As the last spring leave touched the ground, Hogwarts castle's silhouette stood tall as always welcoming the sight of winter. Muffled by the strong wind, two familiar voices for those surroundings, in the distance grew louder and louder. Feet stomping into snow, the figure of a tall boy reached the big wood doors before being pulled down with fake strength by a seemingly shorter boy. Heavily breathing, both students hugged their knees in a failed attempt to catch some air. Voices barely managed to make themselves hear, both Gryffindors stared at each other without uttering a word. It wasn't out of the ordinary to find them in this kind of funny situations.
If someone had told the eleven-year old Sirius Black he would finally belong somewhere, he would've eyed you, head to toe and out of the window. His family had always made sure he knew his place or rather, that his place was not with them. His years of enduring being the black sheep of the family, dirty looks and nasty treatment only came to be worse when the sorting hat muttered the words he had been longing for so long. If someone also told him he would find a place where he finally found himself at peace, where he could be himself and live careless, he would have also told you to get out of his damn sight with such no sense.
Sirius found himself staring at his friend in awe all the time, quite a few of them without the other taking notice of it. For a guy who had always met with cold treatment and talk, it was rather grateful to find someone who treated him the way James Potter did. Long gone were the days he called the fellow Gryffindor his best friend. After everything they've both endured, the young dog found in the stag a brother for life.
You think if we leave the glitter on peter's room, they'll track down it's us who covered the entire common room with it? – said James with a glimpse of mischief in his eyes. – Bloody hell prongs will you not jinx it? – said the black haired boy jokingly pushing the other to the side as he stumbled, sitting next to each other, in front the warm fireplace - they never tracked us down didn't they?
His partner in crime.
It had been that easy. When they met each other, everything felt like it was meant to be, falling into place. Sirius had found in the tall, black haired guy, a partner for life he never knew he need it. He could confide, go to him and talk about nothing, everything and rant whenever things got rough at home he pushed him away, James was there, offering him a hand to reach. Even when he found himself with nowhere to call home, the Potters; who had heard nothing but extraordinary good things from James about him, made him a room at home; treating him like he never belonged anywhere else but with them.
Bloody fucking hell James why are you still here? Everyone has turned his back against me! – said Sirius enraged. His hands shaken in a moment of weakness he let himself show. Everyone knew Hogwarts was home for gossip and new rumors were everyone's favorite candy. Him being disowned, kicked out of his own family spread like wild fire around the old corridors. Even for a first year, for an eleven year - old kid alone in a grown world, eyes still shimmering with innocence, it was rather easy for everyone to throw him nasty looks and make his life a living hell - Go and do the fucking same, if you know what's better for yourself.
I would rather leave this own damn castle than pretend I never met you Sirius. I know you. I believe you. Whether you believe it or not, you're a good person and a better friend. – answered James with strength and sudden boldness in his voice. A single tear fell down his cheek, threatening the following presence of more. Taking two steps further he reached his friend. Burying his face on his neck they both broke down. – You're my brother and I'm not letting you go.
In hindsight, he doesn't think he'd change a single thing of everything they had gone through. He wasn't sure if he saved an entire nation in another life to deserve him and thanked every single star of the night sky for letting him meet his life partner. He admired James, he really did. He found home in within his friend's words.
James was truly one of his kind. Those kind of people, if you're lucky, you find once in your life. Had you asked around, every soul worshiped him. Sometimes he wished someone knew him as well as he did, he counted himself lucky for being able to reach a side of James, not everyone dared to discover. James was the guy who tormented kids when he was little, who planned mischiefs until late hours at night and who pranked every single breathing soul in that castle. But James was also that messy haired guy who sneaked from the common room at midnight to pay a visit to the kitchen elves, who tended the younger students who had been victims of those dark arts wizards and tended a hand every time Hagrid welcomed a new hand of animals to take care of. James Potter. Chaser. Captain of the quidditch team. He was the true embodiment of bravery. Gryffindor's prodigal son.
I'm right here prongs, everything will be alright – whispered James. His eyes darted to him in hopes to find in his friend's eyes, what he was afraid to see lacking in his: reassurance. – I don't know what the future holds for us. Bloody hell, I don't quite have figured out where we're, for Merlin's beard, going to be in ten years but – said innocence dropping from his words. He rested his head against the wall behind him, sweat running down his forehead. He held his friend's hand close, fingers closing into the other's – as long as we're all together. Remus, you, me.. everything we'll be fine mate. I don't care how much it takes but I promise, one way or another, happiness awaits for us.
You know I'm here too, right Padfoot? – started trailing Sirius. He wasn't sure when was the last time he had been able to pour his heart out but with James and Remus, it was if every wall he spent years building, came crashing down as a mere thin silk curtain. His striking grey defeated eyes meeting the hazel ones - I… bloody hell – exasperatedly running a hand through his jet black hair, stumbling to find the right words – you know how much I hated that house, I never wanted to be like them. Being sorted into Gryffindor, being able to have you as a friend is the best present I could've ever asked for.
I couldn't have. You're a good person Sirius, quite one of the best I have ever met – knowingly eyes reassuring his – I know.
He did. James understood him quite like no one else had ever done before. Perhaps Remus, although it was a different what they shared.
He didn't have to put it into words, his friend always managed to know him better than he did.
We're in this together. - James promised. - Until the very end.
Sirius hoped so. He didn't know what he would do if he ever left him.
And if fate was on his side, he would never find out.