(no subject)
Time: July 13, 2000
Place: Bar
Status: Public (Complete)
Summary: Sirius comes out of hiding.
When the heat, the tangle of heavy blankets, and the sweat running down his legs became too much, Sirius woke up. He could see the darkness behind the skin of his eyelids, and he clenched his eyes shut until he managed to stop his hands shaking. When he opened them, finally, it wasn’t as bad as it might have been. There were strange shadows on the floor, and after a few seconds of blinking the rough outline of his hand was clear before his eyes. It wasn’t complete darkness, just the darkness of being alone in his room after night had fallen and Remus had left for work.
He hadn’t had to wake like this for some time. Lately, he’d been sleeping during the day when he slept at all, and prowling the grounds or the little town around the manor at nights. He would have preferred to sleep away the times between sunsets and sunrises, but Remus worked nights, and the fear and nausea brought on by the darkness and shadows was nothing compared to not having Remus for the nightmares or those first, terrifying seconds after waking but before his memory returned. Besides, the darkness was easier to ignore in the dog’s world of smells and sounds and fuzzy sights.
The dreams were bad tonight. Sirius waved a hand to turn on the lamp at his bedside and began to rummage through the dresser drawers for the half-empty bottle of firewhiskey he knew was around somewhere, but changed his mind. He wanted to get drunk, but not in the creaky, empty bedroom. He wanted smells and noise and light and laughter and Remus, damn it. Remus had left him for work again, but Sirius was sure if he could find him, he could get Remus to come back upstairs with him. Only Remus was working, and he might get angry if Sirius went and bothered him, and Sirius didn’t know what he’d do if Remus hated him.
There was a bar downstairs, if Sirius remembered it correctly. He’d seen it sometimes on his way out of the manor. It had looked pricey, and truth be told he didn’t want to know anyone in the manor-people who wanted to get to know him better tended to ask a lot of questions he never had the answers to. But maybe if he went there, Remus would see him, and would leave work early and come upstairs and be with him. He allowed himself a small smile at the thought-his friend was so caring sometimes and really might do that.
He pulled on Remus’ worn old jeans and a black shirt that Remus bought him to go out in (he smiled again as he shrugged it over his bony shoulders). There were a few muggle coins in his pocket, and Sirius didn’t think they were worth much but he didn’t know where Remus kept the rest of the money. He closed and locked the door behind him, and crept down the halls and stairways until he reached the bar, careful to stay in the shadows so no one would try to talk to him.
When he reached the bar, he blinked a few times in the brighter light, and sat on one of the barstools. He didn’t look the bartender in the eye, but took the coins out of his pocket and put them on the table. There were six golden ones, and four silver ones in different sizes and shapes.
“Give me the strongest drink I can get for this,” he said, glancing towards the doorway in case Remus walked by.
Place: Bar
Status: Public (Complete)
Summary: Sirius comes out of hiding.
When the heat, the tangle of heavy blankets, and the sweat running down his legs became too much, Sirius woke up. He could see the darkness behind the skin of his eyelids, and he clenched his eyes shut until he managed to stop his hands shaking. When he opened them, finally, it wasn’t as bad as it might have been. There were strange shadows on the floor, and after a few seconds of blinking the rough outline of his hand was clear before his eyes. It wasn’t complete darkness, just the darkness of being alone in his room after night had fallen and Remus had left for work.
He hadn’t had to wake like this for some time. Lately, he’d been sleeping during the day when he slept at all, and prowling the grounds or the little town around the manor at nights. He would have preferred to sleep away the times between sunsets and sunrises, but Remus worked nights, and the fear and nausea brought on by the darkness and shadows was nothing compared to not having Remus for the nightmares or those first, terrifying seconds after waking but before his memory returned. Besides, the darkness was easier to ignore in the dog’s world of smells and sounds and fuzzy sights.
The dreams were bad tonight. Sirius waved a hand to turn on the lamp at his bedside and began to rummage through the dresser drawers for the half-empty bottle of firewhiskey he knew was around somewhere, but changed his mind. He wanted to get drunk, but not in the creaky, empty bedroom. He wanted smells and noise and light and laughter and Remus, damn it. Remus had left him for work again, but Sirius was sure if he could find him, he could get Remus to come back upstairs with him. Only Remus was working, and he might get angry if Sirius went and bothered him, and Sirius didn’t know what he’d do if Remus hated him.
There was a bar downstairs, if Sirius remembered it correctly. He’d seen it sometimes on his way out of the manor. It had looked pricey, and truth be told he didn’t want to know anyone in the manor-people who wanted to get to know him better tended to ask a lot of questions he never had the answers to. But maybe if he went there, Remus would see him, and would leave work early and come upstairs and be with him. He allowed himself a small smile at the thought-his friend was so caring sometimes and really might do that.
He pulled on Remus’ worn old jeans and a black shirt that Remus bought him to go out in (he smiled again as he shrugged it over his bony shoulders). There were a few muggle coins in his pocket, and Sirius didn’t think they were worth much but he didn’t know where Remus kept the rest of the money. He closed and locked the door behind him, and crept down the halls and stairways until he reached the bar, careful to stay in the shadows so no one would try to talk to him.
When he reached the bar, he blinked a few times in the brighter light, and sat on one of the barstools. He didn’t look the bartender in the eye, but took the coins out of his pocket and put them on the table. There were six golden ones, and four silver ones in different sizes and shapes.
“Give me the strongest drink I can get for this,” he said, glancing towards the doorway in case Remus walked by.