The Art of The Pour

by book_wooks

Summary:

Remus Lupin is a talented, if not clueless barista. Sirius Black is a nameless, slightly forward regular.

Coffee based chaos ensues

Chapter 1

“He's here again.” 

A curtain of ginger fell around the corner, closely followed by a wicked grin and two jumping eyebrows. 

“Hmm?” He asked, perfectly nonchalant but knowing exactly what was coming. 

“Loud mouth. Bone Dry Cap Guy. Pretty Boy.” 

Remus’ fingers stilled on the keyboard as his shoulders tensed.

“Of course he's here, it's daylight and there's beans in the grinder. He's always bloody here.” Remus huffed, pushing the squeaky chair back from the desk.

“You know, funny thing, grinder's actually running a little low out here…” She clicked her tongue and nodded towards the bar. 

“Better get that filled then, wouldn't want to keep our regular waiting.” 

“I would, really I would, but I fear my poor, weak, girl arms just can't handle those heavy bags. You're just going to have to come out here yourself, boss man.” She said with a sigh and an absolutely despicable smile as she slid out the doorway and back to the bar. 

Remus glanced up at the CCTV cameras. The image was blurry but it was easy to recognise the laughter shaking the customer's shoulders. He laughed a lot. And it was a very nice laugh. Sort of loud and sudden, almost barking, but very… real. Very lovely. Well maybe it wasn't the worst idea to stock up the bar, the order form would wait and besides it was only polite wasn't it. After all he was a regular and a very good tipper. Remus tapped at the laptop, saving his admin before hoiking a couple of the heavy silver bags onto his shoulder, only wincing slightly at the ache. 

“Oh here he is, my hero.” Lily swooned dramatically as Remus reached past her to fill the hopper. She finished up pouring the drink and turned back towards the customer. “You know, those bags are very, very heavy. At least ten kilograms each. Maybe twenty. Remus is very strong though.” 

“Mhmm I can see that. Thank god, or there'd be no coffee for me, right?” He took a sip of his drink and gave a borderline filthy moan. “Jesus, Lily, I swear no one makes a cappuccino like you. Well, almost no one.” 

He tipped his cup towards Remus with a wink. Remus felt the slopes of his cheekbones heat up as he nodded back. Awkwardly. Painfully awkwardly.

“Ah well, he doesn't count. The big guy practically lives here, pretty sure he could do you a perfect cap blindfolded, half asleep and with an arm tied behind his back, right Rem?” Lily asked with a cheeky nudge. 

“Don't forget on one leg, too.” 

Another wink shot his way and a little shiver ran down Remus' spine. 

“Yes, well, I get a lot of practice I suppose. Can we get you anything else? The croissants are part of our breakfast deal now and these ones are still warm from the oven.” 

“As tempting as you are, I think I'll have to give the pastries a miss this time; trying to lose the Christmas pudge, y’know?” He said, tapping at a distinctly pudgeless torso. Annoying. 

“Right," Remus answered stiffly, vaguely aware of the embarrassment pulling at his gut, "Well, I'd better get back to the orders. See you later, I'm sure. Lily, could you put the filter on to brew? Cheers.” 

Remus did as he said and plonked himself back down behind the ancient laptop. It took an actual age to load up the order forms and if he chose to spend that time keenly watching the CCTV screens then that was his prerogative. The man was unnerving, without question, but also unbearably nice to look at. Just, preferably from the safety of the back room. Behind the bar Remus was always careful, never looking straight on. It was all side glances and covert peeks over the cake cabinet and when he was actually drawn into conversation, the only safe bet was to focus on something just over the guy's shoulder, the passing cars out the window or the gallery wall just by the front door. 

Only once had he made the mistake of direct eye contact. Those eyes, good god. A stormy grey but blindingly bright , crinkled with a smile and framed by dark lashes, so long they almost seemed to brush his brows. They were unquestionably beautiful. Distractingly so, actually. Remus had stuttered and fumbled, pressing all the wrong buttons on the till and then smashed three saucers in his haste to escape his gaze. So yes, the back room was safer. 

“Why do you do that?” Lily demanded from the doorway, hip cocked and arms crossed. 

“Do what?” He sighed, because this wasn't even close to the first time they'd had this conversation. 

“You know what! Why do you always act like that around him?” 

“Act like what?” 

“Remus John Lupin, are you being intentionally dense? Every time he's in you get all awkward and aloof, ‘the croissants are part of the breakfast deal blah blah’, I mean what the fuck? He flirts with you and that's what you give back?” 

“Come on, he wasn't flirting, he's always like that. Charming, personable I guess. And anyway even if he was flirting, I'm not interested.” Remus insisted very entirely truthfully. 

“I'm sorry, what? Why?! He's nice! He's fit, he's a laugh, he clearly fancies you. Why would you not want to get on that?” Her brow furrowed intimidatingly. 

And Remus didn't exactly have an answer to that one. In theory, the guy was friendly but not creepy, attractive but not fake, witty but not rude. Basically a total catch. So there was no real reason why his mere presence made Remus’ guts squirm and his entire nervous system scream at him to seek shelter. And anyway, it's not like the guy was perfect, hell if he really did fancy Remus then there had to be something wrong with him. 

“I just don't. Besides, not very professional, is it? He's a customer, a regular customer. I'm sure there's a rule against it.”

“I highly doubt our great coffee overlords care who you're boinking. In fact, if it'd guarantee us a better NPS then I'm pretty sure they'd actively encourage customer slash barista shagathons.” She leaned out of sight for a second, reappearing with a handful of marshmallows, “You should ask about that at the next area meeting.” 

“What, if head office will endorse baristas trading sex for good customer reviews? Something tells me it'll be a big fat no from Alastor, potentially followed by my very public sacking.” 

“Yeah, probably. Funny though.” She grinned and lobbed the last marshmallow at his head. “I'm getting off topic here, point is Pretty Boy has the hots for you and you're extremely thick if you can't see it.” 

Remus pulled a face at the nickname. It was commonplace, the baristas gave all the regulars nicknames with varying degrees of insult. Something about ‘Pretty Boy’ had always made him cringe especially hard. 

There was a familiar woosh of air as the heavy front door thudded shut. 

“Customer?” Lily groaned. 

Remus scanned the monitor and laughed. 

“Decaf soy mocha, extra shot and extra extra wet. Your favourite.” 

“Oh Jesus, not Stinky Breath Mocha Man. Fuck my life.” She complained, bumping her head gently against the syrup racking before turning back to the bar with a cheery smile and a “Hiya lovely, just your usual today?” 

The pitched up syrupy sweetness of Lily's customer service voice always dragged a laugh out of him, there was nothing faker. It was the one part of the job that had always escaped him. Sure he was polite enough but the overly friendly saccharin that really drew in the tips didn't exactly come naturally to him. Customer service was objectively the worst part of the job anyway, ninety percent of the time Remus made absolutely sure he was sequestered away behind the coffee machine. The others didn't complain, not out loud anyway. They couldn't. Everyone knew he was the best; every drink he made was the perfect temperature, beautifully crafted and always, always handed back to the customer blisteringly fast. It was the rhythm of the thing, the hiss of the steam arm, the weight of the group handles, the clunk and hum as the shots were extracted, all of it was a fabulous cacophony that Remus understood minutely. Years of practice had lent him the ability to move with it gracefully and efficiently, tuned in to the fine movements and precise timings almost like a dance. He appreciated it as an art form. That's why he loved it. That's why he was the best. 

What he was not the best at was admin. The laptop was absolute shit, the slowest and least reliable object on the planet, Remus was sure. More often than not the paperwork needed doing three or four times over simply because the stupid thing gave up and died mid left click. At least once a shift Remus had to grit his teeth and walk away for a sneaky smoke, lest the screen find itself suddenly smashed beyond all repair. It wasn't his favourite but it was temporary, strictly until Frank returned from his paternity leave, and the pay bump was nice he supposed. Small, but nice. 

“Alright, babes? Lil says you absolutely have to sleep with customers for the sake of our NPS, that true or is she just chatting shit again?” 

“Alright, Mac? I'm fairly sure I said the exact opposite actually so yeah chatting shit is pretty much spot on.” Remus replied with a grin, spinning the chair round just in time to see Mary MacDonald stow her jacket in a locker and flounce over to the desk, smiling prettily as she perched on the edge. Mary was, without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with. She was a firecracker, a ball of positive energy and kind words. That's not to say she ever sugar coated anything. Unflinchingly honest, she said what she thought and meant what she said. There was no hidden agenda, no backtracking, no bullshit. Remus absolutely adored her. 

“That girl is a menace. Who was she getting on at you about now, Grumpy Flat White Guy? Or the Lumberjack? Don't tell me it was Specky Chatter, she's fucking obsessed with him.” Mary said with an eye roll. 

“Excuse you, I am not obsessed. Specky Chatter creeps me out, I always make someone else serve him. No one should be that cheery,” Lily appeared once more, this time toting one of the overpriced smoothies from the chillers, “and anyway, it wasn't any of them. It was Bone Dry Loud Mouth.” 

Next to him Mary's face screwed up. 

“Sorry, who? We really should start learning some real names around here.” 

“Bah no one appreciates my art. You know who he is, gets a cap and always specifies ‘bone dry’, as if we don't already know. Kind of a prick but he's so charming you sort of don't care? Always asking after this one?” Lily jabbed her bottle in Remus’ direction accusingly. 

“Ohhh, that Loud Mouth. He has the most gorgeous eyes. And he's a Scorpio.” Mary gave Remus a knowing look, eyebrows jumping madly. 

“Okay, and I care about his star sign why?” He almost laughed as he indulged her eccentricities. Only Mary would know a stranger's star sign before their name. 

“Well, they're very compatible with Pisces. Which is your sign, babe, just in case you didn't know, ” Mary patted the top of his head with a smile, “plus, Scorpio's are well known as passionate, talented and thorough lovers.”

That would teach him to ask questions. Remus felt his whole face heat up as Lily burst into laughter.

“Look at how red he's gone! Oh I think you've hit a nerve, Mac. Well done, love, you know how hard it is to embarrass him.” Lily clutched at her stomach whilst her shoulders shook. 

If anything it made his cheeks hotter. Remus stood from his chair and retied his apron, looking anywhere except his laughing friends. 

“Har har. Right. Okay well I think your shift started about three minutes ago, Mary, and the Cold Brew needs putting on for tomorrow and actually Lily you've only got twenty five minutes left of your break and-” 

“Oh bloody hell, back to boss mode. He's full naming us and everything.” Lily wiped under her eyes and gave a facetious salute, “Yes sir, I will report back to the till at precisely twelve pm, sir.” 

He gave her a withering look and muttered a quick, “you need to pay for that drink” as he stalked past the pair of them. 

 

He could still hear the laughter ten full minutes later. 

 

Chapter 2

Sometimes Remus didn't like his job. Sometimes, when the air con was broken and the card machine had frozen and the queue was never ending and delivery was late, he actually really fucking hated it. 

Half past one, eight hours into his ten hour shift, and Remus was just about ready to blow the whole place to smithereens. His hands and arms were littered with new burns, pink and raised and distractingly sore. The two from the ovens would pucker up and scar he was sure. Today there was no snarky Lily or chirpy Mary to soften the many, many blows. Today, there was only Ellis. Poor, poor Ellis. A seventeen year old with wide eyes and bony wrists thrown into the deepest of deep ends on only his second shift. He tried to keep up, he really really tried but the hits just kept on coming. By the eighth misremembered order and the fifth smashed glass Remus had reached the limit and snapped. It wasn't a yell, not really, but it was close enough that the kid's eyes got all glassy. It would require an apology, later. 

Right now, Remus had to focus. A big office lunch order: nineteen drinks, every single one customised and at least half iced. It was a balancing act - steaming batches of milk for the lattes, measuring ingredients and filling blenders, all whilst pulling shot after shot, perfectly timed to ensure peak freshness. It was strategic and precise and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the organised chaos, just a bit. As always he saved the flat whites for last. His favourite. He took the time to texturise the milk for each drink individually, watching the whirlpool of microfoam melt away into a silky smooth canvas. Deft wrist movements, all minute circles and practiced swirls, gave way to an ornate pattern. Dark roast espresso marked with velvety white lines to make a flawless swan. Beautiful. Five of them in quick succession, matched exactly. It was almost a crime to cover them with lids. 

“I mean, I knew you were good but Jesus, that's seriously impressive.”

The voice was smoky and rich, lightly teasing maybe. Had the day been less hectic, he probably would have recognised it instantly. Every word enunciated fully in a way that should've sounded somewhat fake or stilted but was utterly euphonic. It was also far too close and far too sudden and made Remus jump about a mile into the air, knocking the last of the flat whites and surely destroying the concealed pattern. He whipped around with indignant rage, ready to rain hell on whoever interrupted his process, only to find a pair of familiar grey eyes sparkling at him over the top of the coffee machine. Just his luck. 

“Oh, sorry, didn't mean to spook you.” 

Remus ground his teeth but managed to spit out a sullen, “It's fine”. 

Ellis slid the next receipt along the bar: two caramel hot chocolates, all the trimmings. Remus got to work, scooping chocolate powder into a fresh milk jug and popping it under the steam arm to froth. He set about prepping the glasses and various toppings, marshmallows, caramelised sugar shards and syrup in ratios he'd perfected over the years. Thousands of times he'd gone through these motions, almost always with someone watching him but this particular time, these particular eyes made him twitchy. When the milk grew loud and screechy he twisted the wand off and let it settle before pouring it from a height, the only way to get a perfect 80/20 split of smooth chocolate and airy foam.. If any spectators also happened to think it looked quite cool then so be it. A neat swirl of cream, a generous portion of sprinkles and they were picture perfect. 

