Title: Who is Remus Lupin?

Warnings: Magical AU.

Rating: M

Artwork: Sirius x Remus ID by Sirius-x-Remus

A/N: So inspiration hit me again and yes, this covers a few different themes that will be revealed as the story goes on. I actually have most of it written out but then kind of got stuck on exactly how I want the end to be. I have two versions planned out in my head and I kind of plan to just see what direction the reviews go before I choose. So please do leave a review on how you like it and what you expect because it will help shape this story!

'Regulus, dry your eyes this very minute,' Walburga Black hissed angrily, her claw like fingers digging into her younger son's arm as she led him to the front. 'Do not shame me by displaying such signs of weakness in public for all our family to see.'

Sirius's cool grey gaze shifted from her hold on Regulus to her face.

'Mother, why don't I have a word with Regulus first and we shall join you shortly?' he suggested, taking up his brother's other arm much more gently than their mother. 'We won't be long,' he assured when she looked at him suspiciously. Surreptitiously, he pulled Regulus a little closer to himself, trying not to let his protective nature show through. The key to winning Mother's approval was to play the same game of indifference that the rest of the Black clan played.

'Very well,' she conceded, releasing her vice like grip and walking ahead with her head held high and her nose held higher. 'But use your wand sparingly. Remember that we are in public.'

Sirius sneered behind her back, despite answering, 'Yes, Mother.' He maintained his aloof persona until he was sure they were well concealed behind a tree, then turned towards his brother with a look of concern. 'Reggie, I told you, you need to learn how to control your emotions in front of Mother. You know very well that her methods of conviction are not as kind as mine, and she will definitely not "use her wand sparingly" once we get home.' He pulled the sleeve of his dress shirt up to his palm, using it to dry Regulus's eyes.

'How can she be so unfeeling?' Regulus's voice was accusatory under the wateriness. 'He was her brother! Surely that must have meant something to her?' Sirius had no answer for him; none that wouldn't already break his brother's fragile heart. 'Is this how it is in the Black family? If I die tomorrow, won't you care either?'

'Do not speak like that, Regulus, or so Merlin help me, I will use my wand on you!' Sirius growled, his eyes ablaze. 'You know very well that I would never allow any harm to come to you. So don't you dare ever ask me that question again, am I clear?'

Regulus nodded, but was still not sated. 'Why aren't you upset today, Sirius? You used to love Uncle Alphard, don't you remember? He was the only relative to ever buy us toys for the holidays and he always taught you the best hexes to try out on Bella.'

In truth, Sirius had adored Uncle Alphard and had been writing to him even until recently. "Consorting with filth" like Uncle Alphard was forbidden by Mother, which was why Sirius was trying so hard to school his features to be apathetic. He did not want his face to give away his despair in fear of the repercussions; not just that of the punishment that might come after but also the possibility of his own filth being discovered. Uncle Alphard's death came as such a shock to him as Regulus, because nowhere in his letters had Alphard ever mentioned that he had had heart problems incurable even by magic. 'That was eons ago, Reggie,' Sirius brushed away, keeping up his façade. 'I haven't seen him since Mother blasted him off the tapestry.'

Regulus's jaw tightened and Sirius could see clearly the disapproval and disappointment in his eyes. He pushed Sirius roughly away before storming off, leaving Sirius to hurry behind him without letting anyone see that any kind of disagreement had occurred between them. Keeping up pretenses was always taxing when with Regulus.

'I'm going to sit with him,' Regulus stopped shortly, only to inform him of this. He was pointedly looking at a lone figure sitting at the very back, away from everyone else. 'I want to sit with someone who actually cared for Uncle Alphard enough to not be ashamed to cry for him.'

Sirius frowned as he watched his brother walk away, shielding his eyes from the sun to see farther where the other person Regulus had been pointing to was sitting. He couldn't see much beyond the side profile of long sandy blond hair, crooked nose, and pale skin, but it was clear that the boy was not a Black or belonging to any of the other branching pureblood families. His hair wasn't certainly not the right colour (black nor platinum) and his careworn suit and shoes gave off a middle class aura that stood out in the sea of purebloods. When Regulus finally sat beside him, in his brand new, tailored robes, the boy looked practically shabby. He was sitting still, his back stiff and his gaze trained straight ahead where Alphard's coffin lay in the front. There were tears rolling down his cheeks, each droplet stark as thin rays of sunlight passed through them and made them sparkle in a way that almost made them look precious.

They were precious.

Because he was the only person crying in a funeral of nearly one hundred people.

