One
“Just give it a chance, please.” James sighed through the speaker as he spoke. “Life has obviously been taking a toll on you and maybe just having someone you can talk to will help.”
“I talk to you.” Sirius could practically hear James’ eyes roll through the phone. This has been an ongoing conversation, but after Sirius’ little freak out in the field last week, James has been pushing the idea of him seeing a psychiatrist.
“You know that’s not what I mean Siri. I’m biased, I’ll agree with everything you say, you need someone who can actually give you useful advice.”
The idea of having to dish out his problems on a silver platter for some stranger to pick through made him slightly nauseous. He knew James was right, he probably should have some kind of outlet after his stressful days at work and the lingering presence of his childhood issues, but it didn’t make him feel any better.
“Lily says she knows someone she thinks you’ll like. He’s pretty quiet and she says he’s not the most conventional person which you will enjoy.” James paused for a moment, a smile seeping through his voice. “Handsome too.”
That made Sirius roll his eyes this time.
“Fine. I’ll make an appointment. But I’m not promising I’ll go more than once.”
James quietly cheered as he sent the number of the psychiatrist to Sirius. “Was it the handsome comment that convinced you? Lily told me to mention it.”
Sirius slightly flushed at the knowing tone of James’ voice, “Can’t I just agree and appreciate my friends’ attempt at helping me and my poor broken mental health?”
At that moment, a call cut through, interrupting their conversation. Sirius grimaced at the name flashing across his screen, saying his brief goodbye’s to James before answering.
“Black.”
“We’ve got a scene. Sending you the address.” Dumbledore’s voice boomed through the phone, the old man never quite understanding that he can be heard perfectly fine through the device. By the time Sirius got a chance to respond, he had already hung up and an address was promptly in his inbox.
“What do you see?” Dumbledore asked, immediately at his side the second he got on scene.
It was messy. The water of the fountain was stained a gruesome red, the light of the sun making it sparkle. Brain matter oozed out of the bloody hole in the back of the victims head, leaking onto the grass and pearly white stone of the fountain.
The victim's head was facing up, her eyes pleading to the sky as she slowly lost her life, unable to fight back from the vicious hands that stole her future from her.
“Is it The Artist?”
Sirius really hated when Dumbledore did this. The constant questions being fired away at him, the questions with very obvious answers.
“No. The Artist is eloquent, detailed, there's always a purpose behind his work.” A grimace settled on Sirius’ face as he looked down at the battered body. “No… this was a kill of passion. He’s never killed before, this was his first. He may never kill like this again.”
Sirius promptly turned, walking away from the scene. There wasn’t much else to say or do until forensics got their hands on any lasting evidence. It was a simple scene of anger.
“That’s it?” Dumbledore called after him, making Sirius stop in his tracks.
“What do you want me to say Dumbledore?” Sirius snapped back. “This is child's play. Look for a boyfriend, look for a business deal gone wrong! Call me if there’s any evidence.”
These types of killers ticked Sirius the wrong way. These scenes were macabre, but not in the poised way The Artist achieved. They were messy, and quite frankly, not worth his time.
Sirius had spent the first few years of his adult life going through intense police training before getting injured on a domestic dispute call. After months of healing, he went back to school, finally putting his knack for criminals to use. He had always been capable of connecting to people, in sometimes very scary ways. He could imagine himself as that person and subsequently feel everything they were. It was an uncomfortable gift when it came to friends or relationships, but it was very useful when it came to serial killers and the like.
That’s what made him one of the most successful criminal profilers in the United States. He had helped catch the Minnesota Shrike, the man responsible for the killing and cannibalism of 9 girls, including his own daughter. That case had had a significant impact on Sirius’ mental health. He had gotten so inside Hobbs' head that when he saw the remains of Abigail in that house, he felt like he had done it. He felt guilty.
That was the start of Mother James, always nagging Sirius to talk about his problems and get help. Sirius did appreciate James, he was like a brother to him, but he could never tell James what truthfully went through his mind on a daily basis, it was too risky.
And that is why Sirius now sits in the empty waiting room of his newest psychiatrist, Dr. Lupin.
The heavy spruce door opened, and a surprisingly young man poked his head through, “Mr. Black, please come in.”