Prologue
All Sirius remembers from that night was the cold. His parents had chosen quite the night to disown him, it was early march and still freezing in England, he had said something, he doesn’t even remember what, but Walburga was not best impressed. She rose from the table in pure rage and demanded Sirius to the drawing room. Sirius, being Sirius, did not have any intent to feed into his mothers’ insanity. So, he continued eating his dinner.
That was until he felt his mother’s long, thin bony fingers wrap around his neck, “Regulus go to your room,” he heard her demand. He turned to see his brother only a year younger, looking petrified and scared, he nodded to Regulus telling him it was ok, hoping no praying that the guester brough his brother some form of comfort.
Walburga dragged Sirius into the drawing room. She slammed the boy to the floor breaking his nose in the process. She kicked and screamed, but so did Sirius. He fought his mother that evening to the best of his abilities, but then again, he was still just a boy of 16. Barely a man, he was no match. At one point Walburga grew bored and he saw her march out of the room. Is it over? No, it can’t be not so soon anyway.
And he was right, Walburga came back with a small kitchen knife in her hands, “Mother?” but Sirius was met with no answer. She first made her to the tapestry that hung beside the fire place the one of the whole family. Sirius saw as she found his branch and ripped the thing to shreds. She didn’t even flinch, but neither did Sirius. The next thing she did, however, did make him flinch. Walburga turned around with deadly intend and stabbed his hand pinning him to the ground. His screams echoed cross Grimmauld Palace like a ghost. She then put out the fire and left. Leaving her son to die in the cold dark room, having his blood spread through the carpet like spilled ink.
Sirius blacked out soon after the lights went out, he could see no longer but he did remember a touch, a touch which he could only have been given by his brother. He felt the cool metal blade slide out of his palm and then the cool wet cloth circle around it. He heard the doorbell then footsteps. He remembered being carried onto a carriage. The next thing morning he awoke in Potter Manor’ James, Effie and Monty surrounding his bed. That’s when he knew, that’s when he knew he was out. Out of Grimmauld Palace, for good. And Regulus had something to do with that.
Sirius ached all over, but something filled him with warmth. Regulus had something to do with it. For a couple years now, Sirius was convinced his brother was much like their parents and hated him but, no. he was wrong. Regulus cares, or else why would he have sent for James, or clean Sirius up. Regulus got him out. His brother still cares.
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Today is that same brothers presentation to the queen, he wants to go, he wants to be there for him. Regulus and Sirius have been speaking briefly in letters since Sirius left. At first it was just to clear things up get them on the same page but now it’s just two brothers talking. Sirius knows about Regulus’ coming out because he did the same thing a couple of years prior. He remembers how much he hated it, so he wanted nothing more then to be with Regulus on this day.
Unfortunately, a couple days prior to the even the Potter residence got a letter from the queen asking Sirius not to attend under the perfuse of not wanting to cause a scene with the Blacks. The king and queen are both kind and just rulers and as much as Sirius hates it he knows its for the best. Because 100% his parents would cause a scene if they potted him. So as he waved James off in the gold incrusted carriage he slipped himself out to the edge of Mayfair.
Sirius had been to the outskirts a few times but not many since anything beyond the dress shop deemed dignified enough for his mother. James took him a couple times after he ran away last summer and Sirius loved it every single times. Sirius adores the atmosphere out there, its not stuffy like inside the town gates, theirs food and music and markets spewing from every corner. An overflow of colour fills Sirius’ eyes as he slips out the gates. He makes his way to a common tree of his and exchanges his gentlemen's coat for a more comfortable leather jacket. He knows Effie wouldn’t care if he wore it round town but this had been a secrete of his before James saved him. A secrete from his old life, and a part of him didn’t want to let it go just yet. Taking his hair down and sliding the hair tie on his wrist Sirius head into the sub town excited to see what this outing would bring him.
Much to his surprise and delight, the outing brought him music, one that Sirius had heard not much of. Before the Potters it was all string quartets and classical ballads. The Potter house has a bit of everything but because of the Potters heritage its more often then not, light flutes, dhaks and sangeets sung by Effie and Monty. This was new.
