Quidditch League - Holyhead Harpies - Seeker - Round 2
Prompt: Fairy Tale
Warnings: Implied violence
Summary: Very loosely inspired by Fairy Tale by Stephen King. Sirius goes through a secret portal in his uncle's basement to another world.
Thanks to my team for all of the help!
Tell me there are things that you regret
Sirius is a little uncertain as he pulls on the chains that guard the basement door. With Uncle Alphard's death, he's finally gotten the key to this room – the one room in the house he's been banned from – along with a strange letter.
He doesn't believe in other worlds. That's just nonsense – but also, he can't imagine his own uncle, in ill health, would make something like this up. His uncle has always had a wealth that has come from somewhere, despite having been disowned from the family. Sirius wants answers, and he'll at least check this room out for curiosity's sake.
Maybe his uncle had been delirious in his last moments? Maybe he had just wanted to give Sirius a nice story to explain something that might not be great, down in the basement? Whatever the reason, Sirius is going to take a look and discover the truth for himself.
Because… his uncle wouldn't lie. He's sure about that at the very least. His uncle has always either been truthful, or evaded answering. He's never outright lied and he's not going to start now.
The chains are thrown to the floor, along with the heavy lock and Sirius reaches for the old handle. A shock shoots from the handle into him and he lets go, startled at the unexpected and uncomfortable feeling that pushes through him. It's just a tiny shock, but it feels like more. It's like no shock he's ever felt before and, when he reaches for the door again, it feels strange under his hands. The colours around him look sharper. Everything is different, but he can't fathom why or how.
That's future-Sirius' problem, he decides, before pushing the door open, listening to it creak as it swings, revealing the darkness of the basement. Sirius reaches around the doorframe, seeking the light-switch and he presses it, relieved when the basement lights up somewhat, revealing no dead bodies, no skeletons, no big secrets. Thankfully.
And no hidden world.
He laughs softly to himself. Of course there isn't one. Uncle Alphard had a sense of humour after all, tricking him in that letter. He smiles as he walks into the basement, keeping an eye out for bugs or rats, but the basement is clean, tidy and clear of pests.
He looks around the room, searching for a reason why this room was locked, but there's little to see. A wardrobe of old clothes, a few boxes of items that could have been from his uncle's childhood.
And a mirror. A large mirror on the wall. It's stunning — there are ornate carvings etched around the edge of the pure gold frame. But the reflection looking back at him is wrong. He looks a little older in this reflection, his hair a little longer, and he reaches out, confused.
When his fingers go through the glass, he realises that his Uncle wasn't tricking him after all.
And Sirius, being the impulsive man that he is, throws himself through the mirror without thinking about what he'll find on the other side.
"I've never fought before," Sirius says as he's pushed into a training pit. He had arrived in this world, had met people, and had been captured by what he assumes are guards, all in the space of ten minutes of leaving the mirror. Just his luck. He bets his uncle didn't get captured.
"A first time for everything," the man says, grinning widely. "You'll be trained to fight, not that it'll do you much good." He snorts as he looks Sirius over, amused at the very idea of Sirius fighting.
Sirius considers trying to talk the man into letting him free, but he can tell that the guy is getting off on the idea of them all having to kill themselves and that time spent talking to him would be just pointless.
He looks around at the other people in the training pit.
"Lupin, you get this lot trained up," the man barks.
"Yes, Greyback," a man mutters, approaching quickly. He's tall and thin with a long scar running up his face. He looks tired and Sirius stares at him, wondering if he can be talked around instead. Lupin gives Greyback a wide berth, not wanting to get too close, and Greyback turns his cruel smile Lupin's way instead.
"You know what'll happen if you fail," and Sirius realises that Greyback isn't talking to the captives, he's still talking to Lupin. "We want a good show, and you'll make sure that we have that."
Lupin pales at the obvious threat and nods quickly, not meeting Greyback's gaze, and Greyback snickers before walking away, clearly done with the lot of them.
Lupin glances up, a mask replacing the fear on his face.
"You heard him," he snaps. "He wants a good show. So, get practising."
"You clearly don't want to be here," Sirius says, after a couple of hours of training. His arms are killing him and he's not sure he's even going to be able to lift them tomorrow. Hitting training-dummies is the biggest waste of time and he wishes he never came through the mirror.
"Who does?" Lupin says, watching the others as they spar. "This is the way things are. Get back to practising."
"What'll it hurt if I take five minutes?" Sirius asks. He'd much rather be over here next to the tall guard with the pretty amber eyes. If he's going to die, he might as well get his flirt on before that happens. "You're much more fun than the training."
Lupin snorts but he finally looks towards Sirius, turning his attention away from the group for the first time since he arrived.
"I'm not here to be fun," he comments.
Sirius raises an eyebrow. "I am," he jokes. "They asked if anyone wanted to fight in this thing, I thought it'd be a laugh. Raised my hand before anyone else." He's sure he sees a hint of a smile on the corner of Lupin's lips. "It'll be easy. I fight, win and then live it up as some sort of champion."
"You're not from around here, are you?" Lupin asks. "Because you don't fight like you are. I've never seen someone so…" he falters, looking Sirius over.
"So terrible at it?" Sirius finishes.
"Something like that," Lupin agrees with a small laugh. "You better get back to training, because otherwise you're dead. And wouldn't that be a shame?"
Sirius grins. "Wouldn't it?" he agrees. "No, I'm not from around here. I'm from somewhere where we don't pluck random people from the street and force them to fight, actually."
"That sort of place doesn't exist," Lupin argues. "If it did, do you think we'd be here? That I'd be doing this?"
Sirius bites his lip. "It does," he argues. "And… and if you help me escape, I'll show you that world. A world where you can do anything you want."
Lupin stares at him, searching for any deception in his voice, in his expression, but there's none to find.
"If you're lying to me…" Lupin whispers.
"I wouldn't." Sirius extends his hand. "Sirius Black."
Lupin looks down at the extended hand and reaches his own hand out. Scars run up his wrist and under his cuff, and Sirius wonders what exactly the tall man has been through and whether he'll get to see all of his scars. A pleasant shiver runs through him at the very idea.
"Remus Lupin, last year's champion," Lupin says. "Be ready. Tonight. But until then…" he nods towards the group.
Sirius glances around at the sparring people. "Blend in and pretend?"
"Exactly."