Too Wide

by youcancallmepadfoot

Summary:

Sirius Black, a rich and famous Formula One racer has a plan to see his brother again. This plan just so happens to include one Remus Lupin, an ex-street racer with a temper. Sirius makes a bet with him, but he quickly learns not to underestimate Remus Lupin. Sirius needs a way in to the world of Street Racing, but how will he get it?

Notes:

This is the first fic I've ever written, so welcome to the universe of Too Wide!! I have no idea how regularly I'll be posting chapters, because I write as I go.

Chapter 1: Redbull and M&M's

Too Wide - A Playlist

Sirius Black

Thursday, August 31st, 2023

 

Sirius Black is one of the top F1 racers in the league at the moment, with only two races until the final. Not only is he one of the best drivers in the league, but he’s the best driver the Red Bull team has ever had racing for them, especially at such a young age, 23. His best friend, James Potter, is his own personal mechanic and knows his way around Sirius’s car more than Sirius does himself. 

 

“God, Prongs, these leather pants are awful for racing”, Sirius chokes out around his cigarette, squinting up at the sun that’s sticking the material to his legs. “Have I ever told you how much I hate Los Angeles?”

 

James wheels out from under the car, tossing his screwdriver and looking at Sirius through fogged-up lenses.

 

“Socket wrench, please”, he blurts, rolling back under the Camaro once Sirius places it in his hand. “And yes, you have, countless times”.

 

The two sit in silence for a few minutes while James tinkers away and Sirius repeatedly opens and closes his lighter. 

 

With a groan, Sirius breaks the silence and complains, “Why can’t you be my league mechanic, Jamie? You fix my car but I know you could do wonders on the cars that I race. Definitely better than those pit stop mechanics that never get me out of the box as quickly as those stupid Ferrari boys”.

 

“Padfoot,” James protests, smearing oil just below his hairline, “If you’re just going to complain while I’m trying to fix your car, send Peter out here to help me so I can actually get something done. You know that I would be on the crew if I could, I just can’t afford to be traveling all over the place to do so.”

 

Sirius huffs and rocks back against the bench under him, running a pale hand through his damp, inky curls.

 

“Alright, I replaced the front fender liners even though you didn’t really need them”, James pants, “your right rear tire also had a screw stuck in it, don’t know how you managed that, but that was definitely the reason it kept losing air so quickly.”

 

James shuts his toolbox and sits on the bench next to Sirius, elbows on his knees.

 

Sirius beams, throwing an ink-covered arm around him and chirping, “Thanks, Jamie!”, spinning his keyring around his index finger, “Will I see you in a couple weeks for the final?”

 

“Of course you will, I’m also gonna be there the Saturday before for qualifiers,” James smiles.

 

“This is why you’re my favorite, Prongs,” Sirius smirks.

 

He looks at his shiny black car and runs his fingertips over the hood.

 

“No, this is why I’m your only, now get out of my garage, Sirius,” James remarks, wiping his glasses clean with a cloth, looking back at Sirius for a moment with a teasing grin.

 

“I’m going! I’m going!” Sirius chuckles with his hands up in defense, opening his car door and settling into the dark leather seat.

 

The engine hums, and Sirius feels his heartbeat fall steady with the gentle sputtering, pulling out of his best friend’s garage.

 

Remus Lupin

 

Remus Lupin is going through it, to say the least.

 

Currently, he’s working a part-time job at a nearby gas station. He’s living in his best friend's house, smoking a pack a day, and he’s nearly been fired twice this week for arguing with customers. Mind you, it’s only Thursday. 

 

Today, his best friend, Marlene, is the one who wakes him up, telling him that she’s off to work and that he’d better get up if he wants a ride to work, so he does.

 

With a groan, he drags himself out of bed and pulls on a gray t-shirt from his laundry bin.

 

“You have 20 minutes before I leave and you have to walk to work!” Marlene yells from the living room, obviously not seeing the eye roll that Remus responds with. However, he does decide to get a move on.

 

As he brushes his teeth, he has a hard time looking in the mirror. Tracing his eyes over his tanned, freckled skin, he can’t help but follow the lines of thick silver scars peppering his face and neck. Remus closes his eyes and tries to combat his flooding memory.

 

The last thing that Remus hears is a crash before he blacks out completely. When he wakes up, he’s in a dingy hospital bed with paper-thin sheets and fluorescent lights humming around him, overwhelming his not-yet-adjusted senses. The muted blue hospital gown is stuck to his body with an uncomfortable sweat, and his eyes can’t seem to fully adjust. As he gazes around the room, he sees monitors and tubes connected over his entire body, closed shutters and curtains, a vase of wilting flowers on the table next to him, and a dim light coming from the small crack in the bathroom door. 

 

Slowly, but surely, Remus’ memory begins to flood back. He’s in this hospital because he was in a car crash. Even though his father told him not to, Remus decided to sneak out of the house in order to attend a street race, of which he was utterly convinced he would win. He bet (and lost) his entire savings on this race only to lose control of his car, driving too quickly on a street he didn’t recognize, crashing into and flipping over the side of an overpass. He remembers the way the glass felt in his hands as he tried to break open the windows and the way the jammed seatbelt burned through the fabric on his shoulder. 

 

Once fully adjusted, Remus notices the many bandages covering his body, from his face down to his ankles. Surely it couldn’t be that bad, right? Right? Remus begins to peel back one of the bandages on his forearm to see a deep gash that was beginning to heal. His eyes widen and his breath hitches. He just knows this will scar. Remus prays that not all the bandages are covering wounds like this one, but soon learns that his prayers were not answered. 

 

Remus opens his eyes and sighs, a bit of toothpaste dripping from the corner of his mouth. It’s been almost two years since his accident, but he refuses to talk about it with anyone, especially a therapist, which his dad recommended. Remus was fine; he didn’t need to talk about it, and why did everyone keep telling him he should? 

 

Sliding on his Converse, Remus grabs his carton of cigarettes, his name tag for work, and a half-eaten granola bar that may or may not be from a week ago.

 

“Marlene, I’m ready, let’s go,” Remus says with a full mouth.

 

Marlene gives him a once-over, giving him a look when her eyes land on his stained work polo. 

 

“Looking absolutely ravishing, Rem, as always,” she chuckles. 

 

Remus rolls his eyes but pulls open the front door and waves his hand as a signal for Marlene to go first. 

 

“A true gentleman,” she teases. 

