A/N: So... it's been a while. It only took me what, a little less than a year to update this? Blah blah blah, I'm having a nervous breakdown, what else is new? Maybe I won't have god-awful depressive episodes for a little while and can try and write more frequently. This probably sucks. Sorry.
"James, we need to talk."
James glanced up from his sociology text, forcing a neutral expression as his mother eyed him carefully from the doorway, arms folded against her chest.
"Alright then," James retorted, shrugging. "So let's talk."
"You never did tell me what exactly happened between Sirius and-"|
"I don't want to talk about it," James interrupted, teeth gritted.
"James, I don't understand why out of nowhere you would just-"
"Let it go, mum, just let it go."
"But why-"
"What's there to say, mum? He's a drug addict. He doesn't want to get better, he doesn't want my help or anyone else's. He's made his bed. Let him lie in it."
Mrs. Potter frowned, shutting the door behind her and sitting down on the edge of James' bed. "Have you spoken to him at all? It's been over three months, James."
"No," James replied, sighing.
"Has anyone heard from him? Lily, Remus?"
"Nope."
His mother sighed, shaking her head. "I know Sirius has his problems… he's by no means perfect, James. But honestly… you've been friends since you were small. You can't honestly want to throw away over a decade of friendship over some silly quarrel."
"He slapped Lily," James retorted, voice barely above a whisper.
"Was he-"
"Yeah. It was obvious he was high. On something. But that doesn't change the facts. He knocked out Remus' friend Jack from school. Cold-cocked him. How can I stand by and condone that sort of behavior?"
"James-"
"It's like Lily says, he can't keep using his mental illness as an excuse, Mum. He can't just hide behind that and never take accountability for his actions. He fucked up. He has to accept the consequences," James interrupted, running his hands anxiously through his messy black locks.
Mrs. Potter nodded, lips pressed tightly together. "While I admire your girlfriend's stance on the matter, I have to disagree. Sirius is mentally ill; you know this. He's abusing drugs and alcohol; that's no secret to anyone, I see the recycling bin too, James. While I'm hardly saying you should condone his behavior, I'm disappointed that you'd completely write off your best friend, someone who is obviously in a lot of pain, when what he needs most right now is a friend."
"But he-"
"No, those incidents were not his proudest moments, James. But what you need to realize is that everyone will be remembered more for their biggest mistakes than for any of their successes."
James frowned, staring down at the floor.
"Do you even know where he is? If he's safe?"
James shrugged, choking back tears he hadn't realized were forming. "I dunno. He deactivated his Facebook page."
Mrs. Potter frowned. "You should call him, James."
"I doubt he'll even answer me, mum. It's been three months. We've never gone this long without talking… for all I know he's changed numbers, moved, god knows what he's up to."
"James-"
"I'll think about it, okay?"
"Fuck," Sirius groaned, clutching his head. "How much did we drink last night?"
"Not that much," Evelyn retorted, shrugging.
"You sure?" he asked, watching as the blonde carefully put on her jewelry.
"Yes, I'm sure," she affirmed, frowning as she struggled with the clasp of her necklace.
"Why do I feel like utter shite, then?"
"Because you're not eating enough to be able to drink the way you drink, Sirius," she sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she turned to face him.
"I eat," Sirius protested, lips curled into a sneer.
"How long have you had an eating disorder for?" the blonde asked, ignoring his statement.
"What makes you-"
"I went to boarding school in fucking Switzerland, Sirius. I know an eating disorder when I see one," she said dryly, interrupting him.
"I didn't mean to-"
"You've been subsiding on little more than whiskey and blow, Sirius. Don't tell me that isn't intentional."
Sirius sighed, defeated. "Whatever."
"So answer the question, Siri," Evelyn demanded, shooting him a pointed look.
Sirius sighed. "On and off since I was sixteen, I suppose," he replied, shrugging.
"Do we have any coke?" he asked, eager to change the subject.
