Chapter 1
James’s breath came fast as he sprinted down the darkened streets, Sirius right beside him and Remus just a step behind. The pounding bass from the club still echoed in his ears, but the adrenaline drowning his veins was even louder.
"Bloody hell, mate," Sirius huffed, nearly tripping over the curb. "Of all the girls in that place, you just had to pick the one with the lunatic boyfriend?"
James laughed, half-wild, half-breathless. "Hey, I didn’t pick her—she picked me."
Remus groaned. "That’s your defense?"
Behind them, the shouts from the club faded into the night. No footsteps chasing them. No gunfire. They were in the clear.
They slowed to a walk, breathless, and James wiped the sweat from his forehead. His knuckles still stung from when he’d swung at the guy—not that it had helped much. He had barely grazed him before the bastard pulled a gun, and that was not a fight James was about to take.
Sirius shot him a look. "One day, your mouth is going to get you killed, you know that?"
James smirked. "Maybe. But at least I’ll die having fun."
"Not funny," Remus muttered, running a hand through his already-messy hair. "You do realize we could’ve actually gotten shot, right?"
James waved him off. "But we didn’t."
Remus just sighed, looking exhausted in that way only Remus could. "We need to stop hanging out with you."
Sirius barked a laugh. "As if he could survive without us."
James grinned, but as the rush of the night wore off, reality set in. The streets around them weren’t welcoming. This wasn’t some great adventure—it was just their lives. Running, fighting, never really belonging anywhere.
And now they had nowhere to go but back to James’s foster home.
James exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Guess I should get home before the asshole locks me out again."
Sirius’s face darkened at the mention of James’s foster dad. "You know you don’t have to go back there, mate."
James forced a smirk. "And miss the joy of waking up to him screaming about how useless I am? Couldn’t dream of it."
Remus and Sirius exchanged a look, but neither argued. They both knew James wouldn’t leave—not yet.
James stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking.
He didn’t know that this night would be the last time things felt simple.
Because trouble was waiting for him.
And it was coming in the form of Blackwood Academy.