 

Remus only huffs in response and shuts the door behind them. They drive for a while, only listening to the music on their favorite retro station.

 

Oh yeah

Now Ziggy played guitar

 

Marlene turns down the music slightly and sighs, mouth falling open and then closing as if refraining from saying something. Remus turns to lock eyes with her as if to say, “out with it”, and she sighs again.

 

“So, Remus, you know Dorcas Meadowes, right?” She asks, but doesn’t wait for an answer, “Well, she called me last night and told me that there’s a group of racers planning to meet up tomorrow night and invited us to go. She said that you’re a shoe-in to race if you’re down.”

 

Remus scoffs out, “Absolutely not, Marlene, are you crazy? You were there when…that happened.”

 

“Remus, come on, it’s been almost 2 years since you’ve sat behind the wheel of literally any vehicle, and quite frankly, I’m tired of driving you to work every day when you could very well do it yourself if you’d stop moping about,” she reasons, and immediately realizes her mistake when Remus winces at the end of her sentence. 

 

“What do you mean ‘moping about’ Marlene?! You saw what happened. Everybody knows about it. I could’ve died- no! I almost died! Me being more careful about my choices is not moping around, you wouldn’t understand,” he barks.

 

Marlene holds up a hand as a sign of surrender, but still says, “God, Remus, you have to get back out there! You loved racing more than you loved literally anything. I swear to God herself that you loved your car more than you love me, and I have known you since the day I picked you for my team in gym class out of pity. Yes, it was pity, because everyone knows you can’t kick a ball straight to save your life, Remus. I know that you’re afraid, but you can’t live like this forever, man. I’m not gonna be able to drive you to and from work like your mother until you retire”.

 

“Fine, Marlene,” Remus huffs, “I will go to the race with you, but I’m not driving. If I get even slightly bored or uncomfortable, we’re leaving.”

 

“Yes! Yes, okay!” She exclaims, “deal, Rem, I’ll let Dorcas know we’ll be there.”

 

What in the world was Remus getting himself into with this? Sure, he was tired of feeling like such a burden to Marlene, no matter how much she insisted that she didn’t mind, but even after two years, it feels too soon to get back into the scene. In and out, just one night, for Marlene, he agrees with himself. He should be fine watching as long as he’s not the one behind the wheel. 

 

Remus can’t help but remember this rush of racing. He was fantastic, too, even without putting thousands of dollars’ worth of modifications on his car. He won nearly every race, saving for college, until that night when he lost all of his savings and his love for driving. That might be what Remus is so afraid of when he thinks of watching the race. Will it remind him just how much he loved it? The smell of exhaust and hum of the engine as the car sits idly, waiting for the signal to go. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, could get Remus behind that wheel again.

 

The bell on the door chimes as a customer walks in. Remus doesn’t even look up before saying, “Let me know if I can help you with anything”. 

 

He hears the customer hum in response. Remus has been in the store for what feels like days and is just now starting the last hour of his shift. He’s spent all day smoking behind the counter and reading up on the Formula One rankings since his boss left for the day.

 

From where Remus sits reading, he can hear shuffling and machines whirring around the store. The sound gets closer, and his head snaps up as the customer sets a Red Bull and a bag of M&M’s on the counter.

 

Remus looks up from the can and bag to see a male figure with the most beautiful curls he has ever seen, put halfway into a bun on top of the man’s head. The man is looking down slightly, his thick eyelashes brushing his cheeks. Remus internally panics, recognizing the man as Sirius Black. He tries to play it cool, of course.

 

Remus stares for a bit too long, clears his throat, and chokes out, “Is that gonna be all for you?”

 

“No, actually,” the black-haired man says, “can I get a pack of Marlboro Reds and forty bucks on pump six, please?”.

 

Remus looks out the window at pump six to see a shiny black Camaro with the darkest tinted windows.

 

Sirius Black

 

As the man in front of him gazes out the window and squints his eyes a bit, Sirius lets his eyes roam over his face. The most beautiful freckles. The small slit in his eyebrow with a silver scar running through it. 

 

“That should not be so attractive,” he thinks to himself. 

 

The man’s name tag says “Remus” in capital letters.

 

Remus Remus Remus 

Remus Remus Remus

Remus Remus Remus

 

Remus states, “Alright, that’s gonna be $62.47 for you,” and smiles slightly at Sirius as he counts the change.

 

Sirius gathers up his items in his arms and begins walking out before he hears Remus call, “Wait, wait! Do you want a bag?”

 

He comes to a quick stop in the door frame, sliding on his sunglasses before stuttering, “N-no thanks! Have a great day, Remus”.

 

Remus Lupin

 

How did he know my name? How did Sirius Black just know my name? 

 

He watches him walk across the parking lot, setting his items in his seat before lighting up a cigarette and pumping his gas. Remus looks down at his shirt to see his name tag.

 

Oh

 

Ohhhhh, okay, that’s how he knew.

 

Sirius Black

 

Sirius can feel piercing eyes on him through the window, burning through the back of his head, and he nearly chokes on the smoke he’s inhaling. Hopping in the driver’s seat, he silently concludes that he will never go to a different gas station. If, for some reason, he ends up needing gas every single day, don’t ask him why. 

Chapter 2: Ne Laissez Pas Tomber Cette Famille

Summary:

Sirius has an unfortunate race, Remus goes to watch a street-race, Sirius hoots and hollers about Regulus, and James is just there.

Notes:

Welcome back to Too Wide! This chapter is a bit longer than the last, but it’s a good one. If you haven't already, I recommend you go back to chapter one and access the playlist I made for this fic (if you're a music-while-reading kind of person).

Warnings for this chapter -
Orion and Walburga being awful parents
Car crashes (yes, plural)

I think that’s it for this chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Sirius Black

Friday, September 1st, 2023

 

It’s the day of the last race before next week’s qualifiers, and Sirius is shaking with anxiety about it. His parents swung by earlier and got him worked up about placing high, and now he’s sitting in his changing room twenty minutes before he’s supposed to be on the track. His headset is ringing with announcements and attempts from his team to get his attention, and his phone screen is repeatedly lighting up as James texts him.

 

“Ne laissez pas tomber cette famille, Sirius,” his mother had hissed lowly in his ear. Sirius no longer lives with his parents and is free of them for the most part, but they are very well-known sponsors in the Formula One world, so he knows they’re always watching. Sirius has, for a long time, not felt the need to please his parents, but Orion and Walburga Black have a knack for getting under your skin, no matter how thick it is. 

