18
Charlotte could barely make out the high pitched shriek over her own coughing as she tumbled down onto a thick rug now coated with soot.
"Charlotte?" The familiar voice rang through the room before two hands were latched beneath her arms, pulling her to her feet, her eyes latching onto James'. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?"
"I-" She trailed off, her mind running in circles. She scanned over the room, a beautiful, dark-haired woman was looking down to her, her face pale as she waited for her answer. "I don't... I'm so sorry, I didn't meant to-"
"How'd you get here?" James asked, glancing between the blonde and the fire behind her.
"Sirius... I was with Sirius and he... pushed me through, I didn't know where I was going-"
"Where is he?" The smile had fallen from James's face now entirely, his skin paling to match his mothers. "Did something happen, Char? At the party?"
She was nodding before she could even think.
"Is he okay?" He pressed on, ducking his head down to meet her eyes again. "Charlotte, is Sirius alright?"
"I- I think so! He..." Her eyes flickered between the Potters.
"Charlotte, I already know... about his family. What they do to him... You're not giving away his secrets."
She blinked at his words, though nothing was truly sinking in at the moment. What they do to him.
"Tell me what happened." He was speaking quietly, though Charlotte could still see the fear in his eyes.
"I'll wake your father. He might be able to find something out." Mrs. Potter announced, standing from her spot on the couch and waving her wand towards the fireplace, the soot from the rug disappearing. "Can I get you anything, dear?"
"No, thank you, Mrs. Potter. I'm so sorry about the rug, too-" She looked back to the spotless carpeting.
"Nonsense, it's quite alright." She offered the blonde a smile and started from the room.
"We usually talk..." James started, sinking to the seat along the window at the front of the room, the snow falling in thick waves in the moonlight. "11 o'clock every night when he's at home. Just to make sure that everything's okay over there. I don't trust his parents..."
Charlotte was silent, partially listening to James while her mind ran circles over the last half hour. Could it only have been that long since Sirius's hand had been on her waist, his thumb brushing over the silky fabric with his signature smirk.
"And I knew tonight we wouldn't talk... Or at least, it would be later... I had it out." He rushed towards his previous spot on the couch and returned holding a thin mirror, turning it side to side as if he was unhappy with the reflection. "I just thought because he was at the party with you... I didn't even think to worry if anything was going wrong-"
"It wasn't." Charlotte finally spoke again, thinking back to the start of the party. "Everything was fine. The whole night, it was great... I mean, his cousins are a bit much, and his parents are scary, like you said... but everything was going fine until..." She glanced at the crystal clock on the mantle. "Until like half an hour ago... this man stood up to make a toast and..."
She paused. She knew, whatever she knew about Sirius, about the Blacks, James had to know more. She wasn't sure that there were any secrets between the two friends. They were more like brothers than anything Charlotte had seen between Sirius and Regulus.
James nodded for her to continue, and she forced her words out, seeing how worried he looked.
"He said... To the Dark Lord. And everyone started clapping. And Sirius... Sirius freaked out."
James's shoulders sank into a sigh, his eyes falling from hers for a moment, as if he had just connected everything.
"He took off, he pulled me away from everyone and into their library, I think, and... he really didn't explain anything, he just kept swearing and saying he was sorry and he threw the floo powder down and pushed me through and... now I'm here."
James nodded silently for a few moments, neither of them speaking, though Charlotte could practically hear the gears turning in his brain.
"We can go get him, right?" Charlotte finally asked. "You know his address? I'm trying to remember the numbers outside-"
"Maybe... I might have it around here somewhere..." James shook his head once, looking back to her. "Char, we can't just... go there."
"Why not?"
"He would kill me. After he got you out, if I brought you back?"
"James, I don't care if he's mad at you!"
"I'm not bringing you back there, even if I could find the address." He glanced down to the mirror again. "Listen, it's late. Let's get you home... It's Christmas, your parents are probably worried-"
"I'm not going home?" Her eyes were wide, glaring at him as if he had officially lost his mind. "How am I going to know about Sirius?"
"I'll write you as soon as I hear-"
"No!" She watched his eyes soften and knew she had won. "It's my fault, James. If something happens."
"Charlotte, it's not your fault. Whatever happens... It would have happened even if you'd never been there."
"I shouldn't have left him alone."
"It doesn't sound like he gave you much of a choice." He tried for a smile. "Alright, well if you're staying much later, you'd better write your parents." He led her into the kitchen and rummaged through a few doors before producing a quill and some parchment. "I'll go get you something to change into."
"You don't have to-"
"It's nearly midnight and you're in a ball gown." The edges of his lips twitched towards a smile. "You look ridiculous."