“God they look good, how’d you get the cream so neat like that? I've tried to do it once - you know with the canister and the nitrous, the whole shebang - and the thing blew up. I mean, like, the drink went everywhere. I'm talking cream on the ceiling,” He said with a nod up at the roof. Remus thought he must've pushed up onto his tippy toes because the beginnings of a bright smile just peeked over the machine. It wasn't unpleasant. “So what's the secret?” 

Remus didn't answer at first, instead smiling at the ladies and passing over their hot chocolates. As they oohed and awed, those stony eyes and accompanying dark waves disappeared briefly behind the stacks of takeaway cups only to rematerialise even closer, leaning his forearms against the bar and looking far too comfortable. His nickname was accurate, of course. He was exceedingly pretty, even when observed with a subtle side eye. All high cheekbones and plump lips and a jawline so chiseled it looked almost painful. Just, pretty. So pretty, in fact, that Remus felt his cheeks get hot and had a sudden need to look absolutely anywhere else. 

“What's next, Ellis?” 

It was a pointless question. The queue was gone, only the one man waiting patiently with a stupid smirk on his face and Remus knew that order by heart. 

“Just this guy's cappuccino, medium.” 

The customer held up a finger, long and pale and neatly manicured. 

“Oh, bone dry please!” He said with a condescending smile. 

Remus nearly had an aneurysm holding the eye roll in but started frothing the milk to within an inch of its life. Every action was observed, he could feel the weight of it pressing down on his shoulders and making him all sweaty. It was a stupid drink anyway; even with the espresso the cup was so light it might as well have been empty. Still, he passed it over and didn't watch as the customer took a sip. 

“Ah, perfection. I don't know how you do it every time.” He took another swig. Remus expected him to leave, then. Sort of hoped he would actually just so his skin would stop itching but no, the customer put the drink down and resumed his leaning with a smile, “So, go on then. What's the secret?” 

When Remus had no answer other than a confused look, he chuckled and pointed at the cream canister. 

“The whipped cream secret, remember? How do you get it so neat?” 

He didn't have to answer. He could pull his usual stunt and hide in the backroom to escape the unease that came with this specific customer. Except he couldn't in good faith leave the teenager alone behind the bar, not to mention the bad example he'd be setting by literally running away from customers. 

“Oh um, just practice I guess. No secret really.” Remus replied, politely and professionally. 

“I don't buy it. Lily has a tonne of practice and hers go all wonky about half the time, I've seen it. No, there's something special about the way you do it so go on, spill!” 

He wasn't wrong. Lily always rushed, she never left a big enough gap for the cream and often that led to messy drinks and massive overspills. And the thing was Remus did have a special method, not really a secret because he'd tried over and over again to get the other baristas to do it his way but the idea of sharing it now felt strangely intimate. Like he'd be revealing something deeply personal. 

“Why do you care?” 

The words just slipped out, harsh and just slightly bitter. Definitely rude. For a second the man's face flashed with shock, maybe a hint of hurt around the eyes but it was quickly gone, replaced by a twinkle and an easy smile. 

“I dunno, it's just interesting. It's like art, right? And you're the artist. From what I've seen, you're a bloody good one so who better to learn from, I guess…I just- I don't know, I just want to know what you're thinking.” He huffed out a light laugh, a pale pink dusting across his cheeks as he tapped on the lid of his drink. “Plus, hey, look, the kid is new isn't he? He's got to learn, it's your job to teach him and I'll just be a silent bystander.” 

And now Remus was all types of confused. No one was as weird as him about coffee, about the artistry in it. No one cared the same way. Lily teased him about it loudly and constantly. Maybe that explained it, maybe he'd just heard the light-hearted teasing and was trying to make Remus feel better about his peculiarity. Pity didn't make a ton of sense but it wasn't impossible, certainly it was more likely than actual genuine interest. And yet, when Remus sighed in resignation and called Ellis over for a demonstration, there was a definite noise of excitement from the other side of the counter. 

“So, you only want to fill the canister up about two thirds of the way. It gives the cream room to expand, if it's too full it won't be light and airy. Then you want to double check this seal right here,” Remus tapped at the rubber ring just inside the lid of the canister, “if it's not there and you gas it, the thing will explode on you. Right so the trick is to use two of these gas bulbs, one after the other, and then shake for a good thirty seconds. I know the training says only one charger and to shake for five seconds but that's absolute shit. The company are just cheap and are more bothered about speed than quality. Have a go then.” 

Remus filled a latte glass with water, watching as the teenager fumbled with the small metal capsules. He had been listening, or at least nodding along in all the right places, but it was nothing compared to the rapt attention from Bone Dry Cappuccino Guy. He didn't even appear to blink as he watched Remus’ explanation, only taking the occasional sip of his drink. It was a bit weird, really. There was no reason for anyone, other than a barista, to care this much about whipped cream of all things. Vaguely he worried this was all some big trick, some audit from head office to test the professionalism and brand standards of each store. 

“Okay, great job. Now I'll show you how to actually put it on a drink, it's a lot harder than it looks. You want to hold it like this,” he took the canister and flipped it lightly in the air, catching it by the base so the nozzle pointed down, “and just barely squeeze the trigger. Because it's double gassed it's going to have some oomph. I know the SOPs say to start the spiral from the centre of the drink but that looks messy. Instead put it straight onto the rim of the glass, you hardly want it touching the drink at all. You want to build up from there, don't move your whole arm, just your wrist. Like this.” 

Muscle memory took over. Just as he had a thousand times before he applied the smallest pressure possible, controlled and careful, and followed the edge of the glass with expert movement until the water was topped with a flawless swirl of cream. 

“See? Just like that.” Remus said, probably too pleased with himself as he emptied the glass, “now you go.” 

He should've been watching the teenager with the highly pressurised container. Really, he was supposed to be observing and training and definitely not ogling customers. But the thing was this specific customer had managed a thin line of foam, just clinging to his top lip and Remus could not, for the life of him, stop looking. It was irritating him quite a bit actually because it should have been impossible, a sealed takeaway cup left little to no opportunity for spillage after all. And also why would he not just wipe it away? He must have felt it, no way he didn't with the way the drink slipped down onto his lower lip, just a bit, when his mouth stretched into a sweet smile. Even if he didn't want to dirty up his hand wiping it away there were napkins right there on the counter and even if he couldn't be bothered to reach over for one then his tongue was an easy option, Remus could see it when he laughed at something Ellis must've said, which was also pretty annoying because Ellis wasn't actually all that funny. For a mad, mad second Remus considered reaching over and sorting the mess out himself.. It almost felt like an actual option, that was until all hell broke loose. 

There was an ominous hiss just to his right and Remus turned, words of warning right there on the tip of his tongue but already too late. Not a second later there was a loud pop and everything, including Remus, was doused in copious amounts of whipped cream. For a moment, he was almost entirely overtaken by the urge to yell and scold because how could anyone be so stupid. But then there, in the centre of the carnage, was a shell shocked Ellis looking all sorts of pathetic. He was absolutely drenched, just completely covered head to toe. From under the layers of white his whole face visibly burned a bright red, his hands shook and once again his eyes had taken on a watery quality that made Remus rather uncomfortable. He took a few calming breaths and most of the rage melted away. He took one more breath. 

“So, actually you have to press the trigger and empty the canister fully into a bin before you open the lid. My fault, I should have said. Lily will be here in a minute to take you off shift anyway, go in the back and sort yourself out.” He said, gently as he could manage with the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. 

Ellis scurried away, scrubbing furiously at his eyes as he went, and Remus turned to the mess. With a sigh he reached for the nearest blue roll and got to work wiping away what he could from his own face and apron. 

“Could I please nab a bit of that?” 

Remus whirled around at the clipped consonants. In a stunning lapse of memory, he'd entirely forgotten that Pretty Boy, no no not Pretty Boy, Loud Mouth, he'd entirely forgotten that Loud Mouth was still standing right there. Terrible customer service, really. His dark hair was speckled with white, his face had developed new snowy freckles and his hoodie was in dire need of a wash. An amused little smile played on his lips, surely hiding the anger he must've been feeling. 

“Oh fuck I'm so sorry,” Remus babbled as he frantically unwound about half the roll, all but shoving it at him, “if you want, like, a muffin or something it's on the house, free drink next time too. Or I could refund that one for you, or actually both is-” 

“Woah, relax, it's seriously fine. I I mean I'm not going to say no to a free drink,” he said with a sly grin as he dabbed at his clothes, “but it's fine, the kid's learning right? I'm just glad to have been part of his education.” 

This made no sense. This was, actually, a really weird reaction to getting covered in cream by a stranger in a coffee shop. Naturally, Remus had no earthly idea how to properly react to such strangeness. 

“Uh, okay, well still,” Remus ripped a scrap of receipt paper from the printer and scribbled a quick note before pushing across the counter, “take that. Next time you're in hand it over and they'll give you a free drink. Least I can do.” 

The man’s eyes skipped over the note and then sighed. If he didn't know better, Remus would have said he looked disappointed by the prospect of a free drink. 

“Well, well, well, what's gone on here then?” Lily asked coyly, eyeing up the state of the bar with a knowing twinkle in her eye that made Remus look away with inexplicable nerves. 

“Oh, the usual. Whipped cream, couple of nitrous bulbs and an explosion. A real party.” Loud Mouth Pretty Boy whoever the fuck replied with a smirk. 

“Hmm, is that so? You must be a good influence, Remus is usually so tightly wound.” 

At the sound of his name Remus looked up, only to be met with the back of Lily's phone and a distinctive shutter sound. 

“Ha! That's so going in the group chat, looks like a scene straight from pornhub.” She snorted as the customer threw his head back with a booming laugh. 

“No it fucking well doesn't! I've got dirt on you, Evans, proper filthy dirt and if that photo is so much as mentioned in the group chat I swear I'll make sure everyone knows exactly what you got up to in the spoons on the highstreet on New Years.” He threatened, although the crimson blush potentially blew his bluff a little. 

“You wouldn't dare.” 

“I would.” 

There was a stalemate for a good twenty seconds, neither of them budging until Lily rolled her eyes and broke the standoff. 

“Ach, fine. Don't get your knickers in a twist, I was only going to send it to our super secret special chat, anyway.” She tucked her phone back into her pocket and turned to the man across the bar, “I’d better go clock in before he sacks me. He's a real drama queen this one, a proper handful.” 

“Not a problem,” he answered, backing towards the door, “I like a challenge.” 

A wink and he was gone, leaving Remus’ brain buzzing with a static so loud it almost blocked out Lily's delighted cackle.

Notes:

In case anyone is curious yes this chapter does come from personal experience, never open a fully gassed cream canister hmmkay?

I'll try and add any slang people may not know to the notes of each chapter, I know some of it is a bit region specific. Not many this chapter though.

Spoons = Wetherspoons. A highly popular pub chain across the UK, known for cheap drinks and icky behaviour. Everyone loves a spoons.

Chapter 3

“This line right here is your heart line. See how it's short but, like, deep? That means you've a deep capacity for love, but you're reserved and closed off when it comes to demonstrating it. No great shock there. Oh and see how your palms are square but your fingers are lovely and long? You've got air hands, which tells me you're intellectual and curious, but without stimulation you get all aggy.” 

“Mac?” 

“Yes, love?” 

“You're full of shit.” 

It had been a painfully slow day. Dribs and drabs of customers occasionally wandering in with easy, dull orders that held no great challenge meant that Remus was bored. So bored, in fact, that he didn't even fight it when Mary had grabbed his hand and insisted she practice her new found passion for palmistry. 

“Don't be a hater, babe. You'll get wrinkles.” She said distractedly as she checked her reflection in the mirrored blue roll dispenser. There was a smudge of mascara just under her lower lashes that she wiped away with her middle finger. 

“I'm not being a hater but you know it's absolute tosh, right? I mean come on, air hands? That is not a thing.” 

“Tell that to the Ancient Greeks! They put a lot of stock in all this, you know,” The front door slammed and Mary moseyed over to the till, “You can't have a hard on for their stories one minute and then mock their science the next, hun. It's hypocritical.” 

There wasn't even a moment to defend himself or his distinct lack of a mythology inspired hard on as the sour faced customer placed their order. Mary was her usual chirpy self, chatty and friendly and yet the woman was having none of it. She seemed entirely unaffected by the good vibes as she waited for her Americano. Another easy drink but Remus took his time, happy to watch the entertainment unraveling in front of him. 

“Beautiful day out, do you have any plans for this sunny weather?” 

There was little more than a grunt in response. Not that one small grunt would ever dissuade Mary MacDonald from yapping. 

“Well if I wasn't stuck in here all day, right now I'd be at the park. Nice little set up, some picky bits and, ooo, you know those cocktail cans that Tesco do? Lush. I’d definitely have myself a few of them. Can't beat a bevvy in the sun.” 

“It's illegal to drink alcohol in public.” The woman sniffed. 

“Only if they catch you.” Mary replied cheekily. She scribbled something quickly onto a post-it, chatting all the while about the new strawberry cream cake in the cabinet. “It really is delicious, highly recommend it.” 

Again the woman all but ignored her, simply tutting and taking out her phone. Mary's eyes blazed. She slapped the post-it down in front of Remus, who had to work hard to keep the laugh at bay. 

Decaf the bitch

It wasn't something Remus endorsed and it definitely wasn't something he did regularly. But sometimes, only with the very rudest of the rude, did he swap out the highly caffeinated espresso for a watery decaf shot. Never the reverse, that was dangerous and he made sure every barista knew it, but the occasional customer just didn't deserve to have their horrid behaviour rewarded by a lovely, caffeine rich coffee. This woman definitely fell into that category. 

