Serendipity (S. Black)

TWENTY-ONE

"here in town you can tell he's been down for a while, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles"

*

With trembling hands, Sirius pushed open the gate to the Potter cottage. He shivered but hesitated as he stared at the house, all the windows dark. They weren't expecting him for days, and they certainly weren't expecting him to turn up at three in the morning. Scared to be an imposition, he almost turned around, but the thought of seeing James compelled him to move forward.

He knocked on the door a few times before shoving his hands back into his pockets, trying to ignore the frigid temperature and the irrational growing fear of being unwanted there, too. He kept his head down so that his face was barely visible. Faintly he could hear footsteps on the steps before the door swung open.

Mrs. Potter, dressed in a nightgown and a hastily thrown on robe, squinted in confusion when she saw her son's best friend. "Sirius? What's going on? We weren't expecting you for days, dear!"

Sirius found himself unable to speak. He had no idea how to explain why he was there. His hunger began to kick in, and his entire body ached from the curse. He leaned on the wall, trying to remain standing on his own, because he didn't want to worry James' mum.

Mrs. Potter stepped out onto the porch and approached the silent boy, her concern growing. Her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of his face, bruised and scraped and pale from the cold. His eyes had dark circles under them from lack of sleep, and they watched her with terror, as if she would strike him down because he came for help.

"Come right in, dear, I'll make tea and get James for you, how does that sound?"

Numbly, Sirius nodded. He took one step forward and collapsed onto the snowy porch, his world dissolving into nothing. Mrs. Potter gasped and knelt down to discover that he had lost consciousness.

"James!" She yelled up the stairs.

"Mum, leave me alone," he moaned from his bedroom. "It's the middle of the night!"

"Young man, Sirius is down here and he's hurt! Come down this instant, I need your help!"

James moved so quickly that he almost fell down the stairs. Fear replaced the exhaustion in his hazel eyes when he saw his best friend laying down on his porch.

"What happened?" He managed to get out, still in shock.

Mrs. Potter shook her head. "I have no idea. He didn't say a word to me. Since your father's not here, could you please move him to the couch while I make tea? I don't think he'll be out long."

James nodded and bent down as his mother departed for the kitchen. "Mate?" He whispered, his voice shaky. He'd never been so afraid in his entire life. "You- you okay?"

Sirius stirred at his friend's voice. "James?" He rasped.

"It's okay, I've got you. You're okay now. Can you stand?" He helped him stand and kept his arm around Sirius as they walked to the living room. Sirius sat down on the couch, his face ghost-white. James sat next to him, clasping his hands together in an attempt to keep calm. "What happened?"

"I- I ran away," Sirius whispered, barely audible. "I ran away and I'm not going back. Yours was the only place I could think to go, I'm so sorry."

James rubbed his back comfortingly, ignoring the anger rising inside of him at Sirius' so-called family. Family didn't let one of their own stumble around in the snow looking like hell. He wondered what had finally pushed his best friend over the edge to actually leave. "Don't apologize. It's okay."