 

Eventually, Sirius leaves his room and finds himself in his car, pulling up onto the line, seats warm and engine humming. Through the tint, he can see the crowds of reporters, coaches, and mechanics ready for the qualifying race to begin.

 

“Today is only going to be a forty-lap event, much shorter than usual, because the track is so large,” Moody calls over Sirius’s headset.

 

Sirius eyes his opponents and chirps back, “Aye Aye Cap!”, doing his best to sound cheerful and prepared. 

 

As the flag brandishes, Sirius releases the clutch and speeds forward, the force pinning him back to his seat. 

 

This is why I do this, he thinks. The way it feels. Hitting that gas pedal feels similar to a plane leaving the ground. 

 

By lap 25, Sirius is in the lead, as usual, nothing to worry about. The car Red Bull has been working around this season has provided Sirius nearly zero trouble, unlike Mclaren, who seem to be having much trouble figuring out what works best for tracks with sharper turns. As Sirius finishes lap 30, he’s shortly behind Gilderoy Lockhart and Severus Snape, because he had to box a bit earlier than he’d hoped. 

 

“What’s my gap on Lockhart, Moody?” Sirius calls.

 

“About 0.2, not far now, Snape seems to be slowing down. I’m hearing he might box now or after the next lap, so that gives you more than enough space,” he returns.

 

Do your best to scare Lockhart off, cut him off slightly at the next left, and get a closer gap on him. He still hasn’t boxed, kid. Sirius only hears this muffled as he’s only focused on the pairs of eyes staring back at him. He can see Walburga’s stony eyes staring at him, in third place currently, as if he’s in last. What a disappointment I am to her, no matter what I do, he thinks. 

 

Ne laissez pas tomber cette famille

 

Ne laissez pas tomber cette famille

 

Ne laissez pas tomber cette famille

 

Ne laissez pas tomber cette famille

 

It’s all he can hear as he takes too wide a turn and collides with the tracks’ outer wall. Sparks consume his car, and he hears as five- no- six cars pass him while he tries to come back to his senses. 

 

“KID! WHAT WAS THAT?” Moody yells, making Sirius flinch, his headset too loud.

 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t know- Moody, please tell me I still have a chance here,” Sirius chokes out, trying to turn the wheel and get his car unstuck. He succeeds and hears a relieved sigh as he pulls out from between two sheets of cement, finding his center of gravity and trying to take a deep breath. 

 

“Yeah, Sirius, you’re fine. Do not- and I mean DO NOT let Chapman pass you. You’re in 9th right now, so you better get back on track right now. We have a medical team here to give you a once over when you get back. Good luck, kid”, he responds. 

 

Sirius pulls back onto the track and runs a leather-gloved hand through his curls, still not able to fully catch his breath. The final 10 laps felt like a blur but Chapman didn’t manage to pass him, so he finished in 9th. 

 

Barely scraped by.

I barely made it.

Why do I let them get in my head so much? 

 

As Sirius hops out of his car, he is surrounded by the medical team, reporters, Moody, and worst of all, his parents. Sirius, the pride of the Black family, has never placed below the top three in his entire career.

 

“Sirius Orion Black, qu'est-ce que c'était? Tu es une véritable honte pour cette famille si tu penses qu'une telle course est acceptable” his mother stabs.

 

“Mère, mère, s'il te plaît, pas maintenant. Je suis fatiguée et j'ai des déclarations à faire. Par tous les moyens, dégradez-moi plus tard, mais pas maintenant” Sirius whispers back, practically pleading. 

 

“Un garçon si stupide,” Walburga mutters, spinning quickly on her heels and stomping away like a toddler who didn’t get her way. Sirius sighs and turns to the reports screaming questions at him. 

 

Get me out of here.

 

This is part of the job.

 

Moody snaps him out of his haze, gripping his shoulder and tearing him away from the people crowding around them. 

 

“I’m going to give it to you straight, Sirius”, he hurries, “This is messy, and it will only get messier. Go home, take a couple weeks off until the next meeting, and for the love of God, stay off of social media. I’ll handle this from here.”

 

Sirius hangs his head and covers his face, not letting any cameras catch the reflection of tears filling his eyes.

 

Remus Lupin

 

Remus Lupin is entirely too anxious for his own good. He promised Marlene that he would join her for the race tonight, simply to watch, and of course, he’s going to make good on his promise, but he definitely doesn’t have to like it.

 

He’s been fretting about it all day, sort of pathetically if he’s being honest with himself. Remus hates how easily he lets fear take over him in such a way. Marlene is really excited for the race tonight, and most of that excitement is due to the fact that Remus is going with her, and what kind of friend would he be to deny her that happiness? 

 

It won’t be that bad

 

Remus finally pulls himself together and slips on a pair of jeans from his pile of dirty laundry, a plain white t-shirt, and a beanie, along with his Converse. Marlene is already lounging on the couch with her feet on the coffee table when he exits his room, giving him a knowing smile as he rolls his eyes and nods to the door. 

 

“Ready when you are, Marls,” he says, and she hops up, with quite an obvious pep in her step, starting out the front door.

 

“Lock it behind you, please,” she says, smiling at him, and he does. 

 

The entire car ride is a bit tense and off-putting as Remus battles his anxiety. 

 

It won’t be that bad, I’m not even racing, it’s fine, he reasons in his mind.

 

As they arrive, the roar of engines quiets every other thought in Remus’ mind, and the smell of burnt rubber is all too familiar. 

 

“Hey guys! I’m so glad you could make it,” Dorcas calls as she walks over to them, beaming her perfectly perfect smile, smiley piercing peeking out from under her top lip. 

 

Remus snaps his head up and locks eyes with her, giving her a shy smile and holding out his hand.

 

“Remus,” he states, friendly but stiff. “I know,” she returns, “Hell love, it’s so great to meet you. Heard many good things about you from Marlene here”.

 

“Thanks again for inviting us. I’ve been so busy at work lately that I wouldn’t have known about this race if it weren’t for you,” Marlene beams.

 

“Ah, yes, anytime darlin!” Dorcas responds, “Either of you racing tonight or just here to watch?”

 

Marlene flashes a sympathetic eye at Remus, who looks a bit afraid, honestly, obviously not comfortable in this element like he used to be.

 

“Just watching, love, maybe next time though,” she replies.

