sybilltrelawnxy​:

Sybill looked back up at him from the keys and narrowed her eyes, lips pressed into a thin line. “So some stranger just… Left these for you.” She clarified, shaking her head. “I don’t like the sound of that.” Sybill held the keys away from her, as if suddenly they might be dangerous. (Which they could be, strangers didn’t just gift keys to school children for no reason.) “Well it’s X marks the spot, right?” She said after examining the map, holding it as gingerly as she’d held the keys, “so it must be in the lake. Whatever it is.” She ran her tongue across her teeth as she thought, “bubble head charm?” 

...

It didn’t seem at all strange to Sirius to have been gifted the gifts by a mystery person, although perhaps he should have been more cautious. But the gifts came with excitement, and Sirius couldn’t ignore just how excited he’d been at the prospect of such a challenge. “They don’t bite, you know. They’re just keys.” He took the keys back from Sybill and tucked them into his pocket with a shrug. “But X marks the spot,” he echoed, bouncing slightly where he stood, excitement bubbling up inside of him. “Bubble head charm, yes! That’s brilliant!” A bright smile stretched over his face. “I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that, yet. Merlin, this is exciting!”

edith-grace​:

“What would be really helpful,” Edith said, tapping her lower lip in thought, “Is if we had a map. Then we could put markers on the doors we’ve checked, and put a mark that matches on the keys and work it out that way. Maybe they’re to places outside the castle too. When’s the next Hogsmeade weekend? There’s so much to try and figure out.”

...

“I have a map! Not of the castle, but still. Came with the keys, so, might be helpful” he told her, excitement creeping into his tone. He slung his bag off his shoulder and dug around until he found the map he’d been gifted along with the keys. “Here,” he said, holding the map out, “It’s the Black Lake. But I dunno if this actually has anything to do with the keys.” He hadn’t considered that they might belong with things outside of the castle, either. “Bloody hell, I hadn’t thought this through very well.”

daheyryan​:

The comments were easy, Dahey didn’t even think about them because half the time he didn’t mean them. They were used to earn a reaction. Sirius was different, if only because Dahey would love to be in a dark room with the man and doing much more than implying something fun could happen. Even with the frustration that came with making them…and having them reciprocated. 

Wiggling his eyebrows a couple times, Dahey did his best to communicate “we don’t have to find a closet” silently. After a pause, Dahey looked at Sirius. “Guess we’ll have to see how lucky you are.” 

Watching the other focus and analyze these keys, the way his tongue poked out, it was all doing much more for Dahey than the witty conversation of empty promises. Dahey definitely watched Sirius more than the keys. Until one was selected, that is. “Clearly not a door key,” Dahey said instantly, unable to help himself. Leaning in to look closer, trying to figure out the design on the top and feeling like an eye exam might need to be in his future. “Oddly discouraging. There’s a finite number of doors but the amount of things in this place classed as ‘not doors’ is much larger. Where’d you get these?” 

...

There was a promise behind Dahey’s words of something more, and Sirius found it terribly exhilarating. There was challenge to the other boy, something about him that Sirius found oddly captivating, and he was letting his guard down more than he likely should. But hadn’t that been Dahey’s effect on him? Sirius swallowed hard, but he offered Dahey a small smile. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Sirius hadn’t really thought about all the not doors in the castle, as he’d been so wholly focused on only the doors so far. “Ah. Hadn’t thought about that,” he said, and he scratched the back of his head. “Got ‘em Christmas morning. Not sure who sent them, they only came with a note. And a map.” He shrugged as he looked down at the keys in his hands. “So how do we figure out what not doors to try this one on?” Dahey seemed to have good ideas.

mxxnyboy​:

Merlin that grin. It melted him wherever he was at, every single time, and Remus couldn’t help smiling right back at him as he basked in it. “Lucky for you, this time I thought to bring extra,” he informed him with a playful jab of his elbow to Sirius’s ribs. “Just don’t go spreading that around. Lockhart’s been sniffing around already.” The brunette rolled his eyes, then deciding there was no way he would get any reading done with Sirius there, he closed his book and put it aside.

“Damn, Pads. I’m a little impressed. Not even so much as a tripping jinx?” Snape would probably always be a sore subject, but he felt he could spare the praise when Sirius was going to so much effort for his sake. Remus knew for a fact there was no one else in this school other than James or Peter that Sirius would ever hold back for, and that truly meant something to Remus.

