Chapter Text
Part I
Sirius looked into the mirror and decided that more gel to his hair would only be appropriate. As he combed back his hair, he bared his teeth to make sure that there was no food slipped between his teeth. After somewhat an hour, he straightened his back, admiring his dapper form: the argyle bow-tie, the navy blue tuxedo, the leather oxfords all complimented his good looks. He looked like a posh gentleman from the 19th century – no, more like a prince directly walked out of the Buckingham Palace. Any girl, any man, any human being, any living organism would be swooned. He, Sirius Black, was the living embodiment of perfection itself.
As one of the rising stars of the film industry, Sirius had really done more than enough for an audition when hundreds of producers fought to get him sign their contracts. Still, he wouldn’t mess up his chances by appearing arrogant (not to the public at least). He handled every audition with care, just as what his mentor Moody had taught him about humility and constant vigilance in the volatile entertainment sector, not to mention Sirius really did want to get this particular role in the upcoming film produced by Potter Co., which was led by his good bro since childhood, James Potter.
‘Hiya Lily,’ Sirius pressed a kiss to the cheek of a woman with dark red hair. He had arrived thirty minutes early so that he could have a bit of chit-chatting with his longtime friends before the audition. Not that he was nervous, but he really wanted time with them; he had come to realise that life wasn’t quite the same when one rose to fame.
‘If Lily had agreed with me, you wouldn’t have to go through this lot of trouble already,’ James hugged Sirius tightly. As the co-producer of the film alongside his wife, James could’ve easily appointed Sirius as the leading actor without the auditions. After all, he had inherited enough money than half the industry combined; profit was not his concern; fun was. This was a film he made with friends and for friends only.
‘Now, now, James,’ Lily knocked on her husband’s forehead playfully. ‘Screening and auditions are essential to a film, it’s always good to include more people before we decide who plays who, and we don’t even know if Padfoot here finds the role suitable yet.’
Sirius grinned at the school day nickname. ‘It’s okay, Jamie, Lily’s right. I need to try things out first. You know me.’
James shot him a pointed glare. ‘Remember to actually make a decision after trying. Chances can run out, you know.’
Sirius sighed. He didn’t need James to clarify what he was talking about: they were yet again on the topic of Sirius’s love life. He knew James’s intention was good, but this whole dating thing was truly a pain in the arse. Not that Sirius was a playboy, but he hadn’t settled for a longtime partner since he left school. Every now and then, James and Lily would introduce people to him. It was needless to say that their effort had so far been futile.
‘… have you heard?’ Someone clapped on his shoulder and shook him out of his trance. Peter Pettigrew, the camera operator, had joined the little group and was smiling widely at his friends. ‘Big time for you two to meet, eh? I’m sure you will beat him, though I love his performance in The Rising Legend. ’
‘Who?’ Sirius had no idea what Peter was babbling about.
‘Remus Lupin, of course,’ Peter said without hesitation.
‘Oh,’ Sirius ran his fingers through his hair. Together with Sirius, Remus Lupin was hailed the future king on the red carpet. They were often compared side by side by reviewers, their fans ranged from old men that could barely walk to punk girls with glittering earrings. Their names never appeared on magazines without the other; yet Sirius had not met the other man in real life for once. So he’s here too, competing for the same role, thought Sirius. That was understandable though: Potter Co. was a big enough company in Hollywood that nearly every film they produced was a box office success. It was the straight road to the Oscars.
‘People say he’s got a bit of temper,’ Sirius said thoughtfully.
Peter nodded. ‘A bit aloof, yeah,’ he said, ‘but otherwise he’s okay, I hear.’ He had mouth and ear all over the industry, so Sirius chose to trust him.
‘Good luck, Pads!’ James said, and Sirius returned his bear hug fiercely. ‘The crew goes in before the actors. So… see you in ten minutes, yeah?’
He nodded and waved goodbye. After his friends deserted the room, he decided to use the loo for the last time before his interview. Adrenaline flooded his veins, the familiar feeling he got every time when it was time for him to shine, yet exactly why he was nervous he couldn’t pinpoint it. Maybe it was the thrill of challenging himself despite his fame? Maybe it was the pre-audition anxiety? Or, maybe it was the excitement of having a face-off with a major rival?
He absent-mindedly stared at the mirror, hands going up to stroke his hair again to smooth any stray hairs. Humming a tune, he turned around – and collided with another man. The man tumbled backwards, his right hand trying to hold on to the brim of the glass sink.
‘Oh!’ Sirius gasped, catching the man’s hand and steadying him after some struggle. ‘Sorry!’
