Chapter Text
Sirius sighed as he stepped out of the pub, leaving the warm, fuzzy feeling of it behind him as he moved down the stairs that led to the exit. He’d only had a couple of beers, and maybe one or two sips out of james’ martini, yet he already felt a little more than tipsy, like there was a cloud messing with his senses, making his steps a little wobbly, the loud music coming from inside a little bit more vague.
He was finally out, the cold autumn breeze brushing his face, sobering him up. It was a quiet night, funnily enough. That was odd , Sirius thought. They were two months in their sixth year at hogwarts, it was the weekend of Halloween, and most importantly; it was Sirius’ birthday. Which of course meant one thing; festivity . And yet, hogsmeade was vacant, except for the pub behind him.
He lit his cigarette and took a drag out of it, staring at the night sky. The stars faded more and more each year that passed, each birthday that passed. Seventeen years and counting, Sirius was slowly losing his connection with them. Like they had shifted from entire galaxies that guarded him, into small, tiny dots, watching him from afar, unable to reach him anymore.
Sirius always thought the stars were like his family.
Though Sirius didn’t have a family anymore. Not a real one anyway, not since he run away that summer, moving in with James and his family.
There were still nights that felt like this, like James’ folks were something else entirely, something foreign, that didn’t belong in his life.
Or,more accurately, Sirius didn’t belong to theirs .
On nights like his birthday, Sirius couldn’t help but think about the stars. They were far away indeed, but they never did leave him. They would always stay there, above him, watching him. He would never escape them. He-
“Mind if i bum off a smoke, do ya?”
A voice came from somewhere beside him, disrupting him from the void he called thoughts.
He turned around to address said voice, to find another young man looking at him, or rather, the fag hanging through his fingers.
Truth is, his stash was ending and he was annoyed to be interrupted. People didn’t just talk to him like that . He was Sirius Black, for fucks sake.
But he was also glad to be interrupted, and the stranger did look around his age, and he smelled nice, and his smile was endearing, so maybe that’s why Sirius handed him over a cigarette.
“Thanks,really needed that mate” the stranger said while he placed the cigarette between his lips, letting Sirius light it and taking a drag out of it.
It was his tone that made Sirius look at him twice. The only word that came to his mind to describe the boy was stressed .
And that was something entirely new for him. He’d never actually thought that a person could benefit from fags like that.
“Why?”
A moment passed before he answered.
“Life can be… a lot. Especially tonight” his answer was.
And that, that right there, intrigued him. The stranger smoked to release stress. Sirius smoked to die. Or, at least, he started for that reason. Now, with his family out of the picture and his will to live regained, he was keeping up with that habit because he didn’t know how to quit. But he would never admit that to himself, or to anyone, really.
“Why tonight?Dont like the people back there?” Sirius asked, nodding off to the pub behind them.
The boy shook his head.
“Something like that,yeah”
“Not a big fan of small talk, are yo u?”
He smirked .
“Not particularly.”
“ Name’s Sirius”
“ Remus ”
The stranger, Remus , finally turned to him. He looked at him funny. Maybe he realised who i am , Sirius thought, while taking him in.
His eyes looked dark, illuminated only by the dim light of hogsmeade’s poor electricity system. He was dressed in loose light blue jeans and destroyed doc martens, and his shirt was undo ne at the very top.
He was attractive, no one could deny that.
“Your eyeliner is crooked” he commented. Okay, definitely not recognised him then. Before Sirius could say something, he threw the fag to the ground, stubbed it with his foot and headed in.
“Thanks again for the fag” he said, leaving Sirius gaping at him. That was probably the weirdest interaction he’d had with someone for a long time.
And the most interesting one, he had to admit .
Sirius stayed there, wrapped up in the cold veil of the night, for some time more, smoking in peace. He couldn’t do that at Hogwarts. He loved his dorm mates, really, they were inseparable, but sometimes they were just too inseparable. James, Peter and him, they were always together since first year, always scheming and planning p ranks, laughing together, crying together. They were basically attached by the hip. James especially, since he was the first and only person to ever encourage Sirius really chase his one true love; music.
That was another thing many people didn’t know about Sirius; his love for music.
The wizarding world just didn’t care about it. The ministry only paid attention to the practicality of things, things that served the purpose of magic’s growth.
And Sirius, he was a Black.
Which meant magics’ growth was his life purpose.
Which was why he was important.
The blacks were one of the most ancient pure blood families in the wizarding world. They had played a major role in the evolvement of magic, they had invented a lot of basic spells, and had discovered some valuable magical items.
And Sirius Black was their heir.
Which meant he practically breathed for magic.
Sirius didn’t care about any of that, though.
It was a shame, but also a blessing, depending on who you asked.
His teachers at hogwarts always bragged about his talent, and his intelligence, how magic just flowed out of him, like magic was him and he was magic.
James, though, and Sirius himself, and anyone who really knew Sirius, could see it though.
Sirius was made of rock n roll.
His origins laid in magic, no one could deny that.
But one’s start doesn’t mark their ending, and Sirius’s ending would be music.
Or so he wanted it to be.
Since he first heard Bowie’s music, Sirius decided that this was his life’s purpose; to transfer his magic through music. Or music through magic, he wasn’t sure.
And so he began voice lessons in secret, as well as piano lessons, and then at fourteen he picked up on the guitar.
Now, at the edge of seventeen, he and James had started a band together, even convinced Pete to join, but something was missing.
And Sirius wouldn’t believe you if you told him that something was shy, awkward, smoke-stealer Remus.