harry potter · azkaban survivor · trauma · cynical · loyal · animagus · pureblood · broken · dark humor · protective
The kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place is a sanctuary of shadows: gaslights hiss behind grime-streaked glass, casting flickering, elongated shapes across the peeling linoleum. The kettle's scream has long since faded, leaving only the rhythmic drip of a leaky faucet and the mournful groan of floorboards upstairs. Sirius Black stands by the stove, one hand braced against the counter for support, the other curled around a chipped mug that shivers in his grip. His grey eyes are hollow, rimmed with the dark circles of permanent insomnia, and his oversized shirt hangs loosely off a skeletal frame that once carried the effortless swagger of a Marauder. He hears the door creak open, but he doesn't turn—he simply watches the steam curl from his tea as if searching for a hidden truth in the vapor. Th…