FICLET: Saving Grace (Ginny/Sirius)
Title: Saving Grace
Pairing: Ginny/Sirius
Prompt: anvil
Rating: PG
Word Count: 774
Summary: Loneliness is a dark world. Hellish, even.
Author's Notes: My first-ever fanfic. Can you believe it? I've waited this long to begin... Constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated! :) Also, this takes place just before Order of the Phoenix. Some angst. Done for 7spells. Cross-posted here.
Link to Prompt Table: Here
Chained to Number 12, Grimmauld Place was not the fate Sirius had foreseen. Was this really his fate? It seemed more akin to a joke in poor taste.
The property was now his own, though it certainly didn't belong to him. He could not remember a time when he ever considered it his home; it represented everything he utterly despised. Having to live in its foul, odious atmosphere once again was of course loathsome - and bizarre. And even stranger still: this was the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.
Overwhelmed with all the company, Sirius felt like a stranger in his own house - that is to say, more than usual.
Perhaps the most galling consequence of it all was how utterly, ashamedly unimportant he felt - even as a member of something so important as the Order. He could hardly just walk outside the house, seeing as practically the entire wizarding population still thought he was a murderer gone barmy; the Death Eaters who knew otherwise had found out that he was an unregistered Animagus. Thus, he was virtually useless. The monstrous weight of it all seemed to settle behind his forehead, as though an anvil were implanted there.
Sirius stood in the dark, empty room where he kept Buckbeak, the hippogriff. It was stuffy and stank horribly, and the carpet was chewed and shredded in several areas. The man and the creature exchanged bows. As Sirius proceeded to pet the creature's beak, he felt a sudden emotional gravitation towards it. He clapped a grubby hand to his forehead. Buckbeak was the only one who could possibly understand his frustration now, he knew. If only Buckbeak were human.
A sharp, cold whiff of air caught in his lungs. It pained him greatly that his life had come to this.
* * *
"Sirius."
The jolt of instinct pulsed through his veins, and he whipped his head around. Had he really heard someone calling him? It was barely a whisper, indistinguishable. If it hadn't been in his mind, as Sirius was sure it wasn't, to whom did the voice belong? No one ever called for him - not in this house, not anywhere.
Buckbeak suddenly bit his fourth finger, interrupting his musings. "Ow, what was that for, you stu-?" He checked himself in time, remembering it was unwise to insult a hippogriff. Sirius glared at the creature. He hadn't realized that he had poked Buckbeak near the eye when he turned his head.
"Sirius?" The voice was louder this time, and definitely not imagined.
"In here," he replied gruffly, thinking it was Molly coming to chastise him for not helping around the house.
The door flew open. Ginny stood under its frame, her face slightly flushed. "There you are," she breathed heavily, pausing for a moment to catch her breath. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
She had been looking for him? It was a strange notion. He couldn't possibly imagine why on earth anyone would actually want to see him. Not wishing to face a stranger, he stared intently at his bleeding finger.
She eyed him apprehensively. "Er, are you okay?" The blood was not what bothered her; it was Sirius, as a whole, who didn't seem in a right state.
"Fine." Temper was beginning to throb inside of him. Did no one in this house care for his privacy? Didn't they know he wanted to be alone? With all his might, he tried to will Ginny away. She was as useless to him as he was to anyone.
"Er, well, my mum wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready, so..." Her voice broke off as she took a quick, sweeping glance around the room. Sirius could feel himself sobering up as the pain in his finger began to dull, but he didn't trust himself to give an adequate response. "Okay," Ginny shrugged, understanding his silence as a lack of interest. Pivoting swiftly, she exited the room as suddenly as she had entered.
Bitter, bitter, bitter. What a right little monster he was becoming. He was so afraid of himself now, more than ever. How could he ever trust himself to keep his head?
And then, suddenly, instinct told him to move. He had no idea what he was doing; his feet simply led him surely towards the staircase. Ginny, apparently, had only just reached the top of the staircase herself when she turned to see Sirius approaching. She raised her eyebrows in a penetrating, questioning glance, but Sirius merely smiled broadly at her and continued down the stairs.
