Lily's eyes narrowed as she watched the almost suspiciously cheerful Remus Lupin march around the two's flat, whistling merrily as he made pancakes.
"We're invited to the Potters for lunch today." Lily announced, taking a healthy bite of her pancake before she could spill any further details. The two hadn't spoken since the night before, with a brief interaction between a very dazed Remus and a boiling mad Lily.
"The Potters?" Remus inquired, his tone of fake naivety annoying Lily slightly.
"Yes Lupin, the Potters, remember them? Effie with the stolen hose?"

Remus swatted her away playfully, the huge smile on his face unwavering, making Lily even more suspicious.
"What's gotten into you Rem? You look like the sun's shining out ya arse." she asked, Remus, who was dreamily looking into his coffee.
"Huh? Oh shut up Evans, you dinnae ken what you're on aboot." Remus denies, quickly shutting himself up by shoveling some pancake in his face.

"Don't you gaslight me Lupin! Something happened with that Sirius lad!" Lily teased, always jumping at an opportunity to see Remus squirm. However, instead of the usual bashful grin, Lily would expect, she was met with a sly smile and a casual shrug from Remus.
"You're kiddin' me! Damn you work fast! The lads only been here for a couple of days."

Remus pouts at the accusation but makes no effort to deny it, offering Lily another shrug as he stands to clean his plate. This only irritates Lily, not being used to not knowing every single detail about Remus's life.
"So what happened then? did you finally pull?" Lily asked, swivelling around in her chair to face Remus's back.

"Oh is that the reason we have a broken shelf? you and Black been gettin' freaky on top of some Jane Austen?" Remus turned around at that, giving Lily a scowl and an eye-roll, before returning back to the dishes.

"Yes Lily, we shagged so hard that a bookshelf spontaneously combusted." He deadpanned, tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Lupin! you dog! at least ask Lizzy Bennet for consent!" Lily teased, loving the never-ending scowls that Remus was throwing her.
Offering no reply, Remus simply scoffed in amusement as he cleared their kitchen table.
Lily had prided herself on providing messes that Remus would eventually have to clean up, she had even declared it an art form of her own.

"But you see Lillith, when I recall the shelf collapsing, I don't remember only half of it collapsing..." Remus started. "Hmmm you must have a shoddy memory then, I'd get that checked out. Dementia kills ya know?"
"Unless the fairies came in and fixed it!" Remus fake gasped, holding a hand to his chest."Maybe..." Lily remarked with a laugh in her voice.
"Isn't it funny that the fairies used Mr Potter's toolbox?"
There it was, Lily thought, the thing that Remus had been itching to say since last night. Excuses flew around Lily's head as she thought desperately of the right one to use.
"Ooh now, who's the quiet one? Were you spending some quality time with our favourite Potter?"

"Yes Effie was 'round, thank you very much." Lily almost huffed, leaning back in her chair, feeling like a school-girl being interrogated by her teacher.
"I don't recall Effie being six-foot-tall with round John Lennon glasses..." Lily wanted to kick him, but instead she just growled, offering no reply to Remus's accusations.

Remus felt like a schoolboy, sitting on his counter, fantasizing about Sirius's hands on his body. Currently thinking about what could have happened between them if Dorcas hadn't interrupted.
"Yoo-hoo! Earth to Lupin!" Called a voice, followed by a dark hand waving in Remus's face.
"Huh... Oh, Mary! How ya doin" He replied, blushing in embarrassment.

"Not half as good as you are apparently..." Mary smirked, her lips twisted up in a knowing smirk.
"What can I get for you doll?" He said, deliberately avoiding Mary's question and suspicious gaze as he hopped behind the counter.
"Information?" Mary grinned, her arms crossed, making Remus feel like Dorcas had not kept what she saw last night to herself.
"Information? well, you're best heading to the library then." Remus offered, already boiling the kettle to make Mary her usual chai tea.

"Hmmm doubt the library has the answers I'm looking for..."
Remus rolled his eyes as Mary sat on a stool, her eyes still fixed on Remus's back as if she was trying to pry the information out of him with her big brown eyes.
"What exact information are you looking for Mary?" Remus asks, turning his head around so that she had no choice but to see the unimpressed look on his face. However, Mary only grinned more as she saw Remus's annoyed face, clearly enjoying tormenting the man.

"Information on the relationship status between you and a certain long-haired Englishman with a leather jacket and motorbike?"
"Oh lord." Remus groaned, already dreading when the gossip would reach Lily.
"Oh so he's that good is he?" Mary teased, her perfectly manicured nails tapping on the counter, each tap causing Remus to spiral further into insanity.

