The Wolf Next Door

Due to length, I'm making this 2 chapters.

Chapter 1 of 2

Sirius set up Netflix, waiting impatiently for his show to load. He had made progress in writing out his idea and his plot but struggled to imagine the character he was writing. He couldn't even think of a name that would work.

He was certain there were no other stories like his and that people would love to read his books.

It had taken a long time to come up with a plot though, and Netflix was to serve as a distraction. He hoped that by picking things to watch that would steal his focus, it would clear his mind and he'd have an easier job of picturing the leading man when he returned to his work.

He clicked through the shows, unimpressed at the selection, until one caught his eye.

Say Yes To The Intervention. Sirius eagerly clicked and began to read through the summaries to each episode. He had seen clips of this before, but the show was usually hard to find online. But now he could watch an entire episode.

He felt like a teenage fangirl as he found the episode he was looking for. The third season of the show, simply titled: Knitwear.

He clicked the button and sat back, his eyes locked on the screen.

...oOo...

Remus walked into his house, coming back from his job at the library, when he felt something wasn't right. He hesitated by the door before calling for his room-mate, Alice.

"In here," came her voice from the living room. Remus followed the sound of it, freezing in the doorway at the sight of his best friend with a camera crew.

"Alice?" Remus asked, glancing around. "What's going on?"

"Well, this is an intervention," Alice began. "You're on 'Say Yes To The Intervention."

Remus looked around once more. "And what are you intervening?" he asked, turning his attention back to her.

"It's the insane amount of knitwear, Remus. It just has to stop."

Remus snorted, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "Oh and here I thought it was going to be the chocolate consumption. Yeah, that's definitely a no, Alice. Sorry. I like to be comfortable. You have no hope of me giving up my cardigans and jumpers."

...oOo...

Sirius propped his feet up as he watched the old episode. It had to be about ten years old now, but he loved seeing where it had all started for the celebrity. The producers had loved Remus and so had the show's fans, and the adorable knitwear-clad man had quickly been offered bit parts on television.

From a children's presenter on the kid's channel right into a new show on Channel four called Desperate Cafe, where he played a minor role as an employee in the shop. The role had quickly grown until he was one of the main characters.

Sirius had watched every single episode so many times that he could recite pretty much all of it.

As the show finished, Sirius turned back to his writing. He pulled out the sheet with the bio for his main character. The man was a werewolf and he had just the name:

Romulus.

And if the man had amber eyes and shaggy sandy hair like a famous actor that Sirius was half-in-love with, well, no-one would make that connection.

...oOo...

Sirius had shown the book to his brother. Regulus was overly-critical of everything, so Sirius had been overjoyed when his brother had read and enjoyed the book. After his approval, Sirius had the confidence to start searching for someone to buy his book. He had typed it all up, even the pages where he had drawn the characters and written their bios, and paid for it to all be printed into a book already. Something for him to keep for himself. He kept the copy in his bag as he brought the book from one publishing house to another.

As each one turned him down, he didn't lose hope.

Three weeks of travelling around, Sirius found himself in the outskirts of London. The Publishing House was relatively new so had been lower on his list. When he tried the door, he found it was locked.

Travelling back home and out again seemed like a bit of a chore, and he wondered if he could afford to dip further into his savings to spring for a hotel room.

He spotted a small cafe down the street and walked over, pulling out a chair and grabbing the menu. Sirius was starving, having been too nervous to eat all day. But the place was closed and he could push the nerves aside until the next day.

A man walked in behind him and dropped down at the next table. "Excuse me? Weren't you just trying to get into Potter Publishing?"

Sirius turned his head, dropping the menu down and smiling at the man. "Yeah. I was delayed coming here unfortunately. I'm going to just head back home and get a train tomorrow, I think."

"Sounds like a hassle. What were you doing there?"

"I wrote a book. I think it's pretty good… though nowhere seems to like it so far. Well, except for people online." Sirius shrugged nervously. "I've barely made it past the front desk each time."

"What's your book about?" the man asked, pushing his glasses up his nose and leaning towards Sirius.

Sirius took his book from his bag and handed it over. "I have it printed up properly for the Publishing-Houses, of course," he said, watching the man skim over the first couple of pages. "I'm wondering if I've gotten my hopes too high."

The man closed the book. "No, I think you're a good writer. I've only skimmed of course, and there are some mistakes with your punctuation, but that's easily fixable. So, is it just one story you're writing?"

"I think there would be more than one," Sirius said. "I have kind of outlined three but only written one so far. There might be more, but I didn't want to work on them just yet."

The man nodded, hazel eyes taking Sirius in. "Yeah, I like it. So, you'll want to meet with my dad. I'll set you up a meeting?"

"Your… dad?"

"I'm James Potter. My dad will be impressed if I brought this to him. We're quite new, you see. I haven't found any book I like enough to show him yet, well, until now."

"Your dad works in the Publishing House?"

"Owns it," James corrected him. "We're both lawyers. I became one to be like my father, but last year, we both realised we wanted a change. I have an English degree and my dad used to be a Professor, so we thought Publishing was a good market to get into. It's hard work, but maybe yours is the story we've been waiting on."

Sirius stared at him for a long time. "I can't handle this on an empty stomach," he murmured. "Want something to eat?"

James grinned and nodded, moving from the seat at the next table to the one facing Sirius. "I'm quite excited about this," he said. "Let me just text my dad."

Sirius wasn't sure what to say to James Potter. He went about ordering his food and they ate quietly, James occasionally pulling out his phone to send another message.

Finally Sirius sat back, the remains of his lasagne on the plate. "That was delicious. I didn't think a little place like this would have such wonderful food!"

"One of the reasons why we chose this location," James replied with a grin, winking at the redhead behind the counter who rolled her eyes in return. "My dad is on his way back to the office so you can see him immediately."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be an inconvenience," Sirius stated eagerly.

"Not at all. It'll save you having to do return trips," James replied. "Show him the book though, he likes things that have the more personal touch."

Sirius nodded his head. "So… should we go to the office now?"