Amber eyes followed the curl of smoke from Sirius’s lips with little thought, and only brought back to reality in time to take the cigarette back from Sirius and consider his question. “Hungry. Tired. Wrong in my own skin.” His voice trailed off and then when he spoke again it came out just a little bit softer. “But honestly? A little better now you’re here.” Remus cleared his throat and nervously scratched at the back of his head. “Think it can uh… sense Padfoot near,” he clarified before shrugging and taking a heavy drawl.

...

“Smart man, you,” he said with a playful wink. “But don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of it. Especially with Lockhart sniffing around already.” He pulled a face at the mention of the Ravenclaw. He’d been lucky enough to avoid Lockhart since returning to school, at least. It didn’t escape his notice, though, that Remus put away his book, and Sirius felt it was a small victory that Remus chose him over books.

“Not even a tripping jinx,” he said proudly, sitting up straighter and puffing out his chest. He really had been trying to be on his best behavior, no matter how tempting it was to mess with the Slytherin boy. It was, after all, one of Sirius’ favorite pastimes. “I mean it, I’m not missing the moon for anything. I swear.” He offered a warm smile.

Something pleasant and warm flipped in his stomach. It was good to know that Remus wanted him near, that it brought him some sense of comfort, because that was all Sirius really wanted, was to bring Remus some comfort in the days leading up to the full, if he could. “Aw, Moony, you love me,” he teased playfully with a soft chuckle before he snatched the cigarette to again take a long drawl. “Honestly, though, I’m glad to hear it. M’glad Padfoot can help at least a little.” There wasn’t much else that Sirius could do to help Remus, after all.

wxitchcrxft​:

“Who gave them to you?” she asked, tilting her head to the side as she observed him. She wasn’t sure whether checking every single door in Hogwarts was the greatest use of his time, despite how entertaining she found it to be. The fact that he had been given such a bizarre gift on Christmas morning made her wonder if he had received them from the same person who had delivered her journal. “Could I see the map?”

She sighed softly, bringing her finger up to her chin and tapping it thoughtfully. “Well, you know if the map is of the black lake, then maybe the door is… closer to the lake” she suggested mildly, shrugging. Perhaps there was a secret door somewhere around the lake, or possibly in the lake itself. “Perhaps the doors in this particular corridor were not the best to start with. Think about it, which doors are closest to the black lake… the dungeons. Slytherin”.

...

“No idea, actually. They came with a note, but the note didn’t say,” he answered with a shrug. It had been a bizarre thing, receiving random gifts Christmas morning. But Sirius wasn’t one to really question it. “James got a mystery gift, too.”

At Doris’ question, he slung his bag off of his shoulder and rustled around inside, pulling out the map and offering it out to her. He’d spent time studying the map for anything strange or unusual, but it was rather a simple - the only thing really of note was the large ‘X’ in the middle of the Black Lake. Sirius clapped a hand to his forehead, though, and said, “Right, of course! I dunno why I didn’t think to start in the dungeons.”

aliceelsbeth​:

To be honest, Alice was a little shocked that Sirius hadn’t gotten bored with trying all these keys yet. She knew if it had been herself she’d probably have gotten bored of seeing what door they opened yet. But she supposed, Sirius could be pretty dedicated at some things. And she herself was now was quite curious about what the keys opened. They had to open something after all. That was after all, the purpose of a key. 

“I mean that is the purpose of a key.” Alice mused with a little grin. She figured that Sirius knew that though. He wasn’t an idiot after all. “I mean….sure. You’ve got me curious now” Which didn’t take much really. Alice tended to get excited pretty easily. “Of course you wouldn’t….” She teased, nudging him gently. “You’ve got taste”

...

“Is it really the purpose of a key, Forty? I had no idea!” Sirius teased sarcastically, giving Alice’s shoulder a playful little nudge. He had missed Alice over the break, and it was nice to have her around again. They had an easy friendship, and Sirius enjoyed teasing the girl. It was too fun for him.

Alice agreed to join him, though, and a bright smile stretched over his face. “Brilliant! Two heads’ve gotta be better than one,” he said, and he flung an arm around Alice’s shoulder as he started down the hallway towards the next set of doors. “I have got pretty taste, haven’t I? Though I could say the same for you, too.” He winked playfully at Alice.

sybilltrelawnxy​:

“Who did you get them from?” Sybill asked as she took the keys, twisting them about in her hands as she looked over them. They felt the wight of a regular set of keys, nothing seemed particularly out of place or odd about them. “…This map, how detailed was it about the lake itself?  I mean… It seems a little silly, but maybe there’s some kind of chest down there or something. I don’t know why someone would do that, though.” 

