First Frost (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
scarvesnhats - First Chill)
Oct. 2nd, 2005 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rosie_ruesTitle: First Frost
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, I just like them.
Wordcount: 845
Notes: Sixth year. Pre-slash. Sirius wakes up far too early on Saturdays.
The first sign that Sirius was awake was the thump and the scrabble of claws on the stone floor, closely followed by James groaning, “Nooo. Saturday. Piss off.”
Remus pulled his blankets over his head and curled into a ball. Even so he could hear the click as Padfoot charged across the floor, the screech of bedsprings and Peter’s squeak of protest.
Another thump and Sirius whined, “James. Peter went rat.”
“Good for him.”
“But I can’t bounce on him.”
“That was the point,” Peter said, sounding slightly muffled. Remus suspected he was safely ensconced under his bed.
“Shut up and go to sleep,” James said. “All of you.”
“Can’t,” Sirius said. “I’m awake.”
“I don’t care,” James said. “It’s Saturday.”
“You’re so boring these days.” There was a suspicious silence and Remus sat up hurriedly, knowing what was coming.
“Sirius, why don’t you just get the tennis ball out and I’ll take Padfoot out to play fetchies?”
It came out sharper than he had intended and Sirius peered over the end of his bed, wide-eyed, and said, “Moony?”
“Sorry. Let me wake up before you pounce, please.”
“Okay.” Sirius perched on the end of his bed and studied him as he dragged his robes on. He knew he was blushing and had to turn his back as he wriggled his pyjamas off under his robes. It wasn’t until he sat down to lace up his boots that Sirius slid off the bed to scrabble through the heap of assorted clothes for something to wear himself.
“Wormtail, I’m nicking your scarf.”
“Use your own!”
“Can’t. I left it at ho – at my parents.”
“Okay,” Peter said sleepily. “Now, piss off, please.”
The castle was quiet. Even the portraits weren’t awake yet. Sirius was silent and Remus felt uneasy. He wished Sirius would make his mind up – half the time he was raucous and the rest he spent brooding. Remus was beginning to think the flight from Grimmauld Place hadn’t been the best thing in Sirius’ life, after all.
They had to unlock the front door and Remus left Sirius to it. He had never quite learnt the knack of flirting with the door knocker.
When the door finally swung open the cold air surged it, brushing around them like water. Remus breathed in, feeling instantly more awake, and stood up straighter.
“Cold,” Sirius said, retreating. Remus reached out, more by instinct than judgement, and grabbed the sleeve of his robes.
“Don’t you dare. You woke me up at dawn on a Saturday.”
“I just thought we could pop down to the dungeons first and hex Regulus.”
Which meant Sirius was homesick and wanted to prove he wasn’t. Remus knotted his fingers more tightly in his robes and said, “Outside.”
The lawns were white with frost and the mist over the lake hid the forest completely. All was cold and crisp and clean. Remus breathed in deeply and heard Sirius sigh beside him. He turned to look at Sirius and the other boy gazed back, his eyes as pale and pure as the morning.
“It’s real,” he said. “It’s too real.”
“What is?” Remus asked, confused.
Sirius shrugged and leapt out into the morning, crunching across the pale grass towards the lake. Remus followed more sedately, waiting for the black dog to appear back out of the mist. Padfoot did not appear, though, and when he finally reached the shore, it was Sirius who stood there, his hands shoved into his pockets, gazing at the grey water.
Remus stopped beside him and waited. He was used to waiting for Sirius.
“This place,” Sirius said at last. “Hogwarts. Us. Too real. Because it’s here or out there, y’know. They can’t both be real but they are and it makes no sense.”
Remus shrugged. Life was full of contradictions and irony. It didn’t bother him like it did Sirius.
“You know what I mean, don’t you?” Sirius asked, suddenly intense. “How it’s a game here but out there it’s real? How they lie to us?”
