Adenei6, Hufflepuff, Transfiguration
Silver, Stand-In
Prompts: [Event] Mourning someone's life, [Dialogue] "I never imagined you to be this stupid."
Word Count: 1094 (Google Docs)
Slight AU as Sirius returns to Grimmauld Place immediately after escaping from Hogwarts at the end of Prisoner of Azkaban.
To James and Lily
Sirius sighs in content as he leans back in his chair. He was finally free from Azkaban. And on top of that, Remus is back! Now, if only he could leave his house…
A green flash from the fireplace catches his attention. Sirius looks over, and a smile appears as he instantly recognizes his guest.
"Moony! So glad that you could stop by and visit," Sirius exclaims as he leaps out of his chair.
He bounds over to Remus like an overly excited puppy andslings his arm around his old friend, pulling him close.
"Hello to you, Sirius. Glad to see that being stuck in here has made you even more restless than usual."
"Yeah. Hey, you wanna go out for a walk? I need to burn some energy. Plus, I'm getting tired of this stuffy old house."
"And where would we take a walk to?" Remus asks as he glances at Sirius.
"I was thinking that we should go say hi to Lily and James. I haven't been able to see them yet. Then, maybe we can come back here and have some firewhisky and just catch up on all the years we've been apart."
"Ok, we can go and visit them. But only if you stay as Padfoot. We can't have the Ministry finding you so soon after your daring escape," Remus reminds Sirius. His tone is reluctant.
"Don't worry, Moony! I know the rules. So, what are we waiting for? Let's go already!"
Remus rolls his eyes at Sirius's antics. Sirius removes his arm from Remus's shoulder as he takes a step back. The next second, Padfoot is standing where Sirius once was. Remus bends down and places his hand on Padfoot's head. With a loud crack, they apparate out of 12 Grimmauld Place. They reappear at the apparition spot in Godric's Hollow, near where Lily and James are buried.
"There. Now then, off we go."
Padfoot barks as he follows behind Remus. They walk in silence as they enter the graveyard. Passing through the rows, they stop in front of their friends' headstone.
"Hello Lily, James. It's been a while. I brought Padfoot with me. He's been dying to see you," Remus explains as Padfoot gently paws the grave. "Got anything you want to say?"
Padfoot barks as he nudges his nose against the gravestone. They stand, or in Padfoot's case, sit, in front of the grave silently for a couple of seconds. Padfoot barks a couple more times before standing up. He looks up at Remus as he huffs.
"Alright. Well, it was nice seeing you again. I'll make sure to bring flowers next time. We're off to have a drink in your honor. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Padfoot. We won't drink too much. I don't want to deal with his drunken stupidity today," Remus says as Padfoot laughs, which comes out more like a wheezing since dogs can't really laugh. "Oh, shut it. Have you forgotten how bad you are when drunk? Oh, wait, you don't remember what happens."
Padfoot glares at Remus, who is smirking down at him. Remus checks to ensure no one is around, then places his hand on Padfoot's head, apparating them back to Grimmauld Place.
Once back, Sirius wastes no time transforming back to his human form. Remus walks automatically toward the kitchen and reaches for the firewhisky as Sirius shuffles beside him to prepare two glasses.
"I miss them," Sirius says as Remus pours the golden liquid into the cups.
"As do I," Remus agrees.
"It's not fair. What'd they do to deserve any of this? What made You-Know-Who choose them? Choose Harry?"
"I don't know, Sirius," Remus says, shaking his head. "I've been asking myself the same question for the last thirteen years."
Sirius stares straight ahead, a pang of longing cutting through his chest as fresh as it was when he'd first heard the news of his best friend's deaths. The feeling quickly shifts to anger as he thinks of the fourth member of the Marauders. How is it that Wormtail has evaded Sirius twice now? The name brings a realization to Sirius's mind.
"How were we not suspicious of Peter? We should have known when his Animagus form became that of a rat," Sirius says bitterly.
"He was our friend, Pad. We all trusted him. Even James and Lily. That's why they switched him to Secret Keeper, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, at my insistence! I let them down, Moon!" Sirius fumes.
"It's not your fault—"
"It is! I swear if I ever see him again, I won't hesitate. He'll be dead faster than—than—"
Remus chuckles as he cuts Sirius off in his tirade. "I never imagined you to be this stupid. I don't think James and Lily would have, either."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius asks as he pours himself more to drink.
"Just thinking back on things. Attacking Peter, getting thrown into Azkaban, and then having the gall to break out after thirteen years? Maybe stupid is too weak a word. How about certifiably insane?" Remus recalls the events that Sirius needs no reminders of.
He slams his glass onto the table. "I couldn't let that slimy traitor get away! Not when I found out he was still alive! Plus, Harry needs me. He's just as reckless as James, or haven't you noticed?" Anger tints his voice as he glares at his best friend.
"Well, now you can be here for Harry, so long as you don't get caught. And as much as it's been nice to finally mourn the lives of James and Lily with a proper friend, I don't think this is what they would have wanted," Remus declares.
"You're probably right," Sirius agrees with a heavy sigh. "At least now we're in Harry's life and can keep better tabs on him. We haven't been the best with that so far."
"Well, we've had other pressing matters to attend to. I think they'd be happy we can be here for him now," Remus reassures Sirius.
"If only I could spare him of his aunt and uncle," Sirius shudders as Remus offers a slight nod in agreement.
"Shall we give one final toast in their honor?" Remus asks as Sirius nods. He holds up his nearly empty glass. "To James and Lily!"
"To James and Lily!" Sirius echos.
They clink their glasses together before downing their drinks. Though the alcohol eased the pain of the recurring loss, both knew that nothing would ever take away the hole that James and Lily's deaths left behind.