Pawns & Players - Sirius Black

-46-

Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word  - George R.R. Martin

"Regulus"

She breathed out silently, pacing towards the boy with a surprised voice, observing him with wide eyes. 

"Oh hey" He was much taller compared to the last she saw him, much taller than her, and carried a certain maturity in his stance. Even his voice had changed significantly, a raspy and teasing one replacing the childish one she knew. A voice so similar to one she was familiar with that she had to fix her gaze on him again to make sure. 

"How have you been ?" An answer could be given just by judging his face. Dark circles around nearly soulless eyes, he wasn't doing well.

"I'm fine. Assuming you didn't get any of my letters ?" 

"That devil incarnate" She muttered under her breath. "After the stuff with Sirius, she thinks you also are a bad influence on me"

The boy seemed to perk up at the mention of his name. With a slightly clenched jaw, he let out an irritated breath, leading up to his answer.

"I swear I feel his existence now more than I ever did before" He scoffed absurdly. "But of course, he had to make sure he took away everything"

"What do you mean-" Before she could actually get what he was talking about, the boy cut her off, pointing at the woman watching them from across the room.

"I better leave. Your mum doesn't seem to like Sirius's brother"

And there she stood, in the middle of the large room, filled with people who were supposedly there for her, alone. The absence of one guest out of the over hundred there was, strangely distinguishable at the view of the empty balcony.

"What are you so sad about ?" Breaking her gaze, the boy wearing a sparkly birthday hat and glasses was standing in front of her, making noises with the party horn between his lips.

"Rosier, ever heard of reading the room ?" Pointing at their surrounding with her eyes, she continued. "Have another hat ?"

"I have an even better thing. Follow me" 

"I don't get gifts for my birthdays"

"Trust me with this then"

The tall boy was walking out of the ball excitedly, followed by the girl whose heels marked each of her rapid steps sharply.

He guided the way through the manor until he reached the large door, opening their way to the garden, as if it was completely new to her.

"I need more instructions" Looking at the boy first wonderingly, before peeking at the garden for any new thing to notice.

"Freedom" He answered with a calm smile. Melancholic eyes trying to hold on but a heart strong enough to vanquish it.

Because in the end, that was what he was.

"I can already breathe, but a night ending with me sleeping in the room next to my mother's isn't my exact definition for it"

"That's the thing. You don't. Because unlike you, your parents trust me when I say you're going to spend the rest of the month with me, and my parents are in Serbia" He was smiling mildly, his eyes focused on her, treasuring the moment. "You're free little bird"

Processing what the boy had just said, she looked up, facing him. 

"And here is your hat" Placing the pink sparkly cone on top of her hair, he pointed to the large steel gate with his eyes.