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Sing Along Forever	By : JBankai89 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Remus/Sirius Views: 3825 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, I gain nothing from this but a way to pass the time.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
A/N: And we're back! I'm so sorry for the impromptu hiatus, but this was one of the few times I started to post before I'd finished the first draft, and then I got hit in the face with writer's block. Under normal circumstances, I would have waited and finished off the last few chapters before I returned to posting, but I figure you guys have waited long enough for this. I am SO sorry. I really don't know when the next chapter will be out, but I'll get it out as soon as I can. (I'm hoping for no more than two weeks, but seriously don't hold me to that)
Chapter 8 – Punk Rock and Roll

We all need a little punk rock and roll,
The kind that makes you wanna break some bones.
It doesn't really matter what the singer says,
As long as punk rock is beating in those heads.
I want that good feeling, push and shove.
I want that good feeling, burning in my blood.
I want that good feeling of the open road,
I want that good feeling where we lose control.
Punk Rock and Roll – Street Dogs

Remus could not recall ever seeing Sirius nervous.

He was bouncing from foot to foot, his eyes were wide, and if Remus wasn't mistaken, he could see a sheen of nervous sweat on his brow. Around them the other band members were warming up, and Lily, James and Harry had joined Remus to cheer Sirius on. They'd found a kids-sized punk rock T-shirt for Harry, black, depicting a white skull and the words The Misfits across it. Harry also had bright orange ear plugs in, and he looked like he might wet himself with excitement.

“You're gonna win, right Uncle Sirius? Daddy said if you win you're going to the Stakes.”

“States, Harry,” Sirius corrected with a small laugh as he scooped his godson up. “But not forever, just a little while and then I'll come back.”

“How come you're going?” Harry asked, cocking his head to the side. He moved a little hand to pick at one of the ear plugs, but Sirius was quick to pull his hand away.

“So people in America and Canada can hear my band play, too,” Sirius said, and Remus chuckled as he watched the pair, especially Harry trying to work out why his godfather might be taking off.

“Will you bring me back a present?” He asked at last, and appeared confused when all the adults around him laughed.

“You can bet on it, young man,” Sirius replied, and Harry smiled widely.

“Then I hope you win so that you can go away!” Harry said enthusiastically, throwing his little arms in the air, and only Lily managed to keep from laughing, while both James and Remus snorted.

Sirius set Harry down and he walked back over to his mother and father, taking their hands, while Sirius wandered over to Remus, hooked his fingers in the beltloops of Remus's trousers and tugged him closer.

“Gonna wish me luck?” He asked softly, and Remus chuckled as he leant in for a kiss (“Eww!” said Harry), one which Sirius was happy to return.

“You don't need it,” Remus murmured, “you're brilliant, and you'll do great.”

At that same moment, they were signalled by one of the technicians, and the lights in the little theatre went out.

It felt strangely like déjà vu, though with certain significant differences as Sirius kissed him one last time, then stepped out onto the stage with the others amidst a storm of cheers.

“Hi guys,” Sirius said into the microphone, his words were met with another cheer, “we're Blaq Fag, and were here to make sure you have a good fucking time.”

They struck up a steady thrum of a beat, and Sirius began to speak, instead of the singing Remus expected.

“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out.
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out.
Next they came for the trade-unionists, and I did not speak out.
And then they came for me!”

Sirius snarled the last line, and then they began to play. It was more melodic than Remus had expected, and he could more clearly discern the lyrics, though he wasn't certain if that was because he was getting used to this kind of music, or if it was a slower tempo than the last time he'd seen Sirius play.

Remus smiled as he watched him; he watched as Sirius threw everything he had into the performance. From Remus's vantage point, he had a clear view of the pit, which looked more like a human version of a meat grinder than anything else to him. He was distracted from watching it by something suddenly bumping into his leg, and looked down to see little Harry mimicking the crowd, jumping up and down excitedly and giggling to himself while he ran at his father next, and bounced off his knee.

