Lacerta Black -- James Potter --

16

trigger warning mentions of violence and controlling parents

Sirius felt like he was slowly dying inside. 

Marlene and Mary seemed to be the only ones who would speak to him that wasn't a desperate girl trying to get in his pants now that he was single - completely ignoring the fact that he was gay. He attempted to get one of the boys alone, mainly Remus, but they were still adamant on avoiding him. 

He wanted to talk to his brother or sister. Lacerta was an impossible task with her guard dog hovering over her shoulder at all moments of the day. Regulus would be easier if he wasn't so focused on being alone all the time. He practically made it his life's mission, only making an effort to see the other three Marauders during the darkest hours of the night in the common room where Sirius strained to hear their hushed conversations. 

Imagine his surprise when he was approached by not only Regulus, but Remus as well. The latter had a slight bruise covering his left eyebrow and Sirius had to fight the urge to reach out for him. He clenched his fist at his sides. 

He had been studying, something very unlike him but the girls were busy, when they sat across from him in the library. Words failed him as the two had a silent debate on who should speak first. 

"We need your help," Regulus managed to spit out. "Lacerta needs to get out of Grimmauld Place and the security measures that Mother and Father put up are impossible to get out of. I hate to say it, but you're the best at sneaking out of precarious situations."

"Just don't go back," he said dumbly.

"Selwyn is taking us back right after we get off the train and theirs's no way that he would let her out of his sight unless she was sleeping in her room in Grimmauld."

He looked desperately at Remus, wanting nothing more than for those honey eyes to find his. He wanted to feel his heart skip a beat like he did every time they made contact. "Can I ask what happened to your face?" he said so quietly that only his enhanced hearing could catch.

Remus startled at the question before he quickly recovered, "I used polyjuice to fill in for Lacerta so that she could meet James. Selwyn found out. S-She got the worst of it. . ."

"I really am sorry," he muttered.

"It's not your fault," he continued. "We got sloppy, and she forgot the cloak--"

"Not about that," Sirius cut him off before wincing. "I mean I am because I can't believe what she is going through and I want to be there for her, but that wasn't what I was apologizing for."

Remus sighed, "Sirius--"

"Doesn't matter," he waved it off, not ready to hear the rejection. "We have more important matters to discuss. Reg - er, Regulus do you have a place to stay after you leave?"

He studied to dark circles resting underneath his brother's eyes. They seemed to be the only color on his face and his hair was shaggier than ever before. "Remus and James both offered their homes, but Lacerta is made at James, and I don't think she'd agree to stay there. No offense to Remus, but they don't have the biggest house either."

"I may have an idea," Sirius said. "I've been writing Andromeda and Uncle Alphard has sent me a couple of letters after being disowned."

"Mother wrote me just the other day that Alphard's about to kick the bucket," Regulus rubbed at his eyes. "Could - could you ask Andy for us?"

"Of course," he said eagerly. "Now what do you mean, 'extra security measures?'"

"The floo has been reconnected so that it only goes to members of the Black family and Selwyn's fireplace. They put magical bars on all the windows so you can't break into them or out of them and our bedroom doors have alarms on them alerting them if we open them at night. Lacerta will already be married off before she can legally aparate so we can't do that either."

"What about Kreacher? Would he be willing to help?"

"He's been forbidden by Orion," Regulus began to chew on his lip anxiously. 

"Does the front door have any charms on it?"

"None that I know of."

"Great," he smiled. "We still have about four months so stay under the radar until then. I can look into some books and create some spells to counter theirs. Kreacher loves you so he won't snitch. I'll give you some sleeping drought to slip into Walburga's and Orion's food so that they'll be dead asleep when I sneak in."

"You're going back?" Remus said with an almost worried expression. "You-- nevermind."

He stared at him for an inappropriate amount of time before shaking himself out of his thoughts. "I have to meet Mary, but I'll keep in touch."

"You're meeting Mary? Mary MacDonald? Your first girlfriend, Mary?" Remus said with what he thought was jealousy behind his eyes.

His mood brightened at the thought. "She wanted help writing a letter to her Muggle boyfriend without seeming too desperate."

"Right," Remus blushed. Sirius smiled to himself as Regulus smirked at the two of them. He gathered his things and turned to the door when Remus spoke up once more. "Sirius," he said very hesitantly. "Don't be a stranger. I miss -- I miss hanging out with you. As friends."

"Friends? You still want to be friends with me?" he said carefully. 

"I'm giving you one more chance," one corner of his mouth curled up. "Don't blow it this time."

"I won't. I promise," he said with a shit-eating grin as he excitedly ran off to tell Mary the good news. For the first time in a long time, he felt like things were looking up. Like he might have a happy ending even if the man of his dreams didn't love him anymore.