Finding Home

(the sequel to "No Better Mistake")

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, or any other related characters from the world of Harry Potter. I also don't own the setting, plot lines, relationships, etc. ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH HARRY POTTER BELONGS TO J.K. ROWLING, not me.

NOTES:

Where is everyone? : ( Exams, I suppose! I hope everyone isn't stressing out too badly, for those in school.

ANYWAY, I definitely appreciate any feedback you're willing to give... because I have a surprise. Rest assured that anything you say will go to good use! Trust me...

Also, there is an OC in this chapter, but don't worry - it's not really a big character.

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4

Remus took it upon himself to wake Sirius up the next morning, knowing from many years experience just how late the boy could let himself sleep if he really wanted too. Siriu was clearly a bundle of nerves (despite what he kept repeating to Remus); his eyes snapping open as Remus shook him gently on the shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he hissed, his gray eyes round, shooting straight up in bed as Remus chuckled to himself.

An embarrassed Sirius let Remus to guide him into the shower, cheering up slightly as he reluctantly allowed Remus to pour shampoo onto his head. He had to stand on the tips of his feet to before the job, but Remus was determined—he was typically the more submissive one in their relationship, and he didn't usually take such a care-giving role, however, today was a unique day. It was hard not to get distracted by Sirius' wet, soap-covered chest, but he resolutely ignored Sirius' attempts to kiss him to make sure that Sirius, for once, looked a proper gentlemen. As Sirius grumpily shaved over the bathroom sink, Remus found himself gathering up what he thought was appropriate; finding socks just in time as the other boy emerged from the bathroom, his hair still wet, but looking significantly more prepared.

In boxer shorts and a t-shirt, Remus watched as Sirius put on his "professional" clothing. Remus couldn't stop him from wearing his old shoes, but, for the most part, he looked nice—clean, well-tailored pants, a nice shirt, and tie. They stumbled downstairs, and as Remus as poured them bowls of cereal, Sirius looked at him over the rim of his coffee mug.

"What are you going to do today, Moony?" he asked. Remus pushed the cereal toward him, along with several packets of sugar—Sirius hated his coffee black—and shrugged.

"Go look for work in town, I suppose," he said, picking up a handful of the dry cereal and crunching down upon it. "And I'll buy milk," he added quickly as Sirius looked down at his own bowl.

"Good idea," a rather green Sirius mumbled. Remus didn't think he could recall ever seeing Sirius like this. He was, as the teachers at Hogwarts had often complained, quite a cocky (Sirius preferred "confident") individual. The prospect of working at the most important government institution—and, the horribleness of wearing a tie, which Sirius continued to tug at—seemed to be making him more anxious than ever before. Remus reached across the table to pull his hand away, taking it in his own.

"You'll be fine," he said, again, and Sirius managed a weak smile. With a last look at the clock, he muttered a hasty goodbye to his boyfriend, kissing him on the cheek, and then Apparated off. Though the Ministry wasn't far away, Remus had insisted Sirius not take his bike, which, he now thought had been a rather smart move. After a quick trip upstairs for some jeans and the rest of his things, Remus set off himself, thankful for magic to take him the several miles into the main drag of town.

On the early weekday morning, the streets of the town were still fairly quiet; only a few people walked to and from, wanting, like Remus was, to get their business done early. It was no Hogsmeade, but Remus was sure he saw several signs of magic in a number of shop windows. He was certain he'd read a sign for "Self-Inking, Spell-Checking Quills" in a display case for an office supply store; and he could have sworn he saw movement in the rows of treats of a chocolate shop. As he made a mental note to check that particular store out, another, smaller storefront caught his eye, and he edged toward it, intrigued.

Like most of the stores on the street, it was an older-looking front; the brass letters stamped out the name of the bookstore looked weathered, and the shop itself couldn't have been much larger than the house Remus now lived in. However, a small, hand-lettered sign reading Help Wanted had been placed in the window, and Remus pushed the door open, the small chimes attached to it crinkling merrily.

He could tell right away, from the moment he walked in, that a wizard or witch, ran this store. Magic, when used frequently or powerfully, left traces, and it hummed throughout the room like a hazy, pleasant fog. Looking up, Remus could see that the shop consisted of several, fairly small floors; tight staircases leading up to, for Remus, what looked like heaven. The shop was so crammed with books—leather-bound books, carefully labeled books of magic, blank books, fictional novels, biographies—it made his head spin. Tucked amongst the many shelves were several areas of overstuffed armchairs, or tired-looking pillows, clearly positioned and at the ready for the shopper to sit, take their time, and enjoy what they were reading. At the far end of the shop was a corner desk with an old cash register, also heaped with piles of multi-colored journals.