“Sorry, love, the machine’s having a bit of a tizzy. Do you want to take a seat and we'll bring it over for you?” 

“Oh for goodness sake, it's only an Americano. It's your job, and not a particularly difficult one I might add. Both of you, lazy. Are you really so incapable that you can't make it while I'm standing here? You people, all the same.” she snapped, very unfairly directing most of the vitriol solely at Mary, even though Remus was the one making the drink. Not that it ruffled Mary in the slightest, still looking every bit as friendly as she had five minutes earlier.

“I do apologise. Technology, hmm? Never works when you need it. Here, I'll even throw in some of these sweets, they're full of collagen so perfect for the older lady,” Mary smiled innocently and pushed the packet over the counter, “you know, for the crows feet.” 

She turned on her heel and flounced through to the back room, leaving the customer red faced and gaping. Though she did pocket the sweets, Remus noted as he desperately bit the inside of his cheek. The customer took her thoroughly decaffeinated Americano without even a hint of thanks, all but snatching it out of Remus’ hand. No regrets there, then. 

When Mary didn't reappear he set about making her favorite drink, peach iced tea with extra lemonade. It was, by her own admission, a special treat. The high sugar content gave her headaches she said but just the one, a nice little dopamine hit after dealing with a difficult customer, would surely be welcome. He wandered through, drink in hand, to find her at the desk with her eyes closed. Her phone on the desktop was playing music, low and calming tones under a repetitive chant in a language Remus didn't recognise. The scene looked peaceful and intensely personal. It felt an awful lot like an invasion of privacy, staying and watching felt all sorts of wrong, so Remus carefully and quietly backed up. He could always remake the drink if she took too long and the day had been that dead that he'd be fine on his own for a bit anyway and- 

“There’d better be a peach ice tea in your hand or so help me God.” Mary said with her eyes still closed but her hand outstretched. Remus pressed the cup into her grip tentatively. 

“Sorry, I was trying to sneak back out and give you some space.” 

“You're about as sneaky as a small elephant, babes. It's fine, I just needed to cool off a bit. That peace mantra is very powerful, normally I'd have ripped her head off.” She took a sip of her drink, “That's yum. Thanks hun, just what I needed I think.” 

Remus moved to settle on the edge of the desk, “Yeah she wasn't very nice, was she?”

She looked at him for a long moment, her expression sitting somewhere in between pity and disbelief. 

“She was a class A bitch with a definite hint of racism so I'd say you're maybe underselling it a bit there.” She said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, as if Remus was very seriously thick for not seeing it. 

“Wait, what?” 

“Oh come off it, Remus. Did you not notice the way she was looking down her nose at me? She referred to us as ‘you people’. The microaggressions were really not all that micro.” She said dryly, sipping her drink. Her jaw set and her eyes were hard. To an untrained eye she looked unbothered, as resilient as ever and truthfully a bit scary, but Remus was well versed in Mary MacDonald and her very subtle tells. The left side of her mouth downturned just slightly and her thumb was preoccupied spinning the rings stacked on her index finger as her foot tapped anxiously against the edge of the safe. Clearly, she was upset and immediately a guilty knot tightened itself around Remus’ stomach.

“Mac I really didn't notice, I'm sorry. I should've stepped in, I just thought she was a run of the mill nightmare customer. When she said ‘you people’ I assumed she just meant baristas,” there was a little giggle from Mary at that, “which I'm now thinking sounds really stupid. But she's barred, totally barred, obviously. I'm dead sorry.” 

“Ah well, I can hardly blame you for not noticing. It's not like you're used to seeing it first hand, I think your tan got her all confused. Next time I'll give you a signal, hoot like an owl or something, so you can get all managery and kick off, yeah?” She sighed and patted Remus’ hand, as if he was the one that needed comforting, which was ridiculous and kind and summed her up perfectly if he was honest. She was too forgiving, too quick to let people's mistakes go even when they'd hurt her and maybe he wasn't the one who'd given her the abuse but he'd done nothing to stop it either. 

“Anyway, I was right about one thing.” 

“What's that then?” Remus asked, though he actually thought Mary tended to be right about most things. 

“Being a hater gives you wrinkles.” 

She screwed up her face for a second, accentuating any tiny fine lines that might have been hidden, in a pretty spot on impression of the bitter customer before laughing lightly. The knot in Remus’ gut loosened and his lungs let out a little huff of air he hadn't quite meant to hold as he joined in, laughing shakily until the pair of them devolved into proper belly aching, teary eyed guffaws. The bit wasn't worthy of the near hysteria, not really. It was more the tension breaking that got to them, Remus thought as he watched Mary's shoulders heave, something about that palpable lightness between them turned the air into laughing gas. When the front door slammed in interruption, Remus’ face ached and Mary's mascara was looking a bit worse for wear as they desperately tried to quell the giggles and rush back to their stations. They needn't have worried; the only face waiting for them was the wide smile of the man Lily had christened Specky Chatter. 

“Oh hiya lovely, you alright? Sorry about us, we've caught a bad case of the giggles I'm afraid. Are you just having the usual?” Mary chirped, probably as genuinely relieved as Remus was that it was only a regular. 

“Yes please, but if I could have extra chocolate sprinkles that'd be great.” He directed the request at Remus who nodded, not quite trusting his mouth to produce anything other than more laughter, “So, these giggles come from anything I might enjoy or is it more of an inside joke sort of sitch?” 

“To be honest I'm not exactly sure, oh just tap your card again for me love, perfect that's gone through. We had one bad customer and went a bit loopy I think, just one of those days I expect.” She replied evenly, keeping the extent of the bad customer neatly under wraps. 

“I hope they weren't too rude to you, honestly the stuff you guys put up with here is crazy. I mean, it's only coffee right? Well I mean, not trying to diss your careers or anything, you're all totally great at what you do honestly the best coffee shop around here, maybe the best coffee shop I've ever been in but like, it's basically just bean water, yeah? And people act like it's the end of the world and it's just not that deep if it goes a bit wrong sometimes is it? After all you guys work so quick and there's so much to remember sometimes and-” 

Remus zoned out a little then, leaving Mary to nod along dutifully as he focused on getting a good, level tamp. The guy was nice and so unbelievably friendly, they all liked him and he was certainly a staff favourite, but the name Specky Chatter hadn't come from nowhere. If left to his own devices he could rant and rave for England. Once Lily timed him, covertly hiding the timer on her phone behind the till, and let him chat to his heart's content, only nodding or making small affirmative sounds where it made sense. The timer reached seven full minutes before a small rush came along and he was forced away from the bar. Sometimes Remus enjoyed the conversation and actively took part but often it was just a lot for him to take in at once. This was one such time. 

“-and then the other day I was in and Lily asked me about this song and,” Remus pushed the chocolate laden drink over, “oh that looks great, mate cheers. Actually, is she in today, Lily I mean?” 

“Afraid not. Can I pass on a message for you?” Remus asked, wiping down the counter of the sprinkle fallout.

“Sort of. Like I said she was asking about this song and then my friend, he comes in here sometimes, mentioned this gig, a tribute act, that I think she'd really like. Anyway, they're playing at Brewers in town, that's the one just near Lloyds, this Saturday and I think she should come. Well, all three of you actually if you can swing it. Dunno if that's against the rules or something, socialising with customers but you don't need tickets or anything, the entry fee is, like, a fiver and it'll be fun I reckon. Plus my other friend works behind the bar there and he always slips us free shots when we're in.” He blurted as quickly as normal, only stopping briefly in the middle for a breath and a bit of his drink. “Oh, I should have said, it's a Blondie tribute. Blondy with a -y instead of -ie, I think. Apparently they're-” 

“Ooh yeah that sounds loads of fun, doesn't it Remus?” Mary interrupted tactfully and wonderfully. 

“Uh - yeah, it sounds alright. Lily does like Blondie.” 

“No, she adores Blondie. And I'm pretty sure all three of us have this Saturday night off, right?” 

“Technically yes, I'm on the early but I was going to come back in. It's Sasha’s first close as a supervisor and she might need some support, plus the rotas will need doing.” Remus argued, trying his hardest to convey with his eyes just how much he did not want to go. If Mary got the message it was fully ignored. 

“Sasha will be fine, she's done a million closes with you and if she has a problem she can always call. And the rotas will still be waiting for you on Sunday, if that's what your little heart desires. You're coming.” She stated it resolutely and without wiggle room, shooting him a sharp look before turning back to the customer. “He's coming. And Lily. I'll drag them both by the lugs if I have to.” 

“That's great! Apparently the band is killer, the drummer is a friend of a friend and he has nothing but praise for her. He's a real music connoisseur, too, so he knows what he's talking about. Lily will really like it, I think. Well, you all will but y’know.” he said with a sheepish grin, “anyway I'd best be off but Saturday, doors open at 8, band goes on at nine. Ish. Can't wait. Uber excited, really.” 

He shot them an enthusiastic thumbs up as he left. Remus did not agree with the sentiment. 

“Right. Why are you torturing me? This whole thing sounds like my absolute nightmare; out in town on a Saturday night to see a crappy tribute act with a customer? No fucking thank you, I'd rather be here doing the rotas cheers.” Remus said, well whined if he was being honest, as he lobbed a sugar packet at Mary, for dramatic effect. 

“Sorry but you have to come, I have a really good feeling about the whole thing. About Specky Chatter and Lily, specifically. It's important for them, I just know it and you just have to be there.” 

“How can it possibly be important for them? We don't even know the guy's actual name for fucks sake, he could be any old nutter.” 

“You know he's not a nutter, he's nice! And look, I know you think it's a load of rubbish but I've taken a peek at both their horoscopes and they're crazy compatible, like soulmate compatible. I won't go into the details but this could be a huge night for Lily and you won't want to miss it. And you love Blondie too, don't deny it I've seen you belt Heart of Glass enough times. Plus, if nothing else, free shots.” 

It shouldn't have worked. Remus didn't even like shots. He should've scoffed and brushed her off and spent his Saturday evening poring over rotas followed by a nice mini binge watch of The Crown. Astrology and horoscopes and soulmates and fate were absolute shit and Remus knew all this and yet he still somehow found himself being dragged through a noisy crowd, a girl yanking on each wrist as they fought their way to the bar. Already he was too warm. There were too many bodies and Lily had insisted he wore the jeans that never really sat right around the crotch and were slightly too thick and heavy but that she swore up and down made his bum look magnificent. Her words. 

The girls did, actually, look wonderful. Half of Lily's hair had been twisted up into a spiky little knot at the back of her head whilst the other half fell down her back in gentle waves. She fit right in with the crowd in her black denim mini skirt and self cropped t-shirt that looked suspiciously like the Ramones top Remus had lost a few months earlier. Mary had gone more boho, a new word for Remus who was treated to an in depth explanation of her floaty trousers and crochet style top in the taxi over. 

“First round on you then, yes?” Lily asked, well technically it was a question but the way she nodded with certainty and poked at the wallet in his pocket made the whole thing feel more like an order. 

“Am I just an endless money pit to you, wench?” 

“Of course you are. Chop chop, can't be facing Specky Chatter sober.” she gave him a little shove towards the bar, “what are we thinking Mary, my love? We doing pints or spirits this time? I can't be doing with mixing, not after the spoons incident.” 

“We were promised free shots, so if you're really set on no mixing it'll have to be spirits. Vodka lemmos, d’ya think?” 

The answer was an enthusiastic nod accompanied by two raised fingers which Remus took to mean doubles. 

“Go find a spot, I'll bring the drinks over.” He said, tutting fondly as the pair backed away, blowing exaggerated kisses into the air as they went. Ridiculous. Remus felt very lucky, in that moment, to be their friend. 

“Alright mate, what you having?” The bartender asked, smiley enough considering the bustling bar. 

“Two double vodka lemonades and a pint of Moretti, cheers.”  

He gave a cheery nod and set about making the drinks. If it were him facing this sort of rush, Remus thought, he'd be nothing more than a blur, zipping around to fulfil orders as quickly as humanly possible but this guy was doing nothing short of pottering. Frankly, he wouldn't have looked out of place on a slow Sunday afternoon in a garden centre with his floppy blonde hair and kind eyes. The huffs and eye rolls of irritated punters didn't seem to bother him one bit as he took his time pulling the pint. To be honest, it was freaking Remus out. Where was the stress? Where was the anxiety? Not natural. 

“That'll be £15.60 please pal, just give the machine a little tappy tap for me,” he held out the card machine and Remus did in fact use his card to give it a little tappy tap, “beaut. There's your drinks, enjoy the show.” 

The far too chipper guy gave a jaunty little salute and moved on, leaving Remus a bit weirded out as he carefully balanced the trio of drinks between his fingers and bullied his way over to the girls. His height didn't come in handy all that often, normally it meant a bumped head and lots of comments about the weather up there, but in this case it was rather useful. There was a fair bit of shouldering past but a good percentage of people shuffled out of the way and opened up a path almost directly to the girls. They'd managed to nab a prime bit of real estate; leaning against a pillar just to the left of the stage, close enough for good visibility but far over enough to avoid the crush of the crowd. Better for dancing, unfortunately.

“Oh Saint Lupin, how we love you so!” Lily said loudly, so as to be heard over the din. She took a sip of her drink and pulled a face, “Blegh, that's certainly a double. Vodka is gross, let me have a sip of your pint to get the taste out.” 

She made a quick grab for the glass, but he knew Lily and her distaste for alcohol flavoured alcohol very well. Remus saw it coming a mile off and batted her hand away sharply, rolling his eyes at the gasp she gave in response. 

“Absolutely not, scrounger. You made your gross, vodka flavoured bed, now lie in it.” He took a long, smug drink, “Ahh, delicious.” 