...

“No clue. It didn’t say who they were from,” Sirius said with a shrug. James had received a mystery gift, as well, and they’d already spent hours trying to figure out who the gifts could be from. At the mention of the map, Sirius shrugged off his bag and dug around inside of it, pulling out the map. It was detailed enough, he thought, as he offered it out to Sybill. “Huh, I hadn’t considered that,” he said, eyeing the map and the large black ‘X’ in the middle of the lake. “How would I even get to the bottom of the lake, if that’s the case?”

nlblack​:

The heels of her dragon hide shoes echoed as they clicked down the corridor as she walked her rounds, having separated from her fellow prefect at the main staircase. There wasn’t much of note on the fourth floor besides the disused Mirror Passage that she was forced to check every night she was on shift. Why that location had become the favorite of couples this year, Narcissa wasn’t sure but she was beginning to resent every reflective surface as a result.

You’d think these keys’d work on at least one bloody door in this castle.

Her steps slowed until they paused, stuck in the entrance to this area of the west corridor. She hadn’t spoken to Sirius in some time. Never in public. Anymore. Not where someone could see and deliver a tall tale to her eldest sister or her parents. Thankful that the area was empty save for the two of them, Narcissa took a steading breath before quietly answering what was surely a comment not directed her way. “If you asked the owner, perhaps they would tell you what locks you should be keeping an eye out for. It’s after hours.”

...

Sirius had been doing his best to avoid any members of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black since returning to Hogwarts for the school year.  His departure from the House of Black had been anything but graceful, exiting with the dramatic flair that he was known for. For the most part, he’d so far been successful at avoiding the familiar faces. But the castle was only so big, and so he knew that it was inevitable that he would eventually encounter someone he was related to.

A familiar voice reached Sirius’ ears, and he looked up from his keys, his stomach bottoming out with dread. Of course he couldn’t be left to his task without interruption, and of course it had to be none other than his cousin. Once, long ago, he would have been happy to have the company of Narcissa. But those days were long gone, and things were different now.

“They’re mine,” he said, voice curt as he turned to face his cousin. He tucked the keys into his pocket before he crossed his arms defensively over his chest. “And? Maybe I was just on my way back to my common room.” He was aware that Narcissa was a prefect and would likely dock house points for being out after curfew, but he didn’t care.

mxxnyboy​:

It was always a coin toss whether or not Sirius being around would make Remus feel more antsy before the full, or if he would serve as one of the few things that could manage to give him any sense of calm. Right then it seemed to be the latter, and Remus felt himself gravitating to lean into Sirius’s side the moment he sat next to him.

Lifting the cigarette to his lips he took one more drag, steadying himself further. He didn’t bother pulling another out then, simply passing the one he’d already lit, while breathing his smoke out away from Sirius’s face. “You’re gonna run me out before we even get half through term, aren’t you?” he jested. 

This was one thing that he was glad to be back for. The guys in general, but something about Remus’s world always felt a little more at odds without Sirius around. They had caught up already through owls, on the train, and in the dorm, but they hadn’t really gotten much time alone since they had all gotten back. Remus sat there quietly for a moment, just simply soaking up his presence, and breathing the near scent of him in. It felt like warmth curling up into his lungs and easing the near surface wolf with the familiar sense of pack.

“Two days till the full,” he reminded him. “I know you and James are already twitching in your seats, but don’t get detentions, yeah?” The words held no true lecture behind them, just an easy reminder that he always wanted them all there. Not that they ever really needed it.

...

“Oh, my dearest Moony, you know me so well,” Sirius countered with a bright grin. He took the cigarette from Remus to take a long drag, relishing the burn in the back of his throat. Sirius looked at Remus for a short moment before he huffed out the smoke in the opposite direction. While it had only been a couple of weeks apart, Sirius had missed the other boys. They were as close to family as he had, now, and he loved them all dearly. So, he was happy to be back at school, if only because of Remus and Peter.

But of course Sirius knew about the approaching full moon. He’d made it a priority to memorize the lunar calendar, always aware of the effects it held over Remus. And so he was on his best behavior, to ensure that he didn’t miss the full, because he knew just how much easier the whole ordeal was on Remus with the three of them there. They were like a pack, after all, and the wolf seemed to respond best to the them being there.

