@astrasirius
Checking the clock above the fireplace, James couldn’t help but think it strange that Sirius wasn’t home yet—he knew he was due to finish work almost two hours ago, and the two had made plans to head out for a drink once Sirius got off from work. As it edged closer to 8 o’clock, he thought perhaps Sirius had thought they’d agreed to meet at the pub rather than at the house, so he decided to head into Hogsmeade and see if he could find him there. It wouldn’t have been the first time they’d gotten their wires crossed.
Heading out into the entry way, he grabbed his jacket from the coat stand and swung the front door open, almost tripping over something—or someone—as he went to take a step outside. Looking down, his face paled and his breath caught, his heart dropping into his stomach as he caught sight of his best friend, all bloodied and bruised and looking worse than James had ever seen him. And he’d seen him in some states.
Dropping to the floor, James’ brows furrowed as he took a moment to scope out the extent of the damage; he suspected he’d used the last of his energy to get himself home, so much so that he hadn’t even been able to knock. He wondered how long he’d been out there. He was furious at the thought that someone had done this deliberately, it was abundantly clear that someone had set out to hurt him, but he knew there would be plenty of time to be angry later. He needed to make sure he was alright first. “Padfoot?” He started, “What happened? Do you think you can stand?”
