Some Day | Wolfstar

Seventy-eight

Remus brushed James' hair back. "Does it ever stay in place?" He sighed. James shrugged. "Nah." Remus shook his head, and straightened James' tie. "James, you wear a tie everyday at school... how can you mess it up this bad?"

The two boys went downstairs where Severus was waiting next to Orion's dead body, which had been moved on to the couch the night before. There was no coffin for him. Severus was clad in his usual attire, which was way more appropriate for a funeral than casual wear. Remus gave him a small smile. He responded with a nod of acknowledgement.

"You know..." James started, "Lucius could be pretty much anywhere. With the ring."

Remus bit his lip. "But he doesn't know about this place, does he?"

James nodded. Severus rubbed his temples. "If he doesn't already know, he will find out. Eventually. He's going to come for us either way. If not today or tomorrow, then maybe in a decade."

Their very uplifting conversation was interrupted by footsteps. It was Sirius and Regulus. They were both dressed in black robes, and they both looked pale and tired. It was eerie, how much they looked alike. Behind them was Walburga, her head held high as she walked.

Sirius gave Remus a small smile, but it couldn't hide how tired he looked. Regulus looked a lot worse. They placed the body in their carriage. Walburga and Regulus climbed inside, and the other four boys walked behind it.

Sirius' bike seemed hardly appropriate for a funeral procession anyway.

They walked quietly through the woods. The sun was setting. Walburga had chosen an odd time for Orion's funeral.

Remus reached for Sirius' hand. He let him hold it as they walked on. James and Severus were walking behind them, side by side, definitely not holding hands.

They stopped at a small opening. It was a most peculiar burial. Remus was fairly certain that it was was the only one of its kind to have ever taken place. Walburga blasted a crater in the ground, and turned to her sons, waiting.

Remus tried not to stare at how Sirius' hands trembled as he lowered his father into his grave, or how Regulus bit into his lip as he tried not to cry.

"Shame, isn't it?" Sirius' voice was hoarse as he spoke. "Orion Black, head of his House, buried in a fucking crater in the middle of nowhere." A sardonic grin had made its way on to his lips. Remus had to stop himself from flinching at how bitter he sounded.

Sirius was burning on the inside. There was so much anger inside of him, and no one to take it out on. He was angry at Orion for dying like that. When after all that time, Sirius had actually let himself love him again. Not that he had ever stopped. Do you ever stop loving your family? No matter how twisted they are, do you ever stop needing their love? He was angry at himself for feeling sad. Because Orion didn't deserve it. Or did he?

You don't choose your family, Sirius.

Regulus walked next to Sirius, wiping his eyes. Sirius had an arm around him as they walked. "Are you still angry at him?" He asked quietly. He sounded tired as well.

"I'll always be angry at him, Reg," Sirius replied. Regulus pressed closer to him. "But he didn't have to die, did he?"

"No," Sirius sighed, because his chest was too tight for him to breathe normally. "No, he didn't."

Sirius felt a wave of sadness crash over him. Sadness always came in waves. It would start with a tingle somehwere on his skin, and before he knew it, it would rise up his chest leaving a burning trail behind. And then it would clog his throat and press down on him. Finally, it would recede, until it sneaked up on him again.

He hated it.

"Siri?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you tell me a joke?"

Sirius looked at his brother, a little surprised. He felt exhausted. He had felt that way for a while, but now it had become so intense, that he could've curled up on the damp grass and fallen asleep right there. He tried to remember something funny for Regulus.

"Okay," he sighed, but managed a smile as he looked at Regulus. Regulus was almost as tall as him, and Sirius could see the red circling his eyes. "Why is dark spelled with a k and not a c?"

Regulus frowned. A cold wind passed through the trees. As the day was slowly dying, the forest was coming to life. Something cried out in a shrill voice, sending an unpleasant shiver down Sirius' spine. He turned around to look at his friends. They subconsciously huddled closer.

Why did she have to bury him this late?

A large bird flew out of the trees lining the path, and Sirius sighed in relief. A fucking bird... for Merlin's sake. It disappeared into the trees again.

"So? Why is-" Regulus' words were cut off, however, by a loud whooshing sound. The boys watched, eyes wide, as a ball of bright orange flew over their heads. It struck a wheel of the carriage, sending it veering off path. "Mother!" Regulus cried, starting to run towards the carriage, which had now flipped to its side. The two horses tied to it had freed themselves, and were running away, their hooves thundering across the forest floor.

Sirius held Regulus back by his arms. A second ball of fire landed at their feet. It exploded with a loud boom, sending the two boys flying in two different directions. James pulled Sirius up, dragging him back as the damp grass somehow caught fire.

"Oh no," Sirius whispered as an unbearable chill settled deep in his bones. The carriage was burning. The second fire rose to a raging conflagration, hiding Regulus from Sirius' view.

"Fucking hell," James pulled him up, and they ran to join Remus and Severus under the cover of a large clump of trees. A third ball of fire landed where they had been just a second earlier.

A horrible smell started to stab at Sirius' nostrils, stinging his brain as he inhaled. It wasn't very dark yet, but it was getting colder by the second. A cacophony of hisses and loud, collective footsteps filled the air.

"That disgusting fuck," James cursed. His eyes were fixed on the sky above them, where more than a dozen dementors were moving in a circle.

Lucius Malfoy was coming. And he was not alone.