[Fic] Chance Encounter
Title: Chance Encounter
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Warnings: none
Rating: T
Summary: After escaping Azkaban, Sirius decides to take a little detour on his way to Hogwarts in order to try and catch a glimpse at Remus, but it isn't the werewolf he runs into.
The big black dog padded down the streets of London, panting lightly from the long journey he had made. He had been on the road now for several weeks now, stopping only to find food and rest a bit. If he stayed in one place for too long he feared people would grow suspicious, although he rightly knew that no one knew his secret. He stared up at the familiar street signs, walking down roads that he hadn’t treaded on for over a decade. Still, it all came so naturally to him. His feet guided him back to the place where his heart still resided. The only problem was that he didn’t know if the man he was seeking still lived there.
Not that he could risk a chance of being seen by him even if he still lived in the flat. He didn’t even know why he had come this way--it was a stupid idea. If he was spotted he could very well be turned in and wind up back in Azkaban. He shuddered at the thought. But, if he was stealthy enough, perhaps he could sneak a peek at the man he loved. He wondered if he had been eating alright. How had he fared on nights of the full moon alone? Did he have enough money to support himself? What if he had been ill? Who took care of him in Sirius’s absence?
Padfoot’s strides became wider as he approached his destination. He would find out if Remus still lived in their flat--at last, he would have his first view of him since he had been arrested. Finally, he could wash away the image of Remus Lupin that had been trapped in his mind since the day of James and Lily’s death; that look of utter shock and disbelief, that look of shame on his face, the tears running down his scarred cheeks.
Shaking his head, Sirius cleared his thoughts and crossed the street, ducking behind a hedge and steeling himself to peer out behind it. When he did, he saw not the man he had been expecting, but a teenaged boy. He felt his heart drop. Did Remus move? If he did, then how would Sirius find him? No, he shouldn’t go looking for Remus. He was on a mission--this had only been a little side trip that he had made because it was along the road he was taking. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up in the first place.
“Hello there,” called the boy from across the way. He was standing at the end of his drive, holding his hand out and bending low. The smile on his face looked all too familiar.
Cocking his head to the side, Sirius stared back at the boy, his tail thumping against the ground. People didn’t usually pay attention to him--he was rather ragged looking. Not to mention his ribs were sticking out due to emaciation and he more than likely had a terrible case of dog breath.
“Don’t be scared.” the boy whispered, amber eyes shining through his silky black bangs. “I won’t hurt you. Oh--!” Hurriedly, the boy dug into his pocket and pulled out a piece of chocolate. “I was saving this for later, but it looks like you could use it more than me.”
Eying the chocolate, Sirius slowly stepped closer. Really, he wasn’t afraid, but he should be on his way. He was wasting valuable time. The train set off tomorrow for Hogwarts and it would take him a few days to catch up to it in Hogsmeade. He needed to get there as quickly as possible. But that chocolate did look good, and there was something familiar about this boy.
Sirius emerged from behind the bush and slinked his way over to the lad, ducking his head and sniffing at the chocolate. Didn’t this boy know that chocolate was bad for dogs? Good thing Sirius wasn’t actually a dog, or he would have a difficult time digesting it. Still, he ate the sweet and remained calm as the boy reached out and pet him.
“I’ve always wanted a dog,” the boy said. Sirius wondered if many people spoke to animals like this. Maybe this boy was just lonely. “But papa wouldn’t ever let me have one. He gets this distant look in his eyes whenever I talk about dogs. I think he had one before I was born and…well, you get the point.”
Raising his head, Sirius stared up into the boy’s eyes. His heart gave a jolt. He knew this boy--though he had never met him, he knew who he was. At least, he felt he knew him. But how? How was that possible? His mind had to be playing tricks on him--but those eyes. Those eyes were identical to the ones he had spent so many nights staring into.
“I wish I had more to give you,” the boy was saying. He scratched Sirius behind the ears, causing his foot to go wild. He hated when that happened--it was completely beyond his control and right now it was throwing off his concentration. “We’re kinda poor. Papa doesn’t make much money, but we’ll be better off now that Professor Dumbledore hired him.”
