It was a ordinary day as Remus awoke with a smile, cheerfully. It was the second day of November and everything was fine. It was a complete week since the secret charm had been set. Since the group had banded together on the issue of making a secret keeper for the Potters. Three days until the next full moon. And Remus felt that everything was right in the world as it should be. He slid the window open and breathed in the fresh air leaning forward then closed the door behind him.

He looked forward for the fifth. A day that it was going to be Sirius's turn to hang around. It had been a unspoken shift since the first day that they had learned of his transformation. It started with them all; James, Peter, and Sirius. All of whom had gone through the process to become animagus after a month long process and failed to register themselves long after graduating Hogwarts.

He went to a shop and went to the nearest restaurant for breakfast. He ordered his meal then waited for refreshments. Sirius had promised that he would meet up with him and tell him about the film, The Evil Dead, in his most mocking ways taking several jabs at the horror film just as he did when Lily took him along. Lily and Sirius cackled at the goriest parts while James and Remus threw their popcorn into the air at the erupt noise. 'Scaredy cats,' Lily would softy say as Sirius popped a kernel into her mouth. The memory caused Remus to have a laugh in the middle of his meal.

The man had a tendency to be late, Remus reminded himself. Sometimes, didn't come when he was expected. He waited and waited looking toward the doorway patiently waiting. He felt like Hachiko in these moments waiting for Sirius to return. More as a human instead of what he turned into on full moons.

Remus smiled to himself imagining his friend talking to him about the subject, of a earlier conversation (which happened here. A familiar meeting place. A place of habit where they hung out when not studying at Hogwarts or doing things for The Order), that had taken place only days earlier:

"You may be the one who can transform into a werewolf but you're not a dog, Moony."

Remus smiled, fondly, then chuckled at himself cupping the side of his face with one elbow on the table.

"And the full moons don't count?"

"Technically, I am the dog in this relationship and you are the treasured master."

And Remus taking the opportunity to play with the concept in a teasingly manner.

"Oh!" Remus sat upright raising his brows. "So I am the owner of you?"

"You are the only one who owns my heart."

"I do?"

"You do, Moony. I chose you all those years ago on the train because I knew you were special and we were going to have wonderful adventures together."

"Did you really?'" Remus lifted a brow.

"I felt it in my guts." Sirius confirmed with a small nod and a tiny smile.

Remus lowered his brow and leaned back into the chair.

"What does your gut tell you . . . right now?"

Sirius grew a big grin in response to the comment.

'That man is going to outlive the dog."

"You and I are both men." Remus reminded. "So what dog are we outliving?"

"The menacing one that threatens Lily, James, and Harry. He is ugly, he is like a white deformed dog breed from dog breeders worst nightmare, and racist to kingdom come!"

Remus smiled to himself then slid out the small and tiny box. He flipped it open revealing the ring that he had purchased for Sirius. Fit his ring size all to the tea. It hadn't been easy keeping it back from him and finding the right opportunity to ask him had been dogged by The Dark Order and every time wasn't right.

Which lead him to moments in which he was about to propose but it ended up falling apart before his eyes and he excused himself after Death Eater's actions had been discovered. Was he being suspicious in a time of war? A little too suspicious? Yes. He could only hope that everyone thought he had a hard time with Voldemort's handy work. Each time that he had been a given a task by the order and Sirius was in his cross hairs, he would go in private and rehearse to himself what to say prior to the moment, for several minutes at a time, then go to a meeting working up the courage to say it.

So far, Remus had a terrible time of doing that. In the muggle world, homosexuality was deemed illegal and criminal so he couldn't do it there. And there were little opportunities in their world with his lackluster performance. Remus chuckled to himself. One of these days after the war was over then he was going to take the opportunity and ask. He closed the box then slid it into his pocket then looked up toward the waitress.

"Top of the morning to you, Mr Lupin."

Lupin-Black, Remus corrected to himself. He had been practicing for the last few months should Sirius say yes. He anticipated a hefty no but he wanted to give it a practice in case the answer was 'Yes, course I would marry you, Moony.' and a mess of smooching for a long while in their private moment together.

"Good morning, Miss Poppins." Remus replied.

"May I take your order?" Poppins asked.

"Ham, egg, and crepe please." Remus said. "And my companion will be here shortly. He will take a slice of crepe cake."

"Your man of honor?" Poppins was a good friend of his in the muggle world. A non-magic in the Poppins family. "Does Mr Black know?"

"No." Remus replied with a small smile. "But, he will."

"Congratulations." The waiter smiled then jotted down on the pad. "Any refreshments?"

"Tea, please." Remus replied.

Everything is fine, even as he gets a additional meal at his table, then notices after two hours; Sirius never came. He starts to suspect the inevitable. He races to his apartment then looks up spotting a owl and he feels his heart drop. He goes up the stairs to each floor. His mind swirling; Lily? James? Sirius? Harry? Are they safe? Is Voldemort dead?

He flings the door open for his small apartment then opens the window.

"Talon out." Remus ordered and the owl complied,

Remus took the letter out of the owl's talons and unscrolled it.

Voldemort is dead. Murdered by Sirius Black. Sirius Black has been rendered insane because of his encounter with Voldemort.

Remus started to laugh as he dropped the letter then began to sink down where he screamed in anguish hunched over.

They had won; but, they had lost.

And he sealed his fate for what came after the war with his opportunities to propose that were not taken.