Sirius drew his eyes away from the boy to his brother, who was mimicking the stranger's posture as he looked ahead. They did not seem to be speaking, but he could see that Regulus was much more at ease now than he had been earlier. It should have made Sirius happy, but his brother's comfort now would lead to a much more uncomfortable consequence later when they went home, back in London. Their mother's eyes did not have to be on them to know she was looking. She was always looking and judging; and Sirius had a split second to choose how his day ended. He could go home and sleep early while his brother faced his punishment or he could stand in for Regulus and spend the night in the dungeons. If he was lucky, Mother would use her wand sparingly.

It wasn't much of a choice.

Regulus had never been punished, not since…

'I can take care of myself.' Regulus muttered softly once Sirius had sat down.

'Children should not speak unless spoken to, least of all in funerals.' Sirius smiled to show that his words were in jest, but that smile quickly fell when he looked ahead to where Walburga was sitting, a look of clear displeasure spreading across her face. 'Mother is upset,' he stated, a sense of dread settling deep in his stomach.

'With us?' Regulus asked, leaning against Sirius so that their shoulders were touching.

Sirius shook his head, trying to read the lips of their family lawyer who was now whispering into his mother's ear. 'No, something else.' He swallowed, watching her scowl grow deeper and deeper, and her grey eyes brew up a storm. 'Something much, much bigger.'

'Mum, it's Remus.'

Sirius stopped in his tracks when he noticed the same boy in the church foyer, with a crude muggle communication object cradled between his ear and shoulder. Alphard's funeral was being held at a muggle church, unsurprisingly, because there was no magical community in Louth's small population of ten thousand and also because it had been Alphard's hometown for the past twenty years, ever since he'd been made to leave home. It was a quaint church, small and welcoming, but crude when compared to St. James that held at least some of the grandeur and prestige that Purebloods looked for. It almost felt like Alphard's last two fingered salute to the family and it had worked marvelously. Most of the family had left mid-ceremony, unable to take "the stench of muggles" and those who remained had only done so for appearances. The Prophet would be reporting the event after all; Alphard had been a very accomplished scientist with heavy grants from the Ministry itself.

For Walburga Black, the matter went beyond just appearances. She made enough of those back in London. For her, it was all about the inheritance.

'How are you?' The boy asked with a shaky voice, one hand gripping the table in front of him and leaning against it. 'How's dad?'

Sirius rested his back against the door, knowing he should walk away but unable to. He bit his lip and arched only his neck outwards to look at the sandy blond, only to be taken aback by how beautifully fragile the boy looked standing there all alone. Sirius hadn't noticed during the eulogy, but the boy had the most startling amber eyes he had ever seen, made more so by the unshed tears that shone within them. He looked at them mesmerised until they fell and broke the spell, making him quickly avert his gaze and lean back against the door yet again.

'I'm-not okay,' he heard him whisper softly. 'Alphard's dead.' There were a few sniffles that sounded almost childish, before the boy spoke again, stammering over his words. 'I-I was wondering if I-I could come home just for, just for a little while? I-I don't want to be alone.'

The silence that followed was deafening and Sirius knew, even without looking or listening to the other end of the conversation that the boy had been rejected. It was painful, because the silence also meant that he could hear the way the boy's breaths sped up and became shakier, the way each sniffle got wetter and wetter, and the creak of wood as he leaned more and more on the foyer table for support.

'I understand. Thank you for, for speaking with me.'

Sirius was startled when an inhuman wail pierced the air and he leaned outwards again, only to see the boy's knees give away suddenly. He fell to the ground and Sirius fought every instinct he had that told him to go help him up. A sandy blond head of hair spilled on the ground, slim body doubled over and fists clenching the beige carpet as he cried and cried and cried in a way Sirius had never thought possible before. It was loud and open and honest, and tore through Sirius in such a way that he could feel the other's sadness and loss in the smallest crevices between his bones and in the very roots of his teeth. The boy was gasping between tears, short of breath, as his trembling fingers dug into his hair and pulled in distress. Tears were streaming down his cheeks like waterfalls and his face had gone so red that he looked about to pass out. Yet, he could not stop crying.

It was agonising.

It was agonising to watch, so Sirius looked away.

It was agonising to hear, so Sirius placed an imperturbable charm around himself, so strong that the only sound he could hear was his own breathing.