Sirius followed the sound of a saxophone to a street corner where stood a street performer. They are common out and even in Mayfair too. He sees a man with a head of sandy poorly kept curls, his hat sitting in front of him slowly being filled with mostly pennies and a few notes. He has a couple bracelets and rings on his hands, and Sirius notices an ear piercing. Oh Sirius simply must approach.
The man takes no notice as he slips a fiver into his cap, Sirius takes back slightly choosing to simply and quietly admire him. Not just his music but him. The man seems to be lost in the jazz. His eyes are closed and it seems that the music is simply working him like a puppet on strings, and he is more then willing to comply. As the man finishes the song he looks down to check tips then looks up to meet Sirius’ eyes. Sirius truly believes it sin that his eyes were shut because under his pale freckle covered eyes, holds the most beautiful hazel eyes Sirius has ever had the pleasure to witness in his life.
“This you?” the man asks gesturing to the fiver.
“Seemed like you deserved. You play like a god,” Sirius let slip before his tongue managed to catch his words.
“I could tell by the way you were staring, “ he said smirking down at him – the man looked to be a couple inches taller then Sirius after he stood up right-.
“Your eyes were closed,” Sirius said a little confused.
“Yet I could still feel your gaze,” the man said lazily picking up his things, “too bad you came now I am unfortunately done for the day,”
“Too bad huh,” Sirius said feeling a piece of his usual confidence return.”
“Yea you seem interesting,” and wow ok. Sirius has been called a lot of things both good and bad by many people. Yet this seems to be a new one. The man turned from his stuff to look Sirius up and down before opening his mouth again.
“You got a name?”
“Black,” he said a little to quickly, “Sirius Black,” the mans eyes widened like he heard of Sirius before. Of course this doesn’t shock him after the stunt he pulled last season.
“Oh your Sirius Black,” he said taking his thing and walking away. Now one might assume that was the end of the conversation Sirius Black however is no ones average man.
“heard of me have you?” he said following the man in step.
“Nothing good sweetheart,” he said turning a corner.
“Well I promise,” Sirius said stepping in front of the man- close yet still leaving room for air- “I’m not as bad as the tabloids make me out to be,” the man hums narrowly meeting Sirius’ eyes.
Danm I can’t have offended him already
“well Black sure you should be in this part of town,” his eyes lift to meet Sirius, “you know, with peasants,” and for just a second Sirius could swear he saw the mans eyes dip to his lips before looking back up.
“Well if you’ve been reading the new as I suspect you have given you already know me, then you know I don’t agree with the traditional Black family manner,” the man shrugs before giving a,
“Guess I just wanted to confirm the rumours,” he says before walking away from Sirius. He doesn’t know what possessed him to do this, Sirius really is quite polite with strangers, but before he could stop himself his hand reaches out pulling the man back in by his wrist.
“Before you leave, might take your name sir,” the man looks at their point of contact, yet says nothing. Sirius decides to just leave his hand their if it seems to be no problem.
“Lupin,” he says looking back up at Sirius, “Remus Lupin,”
“Well Remus would you mind if I came to see you again,”
Remus quirks an eyebrow, “now why would you want to do that Mr. Black,”
“Because something about you is pulling me to you Lupin, and god save me I just got to find out,” he spends a short moment under the curious look of Remus’ gaze.
“Very well, I shall be seeing you,” he says slowly removing his wrist from Sirius’ hand, "Keep well till then Mr. Black,”
“Please,” Sirius says giving Lupin one of his most charming smiles, “Just Sirius,”
“Ok,” Remus says moving a miliinch closer to Sirius, making his smile faulter and breath hitch, “Until then Sirius,” then this man pulls a move Sirius nor anyone else could have seen coming.
Remus steps back slightly letting his hand find Sirius’, before bringing it up and placing a chaste yet soft kiss on his knuckles, “I heard that’s what's done in polite society,” he says before tipping his hat and turning the corner.