Wolfstar

18) green eyes

They apparated on the stairs in front of the door of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Orion released Sirius the instant they arrived. He walked inside, still not saying a word to him and Sirius followed him. He looked around when he walked in, for his mother and Regulus. The house hadn't changed anything. It was still dark, there were barely windows, and there was a musty smell. Orion had disappeared into his office room.

'Mother? Regulus? I'm home.' Sirius called. No reply. He bit his lip and then started walking up the stairs, only to find Kreacher passing by. 'So the blood traitor has arrived. I will inform my Mistress', he murmured - but just loud enough for Sirius to hear. Sirius ignored him, as he had done all his life, and walked into his bedroom and fell onto his bed. He tried to hide his tears, felt weak for crying. Blimey, this is the third time I've cried in such a short period, he thought. The period that I am in a relationship with Remus Lupin. As if emotions had come out he had suppressed for years since he started dating Remus. It's not weak to cry, Sirius, he heard him say inside his head. 'It is in the Noble House of Black, Rey'. And he shut the door, because if his Mother of Regulus had wanted to say hello to him, they would've come to him by now.

James was sitting at the kitchen table, talking animatedly about Quidditch, his friends, the teachers, their dormitory, their jokes. His parents were listening attentively and were glad he had had such a good year. 'I'm glad you like it so much there, Jamesie', Charlus said. 'Do you want another sandwich, honey?' Euphemia asked. James nodded.

James was probably the child with the childhood every kid would wish for. Charlus and Euphemia were told they couldn't have children, even though that was all they really wanted. They gave up hope, when suddenly a miracle happened: Euphemia got pregnant. As a result, James was the most loved child in the world. He wasn't a spoiled child, but certainly pampered.

Peter went home with his parents and told them all about his friends. How brave they were, how funny, how glad he was to have them as friends. His mother asked him loads of questions, while his father quickly ate dinner and walked back to the bedroom, not really bothered by Peter's return. His mother saw him look and put a hand on his, saying 'Don't worry, Pete, he will come around.'

'He's never interested in me. He thinks I'm a failure, just as everyone else', Peter said sadly.

'That's not true. I don't think you're a failure. Your friends don't think you're a failure. Your father is just..' But what his father really was, she couldn't come up with a word to describe it. She patted his head. 'Go on, go to bed darling. You must be tired.' After Peter left upstairs, she sat a few hours at the kitchen table alone, contemplating, dreading going back to the bedroom.

Hope and Lyall had expected Remus to be ecstatic about his second year and talking all the way back home, but he didn't. He was awfully silent, looking anywhere but his parents. Hope looked at him and pushed his curls out of his face. 'Maybe we should cut your hair, it's a bit too long.' Remus only nodded.

When they got home and ate dinner, his parents asked him questions about life at Hogwarts, the lessons, his friends and every time Remus really wanted to answer excitedly, but every answer involved Sirius Black and he couldn't mention him without his father looking sour, so his answers became shorter and shorter. After dinner, Remus - sick from half-lying his way through the evening about his year at Hogwarts - stood up to go to his bedroom but his mother took his hand. 'Stay a few more minutes', she said. She turned around at Lyall, and Lyall understood the look immediately, having been married for such a long time, so he left, confused.

'Your eyes are green', she said. 'Why are you sad? Aren't you happy to be back?'

'I am, I really am mum, but..', he couldn't bring himself to say it.