Lily stuck her tongue out and looked primed to make another play for his beer when Mary stepped in. 

“Nope, none of that. Let's not get totally sloshed just yet, yeah? At least until he arrives.” 

“Oh yes, my ‘soulmate’. I wonder if I'll ever learn his name or if he'll be Specky Chatter in our wedding vows?” She replied, wincing again after another taste of her drink, “I still don't understand why neither of you thought to suss that out before you agreed to sell me off like this.”

“Hush your moaning, babe. You know you fancy him, you know you like the fact that he invited you and you know you're actually excited to see him so let's not pretend you're hard done to, hmm? We'll figure out his name tonight, subtly like. He mentioned his friends would be here, so we'll just listen out for whatever they call him.” Mary assured with a confident shrug, “any sign of him from up there?” 

Remus did a quick scan and found no wild hair or bright smile. 

“Fraid not, the band's setting up though and they look quite- oh you've got to be fucking kidding me.” 

There, over to the right and close to the stage, was the last person Remus was expecting to see. Black waves and a cocky smile as he leaned against a large speaker stack and chatted to a choppy blonde crouched on the stage. There was a glass of something in his hand that was probably as annoying and pretentious as his coffee order. Even from across the mingling crowd Remus could see he looked as appealing as ever. Artfully dishevelled. A bright stage light highlighted a slight frizz around his hair, almost like a halo, but even that looked intentional and irritatingly good. For a horrible, awful minute his eyes seemed to wander away from the girl and skip over the crowd towards Remus. A strange sort of panic washed over him, the sort of stomach churning ick that made all six foot four of him duck suddenly out of sight, knees cracking and beer sloshing over the rim of the glass. 

“Fuck, Remus! You got beer all over my skirt! What on earth are you doing?” Lily shrieked, jumping back into the group behind and earning herself a fair few glares for the trouble. 

“Sorry, sorry! Uh- my back hurts. And my legs. Thought a quick squat might help.” 

“Yeah alright, and the rest. You were looking at something over there, Mary can you see anything? I should've worn heels.” 

The pair of them craned over the bodies in front of them, both pushing up onto tiptoes and completely ignoring Remus’ objections. 

“Oh my god. Ohmygod ohmygod. Lil, it's Pretty Boy! Loud Mouth! He's here, by the stage, can you see him?” 

“Oh my god no way, where? I can't see, too many bloody people.” 

“There, babe.” Mary pointed, actually pointed, right at the guy. 

Lily squealed. 

“That is totally him! No wonder you've gone all red, Re, he looks proper fit. I'm going to wave.” 

“Don't you bloody dare.” Remus hissed, yanking the pair of them down by the arm to join him in his squat. “I'm not all red, didn't even notice what he looked like.” 

“So, why are we hiding then?” 

“Uh, well, he's a customer, isn't he? And you know what he's like, he'll only yap our ears off if he sees us. He's almost as bad as your Specky Chatter. Who, by the way, would probably be put off if he saw you talking to someone else so actually I'm just looking out for you.” He insisted with a small shove. Lily wobbled and glared. 

“Aw how thoughtful, isn't he a gem?” Mary cooed as she patted his cheek. 

“He's a bloody liar is what he is,” Lily snorted, "Come on, up you get you oaf, my thighs are killing me like this. Don't worry, we'll protect you from the scary sexy man.” 

The pair of bullies dragged him up from the safety of the squat, both of them sniggering as he shuffled behind the pillar, not hiding just…leaning. 

“Let's just watch the band.” He muttered bitterly into his pint, staunchly ignoring his friends’ grins. 

The band was good fun, he had to admit. The guitar was a little rushed, the poor guy looked red faced and nervous from the go, and the lead singer was no Debbie Harry but the drummer was truly talented, bashing away at the skins energetically and keeping the whole thing tight. After a few covert glances confirmed that a certain someone had disappeared into the throng, Remus could relax a bit. With much eye rolling and two more pints he was almost, almost dancing. Sort of. Mostly he bobbed his head and tapped his foot, quite content to sip his beer and watch the girls enjoy themselves. Which they were, exuberantly and not entirely with grace. They'd managed to clear a little circle and were having a whale of a time, hands joined as they spun and shimmied and bounced along to the music. He’d declined their outstretched hands over and over again but when the opening beats of Heart Of Glass screeched through the speakers they weren't taking no for an answer. Their eyes lit up as they grabbed his wrists and shook violently, suddenly not at all bothered about spilled drinks or wet shoes. They forced him into something dangerously close to a dance; pulling his arms back and forth in time with the beat, smiling widely as they sang along. It was, admittedly, contagious. The song was fantastic, probably in his top ten ever, and his friends' unyielding enthusiasm was impossible to ignore. Somewhere around the two minute mark Remus found himself inexplicably joining in, still uncoordinated as ever and certainly out of tune but his feet were moving and there was something similar to the lyrics coming out of his mouth. As the song faded to an end Lily was bright pink, Mary's skin had taken on a definite sweaty sheen and he could feel the hair at the nape of his neck damp and curling. All three were grinning like Cheshire cats. 

“Alright folks we're going to take a quick break but the merch stand is in full swing over by the bar. Give us ten minutes and we'll be back with more 70’s and 80’s magic.” 

“I'm absolutely boiling,” Lily complained, flapping the front of her T-shirt, “Who's round is it?” 

It was definitely hers. He knew it, Mary knew it and the bit back smile and not so covert glances at Remus’ wallet said that Lily definitely knew it. She kept it up, waggling her eyebrows and elbowing Remus' side, until something seemingly caught her eye and her face dropped. 

“Lily, hi, you came! I did try to find you earlier but we were crammed up by the stage. D'ya need a drink? My friend’s getting a round in but I can nip up there for you, all of you that is. A drink each I mean.” Specky Chatter himself appeared breathless and sweaty and entirely focused on Lily, who was now blushing the entire way down her neck. 

“Hey um… you. A drink, yeah, that'd be great, I can transfer you the money obviously. Or get the cash for you if that's better? Or-” 

“What's she's trying to say is thank you, a drink would be lovely. Two vodka lemonades and a pint, please.” Mary interjected brightly. She downed the dregs from her glass and passed it over with a smile, which she kept plastered on until the man disappeared back towards the bar. “What the hell was that?! I've seen teenagers be smoother than that, Lil. You've got game, I've seen it in action so many times. What just happened?” 

“Oh god I dunno,” she groaned and hid her face behind her hands, “I panicked! There was this voice in my head just screaming ‘soulmate’ over and over and then I remembered I don't even know his stupid name! It's all your fault, you've got me freaked out with this horoscope stuff.” 

She came out of hiding, then, just to give Mary a light slap on the shoulder. 

“Excuse you, I didn't tell you any of that stuff on purpose! Blame the massive numpty who just had to let it all slip.” 

They both turned on him with matching glares that'd likely turn him to stone if he dared to make proper eye contact. 

“Sorry! I didn't know it was a secret, did I? Look you don't even even believe in soulmates so don't let it bother you, just Mary being Mary innit.” He said with a shrug. 

“‘innit’” Mary mocked as she rolled her eyes, “I swear you used to be the intelligent one. Now look at you, you oik. He is right though, hun, don't let my beliefs throw you off. And anyway horoscopes aren't an exact science, there's every chance I've misinterpreted something. Hell, maybe you're actually mortal enemies.”. 

“Actually that helps. If we're destined to be enemies then it doesn't matter if he ends up hating me and we can still have all that lovely sexual tension with none of the pressure.” She pushed the hair back from her face and gave it a little shuzh, “Mortal enemies, I can do that.” 

Remus very carefully held back a laugh, fearful of Lily's wrath on a normal day let alone after three doubles. It was ridiculous, of course, the thought that anyone anywhere could hate someone as effervescent as Lily Evans. Yes, she had a sharp tongue and a knack for pushing her luck but she was also riotously funny, unendingly loyal and so quick witted she could make a room spin. For as long as he had known her she had been kind, short tempered sometimes but never ever cruel. Truthfully Remus thought she could have anyone and anything she wanted, destiny be damned. 

“Alright, two vodkas for the ladies and a pint for the big man. Are you enjoying the band then? My mate says they're normally a bit better but the guitarist is a new addition and from the look of things I'd say he's got a bit of stage fright. I do feel sorry for him, I don't really get nervous like that in front of people but totally see how it could be nerve-wracking.” he chittered, smiling as usual, though there was something in the way his eyes flicked back and forth that suggested maybe nerves were having at least a small effect on him in that moment.

“We're having a great time, we've been too busy dancing to notice any nerves to be honest. This one loves a boogie,” Lily lied, jabbing Remus with an elbow, “but I have to say, it is not a surprise that you don't get stage fright.” 

“Yeah, I'm a talker alright. Always have been, just can't shut up once I get going really. My mate says he reckons I could talk for England and take home gold, silver and bronze all in one go. Not that he's any better, he goes on these rants when something annoys him that I swear last for hours.” 

“Where is this mysterious mate of yours? I'm starting to worry he might be imaginary, to be honest.” 

“He's delivering a few pints to the stage, the drummer is a friend.” He craned his neck, skimming over the crowd, “There he is. Oi, Padfoot! Over here!” 

 

The friend came into view and Remus couldn't believe his bad luck.

Chapter 4

In general, Remus Lupin was a pretty composed person. He was good in a crisis and almost always level headed. Just downright sensible. It took a lot to shake him and even more to render him truly speechless. It was a point of personal pride, his go-to brag in an interview. And yet, apparently just the mere sight of the man in front of him, with his stupid pretty mouth and stupid pretty eyes, left Remus choking, spluttering as beer shot out of both nostrils.

The whole thing was entirely undignified. Properly embarrassing, actually. Mary thumped him on the back as Lily cackled, neither doing anything to help the bubbles burning his nose and drenching his t-shirt. 

“Blimey, what's happened there then? Here you go mate, mop yourself up.” Specky Chatter said kindly, if not a bit confused. He pulled a wad of napkins from his back pocket and handed them over. 

Remus muttered his thanks as he got to dabbing, very intentionally turning his back on the ecstatic little grin that was slowly taking over Pretty Boy's face. It was strangely smug, as if he could read Remus' mind and all the confusing half compliments jumbled up in there. To his left Lily was wheezing and wiping tears from her eyes, apparently not at all nervous about their company anymore. She was a traitor and Remus etched a mental reminder to never speak to her ever again. Mary, on the other hand, was lovely as always. 

“Oh my God! I can't believe you two know each other, how've we never realised that before?” Mary gushed as she casually ground her heel into the toe of Lily's boot, cutting off the laughter and resolutely ignoring the way the other girl hissed in pain. 

The two men shared an amused look, probably wondering what the fuck was wrong with the three of them. 

“Ha, that's underselling it. This handsome bugger is basically my brother. Best friends since nappies, the apple to my pie, the salt to my pepper, the vanilla to my ice, ‘int that right Pads?” he cooed, throwing an arm over Pretty Boy's shoulder, “We just work pretty random times, don't tend to match up shifts very often so normally it's solo coffee trips. Although actually he never used to be bothered about-” 

“Ahh, alright Prongs, let's not talk their ears off eh? Cannot handle his drink this one.” He said with a laugh that sounded sort of tinny and nervous, “You all enjoying the band anyway?” 

Someone answered, one of the girls probably, but Remus really couldn't hear the words. Sure this was a man Remus saw regularly, at least four times a week, and yes he was always attractive but never ever like this. With most of the beer cleaned up, Remus could see this was different. This was the ground shaking, earth shattering, world changing sort of beauty. Clad head to toe in black; leather jacket, dark jeans that clung to the thighs, heavy boots and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt that gaped around the neck just enough to show a mouth watering hint of alabaster skin stretched over sharp collarbones. 

All of this was, of course, lovely and distracting but nothing could compare to the absolute work of art that was the guy's face. Something about the way the dim lighting hit the bridge of his nose and cheekbones, all angular and sharp, was nothing short of a miracle, turning something as mundane as a nose into an actual masterpiece. And then there were the eyes. Remus knew he was saving the best till last as he tried his hardest to keep the lechery subtle but honestly as soon as he made it to eye level he was done for. Something black, some mascara or eyeliner or whatever the fuck, Remus didn't know the specifics, had been deftly smudged around both eyes. This wasn't like Lily's sharp cat eye flicks or Mary's funky deco style wiggles, this was heavy handed and perfectly messy. It looked, frankly, like the aftermath of a good shag. His irises which could've easily slipped towards a dull slate were lit up and alive, bright and shining in contrast to the dark makeup and Remus was gone. 

Dry mouthed and definitely, blatantly staring, he'd never been more grateful for Specky Chatter’s uncanny ability to hold people's attention. The teasing from Lily alone would've been enough for him to flee the country had any one of them caught his slack jawed gawping. Just the thought, actually, was enough for his face to grow hot and the sudden urge to escape became somewhat overwhelming. He took a swig of beer, and then another and another until his glass was inexplicably empty. 

“I'm just heading out for a fag.” He said quietly, nudging Lily whose face screwed up. 

“But the band’s starting back up! They might do Call Me and you'll be dead upset if you miss it, Re!”

“I think I'll live. ‘sides, I'll only be five minutes.” 

Before anyone else could pipe up he dodged his way through the crowd and towards the front doors, making a quick pit stop by the bar to drop off his glass. It was easier outside, easier to breathe and easier to think. The air was warm and thick with the weight of the summer humidity but there was a pleasant breeze that chilled the sweat on his skin and made him shiver. He really needed to get a grip. The nicotine helped clear the fog somewhat, as did the repetition of lifting the cigarette to his lips. The thing that was really shaking him was his body's visceral reaction to the man. The dry mouth, the trembling hands, the hot flush. All of it was an embarrassing, slightly insane, betrayal. Remus didn't do this sort of thing; he didn't overreact, he didn't blush and he certainly didn't get caught up on something as trivial as good looks. This guy was just a guy. There was no reasonable, logical explanation for any of it and that really didn't sit right. 

