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Sirius rummaged silently through a cardboard box- it was one of many, many others. It was bursting at the seams and just about ready to collapse at any second. The box held mostly documents and notebooks as well as old school stuff and a few nick nacks. Sirius was just about to pack out up and move onto the next one when he found a cassette tape. Hhm, he thought, how odd.
He picked it up and moved quietly across the room to the TV. Behind was a mess of tangled wires. It's got to be here somewhere he thought. After a bit of awkward fumbling and untangling he pulled the old cassette player from behind the television stand.
Dusting the ancient thing off, he took the cassette and flipped it over in his hand. There was a label he hadn't noticed before.
For Padfoot
He stared at the peeling label with an emotionless face for just a moment before putting it to the side and plugging in the cassette player. He pressed a button and a little tray popped out. Phew, still works he thought. He grabbed the cassette and slotted it in before pressing the button again. He checked to see the TV was on and sat down on the sofa Infront of the it.
At first there was just a black screen and quiet static buzzing. Then, it flicked on to someone who was very close and wearing a woolly jumper. Is it- no. It can't be Sirius thought. But as the person backed up, he was proved wrong. Infront of the camera sat none other than a messy-haired, brown-eyed Remus Lupin, freckled face and all.
Sirius sat shocked for a second as Remus adjusted himself and got comfy. Before he really had any time to process, Remus began to talk.
"Um, hello. It's me, Remus John Lupin. Today is April 7th, 2018 and I am 17 years old."
He spoke with a smile on his face, such a gorgeous, gorgeous smile, Sirius thought.
"I want to start this out by saying, this video, well, sequence of videos was made for Sirius Orion Black so if you aren't him, please can you make sure this gets to him somehow. So uuh, yeah, thanks."
He smiled awkwardly, stuttering slightly as if he was nervous.
"Umm, assuming this is you now, hello Sirius. I wanted to start by saying that if everything went as expected it is your 18th birthday so happy birthday! And also, I won't be there to celebrate it with you."
Remus paused, biting down on his lip the way he did when he was anxious or about to cry.
"Before you watch further, I wanted to say I'm sorry."
Remus' voice cracked slightly. He took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry that I'm not there with you, and I'm sorry I won't be there with you. So uhh, yeah, I hope you enjoy your birthday and this present from me. Enjoy"
He stood up and sniffed quietly as he turned of the camera and it went to that blank static silence once more.
Sirius stared at the screen, not sure what to think or feel or do but once again, didn't get a chance as it flicked back on.
There was a dimly lit room and he could here yelling and music. Before he had the chance to question anymore he heard Remus' voice once again.
"Ok, go"
He said quietly. As he did, a boy with disheveled hair and wonky glassy and an even wonkier smile staggered into frame holding a bottle of whiskey.
"Hey Sirius, happy birthday for 1 year from now, hope you're alright mate and have a great day where you can legally get drunk!"
He lifted the bottle of whiskey as he said the last bit and Remus laughed. The camera cut again and it reappeared showing a shorty boy with mousy blonde hair and chubby cheeks. It was Peter
"Hello Sirius! I hope you're having an amazing 18th and if your not, I wish it to be better for the rest of the day however long that is! Happy birthday"
"Ok, I got i-"
The camera cut off again and shortly after it was turned on again to show a girl with fiery hair and piercing green eyes with freckles upon freckles upon freckles: Lily.
"Happy 18th birthday Black. Remember to drink responsibly and never EVER drink and dri-"
"Alright Lily, I think he gets the point"
Remus cut her off and her cheeks went a bit pink.
"Right, um, anyways, have a happy birthday"
Routinely, the camera cut and then showed a girl with darker skin, corkscrew hair and significantly less freckles. Mary, no doubt.
"Hey Black, Mary here. Have a good one for me, alright? Don't lose your Sirius Black charm as soon as you become an adult! Bye!"
