Force of Nature
Alrighty, so I had computer problems (that are still not fixed), I had to shelf a fic, and I got frustrated. I started this yesterday and damn it i am proud. So, without further ado, here you go, @fallinginreverseisbae @wolfstarexchange
At first, Sirius had been pissed that James made him get a job. But if he was going to be a police officer, it’d be best to have some experience, James was right. The bastard.
And there were few places he was willing to work. The library was one of them. Not many chavs visited the uni library, and Pince loved him, and with a recommendation for McG (with warnings about his pranking habits), he was golden.
He started a month before the term began, so he could get a feel for how the library had changed since he’d been there last (“It’s only been a few months since I was here!” ‘Be here the first of August, Sirius, at noon.’).
It had changed a lot. They’d phased out the dewey decimal system and sorted it by subject instead. It took the whole month to get used to, and he still finds he gets himself lost sometimes, or in the place where a particular book would have been found in the old system.
She really liked the library because everyone was accepting of her genderfluidity, and helped her develop a pin system so nobody would misgender her. They also let her keep the front of her hair bright purple because it was punk.
It was the second day of classes and at one of the tables in the front of the library sat a tawny haired masculine person with thin lips and an attractive face with freckles and scars. Their hair was so curly atop their head and Sirius felt the need to bury their hands in that hair.
They had six books laid out in front of them as well as a small pile of notebooks and a whiteboard, a calculator, and numerous multicoloured writing utensils. They were working diligently on the whiteboard with a calculator, their head bowed and back slouched.
They suddenly stood up and stretched, and when they did, their tshirt rode up several centimetres and exposed their faint hipbones and slight pudge, scarred over many times, with a treasure trail that made Sirius drool.
They walked away and headed towards the bathroom. Sirius hadn’t realised it, but they were wearing tight bottoms made of dark material. And damn, it looked good.
Marlene elbowed their ribcage, “Put that doodle on what they’re working on while they’re in the bathroom.”
Sirius jolted and blinked rapidly, attempting to regain their bearings. They quickly swapped their “they/them” pin to their pink “she/her” and scrawled down, “You spurn my natural emotions.”
They dashed to the meticulously organised books and notes, and set the light blue square on a section of the table that was not covered.
They no sooner sat down than the attractive gangly limbed deity walked back to their seat, four additional books in-hand.
They hadn’t even sat down yet when their eyes caught the colourful note and ther eyes narrowed.
Suddenly there was an elbow in Sirius’ ribs, and they looked over to Marlene and hissed, “What? I want to see their face!”
“That’s the point, moron. Look at me and you can see him- them. And you can see them in your peripheral vision. So they won’t know that it was you.”
Sirius grinned widely, “Oh Marlene you’re brilliant!”
“I know, I know. Oh, they’re picking it up!”
Both of them stared at each other so they could concentrate on watching their periphery.
The scarred attractive person was staring at the note with their thick eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
They were mouthing ‘me. Me. Why me?’ They then began looking around to try to find their admirer. After a few moments they sighed, set the note aside, and got back to work.
They left an hour before Sirius got out, and once they left Pince was on them like a hawk on carcas, “Alright, I let you fawn for a few hours, now back to work!”
“Yes ma’am.” They both immediately replied, standing up and heading to their respective tasks.
……….
Remus had just been doing his calculus when he remembered that he needed a couple books for English lit and a new pleasure reading book. So he got up to get them.
It only took a few minutes to find what he was looking for, and he used the self checkout system so he could avoid small talk and get back to his work more quickly.
Once Remus reached the table he was stationed at, he noticed a square of colour that had not been there prior. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he absently set the books down and picked the paper up.
It had a very well drawn sketch of his face from an angle, eyes soft but mouth hard set. His hair was in disarray and there were lines under his eyes.
There was a line in elegant cursive, “You spurn my natural emotions.” Me. Me? Why me?
He looked up, brows still knit together, and began to look around, trying to see if the culprit had perhaps stayed to see his reaction. Nothing. He sighed and set the note down carefully before turning back to his calculus homework.
His mind kept drifting back to the artist who left him the note. He couldn’t concentrate on his homework and gave up after it took him two additional hours to complete calculus. At least nothing else was due tomorrow.
The next day, he went back to the library and sat in the same spot. He took out his steno and bic and set it on the table as he dug out his book for lit. He was supposed to write a short four page analysis of the book he was reading for English.
It took him an hour and a half to get into it, courtesy of the mystery artist, but he finally did. At four, he decided it was time for a break. He had been working for three and a half hours, damn it he deserved it!