"Of course we do," Evelyn replied tersely, "but we have somewhere to be in an hour and I don't need to have Orion Black's son on my arm, visibly strung out."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Where are we going, again?"
"You are escorting me to a charity luncheon for the Red Cross."
"Evie, I don't want to do that," Sirius complained, sighing heavily.
"We've spent the past three months hiding out, first at Bella's flat, now here. It's time to return to real life," Evelyn replied evenly, turning to the mirror and beginning to apply lipstick.
"I hate real life," Sirius whined, arms folded against his chest.
"Not enough to keep you from swiping my phone to stalk your ex boyfriend on Facebook," Evelyn quipped, making eye contact with him via his reflection in the mirror.
"I don't-"
"Why don't you just reactivate your account, Sirius? If you're still afraid of any… unpleasantness from James and the others, block them. It's time to start living your life again. Return to uni and whatnot," Evelyn interrupted, turning to face him again.
"Sick of me already, then?" he retorted, making a face.
"Spare me," Evelyn sighed, rolling her eyes. "Take a shower and get dressed, please."
Sirius nodded, dragging himself out of bed. "Do you really think I should?" he asked, lowly.
"Yes, I do think you should get your arse in the shower, Sirius," Evelyn snapped, reaching for a tube of lipstick. "I know you're going for the whole gutter punk thing or whatever, but for god's sake it wouldn't kill you to clean yourself up for one fucking event."
"No, I meant reactivate my Facebook account…"
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, observing Sirius from the mirror. "Oh. Well, yeah, why not? You've been… leveling out some. We managed to pull you out of that major depressive episode you were in. Don't you miss talking to people your own age?"
"You're my own-"
"I'm eight years older than you, Sirius. I finished uni ages ago. We're hardly contemporaries," Evelyn interrupted, shaking her head.
"Christ, I feel like I'm robbing the cradle," she muttered, returning to the task of applying lipstick.
"You could pass for twenty-one easily, Evie," Sirius offered, grinning.
"Thank god for good genes and La Mer, right?" she quipped, smiling back.
"I'm dreading seeing what sorts of nasty messages people have sent me…" Sirius continued, returning to his initial train of thought.
Evelyn sighed. "Oh for fuck's sake, give me your phone," she sighed, holding out an open palm.
"What are you-"
"I need you to get in the shower now Sirius, we've already wasted enough time. I'll reactivate your account since you're so afraid to-"
"I'm not afraid," Sirius protested.
"Right," Evelyn retorted sarcastically. "Phone please."
Reluctantly, Sirius handed Evelyn his phone. "Moony310#."
"Huh?"
"That's the password," Sirius replied, wandering into the adjoined bathroom.
Evelyn scrolled through Sirius' phone, searching for the Facebook app. She quickly reactivated his account, taking a moment to browse his news-feed. To her surprise, it appeared that James and Remus had not blocked Sirius, as they both appeared on his news-feed. Curious, she clicked on Remus' name, bringing her to his profile.
"Shit," she muttered to herself, her stomach coiling uneasily as she scrolled through Remus' status updates, pausing as she came across a relationship status update. In a relationship with Jack Walsh.
Evelyn stared down at Sirius' phone, considering how to proceed. It's going to set him off when he sees this. She quickly typed in her own name in the search bar, sending herself a friend request. Grabbing her own phone from the dresser, she accepted the request, biting her lip as she considered her next course of action. As if on cue, her phone began ringing.
Seeing that it was Bella, she quickly answered the phone.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Bella?"
"Just thought I'd check in and see how you're doing."
"You mean check in on how your cousin is doing, love. I presume he isn't responding to your texts?"
"How do you know that?"
"I have his phone in my hand at this very moment," Evelyn retorted, exiting the Facebook app to browse his text messages. "It appears he has… hmmm… nearly one hundred unread messages. I'd say it's safe to assume that ickle Siri is firmly determined to avoid dealing with his life and the people in it."
