a crack in the ice | post-christmas break, first year | tw: child abuse

[effingsirius]

He's obviously subdued when he comes back from Christmas break. He smiles at his friends, but he manages to ward off any hugs by clinging tight to his trunk so that he doesn't leave any arms free. There's something off about the way that he holds himself, but he manages to laugh with the rest of them and listen to stories of the holiday break with cheer.

If anyone notices that he keeps his own stories to himself, or that his laugh dies almost the instant it seems right to, it's likely the merry band of friends who've begun to call themselves the Marauders.

It isn't until they make their way up the stairs to the Tower that it becomes clear the silence is hinting at an unspoken problem. It is until they're all changing for bed that he realizes there's no way to hide the bruises from the other boys sharing the room.

Shrugging his shirt off is a quick thing, done when he hopes no one notices. He's not fast enough. Eventually, someone's going to notice. Eventually, someone's going to say something.

But until then, Sirius is going to keep to himself just how terrible of a person he is. Maybe if he keeps it secret long enough, they'll still think he deserves to be their friend.

Comments

[peterohpeter]

Sirius wasn't the only one off returning from break. Albeit it was harder to tell with PEter. He was shy and quiet, very mousy compared to the other boys. Still, he is a bit quieter. His smiles not quite reachign his eyes. His movements more restrained and controlled. Speaking far less than before. Offering the vaguest of opinions when prompted. And the need to clean. To straighten things up. In those first few days he is a machine. Unconsciously picking up after the others. If they're a messy sort? They found all their things neatly put away without them having done it. Its not the House Elves doing it.

Like today. After class Peter had felt dirty and so had ended up returning before the others did and showered. Freshly showered he walked around the Tower room with his skin reddened from a harsh scrubbing, a salve soaking into his hands keeping the chapped skin from cracking and bleeding, barely. Thank you, Madam Prompfrey.

He picked up the discarded clothign fromt he morning, getting the room back to rights. Humming a hymn under his breath as he went. Just in loose jeans and a slightly too big muggle t-shirt. His curls dark and damp. Maybe a clean room would help Sirius out of his sad mood? And maybe the salve Pompfrey gave him for his hands would help Siri's bruises? Should he offer? Peter worried his dried bottom lip as he contemplated that, startlign a bit when someone entered. Sirius.

"Oh, hello," he said, giving another of those smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes. Looking nervous and skittish as she shuffled over to put the clothes he had gathered in a hamper.

[wolfymcwolf]

Remus was all too happy to see his friends again after the holiday, as nice a break as it had been from having to hide his condition. Unfortunately that initial cheer had dimmed once he'd noticed that something was off with two of his new friends. Sirius especially was noticeably quieter, and Remus recognized the way he tried to hide himself, to move quick enough through getting dressed that no one would see whatever it was he was trying to cover up.

He doesn't bring it up until they're alone, James and Peter having already gone off to breakfast. "Hey, Sirius... are you okay?" He frowns worriedly. "I saw the bruises."

[forevertwentyone]

He doesn't quite understand. At some level, he can't quite understand. The last eleven years haven't really prepared him to understand beyond the occasional soft chatter from his mother about things he wasn't entirely certain he'd really caught hold of.

"Hey."

He doesn't actually have a brother. Still, there's something like fraternal impulse shoving him roughly into sitting on the end of Sirius's bed.

"What's up with you?"

Not the most delicate tack, true, but it's what he had.