The song ended and the crowd cheered, and Sirius prompted the crowd to intone with him, and Remus watched with amazement as they readily followed his lead. It was a new experience to watch a whole crowd go, “aaaaaaaaaaa,” along with his boyfriend. Sirius quickly went into the next song, and Remus had to assume it was a popular one, if the crowd's enthused cheers were anything to go by.

“Echoes of reggae,
Coming through my bedroom wall.
Having a party up next door but
I'm sitting here all alone.
Two lovers in the bedroom
And the other starts to shout
All I got is this blank stare
That don't carry no clout at all.

Destination unknown,
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby Ruby Soho...”

The song ended and they immediately jumped into the next one. Twice more, Sirius prompted the crowd to intone with him. On the fourth time, Tonks seemed to lose her patience with it.

“Sirius, you can't to that to these people every time we start a song!” She said, and the crowd laughed.

“Why not?” Sirius demanded indignantly.

“This is not a doctor's office!”

“Whatever, Some—” Sirius began to sing, but Tonks cut across him, something unintelligible, and Sirius glared at her. “Could you just shut up Tonks? I was just in character, and you ruined it! Now I have to get back into character!”

Sirius began again, intoning with the crowd following him, and Tonks snickered.

“Isn't it nice you have them at your disposal?” she asked.

“Now cough!” added Matt. The crowd laughed at the wildly grinning guitarist.

“Why do half of them have green tongues?” Tonks asked, getting another laugh and cheer, and a few people near the back raised up some sort of dyed green liquor that had apparently been making the rounds. Tonks shrugged, and with one more laugh they finally got on with the show.

“Here's a song you might know, and if you know the lyrics, please feel free to sing along!” Sirius said, and at last they struck up the next song, to a mess of excited cheers. It was heavier than the previous song they'd played, and Remus saw the meat grinder mosh pit start up almost at once.

“Someday, you gotta find another way,
You better right your mind and live by what you say
Today is just another day
Unless you set your sights and try to find a way...”

Remus's attention was drawn from Sirius as the chorus started up and to the sound of Lily and James positively dying of laughter. He turned to see little Harry jumping up and down on the spot, hands clenched into fists and held against his chest while he cried out, “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Lily was entirely incapable of reprimanding the little boy, her red face buried in her hands as she laughed at Harry picking up on the repeated curse word in the chorus that Sirius was currently singing.

Eventually she calmed down, and she crouched down to murmur something to Harry. Over the music Remus couldn't make it out, but he had to assume that she was reminding him that he wasn't to go repeating that around his grandparents. He nodded, and when his mother stood back up he resumed his jumping and screaming.

The concert continued, and Remus leant against the wall comfortably, his arms crossed across his chest as he watched Sirius play. Nearby, Lily and James were taking turned 'moshing' with Harry, though it mostly consisted of him bouncing into their legs and catching him when it looked like he might fall.

After about thirty minutes, Sirius announced their last song. There was a collective groan from the crowd, and Sirius laughed.

“Please be sure to stick around for the other bands playing tonight,” he continued, his voice a little hoarse from his singing, “ they're all fan-fucking-tastic!” There was another cheer, and they began to play. The crowd went positively mental, and Remus smiled as he recognized the familiar, snarling tone of the song.

“Right here, all by myself,
I ain't got no one else.
The situation is bleeding me,
There's no relief for a person like me.

Depression's got a hold of me,
Depression, I gotta break free,
Depression's got a hold of me,
Depression's gonna kill me...”

Finishing with a Black Flag song seemed to be the way to go, if the crowd's reaction was any indication. Remus smiled to himself, pleased that he could recognize the group, if not the song itself. Sirius had very enthusiastically embraced everything in his life (his dog, more than anything else) and Remus had done his best to reciprocate that. It would seem he had, and that realization made him smile.