"Thanks again for looking after him, Evie. I know he's a lot to handle, but-"
"He's a walk in the park compared to you, love," Evelyn teased, laughing.
"I think you've cheered him up some, beguiling him with your womanly charm."
"I suppose you're right. He's a sweet kid."
"Hey, since I'm taken, he's the next best thing, right?" Bella asked, jokingly.
Evelyn tensed, gripping the phone tighter than necessary. That was below the belt, Bella, she thought to herself miserably, Bella's comment striking a nerve. "Ha," she retorted dully, tensing her jaw.
She cleared her throat, eager to change the subject. "So… it appears that Remus has a new boyfriend," she stated, careful to keep her voice down.
"Shit."
"He's going to find out, Bella."
"I thought he deactivated his-"
"I convinced him that it's high time he resume normal life, including reactivating his account," Evelyn interrupted, sighing.
"Should we tell him?" she asked.
"No," Bella retorted shrilly. "After all the progress he's made? This will destroy him."
"I wouldn't exactly say that he's thriving, Bella," Evelyn retorted, rolling her eyes.
"What are you implying, Evie?"
"I'm just saying that he can't avoid unpleasant realities forever, Bella. He's still a bloody mess, you and I both know that. He won't take his meds. He's not eating."
"Well at least he's not lying in bed all day, like he was," Bella pressed, her tone getting shriller.
"Because what he's currently doing is such a fucking improvement over that," Evelyn hissed, swiftly exiting the room and descending the stairs to the lower level.
"Bellatrix, I love you and I know that you want to believe that your baby cousin is on the mend, but he is in free fall. Do you understand that? He's no better off than you were when you were off your meds during the last bad manic episode you had."
The line remained silent, save for Bella's steadying breath. Fuck, you've got her worked up into a panic attack. "How bad is it?" Bella asked finally, voice low.
"Bad," Evelyn affirmed. "He's going through an eight-ball a day, and god knows how much whiskey. This isn't coping."
"I should come round to see him. If we could just get him to go back to therapy, maybe his therapist could convince him to go back on his meds," Bella offered.
"You forget he's a Black. He's got a stubborn streak as bad as your own, Bella."
Silence.
"Have you been taking care of yourself, Bella?" Evelyn asked gently.
"I've been trying… it's just… it's so…"
"I know, love. You need to focus on yourself. Don't worry about Sirius. I can take care of him."
"But you just said-"
"Don't worry about it, Bella. I moved him in with me to take the burden off of you. I've handled worse, trust me. I dealt with you, didn't I?"
"Yeah…"
"So let me help you by taking care of Siri. I'll handle the fallout that's sure to happen when he finds out about Remus, and you make sure you're taking care of yourself. Did you download that app, yet?"
"Yeah… it's actually been really helpful. Thank you, E."
"It's what I'm here for."
"You know that I-"
"Bellatrix, don't," Evelyn interrupted, moisture pooling in her eyes.
"But… I just… you know that I-"
"Bella, don't. We're running late for an event, I need to go. I'll come check on you in a few days, alright?"
"Alright," Bella replied, begrudgingly.
"Bye, love," Evelyn said, ending the call.
"Sirius," she called out, wiping stray tears from her eyes. "We need to get going, now."
Sirius fidgeted with his tie, uncomfortable, as he and Evelyn milled about the room, greeting familiar faces at the Red Cross charity luncheon. Upon arrival, he'd been forced to have a tense interaction with his parents, further sullying his already foul mood.
"This is Sirius Black, Orion's son," Evelyn said, gripping Sirius' arm lightly, pulling him out of his own thoughts.
"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance," he quipped, offering the man opposite him a firm handshake.
"Are we almost done, Evie?" Sirius muttered lowly, as the pair made their way back to their assigned table.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know your father would be here. I swear," Evelyn apologized, brow knit with concern. "We'll leave after they serve tea, okay?"
