ficlet: life aquatic
sharks

"Are you sure this place is Muggle?" Sirius asked, a bit too loudly.

Remus poked him sharply in the ribs. "Yes."

"I don't think so." Sirius leaned closer to the glass, watching as a blowfish slowly expanded like a balloon. "That's an Engorgement Charm, is what that is."

"It's a defence mechanism," Remus explained.

"Engorgement Charm," Sirius insisted. "And I know from Engorgement Charms. James hexed my hands last week, just because I touched his biscuit tin." The way Remus had heard it, Sirius had put a pair of James' pants in the biscuit tin, but Remus left it alone. With those two, it was often better not to ask. Sirius turned back to look at Remus, pulling a face. "My fingers still feel fat in the mornings."

A little girl standing near Sirius was peering at them curiously; she had pigtails and no front teeth, and Remus tried to lead Sirius away by the elbow. Any excuse to touch him, Remus thought sourly. Sirius started to shrug him off, then curved his arm and curled his fingers in Remus' sleeve.

"Look, there's another one," Sirius said, rapping smartly on the glass. This fish was more mottled than striped. It turned as it swam closer, studying them with bulging eyes and a gaping mouth. "Ghastly bugger, innit?"

"I suppose," Remus replied.

The fish puffed up slowly, revealing sharp spines on its back and sides.

"That's a Shrake!" Sirius said, tapping the glass again. "I told you this place isn't Muggle."

"That's a porcupinefish, and yes, it is Muggle." The little girl was staring openly now, worrying at the gap in her teeth with her tongue. Remus tugged on Sirius' arm, his hand sliding down until he had Sirius by the wrist. Careful with that. Sirius didn't move, but he twisted his hand until his fingers were resting against Remus' palm, and Remus froze. He just stood there, blinking as Sirius watched the porcupinefish bob around piece of coral. "Come on," he said finally. His voice was thin and tight. "They have seahorses down this way."

"Seahorses are bloody boring," Sirius complained.

"They might be," Remus said. He didn't much care if they were; he only cared that the seahorse display was a good hallway away from the little girl who was now watching Sirius hold his hand. "When have you seen seahorses?"

"Benjy Fenwick has some," Sirius replied. "Keeps them in a tank in his dorm. Ugly little blighters, and they don't do much but float around."

"Sea monkeys," Remus said. Sirius was still holding his hand. "Benjy Fenwick has sea monkeys."

"Oh." Sirius tilted his head slightly. "Well, I'm sure seahorses aren't much better."

There was a short, awkward pause; Remus frowned at his shoes and Sirius chewed his thumbnail.

"They have sharks," Remus offered finally, because the silence was making him itch. "You like sharks."

"Do I?"

"I think so. Great, white beasts with lots of teeth. They eat people, sometimes."

"Oh, right," Sirius said, smiling sheepishly. "Let's see the sharks, but after that, we're going to pick up some curry and go back to my flat." He smiled again, but it was different, brighter. "Lily gave me a Muggle telly. It doesn't work, but I think between us we can get it sorted."

Remus suddenly felt nervous, unsure of his footing. Sirius was still holding his hand. "What if we can't?"

"Well, we can always snog," Sirius replied evenly. "Works for James and Lily when they're bored." Remus' eyes widened, and Sirius took a quick breath. "Unless you don't want to." He dropped Remus' hand. "I just thought, since you keep taking me on these daft dates, that maybe... but if you don't--"

"No, it's not that," Remus cut in. I can't be hearing him properly. "I didn't think you--"

Sirius laughed. "Of course I do, you barmpot. If I didn't, I wouldn't be standing here looking at bloody fish. I wouldn't have spent last Tuesday looking at ugly paintings that don't move."

"Oh." Remus frowned at his shoes again; his face was on fire. "So, your place, then?"

"The sharks first," Sirius insisted. "I'm not passing up great beasts that eat people."