Funeral Songs

Sirius would always remember that afternoon. He knew people stared at him, whispering accusations, as he walked down Diagon Alley with Remus and Harry... he knew people everywhere still believed he was a psychotic mass-murderer, and for that reason kept a suitable distance away from him as if he was carrying some sort of plague, but he didn't care. All he felt was love and pride as he walked past countless shops, witches and wizards with the two people he truly loved, and whom he knew loved him too. Remus would soon be his husband, and together they would give Harry all the things James and Lily would have, and all the things the Dursleys should have given him. Life was going to get better, and that thought sustained him as he led his two companions up Diagon Alley.

He stopped them both outside a small shop made of dark timbers. It looked rustic, as if it had been around for centuries. A sign above the door informed passers-by that it was "Caudaceus, purveyors of quality pewter, bronze, silver and gold jewellery since 1753"

"Sirius?" Remus questioned. "You're... you're joking me..."

"No I'm not." Sirius grinned, wrapping his arms around Remus's waist from where he stood behind the shorter man. Harry looked away instinctively.

"Sirius... Caudaceus is one of the most expensive shops in Diagon Alley... one of the most expensive jewellery shops in the entire world. It's legendary!"

"And even the most expensive item in there is worthless compared to you." Sirius grinned as he kissed Remus's neck. Harry's cheeks began to colour as he turned his eyes away again. "You're getting the best engagement ring there is, regardless of price. Harry's got out more than enough money, and I'll pay him back the second I can get back into my own account. Go on, go choose." Sirius accompanied these last few words with a gentle tap to Remus's behind.

Looking very shocked and lovestruck at the same time, Remus wriggled from Sirius's embrace and made to enter the shop. As he reached for the door handle, however, the door opened from the inside and a large, formidable-looking witch in turquoise robes stood framed in the doorway, barring his entrance.

"That scum ain't comin' in 'ere." She spoke in a coarse voice, sounding just as malicious as she looked. Her eyes weren't looking at Remus or Harry, standing in the shop's threshold, but past them, fixed on Sirius.

Remus and Harry were about to argue with the witch, but Sirius quickly hushed them. He'd been expecting this, and spoke in a polite, gentlemanlike tone. "Do not worry, madam, I shall wait here." Harry was reminded of Dumbledore as he watched his godfather step back from the shop's doorstep, removing himself to the opposite side of the street. Remus, looking aggrieved, turned back to his fiancé, but Sirius flapped at him to go in with Harry. Sighing, Remus followed his lover's godson into the shop.

Sirius didn't have to wait long. Less than ten minutes later, Remus and Harry emerged from the shop, with Remus clutching a small bag. Sirius rushed over to them both, immediately fussing to se Remus's purchase. "I have to see it first, if I'm giving it to you. Come on, let me see!"

Remus grinned. His voice filled with pure sarcasm, he retorted, "You know, I never did work out why you were given the form of a dog when you became an Animagi. It's not as if you're always pestering your owner about one thing or the other." He flashed Sirius a cheeky grin, which gained him a gentle slap on the arm.

"Come on, you've gotta let me see Moony!" With another grin, Remus removed a small jewellery box from the bag he was holding and put it in Sirius's outstretched hand. Standing in the middle of Diagon Alley, Sirius opened the box to reveal a gold ring. He had suspected that Remus would choose gold, seeing as he could not touch silver without receiving a serious burn due to his lycanthropy. The design wasn't fancy, just a small twist in the centre, flanked by two small stones of some description. Two stones Sirius recognised at once. "Moonstones? Of course, what else would you choose?"

Sirius removed the ring from the box, which he hastily plunged into the pocket of his robes. Holding the ring delicately in his right hand, his left took Remus's hand in his. "May I?" When Remus nodded, he gently slid the ring onto the correct finger of Remus's left hand. "There, now you're officially mine." Sirius grinned, pulling Remus into a passionate kiss, not caring about his surroundings. Remus responded to the kiss, bringing his hands up to cradle Sirius's head.

If they had been given a wide berth beforehand due to Sirius's reputation, that distance was quickly doubled. Sirius was brought back to the present situation by Harry kicking him in the shins, hard. "Could you perhaps take that somewhere else... everyone's giving us weird looks." The teenage boy whispered, blushing all the more furiously.

"Everyone gives me weird looks... they always have." Sirius joked, but to Harry's immense relief they started walking back down Diagon Alley, the way they had come. "Is there anything else you need, Harry?" Harry replied that there was nothing else he required, so the three of them made their way back into the Leaky Cauldron, and from there used floo powder and the inn's fireplace to return to 12, Grimmauld Place.