Archive of Our Own ^beta

January 11, 1979
9:09 a.m.

Remus tried to slip out of the flat without his boyfriend waking up. With the notorious penchant for being an incredibly heavy sleeper, it seemed like a feasible task.

“Moony, what’sgoinonwhereyougoing?” Sirius’s voice, jumbled and husky from sleep, broke the pained silence Remus was trying to maintain.

The werewolf, who had been in the process of lacing up his boots, stood up. His knees cracked unpleasantly, and he had to put a hand to the wall for a moment as he stood too fast and black and white fuzzies overtook his vision. By the time his vision cleared, Sirius had shuffled over and was staring up at him with sleepy grey eyes, wrapped tightly and ridiculously in Lily’s quilt.

“I’ve put this off long enough, Padfoot. I need to find a job.”

“Like hell you are, the full moon’s in two days! Can’t you wait until after?”

“I was lucky enough to find these job openings. If I wait any longer, I won’t be able to get one until maybe February, or March.”

“I’m coming. Gimme ten minutes.”

“No, Padfoot—Sirius, I can’t have you bugger this up for me just because you want me to be your housewife.”

“Who said anything about buggering things up?” Sirius disappeared into his bedroom and reappeared one minute later, dressed in ripped jeans and Remus’s second favourite jumper. “Don't look at me like that, wearing my boyfriend's jumper is totally punk rock! In addition to that, I’m being a super supportive boyfriend. We’re getting you a job today.” Sirius disappeared a second time, into the bathroom. This time with eyeliner expertly applied and hair swept back into a low ponytail.

Remus shook his head.

“Stay home. You still have to finish fixing the ceiling. Another bit broke loose again.”

“That wouldn’t be the case if Evans had just done her job.”

“Her job would have been much easier if you just let her do the spell properly.”

“It’s not my fault that she is surprisingly poor at muggle skills and only a mediocre cheater.”

“If I recall, your cheating skills were sub-par when you started out at Hogwarts.”

“Well, at least First Year started off with a bang, and we never had to clean cauldrons for detentions ever again. You’re welcome for that.”

Remus snorted, and Sirius grinned at the memory.

“Stay here. I’ll be back by lunch, then I’m all yours for the afternoon, I swear.”

Sirius pouted, then frowned, then scowled.

“Fine,” he growled.

Remus kissed the scowl away.

9:38 a.m.

To be quite honest, Remus was not surprised in the least when he came out of the first shop and saw a massive shaggy black dog waiting patiently for him. In fact, he was incredibly grateful. He tried to look angry as he crouched down.

“I thought I told you to stay home.”

Snuffles whined and licked Remus’s face.

“I know, I know, you want to be a supportive boyfriend. Well, this shop’s a bust, off to the next one. Did you at least fix the ceiling?”

Snuffles gave a cheeky bark.

10:43 a.m.

The coffee shop near King’s Cross station was a bust (“We’re looking for someone to start the day after tomorrow. Oh, you can’t? I’m so sorry, I don’t think it’ll work out.”).

So was the tailor’s (“We need someone with greater commitment than what you’re offering. Quite the handsome dog you’ve got there! What’s his name?”).

And the pub (“We need someone who has better availability than what you’re suggesting. Feel free to come back later for happy hour though, first pint’s on me!”).

And the shoe store (“You don’t quite have the—er—look we’re going for. Cute dog though.”).

The Italian restaurant on the other side of London was finally starting to turn Remus’s hunt around.

“You can start next week you say? That can definitely be—ah—arranged.” The assistant manager, a rather fetching young Italian man with slicked back hair, said. Remus was so pleased he might actually have a shot at the job that he was completely oblivious to the way the man was raking his eyes all over him.

Snuffles on the other hand was very much aware of this fact, and before anyone could react, he was inside the restaurant, and then the assistant manager had been knocked to the ground with lukewarm coffee staining the crisp white shirt he was wearing.

Remus fled the scene before the man could do anything about it.

“Sirius! Really?!”

The black dog dashed into the alley. Remus continued on his way, angrily shoving his hands in the fraying pockets of his jacket.

Sirius caught up to him, only slightly out of breath, and having most definitely used a cleaning spell or two on himself.

“I was going to get the job,” Remus hissed, ignoring the way Sirius possessively linked arms.

“He was trying to pull you.”

“He was not!”

“You’re usually so cute when you’re oblivious, but not when your oblivious when someone’s trying to pull you. You should have told him you had a boyfriend.”

“Saying that I have a boyfriend to a muggle is about as bad as saying I’m a werewolf to a wizard.”

"I don't bloody care!"

11:04 a.m.

Sirius was all for Remus getting a job at the animal rescue clinic. Unfortunately, the dogs didn’t take too well to him. One step into the building, and the sheer amount of noise made Remus turn on his heel and step right back out.

“Don’t worry, Moony. I still love you, even if my furry brothers and sisters don’t.”

11:51 a.m.

The constant onslaught of rejection was beginning to wear on them both.

“This would be easier if you weren’t more worried than me.” Remus smiled a bit, knocking his shoulder into Sirius’s.

“Is this what you went through last time?”

“Just about, yeah. Last time was a bit easier though because people were hiring extra staff for the holidays.”

“I don’t like any of this.” Sirius’s shoulders slumped. Even his hair seemed to loose some of its volume.

“Why don’t we see if Sarah has any suggestions for me?”

Sirius perked back up. “I do love chatting with Sarah, think she’d fancy a hot chocolate?”

“Probably.”

With large cups of hot chocolate in hand from the coffee shop around the corner (which unfortunately wasn’t hiring), the pair made their way back towards their flat.

Remus was enjoying a sip of his extremely hot hot chocolate, when Sirius darted on front of him, and into the bookshop next to Sarah’s.

“Padfoot! I nearly burnt my tongue off. You know how horrific that’d be.” Remus scolded him, following his overly excited boyfriend into the shop. “Oh, morning, Sarah.”

“Wotcher, Remus! Ta Sirius, just what I needed.” Sarah took the paper cup from the wizard. “I was just telling Winnie here that she should get some help around the shop. You know, because she’s getting on in her years.”

“Oi! Need I remind you, I’m younger than you,” Winnie smacked Sarah with a newspaper. Her hair was perfectly black, not a grey hair in sight, in contrast to Sarah's salt and pepper bob. “I can’t believe we haven’t met yet. I’m Sarah’s sister, Winifred. Please call me Winnie.”

Remus looked at Sirius.

“I solemnly swear I had no idea.” Sirius grinned into his cup.

“What do you say, Mr. Lupin? Think you could help an old muggle-born out?”

“I’d be delighted, Winnie.”

12:49 p.m.

Sirius cuddled up to his boyfriend, all but smothering him in pillows, blankets, and him.

“Oh, don’t be so smug.”

“I told you I’d help!”