𝕿he bitter cold winds rustled the leaves outside the grounds, creating a whirling sound. The group of us sat around the arm chairs in the Gryffindor common room, just chilling with nothing to do. It was a Saturday, meaning there was no classes today and we could do whatever we wanted. James and Peter sat on the couch opposite Sirius, Remus and I, me on the end, leaning my head against my brother's shoulder as he read his book. Sirius sprawled out on the two of us, I played with the rings on his fingers, more specifically the one Regulus gifted him. I wonder if they've spoken yet.
I glanced to scan over his face, noticing him staring off into space and being abnormally quiet- especially for a Saturday. James eyed the clock, briefly pausing his conversation with Peter before announcing he had quidditch practice and he needed to go. We mumbled our goodbyes, the four of us left in the quiet common room. Peter decided he would head for the kitchens for a snack and just to visit the house elves, Remus reluctantly nodding and agreeing to go after him after saying he could 'die for a double chocolate cupcake'.
I tapped Sirius' leg, catching his attention, "Do you want to go for a walk?" I questioned softly, nodding towards the door of the common room.
"Where to?" He mumbled, looking down at his rings and fiddling with them- the Regulus one.
"Wherever the wind takes us, come on" I answered, swinging his legs off my lap and standing up, extending a hand out for him.
"Aren't I meant to help you up, M?" He chuckled, taking my hand and pulling himself up next to me.
"We wouldn't be Melody Lupin and Sirius Black if we followed the rules now, would we?" I joked, the two of us walking out of the common room and down the sparse hallways. Apparently the wind took us up to the Astronomy tower, the both of us walking out to the edge staring over the grounds. He didn't speak one word the entire time we walked, only making me feel more worried and concerned.
He sighed, pulling out his cigarettes and lighting one, I raised an eyebrow and he turned to face me, moving it out of his face, "You can't have one"
"Why not?"
"Monty would kill me, James would definitely kill me" He mumbled, taking a big mouthful of the substance before releasing it into the air, facing away from me again.
I frowned faintly, "They wouldn't know"
"They definitely would, M. It's bad for you, I don't want you in this type of stuff, and James would kill me" He repeated. James would never let me have a cigarette even though Remus has them all the time, he didn't want me addicted to them. I loved how he cared but everyone else has them.
"You do it" I reasoned, leaning my hands over the edge of the tower, allowing the wind to run through my fingers.
"I know" He muttered, the silence enveloping us yet again.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I whispered, as he threw the remainders of the cigarettes over the edge of the tower, the wind carrying it away. He sat down, dangling his legs through the bars, me mirroring his actions.
"There's nothing to talk about, I don't know what you mean"
"You do know what I mean, Sirius, have you talked to him?"
"No, I can't even look at his face. He hates me. What type of a big brother am I leaving him in an abusive household? Especially when he begged me not to go" He scoffed, keeping his eyes trained on the view ahead. My heart sank, as I listened to him, thinking about both of the two brothers.
"You should talk to him, he doesn't hate you. He hates that he knows you had to leave, no person wants their sibling to be forced out of their home" I returned, trying to allow him to see both sides of it.
"I can't"
"You can, you need to speak to him and talk to him about it. I can see it's bothering both of you"
"When? When am I supposed to speak to him, everytime I do he walks in the opposite direction"
"Thursday mornings, especially when it's raining, here on the astronomy tower from five thirty am till half six" I informed him, his eyes widening in surprise. Yes, I often saw Regulus here at that time, sometimes we would sit in silence or have a small conversation, after all we aren't friends.
"Do you see him a lot?"
"Mhm" I nodded, shifting my gaze to the Hogwarts grounds again, the dark clouds in the sky, "I can see you in him a lot"
"He's completely different to me" He replied, shaking his head.
