House: Ravenclaw
Word Count: 1513
Category: Standard
Prompt(s): [Prompt] Tomorrow may be a day away, but today feels like an eternity.
Year: Head
School: Ilvermorny
Theme: Gemini (brothers in arms) [James/Sirius; as chosen by Claire]
Prompt (Main): [Dialogue] "I'm not crazy, my reality is just different from yours,"
Prompt (Extras): [Dialogue] "If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I would be holding a galaxy." [Setting] Astronomy Tower
Year: Year 3
Word Count: 1513
"Hey, James?" Sirius asked one crisp December night as he sat on top of the Astronomy Tower, his legs swinging in the wind. James was right beside him, his hand laying gently on top of Sirius'. It was a purely platonic action, Sirius reminded himself over and over. It was only platonic.
"Mhmm?" James hummed with a small, sleepy smile. Sirius felt his heart warm a little at the sight. Here they were, James tired out of his mind, up on the Astronomy tower together. Sirius had gone up gloomy and upset, wanting some fresh air. And, like always, James had followed him, allegedly because he didn't want Sirius to be alone. You're my best friend, he'd said as they climbed up the stairs, why would I let you brood alone?
"How do you stay so...positive all the time?" There was a small, tense silence following his question, and Sirius wondered faintly if he'd done something wrong.
"Well," James replied, eyebrows scrunching together in thought. "I guess I just remind myself that tomorrow is only a day away."
Sirius scoffed a laugh in response. He sat in a bemused silence for a moment before realizing that James had been serious.
"Tomorrow may be a day away, but today feels like it'll last for an eternity," Sirius grumbled, eliciting a bellowing laugh from James. Sirius couldn't help but crack a smile at that; when James was in a good mood, it was almost impossible for Sirius not to be too.
"Tomorrow holds so many wonderful things we can't even imagine yet," James said, looking breathlessly up at the stars. "Don't you want to be here for them?"
He was now looking at Sirius directly, his eyes gazing imploringly into Sirius' own. There was no trace of sleepiness left in him now, only pure determination and radiance.
"Yeah," Sirius replied with a smile, "I want to be here for them."
The rest of the evening was filled with silence, the two sitting quietly and gazing up at the stars. It was in moments like these that Sirius forgot why he'd even been brooding in the first place. That was just James's specialty he supposed, changing the topic to make things look brighter than they actually were. He was glad James was by his side in all of this, even if it was just as a friend. It made dealing with his family a little easier.
0-0-0-0
"SIRUS ORION BLACK," the Howler screeched in their dorm room a week later, "HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT OUR FAMILY NAME LIKE THAT! PUNCHING LUCIUS MALFOY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"
Sirius cringed, trying to ignore the familiar lump at the back of his throat and tears that burned his eyes. He did not like today; it felt like it was lasting an eternity. And no matter how much he tried to keep James' catchphrase in mind, tomorrow did not seem like it would arrive anytime soon. Normally the Howler would have shred itself into pieces by now, but not this time.
"WHEN YOU GET HOME FOR CHRISTMAS YOU BETTER BELIEVE THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!" And with that the letter finally shred itself into a million little pieces. The shocked silence that followed left Sirius' ears ringing, all he could hear was his heart beating against his ribcage. How the fuck did she find out? It had to have been Regulus, he reasoned, he was in the same house as the blonde prick, after all.
He stormed down into the common room, sitting angrily by the fire and wondering if it would just be better to stay at Hogwarts for the Holidays. You'd be alone, his mind echoed. He didn't like the sound of that, but perhaps being alone would be better than being tortured for eternity by his parents. Sirius doubted he'd survive till tomorrow if he returned home now.
0-0-0-0
"Tomorrow feels so far away," Sirius muttered later that night, his breath coming out in white puffs due to the frigid temperatures. "It seems like it'll take an eternity to get there, and every day that eternity gets longer and longer."
James sighed softly, and Sirius could barely make out James' eyes on him. He tried not to think about it too much. James loves Lily. He reminded himself over and over. You're his best friend, don't ruin that.
"I promise it's closer than you think," James finally said, a small smile on his face. "I know some days it feels like tomorrow will never arrive. But it always does."
Sirius smiled slightly. When he was with James it felt like all the promises would never be broken. With James the time flew by so quickly that tomorrow didn't feel quite so far away anymore. But it wouldn't last forever, and they both knew that. For now, however, they were content just looking up at the stars together.
"I've been meaning to ask you," James began softly, as if he didn't want to ruin whatever moment they were having. Sirius nodded, not moving his gaze from the stars. If he looked at James for too long he didn't know if he'd ever be able to look away. There was a short silence, which Sirius broke with a soft sigh.
"Well," he implored with a chuckle, "what have you been meaning to ask me?"
James let out a sigh. "Do you want to stay over at my house for the holidays?"
Sirius looked down for a moment, unsure on whether that was really a good idea. Because in these moments alone he was growing more and more attached to James, and at this point he wasn't sure if his feelings were purely platonic anymore. But...it beat staying alone at Hogwarts all break.
"Are you crazy?" He hadn't meant to say that out loud, but James just scoffed and gave him a lighthearted shove.
"Nah," he chuckled, "I'm not crazy, my reality is just different from yours."
It was Sirius's turn to laugh now, not at the absurdity of James's response. No, Sirius had actually been expecting that sort of response. He was laughing more so at himself than anyone, at how he'd known what sort of answer James would give before he'd even given it. Did that make him too infatuated? He didn't care in that moment.
"I'd love to," he replied finally, a smile still on his lips. And that was the end of it.
0-0-0-0
It was like James had read his mind. After the break things had only gotten worse, the hardships of his family were putting such a strain on him that it was hard to even concentrate. Life with the Potters, even if it had only been for a couple of days, had been absolutely glorious. There was no one telling him he was horrible for having Muggle-born friends, or for being in Gryffindor. Instead, they welcomed him with open arms. It was like he was already a part of their family. The days there didn't feel like they lasted an eternity. Each night it felt like tomorrow really was only a day away. He didn't ever want to leave that.
"We'll be like real brothers now!" James exclaimed as they moved Sirius' things into the Potter family home.
Brothers don't feel the way I do towards you, Sirius thought. He kept that to himself though; James was already doing more than enough for him. He didn't want to risk losing any of this, their friendship, their brotherhood. Losing all of that for something as small as a crush was idiotic, he would get over it soon enough.
"Thank you," Sirius said as they set his things around his new room. "This really brightened my day. I don't think I can ever repay you."
But James only scoffed at that. He made it seem like Sirius' statement was completely absurd. "If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I would be holding a galaxy."
Sirius laughed if for nothing more than to hide the flush that crept slowly onto his cheeks. It was dangerous to be this close to James all the time, but if he could manage it at Hogwarts what's to say he couldn't do the same when summer came.
"I'll let you finish unpacking," James said, leaving the room with a small wave. Sirius slumped back onto the bed. His bed. The concept was odd, but it meant one struggle in his life was finally over. He had, with the help of James, overcome a great hardship in his life. He felt like he could finally breathe now. Tomorrow really was only a day away, he realized with a smile. And even if it was just in brotherhood, even if they could be nothing more than brothers in arms. The obstacles in his life didn't seem too daunting anymore. And sure, there were many more things he would have to deal with, his feelings for James included. But he could deal with all of that tomorrow.
It was, after all, only a day away.