 

“Oh, alright, no worries. Well, the first race starts in about five minutes. There’s a bit of a rule in this community; if you’ve never raced here before, you have to race the first night you show up. We have a new racer tonight, Frank Longbottom, so that’ll be fun to watch. Each race takes place about half an hour apart for preparation and radio/scanner checks, so if you feel like you want to leave before the night is over, just come say bye first!” Dorcas smiles.

 

“We will,” Marlene says.

 

“See you later,” Dorcas says, leaning in to kiss Marlene on her cheek, pulling back with a light blush climbing up her cheeks, “it was nice to meet you Remus, I hope to see you around some more. Maybe next time, you’ll think about racing? A lot of people here remember you and would love to see you race again”.

 

Remus, a bit distracted by the sound of cars zipping past, replies, “Yeah, yeah sure, nice to meet you too”, and Dorcas spins on her heels, walking over to a group of people Remus vaguely recognizes. 

 

“Those are the Snakes ,” Marlene says, “they go everywhere together”, and Remus nods to signal he’s following, “those are the Rosier twins, Pandora and Evan,” she says, pointing.

 

“That’s Barty Crouch Jr. and Regulus Black,” Marlene points out, “and you obviously met Dorcas. Evan is racing tonight, absolutely a fabulous racer if you ask me.”

 

As if calling on him, Evan begins to walk over to his car, a beautiful Skyline resembling Brian O’Conner’s. As he revs the engine, he rolls down the window and pulls a wide grin at a very mesmerized Barty Crouch.

 

As all of the racers pull up to the starting line, Remus finds himself holding his breath. The race is called, and the cars are gone in a blink. Almost immediately, people are running around the corner with cameras, filming the beginning of the race. Almost halfway through the route, it’s called out over a megaphone that Frank Longbottom was run off the road by Rosier and is no longer in the race. Remus is on the edge of his seat after the announcement. After a few minutes, Remus hears the racers turning a few streets up, metal scraping pavement, and tires skidding. At the last second, Evan Rosier uses his NOS and crosses the finish line first, hopping out of his car. He’s immediately crowded by his friends and given too many high fives to count. Barty reaches out and cradles the man's face and mouths what Remus thinks is “you’re absolutely brilliant”, kissing Evan on the cheek, leaving Evan completely red and beaming.

 

All of this celebrating and joy ends the moment Remus sees red and blue lights reflecting in one of the car windows. 

 

“Marlene!” he panics, scrambling around to get her attention, looking absolutely pitiful doing so. Dorcas sees him and immediately runs over to them. 

 

She looks frantic, whispering, “I just got word that Frank, the man who crashed, was apparently hurt and called 911, the idiot! Led the cops right to us! Come on, this way!”. 

 

Dorcas grabs a wrist each and pulls them along. At this point, everyone had come to the realization that Remus had, and they’ve all started to flee. As Remus gazes back at the thinning crowd, he sees a few people getting put in handcuffs and shoved into the back of police vehicles. 

 

Just my luck, he thinks, of course this would happen.

 

Dorcas guides them all the way to her car and gives them a ride back to their flat, leaning out the window to kiss Marlene on the cheek again. She starts to pull away before coming to a halt and calling out, “I’m sorry about all that back there guys, that usually doesn’t happen. It was really nice to see you Marls, and Remus, please don’t let this scare you into never coming to a race again. I promise it’s usually a lot less police-infested.” She nods and gives a solemn smile, “Have a good night guys”. 

 

“Night, Dorcas,” Remus and Marlene call out in unison. 

 

Remus and Marlene climb up the stairs to their flat in absolute silence, barely looking at each other. Upon entering, they both huff out a huge sigh and practically fall into the couch. Suddenly, Marlene starts hysterically laughing, Remus gives her the most inquisitive look and asks, “What in the world could possibly be so funny after what just happened?!”

 

“Your face, Remus! Your face! It was hysterical!” Marlene cackles, rolling around like a dog in mud.

 

“Oh, shove off, idiot! I went to my first race in two years, and we could’ve gotten arrested! Of course I’m not going to look utterly ecstatic when the police show up,” He retaliates. 

 

“Dear God, Remus, I wish you could’ve seen your face. That face is engraved into my mind. I could die happy,” she continued. 

 

Remus scowls at her and jumps off the couch, huffing and stomping to his room, muttering, “I hate you so much”, and slamming his door. 

 

“You love me, really!” Marlene calls back, still laughing like a hyena. 

 

Remus settles down on his bed, and his fearful expression dissolves into a grin. As scary as it is, that’s what this life is about: the adrenaline, the people, and the pride that comes with winning a race.

 

Maybe it’s time to start racing again, he thinks, maybe it’s time to stop being so afraid.

 

Sirius Black

 

The night of his race, Sirius is lounging in his flat with James sprawled out on the couch next to him, snoring with his glasses skewed. He’s scrolling through Twitter when he sees a tweet by Evan Rosier.

 

_________________________________________________________

Rosie

@Evan.Rosier

Won tonight's race downtown! Nearly got busted

in the end, it was totally worth it, though. Attachment: 4 images. 

11:32 PM · Sep 1, 2023

14 Retweets 2 Quote Tweets 349 Likes

_________________________________________________________

 

Curious, he looks through the photos. The first photo is a photo of Evan after the race, face bright and beaming through his driver’s side window, looking like the happiest person on Earth. The second photo is of Evan and Barty, with Barty kissing him while Evan holds up a fist in the air in victory, laughing and smiling into it. The third photo is one of the crowd, and Sirius recognizes someone.

 

Who is that?

 

I know that face!

 

Sirius zooms in slightly on the photo and sees a man in a black beanie and his eyes widen when he sees a familiar scar running through the man's eyebrow. 

 

Remus Remus Remus 

Remus Remus Remus

Remus Remus Remus

 

Remus, street racing? Hm.

 

Sirius scrolls along to the final picture, a photo of Evan and all of his friends. Sirius lets out a shriek when he sees his little brother.

 

Regulus, my Reggie

 

Oh, Reggie, I haven’t seen you in years

 

It’s so good to know you’re alive

 

I miss you, I hate you

 

How dare you look so happy without me

 

God, I miss you.

 

James flies up off the couch as Sirius shrieks. “JESUS SIRIUS! WHAT IS IT?” He yells, glasses barely on his face, looking like a deer in headlights. 

 

“James- it- it’s Regulus. I haven’t seen him since I got out, but he’s here, he’s alive, he was at a street race tonight,” Sirius says, stunned.

 

He zooms in on the photo many more times, tears pricking his eyes as he lets his eyes roam over his brother, seeing him smile as he leans into the side of a pretty blonde girl he has his arm around.

