SIRIUS BLACK | HARRY POTTER

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Character: Sirius Orion Black
Canon: Harry Potter [and the young godfather]
Game: Homeless

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[mapmaker]

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[London is one of Sirius' favorite places in the entire world. It doesn't have the wildness of Scotland, of course, it lacks the dynamic, furious landscape, but it has everything else Sirius loves: the manic, mad energy, the people around at all hours. He's made for London, it's clear. Wherever he goes he draws attention - when he scours the markets of Covent Garden and Camden Town, forcing Remus to come with him because he needs someone to translate muggle money for him, or when he smartens up at night for a meeting somewhere or another.

They've been there for a month, and not a single moment has been spent at Diagon Alley.

Sirius is standing at the edge of a booth, of a shop, on the Queen's Walk. There's a market, and he's wearing a new leather jacket, and he looks very punk, which is an exciting new style.

And Remus still looks like he's trying his best to imitate a professor. There's a girl in a tiny mod dress and a huge scarf wandering around Remus, trying to flirt with him, and Remus is as oblivious as any one person can get.

There is a sudden burst of mixed emotions in Sirius from this: who wouldn't see how spectacular Remus is, but at the same time, that's his, and the heir to the house of Black has never been good at sharing.]

Oy, Moony-

[He says it with a grin, he uses the one he knows makes Remus crazy.]

Are you done picking out a book, yet?

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[ He looks up at his friend on instinct and immediately regrets it. Because of course Sirius is smirking like that, with his new jacket and his stupid hair and his pretty mouth. It makes him want to bang his head repeatedly off the shelves in front of him. Or fall down and cry, he's not sure which. ]

Almost. [ He stands up from his crouch, knees cracking like he's an old man. There are two giant looking dusty books in his hand and he offers a mild smile up. ] I can't decide which one I want.

[ And of course the charming girl in the scarf is just leaning over to wait and give her opinion but Remus doesn't even notice. ] What do you think? Poetry about lakes and things? [ Holding up the first. ] Or some barmy bloke's drug induced ranting?

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[His hair is most certainly not stupid, thank you. He moves over, and the girl give Sirius the most cursory of glances - it's almost dismissive, and she says something about poetry before Sirius grabs the book on drug induced ranting and looks at it.]

I'll buy this one, if it makes choosing easier for you.

[Because Sirius will read mad rants, he's quite good at sussing them out.]

I'll buy both if you agree that your next item of clothing that you purchase won't be a blazer sewn for a man ripe with middle age.

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[ Remus frowns at him but it does nothing to hide the fond amusement in his eyes. ]

What's wrong with my blazer? It's practical. [ He clutches the poetry book to his chest and gives the poor girl a little nod before he's dragging his best friend towards the cash register tucked in the back. ] You don't have to buy the book you know. I'm aware you just wanted to get away.

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[He scoffs and he's already reaching for the money in his pocket, muggle bills, and handing them to Remus to handle. He's been in the muggle for a month and he still does not understand their money. It simply makes no sense at all.]

The only benefit of that stupid blazer is that it makes me want to take it off you.

[Otherwise it is ugly and tweed and does nothing for Remus.]

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[ Remus still persists in getting out his wallet and funding half of it either way. And he's been trying to teach Sirius but there's something quite nice about helping him out regularly like this.

Now there's a tell-tale flush of pink at the back of Remus' neck and a small smile to his lips as he turns and swings the bag between them. ] Yes yes, my wardrobe is offensive to your very soul. I would rectify it but really, you have to learn you can't have everything you want.

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[That might be why Sirius almost refuses to learn how it works, really. He mastered being an animagus at age 15, so muggle money should be no challenge at all, but then Remus might actually not go shopping with him and that's no fun at all.]

I have no idea what you're talking about, and I take great offense to the mere notion that I can't have everything I want.

[He sniffs, once.]

And you should get a new haircut. Something fun. Come on, it's not as though you have to impress any teachers, anymore.

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And leave everyone to suffer the indignity of my wonky ears? I think not.

[ He pushes open the bookstore door and steps out into the street. London is noisy and manic and everything he should hate. But then again, Sirius is his best friend so he might actually be more attracted to chaos than he thought. ]

C'mon Padfoot, I simply having got it cut out to be a fashionable man about town. That's you.

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[He puts his arm around Remus' shoulders, and the only odd looks they get is because they look like they wouldn't be friends at all - Sirius, looking like he's one bit of leather away from being Sid Vicious, and Remus, looking like, well.

A middle aged man.]

Well it does keep you all mine, doesn't it.

[Meaning that Sirius is rather positive that if Remus started dressing his age, Sirius would have to take a bat to people to keep them away. He was a very good beater. He could do it.]

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[ He just very helpfully digs his pointy elbows in to Sirius' ribs. ]

Are you going to stop insulting me any time soon? Or shall I leave you to it? There was a market vendor selling tea. I could just pop off for a cup and come back to the end of your tirade.

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[He laughs, then. It's like they're normal boys, in a normal world, not wizards who are on the front lines of a war. He lets go.]

You wouldn't abandon me in the muggle. I might get lost. I would try and go on the coaches and end up in some muggle village and be lost forever, and then Prongs would be very cross with you.

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I think James would come around eventually. [ He pulls his blazer tighter around his body against the chill, the bag of books hitting his hip as he walks. ] He'd understand that I had no choice.

But maybe if you're nice to me I'll stay and you won't have to go off and wander moors or become a sheep farmer.