"Gee, thanks." She sputtered out a laugh, setting to work on her letter. Part of her was convinced that neither of her parents were waiting up this late to even notice she hadn't come back, but they would surely notice bright and early if she still wasn't home.
She scribbled down the best attempt at an explanation as she could, leaving out the mention of the Dark Lord, but hopefully conveying her worry for her friend.
"Here," James re-appeared into the kitchen as she straightened up, folding the letter a few times and looking to her friend. There was a small elf hurrying along behind him with outstretched arms.
"Miss, you'll have to excuse me, miss, I didn't hear you come!" Her hands clasped together as Charlotte took the soft clothes from James. "I can send that for you, if you'd like miss."
"Oh..." Charlotte scanned between the small elf and James who, although looking very tired, wore half a smile. "Would you? Thank you so much."
"Of course, miss." The elf smiled.
"Leeny, I told you to get some sleep! I have everything handled!" Mrs. Potter had returned now, offering the elf a warm smile, as if this was an every day occurrence.
"James has a guest, Leeny must be up to help! Leeny does not need to sleep-" She argued, starting out of the room with Charlotte's letter.
"Charlotte, can I show you to one of the guest rooms upstairs, if you're staying? You can change up there-"
"Oh... I..." Charlotte glanced at James, his hip rested on the counter as his eyes flickered between his mother and the windows. "I really don't want to trouble you, it's Christmas and I've already barged in unannounced and-"
"Charlotte and I are going to wait up a bit... see if we hear from Sirius..." James finally cut in, his mom sending him a worried look. "If it gets too late, I'll show her the room."
"Alright dear... Please come and get me if you need anything, both of you." She set a hand on James shoulder and turned to the blonde girl. "Charlotte, I'm sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances. James hasn't stopped talking about you and the girls since he got home for break and-"
"Goodnight, Mum." James tugged the sleeve of Charlotte's dress and led her from the kitchen, nodding towards the bathroom door in the dark hallway. "You can change."
"Thanks." She whispered, still holding the bunched up pajamas he had brought down for her. She slipped into the bathroom and pulled the door shut with a click, turning to the mirror and running a hand over her hair. It had come partially undone, pieces poking out from around her face, though she wasn't sure if that was from the dancing or the unexpected trip through the floo.
She pulled her arms from the dress one by one and let it fall to the floor before pulling on the sweatshirt and the soft plaid pajamas, glancing at herself once again in the mirror. It was a Gryffindor sweatshirt, a quidditch one, though it looked quite old, and she guessed it hardly fit him anymore.
She turned the handle silently and pushed out into the hall, glancing through the room to find James perched before the window again, the mirror leaning against the cold glass pane, hazel eyes reflecting back to him.
She set her dress on the table and moved to sit beside him, heat filling the room from the fire now.
"Anything?" She glanced to the mirror and James shook his head slowly, turning to face her.
"Not yet." He spoke quietly, and Charlotte pulled her legs up beneath her to watch out the window with him.
"Are you worried?" She asked, the nerves filling her stomach had started to feel like a ton of bricks. "Honestly."
James sighed, running a hand through the hair lying at his forehead. "Yeah. But... whatever happens, we'll figure it out. We always do."
"So, you think he'll be alright? Even though everyone was saying... About the Dark Lord."
"Oh, Charlotte." James leaned back against the wall, kicking his feet onto the table before them, the chill from the frosted window eating through his sweater. "You're going to get me into trouble."
"I won't tell!" She blurted, leaning closer to him. "And I thought you said we both knew everything anyways-"
"I'm sure you don't know everything..." James murmured, his eyes clouding over in thought. "I just know... he doesn't like to talk about it with people at school. It's like his time away from his family and all of their bullshit."
"What bullshit?" She pressed.
"All of this. What I told you before, on the train. And now tonight." He sighed, "He always said it was just a matter of time. He said his parents had never actually said... but, I mean if all of their friends are..." Both of them were silent for a few moments now, the only sound filling the room from the cracks of the fire licking at the logs. "He really didn't want you to know."
"That's stupid." She breathed out, setting her head in her lap and turning towards the window again, as if they were expecting Sirius any moment now. "I mean, we know him! Does he actually think any of his friends would care what his family's like? When he's nothing like that?"
"No," James nodded, "I mean, not anymore. It took him a while to talk to us about it all. It was you he was worried about. That's why I was so surprised he asked you to this party, he hates them."
"The parties? Or his family?"
"Both." James answered, picking up the mirror again absentmindedly. "How was the party then? Anything to report?"
Charlotte shot him her best attempt at a glare and a hint of a smile ghosted over James's face.
"It was fun." She said, vaguely as he looked to her with wide eyes.
"Oh, how much fun?"
