The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

All That Sort of Sentimental Rubbish

All That Sort of Sentimental Rubbish

James and Dora spent nearly all day everyday at St. Mungo's. Sirius went the first day, but as he stood in the corner of the room, he felt like an intruder on something private, trying to stay quiet and apart from them as they sat together as a family, as they talked in whispered voices. James read the Daily Prophet to Charlus quietly and visitors came - Arthur and Bilius Weasley came together (Molly was a couple floors away, having a routine check up on the baby she carried - due in just two months!) - and Kingsley Shacklebolt - and even Albus Dumbledore. Dora had nearly cried when the old headmaster came 'round the curtain, wearing his usual star-spangled robes, smiling as he laid a palm over Charlus Potter's knee. Sirius felt even further apart from the Potters with every face that came and went... felt guilty for hanging about...

On the second day, Sirius elected to stay behind, to afford the Potters their privacy.

A far wiser choice, whispered Achlys. Stay where you belong. With me.

Sirius padded anxiously about the house. He didn't want to be alone with Achlys. She was bringing him down. But he didn't want to bother James, either. He wrote Lily a letter, just letting her know that although he couldn't give her the details, things were alright for now and he was sorry about leaving their trip to the sea so early.

I hope you understand. I couldn't just abandon Prongs with everything that's going on here. I had a lot of fun with you. I think that polly-roy camera I had is still there though. Mind sending it by owl to me? I rather like taking photographs. I can't thank you enough for asking me along to the sea. Tell your mum I said thank you, too. I really had a lot of fun with you and I hope we're still good mates when we get back to Hogwarts. Hanging about the sea with you was so freeing and I haven't felt so happy is such a long time. I miss you already, Evans. Have a brilliant remainder of your holiday... and please keep James in your thoughts, ey? He's going through some stuff and I reckon it would mean the world to him to maybe hear from you sometime this summer. Alright then, have a good one. Your friend - and all that sort of sentimental rubbish - Sirius Black. XXX.

Bubo flew off with the letter and Sirius watched as she went, sighing and laying about in James's room, glancing at the two-way mirror that James had brought with him in his pocket in case Sirius needed to come down to the hospital quickly or something. He studied his Transfiguration book and he laid about on the couch and when it was getting near time for James to get back, he went through the woods to the village to get dinners from the pub in the square and had two plates of chicken pie ready on the table when James came in the house.

"Hullo darling," he greeted James eagerly at the door, wearing an apron of Dora's that he'd found in the kitchen, "I've been simply slaving away all day in the kitchen to make you dinner." He grabbed James's hands and dragged him along through the house as James laughed and cried at exactly the same time, his emotions pouring out of him. Sirius shoved him into the seat at the table and lit two candles, humming.

James looked up, tears in his face, "You're such an idiot, Padfoot."

"I love you too deer," Sirius answered with a smirk and he sat down and started telling James a great myriad of things he'd thought up for them to do for pranks about the castle when they got back to Hogwarts.

By the fourth day, though - the third of spending the time alone in the Potter house - Sirius needed a distraction. Achlys was making him go mad.

So it was that Sirius banged on Ace Dante's door a little after ten in the morning on Thursday afternoon, his hands nervously shoved into his leather jacket's pockets.