So Remus marked his page with his bookmark, set his bic in his steno to keep his place, and stood up, knees and spine cracking.
After a quick stretch, in which half of his joints popped, he began his trek to the upper level, where the best view was.
……….
Sirius had been watching Attractive Swot since they came in. He didn’t move for his lunch, just absentmindedly jotted down the time he was meant to stop working.
He was taking his time with today’s drawing of the swot. He squinted his eyes to be sure he got all the freckles on their face and neck, to get the smaller scars.
Sirius had spent over an hour on the hair alone. Finally, when he was satisfied, he wrote a quote from a The Lawrence song, “You’re so easy to believe in.”
He clocked back in to work but stayed in eyeshot of the punk swot. Around four in the afternoon, they got up, stretching and exposing several centimetres of glorious pale skin.
Sirius looked at his dark skin, the light scars on his arms from various skirmishes, and smiled at the memories that rushed to the forefront of his mind.
He saw movement in the corner of his eye and jerked his head to look. Mystery Swot was walking away. As soon as they were out of view, he jogged (I don’t jog. I walk swiftly with a bounce. It is very punk.)
Sirius set the pale green note atop the book Mystery Person had been reading. He smiled and dashed away.
………..
When Remus came back to his seat, there was another note. It had a phenomenally drawn image of himself. He was at at forty-five degree angle, and he could see the artist included even the faint scars and small freckles.
It was impressive really, he thought, that they had gotten so much detail in, and he hadn’t noticed anybody staring.
Remus grinned and slipped the note into a plastic protector sheet before getting back to work.
………….
Remus was a studious person, and he was only able to go to uni because of a scholarship. If his grades dropped below upper second, then he would lose his scholarship.
He needed leeway for when he was unable to go to class or do work, when his chronic illness acted up. So every day he was in the library studying or doing homework, and every day he had a new note with Queen or Bowie or some other rock band’s lyrics on it, declaring the person’s attraction to him, as well as a drawing of something. For the first few days it was him, the following week it was various queer people from various angles (and one day, it was Bowie’s bulge in intimate detail).
The days after that, was Pince, and the various other professors, with quotes about love and friendship from them.
Then there was a drawing of a dark-skinned person with horribly messy hair and lopsided glasses. Remus knew he knew the person, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
When he got back to his flat, there was a note from Lily telling him to head to hers. She had been wanting to introduce the bloke she’d been dating for over a year for a while, but the guy went to a Scottish secondary school, and then was recruited to the local professional footie team.
He was out for the rest of the season due to a broken ankle he’d had to have surgery on. So he was at home with his parents, who happened to be in town.
Remus dropped his things off, picked up the for-pleasure book he was reading, and headed out.
He arrived to Lily’s flat just as Marlene and Dorcas were walking out, hand in hand.
“You’ll like him.” Marlene giggled, her blonde hair tousled by the wind, “He’s sweet.”
Dorcas rolled her eyes and led her girlfriend away, presumably to shag far off campus somewhere.
Remus grinned and shook his head, knocking on the door.
Lily answered the door, glowing in joy, “Remus! You made it! Come in, come in. I’ve just served tea, I’ll make you a cuppa.” She dragged Remus into the flat, and Remus did a double take.
“You!” Remus shouted, finger pointing to the Indian on Lily’s couch.
Their eyebrows came together as they jolted back as if slapped, “Me?”
Remus carefully opened his book and showed them the drawing from earlier that day. On it was a drawing of the dark-skinned person with horribly messy hair, and fashionable glasses.
The neat script said, “Punk people are usually the gentlest, kindest folks you’ll ever know.”
They stared at the peach note in their hand for a few moments and began to laugh hysterically. They were doubled over on the couch, tears dripping down their face.
Lily came back in at that moment, and paused in the doorway with a cup of tea in her hands, staring at her boyfriend in confusion, “Er? James?”
James took a few deep breaths and handed the note to Lily once she set Remus’ teacup down. Lily and Remus sat down at the table James was sitting at, and Lily began to laugh.
Remus narrowed his eyes and waited for Lily to stop laughing, tapping his foot loudly.
After a few moments, the redhead got her laughter under control, “Let me show you something.”
She disappeared into her room and Remus looked at James suspiciously, “I don’t trust you.” He was nothing if not blunt and to the point, after all.
James’ black eyebrows rose in amusement, “I expected nothing less, Remus. You are, after all, one of Lily’s oldest friends.” His lips twitched.
