So let's pretend everything happened a little later than canon...
The Rhythm of the New Normal
Remus turned the key in the lock, his shoulders heavy after a long afternoon. He expected the usual quiet hum of their London flat, or perhaps the low murmur of the television. Instead, the flamboyant, bass-heavy piano pop of MIKA was practically rattling the front door on its hinges.
He dropped his keys into the ceramic bowl by the door, shrugging off his battered tweed jacket, and padded softly down the hallway.
“Everybody's gonna love today, gonna love today, gonna love today...” The impossibly high, joyful falsetto echoed through the corridor. Remus paused at the living room doorway, crossing his arms and leaning his shoulder against the wooden frame. He let the sheer, wonderful absurdity of the scene wash over him.
Sirius was standing squarely on the centre cushion of their worn, velvet sofa. He was wearing a ratty band tee and flannel pyjama bottoms, his long, dark hair flying wildly around his face. He was fully committed to the performance, clutching a wooden mixing spoon like a microphone, belting out the lyrics with absolute, uninhibited joy. He spun, tripped slightly on a throw pillow, recovered with a dramatic hair flip, and pointed a commanding finger toward the floor.
There, sitting on the soft, shaggy rug, was Harry.
The infant was clutching a stuffed stag in one hand, his vivid green eyes, Lily’s eyes, wide with absolute adoration. Every time Sirius shimmied or threw his arms toward the ceiling, Harry let out a shriek of belly-deep giggles. His chubby little hands smacked enthusiastically against his knees, clapping off-beat but entirely enraptured by his godfather's personal concert.
Neither of them had noticed Remus.
A soft, helpless smile broke across Remus’s scarred face, crinkling the corners of his eyes. There was a familiar, dull ache in his chest - a phantom pain that always accompanied the memory of James and Lily, but right now, it was completely eclipsed by an overwhelming, brilliant warmth.
He watched Sirius drop to his knees on the cushions with a theatrical gasp as the song hit its glittering crescendo. Harry squealed, throwing both hands in the air in an imitation of Sirius’s dramatic finale.
Remus took a deep breath, his heart so full it felt like it might fracture all over again, but this time from sheer gratitude. This was their life now. It wasn't the life they had planned, and it was built on the foundation of an unimaginable loss. But looking at the two of them: loud, messy, and vibrating with life - Remus knew they were going to be alright.
"Encore," Remus said softly, his warm voice carrying just enough to break the spell.
Sirius’s head snapped up, a brilliant, unashamed grin splitting his face, while Harry babbled happily and pointed a chubby finger toward the door.
"Moony!" Sirius beamed, breathless, tossing the wooden spoon onto the armchair. "You're just in time for the second act."
Do you ever just read a fic and you know what's coming and you also know it's gonna be the equivalent of a train ramming into your heart so you gotta just stop reading for a while.
Sirius Black would have loved Mika. Might not be his usual genre of music but that boy would vibe to 'Love Today', stood up on his bed, arms in the air.
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jacobvanloon
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