As he reached the butt of the cig he made up his mind. Next time there'd be no stammering or panic and definitely no beer spilling out his nose. Next time he'd look for flaws and faults, any miniscule thing to remind him that the man was, in fact, just a man. Everyone had flaws, a wangy eye or chipped tooth or something, anything to break the perfect illusion. It stood to reason that Pretty Boy must have flaws too. That's what Remus told himself, anyway. 

“Can I have a light?” 

And all thoughts of flaws and blemishes flew out the window so fast that Remus’ head spun. There was nothing but smooth skin and pink lips, a flash of perfect white teeth as his mouth drew up into a smile. He leaned against the brick with a nonchalance Remus could only ever dream of having, looking entirely comfortable as he shook a cig free from the carton. There was a look on his face; sort of amused but also like he was watching closely, waiting for something maybe. It was then Remus’ brain recalled that a question had been asked, though he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. 

“Sorry, what?” 

“Your lighter. Could I have a light please?” He said, looking quite a lot like he wanted to laugh. 

That mocking smirk was a bit annoying, actually, and Remus felt a scowl brewing. He had half a mind to leave him there, cigarette unlit and so bereft of nicotine that a smile would be impossible. 

“Pretty please?” 

This request was paired with clapped hands and a silly little pout that was so damn endearing it left Remus chewing the inside of his cheek just to kill the smile threatening to crack through his surly exterior. He did surrender a little though, lobbing the lighter over before anything else horribly appealing could happen. 

“Ah, you're a gem.” He said with a lopsided grin as he slipped the cig between his lips. 

Remus chose to look away then, instead staring off into the growing dark. Noise spilled from the doors that could be vaguely recognised as One Way Or Another though the irritated muttering to his right was rather distracting. He risked a look. The man had turned to face the wall, sheltering the lighter from any breeze and cursing wildly. 

“Everything okay?” Remus asked, the question spilling from his mouth against his own will. 

“Not really, you've given me a dud clipper.” he complained as he threw his hands up in a tantrum. The cigarette was still balanced between his lips in a marvellously slick sort of way.

“Worked perfectly fine five minutes ago.” He answered with a shrug. 

“Clearly you've got a knack for it then, come give us a hand?” 

“Sorry? How d’you expect me to do that then?” Remus laughed. Despite himself he was being pulled into the man’s cheeky banter. There was something magnetic about him, something that just drew Remus in no matter how hard he fought against it. 

“Come on, don't be stingy. Just take pity on a poor, lighterless sod and light this for me.” 

The pout was back and out in full force. Completely inexplicably Remus found himself stepping closer with a sigh and held his hand out, fingers flexing a couple of times in question. It made no sense and a large portion of his brain was rolling its eyes and calling him every insulting name under the sun. The other, dopier part of his brain promptly melted into a puddle when the lighter was passed over. Pretty Boy slapped the clipper down into his palm, perfectly harmless except for the way his nails scraped, just lightly, against the inside of Remus' wrist. Once again he was brutally betrayed by his body. In an instant goosebumps ran up the length of both arms and he fumbled the lighter, about half a second away from dropping the thing. 

“Easy, tiger! If that breaks properly I'm totally fucked.” 

There was no chance Remus could trust his voice, there was a high chance of stuttering and or voice breakage, so instead he settled for a good old fashioned eye roll. He focused wholly and completely on the lighter, spinning the wheel and striking the flint and letting the amused crinkles around Pretty Boy's eyes blur into the background. They were, admittedly, a bit distracting. With slick palms, a bit of a wobble and a fair few minutes of heavy silence, it sparked just right and the flame caught. And then Remus wasn't really sure what was next. For a stupid second he tried to pass the lighter over, awkwardly angling the trigger as if it were remotely possible for the other man to keep it alight. 

Obviously this didn't work and while Remus stared on, a little cloudy from the beer clearly, the man scoffed and wrapped his fingers around Remus' wrist. They were pale and slender, teetering on the wrong side of chilly and adorned with several silver rings that bit into his skin rather pleasantly. A remnant of polish clung to his nails; black and chipped to hell but in an effortlessly cool way that managed to hold Remus' focus even as Pretty Boy tugged their joined hands closer. He tilted his head, angling the cigarette into the flame and, as a result, just barely brushing his chin against Remus' fingers. There was hardly even time to appreciate the scratch of light stubble there before he retreated in a cloud of smoke. For a second, Remus felt a tiny pinch of annoyance though he couldn't fathom why. 

“Ahh much better, thank you kindly.” he paused for a moment, blowing out another load of smoke, “so, you totally hid from me earlier, right?” 

Remus thanked god he wasn't actively drinking or smoking because without a doubt that little question would have had him coughing up a lung in surprise. 

“What are you on about?” He replied, evenly and calmly and praying his hot cheeks would be hidden by the dusk. 

“Oh we're playing that game are we? Okay I'll bite. Before the band started, I was by the stage chatting to Marlene, definitely saw you one second and then the next you'd disappeared. So you either hid behind the pillar or you ducked. Please tell me you actually ducked.” 

“Don't know what you're talking about.” Remus muttered, suddenly very interested in heading back inside. 

“Oh my god, look at that blush. You did, didn't you? You so ducked.” He threw his head back and laughed loudly, “What did you do that for? What's so scary about me, hmm?” 

He leaned back against the wall and gestured down his body, eyes twinkling. It wasn't overtly suggestive but there was something in the way he held himself, casual yet completely intentional, just oozing confidence in a way that made Remus' mouth dry. 

“Padfoot! Pads! For god's sake you fucking chimney can you not hear that racket?” Specky Chatter came flying out the doors, eyes wild and hair sticking up at every angle. Now that he mentioned it the noise had picked up somewhat, although the music seemed to have stopped entirely. 

“Jesus, Potter, what is it? I'm a bit busy here.” Pretty Boy straightened up and crossed his arms. It was subtle, but his eyes definitely flicked towards Remus for a second before they settled into a deep scowl. 

“Marlene's gone mad, she just got up from the drums and started yelling at the rest of the band, proper shouting. The crowd is going nuts, Pete's saying the manager's going to call the police. Just, come on!” 

He grabbed Pretty Boy's hand and shook the cigarette out of his grip, ignoring the offended tuts that followed as he dragged him none too gently back into the building. Remus took a second to breathe, just a couple in and outs to slow his heart and squash the sicky feeling in his stomach before following them into absolute carnage. The crowd had been noisy when he left, people clamouring for drinks or singing along, but now it was downright rowdy. People were jeering and shoving, pressing closer to the stage where the real show had started. The blonde drummer, Marlene he assumed, had stood up from her kit and was squaring up to the singer, fists clenched. 

“No I don't care, Em, I fucking told you I never wanted to be in a tribute act! I said when Kings left that we should focus on our original stuff but noooo you had to recruit this fucking kid who can barely play a chord and change our name to Blondy with a pissing y. Couldn't even come up with a good tribute name, you don't have a creative bone in your body I swear.” she spat, the reverb screeching through the mics that were all very much still on. 

“Maybe if you'd written a single thing worth performing we could've dropped the covers! But I don't want to sing your whingy lyrics about the fact that mummy doesn't love you while you hide behind your drums and shit, ego boosting solos that sound like a toddler with a tambourine half the time anyway!” The singer threw right back, this time with a small shove to Marlene's shoulder. 

For a second, it really looked like a real brawl was about to break out. The crowd was howling for a fight, cheering and screaming like hooligans. Marlene's hands twitched, fingers flexing as though ready to throw a punch. She leaned forward slightly and Remus could see Pretty Boy rushing, properly pushing people aside to reach the stage. Instead, though, she took a deep breath and shook her head. 

“You fucking bitch at least I try. I try to give something real, something with a bit of soul! All you've ever wanted is to do the bare minimum, to go with whatever will get us a quick gig and a bit of cash. It's not enough for me, I'm better than that. I'm better than that. Em, I quit.” She stooped to pick up her sticks and turned, heading to the edge of the stage.  

“Yeah run away as usual, you're a fucking quitter! It's no wonder you can't get a girlfriend to stick, no one likes a quitter Marls. What was the last one called again? Chelsea? Took her all of two seconds to jump into bed with me after you walked out, again.” 

And then the crowd got exactly what they were after. Marlene launched herself across the stage with a shriek, knocking the other girl to the ground. Equipment went flying, people hooted and hollered as they scrambled to get a better view. From his vantage point Remus could just about see the pair rolling around, exchanging blows. This was no pretty little cat fight. There were real hits being landed, proper chunks of hair being ripped from scalps and genuine blood being drawn. It was, actually, really horrifying. 

He wanted to look away, honestly, but there was something magnetic about the sight. No matter how sickening, he just could not pull his eyes away. Only when Pretty Boy and Specky Chatter charged on the scene, each grabbing a girl and dragging them away, did Remus feel as though he could breathe again. The crowd booed as the pair were separated. Not that the drama was over by any stretch of the imagination; Marlene was fighting hard to get back to it, throwing elbows and fists back against Pretty Boy's body as she flailed to get out of his grip. 

“Get the fuck off me, Black! I'm going to rip her stupid tiny head off, I fucking well mean it!” 

“Oof, give it a rest, McKinnon! I get it, she's an awful human being, we'll key her car later or something just please stop the whacking. You know I bruise like a peach, you're doing real damage here!” 

It did the job, she stopped fighting the grip around her waist though not without a solid eye roll and one last elbow to the ribs. Remus craned over the throng, pushing up onto his tiptoes to try and keep sight of them as they clambered off the stage but they were swallowed by the mob. Admittedly he was glad for the hullabaloo, it meant no one heard the bratty little huff that escaped him when the man escaped his view. 

“There you are, you bloody sneak! Did you see all that, then?” Lily rushed over pink cheeked and grinning as she dragged a rather stressed looking Mary behind her. “It was like if Corrie and Emmerdale had a baby, all that drama.”

“I did, it was very dramatic. What happened to you two?” 

“Well you took ages with your horrid little cancer stick so we made Chatter get us those free shots. I had many.” The grin got a little wider. 

“Cancer stick,” Remus snorted, “you and I both know the second we get outside you'll be begging for a puff. What about you Mac, you okay? You're looking a bit concerned.” 

Mary shook her head. 

“It was that fight, it was absolutely awful! And the way everyone was loving it, actually barbaric. The vibes in here are way off.” She said with a little shiver. 

“I know what you need, love. Come on, let's get out of here.” 

The two girls linked hands and started towards the door. Remus followed, halting only for a second, just for one last scan of the room, just to confirm absolutely that Pretty Boy was definitely gone for the night. Again that annoying little twinge of disappointment pinged in his chest when there was no sign of him. 

“Come on, Lupin! There's a cheesy garlic bread with your name on it.” 

That was invitation enough. He shook off the slight but embarrassing gloom and took Lily's outstretched hand. The three of them walked hand in hand down the street, letting Mary rant and rave about man's inherent love of violence and all the evil that came with it while the other two bit back tipsy smiles. Lily, as predicted, was a sucker for a drunk cig and made grabby hands at Remus’ until he gave in and passed it over. A light mist of rain descended, frizzing their hair and dampening their clothes but not the mood as the trio meandered towards the flickering light and grease stained windows of the nearest kebab shop. A quick round of rock paper scissors determined that Lily would battle the queue whilst the other two waited, perched on a low wall nearby. 

“Did you have a good time before the fight at least, Mac?” Remus asked.

“I did actually, the music was fun. And, oh my God, you should've seen Lils once she got going after those shots. Specky didn't know what hit him, it's a shame he ran off to help his friend.” She replied, grinning as she swung her legs, “I think you would've really enjoyed watching the pair of them squirm.” 

“I'm not worried, I'm sure they'll pick up where they left off next time he comes in the shop.” 

“Oh I guarantee it. Hey maybe next time she'll actually make him speechless, wouldn't that be a nice break?” 

They shared a smile and let a comfortable silence fill the air between them. When Lily reappeared from the shop toting three precariously stacked polystyrene boxes, Mary, who regularly huffed and tutted about processed food, took everyone by surprise and clapped her hands in delight. They dug into their food with their fingers, right there on the wall in the drizzle. The drinks were cold and refreshing, perfectly fizzy with enough sugar to make anyone smile whilst chips were hot and salty, potentially the most delicious thing any of them could remember ever eating, though Remus suspected the free shots were maybe fogging the girls’ memories somewhat. In five minutes flat, the food was completely devoured and the drink cans were drained. Remus collected their rubbish while Mary leaned back and groaned. 

“Okay, I think maybe I was hangry. Well no, I wasn't angry but I was definitely a bit arsey. Harsey, if you will. Sorry, I'm all better now.” She patted her stomach contentedly. 

“Told you I knew what you needed! Cheesy chips and an ice cold Fanta will sort out any bad mood, I'm convinced.” Lily replied as she licked the last of the chip spice off her fingers, “Sorry about the severe lack of garlic bread, Rem. What sort of kebab shop runs out of garlic bread on a Saturday night?! Criminal.” 

“A travesty, really.” Remus agreed. 

“Right, let's get off before it starts to chuck it down. You're both staying at mine, yeah? The pullout is all ready and cosied up and- oh fuck. Oh fucking fuck. Do you know what I've just realised?” Lily stod upp suddenly, eyes wide like some terrible tragedy had just happened. 

“What? The pullout isn't all cosied up or?” 

