Run, Sirius, Run

Sirius ran without looking back. He could feel the tears streaming down his bruised cheeks, feel his breath catching in his chest, and feel his feet pounding on the tarmac. He ran out of Grimmuald Place and stopped, wheezing slightly. He squinted into the darkness. The lamp above his head flickered. Sirius jumped as he heard a door slam far back behind him. Taking the right, he ran, trying to leave the pain and fear behind him.

Suddenly, he saw the Thames loom up before him, and he stopped, panting beside a bridge. The traffic rumbled along above him. Sirius approached the fast flowing, murky water and leant over.

"I could always throw myself in. No one would know. No one would care-".

As soon as the thought crossed his mind he felt angry with himself. He would never sink so low... but he felt so hopeless. He collapsed to his knees in the mud and sobbed desperately into his hands.

He didn't hear the footsteps cautiously approach him, but he felt the comforting hand on his shoulder. Shocked, he looked blearily up at the stranger. It was a boy, about 16, with straggly long blonde hair, and welcoming eyes. He wore ripped jeans, and a dirty t-shirt.

"You okay mate?" he asked, worry in his voice. Sirius realised he must look a mess. The bruises hadn't faded, and the cut across his forehead was still bleeding slightly.

"Yeah", he croaked. The boy lifted a disbelieving eyebrow. He held out a hand.

"The names Will", he said in a posh voice, clearly playing on Sirius' well-spoken London accent. Sirius smiled, his first proper smile since the holidays had begun.

"Sirius", Sirius said taking the hand.

Will pulled him up and beckoned for him to follow him. Sirius felt drawn to the boy, probable because he had shown him the first kindness for a long time. Will led him under the bridge, where there were several crates unturned. Will sat on one, Sirius on another.

"So", Will said, resting his chin on his hands. " What's your story?"

Sirius had no idea what he was talking about. His story? His confusement showed on his face because Will explained, "Everyone who comes here has a story. Me? I

prefer this place to my care home. My parents died in a car crash, so...". He gave Sirius a questioning look.

"My father hates me", he blurted out. It felt easier telling this to Will, who was almost a stranger, than telling James, Remus or Peter. None of them had any idea.

"Is that the...?" Will pointed at his face. Sirius nodded, and looked down at his hands. "Do you...?"

Sirius looked up to see Will offering him a cigarette. Sirius took one and lit up. This wasn't new to him. Andie had shown him how to smoke the year before. He had never thought of doing it again. But here, now, with will, it just seemed natural. Sirius felt himself slowly calm down, as the smoke filled his lungs. He inhaled through his nose, closed his eyes, leaning back into the bricks. He murmured his thanks to Will, and took another puff.

Will studied the beautiful boy before him. He wasn't gay, but this boy made him wonder. He watched as he leant back on the wall, his blue-black hair spread out from his face. He was truly beautiful, angelic almost, his hair contrasting with his flawless pale skin. This Sirius is strange, Will thought. He looked old for his age, which he would guess to be about 15, because his eyes showed he was in pain. Will had seen it. it had stirred him, because he had seen a deep hurt in them, like a betrayal. His father must really hate him.

Sirius opened his eyes to find Will studying him. Their eyes met, and Will saw that Sirius needed a stronger medicine to make him forget. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small bag of white powder. Sirius knew what it was. Cocaine. He watched as Will took out a large pinch of the cocaine, and spread it out into a rough line on the unturned box between them. Looking up to make sure Sirius was watching, Will bent low and in one swift movement, snorted the line. He leant back too, and looked at Sirius, nodding to the bag.

"Why not?" Sirius thought. He had nothing better to do, and from the contented look on Wills face, it might help him to relax.

Sirius picked up the bag, and took out the same amount of cocaine. He spread it out in the same way as Will, and without pausing to think, snorted it too. Sirius had never felt anything so wonderful in his life. He felt like he was being taken to another place, flying in bliss. He sunk into the feeling, barely awake.

But all too soon, the feeling faded, and was replaced by the same emptiness that Sirius had felt before, but now ten times worse.

"Can I have some more of that stuff?" he asked Will.

Will saw the hungry look in Sirius eyes, and thought "why not?". You only live once, after all. Together, they finished off the bag, smoked another few cigarettes, before Will saw the hint of dawn.

"You'd better go home now," Will told Sirius. He saw Sirius' face fall. The invincibility the cocaine had given him had worn off completely, and Sirius felt slightly scared.

"Don't worry about it," Will said. "You can come here whenever you want to. Someone will always be here. Well, most of the time anyway."

With this reassurance, Sirius left. Will watched him walk away, a hungry look in his eyes. He wanted him. He knew it now.

Sirius thought about Will as he walked home. He had felt welcomed by him, and strangely important, like being able to do that with him had been special. Yes, Sirius now felt special, and that made a nice change.