“I know you two have been together for over a year now, but please be aware: if you hurt her, I will end you.” Remus warned, the threat’s sincerity and danger lacing his words.
The dark-haired man nodded once, “Of course. I appreciate it.” He nodded, “You’re going to shit yourself mate.” James’ hazel eyes glinting with mischief and joy.
Lily came back with a small binder in her hands. She handed the plain-looking plastic to him.
“Read it.”
He nodded and opened it.
My dear Lilyflower-
You two nerds have been together for a year now, and I know I haven’t openly been accepting of your relationship. It’s just that after years of his pining, I was afraid you’d use him, or hurt him, and I wasn’t going to endorse it until I was sure.
I am sure, now, that you are The One for my brother. Take care of him, yeah? Someone’s got to.
Over the past year I have been working on portraits of just you, and of you and him. I think you can really see how my feelings about you have changed. Do as you wish with these.
Happy Anniversary- Sirius
“Wait a second… I know that handwriting!” Remus shouted, picking up the day’s note from the table. He compared the two handwritings, only to find they were exactly the same.
“What?! I… What?” Remus asked, and Lily gestured at him to continue from her place in James’ lap.
He flipped the page and there was a very rough sketch of Lily. Her mouth was set in a frown, eyebrows drawn together in unhappiness. He turned the page, then the next and the next.
When he got to the last one, a portrait of just Lily from shoulders up, he gasped. It was drawn in the same style as the portraits Sirius had drawn of him, with the same meticulous attention to detail.
“They draw differently depending on how they feel about someone. Sirius sees Lily as a sister now, and adores her. They love me more than anyone else, so I get shadows and smudging and everything. I love it. I love them.” He smiled happily.
Remus put two and two together. Sirius really really liked him.
“What.. Does Sirius look like?” He asked James, who snorted.
“Lils, I need you to get up for me.” She nodded and got up, and sat in her own chair.
James lifted his hips, wincing, and pulled out his wallet. He pulled a small slip of paper out and handed it to Remus, who gasped.
“I… Need to go. Homework to do, things. Stuff. Thank you for the tea, it was lovely meeting you, James!” Remus stood up, grabbed his book, and dashed out the door, photo in-hand.
“This is the person Siri has been gushing over?” James sighed, “At least I know he’s a good guy, right Lils?” He looked to Lily for reassurance.
“Right… But they’re going to kill you.” Lily said, looking at James sadly.
At James’ confused look, she explained, “Remus took their photo from your wallet.”
“Oh shit!” James yelled, getting up quickly and grabbing his crutches. By the time he got to the door, Lily was there.
“Oh no you don’t, Mister. You have instructions to stay off your feet. So get off your damn feet.” Lily used an authoritative voice.
“But Lily!”
Lily shook her head, “No, James. You need to rest or you’ll not be back on the field next season. And then you’ll be a whiny baby and damn it the Lions are my team!”
James sighed, “Lily, please-”
“No. Now get your arse back in the chair before I make you.” James wiggled his eyebrows.
……….
Remus rushed into his flat and packed his bag. He grabbed his small notecards and rushed out the door.
When he arrived in the library, Sirius was behind the resource desk, as per usual, and she was wearing a pink pin with her pronouns.
She looked up upon Remus’ entry, and the smile that graced her face took his breath away. Literally. He took a few gasping breaths and smiled in return, walking to his normal seat.
He took his stuff out and attempted to keep his eyes off Sirius. He began racking his brains for the perfect quote to use. And the perfect thing to draw on the beige notecard. The only thing Remus could draw was nature, however, so he drew a tree with snow surrounding it and on its leafless branches.
When he was done, he carefully wrote Sirius at the top, and at the bottom, “I want to be your boyfriend. -The Ramones.” Remus grinned at the card and set it on the top of the book he was working through, and got up and carefully kept his gaze to the front of him.
……….
Sirius had just finished the drawing of Lily for Mystery Person when they got up. They walked away in an unusually stiff manner, and she was worried, but she didn’t exactly know them, so she couldn’t very well inquire about it.
She was in front of the table in a blink, and when she went to set the note down, she saw her own name. Her eyebrows knit together and her nose scrunched in confusion.
She picked up the note and gasped. It was a beautifully drawn tree, the one in front of the big window upstairs. She grinned and spun around in happiness.
……….
Remus saw Sirius pick the note up and grin widely, then twirl around. He decided it was time to approach, since she had reacted so positively.
He approached her, and she had just begun to look around her when their eyes met. Remus pressed his lips together and looked away in embarrassment, a smile on his face.
