A west side short story III
Sirius regularly visited the bar where Emma worked for the next month, attending a few meetings along the way. However, his routine was abruptly interrupted when Emma vented her frustration about the police harassing local businesses with their ridiculous inquiries one Wednesday morning (about him). This harsh reality check prompted Sirius to retreat to his hideout and stock up on food to not resurface until the day the group planned to depart for Bonn, two weeks later.
Sirius lay on the couch in the living room, gazing up at the ceiling. He felt secure in this apartment, and as a precaution, he hadn't used his wand since fixing up the place. When he did venture out, he behaved like a regular person in the city, trying to blend in and not draw attention to himself. But eventually, he stopped going out altogether. For the last fifteen days, he'd been trapped between the walls of the apartment, with only the sound of silence for company.
Sirius' self-imposed isolation had left him feeling as though he had lost his freedom again. He felt a deep sense of incapacity and powerlessness, which was slowly taking a toll on his mood. A constant sense of irritability and anger inhabited him throughout the day, making him contemplate surrendering to the Ministry of Magic. The lack of human interaction made him feel like he was losing his mind, and the silence was deafening.
On top of all of that, the lack of exercise had made him feel sluggish, and his sleep was severely disrupted. The couch had become his bed, and his sleep patterns were erratic. Some nights, he would lie awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, while other nights he would pass out from exhaustion.
The day of departure had finally arrived, and Sirius stepped out of his hideout into the biting cold of a winter's morning in Hamburg. The streets were deserted, the only sounds were the crunch of snow underfoot and the distant hum of car engines. Flurries of snowflakes swirled around him, catching in his hair and on his coat as he made his way toward the train station.
The snow was falling fast, and by the time Sirius arrived at the station, the ground was covered in a thick blanket of white. The air was hazy with snowflakes, and the station's neon lights cast an eerie glow across the snow-covered platforms. Sirius checked the departure board, his breath fogging up in the freezing air. He shivered, his coat offering little protection against the bitter cold, and pulled his scarf tighter around his face.
At the ticket office, the air was warm and stuffy, a stark contrast to the freezing temperatures outside. The smell of damp wool and stale cigarettes hung heavy in the air as Sirius compelled the half-asleep clerk to hand over his ticket. He stuffed the ticket into his pocket and made his way towards the platforms.
As he walked, the snow crunched loudly underfoot, drowning out the distant sound of trains rumbling on the tracks. The station was nearly deserted, with only a handful of passengers huddled together on the platforms, their breaths forming clouds of steam in the frigid air and diesel fumes. Sirius approached the gatekeeper, a gruff-looking man with a bushy mustache, who mumbled a few words before stamping his ticket with a loud thud, the sound echoing through the station, before waving him through the gate.
Sirius had some time to spare before his train departed, so he decided to take a stroll around the station. After a while walking in circles without aim, he finally spotted a group of young people carrying large backpacks gathering on the platform and recognized Emma among them.
Sirius started making his way toward the group when he suddenly felt a strong tug on the collar of his jacket. Acting quickly, he drew his wand and stupefied the man responsible, causing him to fall unconscious behind an advertising board.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Sirius observed the man he had just subdued. He was short, no more than 5.6 feet tall, with neatly combed black hair, and dressed in a black tuxedo under a long coat of the same color. Although Sirius was curious to check the man's identity, he knew he couldn't afford to waste any more time. The passengers were boarding the wagon, but Emma stood back, keeping watch of her surroundings until she jumped on when the doors started closing.
Sirius rushed to catch the train, and fortunately, the engineer had poked his head out of the train to ensure that all passengers had boarded. Spotting Sirius at the end of the platform, the conductor delayed closing the doors for a few seconds, giving Sirius enough time to jump into the first car he could reach before the door closed behind him.
As he made his way through the corridor, he glanced out of the window to catch a glimpse of the billboard behind which the man he had stupefied lay on the wet ground. He wondered if the man was an Auror or one of the many bounty hunters tracking him.
