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It took a solid four days for Sirius to finally build up the courage and text Remus. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to right away. After all, this year’s Samhain had been the best he had ever celebrated. While yes this might have been for the fact it was the only one he had celebrated so far, it was the “un-transformed” werewolf that made it all the better. It was magical in ways he never expected a simple Hallmark holiday to feel. It was definitely because of Remus Lupin and the adorable little fawn who ended up on his doorstep that night.
So why the hell did it take him so damn long to message the man? Because Sirius is weak and has never communicated with anyone who wasn’t a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight or his house help. Simple pleasantries at the store didn’t really count either, since those were perfunctory and pretty scripted. What did someone even start a text message with? Whenever he messages anyone, it is usually straight to the point with no niceties, except for his brother and Mr. Dobby, of course. But they were family (or like family), this was a stranger whom Sirius barely knew.
It was finally getting to the point that Mr. Dobby started worrying for his master’s sanity, if for no other reason than finding the man sitting at his desk just staring blankly at his phone.
“Might you seek out assistance from a cousin or your brother? Surely they may have a few ideas to help you with your dilemma.”
“If only it were that easy, Mr. Dobby… I don’t need anyone else seeing me in such a pitiful state… I mean, why would a twenty-six-year-old need help with just texting someone?” Letting out a pitiful groan, Sirius slumped in his chair in such an undignified manner that would have caused his mother to lash his back if she were still alive. Thankfully she wasn’t and even if she was, he was head of the house now, so he could slump all he wanted.
This was all pointless. Why would Remus even want to continue talking to someone like Sirius Black? It wasn’t as if the man really knew him or anything. Yea they spent a few short hours with one another walking around the neighborhood, but that didn’t mean much of anything.
Unless the man thought he could get something out of Sirius by befriending him. Though Remus didn’t give off any strange vibes while they were speaking. It didn’t even sound like the man even knew who he was or who his family was. Which was insane seeing that his family had their hand in nearly every single honey pot since the middle-ages. Even now, most of their wealth came from their jewelry and textile companies, both of which Sirius managed.
So if he didn’t want Sirius for his family’s mass fortune, then why did he give Sirius his number?
‘Could he genuinely be interested in me?’
Letting out another exasperated groan he picked up his phone, finally admitting defeat, and dialed the only number he knew to be helpful.
“Dearest cousin! It has been too long since we last, Draco darling, mummy is on the phone, please no screaming, since we last spoke! How are you doing?” Narcissa Malfoy, Nee Black. The princess of the current Black family heirs. Daughter to Cygnus III and Druella, wife to Lucius Malfoy, and mother to a young Draco Malfoy. To say that Sirius has hit the deep end is an understatement. His cousin was not wrong when she said it had been a while, normally he wouldn’t bother calling her unless it was for a familial emergency or regarding the annual Yule Ball, or in recent years, to wish Draco a happy birthday.
Since it was too soon to start the preparations for the Ball and there were no dire emergencies he was aware of, and Draco’s birthday passed by in June, it must have been rather shocking for the woman to see his number pop up.
“Cissy, it has been a while, and I am so sorry for my lack of communication. I am actually calling to see if you could… assist me with a little problem I have encountered recently?”
“Certainly! Though the fact you are calling me and not my husband means it is something non-business related hmm?” Even though the woman wasn’t in front of him, Sirius could almost see the Cheshire grin in her voice.
“Seems I have been caught. You see… the problem is… I do not know how to message someone…”
“Pardon?”
“You heard me…”
“I… well yes, I did hear you, however, I am confused. Since when have you ever had an issue using your cell phone?”
“It’s… it’s not the phone that I am having difficulty with…”
“Then what… OH! Sirius, darling, are you having difficulties with finding the right words?” Gods could this woman be any more annoying… it was his fault, clearly. Had Sirius just sent a simple “hello” or something else benign he wouldn’t have had to deal with what was going to be an embarrassing conversation.
“If you must know, yes… I recently received a number from someone and… the note said to text them. I just do not know what exactly to text them.”
“Well, I guess that really depends on the kind of relationship you want with the person.”
“Excuse you?”
“You know, do you want to be friends, business partners, friends with benefits, wife or husband.”
“Narcissa!”
“Sirius! Honestly, dearest cousin, I know your mother never allowed you or your brother the ability to fool around and date, but you should have some social skills that are useful outside of our family.”
She was right, he should have these skills, however, he never really used them over the years. Wasn’t there an old saying about not using it means you will lose it? That’s what happened, it had to be. He just never interacted with anyone meaningfully outside of work, family, or home so it was lost to him.
“Well… you are not wrong, however, I just do not know what this person wants from me or why they gave me their phone number.”
“Clearly you have a hot body like most of us, and they know a good lay when they see one?”