James nodded, pushing back his chair. "Let me just go and pay—"

"No, it's on me," Sirius replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet.

"Really, I'm going to pay. I can put it on the expense account. Meeting with authors is what it's for!"

Sirius watched as James placed some money down. "Sirius, I'm quite confident about your story. Have you had many critics?"

"Only my brother. But he's very harsh. If he didn't like it, he'd tell me," Sirius said. "I don't really have anyone else to show it to. I've kept going just so I can get some feedback from someone at least. This is the first time I've got past the front desk, James, so even if you and your father tell me it's no good, it's real feedback that I can work with."

James nodded. "Yeah, I see what you mean," he said. "It's hard to get into things, Sirius. But your book has promise."

...oOo...

Sirius sat nervously in front of Charlus Potter as he read through the first few pages of the book. His hands ran over his suit jacket, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles as he hoped he didn't look too nervous.

Finally, Charlus looked up from the book.

"This is an interesting premise," Charlus began. "There is a trend in the Supernatural so this book could become popular. It only features Werewolves?"

"For the first book, it's just the one," Sirius replied. "One werewolf trying to make it in the real world and hide his condition. The original draft had him as a single father, but the son didn't really fit the story as well as I had hoped and I just couldn't get it to flow as I wanted. It took a lot of rewriting before I realised the problem."

Charlus nodded, pressing his hands together. "I have to agree. I'm not that far in, but I can't see where a child would have worked. I must admit my favourite pages were the ones with the little hearts and 'Mr Sirius Lupin' written all over them."

Sirius paled. "I forgot about that," he muttered. "James said to show you the book rather than the printed out version that I've been carrying around."

Charlus chuckled. "I like seeing where people's ideas come from," he said. "I did notice there was a lot of mentions of knitwear. I think we'd need to tone that down slightly, and you need some help with keeping focus on what's happening in the chapter too, but I'd really like to take you on, Sirius."

"The cardigans are very important, Mr Potter," Sirius insisted. "The rest I'm happy to change, but my character… he's a big fan of wearing cardigans and jumpers."

Charlus nodded. "I'm sure we can work out how to keep that in without overdoing it," he said. "Now, I'm going to assign James as your publicist. He's not worked on any books before but I have faith in him. I'll oversee what he's doing too."

"That's perfect," Sirius replied. "So, what do I need to do?"

"Go home. James will call you within a week to discuss your story and any changes that need to be made. He'll set up a meeting with you, work out what you'll be paid."

"Thank you, Mr Potter. I look forward to hearing back," Sirius said. He reached out to shake Charlus' hand. "Thank you so much," he repeated before picking up his book and walking out of the door.

...oOo...

Two years later.

Sirius switched off the movie at the sound of the door. He walked across the room and pulled the door open.

"James. Want a beer?"

"Mum told me to make sure you're coming over for dinner later," James replied, walking into the flat and hanging his coat on one of the empty hooks. "I don't know why—it's not like you ever miss a Sunday dinner with us."

"Course I'm coming. Your mum does the best roasts. My parents never cooked Sunday dinner," Sirius replied. "I was going to leave in a few. Make yourself comfortable whilst I get ready."

James flopped down onto the sofa as Sirius headed into the bathroom to brush his hair. He took his time carefully putting it up in a tidy bun and brushing his teeth again before headed back to the living room.

James put down the motorcycle magazine he had been reading and stood up. "Ready?"

Sirius nodded.

James led the way from the flat and Sirius followed, grabbing his phone and keys on the way out. They walked for fifteen minutes until they reached the Potter's house.

"So, you've settled into your flat alright?" James asked.

Sirius nodded. "You ask me that every week. I've been there about two months now, I'm getting used to it."

"I'm glad you moved down here," James admitted. "It's great having my best mate living closer."

Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Plus my mum adores you. She'd adopt you if she had the chance," James continued.

Sirius grinned at him. "You're just jealous that you're not the favourite," he teased, turning up the driveway. "So… Lily was asking about you yesterday…"

"You saw her?" James asked excitedly, turning to face his friend, his eyes lighting up. "Tell me exactly what she said."

"Just a comment about how you weren't with me. She seemed relieved," Sirius said."Mate, how long has it been now?"

"Two and a half years," James muttered.

"Are you ever going to give up?"

"As long as there is breath in my body, I will never give up on my love," James said, opening the front door and walking into the house. "Mum, Dad, I'm back," he called.

"Right on time," Dorea said, walking out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Before we start, Sirius darling, Charlus would like to see you in his office."

Sirius glanced at James who shrugged in return. "Not a clue," he muttered. "Want me there?"

"If you want, I'll only tell you about whatever it is afterwards anyway."

Together they headed to the office at the end of the hall.

...oOo...

Sirius felt nervous as Charlus silently slid a document across the table. He started to read through, but it didn't seem to make much sense to him. "Charlus, what is this?" he finally asked, pushing it back.

"It's something that got sent through to me on Friday," Charlus said. "We have an offer to get your book series made into a set of movies."

Sirius stared at Charlus for a long moment until James nudged his side "Sirius, your books are going to become movies," he said, failing to hide how excited he was at the prospect.

"My books?" Sirius checked in disbelief.

"Into movies," Charlus confirmed. "I've already set up a meeting for Friday so you can confirm or deny—"

"Of course I want them to be movies," Sirius quickly replied. "I'm just in shock. I never even considered that something like this could happen to me. So, I get to meet with the producers?"

"You do. James and I will be there too. I'll check over the contracts and everything to ensure they aren't trying to screw you over. They're hoping to take on the whole series."

"All of my books?" Sirius replied, his eyes widening. "I knew my books were selling well, but are they really that big?"

"Mate, you don't know the half of it," James laughed. "If you got off netflix for a bit, you'd get it."

"Oh. So… what do I need to do?"

"If you're sure you want this, you'll need to look over the contracts and discuss how to proceed. I'll talk you through it over the week. Film-makers like to take over control so if you have certain things you don't want changed, you have to insist on having some of that control. They might have a vision for the movie, but this was your vision first and you don't let them forget that."

