Remus stumbled into his childhood home in Surrey, closing the door behind him.
"Papa?" He called out. "Je suis ici," He added, setting down his sole bag. "Where is this man," He muttered under his breath, walking past his mother's old dusty piano and into the kitchen. Everything appeared normal. Tea kettle on the stove, newspapers strewn about…only Remus noticed a pet bowl on the ground, filled with water. He narrowed his eyes. Had his father picked up yet another stray cat? Animals didn't exactly like Remus—the past three cats the Lupin family had vanished within a few weeks.
"Dad, where are you?" Remus called out, this time in English. He heard footsteps from upstairs, and then a familiar voice shouted:
"J'arrive! I'm coming!"
Lyall Lupin, tall and gangly like his son, bounded down the stairs.
"Oh Remus, I'm so sorry to hear about the job," Lyall began, wrapping his arms around his son. "It's entirely unfair," he added, clearly alluding to Remus' untimely departure from Hogwarts. Remus smiled softly.
"It's okay—really. I taught Harry and quite a few others some useful bits of magic, and now I have savings—it's what I expected. At least no one was hurt," He added darkly, removing himself from his father's embrace. "Dad…did you get a cat?"
"Un chat?" Lyall repeated, then shook his head. "No, of course not—cats hate you. I've merely been fostering a dog these past few weeks," He said with a smile. "You do like dogs, do you not?"
Remus shrugged. "Depends on the dog. Still, you can't just go picking up stray animals," Remus insisted. "Who is helping you take care of this thing?" He asked.
"Oh, but Remus, this is a very special dog," Lyall told his son very seriously. "Feeds itself, bathes itself, walks itself—I think he's out in the yard—let me get him, you make yourself at home." Lyall exited through the kitchen into the backyard, and Remus took a seat at the kitchen table, twiddling his thumbs. Just then, he heard a sort of noise coming through the cellar door. Odd, Remus remarked, But perhaps just another stray?
Eventually, Lyall came back in, leaving the door open behind him. A large black dog barreled through into the Lupin kitchen, and Remus stood up instantly, eyes wide. The dog pounced on Remus, causing the werewolf to fall to the floor as Lyall chuckled. The large dog licked Remus incessantly.
"Surprise!" Lyall called out. "An old friend!"
Before long, the dog began to turn into a man—and not just any man. This dog was Padfoot: otherwise known as Sirius Black.
"Pads, get off," Remus said, pushing away Sirius and sitting upright. He glared at both Sirius and his father.
"This is not funny," Remus insisted, brushing himself off. "Padfoot, you've got to be—"
"Crazy?" Sirius quipped. "Well, I suppose I am. About bloody time you show up—moon's tomorrow. This one won't be easy, either—months of wolfsbane and you might have forgotten what's it like."
"I have not forgotten," Remus said cooly, getting to his feet as Sirius did the same. "You can't be here—or have you forgotten that you're on the run?" Remus asked rhetorically, and then pursed his lips. "Come to think of it, where on earth have you been keeping that Hippogriff?"
"The cellar!" Lyall cheered. "Don't worry, we'll move him before tomorrow. Speaking of which," Lyall added, "I should go feed him, and leave you two…alone," He suggested, winking at the boys. Remus nearly groaned, and Sirius merely laughed.
"It's been the perfect hiding place, and I can even help you tomorrow—like old times. That is…" Sirius drifted off. "If you'll have me? I know we didn't get much time to talk—"
"Of course I'll have you," Remus said nonchalantly. "I'll need all the help I can get. Although, I must say…" Remus began, feeling much more calmed down—yet with plenty of questions. "I have something I must do." Sirius looked confused.
"Oh?" He asked. Remus places a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Sirius Black," He began, "I must break up with you. Long distance has just not been working out, and you've let yourself go," Remus chuckled. Sirius let out a dry laugh.
"Merlin, Moony—how rude. You've got a point, though—it's bad news when I can fit into your clothes," The floppy-haired man teased. "We never broke up, earlier?" He asked. Remus shook his head.
"Didn't find the time—I was undercover, you were being whisked off to Azkaban…timing didn't seem right."
"And the timing now?' Sirius asked. "No trying to make it work?" He joked with his long-time beau. Remus rolled his eyes.
"We both need to figure out what to do with our lives, now that we've got them," Remus said somewhat seriously. "And don't you think you'll be living here long term—foster dog, my arse. I thought my father was serious for a minute. Look," Remus said, grabbing Sirius' hand. "I'll always love you. We'll always be something more than friends. But we might just need to leave the romance behind—after all, you've got a godson to be a role model for. You can't go sleeping around with werewolves—"
"Just one werewolf, Sirius interjected. "And of course, you're right—I spent so many years forgetting who I am…I need a friend to remind me." Remus placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"And you have one," Remus assured. "And you are a great friend to me—coming here, risking your life just to help me—it's more than I could ask of anyone."
