Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own Deliverance, nor do I wish to own it.
Warning: SiRem slash eventually, Jamus slash for just this chapter (there's only one or two sentences about it. Sorry), swearing here and there, and musical usage.
RRs:Anon: Is it really complex? I tried to write it at a nice calm rate without any very deep plot line or unexpected twists. Don't worry, I intend to keep writing this story. It's one of my simpler stories so I don't have to think to hard on what's going to happen next.
RandomObsessivePsychoFangirl: Yay! Another cellist! (I'm just assuming) lovelove Aquila
AznRyoOhki: I'm sooo happy you like the musical references. I was praying I wasn't going over anyone's heads with them. I hope you like this chapter's references. (tip: Put on Dvorak's New World Symphony if you can) Sorry about the names. I wasn't sure if they were mentioned in the Harry Potter books but I was too lazy to go back and try and find it. I Am So Sorry! I didn't know Andromeda was related to Sirius. Cries I just needed a star/constellation name that could be female or male. Sorry about the grammar errors. I'm a very lazy idiot, forgive me.
Leilanibrief: If you didn't read the review above I'll say it for you here, I am a lazy idiot who now hates Stupid site not giving me what I want. Thank you very much for finding it for me! Sorry about cutting off your review… since you didn't want a story, here. I dedicate this chapter to you.
Miriel's Heart: Is this NEAR enough in the future for you? Another thank you to you for finding that song. Yes it does have a techno/dance beat. Since you found it for me. Here, have a story. Just tell me what you want and I'll write it. I may be a lazy idiot who now hates but I keep my promises.
Yourmomismyheart: Hope you like more Jamesiekins!
Chapter 3Remus met James two years ago. Remus was twenty and just finished getting a music degree. James was finally out on his own after living in a different city with his parents. They met each other after going to audition after audition for local groups. After seeing each other a few times James offered to take Remus out for coffee. They met for coffee and lunch many times. They hadn't talked about much else other than the difficulties of finding a paying job in music. One time something must've been slipped into their drinks, because before long James proposed that they start their own quartet.
Remus laughed. "You must be joking! Who would want to hire us? A violist and a cellist! What a quartet we would make!"
James tried to be serious, but it was futile. No one can be serious to someone who is laughing. "We can get a couple of violins."
Remus choked on his drink. "Oh, sure! Who would want to play with us? Where would we find people like that?"
James leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "We were not the only ones trying out for those orchestras and chamber groups. There is an endless source of violinists. We'll just talk to a couple of them next time we go to an audition."
Remus was still smiling broadly. "So how do we hook 'em? Should we start with the no salary? Or maybe the fact we have no agent will reel them in."
"We'll just tell them we're searching for agent." James leaned back in his chair, inviting Remus to try and attack him.
"Very well!" Remus raised his coffee. "A toast! To our success! To our lives! And to our love of music!" James also lifted his cup and they tapped their cups then downed what was left of their drinks. They then left feeling that the other patrons had had quite enough of the loud pair.
By the time they left the sun had set the sky aflame. The low faraway clouds cut across the sky like soft fire. Remus had offered that they spend some time at his apartment. James readily agreed.
When they arrived, Remus apologized about the mess, but James easily waved away Remus' apology. He claimed his place was a pigsty compared to the perfectly in order Apartment De Remus.
They spent the rest of the evening and well into the night getting a little smashed and watching old 'horror' movies. The flicks were made funnier by the commentaries from the miniscule audience.
Remus head was resting on James' leg as they watched Deliverance. "Aww, Burt Reynolds' arm is injured."
"Don't worry." James said reassuringly. "He just needs to regenerate."
Remus' back arched as he laughed.
"Hey Remus."
He looked up at James. "What?"
James managed to flip Remus onto his stomach and he held Remus down. He was surprisingly agile for a drunken man. He bent down to his captive's ear. "Squeal like a pig."
Remus' loud laugh startled James. He got off Remus and he turned to James. "You are too much sometimes."
James put on a solemn face and pulled his hand to his chest. "And yet, I am not enough at other times." He sighed deeply.
"Oh crap."
James looked at Remus. "What?"
"It's almost two. There's no way you can make it back to your place. It would be rude of me not to offer to house you here."
James nodded and a small smile appeared on his face. "And it would be rude of me to say no. Where will I stay?"
Remus pondered for a second. "Well the couch is comfy. You can take my bed and I'll sleep out here."
James shook his head. "Absolutely not. There's no way I'm going to push you out of your bed. I'll sleep out here and you take your room." Remus opened his mouth to argue, but was stopped by a look from James. He got up and went to the bedroom.
By the time he came out in his pajama bottoms, carrying some blankets for James, his guest had stripped down to just his boxers and was standing facing away from Remus. Remus could feel a slight blush coming up in his cheeks, but worked to keep his voice even. "Here's some…stuff for you." As he turned around he felt a hand on his bare shoulder. He turned his head to face James.
He gave Remus a grin. "Thanks for putting me up for the night."
Remus swallowed. "No problem. Goodnight." He walked out of the living room and tried to lower his pulse.
The next morning he found James cooking breakfast and went to take a shower. When he came out squeaky clean, he ate breakfast with James and the two plotted on how to wrangle up a couple of victims, er, violinists.
And so it went on for a few weeks. They found Sera with the long brown hair and Andy with her short chocolate hair spiked with platinum blond tips. James would stay over at least three times a week. Half the time Remus would wake up with James in his bed, claiming either he was cold or he heard Remus having nightmares. None of which Remus could remember. However, as the weeks went on, the number of times he woke up with James was steadily increasing.
Remus was getting so tired of waking up with James and not falling asleep with him he finally invited James into his bed. James had immediately perked up at the invitation. He leapt into Remus bed and got comfortable. That was the first night they made love. The next day, James moved in with Remus.
One day Sera brought in an arrangement for quartet of Dvorak's New World Symphony. She found it in the Steriae's basement library. They went straight though it once in rehearsal then they dispatched to go to their places of residence and practice 'til their fingers bled. James and Remus had an early dinner on the way home and then went to Remus' bedroom to practice.
They had gone through the first movement only having to synchronize their shifts and bow changes. The second movement was fairly easy, but beautiful. The two crecendoed, decrecendoed, and made it so the music floated out of their instruments and flowed around the small room.
When the time came for the cello and violin solo Remus played the violin part. He had to finger higher than he first thought, but it worked wonderfully. James looked over at Remus ad gave him a little smile.
It was perfect, or so Remus had thought at the time. Then James had to go and ruin it by getting that bitch Lily pregnant. Remus didn't exactly hate Lily; he just hated the fact that James had used him. But he couldn't bring himself to hate James. Even after the man had beaten Remus.
James had come over to the apartment to try to get his things without Remus knowing. Remus had confronted him. He was the first one to touch the other. He had grabbed James' shoulders and shook them trying to get James to tell him what had gone wrong. Then James punched him.
The whole memory was a flash of red, the crack of knuckles or bone, and the taste of iron and salt. James never touched Remus hands. That was one of the worst offences one musician could do unto another, make them unable to play. Even after James left him half conscious on the floor, in an ocean of his own blood, Remus kept repeating a simple phrase.
"I still love you."
Remus never saw James again. Not even a few days later when he left for London.