A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 27

Sirius let out a long groan, stretching his arms above his head. His forearm screamed with the movement and he cracked open an eye. Blood had clotted over the wide gash near his elbow, although the wound was caked with dirt and stray pebbles. It would be a miracle if he didn't get an infection. Then again, Sirius lived off one miracle to the next.

"Get up."

Snapped his head to the side, Sirius's joking reply died in his throat. James stood over at the corner of the Shrieking Shack with his arms folded over his chest. The right lens of his spectacles was shattered and his hazel iris was barely visible through the glass fragments. Several bruises bloomed between the rips of his jumper.

Behind him, Peter was slowly rocking himself on the wooden panels. If he kept up the pace, he would surely get splinters in his bum. It was always difficult to pull him out of his stupor after Full Moon. A scratch lined his cheekbone below his eye. Sirius swore there were even a few rat-like whiskers still embedded in his chin.

"I said get up."

James's tone was as cold as Sirius had ever heard it. His stomach began to clench with unease. What the bloody hell had happened last night?

He winced as he scrambled to his feet, blood beginning to trickle down his arm from where the scab cracked. All he had remembered was playing fetch with Remus and then—

Liza's shout echoed in his memory. Sirius's eyes widened.

"Where's Remus?"

"In the Hospital Wing." James shook his head as he helped Peter to his feet. The boy swayed, nearly tottering into the broken piano in the corner. Sirius had once played hide-and-seek with Remus under the bench. It had been a terrible idea.

"What the hell did you tell Snape?"

Sirus jerked his head back to his best mate. The betrayal in James's hazel gaze was unmistakable and his stomach gave a lurch. Surely Snape hadn't—"What do you mean, Snape?"

Throwing his hands up in the air, James shook his head in exasperation. "I've known you too long to not tell when you're lying. We're brothers, mate." He sighed sadly. The noise was far worse than his earlier rage. "What did you say to him yesterday?"

Sirius watched as the morning light peeked through the cracks in the wooden paneling. He swallowed harshly. What had seemed like a bit of fun was now difficult to put into words. "I—I told him that he was a spineless coward and--." Wincing, he closed his eyes, unable to watch James's expression as the rest of the confession spilled from his mouth. "If he was really so clever, he would prove his worth by coming to the Whomping Willow."

His words were met with a blank silence. Sirius cracked open one eye. James's face was turning a faint purple.

"And did you think about the consequences for Moony?"

"Yes!" Sirius hurriedly assured, although he really hadn't. "Mate, I didn't even tell Snape about the hidden knob. I don't know how he bloody got down here." Or Liza for that matter, but he couldn't think about that at the moment. "It was just a bit of fun—"

"FUN?" This time, James exploded. The skin between his brows was pinched tightly as he stalked across the floor, his footsteps making the floor groan beneath his weight. "Does this look like fun to you?"

He gestured to where Peter sat in the corner, his huddled form quivering. Blood streaked down the wall behind him. The red shade indicated that it had spilled not long ago. Perhaps it was even Sirus's. He couldn't remember.

"Well not fun," Sirius backpedaled, hating the way all the wrong words spewed from his mouth. Walburga always said that he had less sense than a Mudblood and flobberworm put together. "I just— what he said to Lily—"