good things fall apart • sirius black

Puppy

Over the two days leading up to his seventeenth birthday, Sirius Black was a mere face in passing to the other Marauders. He was barely seen, spending the majority of his time attached to Flora Buchanan's side, and attached to her lips too. It was rather nauseating for everyone else, and so the fact that he wasn't around much, didn't really bother his friends. Well, not Peter at least.

James complained as much as he did whenever anyone of the group went missing, but Ellie and Remus spent their time grumbling in hushed voices between themselves about the ridiculousness of how quickly Sirius and Flora's relationship had come about. They were both bitter, they were both jealous, and they both hated the fifth year that imposed herself onto the group. If Sirius did appear, Flora was at his side, and neither of them seemed to realise that she wasn't welcomed. The Marauders all knew that they should be supportive about whoever Sirius decided he wanted in his life, as his family, but that wasn't so easy when the girl he picked used to be Mary MacDonald's bully.

They were all quite fond of the afro haired girl now, as well as Alice Fortescue and her boyfriend Frank.

Nights were awkward because if Flora wasn't staying over, Sirius still seemed to be under the impression that Ellie would be happy to sleep by his side. In fact, the handsome boy wanted her there when Flora wasn't, and he was unable to comprehend why that was so wrong.

"I don't think Flora would be very happy with that." Ellie would say.

"It's all casual, she wouldn't care." He'd insist, and every time, the beautiful girl would have to resist the urge to tell him how very uncasual what he and Flora had looked. That was something he had to figure out on his own.

"He can't have you both. You need to tell him." James would whisper when Sirius went into the bathroom to get ready for bed, but Ellie would just slip out of the dorm room without a reply.

However, November 3rd brought a very different dynamic, with Flora Buchanan nowhere to be seen when everyone woke up. It was just the boys, but James had decided they needed to put all the awkwardness aside, for it wasn't every day that one of them became of age. They had plans to spread the word about a party they were going to throw, and pile of presents ready to gift, all of them smiling wide as if nothing had changed recently. But as usual, Sirius was still fast asleep. At least, that's what they thought.

When James threw back the drapes around his bed, the three boys ready to burst out into a rendition of 'Happy Birthday to you', they were greeted by a very awake Sirius. He was sat up with his back pressed against his headboard, knees up to his chest, and hands in his hair. Everyone's faces fell when he didn't even flinch at the sound of the drapes opening, doing nothing but dragging his fingers across his scalp as if that would provide some form of comfort. Glancing at Remus and Peter briefly to be met with the same confused expression he himself wore, James carefully sat on the end of Sirius' bed, reaching over and placing a gentle hand on his knee.

"I didn't sleep last night." Sirius grumbled without being asked, "Stupid fucking nightmares.... And I've- I think I've lost Snuffles. Cubby will kill me."

"You should've woken me up." James frowned.

"You were out like a light."

"That doesn't matter. It's never mattered."

"I know, but Cubs normally-" Sirius cut himself off when he looked up for the first time, noticing the beautiful girl's absence, "Where is she?"

"Her dorm, I s'pose."

"But it's my Birthday..."

"Well, it's your fault that she-" Remus was cut off, but the lanky boy also received a shove in the side from Peter.