now with Sirius' brother, Regulus. He's excited to meet you, too."
Remus turned to her in surprise. "Is he?"
Lily took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Of course. He adores Sirius, and you're the person the universe decided would love him unconditionally."
Remus opened and closed his mouth, searching for the words he needed to convey what he was feeling. "I… I want to get to know him," he began slowly, "because… well, because he's my soulmate. That's an idea I want to explore. But I want to make it clear that I'm not someone who can just jump into a relationship—we'll be married, I mean, but trusting each other…" He trailed off, unable to continue. There was a lump in his throat, and he suddenly wished Teddy was in his arms so he could hold him for comfort.
"It will come later," Lily finished. It was hard to place the look in her eye—it almost looked like a mixture of pride and triumph. "I understand perfectly. No one could expect any more from you."
Remus relaxed. It was as though a weight had been taken off his shoulders and he could breathe again. He smiled gratefully at Lily, hoping that it expressed all he was trying to convey. It must have, because she smiled back and patted his arm.
The moment was broken by James' exclamation. "This must be Teddy!"
Remus turned to see the boy in question freeze with wide eyes, startled to have everyone's attention so suddenly. Remus walked over and lifted him into his arms. "Yes, this is Teddy," he said, a proud smile on his face. "Teddy, this is—"
"Uncle James," James said, stepping forward and sticking out a hand. "Well, once your dad gets married, that is."
Remus raised a brow but didn't question the title. James hadn't introduced himself as Sirius' brother… but then again, Frank and Alice bore no relation to Remus and they were still Teddy's aunt and uncle.
"And this," James continued, "is Aunt Lily and, er… Andromeda, what are you? His cousin?"
The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Something like that." Her dark eyes latched onto Teddy. "Hello, Teddy. It's nice to meet you."
Teddy shifted shyly in Remus' arms. "Nice to meet you," he mumbled. The little boy's gaze drifted over to James. "Did you come on the ship?"
James grinned broadly. "I did! We flew a long way to get here."
Remus set Teddy down as he began questioning James about his trip to Earth. He straightened up to find Kingsley beckoning him over.
"Let's make them a proper Earth lunch, Lupin. I'm sure they can watch Teddy."
Remus glanced over at his son, his eyes softening when he saw how happy James looked to be talking to him. He turned back to Kingsley and nodded, following him into the kitchen upstairs.
Once he had shut the door behind him, Remus raised a brow at Kingsley. "We're not in here to make lunch, are we?"
The taller man hesitated, then shook his head regretfully. "No. But lunch would be nice."
Remus nodded and grabbed a couple peaches from the bowl on the table. He began cutting them up into slices, glad to have something to keep his hands busy while they talked; he had a feeling that his would be a heavy conversation.
Kingsley cleared his throat. "The media's having a field day. No one knew that a soulmate bond of this kind existed."
Remus hummed in response. "Neither did I."
"People are taking it as a good sign. If one of our one is bonded so intimately to one of them, then they can't all mean harm."
Remus glanced over at Kingsley. "I've already agreed to marry him," he said a bit stiffly. "You don't need to convince me of anything."
Kingsley frowned. "I'm not trying to. Lupin—may I call you Remus?"
Remus shrugged and nodded his approval. "Can I call you Kingsley?"
"Of course. Remus, I just… I wanted to tell you that I understand what service is."
Remus looked over at him sharply. "I don't know what you mean," he said slowly.
Kingsley ran a hand over his bald head, black eyes darting around the room. "I've spent many years fighting to protect the people of this country. I know how hard it can be to choose between what you want, and what others need. And in this case, it isn't fair that what they need comes at your expense."
Remus stopped cutting up the fruit, his heart in his mouth. This seemed somewhat different from his conversation with Lily; finally, someone was saying that they recognized what was happening was unfair. "Yeah?"
Kingsley sighed. "This isn't something I would wish for anyone, and I want to thank you for doing it."
Remus' hands were shaking. "I wouldn't put myself above others in that way."
"I know," Kingsley said heavily. "That's why I want it to work. I hope that this becomes more than obligation someday."
Remus ducked his head. "Thank you," he murmured.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you need," Kingsley told him solemnly, "I'll be here. Now, we'd better get back downstairs. Alastor will have my hide if he finds out I left them unsupervised."