“Why do I bother…”
“Oh come on now, I am a riot! Either way, just start simple, tell them who it is, and see how they respond. Trying to plan out dialogue makes you sound ingenuine and the conversation will be over before you know it.”
Even hours after his phone call with his cousin, Sirius was still stumped on the idea of just writing what came naturally. The last time he did that he was messaging Regulus, and he was pretty sure some of the jokes and snide remarks would not pass over well with Remus.
“Just… start simple…”
207-xxx-xxxx: Good Afternoon, this is Sirius Black. We walked around my neighborhood during Samhain
Remus Lupin: I remember who you are Sirius, rather difficult to forget someone as charming as yourself.
RL: Honestly, I am quite surprised you messaged me. It was a shot-in-the-dark attempt but… I am very glad I gave you my number.
He was… glad Sirius reached out? Maybe… just maybe then, Remus really did want to befriend him?
Sirius Black: I do greatly apologize for making you wait so long. If I may be quite honest, I did not know how to reach out at first.
RL: That’s understandable, I normally only message Haz’s parents or my own, so I know the anxiety of messaging strangers all too well.
SB: Yes, well, I hope that there will be no more messaging anxiety on my part. I would greatly like to keep speaking with you.
SB: I had a lot of fun on Samhain, and I wanted to thank you properly if I may? Perhaps over lunch?
RL: Well now, if I didn’t know any better, Mr. Sirius, I would think you were asking me out on a date.
A… date? Was that what he was doing? Asking this man whom he barely knew on a date? No, no, no, it wasn’t a date… it was just his way of thanking him for spending time with the lonely recluse during a holiday. It wasn’t even like he had to, Sirius just seemed pathetic enough to be invited to walk around with a four-year-old and his uncle. That was it… yea… he was pathetic and-
RL: I hope I didn’t scare you off? I was teasing about it being a date.
RL: That’s not to say that I still wouldn’t like to join you for lunch though. I would be honored to see you again.
‘Good job Sirius, way to make this poor man fret over absolutely nothing because you’re an insecure ninny who has never been on a date with anyone of your own choosing…’
SB: Of course, my apologies. I have a rather open schedule so when would be the best day for you?
RL: I have Thursdays and Sundays off pretty consistently. So how about the 6th or 10th?
Glancing over at his own personal calendar, Sirius double-checked that he did not have anything planned for either day. ‘I do have a lunch meeting scheduled on Sunday already… so it’ll probably be best to aim for the 10th then…’
SB: Let us plan for it to be the 10th, say around 1 o’clock? I will determine a location and send the address before Tuesday if that is all right?
RL: Sounds perfect. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.
Was that it? Did he need to send anything else or was it okay to just put his phone down and now panic because he had no fucking clue where to go or how to plan appropriately for a date! No! not a date! A luncheon! That. Is. All!
‘I might just need that witch’s assistance once more…’
~*~
“Siri! There you are! How have you been? Have you been eating well? From the looks of it, I would say you haven’t. Honestly, I will have to have a word with that helper of yours. He needs to force-feed you I swear.” A tornado of blond and green was suddenly flitting about Sirius as his cousin took in his appearance, stilettos tapping incessantly on the floor.
“Yes, yes, hello to you too Cissy, absolutely lovely weather we’re having… could we please get on with this?” It wasn’t that Sirius hated his cousin, it was the opposite. He quite liked the vivacious woman. She was quick-witted and had a silver tongue that could get her nearly whatever she wanted. It was more so that he just didn’t want to be shopping for clothing. He had never had fun with shopping before, he knew he wouldn’t now.
“You act as if you have never been clothes shopping before, why are you acting like you’re being tortured?”
“Honestly? Because I feel like I am. I hate shopping.”
“I think it was mostly because you hated shopping with your mother. Nevertheless, we’re here to get you a new wardrobe! Something that screams chic while also being elegant.” Narcissa smiled wrapping her arm around her cousin’s own, looking up at him with a sly smirk.
Ah yes, this was another reason why he was pleased with only seeing this woman only a handful of times a year. Narcissa was relentless when she had her mind set on something. And that something, today, was Sirius Black’s outdated wardrobe.
Well, outdated is a stretch. Most of his clothes were bought yearly in order to maintain appearances with whatever fashion trends were out. This not only helped him stay in the loop but allowed him to have his clothes made using the fabrics of his family business, which led to more buyers wanting to partner up with Black Industries. So while his clothes may seem fashionable and timeless, they really weren’t appropriate for a (not) date.
Which was the whole reason why he was spending Tuesday looking at ensembles with his ever-fashionable cousin. Could he have gone out himself and picked out some outfits? Possibly, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t going to be atrocious or more of the same that he wore regularly.
“All right, where to start where to start… well firstly, where are you taking your mysterious date?” Narcissa hummed looking around the different storefronts, most of them already putting up their Christmas decorations even though they still had nearly two whole months before the glittery holiday.