It was too early in the morning for this. He sat down on the nearest rock and fiddled with his bootlaces, trying to avoid the question.
“All lies,” Sirius said moodily. “If you’re a Slytherin, you know the Gryffindors are lying. If you’re a Gryffindor, you know the Slytherins are wrong.”
“And who knows what they tell the Hufflepuffs?” Remus said, trying to lighten the mood.
“More lies, I’m sure. Or maybe the truth. Maybe they know it’s all meaningless and we should all just get on with the ordinary things.”
“Maybe they do.”
“Aren’t you going to argue with me?”
“I’m not in the mood,” Remus said wearily. He was beginning to think he should have stayed in bed. “Not before breakfast. I thought you wanted a run.”
“Too cold,” Sirius said morosely and added, “The nights are drawing in.”
Remus laughed at him. “Pretentious twat.”
“Moody Moony. Moooooo.”
“Sirius Black, cow animagus.”
And for the second time in less than twelve hours he found himself floored by a large black dog.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, I just like them.
Wordcount: 845
Notes: Sixth year. Pre-slash. Sirius wakes up far too early on Saturdays.
The first sign that Sirius was awake was the thump and the scrabble of claws on the stone floor, closely followed by James groaning, “Nooo. Saturday. Piss off.”
Remus pulled his blankets over his head and curled into a ball. Even so he could hear the click as Padfoot charged across the floor, the screech of bedsprings and Peter’s squeak of protest.
Another thump and Sirius whined, “James. Peter went rat.”
“Good for him.”
“But I can’t bounce on him.”
“That was the point,” Peter said, sounding slightly muffled. Remus suspected he was safely ensconced under his bed.
“Shut up and go to sleep,” James said. “All of you.”
“Can’t,” Sirius said. “I’m awake.”
“I don’t care,” James said. “It’s Saturday.”
“You’re so boring these days.” There was a suspicious silence and Remus sat up hurriedly, knowing what was coming.
“Sirius, why don’t you just get the tennis ball out and I’ll take Padfoot out to play fetchies?”
It came out sharper than he had intended and Sirius peered over the end of his bed, wide-eyed, and said, “Moony?”
“Sorry. Let me wake up before you pounce, please.”
“Okay.” Sirius perched on the end of his bed and studied him as he dragged his robes on. He knew he was blushing and had to turn his back as he wriggled his pyjamas off under his robes. It wasn’t until he sat down to lace up his boots that Sirius slid off the bed to scrabble through the heap of assorted clothes for something to wear himself.
“Wormtail, I’m nicking your scarf.”
“Use your own!”
“Can’t. I left it at ho – at my parents.”
“Okay,” Peter said sleepily. “Now, piss off, please.”
The castle was quiet. Even the portraits weren’t awake yet. Sirius was silent and Remus felt uneasy. He wished Sirius would make his mind up – half the time he was raucous and the rest he spent brooding. Remus was beginning to think the flight from Grimmauld Place hadn’t been the best thing in Sirius’ life, after all.
They had to unlock the front door and Remus left Sirius to it. He had never quite learnt the knack of flirting with the door knocker.
When the door finally swung open the cold air surged it, brushing around them like water. Remus breathed in, feeling instantly more awake, and stood up straighter.
“Cold,” Sirius said, retreating. Remus reached out, more by instinct than judgement, and grabbed the sleeve of his robes.
“Don’t you dare. You woke me up at dawn on a Saturday.”
“I just thought we could pop down to the dungeons first and hex Regulus.”
Which meant Sirius was homesick and wanted to prove he wasn’t. Remus knotted his fingers more tightly in his robes and said, “Outside.”
The lawns were white with frost and the mist over the lake hid the forest completely. All was cold and crisp and clean. Remus breathed in deeply and heard Sirius sigh beside him. He turned to look at Sirius and the other boy gazed back, his eyes as pale and pure as the morning.
“It’s real,” he said. “It’s too real.”
