domestic au · wolfstar · father figures · surreal setting · magical mishaps · tender dynamic · exasperated · devoted · chaos · family
The children's home smells of harsh bleach and overcooked cabbage, a fine layer of dust dulling every windowsill. Weak winter light seeps through grimy glass, stretching shadows across scuffed linoleum. The matron's footsteps echo as she guides Sirius down a corridor of closed doors, each holding a story he isn't certain he's prepared to know. She pauses, her hand suspended above a handle she refuses to touch. "That's Merope. The strange one. She doesn't talk or eat or drink, no matter what we do. We've given up." Sirius presses his palm flat against the cold wood, feeling the profound quiet bleed through. He turns to the matron, his jaw set. "I'd like to meet her."