Remus laughed a bit weakly, still caught off guard by the conversation. "I'll be down in a second."
Kingsley left him on his own, and Remus sank into a chair. This was all happening so fast, and he was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Maybe he needed to get out for a bit. Just take a moment for himself and… exist. No worrying, no expectations to fulfill…
But right now, he had guests to entertain. He made his way downstairs, carrying the food. He smiled when he saw Teddy and James still chattering away excitedly, Lily watching fondly, and Andromeda and Kingsley engaged in conversation. He ushered everyone into the back room, which was furnished with a table and a few comfortable chairs. As they ate, Remus felt himself unwind a bit. This wasn't so bad.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Andromeda looking at him, a soft smile on her face. "I thought we might discuss the wedding," she murmured.
The knot was back in his stomach. "Right," he mumbled. "What about it?"
Andromeda twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "What sort of customs do you have here?"
Remus thought about it a moment. "Well," he began slowly, "at my first wedding, we held a small ceremony. Friends and family attended. My wife and I exchanged rings, there was a small reception afterward. Then we went on our honeymoon."
Andromeda raised a brow curiously. "Rings?"
Remus held up his hand, where the plain gold band sat on his finger. "To show we're married to each other," he explained. He looked at it and smiled, memories flooding back.
"Ah." Andromeda nodded. She extended her arm and turned her palm up, showing Remus a dark symbol beneath her soulmark. "This is our version. Before the ceremony, the couple chooses a rune to represent them. They draw it on each other's arm during the union."
Remus tilted his head to the side, fascinated. He loved learning about other cultures, and as much as he wished the wedding was happening under different circumstances, he liked the idea of learning about his soulmate's.
Andromeda was watching him carefully. "You two should meet each other soon," she murmured.
Remus didn't let on how much the idea terrified him. He just smiled—because it was intriguing, the idea of meeting his soulmate at last. "I'd like that."
A week later, Remus was sitting on the floor on his bedroom, relaxing music playing in the background. His back was straight and his palm were flat on his knees. He breathed in deeply once, twice. He'd woken up early to have some time to himself before Teddy needed him; as the day of the wedding approached, the media became more crazy and his stress skyrocketed.
He exhaled slowly. In, and out. In, and out. He laid the facts out in his mind.
He was getting married to his soulmate in two weeks. His soulmate was a stranger. He would have to take off his wedding ring and put on a new one.
Really, it was that last one that had him in such a fix.
He was ready to move on from Dora; he'd always love her, but he could let someone else in. But taking off his ring… it felt almost like getting rid of her. Would Sirius want him to take down the pictures of her? Would all evidence of her vanish with his new life? He didn't know.
He sighed to himself. He just wanted his life to be normal again. He hated this fast pace, this constant guessing. He needed stability.
"Daddy?"
Remus jumped, the peace broken. He turned around to see his son, whose eyes were still heavy with sleep.
"Teddy?" He glanced at the clock—it was five thirty in the morning. "Why are you up so early?"
The little boy rubbed at his eyes. "Someone knocked."
Remus understood this to mean "someone is at the door" and got to his feet. "Okay, I'll take care of it. Go back to bed, okay?"
Teddy nodded and shuffled back into his room, nodding. Remus descended the stairs, ready to strangle whatever reporter had woken his son up. When he opened the door, however, there were no cameras trying to catch a glimpse—a good thing, too, because he hadn't changed out of his pajamas. No, standing on his doorstep was none other than Sirius Black. Remus' mouth went dry.
Sirius' lips quirked into a smile. "Good morning. Can I come in?"
Remus nodded, face flushing. He stood aside and let Sirius slip past him, then shut the door. "How—how did you get the reporters away?" he blurted suddenly.
Sirius shrugged. "That man… Moody. He did it, somehow. A diversion, I think." Sirius grinned. "He takes safety very seriously, doesn't he?"
Remus laughed. "That he does. What… what brings you here?"
Sirius leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. He was wearing human clothes—a leather jacket with the sleeves pushed up enough to show off his soulmark, ripped jeans, and dark boots. All he needed was a motorbike, Remus thought.
"I wanted to see you. We haven't gotten a chance to talk, yet." Grey eyes bore into him. "Were you sleeping? I think James said those were nightclothes."