"Hello?" Remus called, looking around curiously. He hadn't seen any hours posted outside the shop, but had assumed by the unlocked door that it was open, however, now that he was inside, there didn't seem to be anyone around. Still standing near the door, he gently examined a novel beside him, flicking open the pages to glance at the inside cover. He could spend hours in this place if properly supplied by next-door's chocolates, but he reluctantly placed the book back, about to leave, when—

"Hello!" called a voice from upstairs, and Remus heard the sounds of someone scuttling down. A small woman, her arms quivering with the weight of the volumes she carried, was making her way down the wooden steps. Quickly, Remus hurried over to her.

"Here," he said hastily, reaching out to her, "let me take some of those, please—"

"Thank you," she said breathlessly, tipping a few into his open arms, and the two made their way through the rows to the back desk. "It is such a large place for me, you know…"

"That's actually why I came in," Remus admitted as the woman settled herself behind her cash register, adjusting her glasses back on her nose. She was an older woman, but her hair was only beginning to gray, despite the obvious wrinkles and laugh lines around her nose and mouth. She was short, and rather soft, but she looked good-natured, although somewhat frazzled. She seemed somewhat confused as she reached around him, obvious looking for something they had just sat down.

"Oh?" she murmured, still turning over books to look for what she wanted. "You want to work? Here it is—" she flipped open the novel she'd searched for, her eyes quickly scanning the page before looking back up again at Remus. "Well, who are you?"

"Oh," said Remus, surprised, "Er, my name is Remus Lupin. I just finished at Hog—er, at school." He wasn't sure if it would be appropriate yet to say the name of his school, although he was quite sure the woman was a witch. The coffee cup beside her seemed to be stirring itself, after all, and she had a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them tucked just under notepad.

"Did you now?" she said interestedly, surveying him up and down, "no wonder you look so young. Hogwarts?" Remus nodded. "Do you live around here, then?"

"Yes," he answered, now taking a seat across from her, "only a few miles away."

"Do you like to read, Remus?" she asked him, intrigued, as she leaned over her desk to squint further at him. She seemed to be sizing him up somewhat, and Remus wished that, after making so sure that Sirius had gone off looking presentable, that he had done the same.

"Yes, I do," he told her, "very much so. My father actually owns a bookstore as well; though it's mostly historical stuff."

"No wonder your name sounded familiar," she said, turning again to her book and cash register, "I know that shop. I'm Doris, by the way," she told him, and he nodded. "Well, Remus," she continued, "our store here may be a lot of work for me, but it's really not that high-maintenance. We get a few stragglers, but what mostly keeps her going is the regulars."

As if just by uttering these words she had released some sort of signal, Remus heard the door behind him chime once more, and turned around to see a boy and a girl, looking a few years older than him, enter.

"Hello Doris," called the girl, and the older woman smiled at her, nodding as the two walked up the stairs, their footsteps disappearing as they went higher.

"Folks like that," she said, waving a hand toward the door, "Nice folks. Do you know what I mean?"

"Uh—" said Remus, not quite sure how to answer her question, "Yes—I mean, I think so."

"Hmm," she squinted at him again, then nodded, smiling. "Alright, then. I'm getting too old for this all by myself. I'd like to come in once, maybe twice a week. You think you could handle the rest?"

"Yes," Remus breathed, hardly daring to believe his luck. One stop, and he was done? The shop seemed nearly deserted; a fantastic place to sit, all day, and read until he could come home to Sirius. He couldn't imagine the place would stay open very late, and it seemed like the perfect place for Remus to work. He wouldn't even have to tell Doris that he was a werewolf, because he couldn't imagine when his nightly gallivants would be of any importance to this old woman and her shop.

"You come in at nine o'clock, then," she said, as if this settled the matter. "I'll leave a note for you."

"Okay," said Remus, and he felt a grin beginning to form on his face. Doris looked over at him again, and she too, smiled kindly at him.

"Well, go on, then!" she said, ushering him out, "and don't be late tomorrow!"

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There's something I love about them just... hanging out, having regular lives.

I want to tell you guys my secret! So let me know what you think... and help me reach my 250 goal? : D