The song ended, the lights came back up, and the slow babble of talk flooded the venue. Sirius, Tonks, and the others broke down their equipment and packed it up, to make way for the second group of the evening. The moment Sirius made his way backstage he had to set the equipment in his hands down, as Harry took a running leap at him.

“That was so cool, Uncle Sirius!” Harry said excitedly as Sirius caught him, “I liked the part where you said bad words that Mummy doesn't like!”

Sirius snorted and hoisted the little boy higher in his arms. Harry balanced in his right arm and braced against his hip, he reached down with the other to pick back up the equipment he'd been carrying. He wandered off, Harry babbling animatedly while the others passed by and followed Sirius out to the van. Tonks hung back to help the next band set up, then sidled up to Remus with a warm smile.

“How'd we do?” she asked conversationally. While Remus took a step back from her as casually as he could manage without hurting her feelings. She didn't seem to notice.

“It was great,” Remus answered, smiling faintly, “I mean, it's still not exactly my thing, you know, but I was riveted.”

“You are the king of understatement, you know that, right?” Sirius asked as he appeared suddenly, still holding Harry up with one arm while the other hooked around Remus's shoulders. Remus grinned and leant into the embrace, in part because he loved the closeness he had with Sirius, and in part to make a point to Tonks. Even if their age difference hadn't been present, he didn't want to accidentally lead her on, or give her some false hope while he was involved with Sirius.

“It's a gift,” Remus replied with a chuckle, just as the lights dimmed and the next group took the stage to a chorus of cheers. Sirius wrinkled his nose and tightened his hold on Remus.

“C'mon,” he said, a note of disgust in his voice, “we don't need to hear this We-Think-We're-Metal-But-We're-Actually-Emo crap...” Sirius steered Remus out the doors after he set Harry down, and he ran straight to his dad, who hoisted him up with a grin.

“Pretentious much?” Remus asked with a short laugh when they'd made it outside. Sirius snorted and shrugged his shoulders, though he offered up no word in his defence.

“I can't help it, it's not my fault that they suck, I'm just pointing it out,” he replied with another grin, and the shamelessness in his tone made Remus laugh.

“You're terrible.”

“You love me.”

“And so modest,” Remus continued with another laugh, and Sirius answered by linking his arms around Remus's middle and he drew him in for a kiss. Remus threw his arms over Sirius's shoulders and responded enthusiastically, though no nearly long enough as far as Remus was concerned. Less than a minute later, Remus distantly heard the side doors open and Harry's rather vocal reaction to their interlocked bodies rent the air.

“Ewwwww! Kissing!”

Remus pulled back with a soft groan of frustration, and they both turned to look at Harry, who was happily perched on James's shoulders and grinning proudly at the two mildly annoyed adults.

“You were saying, Harry?” Remus asked with an arched brow, but the boy's grin didn't waver.

“How come you kiss all the time?” Harry asked, wrinkling his nose a little at them, “I thought it was just what married people do. Does all the kissing mean you're gonna get married and have a baby?”

Sirius barked a laugh, and turned a bit to press a hand to Remus's flat stomach, while he continued to grin at his godson.

“You know Harry, we try, and we try, but—oof!” Sirius was cut off when Remus elbowed him hard in the gut to shut him up, while Lily and James snorted, and Harry looked utterly bewildered at what was so funny.

“It's a bit soon to talk about getting married,” Remus continued before Sirius could cut in again. “We kiss because we like it, one day you might want to kiss someone too.”

“No way,” Harry replied with absolute disgust, “I'm gonna be like Uncle Sev—I'm not gonna kiss anybody!”

“An Ace child—” Lily said fondly, “thank God. Now I don't need to worry about you knocking up some poor girl like your father.”

Remus snorted, but James and Sirius appeared to be caught between offence and amusement at her words, and Harry once again looked completely confused by the adult commentary around him.

