GOOD DOG || Sirius Black

(Twenty Seven: Peripeteia)

Peripetieia: a sudden or unexpected reversal of circumstances; the point of no return.

{===}

Sirius Black didn't like this 'Oscar' person.

Alex had said Oscar was Logan's cousin. Alex had said that he was a muggle who dropped out of Sixth Form last year for the family trade. Alex had said that he had been there almost every time she had visited Logan's over the years. Alex hadn't said why he kept smiling at her with only half his face, in a way that Sirius supposed was meant to be attractive, or why she smiled at him more than she had ever smiled at Sirius, or why they seemed to know each other so well for someone who was only a relative of a friend. 

The rest of the Marauders, to Sirius' confusion, had no such reservations about Oscar. In fact, Remus was happily chatting away to him about 'Comet Wars' or some other battle surrounding celestial bodies, Sirius was paying more attention to the way that Alex was nodding along to what the older boy was saying. Peter and James were listening avidly, caught in that sort of strange fascination of muggle culture.

By the time they had finally reached the farmhouse, Sirius was beginning to regret suggesting the trip at all, no matter who was in danger. He was ready and willing for Logan to turn up and drive a wedge of familial protection between Alex and the muggle guy who- Did he just touch her shoulder? 

Maybe he was jealous. Just the thought sent a spike of guilt running through Sirius. He had never been the jealous type before, and he had always rolled his eyes at the people who were. This wasn't who he was, and it shouldn't matter who was in question. It was another test, another question of, Am I like my parents?

Perhaps Alex had been right when she'd said that it was all about them. The more Sirius tried to escape them, the more he felt the shadow of their presence in his life looming over him, just pulling him back in all over again. Perhaps that's why he felt so attached to Alex. Despite the lying, and the blatant misleading, Alex had felt like the one thing in his life that he'd got right. He hadn't messed her up, had offered her support, someone to talk to.

That realisation in itself was the most messed up thing he'd thought all day.

"Logan's still in his room." Oscar was saying as he kicked open a small white gate, "But I wouldn't go in there with him. He's still puking up a storm."

"Sounds fun." Alex commented blandly.

Oscar shot her a look, "There's something different about you. I can't put my finger on it."

"Yeah, well I started doing drugs," Alex responded nonchalantly, glancing at the sky, "It really changes your perspective on things."

Sirius followed the others into the quaint little farmhouse and up the narrow wooden staircase that waited just inside. He didn't pay much attention to the décor- he was sure it would be just as disgustingly adorable as the exterior- although he still caught himself half expecting the stairs to move beneath his feet. He missed home.

Logan was in his room, surrounded by piles of cough medicine and half-drunk potions, and firmly settled in a pair of Superman pyjamas. He looked up at their entrance from where he had cocooned himself in his light blue bedspread at the bottom of his matress.

"Alright, mate?" James nodded to him, the casualness of his comment provoking a snort from Remus. 

Logan, far from surprise, sighed and leaned back into his makeshift den of illness and self pity, "Just when I thought I could finally escape you lot."

"Unless you can turn into a butterfly and flap out of here, you're gonna need us to escape something much worse." Alex piped up, stepping around Oscar, eyes darting around the room like she expected Voldemort to leap from the charmingly chipped brickwork.