Work Text:
Unknown: Hey
Unknown: I know you didn’t want me to find your number, but Andy was worried, and also, she can’t resist my charm (who can?)
Unknown: Please don’t hex her the next time you meet
Unknown: Anyway, she told me you left Wally and are now living among Muggles, and I just want to say, I’m really fucking sorry, and I’m proud of you, and can we please meet up?
Unknown: Please please please
Unknown: Wherever you want
Unknown: Please
Remus stared at the texts he had received in quick succession and that were definitely not meant for him. He wanted to ignore them and go back to his paper, but the desperation was showing too strongly through the texts. He sighed and tapped out an answer.
Remus: I think you’ve got the wrong number, mate
Remus: I don’t know an Andy
Remus: And I definitely wouldn’t mention hexing someone, I could be a Muggle
Remus: Do you want to get into trouble for breaking the Statute of Secrecy?
He dropped his phone and went back to reading the article he wanted to use as a source, but it went off with a new text as soon as it touched the sheets. Remus groaned but grabbed his phone again. He might as well take a break.
Unknown: Reg, please, don’t be like that
Unknown: I get you’re angry with me
Unknown: But please let me make it up to you
Unknown: I know it’s been a few years
Unknown: But you’re still my brother
Unknown: Please
Remus stared, wide-eyed, at his phone. The person on the other end thought they were texting their brother?
Remus: Sorry, not a Reg
Remus snapped a selfie and sent it with the caption ‘Hi, I’m Remus, and I really need to finish this paper.’ He immediately received an answer.
Unknown: Oh dear Merlin I’m so fucking sorry
Unknown: I messed up the number
Unknown: Mixed up the last few digits
Unknown: Hi Remus, I’m Sirius, and I’ll let you get back to your paper now
Attached, he sent a selfie, which made Remus groan. There was no way the man in the picture was this Sirius he was texting; no man was that pretty. He looked like he had stepped out of Remus’ dreams, with his long, wavy black hair, and the tattoos covering his collarbones, that five o’clock-shadow, the piercings lining his ears, and that fucking leather jacket. No, it must have been photoshopped.
Remus sighed and rubbed his face. It didn’t matter what this guy looked like, he was probably straight. And he’d run once he learned Remus’ secret.
With one last sigh, he saved the picture nonetheless, and turned back to his paper.
*
About a week later, just after the full moon, Remus woke up to a bunch of texts from Sirius. He rubbed his eyes, quickly checked for any injuries (old habits die hard, even when he’d been taking Wolfsbane Potion for years), then checked his phone.
Sirius: Hi, you probably don’t care, but I figured I might as well
Sirius: Reg finally texted back and I’m meeting him at Andy’s this weekend
Sirius: Andy is our cousin, btw, short for Andromeda
Sirius: Have you finished your paper? My Muggle-born friend says it’s like an assignment at college, so you’re in college? What are you studying?
Sirius: Also, you look around my age but I don’t remember ever seeing you at Hogwarts, did you attend a different school?
Sirius: Wait, are you a Squib? Shit, you may be a Squib and I’m asking which school you attended, I’m so sorry, please don’t hate me
Sirius: Though you’re probably not even reading these texts
Sirius: Anyway, I’ll stop making an arse out of myself now
Sirius: Prongs is already laughing at me
Sirius: I need new friends
Sirius: My current ones are terrible
Sirius: If you do read this, wanna meet for coffee? Or whatever your choice of caffeine is?
Sirius: I personally hate coffee and only sometimes drink tea
Sirius: But I smoke to stay awake a lot
Sirius: And I’ll shut up now, here’s a picture of Padfoot, hope you like dogs
Remus’ head was spinning by the time he reached the photo at the end. It was of a cute, if enormous, bear-like black dog. Remus couldn’t be sure, but he guessed Padfoot was almost as big as his wolf form.
He ran a hand through his hair, debating what to answer. Even if Sirius didn’t look like the guy in the picture, he sounded funny, and Remus could use a pen pal. Or texting pal. His ma was always grilling him about friends and dates.
Remus: Hi Sirius, sorry, I just woke up
Remus: Had a rather rough night
Remus: You’re right, I didn’t attend Hogwarts, I was home-schooled most of my life for personal reasons
Remus: I even took OWLs and NEWTs at home
Remus: I study English Literature and History
Remus: I’m happy for you that your brother agreed to meet up, good luck
Remus: If you know a great teahouse that is NOT Rosa Lee’s, I’m all ears
He didn’t have to wait long before a new text popped up on the screen.
