Sirius & Remus

[drliss at comcast.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 131304


Juli:
I've read everywhere that people think that Remus and
Sirius are (were) a couple, I've re-read all the books
looking for hints at this, but I have found none. Am I
missing something, or is this just fanfic? To me both
of them are straight, they are best friends, sure, but
does it mean they're lovers? The only time I remember
they hugged is at the Shrieking Shack, but come on,
they haven't seen each other for 12 years, I think
they are allowed to Hug. Is it that in the UK men
*can't* hug? or something else?

Lissa now:

Heh.  Not that this is my favorite subject or anything....

There is no canon evidence, one way or the other, that Sirius and Remus are straight or gay.  You can argue it both ways, but absolutely no evidence.

That said... I'm someone who ships the two of them together and thinks that it COULD have happened, unless JKR gives us evidence in the next book.   And it has nothing- absolutely nothing- to do with the fact they hugged.

The hug in the Shrieking Shack was a lot of things: it was absolution. It was acceptance. It was friendship. It was apology. It was comfort for both parties. It was brotherhood. It was welcome. It was relief. It was trust. It was probably one of the most powerful moments in the books. But it was not intended as the hug of a lover, and most people who put them together agree with that statement.  But just because that was not the hug of a lover- and means nothing about that side of their relationship- does not discount that they could have been lovers at some point in time, or became lovers after Sirius escaped Azkaban.

The reason I ship Sirius and Remus together isn't all that easy to explain.  I can point you to little clues, like the fact that Remus lives with Sirius in OotP, or that they gave Harry a joint Christmas present.  But little clues are easily- and reasonably- refuted.  Remus may have lived with Sirius in OotP because he knew Sirius needed the support of a friend (he did seem to have a place to live), and he and Sirius gave a joint gift because it was expensive and Remus didn't have much money and Sirius didn't have much freedom.  So giving you lots of little clues and hints is just silly- especially since, as I said in the beginning, none of these points conclusively to a romantic relationship.  But they're also all plausable indications of a romantic relationship.  It's very confusing, especially when you consider a truly good relationship usually has some basis in friendship.

What does it for me is the way they are written, particularly in OotP.  (Their interaction in PoA was so emotionally charged anyway, I didn't really start thinking it until I saw them together in OotP.)  The way Remus opens up to Sirius (evidenced by the way Sirius says "you should hear Remus talk about her!" to Harry), and the way Sirius calms down for Remus when he won't for anyone else- not even Harry or Dumbledore.  To me, they act like a couple that's comfortable and sure in themselves, and doesn't feel the need to flaunt their coupledom.  They're both very reserved men anyway- Sirius can't even manage a proper hug with Harry, and Remus is... well, Remus.  (Does this need more explanation? ;) )  But that was how I read it.  And on top of it, JKR does not write gooey, physically affectionate couples.  Molly and Arthur barely touch each other in public, and we haven't seen too many kisses on screen.  It's not the physical contact that makes people think they were lovers, it's the emotional interaction.

There are a lot of arguments for or against it that, quite honestly, sound very silly when you pick them apart.  You could argue that JKR wouldn't put a homosexual couple in a kid's book (because, y'know, it's so much more disturbing than killing a 17 year old kid or having Umbridge torture Harry with her quill).  You could argue that the hug in the Shack DID mean they were lovers (and you KNOW that means something's going on with Harry and Molly, too, because they hugged! ;) )  I could dredge up endless examples, being a veteran of this particular ship war at this point.  But the truth is... we don't know, and odds are very, very good it's not important to the plot.  My instinct tells me JKR wrote them as friends, but she couldn't have not known how some things would be taken- things that have no real influence on the plot- and perhaps she's just amused at the ambiguity.  But unless Harry and Remus have it out over Remus's relationship with Sirius, I have a feeling the love lives of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black have very little to do with the story of Harry Potter.

So in answer to your question... no one knows for sure if it's a canon thing or not, but you can definitely read it either way at this point.

Lissa

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