Sirius stepped inside and looked around at the garish furnishings of the Muggle shop. The air felt thick and moist, and the scent of sandalwood seemed to waft from every object. Brightly colored posters lined the walls and pink and purple paisley color drapes and cushions shocked the eye with their vibrant and swirling patterns. The shelves were lined with ikons and paraphernalia-a combination of incomprehensible Muggle whatsits and legitimate magical tools. He recognized the crystal balls and the several sets of Tarot decks, none with moving images, though. The clicking of beads alerted him to Remus' presence as he stepped through the strands of dangling beads from a back room. Remus froze when he saw him.

Going for a show a nonchalance, Sirius grinned, casting a look askance around the shop. "So this is where you work?"

The long moment of silence that followed eventually made Sirius shift awkwardly, shoving his hands into his pockets and casting about for something else to break the tension. But before he could form words, the shock seemed to drain from Remus and he stepped forward, watching Sirius warily.

"I help out from time to time. Run the till. Do a few readings now and then." Remus gestured at one of the decks sitting on the counter.

"Really?" Sirius raised a skeptical brow and smirked. "I didn't think anyone actually used Divs outside of school."

Remus huffed a laugh and spread his hands in a self-deprecating gesture. "We all have our gifts. My readings are quite sought after, really."

"By Muggles?"

"Yes, why not? Wizards don't have the monopoly on wanting to find easy answers."

Sirius sauntered forward and leaned against the counter. Tapping his finger against the deck, he grinned up at Remus. "Do me, then?"

His eyes crinkled, though Remus ignored the suggestive comment, folding his arms on the counter and giving Sirius an amused, speculative look. "Do you have a question?"

"What do the Muggles ask?"

"The usual things, Sirius. They're just people too, you know."

"I know." Sirius cast his eyes down, flushing a little at the reprimand in Remus' voice, but Remus took pity on him and nudged his hand.

"They ask about money, jobs, problems with their families." He grinned. "But mostly about love."

Sirius grinned back, his eyes gleaming with humor. "So you can predict my love life?"

"The cards can," Remus answered with mock seriousness.

"Then show me. Tell me about love."

Deftly, Remus shuffled the cards then pushed the stack toward Sirius. "Cut the deck."

Sirius lifted off the top half of the cards and set them next the bottom pile. A small smile playing around his lips, Remus combined the two halves again and began to lay out the pattern.

By the time the last card was turned over, Sirius had dropped his head into his hands and made a sound like a pitiful whimper. Remus laughed.

"So you do know your Divs, then."

Sirius raised rueful eyes to Remus. "I think you stacked the deck."

"It's not so bad."

"Not so bad?" Sirius snorted. "I may as well throw myself off of a bridge now. Save myself the trouble."

"Now now. There's always a chance to change things. You know, for someone who doesn't believe in all this, you certainly seem to be taking it to heart," Remus teased.

Returning the grin, Sirius shook his head. "Never said I didn't believe, just that I didn't think anyone bothered with it outside of school. Besides..." He deliberately held Remus' gaze. "I was rather hoping for a turn around in my love life."

Remus flushed, fumbling the cards in his hands then hastily regathering them.

"You want me to do another spread?"

"No." Sirius' eyes flicked down to the tempting curve at the corner of Remus' mouth. "Unless it's you spread across this counter." Their eyes met again for a charged moment, and then they both lunged forward. His hands wound through Remus' hair and pulled him into a hot, open-mouthed kiss that they both moaned into. The counter dug into his hipbones as he pressed as close as he could, tilting his head the better to slide his tongue deep into Remus' mouth. Remus met him just as fervently, opening up to the kiss and running his fingers across the broad sweep of Sirius' shoulders.

They were panting hard when they finally broke away, and Remus stepped back away from the counter. "We can't. Customers."

"No one's here," Sirius protested, his heavy-lidded look of lust not straying from Remus for an instant.

"Shit." Remus pulled his wand out of his pocket and cast a quick charm at the door. It locked with an audible click and the blinds shuttered down.