Put Your Money On Me (PART 2)

Put Your Money on Me (PART 2)

Fugitive Sirius Black x Bounty Hunter Remus Lupin

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Part 1: https://www.tumblr.com/prosepoetryanddrama/754186012161441792/put-your-money-on-me?source=share

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That night as he lay in bed, Sirius asleep, pressed to Remus’s back, Remus stared aimlessly as the clock turned three, then four, then five.

Only as the dusk light and the sounds of morning traffic began to seep in, did Remus start to feel calm.

He had, even as a young child, found it difficult to sleep in silence. Rather than relaxing, he instead found himself delving deeper into his thoughts, the most unpleasant ones finding him in the moments of night where it seemed he was the only person in the world who was awake.

The recent, warm presence of Sirius in his bed had helped in silencing his mind. It was hard to remain awake and tense when there was a bear of a man pushing you into the sheets, all warm and soft.

But this particular, starless night, with Arthur’s words still ringing in his head, sleep was eluding him. 

He thought back to his bar conversation and shuddered.

___

He had vague memories of Arthur Weasley from when he was younger. Remus would watch on his parent’s old, staticky tv, as the man made heartfelt speeches and passed out campaign stickers, fighting to end the corruption in Gryffindor.

Now, as he looked at the raggedy, twitchy man across from him, he thought that money could make a person do anything. 

“Now, I can’t promise that it was him, the younger one, I mean,  but I was looking at the wanted picture of Black on the news and there was a resemblance for sure,” Arthur continued. 

Remus merely hummed, gesturing for the man to continue. It was a trick he had learned early in his days as a bounty hunter, before he had connections and friends that could get him information. Back then, he had to hunt for information himself, and no one, with anything to hide, really wanted to talk to a bounty hunter.

Rather than urging someone to continue, the trick was to remain silent, making the other flustered, and blurt out everything. 

“He came often to the Nest,” Arthur said, referring the abandoned factory dubbed the “Snake’s Nest,” where addicts and dealers respectively went to get their fix from the Death Eaters.

“At first I thought he was a member, but he was always dressed a little too posh to fit the bill. If he really was Regulus Black, then I guess it fits the bill,” Arthur admitted.

When Remus remained silent, he saw a red flush climb up Arthur’s neck. 

A frown took over his face and his voice was a pitch higher when he continued, “I don’t know what else to say! That’s all I’ve got. I saw, who was most likely, Regulus Black buying drugs, and I mean hard drugs," Arthur spread his arms wide, “the last time I saw him, probably like uh-, I can’t be sure, maybe two weeks before his death was in the papers, he looked bad, like real bad.” 

Arthur’s frown deepened, “I’m low rank so I only sell the basic stuff, so I can’t say what Regulus was on but it wasn’t normal,” he paused ominously, “All sunken eyes and patchy skin, he-, he didn’t even look like a person anymore.” 

Remus felt chills run down his body at Arthur’s words. He imagined the suffering Regulus had faced in his last days, before he had been found dead in the corner of a dark alley. No information on cause of death or the conditions leading up to it had been revealed to the public, with the papers simply reciting, “natural causes.”

In a city like Gryffindor where crime loomed in the sky and morality was crushed under the boot of tyranny, it was better to not ask questions when someone, especially someone rich and powerful, turned up dead. 

Remus himself, as a humble but comfortable enough bounty hunter, had obviously never actually met the sickeningly rich but solitary Regulus, but found himself having a soft spot for the young man regardless.

“And you have no idea who was selling to him?” Remus asked. He obviously already knew the answer but had no evidence for it. Having a witness or anyone else who could testify to it would be needed. 

All he had was the word of wanted fugitive and alleged murderer, Sirius Black. Remus believed him without a second of thought, but others would scoff and simply throw him, and Remus at this point, in a jail cell in the middle of the ocean, and throw away the key. 

“Again,” Arthur answered, “I’m not that high rank. Regulu-, again I think it was Regulus, was dabbling in expensive stuff, way above my pay grade. I’ve got no clue.” 

Remus, internally, sighed miserably, his willowy shoulders dropping just slightly.

“Anything, Arthur. Even a hair colour or a tattoo, anything!” Remus said, fighting to keep his voice calm, not wanting to startle the man.

“Oh!” Arthur exclaimed, “I didn’t think to mention such a detail but he did have brown hair, but he, I think it was a he, was too far away anytime I got a glimpse to notice anything else.”

“Bingo,” Remus thought to himself, reaching forward to pat Arthur on the shoulder, then immediately regretting it, and subtly wiping his hand on his pants.

Normally, Remus was much more professional but this case held a certain personal importance for him. 

Tearing his eyes away from Arthur, he looked down at the shiny watch on his wrist, hidden under the sleeve of his coat. Gently running a finger over the hand of the clock, he remembered the day that a certain wanted criminal had gently clasped it around his wrist, three months ago.