“Don’t worry, Moony,” he assured Remus with a gentle nudge to the shoulder. “We’re on our best behavior, I swear. I haven’t even messed with Snivellus once since being back to make sure I don’t end up in detention.” Which was saying something, as it had been too terribly long since he’d messed with the Slytherin. But Sirius took the full moon seriously.

Sirius took another drag of the cigarette, flicking ash off the end before passing it back to Remus. “How’re you feeling?” he asked, concern written over his face as he looked over at his friend.

daheyryan​:

The confidence made Dahey visibly swoon. Then roll his eyes. Not at Sirius but at his own reaction to the comment. To the entire infuriating conversation, really. And the frustration that’d once been so close to sealing this deal and now he didn’t know what anything meant. Though it was fun regardless the outcome. 

Nodding along as Sirius recapped things, Dahey looked over the keys and trying to see if any stood out. Either as unique or clearly to something, though it really was only in movies where the keys had clues to what they opened, wasn’t it? When Sirius extended the invite, Dahey looked up with a grin. “Oh, I was coming regardless. You can’t dangle a problem like this in front of me and expect I don’t want to find the answer. Plus, you’d need someone with you should we find a dark and quiet closet to unlock with all these keys.” 

...

At Dahey’s comment, Sirius’ cheeks dusted pink - he didn’t understand how the other boy could be blasé like that, so casual with his insinuations, but it was exciting. Sirius’ eyes almost lit up as he glanced over at Dahey, a smirk stretching over his features. “Good. ‘Cos I’d hate to find a dark, quiet closet on my own. It’d be a shame for it to go to waste like that, yeah?”

He flashed his brows at the other boy before he returned his attention to the keys and the task at hand. Flipping through them slowly, he examined each key to identify whichever was the most unique. They were all quite similar, but one was smaller than the rest with something that resembled a crest at its top. Sirius’ tongue poked out the side of his mouth as he examined it, turning it over in his hand, before he looked up and nodded at Dahey. “This one. Let’s start with this one,” he said, holding the key up triumphantly.

mxxnyboy​:

date: 3 January 1977 location: courtyard with: open

First day back at classes after Christmas hols always felt like such a grueling thing, even for someone as dedicated to his studies as Remus. He was happy to be back, but that was more for the sake of being reunited with his friends than inches upon inches of essays the professors had already deemed appropriate to assign to them.

Finally free from classes, but needing a breather before dinner, Remus had slipped into a quiet courtyard and tucked himself into a corner with a book he’d received for Christmas and a cigarette. He’d been sitting there for a few minutes and had only just started to settle into the story when he heard footsteps approaching. Subtly tucking the cigarette out of sight while looking up at who approached, he offered them a wry sort of smile. “Never bloody long enough are they?” he inquired in reference to the holiday.

...

For the first time in years, Sirius hadn’t spent his winter holiday counting down the days until he could return to Hogwarts and his friends. In fact, spending the holidays with James and the Potters had made the whole thing go by far too quickly, and before he knew it it had been time to return to school. Sirius was only glad to be back to see his other friends again, namely Pete and Remus - he always missed the other boys when they were apart.

So, when he spotted Remus in the courtyard, book in hand, Sirius didn’t hesitate to approach. “The hols? Never,” he answered with a grin, his hands stuffed into his pockets. “And I hope you’re planning on sharing that, yeah?” He gestured to the cigarette that Remus had tucked out of sight. Sirius took a seat next to Remus, bringing his legs up to tuck beneath himself.

fatemcrked​:

@disgraceddogstar​

On nights like these, Regulus tended to be inpatient. It was an uncommon thing for them. Their patience was a point of pride. In a family known for raging tempers and brash behaviors, restraint was a rare gift. It had earned them surprised praise and begrudging respect. Tonight, that had all gone out the window. Their fingers tapped against the stone wall as they slowly watched the astronomy club putter out of the tower. Perhaps in another life, they’d be amongst the motley crew laughing and stumbling through the halls. In this one, the stars were too personal a thing for them to share. That was why they were here. On nights where insomnia ate at them, they’d take to the tower and watch the stars emerge. Hours later, they’d watch as they were consumed by light. 

Finally satisfied that the last of the club members had left, Regulus snuck into the tower. They had begun to lay out their things when they heard approaching footsteps. Glancing back, they froze. A childish part of them hoped if they stayed still enough, Sirius wouldn’t see them. Before anything resembling vulnerability could reveal itself, they crushed it underfoot. They’d rather drink one of Bellatrix’s death-cap potions than let Sirius know they missed him. “I’m surprised James let you wander off without any supervision.” They murmured, trying to keep the bitterness from their voice. “You better get back to him.” It was an easy out. Sirius would be a fool not to take it. 

