Winter In The Shade | Sirius Black x Female Ravenclaw Reader

XXVIII

Your mouth fell in a perfect round shape as all words got stuck in your throat, the world swirling before your eyes. Landing on firm ground knocked all air out of your lungs, making you stumble to the side wall with your palms flat for support. Sirius was right by your side, his own breathing audible all over the place. You lowered your head, hanging with no will to keep it up straight.

"What the hell just happened?" you asked in a breath, closing your eyes with a gulp.

"Where are we?" Sirius asked hurriedly, his unstoppable movements right behind your back. "Kreacher, where are we?" he asked again.

"Basement, didn't you hear." you snapped bitterly, raising your head to a brick wall. You frowned, looking up to grey skies and rolling clouds that covered up the few stars there, having missed the chirping sounds of the birds flying just above the buildings that surrounded you and back to their nests. The air you welcomed with glee, a fresh feeling over your face as you breathed in deeply, even as gloom as the day had turned it, was better than the closed walls of the Black house. It was an alley, dark and colourless with crumbled papers on the ground. Sirius stood over Kreacher, questioning him.

"Kreacher did as Master Regulus asked." he explained angrily, looking at you with narrowed eyes.

"What did he ask?" you asked with a trembling voice. Sirius just then moved to your side, your arm immediately around his shoulders as his hand held your side securely.

Kreacher mumbled his breath, starting to pace, fighting himself "Kreacher will not answer the half-blood girl." he stated, making you lower your head with a frown, retreating to yourself.

"You will answer me, Kreacher." Sirius said with the same emotion Kreacher carried, holding you closer to him as you took one glance at him, one he didn't return or didn't notice "What is Regulus planning? Why did he let us go?"

Before Kreacher said anything, his features turned to something you could only define as amusement, his legs taking him back as he never stopped looking at Sirius "Kreacher was told only to get the two prisoners out of our Mistress house and return to Master Regulus." he informed, raising his hand in the air.

"Kreacher." Sirius called loudly, supporting you with his hand as he tried to reach the elf. He was faster than any of you, his form dissipating in the air with the snap of his fingers. Sirius breathing picked up with his emotions, his chest raising with each breath as he turned from you "Shit!" he yelled, letting go of your hand as he punched the brick wall to his right. The wall got marked with the blood stains from his knuckles, his hand shaking in the air as he rubbed the faint pain off.

You did nothing but stand there, lowering your eyes, hugging yourself.

Sirius was pacing there, a hand tugged in his hair as he pulled at it. His lips were pressed tightly in a line, not a mumbled word or whispered curse leaving his lips. An awful silence fell over the alley, one you feared to break and one he would not disturb.

You had turned to face the wall, minding yourself with the sleeves from the leather jacket you wore, folding them up so your hands would be somehow useful.

"C'mon." Sirius muttered, extending his hand to you. You looked down at it, slowly taking it and its warmth. He helped you to his side, supporting you on his shoulder as you moved slowly, which was the fastest you could move without tripping over your own feet.

"Do you know where we are?" you asked in a low voice, looking around you.

His eyes were scanning the street you walked on, every ruffle of fallen leaves or steps he took too loudly making him tense up. "Yeah." he answered shortly, not adding further explanation or lead to where you were headed.