Rollercoasterwords

“You can’t read, can you?”

Remus sighed, the way someone might sigh after setting down a stack of heavy books.

“Nah.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

Sirius was going to kill James Potter

It didn’t make any sense. He was thirteen! The Blacks married young, sure, but not before they were of age…and Narcissa?!

“But we’re cousins,” he said, numbly.

She laughed, dry and humourless. “Hasn’t stopped our family before.”

The more Sirius attempted to fit in, the more aware he became of his complete inability to do so. Like trying to jam a puzzle piece into a board when it just wasn’t shaped right—for the entire year, Sirius felt like something with its edges scraped raw.

“James Potter.” Thank god.

“Oh good, a Potter. Dad told me not to talk to you.” Sirius sat down in the only empty seat, heart pounding, “Sirius Black.”

“You can’t punch me up here, Lupin, unless you want to let go of your broom.”

“God, you’re annoying.”

“Yep.” Sirius flew ahead, circling Remus like a planet in orbit, just to rub it in.

“If you could read, you’d be as good as me and James. Better, probably,” Sirius mused.

Remus snorted,

“So modest, Black.”

The moon.
Sirius sat up, staring out the window.
A full moon

reading one of Uncle Alphard’s muggle books—

Oh wow…” he breathed. He had the strong urge to reach out and trace his fingers over the teeth. But Remus pushed him away, suddenly, saying,

“God, Black, you’re so weird.”