/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟕.𝟛.𝟣

"it is good people who make good places." ~ Anna Sewell

~september 1976~

It was raining. Artemis let the droplets soak her hair and her skin as she stood in the pathway and stared at the carriages in front of her. This was the last time. At last, it had hit her. This was the last time she would ride the carriages to Hogwarts, the last time she'd visit the thestrals, the last time she'd watch the sorting. Her eyes unfocused and re-focused again, her eyesight going hazy for just a second. Her health had been declining, she knew that. Physically and mentally. There were things she should be doing, but she couldn't bring herself to do them. Stop smoking so much, sleep instead of partying, only drink on the weekends, eat three proper meals a day... the list went on and on, yet it was only a mere whisper in the back of her mind.

Someone nudged her arm and she looked up. Sirius was standing at her side and all of the haze in her mind cleared. He was grinning down at her, and he tossed a jacket roughly into her hands. "You'll freeze to death before we even make to the school, dumbass."

"Says the one who rolled the windows down on the train," she snorted, but she shrugged the jacket over her shoulders and was immediately comforted by the warmth and the smell of Sirius that flooded her senses.

James caught up to them at a jog and jumped up to half-tackle Sirius, ruffling his hair. "Art, if you're going to do your thing with the thestrals, do it now, 'cause I'm ready to get to the feast."

"You make it sound even weirder than it is," murmured Peter.

Artemis ignored them and stepped towards the thestral guiding the carriage she and the Marauders were planning on occupying. Her boots splashed in the mud and she hugged her jacket closer to her body as she cradled the thestral's head in her hands. "Hello," she said softly, and pulled a pumpkin pasty from the back pocket of her jeans. "Brought you something."

Sirius waited for her before stepping into the carriage. He watched her lean in and whisper a few words to what looked like thin air, then grin up at him and climb inside the compartment. He followed and settled himself in the seat between her and James.

James grinned over at Artemis. "You remember the first time you saw them? When we all thought you were crazy?"

"Yes," she said drily, "I remember a lot of times you guys thought I was crazy."

James snorted. "Well, I mean..."

"And the one constant is that I'm always right." She gave him a charming smile and settled down in her seat, leaning up against Sirius's arm.

Remus raised his hand like he was waiting to be called on in class. "Yeah, I never thought you were crazy."

Artemis's expression softened warmly and she reached a boot out to lovingly kick Remus in the leg. "That's why you're my best friend, Moony."