Remus couldn't believe his misfortune. "Erm. Yes, they are, but… I wasn't sleeping. I just haven't changed yet."
Sirius smiled and nodded, but he seemed unsure of what to say next. Remus hated the awkward silence—this, he thought, was why soulmates shouldn't be forced. It was one thing to gradually build a bond with someone, but to be expected to have one right off the bat was making this harder than it had to be.
In a rare bout of careless confidence, Remus stuck his hand out. "Sirius—this is ridiculous. We'll be married in two weeks, but I just want to start over." He took a deep breath. "Hi. I'm Remus Lupin."
Sirius' grey eyes lit up, and it was one of the most beautiful things Remus had ever seen. He shook Remus' hand with great excitement. "Remus Lupin, it's nice to meet you. I'm Sirius Black, and I think you might be my soulmate." His eyes twinkled as he leaned in to whisper in Remus' ear. "But there's something I should tell you before we do anything too serious."
Remus looked at him in surprise, trying to ignore the goosebumps popping up along his arms and neck. "Oh? What's that?"
Sirius grinned wickedly. "I'm an alien. So, forgive me when I say that you're out of my world."
Sirius waggled his eyebrows, and Remus couldn't help but snort and burst into laughter. It wasn't the pickup line he was used to hearing, but it was much more kid-friendly—something he wouldn't mind Teddy hearing. In all honesty, he liked this one better.
"Oh, good!" Sirius was glowing. "'Laugh often, long and hard. Laugh until you're gasping for breath'—that's what Dad always says. Regulus thought you wouldn't like it; I told him that was ridiculous."
Shoulders still shaking from laughing, Remus hurried to reassure him. "No, no, it was great. It's been a while since anyone has said anything of the sort to me, you see."
Sirius slung an arm around Remus' shoulders, surprising him. He was a fan of contact, it seemed. "Well, hopefully I'll be the last person to say things like that to you, Remus."
Remus shook his head slightly. Those words were bold and full of confidence, but Remus found that he didn't much mind. He recognized it for the teasing it was.
The moment shattered when the stairs creaked behind them. Both men turned around to see Teddy peering curiously at them.
Remus smiled and beckoned him over. Teddy obeyed cautiously, a suspicious eye trained on Sirius. Remus ruffled his son's hair as the little boy came to hide behind his father's legs. "Teddy, this is Sirius." He looked over at his soulmate. "Sirius, this is Teddy, my son."
To say he wasn't a bit nervous would be a lie—the thought that one of them might reject the other scared him to death. How would he make a marriage work if his son hated his stepfather—or vice versa? But as it turned out, Remus needn't have worried.
Sirius crouched down so he was level with Teddy and smiled softly. "Hi, Teddy. I think you'll be seeing a lot of me in the future—" He winked. "—and I'm excited to get to know you and your dad."
Teddy squirmed slightly, but Remus could tell that some of his nerves were draining away. "Are you gonna marry my daddy?"
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I am."
Teddy thought about this for a moment. "Okay. Can you play Go Fish?"
Sirius frowned slightly confused. "Er… What's Go Fish?"
Remus put a hand on his son's shoulder, halting the oncoming explanation that would only make Sirius more confused. "I'll explain it to him, son. Didn't you make something for Sirius? Why don't you go get that?"
Teddy's face lit up. "Yeah! I drawed him a picture!"
"Drew," Remus couldn't help correcting as his son raced upstairs.
"Drew!" Teddy shouted over his shoulder, then disappeared into his bedroom.
Sirius stood up and chuckled. "Cute kid."
Remus smiled fondly. "Thanks. He's… still figuring this whole thing out. It's hard to grasp at his age. And it wasn't all that long ago that..." He trailed off.
Sirius was understanding. "I know. If… if you're not ready for this—"
"No, I'm ready to move on," Remus promised. "I have been, for a while. I just didn't expect to get to marriage so quickly." He turned to Sirius, realizing that now was the perfect time to voice his fears. He worried his lip slightly, hesitated, and then spoke. "Listen, Sirius… I'm not going to pretend that my wife never existed. I may not wear the ring on my finger, but I'm going to keep it with me. I'm going to keep her pictures up, too—Teddy needs to know his mother, and I need to remember my wife."