"Got it," Sirius replied. "So… how involved will I be?"

"I'll make sure you're very involved," Charlus replied. "And all of those book-signings and interviews you've been so shy about… well, it may be a good time to get on with those. Sell more books, make fans more aware of who you are and that'll tie in nicely when announcements are made about this book becoming a movie. You'll have to give up the whole 'no interviews' thing."

"But… I don't know what to say," Sirius muttered.

"Mate, whatever you sign up for, I'll come along and help you," James promised.

"Okay," Sirius agreed. "I'll do it."

Charlus smiled. "I'll start arranging a few book signings for you and an interview. We'll start small for the interview, but I can't promise as much for the book signing. Since it's your first one, everyone will be clamoring to come and see you."

"They will?"

"Boys, dinner is ready," Dorea shouted, knocking on the door.

"Ah, and that signals the end of business for the day. Come into the office tomorrow. I'm free from two, and we'll discuss this further."

...oOo...

Sirius sat facing the friendly looking man as he looked over his contract. Charlus so far had argued a lot of points for Sirius as the company had tried to get him to agree to all the changes they wanted to make.

Thankfully the man was so far agreeing to the certain points of the movie that Sirius wanted to keep.

"We'd like to change the look of the main character," the man said, looking up from his document. "Oversized jumpers and dorky cardigans might not appeal as much. The clothes might be too shabby, we'd like to smarten him up slightly."

"And what would you change it to, Kingsley?" Charlus asked.

"More fitted jumpers and less cardigans," Kingsley replied. "The suits will still show the poverty Romulus faces each day, but maybe on a slightly more realistic scale."

Sirius bit his lip slightly. "I get where you're coming from with the suits and stuff, but I'm not giving up the jumpers and cardigans. Romulus is all about comfort. He wears them in favour of jackets and coats. He eats chocolate to help him through his transformations. Those things reflect on his personality. His mother makes him some of the jumpers and sends them."

"I'm not sure it'll appeal as much—"

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Sirius said, pushing his chair back and holding out his hand. Kingsley stared at him in confusion, and Sirius let his hand drop. "I've got another book to write. Good luck with whatever your next project is."

He turned to leave, but Kingsley jumped up. "Wait Mr Black. I'm sure we can come to some agreement over the knitted garments the man wears. We'd really like to work on your series of books. At the moment there is a lot of Supernatural shows and movies, but we don't get to see many focused solely on Werewolves—or a single Werewolf struggling like Romulus struggles. It's a great, original series of books."

"The cardigans stay," Sirius said. "And I want a say in the casting. Not just having my opinion heard and discarded, I want to be part of the process. All changes have to go through me. I want to be allowed full access when you shoot the movie too."

"You're asking a lot," Kingsley pointed out. He stared at Sirius for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "Okay, sure. I agree. I'll get the contracts amended and have them faxed over this evening."

Sirius grinned and held out his hand; this time Kingsley shook it. "I look forward to working with you."

"Me too. I'm sure we're going to butt heads a lot, but I think you'll make it interesting. Now, we need to talk publicity. You've never done an interview or a book-signing or—"

"Way ahead of you," Sirius interrupted. "Charlus has insisted I start putting my face out there and getting the fans worked up. He knows what I'll be able to handle, so you're fine contacting the Publishing House if you have anything you need me to appear in."

"Well, it'll take a while to start the ball rolling. We'll need to get this written up as a script first. How about a meeting next month and if there are any actors that you feel fit the roll, we can make sure to get a copy sent out."

"Sounds good," Sirius agreed.

...oOo...

Alice flopped onto Remus' old sofa, clutching a book in her arms. "Pinch me," she begged, quickly moving away as Remus reached for her arm. "No don't, but I can't believe it. He's signing books!"

"Who?" Remus asked.

"Just my favourite author in the world," Alice said. "S. Black, writer of the 'The Wolf Next Door."

"I haven't heard of that," Remus replied, glancing at the book she was cradling as though it were her child. "What's it about?"

"Never heard of it?" Alice said, looking at him in shock. "How could you not have heard of this? I only talk about it all of the time, ever!"

"Oh, is this the Werewolf story?"

"Of course it is," Alice stated. She smiled widely. "Just the most amazing book I've read in a long time! It's about a man who is just trying to live his life but also trying to hide his Lycanthropy at the same time. He loves chocolate and… and knitted things. His name is Romulus. Remus, this guy could be you!"

Remus snorted. "That doesn't sound like me. Does he wear hats? Because I wear…" he trailed off as Alice nodded.

"Well, clearly Romulus has good taste in fashion," Remus replied. "So, book signing. Has the book been out long?"

"Over a year and the second one was released only a couple of weeks ago," Alice squealed. "And he… she? The author has remained anonymous so far, just an initial. We don't even know if they are male or female… well, they've never had an interview or anything. So a book signing. I have to be there, Remus. You do not understand how important this is to me!"

"You've gone red and almost smashed a window. I think it's pretty important," he teased. "Right, so give me a moment to get ready and I'll go with you."

Alice shook her head. "You were going to see your mum later."

"Oh that's fine, she can come too," Remus said. "I was going to take her to lunch but you know she can't pass by a bookshop." He grabbed his black gloves and coat, pulling them all on. "Ready."

"Are you actually going out without a scarf and hat?" Alice asked.

"Of course not. Mum said she knitted me new ones," Remus replied. "I'll get them when I go and collect her."

Alice snorted as she followed Remus to the door. "So… wanna bet that this S. Black is a man?"

"I'll take that bet," Remus replied. "Mid thirties?"

"Twenties," Alice disagreed.

"Loser buys coffee?"

"And lunch."

"Done," Remus agreed, leading the way to Alice's car. "You're driving, right?"

"Don't I always?" Alice replied. "Your mum won't mind—"

"You know she loves you," Remus said. "She'd be annoyed if I didn't bring you!"

...oOo...

After trying on a few suits and smart outfits, Sirius laid out his favourite jeans and a plain t-shirt on the bed. He was terrified of having all of those people looking at him, knowing who he was.