"Yes, in many ways but there is some of you in there. When he cares for something, he really cares even if he doesn't show it much, you can see it in his eyes. When he's sitting there he sometimes twitches his left eye like you do. When he's thinking he twirls his ring around his finger, the one with canis major on, like you do with the leo one" I recalled, him turning to face me with an impressed look and a small smile on his face, "Yes, he's different but he's also similar to you"
"You're a good friend, M. For me and for him"
"Oh don't say that to him" I chuckled, "We aren't friends, he'll tell you that"
He draped his arm around my shoulder, bringing me into him and kissed my temple. I leaned my head on his shoulder, the both of us staring out into the beau view of Hogwarts and the Scottish highlands, the wind rustling the trees and bushes.
"Thank you, M, I needed this" He whispered.
"I'd do anything for you Siri, you're my best friend, another brother" I whispered back, "The irritating one you wish you could sew their mouth together"
He gasped dramatically, "Melody, striking me right where it hurts" I laughed softly, glad he was happier than he was a few moments ago, "I am never irritating"
"No, of course not" I nodded, holding back my laugh, feeling him nudge me in the ribs lightly, not actually wanting to hurt me.
•••
A few hours later, we were in the common room again, Sirius was feeling a great deal better than before after our walk and chat on the astronomy tower, Remus and Peter were back after being at the kitchens for a while and James was currently up in the showers after his quidditch practice. Sirius and Peter were in the middle of a game of wizards chess, Remus and I on one of the couches reading our books.
James came down shortly after joining us and sitting beside me. I moved over, leaning against his side, smelling his fresh shower smell. He wrapped his arm around me, bringing me into his chest whilst Sirius cried because Peter had beat him again. Remus didn't take any note, completely in another world just like always.
"You smell good" I mumbled to the messy haired boy, sniffing his sweatshirt. This was definitely my next one to steal for a while until his scent was gone.
"I always smell good, Lunes" He responded, making me roll my eyes playfully.
"You cheated!" Sirius shouted to Peter, flipping the chess board over, the pieces flying around the common room.
"I did not!" Peter defended, a smirk playing on his lips as he beat the long haired boy.
"Prongs, tell him he cheated!" Sirius instructed James, both of the boys turning to face us, Remus grumbling words under his breath about the level of noise whilst he was trying to read.
"Prongs, I didn't cheat. He's just bad"
"Do another game, i'll watch to make sure you both play faire and square, whoever wins, wins" James reasoned, the two of them picking up the pieces again and setting out the board.
The girls walked into the common room, taking the spots on the opposite couch, Mary sitting by the floor to watch the game of chess intently, cheering on Peter to Sirius' dismay.
"Afternoon, Lily, girls" James greeted, a grin on his face. The three girls glanced up to him, raising an eyebrow at us.
"Potter" They all nodded, resuming to their own business, Frank Longbottom coming over and sweeping Alice away to take her on a walk around the castle, just the two of them. They make the sweetest couple.
"How was quidditch practice?" Marlene asked the boy, checking her painted nails.
"Good, we are definitely going to win the cup this year" James informed us, making my heart leap. I loved quidditch despite not being able to play because of my lycanthropy.
"Isn't some of the team leaving this year?" Lily questioned, looking up from her book I had leant her, I thought she would enjoy it. She needed a distraction from studying so much for owls, they have already began taking over her life.
"Yeah, we'll need two beaters and a new captain" James muttered, latching his eyes on to the game of wizards chess, "Padfoot, that was completely the wrong move"
"Piss off, Prongs. I know what i'm doing" Sirius scoffed, not taking his eyes off the board.
"Evidently so with Wormy beating him four times in a row" I spoke under my breath, hearing James' chuckles from the vibrations in his chest.
"I'll try out" Marlene declared, my eyebrows rising to the top of my head, "Hitting people with a bat, sounds fun"
"I'll help you train" James chirped to the blonde, catching Lily's attention. He looked to her, quirking a brow, "What? I can be nice, Lily Flower"
She hummed, continuing her reading as James took the book out of my hands, playing with my fingers instead.
