By Heir of Darkness
Sirius Black was flying over Godrics Hollow on his beloved Shadow, the motorcycle he had found half wrecked in his fifth year and had spent nearly four years cleaning, repairing, painting, and magicking it into being able to fly. He closed his eyes, enjoying the rush of adrenaline and the slight giddiness that overtook in moments like these. He listened to the wind howling in his ears, and bent even farther on the handlebar, pressing the accelerator to top speed, looping in the air, diving and pulling upwards at the exact moment you would think he was going to crash in one of the roofs, like a Seeker would have done in a Wronski faint. He didn't really care about Muggles, he had put an Invisibility Spell on himself, and at this hour of the night, he wouldn't think about a Muggle being awake. He shook his head. Really, those non-magical people didn't know how to enjoy life.
Bolting through the evening, grinning to himself in that way only him could, Sirius was heading to his friend Peter's. Everything was for the best. James and Lily were safe, Harry was safe, no one would even think about Peter being the Secret Keeper, and for that he was happy. This morning only had Peter become it, and he still believed it was the best way everyone could have acted.
Ooops. He ignored the loud protesting of a couple of sparrows he had nearly crashed into, and waved them a farewell just to say sorry from behind, forgetting that they could not see him.
There. Here was Peter's house. He circled it for a minute, wondering if he wasn't mistaken. No light could be seen from the windows, and the house was as still as desert. He landed carefully, trying to loose speed gradually, but eventually ended up pulling on the brakes as hard as he could, producing some sparkles from the friction of the wheels and the bituminize, and jumped off the motorbike, running towards the door.
No way that was happening ...
He pressed the doorbell, once, twice, three times, harder, longer. No answer. But Peter said he would have been waiting for him tonight !
No, no, no, let it be a God in Heavens ...
Getting very worried, he bumped on the door with both his fists, yelling his friend's name out loud. Still no answer. What if the Death Eater managed to … ?
No, it could not be. It could not be. A sweat drop beginning to roll down his forehead, he ran back to his Shadow, and pulled off top speed, this time not thinking about enjoying himself anymore. James and Lily's were on the other side of the town … Hurry, hurry, Sirius, something definitively wasn't right. If Peter was lost, he at least had to make sure that his other friends were all right, he had to get there before it had the opportunity to happen … But he knew that he had very little chance. Luckily, or unluckily, there was an Anti-Apparating Spell upon Godrics Hollow.
Please, please, please ...
He looked down to the ground, trying to figure about were he actually was. He caught sight of two young lovers making-out on a bench in the park that marked the center of the little town, and smiled despite his distress, kicking the pedal at almost breaking point. He was going to be too late, he just knew it, he just knew it …
He sighed with relief, at gave his bike a little pat on the seat, as if saying, "Good pet", at last coming in sight of Lion Street, were all seemed as peaceful as ever. Dim lights poured out of number 16th windows, the curtains being drawn in a way that suggested someone was at home. He landed gently this time, not hurrying, as the Potters didn't seem to be particularly in danger. But, just to check, he went up to the porch, and knocked on the front door. A minute later, he was starting to feel the worry rise in him again, when a shaky and a little sleepy voice that definitively was James' came through the closed door, accompanied by light careful footsteps.
- Who is it ?
Sirius immediately rejoiced. He shouted gleefully.
- It's me, Sirius ! Just checking you were all right !
The door slowly opened, showing a James still in pajamas, which to Sirius's great amusement was light blue with pink little trains on it, hair even messier as usual, yawning and glasses bent in a very strange way.
- Aw, Sirius, you really don't need to shout so late at night, you know. I sooo want to have all the neighbors mad at me tomorrow.
Sirius took absolutely no notice, feeling absolutely too relieved to care. His reaction was perfectly Sirius-like, and just came from his very own kind of instinct.
- Yes, Mom. I'm so glad you're all right !
He hugged James with such force that it nearly got the better of his already somewhat unsure balance.
- Sirius ! Lily is still asleep, I don't want to wake her ! If you're so wide awake, will you come in and have a drink ? I hope it'll perhaps calm you down.
At this point Sirius did something he would regret all his life, something he would blame himself for forever. Later, he would wonder, what the heck had gotten into him ! He had always loved to stay at James' !
He refused.
He laughed, while James vainly tried to set his glasses right, and tame his hair, until he realized it was a loosing battle.
- In your dreams, James, will a simple drink calm Sirius Black down ! No thanks, now that I know you're safe I'll probably get going.
- Right, sighed James, I wouldn't have expected anything to calm down the sack of hormones you are, anyway. So get going before you manage to burn the whole house down, ok ?
- Yeah, right. Say hi to Lily. See you tomorrow, I guess.
Sirius whacked a still very sleepy James on the back, making him stumble several steps forwards, and headed off the porch, grinning madly. Well, he had been certified "the most insane person in the year" before Graduation after all, why wouldn't he act mad ? James shook his head disbelievingly. Remind him how he ever had become friend with that ? Well, that would be because he probably was as stupid as him, he guessed. Smiling, he closed the door, careful not to wake Lily or Harry.
Sirius lightly mounted his motorcycle, now nearly as careless as he had been when heading to Peters. Nearly, it was, because somehow something was telling him that he had done something wrong, something wrong, something wrong. But he ignored it. He rose in the air like a rocket, as he always did when he wanted to impress people, mostly, to say it, girls. Only this time there was no one to impress, it was just for himself to enjoy. His best friends were safe, at least for tonight, and for the moment it was all that mattered in the world. How wrong was he.
He did not look down. Had he, he would have seen two eyes, blazing flames like hot-coals, gleaming like two beads of hatred in the darkness.
He yawned, and debated in his head whether to go home or not. He decided
against, and flew straight higher in the sky, aiming to the moon.
Author's note : Yeah, stupid, I know. Just review to tell me so.
Disclaimer : The usual crap. I own nothing.