“No, forget the pullout. We forgot to get his name! Fucking Specky Chatter! We were supposed to be listening to what his friends called him but Loud Mouth disappeared and the bartender called him that stupid nickname. What was it again, Pongs or something like that? What sort of nickname is that?! That gives me nothing to go off!” 

“Maybe he gets really bad BO and he sometimes pongs a bit.” 

“Mary, that is so unhelpful it's crazy. What am I going to do? I can't just ask him, he knows my name and has done for months. It's too awkward. I'll just have to ghost him, just completely avoid him until he gets the message.” she fretted, anxiously gnawing on her thumbnail. 

Remus grimaced. Clearly, the girls didn't know that Pretty Boy/Loud Mouth had joined him outside. He would have quite liked to keep the interaction tucked away, nice and private and safe from teasing, but he couldn't in good faith keep it secret, not if it meant holding back the only hint at Chatter’s name that any of them had managed to get. 

“Okay relax, I might be able to help with that. Pre- I mean Loud Mouth called him Potter when we were outside. Please don't ask me any other questions.” 

“Potter! Okay okay, we can work with that. Could be a last name or another nickname maybe but god I hope not. How many nicknames does a grown man need, really? We need to get back to mine and do some sleuthing asap, I'm talking Facebook, Insta, fucking LinkedIn if that'll help.” 

While Lily thought aloud, clearly not even having registered any information outside of the name, Mary fixed Remus with a stare. A scary stare. One eyebrow cocked, looking him up and down with an all knowing smirk on her face, as if she'd discovered something really salacious and not that Remus had simply existed in a space with the other man. He tried his best to discredit her; shaking his head a couple of times, rolling his eyes when she persisted and raised both brows. 

“What is that face for? Come on you two, vamoose!” Lily said, breaking the tense standoff as she pushed the two of them down the street. 

They followed orders, marching along as the girls formulated a search plan to decide who would scour each social media site. Remus was listening, with at least half an ear, though a good portion of his brain was elsewhere. In the chaos of the fight and raucous crowd he'd almost missed it, the name Marlene had used for Pretty Boy. Black. It had to be a last name and whilst it wasn't exactly rare, surely he'd be able to use it somehow. Maybe whilst his friends searched for one name he could slyly look up another. 

Notes:

Just a few Uk specific terms, I'm not sure that they're all actually only UK specific but better safe than sorry.

Wangy- wonky
Whingy- whiny
Clipper - popular brand of lighters
Corrie and Emmerdale - British soap operas, TV shows known for their overly dramatised story lines and acting.
Arsey - grumpy
Chuck it down - raining heavily
Pongs- stinky

Chapter 5

“It's no good, the guy just doesn't exist. There's a business page for a private swim teacher, about a hundred different pottery studios and fifty billion people with the last name Potter, including one called Fleamont which I actually hope to God is not him.” 

Lily was complaining and had been for the past two hours, on and off. Hers and Mary's online searches had come up frustratingly bare, the only somewhat promising account being one J Potter but even that ended in disappointment with no profile picture or anything close to identifying information. That had been almost two weeks ago and she really hadn't shut up about it since. 

“It's weird right?” 

“Mhmm, very.” 

“Right?! He's young, why would he have no social media at all? Maybe he's a weirdo, a real freak.” She mused as she idly wiped down the counter. 

“Maybe, yeah.” 

“I'm actually better off just avoiding him, in that case.” 

“Probably.” 

Something cold and wet spritzed the side of Remus’ face. The cutlery he was polishing crashed back into the drawer loudly, pulling the attention of several customers. 

“Lily what the fuck! That's actual corrosive chemical you've just sprayed me with, you absolute psycho!” he hissed, scrubbing the side of his face viciously with some blue roll. 

“Don't be a wuss bag Lupin, it's just a bit of glass cleaner. And anyway you deserve to be corroded, you were completely ignoring me there! You have to listen to me when I complain, that's how our friendship works! I complain and you listen and give good advice. It's symbiosis.” She sprayed him again. 

“Eurgh stop that! I'm going to smell all vinegary. First of all that is not what symbiosis means and second of all I'm sorry but I honestly have no advice left to give. Stop hiding in the back when he comes in and just ask him!” 

It was good advice, certainly and without a doubt but also insanely hypocritical. His own name search had also drawn an irritating blank. Or rather, the opposite. There was such an abundance of profiles and pages and articles all related in some way to the name Black that it was entirely impossible to sift through it all. He'd tried, several times, to match his face to a name. Once he thought he had it. A throwaway Instagram account, completely blank except for one tagged picture that seemed to show a group of friends, arms slung over shoulders at some graduation. For a second, he was sure the boy on the end was Pretty Boy. There was the same pale skin, sharp features and similar dark waves but something about the set of the mouth and the stiffness in the posture just wasn't right. After another minute of looking, the differences were so staggeringly obvious Remus couldn't believe he ever thought it could be him.  

So, he could laugh at Lily for squeaking and running when Chatter came in, he could tell her over and over again to just ask the guy what his bloody name was but he absolutely couldn't under any circumstances take his own advice and face Pretty Boy. The very thought of it brought a familiar icky feeling bubbling up through his stomach that just screamed at him to run. At least he had a modicum of subtlety; he was suddenly swamped with paperwork or reorganising stock or sorting rotas, anything to keep him occupied safely in the back of house when anyone even remotely pretty threatened to enter the shop. It worked quite well and Remus was fairly sure no one had noticed. 

“You can't talk! I've never in my life seen you so dedicated to admin.” 

Okay maybe Lily had noticed. 

“I don't know what you're on about.” 

“Oh please, you blush and leg it every time anyone with black hair comes to the door. I'm no Sherlock but I think maybe there's someone you're avoiding.” 

She gave him a look and suddenly the smudge on the blade of the knife he was wiping down was incredibly interesting. 

“Yep, avoidance. Classic Lupin technique. So what you're saying is you have absolutely no problems serving him? You'd be perfectly happy to stand here and make his coffee and do the whole small talk thing?” She asked, eyebrows raised and lips tucked. Clearly, there was a laugh there just asking to escape, though Remus couldn't quite understand why. 

“No problem at all, no problem serving anyone, actually, because I don't know who you're talking about.” 

“I was so hoping you'd say some rubbish like that,” her grin was genuinely menacing as she dusted off her hands, “I'm going for a wee and I'll be a while, Mary's sent me about forty tiktoks. Enjoy.” 

Before he could even try to speak, to maybe object to a seemingly random break in the middle of the shift, she chucked her apron off and all but ran to the toilets, basically just an evil ginger blur. Remus muttered as much under his breath as he finished up polishing and was still quietly fuming as he squatted by the counter fridge to rotate the dates. One of his least favourite jobs in the place, just another thing to blame Lily for. It made his hands cold, which he hated. It made his sleeves wet, which he hated. It made his knees ache, which he especially hated. Overall, his mood was unquestionably sour and when that front door slammed shut, a little groan definitely escaped him. Usually people took a while, ambling up to the counter and browsing the various goodies, so he let himself sit there for a few extra seconds, pressing his forehead against the cool steel of the fridge and trying his absolute best to summon a customer service smile. 

“That's a very serious face you've got on there, rough day?” 

All Remus' nervous systems reset, momentarily, squeezing his heart and jolting his muscles as he sprung up, clipping his left shoulder on the underside of the counter but thankfully missing his head. He rubbed his shoulder, bitterly cursing the name Lily Evans because of course. Her little escape made perfect sense now as he stared into the ornately beautiful face of the exact person he'd completely denied avoiding. 

“Oof sorry, didn't mean to make you jump. I should've coughed or something, let you know I was here. You okay?” He asked like he had real vested interest, eyebrows pushed together into a slight frown. 

“I'm fine, just a bump.” 

“You sure you weren't hiding from me again? It's becoming a bit of a habit, I think.” he said cheekily, face splitting into a grin as leaned his forearms against the bar. There was a little mark, a freckle or mole or something, just on the high point of his cheek, that jumped as he spoke. It was a real struggle for Remus to tear his eyes away. 

“How could I have been hiding if I didn't even know you were there?”

“Hmm clever, you've got me there.” 

A silence fell over them, not heavy or awkward. Warm but not stifling. Like a weighted blanket. Comforting. Which was actually sort of terrifying in itself because, as a general rule, Remus didn't enjoy long silences, bar a few special people. Another thing Remus famously hated: eye contact. This guy was giving it by the bucket load, piercing and probing. But there was something in the way the man looked at him. Something warm and soft around the eyes that was equal parts enticing and, somehow, really fucking scary. 

“Er, coffee? You want to bone- blah, NO! No I mean, dry drink. Cappuccino.” Remus blurted with very little clue what was actually leaving his mouth, “What I mean is, are you having your usual?” 

The man coughed and shook his head, looking weirdly dazed and a little bit pink. He must not have heard the word vomit properly, thank God. 

“Please, yeah- yes please. Coffee, yep.” 

Remus did hide a bit then, ducking down to pull milk from the fridge when really a slight bend at the waist would've sufficed. He kept his right shoulder firmly turned towards the machine as he busied himself pulling off shots of espresso and frothing milk until it bordered on burnt, just to keep his face somewhat out of view. An open book his mum had always called him, just one of those faces that was ridiculously easy to read and Remus really didn't fancy being read at that moment. Not that it seemed to matter, the man's eyes were resolutely fixed on his phone as he furiously tapped away with his thumbs. 

“Fucking Potter, I swear. Fucking incorrigible.” The man muttered and Remus’ ears pricked up. “This mate of mine is an absolute menace.” 

Evil though she was, a decade of friendship meant Remus owed it to Lily to squeeze out as much information as he could on this mysterious Potter. 

“That the one who you were with the other night, the one who invited us lot to Blondy with a y? He’s nice!” 

He pushed the drink over, only partially admiring the slender fingers that gripped the paper cup. 

“That's the one. Don't get me wrong he's a great guy, the best of the best really, and I love him to bits but he's a pushy fucker. Hasn't quite figured out the whole boundaries thing.” 

“That right?” Remus asked. Again he could feel the pull, the magnetic force of those eyes tugging him in. Without even meaning to, he found himself mirroring the man's movements; propping his elbows up on the bar, chin resting in one palm. Vaguely he was aware of how it looked, maybe a bit unprofessional and overly familiar. Definitely too casual. He'd certainly scolded Mary for something very very similar in the past. 

“Big time. Nothing bad, just, he likes to be helpful. Even when his help is very much not useful. He cares, some might say too much.” 

“Wow a friend who cares and wants to help you, sounds like a right nightmare.” 

The man laughed, loud and brash, and something in Remus' stomach clenched, more than a bit thrilled to have been the cause of the sound. 

“Okay fair point, I'm whining.” He popped the lid off his cup and grabbed a frankly criminal number of brown sugar packets, “Could I ask you a favour?” 

“You can ask, can't make any promises.” 

“Alright snippy, any chance I could get Lily's number?” 

There it was. A horrid embarrassment flamed through Remus' body, churning his guts and burning his throat as he straightened up. Obviously this guy wasn't flirting with him, of course he wasn't. Why would he? It was so blindingly, painfully clear. Remus was plain, beyond plain really. He was boring, easily overlooked, forgettable whilst the man was anything but. Statuesque and charmingly funny, his entire demeanour demanded absolute attention, it vehemently rejected being anywhere even close to the ordinary. And Remus was unquestionably ordinary. The thought that someone like that would ever, could ever, even think about someone like him would be laughable, if Remus wasn't so entirely filled with shame that is. 

“No.” He managed to spit out, despite the dry mouth and sicky stomach and the feeling that he'd quite like to cry. 

“Come on, please? Not for anything weird, it's not even for-” 

“No, I can't give out my employees personal details and if you continue to push I'll have to ask you to leave.” 

It came out a little croaky but the hard set of Remus’ face clearly outweighed any shakiness in his voice as the man took a step back. He actually had the gall to look shocked, maybe even a little hurt. Which was so unreasonable, Remus found a good chunk of his embarrassment twist and morph into a hot anger. Because okay, maybe he should've seen through the guise and realised the man was only after his friend, but it wasn't entirely on him. There absolutely had been flirting. The lingering touches and flattery had not been imaginary. Hell, it hadn't even been him who'd noticed it in the first place. So the guy was hurt that, what, Remus had finally seen through him? That made Remus all sorts of cross. 

“Ask me to leave…what? I think you've got the wrong end of the stick here, I just need Lily's number for-” 

“I've told you no, you need to leave now. I'm serious.” 

“Actually I'm Serious.” 

Remus opened his mouth and closed it again, for a second, just completely baffled. 

“What?” 

“Nevermind, you're right, not the time.” The man used his free hand in a move that would have once shaken Remus’ very world to push his hair back off his face. Now it just made him clench his teeth. “Point is I'm not being creepy. I just need it for-”

“I don't care what you're going to use it for, I'm not going to give you it! If you're so desperate, ask her yourself. I've got to get back to work.” he said in his very best attempt at a level headed and steady voice, though the tightness around his jaw did make it sound sort of like a hiss. Not that it made any difference really, the guy still stood there looking shell shocked and about as gormless as a pretty face like that could get as Remus strode off into the back. He held his head up high and only once he'd rounded the corner, bar safely out of sight, did he let it hang. 

It felt like secondary school all over again, like the popular kids, with their glossy hair and clear skin that had never so much as heard of acne, asking you out as a joke. It was that same ache, that same embarrassing anger in knowing he'd been played with and made a fool out of and that, really, he'd done nothing about it. He'd just taken it. He might as well have been that gangly teen again; face burning till it hurt as he awkwardly tittered along with the mean kids, not willing to do anything that might cause a scene. He snapped a bit then, suddenly filled with a rage that could only be fuelled by repressed teenage memories. He put everything he had behind his leg and kicked hard, aiming for the cardboard box filled with tea bags. Of course he missed that nice, light target and instead clipped a large bottle of salted caramel sauce. It arced through the air as Remus swore, hopping on one foot and cradling the probably mangled toes of the other. The bottle struck the back wall, brittle plastic cracking and covering everything in a five metre radius with a high velocity caramel spatter. 