"Oh, please, shut up." She laughed now, leaning back on her end of the wall.
"Did he kiss you?"
"No!" She assured him, watching as his jaw dropped.
"What? You're joking!"
"We're just friends, James. Why would he kiss me?"
"Oh, that's bullshit."
"I hope Santa is hearing all of this language tonight." She grinned.
"Did he even try to kiss you, or-"
"James!"
"Alright, fine! I just figured it would be easier to get it out of you than him."
"There's nothing to get out of either of us." She paused, watching as the large snowflakes fell to the ground one by one outside. "What did you get Lily for Christmas?"
"Oh, on to me now, huh?"
"Well, you already told me you've had her gift for months."
"I got her clip for her hair... it's a butterfly but the wings flap." He ran two fingers down the edge of the mirror lying between them on the bench. "She'll probably hate it, but I just... it made me think of her."
"She won't hate it." Charlotte promised, "Even if she says she does."
"What'd you get Sirius?" He asked, doing a terrible job of trying to bite back a smile.
"Who says I got any of you anything? You all tried to kill me, after all-"
"That's your own fault for lurking about in the dark!"
"Don't start, Potter."
"Remus didn't try to kill you." James's voice was soft now, as if he might not have wanted her to hear him at all.
Charlotte blinked twice, her eyes stuck to the mirror now as an excuse to avoid his gaze. "Yeah, I suppose."
"What happened with you two? And Slughorn's party?"
Charlotte shrugged at once, meeting his eyes at last, hoping to show that it was fine. They could talk about it. She didn't care anymore.
"You tell me, he's your best mate."
"Well, I didn't really get to talk to him much, we left the next morning."
"Well, I haven't talked to him either."
"Oh," He muttered, watching as her eyes sank back to her lap, picking at a fraying thread at the end of his old pajamas. "Are you mad at him?"
"No." She answered, too quickly.
"It's fine if you are."
Charlotte shook her head, silence falling between the two for a moment. "It's just... he could have just told me if he didn't want to go."
"I'm sure it wasn't that-"
"Sirius saw him in the common room, after we'd all gone down." She explained, "That's why he came to the party. I mean, even if he had something else to do, he could have told me. I would have just stayed back, he didn't have to stand me up."
"I know." James nodded, nudging his knee into hers. "I really can't explain him, Char, he's such a mystery sometimes."
"It's fine. I don't need an explanation." She tried for a smile, though the heavy conversation on top of every passing hour with no news from Sirius was beginning to drain her.
"You can go up to bed. I'll show you the room. I swear I'll wake you up if I hear anything-"
"I'm not going to be able to sleep." She sighed, looking to him, his eyes looking heavy in the dim room. "You can sleep though. I'll keep the mirror-"
"Nice try, Charlotte. You really want all the excitement for yourself, don't you?"
"No, honestly, I would rather life dulled down a bit for a while." She replied, James breaking into laughter as they both leaned back against the walls of the window seat watching the snow fall in the distance beneath the lamp lit streets.
"What..." James voice was groggy, his feet kicking against Charlotte's legs as he jumped off their shared window seat, the fire burning low beside them, casting a dim glow through the dark room.
Charlotte jumped to her feet too, stumbling after James in his sprint to the front door, finally realizing what had woken them.
James's hand surrounded the door knob, wrenching it open just as another knock sounded against the thick wood, a tall figure collapsing into the hallway where James was quick to catch him, dragging him inside, the door seeming to slam behind them.
"Mum!" James screamed, his voice carrying through the hallway and surely to all of the neighbors houses as well. "Pads, hey, eyes open. Look at me, yeah? You're alright- Mum!"
"I'm here, what- Oh, no." Her voice went cold, locking eyes on the boys as James hauled Sirius over to the couch, dropping beside him and lying him back. His clothes were soaked through from the blistery winter snow outside and there was partially dried flow of blood down the side of his face. Yet the scariest part of Sirius's appearance was not the blood, or the fact that he hadn't stopped shaking since he'd entered the house; it was the haunted look in his eyes, even as they seemed to grow heavier with every blink.
"Hey, Sirius, dear." Mrs. Potter spoke softly, kneeling to the ground before the shivering boy. "Can you keep your eyes open for me? For a few more minutes, I'm going to get you all fixed up and then we can get some sleep, alright?" She ran a finger along the damp hair lying on his forehead for a better view of the gash and winced. "Fleamont, will you write-"
"Right away." Mr. Potter had hardly spoken when he was already stepping through two doors at the end of the hallway, a lamp lighting up on his entrance before the doors shut on their own behind him.