Sirius certainly couldn't do it in a suit. He had to do it in something that made him feel comfortable.

He sat down at the dressing table and began to run his fingers through his hair. It had just finished drying, and he grabbed the comb, pulling it through his long hair, removing the tangles and absentmindedly fussed with his hair until his brother walked into the room. Ignoring Sirius sitting around in his underwear, he looked at the outfit on the bed. "No."

Sirius pouted through the mirror. "But I need to feel comfortable."

"Could you feel comfortable in some jeans that aren't so tight?" Regulus asked. "Next thing you'll tell me is that you're going to wear your leather… no, please don't wear the leather jacket!"

Sirius grinned. "It makes me comfortable. I'm going to ride the bike too. It's a shame I can't ride it to the front of the shop and just…"

"This isn't a tv show, there's probably a law against that," Regulus said, clearly wanting to make sure that Sirius knew it wasn't allowed. Sirius sighed and turned back to the mirror. It was clearly a joke.

"I know," Sirius muttered. "Look, I can't do this if I don't feel like myself. I need to wear those. I did bring a suitcase full of clothes for this, but this is the only thing I can feel confident enough in."

"It's your signing," Regulus sighed. "I better go, I said I'd help James set things up. He'll be here in a few minutes to collect me. Don't be late, your fans are waiting and it's not fair to make them wait longer. I'll let James know he doesn't need to travel back to collect you."

"Right. Well, I'll see you in a little while," Sirius said. "Make sure there's a parking spot out front like the manager agreed. And Regulus… thanks for being here."

"Of course, like I'd miss these big events of your life," Regulus replied with a smile. "You know I'll come to every one I'm able to."

"I know. I'll see you in a bit."

Regulus left the hotel room, shutting the door behind him, and Sirius grabbed some hairbands from the side, slipping a couple over his wrist before reaching behind him for the t-shirt on the bed. Once that was on, he grabbed the comb and set out to fix his hair.

...oOo...

Remus moved away from the group that were packed into the main part of the shop. He had been in the room with his mother and Alice, listening to them gossip about the men that were setting up and wondering if either of them were S. Black. He recognised another author, Frank Longbottom, who was standing and talking to a man in glasses. Frank wrote one of Remus' favourite books, and he had been looking forward to the book that was due to come out in three months.

He had even preordered a copy.

As the women whispered, staring at the men and wondering which one was S. Black, Remus excused himself and headed to the front of the shop. Thankfully the area was empty and there was a display of notebooks and stationery. Remus began to look through the planners when the roar of a motorcycle caught his attention.

He turned from the display just as a motorbike slowed down. The driver quickly parked it in the reserved bay out front. It didn't take a genius to realise that this was the author everyone was waiting for.

Remus' eyes followed the graceful way the man slipped off the bike, and he watched in anticipation as the clothes were smoothed down and the helmet removed.

Though he could only see the back of the man, he was already interested in seeing more. Hair was pulled up into a messy bun on the back of his head, and a leather jacket showed the man's form off nicely. The man leaned over his bike for a moment, and Remus' eyes trailed down to an wonderful looking arse. He pulled his lip between his teeth, hoping the man would turn.

As though hearing his desires, the man turned towards the bookshop, his head tilting to the sign above it, before moving to the board outside announcing the book-signing. He watched a flicker of fear briefly cross the man's face.

The man stood there for a long moment, and Remus took the time to appreciate him. S. Black was tall with handsome features. Remus couldn't see him as clearly as he would have liked but hoped to get a better look once Black came inside.

He hoped that the other man was able to overcome his fear because he knew himself how overwhelming these situations could be. After all, Black had drawn a very large crowd.

Remus slipped back through the bookshop, finding Alice and his mother quickly. People were too busy talking to notice him thankfully, and Remus wanted to get out of the crowd before the writer came in, because he suspected everyone would be pushing forward once he had made his entrance.

"He's outside," Remus whispered into Alice's ear. "Pulled up on a Motorbike and he's wearing a leather jacket. He's really handsome."

"You fancy him," she murmured softly.

"I don't know him," Remus pointed out.

"But you'd like to," Alice giggled. The sound of the bell over the door caused Remus and Alice to both look around. They were the only ones that paid attention to the man in the leather jacket, with everyone else dismissing him immediately. After all, what writers turned up in leather jackets. With everyone's attention diverted, Remus moved from the crowd and headed up the stairs to the second floor where he'd have a good view and be away from the crowds.

The man stopped at the front of the room and cleared his throat however, people turned their attention to him once more. Whispers began to fill the room as people speculated whether this was actually S. Black in person.

"Welcome to the Book Signing for The Wolf Next Door," Sirius said, glancing around. "My name is Sirius Black and it's…" he trailed off as people began to cheer and glanced at the men behind him.

Once the cheer had died down slightly, Sirius grinned out at the crowd. "As I was saying, it's nice to meet you all. This is my first public appearance and first book signing, so hopefully I don't bore you all. My Publicist, James Potter has advised me to take a few questions, make a few announcements, maybe read a bit from my next book before getting on with the signing. So… who has a question? Just wave or… or something."

Sirius looked around. "Your hand. I'm not really an underwear sort of man." Clearly that was the wrong thing to say because amongst the cheers and shouts were some wolf-whistles.

Sirius chuckled. "And maybe a good idea to say now: no personal questions about me or my underwear."

"Or lack of," the man in glasses said with a grin.

"Before I start, this is James Potter from Potter Publishing House. He's the man responsible for getting this book into your hands. My brother, Regulus, and Frank Longbottom—another writer who is here for moral support. Right, first question please."

Remus watched as Sirius picked someone to ask a question, not taking his eyes off Sirius Black for a moment. He found himself fascinated with the man. That smile was making his stomach do flips, and the man had an air of confidence that Remus himself struggled to build when he first started in the celebrity world.

He wondered if he could quickly buy a copy of the book so he could get Sirius to sign it. He hoped to get a closer look at the man and even maybe find a way to give Sirius his number.