Searching for Emma in the cars, Sirius had to walk through the entire train. He could hear the lively chatter of the other passengers and the loud music blaring from a boombox, adding to the chaos. Finally, he found Emma and her friends, who occupied every single compartment of the car. The passengers warmly welcomed him and Emma jumped to her feet, grabbed his hand, and led him to a free seat next to her near the window.
As the train gradually left the urban perimeter of Hamburg, she said, "I thought you might have changed your mind when I didn't see you on the platform!"
Sirius smiled and replied, "I arrived more than an hour ago, but I went to wait on the wrong platform! I didn't realize it until two minutes before departure, and I had to run like mad not to miss the train!" As the train picked up speed, the countryside flashed before the windows, punctuated by passing telephone poles, swaying wires, and the ticking of the wheels on the rail joints. All in harmony with the sound of the rain against the window.
"It's our fault; it shouldn't have happened! The plan was to meet at the station at least forty-five minutes before the departure, but yesterday we partied and didn't wake up... Normally, there should be more of us, but some of us are too hungover; they'll join us later, though!" Emma explained.
Sirius replied, "You guys are already a lot, aren't you?"
"You haven't seen anything yet! Wait until we arrive in Bonn! People are coming from everywhere; I can already imagine the faces of the professors at the university when they find themselves in front of empty auditoriums," Emma replied, bursting into laughter.
"I don't think they will complain about getting some holidays," Sirius said.
"Yeah... Did you cut your hair yourself?" Emma asked, tousling his hair.
"Yes... Long hair made my head feel overheating!" Sirius said, running a hand through his hair.
"Oh, I understand. It must be incredibly unpleasant to feel warm in winter," Emma said, smiling.
"Am I being weird?" Sirius said.
"Relax, Evan! I was just kidding. I think you're always so serious," Emma said playfully, giving him a light kick on the thigh with her fist. "Have a beer instead!" she said, reaching into the ice chest and pulling out a can.
"Sure, why not?" Sirius replied, grabbing the can that Emma handed him. He playfully tossed a few cans to the others, who were teasing him about favoritism.
After taking a sip and wiping his mouth, Sirius asked, "So what exactly is the plan?"
"We're partying! From sunrise to... the next sunrise! And then we'll save the world!" exclaimed a dark-haired boy wearing a clown wig.
"He summed it up pretty well," Emma added.
"Wasn't Hans coming too?" Sirius asked.
"He's with his girlfriend, in another compartment," Emma replied.
"Hey...Evan...How do you spell 'peace'? P-E-A-C-E', 'P-I-E-C-E' or 'P-I-S-S'?" Asked him another boy with red, puffy eyes who was filling out a sign with a big green marker.
"Can't you write?" Emma asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Of course, I can! But only in German and Polish," he replied.
At approximately 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the train gradually decelerated as the landscape transformed, with buildings materializing before the train eventually arrived at Münster station. Throughout the journey, the compartment had become peaceful, and its occupants had dozed off. Emma, with a lazy yawn, gradually opened her eyes and stretched her limbs.
"Are we there yet?" She asked him.
Sirius gazed out of the window at the trains stationed on the platforms and announced, "We're in Münster..."
"Münster?!" She asked, frowning. "We were supposed to stop in Osnabrück first!"
"Really?" Sirius asked, trailing her out of the compartment.
"Are you certain the train didn't stop? Are you positive you didn't doze off?" Emma inquired, hurrying down the aisle of the carriage.
"I'm positive! I saw us passing Osnabrück's station a little over an hour ago... The train didn't even decelerate," Sirius assured Emma.
Emma exclaimed in disbelief, "What?! That's impossible! The train always stops there. Our friends from Wallenhorst and Georgsmarienhutte were supposed to meet us there!" She scanned the other compartments of the carriage for any signs of their friends. They jumped off the train, and Emma hastened to a railway employee standing on the platform.
As Emma launched into a heated discussion with the man, attempting to calm her, Sirius distanced himself and surveyed his surroundings on the platform. He strolled along, observing from a distance how the station personnel were preoccupied with preventing passengers from accessing the platforms. While doing so, he discerned that one of the platform controllers had been scrutinizing him, and the young man hastily averted his gaze when he detected that Sirius had noticed.