“What is?” Remus asked, confused.
Sirius shrugged and leapt out into the morning, crunching across the pale grass towards the lake. Remus followed more sedately, waiting for the black dog to appear back out of the mist. Padfoot did not appear, though, and when he finally reached the shore, it was Sirius who stood there, his hands shoved into his pockets, gazing at the grey water.
Remus stopped beside him and waited. He was used to waiting for Sirius.
“This place,” Sirius said at last. “Hogwarts. Us. Too real. Because it’s here or out there, y’know. They can’t both be real but they are and it makes no sense.”
Remus shrugged. Life was full of contradictions and irony. It didn’t bother him like it did Sirius.
“You know what I mean, don’t you?” Sirius asked, suddenly intense. “How it’s a game here but out there it’s real? How they lie to us?”
It was too early in the morning for this. He sat down on the nearest rock and fiddled with his bootlaces, trying to avoid the question.
“All lies,” Sirius said moodily. “If you’re a Slytherin, you know the Gryffindors are lying. If you’re a Gryffindor, you know the Slytherins are wrong.”
“And who knows what they tell the Hufflepuffs?” Remus said, trying to lighten the mood.
“More lies, I’m sure. Or maybe the truth. Maybe they know it’s all meaningless and we should all just get on with the ordinary things.”
“Maybe they do.”
“Aren’t you going to argue with me?”
“I’m not in the mood,” Remus said wearily. He was beginning to think he should have stayed in bed. “Not before breakfast. I thought you wanted a run.”
“Too cold,” Sirius said morosely and added, “The nights are drawing in.”
Remus laughed at him. “Pretentious twat.”
“Moody Moony. Moooooo.”
“Sirius Black, cow animagus.”
And for the second time in less than twelve hours he found himself floored by a large black dog.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-10-02 10:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-02 10:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-02 10:26 pm (UTC)-x-
L
no subject
Date: 2005-10-02 10:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-03 01:02 am (UTC)Which meant Sirius was homesick and wanted to prove he wasn’t.
I really, really like the way you sort of touch on that aspect of Sirius' leaving home in this. A lot of times people write it off as a good thing and it's very refreshing to see a piece that looks at how it may have affected Sirius once he was done with his family for good.
Very nice. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-03 08:21 am (UTC)Thanks for the comment.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-03 04:56 pm (UTC)“Too cold,” Sirius said morosely and added, “The nights are drawing in.”
Remus laughed at him. “Pretentious twat.”
“Moody Moony. Moooooo.”
“Sirius Black, cow animagus.”
Heh. And just because he is miserable, that doesn't mean he can get away with being a pretentious twat.
They are just adorable in this. Nicely done. ;)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-04 08:11 am (UTC)I also think Remus is the only morning person amongst the lot of them. I can see a sort of informal system where they each deal with it at different times of day.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-06 04:09 am (UTC)Mmmm. I love the layered meanings in that seemingly innocuous sentence. :)
Beautiful character-study. As I believe someone's already commented, I like how you show a different aspect of Sirius leaving home.
... and I feel a bit stupid for asking this, but what is "the nights are drawing in" an allusion to? I'd assume Shakespeare, but I'm not sure.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-06 07:03 am (UTC)'The nights are drawing in' is just a phrase. It's generally used by older people. It may well have been Shakespeare once but I can't find anyone information on it. Even Brewer doesn't have a note on it.
Thanks for the comment.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-10 02:22 am (UTC)Also, I *loved* this line Even the portraits weren't awake yet. A really interesting detail and very effective in communicating the early hour.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-10 08:51 am (UTC)Thanks for the comment. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 11:19 pm (UTC)“Sirius Black, cow animagus.”
Excellent.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-26 09:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-12 02:40 pm (UTC)Fetchies.
"Which meant Sirius was homesick and wanted to prove he wasn’t."
Aw, Remus can read him. That is cute.