...oOo...

Sirius pointed to a woman at the side who was smiling widely.

"Mr Black, how many books do you see this series becoming?"

"I think it will be five," Sirius replied. "Though I love my characters, I don't want to drag the story out too much. I have an idea over the five books and a couple of endings in mind. I'm sure my fans will continue it online. I've been told that there is quite a bit of fan-fiction out there, after all."

"What inspired you to write this book?" Another girl asked.

Sirius took a deep breath. "I've always loved the Supernatural," he said. "I'm not really sure. I think I was just having a bad day and trying to lose myself in my favourite shows, and I just couldn't find anything to really catch my attention. I didn't have anywhere to go and I just started thinking. Before I knew it, I was scribbling the plot of the first book into my brother's diary. Something he still hasn't forgiven me for." He turned and winked at Regulus who just raised his eyebrows, trying to keep the smile at bay. "I did buy him a new diary of course. It took me a few years to write that first book and to come up with a plot I was happy with. The characters I found harder though."

"Who or what inspired Romulus?" A girl to his left asked. Sirius stared at her for a moment, wondering why she looked so familiar, but dismissed the thought. "Well, Romulus is a wolf name, so Romulus Wolfe the Werewolf I felt was the perfect character. I wanted him to… I wanted to write the boy next door. The adorable guy who'd help anyone. Someone who'd help people up six flights of stairs with their shopping, even if he was on his way out of the building, or someone you'd ask to feed your fish when you go on holiday. I wanted to show that his personality was the opposite to the creature he becomes every month."

"And the knitwear?" the girl shouted before Sirius could pick someone else.

'So familiar,' Sirius thought to himself. "Of course. I couldn't have him in a leather jacket with tattoos. People would just be waiting for him to do something bad, wouldn't they?" A few people laughed and Sirius grinned around, before looking back at the girl. "He goes through the pain of the transformations, waking up in the cold basement, naked, hurt throughout all seasons. Warmth and comfort are important to him. Hats, scarves, gloves. Jumpers and cardigans. He values comfort over anything, because those are the few comforts he can get in life."

"And the chocolate?"

"Well, who doesn't love chocolate?" Sirius replied with a laugh. "Chocolate helps the healing process. But even if it didn't, I'm sure Romulus would still treat himself to a lot of it."

Sirius turned his attention to a teenage boy on the other side of the room, losing himself in the questions. He was enjoying himself, talking about the story that had taken up a big part of his life, and it wasn't until James coughed from behind him that Sirius even realised that question time was over.

"Well," Sirius said, clapping his hands. "That's enough for questions. I think next was announcements?" He turned around and James nodded his head in confirmation.

"Well, you are all the first to know," Sirius began. "The Wolf Next Door is going to be made into a film."

He looked shocked at the volume of the cheers. It took a few minutes before the noise stopped. "I can't give dates or any information, but—"

"Who will play Romulus?" someone shouted.

"Well… the scripts are being sent out soon for the role and—"

"And Mr Black isn't able to give out information as to who will be receiving a copy of a script," James said, stepping forward. "He's not able to give you any more information over the movie for the time being. However, if there is any news, it will be updated on his website."

"I'm going to sign the books now. There's a lot more people than I expected… so please be patient as you wait. For those that don't have a copy of my books, there is a display behind me. Please buy the book before getting me to sign it."

People began rushing to get into a line or to grab a book and Remus watched from the balcony, his eyes trained on Sirius as he pulled off his jacket and took a seat at the table he had been leaning against. The man opened a bottle of water and took a long drink from it before he smiled up at the first person who was holding a book out to him.

Remus walked down the stairs and found his mother looking at the books. She smiled when she saw him. "Alice insists I'll like the books," she said. "I have that gift-voucher you gave me so I was going to treat myself. Now, how many are there?"

"Two, I believe," Remus said, reaching for two copies of the first book and handing one to his mum. "I think I'll get some copies too and get them signed. It'd be nice to show some support."

Hope scoffed, giving her son a knowing look. "You can't fool me, Remus. You had no intentions of buying a book when we were in the car."

Remus blushed slightly, turning his head so he didn't have to meet his mother's gaze. "Here's the second book," he said, instead, handing one of them to her. "Let's go and pay so we can join the other queue. I think if we delay too long, Alice will cry."

Remus glanced at the long queues and sighed. "Let me just grab one more thing," he said, turning to the crime section.

...oOo...

After a long wait at the tills, Remus finally paid for all of the books. He passed the table where Sirius Black was talking to his fans and approached Frank Longbottom. The man looked around from his conversation, surprised at being approached.

"I hope you don't mind, but I love your first book," Remus said, smiling widely. "Would it be a bother to get you to sign it?" He held up the receipt to show he had paid.

Frank grinned at him. "Of course!" he said, taking a pen that James Potter offered. "I recognise you from…"

"Yeah," Remus muttered. "So far people haven't noticed me and I kinda don't want to steal any of the attention, not that half these people would know me of course, but…"

"I get you," Frank agreed with a grin. "Remus Lupin, right?"

"That's me," Remus agreed, watching Frank sign the book.

"You should go and meet Sirius."

Remus turned to the other two men and smiled at them. "James Potter and Regulus Black, was it?" he asked, trying to recall the introductions at the beginning of Sirius' talking.

"That's us," Regulus said. "It's nice to meet you."

Remus shook hands with each of the men in turn. James grinned widely as he lowered his hand. "Yeah, what Regulus said. You should go and meet Sirius."

"I was going to. My friend is here and she's a massive fan. I must admit I haven't read the books yet, but I've got copies now." He glanced around. "I better join the queue now though, my mum and friend aren't the most patient women in the world and I have to sit in a car with them both."

He politely said his goodbyes to the men before heading to where the two women were waiting.

...oOo...

Sirius ignored the pain in his wrist as he signed his name once more. He considered telling James to intervene, but he didn't want to let anyone down. All of the people were here to see him after all. Plus, there were only three people left, James said. The staff had locked the door and were only unlocking to let people out.

