Black as Knight || Sirius Black

CHAPTER ONE

"You get into the biggest fights with the people you care about the most, because those are the relationships you're willing to fight for."

Sirius Black was not one to back down from a fight.

A dark mist clung heavily to the air around him, a result of the slight drizzle falling rhythmically from the sky. It was bound to get worse as the night went on.

The man felt for his motorcycle in the dark, grabbing hold of the seat and mounting it. He then twisted the key into the ignition, the hum of the engine cutting through the surrounding silence. Almost mechanically, he clicked on the headlights. The only other light was from the dim moon in the sky. It would be full soon.

Sirius kicked up the stand of the bike and sped off, navigating the empty city streets. Rather than flying, he preferred to drive at times like these. It helped him focus.

He steered the motorcycle into the designated alleyway. In the daytime, it was filled with tiny signs of life: moss growing in between the cracks of the bricks, the occasional alley cat scavenging for food. During the night, however, it was eerily clouded by the building's overhangs. Sirius hopped off his motorcycle and leaned it against the crumbling wall of an old coffee shop.

Cautiously, he drew his wand, casting a beam of white light across the alley. He trudged through the water and trash collected at his feet to get a better view.

"Let's get this over with," a man said, stepping into view.

Sirius flinched slightly at the sound of his voice. "Remus."

Remus Lupin stood ahead of him, clenching his wand in his fist. His knuckles were white, his hair was disheveled and matted to his head, his clothes were dirty and torn. He looked pathetic in the light of Sirius' charm. Only one word came to mind as he stared at the werewolf: traitor.

"After everything they've done for you," Sirius spat, "you betray them like this?"

Sirius didn't think it was a stretch that Remus would turn to Voldemort and betray his friends. It seemed very suspicious, Remus not showing up to the Order meetings, not being around anymore, and never having a good explanation. "I was busy," the man would claim, dismissing the conversation almost entirely whenever it was brought up.

"I betrayed them?" Remus repeated, chuckling to himself. "Sirius, that's your problem. You never seem to own up to your actions. You're the one with death eaters for a family, yet somehow I betrayed James and Lily?"

Sirius scoffed, kicking a stray rock out from under his heavy boot. "I have never been anything like my family. I hated every second I spent in that house! All I ever wanted was an escape from them, my whole life. And when I finally get my freedom, I'm grouped in with the rest of them, like I'm the same!"

Remus' eyes narrowed, clenching his teeth. With a dark laugh, he shook his head.

"It must be so horrible to be Sirius Black! You hate that you're grouped in with the rest of your family? Get your head out of your arse!" Remus yelled, incredulous. "You don't know what it's like to have everyone view you as some kind of monster! I've always thought that I'm not worthy of love, worthy of anybody's friendship, and when I'm finally given that by James and Lily, you think I'd just betray them?"

"Yeah, actually," Sirius shrugged, a taunting smirk on his lips.

It was no secret that Remus suffered from lycanthropy. During their Hogwarts years, Sirius, Peter, and James even learned to become Animagus to ease the transition for the boy. Keeping that in mind, Sirius didn't think it would be very hard for Remus to follow Voldemort, especially if he was promising a better life for werewolves.

Remus eyed the man, and without hesitation, lunged, a cascade of spells spewing out of his mouth. Sirius, momentarily caught off guard, stumbled backward into a metal trash bin. The lid clattered to the wet pavement below. He took his chance at a startled Remus, whose hearing was heightened as a result of his condition, and sent the spells back at him.

A small gash appeared across Remus' left cheek, drawing blood to the surface of his skin. He quickly recovered and stumbled towards Sirius. He might have been fast, but Sirius was faster.

"Impedimenta!" Sirius cast. Immediately, Remus was knocked to the ground.

The force of the impact surged through the man's body, keeping him down for longer than Sirius expected. The extra time allowed him to strike again, opening another wound on his calf.

Wincing, Remus regained his hold on his wand. He rolled onto his side and stood, taking notice of a large glass window behind Sirius.

"Finestra!" Remus said. The glass behind the two shattered, sending a waterfall of shards onto him.

Remus ducked out of the way to avoid being hit, but a few pieces still managed to lodge themselves into his forearm. Sirius, however, was less fortunate. He crumpled to the ground, making a sloppy attempt at covering his head and neck. The wet shards rained down on him, creating gashes across his body. Once he stood, blood trickled down his arms and legs, but was rapidly washed away by the downpouring rain. Remus lurched towards him, making eye contact. In the pale moonlight, he could make out his dark brown eyes, full of rage.

"Flipendo!" Sirius cast, knocking him to his feet once more.

From his position on the ground, Remus yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

Sirius' wand flew out of his hand and landed in the darkness behind him. He stared at the empty hand before him, then back to Remus, a terrifying grin on his face. He balled his hand into a tight fist and swung forwards.

The sickening crunch of impact to the man's face echoed throughout the alley. Fortunately for Remus, the adrenaline coursing through his veins masked the pain, for now at least. He rose, facing Sirius. Although he was stronger than Remus, without a wand, he was rendered defenseless against spells. Remus spat a few in Sirius' direction and ducked out of the way of another fist.

"Quick, aren't you, Remus?" Sirius sneered.

Remus attempted another duck, but he was too slow. Sirius caught him in a headlock and forced him to the slick pavement. A gash opened on the back of his head, thick red blood pooling beneath him. Sirius towered over the man, colliding his fist with Remus' ribs and stomach. Eyes full of fear, Remus watched as Sirius' foot lifted into the air and braced for impact, but nothing came.

Sirius turned and walked away from Remus, shakily climbing back onto his bike. He drove off into the night, leaving his old friend behind.

Once again, he found himself navigating the dark streets of London. He didn't have a destination, speeding through open roads and turning corners, ultimately getting lost in the labyrinth of a city. Anger surged through him. Anger, not only towards Remus, but towards himself.

How could he go so far? He absentmindedly tugged at the red and gold cloth tied to the handlebar of his bike.

The moon had disappeared behind the dark fog that draped itself around the city. Sirius was constantly wiping his eyes, full of water from the heavy rain. He was becoming drowsier by the second, still bleeding from the cuts the glass shards left behind.

Almost in slow motion, Sirius comprehended the scene in front of him. Terrified, he realized his bike was heading straight towards a lamppost. But before his aching body could catch up with his mind, his motorcycle collided with the lamppost, sending him flying into the road.

A/N: Thanks for reading the first chapter of Black as Knight! We work really hard to put out as many chapters as possible, so votes and comments would be greatly appreciated. Happy reading!