"How did you even-" Remus paused, looking at the painfully smug expression on Mary's face, her perfectly styled afro and makeup only infuriating Remus more as he stood in his dirty apron and jeans.
"Did you really think Dorcas would stay quiet? You do know she's dating Marlene? Marlene, the nosiest bitch in town." He cursed Dorcas once more and Remus remembered that Mary was flatmates with the couple, so it made sense how she had found out so quickly.
"I'm pretty sure that Marlene would kill you if she heard you call her that," Remus added, turning back around to pour Marys tea in a to-go cup.

"Here, one chai tea." Remus said, holding out the mug but as Mary went to grab for it, Remus retracted it - extending his long arm where the short girl couldn't reach.

"Rem! Gimme that!" Mary moaned, jumping up in an attempt to reach for the cup, making Remus to simply raise his arm higher, grinning smugly at the struggling girl.
"I'll make a deal with you Macdonald, you tell Marlene and Dorcas to stop poking their beaks in ma business, I'll give you free tea for a week." Remus bargained, seeing Mary's brain calculating the pros and cons of the offer.

"Ok Lupin, deal, now hand over the damn tea," Mary scowled, reaching for the cup and successfully grabbing it this time, as Remus had made no effort to move his arm.
"Nice doing business with ya." Remus taunted, watching Mary take a sip of the coveted tea.
"You're a sick evil man Lupin... you've got a right twisted mind."

***

After spending the morning with the sickeningly cheerful Remus, Lily decided that some good wallowing time had been well and truly earned.

Propping herself up on the sofa, she had surrounded herself with pillows, blankets and a family-sized packet of crisps. Ready to click the start button to begin watching Bridget Jones's Diary. The sound of the landline ringing stopped her plans, as she chucked the remote back down and groaned.

With a huff and a puff, Lily released herself from her blanket fortress to hop over to the phone, lifting it off of the wall and raising it to her ear.
"Hello? Lupin/Evans residence." Lily answered, hoping she didn't sound as out of breath as she actually was.

"Hey Lily darling, it's Effie! just wonderin' if Jamie told you about lunch?" The sweet voice of Effie called. She was speaking a bit too loudly on the phone - displaying how little she knew about technology.
"Oh yes Eff, message received, what time do you want Rem and I over for?"

"Hmmm let's say 2 o'clock? does that sound okay to you pet?"

"That's grand, see ya then!" Lily cheerfully hung up the phone, letting out a long groan as soon as the receiver was back into place.
Truth be told, she was entirely dreading seeing James again. His hurt eyes being mentally lasered into her brain, she had regretted being so mean to him, but she just couldn't let herself get there - not again. She reminded herself that it was better off with James being a little bit hurt now, than her having a whole world of hurt later.

In an attempt to try not to think about James and his big, sad brown eyes, she slammed herself back down onto her sofa, fishing for the remote in between the nest of blankets. However, her frantic searching was interrupted by a series of demanding knocks at the door.

"LILYYYYY." The voice of Marlene McKinnon called, shrieking from the other side of the door. Making Lily let out a frustrated growl from inside the blanket fort, pissed off that her brooding time had been so harshly interrupted.

"Comin" Lily shouted, her voice muffled by the pillows.

"Evans! I know you're in there! I can smell fear!!" Marlene teased, still annoyingly rapping at the door. So, with a grunt and a huff, Lily thrusted herself off of the sofa, standing In the living room breathlessly while Marlene continued to wail behind the door.

"I told you! I'm fuckin' coming!" Lily shouted back, unlocking the flats many locks on the door.
When Lily finally grunted the door open, she was met with the forever smug face of Marlene, looking infuriatingly perfect in her work clothes. With her work shirt unbuttoned and her long blonde hair freshly pulled out of a bun.

"Are ya goin' to let me in? Or are we going to have a hallway party?" Marlene snarked, only making Lily more frustrated.
"Oh noI'm so sorry, I don't let wankers in my flat." Lily huffed, snarking Marlene right back to show off her foul mood.

"Someones grumpy today." The blonde teased, raising her brows at the shorter girl before pushing past her and walking into the flat

"Don't worry Lily-pad, you'll be in a much better mood when you hear this gossip.." Lily sighed at the girl, grudgingly closing the door behind her and following her onto the sofa.
Sitting cross-legged across from Marlene, her mischievous grin already made Lily excited for the news. "What is it then Mar? Did you finally crack the case of who nicked Effie's garden hose?"