 

Pandora, he recognizes.

 

“James, I have to see him. I have to know where these races are. Evan posts about them all the time, and if he’s there, Reggie probably will be too. You have to help me find him,” He chokes out.

 

“Sirius, those races are very illegal, aren’t they? You’re Sirius Black. Not only could you get arrested, but you could also get in so much trouble if you’re caught. Moody would absolutely kill you,” James reasons.

 

“James, I love you, but I genuinely couldn’t care less about that right now. That’s my brother. I have to see him," he pleads. 

 

“Alright, Pads, we’ll figure it out, okay? It’s really late, and you need to get some rest. We can start worrying about this when our heads are on right,” James says.

 

“Okay, I guess you’re right, we’ll figure it out,” Sirius nods, eyes wide and desperate, searching for reassurance. James gives him a weak smile and nods for him to go to bed.

 

Sirius looks in his mirror and runs his fingers through his hair before plopping down on his bed with a large sigh.

 

How is he supposed to get into the world of street racing?

 

Remus, he remembers.

 

Remus Remus Remus 

Remus Remus Remus

Remus Remus Remus

 

That’s how.

Notes:

Translations for the French in this chapter! Also, I took French 1, the possibility that the French in this is completely incorrect is very possible, so be kind to me.

Ne laissez pas tomber cette famille - Don't let this family down

Sirius Orion Black, qu'est-ce que c'était? Tu es une véritable honte pour cette famille si tu penses qu'une telle course est acceptable - Sirius Orion Black, what was that? You're a real disgrace to this family if you think such a race is acceptable

Mère, mère, s'il te plaît, pas maintenant. Je suis fatiguée et j'ai des déclarations à faire. Par tous les moyens, dégradez-moi plus tard, mais pas maintenant - Mother, mother, please, not now. I'm tired and I have statements to make. By all means, degrade me later, but not now

Un garçon si stupide - Such a stupid boy

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Chapter 3: There's Nothing I Want From You

Summary:

Remus and Sirius meet again, maybe flirt a little...and then they argue! Classic!

Notes:

Ooooh the girls are fighting! Marlene is protecting her peace, and James is very honest.

Welcome back to Too Wide! I’m happy to have you <3

Remus Lupin

Saturday, September 2nd, 2023

 

Remus walks into work with his feet dragging and his head hung low, completely exhausted from the night before. He squints as the sun rays refract through the windows of the shop, and he sees a very familiar, sleek black Camaro pull into the parking lot. Remus watches as the guy with the pretty grin from the other day scowls at the sun and pushes through the gas station door, ringing the bell above it.

 

“Back so soon?” Remus asks, and Sirius grins at him, shrugging and tucking his bottom lip between his teeth.

 

“Appears so,” Sirius chuckles. “Maybe I’m just really drawn to your lack of enthusiasm and the constant cloud of cigarette smoke hovering around this place. I’m Sirius, by the way”.

 

Remus laughs under his breath and stares at Sirius through his eyelashes as he roams the store, picking through the selection of candy, eventually landing on M&M’s. Remus can see a red spot of cold on the man’s arm from the RedBull he grabbed first. Sirius walks up to the counter and pours his items from his arms, adjusting his sunglasses that were nearly slipping from his head, and standing up a little straighter.

 

“Yeah, I know who you are. Just this for you?” Remus asks, already scanning the snacks.

 

“No, actually, also a pack of-” Sirius starts, looking up.

 

“Marlboro red’s?” Remus finishes.

 

“Oh, uhm, yes,” Sirius responds, “please.”

 

“That’ll be $16.63,” Remus grins, obviously proud of himself. He slides the bag across the counter and mumbles a quick “have a good one” before turning around to grab his own carton of cigarettes. While lighting one, he waits to hear the bell above the door chime, but only hears anxious breathing and a tapping foot. He turns his head back to realize Sirius is still standing there, looking much more nervous than before.

 

“Are you alright? Did you need anything else, gorgeous?” Remus chuckles.

 

Sirius chokes on his own breath, nervous in a completely different way, after that.

 

“Yeah, well actually, I had a question for you, and it’s kind of important. I don’t want to be rude or invasive, or-” Sirius rambles, and Remus’s face softens.

 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Remus eases, “give me one second, okay?” Sirius nods and looks down as Remus turns a corner.

 

“Hey, Albus,” Remus shouts through the office door, “I’m taking my thirty now”. He waits to hear a hum of approval before leaving.

 

Remus quickly makes his way back to the counter, where Sirius still hasn’t moved. He grabs his wrist and leads him out the door. Remus sits Sirius down on the bench outside the shop, and the sun-heated metal burns his skin even through his pants.

 

“What is it?” Remus asks, gently.

 

“I have a question to ask you, a favor, I guess”, Sirius replies, looking at his feet. He pulls out his phone and finds the photo of his brother with Remus in the background. Remus looks at him, confused about where this is going.

 

“This is you, no?” Sirius asks, finally lifting his eyes to meet Remus’.

 

“Yeah, it is,” Remus hesitates, “Wait, who are you? Am I in trouble or something? I didn’t even race”.

 

“No, no, Remus. You’re fine. You’re not my concern in this photo, okay?” Sirius reassures.

 

Remus’ face untenses, and he releases the breath he was holding.

 

“Remus, I need you to tell me when and where these races are taking place,” Sirius pleads.

 

“Why? Do you want to race or something?” Remus questions, shocked at Sirius’s urgency.

 

“Oh, no, absolutely not,” Sirius laughs, “street racing is way under my skill level”.

 

“Oh yeah? What makes you think you could beat any one of those people?” Remus interrogates, suddenly defensive. “Formula One is strict, nearly perfect. It has nothing to do with genuine skill or passion.”

 

Sirius snaps his eyes up at Remus, furious.

 

“And what makes you think any one of you could beat me?” He yells. “You have absolutely no idea what it’s like to do what I do, the perfection I’m forced to achieve!”

 

“I could beat you! Any one of them could! I’m sure you treat everyone unlike you like they’re lower than you, but your status in your world means absolutely nothing in ours,” Remus stabs, and Sirius stands up sharply, facing him.

 

“You really think you could beat me?” Sirius asks, staring down at Remus with an arched eyebrow.

 

Remus stands slowly, spitting directly in his face, “Yes, I know I could”. Sirius steps closer, nearly chest to chest with the taller man.

