Sirius Black finished his bowl of cornflakes, threw the newspaper he had been reading down onto the table and groaned loudly.
"Rough night, was it?" asked Remus Lupin- Sirius' flat mate and friend- as he appeared down the stairs.
"Ummmmm…" agreed Sirius. He had indeed had a rough night but it was the morning paper that was making him groan. Poor Remus, he thought. Poor beautiful Remus.
Remus extracted a bowl from the mound of washing collecting in the sink and rinsed it vaguely. "I need to wash up," he confessed.
"You do," said Sirius absently. He handed Remus the newspaper. "Sorry mate."
Remus groaned as he took in the front-page headline: Werewolf caged for life. "Bloody journalists," he said weakly.
"Bloody lawyers… Bloody judges…" continued Sirius.
"Bloody people," said Remus flatly. He scanned the rest of the article. "Just listen to this:
The savage werewolf, masquerading under the name Joseph Lester, has been jailed for life following a unanimous 'Guilty' verdict at yesterday's trial. The trial's Judge, the Honourable Wesley Brocket, said 'too long have werewolves threatened the lives of innocent wizards- I am only disappointed that the verdict was not death.' The Minister of Magic had declined to comment on the case." Remus put the paper down and sighed. " 'Honourable Wesley Brocket'! Honourable! That man's about as honourable as a Death Eater with a grudge." He shuddered and reached for the cornflakes.
"There's no cornflakes," said Sirius apologetically. "And I drank the last of the milk as well."
Remus shrugged and extended a hand towards the teapot. "I met Wesley Brocket in the summer after fourth year," he said suddenly, referring to the imprisoned werewolf. He poured himself a cup of tea. "He seemed a nice man."
Sirius smiled gently. "I'm sure he was."
"Werewolves aren't savage," said Remus. "Not for most of the month, anyway."
"I think werewolves are beautiful," said Sirius softly. He reached across the table and took Remus' hand in his. "You mustn't let the paper get you down."
Remus smiled. "I won't," he said, relinquishing Sirius' hand to take a sip of tea. He pulled a face. "Sirius?"
"Yes?"
"You forgot to add the teabag to the tea. I'm drinking boiled water."
"I know," Sirius murmured guiltily.
"You know?"
"We've run out of tea bags. I can't afford anymore until the end of the week- payday, you see."
The whole question of Sirius' payday was a mystery to Remus. Every week Sirius received an envelope filled with grubby coins, which he had never explained to Remus. His days were spent as a trainee Auror, something that earned no pay and yet from somewhere or other, Sirius was extracting this dubious wage. Remus, whose own wage as an assistant librarian, barely covered the price of the rent, was grateful for any help Sirius could give but had long since yearned to know how the money was earned.
Remus smiled. "I'll buy some on my way to work. And some more milk, though the cornflakes may have to wait," he said gently, knowing that Sirius would protest.
"You can't! I promised I'd buy the food this week!"
"You promised no such thing. I should get to work." Remus abandoned his hot water and all prospects of breakfast. He got up from the table and Sirius rose with him.
"You're a good friend," said Sirius. If only you could be more, he added silently. Then he held open his arms and hugged Remus tightly.
Nobody was around to see the look of bliss upon Sirius' face as he held his friend.
"See you tonight."
"Bye."
On the way out of the door, Remus paused and turned around as an idea hit him. "Can I have an apple to eat?"
Sirius looked guiltily at the floor. "I ate the last one yester day." He sounded dreadful. "I'm sorry, Remus. I'm really-"
Remus waved his apologies aside. "It's no matter, Sirius. No matter."
##
Sirius (after skim reading a handout on 'Stealth and the Art of Quiet Combat') lit a fire in the living room grate and threw a handful of floo powder into the flames. "Orion's office, Star Club," he said loudly, sticking his head into the fire.
His head emerged in the fireplace of a purple office, luxuriously and expensively furnished. In the centre of the office was a desk at which a man sat with his back to Sirius.
Sirius coughed loudly. "Orion, sir?" he asked.
The man called Orion turned around. He was tall and excessively lean, and was wearing a deep red velvet suit. A gold earring glittered from his ear and jewels adorned his fingers. His hair was long and silver-blonde. "My dear, dear, Sirius. Whatever brings you to me?" he asked in a honeyed (and somewhat sinister) voice.
"I need more money," said Sirius, miserably.
Orion smiled. "Then you shall have to do more work."
"I work as much as I can!" protested Sirius.
Orion shrugged. "Are you complaining about the money I give you, Sirius?"
"No!"
"Do you wish to lose your job?"
"NO!"
Orion smiled coldly, displaying several gold teeth. "Well, well. I'm glad that's sorted. You can leave now. Go back home to your werewolf boyfriend."
This remark made Sirius' blood. He felt as if he had just been plunged into a bath of ice. "He's not my…" he swallowed painfully. "…Boyfriend." Then something even worse hit Sirius. "And he's not a-"
"Werewolf, Sirius? Don't deny it."
Sirius shook his head vigorously. His mane of black hair became tangled and messy. "No! He's not a… Honestly, he isn't a… He's…." Sirius paused helplessly. "How did you know he's a werewolf?"
"Lucky guess," said Orion. He waved a lazy hand at Sirius. "I know what's going on, Sirius. You're from a rich pureblood family. You want to be an Auror so much that it's actually painful. However, you foolishly denounced your rich family and now you have no money. You're living with a childhood friend who not only feeds you and gives you a home, but also has paid for you to become an Auror. And you, Sirius, have mixed up the thankfulness you feel for your friend with love. You believe you love him. So, you have started coming here at night, coming to my club, and dancing on a platform. You are selling your body to the eyes of drunken witches and wizards when all you really want to be is at home with your pretty little boyfriend whom you think you love. Am I right?"
"I do love him," said Sirius. He thought for a moment. "I can do Monday nights as well."
Orion nodded. "Excellent. You start tonight."
"Thank you. Thank you so much-"
"Get out of my fireplace," Orion snapped. "I'm trying to work."
##
That afternoon Remus Lupin staggered through the door and down the hallway before falling into the living room. Sirius was sprawled across the only sofa, sound asleep. Remus smiled and gazed at his friend for a moment. He yawned hugely and, seeing no other place to lie down, curled up next to Sirius, precariously balanced on the edge of the sofa.
He had fallen asleep before Sirius' arm snaked around his waste and pulled him closer.
##
When Remus awoke it was the early hours of the morning and Sirius was gone.