Painted Scars // WOLFSTAR

Summer Break, 1973 (Part Two)

"Sirius," Regulus said, making him jump. He was sitting on the sofa with a book in his hand, clad in a pair of dress shorts and a T-shirt, and Sirius hadn't seen him when entering the living room. "Where are you going?" he asked, eyeing the hand that Sirius had on the container of Floo Powder.

It was Twelve o'clock on Saturday, a week from last Tuesday, and James had invited him out to Diagon Alley. In his anger at his father, he decided to say yes to the invitation. Of course, he'd done so without consulting his parents in the slightest, and he was currently attempting to sneak out right in front of his little brother.

"Uh," he said smartly, searching for a response. "You know." He waved his hand around in the air, hoping his brother wouldn't press the matter. Regulus searched him, his expression suddenly anxious.

"You're sneaking out, aren't you?" he asked, shutting his book and setting it on the glass table beside the sofa, attention now fully on Sirius.

"What?" Sirius asked, extending the 'a' in a failed attempt to sound nonchalant. "Alright, yes, but you can't tell Mum and Dad," he admitted easily, deciding there was no point in lying. Besides, he needed someone to cover for him while he was gone, and Regulus wasn't stupid enough to rat him out to their parents.

"No, Sirius, don't," Regulus panicked. "They'll kill you if they find out." Sirius just rolled his eyes and resumed gathering the Floo Powder.

"They're not going to find out. Just cover for me for a few hours, I'll be back in no time."

"Why don't you just ask them if you can go? Don't do this, you know what will happen."

"I'd be in more trouble asking them than I would be in just leaving. I'll just say I had to get new robes or something. Just chill out, Reggie, it's going to be fine," he assured, though he wasn't sure if that was true. Regulus thought for a moment as Sirius stepped into the Floo.

"You're going out with James, aren't you?" he asked, hitting the nail on the head. "Sirius, I thought you told Mum that you weren't friends with him anymore."

"Yes, well, I lied. If she asks tell her I'm in Knockturn Alley." He threw the powder down at his feet, green flames encasing the bottoms of his legs.

"Sirius, wait–!"

"Diagon Alley!" he cried, the flames eating him up and taking him away from the boy's shared living room. He did feel a bit bad, leaving Regulus to cover for him only because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he felt as though he owed it to him. Besides, he was too worried for his own ass to worry about Regulus'. He just hoped he wouldn't be missed.

The ride was as sickening as always, but Sirius was able to power through it on account of excitement for seeing James. He tucked his shoulders and elbows in tightly, hoping the trip would be short. It took him a couple of minutes to find James, but he shouted out his name when he did.

"James!" Sirius said when he saw him for the first time in two months. The boy turned around, spotting him and beaming, and ran up to give him a hug. "Merlin, I've missed you. That house is bloody awful." Instead of responding, James just tilted his head behind the pair, and he realized Peter was standing there as well.

It wasn't that Sirius didn't want Peter to know about his family, it was just a bit of a touchy subject. It was for the best if Pete was in the dark about it.

"Peter!" he said excitedly, gesturing him over and throwing an arm around his shoulder. "How've you been, mate? I didn't know you were coming!" He was a bit bigger, and he'd cut his hair since last.

"Alright. James invited the lot of us."

"Oh, is Remus here?" Sirius asked, looking around for the gangly werewolf. He was hoping they'd say yes; he wanted to tell him all about the dinner party.