After Sirius dropped a many revelation on him and Remus had begrudgingly agreed to help him clear his name, he had laughed as Remus had forlornly lamented that he would no longer get the bounty money. With a laugh, he had taken the watch off his own wrist and given it to Remus, telling him he could sell it for a pretty penny.

Remus had happily agreed but now three months later, the watch still sat on his wrist and not in a pawn shop. Every time Sirius looked at it when they were laying in bed together or making breakfast, their shoulders pressed together, his gaze softened. Remus tried to not think too hard on his feelings for Sirius, knowing the future was uncertain. He did know though, no matter how hard he pushed those feelings down, that he would no sooner let anyone put Sirius in a jail cell than he would put the watch in a pawn shop. Never. 

He thought back to that day his life changed, and despite the fear and anxiety, smiled. 

___

Remus stood frozen as Sirius Black pointed a knife at his face. For some reason, Remus had thought that Black would look insane after two months on the run. He had imagined grown out hair, a scuffy beard and ripped clothing.

The man in front of him was definitely Sirius Black, but his hair was cut, cropped short with a slight stubble on his chin, and his clothes weren’t ripped, dull as they were. On his wrist, was a shimmering watch that clashed with his surroundings.

The second thought in his head was how absolutely stupid the man was. While Remus, was more than happy with this, despite the knife in his face, he could not believe that the man who’s face was plastered on every surface in Gryffindor, had stayed in the city, rather than fleeing. 

He thought miserably to himself that this is how he was going to die, stabbed to death by Sirius Black in random, broken down shack. No one would ever find his body. Perhaps they would look for a week, maybe two, but then he be forgotten, remembered only as one of the many casualties of Gryffindor. 

“Who the hell are you?” Black snarled to Remus as if he was the wanted, sociopathic murderer. 

“Nobody important,” Remus responded airily, subtly moving his hand behind his back to where his gun sat. Black was a cop, trained to notice such things, but Remus had to at least try, it was the only way he might get out of here alive.

Plus, Black looked rather distracted, his gaze flipping between the open front door, the knife in his hands, and for some reason, his eyes kept straying up to Remus’s soft, brown curls.

Black let out a barking laugh, “I find that hard to believe. Now, I’m going to ask you one more time,” he moved closer to Remus, raising the knife slightly, “Who. The. Hell. Are. You. "

At the exact moment that Black took a step closer, Remus swiped his gun and pointed it forward at Black. The man froze only for a moment before he threw himself forward onto Remus, his palm on the side of the gun, their fingers touching. 

He tackled Remus to the floor, holding him down, one muscular arm pressing against Remus’s throat. While Black tried to pry the gun from his right hand, Remus threw up his left, smacking his fist into the side of Black’s face. 

But, Black was not to be deterred. No matter the fact that Remus had begun scratching his nails on his face, Black’s grip did not loosen from the gun. Remus watched with terror as Black, finger by finger, pried Remus’s hand off the gun, then, rather than point it at Remus, Black simply tossed the gun, sending it flying to the opposite side of the room.

Black looked back down at Remus, his grey eyes glowing, and pressed his arm harder on Remus’s neck. 

“James Potter! James Potter!” Remus gasped out.

“He sent me!” Remus gurgled out, sighing as the arm loosened abruptly.

Black reached forward, holding up Remus’s face close to him by his hands on his cheeks. 

“James, he sent you? Is he here?” Black asked urgently, his eyes searching Remus’s face for answers.

“Let me go and maybe I’ll tell you!” Remus spit out, his heart racing and his mind befuddled by the turn in events.

Black paused, as if just realizing that he was practically caressing Remus’s face before averting his gaze and coughing. He rose off of his Remus and offered him a hand to get up. Remus simply sniffed, turning his nose up at him. 

Standing up shakily, he looked at the dilapidated house around him. The hinges on the door that Remus had come through were barely holding up, and all the windows were cracked, with dust coating every wooden surface. 

Despite the warning bells in his head, at this point, Remus was feeling more annoyed at than scared of Black.

“Just listen to me,” He raced to say as Remus opened his mouth, “I don’t know who you are but if James sent you, you have to believe me, I didn’t do it, I didn’t kill him!” 

Remus responded curtly, “Ok.” He didn’t have much to lose at this point. 

Black continued frantically, as if he didn’t hear Remus. “ I have an explanation! Please it’s not what it looks like.” 

Black was starting to look a bit mad as he gestured widely, making Remus raise his voice and repeat, “Ok! I’ll listen to you.” 

“Oh,” Black responded, his tone softer, his head quirking to the side. 

He walked backwards, placing some distance between him and Remus before leaning on the wall. Remus was a bit worried the wall would collapse before remembering he didn’t care. 

Before Black could talk, Remus help up a finger to silence him before grabbing the gun from the floor. 

He walked over to the opposite wall, not leaning, and tucked the gun back in his clothing, looking Black in the eye carefully. 

“Ok,” Remus began, his voice carefully even, “What happened?”

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