Mischief Managed ♦ Fic: Snow Warriors
Title: Snow Warriors
Author: deathlydragon
Pairing: Sirius, Regulus, James.
Rating: G
Word Count: 2,333
Prompt: #23, "It snowed last year, too. I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea."
Warnings: None.
Summary: There used to be a time when Sirius’ best friend was not James Potter.
Author's Notes: I realised too late that this prompt would’ve worked better for art… But I had this cute moment in my head and wanted to give it a try. Hope someone enjoys it! Many thanks to K. for the beta!
Eyes narrowed to thin slits, ten-year-old Sirius Black looked over the wall of snow blocks. He had spent the entire day building a small snow fort in the backyard of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Now, finally, his first victim stepped into view.
His younger brother Regulus hopped down the stairs and looked around. Sirius hid behind his fort while Regulus took in the sight of snow-covered bushes and frozen roses. He eventually noticed Sirius’ footsteps destroying the perfection of the white blanket on the ground.
“Sirius?” Regulus approached the fort, but he did not look over the wall. “Sirius, are you out here?”
Sirius hid his grin behind his glove, swallowing several laughs as the noise of Regulus’ footsteps assured him of his safety behind his fort. Cautiously, he peeked over the edge of the snow wall and watched his brother standing in the middle of the garden. The way Regulus kneaded his thickly gloved hands together made him look lost and aroused pity in Sirius. But then again, the sight of his brother wrapped in so many layers of wool was too adorable for Sirius to feel sorry for him. He wore a dark-blue scarf with matching mittens and his dark cloak made his slender form appear twice the size he normally did.
After looking around for several minutes, Regulus crouched to the ground. He drew patterns into the untouched snow, then gathered a handful of it and shaped a ball. Sirius had countless snowballs built up around him, carefully hidden behind the walls of his fort, but Regulus did not stop at one snowball. He rolled his ball over the ground so that it picked up more snow and grew larger. Regulus then got up and rolled the ball with both hands around the garden until he was satisfied with the size.
Then he made another snowball, a smaller one, and lifted it on top of the first. Sirius felt irritation welling up inside him. Normally, they built the snowman together. It was a brother-thing. At the first sign of snow, Regulus did not stop annoying Sirius and literally dragged him outside. This year was a little different because Regulus had been sick. He got sick quite easily, nothing serious and always easily cured, but Sirius still heard the echo of his mother screaming at him that it was all his fault because he was the one forcing Regulus to spend the entire day outside.
It was not his fault! Regulus stayed outside even without his big brother. And he was able to build their snowman alone.
Sirius grabbed one of his snowballs as Regulus sat the smallest ball of snow on top of the middle section. It was too much to see Regulus use pebbles to form the snowman’s smile.
Sirius appeared from behind the snow fort and threw his snowball at the snowman, forcefully enough to make it lose the pebble-smile. Regulus gasped, quickly reaching out to save the snowman’s head, which almost fell from the middle section as another snowball hit it. Sirius had dozens more of them and he grabbed one snowball after another, fast as lightning, to throw them all at the slanting snowman.
“Sirius!” Regulus hugged the snowman in his attempt to save it. He was awful at playing the hero, and the only reason why the snowman did not break inside his embrace was Sirius’ compassion. He stopped wasting his snowballs on Regulus’ new best friend.
“Reggie?” With a malicious smile, Sirius supported his weight on the wall of snow blocks, one snowball in his free hand. He threw it into the air and caught it again.
Regulus scowled at him. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why are you building such an unstable snowman?” Sirius pretended to throw his snowball and started laughing as Regulus jumped protectively in front of the snowman. His brother’s scowl became more forceful and reddening cheeks accompanied it.
“Because you’d rather hide than help me,” Regulus explained.
Sirius narrowed his eyes to challenging slits. “This is war, Brother. And you and your stunted friend are standing on the wrong side.”
The words needed a moment before they planted the right idea in Regulus’ mind. Understanding eventually tugged his lips upwards and he put a hand into the pocket of his cloak. Sirius frowned.
“Maybe we are. But considering you’re all alone, it’s an advantage.” Regulus pulled a long stick of wood out of his pocket. Sirius’ mouth dropped open, and then he started laughing loudly.