"Hey, thanks for coming," he said, glancing down at the next book to sign. His gaze moved up. "What do you want me to wri…" His jaw dropped as he stared up into green eyes he had only ever seen on the television screen. He turned to look at his friends who were smirking in his direction.

Bastards.

"Hi, if you could just make it out to Remus," the man said, flashing him the most adorable smile he had ever seen.

"Yeah, of course," Sirius said. He put his pen over the front page but couldn't think of a single thing to write. Could he get away with his phone number? What could be nice but slightly flirtatious?

Why wasn't he prepared for this moment? He was a writer yet he couldn't think of a word!

He smiled as a little rhyme popped into his head. Poems were better than words. It was a much better way to get Remus Lupin to notice him. He quickly wrote it down whilst hiding the book from Remus' eyes.

"I have to admit that I haven't read the book yet," Remus said, after trying and failing to get a peek at what Sirius was writing. "My friend brought me along, but from what I've heard in here, it sounds really interesting. I bought both books."

"I hope you like them," Sirius replied shyly. It meant a lot to him that his idol liked the books where the characters were slightly inspired by him. Knowing that Remus Lupin could actually like his work make Sirius all tingly inside. "I… I don't want to sound like a crazy fan or anything, but could I…" He blushed, turning his attention to the signed book he was still holding. "Don't worry. Here."

"No, tell me," Remus pushed, reaching out and taking the book.

"Mate, he wants a picture," James called. "And probably for you to sign his—"

James was efficiently cut off when Regulus' hand covered his mouth.

"A picture? Sure, I don't mind doing that," Remus offered, ignoring Regulus' outrage when James licked his hand. "Where do you want me?"

Sirius had dreamt about Remus Lupin saying those words to him. Perhaps in a different context, but the words had left his mouth and that had been amazing all the same. Making sure to remember how Remus' voice sounded with the words, Sirius grinned widely at him. "Against the wall?"

There was a pause and Remus' eyes opened wide at the reply as he realised just how it sounded. Sirius couldn't help but watch the blush rise onto Remus' cheeks. With a sudden burst of bravery, he stood up and winked at the actor, before grabbing his jacket and pulling it on. He walked over to the wall, feeling the man's eyes on him as he leaned against it.

Sirius watched Remus walk over, a smile pulling at his lips. "A fan?" he asked.

"A bit," Sirius replied, blushing slightly. "A bit surprised to see you here. I didn't expect this. James! Picture?"

James pulled out the camera he had used to take pictures for the website and moved in front of the pair. "Move a bit closer together."

Remus shifted closer and an arm wrapped around Sirius' waist. Sirius blushed, turning his gaze from the camera to Remus. Remus returned his gaze, a shy smile on his lips and neither of the men noticed the flash of the camera as they looked into each other's eyes.

"It was nice to meet you. I hope you like the book," Sirius finally said. "And if a script happens to land on your desk for the Romulus role… I mean, it's probably already in your office…."

"Me?" Remus asked, surprised. "Well, I'll certainly take a look at it. My agent hasn't been in touch so maybe he hasn't seen it yet. I'll make sure it's sent straight over to me."

"Great."

"And… if I have any questions, I can contact you at the… the…"

"Potter Publishing House," James said, walking over with a card. "My number. I'll make sure Sirius gets all messages immediately."

"Thank you. Well, I'd better get going," Remus said. "I liked meeting you. Maybe I'll see you soon?"

"Certainly," Sirius said. He kept his eyes on Remus, watching the man give a shy wave and adorable smile, before he turned to leave. Sirius' eyes moved down to Remus Lupin's arse, taking his time admiring it until Remus was out of sight.

"Two more," Regulus said, snapping Sirius out of his trance, where he had been having knitwear related fantasies.

Blushing slightly, Sirius turned to the two women at the table. He headed back over. "Sorry about that," he muttered.

"You know Remus Lupin?"

"I don't," Sirius admitted. "Though I do think he's quite… quite talented, and…"

"Gorgeous?" the girl asked, grinning.

"So, is there anything you want written in your autograph?" Sirius asked, offering his most charming smile.

"Nope, just my name," she said. "I'm Alice."

Sirius' hand froze and he glanced back at her. "Alice?" he murmured. No wonder she looked familiar when she had been asking questions. She was the girl who had brought Remus on his first show for the knitwear intervention.

She grinned. "You're cute. I'd have told you to add your phone number too if you were able to turn your eyes from Remus."

"I… I don't know what you mean," Sirius murmured. "I wasn't… I'm not…"

"Don't you worry. I'm not going to say anything to anyone," she assured him. "So… he was sent a script?"

"I hope so," Sirius murmured. "I did insist…" he turned his head towards where Remus had left. "I hope…"

"I'll make sure he's got it. If he hasn't been sent it, I'll get him to call his agent. I love Romulus and I would love to see Remus play the part." Alice gave a little wave as she bounded after Remus.

Sirius turned to the last woman who was standing way too close, carefully scrutinising him. She grabbed his jaw, turning his face each way, letting go before Sirius could regain his senses and pull away.

"Handsome, polite, and charming. You'll do nicely for my Remus," she said with a warm smile. "Please make the books out to Hope."

Sirius nodded his head, speechless at the events which had transpired. He silently signed the last of the books, before watching the last book-signing attendee leave.

When they were alone, Sirius turned back to James, Regulus and Frank. "What just happened?"

...oOo...

Remus was left dazed after the meeting with Sirius. The man was undoubtedly handsome, but Remus met handsome men all of the time as an actor. There was something more with Sirius Black that he wanted to figure out, to learn.

Pretending he was only giving in to Alice's insisting, Remus swung the car back home after taking his mother for something to eat, checking if his agent had sent a copy of the script over.

Nothing.

Remus considered that maybe he hadn't been put forward for the part, but the way Sirius looked at him as though he saw Remus as Romulus had him pulling out his phone and dialling.

"Remus," the man drawled. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"Severus, glad I got a hold of you. I need you to send me over the copy of The Wolf Next Door script. I'm possibly interested in the part of Romulus."

