Auction - First Time Arrested
Magical Languages - Task 5 - (extra credit) Write about a language or communication barrier
Back to school - 82. (dialogue) "I just broke up with my boyfriend/girlfriend."
Is all I need
Omegaverse - Visiting his boyfriend regarding his pregnancy gets Remus falsely accused of stalking. Thankfully the police-officers are understanding and kind. Pre-wolfstar
AN: Deaf Remus. I've written the conversation as dialogue, but it's made clear towards the start that they're all writing.
It's cold in the cell. Or maybe it's because Remus loves being warm, with blankets and warm pyjamas. He wants to cry but he's not going to give anyone the satisfaction.
He's still mortified over the fact that Ben called the police. He called the police on Remus. The last thing he did when the police turned up was break up with him. He's not sure Ben was paying attention to the sign-language or not, but that's it. It's over in Remus' eyes. It probably was already over in Ben's. But he's so confused. He's not sure what he's even done wrong.
He sees shadows on the wall as people approach and he straightens up, fingers digging into the bench under him. He couldn't even talk to anyone to defend himself. Just merely pointing at his ears. He's sure that Ben would've said something. But then, Ben called them in the first place. He can't trust Ben anymore.
Two men walk into the room. Two Alphas, and Remus turns his gaze towards them, glancing at them through the bars.
Lips move and he's not sure what's being said. He stands and approaches the bars. He gestures to his ears and his fingers then clench around the bars. They turn to each other and talk, and the cell opens.
The man with glasses gestures to Remus to follow them, and he does, hunched over, hands in pockets. He's shaking. He's scared. Terrified. He doesn't look towards the other man. He just wants to go home and have this panic attack alone.
They move to an interrogation room of all things, and Remus is really starting to feel like a criminal. But he goes inside. He sits down on the chair and he's glad that they don't cuff him to the metal attachment to the table.
The second man follows with some pads and a packet of felt-tips and Remus reaches for one. He's a little more at ease with the means to communicate.
The man with glasses sits facing him. He gives Remus a wary but warm smile, something that's supposed to be comforting.
"I'm Officer Potter, and this is my partner, Officer Black. We're sorry you were waiting for so long. We didn't get the information that you're deaf. Rather than keeping you waiting, perhaps we can have a little conversation now until the interpreter arrives?"
Remus nods.
"Can you tell us what happened?"
"What did Ben say happened?" Remus asks, gripping his pen tightly.
"He's making out that you've been stalking him for weeks." Well, at least Officer Potter is straight to the point.
Remus' hands come up. He rubs them over his face and into the hair by his ears, resting them on the back of his neck as he processes this. He sits up straight again.
"I just broke up with my boyfriend," he tells them. "Today, after he called you on me." He pauses. "I texted him a month ago. He was away on a business trip and wasn't able to video-call with me. I told him I'm pregnant." Remus pauses again at this, fighting the tears once more. "That was the last I heard from him. I sent him a few text messages between then and now. I knew he was to get back from his trip a few days ago and thought maybe there was something stopping him contacting me. I went to visit tonight, and, well, it turns out he did get the messages. He just didn't want the consequences."
"Can I call you Remus?" the officer says. Remus feels the presence of the other man pacing the room, but he nods.
"I'm James. Can you give us permission to look at your phone? Just show us that it's been a few texts. There have been no other reports of you going there so we're sure this stalking claim is bullshit. If you give permission to check your phone, we can put in the report that we've done so and that there is no foundation to the claim at all."
Remus nods, and the other man leaves the room to go and collect it. He returns a few minutes later and hands the phone over. Remus doesn't look up. He just reaches for it and presses his finger against it, unlocking it. He passes it straight over, not wanting anyone to accuse him of tampering or whatever. James lays it flat down and clicks into the calls log, searching Ben's name.
He checks the calls log and makes a note. Two call attempts in a month, the most recent from earlier that day.
The messages are next in whatsapp and James notes down the contents. The constant texting until Remus' confession of being pregnant. Then the handful of messages from Remus, ending in Remus asking if it's okay to come and visit that day. They all have grey ticks next to them. Remus hadn't been sure that Ben was even getting the messages. The last blue ticks were the pregnancy message.
"I thought he lost his phone, or it was stolen or something," Remus admits.
James' jaw is clenched as he nods his head. "Can you write up a statement for us about events, and we'll add it to our report."
"A statement? Have I done something wrong?" Remus writes. He's scared all over again, and the other chair scrapes and the other officer finally sits down. Remus glances up and is shocked at the intense look the man is giving him.
"I'm Sirius Black. We're going to charge him for wasting our time at the very least. You may also want this as any evidence in the future if he were to fight for custody. Some arsehole did something like this to my brother. Pregnant, and then fucked off, until he decided he wanted my nephew. But at that time, this tosser next to me had married my brother and the guy disappeared pretty fast. Courts will take things like this into consideration, so we're going to charge him with something tonight. The statement will help us do so, and it'll also look good for you."
Remus nods his head. A different notebook is offered to him and he starts writing. He notes everything he can think of, but as he's reaching the end and signing his name, his phone beeps and a message appears with Ben's name next to it.
He glances towards the officers, and Sirius nods for him to read it. He does so with the phone where they can see, because he's scared of getting into trouble for anything.
'Remus, I'm sorry but this is the way it has to be. I thought you'd get the hint that I don't want this. I know you wouldn't end the pregnancy, and I thought you'd realise that I lost interest. We had fun, but I never wanted to settle down with you. I think that we shouldn't contact each other anymore. I want you out of the flat tomorrow. I've changed the locks and I plan on living there by myself. I want it empty or I'll remove your stuff and leave it in the street.'
"The flat?" Sirius asks.
Remus nods. "My flat is in his name. Why would he do this?" He's a mix of furious and scared. He wants to hurt Ben. The condescending tone in the message angers him so much, but he forces himself to let it go. He has bigger worries than Ben right now.
"Where are your family?"
"My mum is in a nursing home for health reasons. It's just me and her." Remus can't breathe. "I have nowhere else to go." He feels like he's falling and he grips the table tightly to try and steady himself.
Sirius stands abruptly and he's pacing again. James stares at the phone angrily before he raises his head and they start talking. Remus doesn't try and lip-read. He's barely hanging on.
"We have a friend with a van," James writes. "Sirius has a spare room. It was his brother's room until we got married. I know it's not ideal, but… this situation is messed up and… and we want to help. At least until we work out what should happen or where you should go. Or find a place for you."
Remus glances towards Sirius. Now he's not angrily pacing or glaring at the notepads and phone, he's looking a lot friendlier. He gives Remus a blinding smile and Remus nods his head.
He's absolutely terrified. But at least he's not going to be homeless.
"Thank you," he writes, his hand shaking as he does.
"We've got you," Sirius writes back, and Remus smiles for the first time that evening.
1455 words
Writing Club -
Gotta Catch Them All - 30. Spinda: (emotion) Confused
Written in the stars - 4. (trait) practical
This or That - 7. (Occupation) Auror
Showtime - 5. We're Not Gonna Take It - (word) Condescending
Lizzy's Loft - 31. Born to Be Yours - And I know when it rains, oh, it pours
Elizabeth's Empire - 30. (plot point) an interrogation
Lyric Alley - 5. It's a thin line between all this love and hate
Throwback - 10. (word) falling
Artist Appreciation - 26. Let's Stay Together: Prompt - (plot point) a proposal
Writing Resolutions - 1. Write a fic with the following trope: Accidental/Unplanned Pregnancy
Celebrating Women - 9. Eris - (plot point) disagreeing with someone