Sirius immediately understood his mistake and the reason why the train had skipped a station and stopped in Munster instead of Osnabrück as planned. He took advantage of the uproar caused by Emma's friends who had joined her outside the train, the panicked chatter of the other passengers, and the screech of the brakes as another train came to a halt to hurry to catch another train.
Sirius moved away from the door and into the corridor until he found himself facing a ticket inspector a few feet away. The two men stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before quickly drawing their wands. However, the confrontation ended shortly when Sirius' stunning spell hit its target straight in the chest.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Sirius hurried down the corridor to catch another train. The sound of his footsteps echoed off the metal walls as he moved away from the door and into the empty hallway. Suddenly, he heard the click of a door latch behind him and spun around to face a ticket inspector only a few feet away.
The two men stared at each other in tense silence for a few seconds before quickly drawing their wands. The sound of wood sliding against leather filled the air as they raised their arms to attack. But the confrontation ended abruptly when Sirius' stunning spell hit its target straight in the chest, followed by the sound of the inspector's body hitting the floor with a thud.
Sirius took a deep breath and looked around, listening for any sign of further danger. All he could hear now was the hum of the train's engines and the distant sound of Emma's friends still shouting outside.
Sirius deftly stepped over the unconscious man and cursed under his breath as he surveyed the chaotic scene unfolding outside. Station employees, overwhelmed by the angry protests, had called in police officers for backup. The officers were now aggressively swinging their batons, raining heavy blows down on the crowd of protesters, who were frantically trying to flee the violent onslaught.
Meanwhile, on the platform, several men and women dressed in impeccably tailored black suits and long coats were briskly making their way towards the train Sirius had hidden in, their wands at the ready. Sirius could see the cold determination etched on their faces, and he knew they meant business.
Behind them, a tall man with short hair stood straight. He had a square jaw and shouted orders in German, his hands folded behind his back, unaffected by the sudden downpour of rain or the chaos of the muggle conflict only steps away from him.
"Merlin's beard! Why can't they just give up?" Sirius muttered to himself, frustration boiling over as he slammed his fist against the wall.
Simultaneously, the policemen managed to push back Emma's group and corral them into their train. They hastily blew their whistles, signaling the driver to start. With a deafening screech of metal on metal, the doors of the carriages slammed shut and the train began to pull out of the station.
Sirius raced down the narrow train corridor, the sound of his frantic footsteps echoing off the walls. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest at any moment. He knew that time was running out and he had to act fast. With a fierce determination, he pushed himself to the limit, his eyes focused solely on his goal.
As he reached the end of the hallway, he was suddenly face to face with two Aurors. They were caught so off guard by Sirius's lightning-fast approach that they didn't even have a chance to raise their wands before he was upon them. Sirius quickly unleashed a devastating punch to one of the Auror's eyes, sending him reeling backward in pain.
The other Auror now fully alert, fired a spell in his direction but he deftly dodged it, letting it blow the door of the car's toilet behind him into a million pieces. In a lightning-fast move, Sirius delivered a 'Depulso' to the woman's stomach, causing her to lose her wand and fall back to the ground in agony.
However, her partner had recovered, and his punch landed on Sirius's chin, sending him sprawling. But, not before Sirius could jolt a stunning spell at his opponent.
In the end, Sirius emerged victorious, his heart still pounding as he surveyed the scene around him. The train car was now silent except for the sound of his heavy breathing and the heavy breathing of the two defeated Aurors lying on the ground.
The train's stillness shattered as a distant voice bellowed, "Da ist er!" Sirius's heart skipped a beat, and his senses heightened. In a swift motion, a torrent of spells surged toward him from the opposite end of the hallway. Reflexes honed by survival kicked in, and Sirius deftly evaded the onslaught, his body contorting with the grace of a dancer.
Sirius conjured a shield, its shimmering barrier materializing in the middle of the corridor. The Aurors were caught off guard, slammed into the impenetrable barrier, and their progress halted. But the victory was short-lived as the resolute Auror he had believed defeated unleashed a furious barrage of spells, causing the glass beside Sirius to explode into a thousand fragments.
