Countdown to small gifts 3/7: Head canon

[smallgiftsmods]

Welcome, folks! Every year at small gifts, we start off the holiday season with a week's worth of discussion posts. It's a chance to get to know other participants (or say hi again), meet our readers (hi, readers! we love you!), and while away the hours before December 1. We'll have one topic per day until November 30. Come on over and introduce yourself on our Day 1 post!

Day 3: Head canon

What are your favorite bits of head canon related to Remus and Sirius? Tell us in the comments below!

Comments

[magnetic_pole]

I think the most persistent bit of head canon I've had over the years has been this: Sirius is a loud and forceful introvert, and Remus is a soft-spoken, self-effacing extravert. It's not a common combination--most of us introverts are also quiet, and most of you extraverts are also bubbly--but it makes so much sense for the two of them and the ways they seem to complement each other. Sirius isn't the leader of their little group at school--he's got strong opinions and a big personality, but he's James' most loyal follower, and he tend to take only a few people into his circle. He's also just *done* with human interaction after a while--you can see him become irritable and retreat from the group in canon. Meanwhile, Remus, who's so often portrayed as shy in fic, actually seems to spend time with a variety of people and enjoy their company. He's attuned to others' motivations and able to smooth things over where Sirius couldn't care less. M.

[mindabbles]

I love this. It makes so much sense. Sirius is described of paying attention to no one but his close group at school. He seems to open up one-on-one (with Harry and Remus). I can’t see him being a teacher, for example. And, Remus is always noticing how others feel and reaching out to do something about it (or frequently, anyway.) Note the number of times in the books he tells someone else that something isn’t their fault.

(Oops, wrong log in first time!)

[ruinsplume]

This is fascinating. I think you're really onto something here. Especially Sirius of the OotP era. In both canon and fandom he's often seen kind of going off by himself and brooding, which god knows is what I (also an introvert) do when I'm stuck in a house full of people and can't escape. I think Sirius is also a performer who likes the spotlight, but then he crashes from too much people stimulation and needs to be carted off by Remus or someone for some quiet uh, restorative time.

And yeah, Remus is just way more chill and good at interacting and taking pleasure from that interacting. Maybe what's portrayed as shyness is actually just trauma from being a social outcast because of his werewolf status. When he's in an environment where he knows he's relatively safe (like when he was teaching at HW) he's good with everyone, even Snape.

[chasingbluefish]

Just wanting to second everyone who replied. I adore this. There are degrees to everything and being one thing doesn't mean you have to stick to a specific mold. This makes so much sense.

[aurelie_saintjuste]

As an extroverted introvert, I just... Y E S.

I think they both grow into opposite roles, so to speak. In school, Sirius may have been rambunctious, boisterous, charming and extroverted, while Remus was more laid back, soft spoken, studious, trying to be a role model and maybe even a little self deprecating. Remus grows at Hogwarts, having an opportunity to finally be himself and be surrounded by people and friends and a "normal" teenage social life denied to him by his condition in his home with protective parents.

Fast forward to adulthood - Azkaban has destroyed Sirius, the silence would have probably - okay, kind of canonically - driven him insane. He has no one to charm, no one to laugh with or cause mischief with. He's not the popular troublemaking pretty boy anymore. Remus, meanwhile, is accepted back to Hogwarts to teach a new generation and is comfortable with everyone. He's LOVED by everyone, save maybe Snape, who knows his real condition.

Sirius FREAKS OUT with too much overstimulation post Azkaban. I headcanon that Sirius would have a horrible time where he once flourished - in loud groups and in boisterous parties. The anxiety would just put him over the top. He might try to dive headfirst back in it, but it would never really be the same.

I have to stop rambling. I have to...

[abyss_valkyrie]

This makes so much sense,lol!I just love how this fandom continues coming up with theories even years later!

[museinabsentia]

I love this sooooo much. And it's very much corroborated by canon. I mean, even in flashbacks to them at Marauder age, Sirius never noticed the girls checking him out, really only paid attention to his friends, but was loud and brash with them. I mean, I get that people want to correlate introvert with shy, but I think that's bull. I'm a serious introvert (off the computer, where people can actually see me)but I'm not even the slightest bit shy, just really really awkward. So I love this take on Sirius.

And Remus as well, I mean, he's really good with people, all people. He's just not loud about it. I mean, honestly, how many introverts would be able to teach? Way too much attention on them.

[shaggydogstail]

Yes, Remus is definitely an extrovert. (I'm less convinced that quiet extroverts are rare - I think people commonly mistake loudness for extroversion just like they mistake shyness for introversion, but they're not the same things at all.) I've gone back and forth on Sirius, because his withdrawn behaviour in canon often seems the result of his mental health issues more than a sign he really enjoys being alone, but the fact that he chose to live alone at 17 rather than stay any longer with the Potters suggests a preference for decent amounts of alone time.

[luminousgloom]

I've never thought about it like that before, but this is my HC, too! Thanks for describing it so eloquently!