“Merlin’s pants, Reggie! You’ve stolen Father’s wand!”
“I’ve borrowed his surrogate wand,” Regulus clarified, only increasing Sirius’ laughter. “Just you wait, Brother. I’ll have the last laugh.” He pointed the wand at the snowman in a quite dramatic gesture, but that did not impress Sirius. Neither of them were studying at Hogwarts yet, and the only magic they had done was either by accident or secretly practised when both their parents had been away. Regulus could not do more than turn the snowman pink.
Or maybe more?
Sirius’ mouth formed a perfect O as he watched the snowman waking to life. The pebbles in its face formed a sharper expression and the snow in the middle section grew a pair of arms - or more precisely a snowball-throwing-machine. The arms started whirling around like windmills and Sirius did not know where they came from, but countless snowballs flew in his direction. With huge eyes, Sirius ducked behind his snow fort.
The snowballs banged loudly, almost like they were made of stone, against the protecting wall. Sirius feared for his snow fort. He had put so much work into it and now everything would be destroyed by a bloody snowman? No. That was a game Sirius Black would not play.
Sirius crawled to the right until the snowballs bumped against his fort in a safe distance. Silently, he prepared to be hit by masses of snow within a second, but there was no fear welling up, just excitement. Spurred on by this prickling feeling, Sirius jumped to his feet.
Regulus looked at him, blinked, and lowered the wand. The snowman mimicked his reaction and watched Sirius, who slid in one smooth motion over the walls of his fort.
Sirius focused on the snowman and took a run at it, screaming at the top of his lungs. He stretched his arms out and threw himself at the snowman, before another snowball could fly into his direction. The snowman’s pebble-mouth dropped when Sirius tackled it down, smashing the body completely as he landed on top of it.
There was a long moment of silence, only broken by the noise of Sirius shifting on the snow. He propped himself up on his hands and looked at the snow hill that once had been Regulus’ puppet on a string. A smile dug its way into Sirius’ face, causing his cheeks to hurt because of the hugeness. Already grinning like a complete idiot, Sirius started laughing as though he had lost his mind.
At least, Regulus looked at him as if he was insane….
Crossing his arms, Regulus gave him the most successful pout in his repertoire. Only Sirius was not their father, and pursing his lips like that would not get Regulus whatever he wanted.
“Uhm…” Well, maybe the pout did work. Sirius gulped as he sat up and the guilty conscience already lay so heavily on his shoulders that rising to his feet seemed surprisingly hard. “I’m sorry.”
Regulus’ eyebrows made a hard, straight line.
Sirius gulped again, it seemed harder, like his throat was constricted. “I’m going to build you a new one?”
Regulus did not react well to that suggestion. He unfolded his arms, but only gave a hard shove against Sirius’ chest, pushing him harshly back to the ground.
Sirius rubbed his painfully throbbing backside. “Ouch.”
Regulus’ mouth twitched, but he successfully suppressed his smile and lifted his chin proudly. With a disrespectful snort, he turned on the spot and headed for the door. But Sirius did not let his baby brother treat him like that. He dived over and grabbed Regulus’ legs, pressing them together until Regulus was unable to walk. He stumbled, tried to retrieve his equilibrium and failed miserably. With a loud bang, he fell on his face.
Sirius sneered and crawled over Regulus, who struggled to turn around under the weight of his brother. When Regulus finally managed to roll on his back, Sirius had already grabbed a handful of snow. He smashed it straight on Regulus’ face.
Regulus squeaked, but Sirius’ loud laughter drowned out the sound. It was only when something cold hit his neck that Sirius stopped laughing; instead, he shuddered as Regulus stuffed one handful of snow into his collar. Although Sirius’ attention shifted to the ice-cold substance that melted between the layers of thick clothing and his skin, Regulus was unable to shove him away, unsuccessfully slamming his fists against his brother’s chest.
“Sirius! You’re heavy!”
“And you’re way too thin,” Sirius replied before he rolled off his brother. Regulus slapped him on the stomach. Sirius returned that and started laughing as Regulus coughed because of the rough treatment. Or maybe he was still sick, because he let out a loud sneeze shortly afterwards that put an end to Sirius’ laughter.
