For Camp Potter (Archery, week one: Write about someone who has a fear of commitment)

Word count: 2016

"Why are you wearing a suit?" Remus asks suspiciously, folding his arms over his chest.

Sirius grins, adjusting his tie before turning away from the mirror. "Why aren't you?" he counters. "We have a wedding to attend."

Remus groans in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. He doesn't bother to tell Sirius that they haven't been invited to any weddings. There wouldn't be a point. Crashing Lucius and Narcissa's wedding had been a good laugh that even Remus could go along with. But then it continued more and more. The past year, Sirius has waltzed into ten different wedding receptions with nothing else on his mind but cake and a men or woman to take home with him for the night.

"Why are you still doing this?" he asks. "Doesn't it get old?"

Sirius smirks and approaches him, poking Remus' nose playfully. "Old? Not at all. Who could ever tire of dancing, cake, and a happy ending?"

"You could always settle down," Remus suggests, trying to keep his tone level and hide the hopeful plea in the words. "You can have a happy ending with someone who bakes you cakes and dances with you at home."

Sirius shudders. His position on committed relationships is well known. Why settle when you can party forever. "Really, Remus, how do you come up with this stuff?" he laughs, affectionately ruffling Remus' hair. "That's like saying James should give up any chance of becoming a professional Quidditch player to start a family."

"Well… He did…"

Sirius shrugs. "Well, I have no intentions of giving up my player days," he says. "Now, come on! I set a suit out for you."

With a sigh, Remus pushes past him, pausing to glance over his shoulder at Sirius. He knows that it's a losing battle. No matter how much he tries, Sirius will never see him.

…

"Who's wedding is this?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart and Rita Skeeter's," Sirius answers proudly as they slip into the reception area.

Remus sputters, his head jerking from side to side as he takes in the decorations. Of course. The setup is far too elegant to just be an average person's. And, he supposes the ice sculpture of Gilderoy next to the punch bowl should give it away.

"How did you manage this?" he whispers, trying not to draw attention to them. He imagines the security here has to be ridiculously tight. "He's an award winning novelist, and she's one of the most well known controversial journalists! We can't just crash the-"

Sirius presses a finger to Remus' lips, making a soft shushing sound. Remus waits for him to offer an explanation, something that can calm his nerves. Instead, Sirius just grins. "I dunno. I just walked in. You saw me. I managed it perfectly fine."

"If we get caught-"

But Sirius has already lost interest in him. A pretty woman with dark hair has caught his attention, and he abandons Remus in her favor.

Remus wonders why he still does this. Sirius has made it clear that he will never stop crashing. But there's no reason for Remus to follow along. The novelty faded after that first wedding, and he's found himself regretting each crash after.

But he knows his weakness. He can never say no to Sirius. No matter how much he wishes Sirius would stop, no matter how much he tries to convince him that there's no more to live than this, no matter how much he says this one will be the last, he can never just let Sirius go alone. He justifies it by telling himself that Sirius will need someone reasonable by his side when he finally runs into trouble. But, really, it's just because he's waiting for Sirius to ask him to dance.

…

"You need to leave."

Remus feels his heart skip a beat when he hears those words. He turns, and he isn't surprised that a security guard has found Sirius. Slowly, carefully, he walks over, praying that Sirius will avoid doing something stupid for once in his life.

"Why? The punch is delightful!" Sirius insists. "Have you had a cup? You, uh… Whatever your name was. Why don't you go fix our scary friend here a cup?"

The girl he's been talking to scowls. Whether it's from Sirius not remembering her name or from being dismissed, Remus isn't sure. She stalks away, and Remus notices that she definitely does not head to the refreshment table.

"I'm asking you nicely. Please leave," the security guard says. "Mr. Lockhart doesn't like for me to make a scene, but if I have to drag you out, I will."

"Darling!" Remus calls, quickening his pace before Sirius can find something smart to say. "Darling, we got the wrong venue. This isn't Frank and Alice's wedding."

Sirius looks at him, dumbstruck. Slowly, the confusion melts away. He lets out a laugh and wraps an arm around Remus. "Well, that would explain why we couldn't find them when he came in," he says.

"We missed the actual wedding," Remus continues. "Had to stop and fix a flat. Come along, dear. Maybe we'll have a chance to make it time."

The guard doesn't look convinced. Remus doesn't blame him since he's always been a terrible liar. Luckily, he doesn't press them. Maybe he's just relieved that there won't be a fight.

Remus offers him an apologetic smile before pulling Sirius along and out of the reception.

"I had that!" Sirius pouts as they walk to the car. "If you had given me five minutes-"

"I'd probably be rushing you to the hospital right now," Remus says dryly. "Why do you keep doing this? If you're that desperate for a one night stand, go to a club. Plenty of horny singles to be found."

"It's not about the sex! It's the adrenaline! I know you feel it too," Sirius insists.

Remus sighs. He feels a lot of things right now, but adrenaline is definitely not one of them. "You're impossible!" he snaps. "What are you so afraid of? Commitment isn't some terrible thing. It's actually quite lovely, if you'd actually give it a chance!"