Sirius stepped forward and put his hands on Remus' shoulders. "I'm not going to ask you to do that. I don't have any problem with the fact that you were married—you wouldn't have Teddy otherwise, and that kid is special. I'm not jealous of your wife—well, maybe only because she got to you first," Sirius admitted a bit sheepishly. Remus laughed weakly. Sirius grinned. "She obviously had good taste."
Remus could feel himself blushing and was saved from having to answer by the reappearance of Teddy, who was excitedly brandishing a piece of paper.
"Look!" he said delightedly. He held up the picture, revealing three colorful, clumsily-drawn figures in front of a house. "Look, Sirius! This is me—" He pointed to the smallest figure, which had cerulean blue hair; a fantasy of Teddy's after seeing pictures of Dora that Remus would only allow once his son was a teenager. "—and this one is Daddy. He's got books. This is you!"
Remus peered at the picture, smiling when he saw a hastily-drawn Sirius, which must have been a new addition, seeing as he'd only met the man that morning. In the drawing, Teddy was standing in between Sirius and Remus. All three of them were smiling.
Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance. Thank you, Remus mouthed, hoping Sirius realized this was his response to their earlier conversation. Sirius flashed him a grin and then went on to praise Teddy's picture, making the small boy glow with pride.
This was a future he could see himself having. For the first time, he wasn't just hoping things would turn out right—he was starting to believe it.
"Are you ready?"
It was two days after their first official meeting, and somehow Sirius, after learning of the custom, had convinced Remus to go on date. It had been years since Remus had done anything of the sort, and this time there would be press trying to sneak a photo—and it was raining.
Remus looked at Sirius nervously. "Are you sure you want to do this? They're not going to respect our privacy."
Sirius straightened his red tie, then reached over to fix Remus' champagne-colored one. "We can do this," Sirius said stubbornly, confidently. "Just push them out of your mind."
Remus exhaled slowly, preparing himself to leave the house. "Okay," he murmured. "Let's do this."
Sirius grinned and began messing with the umbrella, trying unsuccessfully to open it. Remus took it from him, opened it, and place it firmly over both their heads. Sirius laughed and took Remus' arm. They opened the door.
"Smile and wave," Sirius whispered in his ear, doing just that. "Just smile and wave."
They hurried to get to the car the Ministry had sent for them, and Remus breathed a sigh of relief once the doors were closed. Sirius was watching him closely, so Remus shot him a smile.
"It'll be easier after the wedding," he mumbled. "I don't… do well as the center of attention."
Sirius nodded. "Right. If this is too much—"
"I want to do this," Remus interrupted firmly.
Remus was no homebody—he enjoyed the occasional risk, and was going stir-crazy from his time spent inside—but this was decidedly outside of his comfort zone. Moody had warned the two of them that there would be a lot of pictures on social media of their night, and as much as Remus hated the idea of something so intimate shared to the world, this was something he wanted to do. So he'd stick through it, and try not to make a complete fool of himself.
As it turned out, he'd hoped in vain.
The rain had let up when they got to the restaurant, but the puddles left behind seemed determined to throw themselves at Remus whenever a bike of car rode by. His jeans were soaked by the time they were seated, and though Sirius hadn't escaped unscathed, Remus' stomach was already twisted in knots.
It was a small comfort that they had kept the date mostly casual, opting to get pizza over another, fancier meal. While they waited for their food, Sirius asked Remus multiple questions about the culture, which Remus happily answered to take his mind off things. When their waitress returned with the drinks, someone's child came running through the crowded aisles and slammed into her accidentally. She yelped and tried to regain her balance, but it was too late—Remus got a faceful of the stuff. She apologized profusely to both he and Sirius, who was startled and concerned, and Remus hurriedly assured her that it was fine, it wasn't her fault. He grabbed a napkin and dried his face off, trying to ignore the phone cameras that the other patrons thought they were aiming discreetly.
Their meal was free, at least, after that disaster. It was a good thing, really, since Remus was the only one who had the right currency to pay, and his hands were shaking too much to sign the bill. The actual meal was mostly fine—there were too many cameras still for his taste, but he mostly forgot them as he taught Sirius how to at the pizza and made small talk.
They stood up to leave. Remus waited for Sirius to make his way around the table, only to fall victim to another toddler running rampant. This time, the ice cream cone the child had been holding had smashed against Remus' shirt, uncomfortably cold. He doubled over in surprise, while the little boy looked at his ruined dessert and started bawling. Remus looked around desperately for the boy's parents, and barely resisted the urge to shout at them when he saw them wide-eyed and snapping pictures.
