Remus woke up with a blinding headache. Was it: the horror of the painting; the mysterious stranger who seemed to have his memories; or the fact that he had been up until dawn staring at a black clothed mirror filled with a blue toothbrush, a bottle of pills, and a note written by his mother stating 'Take as needed'?
Remus had tired of trying to find the answers around 1 am. Lily laid on his bed facing the door to the bathroom in order to watch him rearrange the items until she was too tired to stay awake. "Remus come to bed" she had whispered half asleep.
"How does he know though? I feel like someone has intruded on my life and I don't even know them."
Lily rolled the pillow under her head to prop her up. "Maybe…he's your soulmate."
Remus blanched. Soulmates had matching marks, or could taste the same things, or always know where the other was. Soulmates were never one sided. Remus did not have visions like Sirius obviously had. Beautiful visions of color that connected him to a soul that couldn't be as dull as Remus' had become.
"Maybe." Remus had whispered it to himself. His companion fast asleep and the world quiet.
Sirius had sold almost all of the painting. The feeling of inadequacy from his first walk though for the exhibit last night had encouraged him to schmooze and charm the buyers who came to see what they wanted to add to their collections. Sirius had sold all but four.
James took him out to drink and bought the entire bar the first round. After that, the club bounced with energy. Everyone wanted to talk to them, touch them, flirt with them. It had been a blast. Last call sounded and walking to their taxi, Sirius remembered his bag was at the exhibit.
They stumbled into the gallery where Sirius saw the painting. 'The Door' he tried to hide when the gallery moved. There was a corner with enough space between the next wall to hang it. The painting would have only been seen if you were attentive enough.
This mysterious man had the audacity to come into his showing, walk through, not say a word, and demand to know about the more personal painting Sirius had. Well, not personal to Sirius. Drunk Sirius was mad that this other man had felt pain from the portrait. No one else had seen the painting for the horror that Sirius felt. In an act of pure drunk hatred, Sirius rips the frame right off the wall.
Marlene, Dorcas, Gideon, and Fabian had showed up for lunch the next day. The group was surprise when Remus said he had a craving for a pizza place that he had never been to. With his requests coming far and few between, the group readily agreed.
The pizzeria was almost empty, but Lily spotted two messy haired boys sitting in the back booth. Remus had apparently spotted them too, because he turned on the spot claiming he didn't want pizza anymore. Gideon and the waitress were halfway to the table. Lily knew that Remus would feel trapped. Not wanting to leave just as they got there. The waitress tried to sit them a table one away from the two boys who looked half asleep at the table.
"Can we get another table?" Lily tried to advocate for the feelings Remus wouldn't voice.
At the sound of her voice, James shot up and took in the group. Their table silverware clattered causing Sirius to groan. "Wake up we have company." Sirius dug his head further into his arms, refusing to see who James was talking about. "Come sit with us darling."
Dorcas shot a knowing look to Lily. The twins looked to Lily. All of them stood there awkwardly before Remus was too uncomfortable to still stand there. "It would be fine with me, if its fine with you."
For the group that was all the permission they were looking for.
"Are you the James that Lily hasn't shut up about?" Dorcas starting the conversation.
"I hope so. If she's met another James in the last four day, it would be shocking." James talking to Dorcas but looking right at Lily.
The rest of lunch were awkward exchanges while Remus tried not to look at the obviously hungover Sirius who fell asleep at the table. Remus with a headache of his own couldn't blame him much. Fabian, Gideon, and James all started talking about the latest science fiction movie coming out to theaters.
"We were going to see the midnight premiere next week." Gideon proudly proclaimed. "Not all of us were able to get tickets."
Remus blushed. He had been the only one with work the next day. "Midnight would be a little late for me."
"We could watch it at Sirius' place. That was our plan anyway and Sirius has plenty of room."
Remus could tell that Lily was just waiting to jump in and have something to say because she jumped before Remus could deny. "Of course, we would love to come."