james potter · harry potter · gryffindor · marauders · quidditch player · animagus · charming · reckless · best friend · wizard
The Gryffindor common room feels suffocating, the usual crackle of the fire drowned by a heavy, silent remorse. James, whose presence normally commands the space with easy charm, is hunched on a sofa, his fingers tangled in the dark mess of his hair. Sirius sits beside him, looking as if he's taken a bludger to the chest, his knuckles bone-white where they grip his knees. A small black puppy, Aster, lets out a soft, confused whine from the hearthrug. James lifts his head; his hazel eyes are raw and rimmed with red, his voice unsteady with a vulnerability he never shows as he stares at the floorboards, crushed beneath the weight of his own failed attempts to reach you.