He crouched down and tried to smile. "Hey, hey, don't worry—I'll buy you another one, okay? We'll get this fixed."
Remus called over a waiter and retrieved some cash from his pocket, with the instructions to give the little boy another cone, and to keep the leftover change. As soon as he'd done that, he grabbed Sirius' hand and high-tailed it out of the building, face burning and feeling miserable.
He was heading for the Ministry car, Sirius following behind him. He threw himself into the backseat and dropped his head into his hands. He heard Sirius get in beside him, but the other man didn't say anything. After a moment, Remus pulled out his phone and began scrolling through different media sites. He groaned when he saw his face plastered across the page.
The driver had his own phone out, and Remus saw him throw a pitying glance his way. Great.
Sirius pried the phone from his fingers and inexpertly looked through the posts. Remus slumped in his seat.
"Anyone else want to forget about today?" he asked the car in general, letting out a disbelieving laugh. "Anyone?"
Sirius frowned. "It wasn't that bad…" he began.
Remus snorted. "That was the worst date I've ever been on, and I've always had a special talent for screwing them up." His eyes widened when he realized what he'd said. "Oh—not because of you—I just meant—"
Sirius let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "I know what you meant." He asked the driver to pull over, much to Remus' confusion. "And you didn't let me finish, Remus. There were some… unfortunate situations, let's say, but I still had fun."
Some of the tension left Remus. He began tugging off his tie and shrugged off his dress shirt, revealing his undershirt, then sent Sirius a small smile. "Dinner was nice, yeah."
Sirius grinned. "I have an idea." He climbed out of the car and beckoned Remus to follow him. Remus shrugged at the driver and followed his soulmate outside. Sirius was sitting on the hood of the car and patted the space next to him. Remus climbed up, careful not to scratch anything.
Sirius' long black hair was blowing in the slight breeze. He laced his fingers through Remus' and pointed at the horizon with his free hand. "There. Have you ever seen a more beautiful sunset?"
Remus looked over at the orange and purple sky, watching the colors reach towards and eventually disappear into the light. A sense of calm washed over him. "It's amazing," he agreed.
"We didn't have sunsets like this on our planet," Sirius admitted. He seemed entranced by the scene in front of him. "We were further away from our sun, and tilted differently. They were smaller—seemed like they were over in a second."
"That's a shame," Remus murmured.
Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "It's interesting, what you don't realize you're missing out on until something better comes along." He looked Remus in the eye pointedly. "That's why I want to take this chance with you."
Remus ducked his head, overcome with emotion. "I'm a bit lost, Sirius," he said honestly. "I don't know how to do this."
"Neither do I," Sirius said easily. "The question is, do you want to try?"
Remus ran a hand through his hair. He was quiet for a long moment, thinking. This had started out as obligation—something he was doing not for himself, but for the world. Now though? He'd met Sirius, befriended him… Now he wanted to see where the future took them.
"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I do."
Sirius' grin was broad and lit up his entire face. "Brilliant."
They watched the first few stars come out in silence, comfortable in each other's company. Suddenly, Sirius said, "You don't have to do this alone."
Remus smiled. "I know."
"A toast!" James shouted, hazel eyes twinkling as he held up his glass. "To Remus and Sirius, the hay couple!"
A shout sounded around them and broke off into cheers, and Remus rolled his eyes when Sirius lifted his own glass to them. The wedding had gone wonderfully, and the reception (kid-friendly, at Remus' insistence) was in full swing.
Sirius kept looking happily down at the ring on his finger, which gave Remus a fuzzy feeling in his chest. His husband had loved the tradition, and had been extremely excited to put the ring on Remus' finger.
Remus took a bite of chocolate cake and looked down at his wrist. The symbol for love had been painted there. Sirius had chosen it, and Remus was happy to comply. That wasn't the only new tradition for Remus, though—a white ribbon connected his left hand with Sirius' right, and it would remain there throughout the night. Remus wasn't sure how well that would work out, but he was willing to give it a try.
The sun was shining through the windows, lighting up the room. Remus and Sirius' friends and family were all there—though not Sirius' biological family, he'd learned, save for his brother. The ceremony had been filmed, but the Ministry agreed to keep this moment private, for which Remus was grateful.
