Location: Prewett Estate Date: June 27, 1984 With: @asphodelroot
Sirius hadn’t been to Prewett Estate since the meeting had concluded after the mission. It was something of a miracle that everyone had made it out of the mission relatively okay, but it was clear now more than ever before that there was a spy, and Sirius was frustrated. Again, information had been leaked, and they’d almost lost one of their own - his stomach had dropped when he’d heard about Lily’s injuries - nevermind the dozens of injuries sustained by the rest of them. The mission, while ultimately successful, had been a shitshow, and they still were no closer to finding the spy.
But they’d encountered Dark Magic - new magic - that Sirius hadn’t seen before, hexes and enchantments that required quick reactions to stop irreparable damage, the Fiendfyre that acted as though it could think as it had encased the house. The more Sirius thought about it, the more he was convinced that the Death Eaters had the upperhand over them, especially with someone inside their ranks infiltrating the Order. And so, more than ever, he felt the need to act, to do something, because sitting around just wasn’t an option.
Exploring Dark Magic allowed him to do something, even if he hadn’t made much headway on his own in the months since James had returned. His time had been occupied, of course, by having his person alive and back, and thus his venture into Dark Magic had taken a backseat to James. But the thought was ever-present, as working at the Flaming Dragon allowed him access to characters and the information and stories they would unwittingly share after having a drink too many. Sirius was learning, expanding his horizons into new types of magic, and practicing his spell-work on his own when not with James.
But that was the problem, was that he was nearly always with James, and in his friend’s return had come sides being chosen and lines being drawn in the sand, and one casualty had been his and Lily’s friendship. In breaking up with James, she had broken up with Sirius - always a package deal - and Sirius was upset with her. So, he did the most mature thing he knew how to do: essentially cut her out.
He didn’t anticipate missing her quite so much, nor did he anticipate her nearly getting killed on the mission. And it was that that had pushed him to writing a quick note - “Prewett Estate, the old room. Wednesday at 6. Be there -SB” - and sending it off with an owl.
The room was once a bedroom with a small sitting area, but most recently had been claimed in the name of their Dark Arts foray. It was tucked away in the Estate enough to not draw too much notice to its use, but it had housed many late night debates as to practicalities and techniques while pouring over collected tomes of information. There was almost a sense of nostalgia that crept over Sirius as he settled onto the edge of the old bed, the frame creaking beneath him.
He glanced over only once he heard the door open and Lily appeared, and a ghost of a smile flitted over his face. “Evans,” he greeted, “Glad to see you’re still alive. From what I hear, you had a rough go.” There was something to be said about the first few words spoken to someone after not speaking for months - it brought something like a sense of relief. “But I am, uh, glad you’re okay. Really.”