~*~

The evening progressed amicably, with Remus and Sirius more or less joined at the hip, moreso after Lily and James had to take little Harry hope to put him to bed. As the second-to-last group took the stage, Sirius slipped off to the band's merchandise table with an apologetic smile towards Remus.

Remus understood that Sirius needed to do his budding rockstar thing, and wandered back into the venue on his own, grabbed a beer, and sat down at one of the free tables. He had expected to spend the next hour or so on his own, but the seat across from him was filled much more quickly than he expected, and when he turned to see who it was, he got a pleasant surprise.

“Alice!” Remus cried, “what're you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” She asked with a laugh, “I'm here for the show, and because a certain someone still hasn't properly introduced me to his boyfriend. Posting pictures on Facebook and tagging me in the comments doesn't count, by the way.”

Remus smiled sheepishly at the not-so-subtle hint, and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Sorry, things have just been...” he trailed off, and offered her another weak smile. Remus didn't have a good excuse—he'd gotten so wrapped up in seeing Sirius that he'd stopped spending time with his friends in favour of spending his time with his boyfriend. Alice seemed to understand however, and offered him an amused smile.

“Yeah, I know,” she replied with a soft laugh, “things are always a bit crazy when you get a new boyfriend, I remember that I was kind of the same when I started seeing Frank.”

“Just a bit,” Remus replied with a snort, and she mirrored his sheepish grin from earlier. Remus could still remember not seeing Alice for close to four months when the couple had first started going out.

“So, this is beginning to be a regular thing for you,” she commented as she switched topics and settled in on the chair, “going to rock shows, I mean.”

“Well when your boyfriend is in a rock band, it's sort of inevitable,” he replied with a helpless shrug. “Where's Frank, by the way? Another business thing?”

“The most important of business transactions,” she said solemnly, “getting drinks.”

Remus blinked, but before he could ask, Frank took up one of the other available chairs at their small table, and slid a beer across to his girlfriend.

“Hey mate,” he said with a grin, “long time, no see.”

“Yeah, really,” Remus replied with a short laugh, “I—” his words were cut off however when the lights dimmed and a resounding cheer filled the venue.

“Watch our drinks?” Alice asked with an arched brow, and Remus nodded as the couple jumped up and darted off.

Remus turned his attention to the stage, where a number of instruments were set up—an electric guitar, drum kit, ukulele, and an electric piano. A very pretty, curvy young woman in a corset, thigh-high stockings, garters, and black ballet slippers sauntered out onto the stage amidst excited cheers from the crowd. Her dark hair was piled on top of her hair in a messy bun, and she sat at the piano without a word of greeting to the crowd, and began to play.

Her fingers danced over the keys, a tinkling, almost toy-piano melody, then suddenly with a playful smirk it dropped suddenly to a lower octave, and she began to sing.

“Coin-operated boy,
Sitting on a shelf, he is just a toy,
But I turn him on, and he comes to life,
Automatic joy, that is why I want a...
Coin-operated boy...”

Of all the things Remus had expected to see at such an event, this woman hadn't been one of them.

She played on, and Remus found himself completely enraptured by her performance. So much so in fact that he did not notice Sirius approach him, and jumped a little when he wrapped his arms around Remus's shoulders from behind.

“Did I scare you?” He asked as Remus craned his neck a little to look at him, and he grinned a little.

“A bit, didn't see you,” Remus answered as his eyes strayed back to the young woman on stage. He felt the low vibration of Sirius's chuckle, and his arms dropped to hook around Remus's waist.

“Her name's Hestia Jones,” Sirius explained as the song ended and she struck up another, while a young man came out onto the stage a joined her behind the drum kit. “She does The Dresden Dolls and Amanda Palmer covers. She's probably my band's biggest competition tonight.”

“Nervous?” Remus teased, and shivered when he felt Sirius plant a gentle kiss against the side of his throat.

“Maybe a little.”

Sirius fell silent and stood behind Remus, holding him in a casual embrace while Remus leant into the embrace listened to the young woman play. He was completely enthralled by her performance—her range, the subject matter of the songs she sang, and her skill. It was nothing like the music he normally listened to; it was something new—something wonderful.

