Eunoia | Sirius Black

|94|

Hogsmeade, Scotland, 1981
March 2nd, late winter

"The mission is very simple, with few instructions to be followed."

"I heard you were resigning," I say, tuning Albus out.

"I am," James nods. "Harry is getting bigger, he needs me home more. So does Lily. She's more afraid than ever about the war. This is my last mission before I leave for good."

"You should've left a long while ago," I whisper. "Even before Harry was born."

"I know," He frowns. "But I can't be selfish no matter what I do."

I smile because that is so incredibly James of him. I take his hand in mine and he squeezes it with reassurance. I think he's becoming more of a sibling to me than Ella and I do not mind it even a single bit. 

"The children and wife of Edgar Bones have been abducted by Travers and Thorfinn Rowle in retaliation for Bones refusing to be recruited in the Dark Army. As we have promised security to every Order member, it is our sole duty to help our comrade. We'll go in trios and report back to each other once the rescues are made."

"Trios?" Sirius asks behind me, "Last time we were short on a team, everyone saw what happened."

"It'll be fine." James shrugged. "Remus might be with us, anyhow."

That made Sirius' face go sour as he snatched a look at the mentioned who was standing a few yards away with Mary McDonald.

Dumbledore announces the teams. James is with the Prewett twins and Sirius and I are together, of course, with Berrycloth.

We moved with held hands after reaching the boundary of the disapparition jinx cast around the Malfoy Manor. The last time we'd been here, there had been a discovery of this possibly being the Headquarters. Which would also mean the inner circle being present.

As the two of us were considered dead and gone and buried, we weren't supposed to risk showing our faces. James and the twins went ahead with another trio in the walls of the manor while we became Benjy and Pandora, standing guard outside. 

It was a while before a short blast was heard from inside the manor. Berrycloth was half asleep when Sirius and I jolted up and creeped out of our hiding place to get a better look. 

"Ow," Sirius groaned. "You're stepping on my feet."

I grimace, "Sorry — Ouch! You're stepping on mine."

"You did it first!"

"I loathe you." I whisper-yell and he mouths it back to me. 

We watch as a bit of the manor goes ablaze but the fire is quietly put out. I doubt it was James or the twins who'd make a big mistake as such and I'm desperately hoping for them all to come out safely.

"Can I ask you a dumb question?" Sirius says. 

"Better than anyone I know."

He gives me a sarcastic smile, "I'd make a comeback but it's pointless because you'd take the rest of your life to figure out what it means."

"Remember when I said you were smart?"

"You know, sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and let othe—"

Sirius and I are thrown back by a force field and we both scurry forward to see what happened. Apparently, they've been found out. 

James and the twins are visible as they run through the ground in the front towards the gates to get out of the jinx. The other group is not far behind. But neither are the ten death-eaters.

"We should go fight."

"And die?" He looks at me. "Again?"

"But James —"

"James will be here in no time and if he isn't - only in dire circumstances do we blow our cover."

"Oh my god - Oh my god, OH MY GOD! Merlin, we're about to —"

"Will you shut up? I can't hear myself losing my will to live." He rolls his eyes. 

I shake my head, "You goddamned wet sock! Did you have to be paired with me?"

He gasps, "I have a plan!"

"Is it a good one?"

"I have. . .a plan." He smiles. 

"Oh god," I sigh, slapping Berrycloth on the head to wake him up before we leave. 

Sirius takes us to another arch and it gives me a little fear as I remember what happened to the last people we saw on one. 

"Berrycloth?" Sirius calls. "You stand here and point your wand at the death-eaters as if you're the one duelling."

"So, we just hide here and be the ones to actually cast the spells?" I ask Sirius as he crouches down and points his wand out through the holes in the arch. 

"Yes," He says. "Berrycloth, in case they attack you, we apparate within seconds. It will give our friends enough of an opening to get the fuck out."

"Do I have to be in the open?" Our third member asks. 

We both shrug and get our wands ready. "Ready, Black?"

"Ready, Hawke." He smirks and fires spells. 

These spells are half of what my grandfather taught us and half I have never heard about. I shoot basic but witty spells, making the death-eaters dance or get tied up instead of physically harming them. I don't have the will in me to kill someone. Not yet, anyway. 

"We make a good team, you know? Maybe on - BOMBARDA! Maybe on the actual field, you and I might fight back to back."

I laugh, "I've known it since the start, Black. Good to see you're catching up."

When we see the first wand pointing in our direction, the mouthed spell, Sirius nods at me and takes Berrycloth's hand, apparating him away. I apparate myself away, and soon we're back in Hogsmeade.

It's not long before we're bombarded with questions and he answers them all for me. I collapse in the corner, my anxiety over the top about James getting out safe. 

It's nearly fifteen minutes when the first trio gets back. . .and then James. Though, he's covered in blood. 

I get up, frantic and afraid. He shakes his head, "Most of it isn't mine."

We look at him confused, "James. . .what happened? Where are the twins?"

He gulps, "Dead. Dolohov."