"Which is why you didn't ask," Sirius chuckled. "Besides, I'm not just here for you—I haven't seen Lyall in years. It was his idea to lay out a dog bowl and make you think he got a dog. He's cleverer than I think we ever gave him credit for."
Remus laughed. "Maybe than you ever gave him credit for—I've known his strengths for—" Remus was cut off when Sirius pecked him on the lips. Remus stared blankly ahead, then turned to his friend. "Sirius, what—"
"A goodbye kiss," He insisted. "I know, I know…just friends. But Remus, you can't leave a man—"
Remus wrapped his arm around Sirius' head, pulling him into a kiss—a real one, passionate. The floppy-haired man leaned in, hearing a chuckle—one that he assumed came from Remus.
"You boys…"
Remus pulled away from the kiss, cheeks turning red. Lyall had snuck up from the cellar. Sirius laughed and rubbed the werewolf's head.
"One last kiss—your son broke up with me," He fake pouted. Remus rolled his eyes, and Lyall closed the door to the cellar, eyes twinkling.
"Remus…tsk tsk," He said, shaking his head. "You can't lead people on."
"Lead people," Remus scoffed. "I do no such thing—"
"—yes, you do," Sirius insisted. "But it was my fault, Mr. Lupin. I stirred the pot. We're going to be 'just friends' while we figure out who we even are anymore," he stated. Lyall looked on approvingly.
"A mature choice—but I must ask that you not be awkward with each other. We are all eating tonight and I won't stand for eating in silence...Not like that other time."
Sirius laughed, and Remus chuckled.
"Mr. Lupin," Sirius began, "Your son has broken up with me…how many times Remus?"
"At least five times," Remus said softly. "Once before fifth year, one during, again before sixth year, once after we graduated and…" Remus pursed his lips. "I guess now? Does that sound correct?"
"You tried to break up with me while you were undercover, but we won't count that," Sirius insisted. "It was always the same," Sirius began, clearing his throat. "'Sirius, you deserve someone better. Sirius, you ought to be more selfish. Sirius, you don't want me…' this might be the only one I can actually see as reasonable—"
"—Point is," Remus interjected, "Not awkward." Lyall rolled his eyes. It sounded like his son, alright.
This would, inevitably, be the last time the two boys broke up. Sirius would leave in a few days and traipse around the country. Remus would start putting his life back together. Both realized it would be the last time at different moments: Sirius knew when Remus visited him at his aunt and uncle Tonks'. His little cousin, Tonks, was there, and Sirius saw her look at Remus like he had seen no other do. Upon closer inspection, he saw Remus averting his gaze as much as possible—a sure sign of his feelings. Sirius couldn't be jealous, even if he had a right to be. Tonks was perfect for his old pal, and he would spend his remaining years trying to prove it.
Remus, however, was slower to realize it was truly over—after all, he had broken up with Sirius many times before. But it wasn't until a conversation with his future wife that he really figured it out. Both had become members of the new Order, and after a meeting one day Tonks pulled Remus aside.
"I love you, Remus," Tonks said plainly. "And I know you love me too."
Remus looked dumbfounded.
"I…Dora…" He said quietly, then sighed. "Yes, I love you, but you can't—"
"I've come prepared," She said, whipping out a sheet of paper from her pocket. "My dear cousin has instructed me on all the ways you push people away, so let's see here…" She peered at the first item on the list. Sirius did not have the best handwriting.
"So, you'll tell me I deserve someone better—that's just untrue. You are the best. I'm not going to find someone better." Remus looked at her intently but didn't interrupt. He wanted to see where this went. Tonks took that as a sign to continue.
"Right, then you'd tell me I should be more selfish. Well, that's just rubbish—it's selfish of me to take you off the market. You're an eligible bachelor—" Remus snorted. Tonks raised her eyebrow.
"Eligible bachelor…sure," Remus joked. "Alright, go on."
"Well, next you're going to tell me that I don't want you—also untrue, and how rude! I think I would know what I want. I do want you—I want your scars, I want to be in your life, I want to be with you for everything—"
"—you can't—"
"I will. You've got the potion now—"
"And what, you want to hang out with a wolf?" Remus spat.
"I want to be with you," Tonks insisted. "Which, then gets to the next point on this list…we don't need to figure out our lives. We have them, they are moving in the same direction. That was the only real excuse you ever had, and it doesn't work here."
Remus paused, and felt tears welling up. Here was a beautiful woman, whom he loved, countering every point he had ever thought to make as to why they couldn't be together. Tonks could see him deep in thought.
"Remus? What are you—"
Remus grabbed Dora and kissed her like he had never kissed anyone else. They remained in that embrace for a moment, before Remus gently pulled away.
"If you truly want me, I will have you. But I wouldn't blame you if…you know…"
"Remus, you are so thick sometimes," Dora chuckled, kissing Remus again. That's when Remus heard a very man-like chuckle. He groaned.
"Padfoot! Bugger off!"
And when Sirius actually did 'bugger off,' that's when Remus knew he had found the love of his life: Nymphadora Tonks.