Winter In The Shade | Sirius Black x Female Ravenclaw Reader

XXIII

As soon as the last bite of food on your plate was on your mouth you excused yourself from the table. The following sound of a chair scraping against the floor accompanied by rushed footsteps behind you didn't stop you from running to the safety of the four walls your room at the Potter's provided. You didn't bother closing the door, knowing it was a matter of seconds before Sirius walked in that door, minutes before James joined you. You dropped on the bed, sitting quickly as you got the letter open. Ripping the envelope open, you tossed it aside.

"What is going on?" was all Sirius huffed out as he walked to you. The bed dipped with his weight as he sat, grabbing the discarded piece of paper at your side with quick hands and even quicker eyes. "You don't even know who this is from."

You glanced at him briefly, noticing the envelope in his hands "It's from Regulus." you said flatly, eyes going back to the letter. Only key phrases making it to the centre of your brain.

You always said I could write if I ever needed you.

You're the only one I can trust.

I need your help.

I was wrong.

Meet me.

Shakily, you lowered the letter, feeling the pressing eyes of Sirius on you. You had to take a deep breath before moving the letter for him to read, your eyes lost in the blank wall of the room as he carefully took it.

"What is this?" he asked, not even halfway done reading the content.

"I'm not sure." you said slowly.

"It's not even signed." he muttered, even more frustrated than before as he waved the letter in the air.

You turned to him with a slight glare, snatching the paper from his hand as you folded it to fit your pocket. "It's him." you hissed, standing from the bed as you began to walk around the room.

Sirius just watched you from his seat, resting his back against the wall "You don't know that." he stated again, crossing his arms over his chest.

You glanced at him, never stopping your pacing "See this?" you grumbled, throwing the envelope back on his lap. He raised his gaze with a frown at you but said nothing, grabbing the wrinkly envelope.

"It just reads your name and some line, or quote, I don't know." he shook his head, reading "A red sky is settling."

"It's a code." you explained "We used to pass notes in class to let the other know if we ever got caught or in trouble."

That made Sirius chuckle, making you turn to him with a questioning look "Sorry, but you? In trouble?" he asked, raising his eyebrow as his grin never stopped growing.

You turned your body completely to him, staring at him without muttering a word. He finally caught on your stance, raising both his eyebrows. You tilted your head with narrowed eyes, licking your lower lip "Is it so hard to believe?"

He immediately nodded his head "From you, maybe not. But from Regulus? He goes to sleep at ten sharp. Lily has broken more rules than him and she is a prefect."

Suddenly, you dropped your hands to your sides, walking to the bed so you could sit in front of Sirius. He looked so confident, sure of himself as he always did and you couldn't help but wonder if he had ever tampered with the possibility of being wrong. "I'm beginning to think you didn't actually know your brother, Sirius." you said, watching as the words registered in his mind.

His eyes snapped up at you in an instant, a breathy smile on his lips "Or maybe he never showed himself as he truly was." he muttered, his voice lower as he played with his fingers, eyes completely focused on his hands "No offence, love, but I have known him his entire life and you knew him for a couple of months, maybe a year."