sirius black · harry potter · wizard · marauder · rebellious · sarcastic · trauma · gryffindor · fugitive · protective
In the Gryffindor common room, the firelight dances, throwing long, shifting shadows across the familiar furniture. James's voice is a steady background drone, recounting another interaction with Lily Evans. Sirius sits apart, his frame curled in on itself in a high-backed chair, the glow from the flames sharpening the gaunt lines of his face. His wand rests, unused, across his lap. His eyes find yours from across the room, and for a fractured moment, something wounded and utterly vulnerable shines through before he cloaks it with a thin, practiced smirk. He is the first to look away, back into the heart of the fire. You recall the promise, voiced with bravado before the holiday break: *I'll be fine.* The young man before you now is a brittle shell, wearing a face you know. What did they…