“It’s not a date…”
“Whatever, not important, what is important is where are you going? That will help me determine where to start with clothing choices.”
“We are going to The Ivy.”
“Hmm, a decently charming place, not too uppity, but still nice enough to set a mood…” Tugging Sirius along, Narcissa started toward a couple of stores that catered more to the posh but casual side of things. It would not do to show up in a three-piece suit after all.
And as Sirius thought, all of this was an absolute nightmare. Nothing she picked out was remotely comfortable or a style he realistically enjoyed. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that he needed to dress appropriately for work, he would have burned every last article of clothing his mother had forced on him. None of it felt right, none of it looked right. While he thought being called a vampire was funny, it wasn’t like he wanted to dress like he was from the late 1800s.
And he could tell that Narcissa was starting to get a little grumpy as well from the constant denials from her cousin. It finally got to the point that they went out to lunch in order to take a break and plan a new course of action.
“I swear Sirius, you are by far the most difficult person I have ever shopped with, and I have shopped with Bella. What exactly is it you are looking for so we can start narrowing down our damn searches already.” Narcissa was nearly ripping the bottle of wine out of the waiter’s hands in order to start getting her boozing on. Clearly, she had been more stressed about the whole ordeal than Sirius had been.
“I know, I know, I’m sorry. I really am… it’s just… I don’t know. I’ve never really been a big fan of cardigans and suede pants. They all feel overly constricting and… I don’t know… wrong?” It was complicated, he remembers when he was younger having a little bit more freedom with his clothing choices when he lived in the dorms of his secondary school. But after he came home, his mother destroyed all of the clothes he bought and instead changed them out for a lot of what he wore today.
“So you’re not a preppy boy, that’s fair, but honestly, there were so many other choices than just that at the stores you know.” Swirling her wine, Narcissa’s piercing silver-blue eyes looked over Sirius’ body and build before nodding and taking a large sip. “Right then, I have another place in mind.”
That was how they ended up outside a vintage boutique called Nargles, bursting at the seams with all types of clothing ranging from mock Prada to glittery children’s clothing. It was definitely not the kind of place Sirius expected his cousin to bring him to, but honestly, he couldn’t find it in him to care. This place carried so many different eccentric pieces of clothing that he was positive some of them were homemade.
“Dora~ how wonderful it is to see you, dearest cousin!” Narcissa’s excitement broke Sirius’ train of thought, causing him to look over as his cousin tightly hugged another woman.
“Cissy, it’s so nice to see you. What brings you to our humble shop today?”
“Well, my silly cousin Sirius here,” Narcissa waved a hand toward him, “is in dire need of a new ensemble for a not date, and we have found nothing that suits him. So I figured to try your little shop out.”
“Sirius? Oh! I remember you, how nice it is to see you again.” ‘Dora’ beamed brightly looking up at Sirius, her soft blue eyes holding a glimmer of mischievousness in them.
“Pleasure to see you again?” He was having a slightly difficult time trying to place where he had seen this woman before. She looked vaguely familiar, but the bright colors painting her hair, and her eccentric clothing choices were proving challenging to place her. Apparently, though, his confusion just caused the two women to giggle.
“Siri, honestly, this is Pandora Lovegood, she’s Lucy’s sister.” Oh! That’s right, Lucius had a younger sister who married a commoner, causing quite a stir a few years back. It was more so interesting to see that his own cousin still kept tabs on the woman. Though Narcissa has always been a social butterfly, and even with their family’s horrific superiority complex, she has mellowed out over the last few years after becoming a mother.
“Right, my apologies, I just didn’t recognize you. Your hair is quite vibrant now compared to the last time we saw each other.”
“Yes, well it is one of the joyous freedoms one has when one lives on their own. Now then, Cissy said you needed some new clothes. What kinds do you like?”
And that is how they spent the next hour picking through everything from preppy to all-out scandalous. Though Sirius did find a few pieces that screamed to him.
A few pairs of distressed black skinny jeans, a couple of visual T-shirts, all themed around Queen, and several other bands Sirius guiltily enjoyed listening to, and even a nice leather jacket. It was almost like he was in secondary school again with all the choices he made. Even Narcissa said so as she watched him flit from rack to rack quite excitedly.
After the immense shopping haul which lead to Sirius having to call Mr. Dobby to come and help him pack his bags back to his home, he was then stuck with another question.
‘Are any of these appropriate for The Ivy?’
SB: I am so sorry to message you so late into the evening, I am hoping you are amiable with me changing the location of our luncheon on Thursday? I was hoping we could go to the Three Broomsticks rather than The Ivy.
RL: That will be just fine, still at 1, yes?
SB: Yes, still at 1. See you in a few days.