...

Being named for a star, astronomy was something that had fascinated Sirius from a young age. He could remember holing up in his room with books he had sneaked from the family library, detailing stars and constellations and the stories behind them. It had enthralled the young boy, and he had spent countless hours studying and learning as much as he could. When he had reached Hogwarts and Astronomy had been an optional class and club, he had jumped at the opportunity to learn - and to show off what he knew. It was a nice boost to his ego, and he skated by in class. But, he truly enjoyed Astronomy, and that was why he had joined the Astronomy club.

The meeting had ended, and Sirius had been making his way back to Gryffindor Tower when he’d realized he’d left behind his star chart. So, he’d made the journey back up to the Astronomy tower with the intention of gathering his star chart and maybe hanging out for a bit to enjoy the crisp January evening. He’d almost been oblivious to the other person in the tower, but then they were speaking, and Sirius froze.

He hadn’t spoken to Regulus since he’d left Grimmauld Place over the summer, and he’d been carrying with him a terrible sense of guilt regarding leaving his younger sibling. He hadn’t expected to speak to them tonight, especially, and he wouldn’t have been surprised had Regulus ignored him completely. But Regulus was talking, and Sirius swallowed hard. “I don’t need supervision,” he countered, feeling annoyance creep into his voice. He supposed he couldn’t blame Regulus for any contempt they might hold for him. Still, Sirius’ arms came up to cross over his chest. “Besides, isn’t it close to curfew? Shouldn’t you be holed up in the dungeons somewhere?”

edith-grace​:

“Do you stand and try every key at every lock? How do you make sure you aren’t accidentally trying the same one twice?” She accepted the keys with a nod and ran her fingers over their edges. They definitely felt special, the same way her puzzle cube did. A mystery Christmas gift went to Sirius as well then. 

“Have you checked them for any hidden charms or instructions? There’s got to be a way to tell them all apart from each other. How do you know you’re not checking the same doors again?”

...

“I...hadn’t thought about that, to be honest,” he answered with a shrug. Mentally, he cursed himself for not coming up with a better method for trying the keys in the doors. At least he hadn’t gotten too terribly far into his investigation, though. “I’ve been doing that, but no luck. And I think I haven’t repeated any keys. I think.”

Edith was full of questions, and Sirius was very aware of the fact that he really hadn’t thought this through very well - but what else was new? Sirius sighed and shook his head. “I hadn’t thought about checking them for charms or anything, either. But maybe I should.” He offered her a small smile. “I haven’t repeated any doors yet, but I guess I oughta keep track of them somehow.”

daheyryan​:

“Yeah, pretty sure you could pull off a paper bag and convince us it’s couture,” Dahey sighed. Not at all jealous. Definitely not thinking about Sirius in nothing but a paper bag. 

Pushing off the wall to stand in Sirius’s personal space, Dahey inspected the keys. Sucking in a slow breath, Dahey looked up at Sirius with pure excitement in his eyes. A problem, a puzzle, and no obvious answer. In a matter of seconds Dahey had gone from flirting to small and excited child. “Not all keys are the same. You wouldn’t try to start a car with the key to a trunk. I think the best place to start, then, would be the oddest key. Really narrow the door search and lessen the work.” 

...

“You’re not wrong there, mate.” Sirius couldn’t help the grin that crossed his face. He lived for compliments, for approval and appreciation, and Dahey was giving him exactly what he needed.

Sirius listened closely to Dahey as he spoke. He had a point, and he was offering a fresh approach to the problem, which Sirius desperately appreciated. “Right, right. So start with the oddest one, find that match, narrow it down, go from there.” A new plan was beginning to formulate, and Sirius felt a renewed sense of excitement over his keys. “Care to join me, then? I wouldn’t mind the company.”

sybilltrelawnxy​:

“Well that explains it.” Sybill smiled and shook her head, curiosity peaking as she approached. There were some locked doors in the castle, yes, but she’d always assumed msot of them lead to storage or staff areas. Where did he even get those keys? “A map of the black lake?” She repeated, frowning. “Well, whatever they open would be around there then, logically speaking.” 

...

Sirius nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, so why not start with the doors?” He’d only tried a handful of them so far, but he hadn’t any idea what else the keys would be for. It made sense that they ought to open up something in the castle, and Sirius hoped that maybe Sybill could give him a new perspective on it. He held out the keys for her to examine. “Any ideas, or should I keep trying doors?”