"Oh no! I wish I did though, I promised Mrs P that I would find and kill the bastard that stole her hose." Lily laughed and rolled her eyes at her friend, Marlene was always one for dramatics.
"Okay then ]but what is it really? It better be good Mar, because if you just rapped my door down for a natter about the hotel's new cleaning lady being a bit sticky-fingered then I swear I'll kill you myself." Lily threatened, her foul mood returning rapidly.

"Oh haud yer wheesht lass, now this is good! It's about our Remus..." Marlene began, and Lily knew from that glint in her eye that Marlene meant business.

***

Sitting in the warm tranquility of his café, Remus turned the page of his book, relishing in the rare moment of peace he had seemed to have captured. He felt as if he hadn't had a second of silence since he had met the whirlwind that was Sirius Black, but now, with one of his favourite books in hand (accompanied by an overbearingly sweetened tea.) Remus felt as if he could finally breathe.

However, this precious snap of silence was taken away in an instant when a very passionate Lily Evans burst through the doors of their café. Remus immediately set his book down, looking up at the hyperventilating Lily with a mix of curiosity and worry.
"Can I ask why you're breathing like it's your last breath?" Remus enquired, only to be met with a middle finger from a panting Lily - who was now kneeling over to catch her breath.

"R-ran, all the w-way from the f-flat" Lily panted, before coughing her lungs up. Alarm bells were ringing in Remus's brain, Lily was definitely not one for exercise, having skivved out of most of their PE lessons in highschool by claiming she was on her period.
"And you ran all the way here because.....?" Remus asked again, fearful of the potential answers Lily could offer.

"Because Lupin! you've been holding out on me!" Lily accused, mainly recovered and wagging a finger in front of Remus's scarred face. Backing away slowly, Remus pulled what he hoped was a smile as Lily continued to etch forward with her finger in the man's face.
"What are ya on about lassie?"
"You, Remus John Lupin are a dirty little minx! Last night with Blacks tongue practically down your throat!"

Remus couldn't contain the blush that spread across his face, and with Lily's head nearly butting his, there was no way that she couldn't have seen it.
"Oh Lord! so it's true. Lupin! I was jokin' aboot this morn but you're genuine! you really did pull Black last night!" Lily squealed, her hands clapping together excitingly, making Remus instantly want to gag.

Remus gave Lily a gentle shove, furiously shaking his head.
"Don't you lie to me Rem, Dorcas walked in here last night with you two practically going at it! Oh and in the shop and everything you truly are a cheeky lad!"
"Oh give over Lils, nothing happened, we never even kissed!" Remus blushed deeper, seeing Lily's smile only widen.

"Pshht and i'm mother fuckin teresa." Lily scoffed, leaning forward and grabbing a chocolate muffin from the case.
"Oi! Muffins are for paying customers, now get ya grubby hands aff of 'em!" Remus lectured, snatching the sugary treat out of Lily's hand.
Lily let out a whine of protest, pouting as Remus put the muffin back in the case.
"Wait,so you didn't even snog the lad? Why the fuck not?" Lily asked, sitting on a stool and resting her head in her palm.

"Well someone interrupted us, and it's not exactly romantic to snog when you've got a flustered Dorcas meadows watchin' ya." Remus confessed with a blush.
"Argh! I'm going to kill her!" Lily said, raking her hands through her hair.
Remus rolled his eyes, turning back around to hide his flushed face, hating the way his heart was fluttering at the thought of Sirius's lips on his. Busying his hands, he started the croaky machine, pouring the hot chocolate mix into two mugs.

"Marshmallows and cream in yours Lils?" Remus asked, even though he knew what the answer was.
"Duh, what else am I gonna have? a plain hot chocolate? Hell no." Lily replied as Remus scoffed, already reaching into the cupboard for the bag of mini-marshmallows.

"So what really happened with you and Potter last night? And before you try to bullshit me, I saw two mugs of tea out." Remus interrogated, back still turned to Lily.
"Nothing happened, he offered to fix the shelf so I let him." Lily blushed, trying to keep her cool.

"Did he offer only to fix half a shelf?" He poked harder, figuring it was Lily's turn to be forced into confessing.
"Oh shut it Rem, he just had to leave thats all..." Lily snarked, clearly not explaining the whole truth, shifting uncomfortably on the stool.

"So you just let James, who you hate by the way, just waltz in here and fix our shelf?" Lily let out a sigh at this, groaning and leaning her head on the countertop.
"Yes! Now drop it Lupin!" Remus chuckled to himself, picking up the two drinks and carrying them over to the counter.