He looked at his brother, who lay on the snow with his eyes directed skyward, breathing heavily. His cheeks and nose were red, but Sirius had not seen Regulus smile this contently ever since he had been sick.
Regulus sensed Sirius’ stare and turned his head toward him. His brow knitted questioningly and Sirius shook his head, assuring Regulus that everything was fine. Regulus smiled at him and then blinked as a snowflake landed right on his nose. He crossed his eyes to stare at it, looking so stupid that Sirius laughed again.
Snowflakes whirled in soft spirals down to them; small, unique crystals filling the holes Regulus’ attempt to make a snowman had left on the ground.
“Look, Sirius!” Regulus reached a hand out and caught a snowflake in his palm. “There’ll be enough for another snowman, soon. Are we going to build this one together?” He asked this so hopefully that no one could actually say ‘No,’ and Sirius had to admit that he wanted to build the snowman together with his brother, but the next sneeze that escaped Regulus filled him with hesitation.
“Nah… let’s go back inside,” he suggested.
Regulus pouted again. “You don’t want to do this anymore, right? That’s why you built this - this fort. Alone.”
“Reggie…” Sirius elbowed his brother. “You’re my best friend. You know that. There’s no one else I want to fight snow wars with.”
Regulus’ smile was full of embarrassment, but that only looked cute on him. Sirius reached out to pinch his brother’s cheek.
“How about a cup of tea?” Sirius sat up and grinned at Regulus, who balanced on the edge of embarrassment to disappointment. “And later we can build our snowman. A big one, and a - a smaller one for you. Then we’ll make them battle, yeah?”
Regulus arched an eyebrow at him. “You just got your eyes on Father’s wand.”
“Doesn’t that apply to both of us?” He winked at Regulus and moved to sit up. Regulus snorted when Sirius reached out a hand to help him to his feet, but eventually he grabbed it.
“Stop discussing Father’s wand and make me tea.”
-
“Do you want another cup of tea? Sirius? Sirius, are you listening to me?” James Potter leant over the table in the Great Hall, trying to get Sirius’ attention by peering over the edge of the letter that hid Sirius’ face.
A letter from his baby brother, who was now without a friend at Grimmauld Place for three months.
“Who sent you that awfully distracting letter?” James ripped the parchment out of Sirius’ hands and slumped back on his seat, too far away from Sirius to get the letter back right away, and James’s reflexes were too good to make that easy, anyway. Clearing his throat, James prepared to read the letter out loud:
“Dear Sirius, I miss you so much. The first snow fell the other day, but it was just not the same without you here, blah, blah, blahblahblah. I cannot wait for you to come home for Christmas and…” James frowned and his huge grin crooked. “Hey… I thought you’d stay in Hogwarts over the holidays, mate.”
Sirius looked down at the picture Regulus had sent him along with the letter. He had been able to hide it successfully from James, but looking down at his brother practising with their father’s wand to make the snowman dance suddenly did not make him happy anymore.
“Sirius…” James folded his arms on the table, still holding onto the letter. His pout was even more convincing than Regulus’ had ever been. “That’s awful. My parents are gone over the holidays. I’ve got to stay here. I hoped you wouldn’t want to go home… after everything you told me about your family.”
Sirius gulped. Hard. Carefully hidden from James’ eyes, he shoved the picture into the pocket of his robes, and suddenly it felt a lot easier to smile.
“Sure! I mean… I’d do anything to stay away from those pathetic snobs.” Sirius’ hand was shaking as he pulled it out of the pocket and away from the picture. But the feeling of guilt disappeared quickly as he reached over the table and sealed the promise with a clasp of hands.
“Awesome!” James beamed. “And I almost thought you were one of those wizards whose best friend is his brother.”
Sirius laughed, but somehow it felt forced. “No, never.”
James, strangely enough, seemed to sense that. His smile softened. “You know… I’m fighting a pretty good snow war, if you know what I mean.” His eyes shifted to the ceiling, where the snowflakes danced on the azure sky.
