Crimson Rivers

Chapter 35

District eight is hard for James, because it's home to his first kill. The man's name was Cole, he was twenty-four, and he had a wife and two children. Two little girls-one still so young that she's held by her mother, and the other so small that she barely makes it to her mother's knee. Both of them are enamored by their father's picture on the screen behind them, reaching for him with small hands and tear-stained cheeks.

James throws up after they leave the stage.

District seven is an easier one, home to two tributes they never spoke to, but one of them was a child, which is always hard to handle. James and Regulus stand on stage, giving their speeches, their hands clasped between them.

They bypass district six-home-but all of them (Sirius, James, and Regulus) stare wistfully as they go by, even if it does signal that they're basically halfway through the victory tour already.

District five is where things get interesting.

~•~

Sirius is delighted to see Frank, and Frank doesn't protest when Sirius pulls him into a hug. Frank was in his games years and years ago-only two years after Sirius, and two years older than Sirius, so he was twenty when he won-but he didn't become a mentor until five years ago, when he finally talked his mother into retiring and letting him take over.

Emmeline has been around a while, too, in much the same way. She's a year younger than Sirius, and she won her games three years after Sirius won his. Since she was eighteen, she could become a mentor straight away if she was willing, and apparently she was, because she did. Sirius had only been a mentor for a year by that point, so he was still very wary of basically everyone and so new to everything. Learning to navigate the struggles of being a mentor, as well as the expectations the Hallows had for him.

When Frank came in, though, he was friendly with anyone who was friendly to him, very easy to get along with, but also not someone to underestimate. He's a good man, but he's brought home a Victor twice-his very first year as a mentor and the year before James and Regulus' games. That may not seem like much, but two Victors in five years is a big thing when you're not training up death eaters.

Sirius is admittedly closest to Marlene, purely because he couldn't help but want to ease her transition into being a mentor, something she was struggling with. Sirius had struggled with it, too. A lot. So, he tried to help, just like Alastor Moody helped him when he was just starting out, and in doing so, he and Marlene got pretty close.

Emmeline and Frank are close in the same way, if not for the same reasons. But, really, they're all a close little group between the four of them, offering comfort and solidarity every single year when the torture swings back around. Sirius is grateful for them all, and grateful to see their homes, to see them safely somewhere other than the Hallow.

So, yes, he pulls Frank into an enthusiastic hug, much like he did with Emmeline and Marlene. Just like them, Frank meets him halfway. They all have this thing they carry between them that no one else can understand.

"It's good to see you, Sirius," Frank says warmly. "You look well. Been doing alright?"

"Carrying on well enough," Sirius assures him, smacking a kiss to his cheek and grinning when Frank immediately presses the back of his hand to his forehead and pretends to swoon. They burst out laughing immediately after.

James clears his throat. Loudly.

"Oh!" Sirius says, perking up. "Frank, this is James, and that's Regulus. You know Pandora, of course, and Dorcas is the best damn stylist you'll ever see. Everyone, this is Frank."

A chorus of polite greetings go around, excluding James, who is-for some reason-glaring at Frank like he's kicked his cat. James doesn't even have a cat. His cat is dead. Has been for years, so Sirius isn't sure what that's all about.