solitude | wolfstar

Solitude

Unedited, it's 2 am :) I don't write wolfstar often so I don't know if this is any good <3

Solitude (3,685 WORDS)

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The wind howled through the rickety, decomposing boards of the shrieking shack; a breeze that kissed Sirius Black's red cheek, the embrace of figures he could not see. Despite the chill radiating from the icy blanket covering the ground outside, his presence of the interior hallways protected him from the bite of winter. Quite honestly, Sirius had grown too infatuated with the swirling thoughts in his mind to remember that the walls were uninsulated and that the shack held no warmth due to its poor structure. His nose dripped steadily onto the arm of his jumper, yet he paid it no mind. His eyes focused instead on the colours shining through the window and onto the wooden floor.

For the first time since the snow had fallen, the sky bore no grey shading. Instead, pastel pink shades shone through the gaps in the clouds in thick rays. The boy wondered if October had stolen a sunset from summer; enthralled by the unusual orange and yellow reflections upon the floor. Where the light refracted through the beads of ice upon the window, the floor sported tiny, vibrant rainbows. Sirius lifted his hand, watching a dark shadow pass over the mouldy wood. His pale skin caught the pink shades, the various colours were matte against the skin of his palm.

The sun sunk lower in the sky, eventually peeking at him from behind the wooden frame. The bright light shone in his brown eyes and he narrowed his eyes to lessen the glare. Such action had little effect, and so Sirius dropped his head against the wall behind his head. He rolled his skull to the side, catching sight of the smaller figure sitting some metres away in solitude.

Remus Lupin fiddled with his shoelace in the shaded area of the hall. His head had been trained downward since the duo had settled in the hall to soak up the last of the heatless, winter sunshine. The boy's woody eyes were hidden beneath the brown lick of his fringe, preventing Sirius from catching his eye. It would have proved a challenge if Sirius were to seek a glance from his friend; Remus had tugged his knees to his chest some time ago to ward off the breeze, consequentially giving Sirius little leeway to burst into the boy's vision.

Sirius extended his crossed legs along the floor. His feet pressed flat against the wall, bent at the knee due to the lack of space. He pushed against the surface to stretch his clenching ligaments, jumping as his trainers broke through the soft, mouldy board. Sirius' eyes widened as he pulled his ankles back to his hips.

"Good one," Remus said softly. He fished around in the pocket of the Quidditch jumper around his shoulders. The garment was not his –  instead, it had been borrowed from James some hours earlier when egotistical second-years had stolen the Common Room armchairs.

"I'm too strong." Sirius' throat croaked due to disuse. He watched as Remus flicked his wand, returning the broken boards to their place. Once the damage had been repaired, Sirius pressed his feet back against the wall. This time, he hesitated to push. Remus dropped his hand onto Sirius' ankle, as though to prevent him from repeating his action.

"Sure you are," Remus said, his voice lifeless and flat. He carefully raised his free arm to brush his fringe from his eyes. Sirius interpreted such the action as an invitation to keep talking. Though, he struggled to find the words. He fiddled with the aglet of the jumper around his shoulders, wishing that had something to say. However, his frantic thinking returned no ideas.

Sirius watched as Remus shivered and wound his arms tighter around his calves. His heart twinged painfully as he examined Remus' thin frame, which was always bonier the week of the full moon. In such weeks, the weight dropped from the boy's body like droplets of water. Sirius had spent some time that morning sitting with the werewolf as he munched slowly on a cold bowl of porridge; offering distractions each time Remus' lack of appetite caused his pale cheeks to tint Slytherin green.