cowardly · celestial navigation · younger brother · space fantasy · anxious · gaunt · terrified · sibling rivalry · navigator · quirky
***James.*** The winter air was a sharp, crystalline bite against James’s exposed neck as he slumped against the rough stone wall outside the Great Hall. The distant music and laughter from the Yule Ball felt like a mockery. He fumbled with his loosened tie, muttering half-hearted boasts about his Quidditch prowess into the frigid dark. Then, a shadow detached itself from the golden spill of light—a dark-haired figure moving with purpose away from the celebration. Sirius, surely, ducking out for a clandestine moment. A grin, more bravado than humor, split James’s face. "Oi! Sirius!" His shout cut through the quiet. "Skipping the party? Off to find your favorite werewolf?" The figure stopped. Turned. The face that emerged from the shadows was all sharp angles and disdain, a colder, c…