Sirius’s heart gave another start. He could practically feel it trying to break free from his protruding ribcage.
“He’ll be working as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.” the boy explained with a smile. That smile was familiar too. It was warm and hid brilliance behind it. “I gather it’s gonna be pretty weird having my papa as my teacher. Not that I don’t want him to be! I love my papa! He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. But I’m sure the others will have a thing or two to say about it.”
Sirius couldn’t help staring at the boy. He wanted to remember him forever. He wanted to stay here, to transform back and wrap this child up in his arms. But he knew he couldn’t. He was a wanted man, and he wouldn’t risk getting caught before he finished what he had set out to do. He would set things right, and then he could come back here one day and set things straight. As a free man.
With the wag of his tail and a happy bark, Sirius jumped into the boy’s arms and licked his face. He tried to convey his thanks the best he could. He was so glad he had a chance to meet this young man, if only for a brief moment. He had to leave before Remus found him lurking here, for he didn’t know what would happen if he was spotted.
The boy laughed and wrapped his arms around the dog, hugging him tightly. “You’re a friendly one, aren’t you?”
Sirius jumped down and backed off, letting the boy’s hand fall from his back to hang at his side. Suddenly, sadness filled those amber eyes and the boy understood what was going on.
“You’re leaving?…” he asked, smiling sadly. The boy would later swear that the dog almost nodded at him. “Alright. Come back and see me again sometime. I promise I’ll have better food. You probably don’t like chocolate, but my papa loves it, so we’ve always got some lying around.”
If he had the ability to smile or cry, he would have been doing both at that moment. But all Sirius could manage was another happy bark and a wag of his tail. He back tracked to the fence, still watching the boy out of the corner of his eye.
“Bye! It was good meeting you!”
Turn around. Go. Leave. You can’t stay here.
Sirius turned his back on the boy, a low whimper escaping his throat. With a moment’s hesitation, he bolted down the block and out of sight, his heart hammering in his chest.
He would come back. He just needed to set things straight first. In the mean time, he would keep the image of the boy’s face burned into his memory and use it to get himself through the hard days that lay ahead of him.
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Warnings: none
Rating: T
Summary: After escaping Azkaban, Sirius decides to take a little detour on his way to Hogwarts in order to try and catch a glimpse at Remus, but it isn't the werewolf he runs into.
The big black dog padded down the streets of London, panting lightly from the long journey he had made. He had been on the road now for several weeks now, stopping only to find food and rest a bit. If he stayed in one place for too long he feared people would grow suspicious, although he rightly knew that no one knew his secret. He stared up at the familiar street signs, walking down roads that he hadn’t treaded on for over a decade. Still, it all came so naturally to him. His feet guided him back to the place where his heart still resided. The only problem was that he didn’t know if the man he was seeking still lived there.
Not that he could risk a chance of being seen by him even if he still lived in the flat. He didn’t even know why he had come this way--it was a stupid idea. If he was spotted he could very well be turned in and wind up back in Azkaban. He shuddered at the thought. But, if he was stealthy enough, perhaps he could sneak a peek at the man he loved. He wondered if he had been eating alright. How had he fared on nights of the full moon alone? Did he have enough money to support himself? What if he had been ill? Who took care of him in Sirius’s absence?
Padfoot’s strides became wider as he approached his destination. He would find out if Remus still lived in their flat--at last, he would have his first view of him since he had been arrested. Finally, he could wash away the image of Remus Lupin that had been trapped in his mind since the day of James and Lily’s death; that look of utter shock and disbelief, that look of shame on his face, the tears running down his scarred cheeks.
Shaking his head, Sirius cleared his thoughts and crossed the street, ducking behind a hedge and steeling himself to peer out behind it. When he did, he saw not the man he had been expecting, but a teenaged boy. He felt his heart drop. Did Remus move? If he did, then how would Sirius find him? No, he shouldn’t go looking for Remus. He was on a mission--this had only been a little side trip that he had made because it was along the road he was taking. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up in the first place.
“Hello there,” called the boy from across the way. He was standing at the end of his drive, holding his hand out and bending low. The smile on his face looked all too familiar.