He doesn't bother to let Sirius answer. He knows that Sirius won't give him a proper answer. He'll laugh it off, make the whole thing into a joke. Remus doesn't think he has the patience to listen to it.

He opens the car door, sliding behind the wheel. Sirius joins him a moment later. For once, he looks somber, but he doesn't speak as Remus starts the car or for the rest of the ride home.

…

"How's it feel?" Remus asks. "You're actually going to a wedding you've been invited to."

Sirius scowls as he fixes his tie. "It's rubbish. Benjy and Emmeline are nice and all, but it's more fun to be around people you'll never see again."

Remus lets out a weary sigh. "You really are an idiot. You know that, don't you?"

"So I've heard. Why does it bother you so much, Remus?"

Remus swallows dryly. He looks pointedly away, unable to meet Sirius' gaze. It should be obvious. Maybe it would be if Sirius would stop and realize that Remus is more than a flatmate, more than a friend. "Doesn't matter," he grumbles before turning away.

"Remus!"

But he doesn't let Sirius finish. He doesn't think that he can handle it right now.

…

Remus sits against the wall, watching the other guests dance gracefully along. Emmeline looks so happy as Benjy spins her.

"You really want a reason?"

Remus glances to his left to find Sirius there, grinning sheepishly and holding out a glass of wine. Remus accepts it, taking a sip.

"I do want that," Sirius admits, sitting down beside him and gesturing at the loving couples. "It's beautiful. But it's also terrifying."

"How is love terrifying?" Remus wonders.

"Commitment. Actually promising to be with someone for the rest of your life. It scares me to death," Sirius explains.

Remus looks at him, surprised. He's brought up the subject many times in the past. Sirius has always laughed it off and offered ridiculous excuses. He's always assumed that it would be a mystery.

"My family… They're always big on weddings, vows, tradition. But I've never seen it followed through. Can't think of an aunt or uncle that hasn't strayed. I'm pretty sure my cousin Bellatrix shags her boss more than her husband. It's scary, okay? I don't know if Blacks can even be faithful to their partners."

Remus softens. He had known there would be a serious reason, but he had never expected something so raw, so heartbreaking. He takes Sirius by the hand. "You know your family doesn't define you, right? You ran away and distanced yourself from them, so surely you realize this."

Sirius sighs and leans forward. His eyes follow Benjy and Emmeline's movements, and Remus notices a soft of longing in his gaze. "What if it's genetic? What if there's something in us that actually makes it impossible for us to actually commit to one person?" he asks softly. "I don't want to even try because I know it won't work. Better to just go from person to person, having fun. Maybe it's lonely in the long run, but that's all I can do. I look at you, and I want to try, but it scares me to death!"

Remus drops his wine glass. "Me? You mean, you know?"

"Of course. How could I not? But it's easier to deny it. I'm sorry if it hurts you, but it's better than being with you and completely destroying you."

Remus moves his hand to Sirius' cheek. "I believe in you. Do you not understand that? And I know that there's always a chance that a relationship won't work out, but I would be willing to try for you."

Sirius swallows. He closes his eyes, and Remus waits for him to shut down, to pretend that they never had such a serious conversation. "What if you're setting yourself up for heartbreak?"

"For you, I'll take that chance," Remus whispers. "Dance with me."

Sirius hesitates before nodding and taking Remus by the hand. "If you're sure."

"I am."

…

"Why are you looking at wedding announcements?" Remus asks, taking the newspaper from his boyfriend's hands. "No more crashing."

Sirius pouts. "Remus, do you understand that weddings have cakes? I want cake," he says, taking the newspaper back and opening it to the announcements section.

"I'll bake you one," Remus offers.

Sirius pokes his tongue out at him. "You're no fun. Remember what I said about the adrenaline?"

Remus sighs. He's always known that Sirius is impossible, but sometimes it amazes him just how ridiculous his boyfriend can be. "You really need adrenaline that badly?"

"It's like oxygen for me."

Remus snorts. Really, Sirius is the most dramatic person he's ever met. As annoying as it is sometimes, he finds it endearing. "Fine. We can eat cake while rollerblading downhill," he suggests. "How's that?"

"That sounds unsafe."

"So does crashing a wedding. Remember the security guard? You could have gotten your face broken," Remus points out.

Sirius scowls, but his expression softens only seconds later. "Rollerblading downhill?"

"Could be fun."

…

"Are you nervous?" Lily asks, fixing Remus' suit. "It's okay to be nervous. I almost threw up when I was getting ready to marry James."

"Surprisingly, no."

He wonders if Sirius is okay. Over the past two years, his fear of commitment has become nothing more than a distant memory. But this isn't just dating. This is such a big commitment. Part of him is a fraud that Sirius might panic and run.

Lily grins and opens the door. "After you," she says.

…

"Look at you," Remus laughs as he and Sirius share their first dance. "Married. How's it feel?"

Sirius presses a kiss to his lips. "Like I'm going to have cake and dancing forever," he answers.

Remus snorts. "All you care about is cake, isn't it?"

"And dancing. And you," Sirius adds, a playful grin tugging at his lips. "Always you."