Marauder crack

Musical interval

He goes up the stairs three steps at a time, humming and whistling until he reaches the picture of the fat lady, who bats her eyelashes at him when Sirius says the password- custard cream! - and gives her some of his usual compliments. Something about how especially charming he finds her and how they should call her "curvy" and nothing else. She opens and protests without conviction, between flushed smiles, laughing and saying "what a young man, shameless". On the other side of the painting, Gryffindor's common room awaits him, and raising the stairs to the highest point, he is starting to listen to the notes coming out of the muggle gramophone. He takes out the flat-pack under his tunic and he has no time before announcing his surprise because Remus interrupts him without taking his head out of his book.

- Don't even think about changing it, Black.

He stays with the vinyl in his hand, paralyzed for a second.

- You don't even know what it is!

- I don't need to. I know your tastes too well, Padfoot.

Sirius shows him the package, apologetically. It says "It's only rock and roll."

- The Rolling Stones are the greatest thing that has happened to your country since King Arthur decided that the table was round. - He takes the disc to his chest. - Mate, you are a shame for all of us who are your age. Worst. You are an embarrassment to the UK.

But Remus doesn't give up, because the gramophone, after all, is his. So Sirius messes with his taste in music and his collection of pieces of vinyl. He pulls the boxes out from under the bed and despite Remus trying to ignore him, focus on "Tropic of Capricorn" and ignore any sarcastic remarks, you have to confess that when Sirius is enraged for crappy things, it entertains him a lot.

- Have you noticed what your record collection has in common? Let's see. - Takes out "The Four Seasons". - Vivaldi- He reads. - Dead, if I'm not mistaken. - Takes the next one, "La Mamma Morta". - Donizetti! - exclaims. - Again, dead. One after another, he takes them out of the boxes. - Beethoven, dead. Mozart, totally dead and let's not forget the great Johan Sebastian.

- If you talk bad about Bach, I'll kick you out of this room in the ass, Black, I'm warning you.

-Dead. All dead, man! You are not a music fan, Lupin, you are a necrophiliac.

- They may have died, Padfoot, but their music makes us feel alive.

He means it but all his gravity is diluted when Sirius pierces him with that look.

-What a tacky one- he exclaims. And only he, idiotic ass, can say something insulting without being an insult. - How I didn't realize that you are a fag?

- Because you never notice anything.

Examining the boxes one by one, sitting on the floor, filling the room of records, without sparing ironic comments on any. Once in a while, he may insert some scream of horror.

- Joan Baez? It's over. I refuse to continue sleeping in this room!

- It's from Lily- Remus defends himself.

Still holding the vinyl, Sirius walks over to his bed. Walks that scarce meter and a half on his knees, pleading and begging. Remus would swear he's going to stick his tongue out and lick her face.

- Lupin, please, just once. It has come from London by owl, exclusively for me. You can't always make me listen to jazz. Don't be confused by my last name, I'm not black!

- Do you realize how deeply, but deeply unbearable can you become? Are you even remotely aware of it?

- I am aware. It's a terrible thing. I don't know why you put up with me. - what repeats it like a poetry chant. - Surely, I'm in the most profound gratitude to your infinite patience you will be sanctified and revered and generations to come will argue about who was a better wizard, you or Merlin. Naturally, the answer will be Merlin but people will adore you so much that they will doubt it.- Takes a breath and add. - And now, Your Lobicity, with your permission, can I put bloddy fucking Mick Jagger off the balls?

There must be some way, some way to resist his idiocy. Someone, somewhere on earth, has to be able not to give in to a Sirius Black on his knees, Joan Baez record in hand, and too much doggy charm but of course, that someone can't be a Gryffindor. Remus agrees.

-But under one condition and it is not negotiable.

The Rolling Stones. One time. The whole damn record and then what he wants. He doesn't have to say it twice. Sirius runs to the gramophone and insist it's just rock, just rock and roll! but it must be enough for an anxious dog because Sirius howls the lyrics and Remus prefers it than hearing him scream and jumping over the beds. His imitation of a rock star is so hilarious they should give him a theater in London to to repeat it every night. Tourists would visit him before going to Picadilly.

When the Stones shut up at once, Sirius tries to flip the disc but Remus imposes his turn and Bach. Sirius protests "another dead guy" because protesting is his nature but Sirius lays on the bed, arms crossed under the neck "I will have to hear it several times to learn the lyrics". And the most surprising thing is that he listens. One hour in a row, from Vivaldi to Mozart, without insults, or supposedly hurtful comments. Alone Sirius Black in Gryffindor room, on the bed, legs crossed on the bed and that kind of peace so unusual in him. It's the first time you're in the same room as him silently. In six years.

It will be true that music soothes the beasts.

When Remus considers that he has been torturing enough with that music without dead people's lyrics, he's willing to give him a turn and let Sirius hear "your rebellious pipes's noise". As he does almost every day, Sirius surprises him. With an unusual vehemence and something in his voice that Remus didn't recalls never hearing and mysteriously resembling the calm says "no".

- I want to hear something that you like.

He chooses Billie Holiday almost without thinking - or without thinking about it too much -, making sure that no one hears the furious cavalcade of his heart, pumping like a runaway aria. When you realize that the first song is titled "Let's do it" it's too late to change it and Billie has started singing and Remus feels he has to give an explanation or what he feels will be so evident that even Sirius will notice and because of it will interpretate it as a hint "and why the hell did I choose this!!!!".

- I can put something else if you want, it's not ...

- Sssh, Moony- interrupts him. - Lie down here and listen.

"Here" he says and slaps the bed. In his bed. Together with him. If he would like to resist or disobey, He would not know where to start. Tries not to give it importance. Nothing happens. Friends do those things. He sits first and then, well, Sirius said "lie down" so he has no more remedy to do it. Leaning back slightly, putting his head on his chest and focusing on breathing. When Sirius smiles, in peace, Scotland looks like the promised land. Billie sings and inspires them to touch and love each other.

Because everyone does it "so let's do it", insist, "let's fall in love".

Sensual and physical, steamy and carnal, Billie sounds like jazz and kisses from midnight.

- I'm surprised, Lupin- Sirius's voice sounds warmer than usual. - Maybe you are not condemned to be the typical top of the class who hears posh music. Maybe you have remedy, after all. - Before asking what he's going for, Sirius answers himself. - I ask you to put me something you like and you go and put me a song to shag, nothing less.

Shag. The bastard says fuck and it is a word that says a lot. Shag. But few can say it like Sirius. Pornographic and sensual at the same time. Canine. Voracious. SHAG.

- And to think you looked like a good boy, Lupin.

-I have a wolf inside me, Sirius- he tries not to shrink. - Do not forget about it.

- I never forget about it.

The intensity of its tone takes his breath away. "Let's do it" insist Billie. Let's fall in love.

- Did you put this for me to put my hand on you, Moony?

Yes.

- Shut up, Black and let me listen.

"Do it Sirius, damn it. Do to me what you do to the girls in the halls".