Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

chapter 41

Without a second thought, I find myself rushing forward to embrace the boy. Sirius shakily returns it by wrapping his arms around my waist. I take a seat beside him on the bed and begin running my hands through his hair soothingly. "What's happened, Sirius?" I ask, concern evident in my voice.

"I had to get out for a bit. I couldn't be there anymore, Chiara." Sirius sighs, blinking back the tears that threaten to spill out of his red eyes.

"You know you can cry if you need to. You don't always have to keep it in." I say softly. That seems to be all the reassurance he needs as tear after tear begins rolling down his face. He whimpers and I pull him to lay his head on my stomach. We lay there like that, with my fingers running through his hair repetitively and him crying and making a wet spot on my shirt that I couldn't care less about. "I've got you, love." I coo in a whisper as he sniffles. He hugs me tighter and nuzzles close to me.

After a bit of time, he pulls away slightly and scoots up to lay directly in front of me on the bed. I move to wipe the tears off his cheeks with the pads of my thumbs. "Does anyone know you left?"

Sirius nods his head sadly. "There was yelling, loads of it. All directed at me." He flinches at the obviously painful memory. "I thought that was all it would be this time but then...m-my mother started hurting me." He turns away from me and whimpers again.

I cup his face with both of my hands and turn his head back towards mine. "Where did she hurt you?" A rush of anger fills me up inside at the thought of this woman hurting my best friend.

He carefully lifts his shirt up to reveal fresh cuts and bruises scattered across his stomach. My lips part and my fingers gently graze a particularly black bruise. "Mum can heal these, if you'll let her." I say. My own eyes begin filling with tears at the sight.

He lets the shirt fall back down and shakes his head fearfully with wide eyes. "Please don't tell her!" He begs. "I-I'm not ready to tell anybody else yet!"

"Sirius," I look deeply into his eyes. "Sirius, you don't have to worry. I won't say a word to anyone. I just...just hate that you're getting hurt."

"I feel so helpless. I'm bloody angry but if I argue back I get hit or cursed. I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do." He grabs both of my hands, looking at me with desperation.

"I want you to leave that place."

"I want to." He says, staring down at our clasped hands. "But...Regulus. He isn't like them. He doesn't argue back but I think he feels the way I do. I couldn't leave him alone there."

I nod in understanding. I don't really know what else to say so I just keep running my thumb over the top of his hand. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"It's so late, are you even allowed to leave at this hour?" Sirius asks.

I shrug nonchalantly. "Mum still thinks I'm at James' place. She wouldn't even notice." I lead him by the hand and together we leave the house, walking side by side as the gentle breeze hits our faces.

"I'm sorry I'm keeping you from your sleep. Did you at least have a good day?" He asks, slipping his hand into mine again.

"Sleep is overrated." I reply easily.

"Liar." He smirks. "You love to sleep."

"Yes, well, who needs it when you can hang out with your best friend? And my day wasn't bad. I went to work, got stranded at work, got picked up by James, went to the Potters, saw you." I wink at him and he smiles at me when I do.