"You seem awfully defensive for someone who seemingly hates Potter with her whole guts." Remus continued, placing the cups on the counter, avoiding Lily's mess of auburn hair that was covering most of it.
"You're so full of it Lupin." Lily grumbles, sitting up to grab the mug full of whipped cream, plucking one of the many marshmallows that was sprinkled on top and shoving it in her mouth.

"He really likes you Lil,and if you just gave him a chance-" Remus began, seeing the saddened look on his friends face.
"I blew it Rem." Lily mumbled, refusing to meet Remus's stare - fixating on the mountain of hot chocolate in front of her.
Remus's eyebrows knitted as he looked down at his freckled faced-friend with a sudden concern. "What'd ya mean Lils? What happened?"
Her eyes met Remus's, her emerald eyes filled with tears as her face crumpled up.

"I- I was a grade A arsehole to him- he was in here and he offered to help fix the shelf and he was so sweet, and- and we were flirting and it was really good and-" Lily explained, her voice thick and tears threatening to spill.
Remus's heart tugged at the sight of his upset friend, he reached out and grabbed Lily's hand, offering her a sweet-supportive smile. "What happened? Was he a cock? I swear to god Lils if he hurt you-"

"No Rem, no it was quite the opposite actually, I was the cock..." Lily admitted, biting her lip and looking down at the counter-top, her face riddled with guilt.
"I just got really scared because I was so attracted to him- and, I can't do this again Rem- not after Snape.."
Remus gave Lily a sympathetic smile, bending over the counter to hold Lily as much as he could. She buried her head in his shoulder, letting out a sob.
"You can't just assume that every guy is going to be just like Severus Lily, James is nothing like him." Remus whispered, stroking the back of Lily's head comfortingly.

Lily lifted her head with a sniffle, her red, tear stain face looking up at Remus's.
"How do you know that Rem? He could be just as bad!" Lily proclaimed, her blocked nose causing her voice to sound thick.
"Or he could be amazing! He could be the best thing to happen to you." Remus argued, wiping a tear off of Lily's face with his thumb.

"Listen Lils, I'm terrified too - Sirius is my first since Fenrir, and i'm shitting myself!" He laughed.
"But you know what Lils? That's how they want us to feel - terrified. And I refuse to give that bastard the satisfaction of controlling my life any longer than he already has."

Lily nodded slowly, a stern determined look sweeping across her face.
"You're right... damn Lupin when did you get so wise?" Lily laughed through her tears causing Remus to burst out in a wide smile.
"Born like this I guess." Remus laughed, shrugging dramatically, laughing along with Lily.

***

After a tearful morning, Lily and Remus were on the doorstep of the Potters. Both nervous for the interactions that could happen within the house, but after several pep talks and a shot of tequila, the two were ready.

Lily smoothed down the hem of her jean skirt, offering Remus a nervous smile as she stepped forward and rang the doorbell, waiting for the cheerful face of Effie to greet the two. However, after only a second of waiting at the door, it was opened by a particularly windswept looking James Potter.

"Oh thank fuck, he is with you two?" James asked, his expression clearly frantic as he looked behind Remus and Lily.
"Huh? is who with us?" Remus asked, turning his head to look behind to where James seemed to be searching.

"Have you seen Sirius today?" James asked, his sweaty face alarming Remus.
"No?" Remus asked, confused as to why James seemed to be so worried.

"Fuck... well you better come in then." James said, face falling as he stepped aside to allow Remus and Lily in the house.
Entering the Potter house, Remus and Lily were led to the kitchen, where a equally worried Fleamont and Effie were sitting, cradling cups of coffee.

"Oh Remus! have you seen Sirius?" Effie asked, standing up and taking Remus's hands.
"No, not since last night why? what's going on?" Remus asked, his tone slowly filling with similar anxiety.

"He's not here, when I woke up and his bed was empty - and his bikes gone." James answered, looking at Remus with a solemn expression.
"No note? No calls?" Lily asked James, who refused to meet her eyes as he shook his head slowly.

"Has he phoned you or spoke to you Rem?" Effie asked, her hands still firmly clasped in his.
"No, the last time I spoke to him was last night." Remus answered with a blush and Effie smiled up at Remus with a knowing smirk.
"He seemed perfectly fine last night, came in and sauntered to his bedroom happy as Larry." Monty added from the kitchen table, giving Remus a similar smirk

"Is there any chance he's just popped off to the shops? or on a bike ride?" Lily asked, her arms crossed, uncharacteristically quiet.
"Sirius would always tell me, even if it was with a little note or something." James answered immediately, still not looking at Lily.
"Are you sure there's no note? have you checked his room?" Remus looked down and asked Effie, with a sudden determination.