[mapmaker]

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[Maybe they should have done this without a car, because they are ten miles from the beach when the car decides it has had enough of these four idiots; it's going to break down right now. Sirius can see the seaside like a tease, thumbing her nose with glorious things like sweets and water and Moony's ropy body in very little. But considering they are on holiday (no magic!!! This is absurd!!!!) they can't just pop the damn thing back - not that muggle cars are particularly receptive towards magic in the first place.

Prongs, upon seeing Padfoot's hastily blackening temper, suggested that he and Wormtail go for repairs while Moony and Padfoot wait it out.

And so here they are, the pair of them, sitting in the open van. It's a blisteringly hot sort of day.]

Moony, I am dreaming of ice lollies. I feel like I'm five. Is this what five felt like for the common folk?

[He says the common folk as a joke, as his parents are more commonly referred to as "purebred snob"]

[mapmaker]

[ Remus isn't so much as sitting as trying to avoid all of the metal parts of the van as best as he can. It's far too hot and all that iron and tin and whatever seems to be absorbing every little ray of light until he's actually sure he's holed up in the sun. His shirt is sticking to his back in several uncomfortable places and after a long ten minutes of sitting miserably he pulls it off and tosses it in behind him. ]

Mm? [ His brain is mush. He is mush. He's dying.

He should have stayed at home where he could have spent his days with a book laying under the large tree in his garden. But then he wouldn't have been able to go swimming and also Sirius would have eaten the rock before they bought it back. ] I used to dream of sandwiches. [ So probably. ]

[ He wants a lemonade. ] Why is it so hot?

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[Shirtless Moony, oh, oh, this is interesting. If he were a dog his ears would be perking up right at this exact moment.

Sadly that is magic and he is magicless, shame, really. But then all that fur and panting, maybe sweating it out is better.]

Sandwiches and lollies are not the same. One is cold and delicious and sweet, and the other is-

Well, with the way your mum makes them, probably soggy.

[He slides so he's lying on his back, how has he not melted completely yet, really, how is he still boy and not mush?]

This is it, mate. They're going to find out mummies and then Prongs will be destroyed forevermore, Wormtail will never make another friend, and girls will cry buckets at my funeral. Where is a slip of parchment? I need to write out my final will, and my wishes for a bonfire at my funeral.

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[ Nobody wants a hot dog leaning all over them so Remus is Quite Thankful that magic is banned ... except he could use some right now to make himself cooler. ]

She doesn't make soggy sandwiches. [ It is a weak argument. He loves his mum a lot but her skills only really extend to baking. It's his dad that does all the actual cooking. ] I think I would murder you for a cold drink right now. [ He looks at Sirius, all wide eyes and fringe stuck to his forehead. ] That means the heat's getting to me, right? I'm going to go mad and we'll both die.

[ He's itchy and sweaty and it's making all of his scar tissue prickle. ] I don't have any parchment, you banned me from packing, remember?

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Merlin, I can't even die with dignity-

[He slides in a way that is rather snakelike until he has eased his shirt off. What he thought this would accomplish is strange, as he is still very hot, now he just hot and half naked.

He glances over at the water.]

How much did Prongs pay for this heap of broken tin again?

[Because if they walk they can get to water and Sirius' idyllic dreams of wet Remus and ice lollies may yet come true.]

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[ The movement would have made him flush a deep and vivid red but thankfully the sun has already done enough of that for him and so Sirius can't tell just how effected he is by it. ]

I don't know, but I think we should go and find the bloke and push him in the river. [ He makes a sad little whining sound under his breath and flops backwards into a nest of jackets and pillows and blankets. They're meant to be camping on the beach right now. ] Actually no, because the river would be kind. I wish I was in a river.

Maybe we could put him in this rust bucket.

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You know, the seaside is right there.

[He is still lying down but he raises his hand to gesture in a general direction. There. Right there. Over there! Yes right there.

He's right, though.]

We could walk over get in the water, be all shining and boyish and delightful, and then come back to see James and Peter walking back with a wrenching stick or whatever it is they went to fetch.

[And possible ice cream. Remus knows how muggle money works, so there's no risk of Sirius almost giving away everything they have. Again.]

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[ Opening his eyes weakly. ] But we're not supposed to leave a man behind!

[ He would crawl to the sea if he could. He yearns for it. Remus flaps a hand a little, before resting it back on his stomach. It's too hot to be there and he grumbles again. Truly this is Remus Lupin, he of the calm and calculated demeanour, absolutely cranky and sweating. ]

My dad would know what to do. [ Sitting back upright. ] I wish that payphone had worked.

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Which man? The bloody van?

[He flails his hands in odd distress, as if that makes any sense at all. It doesn't. But it's too hot to care, it's too awful to be more dignified.]

Moony, my angel, my sweet, my poppet, we will die here and then the van will be unguarded! Peter cannot afford the social shame of having me die! Think of Pettigrew, damn it!

[He rallies like a zombie rising from the dead.]

I will buy you sweets. A chocolate ice cream. I will buy you an entire ice cream cart of lollies.

[he says, although he is not allowed to handle their money.]

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Bugger it.

[ Remus knows he should probably put his t-shirt back on but he doesn't. Instead he wriggles until he can free himself from the van without touching anything. He tumbles out with the lack of grace that growing boys have. ]

I'll race you.

[ Remus doesn't even wait for Sirius to get out and lock up, instead he just takes off. He'll sweat to death and die but then the sea will save him. ]

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[Sirius follows with that same grace, only he actually has some because he has been bestowed by the universe with immense gifts, probably to make up for the fact that he was raised by actual sociopaths.

He doesn't quite catch up to Remus, and when they crash into the blissfully cold water, when it washes over his skin, he can almost hear the sizzle of the sun evaporate away into sweet, icy spikes against him.

Oh, the ocean is a miracle.]

Remus, Remus, we're going to live!