ask almost anyone about sirius black and they’ll tell you he’s arrogant. that he’s loud, self-centred, always trying to make himself the centre of attention. that he talks too much, laughs too loudly, gestures so wildly that every room seems to revolve around him. they’ll tell you he’s reckless, provocative, impossible to ignore. the kind of person who demands to be seen.
ask remus lupin though, and you’ll hear about an entirely different man. he’ll tell you that sirius has the biggest heart of anyone he’s ever met. that sirius can’t stand seeing the people he loves unhappy. that he’ll do absolutely anything, tell a ridiculous joke, make a fool of himself, start an argument just to distract you, if it means seeing you smile again.
he’ll tell you that sirius notices everything. that he remembers how you take your tea. that he notices when your smile isn’t quite as bright as it usually is. that he somehow always knows when to sit beside you without asking what’s wrong.
he’ll admit that sirius is cheeky. that he loves provoking people. that he’ll tease you until you’re rolling your eyes, but only because he wants something back. a laugh, a sarcastic remark, a shove to the shoulder. anything that means you’re engaging with him, sharing a moment with him, feeling something with him.
because to sirius, being ignored has always been far crueller than being told off. and after every teasing comment comes the sirius nobody else seems to notice. the one who reaches for your hand under the table just to squeeze it once. the one who speaks about the people he loves as though they hung the stars themselves. the one who loves so loudly that people mistake it for selfishness.
and remus has always thought that was the greatest misunderstanding of sirius black. people see a man who constantly asks the world to look at him. remus only sees someone who’s spent his entire life looking for a place where he’d finally be looked at with love. and remus is more than willing to be the one who loves him that way, every single day