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Pop royalty, in double, descends on Hogsmeade today. Angelina, what do you think the chances are that we see a real blow out tonight on stage?
Well, Lee, there’s no denying the long standing feud between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. They’re always volatile.
True, and for good reason since these rising stars have followed nearly the same trajectory. First number one singles within a month of each other, first albums dropping literally days apart, and now they’re both up for Best New Artist of the Year?
The competition has pushed them both higher than anyone predicted, with more record sales between the two of them than almost any other four artists combined. So what’s got them singing together on stage tonight?
Well, as you know Angelina, they’ve never actually sang this song together. Recording has been done in separate studios and remixed through the magic of sound remastering. The first time the two artists will sing together is tonight on stage. It will be quite an experience.
One that could go horribly wrong, Lee. They haven’t released the lyrics, but we’re told that it features two men singing of their love for the same woman. It’s a love song, but with an element of competition that stays true to Black’s and Lupin’s dynamic.
I, for one, am excited to see what they’re both going to bring tonight. Up next, we’ve got another Friday Freakout, where you tell us about a date gone horribly wrong. Let’s take a look at traffic. Colin, how are the roads?
“Sirius, twenty minutes.”
The door slammed closed behind Lavender, the bubbly stagehand who had been fawning over him all evening. She was perky, but he wished she could close the door softer. Was it really that difficult to just—
Okay, this was probably the nerves talking, but Sirius could not fathom how he had been talked into this. It was a publicity stunt, and one that was likely to fall incredibly flat. Which, of course, he could already hear Lupin blaming on him.
“Lily, why did I agree to do this? I hate him. I don’t want to be on stage with him.”
Lily, his best friend since they were just little kids eating glue, looked up from her phone, likely already scrolling through the feed for the concert. “Because the label didn’t give you a choice.”
Sirius sighed. “Right.”
“It’s a good song. It’ll be good for both of you.” It was not the first time she had told him this. Or the second. Or, well, he’d heard it several times, really. “Or it will be, if the two of you can manage without fighting.”
Sirius scoffed. “Well, someone tell that to Lupin.”
Lupin had started this whole feud, back when they were both starting out. He took an interview that asked, “What do you think of Sirius Black? His song is rising through the charts. Think he could unseat you?”
Sirius could practically hear the way his nose wrinkled in confusion when he said. “I’m sorry, who? Oh, you mean the guy who sings Starshine?” A chuckle. “I’m not concerned, no.”
The audio of that particular interview followed Sirius for months after—first, as a call out, then when his song topped out the charts, as a point lobbed right back to Lupin. “I guess he should have been a little more concerned, shouldn’t he? That’s alright. He won’t forget me now.”
After that, every time Lupin did anything, Sirius was asked about it. What do you think of Remus Lupin’s new song? Remus Lupin is discussing a tour next year; will you as well? Remus Lupin shit a rainbow out of his ass, can you shit a rainbow out of your ass?
Okay, maybe that last one had never happened, but it felt like it.
A knock at the door pulled Sirius out of his revelry. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Lupin was on the other side wearing a broad smile. Sirius could just see the hint of his sparkling white outfit underneath an old zip-up Hogwarts sweatshirt. “Hey, man. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time.” He stuck out his hand.
Sirius just looked down at it, confused. “You have? Why?”
Lupin’s smile faltered. “Because you seem like a cool guy, I guess.”
That didn’t clear up any of the confusion. “But you don’t like me. You’ve made that pretty clear.”
Lupin's brows furrowed. "You mean the press stuff?"
“I mean you telling every person who interviews you about how I have no talent.”
Lupin looked taken aback, almost like he didn’t know that he was supposed to hate Sirius. He looked between Sirius and Lily, chewing on his bottom lip. “That was a publicity thing. I thought you had agreed to it. To boost sales or whatever.”
“What?” It was Sirius’s turn to be confused. He looked at Lily, who only shrugged. “No one ever told me that.”
“I know Peter, my manager, talked to your manager about—”
“Oh.” Sirius sighed, and exchanged a frustrated look with Lily again.
“Walburga,” they said together.
Remus’s eyes shot to the top of his forehead. “What is a Walburga?”
“Who, unfortunately.” Sirius reached up to run his fingers through his hair, then stopped when he realized his hair had already been styled. “My mother, and for a while, she was my manager. She didn’t bother to tell me about the agreement.”
There was a knock on the door, then it opened to reveal Lavender again. “Ten minutes. Remus, you’re needed in your dressing room.”
“Thanks, Lavender.” Lupin turned back to Sirius. “I have to go, but, uh….” Lupin hesitated, like he wasn’t quite sure how to salvage the conversation. “I’m sorry? For the things you thought I said. Or, I guess for the things I said that I really didn’t mean.” He sighed. “I’ll see you on stage.”