"Yes of course, but that was just this morning, you can go up for another look if ya want." Effie answered, letting go of Remus's hands after squeezing them comfortingly.
Remus nodded gratefully and nodded to Lily. The two headed up the stairs silently as Remus was lost in his thoughts, wondering if it could have been his fault that Sirius had left so abruptly.

Entering the room, Remus understood why the Potters seemed so worried. It was a mess, with all of his clothes scattered around the floor, the drawers open and they had been clearly raked through,, as if he packed in a hurry.
"Christ, it looks like a bomb's gone off in 'ere" Lily whispered, creeping into the room and Remus followed, stepping over the clothes and looking at the equally messy bed and bathroom.

The pair searched the room, looking in the bathroom (which was also a pig sty.) But they found nothing, sighing as they left the room, feeling worse than they did when they entered. "Why would he just leave like that? and not even tell James? they seem like they're joined at the hip." Lily asked, voicing Remus's thoughts.

Closing the door behind him, Remus sighed and nodded, with his eyes firmly glued to the carpet, feeling like he had caused this for some reason. "Remus, I know what you're thinking, but this is in no way your fault okay?" Lily stated, putting on her prefect voice as Remus was still inspecting the carpet.
"Okay?!" She prodded further, and Remus nodded weakly as his eyes scanned the hallway, looking at the door across from Sirius's room that seemingly belonged to James.

"Rem?" Lily asked, but Remus's attention was elsewhere, his gaze fixated on a small scrap of paper sticking out from underneath James's door. "Remus?" Lily asked again, giving Remus a light poke with her finger. "Lily, I think that's a note." Remus said, pointing at the paper underneath the door. Lily looked surprised as she bent down to pick up the scrap, turning it over with a gasp.
"You're right!" Lily said, holding the letter upto Remus.

Prongs.

Walburga phoned, Regulus is dead, I'm going to London for answers, and hopefully the funeral.

Love, Padfoot.

"Who the hell is Regulus?" Lily asked, Remus, who was just as baffled as she was.
"I dunno, seems that James knows though." Remus said, taking the paper and running down the stairs back to the kitchen.
"James! James!" Remus called, rushing into the kitchen where the three were still sitting.
"What? did you find something?" James asked, looking at Remus with a similar desperation.
"Yes, a note." Remus puffed, handing James the note before catching his breath.

James grabbed the note, his face falling as he read it. "Holy shit." James exclaimed, a hand over his mouth.
"What is it Jamie? is he okay?" Effie asked, immediately at James's side.
"Regulus is dead,and he's- he's gone to London!" James said, handing Effie the letter as she gasped.
"Oh poor Siri, oh my darling." Effie said, a hand on her chest as tears filled her eyes.

"Who's Regulus?" Lily asked, finally making it to the kitchen after Remus.
"Sirius's brother." James answered, and Remus's heart fell. "Oh my god..." Remus said, feeling a small relief that Sirius hadn't left because of him or what had happened the night before. "He's gone back to them Ma! he's crazy! we don't know what they'll do to him!" James shrieked, looking even more worried than before.

"Now James I think-" Effie started, trying to calm James down using a particularly soft tone of her voice.
"No, they're going to hurt him, I'm going to London." James said, his fist clenched in determination. "James-" Monty began, but James was already facing Remus.

"Remus, I know this is a lot but can I borrow your car? I left mine in London, we took Sirius's bike here." Remus looked at the determined Potter boy and he made a brash decision, one he could possibly regret.
"No, but I can take you."
"To London?" James asked, clearly taken aback.
"Yes, if you'll- If you'll let me." Remus finalised, worrying for Sirius as well.
"Well- okay then." James agreed, and the two nodded to one another.

"Wait a minute, you two aren't going without me." Lily butted in, standing next to the two boys. "Lily I don't think-" James began, looking directly at her for the first time all day.
"You two will get lost and possibly killed if you go alone, I'm coming," Lily said determinedly, stepping forward with her arms crossed to prove her point.
"Ok, fine, but I call shotgun," James said, putting his hands on his hips to challenge Lily.
"In your dreams Potter!" Lily scoffed, stepping forward once more, the gap between the two getting smaller and smaller.

"Okay, we better get a move on then, London isn't exactly close," Remus said, rolling his eyes at the two sarcastically.