"The Wolf Next Door? I don't believe I've received that. I think you may be mistaken."

Remus frowned. "I was told today that it had already been sent to me," he insisted. "Perhaps I'll make some calls and find out—"

"Hold on. I'll check with the receptionist in case anything has been handed in and not brought to me," Severus said. Remus sighed as he was placed on hold and watched the time on the phone.

Six minutes later Remus was taken off hold. "Yes, there is a script. It was handed in whilst I was away from the desk yesterday and wasn't brought to me. I've had words with my assistant. I will send this over to you on Monday."

"No need. I'm going to drop my mum home so I'll be there soon to collect it."

When he ended the call, he turned to Alice, looking confused. "Severus misplaced it," he said.

She let out a snort but thankfully didn't make a comment.

...oOo...

A few hours later, Remus found himself alone. He had checked with his agent and had a few weeks to look at the script before making a choice.

Rather than reading the script, Remus opted for pulling out the book he had purchased earlier that day, smiling at the memory of meeting the writer. He wrapped a blanket his mother had crocheted around him and double-checked that his hot-chocolate was next to him before opening the first page to see Sirius' signature.

I was shocked today when I met you

You've totally made my day

You looked cosy and warm and have a nice smile

If you want, you can call my office and say 'hey.'

Remus couldn't stop smiling as he reached for his phone. Halfway through pulling up Alice's number, he dropped the phone down again next to him. As much as he wanted to share the message with Alice, wondering what it meant, he wanted to read the book now more than ever.

He reached out for his drink, savouring the hot liquid flowing down his throat before turning his attention back to the book. He turned to the first page and began to read.

[Remus to Alice] 03:07: I have just finished this book and it's amazing!

[Remus to Alice] 03:08: You have to help me pick my audition piece.

[Remus to Alice] 03:08: I don't even know where to start to decide!

[Alice to Remus] 03:10: Go away. I am in bed. I am currently dreaming about being an Egyptian Princess and having handsome men fan me with a big leaf-fan and feed me grapes and chocolate. Please do not interrupt my dreams when Princess-Pharaoh Alice was about to get her groove on!

[Alice to Remus] 03:11: Wait. You're taking the role?

[Alice to Remus] 03:11: YES. YOU HAVE TO BE ROMULUS. YOU ARE JUST PERFECT FOR THIS ROLE!

[Alice to Remus] 03.12: Remus?

[Alice to Remus] 03:12: When do you want help?

[Alice to Remus] 03:13: Are you sulking?

[Alice to Remus] 03:13: Or are you sleeping and dreaming about sexy men with black hair and leather jackets and motorbikes?

[Remus to Alice] 03:14: I don't need to sleep to dream about him, Alice. Go back to sleep and enjoy royal life! I'll talk to you tomorrow. Tell Pharaoh Alice to use protection. I hear sheep innards were the times choice of condom.

[Alice to Remus] 03:15: You're just trying to spoil my fun. Great. Now I have to look that up to see if you're telling the truth. Pharaoh Alice is not pleased with you.

...oOo...

Sirius couldn't resist watching the auditions. James had informed him that Remus had left a voicemail, stating which day he was auditioning. Sirius made sure his hair was extra amazing and that he was wearing his own knitted beanie that the lady who lived downstairs made for him the previous Christmas.

The room was very warm and he had abandoned his leather jacket, even if he wanted to look his best for Remus. After all, he didn't want to be gross and covered in sweat. The three actors who had auditioned for Romulus had been good, but he just couldn't see them in the role.

It wasn't that he had his heart set on Remus Lupin he just wanted the best. The other actors weren't the best.

"Next we have Remus Lupin," Kingsley said from next to him. "He's the name you put forward to play the part, isn't he?"

Sirius nodded his head. "I haven't liked anyone so far. They don't have the Romulus spark that I'm looking for," he said, his eyes trained on the stage. When Remus walked out in an oversized knitted jumper, Sirius straightened, a smile appearing on his lips. Remus looked as adorable as ever. He resisted waving.

Remus looked to the men confidently. "I must admit I've been torn between two scenes for my audition. There is a scene between Romulus and his love-interest that captivated me when I read it, though I have a monologue prepared too. Which would you prefer?"

"Pick the love scene," Sirius murmured quietly to himself.

Kingsley gave him an amused look. "Let's try the scene first. Sirius, can you read with him?"

Sirius turned to Kingsley with wide eyes. "The romantic scene? Yes! I mean, sure. I don't mind."

"Go up to the stage."

"Oh. If I'm rubbish, you won't hold it against Remus, will you?" Sirius whispered. "I don't want to mess up his chances!"

"I have a feeling that this is going to be good," Kingsley replied.

Sirius nodded. He grabbed his copy of the script because he had a feeling his memory would fail him and he headed up to the stage.

Sirius had been on stage a few times back in school before he realised he prefered to write the scenes rather than act them out, so he was confident he wouldn't mess up. Though back in school he had never worked with Remus Lupin. He headed up the stairs and grinned at him.

"Where are we starting?"

Remus moved closer, holding up a copy of the script. Sirius could tell immediately that it wasn't a copy that was given at the front desk. His eyes moved over the tiny writing and the notes crammed all over the page. Bits were highlighted in different colours, some text was underlined.

Remus had been thorough about it. "Do you do this for all of your roles?"

"Of course," Remus replied, blushing slightly. "I mean, if I want a role, I have to put in the work. There is no point just turning up with a script and reading. Where will that get me? Plus, I do really want this role. It feels like… it was made for me, or something."

Sirius stifled a laugh. "So, you're Romulus and I'm Sarin. Where do we start?"

"When Sarin comes in. How's your acting?"

"Shite compared to yours," Sirius whispered. "But they'll only be watching you so don't worry. I'll try and not screw it up for you."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Remus said. His eyes darted over the page before he folded the script in his hand.

Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, it was like his whole persona had changed. He was more confident and looked like someone else.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked, wearily.

"Looking for you," Sirius replied. "You've been avoiding me, Romulus. I've called, texted… I thought there was someone else."

