Remus had given<span style="font-style: italic">Poppy</span>a lot of thought during the passing week; the fact that it could’ve been<span style="font-style: italic">Puppy</span>had never once crossed his mind. It washed his expression clean, blank for a moment before a grin pulled at his lips, a boyish flash of teeth as it sent his mind reeling.<br/>To be honest, it was nothing short of a treat.<br/>“Puppy,” he repeated, not because he hadn’t heard it, but because he couldn’t forego trying it on.<br/>The cigarette had all but burned to the filter, and still it was thoughtlessly kept at eye level, Remus’ attention remained fully and entirely on Sirius.<br/>“Good girl, then,” he said, a subtle agreement to the pun written into the name. There was, however, an unmistakable encouragement in his smile and voice, eyes never wavering off of Sirius as he leaned down to kill the embers against the stone of the step.