The man breathed heavily. He had smooth brown curls and a lean body. Despite his lankiness, his slight slouch made him half an inch shorter than Sirius. Once he looked up, numerous scars on his face made their appearance under the light, and his teeth were slightly crooked with one of his canines jutting out like a fang. Instantly, Sirius recognised this familiar face as no other than that of Remus Lupin’s, his biggest rival and enemy in today’s audition.
‘Hi, I’m Sirius.’ He re-extending a hand after Lupin had steadied himself. ‘That probably wasn’t the best way to shake hands, I’m very sorry. So, here we go again?’
‘Hello,’ Lupin replied, his gaze a tad too sharp for a first-time meeting, showing that he, too, had recognised Sirius at once. He took Sirius’s hand, but Sirius couldn’t help but notice the rigidness of the gesture and the lack of a smile on Lupin’s face. This was a stark contrast to Sirius’s friendly deposition and attractive grin that got him so many fans in the first place.
‘I suppose so. But thank you,’ said Lupin at last.
‘Right,’ Sirius retracted his hand after quite a lengthy handshaking, and Lupin released it without hesitation. ‘So, er, I’ll see you at the audition?’
Lupin nodded without a word, and Sirius left the bathroom a bit too hastily than was necessary. He didn’t know what possessed him; the normally articulate, calm, confident Sirius Black was a complete mess in front of his supposedly mortal enemy. Unspoken hostility hung in the air, setting up the premise for their confrontation at the audition.
Sirius groaned the first thing he entered the audition room. Sitting right beside the camera was a sallow man with greasy hair parted at the middle, his little black eyes glittered maliciously when they landed on Sirius.
‘What the fuck, James,’ Sirius cursed under his breath. On the far side of the room, James looked at him apologetically and shrugged. Lily cast them a reprimanding glance and crossed her arms. The rest of candidates began to file in, sitting in the waiting area next to a clear area where the crew was at. There were a few acquaintances who Sirius knew from other films, and they all greeted him with cheerful nods and smiles. Lupin was in somewhere in the middle, ending up three seats next to Sirius on the row in front.
‘Good morning everyone, I am Lily Potter. Welcome to the audition for our new film, A Story under the Moon. I thank you on behalf of my husband and the whole Potter Co. for your interests in our film.’ Lily smiled and pointed at the men behind her. ‘May I introduce today’s judging panel: James Potter, my husband’– James winked and this attracted a round of applause –‘Peter Pettigrew, our camera man’ – Peter gave a salute – ‘myself, Lily’ – the crowd laughed – ‘and Severus Snape, our director.’
Sirius swore again. Of all people, why Snape! They had been enemies in school, and never really got along even after they parted ways. Every time James and Sirius rounded on Snape, he would escape like a coward he was and Lily would come forward to protect her BFF. Upon leaving school and going to uni, Lily and Snape had remained close friends, and James had become a lot softer on Snape after he and Lily were officially together. Occasionally, James and Sirius would still make fun of Snape when Lily was not here, but James no longer explicitly showed hostility towards the slimeball anymore. Inviting Snape on the crew must be Lily’s doing, and Sirius was angry that James allied with Lily instead of his long-term best friend.
Lily was still talking as she accepted a pile of papers from Peter. ‘This, as we all know, is the audition for the male protagonist, Miles, but our selection is not limited to the main characters. If we find your performance match our expectation but more suitable for other characters, we might invite you to be our other characters. So, if there are no questions, I’m now going to distribute the script…’
The scripts were passed between the candidates. It was a two-paged script for Miles and his girlfriend Samantha, and it was a scene in which the two characters argued and made up at the end.
Lily cleared her throat. ‘Right, everyone got the script? Great. Our audition will be held as follows: each of you will pair up with another candidate, and each of you will be Miles while your partner will be Samantha, and then you reverse your roles. Though you are provided with the same lines, you are free to interpret it however you want as long as you speak the same words as written on the script. We want to see the best of you, and this is to create a realistic feeling of arguing and to help you get into the mood better. Now, I’ll give you a few minutes just to familiarise yourselves with the environment and, more importantly, find your partner. We’ll start the audition when I call upon the first candidate.’
Candidates stood up from their chairs and started chatting with each other. Sirius maneuvered himself among the crowd, nodding and saying ‘hello’ politely from time to time, but no one asked him to be their partner. Lupin was apparently in the same situation; many had greeted and shaken hands with him but no one asked. He was a lonely island in the sea of pairs.
Sirius’s spirit fell. He understood well that this was the price of fame – he was widely recognised, he won every award, but as a result no one wanted to be real friends with him. And when it came to jobs, no one wanted him aside because he would outshine them. That was what his mentor had warned him long ago; it was only now that Sirius actually found some of his teachings useful.