The expression on Remus' face softened slightly. "Sarin, I would never hurt you in that way. You know I'd never—"

"I followed you," Sirius interrupted. "I'm sorry. I followed you."

"When!" Remus demanded.

"A week ago. You went… I saw everything. I know why you avoid me when I know you love me. I know why you have the scars. I know why you're scared to let me get close."

"But you're here now? You can't know if you haven't run away," Remus murmured, taking a small step forward. "I don't understand."

"Because I trust you. One night of the month you could hurt me, but the rest of the days, you would never do that to me," Sirius replied.

"But I could!" Remus snapped, shaking his head. "Don't you understand how dangerous I am, Sarin? I'm a monster. I'm not worthy of you." The crack in his voice prompted Sirius forward.

"You are. Whoever made you believe that is a fool. I love you. I've made my choice, and I want to be with you." Sirius reached out for Remus. "Don't turn your back on me. Please."

Remus moved forward quickly, a desperate look on his face. "You're going to regret those words," he said, his voice lower. It should have been a whisper, but Sirius knew Remus needed the others to hear the words.

"I'd never regret anything as long as I get to be with you," Sirius replied.

"You have to stay away during the full moon," Remus insisted.

"Anything, Romulus."

Remus' hand reached up, running down Sirius' face. "What if I hurt you?" He shifted, his lips inches from Sirius'.

"You could only hurt me if you walk away," Sirius murmured, willing Remus to kiss him. After all, it was Romulus in the book that made the move. They were so close.

He watched Remus' eyes flutter closed and felt Remus' body press against his a bit more. This was it!

"And Scene."

Remus pulled back, giving Sirius a wide smile. "Pretty good," he said, nodding slightly.

Sirius nodded in return, words failing him. He wasn't quite sure how he got down the stairs and back to his seat. He barely heard Kingsley ask Remus to do the Monologue too.

But he did see Kingsley underline Remus' name three times. Three times was a big deal. Only one of the actors had an underline and that was one single line.

Remus was clearly superior.

"You do know that we're not friends anymore," Sirius muttered.

Kingsley chuckled. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that," he replied.

...oOo...

The call came sooner than expected about the part. Remus had nailed the monologue. Just the effect his acting seemed to have on Sirius gave him some added confidence that he had never felt before.

Or it could have been the almost kiss that had given him that confidence. Either way, he was happy with his performance.

His agent, Severus Snape, hadn't sounded too pleased about Remus going to the audition and things had come to blows between them. Snape felt he had a better grasp on what roles were appropriate for Remus, and Remus wondered how many scripts Severus had kept out of his sight. He had wondered why he hadn't been offered anything good for a while.

It didn't take long for him to find a new agent. A couple of calls to friends had put him in touch with Peter Pettigrew. Peter had made the calls to let the producers of The Wolf Next Door know about the change in agents, and they had responded with offering Remus the role.

More confident than ever before, Remus pulled out his mobile and dialed James Potter's office.

"Hello, Potter Publishing. James speaking."

"James Potter? It's Remus Lupin here."

"Hi Remus. How can I help you?"

Remus smiled as James' tone relaxed. "A few things. First, I've just been offered and have accepted the role as Romulus. I'll be signing the contract tomorrow."

"Wonderful. Congratulations!"

"Well, I was hoping to ask a favour. I've just changed agents, and my new agent isn't as familiar with the role as my last. I was hoping to hire you for an afternoon if possible - I know you mentioned last time we spoke that you don't work in law anymore, but—"

"Don't worry, I'm happy to help," James replied warmly. "Give me the details, and I'll be there."

"Brilliant. The second thing… I have… I have a lot of questions regarding my character. Such as… I need more background if possible, I have so many questions. I want to play this part perfectly. Would Sirius… I mean, who would be the best person to talk to about these?"

"Sirius, of course," James chuckled. "How about I pass your number on to him?"

"I'd like that. I'll email you the details for tomorrow. Thank you, James."

"I may move Sirius' appointment with the company to tomorrow. It'll make things easier. We could meet you for lunch or something." Remus heard a murmur of voices before James spoke to him again. "My father is calling for me to help him. I'll send your number now, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Remus put the phone down for a moment before grabbing it again to tell Alice the big news. Before he could get her number up, a text message popped up on the screen.

"This is Sirius Black. I hear you have some questions about Romulus Wolfe? I'm happy to answer any questions and give any information you need about him. Perhaps over dinner? ;) Or we could just discuss over the phone if you prefer.

Remus smiled. Sirius wasn't as subtle as he seemed to think he was.

"Dinner sounds great. We're going to be working together, after all… so it'd be nice to get to know you as well as the character."

Remus wondered if he could finally get that kiss from the end of the scene. Perhaps he could ask Sirius to rehearse with him… or maybe he could make a move after dinner. Whatever happened, Remus looked forward to getting to know Sirius better.

...oOo...

Sirius stared at his phone in shock. Remus had agreed on a date. They were going on a date.

"James, is this a date?" he checked.

James and Charlus both turned in his direction, and James took a look at Sirius' phone. "Yes, it is," James said firmly. "Well done. Do you think if you and Remus had the date at the cafe down the street, Lily would be impressed enough—"

"James, I don't think there's anything you can do to impress Lily," Sirius snorted. "What did you do to make her hate you so much?"

"Nothing! I dazzled her with my wits, my charm… my wonderful personality."

"That'd be enough to put her off," Sirius sniggered. The sniggering stopped as he reread the text message again.

A date with Remus, and he was seeing Remus the next day with James. Life was good.

I have another chapter planned for this story and three more one-shots.

The next chapter will explore more of them getting to know each other more than an actor and a writer. :)

Due to the lack of response to my stories, I'm considering a hiatus from writing Wolfstar (and taking some time to complete some of my multi-chapters). I've been feeling very disheartened for a while.

I'm not going to stop completely, but there might not be as much for a while until I feel better about this again.

Thanks for reading :D

Thanks to: Emily, Carmen, Firefly and everyone else who helped with this fic :D