Cocking his head to the side, Sirius stared back at the boy, his tail thumping against the ground. People didn’t usually pay attention to him--he was rather ragged looking. Not to mention his ribs were sticking out due to emaciation and he more than likely had a terrible case of dog breath.
“Don’t be scared.” the boy whispered, amber eyes shining through his silky black bangs. “I won’t hurt you. Oh--!” Hurriedly, the boy dug into his pocket and pulled out a piece of chocolate. “I was saving this for later, but it looks like you could use it more than me.”
Eying the chocolate, Sirius slowly stepped closer. Really, he wasn’t afraid, but he should be on his way. He was wasting valuable time. The train set off tomorrow for Hogwarts and it would take him a few days to catch up to it in Hogsmeade. He needed to get there as quickly as possible. But that chocolate did look good, and there was something familiar about this boy.
Sirius emerged from behind the bush and slinked his way over to the lad, ducking his head and sniffing at the chocolate. Didn’t this boy know that chocolate was bad for dogs? Good thing Sirius wasn’t actually a dog, or he would have a difficult time digesting it. Still, he ate the sweet and remained calm as the boy reached out and pet him.
“I’ve always wanted a dog,” the boy said. Sirius wondered if many people spoke to animals like this. Maybe this boy was just lonely. “But papa wouldn’t ever let me have one. He gets this distant look in his eyes whenever I talk about dogs. I think he had one before I was born and…well, you get the point.”
Raising his head, Sirius stared up into the boy’s eyes. His heart gave a jolt. He knew this boy--though he had never met him, he knew who he was. At least, he felt he knew him. But how? How was that possible? His mind had to be playing tricks on him--but those eyes. Those eyes were identical to the ones he had spent so many nights staring into.
“I wish I had more to give you,” the boy was saying. He scratched Sirius behind the ears, causing his foot to go wild. He hated when that happened--it was completely beyond his control and right now it was throwing off his concentration. “We’re kinda poor. Papa doesn’t make much money, but we’ll be better off now that Professor Dumbledore hired him.”
Sirius’s heart gave another start. He could practically feel it trying to break free from his protruding ribcage.
“He’ll be working as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.” the boy explained with a smile. That smile was familiar too. It was warm and hid brilliance behind it. “I gather it’s gonna be pretty weird having my papa as my teacher. Not that I don’t want him to be! I love my papa! He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. But I’m sure the others will have a thing or two to say about it.”
Sirius couldn’t help staring at the boy. He wanted to remember him forever. He wanted to stay here, to transform back and wrap this child up in his arms. But he knew he couldn’t. He was a wanted man, and he wouldn’t risk getting caught before he finished what he had set out to do. He would set things right, and then he could come back here one day and set things straight. As a free man.
With the wag of his tail and a happy bark, Sirius jumped into the boy’s arms and licked his face. He tried to convey his thanks the best he could. He was so glad he had a chance to meet this young man, if only for a brief moment. He had to leave before Remus found him lurking here, for he didn’t know what would happen if he was spotted.
The boy laughed and wrapped his arms around the dog, hugging him tightly. “You’re a friendly one, aren’t you?”
Sirius jumped down and backed off, letting the boy’s hand fall from his back to hang at his side. Suddenly, sadness filled those amber eyes and the boy understood what was going on.
“You’re leaving?…” he asked, smiling sadly. The boy would later swear that the dog almost nodded at him. “Alright. Come back and see me again sometime. I promise I’ll have better food. You probably don’t like chocolate, but my papa loves it, so we’ve always got some lying around.”
If he had the ability to smile or cry, he would have been doing both at that moment. But all Sirius could manage was another happy bark and a wag of his tail. He back tracked to the fence, still watching the boy out of the corner of his eye.
“Bye! It was good meeting you!”
Turn around. Go. Leave. You can’t stay here.
Sirius turned his back on the boy, a low whimper escaping his throat. With a moment’s hesitation, he bolted down the block and out of sight, his heart hammering in his chest.
He would come back. He just needed to set things straight first. In the mean time, he would keep the image of the boy’s face burned into his memory and use it to get himself through the hard days that lay ahead of him.