(a/n): Hello, and thank you so much for reading! This drabble series is something that I've dreamt of for months (and months and months) and is based off of the Tumblr post located here: post/125868124867/100-ways-to-say-i-love-you for those of you interested in seeing the complete list. I will be writing one drabble for each item, spanning many eras, universes, and AUs. Some pairings will be romantic, others platonic, and others still familial. Love is such a complex yet universal feeling, and I really want for this drabble series to attempt to capture that. So, if you're ready to do this with me buckle up - I'm sure it'll be ridiculous at times. I love, love, love to hear from you, so if you're comfortable doing so, please review. I will try to keep updates as consistent as possible, but as those of you who are reading my other fic, Crimson Fireworks and Christmas Morning, know - I am only human, and can on occasion be The Worst. I am also currently looking for an alpha or beta reader for these drabbles, so if you are interested please let me know. Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs solely to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. Any recognizable characters are not my own, and I do not seek any financial compensation for the following chapters. This disclaimer applies to the entire series.
Era: First Wizarding War
Pairing: None
"Pull over, let me drive for awhile."
"Pads." James knew that Sirius had heard him, even over the roar of the motorbike as they whipped down the Muggle neighborhood street. Feeling, rather than hearing, Sirius' growl in response James knew that it was not time for talking, but what d'you do for your best mate in a situation like this?
Sighing, James pressed his forehead in between Sirius' shoulder blades and closed his eyes. The pair had long since lost the squeamishness of young men pressed together on a motorbike, and could now be this close to one another without giggling like school children. That's what a war does to you. James thought, almost bitterly. War, after all, didn't leave room for bitterness.
As Sirius pulled the bike to a stop and let it idle in front of an innocuous row of townhouses, it seemed to grow impossibly louder, matching the ire rapidly growing in its owner. Growling again at buildings that no longer separated for the once-heir to the Black family, Sirius pushed off of the bike and began to pace, wand in hand.
Opening his mouth to comfort his friend, James thought better of it when he saw the look in Sirius' eyes, for in that moment Sirius rounded on numbers 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place and began to throw every blasting spell James had ever heard of, and some that Sirius must have invented.
The house, it seemed, wanted to add insult to injury as the protective wards on the house that lay between numbers 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place absorbed the spells no differently than a sponge as the buildings remained entirely unaffected. The complete ambiguity of the buildings to his rage was what finally sent Sirius Black to screaming.
"ARE YOU CONTENTED NOW, YOU WRETCHED WOMAN?" he screamed, tendons straining in his neck as James could only watch as his best friend had a complete and utter breakdown on the cobblestone street in front of what should have been his childhood home.
"REGULUS DIED SERVING YOUR LORD, SERVING YOU, KEEPING YOU HAPPY! One son apparently wasn't enough." he spat, voice already going hoarse, tears streaming down his scruffy face.
It was only when Sirius began pulling at his too-long hair, and James could faintly see the blue lights of the Muggle police cars as they rounded the corner onto Grimmauld Place. Tugging Sirius to the bike, he wrapped his arms around his waist as they roared off into the night.
As Sirius, shuddering in his attempts to breathe, searched for a place to launch the motorbike into the night air, James wrapped his arms a little more snugly around him, placed his chin on his shoulder and said, "Pull over mate, let me drive for awhile."