“Oh great. Fucking perfect, no, yeah that's exactly what I need. Salted fucking caramel everywhere just perfect, actually.” He muttered bitterly to himself as he limped about, gathering the mop and filling the bucket with citrusy soap. He used far too much, the bubbles overflowed dramatically and left a slippery sheen to the floor that would irritatingly require another go over with the mop. The smell made his eyes water, though he was a little glad to have an easy excuse when Lily undoubtedly clocked the red rim they'd definitely taken on. He wasn't crying- really, not even Remus was that much of a wuss, but it was part of his chronic bad luck. Even a hint of sadness, the smallest smidge of disappointment, and boom bloodshot eyes that could rival even the heaviest of stoners. Just another insanely easy to read page in the open book that was his face. 

“Remus.” 

He hummed non committedly, focusing on that little speck of caramel by the sink. It was sticky and stubborn and was taking a whole lot of scrubbing so of course it needed his full attention. He couldn't possibly turn around and look at Lily, who the disappointment was just rolling off of in battering waves.

“Remus Lupin.” 

He could feel those piercing green eyes burning a hole in the back of his head and just knew the arms would be crossed, hip cocked. If he had to guess, he'd say he was about to be subject to a lecture of mammoth proportions on how we don't let pretty boys with smart mouths and nice hands hurt our feelings and we certainly don't let them get off Scot free when they do it anyway. 

“Remus John Lupin if you don't turn around so help me god.” 

The tone was overtly threatening and so he begrudgingly did as he was told, dropping the mop with a defiant clatter as he slowly turned to face her wrath. 

“Come on then, out with it. Why have I just had a very distressed, very Pretty man fretting that he's barred from the shop?” 

“He's not barred, I just asked him to leave, like, for that moment.” He muttered somewhat petulantly. There was a clear, yet confusing look of disapproval painting Lily's face that felt awful lot like he was missing something obvious. 

“Care to explain what on earth possessed you to do that? Something to do with a phone number perhaps?”

“Sounds like you already know why.” He huffed, turning away again to make himself busy emptying the bucket. Even the flood of water couldn't drown out Lily's irritated tuts.

“I want to hear you say it, so you can hear in your own words how stupid it is.” 

“Lily, come on, the guy was being a creep! Kept pushing for your number, I thought you'd be glad I kicked him out.”

There were a few beats of silence as her face pulled all sorts of wonky expressions, eyebrows crinkling and eyes rolling, until she finally settled on sheer exasperation. 

“And to think people used to call you intelligent. You're so fucking dense!” She strode forward and whacked him sharply on the shoulder, “You can't honestly tell me that you thought that very clearly non-straight man was asking for my number for himself? Not one little part of you thought maybe he was asking for, oh I dunno, the man who has asked me out on multiple occasions, who also happens to be his best friend?” 

“Um-”

“Oh and let me guess, you didn't let him get a word out before you flew off the handle? No chance of letting him explain himself before you basically called him a perv and stropped off. ‘Course not, that would be far too much like functioning adult behaviour.”

“Okay, alright I get the message. I overreacted, so what? I assume you gave him your number so no harm done really.” Remus grumbled as he chewed his thumb nail. He was feeling a bit bitter and didn't much feel like enduring any more nagging because what did Lily actually have to complain about? She'd got what she wanted (Specky Chatter's number and name, presumably) but ultimately at Remus' expense. Creep or not, he'd still played Remus and as such, Remus felt he absolutely had the right to sulk.

“So what!? How about you cocking up your chances with the guy you like?” 

“For god's sake he is not the guy I like, nor would I ever have had a chance with him anyway,” Remus dropped into the desk chair as he spoke, “and before you start, I don't mean that in a sad, self deprecating way. I just mean he was obviously only trying to help his friend out. Which would be annoying if I wanted him but I don't so it's not. Okay?” 

She looked him up and down shrewdly. Her left cheek hollowed and the jaw set at a funny, mismatched angle that told Remus she was quite literally biting something back. For a second her eyes narrowed, zeroing in and scanning his face for any hint of battered self esteem, before she sighed and shook her head in defeat.

“You're right, I need to let you figure this one out on your own I think.” 

“Hallelujah.” 

“But you have to apologise for kicking him out. That wasn't nice and you overreacted.” she said sternly with a look that strongly implied an ‘or else’. 

“Yeah, alright, fair enough,” he sighed, “it won't be heartfelt though, I still think he's a dick.” 

“Sure you do, pumpkin.” She smushed his cheeks as she cooed, only laughing when he batted her hands away roughly. “Your denial is adorable.” 

“Piss off.” 

“Yeah yeah,” she leaned forward and glanced at the cctv, “Chest Hair Guy is here, fancy making his ice tea?” 

Remus didn't bother dignifying that with an answer, a harsh look and a simple flick to her knee sufficed. 

“Assault in the workplace! I'm calling HR!” She called, far too loudly, as she hopped away from him, slowly backing out the store room and towards the bar. 

For the next seven minutes Remus listened to Lily's customer service charm, high pitched and slightly grating, with his face pressed against the desktop. The mere thought of facing the man, the Pretty Boy, to apologise left a nasty taste in his mouth and an anxious squirm in his guts. He didn't need an apology, not really, and actually Remus had hardly even overreacted. He'd have done the same thing if any customer had pushed for a staff member's number, absolutely nothing to do with Remus' own hurt feelings. Nothing at all. So an apology was totally, completely not necessary. It was inevitable though, it had to happen, Lily would insist on it. She was all about the melding of groups and mutual friends and all that rubbish whenever she started seeing someone new, so any sort of angst between himself and Specky’s best friend would absolutely be a no no. She'd drag some sort of truce out of them, probably in a loud and embarrassing fashion, so a quick ‘sorry’ was probably the simplest way to protect his dwindling dignity, even if it did sting a little on the way out. 

“Are we done with the moping and the assaulting and the denial? Because I'm feeling a need to squeal and Mary's not in today so you're going to need to stand in for her.” Lily asked, popping her head through the door with a hopeful smile plastered on. 

“Fine, yes I'm done.” Remus sighed, “Although to be clear, you hit me first. What are we squealing about?”

“No no not like Remus, I actually need you to become Mary for a minute.” 

“Seriously?”

“Yes! You're so mardy today and I need a bit of her positivity. So chop chop,” she clicked her fingers, “one Mary MacDonald impression please.” 

Remus gave her a look, full to the absolute brim with exasperation and disdain, which she promptly ignored as she waved a hand, urging him to continue. 

“Oh my god, babe, what is up? Is Pluto in retrograde again?” He drawled, in the dullest, most monotone voice he could muster. 

Lily stuck her tongue out. 

“Weak attempt, Lupin, but it'll have to do.” She took a deep breath, “He messaged me! James!” 

When Remus answered with just a vaguely confused expression, she tutted and rolled her eyes. 

“Specky Chatter! His name is James, you shook Pretty Boy up so much he actually dropped the stupid nicknames. Look he's put three kisses on the end here, do you think they're, like, kiss kisses or just friendly X's?” 

She thrust her phone towards him, a coy little smile on her face as she showed him the short text chain. He was all ready with a stinging little quip right on the tip of his tongue, a little bit mean but all within the boundaries of their normal banter, when he noticed it. There was something, a little hopeful glint in her eyes, a shy splash of pink across her cheeks. Her free hand twisted the hem of her apron almost nervously. It was soft and quiet and so distinctly not Lily that he couldn't bring himself to do it, just couldn't make himself be even slightly dismissive or mean, even in jest. 

“Oh for sure those are proper kisses! Look, we already know he fancies you, and three kisses after every message? I'd say you're well in there, love.” 

“Ooh that was a very good Mary, I've got goosebumps.” She grinned and gave a little shiver, “So, shall I ask him out d’ya think? Take charge, be a strong modern woman and all that? Or will that scare him off? You're a man, what do you reckon?” 

“Wait, I thought I was Mary, am I back to being Remus now?” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

“Grand. Well to answer your many, many questions, I'd say trust your gut. Something tells me you're not likely to scare him off by taking charge, reckon he'd probably enjoy it. Seems the type.” he said, smirking as he remembered the way he'd stuttered over his words and jumped at the chance to get them drinks at the gig. 

“Interesting, interesting.” She muttered, staring into space for a few seconds before she snapped back to attention, wicked grin on her face. “Is it bad I'm quite into that?”

“‘Course not, you're a control freak. I'd expect nothing less.” 

“Pot kettle black.” 

Vaguely he registered as Lily swiped a flapjack off the shelving, munching on it as she tapped away at her phone but mostly his attention was drawn to the way his stomach swooped at the word, or rather the name, black. Just a colour, sure, but it was his last name, Remus was fairly sure of that. One small word that meant nothing, really, but it shifted his focus to the annoying thing in his head. A tiny, niggly feeling of guilt worming its way into his brain. Maybe, just slightly maybe, he'd been a tad harsh on the guy. Wouldn't be the first time he'd let his emotions get the better of him. Certainly wasn't the first time he'd misread a situation and just snapped. When he thought back to the hurt confusion that had been in the guy's face something ached, deeply. 

“So I was just thinking Lil, maybe you should ask your James for his friend’s number? I mean I won't keep it or anything like that, just so I can text an apology. Less awkward that way innit.” Remus said, quietly but acutely aware of his hot neck. 

“Sorry, what?” Lily laughed, half choking on her flapjack. She banged a fist against her own chest to clear the debris as Remus scowled.

“You heard.” 

“Okay well, he's not ‘my James’ so let's start there. Then we can address that massive one eighty because not ten minutes ago you were calling Pretty Boy a dick and refusing to apologise and now you're wanting me to set you up. What mental gymnastics have gone on there then?” she rapped a knuckle against his forehead fondly.

“Don't think I've ever in our whole lives asked you to set me up. I've just calmed down a bit, seen the error of my ways and think it'd be best to say sorry sooner rather than later.” He rationalised. He turned his attention to the filing cabinet, shuffling papers and reorganising bits and bobs because anything was better than looking at the scary smile splitting Lily's face.

“Oh my god. Oh my god, you love him. You love him and want to marry him and have his pretty little loud babies.” 

“Har har. I do not love him for fucks sake I don't even know his name, I was just…wrong. Please never ever say that again.”

“Sorry but you're a stubborn fucker and never once have you happily admitted that you were wrong, at least not without some sneaky little caveat that actually meant you were right all along. I can only assume that must mean you're madly, madly in love.” she said, leaning back with a satisfied smile. 

“Ah Jesus, actually, forget I asked. Please. I'll just wait till he comes in to apologise.” 

“No no, you're right you should have his number. Let me put my moves on first, I'll get you the number once I've got myself a date, deal?” 

“I'm really not fussed, you just get your date.” Remus mumbled. A brief yet entirely embarrassing jolt of excitement shot through his chest at the thought of having his number which was stupid because Remus really wasn't interested in him. At all. He only wanted to apologise, then he'd delete and possibly block the number altogether. That was if he even bothered to text in the first place. There was a lot of flip flopping going on in his head, a lot of indecision that left Remus stuck somewhere in limbo - half hating the guy and half getting all silly, giddy at the thought of seeing him again. 

“I said, deal?” 

“Fine yes, yeah. Deal.”

 

It felt a little like making a deal with the devil.

Chapter 6

James Potter was kind. He tipped heavy, always said thank you and never ever complained if there was a queue . When the sink clogged, he showed up with a screwdriver and a smile. When Mary's taxi failed to show he insisted on giving her a lift home, six miles in the opposite direction to Lily's. He was thoughtful, loved by the whole team, just a genuine good guy. And he did not like Remus. He had liked him, before. They'd been perfectly friendly. Not anymore. 

“Ice pops for the hard workers!” James announced, busting through the door with the icy treats held above his head. 

“Yay, our hero!” Mary cheered. She clapped her hands together and gave Lily, who was rolling her eyes fondly, a little shake. 

“Yeah well, hottest day of the year and the aircon in here is rubbish. Someone had to save you angels.” 

“Alright, laying it on a bit thick there Potter. Hand over the goods.” She said, clearly trying to stay aloof and unbothered but there was a sparkle in her eye and little smile there that gave it all away. 

“Lemon and lime for the most beautiful girl in the world,” he only laughed when Lily snatched the ice pop, “and peach for the lovely Mary.” 

“Remus will have cherry, he always has cherry.” Lily just about managed to say around a mouthful of ice. 

Remus had been, very intentionally, staying out of the way. He wasn't completely oblivious to the off vibes and had recently taken to giving a quick smile before subtly retreating. Well hiding, really, if he was being honest. James had refused to hand over his friend's number when Lily had asked, claiming it was the coward’s way out and not really a true apology as his friend deserved. It had been quite a point of contention, one that had Lily fuming and refusing to ever even look at the man again. 

“How dare he call you a coward?! You were defending me, you thought I was being harassed! God! You made a mistake, you're trying to fix it, like he's so bloody perfect ugh!” 

She'd ranted and raved for the entirety of the shift, plus the two hours after as she hung around the shop waiting for Remus to be done for the day. The hours had passed in clenched fists and scowls, angry little additions in between customers that only got her more riled up. 

“I'm just not going to bother with him. Got no time for someone that can't accept a person might have flaws, honestly you've probably saved me a massive headache there Remus.” 

