Authors Note:

This has been bugging at me for a while. I wrote about 8,000 words of middle scenes over a weekend then had to go back and write the beginning. So here it is.

CW: There will be sparse mentions of hard drug use, I'll try to CW those chapters and any other chapters with relevant warnings (Sirius' family).

Chapter 1

"Are you seriously reading a book?"

A low, smoky voice broke through his reverie and Remus looked up and to his left. A handsome man had settled there, drink in hand and free arm thrown casually across the back of the bench seat, close to Remus' cardigan-clad shoulders. He had an aristocratic look, long, wavy dark hair nearly to his shoulders, falling into deep grey eyes with a casual elegance. His gaze was fixed on Remus, ignoring the pounding music, swirling lights, and chaos of drunk, dancing bodies around them. He looked familiar somehow, but Remus couldn't place it.

Remus cleared his throat, surprised he hadn't noticed the man get so close to him. But he had, in fact, been reading. He glanced back at the leather-bound tome held in his lap and slotted in a bookmark before closing it carefully and returning his attention to the stranger. "Yes, I was," he finally answered pointedly, wondering what the stupidly good-looking man could possibly want other than to bother him.

Surprisingly, the man grinned with a light laugh. "Is this party that boring? What brings you here then?" He questioned, leaning in closer, and Remus sighed. Clearly, the stranger intended on engaging him in prolonged conversation. He wasn't going to get to finish the section but wouldn't dream of being so rude as to ask him to Please Go Away.

"My friend Lily had tickets," Remus explained, hazel eyes casting out over the dance floor. Lily was easy to pick out, her bright red hair vivid in the blinking, disorienting lights. She was dancing close with a tall man with messy dark hair and glasses, whose attention seemed completely absorbed in her.

"Ah yes, the red-head who stole my best friend," the man chuckled as he followed Remus' gaze. Remus glanced back at him quickly, but he seemed more amused than actually upset by this event. He tilted his head in a canine like fashion, smokey eyes studying Remus quietly for a long minute while Remus gazed steadily back, refusing to blush or cower under the examination although he was bewildered by the rapt attention.

"Sirius Black," The stranger finally announced, holding out a hand, and Remus abruptly felt like an idiot. Of course, this was the enigmatic front man of the Marauders, the famous rock band that had performed earlier that evening at King's College London, where he and Lily attended as first year students. The trio in whose honor this VIP After Party was thrown. The man Lily was dancing with, then, had to be the guitarist and, as noted, Sirius' best friend, James. Remus didn't live completely under a rock, he did know a bit about the band they'd gone to see perform earlier, although mostly from Lily prattling on about them. He didn't know enough, apparently, to recognize the popular members by sight. He didn't even know where Lily had gotten the tickets but now they were here, at some fancy club in a posh neighborhood off the campus, filled to the brim with a few lucky students but mostly people that appeared to be associates of the band and elegantly-dressed socialites vying for attention. Remus was a sight out of place in his corduroys and worn brown cardigan, lugging a beat-up leather school bag and classic book. No wonder Sirius had taken notice of him.

Sirius… It was such an intriguing name. Latin Sirius, the Dog Star. The brightest star in the night sky. From Greek Seirios, the Scorcher, responsible for bringing the scorching heat of summer and droughts. Remus wondered absently if Sirius knew just how important his star was to ancient civilizations and history.

"That star [Seirios the Dog-Star] which comes on in the autumn and whose conspicuous brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's darkening, the star they give the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals."1

Sirius cleared his throat and Remus blushed faintly, realizing he'd left the offered hand hanging awkwardly in the air while he mused. "Ah, Remus Lupin," he replied, briefly clasping hands. "I saw you play earlier tonight. It was very good," Sirius inclined his head in acknowledgement, with a faint smile playing at his lips.

"Remus...Can I get you a fresh drink?" Sirius offered, bounding to his feet before Remus could reply and nodding toward the glass on the table that Remus had abandoned earlier when he grew distracted with his book, now filled mostly with thoroughly melted ice. Sirius had polished his own drink off over the course of their brief conversation, something that smelled like spicy whiskey. "Gin and tonic?" At the faint nod from Remus, Sirius was off, pushing through the gathered crowd. Remus bowed his head back over his book, tawny hair falling into his eyes, assuming that was that and the guitarist would find something more interesting to hold his attention. There were all kinds of scantily clad girls- or handsomely dressed boys, if that was his thing- milling about, after all, along with copious amounts of alcohol and a whole floor packed with dancing coeds.

It wasn't ten minutes though before Sirius was throwing himself elegantly back onto the seat, holding a glass out triumphantly to Remus and clutching his own amber re-filled one. Remus pulled his eyes away from the page again, regarding the musician with faint surprise before closing the book and taking the glass, setting it on the table next to the discarded one. Sirius looked a bit put out by this move, as if he'd been personally rejected. "It's not poisoned," He remarked, with a faint smile dancing on his lips.