~*~
The day finally arrived, and Sirius was anxiously waiting outside the restaurant. He had tried hard to remember how to accessorize his outfit of choice, similar to when he was younger, and for the most part, he thought he pulled it off. His biggest worry was that Remus was going to judge him for his outfit. Surely the man expected him to be dressed similarly to what he had seen nearly two weeks ago.
But as Narcissa had continued to remind him, this wasn’t a business deal, this was a thank-you lunch (date), and looking overly formal might turn off the mysterious person. It wasn’t a perfect cure-all for his nerves, but it helped him in his small moments of panic.
Just as he started to fidget with one of the bracelets on his wrist, he felt a presence to his left before hearing a familiar voice.
“Sirius?” Jolting slightly, Sirius slowly turned his head to look at who had called out to him. It was none other than Remus Lupin.
He looked very similar to how he had dressed for Samhain, a pair of grey khakis, an overly worn, but comfortable-looking cardigan, and a button-down underneath. Sirius felt extremely underdressed now in his distressed jeans, Queen T-shirt, and leather jacket. Why did he think this was an okay idea of fashion choice? Why did he let his cousin talk him into going to Nargles and buying an obscene amount of clothes similar to what he wore when he was seventeen!!?
He just wanted a hole to open up from where he was standing and swallow him whole. How could he face Remus like this? He knew he should have just worn one of his normal outfits, who cared if it was a business suit…
“Sirius? Are you okay?” Remus’ voice cut into his lamenting, and Sirius perked up looking back at Remus.
“Y-yea, I’m fine… I just… Sorry, I should have worn something nicer.” He plastered on a meek smile, looking a little shameful at the circumstances. Though Remus just watched him with a slight amusement before shaking his head.
“I would have been shocked if you came out here wearing a suit. I assumed we were going casual after all. Besides, your outfit looks nice as is.” He winked, giving Sirius a small little smirk before motioning to the door. “Shall we head in?”
Well, fuck him he guessed.
‘Perhaps Cissy had the right about this kind of thing…’
They were seated pretty quickly, the waitress handing them some menus before flitting off to help another patron. Sirius had come here a few times when he was younger, as a way to escape from the oppressiveness of both his parents and home.
It had become a second home to him, and Rosmerta became the older sister he never knew he wanted or needed. She hid him away from prying eyes and helped teach him a few real-world necessities such as cooking and dishes. Stating money dries up, but everyone still needs to feed themselves to live.
“When I found out she put the place up for sale, I almost bought it. It’s one of the few places I can come to just to relax and be myself, you know? I found out why Roz was selling the place, and apparently, it was because the repairs and maintenance costs were more than she was making to fix. I offered to just pay for everything so long as she kept it open… Told her it was my way of thanking her for keeping me sane when I was younger.”
“That’s really sweet of you. I’m sure she appreciated your help.”
“Kind of. She was adamant about not needing charity or pity money but I managed to… convince her.” Sirius smirked, knowing he straight-up bullied the woman into taking his money. The two just laughed, Remus drinking some tea and Sirius a Butter Beer and occasionally eating off their plates.
Sirius found it rather easy to speak to Remus like this. Just like when they were walking around the town with Harry. The conversation just flowed easily between them and even in moments of silence, it wasn’t awkward. Sirius had been nervous over nothing it seemed.
He had learned that Remus worked at a shop in Diagonally called Flourish and Blotts, that he was an avid reader, and really loved chocolate. Always claiming that there was no better cure for anything besides a little nibble of the sweet stuff. It was endearing, to say the least, and it meant that Sirius had an idea of what to get him for their next date.
No, no, no, this is not a date, and he wasn’t going to pretend there was going to be a second ‘not’ date with Remus, it was the other man’s choice after all. Though Sirius was hopeful that this could turn out to be more than just a one-time ‘not’ date. He really did enjoy his time with the taller man and surprisingly hoped the other felt the same.
By the time they were finishing up, the waitress came by placing the check on the table before flitting away just as quickly to help another table. Sirius was quick, snatching up the bill before Remus was even able to flinch toward it.
“I asked you to come out for lunch, it is only fair that I pay for our meal Remus.” His voice held a finality to it that just caused the other to smirk playfully.
“Fine, but only if I may be able to plan and pay for the next one?”
“Next… one?” Looking over nearly breathless with anticipation and excitement even though Sirius knew better than to get his hopes up.
“You know, our next ‘not’ date?” Remus hummed, gently tapping the table between them. “Pardon my forwardness, but I would really like to do this again. And I hope you would like to as well?”
How the hell could he say no to such a sweet and sincere request? Sirius’ heart would have been made of ice if he denied Remus’ request but he knew better. He knew that from the first time he met the man, Sirius Orion Black wanted to be around Remus, and possibly be more than just friends with him. So he took a sharp breath before nodding slowly, trying to not seem overly eager.
“I would absolutely love to.”
Perhaps this ‘not’ date wasn’t so bad after all?