He left the room, and Sirius sat down in the chair hard. He looked at Lily. “What the fuck just happened?”
“Sounds like your mother is messing with things, again.” She stood up and walked to Sirius, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s too late now to worry about it. You have to go get on stage and do this song. When it’s over, we can figure out what happens next.”
“Right.” He signed, shaking himself off as he stood up. “You’re right.”
“Of course, I’m right. I haven’t been your best friend for over a decade for nothing.” She made an air kiss near his cheek, avoiding touching him and spoiling his makeup. “Now, go kick ass on stage.”
Sirius bounced on his toes a few minutes later in the wings of the stage. His energy was up, fueled by adrenaline in anticipation of stepping on stage. Someone stopped by and covered his face with one last layer of powder.
He could hear the countdown start in his headset, and he could just see Lupin standing in the wings on the other side of the stage. Sirius smiled, but he wasn’t sure if Lupin could even see it.
The recorded intro began to play, and on cue, they both walked out onto the stage. For Sirius, it felt like he was meeting someone he knew nothing real about.
Lupin had an entirely different demeanor when he walked out than when he had been in Sirius’s dressing room a short time ago. He had a swagger and smirk, and there was a glint in his eye like he knew exactly how good looking he was.
Sirius wondered if this was an act, and the soft, unassuming man he had met in his dressing room was the real Remus Lupin.
They walked toward each other on stage to the elongated intro music. They dodged each other in the middle of the stage, circling around with a few feet of space between them. Lupin looked him up and down as they orbited around each other, and there was something in the look that made Sirius heat up far more than what was normal, even under the hot stage lights.
Lupin offered his hand, then pulled it back quickly with laughter in his eyes. The crowd chuckled with him, just audible under the loud music. Sirius rolled his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest, and stood with one hip cocked out to the side. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling, however.
Lupin held his hands up as though he was surrendering, and then offered his hand for a shake again. Sirius looked down at his head, tilting it more than necessary so the crowd could see him consider it. Lupin seemed to be biting back a smile.
Sirius eyed him for a moment, then stuck his fist out for a fist bump instead. Remus smiled and bumped his fist against Sirius's.
They turned to face the crowd now, and they roared. Sirius caught sight of the two of them on one of the giant screens. They were contrasting figures on the screen, cutting an imposing figure against the silver screen. Sirius was dressed in all black, wearing tight leather pants and a tight black tank top with his arms and tattoos exposed. Lupin was dressed in tight white pants and a long sleeve white button down shirt, with a hint of a sparkle covering the fabric.
Sirius heard the opening bars of the song and began interacting with the crowd. A wink, a wave, a blown kiss, and then Lupin was singing.
He knew, of course, that Lupin could sing. He had listened to all some of his songs, and he could tell that, below the synthesizers and remixing, Lupin had some talent. That had been the annoying part of their feud. If he had sucked, it wouldn’t have mattered.
However, Sirius was not prepared for the voice that came out of the man next to him. Lupin could sing. Like actually, properly sing. Sirius forgot about the crowd around them and the performance, and just watched the way Lupin gave himself to the song, cradling the microphone in his hands like it was giving him life.
It certainly was giving Sirius life.
Sirius nearly missed his entrance into the song (he didn’t, because he’s a professional, thank you very much), but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Lupin as he sang (okay, about that professional thing…). But Lupin’s eyes were on him too, and Sirius thought he saw something there.
They sang the rest of the song looking at each other rather than out at the crowd, eyes locked as they sang in tandem. Considering they’d never actually practiced it together, Sirius thought it went really well.
When the final notes of the song ended, the crowd went absolutely wild. It was louder than Sirius thought he had ever heard at one of his own shows. He met Lupin in the middle of the space between them. Sirius grabbed his hand and raised it, trying to ignore the way his heart thumped with the thoughts of soft and warm , and he met Remus’s eyes one more time before walking off of the stage.
Lily met him just beyond the line of visibility backstage. “Well, that was… something.”
Sirius took the towel she offered and dabbed his face before wiping his neck. “What do you mean?”
“I thought the song was about the two of you fighting over a girl?”
“It is.”
Lily laughed. “It didn’t sound like it, look.” She handed him her phone, and Sirius began scrolling through the tags.
#blupin
#GayorNay
#sirimus
#RivalstoLovers
#PopPrinceProposals
"What is this?"
"What is this?" Lily shook her head. "You just sang a love song to each other, staring into each other's eyes. If I hadn't seen the awkward meeting right before this, I'd think you were fucking, too."
"Shit."
“Hm, yes.” Lily was smiling at him. “What will you do now?”
“First? I’m going to talk to Lu- Remus.”
After that… well, they’d just have to figure it out together, wouldn’t they?