He'd almost believed her too. Until she thought he wasn't watching, leaning against one of the ovens as she scrolled back to their first few messages. Before the argument started, the messages that were laced with excitement and maybes and promises for future dates. From across the shop Remus could see she looked sad. In the way she rubbed an eye with her fingertips and chewed on her lip the disappointment was abundant. Not crying because Lily never cried unless she'd been drinking gin or watching Marley and Me, but there was definitely a wistfulness about her. Enough sadness, anyway, that Remus was almost bowled over by the tsunami of guilt. He'd marched across the floor and snatched the phone from her hand, typing out a quick text and pressing send before she could even attempt to stop him. 

I'm sorry for blowing up at you. They're their own people, we shouldn't let their disagreement stop whatever this could be. Remus will apologise the next time he sees your friend. 

There'd been some chastising and a couple of weak blows to his upper arm but she was happy, he could tell.

That had been two weeks ago and whilst Lily and James were getting on marvellously, the same couldn't be said for him and Remus. Pretty boy was nowhere to be seen so there had been no apology and clearly James was aware. Every visit was layered with a brewing tension, thick and unyielding. There'd be quiet jabs and subtle digs, nothing distressing but just enough to let him know there was trouble there between them. James had taken to occasionally asking for remakes on his drink, claiming there was something just not right, or sometimes he'd request the cake specifically hard to reach, right at the front of the cabinet at the bottom of the pile. There was no more chatting, not with Remus at least. So the reply to Lily's request for a cherry ice pop for him was hardly surprising. 

“No can do, they're my best mates favourite, see. Left them all at home for him. Sorry.” he said lightly but clearly not sorry.

Lily straightened up, eyes narrowed. “Well what's the red one?” 

“Cherry.” 

“Right, so give it to Remus then.” 

“Sorry, I can't. Told you I'm saving them for my mate. There's a cola going spare if Remus wants it.” Again, his sorry sounded anything but genuine.

“Cola is absolutely grim and you know it. He likes cherry, just give him the fucking cherry.” 

“Lily really, it's fine, I'll just-” 

“You're not taking the cola one, Remus. You hate cola.” She held a hand up to silence him, glare burning fiercely and telling him to shut the hell up as she turned back, “James is going to stop being a fucking child, and give you the one you want. Aren't you James?”

And then there was the stand off. Immeasurable force versus immoveable object. Remus wasn't quite sure which was which. What he did know is that neither held mercy, both pairs of eyes hard and not willing to budge. Lily was a notoriously protective friend, willing to fight till the bitter end to protect his honour, even when he was firmly in the wrong. He'd seen this look before; totally ready to go down swinging if that's what it took. It was terrifying and, unfortunately, matched almost exactly by the look on James' face. The air was charged, a tinder box just waiting for a spark. Remus didn't dare breathe. 

“Before you start scrapping, let's remember you're arguing over ice pops mmkay?” Mary, the angel she was, interrupted, bodily blocking the incoming storm by sliding into Lily's eye line, “Remus is a big boy, I'm sure he can pick his own lolly flavour,” she turned to James sternly, “and seeing as though your Pretty friend is also a grown man, I don't think he'll be too broken up about missing out on one cherry ice pop. Babe, what flavour do you want?” 

All attention turned to him, the full force of it making him itch. He had a strong urge to hide, maybe use Mary as a human shield. 

“I'm okay really, was just about to go check the fridge temperatures anyway.” He mumbled, only shrivelling slightly under the burn of Lily's outraged stare. 

“See he-” “He doesnt-” 

The angry pair blurted out at the same time, glares turning to bewildered stares when Mary smacked her palms against the counter top. 

“Shut it the pair of you, you're scaring him! Now, Re, are you absolutely sure? The nasty man and lady won't say a word if you want the cherry, I promise. This is a safe space, this is your safe space.” 

She reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Her eyes were soft and full of almost genuine care. For a second Remus was a little touched. Except when he looked properly her cheeks sucked in as she held back a laugh and her nose was scrunched. He was being teased 

“Oh, okay, you're taking the piss. Thanks, Mac, really appreciate the love.” He said fondly, finding all tension and pressure entirely gone.

“You’re so welcome, babe.” She replied with a grin as she crunched the top of her ice lolly. 

“I've got work to do, slackers. Lily, take it down a notch okay? It really doesn't matter. It's frozen water. Thanks for the offer James, hope your friend enjoys the cherry.” 

Remus left them there, still grumpy but chatting quietly, and he felt a lovely lightness float over him. He understood James, he'd likely be pouring salt in his coffee if the roles were reversed , but that didn't mean the little confrontations hadn't been all sorts of nerve wracking. A quick glance at the CCTV told him that all was well; James looked vaguely embarrassed, shifting from foot to foot but still with a small smile as the girls laughed, probably partaking in their favourite hobby of taking the mick. Any bad blood seemed to be gone which was one hell of a relief. It was rather nice to leave the situation with smiles almost all around. Though he was sort of mourning the cherry ice pop. It was a very warm day and cherry was absolutely the best flavour.

He left the other three to it, fairly sure his presence would upset the happy balance they seem to have struck. There was a little twinge, small bit of fomo, when he heard laughter floating through from the bar but he shook it off. There was plenty to keep him busy, no need to think about all the inside jokes he was quickly becoming outside of. Instead he reorganised shelves, pulling stock into pin straight lines and eye pleasing stacks. It was the satisfying sort of busywork that Remus complained about, loudly and to anyone who'd listen, but that he secretly loved. The way everything slid into place, everything with a neat little home, scratched his brain in just the right way. 

“Lily told me to say stop, uh, drooling over your shelves and to come chat but I actually just wanted to give you this.” 

James spoke from where he loitered near the doorway, sheepishly holding the red ice pop out towards Remus. A peace offering, if he had to guess. He took it gingerly, retreating back to the safety of the racking in uneasy silence. Remus used his teeth to rip the top of the plastic, chasing an errant drip with his tongue as the treat melted onto his thumb. He smiled at the taste. It was cherry.

“She didn't say drooling, did she?” 

“Well no, no she said to stop um, wanking over them, which y’know, fair enough if that's your thing.” James answered, fiddling the zip of his jacket nervously as he gave a small grin.

“Yeah that sounds like Lily, little weirdo she is.”

“I’d say unique.” 

“Ha! I'd say you're being too nice.” 

There was a prickly silence then as the two men sized each other up, James rocking back on his heels and Remus tapping a chilled finger against the plastic wrapper, neither quite sure where to go from there. Remus winced as he bit off a chunk of ice, instantly regretting the cold that ached his teeth all the way down to the gums. 

“Brain freeze?” 

“Something like that.” 

“I'm sorry.” 

“Um, it’s all good,” Remus replied slowly, “it's an ice pop. Comes with the territory, to be expected y’know. Not your fault.” 

“I didn't mean- I meant I'm sorry for earlier, not the brain freeze thing the whole being a dick thing.” James scratched at his temple, “Like refusing to give you the cherry and getting you to remake all those drinks and stuff, I've been a dick and I'm sorry, I'm not normally like that.” 

Remus paused for a second just to take it in. The anxious flit of the eyes, the twiddling of thumbs. Most importantly the admittal that there'd been nothing wrong with any of the drinks Remus had made and then remade the past few weeks.  Vindication.

“It's fine, you don't have to apologise. I'd be the same, if it were flipped I mean. If you'd been a nob to Lily. So it's seriously all good.” 

“I just- I need to explain. My friend hasn't been exactly honest, led me to believe that he'd still been coming in and that you were just ignoring him. Sort of. He didn't outright say it but didn't correct me when I did, sort of thing.” James' mouth set in a grim line for a second, then a quick switch to panic, “That sounds bad, he's not bad really. He's embarrassed, I think.” 

“Why on earth would he be embarrassed?” Remus asked incredulously, a little laugh bycatching in the back of his throat, “I'm the one that kicked him out!” 

“I don't know, I mean, he does tend to catastrophise things. Everything's the end of the world, you know?” James said with a grimace, “Not in a bad way! Jesus Christ I can't stop putting my foot in my mouth today. He's not a drama queen, well no he is, but it's sort of endearing? If you get what I mean.” 

“Er, yeah sure, I get you.” Remus replied, though he absolutely did not get what James meant. 

“Anyway, Mary's had a little word with me and Lily's had lots of big words and I've decided to just butt out. Well, after I've given you this,” he dug in his pocket for a second, before fishing out a small scrap of paper which he thrust in Remus' direction, “he's a stubborn guy, sometimes, so if I don't intervene a bit things will never sort themselves out.” 

Eleven little digits were penned on the scrap, blue ink legible but smudged enough that it made Remus antsy, anxious to get the number entered into his phone quickly lest it suddenly become unreadable. James hadn't actually confirmed whose number it was, hadn't actually said the words, but it was there in his cheesy grin which had reappeared as soon as the air was cleared. The good sort of excitement, the nervous butterflies and biting your lip sort, spread up through Remus' stomach and chest, clenching at his throat for a moment before heading down to his fingertips. They shook minutely as he tapped the number into a new contact, pausing for a second at the contact name before punching in an initial. Then there was the checking and then checking again that each digit matched the paper. He clicked to start a new message thread and then…nothing. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard, entirely unable to commit to a single letter. ‘Sorry’ was tempting and ‘hello’ was always a good start. A more casual ‘hey’ would have sufficed. And yet still no words were typed. 

“Don't overthink it.” 

Remus glanced up, slightly unnerved by the solid confidence and absolute certainty on James's face. 

“I mean it. You'll psych yourself out and put it off and then we'll all be buggered. I think it really doesn't even matter what you say, just as long as you don't call him a perv again.” 

“Ah Jesus, I never called him a perv in the first place! You've been spending too much time with Lily.” 

“There is no such thing as too much time with her, I swear twenty four hours a day wouldn't be enough.” James said dreamily. His face took on a sickeningly gooey expression, wide doe eyes and a saccharin smile that was utterly tooth rotting. “Don't tell her that though, I'm trying to play it cool.” 

“Oh yeah? You're doing a great job. Ice cold, you are.” 

“Thanks, I thought so too.” He grinned, “right, I'd best be off. You, text. Now. I'll know if you don't.” 

He pointed at his own eyes, then jabbed his fingers towards Remus in an I'm watching you sort of way before he sidled back through the door, leaving Remus all alone with nothing but the scary space inside his own mind and an even scarier phone for company. It was all a bit confusing, somewhat overwhelming. An apology. That's all it was, all it had to be. There was no reason for this horrible adrenaline to be coursing through his blood, no reason for the butterflies climbing up his throat and choking him. The whole thing had been inflated, blown up to huge proportions until a simple miscommunication felt like world war three and a short text had somehow become an armistice. And surely that's all Remus was excited for, just a light at the end of the tunnel, an end to the few weeks of tense shifts and niggling guilt. His body was simply anticipating a reprieve to the slight but constant distress that had become his normal. That's why his hands buzzed as he typed out the message, no other reason. 

Hi, James gave me your number. Just wanted to say I'm sorry for being a dick and telling you to leave, I was just trying to look out for Lily. Not an excuse but yeah, I'm sorry 

 

He pressed send. Then, turned his phone off. Not just locked the screen, turned the whole thing fully off and face down on the desk. After a peek at the CCTV revealed a small queue that the girls were more than capable of handling, he swiftly left the building, striding purposefully towards the bin shed. His heart thundered against his ribs, an absolutely pathetic display because why was his body reacting to a text in the same way it might a sky dive. In five seconds flat he had a cigarette lit and slotted between his lips, acrid smoke burning in the best way possible as he repeated the words he'd typed over and over again in his head. Perfectly normal, apologetic but not begging for forgiveness or anything over the top. Light and breezy. The sort of text a functioning human might send. Despite it all Remus found himself strangely proud, smiling around his cigarette in triumph.

It was there, puffing out a cloud of victorious smoke as he loitered amongst the biffa bins and puddles of sour milk, that he realised his mistake. A real rookie error. He flicked the fag into the drain, not even waiting to see if he hit his mark before legging it back indoors, back to the desk. It took an age for the phone to turn back on. He could've screamed, actually screamed as he watched it boot back up, one hand drumming impatiently against the surface whilst the other clasped across his own mouth. When the screen finally relented he snatched it up, fumbling the password three times and swearing louder with each failure. By the time he got the thing unlocked he could just feel the vein in his neck pulsing. 

It's Remus, by the way. 

 

And then, just to be safe, 

 

Lupin. From the coffee shop. 

 

He waited. First staring at the screen, hardly even blinking, for a good seven minutes or at least until Lily called him back through, cross and sweaty and juggling several complicated orders. Even once he was back behind the coffee machine, busy and in full customer service mode, he couldn't help but check for a reply. Sneaky little peeks into his pocket every now and again, every time absolutely certain he'd felt the buzz of a notification. 

Yet again the rational part of his brain wondered, quietly and not entirely coherently, why he even cared. This whole debacle, the tiny misunderstanding dragged out and blown up, was a new occurrence in a life like his; one spent quietly watching from a corner, teenage years passing as a bystander while the other kids filled their days with ‘he said she said’s’ and petty playground dramas. To be living that, firsthand, as a fully grown man was almost humiliating. It should have been, anyway. The Remus from six months prior would have thought so. This Remus though, the one who had seen what the other man looked like against the evening dusk pink cheeked and laughing around a cigarette. That Remus just couldn't bring himself to care. 

 

 

Notes:

Sorry this one is a bit shorter than the others, life just gets in the way and there's only so much brainpower in a day!

As far as I can tell there's only a couple of words/phrases that might be specific to where I am.

Ice pop - popsicle/ice lolly/ice pole. Frozen sweet treat, except not one on a stick. Google Mr Freeze ice pop and you'll see the exact ones I'm on about.
Grim - in this context it means gross
Scrapping - fighting
Taking the mick - teasing