Ficlet: Vengeance
Word Count: 374
Character(s): Sirius
Author Notes: Sirius the morning after he found out James was dead. Rated PG for depressing themes.
Sirius came to Godric's Hollow that morning, that dreadful morning when it felt like the world had ended. James was dead, and he saw no sign of his friend - his youthful, laughing friend - in the cold body lying on the ground. James was dead.
He left on his motorbike, the one James had bought for him when he was seventeen, and flew away, hoping to forget, numb away all the pain and misery and loneliness with the wind in his hair and the sun at his back, the way he had when he'd run away.
It rained that morning, and he felt caught in a nightmare.
Without thinking, hearing only the wind and with only grief to guide him, he flew the only place he ever had when he was unhappy: the Shrieking Shack, where they had first performed Animagus transformations, first brewed Polyjuice Potion, where they had created the Marauder's Map. It was the place where they had worked together as teenagers, concocting plans and brewing potions, laughing at the world and risking it all without fear.
James had been there the day last time Sirius saw him, trying yet another potion to see if it would protect against the Cruiciatus. He had talked about Harry and Lily, and had been the brother Regulus never was. He had grinned at Sirius and said he'd be back.
Sirius walked in silently, half-expecting James to greet him at the door as he always had, but the Shack was still. Still as the grave, he thought, seeing James lying there on the ground. It was still as the dead.
Quickly, he turned, grief suddenly turned to rage, and reached for the vial James had left before he went into hiding. He couldn't touch it, before, couldn't help but hope that James would come back and finish what he was doing with it. Now, he smashed it on the floor, and watched it form a dark red pool.
James had told him when he left to pray for peace - not for him, but for Harry. Sirius laughed, bitterly at the memory. James had prayed for peace, but all it brought him was death. Sirius didn't want peace.
No, all Sirius wanted now was vengeance.
Character(s): Sirius
Author Notes: Sirius the morning after he found out James was dead. Rated PG for depressing themes.
Sirius came to Godric's Hollow that morning, that dreadful morning when it felt like the world had ended. James was dead, and he saw no sign of his friend - his youthful, laughing friend - in the cold body lying on the ground. James was dead.
He left on his motorbike, the one James had bought for him when he was seventeen, and flew away, hoping to forget, numb away all the pain and misery and loneliness with the wind in his hair and the sun at his back, the way he had when he'd run away.
It rained that morning, and he felt caught in a nightmare.
Without thinking, hearing only the wind and with only grief to guide him, he flew the only place he ever had when he was unhappy: the Shrieking Shack, where they had first performed Animagus transformations, first brewed Polyjuice Potion, where they had created the Marauder's Map. It was the place where they had worked together as teenagers, concocting plans and brewing potions, laughing at the world and risking it all without fear.
James had been there the day last time Sirius saw him, trying yet another potion to see if it would protect against the Cruiciatus. He had talked about Harry and Lily, and had been the brother Regulus never was. He had grinned at Sirius and said he'd be back.
Sirius walked in silently, half-expecting James to greet him at the door as he always had, but the Shack was still. Still as the grave, he thought, seeing James lying there on the ground. It was still as the dead.
Quickly, he turned, grief suddenly turned to rage, and reached for the vial James had left before he went into hiding. He couldn't touch it, before, couldn't help but hope that James would come back and finish what he was doing with it. Now, he smashed it on the floor, and watched it form a dark red pool.
James had told him when he left to pray for peace - not for him, but for Harry. Sirius laughed, bitterly at the memory. James had prayed for peace, but all it brought him was death. Sirius didn't want peace.
No, all Sirius wanted now was vengeance.