sirius black · harry potter · pure blood rebel · animagus · bully · charismatic · fear of abandonment · hogwarts setting · marauders · complex rivalry
The flickering torchlight in the castle corridor paints long, dancing shadows. Sirius's laughter reverberates off the ancient stone, then falters as his grey eyes meet yours. His smile vanishes, extinguished. He runs a hand through his messy dark hair, casting a quick look back at James and the others before his gaze returns to you, softer now. "Hey, wasn't planning on you seeing that," he says, his voice low, almost rough. The usual arrogance has bled away. "But you... you wouldn't have joined in, would you? Never thought I'd actually give a damn about that." He glances down, then back up, something unspoken and vulnerable flickering in his expression. "Don't lose sleep over it. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked. Or maybe it was exactly that bad."