One table sat in the middle of a kitchen clean of dirty dishes since no one ever cooked there, but riddled with dust and stacked with rubbish which mostly consisted of Thai take-out containers. The table had two mismatched chairs, and in those two chairs sat Remus and Sirius, and on the table between the two wizards sat two glasses of firewhiskey.
"Drink," Remus said, pointing to the glass closer to Sirius. He sat cross armed and cross legged, his shoulders hunched close together and his elbows resting on his knees.
"I can't believe that's true. You actually spent a summer in Saudi Arabia," Sirius said as he picked up his glass of firewhiskey and took a large swig. He leaned back in his chair with his arms behind his head and his legs outstretched. He smiled good-naturedly at his companion.
"I've been to quite a few places, actually," Remus said.
"Looking for cures?"
"No," Remus frowned. "My mother loved to travel. Not everything revolves around my lycanthropy, you know."
"Fine, it's your turn," Sirius said.
Remus rolled a piece of his shirt sleeve between two fingers and looked up to the right. "Before you were old enough for Hogwarts," his eyes moved to Sirius's face, "what was your favorite game to play with your brother?"
"Never had one. My parents frowned on anything too frivolous." Remus's eyes bore into Sirius's.
"Liar."
"Damn," Sirius picked up his drink again and drained it. Remus stood up to grab the bottle of Ogden's and handed it to Sirius.
"Do you wish you had a brother?"
Remus sat down and leaned forward. His eyes met Sirius's. "No, I always thought with the whole being a werewolf thing, it was lucky my parents never wanted another child. Dangerous having a baby and a werewolf in one house, isn't it?"
Sirius narrowed his eyes. Remus had often mentioned to Sirius that he wished his parents had another child. Had Sirius asked him because he thought he already knew the answer?
"True," Sirius said.
How much had Sirius thought he changed since Hogwarts?
Remus shook his head, "It's like you don't know me at all, anymore."
Sirius drained another glass, no longer good naturedly. "When did you get to be such a good liar?"
Remus ignored him, "What's something you've always wanted for Christmas, but never received?"
"I always got what I wanted. My family's the richest wizarding family in Britain." Sirius filled his glass again.
"Lies, both of them." Remus pulled his feet up onto his chair and wrapped his arms around his legs. Sirius reached passed his full glass for the rest of the bottle and finished it off.
"There's another one in the cabinet." Sirius wiped at his mouth, and Remus stood up to retrieve it.
"Are you trying to get me drunk?"
"Yes," Remus said.
"True."
"Lie."
Sirius groaned, "No, you have to be lying."
"Sirius, you're the one who wanted to play this game, you're the one who's supposed to be on call for Order troubles tonight, and you're the one who insisted you needed me in your kitchen for some dire emergency. Why would I want to get you drunk?"
"Don't know," He took a sip of firewhiskey, no longer willing to drain the glass in one go.
"What's your biggest regret?" Remus asked. His voice was soft, and the lines on his face suggested a frown.
"You remember that one mission James and I had last year?" Sirius looked down and crossed his arms.
"The one where James didn't talk to you for a week afterward?"
"Yeah, well I did something that almost got us both killed."
Remus studied Sirius and thinking of Regulus said, "That's true but not your biggest regret."
Sirius smiled. He opened and closed his mouth, paused, then frowned. He picked up his glass and sipped.
Remus looked down at the table. He was definitely no longer enjoying the game. Though, he never really had to begin with.
"Is there anything you wouldn't do to no longer be a werewolf?"
Remus's head snapped up. If Sirius hadn't been so intoxicated, he might have read the signs written plainly across Remus's face as dangerous. Remus was tired, he was angry, and he was hurt.
"No," Remus lied, "I would do anything."
"True."
Remus narrowed his eyes and tugged his knees closer to his chest. Remus never said if he was right or not, but the silence between them went on so long and became so tense that Sirius took another sip of firewhiskey anyway.
"So, what wouldn't you do to get rid of the curse?"
"It's not your turn," Remus said. He paused, then asked, "Do you ever wish I wasn't a werewolf?"
