On the ride to Hogwarts Remus is sleeping and Sirius is remembering. This chapter starts with Sirius's memory and then returns to present time.
Over the summer James and Sirius fell into the habit of going to a bar. They would apparate just outside of the small town and stroll casually to the front door. On their first visit, the boys were terrified to find that they had to present identification to enter, and, moreover, they had to be twenty-one. In a sudden panic, Sirius flicked out his wand and found that a quick Confundus charm could take care of that problem anytime they needed. The boys snuck out together at every chance they could.
One night as Sirius buttoned up his handsomely pressed dress shirt, James meandered down the hallway in his plaid pajama pants.
"Mate, what're you doing?"
"Well, actually, I was going to go watch a film in my room."
"…What happened to going to Charlie's? Am I to go carousing by my lonesome?" Sirius was incredulous.
"Well, no, that is to say, unless you mean to go tonight, then yes."
"Merlin, Prongs, speak clearly."
"I just don't want to go out tonight, okay? I'll go with you some other time, so if you intend to go to Charlie's tonight, then yes, you will be alone."
Sirius sighed sadly. "Fine mate. I'll go by myself."
James strolled into his room and shut the door. Sirius went to the stairs and checked to see that the lights were off and that Mr. and Mrs. Potter were nowhere nearby. Then he crawled out his window and down a rope made of shirts that he and James had magically linked together. He crept towards the trees and, satisfied that he would not be heard, apparated to the normal spot. He walked through the breezy summer night and admired the view of the stars. He could almost believe that he was back at Hogwarts and in the Astronomy Tower; that is, if the sounds of the city hadn't been blaring in his ears. He turned a corner and found a neon sign reading Charlie's Bar in bright letters, only the c and the i had stopped working.
"Iden—oh, it's you. 'Lo, Sirius. Where's James?" a large man at the door grunted.
"Good to see ya Joe. Ol' Jamesie decided to be a buzz kill. It's just me tonight."
"Well, 'ave fun then."
After venturing to the bar for a few weeks, the large bouncer, Joe, stopped questioning the two boys and began to call them by name. It made illegally entering the bar much easier for the charming young men. Sirius pushed the massive metal door and entered the bar. A thousand different scents assaulted his keen, dog-like nose: heavy cigarette smoke, copious amounts of alcohol, sweat. He walked to a bar stool and took a seat.
"What be your brew?" wheezed an old man from behind the counter.
"Nothing, thank you." Sirius wondered why the old man still bothered to ask after Sirius declined a drink each time. On their first time to the bar, Sirius and James had tried a few of the different muggle concoctions, but nothing could compare to firewhiskey or even a butterbeer. After that, they had silently agreed not to drink at Charlie's.
The boys liked to pretend with each other that the reason they went to the bar time after time was because they were such ladies men. Really, that wasn't it at all. They could have been great womanizers had that been their ambition; they caught more than a few eyes at the bar as it was. But James had been madly in love with Lily Evans for years and Sirius, well, Sirius was rather confused on his view of romance and love and such at that point. No, the real reason the boys enjoyed themselves so much at the dilapidated tavern was because they found it entertaining. Muggles had a strange way of going about things. James and Sirius always enjoyed a good laugh over foolish actions taken by drunken men and women.
Once, Sirius and James saw a man drinking round after round of whatever draft settled his fancy that evening. They decided to keep a close eye on him to see what kind of trouble he would stumble upon. They watched as the man slid off of his stool and approached a young blonde woman on the dance floor.
"Woow-ee. You sure do look mighty fine. If I told you that you had a nice body—" The man fell to the ground completely passed out in the middle of his pickup line. James and Sirius laughed over that one for days.
Sirius scoured the room for whatever unfortunate soul he would keep tabs on tonight. A familiar looking man caught his eye. Sirius started. What was Remus doing a Charlie's? Sirius strained his neck for a better look and found that the man was not actually Remus. Their features were almost identical; the same golden waves on the top of his head, the same slightly pointed nose, the same posture; the only thing missing was the scar running down from his ear to the base of his neck. The man turned and briefly caught Sirius's eye before glancing away. They even have the same eyes. Sirius's stomach did a flip. It was…disconcerting. The man was definitely not his Remus, but yet, Sirius wanted him to be. And since when is he my Remus?
