𝐒𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍; 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫.

𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐢. 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧

"𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬?" 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚. He looked up at Remus and raised his eyebrows. "Did you cut your hair...mate?"

"No," Remus said shortly, eyes glued to his book. "Just styled it today."

"Looks...nice."

Remus looked up, narrowing his eyes. "Thanks."

Amara cleared her throat. "Well, d'you think you'll be able to come to James's for any of it?"

"Please," James whined, piling more chicken on his plate. "Mum and Dad have been begging to see you, and I get so bored there..."

"We'll see," Sirius said. "I got a letter the other day. From...from my mum."

Something sharp flickered in Amara's stomach. "You didn't tell us that," she said. "Everything okay?"

"She said I have a choice to make," Sirius said. "A big one. And she said we are hosting something, so I have to go. And stay." 

When everyone at the table only gave him serious, concerned glances, he laughed loudly. "Come on, you lot. She's probably just making me pick the color for her new tablecloth or something."

Lily and Marlene approached from the west doors, elbows linked, and sat with the Marauders. 

"Hello, all," Marlene said dryly, taking a chicken leg from James's plate. "Ah, this looks scrumptious."

He did not even look. "Hi, Lily. Doing alright?"

"Fine, thanks," she said, offering him a smile. "So, what's going on? Sirius, you look glum."

"I have to go home for the holidays," Sirius said. "So boring there."

Lily placed her hand on his arm gently. "It'll be alright, Sirius. We're all here for you."

"I've been meaning to ask you two," James said, looking at the two girls. "On New Years, do you want to come to mine? We can go into London, or watch those Muggle movers that Amara was telling me about."

"Movies," Amara said.

"Right, movers. Stay for a day or two, or just the night...thoughts?"

"Sounds good to me," Marlene said through a mouthful of stolen chicken.

Lily frowned. "Possibly. I'll have to see if my family has anything planned."

Sirius stood abruptly. "I'm tired," he said shortly, before leaving for the common room.

Remus watched him go with narrowed eyes. "Someone's in a mood," he said. "I think he's more worried about break than he's letting on."

Amara nodded. "Can we make gingerbread houses at yours, James?"

"I'll have the necessary supplies," James said, but he was already packing his things to chase after Sirius. 

"Leave it," Lily said gently to him. "I think he needs space."

But then Remus stood. 

"Remus?" Amara said, looking at him.

He slung his bag over his shoulder. "See you lot in Potions."

And he was off. 

Why the fuck Remus was chasing after fucking Sirius, he didn't fucking know. He knew exactly where Sirius would be; sitting on the windowledge outside their dorm, cigarette in hand. He knew exactly why, too.