It was agonising to feel, but Sirius could do nothing about that except run away and take another path to the small room that had been his destination from the very beginning. The room at the back of the church that was currently housing a very important meeting between his Mother and their family lawyer Edgar Eckhart about the future of Alphard's not so inconsiderable wealth. It would be a relief from the overwhelming emotion that was now settling deep within him; the apathy of his Mother, for once, a welcome change. However, his relief was only a wish as he was met with his mother's voice even before he walked in to the room.

'WHO THE HELL IS REMUS LUPIN?'

Walburga Black was pacing holes into the floor while their lawyer looked upon her with practiced patience. Not wanting to draw too much attention and be caught in the crossfire of her fit, Sirius quietly took a seat beside Edgar, a nod of acknowledgment passing between them.

'I always knew my brother was good for nothing,' she muttered to herself angrily, her cloak swishing behind her with every step. 'But to go as far as to forsake the family name even in death and leave the entirety of his wealth to a-a-' her face continued to turn purple as she searched for the right word, 'to filth! Unacceptable!'

Sirius itched to point out that The Family had certainly not hesitated to forsake Alphard until they had discovered his vast wealth, but he held back his words for another time. A time when he wanted to spite her and irk her, until his hatred for her and The Family channeled through so loudly that it clanged when she cuffed him in the dungeons.

'Mrs. Black,' Edgar started, his palms up in a calming gesture, 'your son is still entitled to one third, which by calculation would equal to-'

'Pocket change!' Walburga spat, not letting him finish.

'If Regulus is entitled to a third, then should he not be part of this conversation in my stead? Or has Mother decided to hold on to his funds for safety, until he is of age?' Sirius glared at his mother, making sure she saw before looking away.

'Regulus did not receive anything, I'm afraid, Master Sirius,' Edgar explained, adjusting his glasses. 'The third goes to you and is in your sole possession alone, since you are of age now.'

Sirius frowned. 'I don't understand.'

Walburga snorted. 'Alphard has always held a fondness for you, since you were very little. Another one of his perversions, no doubt.' Her face twisted with disgust, as if the very thought of him made her sick. 'I wouldn't be surprised if this Lupin fellow is his personal whore, probably rolling in all the money he's managed to leech out through sodomy.'

Sirius's nails dug into his palms as his fists clenched tightly. As always with anything related to homosexuality, he kept quiet and changed the subject, 'Is it possible to bequeath wizarding inheritance to a muggle?' he directed his question to Edgar, refusing to meet his mother's eye lest she see his anger or the underlying fear of being found out. 'I don't remember reading a rule as such, but I would imagine so.'

'The boy is a wizard.'

'Half-blood,' Walburga snarled, 'he barely qualifies as a wizard, much less as a benefactor.'

'He's entitled regardless,' Edgar spoke over her, nonplussed. 'Alphard's will is very specific and extremely thorough; Master Sirius and Lupin are his only benefactors. Master Sirius will inherit a third of his wealth in Gringotts, nothing more. Lupin receives the rest: wealth, assets, estate, and intellectual property. There is no margin for error in his will; it is impeccable. Walburga, I believe you should give up on a lost cause when still at the early stages; all this pacing is pointless'

Walburga waved him off as if he were a fly. She was much calmer now, her anger contained and her demeanour that of a woman plotting destruction. 'Sirius, I want you to stay here in Louth, find out who Remus Lupin is and what his relationship was with Alphard. I don't care what methods you use; you can torture him or kill him or feed him sob stories about Alphard, but you do not return to London until you know who he is. I want to know if he's managed to inherit all this by being Alphard's little faggot.'

'It isn't illegal to be a faggot,' Sirius shot back, his anger getting the better of him.

'No,' she replied in a sickly sweet voice that reminded Sirius far too much of his cousin, Bellatrix, 'but it is illegal to swindle a lonely old man's life savings with conniving little lies and false pretenses of love…'

Sirius clenched his teeth. 'You don't know that.'

'Oh, I do because you will find proof for me against him.' She leaned down until her cold and calculating grey eyes were boring into Sirius's, then smiled, 'Just do as I say, Sirius. You are more bearable when you don't ask questions.'

'Fuck.'

'I suppose I've had worse hellos.'

It was him. The boy that had been crying in Uncle Alphard's funeral was Remus Lupin. It made perfect sense now that the pieces of the puzzle were all together; only someone who had cared that much for Alphard would have been able to inherit his wealth in all its entirety. 'I-I-'m sorry,' Sirius tripped over his words, trying to gain back his composure. 'You caught me by surprise; I guess I was expecting someone else.' He pulled his right hand out of his pocket, extending it for a shake. 'I was sitting beside you in the funeral, but had no idea who you were. I would have introduced myself otherwise. I'm-'

'Sirius Black,' Lupin finished, shaking Sirius's hand with a warm smile. 'It's great to finally meet you, Sirius.'