After half an hour, Hestia stood up from the piano's bench, and picked up the ukulele while she approached the centre mike.

“This is my last song for tonight,” she said, her voice low and raspy and nothing like her singing voice, which surprised Remus. “I hope you guys enjoy it, and thanks for listening.”

A cheer followed her words, and she plucked at the instrument a few times, twisting the tuning knobs here and there. When she'd finished, she lifted her gaze to the crowd, and began to play to a fast, upbeat tempo.

“Sid Vicious played a four-string Fender bass guitar, and couldn't sing,
And everybody hated him, except the ones who loved him.
A ukulele had four strings, but Sid did not play ukulele,
He did smack, and prob'ly killed his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.
If only Sid had had a ukulele, maybe he would have been happy, maybe he would not have suffered such a sad end.
He maybe would have not done all that heroin, instead he maybe would've sat around just singing nice songs to his girlfriend.

So play your favourite cover song,
Especially if the words are wrong.
'Cuz even if your grades are bad, it doesn't mean you're failing.
Do your homework with a fork and eat your Froot Loops in the dark and bring your Etch-A-Sketch to work and play your ukulele.

Ukulele, small and fierceful,
Ukulele, brave and peaceful,
You can play the ukulele too, it is painfully simple,
Play your ukulele badly,
Play your ukulele loudly,
Ukulele, banish evil,
Ukulele, save the people,
Ukulele, gleaming gold and from the top of every steeple...”

Remus listened, smiling faintly as he did so. He understood the Punk philosophy, moreso after he began seeing Sirius, but never before was it laid out before him so plainly. This song, which could pass for a Pop song on the radio, encompassed the ideology in a format that anyone could listen to and understand. It was phenomenal.

The lights came back up, and Sirius stole a kiss before he slid into one of the available chairs and snagged Remus's beer.

“They'll probably announce the winners in about twenty minutes,” Sirius said conversationally, and took a sip of the drink, after which Remus took it back with an amused glare.

“Nervous?” Remus asked, and Sirius snorted.

“Nervous? Me? Oh hell yes,” he replied, and Remus laughed. He opened his mouth to reply, but a chorus of voices suddenly cut him off.

“What's this?” Frank cried as he returned to the table with Alice. Both of them were sweaty and their hair was distinctly mussed, but like that first show Alice had dragged them to, they both looked like they had had the time of their lives. “The infamous boyfriend? You mean we actually get to meet him? Remus, I'm touched!”

“And here we thought Remus was hiding you from us,” Alice added sweetly. Remus snorted.

“I wanted this one to live, thank you,” he replied, and Sirius grinned.

“I'm afraid I've monopolized a lot of fair Remus's time. I'm a high-maintenance guy, it's not his fault.”

“High-maintenance being code for you being the biggest attention whore I have ever met,” Remus quipped, and Sirius clapped a hand over his heart as though Remus had mortally wounded him.

“You have been spending far too much time around James and Lily,” Sirius said with a shake of his head. “Lucky me, now all of you will gang up on me. I'll just have to spend time with...?” He turned to Frank and Alice with an arched brow, while the couple stared at them with a mixture of confusion and amused looks on their faces.

“Frank,” Frank said.

“Alice,” Alice added.

“Right,” Sirius continued, “I'll just have to spend time with dear Frank and Alice to save myself from your cutting words.”

Remus chuckled a little and turned to look at his two friends.

“Well you said you wanted to meet him...” Remus said, and they both laughed and shook their heads.

“We did,” Alice replied with a nod of her head, “it's good to meet you, Sirius.”

Sirius grinned.

“And you.”