Sirius: Thanks! I’ll keep you updated on how it goes
Sirius: Ugh, I would have hated being home-schooled, sounds like hell to me
Sirius: But then again I didn’t run away from my birth parents at 16 for nothing
Sirius: Shit, that’s tmi, isn’t it? Sorry
Sirius: Anyway, rough night? And you’re texting me instead of round two?
Remus snorted a laugh at that last text.
Remus: Not that kind of a rough night
Remus: And please don’t, my Ma grills me enough about my love life
Remus: Which is non-existent for the same reason I was home-schooled
Remus: But Ma is a Muggle and still believes in fairy tales and happy endings
Remus: Sorry to hear about your family, though I’m glad you got out
Remus: Is that why you lost contact with your brother?
Remus: You don’t have to answer that
Sirius: Yeah, well, I don’t talk about my shitty parents until at least the second date
Sirius: Though people still tend to run upon hearing who they are
Sirius: Or they only stay for the money
Sirius: Which is why I haven’t dated in years
Sirius: What’s your excuse?
Remus frowned. What kind of a person left a date because of their last name? He could understand why someone wouldn’t date a werewolf, but why would a last name be a dealbreaker?
Remus: I have a condition that is… not easy to live with
Sirius: Muggle or magical?
Remus: What?
Sirius: Your condition
Sirius: Muggle or magical?
Sirius: Is it like, I don’t know, AIDS? Or is something off with your magic?
Remus sighed. Would he really trust this random stranger with his secret?
Remus: It’s tied to the wizarding world, but there’s nothing wrong with my magic
Sirius: Can’t the healers do anything about it?
Remus: They can’t do anything about it, it’s not that kind of a condition
Remus: There’s a potion that makes it easier
Remus: But that doesn’t help with discrimination
Sirius: I fucking hate the wizarding world sometimes
Sirius: They discriminate against anything and everything
Sirius: If you have the wrong last name, or love the wrong person, or have the wrong blood
Sirius: It’s sickening
Remus couldn’t agree more. The Muggle world, even with its faults, was a lot more accepting than the wizarding one.
Sirius: And it’s much worse if they can find multiple things why they should hate you
Sirius: Like, a lot of people will avoid me just because of my family name, but when they learn I’m also gay, it gets a lot worse
Sirius: It makes dating pretty fucking difficult
Sirius: I refuse to drag a Muggle, who can’t protect himself against magic, into this mess
Sirius: But wizards are also not an option for their judgmental ways
Sirius: And I’m rambling, please stop me
Remus: I like your rambling
Remus: I totally agree, though in my case it’s my condition, not my family
Remus: And I’m bi, which means everyone always keeps telling me to just make up my mind
Remus: It’s infuriating
‘Shit, I shouldn’t have written that,’ Remus muttered, worrying his lower lip between his teeth.
Sirius didn’t seem to mind, though.
Sirius: A secret for a secret?
Sirius: I’ll tell you my last name if you tell me your condition
Remus stared at the last text with wide eyes. That was a terrible idea. It was only the second time he was chatting with this guy. He really shouldn’t.
Yet, he found himself considering it.
‘Fuck it,’ he muttered, lifting his shirt and snapping a picture of the bitemark on his left side. He’d let Sirius figure it out for himself.
Sirius: What
Sirius: Fuck, is that you? Where’d you get all those scars?
Sirius: And is that Shit, you were bitten by a werewolf, weren’t you?
Sirius: You said you didn’t attend Hogwarts because of it
Sirius: You were bitten as a kid? Fuck
Sirius: I can’t believe you missed out on Hogwarts because of it
Sirius: It’s fucking UNFAIR
A surprised smile was playing on Remus’ lips as he read the string of texts. He quickly typed a response.
Remus: I chose not to go
Remus: Wanted to get a Muggle education as well
Remus: It’s easier to hide this in the Muggle world
Remus: I was five btw
Remus: My dad pissed off Greyback who bit me in revenge
Sirius: Fuck I hate Greyback
Sirius: Met him a few times at my parents’
Sirius: He’s a terrible person
Sirius: I mean, he hangs around my parents, so what else can he be
Sirius: Right, my parents
Sirius: My full name is Sirius Alphard Black
Sirius: I was born Sirius Orion Black
Sirius: But I changed my middle name to Alphard after my uncle as soon as I could
Sirius: He’s one of the few okay relatives I have
Sirius: Besides cousin Andy, and apparently my brother Regulus
Remus frowned. He knew that name. Everyone in the wizarding world was familiar with the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. But this guy didn’t sound anything like a stuck-up pureblood. Maybe because he’s not a stuck-up pureblood, his mind supplied.
Remus: I heard there was a Black who was sorted into Gryffindor the year I was supposed to start Hogwarts
Remus: Was that you?
