Open Wounds (Sirius Black)

The Runaway

The winter night was shrouded in a heavy silence, broken only by the occasional howling wind that swept through the snow-covered landscape. The moon cast a cold, silver glow over the world, turning the world into a serene and icy dreamscape.

Inside the Potter family home, all was quiet. But in the middle of the night, beneath the blanket of falling snow, I tossed and turned in my bed. The weight of recent events and the mysteries that still lingered weighed heavily on my mind, keeping me from the restful slumber I so desperately sought out.

Sitting up in my bed, the oppressive silence of the late hour weighed heavily on my shoulders. The clock struck one in the morning, its chime a solitary reminder of the stillness surrounding me. Unable to find any respite in sleep, I threw off the tangled covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The moment my bare feet met the cold, unforgiving embrace of the hardwood floors, a shiver raced down my spine, sending an electric current of awareness through my body.

With a longing for warmth, I reached for my robe, which hung patiently at the end of my bed. Its soft fabric enveloped me like a comforting embrace as I tied it snugly around my form. The chilly air that had enveloped me moments ago now felt a little less biting.

Driven by an unexplainable urge, I padded softly across the room toward the window. The almost sheer curtains whispered as I parted them, revealing the world outside. There, I was met with a scene of breathtaking beauty that momentarily stole my breath away.

Beyond the glass, the snow fell from the heavens in a majestic dance. Each snowflake seemed like a tiny, glistening star, making its own deliberate descent to join the blanket of white that had already transformed the world outside. The moon, a radiant pearl in the night sky, cast a silvery glow upon this wintry wonderland, turning the world into a dreamscape.

As I stood there, bathed in the soft, otherworldly light, I couldn't help but feel a profound connection to the serene beauty of the snowfall. It was as if the universe itself had paused to create this moment just for me, inviting me to witness its quiet, ethereal splendour.

For a while, I forgot about the restless thoughts and tangled emotions that had kept me awake. I was simply a spectator, lost in the enchanting spectacle unfolding outside my window. Time seemed to stand still as I watched the snowflakes twirl and pirouette on their way to the ground, a reminder that even in the midst of life's complexities, there was still room for moments of pure, unadulterated beauty.

The loud banging that shattered the stillness of the night sent a jolt of adrenaline coursing through my veins. It was as if reality had snapped back into focus, tearing me away from the mesmerizing snowfall outside my window. My attention was immediately drawn to my bedroom door, the source of the disturbance. A chilling silence followed the initial clamour, but it didn't last long.

The pounding came again, this time unmistakably from downstairs. My heart raced, and my mind raced faster, trying to make sense of who could possibly be at our front door at such an ungodly hour. The house remained cloaked in darkness, and I fumbled for the switch of my bedroom light, casting my room in an eerie, artificial glow.

With hurried steps, I crossed the room and flung open my bedroom door. Across the hall, I met James, standing in the doorway of his room, his dishevelled hair and sleepy expression reflecting the shock that coursed through us all. Our eyes met briefly before the banging resounded once more, this time echoing with an urgency that couldn't be ignored.

Without exchanging a word, James and I raced each other down the narrow hallway, our footsteps echoing off the wooden floorboards. We descended the staircase in tandem, our feet barely making a sound as we approached the ground floor.