Arcane [Sirius Black]

Chapter 2 - Ozzy the Grouch

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WE WERE STOPPED in our pursuit of the door by another boy. His hair was shorter than the one next to me, but it held the same dark colour. He had a very structured face and held himself with a nonchalant air.

He squinted his eyes as he strolled from the staircase and toward us causing the boy next to me to tense for a moment.

"Regulus..." he said a bit hesitantly.

"Where are you going?" Regulus asked stiffly but curiously, face cool with some unknown analysis.

"Out?" It was more of a question.

"If mother and father knew you were sneaking off—"

"Well we aren't sneaking...it's the front door!" Mystery boy burst out. There was a strange tension between the two, almost as if they had been cut off in the midst of an intense conversation.

"Still. They aren't going to be happy about this."

"Since when do you think I care whether or not they're happy?"

"Can you just—can you just stay this once?" Regulus's face finally broke the cool facade for a moment as he bore his gaze into the older boy, "Do you think I enjoy watching you get yourself into trouble?"

Mystery boy groaned at this, shifting his weight restlessly.

"Look, I don't want to talk about this right now. Will you just cover for me? I won't be long."

"Fine," Regulus stated stringently, turning to walk into the drawing-room.

"By the way," He paused in his course, sending a pointed look back, "You reek of smoke."

-

"Is this what you meant?" Cupboard boy asked, looking around the expanse of space curiously. The walk to the park had been pleasant, and I couldn't help thinking about the many times I accidentally brushed hands with the boy.

"Perfect," I responded, heading straight for the swings.

"I came here once before, you know."

"Really?" I asked, plopping onto the seat.

"Yes." He was still standing near the entrance, "I was little then, though. I had seen it from afar and wanted to know what was going on so I just walked out of the house and down the street. All the kids looked so happy, I thought maybe I'd be as well...I didn't realize it was a muggle-only sort of thing."

"What happened?"

"My mother found out. You wouldn't imagine her disgust when she realized her son was attempting to frolic with such subordinate creatures...her words, by the way."

"I think I could imagine, actually," I said softly.

"Why is it you wanted to come here?" He asked, eyeing my swinging carefully.

"It's fun," I said, "Have you ever been on the swings before?"

"No."

"Then come on. It's like flying but minus the work."

"That's what I like to hear." He grinned, crossing the mulchy path to the swingset.

We sat there for a while, rocking back and forth in the dark and taking occasional gulps from his flask (turns out the thing was ever filling!). My head felt hazy and I could feel his eyes trailing my face from the side.