Sirius blinked, surprised. 'How did you-?'

'How do I know you?' Lupin chuckled, as he moved to the side, inviting the young Black in. 'Your uncle spoke very fondly of you. Sirius - the brightest star in the Black sky, he called you.'

Sirius coloured at the compliment, unaware that his uncle saw him in such high regard. 'I'm not all that great, I'm afraid.'

'I agree,' Lupin nodded, his face splitting into a crooked smile even as he tried to keep a straight expression. Sirius hadn't seen the boy smile in the funeral but found it much more attractive than his tears. It was crooked and uneven, and so very genuine that Sirius could not help but smile back. 'The way Alphard raved about you, I always imagined you arriving from the sky in a chariot pulled by Thestrals. I must say, the disappointment I'm feeling right now is palpable.'

Sirius didn't even realise when he burst into laughter, but when he finally managed to stop, he was wiping tears from his eyes. He couldn't remember when he'd laughed that hard outside of Hogwarts. He took a seat in the living room, surveying his surroundings for the first time. It was clearly an old house that had been repurposed; it's Victorian style architecture prevalent in the lush furniture, expensive marble flooring and the handmade Persian rug that ran under the sofa. Clearly, his Uncle's Black tastes had not diminished with this disownment. 'You sound very close to my uncle,' he commented as Remus adjusted some of the cushions on the sofa before taking a seat opposite him.

'I was.'

There was an almost melancholy sound to his voice and Sirius felt guilty for bringing it up. 'I'm sorry; it's just that Alphard never mentioned you in his letters.'

Remus laughed sadly, pulling down his sleeves which had been rolled up to his elbows and buttoning them at the wrist. Sirius did not fail to notice the multitude of scars across his arms but averted his eyes quickly. 'No, Alphard rarely talked about work to anyone. We deal with very sensitive research and it's best to keep to ourselves.'

'So you worked with him?'

Remus raised a condescending eyebrow. 'Yes, was my lab coat not obvious?'

Only then did Sirius's mind comprehend that Remus Lupin was indeed wearing a white lab coat over his regular clothes. It wasn't as if he hadn't noticed, but somehow, his usually sharp mind had been occupied in more useless tasks of staring into deep amber eyes. In any case, the mystery had been solved with more than enough ample evidence. Remus Lupin was certainly not Alphard's whore; he looked no older than Sirius's age and Alphard had been forty when he had died. Remus Lupin was definitely not a swindler; no thief would grieve as deeply as he had done. Remus Lupin was a co-worker and possibly Alphard's good (only?) friend. Remus Lupin was also a good man and Sirius was glad for it, because he rather Alphard's inheritance go to someone who deserved it than his monstrosity of a mother.

''I'm sorry. You must think I'm being intrusive,' Sirius apologised, feeling lighter now that he no longer had an obligation to fulfill for his family. He relaxed into his seat, wanting to enjoy the amber eyed boy's company for a little longer. It had been a long time since he had felt so at ease with anyone; James Potter had been the last time and they hadn't seen each other for a year, since graduation. 'I guess I felt like I had to know more about Alphard somehow,' he half lied, 'We kept in touch, but I hadn't seen him in years and now that he's gone, I regret not ever coming to visit.' Sirius looked at Remus, wondering what it was about the boy that kept drawing his attention and wanting to extend his company. He had done his job, but Mother had mentioned that he could take as long as needed; and right now, Sirius felt like he needed a few more days of the enchanting Remus Lupin. 'I actually came here today in hopes that I could somehow reconnect with him. Maybe even take a piece of him with me when I finally return to London.'

Remus looked extremely happy by Sirius's (false) confession, his whole face a mess of smile lines, eye crinkles, dimples, and crooked teeth. 'Would you like anything to drink? I can't offer you anything except water and tea unfortunately. My medication reacts with anything stronger than Butterbeer by growing excessive amount of fuzz on my entire body.'

Sirius burst out laughing, an odd sensation bubbling up in his chest. A sensation he knew all too well. It was a feeling of contentment, of comfort and ease, and most of all, of attraction.

'You laugh, but one of our muggle neighbours nearly shot me once after mistaking me for a bear. Alphard had to…'

Yes, Sirius could sit there listening to Remus Lupin talk for the rest of his life.

Hope you guys liked it and don't forget to review!