Sirius returned the mischievous smile James flashed him. “Challenge accepted.”
Author: deathlydragon
Pairing: Sirius, Regulus, James.
Rating: G
Word Count: 2,333
Prompt: #23, "It snowed last year, too. I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea."
Warnings: None.
Summary: There used to be a time when Sirius’ best friend was not James Potter.
Author's Notes: I realised too late that this prompt would’ve worked better for art… But I had this cute moment in my head and wanted to give it a try. Hope someone enjoys it! Many thanks to K. for the beta!
Eyes narrowed to thin slits, ten-year-old Sirius Black looked over the wall of snow blocks. He had spent the entire day building a small snow fort in the backyard of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Now, finally, his first victim stepped into view.
His younger brother Regulus hopped down the stairs and looked around. Sirius hid behind his fort while Regulus took in the sight of snow-covered bushes and frozen roses. He eventually noticed Sirius’ footsteps destroying the perfection of the white blanket on the ground.
“Sirius?” Regulus approached the fort, but he did not look over the wall. “Sirius, are you out here?”
Sirius hid his grin behind his glove, swallowing several laughs as the noise of Regulus’ footsteps assured him of his safety behind his fort. Cautiously, he peeked over the edge of the snow wall and watched his brother standing in the middle of the garden. The way Regulus kneaded his thickly gloved hands together made him look lost and aroused pity in Sirius. But then again, the sight of his brother wrapped in so many layers of wool was too adorable for Sirius to feel sorry for him. He wore a dark-blue scarf with matching mittens and his dark cloak made his slender form appear twice the size he normally did.
After looking around for several minutes, Regulus crouched to the ground. He drew patterns into the untouched snow, then gathered a handful of it and shaped a ball. Sirius had countless snowballs built up around him, carefully hidden behind the walls of his fort, but Regulus did not stop at one snowball. He rolled his ball over the ground so that it picked up more snow and grew larger. Regulus then got up and rolled the ball with both hands around the garden until he was satisfied with the size.
Then he made another snowball, a smaller one, and lifted it on top of the first. Sirius felt irritation welling up inside him. Normally, they built the snowman together. It was a brother-thing. At the first sign of snow, Regulus did not stop annoying Sirius and literally dragged him outside. This year was a little different because Regulus had been sick. He got sick quite easily, nothing serious and always easily cured, but Sirius still heard the echo of his mother screaming at him that it was all his fault because he was the one forcing Regulus to spend the entire day outside.
It was not his fault! Regulus stayed outside even without his big brother. And he was able to build their snowman alone.
Sirius grabbed one of his snowballs as Regulus sat the smallest ball of snow on top of the middle section. It was too much to see Regulus use pebbles to form the snowman’s smile.
Sirius appeared from behind the snow fort and threw his snowball at the snowman, forcefully enough to make it lose the pebble-smile. Regulus gasped, quickly reaching out to save the snowman’s head, which almost fell from the middle section as another snowball hit it. Sirius had dozens more of them and he grabbed one snowball after another, fast as lightning, to throw them all at the slanting snowman.
“Sirius!” Regulus hugged the snowman in his attempt to save it. He was awful at playing the hero, and the only reason why the snowman did not break inside his embrace was Sirius’ compassion. He stopped wasting his snowballs on Regulus’ new best friend.
“Reggie?” With a malicious smile, Sirius supported his weight on the wall of snow blocks, one snowball in his free hand. He threw it into the air and caught it again.
Regulus scowled at him. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why are you building such an unstable snowman?” Sirius pretended to throw his snowball and started laughing as Regulus jumped protectively in front of the snowman. His brother’s scowl became more forceful and reddening cheeks accompanied it.
“Because you’d rather hide than help me,” Regulus explained.
Sirius narrowed his eyes to challenging slits. “This is war, Brother. And you and your stunted friend are standing on the wrong side.”
The words needed a moment before they planted the right idea in Regulus’ mind. Understanding eventually tugged his lips upwards and he put a hand into the pocket of his cloak. Sirius frowned.
“Maybe we are. But considering you’re all alone, it’s an advantage.” Regulus pulled a long stick of wood out of his pocket. Sirius’ mouth dropped open, and then he started laughing loudly.