"I was reading that"
"I know, but you're not anymore"
"Because you took it out of my hands"
"Did I? I thought it just vanished" He shrugged. He continued messing with my fingers, a warm feeling filling my body. He was a very affectionate friend, he always felt the need to touch one of us, whether it was one of the boys or me, more often it was me. I didn't mind, I liked it- all the boys were affectionate with me, James more so than the others.
"Just like magic" I laughed softly, looking down to the game happening down on the floor, a thought crossing my mind, "Pads, you should try out for beater as well"
"Yes!" James agreed with me instantly, drawing everyone's attention in the common room. They all stared at us for a few moments, realising our group was just being our group and went back to their own things.
"Who would commentate?"
"Moony"
"Er- excuse me, thank you for offering me up but I'm quite happy sitting in the sidelines" Remus piped up, moving one of his hands to my feet as they were on his lap, the other still on his book.
"You'd be brilliant, Rem" I declared, "Come on, Moony"
"Yeah come on, Moony" James backed me up, the both of us sending him puppy dog eyes. He would be a really good commentator.
"Why aren't you doing it?" He questioned me, placing his book down so both of his hands were on my feet.
"I need my number one supporter in the crowd to cheer me on, not commentating" James answered for me in a matter of a fact tone.
"I thought Lily was-"
"Really not interested" Lily finished, flickering her eyes up to us and back down on the book.
I felt James tense and let out a small sigh. I took his hand in to mine instead and played with his fingers in order to comfort him.
"I'll be your number one supporter, James" I voiced, feeling him relax again. "So I can't commentate, come on Remmy"
"Don't call me Remmy, El" He mumbled, referring to what our mum used to call him when we were little, he absolutely hated it now.
"Remmy" Sirius snorted, earning a glare from my brother.
"Ev! Come here please!" I shouted over to the little blonde haired girl I had adopted.
She beamed, walking over to us, "Melody, James, others" She greeted, blushing at the bespectacled boy I was leant against.
"Evie" James nodded, presumably grinning after noticing her blush.
"What do you think Ev? Do you think Rem should be quidditch commentator?"
"Oh, yes definitely! You would be the best commentator, especially because you can draw peoples attention with your voice, I think you would make it very interesting-"
"Little Lune, calm down sweetheart" Sirius spoke calmly, cutting her off from her excessive rambling. She blushed again, nodding at him.
"You should be commentator" She stared clearly to my brother, smiling at him. James and I gave him a pointed look, gesturing to her.
"She's practically your child! She'll do anything you want!" He exclaimed, drawing attention again.
"Lunes, did you know we had a child together?"
"No no, Prongs, I did not. I'm glad she's not blind like you" I joked, eyeing the girl who did look identical to me except her eyes and well she didn't have ugly scars across her face.
"Not funny, Elody. Discrimination against blind people is totally unjust and unfair" He huffed, the group laughing at him.
"You're my favourite blind person though" I returned, hearing him hum in response.
"He's the only blind person you know"
"No- there's.....someone help me out here"
"You wear glasses" Lily observed, "But you can't be your own favourite blind person"
Cheers of triumph were heard again, Mary giving a high five to Peter as Sirius flipped the board again, flinging the chess pieces around the common room in a sulk. He stomped his feet, moving away and lifting my legs up before sitting between James and Remus, with me now on top of them all, leaning against James' side.
"Don't be a sore loser, Padfoot, you nearly had it" James comforted him.
"No he didn't" Peter snickered, making Sirius grumble words to him, ones I don't wish to repeat.
"I think I want to dye my hair" Marlene proclaimed randomly, twirling her blonde hair around her fingers.
"Purple"
"Red"
"Blue"
"Black"
We all shouted out simultaneously in reply, having different ideas about her hair colour. I personally believe she would look amazing with blue hair, I think it would suit her personality the best. We spent another hour arguing about her hair colour, everyones having completely different ideas. It was a Saturday well spent in Hogwarts.
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