"Alright, honey." She spoke again, waving her wand over Sirius's head as the blood disappeared, the gash fading to a pale pink color. Charlotte sat herself on the oversized armchair behind the woman, tucking both arms over herself, her eyes not leaving Sirius's. "Can you talk to me? Can you tell me what else hurts?"
Sirius didn't answer, his eyes landing on James between heavy blinks, his hands shaking in his lap.
"Sirius, you've got to tell her what's wrong, and she can help you, okay?" Charlotte spoke, Sirius's eyes finally going wide as they found hers, his mouth falling open.
"You're..." He mumbled before his eyes shut again and James grabbed for his shoulders.
"Mum! What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing." She answered, softly. "We can talk about it in the morning. You all need to get some sleep, can you help me get him upstairs, James?"
"I'll get him, yeah." He answered at once, jumping to his feet and lifting Sirius from the couch.
"Be gentle, honey." Mrs. Potter begged, hurrying to Sirius's feet to help. "He needs to rest." The three of them carried Sirius carefully up the steps, letting James lead the way into a room that had very clearly been designed for Sirius. While the closet and the dresser stood mostly empty, there were posters hung on each wall of Quidditch teams and even some stationary band flyers.
"Come on, both of you. Let him sleep." Charlotte and James hurried from the room as Mrs. Potter shut the door silently, turning to both of them once they were a few doors down.
"What happened to him? Mum, please." James voice was soft in the silent hallway.
"We'll have to ask him tomorrow, James... but... If I had to guess, I would say... It looks as though he's been tortured. I don't know what else they did to him, the cuts..."
Charlotte could practically hear James's teeth grinding, his fists balled at his sides.
"Get some sleep. We'll know more in the morning." She leaned over to press a quick kiss to James head and nodded towards the room behind them. "Charlotte, you can use that room there. I had Leeny make up the bed for you. Let me know if you need anything else."
"No, this is great, Mrs. Potter. Thank you so much." She whispered, watching as James's mother stole a final glance at the door to Sirius's room before shutting her own bedroom door behind her.
"Hey," James spoke again, and Charlotte spun towards him, nearly forgetting he was still beside her. "He's okay. He's back, everything's okay."
"He doesn't look okay." She breathed out, leaning back against the door frame.
"I'll tell him you said so." James teased, nodding behind her. "Goodnight."
"Night, James."
Charlotte turned over once more, facing the window now. Even with the curtains drawn, the light from the street outside still poured in, though Charlotte knew that wasn't the only thing keeping her up.
There was no clock in the guest room, and Charlotte thought it entirely possible that it could be nearly morning by now. What time had Sirius even arrived? How long had James and she been asleep for?
She tossed the blankets to her feet with a huff, sliding from the bed quietly and testing each step for creaks. She should go back to bed. She knew she should. Yet she couldn't stand another second of lying in this brightly lit room, wondering if he was okay.
The door hardly made a sound as she crept into the hallway, crossing to the bedroom she had watched them set Sirius into earlier. How much earlier, she still didn't know.
Charlotte winced at the creak of the door as she stepped softly inside. She just wanted to see him, just for a minute. Just to make sure he was still there, that he was breathing. She stepped carefully before the night stand, watching the rise and fall of his breathing for a moment.
Before she could force herself to leave, she watched his eyes blink open, flickering towards hers, one eyebrow raising above the other.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry," She whispered, thankful that his room was much darker than hers as she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. "I was... I was worried-"
"No, what are you doing way over there?" His voice was soft, yet she could hear how different it sounded even from a few hours before, when he had pushed her through the fireplace. It sounded raspy, as if he barely had the energy... as if he had strained it.
"I'm leaving," She breathed out nervously, her heart hammering in her chest, "You need to sleep."
"Stay." He looked up to her through hooded eyes, and she could see how much he needed sleep. "Please?"
There was only a second's pause before she was nodding, climbing into the bed beside him, making sure to stay close to the edge.
"I didn't mean to wake you up." She started, sneaking a side glance towards him, his eyes locked on the ceiling in the dark. "I couldn't sleep, I just-"
"Me neither." He muttered, both of them falling into silence again.
"Sirius."
"Mmm." He murmured, sounding very close to sleep now.
"Were your parents mad... because you brought me?"
He didn't answer, quiet falling between them before he rolled onto his side, stifling a groan as he threw an arm over her, pulling her against him and tossing the blanket over the both of them.
"M'bloody freezing." He breathed, tucking his chin against her shoulder, his lips brushing against her hair.
"Yeah, you are." She sputtered out a laugh. It was fine, being with him like this. He was cold. He needed to warm up.
"They're always mad." He spoke, her eyebrows drawing together as she turned for a peek at his face.
"What?"
"My parents." He explained, realization dawning on her now. "Wasn't you. They're always mad."