The feelings assaulting his head were more than a little confusing. Sirius needed some air. He walked back through the metal door and down the road a bit. It was much less populated than it had been upon his arrival. He turned down an alley and walked through it into a small field.
Suddenly, a yell filled the air.
"Sirius!" Sirius turned, perturbed. Running towards him at full speed was the near spitting image of Sirius himself, Regulus Black. His brother collided into him and they both landed sprawled across the ground.
"They're coming!" Regulus yelled.
"What? Who's coming?" Sirius was slightly disoriented from his brutal contact with the ground, but even more so by the fact that Regulus was next to him.
"Sirius! Snap out of it, they're coming!"
"Who? Get behind me, I'll protect you." Sirius growled, searching for the enemy.
"No you dolt, don't you get it? It's not me they're after."
"Then…who?"
"You." Sirius heard a pop and saw two shadowy figures advancing toward him, one tall and suave, and the other rather plump and short.
Regulus hopped up quickly. "See? Told you I could find him."
"Very good, Regulus," A sneering tone replied that Sirius immediately recognized: Lucius Malfoy. The other figure stood slightly behind Lucius and kept his face turned at an angle so that Sirius could not identify him.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Sirius asked evenly.
"I just came to warn you, Black." Lucius replied, "This is your last year under Dumbledore's protection. Then it's off to the real world with you. From this point on if you get in my way, I will obliterate you. I don't wish to cause trouble now; I feel the Dark Lord and we Death Eaters could still use you to serve our purposes should you change your mind about the order of things."
"What makes you think I care, Malfoy?"
Lucius scowled. "Heed my warning, Black. Things may soon come to pass that even you and Potter cannot turn into a joke. Come along Regulus."
Lucius and the other figure disappeared with a loud pop. Regulus stood on the verge of uncertainty for a moment and then turned back to Sirius. There was a dark look in his eyes. Regulus drew his fist back and brought it careening into Sirius's face. Sirius felt his nose break.
"That's for leaving me alone in that damned house, brother." Regulus threw Sirius a grim smile and then disapparated.
Sirius groaned and attempted to staunch the blood running from his nose. Under normal circumstances he would have asked Mrs. Potter to heal his injury, but he could not risk letting her know he had left the house; so he set his nose himself. It was slightly painful, but he felt better than when it had been broken.
Now he was able to focus on the real problem: When had Regulus began hanging around Malfoy and how on earth was he able to figure out Sirius's exact location?
One thing Sirius did know was that he would not be returning to Charlie's. This was the last time Sirius ever spoke with his brother.
Remus awoke with a jerk as he landed on the floor of the train with someone on top of him. During his slumber they had arrived in Hogsmeade and had made a very rough stop.
Remus looked up and met someone's eyes. Sirius. Remus had never been this close to Sirius's eyes before. They were ordinary enough: gray and pretty bland. But just right of the center of each eye was a little spark that suggested something was there that Remus hadn't noticed before, something that conveyed knowledge and emotion, laughter and concern. Remus's heart was pounding. He felt lost in Sirius's eyes; he couldn't breathe. Why wasn't Sirius moving? Do something! Anything!
Finally Remus was able to let out a small cough. "Ahem, I suppose we're here now. Where's Peter?"
That seemed to shake off a little bit of Sirius's stupor. "Uh, not sure." He clamored off of Remus with a dazed expression. When he noticed Remus still looking at him, his cheeks tinged with red. Sirius quickly grabbed his trunk and scrambled out of the compartment without saying a word.
What was that about? Remus grabbed his own things and exited the Hogwarts Express.
I hope you liked chapter 2! I really enjoy telling stories from the past to explain how a character reached the point they are in at the present. I will try to update this story weekly, but I can't make promises because I am in the middle of softball season and at the end of the school year; it's hard enough to get homework done let alone write a story. Oh well. Anyone a Starkid fan? I just found out that the Apocolyptour is coming near me and I will be getting tickets this Tuesday! I am so ridiculously excited! Thanks for reading! :D