Sirius instinctively deflected her attacks, his movements a breathtaking display of agility and skill. Yet, his elation soured as he realized he was now ensnared by a pincer movement. Aurors closed in from both sides, their intentions unmistakably clear. Trapped, Sirius's mind raced for a solution, desperate to turn the tides.
With a surge of determination, Sirius bellowed, "Incendio!" Flames erupted, devouring the once tranquil train car in an inferno. Chaos reigned as smoke billowed, obscuring the vision of his adversaries. In a daring gambit, he hurled himself through the shattered window, shards of glass grazing his skin, and plummeted onto the hard pavement of the platform below.
Pain rippled through his body as he lay on the cold ground, gasping for breath. With the Aurors hot on his heels, Sirius rolled to the side, seeking refuge beneath the massive metal underbelly of the train. In a flash, he transformed into Padfoot and darted beneath the speeding train, his agile paws propelling him forward with boundless energy. Once he had distanced himself from the relentless pursuers, he resurfaced, his body shifting back to human form, and with a surge of luck, apparated after the departing train.
He hauled himself up, his muscles straining the powerful forces threatening to tear him away, just as the train accelerated. Breathless and exhilarated, he slipped into the safety of the last compartment, his body collapsing onto the floor. Moments passed as he lay there, his lungs heaving for precious air. Eventually, Sirius rose to his feet, his exhaustion receding as he embarked on his next objective.
Navigating through the train, he made his way back to the compartment where he had begun his journey. Opening the door, he was met with a scene of bruised and battered passengers. Áurea, Hans' girlfriend, tended to her injured partner, wrapping a bandage around his wounded head. Others sat in silence, nursing their own pains, holding cold beer cans against their aching shoulders or heads.
Sirius took a seat across from Emma, their eyes meeting in a mix of relief and weariness. Emma's once pale face was now flushed and her eyes, usually serene, were red.
"Looks like they didn't spare you," Emma observed as she took the first aid kit from Áurea.
Sirius shrugged. "It's not a big deal."
Emma wasn't convinced. "Don't try to tough it out. You're bleeding and your lip is swollen. Those guys are a bunch of fuckers. Let me take care of it." She gently wiped his face with a towel and then sprayed a piece of cotton with alcohol. "I warn you, this is going to sting."
Sirius winced as the alcohol hit his skin. "Thanks. Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
Emma gave a small smile. "A few punches, no more. Nothing serious."
Hans was seething with anger as Áurea finished treating his injuries. "We live in a Nazi regime!" he shouted, his voice filled with fury. "Why did they beat us up? We didn't do anything wrong! All we did was complain, and we were already getting back on the train when the police arrived!"
"Hans is right. The one with the goatee grabbed me and forced me off the train before hitting me with his club! He didn't say anything; he just hit me for no reason!" One of the boys said before uncapping his beer and taking a sip.
"It's like if they enjoy doing it!" Said another.
"They were waiting for us," Áurea said.
"What?" Hans asked.
"They were waiting for us! That's why the train didn't stop in Osnabrück...Maybe the others, who were supposed to join us were arrested and they wanted to do the same with us. They don't want to let us protest in Bonn in front of all the cameras" Áurea said.
"They need a valid reason to arrest us, and we have not done absolutely anything illegal! Is it forbidden to ask for an explanation?" Someone asked.
"That was the plan," Emma said.
"What do you mean?" Edgar asked her.
Emma speculated, "As soon as the others noticed that the train was passing the station without stopping, despite purchasing their tickets there, they must have raised their voices in protest... It seemed like the police officers were there to incite us and trap us into making a mistake that they could use to justify our arrest. They attempted the same thing with us, but Munster station is larger and there were too many people present, so I suppose it didn't work out as smoothly as they intended, and they had to release us..."
"Emma is right! There were undercover cops on the train searching the compartments while the uniforms were beating us up outside," Áurea said.
"How do you know they were cops if they weren't wearing their uniforms?" Loise asked.
"All dressed the same and they were getting into all the cars! One of them did something to me...But I forgot" Áurea said.
"WHAT?!" Hans asked, "What did he do to you? Did he touch you? the son of a bitch!"
