The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Season 5, Round 11 – Seasons Greetings
Montrose Magpies
CHASER 3: Write about a heartbreak on a summer day(s) OR an unrequited (doesn't necessarily have to be) love coming true on a winter night(s)
Optional Prompts:
6. (sound) sobbing
10. (emotion) melancholy
13. (phrase) walking down the road
Wordcount: 970
Forgiveness
It was a late November night, and the beginnings of winter lay heavy over the Forbidden Forest like a blanket of melancholy covering it all in its cold embrace. The poorly concealed sound of sobbing could be heard by anyone who might have been walking through the dark and silent forest.
In a clearing further into the mass of old trees than most people dared go, lit up by the weak light of a pale sliver of the moon in the middle of its cycle, knelt a black-haired young man, messing up the pure, white layer of snow that was softening the otherwise harsh view of twigs and roots. The melting snow was slowly seeping into the knees of the dark trousers he wore, darkening them into spots of complete blackness. The young man had his face buried in his pale hands, covering every inch of the skin on his head that wasn't already hidden by his mane of hair, which was so inky black it looked as if it was shining in the moonlight.
Unbeknownst to the young man currently drowning in his misery, someone else was approaching him. They were following the noises he was emitting, winding along an overgrown path littered with crooked old trees in the otherwise empty woods. The second person was far from quiet in his approach, tripping over the roots that were hiding in the fresh snow and snapping twigs under his big feet. But the distraught young man was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to take any notice of his immediate surroundings.
The brown-haired teen burst through the last obstacle — a particularly dense bush with long branches filled with thorns that grabbed and tore at his already tattered robes, which was obstructing the overgrown trail — and stumbled into the moonlit clearing. He stopped short when he was met with the unexpected sight of his estranged friend kneeling amongst wilted plants, crooked trees and the freezing cold layer of snow covering it all.
Remus was shocked to find his friend in such an obvious state of distress. The eldest son and heir of the Black family was always perfectly composed when it came to the negative side of his spectrum of moods. Courtesy of his pure-blood upbringing, the half-blood mused silently. He hadn't known their lengthy separation had affected the other boy so strongly. Sirius was always putting on an air of indifference and generally being hot-headed in his stubborn claims of having done nothing wrong.
Remus had never seen the proud boy kneeling before either. Unless it was to jokingly serenade someone or other — badly, mind you — usually on a dare from James. Yet there he was, kneeling as if in defeat, and seemingly uncaring that anyone could sneak up on him in his highly emotional state.
The black-haired young man looked up at the person who had been one of his closest friends for several years. The other boy seemed to have grown taller in their months of avoidance. Sirius could swear the brown-haired boy had been shorter than him half a year earlier.
"I am so sorry, Remus."
He only called him by his real name when he was serious. Pun not intended. The rest of the time, it was always 'Moony'. Sometimes, it was the only way of telling the real moments from the perpetual jokes and mischief. The boy had a poker face to rival all poker faces.
"I just didn't think. It didn't even occur to me that it would affect you if you hurt someone like that."
"I know," the brown-haired boy conceded with a sigh.
Being angry at the black-haired boy for an extended amount of time was useless. And exhausting. Walking down the road of anger and forgiveness was practically a full time job.
Truth be told, he'd been flirting with the idea of forgiving him completely weeks ago, but he just wasn't sure if that was what was best for Sirius, and everyone else by extension. He needed to know that his fellow Marauder really understood how severe the situation was. How precarious his position as a Hogwarts student was. Not to mention his life.
If any other student accidentally cost a fellow student his life, the punishment would probably just be expulsion. If it was him, on the other hand, he could look forward to a lifetime in Azkaban. Unless the Ministry decided to put him down straight away, like a rabid dog.
The young werewolf drew the shorter boy into a sideways hug.
"I know," he repeated, voice almost inaudible.
After that, both of them lost track of time as they stayed like that, the coldness of the winter's night seeping into their very bones, yet doing nothing to dispel the warmth of their reunion.
"You should get those patented," Sirius said suddenly from within his friend's embrace. "They're quite potent, you know."
"What?" The other boy drew back, his face painted with confusion.
The young man's flawless face didn't bear any trace of his previously tearstained appearance. If it weren't for the slight shine in his grey eyes, it would have looked like he'd never broken down in tears at all. The brown-haired boy couldn't help but feel a hint of envy at his friend for that. He always looked like he'd been in a fight with the Giant Squid himself whenever he shed a few tears.
"'Moony's hugs to cure all ills'," the black-haired boy proclaimed proudly.
Remus just stared back disbelievingly.
"I'm Sirius!" he exclaimed with a feral grin, the pun so obvious it didn't need to be addressed any further. "You could make a fortune out of those things!"
Remus couldn't help the snort that escaped him at that, rolling his eyes in fond exasperation.
And everything was right in the world.