Doodles || Sirius Black

Doodles of Date Night

The smells of butterbeer and ash swam dreamily through Rosalind's mind as she sat at a booth at the Hog's Head. It was a rainy night, lightning rumbling through the sky, vibrating the vulnerable windows in the rustic pub. The thought of going outside made Rosalind buzz with excitement whilst sitting on the rickety bench that lacked any sort of pillow that would ensure that the customers were comfortable.

The group of four sat, rambunctious and rowdy, as they reminisced about their school days, nestled together acting as though a war wasn't weighing heavy on all their hearts. There were multiple empty butterbeer and firewhiskey bottles littered across the wooden table, aiding the group in their joyous moods, it gave permission for Remus to be happy in the company of Benjamin for the first time in months.

It was a homely sight to the other customers sat in the pub though uncommon in the dark times shadowing the Wizarding World. Rosalind favoured times like these, herself and Sirius laughing and smiling without worrying about their daughter's safety or future. Remus, despite fresh scars covering the skin on show, looked younger then ever as he and Benjamin debated the correct way to drink a hot chocolate.

With her training for the week completed, and the sunshine that lit the sky earlier in the day, the couple had decided to spend the night with Benjamin and Remus whilst Molly babysat Katrina at the Burrow. Hours had flown by, stories of pranks and detentions making the rounds, the storm had arrived an hour ago, dissuading the group from returning to Benjamin's apartment for the night, with the excuse of not wanting to get wet keeping the festivities going long into the night.

There was a small worktop next to the door to the pub where Aberforth Dumbledore served the customers, throwing continuous cautious looks at the group, immediately recognising them either from wanted posters, rumours about a teacher werewolf and the duo that his brother Albus had pretty much adopted over twenty years ago. But he didn't intervene with their drunken feast, the amount of drinks they had already consumed filling his wallet nicely.

Usually, Rosalind would of been much more cautious and alert, not allowing herself to be distracted, but now she was basically a squib and desperately needed just one night of joy before the possibility of losing someone she loved plagued her again.

"What are you thinking about?" Sirius whispered, stroking her hair.

Rosalind shrugged, "The rain," she turned towards her fiancé who's grey eyes shone with unbounded joy and charm, "it looks inviting."

"You look inviting." He told her, smirking at her reddening cheeks.

"So do you," Rosalind smiled before shaking her head, "but the rain still wins."

"Don't take that rudeness, Sirius, take the ring back." Benjamin interrupted, laughing loudly.

"You traitor!" Rosalind chuckled, before addressing Sirius directly "Please don't take it, I like the ring too much."

"But not Sirius that much." Remus spoke up.

"Correct."

Sirius' scandalised look was more then enough for the group of to break out into another drunken and disruptive fit of laughter, Sirius even joining in after his dramatic show of pretending to get up and leave out of protest.

The moon was beginning dwindle as the storm raged on. Rain beat down violently, the three other occupants peering out of the window with a highly disagreeable look, but Rosalind felt electrified at the sight. The pub became overcrowded that evening, the rain outside driving in the drunk as they sought shelter from the never stopping onslaught. Aberforth gave a rare, secretive smile as the imminent money comically flashed through his eyes, quickly ordering a middle-aged woman to bring out more stock from a room behind the bar.

The pub lived up to its reputation as it filled with more questionable individuals, which only brought the groups mood even higher, as they finally fit in with the society surrounding them. There was a collection of elder men smoking in the corner, taking turns poking their heads out of an open window, braving through the storm just to get a single second of relief from their cravings. Whilst a group of women, who Remus had earlier pointed out worked as maids at the Leaky Cauldron, argued loudly over who was next to use the broken toilet.

Remus bumped his shoulder into Rosalind's gently, he nodded towards his newly filled glass, with what appeared to be a bright, green liquid, "What are we cheering to tonight?"

"My hair." Sirius suggested, earning a napkin thrown at his chest from Benjamin.

"Definitely not." Benjamin laughed, taking a sip of his half drunk glass filled with the same bright, green liquid. "Mine maybe, not yours."

"Why am I getting bullied tonight?"

"Retribution." Rosalind smiled at her fiancé, kissing his cheeky softly before gesturing to her glass "So, what's it to?"

"Family." Remus proposed, receiving nods of agreement from the group

Rosalind raised her glass along with the rest of the table, all downing their drinks in celebration, before turning her head quickly when she heard a witch maid shout 'to family!' as she sped out of the pub carrying the only toilet out of pub's door.

"I'm hoping none of us need the toilet because that's now off limits." Benjamin chuckled, wiping the alcohol from around his mouth with the only clean napkin on the table.

"The alleyway is always an option," Sirius said, "I've done it before."

"I hardly think you have ever needed much reason to piss in public." Remus chuckled, "If I remember correctly it was a common occurrence in our Hogwarts day's."

"I'm not shocked," Rosalind jibed, putting on her raincoat, "dogs will go anywhere without shame."

"I won't take this ridicule any longer." Sirius grumbled, helping Rosalind get her arm through the inside-out arm of the coat, laughing lightly at the frustrated look on her face.

"Should we walk?" Rosalind suggested, watching the rain grow even wilder.

"Are you mad?" Benjamin laughed, "My apartment is at least a twenty minute walk from here."

"It's not that much, don't be lazy Ben."

"Lind, I ain't being lazy, its survival."

"Unfortunately," Remus spoke up, pulling Ben's hood up, not noticing the look of love on the man's face, "I'm going to have to agree with Rosalind, we can't apparate in this state."

"Fine." Benjamin gave in almost instantly.

"Good idea" Sirius agreed.

"What do you mean unfortunately?" Rosalind looked to Remus, receiving no response apart from a wide smile, before looking to the man holding her hand as they stepped out of the pub, "What does he mean unfortunately?" 

"Isn't it obvious, love?"

Rosalind huffed, "And here I was thinking it was bully Sirius day, not me."

"We're easy targets, the most attractive people always are." Sirius laughed loudly at Benjamin's  offended look and Remus' obscene gesture with his finger as a response.

The group walked through the rain-soaked village of Hogsmeade towards Benjamin's apartment, bowing their heads to avoid the downpour of rain reaching their faces, though when the rouge rain-drop hit their faces, it largely helped them in sobering up. The more the group walked, the more hollow they felt as the reality of the Wizarding World hit them once again, the naivety of the night slipping away slowly.

Afterall, the dangers of a war never fully disappeared, no matter how much they drank or pretended it had.