REMUS WAS AWOKEN the following morning by a sharp knocking on his bedroom door. For a moment, he was alarmed as he didn't know where he was: the room in which he slept was entirely unfamiliar to him. The walls were painted a nice shade of navy blue and there were curtains on his bay window overlooking the vast ocean beyond. Sand dunes and long grass overlooked he and his roommate's private part of the beach, and for a moment, the man debated heading out there to soak in some sunshine as the water was surely still too cold to swim in.

The knocking returned again and Remus sighed and climbed out of his comfortable queen-sized bed, twisting the knob and allowing the door to open slightly and peer outside. "Yeah?"

Sirius Black, Remus' week-long roommate stood on the other side fully dressed in dark trousers, a leather jacket, and a pair of black combat boots. He'd pulled his long hair into a bun on the top of his head and was eyeing Remus' sleep-stricken state with interest.

"I'm hungry, and all we've got to eat is pizza. I figured you and I could go into town and check out some vendors." Sirius claimed, crossing his arms over his chest as he awaited Remus' answer.

Remus eyed him incredulously. Just that previous night, Sirius had been snapping at him for reasons he didn't even know, and now he was asking him to join him for a stroll around the town's market. This man was giving Remus whiplash. He looked back longingly towards his bed, still entirely too jet-lagged from his long flight. He wanted nothing more than to spend his morning in bed.

He sighed then, realizing that just wouldn't be the case. "I'll meet you in fifteen minutes." He closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, enjoying the last few moments of solitude he'd get for the day before spending it with his moody roommate.

The previous night, after Remus and Sirius' episode in the pizzeria, the brown-haired man had rushed to his bedroom and dialed his roommate's number, giving James an earful about just how horrid the leather-wearing narcissist was. He would rather spend the day alone: reading, sleeping, or taking a walk along the beach, which seemed to beckon to him now as he gazed out the window, wasting the time in which he was supposed to be getting dressed. He would rather do anything than spend time with Sirius.

Sighing woefully, he tugged himself out of his pajamas and put on a pair of dark denim jeans, a comfortable black and white jumper, and a pair of black converse. He ran his long fingers through his hair, ignoring the way he only seemed to make it stick up more as he tried to tame it. He hurried to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and splashed cold water on his face. By the time he made it to the sitting room, Sirius was sprawled on the couch, scrolling lazily on his phone.

When the black-haired man took notice of Remus, he stood and cleared his throat. "I thought maybe you and I should exchange numbers," he suggested, scratching the back of his neck. "Incase we get lost when we get to the market."

Remus' mouth went dry for reasons he didn't even know. Exchanging phone numbers was not a big deal: people did it all the time, but it was under the premise that he knew next to nothing about his roommate except he could speak French and liked leather jackets. Eventually, he handed his phone over reluctantly and allowed Sirius to type in his number and then a ringing sound filled the air as the man called himself to get Remus' number.

"Alright," Sirius claimed. "Ready to go?"

Remus nodded and the men exited their cottage, Sirius locking the door behind them. "I think I saw a motorbike rental shop when I was coming into town yesterday. Should we rent some?"

Remus' cheeks flushed a pink color. "I've never ridden motorbikes..." He admitted bashfully.

Sirius eyed him nonchalantly. "Well, I think a motorbike would be our easiest bet. They're easy to park, and can fit through hordes of traffic with no problem. If you're scared, you can just ride with me."

—————

Remus Lupin would've rather done absolutely anything than get on the back of Sirius Black's motorbike. However, a half an hour later, he found himself sitting snugly against Sirius' back, arms wrapped as loosely around the man's waist as he could manage. Every bend that the road made, he found himself terrified of tipping over, but it was obvious the black-haired man rode these things often. Eventually, Remus was able to quit his nerves and enjoy the scenic ride.

On either side of the narrow roadway, there was a diversity of flowers and long grasses growing. Further off to his right, Remus could see the ocean and it's deep, deep blue coloring. The beaches looked mostly unoccupied: the perfect day to settle down in the sand and enjoy the sun's rays. The weather was perfect; there were few clouds in the sky, but the wind was blowing comfortably and it carried the ocean's smell with it with every breeze that hit the green-eyed man's brown hair. The sun wasn't yet all the way in the sky as it was still the early hours of morning, and the traffic was next to none.