 

“Then prove it,” he proposes.

 

Remus remembers the night prior, the adrenaline, the desire to be behind the wheel of the winning racer. 

 

“You know- you are so much prettier when you keep your mouth shut,” Remus bites, and amusement flashes in Sirius’s eyes. He steps even closer, challenging Remus, testing him.

 

“Fine,” Remus retaliates, feeling both frustration and excitement tearing at his chest.

 

Sirius smirks at him, stepping back and running a hand through his sweaty hair.

 

“If I win, you take me to the next race, wherever and whenever it is,” Sirius states.

 

“Alright, deal,” Remus responds firmly.

 

“What do you want if you win?” Sirius asks.

 

“There’s absolutely nothing I want from you,” Remus scoffs. He holds out his hand, and Sirius shakes it.

 

“Whatever,” Sirius mumbles, “when and where are we doing this?”

 

“Tomorrow night. Meet me right here, I get off of work at seven,” Remus says.

 

Sirius nods and turns away, walking back to his car, mumbling curse words under his breath and groaning in annoyance. He’s just about to open the car door when Remus interrupts his fit.

 

“Oh, and Sirius?” Remus calls, watching Sirius’s head snap up, “Don’t bring anyone with you. Don’t tell anyone about this”.

 

Sirius nods again and slips into the black car, speeding off as Remus lights a cigarette.

 

For the rest of his shift, Remus paces, obsessively cleaning and organizing behind the counter. His scars feel deeper inside his skin as he realizes what he agreed to. 

 

I don’t even have a car! God, he’s so infuriating. Why did I let him get in my head? Remus thinks.

 

As he clocks out, he sees Marlene pull up and smile at him. Remus sighs and walks out to the car, shame pouring out of his body. He slips into the passenger seat and plasters on a smile for Marlene.

 

“Hey, Rem, how was your day?” Marlene asks.

 

“Good- yeah, good,” Remus lies, going quiet as Marlene drives and hums to the music.

 

After a couple of minutes, Remus reaches out and turns down the radio, wiping his palms on his pants. Marlene looks over at him and scans his face with her eyes.

 

“Something wrong?” Marlene asks, concerned.

 

“No, nothing’s wrong,” he responds, “but can I ask you for a favor?”

 

Marlene turns back to the road. “Yeah, sure, what’s up?” she asks.

 

“Can I borrow your car tomorrow?” Remus hurries, like he had to force the words from his mouth. Marlene turns to him, wide-eyed, and pulls the car over.

 

“Excuse me?” Marlene questions. “Remus, why do you want my car?”

 

Remus thinks about telling her the truth, but he knows that she’d say he’s crazy. He gives her a weak smile while he searches for what to say.

 

“I think you were right, the other day,” Remus shrugs, “you said it’s time to get back out there, and you’re right”. Marlene sighs and grips the steering wheel.

 

“What about your car?” Marlene asks.

 

“I haven’t touched it in two years. It got pretty messed up in the accident, so I need to do some work on it before I try to use it again,” Remus reasons.

 

“You know what? Sure. I’m not going to ask any more questions. I will remind you though, Remus, I love this car,” she says firmly. Remus nods in acknowledgement, and Marlene pulls the car back onto the road, turning the music up.

 

Sirius Black

 

Sirius speeds all the way to James’s house and sees him working in the garage from afar. As he pulls into the driveway, James looks up through his hair and smiles at his friend. Sirius opens his car door and stomps over to James, mumbling under his breath and throwing his hands around.

 

“Sir-” James starts, amused.

 

“Which do you think is harder,” Sirius cuts in, stopping in front of James, “F1 racing or streetracing?” James still looks amused, but now a bit more confused, seemingly weighing his options in his head.

 

“Well, Formula One training is awful,” James reasons.

 

“RIGHT!” Sirius yells, throwing his arms up.

 

“But street racing is really messy and unpredictable,” James counters, watching Sirius’s expression turn sour. “It would require a lot of problem solving and trust in your actual driving skills. The only thing that puts me off about it is how dangerous it is, because in F1, there’s a team of mechanics making sure your car is constantly safe for you to race”.

 

“You think that F1 racing is still a lot harder, right? Like, does it require actual talent, or just really good training?” Sirius asks.

 

“I think it really depends on who you ask. I know you work really hard, and you’re a great racer, but they’re completely different types of racing. The cars are different, too. Formula One is a strict type of racing, and you’ve been trained insanely well,” James answers.

 

“I guess you’re right,” Sirius mumbles, “but do you think I’m good at driving? If I tried a street race, do you think I could win?”

 

“Padfoot, where is this coming from? Is this about Regulus?” James asks, stepping closer to Sirius and putting a hand on his shoulder.

 

“I don’t know, James. I just- I miss him. I haven’t seen him in years, and I’d do anything to see him again,” Sirius confesses, easing into James.

 

“If it helps, yes. I think you’re a good racer,” James reassures, “but you can’t be stupid, Sirius. I hate to remind you, but you’re literally famous. Doing illegal things is a lot more dangerous for you than it is for other people”.

 

“Yeah, Prongs, I know. It was just a question,” Sirius lies, giving him a fake smile. 

 

James grips his shoulder again for good measure and turns back to the garage, and Sirius sits down nearby. He starts asking questions about cars, ones he thinks might help him, and James answers happily and unknowingly.

 

Sunday, September 3rd, 2023

 

The next morning, Sirius wakes up on the couch and can hear James snoring through the walls. He groans as he sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes. For a while, he just lies there, and then he stumbles to the kitchen to make some coffee. He sips on it slowly as his mind spins.

 

Today is going to be a long day, he thinks.

 

Remus Lupin

 

When Remus wakes up, it's Marlene pounding on his bedroom door and yelling at him to wake up. He groans and pulls his pillow up over his ears for a moment before he gets up. Immediately, Remus puts on his uniform and shoves a change of clothes for tonight into his bag. When he leaves the bathroom, Marlene is waiting for him, dangling her keys in front of his face.

 

“You will bring this car back in perfect condition,” she points at him, shoving the keys into his palm. Remus salutes her, making her laugh.

 

The car will be fine, he thinks, but me? Not so much.

 

When Remus makes it to the parking lot, he stands by the dark red Dodge Charger, staring down at the door handle like it’s wronged him.

 

This is such a bad idea.

