More Remus-charectorization than puppylove, but...
Reading Room
by
Redex
.
There are dusty books everywhere and a familiar old-glue smell that makes Remus relax as soon as he steps inside.
A library. A library in the Black mansion.
It has been left untouched for decades and Remus feels bad for the books that have sat, quietly rotting on the cieling-high mahogany shelves, whispering not quite loud enough to be heard over the screaming of the portraits below. Asking to be read.
iWell, I can hear you/i whispers Remus back. iAnd I'd love to read you./i
Entire rows of first-edition classics, volumes of Shakespeare, the entire Oxford English Dictionary...
Sirius shows up a third into a leather-bound copy of War and Peace, huffing at the clouds of dust and squinting in the dim light. Remus's heart gave a sudden lurch, and he almost asks Sirius to leave and stop disrupting his new sanctuary.
Instead, he sets down the book, marking his page with a torn piece of paper from his pocket and tries to instill enthusiasm in Sirius for the musty old room. He's tried before, and failed, but they agree to start cleaning it up the next day. Remus knows Sirius is only doing it for him, with that look like iI can't say no to anything I have in me to give./i
Remus feels guilty, but it becomes hidden under pages and chapters and volumes of paper and leather.
Sometimes, after a bad day or a transformation, he hides there, loosing himself in the adventures, loves, and losses of someone else. Sirius has to remind him to eat on these reading days. Sirius, who never kept regular eating times.
He only occasionally brought books out of the library, terrified that outside the library room they would loose their aura, fade away into nothing.
Sirius didn't understand Remus' love of old books, or books in general, but when he was up to asking favors of Remus, he asked to be read to. Passages of Romeo and Juliet, Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, everything sounded better when read by Remus.
Watching Remus get into his books, Sirius could smile and relax, because this was the way things should be. He imagined Remus could get that tone of voice and content look in his eyes when he talked about Sirius.
Remus loves books, and loves Sirius.
Sirius loves books read by Remus, and loves Remus.
Comment please?