A/N: Written for lilkyonkyon's Proverb Challenge, the proverb being "the road to a friend's house is never long". Not sure if it fits entirely since it didn't end up exactly how I planned at the start but hey, it's a try.
This is actually the third thing i've posted in the last few days. I'm on a roll! Maybe not a very good roll but a roll nonetheless.
Friends That Loved Him
It was one of those moments you imagine all the time- shape and mould in your brain until they are so real it's as if they already happened- but you never really believe will come. But it did come and it wasn't like he imagined. Not at all.
He had imagined huge scenes, dramatic speeches, yelling matches like the ones they usually had daily when he was back from school; there must have been a thousand since the first.
His father would shout, hit him, tell him he was an ungrateful little shit as he had a hundred times before and kick him out the door and Sirius wouldn't care. He'd be better off. He hated his father.
Except for when he didn't...
His mother would pull sulky faces that made her look ugly and demand that he think of the family, their precious reputation that she loved so much. More than she'd ever loved him.
Although he was sure she'd loved him once upon a time, a long time ago now...
Regulus would say nothing. He would watch, glad to see the back of him, that petty Slytherin cruelty shining out.
But Regulus had never been petty or cruel...
He would have been ready for that. He would have shouted back, made his own speeches, stormed out with his head held high and known he was right. Why would he be sad to leave a family that hated him? Why should he give a damn about them?
He was angry- so bloody pissed off that they had to ruin it, make it hard when it should be the easiest decision of his life, make him feel bad when it had been coming for so long, when it was their fault.
He threw the last things into his trunk angrily as his father stood in the door; trying one last time to make him change his mind, make him stay.
"... we can talk about this, work it out. We're your family Sirius."
What was there to talk about? Why did he even want him to stay? Probably just to save himself the embarrassment of people finding out even his own son couldn't stand him.
Sirius pushed past his father and dragged his trunk down the stairs. His father followed him. He caught sight of his mother out the corner of his eye. She was silent, tears sliding down her beautiful face. She reached for his arm as he passed, trying to stop him, but he brushed her off; he couldn't look at her, he'd made up his mind.
"Sirius, please."
Her voice was tiny and she was begging, pleading with him. He'd always thought he would enjoy that- having her beg him for something, having her in his power instead of the other way round- but he felt terrible, he wanted to cry and tell her he was sorry and hadn't meant it and they could try again, be a proper family again, like they used to be...
But it was too late for that.
She made a whimpering sound that was so unlike her that he could hardly believe it really was but she didn't follow.
Regulus was standing by the door; blocking his exit. He looked mutinous and ready for a fight and Sirius thought he had never seen his brother look so strong before.
"Regulus move."
"No, you're not going."
"I've already gone."
"No. You're staying here, with your family, where you belong."
"Move Regulus dammit!"
"No, I'm not letting you, you're not leaving me."
Why was he making this so goddamn difficult?!
Sirius tried to push him out of the way but Regulus shoved him against the wall, fuelled by this strange new rage that he'd never known his brother possessed.
"You're overreacting. You need to stay and think. You can't do this!"
"I can."
"No you can't. You can't leave me, you're my brother!"
Sirius had thought they hadn't been brothers for a while, not really, but they used to be. They used to play games and hang out and sneak into each other's rooms to talk when their parents thought they were asleep and in the first two years of Hogwarts Regulus had written to Sirius every day, stupid notes in his rubbish ten year old writing, telling him about their parents and the neighbours and the cats and his lunch.
And how much he missed him.
But that was a long time ago now.
"Please Sirius. Don't do this. Stay."
He was crying now too, all of his anger gone, and he suddenly looked so young. Sirius thought he might be crying too, his face was definitely cold and wet and this throat ached. He shook his head and pushed Regulus away, rushing out of the door.
He didn't stop until he was three streets away, breathing heavily and wiping the tears off of his cheeks. People were looking at him strangely which wasn't exactly surprising; he was a 16 year old boy, crying and dragging a trunk around the streets of London.
He got on a Muggle bus and stared listlessly out of the window. This was the only bus other than the Knight bus he knew how to work. It came every ten minutes and took twenty to get to his stop. He'd worked it out the last summer when he'd had to take it to get to James' house every time he had a fight with his parents.
"Y'alright kiddo?"
He shrugged at the man sitting next to him. He looked concerned and that was nice but Sirius couldn't bring himself to care. He was drained and he was sure if he responded with words he would start to cry properly and he couldn't do t hat; not over them.
It was only half a mile from the bus stop to the Potters' house and Sirius didn't think about anything on the journey between the two. He needed to get there. He needed to see James and then he'd be ok. They could laugh about it and James' mum would make him feel loved and welcome and he would know that he'd made the right choice, know that was better off there with his best mate and his family who loved him than with the people he'd left who didn't.
And he didn't want them to at all; he didn't care what they thought of him. He hated them all. He did.
James answered the door when he knocked and his face lit up.
"Padfoot!"
Sirius wanted to hug the life out of him for looking so thrilled to see him, but then he always looked pleased to see him and Sirius just didn't have the energy right now.
"I left."
James' expression sobered up and he seemed to take in the trunk and the tear tracks on Sirius' face for the first time. He grabbed his arm and dragged him into the house, hugging him tight and Sirius was glad, not for the first time, that James always knew how to make things better.
"You ok?"
"Not really."
Now Sirius was crying properly and James was still hugging him and Sirius knew he wouldn't make fun of him or ever mention it again if he didn't want him too. They stayed like that for ages, until Sirius was sure he had no tears left. He pulled away and gave James a watery smile.
"Thanks mate."
"What are friends for?"
Sirius just half-smiled and looked at his feet. James chuckled and punched his arm lightly.
"You know i'm gonna be here for you man, I love you."
Sirius just about managed to stop himself bursting into tears again. Just.
"And now I'm done being seriously gay, we should go tell mum you're here."
James bounced off to the kitchen and Sirius followed, smiling.
He'd be ok; he had friends that loved him.
A/N: And that's a wrap! Review and let me know how I did x