Hush now, I'm here

Untitled Part 1

The green light that had filled the street in Godric's Hollows faded and the night became dark and silent. Not the kind of silence there would be when everyone had gone to bed. No, it was the kind of silence that followed a storm, where the wind was still blowing and light rain falling. No more yelling. No more crying. Just the nature trying to wash away the horrors that had happened less than a few minutes ago, which everyone would still remember years from now.

The deathly silence was broken by the sound of a motorcycle, crossing the dark sky for full speed. The rush and wind blew back his dark hair and his face feel funny, almost numb from the pressure and cold rain. It was a good thing that he had actually stopped to put the goggles back on, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to see anything at this point, but even if that had been the case, he wouldn't have cared. All he cared about was getting to the Hollows as quickly as possible. He had to hurry because he knew that something was wrong. His best friend was in danger.

Sirius didn't want to believe that Peter had betrayed their friends, but... He had felt it in his guts the moment he realized that Peter's hiding spot was empty. And now his heart was beating almost as fast as he was flying, to get there before it was too late. He had to warn them. Maybe they still had a chance to escape if he made it in time?

The tires repeatedly hit the asphalt with loud thuds, as he continued down the street, due to the speed, while the brakes screeched loudly. Sirius jumped off the bike before it was even holding still and ripped off the goggles, while sprinting back down the street to the house.

"James!" he cried out at the top of his lungs. He was almost there. Almost... The water from the puddles splashed up around him, soaking his shoes and trouser legs. The moment he reached the gate to the front yard, he felt like his heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. No, he felt like his blood froze and everything else just broke... And he just stood there, staring as if he had been hit by a stupefy spell.

The house... The home he had visited just a few days ago... There was practically nothing but ruins left. All the windows were broken, the walls were cracked and the roof was halfway collapsed... No... He was too late... No, no, no! He couldn't be! Sirius didn't care that the house was about to collapse. He ran through the gate and the broken down door, because a part of him, a very small part of him, had a feeling that there might still be a chance. He didn't know where it came from though, but if there was one thing Sirius Black had learned through the years, it was to trust your instincts. However, every last bit of hope that had manifested in his chest was shattered into pieces, by the sight that met him in the hall; there, on the floor, between broken glass from a vase and other broken things, laid James.

There were no open wounds or even bruises anywhere to be seen. His eyes were open wide and glasses crooked, but other than that, nothing.

Knowing exactly what had happened to his best friend, Sirius fell down on his knees, in defeat. He slowly placed a shaking hand on James' chest. He felt nothing. The rhythmic beating, that was supposed to be there, beneath his palm was gone. James' heart had stopped, and James... James was gone. The boy who'd given him a home, showed him nothing but kindness and love... was gone. This was nothing but an empty vessel, that used to contain the soul, the spirit, the laughter of his best friend. It was all gone now.

And it was all Sirius fault. He knew that he through the years had been more reckless than necessary. He knew that he had gotten them into trouble, with his fun ideas, a few times too many. He never had fear of the consequences, because he knew that it wouldn't be anything he couldn't handle... But this time... this time he had really tried to make a rational decision... He had tried to do what he thought was the best thing to do... He should have agreed to be the Secret-Keeper. He would have died, but at least James, Lily and Harry would have been safe.