Chapter Text
Remus hates packing his suitcase! How was he supposed to know what clothes he would want to wear next week? To him, it’s way more practical to just look in his closet in the morning and pick out an outfit based on how he feels.
This morning, for example, he really wanted to wear his new brown linen pants, so he put them on and paired them with an old sage-green button-up shirt. He didn’t wear it often because he felt like it rarely matched anything, but today it fit! It was always one of his favorite parts of the day. But sadly, packing a suitcase doesn’t work that way.
So now he’s sitting on his bedroom floor in his small London flat, parting with a big chunk of his wardrobe for the next six months. He was going to buy new stuff in Paris anyway.
Paris! He was actually going to Paris—the city of romance and love. He had already been there a few times and adored the city. He loved the bakeries, the language, and the old buildings that looked like they were pulled straight out of a romantic novel. But this time, he wasn’t going just for a holiday—no, he was going to take part in a fashion TV show hosted by the Black brothers! This was too good to be true. He still couldn’t quite believe it himself.
The impact this show would have on his life was enormous. Even if he got kicked out in the first few weeks, he’d still have thousands of job offers thrown his way. That’s how influential the Black family was in the modeling industry. For a part-time model like him, it was the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself.
He had applied with Lily, his best friend, and only because she really wanted to. He’d been quite pessimistic, not believing it would actually work. But by some miracle, they both got in. Lily kept saying it was because of their charismatic application video, but Remus believed it was more luck than skill—luck that whoever picked the candidates had glanced at their photo out of thousands for more than two seconds. But the *how* didn’t really matter. What mattered was that they got in. And their journey began tomorrow!
Shortly after he finished packing, Lily visited him. She mentioned something about all the models being announced now, and Remus was indeed a little curious about who else would be participating.
So he opened his laptop and navigated to the Black homepage. "Found it!" he said when he finally located the right page. "Remus, there we are! Pinch me so I know it’s real," Lily said. Remus grinned and did as she asked—quite hard. "Ow, not that hard, you tosser!" she howled. Remus just laughed.
There were pictures of all the models with their names beneath them. His and Lily’s photos were right at the top. Lily looked amazing with her big red curls and emerald-green eyes. He didn’t look bad either in his picture—the angle flattered his strong brow bone and jawline. And, of course, there was the scar: a white line starting under the corner of his left eye and ending at his right cheek.
He used to hate that scar, mainly because of how he got it, but also because he thought it made him look weak. It was the modeling agencies who convinced him otherwise. They loved it, saying it gave him a badass vibe and made him stand out from other models. Nowadays, he took pride in it, though no one except Lily knew the story behind it. And he wasn’t planning to share it anytime soon.
Above his and Lily’s photos were the two hosts: Sirius and Regulus Black. Anyone even slightly interested in fashion knew their names. Both had jet-black curly hair, high cheekbones, and stormy gray eyes—though Regulus’s face was a bit wider than his brother’s, and Sirius wore his hair long while Regulus kept his short. Both were drop-dead gorgeous, no doubt, but if Remus had to pick a favorite, it would be Sirius. Something about his aesthetic really caught his attention—the way effortless elegance clashed with rebellion and rockstar energy. Just looking at him felt electric and dangerous.
Lily scrolled further down. There were many striking faces—40, to be exact. "I love her look!" Lily swooned, pointing to a girl with dark skin and blonde braids. "Yeah, looks sick," Remus admitted. "Hey, look—she has a twin. That’s so cool!" The boy looked just like his sister, just male. They had a unique aesthetic—something like an Egyptian goddess mixed with surfer style—and Remus really liked it.
"Well, this one looks like he’s been pulled straight out of *Lord of the Rings*," he commented, pointing at a guy named Lucius Malfoy. "Hahaha, yes! Hey, Legolas, found your twin!" Lily joked. With his long silver-blonde hair, sharp nose, and elegant bone structure, he really could have been, Remus thought.
"I like this one," Remus said, pointing at a girl with wavy brown hair and a strong jaw. "Andromeda Black—yes, she’s gorgeous. Big fan," Lily agreed. "But all the Black sisters are." She gestured to the next two pictures. One sister had long curly black hair (giving Sirius a run for his money) and a square face shape. The other had light blonde hair, blue eyes, and a heart-shaped face with a pointed chin. If he hadn’t known they were sisters, he’d never have guessed it.
They scrolled some more and talked some more until Lily had to leave. "I’ll pick you up at 9 o’clock, okay? The train departs at 9:40!" "Perfect, thanks, Lils. You’re the best!" he said. It was actually happening!
Tomorrow, they would be moving into the Black Mansion for the next six months!