There was a tap on his knee, and he looked down to see Teddy grinning up at him. Remus smiled and picked his son up and dropped him onto his lap.
Sirius saw and grinned. "Teddy! Having fun?"
Teddy nodded excitedly, the tinfoil hat Sirius jokingly made for him hours ago still perched on his head. "Uh-huh! Uncle James said I was going to sleep over with Harry." He twisted to look at his father. "Am I, Daddy?"
Remus shared a look with Sirius. "Er, yes. And some of the morning, too."
Teddy bounced up and down excitedly. "Yay! I'm gonna go find him." He wiggled out of Remus' grasp and in the process knocked into Remus' glass of water—Sirius managed to catch it before it tipped over. His grey eyes were filled with amusement as he mouthed to Remus first date.
Remus glared at him.
Teddy looked guiltily up at his father and step-father. "Sorry."
Remus huffed out a laughed and ruffled his son's hair. He planted a kiss on his temple and said, "It's all right. I love you. Now, why don't you go find Harry or Neville—I'm sure they'd love to play."
Teddy nodded happily and hugged his father. After a moment, he ran around to squeeze Sirius, too. The other man was extremely touched. Then the little boy scampered off, Remus and Sirius watching him protectively until he reached an adult they trusted.
Sirius leaned over to Remus. "We could sneak out now, you know. Tell Lily to get Teddy, and just… leave."
Remus paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Sirius, I haven't finished my cake yet."
He'd meant it seriously, but that didn't stop the other man from bursting out laughing. "You and your cake," he said fondly.
Remus looked at him, affronted. "It's good cake! It would be a shame to waste it."
Sirius shook his head. He pecked Remus on the cheek and whispered, "I'm never letting you go. You know that, right? You're stuck with me."
Remus took another bite of cake. The pace they were going was a fast one, but this felt undeniably right. And if it got to be too much, then they would talk about that. But for now, Remus was happy to be stuck with the man at his side.
He squeezed Sirius' hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
A/N:
Writing Club:
Assorted Appreciation: 9. Easter Bonnets — Write about a child making something
Disney Challenge: Themes 2. Wealth — alt. Write about someone really poor
Trope of the Month: 2. Teddy Lupin
Book Club: Foaly — (trait) paranoia, (item) tinfoil, (word) homebody
Showtime: 1. Food, Glorious Food — peaches
Amber's Attic: 9. "Laugh often, long and hard. Laugh until you're gasping for breath."
Em's Emporium: 6. Alt. Write a story in consecutive order
Liza's Lodes: 9. Write about someone meditating
Angel's Arcade: 13. Ibuki — (color) cerulean blue, (plot point) wanting to live a normal life, (emotion) relieved, (dialogue) "Let's do this."
Lo's Lowdown: Characters 5. Mycroft — umbrella
Bex's Basement: Vision — 3. "It's all right. I love you."
Film Festival: 9. (setting) book shop; 10. (action) playing cards
Auction: Alien!AU
Fortnightly:
Space Stuff: 8. Uranus' Tilt — alt. Write about Teddy Lupin
Chinese Zodiac: 7. Horse — (trait) stubborn, (color) red, (word) star, (weather) sunny
Constellation Club: Lynx - Alpha Lyncis — (character) Kingsley Shacklebolt
Easter Funfair: Working Bees - "Smile and wave, just smile and wave.", Andromeda Tonks, JamesLily
Insane House Challenge: 53. Alice Longbottom
365 Words: 64. Attractive
Scavenger Hunt: 87. Write something that exceeds 5,000 words
Seasonal Challenge:
Days of the Year: 14 April — Write about arriving somewhere new
Spring: Dialogue 6. "Have you ever seen a more beautiful sunset?"
Colors: 9. Champagne
Birthstones: 3. Pearl — "Anyone else want to forget about today? Anyone?"
Flowers: 9. Iris — (theme) hope
Earth: 21. "You don't have to do this alone."
Amanda's Challenge: Fandoms 3. Riverdale — alt. Write a story involving a small town
Hufflepuff Challenge: Traits 8. Loyal
Star Chart: 3. March 27th — "I'm never letting you go."
Gym: Level 1: Sit ups - Write at least 500 words in the genre romance