 

He gets in the car and puts on his seatbelt, checking the tightness multiple times. He sighs and wraps a hand around the steering wheel, running his palm around it. It feels familiar, rough, and warm from the California sun. When he turns the key, starting the car, he jumps at the rumble of the engine, but grabs the gear shift with closed eyes. Extremely slowly, he pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road. His breath falls steady as the car cruises, and he lets out a laugh of relief.

 

All that time I wasted, he thinks.

 

It’s early enough in the morning that the streets are nearly empty. Remus puts more pressure on the gas pedal, the engine roaring. As he slides his palm around the steering wheel, he floors it. The world around him becomes a blur, the broken lines on the road appearing solid at this speed. A grin consumes his face, and his cheeks begin to hurt.

 

Yes! Yes! This is it, Remus remembers, this is what I do.

 

When he pulls into the gas station parking lot, he stays in the car for a moment, just letting himself remember. He thinks back to his accident and closes his eyes, remembering the feeling of glass in his hands and the smell of burnt rubber. He breathes through the memory, sinking into the seat and keeping a firm, grounding grip on the wheel.

 

That was a long time ago, he reminds himself. It really is time. I can’t be afraid forever. I can’t let one awful experience keep me from doing what I love. This is what I do, what I made myself let go of for so long.

 

Most of his shift flies by, sitting behind the counter until someone walks in. Every day, Remus interacts with hundreds of people, inevitably forgetting each person in passing. Each conversation contains nothing significant, nothing memorable. However, there’s one person he can’t help but remember; the one with the most aggravating arrogance and frustratingly pretty grin. At 6:45, the familiar bell chimes above the door, and Remus looks up to see Sirius Black pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head.

Notes:

Sooooo, don’t be mad! I know I left you on a cliffhanger, but you’ll get the race next chapter! Don’t worry, it’ll be worth it.

Anyways! Notes I wanted to make for this chapter:
Remus is such an idiot. He finds Sirius so infuriating that he agrees to race him even though he was hospitalized last time he drove? (I say this as if I didn’t write it)

See you guys for the next chapter!

Chapter 4: You Set My Soul Alight

Summary:

THE race chapter that you've all been waiting for!!

Notes:

Welcome back again guys, I missed you so much! Here’s your race chapter, I hope you love it!

Sirius Black

 

“You’re early,” Remus states.

 

“I am,” Sirius responds, a RedBull already on the counter. Remus scans it and looks up at Sirius expectantly. Sirius hands over cash and immediately opens the can, chugging half of it in a few seconds.

 

“Your heart is going to stop,” Remus says flatly.

 

“That’s the goal, sweetheart,” Sirius laughs, tipping the can toward Remus, and something unknown flashes in Remus’ eyes. He lingers by the door until Remus clocks out, and then leans against the counter, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to change,” Remus mutters, grabbing his bag and dragging his feet all the way to the bathroom.

 

“Do you really need a costume change just to drive?” Sirius calls as Remus gets further.

 

“Do you really need to wear sunglasses at seven at night?” he yells back, annoyed, slamming the bathroom door loudly. 

 

Sirius huffs and folds his sunglasses over the neckline of his shirt, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot impatiently. When Remus comes back out of the bathroom, he looks devastatingly handsome in a distressed band tee and baggy jeans, his curls messy from pulling the shirt over his head. He watches as Remus shoves his uniform in his bag and grabs his keys.

 

“Ready when you are,” Sirius says, holding the door open for Remus and gesturing for him to go first. Remus rolls his eyes, and Sirius grins.

 

Remus Lupin

 

Remus stands outside Sirius’s window, leaning down to talk to him.

 

“Here’s what we’re gonna do. Do you know where the ice cream shop is, near the library?” Remus asks, and Sirius nods. “It’s about six miles from here, and there’re no stop lights the whole way there if you take the main road. We don’t have anyone here to count us down, so turn on the radio to 100.3, and we go as soon as the song changes. The first one there wins, obviously”.

 

Remus slides into the driver’s seat of Marlene’s car and rolls the window down.

 

“Sirius,” he calls, and Sirius meets his eyes, “I changed my mind, by the way. If I win, you have to buy me ice cream”. 

 

Sirius flashes a cheeky grin and laughs. Remus smiles to himself and turns the radio on to the agreed station, and he watches Sirius fix his grip on the wheel. The song playing fades into the back of Remus’ mind, and his curls stick to the back of his neck. Eventually, the car goes quiet, and a guitar riff fills the empty space. Remus locks eyes with Sirius as he switches gears, giving him a sharp grin with dark eyes. They both speed forward, Remus taking the initial lead.

 

Sharper, faster, switch gears, accelerate, Remus thinks.

 

Ooh, baby, don't you know I suffer?

Ooh, baby, can't you hear me moan?

Remus turns the music up as loud as it can go, the world becoming blurry around him.

 

You caught me under false pretences

How long before you let me go?

 

Sirius Black

 

Ooh, you set my soul alight

Ooh, you set my soul alight

 

Sirius mouths along to the song, and his surroundings grow distant, fading away. All there is right now is him and Remus.

 

Glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the supermassive (you set my soul alight)

(Ooh) glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the (you set my soul...)

(Into the supermassive)

 

His foot goes numb with the pressure he’s putting on the gas pedal, but he pulls up right next to Remus, flashing him the middle finger through the window.

 

I thought I was a fool for no one

 

A grin consumes Remus’ face, and Sirius feels only slightly less composed than he did just a moment ago.

 

But ooh, baby, I'm a fool for you

 

Sirius takes a corner sharply and eyes the Charger in his mirrors, growing more comfortable with its increasing distance.

 

You're the queen of the superficial

But how long before you tell the truth?

 

Ooh, you set my soul alight

Ooh, you set my soul alight

Glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the supermassive (you set my soul alight)

(Ooh) glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the (you set my soul...)

(Into the supermassive)

 

The sun is slipping slowly below the horizon, casting a cool blue tint over the sky. Sirius runs a hand quickly through the wet curls flying around the side of his face, tucking them behind his ears.

 

You're a supermassive black hole

You're a supermassive black hole

 

Sirius thinks back to his conversation with James, wondering if his friend would ever believe him about this. He then thinks of his parents and how furious they would be if they could see him right now. This makes Sirius smile, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth. Lastly, he thinks of his brother. It’s been years since Sirius has seen Regulus, not that he hasn’t tried to. With the hum of the engine, Sirius feels closer to his brother than he has in four years, and he’ll do anything to be next to him again.