"I know. Thank you," But Remus hesitated, his gaze straying back to Lily, who was draped over James now, clearly drunk but having a good time dancing. The lanky musician said something in her ear, and she tossed her head back, laughing. "She's fine, you know. James is a good man. My best mate," Sirius interrupted, drawing the attention back to him. He picked up Remus' drink and, with astonished hazel watching him, took a long dramatic sip before plunking the glass back on the table. Sirius winked at him and he couldn't help but give a soft, exasperated smile at the man's persistence. The singer had turned fully toward him, arm again slung along the back of the bench and right foot propped up on his left knee, Dr Marten boot twitching in time to the throbbing music. It was something techno-y, definitely not anything like what the Marauders had played earlier and not the kind of music Remus preferred.

Sirius looked alarmed suddenly as Remus finally picked up and sipped his drink, making him pause again, eyeing the other man with concern. "I mean, unless that's your girl, no big deal, I'll go interrupt him," he offered, tensed, and Remus burst out laughing at this unexpected twist. Now the singer just looked taken aback and confused, like an abandoned puppy, which was at odds with the confident and suave demeanor he'd had all evening.

"No, Lily's just my friend. And flat mate," Remus explained, still chuckling, noting how Sirius seemed to relax some at this information and set his already nearly empty whiskey glass on the table in a row with the others. Likely in relief that James wasn't dancing up on someone's girlfriend, he decided. "Lily's not with anyone," he added in clarification, though Sirius didn't seem to acknowledge this at all except to shift slightly closer, making Remus' cheeks flush faintly. He hurriedly took another long drink as the bassist's long, callused fingers ghosted dangerously close to the side of his leg. He couldn't help but notice the scent of tobacco, leather, and something woodsy that was carried with him. It was unexpected but pleasant. Sirius was dressed in a black button up sleeveless shirt with the top few buttons undone and Remus thought he spotted a tattoo on his chest but didn't stare too much to try to pick it out.

Sirius seemed to be moving even closer when grey eyes suddenly caught sight of the book tucked in close to Remus' side. "Are you reading in Greek? Good gods, man," Sirius said instead, derailed again, and Remus was laughing once more, making Sirius smile as he pushed his dark hair back out of his eyes.

"Yes, I'm a classics and literature student," He admitted, shifting the book onto his lap to display the cover, though it was likely not anything easily recognizable- or interesting to most people.

"I was tutored in Latin as a kid," Sirius murmured with a disgusted look on his face. "Never had the patience for it really, I was bollocks,"

Remus just grinned, tapping the book cover. "Latin and Greek," he responded.

"Professional nerd," Sirius joked, and Remus just had to shrug. That was accurate. "I thought about going to university. Probably would have studied something like chemistry. Something science-y,"

"Really, but you're a musician," Remus turned a bit toward him, curious. "Those are usually two separate areas. Left brain-right brain kind of thing,"

"I focused on science in school," Sirius shrugged. "Music is what I am- it's how I express myself. But science is kinda like art too. You can build things with chemistry,"

Remus looked skeptical. "I'm rubbish at chemistry. Never blown up so many things in my life. Unintentionally, of course,"

That got a barking laugh out of the musician.

'Lily is studying biomedical engineering, she builds things. Goes right over my head but sounds cool. And it helps people, like I'm sure your music does," Remus gestured where she was still stumbling around with James on the dance floor.

Somebody called out to Sirius and he straightened up, looking back over his shoulder at a pretty, petite, brown-haired woman near the bar that was waving him over. Remus smiled faintly, standing and realizing the time. "I should go and collect Lily," he murmured, carefully slotting the book back into his bag. "It's late," He'd certainly monopolized enough of Sirius' time, it was his party after all, there were probably a lot of people that wanted to talk to him.

Sirius stood as well, looking resigned to Remus' surprise, and the woman was soon at his side, tugging him away before they could say much else. Sirius glanced back at him as Remus picked his way carefully toward the crowded dance floor. Lily and James were doing a slow turn in the middle of the floor, surrounded by other exuberantly dancing couples.

Remus coughed, drawing Lily's attention. "Rem!" She greeted happily, pushing off James' chest and throwing her arms around him instead. Remus caught the drunk girl, chuckling and patting her on the back.

"Time to go home, Lils," He murmured, glancing over her head at James who was flushed from dancing and running a hand back through his already messy hair. James shifted before reaching out and Remus stepped back as Lily turned toward him again to say goodbye. He suddenly caught the scent of woodsy tobacco smoke again before turning around, realizing Sirius was standing close behind him, the woman from before absent.

"I uh… It was nice talking to you," Sirius started, catching Remus' hand and slipping something into it. He closed his hand on the paper and tucked it into his pocket, nodding, and the magnetic musician was gone again amidst the whirling dancers almost as quickly as he'd appeared.

Remus turned back to Lily, who had commandeered James' phone somehow and was entering her number while giggling. Remus smiled faintly at James again when she was finished, taking her arm and steering her off the floor and out of the club.

1. Homer, The Iliad 22. 26 ff