Sirius had begun to absolutely beam, and when they met, the first thing out of her mouth was, “How did you know my name?”
“Er,” Remus scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, “I visited Lily because she asked me over, and I met James and immediately recognised him from the note earlier. I showed him the note and he couldn’t stop laughing. Then Lily brought out the folder of the drawings you made for her over the last year? You’re a brilliant artist, by the way, absolutely stunning work. And you’re fit as fuck and I am babbling please shut me up, please. You are so fit.”
Remus was bright red and he looked as his feet in embarrassment.
“You’re pretty fucking fit, yourself. But I think this is a little unfair, you knowing my name but me not knowing yours.” She smirked.
“Remus. Lupin. It’s nice to meet you.” He stuck his hand out.
Sirius shook it gracefully, “Ah, you’re a constellation yourself aren’t you?”
Remus snorted, “Depends on who you ask. And no, I don’t have any siblings. But enough about that. Do you want to get out of here?”
A grin absolutely split her face in two, “Please!” Her face fell into deep unhappiness, “I’m still on the clock so I can’t go. Not until-”
“Sirius Orion Black the Third, get your arse out of here. I don’t want to see you back tonight! You’ve been pining after them for too damn long in this library. Go have some fun.” Pince shouted from the autobiographies.
Several people shushed her, and Remus chuckled and began to pack up his things. As he put his pleasure reading book in his bag, the photo from James’ wallet fell out.
Sirius growled, “What a fucking wanker. He promised he’d never take it out! I’ve got to prank him so badly he’ll never break a promise to me again.”
Remus plucked the photo from her hand and put it back in his book, “There. All done. Coffee shop? I’m pretty sure they’re shagging, and I don’t think other of us wants to know anything having to do with it.”
Sirius nodded vigorously, “Coffee shop sounds good. Which one is the best?”
Remus grinned wickedly, “If you don’t mind a bit of a walk, I’ll show you.”
Sirius nodded and they walked together out of the library.
Twenty minutes later, Remus came to a halt in front of a small café called The Marauders.
At her raised brow, Remus explained, “In secondary school, my mate Pete and I had a dream of opening a café catered to kids. With harmless pranks you can set up, play areas, pirate roleplay, that kind of thing.
“I didn’t have the money to help open her, but I work as a barista Wednesday and Friday mornings, and the afternoon on weekends and holidays. I also help keep track of finances, that sort of thing. Pete’s the genius behind the baking though. I’m his guinea pig. I get to try things that never make it to the public.”
He shuddered and opened the door for Sirius, “There were only a few recipes that weren’t good, but they were horrible. The most memorable of which was the first attempt he made at gluten free cinnamon rolls.”
Remus covered his mouth and gagged, when a voice boomed out from across the café, “That was months ago, Moony! They’re better now!”
A pale skinned, broad shouldered guy with a mousy brown bowl cut came out from the baking room. He was incredibly stylish, and it looked like the clothes had been tailored to fit him.
“Peter Pettigrew. And you are?”
Sirius smiled, “Sirius Black, nice to make your acquaintance.” She smiled and stuck her hand out to shake his.
They shook hands, and Sirius opened her mouth, “Why ‘The Marauders?’”
“Oh, that’s what the headmaster at school called us after we pranked him. Didn’t even punish us, did he Moony. Just asked us not to tell anyone we weren’t punished or that he was… More than queer.” Peter said conspiratorially.
“Wormtail, I did not need that image stuck in my head again. Damn it Pete!” Remus sighed, “Let’s just get some cocoa and pastries.”
“I need to get back to work, but whatever Sirius wants is on the house.” Peter said, walking away.
“Aye aye, Cap’n.” Remus said, all the children immediately following.
They both had cocoa and cookies, and were chatting companionably.
“So… Is that a yes?” Remus asked quietly.
“To what?” Sirius had zoned out watching the children in the play area ‘walking the plank.’
“To going out with you?” Remus was suddenly nervous, and he picked at his sweater sleeves anxiously.
“Yes, of course! I thought this was a date.”
“Oh,” Remus replied, bright red skin contrasting the pale white of his scars, “Right.”
“So. You have done pranks before.” Sirius stated.
“A considerable amount, if you ask me.” Remus grinned mischievously.
“Good. Because I need some help pranking James.”
Sirius grinned at Remus, their faces mirroring one-another’s. They knew, then, that they were perfect matches for each other.
They also began mentally planning pranks for the inevitable prank war between them. And if others joined, well, that wasn’t their fault, now was it.