A few seats away, Lupin seemed completely unbothered, if not bored; he sat motionless in his seat, the only sign of him being anything more than a statue was his legs making occasional kicks into the air.
‘Hey,’ said Sirius good-naturedly. He tried his best not to sound awkward, which was when his acting talent came into play. ‘Wanna be partners?’
Lupin turned to look at him, his expression as blank as ever. ‘If you say so.’
‘Ha ha,’ Sirius’s laugh was odd and squeaky. Lupin raised an eyebrow.
‘I didn’t expect it would make you that happy, or else I’d have asked you myself sooner,’ he said dryly.
‘I suppose that would be nice.’ Sirius shrugged. So far Lupin had appeared mostly emotionless and quiet, and that was the exact opposite of Sirius’s boisterousness. How did he even act, if he was dead like a rock most of the time?
After somewhat an hour later, Sirius heard his name being called. He tapped Lupin on the shoulder, who eyed him blankly and got up after him. For the last time Sirius couldn’t help but wonder how Lupin was hailed the rising star when in real life the bastard was as cold and as emotionless as a stone.
Please behave, Sirius prayed silently. If you don’t want the chance, at least don’t muck it up at my expense especially when Snivellus is here.
Lily led them to the clear area where a table was put in the middle with a few bottles of vodka and fruit, and the actors were to perform in this makeshift kitchen. Sirius closed his eyes, letting anger and desperation took over him. The second he opened his eyes, he was no longer Sirius Orion Black, but Miles who were caught in an argument with Samantha, his cheating girlfriend. His gaze hardened, and the grey pupils were a boiling storm, capable of drilling holes on the unfaithful creature.
‘Where were you yesterday?’ Sirius hissed at Lupin across the table, the tumbler in his hand was threatening to break. His voice was low but dangerous, and from the periphery of his vision he saw James nodding in approval.
Lupin said nothing in reply. Instead he started pacing around the table slowly and towards Sirius.
Say your line, bastard, Sirius screamed in his head, his pretend-anger becoming real. Say ‘I was at Tim’s, I’m sorry.’ Be the guilty girlfriend. Shed some tears. Just act normally. What are you playing at?!
Maybe Lupin had forgotten his line, or maybe he was simply messing with Sirius. By the time he had sidled up to Sirius, the distinct smirk on his face was impossible to be ignored. Sirius heard Peter squeak beside the camera, and he inhaled heavily to suppress the urge to slap Lupin right in the face. But of all things he expected, pressing against him and purring in his ear was definitely not one of them:
‘I was at Tim’s,’ purred Lupin, his breath tickling Sirius, ‘I’m so, so sorry.’
‘W…Why?’ Sirius’s breath hitched, his hand automatically going around Lupin’s waist. An inner voice screamed that his anger shouldn’t have subsided so quickly, but his body said otherwise. ‘You were supposed to be with me, you know that?’
‘I know, babe, but…’ Lupin pressed closer, his hands going up and wound themselves around Sirius’s neck. A blush tainted his cheeks, and Sirius could feel his other body part responding rather inappropriately in a supposedly heated quarrel.
‘But what?’ He pushed the other man away and sat on the table with a thump, shielding his erection from James and Lily and Peter and Lupin, for god’s sake. ‘But WHAT?’ He said through gritted teeth, willing himself not to turn around to look at the devil that might melt his heart in a second if he did.
Suddenly he felt a hand pulling him backwards, at the same time someone snuggled into the crook of his neck across the little table. He swore when he felt nibbling on the bare skin of his neck accompanied by a sob: ‘But I was lonely, Miles… You never c…come home at night. You work till midnight and go before dawn. I miss you… a lot… Don’t you know that, Miles?’
‘I…’ Against his better judgment, Sirius’s hand shot up to squeeze Lupin’s on his neck and turned around, pressing his cheek against the sobbing actor. ‘I didn’t know, Samantha. I… I’m sorry.’ He leaned in deeper, his lips just a few centimetres from Lupin’s –
‘Cut!’ James’s booming voice interrupted his fantasy. Lupin rolled away from him, a single tear still hung at the corner of his eye. A smirk was tugging at his thin lips, suggesting that the tears and sobs were actually the result of swallowing his laughter in Sirius’s neck. Sirius slapped himself on the thigh and cursed James and himself and Lupin and God and everything in between under his breath. This was an utter insult to his professionalism as an actor. He felt humiliated, embarrassed and ashamed.