Over the next quarter of an hour, Alice happily grilled Sirius with every personal question she could think of, while Remus and Frank sat back and watched. Remus was quite used to her behaviour, and entirely expected Sirius to be subject to a variant of the Spanish Inquisition, and was therefore not surprised or embarrassed when she went to it. Gilderoy had suffered a similar treatment, though Remus saw that Sirius was handling it much better than his ex had.

Sirius answered her questions truthfully, and when she got close to a subject that he found too personal, he would answer with a sarcastic, good-natured remark. Alice was quick on the uptake, and did not question Sirius on that topic again.

Remus thought it was great fun to watch his boyfriend get along so well with his two best friends, and when the lights above flicked on and off to get the crowd's attention, he was somewhat saddened at the abrupt end to the conversation.

Sirius stood up, exuding his easy confidence, but Remus now knew him well enough to see how nervous he actually was. Without getting up, Remus reached for him, threaded his fingers through the front of Sirius's T-shirt, and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Good luck,” Remus whispered against his mouth, and he felt Sirius smile and kiss him once more, then headed over to the edge of the stage. Remus could see a number of the musicians from earlier standing there, including Sirius's bandmates, all waiting for the announcement of the winners.

A middle-aged man strode onto the middle of the stage with a crinkled piece of paper in his hand amidst a smattering of polite applause.

“Hey guys, did you have a good time tonight?” he paused when the crowd cheered. “I'm Edwin Baker, I'm one of the producers for the Vans Warped Tour,” he paused again as the crowd cheered. “We've put together our notes on the bands that played tonight, and we have selected our two runner-ups and our Grand Prize winner!” Another cheer followed his words, and Remus's eyes dropped to Sirius, who was clutching onto his bandmates tightly. They all looked halfway between excited and petrified.

“The second runner-up,” Baker continued, “winning a one-thousand pound gift certificate for Steve's Music Store is...Roadside Theory!”

The crowd cheered, and a group of thee men and two women clambered onto the stage, waving their arms and bouncing on the balls of their feet. They each shook Baker's hand, then offered the crowd one last wave before they stepped back and waited for the first runner-up to be called.

“First runner-up,” Baker called over the crowd, which was getting a little rowdier, “winning a prize pack worth over five thousand pounds, including Reading and Leeds backstage passes, a two-year subscription to Alternative Press magazine, a brand-new kit courtesy of Mapex Drums and so much more...”

Remus held his breath.

“...Hestia Jones!”

The cheers were louder this time, and Hestia sauntered onto the stage with her drummer in tow, and they each shook the man's hand before they, too, stepped back.

“And now,” Baker turned back to the crowd, his tone of voice sounding almost as excitable as the screaming crowd in front of him, “winning the ultimate Grand Prize, which includes a three-song EP recording with John Feldman, twenty-five thousand pounds in gear from Ernie Ball and Guitar Centre, a feature in Alternative Press, tour dates with the Vans Warped Tour and so much more is...”

Baker paused for effect, and the crowd was jumping up and down, unable to contain themselves. Sirius, Remus noticed, looked as though he might faint.

“...Blaq Fag!!”

Remus, ever the quiet, unassuming young man stood up with Frank and Alice, who were jumping, clapping and cheering, and he smiled proudly as he applauded and let out a cheer or two of his own. He watched Sirius, Tonks, and the others climb onto the stage, and Remus wasn't sure whether they were going to faint or cry, when as they reached the host, a sudden realization hit him.

Sirius was leaving.
A/N: Songs used in this chapter: Emigre by Anti-Flag, Ruby Soho by Rancid, Fuck Authority by Pennywise, Depression by Black Flag, Coin-Operated Boy by The Dresden Dolls, and Ukulele Anthem by Amanda Palmer. Tonks and Sirius's onstage argument stolen almost word for word from The Real McKenzies' live album, Shine Not Burn.
I'd just like to note that I love emotive hxc, but in this fic Sirius is a bit of a pretentious douchebag and I know tons of punkrockers who loathe emo in all its forms, I'm not deliberately trying to badmouth emo ^.^;
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Sing Along Forever