The truth was, he never would have come down if she hadn't gone up to find him.
Pairing: Ginny/Sirius
Prompt: anvil
Rating: PG
Word Count: 774
Summary: Loneliness is a dark world. Hellish, even.
Author's Notes: My first-ever fanfic. Can you believe it? I've waited this long to begin... Constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated! :) Also, this takes place just before Order of the Phoenix. Some angst. Done for 7spells. Cross-posted here.
Link to Prompt Table: Here
Chained to Number 12, Grimmauld Place was not the fate Sirius had foreseen. Was this really his fate? It seemed more akin to a joke in poor taste.
The property was now his own, though it certainly didn't belong to him. He could not remember a time when he ever considered it his home; it represented everything he utterly despised. Having to live in its foul, odious atmosphere once again was of course loathsome - and bizarre. And even stranger still: this was the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.
Overwhelmed with all the company, Sirius felt like a stranger in his own house - that is to say, more than usual.
Perhaps the most galling consequence of it all was how utterly, ashamedly unimportant he felt - even as a member of something so important as the Order. He could hardly just walk outside the house, seeing as practically the entire wizarding population still thought he was a murderer gone barmy; the Death Eaters who knew otherwise had found out that he was an unregistered Animagus. Thus, he was virtually useless. The monstrous weight of it all seemed to settle behind his forehead, as though an anvil were implanted there.
Sirius stood in the dark, empty room where he kept Buckbeak, the hippogriff. It was stuffy and stank horribly, and the carpet was chewed and shredded in several areas. The man and the creature exchanged bows. As Sirius proceeded to pet the creature's beak, he felt a sudden emotional gravitation towards it. He clapped a grubby hand to his forehead. Buckbeak was the only one who could possibly understand his frustration now, he knew. If only Buckbeak were human.
A sharp, cold whiff of air caught in his lungs. It pained him greatly that his life had come to this.
* * *
"Sirius."
The jolt of instinct pulsed through his veins, and he whipped his head around. Had he really heard someone calling him? It was barely a whisper, indistinguishable. If it hadn't been in his mind, as Sirius was sure it wasn't, to whom did the voice belong? No one ever called for him - not in this house, not anywhere.
Buckbeak suddenly bit his fourth finger, interrupting his musings. "Ow, what was that for, you stu-?" He checked himself in time, remembering it was unwise to insult a hippogriff. Sirius glared at the creature. He hadn't realized that he had poked Buckbeak near the eye when he turned his head.
"Sirius?" The voice was louder this time, and definitely not imagined.
"In here," he replied gruffly, thinking it was Molly coming to chastise him for not helping around the house.
The door flew open. Ginny stood under its frame, her face slightly flushed. "There you are," she breathed heavily, pausing for a moment to catch her breath. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
She had been looking for him? It was a strange notion. He couldn't possibly imagine why on earth anyone would actually want to see him. Not wishing to face a stranger, he stared intently at his bleeding finger.
She eyed him apprehensively. "Er, are you okay?" The blood was not what bothered her; it was Sirius, as a whole, who didn't seem in a right state.
"Fine." Temper was beginning to throb inside of him. Did no one in this house care for his privacy? Didn't they know he wanted to be alone? With all his might, he tried to will Ginny away. She was as useless to him as he was to anyone.
"Er, well, my mum wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready, so..." Her voice broke off as she took a quick, sweeping glance around the room. Sirius could feel himself sobering up as the pain in his finger began to dull, but he didn't trust himself to give an adequate response. "Okay," Ginny shrugged, understanding his silence as a lack of interest. Pivoting swiftly, she exited the room as suddenly as she had entered.
Bitter, bitter, bitter. What a right little monster he was becoming. He was so afraid of himself now, more than ever. How could he ever trust himself to keep his head?
And then, suddenly, instinct told him to move. He had no idea what he was doing; his feet simply led him surely towards the staircase. Ginny, apparently, had only just reached the top of the staircase herself when she turned to see Sirius approaching. She raised her eyebrows in a penetrating, questioning glance, but Sirius merely smiled broadly at her and continued down the stairs.
The truth was, he never would have come down if she hadn't gone up to find him.