‘Brilliant!’ said James again, and Peter nodded enthusiastically at his side. ‘Brilliant! My God, Padfoot, you really outdid yourself this time. You too, Mr Lupin. This was a whole new way to act this scene. I loved it.’
‘T-thanks,’ Sirius breathed and held himself together. The warmth from Lupin’s body lingered on him, the memory of what just happened was still fresh in his mind. He shot a stealthy glance at his friends and hastily turned away when he saw Snape was turning at his direction, a sneer apparent on his face. He must’ve known what really happened; and that made him the only person in the room who saw Sirius become completely turned on and manipulated like a puppet. Wanker.
His head jerked up when Peter’s cheery voice came behind him: ‘Now why don’t you reverse your roles? I can’t wait!’
‘The fuck you can wait, Pettigrew,’ Sirius muttered. In his mind he had already planned eighteen ways to skin Peter alive the next time he saw him. When he got up and prepared himself, Lupin glided past him casually and stood at the spot where Sirius did as Miles, picking up the tumbler. He was thin, almost sickly, and Sirius felt himself redden when he thought of Lupin’s version of Samantha. Stop fantasising, Sirius scolded himself. It was time for revenge. Lupin would get his consequence for messing with him. But what if all he could do when acting was snuggle and purr and –
‘Where were you yesterday?’
A growl shot straight into and out of him that the orange he was playing with dropped and rolled to the opposite side.
‘I… I…’ Sirius spluttered. What the fuck?
‘I said,’ Lupin hissed, enunciating every word, ‘where were you yesterday?’
Sirius’s mouth finally got the message to move. ‘I w-was at, at Tim’s…’ His tear glands, being so well-trained, took the cue and helpfully secreted a stream of tears. He dropped to his knees, hands clutching at Lupin’s trousers. ‘I’m sorry, babe, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…’
Lupin batted his hands away. ‘Why?’ He said gruffly, but the tightness in his voice suggested that his tear glands were just as busy. ‘You were…’ he took a deep breath before he spoke again, ‘you were supposed to be with me, you know that?’
‘I know!’ Sirius shrieked, ‘but –‘
‘But WHAT?’ Lupin kicked over a chair, and Sirius fell back at the same time, startling himself (and the crew, he thought smugly). Just as he was about to stand up, Lupin charged and clutched at Sirius’s neck with both his hands. ‘But wha –‘
‘I was lonely! For fuck’s sake, Miles!’ Sirius screamed at the top of his lungs, legs kicking under Lupin. ‘You never come home at night! You work till midnight and go before dawn! I miss you! A lot! Don’t you know that too, Miles?’
‘I…’ Lupin faltered. His nose was blotched from fake crying and laughing at Sirius, that motherfucker. Before he could react, Sirius grabbed his face and kissed him hard with a loud smacking sound. His lips were chapped and a bit dried, quite unlike Sirius’s smooth ones, so he stuck out his tongue and wetted the lips like licking an ice pop. Lupin tensed as a crimson blush took over his cheeks, but he did not pull away.
‘Well,’ said Sirius softly as he pulled away, enjoying the view of Lupin’s eyebrows disappearing behind his bangs, ‘don’t do that again.’
Lupin was still frozen when Peter’s cheers broke through the room: ‘James! Lily! This was… sensational! I … Woah! There’s no word to describe it.’
Sirius wiped his lips on his sleeve. He could hear his heart thrumming against his ribcage. Take that, Lupin, he grinned smugly at the other man, only to discover that he was avoiding looking at him. Scared now? Who the fuck are you to fuck with me in the first place? But then he thought of the kiss just now, and he reddened so much that the warmth on his cheeks could burn the whole building down. Did he just improvise a kiss on a fellow actor … for a role?
‘Wow, mate,’ James recovered as he picked up his dropped jaw from the floor. ‘Wow. You okay?’
‘Yeah, I mean, very,’ Sirius took James hand and stood up. ‘Samantha’s quite the girl, eh?’ he commented lamely.
‘That’s exactly why I can’t be an actor like you,’ James chuckled. He lowered his voice and said against Sirius’s ear, ‘to be extremely honest, you and Lupin’s performance was the best all day. I can almost be sure that you would get the role.’
‘Or Lupin would,’ Snape’s silky voice called from behind, and James and Sirius whipped around to glare at the intruding man.
‘But I wouldn’t be surprised if he quits before we release the result,’ he sneered and gestured at the exit where the door hung half open. ‘And the paparazzi would trail after him like ghouls, sucking for the juicy story of why he quits.’
Sirius shot him a dirty glare. When he looked around, there was no trace of Lupin in the room, and he and the crew were all that were left.