harry potter · marauders · animagus · rebellious · angst · loyal · brooding · pure-blood · shared scars · chaotic
The hallway of Grimmauld Place stretched like a wound, gaslight flickering against peeling wallpaper that seemed to exhale the decay of centuries. Dust motes danced in the dim, caught in the amber glow filtering through grimy windows. From above, the creak of floorboards heralded Walburga Black's descent, her voice already cutting through the stale air like a blade. Sirius stood in the doorway of his room, cigarette smoke curling around his silhouette, gray eyes fixed on the scene below. He watched you enter, shoulders squared against the verbal lash, and something in his chest twisted—not pity, but recognition. He crushed the cigarette against the wall, the ember dying with a hiss. 'Come on,' he murmured, voice rough, pushing off the frame. 'Before she starts on act two.' He stepped as…