“Merlin’s pants, Reggie! You’ve stolen Father’s wand!”
“I’ve borrowed his surrogate wand,” Regulus clarified, only increasing Sirius’ laughter. “Just you wait, Brother. I’ll have the last laugh.” He pointed the wand at the snowman in a quite dramatic gesture, but that did not impress Sirius. Neither of them were studying at Hogwarts yet, and the only magic they had done was either by accident or secretly practised when both their parents had been away. Regulus could not do more than turn the snowman pink.
Or maybe more?
Sirius’ mouth formed a perfect O as he watched the snowman waking to life. The pebbles in its face formed a sharper expression and the snow in the middle section grew a pair of arms - or more precisely a snowball-throwing-machine. The arms started whirling around like windmills and Sirius did not know where they came from, but countless snowballs flew in his direction. With huge eyes, Sirius ducked behind his snow fort.
The snowballs banged loudly, almost like they were made of stone, against the protecting wall. Sirius feared for his snow fort. He had put so much work into it and now everything would be destroyed by a bloody snowman? No. That was a game Sirius Black would not play.
Sirius crawled to the right until the snowballs bumped against his fort in a safe distance. Silently, he prepared to be hit by masses of snow within a second, but there was no fear welling up, just excitement. Spurred on by this prickling feeling, Sirius jumped to his feet.
Regulus looked at him, blinked, and lowered the wand. The snowman mimicked his reaction and watched Sirius, who slid in one smooth motion over the walls of his fort.
Sirius focused on the snowman and took a run at it, screaming at the top of his lungs. He stretched his arms out and threw himself at the snowman, before another snowball could fly into his direction. The snowman’s pebble-mouth dropped when Sirius tackled it down, smashing the body completely as he landed on top of it.
There was a long moment of silence, only broken by the noise of Sirius shifting on the snow. He propped himself up on his hands and looked at the snow hill that once had been Regulus’ puppet on a string. A smile dug its way into Sirius’ face, causing his cheeks to hurt because of the hugeness. Already grinning like a complete idiot, Sirius started laughing as though he had lost his mind.
At least, Regulus looked at him as if he was insane….
Crossing his arms, Regulus gave him the most successful pout in his repertoire. Only Sirius was not their father, and pursing his lips like that would not get Regulus whatever he wanted.
“Uhm…” Well, maybe the pout did work. Sirius gulped as he sat up and the guilty conscience already lay so heavily on his shoulders that rising to his feet seemed surprisingly hard. “I’m sorry.”
Regulus’ eyebrows made a hard, straight line.
Sirius gulped again, it seemed harder, like his throat was constricted. “I’m going to build you a new one?”
Regulus did not react well to that suggestion. He unfolded his arms, but only gave a hard shove against Sirius’ chest, pushing him harshly back to the ground.
Sirius rubbed his painfully throbbing backside. “Ouch.”
Regulus’ mouth twitched, but he successfully suppressed his smile and lifted his chin proudly. With a disrespectful snort, he turned on the spot and headed for the door. But Sirius did not let his baby brother treat him like that. He dived over and grabbed Regulus’ legs, pressing them together until Regulus was unable to walk. He stumbled, tried to retrieve his equilibrium and failed miserably. With a loud bang, he fell on his face.
Sirius sneered and crawled over Regulus, who struggled to turn around under the weight of his brother. When Regulus finally managed to roll on his back, Sirius had already grabbed a handful of snow. He smashed it straight on Regulus’ face.
Regulus squeaked, but Sirius’ loud laughter drowned out the sound. It was only when something cold hit his neck that Sirius stopped laughing; instead, he shuddered as Regulus stuffed one handful of snow into his collar. Although Sirius’ attention shifted to the ice-cold substance that melted between the layers of thick clothing and his skin, Regulus was unable to shove him away, unsuccessfully slamming his fists against his brother’s chest.
“Sirius! You’re heavy!”
“And you’re way too thin,” Sirius replied before he rolled off his brother. Regulus slapped him on the stomach. Sirius returned that and started laughing as Regulus coughed because of the rough treatment. Or maybe he was still sick, because he let out a loud sneeze shortly afterwards that put an end to Sirius’ laughter.