 

You're a supermassive black hole

You're a supermassive black hole

 

Remus Lupin

 

If Remus squints, he can see the final turn before his destination. Sirius is slightly ahead of him, unaware of Remus’ steady approach on his side. The wind whips his curls around and fills his nose and mouth with cool air. The curve of the road, the heat of the seat under his legs; it doesn’t scare Remus as much as he thought it would, as much as it should.

 

Glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

 

Remus puts all of his weight on the gas pedal, his body humming and lips curling. The black Camaro is now to his right, slightly ahead, and then slightly behind as his speed fluctuates. 

 

Glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

 

Sirius turns and stares for a moment, determination flashing in his eyes.

 

Glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the supermassive (you set my soul alight)

 

You’re so close, Remus thinks, one last turn and it’s yours.

 

(Ooh) glaciers melting in the dead of night

And the superstars sucked into the (you set my soul...)

(Into the supermassive)

 

Sirius cuts ahead, but Remus accelerates and switches gears at the last second. His tires screech, and Remus’ senses flood with the smell of burnt rubber. 

 

“TOO WIDE!” Remus yells, laughing in shock and relief, turning the steering wheel quickly, feeling like water in his hands.

 

You're a supermassive black hole

You're a supermassive black hole

 

In his rear-view mirror, Remus sees Sirius’ face drop in horror. Taking advantage of this weak moment, Remus speeds all the way to the shop. He pulls into the parking lot as the song fades into another, slamming the door before leaning back on the car, his arms crossed.

 

You're a supermassive black hole

You're a supermassive black hole

 

Sirius pulls into the spot right next to him, taking his time to get out, his head down and eyes closed.

 

Sirius Black

 

Sirius suddenly feels really static, unmoving. He remembers his last race, the wide turn that cost him a win. He’d always had a problem with that, and it never fails to come back and bite him where it hurts. Sliding out of the seat, his eyes meet Remus’, the grin melting off his face when he sees Sirius’ pained expression.

 

This was my chance, my way back to him.

 

He pastes on a small smile for Remus and fidgets with the heavy ring on his thumb.

 

“A deal is a deal,” Sirius states, starting toward the shop.

 

Behind him, he can hear Remus’ shoes dragging on the pavement. Inside the shop, it smells strongly of chocolate and warm cookie dough. Sirius goes up to the counter, Remus in tow, and squints at the menu. It’s extremely colorful and decorated with little illustrations for each unique flavor.

 

“What do you want?” Sirius asks, looking back at Remus, who’s scratching a spot under his chin.

 

“Can I have two scoops of pistachio in a cup, please?” Remus asks the worker, and Sirius abruptly starts cackling as Remus picks up the cup.

 

“Are you really wasting your win on pistachio icecream?” Sirius exclaims, covering his face in a laugh. 

 

Remus scowls at him as he scoops a spoonful into his mouth.

 

“It’s my favorite,” Remus defends, almost petulantly.

 

He goes to sit at a nearby table, and Sirius turns back to the worker.

 

“Can I also have two scoops of mint chocolate chip in a cup with whipped cream, please?” he asks, handing over a ten-dollar bill and leaving the change in the tip jar next to the register.

 

Once he has his cup, he makes his way over to Remus and sits down across from him, picking at his ice cream with his spoon. Looking up at him, Remus looks quite sad, missing his usual sharpness.

 

“Hey,” Sirius starts, waiting for Remus' eyes to meet him, “What’s wrong? For someone that just won a race, you don’t seem that excited”. 

 

“I don’t know,” Remus shrugs, pausing to swallow before speaking again, “I just feel bad. You looked really defeated afterwards. The win didn’t feel as rewarding after that, I guess”.

 

Sirius looks down at his hands, “I think I had higher stakes for this race than you did, but it was a very fair race. I’ve always had an issue with turning too wide, I don’t know why I can’t fix it”.

 

“Can I tell you something?” Remus asks, honestly, and Sirius nods. “I haven’t driven for two years before today”.

 

Sirius’s head snaps up in shock.

 

“Are you kidding?” Sirius questions, “Why?”

 

“I was in a car crash two years ago,” Remus answers, “It really messed me up. I don’t really know why I chose to do this today, I think you just got in my head, honestly. You can probably tell that I have a temper, and I just wanted to- I don’t know -- prove something to you?”

 

Sirius nods thoughtfully, “Can I tell you something, too?”

 

“I guess so, since apparently we’re confessing things,” Remus laughs.

 

“There’s a reason I wanted you to tell me where these races are,” Sirius admits, and Remus raises an eyebrow, “It’s about my brother”.

 

“Do you want to expand on that?” Remus questions.

 

“I haven’t seen my brother in years. The other day, I saw a photo online that one of his friends took at the race, and he was in it. In the background of the photo, I recognized you,” he explains.

 

“So you challenged me to a race so I would take you to one of the races-” Remus connects.

 

“Yeah, pretty much,” he confirms.

 

“Sirius, there’s a rule at those races. The first time you show up, you have to race,” Remus warns, and Sirius’s eyes widen.

 

“What?! Remus, no, I can’t! You literally just beat me in a race, and you haven’t driven in two years,” Sirius hurries.

 

“I’m gonna pretend that I don’t regret telling you that,” Remus mutters under his breath, “You’re a really good driver, Sirius. The whole race, we were pretty close. Honestly, it was just that last turn that got you. You’re too afraid to take risks, to be a little bit messy”.

 

“Well, how am I supposed to unlearn the years of training I’ve gotten that teach me nothing but perfection?” he asks.

 

Remus shrugs, looking back down at his hands, and Sirius wonders what he’s thinking about.

 

“Well, how did you learn to drive the way you do?” Sirius questions.

 

“I taught myself everything I know, really,” he explains, “I just watched a lot of races and eventually became one of the racers. I lost more times than I won, early on, but I learned over time”.

 

“Can you teach me?” Sirius asks hopefully, and Remus starts laughing uncomfortably.

 

“What? Ha ha, funny jo--” he laughs, and then looks up at Sirius’ expression, “oh, you’re not kidding”.

 

“No, I am not,” Sirius confirms.

Notes:

Song in this chapter -
Supermassive Black Hole by Muse

What did you guys think?! I love this chapter, it’s high energy, with softer moments at the beginning and end. Poor Sirius, once again losing a race because of his wide turns, he’s gonna have to work on that.

See you guys for the next chapter!

Notes:

I have about 3 more chapters ready to go, but I'll space them out to give myself time to write more for you guys! Thank you so much for reading! - Gray <3