Holidate

Ch. 1 Christmas

"Just a firewhiskey, please." I unfortunately knew that voice. I was suddenly ten years old hearing that same voice trying to persuade me to steal another chocolate even though our parents said 'no.' I was fifteen, hearing that voice tell me that my parents were horrible people and I was going to turn out just like them, mean and cruel. I was seventeen, sitting in the library, listening to that voice trying to get into the pants of whoever was sitting next to him doing everything but what was considered appropriate in a library.

My jaw had subconsciously clenched and I prayed that he wouldn't notice me. I felt his eyes flicker towards me but I hoped it was too dark for him to recognise me. It wasn't.

"Sirius," I cleared my throat as he said my name. We were in a pub in Diagon Alley, it was almost midnight and there were only two other people on the opposite side of the room, meaning I didn't have to yell for him to hear me.

It wasn't common for me to show up at a pub in Diagon Alley, I was sure I had only ever been here once before by mistake and sitting in my emerald green dress, I looked terribly out of place. But I was desperate to distract myself.

"Why are you out by yourself?" He somehow managed to slouch on the barstool and I let myself glance over at him. He had an air of arrogance and a stupid smirk that seemed to be permanently etched on his face. He was wearing a ridiculous leather jacket and jeans that I thought looked horrible on him.

"I could ask you the same thing." I took a sip of my own firewhiskey, finishing the glass before asking the bartender for another. He glanced down at my empty glass before answering.

"The usual," he shrugged, "it's a hard life being the family disappointment, but someone's gotta do it."

"You're so brave." I gave him a sarcastic smile and he chuckled.

Sirius and I had a long history. We were in similar situations because we both came from pureblood families, but Sirius saw that as a stain to his name whereas I had thrived in the environment.

"So, why are you here?" I didn't think Sirius looked that much different now that he was older. He still had long, wavy hair that was always styled to look perfectly rugged, he still had piercing grey eyes and his bone structure was as sharp as ever. He had a bit of stubble on his jawline which suited his rough aesthetic.

"It's a hard life when your parents have unrealistic expectations." I shrugged my shoulders and began sipping on the new glass in front of me, Sirius doing the same. "You should know all about that."

"I'll drink to that." He tilted his glass up before drinking it all in one go and asking for another.

I guess we did have some unspoken understanding between us. We just chose to wear it differently.

Sirius had always been very vocal about how his beliefs were the stark opposite of his parents and it seemed every action he took, every decision he made, was a purposeful middle finger to everything his parents had worked to give him.

My relationship with my parents was a bit more complicated. I was an only child and therefore the expectations were higher even if Sirius would say that they were the same considering he was the eldest. But they weren't. His parents had Regulus to fall back on and they did. I was the golden child. I had always done everything to make my parents proud, to be the perfect daughter and I knew that got under Sirius' skin. Maybe my parents' beliefs weren't good, but they weren't bad parents and so I was happy to uphold their legacy.

"So, how's life being a healer?" I rolled my eyes at his attempt to make polite small talk.

"You don't have to act like you're interested." It had been two years since we left Hogwarts, but I had unfortunately seen Sirius Black plenty since that time so I wasn't surprised he knew. As long as I could remember the noble wizarding families had been holding celebrations for just about any occasion they could find an excuse for and for some reason, Sirius Black always showed up to them.