Sirius swallowed. If he were sober, he would have ended the game. He would have understood that Remus was exhausted of the questions, of Sirius drinking, of repeatedly being misunderstood, and that he didn't really want an answer to the question. Sirius was not sober, but even drunk, Sirius recognized a question with too many wrong answers.
"It doesn't matter to me."
"That's not what I asked." Remus was no longer looking at Sirius. He was staring at his knees praying that Sirius would just let the whole game drop.
"No," Sirius said.
"I don't want to play anymore."
"Why? Because you don't know if I'm lying and don't want to have to drink? Or is it because you don't want to know the answer? You didn't have to ask it."
Remus rested his chin on his knees, "I know you're telling the truth."
Sirius took another sip, and said so viciously that Remus winced, "What wouldn't you do to cure your lycanthropy?"
Remus considered telling the truth, that he wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, but he knew Sirius really was supposed to be available for order emergencies that night, and if something came up, Remus would likely have to take care of it, so he lied instead.
"I wouldn't want to give up my magic."
"True," Sirius smirked. "Drink up."
"No."
Sirius's eyes snapped up to meet Remus's. "But – your magic. No."
"Five minutes ago, you thought there was nothing I wouldn't do to be rid of it."
"I hadn't even considered giving up magic." Sirius sipped his drink and watched Remus. He might have been thoughtful if he hadn't been so drunk.
Remus paused, thinking about his next question. There was no use in trying to give up the game. Sirius would want to keep playing until he made Remus drink as much as Sirius had, or until he passed out.
"What's your most valuable possession?"
"Motor bicycle."
"Are you forgetting about your wand?"
Sirius put his head in his hand, but then looked up. "Well, which do you think it is? Motor bike or wand. Guess wrong and drink."
"Your wand, obviously."
Sirius reached for his glass and sipped, "Have you ever been approached by Voldemort to join the Death Eaters?"
Remus sat up straight, "No, of course not."
He looked at Sirius, shocked by the question.
"Why would he approach me? Maybe if he knew… But how could he?" Remus rubbed at his shoulder, not comfortable with the question, and preparing himself to explain to Sirius that no, he would not be taking a drink.
"Liar."
"What?" Remus's hand fell to his lap. He interlaced his fingers together.
"Liar." Sirius's eyes met Remus's.
"You think Voldemort approached me about joining the Death Eaters?"
Sirius watched him for too long. He wore the same look he had two months prior when he had he let slip that Lily was pregnant before James had a chance to tell Remus. Sirius took a sip of his firewhiskey.
"Is that your question?" Sirius still had the glass pressed to his lips.
"Is what my question?"
"If I think your lying to me about Voldemort asking you to spy on James and Lily, or rather not asking you?"
It wasn't really question Remus wanted answered. He shook his head. He wanted to ask why Sirius thought Voldemort wanted someone to spy on James and Lily, and why Sirius seemed to think that person was him, but that was a question that should involve far less alcohol.
"Did you only want me here tonight so that you could ask me if Voldemort recruited me?"
"No."
Remus looked down at his hands in his lap. He knew a lie when he heard one, and Sirius was lying.
"You're telling the truth," Remus said.
Sirius sipped at his firewhiskey. Remus wished he could leave, but he didn't trust Sirius to send him notice if he had to go out and rescue James and Peter tonight. He was saved by James's patronus.
"Peter and I at Godric's Hollow. Be at yours in five. Bringing firewhiskey," The silver stag said and disappeared.
Sirius watched the place where it disappeared, before turning back to Remus. He stretched out in his chair, leaning back at uncomfortably angle. "What happened between us?"
Remus let his finger glide along the rim of his own untouched glass. He wanted to stretch the question out as long as he could.
"You stopped trusting me."
Sirius looked at him, confused by the game's logic.
"That is what you think," Sirius pointed an accusing finger at him. Remus picked up his glass and downed the contents. He grimaced as the alcohol stung at his esophagus and settled in his stomach. Sirius poured him another shot.
"And what do you think?"
"You stopped acting trustworthy."
Remus wished Sirius had waited for the firewhiskey to hit him before answering that. A sudden crack made them both jump.
James Potter appeared in Sirius's kitchen and smiled, "I should have known you would be here…" He took moment to observe his friends, "What's wrong?"