Chapter Text
Sirius led a straightforward life, one that he worked hard to make for himself despite his upbringing and wild adolescent years. He was very proud of his successes and basked in the happiness each part of his life brought him.
First, he was the proud owner of a successful record store, Marauders Records, located in an up-and-coming area of London. He started it three years ago with the money he received from his late uncle’s inheritance. He debated saving it for a rainy day, but his life had been stagnant for a while and art was really more of a hobby of his as opposed to something he could viably make a living off of, so he put in time, effort, and a lot of money and opened his own record store. He had open mic nights every third Thursday and provided a space for queer youth to hang out on the many sofas where they could listen to records and just exist without the pressure to buy anything or hide who they were.
Second, he had fantastic friends. He had James, his chosen brother and roommate, who came to work with Sirius at his record store and supported him through the trials and tribulations of his childhood. Sirius was an honorary Potter and attended all family gatherings and holiday parties they hosted. He also had his biological brother, Regulus, who escaped their horrid parents and went to university for his own reasons, not because their parents wanted him to. Choosing a business course was his own choice, and he planned on helping Sirius with Marauders Records and possibly expanding or opening more locations. He was a common sight at the Potter-Black household when he wasn’t buried in his studies or with his own friends. He also had Marlene, his first official employee and close friend since he met her and James at boarding school. She could match Sirius’ energy and style and helped curate the best record collection. Her partner, Dorcas, was often found at the record store when she was on break from her job at the fantastic cafe around the corner that everyone in the shop frequented (so much so that they didn’t even need to give their orders when they walked in). Marlene and Dorcas made a disgustingly cute couple, but both danced with him when they went to clubs, which made up for James’ lack of skills (though not for lack of enthusiasm).
Third, he loved his hobbies. He was a fantastic artist with both paint and pencil and most of the art decorating the shop was a Sirius Black Original that he sometimes sold on the side if a customer fell in love with a piece. He was on a footie team with James and Frank and, under James’ captainship, their team was one of the best in the recreational league they were in. He also did yoga with Marlene and Dorcas in the conveniently located studio across the street from his shop every Tuesday.
It was on one such Tuesday that Sirius found one aspect of his life under threat.
“What do you mean you’re closing!?” Sirius and Marlene practically shouted at their longtime instructor, Rosa, after she ended class that night.
“My husband and I want to have children and we want to move closer to my parents. Plus, I can’t very well teach a class if my belly is the size of a yoga ball. There are plenty of other studios in the city and I can give you a list of recommendations so you don’t waste your time with subpar studios.” She was right, of course, but that didn’t mean they had to like it.
Dorcas waited behind the two as they had their crisis, whining and pouting and looking generally pathetic and just a little bit adorable in their genuine heartbreak at losing their favorite studio. Luckily, both Rosa and Dorcas had many years of experience dealing with the two drama queens.
“Let’s get out of Rosa’s hair, you two, she has things to attend to and wants to go home.” Dorcas, ever sensible, shot an apologetic look toward Rosa as she herded the others out onto the street.
“Dorcas, how are you not devastated by this news? We only have two more weeks of Rosa’s classes and then she’s gone forever! What will we do?” Marlene whined after they closed the door and Rosa locked up behind them. Despite having a list of four studios recommended by Rosa herself, Marlene looked distraught.
“Marls, I don't like it either, but at least we have options. It’s not like we’re lacking in studios in London. It’ll be okay, promise.” Dorcas looked over at Sirius who was being suspiciously quiet about the whole affair. “Sirius, I know you have something to say about all this, care to share now so you don’t stew on it and unleash it on an unsuspecting James when you get home?”
“I don’t know, what do you want me to say? Marlene has said it all pretty well. Rosa is abandoning us and we’re going to have to find another studio, possibly across the city, and it probably won’t even be half as good as this!” If Sirius were standing still, he’d have stomped his foot and crossed his arms to further demonstrate his displeasure, but alas, they were walking to the tube station and he didn’t particularly feel like causing a scene after yoga when he was as close to relaxed as he ever got.
They parted ways after Sirius got off three stops before the ladies and headed back to the flat he shared with James. After climbing the three flights of stairs in the stifling August heat, he dumped his yoga mat on the floor and face planted onto the couch. James was on the floor in front of the couch eating takeaway at the coffee table while simultaneously trying to play FIFA. It wasn’t working.
Sirius let out an exasperated sigh and waited for James to acknowledge his misery. Nothing. He waited a full minute before letting out a louder, more pathetic sigh. Still nothing. It took James until the third aggressively pathetic and overly dramatic sigh plus Sirius face-planting onto the couch to turn to Sirius and do something about it.
“What’s got your knickers in a twist, mate?”
“Wow, thanks so much for that astounding display of empathy, James, you’re the best friend a guy could ask for,” he mumbled into the pillow.
“To be fair, sighs that dramatic are rarely indicative of a crisis that a loud, pathetic sigh would warrant. You’re known for being over-dramatic, can you blame me for not jumping into crisis mode every time you look melancholy?”
Sirius considered this a moment before turning his head to the side to speak freely. “Okay fine, you might be right, but this is actually pretty shite. The yoga studio is closing. Rosa and her husband are moving because they want to have a baby or something. So they’re closing up shop and moving and leaving us all high and dry.”
James paused the game and put the chopsticks down, realizing this was a situation that actually warranted a dramatic sigh.
“That really is shite, mate, I’m sorry. You and Marls and Dorky love that studio. Can Rosa give you recommendations for other places nearby?”
“Yeah, she gave us some, but none are across the street and run by the sweetest woman on the face of the planet.”
“How many weeks do you have left with her?”
“Two. She’s practically running away, I feel so betrayed.”
“Well, just think of it this way. You still have two weeks left, and moping about it won’t help you have a good session, so try and make the best of it and send her off on a happy note. She probably feels just as bad leaving you all, but it’s just part of life. Things change.”
“Change is overrated. I hate it," he paused, flipping over onto his back and stared at the ceiling before responding. "But you’re right, I’ll be happy during practice. I’m going to pout about it until we find a new studio, though.”
“Fair enough, I didn’t expect anything less. Now quit your moping and play FIFA with me.”
Sirius sat up as James grabbed the second controller and hauled himself onto the couch.
“You know, all you do is play football, whether a video game or in reality. Don’t you think you should find another hobby? Or a girl?”
“Nonsense Pads, I’m perfectly content. Besides, I’ve already got you and you’re as bad as any bird I’ve met, including Marlene.”
Sirius gasped in mock indignation as James stuck out his tongue and started the game. The two elbowed each other on the couch as they got absorbed in the competition. As the night wore on, Sirius slowly began thinking about coming to terms with Rosa leaving them and hoping something hip and fun moved into the soon-to-be vacant shop across the street.