Sirius: I was in Gryffindor, yeah
Sirius: Wait, you would have started that year
Sirius: I hate our society
Sirius: We could have known each other for a decade if our stupid society weren’t so judgmental against werewolves?!
Remus couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up his chest. Sirius was crazy, there was no other word for it.
Remus: You realize most people’s reaction to meeting a werewolf is to either run or curse them?
Sirius: I’m not most people
Sirius: And I don’t see you running either
Sirius: Which is what most people do when they meet a Black
Remus: I’m not most people, either
Remus: Though we could argue whether I count as a person
Remus: A big chunk of the Ministry doesn’t think so
Sirius: YES YOU DO
Sirius: Don’t be stupid
Sirius: Just because you spend one night every month running around as a wolf, you’re still human
Sirius: Do you need Wolfsbane Potion?
Sirius: My friend is a healer and a genius with potions
Sirius: I could ask her to brew it for you
Sirius: I mean, she’s brewing it anyway for some of her patients at St Mungo’s
Remus: Thank you
Remus: But I already get it from St Mungo’s, so there’s really no need
Remus: Your friend sounds great, though
Sirius: She is!
Sirius: She’s home with the Prongslet, yet she still finds time to brew the potion and check in with her patients
Sirius: Prongslet is her and Prongs’ kid
Sirius: And my godson
He attached a picture, Remus guessed of himself and his godson. It was the same possibly-photoshopped guy, though this time his hair was up in a messy bun which was doing things to Remus, he was wearing a Queen tee, and he was holding a tiny, dark-skinned baby with a bird’s nest of black hair.
Remus: Wait, do you really look like that?
Sirius: … Yes?
Sirius: You don’t like the tattoos? Or the piercings? Or is it the hair?
Remus: No no no no you misunderstand me
Remus: You look fucking photoshopped
Remus: You can’t actually look that good
Sirius: Well, let me take you out for a cup of tea, and you’ll see that I do actually look that good
Remus snorted out a laugh. This guy was unbelievable.
Remus: We could get something to go, and then you could bring Padfoot
Sirius: Sorry, can’t do
Remus: What, he isn’t yours?
Sirius: No, that’s-
Sirius: Okay, don’t laugh at me, but that’s actually me
Sirius: I’m an Animagus
Sirius: Please don’t make the black dog joke
Remus: What black dog joke?
Remus: Wait, Sirius is the Dog Star
Remus: Okay, okay, sorry
Remus: I won’t make the black dog joke
Remus: But if it makes you feel any better, my name is Remus Lupin and I’m a werewolf
Remus: You cannot top that
Sirius: You mean because of Lupin?
Remus: You’re not familiar with Roman mythology, are you?
Remus: Remus, and his twin Romulus, were raised by a wolf
Remus: My Ma’s maiden name is Howell, and my father’s first name is Lyall, which also means wolf
Remus: You really can’t top this
Sirius: Shiiit
Sirius: No I can’t
Sirius: The universe is fucking ridiculous
Sirius: Anyway, there’s a nice Muggle teahouse not far from the Leaky Cauldron, we could go there
Sirius: Then you could walk Padfoot if you want
Sirius: Is that strange?
Sirius: I can’t tell
Sirius: My best mates are also Animagi so my sense of strange got screwed a long time ago
Sirius: I talk to a deer and a rat on a regular basis
Sirius: Finding a rat riding a deer in the middle of our dorm room is just another Tuesday night for me
Remus: You’re ridiculous
Remus: And maybe stay human the first time we meet in person, okay?
Remus: Promise I will too
Remus: And we’ll go from there
Sirius: Fine
Sirius: But let me know if you change your mind
Sirius: About me as a dog, not about meeting up
Sirius: You’re not getting out of that
Sirius: What day works for you next week?
Sirius: I’ll probably be a nervous wreck for the rest of this week
Sirius: And also, I can tell you all about how things go this weekend then
Remus: Tuesday?
Remus: Wait no, I’ve got a check-in with my healer on Tuesday
Remus: Wednesday brunch?
Remus: I’ve got class from 4pm
Remus: But I’m free until then
Sirius: I can do Wednesday
Sirius: Say, 11am in front of the Leaky Cauldron?
Sirius: Muggle side
Remus: Works for me
Remus: See you then
Remus: And don’t be a nervous wreck, I’m sure everything will go alright with your brother
Sirius: I’m not
Sirius: But Andy will be there in case it goes tits up
Sirius: See you on Wednesday
Remus smiled at his phone before he dropped it on his bed and walked to the kitchen to eat something. He was always famished after a full.