Presumably, it cut again and when it began to film it showed Marlene with her dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes.
"What's up Black, hope you're good and having an awesome day! Always remember, it's fine to commit tax evasion as long as you don't do it more than once a year!"
"I don't think that's how it wo-"
"Oh shut it Lupin, anyways, happy birthday, see ya!"
When Marlene was gone and the video came back on Sirius was surprised to see himself. He wasn't leaving a message but rather dancing drunkly on a table with James to "seven nation army".
After a few moments that cut off again and the next thing show was completely different.
"C'mon Sirius, I'm taking a picture"
"Finally! Someone who's desperate to capture my irresistible beauty! Oh moony I could snog you right now!"
Sirius cringed at his past self. Was I really that bad? He thought.
"Ok, hold still and say cheese"
"Cheeeeeeeeseeeee"
Sirius, past Sirius, grinned at the camera before it cut off once more.
The next shot was off Remus zooming in on him from across the classroom. He assumed English as he heard McGonagall talking in the back. His chin was in his hand and his elbow was on the table as he doodled on his notebook, tongue sticking out slightly.
It cut again to him, James and Pete in the snow. He was saying something but it was drowned out by the bursts of wind. It then cut the him sticking an arm into a huge snowman where he'd previously been communicating something to the others.
"Sirius Orion Black III, creater of this here snowman, would you care to answer questions for my interview of the most talented artists of the modern world"
"I would love to"
"Alright, Mr Black, what is the name of this piece?"
Remus held an invisible microphone to Sirius' mouth.
"Well, I've decided to call it John after my dearest friend because I adore this sculpture almost as much as I adore him."
"O-ok and was there an inspiration for this piece?"
Remus spluttered the words, Sirius was still quite proud of that one.
"Inspiration was, of course, taken from the friend I named John after and I couldn't have gotten where I am today without my coworkers and co-producers, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew."
Remus mock cheered as James and Peter walked into frame bowing and the video cut off again.
The next clip was of Remus, his eyes red and puffy. He was wearing a hoodie and it seemed to be late at night. Sirius felt a stab of pain because he looked so adorable in the oversized hoodie and he was crying. One thing you never want to do is see a cute adorable human cry. He began to whisper.
"Um, hello Sirius"
His voice was croaky and broken.
"I've, uhh, I've just had a realisation and, um, if I never got to say this to you in life I guess I'll say it now. I like you. I really really like you. I think- I think I might love you."
His voice was barely coherent as he said it and it made Sirius break into tiny little pieces and his eyes prick with tears.
Remus opened his mouth to say something again but didn't and the clip ended.
The next one began and it was Sirius chasing James in the school grounds. It seemed to be spring now. It followed them around as they ran and tripped about in the grass. And then it ended.
After that, the screen showed him, asleep. The camera moved away from his relaxed face and out to Remus who he was apparently lying on. Remus ran a hand through Sirius' black locks and kissed the crown of this head.
Then it cut to later where he was awake and groggy.
"Hello Padfoot,did you sleep well?"
Remus said almost teasingly.
"Sod off Moony"
He replied grumpily as he hurried his head in Remus' neck. He kissed his head again before he looked up and kissed Remus lazily on the lips.
The next few clips were them kissing. Kissing late at night in bed, at parties, in the sunny grounds, at the beach they all went that past summer. Infront of a horrified James.
"Boooo!! Get a room!"
He jived, but he was grinning.
When they all ended it cut back to Remus, sitting down in his woolly jumper.
"So, yeah that was it. I hope you enjoyed Padfoot. Please don't hate me for leaving you but we all knew the day would come. Thank you for staying with me and thank you for loving me despite knowing you'll never grow old with me. Don't miss me too much, alright? Maybe we'll meet again in another life? But always remember, I'll wait for you in whatever the after life has to offer. Until then, keep living for me. I love you so much, Sirius, so, so much. Goodbye for now."
The screen turned black.