Hey Everyone...
I've decided that since I have been terribly bored this summer, it would be kind of nice to start this back up again. I did some basic editing of the stories, no major plot changes, but yes, they should read a bit more easily now.
This is going to be a collection of one shots that have absolutely no connection to each other. I guess you could call them vignettes.
The only thing these stories have in common, as you may have guessed, is that they all revolve around everyone's favorite marauder Sirius Black.
They will range in time period, point of view, style, other characters involved, length, emotion, and topic. The only constant in every single story will be Sirius.
I only have three rules:
1. No Swearing.
2. No flames. Constructive criticism only. If you do flame, it will be deleted.
3. If you read it, please give me some feedback. Not just the "ZOMGZ I LURVED YOUR STORY" kind, but also things I could work on.
Finally, this started on the Harry Potter boards as a kind of writing competition, where I was the only writer, and people posted challenges, which I then wrote for them.
So you could pick a genre, a topic, a point of view, etc., put it in your review and I'll write it. Kind of like your own personal author. Pretty nice huh?
Now, here's the first one.
Oh yes. I will post the title, the length, the rating, the POV and anything else I deem necessary when I post a story.
Title: The Lake
Length: 1036
Rating: PG
POV/Style: Sirius/Narrative
As I walked around the lake near the apartment, I couldn't stop myself from thinking. I know, I know. James always tells me to be careful when I think, but I'm not just good looks, really; I come up with just as many pranks as the rest of them, even if I do slack off on my homework. Plus, how could I get as many girls as I do without being able to think, huh? It's not just the tall, muscular frame, the long, shiny jet-black hair, and the stunningly grey eyes, not to mention my perfectly kissable lips.
But I digress. Girls. That's what I was thinking about. Or rather, it's one girl in particular. How could I have let her go? I knew she was the one for me, yet today, as we got off the Hogwarts Express for the last time, I told her we were over.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back. But I couldn't. I never go back on what I say. Sirius Black will never grovel for someone's forgiveness, even if I did happen to love that person with all my heart.
When I stopped to sit on one of many benches surrounding the lake, I closed my eyes and put my head in my hands, pressing the heels of my palms into my eye sockets. This proved to be a horribly bad idea. Her face was the only thing I could see against the stark black of my eyelids. Her red, blotchy, beautiful face as it crumpled into tears after my unexpected announcement.
We had ridden together on the train the whole way home, sharing sweet short kisses the entire way. I had told her the night before that I loved her. She had said the same back to me. With my supposed loyalty and romantic ways, and the passion she threw into every aspect of her life, we seemed destined to be together forever.
So what had gone wrong? I could feel James' stare on my face the entire ride to the apartment from the station, yet I refused to acknowledge him. I was busy thinking about her, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, where I had gone wrong.
As I sat on the bench I tried to come up with reasons for why I had done it. My pride? My player past? My refusal to believe that she really loved me? Or maybe it's some of that psychiatric bullsh-t, that I resented my mother and project all of my repressed anger towards her onto other women.
I picked up my head, opening my eyes, hoping to get rid of the image that seemed branded in my mind. It didn't work. As I watched parents chase their children through the too-green grass around the lake, young couples kissing on the bank with their shoes off and toes dabbling in the water, and an older couple holding hands sweetly as they walked by my bench, eyes for nothing but each other, I was instantly filled with regret for the loss of such a future.
Deciding my trip to the lake was only making problems worse, I stood up and walked to the nearest gas station, where I purchased two gallons of cookie dough ice cream that I was fully prepared to eat tonight. I made my way back to my apartment as darkness started to fall on the city.
I opened the door of my flat to find James and Lily sitting together –– correction, Lily was sitting on James; red hair and green eyes meshing perfectly with tousled brown hair and chocolate eyes –– on my couch. I averted my eyes as I took off my worn leather jacket and walked into the kitchen, putting my bag of ice cream in the freezer.
Hearing footsteps behind me, I turned to find Lily with her hands on her hips, eyes sparkling with fury and hair looking like live flames, ready to go off on me.
"Hey Lil," I acknowledged her tiredly.
"What the H-LL were you thinking today Sirius? That was so unexpected! She's a mess right now…I only left her to come yell at you! I cannot believe you did this!" Lily continued yelling until she was hoarse. I listened to her words closely for once; I knew I needed to hear this.
She stood there, silent now, waiting for my answer. James had come in sometime during her tirade, and was leaning against the doorjamb waiting patiently for me to open my big, fat, incredibly stupid mouth.
"I have no idea Lil. I've been thinking about it all day," I said, shrugging my shoulders shoulders. "We all know this isn't the first time my mouth has gotten me in deep." James grimaced, remembering one time in particular. Lily sighed.
"I'm going back home." To her, were Lily's unspoken words. They shared an apartment a few streets away, which was convenient for James and Lily, since James and I were living together, but not so convenient for me. Thoughts of having to run the risk of seeing her on any given day, maybe even bumping into each other at a local restaurant suddenly flashed through my mind. I had royally screwed things up.
I nodded absently to Lily, barely noticing her as she hugged me tightly. As James walked her to the door, talking quietly, I pulled out a carton of ice cream and two spoons. I walked into the living room and sat down in my armchair. I heard the door close quietly, and then James walked in.
He nodded to me, and sat down in his chair, which was separated from mine by the table that held the ice cream. He picked up a spoon and began eating as I flipped through the channels; James and I had purchased a TV, at Lily's insistence. Finally stopping on "Jerry McGuire", the ultimate corny romance flick, I picked up my spoon and started eating my well-earned ice cream. James didn't say anything to me; we didn't need to talk. He knew every emotion running through my heart as we sat and ate.
Please review, and post your challenges!
