ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛʜ ᴡᴀʟʟ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴇʀᴀ

xiv. gifts

Parchment on the floor, a quill writing on it. Callie laid flat on her stomach on the floor, her feet dancing in the air carefree. Strands of her hair dangling in front of her face. Her eyes were lighting up and her smile was widely spread on her lips. Her cheeks rose with a light tinge.

Callie was writing a response to a letter Regulus sent her that afternoon. Her day had never been this stress-free since she last remembered.

The day before, she played in the snow with the Marauders. Then after coming back, she received a letter from Regulus. When she woke up, there was another letter from him.

The sun was slowly setting. She was done with her letter so she gave it to the owl waiting on the piano. It immediately flew away and she watched it disappear from her vision.

A bath before the stars filled the sky was what Callie needed. She stretched her whole body after standing up from laying down. She took her towel and clothes and entered the bathroom.

After a little more while, she exited wearing a black shirt and trousers. She was drying her hair on the bed, reading one of Regulus' books where she last left on when the Marauders entered her room.

She put the book down, remembering the page she last read and noticed that one member was missing.

"Where's Sirius?" Callie asked, looking at the three boys standing before her, Peter bringing her dinner.

The three looked at each other first as if asking who should answer. And in the end, Remus took the honour.

"Sirius went back to their house."

"He did what?!"

°°°

Sirius stood in front of a gigantic black building. Mhm, he was in the right place. That was Grimmauld Place, he was sure of it. He stared at it, contemplating what to do next.

What was he even doing there in the first place? Ah, right. Callie pushed him to mend his relationship with his brother, to show Regulus that he was always beside him.

"Whatever," he whispered, though nervousness could be heard in his low-volume voice.

He took a deep breath, and as soon as he released it, he put on his game mask.

He knocked on the door, waiting for someone to open it. He tapped his foot as he hugged himself, the cold wind tickling him. Even though he was wearing a thick coat and a scarf, the cold still found its way into him.

The door opened, showing Kreacher a few feet below him.

"Master Sirius?" Kreacher greeted, confused by the lad's appearance by the door.

"Who is it?" Walburga's voice echoed around the house.

"It's Master Sirius."

"Sirius?" Regulus heard their house elf from his room. He immediately jumped out of his bed, throwing Callie's letter away. He walked fast downstairs and yet he made sure he wouldn't look eager to see his brother.

What was he doing there anyway? What came into that head of his?

Footsteps. The heels of a woman's shoes echoed until Sirius saw the face of his supposed mother. Eyebrows meeting each other, death glares, frowned lips, a black cane in her hand. Black dress, hair on a bun, deep and deadly eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice full of despising and disgust.

"Calm down, will you? I'm not here for anyone except Regulus." As if he was a summoner, his younger brother appeared behind the woman. "Ah, there he is." Sirius attempted to set a foot in the house but his mother immediately hit his knees with her cane.