He looked at his brother, who lay on the snow with his eyes directed skyward, breathing heavily. His cheeks and nose were red, but Sirius had not seen Regulus smile this contently ever since he had been sick.
Regulus sensed Sirius’ stare and turned his head toward him. His brow knitted questioningly and Sirius shook his head, assuring Regulus that everything was fine. Regulus smiled at him and then blinked as a snowflake landed right on his nose. He crossed his eyes to stare at it, looking so stupid that Sirius laughed again.
Snowflakes whirled in soft spirals down to them; small, unique crystals filling the holes Regulus’ attempt to make a snowman had left on the ground.
“Look, Sirius!” Regulus reached a hand out and caught a snowflake in his palm. “There’ll be enough for another snowman, soon. Are we going to build this one together?” He asked this so hopefully that no one could actually say ‘No,’ and Sirius had to admit that he wanted to build the snowman together with his brother, but the next sneeze that escaped Regulus filled him with hesitation.
“Nah… let’s go back inside,” he suggested.
Regulus pouted again. “You don’t want to do this anymore, right? That’s why you built this - this fort. Alone.”
“Reggie…” Sirius elbowed his brother. “You’re my best friend. You know that. There’s no one else I want to fight snow wars with.”
Regulus’ smile was full of embarrassment, but that only looked cute on him. Sirius reached out to pinch his brother’s cheek.
“How about a cup of tea?” Sirius sat up and grinned at Regulus, who balanced on the edge of embarrassment to disappointment. “And later we can build our snowman. A big one, and a - a smaller one for you. Then we’ll make them battle, yeah?”
Regulus arched an eyebrow at him. “You just got your eyes on Father’s wand.”
“Doesn’t that apply to both of us?” He winked at Regulus and moved to sit up. Regulus snorted when Sirius reached out a hand to help him to his feet, but eventually he grabbed it.
“Stop discussing Father’s wand and make me tea.”
-
“Do you want another cup of tea? Sirius? Sirius, are you listening to me?” James Potter leant over the table in the Great Hall, trying to get Sirius’ attention by peering over the edge of the letter that hid Sirius’ face.
A letter from his baby brother, who was now without a friend at Grimmauld Place for three months.
“Who sent you that awfully distracting letter?” James ripped the parchment out of Sirius’ hands and slumped back on his seat, too far away from Sirius to get the letter back right away, and James’s reflexes were too good to make that easy, anyway. Clearing his throat, James prepared to read the letter out loud:
“Dear Sirius, I miss you so much. The first snow fell the other day, but it was just not the same without you here, blah, blah, blahblahblah. I cannot wait for you to come home for Christmas and…” James frowned and his huge grin crooked. “Hey… I thought you’d stay in Hogwarts over the holidays, mate.”
Sirius looked down at the picture Regulus had sent him along with the letter. He had been able to hide it successfully from James, but looking down at his brother practising with their father’s wand to make the snowman dance suddenly did not make him happy anymore.
“Sirius…” James folded his arms on the table, still holding onto the letter. His pout was even more convincing than Regulus’ had ever been. “That’s awful. My parents are gone over the holidays. I’ve got to stay here. I hoped you wouldn’t want to go home… after everything you told me about your family.”
Sirius gulped. Hard. Carefully hidden from James’ eyes, he shoved the picture into the pocket of his robes, and suddenly it felt a lot easier to smile.
“Sure! I mean… I’d do anything to stay away from those pathetic snobs.” Sirius’ hand was shaking as he pulled it out of the pocket and away from the picture. But the feeling of guilt disappeared quickly as he reached over the table and sealed the promise with a clasp of hands.
“Awesome!” James beamed. “And I almost thought you were one of those wizards whose best friend is his brother.”
Sirius laughed, but somehow it felt forced. “No, never.”
James, strangely enough, seemed to sense that. His smile softened. “You know… I’m fighting a pretty good snow war, if you know what I mean.” His eyes shifted to the ceiling, where the snowflakes danced on the azure sky.
Sirius returned the mischievous smile James flashed him. “Challenge accepted.”