stars, records and heart shaped glasses

chapter two - promises

Sirius didn't sleep. He couldn't, when just in a few hours he would attempt to escape, which sounded a lot more dramatic than it actually was.

Instead, he repacked all of his things three times to make sure that he had everything. Almost forgot his teddybear. Did he pack his collection of hair ties already? No, they weren't there, they must still be in the bathroom.

The only tiny problem with that was, that the bathroom, which he shared with Regulus, was on the other side of the storey, which meant that he had to pass his parents' room in order to get there. He could only hope for them to be sleeping, he really didn't want to raise the smallest bit of suspicion.

As quietly as he could he stepped out of his room and went along the corridor and noticed that there was light leaking out of Regulus' room. Better be extra careful now. Out of his parents dormitory luckily only came snoring sounds and Sirius let out a relieving breath.

Finally he arrived the bathroom, but then he realized he was not the only one there.

"Reg, what are you doing here?", he whispered, sliding in and slowly closing the door after him.

Regulus was standing in front of the sink, holding something in his hands, that Sirius didn't recognize and that he hid rapidly behind his back.

"Could ask you the same thing. Can't you go for a pee in the middle of the night without being disturbed by your ghost-like brother anymore? Tz tz."

Regulus shook his head, but Sirius knew that he wasn't just here to take a leak. Sirius decided to simply take his stuff and leave as quickly as he could, but his plan quickly revealed to not be thought through.

"Why are you taking all your stuff?", Regulus asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Uhhh..... Just wanted to try a new hairstyle. Gotta impress the girls back at Hogwarts."

Oh he was so fucked.

"Sure thing, that's what you need a toothbrush for."

Regulus pointed at the toothbrush that Sirius indeed carried on top of all the other things.

"Oop, must've accidentally taken that with me."

"Sirius, I know you. You're planning on running away, aren't you?"

Sirius gave up trying to come up with excuses, Regulus was too smart to buy them anyways.

"Not quite, but yeah. Please don't tell Mum and Dad, Reggie. I can't keep living in this cage."

He just hoped that Regulus would be kind enough to just let him go, but wasn't quite sure after what happened the day before.

"I'll keep my mouth shut. Just... promise that you're not leaving forever."

Regulus looked at him with this face, those younger brother eyes and he knew he couldn't give away the older brother responsibility just yet, but he also wasn't good with promises, and especially with keeping them.

"Listen, I don't know yet. Who knows how they'll react or what happens then."

"Please, Sirius. Promise me you'll come back."

How could he say no to that?

"Okay. I promise I'll come back. For you."

At least for christmas, he added in his mind and made himself bring out a smile.

"And you promise you don't say a word, okay?"

"Okay. Good Luck."

After they exchanged a very awkward hug, Sirius was still balancing the stuff on his arms, struggling to not drop them, he left the bathroom and sneaked back along the corridor.

When he passed Walburga and Orions bedroom he was especially careful again and prayed that they didn't hear a word of their sons' conversation. But it still sounded good and just like that he was in safety again.

It felt like ages until 2 am and Sirius got more and more nervous as the clock ticked.

He had tried earlier if he could get out of the house, but of course the backyard door was locked with a spell. Which meant that he had to break through the window, that was crossed by wood planks and probably also hexed. He had no idea how that was supposed to work.

At exactly 2 am Sirius heard voices and as he looked out the window of his room he saw multiple people on broomsticks. He couldn't make out how many it was, but he was sure that the one closest to the window was James.

He approached the window and waved, until they saw him and James waved back, while arguing vividly with someone else. He heard a view damped voices and could understand something about the planks, but wasn't sure what their plan would be. James signaled him to move back from the window and he did so, exited about what would happen next. He could make out that someone casted a spell and seconds later the window exploded, not silently.

Sirius' heart skipped a beat. His parents most definitely heard that.

The next things happened so fast, Sirius couldn't process it all at once. He saw James flying into his room, yelling.

"Woooo! Have ya got your broomstick, Sirius?"

He did in fact not have it, his parents had taken it from him and he had had no chance of getting it back, so he shook his head.

Immedietly after James, Peter and Remus came flying in, with a big sheet tied between their brooms.

James, who now stood next to Sirius, said: "Okay, you fly with me. Let's put your stuff there."

He pointed at the sheet and they started heaving his suitcase onto it together. In that moment the door to Sirius' room opened energetic and his parents, followed by Regulus, burst into the room. James and Sirius quickly got onto the broom and wanted to follow Remus and Peter, that were already out in the dark night.

"Not so fast, Sirius Orion Black! You are staying here!", Walburga yelled, raising her wand, ready to do anything to stop Sirius from getting away.

She was just about to cast a spell, when someone called out an "Expelliarmus!" from outside the window and her wand flew out of her hand. That gave James enough time to finally flee out the window and get Sirius into a safe distance. Sirius now recognized the spell caster as his cousin Andromeda, who he was very happy to see.

"How dare you to go against me, Andromeda! This will have consequences, Sirius do you here me?! You won't get away with this so easily!"

Sirius got one last glance at his room through the broken glass of the window, Walburga standing in the front, looking furious, but Sirius would be lying if he said that this was the angriest she ever looked at him, Orion next to her, for some reason not able to cast a spell even though he raised his wand and Regulus looking up at Sirius from behind the two, holding an expression that Sirius couldn't really interpret.

And just like that they were up in the sky, surrounded by stars and the many lights of London.

"That was fucking amazing, James!", Sirius let out in an euphoric gasp, "Did you see their faces?!"

"I must admit, we were pretty awesome. But it was all Moonys' idea."

"Well, we couldn't have done it without Andromeda", Remus added.

"Yeah, you were the best, Andy."

"Everything for my little Cousin", Andromeda replied, smiling genuinely, but Sirius couldn't see that.

The remaining flight was fairly quiet for the most part and Sirius enjoyed every bit of it, helding out his hands and letting the cold air breeze through his fingers and clothes, looking up at the sky, hugging his best friend from behind. That must be what freedom feels like, he thought.

But although he was as happy as he hadn't been in weeks, he couldn't help but feel a little guilt having left Regulus at the awful place all alone.