Chapter 3
"where are you going?" The last voice Sirius expected to hear was Remus'.
Sirius didn't look up from where he was packing his trunk. "I don't think that's any of your business." He said it harsher than he meant to, but it had been six weeks since he had talked to him, and he didn't like that Remus suddenly cared.
"You have nowhere to go." Remus continued.
Sirius snapped his trunk shut, ready to be put on the train after breakfast. "you don't know that."
"Sirius-"
Sirius met his eyes for the first time in six weeks. "You don't have to bother with me anymore Remus." The way his... Ex... Flinched made his stomach twist with sick satisfaction. Remus hated when Sirius didn't call him Moony.
"Pads-"
Sirius didn't respond, leaving the room to go down to breakfast. He wished it didn't have to be this way.
---
Sirius sat alone in a compartment on the train, fear coiling in his stomach every second further from hogwarts.
At last they reached London and the train pulled into the station. Retrieving his trunk, Sirius found the couple waiting for him.
"Sirius." Walburga Black seemed to terrify him even more. "Your sister is not with you?"
"No, Mother."
"A shame, but you did the right thing coming back to us." Orion Black clapped a hand on his son's shoulder.
"I apologise again Father."
"You will make it up to us, I'm sure." His father said, the familiar twisting sensation of apparation took them to the sitting room of 12 Grimmauld place. Home, Sirius had never thought of it as such, but he had realised that he was never truly going to escape the path laid out for him.
"Go and get changed Sirius, perhaps once you're out of those... Muggle clothes... And in something presentable, we can talk." Sirius nodded at his mother's words, noticing Kreacher yank his trunk from his hands.
"Thank you Kreacher." Never before had Sirius showed the house elf kindness, as he was always his mother's eyes and ears, skulking around the house. But Sirius had nothing to hide, nothing to rebel for.
The elf nodded and disappeared, leaving Sirius to walk up the two flights of stairs alone. He had always preferred to be at the top of the house, when he was younger he had wanted to be far from his parents friends, they scared him. Now, it was nice to be alone.
Kreacher was unpacking his trunk when he reached his room, most likely to report the contents to Walburga, but this time they would be disappointed. Sirius hadnt bothered to pack anything that reminded him of his friends.
He grabbed something his mother would deem presentable, dress trousers and a white shirt.
After changing, Sirius went back downstairs. His mother was in the sitting room, his father in the kitchen smoking a cigar.
"Much improved." Sirius couldn't help how happy the compliment made him, even now. "but we must do something about that hair."
Sirius touched his hair gently. His pride and joy, shoulder length, glossy black waves. He loved the length. "My hair?" He questioned.
"It's too long for a respectable pure blood man." She replied. "Sit, I will cut it."
"Yes mother." Sirius did as he was told, he had no fight left.
His mother returned with a pair of scissors and got to work immediately. Sirius couldn't help but flinch as she made the first cut, but composed himself as she finished the job. To her credit, she did well and it looked half decent. He couldn't mourn his hair, he didn't deserve that.
Walburga stood back and admired her work. "What an improvement." She nodded. "Go and show your father."
Sirius did as he was told, sliding from his chair and heading to the kitchen, his father was stood with his back to him, reading the daily prophet.
"Father?"
"Sirius?" He didn't turn around.
"Mother cut my hair."
At this his father turned around. "So she did. Wonderful job."
"Father?" Sirius asked.
Orion frowned, noticing Sirius' nervousness. "Yes?"
"Were you informed of the... The incident." He had to get it out of the way, he had to face his punishment.
"Ah yes." His father set down the daily prophet. "Your actions were unforgivable."
Sirius nodded, stare fixed on the floor.
"However, attempting to rid us of a half-blood using a werewolf? Inspired."
"I beg your pardon sir?"
"It seems." Orion continued. "That despite everything, you have taken on board the lessons we have been teaching you."
"I have?"
"Such intelligence, had it worked and not traced back to you, you really took a step for the cause." Sirius just stared at his father. He had no idea what he was talking about.
"The cause?"
"Don't play dumb now Sirius, you've done well to earn our favour."
"Sorry Sir."
"You must be tired, go to bed we will talk in the morning."
"Yes father, goodnight."
Sirius did as he was told, heading to his room and sitting down on his bed. None of that interaction had made sense or made him feel better.
He unbuttoned his shirt, stepped out of his trousers and climbed into bed, he reached a hand to his hair, but stopped. He couldn't dare to touch it. Slipping a hand under the pillow he felt the scrap of fabric he hid there. Part of Remus' jumper, torn on a full moon when Moony was particularly vicious.
He'd broken Sirius' wrist that night, Moony likes toying with him for whatever reason. He never told Remus it happened. Told madame Pomfrey he fell down the stairs, took Peter as a witness. Took the ridicule from Snape a week after.
Gripping the fabric tightly, he began to sob. Every move he made just made everything worse.
"Sirius?" James' voice came from nowhere. The mirror, Sirius realised.
"Pads?" Remus' voice came next.
"You've had this the entire time?" Regulus chimed in. Sirius picked up the piece of mirror and looked into it, angling it so they couldn't see him properly, he couldn't let them see his hair. "Sirius, are you... Where are you?"
Sirius turned it over so all they saw was black. What could they want? What could they possibly want?
He cried himself to sleep.