31 October 1981. Instead of going to Azkaban, Sirius Black goes on the run, determined to catch the traitorous Peter Pettigrew even as post-war violence tears through the wizarding world. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin and a handful of others work desperately to clear Sirius' name, and to find him.
After all, they are not the only ones hunting Sirius Black. The Ministry of Magic has set the Dementors on his trail, and they have been given permission to administer the Kiss the instant he is caught. The remnants of the Death Eaters are pursuing him as well, in hopes that he will lead them to Pettigrew, whom they blame for Voldemort's defeat.
Unfortunately, this fic is abandoned, but it's still worth reading. It starts right after the confrontation between Sirius and Peter and from there we follow one of the most brilliant and exquisitely executed AUs I've ever read.
It was posted on LJ and it has formatting errors -- although nothing that can't be fixed/ignored with the help of your browser's reader view.
It has Remus/Sirius as it's main pairing but it takes a while to get there because there's an actual plot.
It has multiple POVs. We follow many characters that play an important part in the way things evolve, like Sirius and Remus but also Phineas Nigellus Black on canvas, Alastor Moody and even Lucius Malfoy.
It's written in present tense, which is absolutely perfect for this story. It adds a sense of inmediacy and urgency that's just *chef's kiss*
In case it's not clear yet, the writing is stellar but so are the characterizations and the world-building.
It's fascinating to see the wizarding world through the lens of people who (unlike Harry) are very familiar with it.
I could go on forever but the main thing is that this is a very interesting AU. You can tell that the author put a lot of heart and effort into it.
For long moments, he cannot move. The sound of sirens rises in the distance, a screaming electronic counterpoint to the sobs and shrieks of the injured and bereaved. Sirius can barely hear it over the voices ringing in his memory: James, saying goodbye just before going under Fidelius; Peter, swearing so earnestly to keep the faith, and his own disbelieving shout of denial when the words Godric's Hollow dropped cold and leaden into his skull as James died and the Fidelius charm was broken.
He wants to scream; he wants to cry, but something bright and jagged catches in his chest and he realizes that he's laughing instead, laughing like his heart will break, and he doesn't think he will be able to stop.