"Fine," Sirius sighed, lowering his head.
"Oi, Siri," a familiar voice called out, drawing his attention.
Sirius glanced up, catching sight of Marlene McKinnon. "Hey Marley," he greeted the blonde, nodding in acknowledgment.
"So he lives," Marlene smirked, striding towards him. "Where've you been hiding, Siri?"
Sirius paused, unsure of how to respond.
"He's been… occupied," Evelyn offered, draping her arm around his shoulders, interjecting herself into the conversation.
Sirius observed as Marlene's eyes widened in realization. He smirked, snaking an arm around Evelyn's waist. "Marley, this is my friend, Evelyn Greengrass."
He turned his head, glancing at Evelyn. "Marley and I have known each other since we were kids."
"A pleasure to meet you," Evelyn quipped, offering Marlene her hand.
Evelyn smirked, patting her silky smooth white-blonde hair down. "If you'll excuse me, there's an old friend I must say hello to," she offered, before sauntering off.
"Well, now I see why you've gone off the grid, Siri," Marlene smirked, shaking her head. "She's gorgeous."
"Thanks," Sirius retorted, grinning.
"It's good to see you, Siri. I'm having a party next weekend. Don't be a stranger, stop by."
"Of course. Good to see you Marley," Sirius replied, offering the blonde a friendly embrace.
"I think someone was a tad jealous to see a striking blonde on your arm, Sirius," Evelyn chided, as the pair made their way down the street, leaving the luncheon.
Sirius laughed, shaking his head. "Marlene's always had a thing for me… I think she nearly dropped dead when you came over and implied that we were… together," he noted.
"She's a cute girl… you never…"
"She's shite in bed. Just lies there like a bloody corpse."
"Sirius!" Evelyn laughed, smacking him gently on the arm.
"So I kiss and tell, so what?" he quipped, smirking.
"You're a right piece of work, Siri."
The pair continued on in silence. "How far is this damn coffee shop, Sirius? We've been walking for ages," Evelyn complained, after several blocks.
"Come now, a London girl like yourself can't possibly be complaining about a charming stroll through the city," Sirius retorted, loosening his tie.
"If I'd known I'd be forced to walk miles in my Louboutins, I'd have insisted we take a cab," Evelyn replied evenly, arms folded against her chest.
"You said we could get coffee," Sirius reminded her.
"Yes. I said coffee. I didn't say you could drag me down to your old stomping grounds to stalk your ex," Evelyn said pointedly.
"I'm not-"
"Sirius, I'm not daft. Are we or are we not blocks from UCL's campus?" Evelyn interrupted, right eyebrow raised.
"Yes, but…" he trailed off, shrugging.
"Sirius, it's fine. You behaved yourself at the luncheon, I suppose I owe you at least this much," Evelyn said finally, her tone mocking, as if she were placating a small child.
At last the pair arrived at the coffee shop, Sirius holding the door for Evelyn.
"Such a gentleman," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Grab us a table, I'll get us drinks, Sirius offered, gesturing towards the array of tables in the small shop.
"Very well," Evelyn agreed, lowering herself into a chair at the nearest table. "Get me a double espresso, please."
Sirius approached the counter, heart pounding. Please be working today, please be working today.
"Can I help you?" a voice called out, grabbing Sirius' attention.
"Um yeah… a double espresso and a large black coffee," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Anything else?" the barista, a vaguely familiar brunette, asked.
"Um.. is, is Remus working today?" he asked, careful to keep his tone casual.
The girl frowned, eyeing him critically. "You're Sirius, right?" she asked, coolly.
"Yeah, I am."
The girl nodded, lips pressed firmly together. "Rem is off today. But he's over there, working on coursework," she retorted, nodding her head toward the back corner of the shop.
Sirius followed her gaze, overcome with a feeling of nausea when he caught sight of Remus, cozily tucked into a corner with a familiar redhead, lips locked.
This isn't happening.