"No...I don't know...It's like... I completely forgot what I was doing on the train," Áurea replied, her face displaying deep confusion.
"They were trying to find a reason to arrest us," Emma exclaimed. "That's precisely why I instructed you to leave all your weed at home. If they found any, it would give them a perfect excuse to handcuff us. So, search your backpacks fully! Check every pocket and fold because they may even try to plant something on us and detain us upon arrival!" As Emma spoke, Áurea hurried off to warn the occupants of the other compartments in the carriage.
The next few minutes were hectic. They turned over their bags, then the mood lightened when Edgar's pornographic magazines fell open on the floor.
"It's for science," Edgar justified himself and hastily stuffed them back into his backpack.
After conducting several checks, they were relieved to find nothing compromising, and the atmosphere gradually returned to the relaxed one they had started their journey with. At some point, Sirius and Emma found themselves alone.
"Enjoying your holiday in West Germany so far?" Emma asked with a smile.
"I just wish we would have flown, instead", Sirius replied.
"Don't tell me…Anyways, do you feel concerned, now?", Emma asked, nodding at the bump formed on Sirius' head.
"It's hard not to feel otherwise. How are you doing?", Sirius asked.
Emma crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, sighing. "I feel tired. Tired of all this hypocrisy. We're told repeatedly that we're blessed to have been born on this side of the wall, free, since we're little ones. However, as soon as we want to exercise those same rights and freedoms, we get beaten up and humiliated. When all we want, is avoiding a fucking nuclear apocalypse", she said.
"I'm at a loss for words. I'm just starting to grasp how complex the world can be. I'm from a place that's kind of cut off from the rest of the world," Sirius said.
"I noticed," Emma said, smiling.
"How?" Sirius asked.
"Well... You have the means to live without working for an entire month, and if I may say so, the way you speak and your gestures... You come across as an aristocrat," Emma observed.
"Is it that apparent?" Sirius inquired, with surprise.
"Definitely! Which brings me to the question: who exactly are you?" Emma probed.
"A tourist?" Sirius ventured.
"No, but seriously... When I mentioned the way you speak, I meant that you use words that are unfamiliar to most people. You seem unaware of the fact that the world is on the brink of a third World War. And when you think no one is looking, you're fascinated by everyday objects like a Walkman, an Atari, or a toaster... So, where exactly are you from?" Emma inquired.
"I'm not sure what you're getting at," Sirius replied.
Ingrid leaned in closer. "Don't be afraid. Stick with us. We look out for each other, and if anyone comes for you, we'll keep you safe," Emma assured him.
"I'm not following," Sirius said, looking bewildered.
"I'm referring to the cult you managed to escape from. I've observed you quite a bit because you seem like someone who's traveled through time and is now stranded in a future that you can't quite comprehend. You keep looking over your shoulder as if you're convinced that someone's tailing you," Emma expressed, placing her hands on his lap. "You don't have to discuss it if you're not ready or comfortable. You don't have to do or say anything unless you feel prepared to. And whatever you choose to disclose about your past, you won't be judged by us. I promise," she reassured him.
Sirius nodded, feeling uncertain about what was happening, but he chose not to let his guard down so soon. The desire to confide everything to her piercing blue eyes was intense, but he resisted it for the time being.
"These past two years have been quite a challenge, Emma," Sirius said, trying to strike a balance between honesty and concealment.
"I know it hasn't been easy, Evan. But we can't give up. Even with limited resources, we need to keep fighting and make our voices heard loud and clear. Otherwise, those who aim to enslave us will have a clear path," Emma responded.
"But what if no one is willing to listen?" Sirius asked.
"Then we shout even louder!" Emma declared, just as the compartment started to fill up again.
Three hours later, the train pulled into Bonn station, and Sirius and Emma joined the throngs of other passengers disembarking there. They encountered no impediments as they made their way out of the station. In fact, the railway workers had taken steps to streamline the transit from the platforms to the station's exit. They boarded two buses and finally arrived at a spacious suburban house, where Professor Rauch and another man, slightly older with a thick beard, greeted them at the doorstep
