Painted Scars // WOLFSTAR

Year Two: Moony

Winter Break was finally over, and Sirius found himself missing the Potters before he'd even left their house. It was the first time that he could confidently say that he didn't want to go back to school. He was fully prepared to spend his days on the Potter's living room floor, playing chess with James, and chatting with Mrs. Potter. There, he was treated with kindness; something that he hadn't experienced much of growing up.

A small part of him was even dreading the thought of going back. Or rather, dreading the thought of returning to the heaps of schoolwork. What kept Sirius going after that winter break in 1972, was knowing that he'd see all of his best friends in no time.

Both Remus and Peter had returned to their homes over the break; Remus, in the Welsh countryside, and Peter, surprisingly close to James. The boys hadn't known about their proximity, but their houses were less than a mile apart; and, according to Mrs. Pettigrew, the pair had played together in their youth. Pete's letter had come only a few days behind Remus', and after discovering how close they lived, the three boys were able to meet up over break one of the days. They sled down the front of James' massive acreage, before lining up like ducks for hot chocolate inside.

So, Sirius was getting pretty antsy to see Remus.

He loved the other two like brothers, but he'd spent two weeks in James' constant company, and he'd just had his time around Peter. Remus, however, he hadn't seen since late December, and the promise of greeting the freckled boy kept him from whining about missing the Potters. Though, it didn't keep him from whining at least a little.

The first glimpse Sirius got of Remus was on the train back. He was sitting in their carriage with his head resting against the metal of the compartment with closed eyes and his body turned away from them. Sirius opened it without a second thought, the metal of the handle cool against his skin.

At the sound, Remus flicked his head up. His eyes were surrounded by dark circles, and his hair was mussed past where he'd ever seen it before, but he still managed a small smile at the two. "You look well rested," he mumbled, having just woken up from a brief nap, taking in his figure.

"Yeah, you don't. What happened?"

Remus just shrugged one shoulder. "Family drama," he said, which was something Sirius knew all too well.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Remus thinned his lips and shook his head. "Another time." Sirius could accept that. He wasn't exactly eager to open up about his family either; though he was incredibly curious.

—

Break was lovely, but it only lasted so long; he had to eventually get back to classes, as much as the thought annoyed him. Sirius was an enigma–or rather, he viewed himself in that way–and he was much too impetuous to spend his time sitting in classes when he could be out, enjoying the world. Or nature, or whatever it was people out of schooling did.

No matter what it was, he wanted to be doing that. Instead, he was forced back into the customary, (and in Sirius' opinion, rather boring,) routine of schoolwork and papers, that would continue until their next break. Now that winter was over, summer felt impossibly far. The rock and the hard place weren't made evident until he remembered that his parents would more than likely force him back to the Black Manor, so the thought of the next break bothered him even more than that of working. It was a conundrum.

But this was not to say that Sirius Black couldn't cope; no, Sirius found ways to forget the long haul ahead of him. Unfortunately for those around him, however, the ways he found were mostly just annoying the ever-loving shit out of them; he was a thirteen-year-old boy, in his defense. (This behaviour continued until he remembered that classes really weren't so bad, and he would fall apart without the routine.)