Every house or cottage the pair passed was painted in light colors that gave the town an almost dreamlike vibe. There were vibrant gardens, high windows, and a subtle scent of a baker making fresh bread. They neared the market square and saw countless vendors either setting up or already selling to the town's early risers. Sirius parked the motorbike and Remus jumped off of it quickly, ready to be on the ground again.

Sirius' grey eyes peered around at everything, landing eventually on Remus as he noticed the brown-haired boy staring at him. "So," he cleared his throat. "Shall we?"

The two made their way into the market.

—————

Vendors called out to the growing crowds in French, luring them to their stands. Canopied tents were set up along the cobblestone square in colors of green, blue, and red. There were crates upon crates of fresh produce and a man wearing a white apron went around carrying a silver tray and offering free samples of desserts like crepes and other pastries.

Remus took one gratefully, taking a bite hungrily. His mouth exploded in the flavors of sugars, fruit, and freshly made dough. He nodded approvingly at the baker, who smiled in satisfaction and moved onto someone else.

The green-eyed man glanced towards Sirius, who was eyeing him with a smirk on his face. Remus' lighthearted feeling subsided as worry overtook him. "What?" He demanded.

"Nothing," the black-haired man insisted. "You just reminded me of someone..."

They continued browsing the market, Sirius picking up a carton of eggs produced by free-range chickens, as well as a glass container of milk. He placed both carefully in the canvas bag he had brought, and then purchased a long loaf of bread from another baker.

"How're we going to get all of this stuff home?" Remus asked, suddenly very concerned. "You put the eggs in your bag!"

"Relax," Sirius rolled his eyes. "The bag has straps, and you're going to wear it. The eggs will be fine. Now, what kind of fruit or vegetables do you like?"

—————

Though the men had initially gone to the market to pick up food supplies to make meals at home, Remus and Sirius found themselves at a seaside café, overlooking a set of large rocks as waves crashed against them ruthlessly. They had coffee and ate crepes – Remus insisted you couldn't have just one – and people-watched for a while.

"So," Remus began. "I've come to realize you and I know next to nothing about one another. Where are you from?"

Sirius pushed his crepe around on his plate, seemingly less enthused by the food than his roommate. "London, as of right now. Though I moved around a lot when I was younger."

"Were your parents in the military or something?" The brown-haired man queried.

"No, they weren't. I don't really like talking about myself..."

Remus frowned. "I think it's cool you've moved around. You've obviously been exposed to some culture. I think it's very interesting that you can speak French; it's so fitting for this holiday. I've got about as much culture as a piece of paper."

Sirius eyed him slowly. "I'm sure that's not the case. Tell me about yourself then."

"Fine," the green-eyed man chuckled. "But don't say I didn't warn you about this boring tale. I was born in Great Britain and have spent my entire life there up until this point. My parents both worked office jobs and were as bland as one gets, and also extremely overbearing. They refused to let me attend class trips to places like Belgium and the likes, they claimed there was no reason for me to learn a second language as they believed I'd never leave London. After school, I went into the workforce and got a job at the same office my parents worked in until their retirement. I moved in with my Uni roommate, James. He's the closest thing to cultural exposure that I've ever gotten... minus the time I watched that Argentinian porno."

"If you have no experience in exotic places, what encouraged you to sign up for a trip to France?"

"James, actually. He and Lily, that's his girlfriend by the way, claim that I work myself too hard and needed a break. When they came across this trip, they signed me up as quick as they could, hoping I would get chosen to go."

"So, I bet you were surprised by Bagman's call then, huh?" Sirius smirked, grey eyes twinkling.

"I wanted to kill James, to be quite honest. But, he eventually talked me into this..."

"Well, it's good you're getting to see something other than London then."

Remus nodded in agreement. "I know I haven't been many places here, and it's only day two of our week here, but I quite love it here. If things were different, perhaps I would've liked to have moved here."

"It is rather peaceful," Sirius agreed, watching the waves. He then stood and dusted off his jacket. "What do you say we get those groceries? We've been out a while now..."

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea." The two headed back towards Sirius' motorbike, Remus climbing behind him and gripping his waist again as he sped off towards the cottage. He hadn't accomplished much in his conversation with Sirius, but he decided there was still time. Eventually, he would figure out the mystery that was Sirius Black, with those storming grey eyes, wind-blown black hair, and leather jacket. He had to know.