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[constantprisoner]

Being outside felt weird.

Not in a bad way, but just in a sense that he hadn't really been outside in a long time. There were the times when he'd escaped briefly, but those has always been accompanied by a sense of worry and stress and couldn't really be enjoyed due to those feelings. Today though, today Sirius Black could finally stand outside and not worry about that.

Because he was a free man.

It had been a whirlwind past few weeks. The Department of Mysteries felt like a bad dream, where he'd been severely injured at the hands of his cousin, who'd later escaped much to his chagrin. He'd woken up about a week later in Grimmauld Place to learn that the war had escalated without him, Voldemort had officially moved out into the open, Dumbledore was back at Hogwarts and he was cleared of all charges. That had probably taken the longest time to sink in.

Not that any of it really mattered, because he was free.

Sirius took in a deep breath of fresh air. How nice it was to be outside without having to be in his dog form. He could wander where he wanted and while certainly, he would likely strike terror into the hearts of civilians still, he could laugh about it. He was free.

Taking another breath, he started down the steps and began to wander, not really sure of where he was going until he found himself in a familiar park. And spotted a familiar figure.

"Hello! Lovely day isn't it!"

Comments

[constantprisoner]

"So, I'm assuming you're a pure-blood then?"

It's a question asked more out of curiousity than anything else. He's certainly not judging either way, having long let go of that particular bias.

"Still, sounds a lot more fun than my upbringing. Not that Hogwarts wasn't fun."

After all, it had been the setting for some of the best times of his life and he still looked back on them fondly.

[mosthexcellent]

"Yeah, I am. Pretty long ways back, but it's never been terribly important to me. Breeding is for dogs and horses, not people."

She clearly hasn't gotten on anyone's bad side about this yet, but it should be very entertaining when it does happen. "I keep hearing about that school and wondering what in the world it's like, everybody seems to have gone and loved it." Her schooling was rather radically different in several areas.

"And where Diagon Alley is, since ain't no one managed to give me a map yet."

[constantprisoner]

"Too bad no one told my parents."

Lineage was far too important and Sirius doesn't want to remember the night he heard his parents discussing possible partners for him. Thankfully he'd put a stop to that by running away. Everyone likes a bad boy but no one wants a rebel.

"Well, it's kind of hard to describe to someone who's never been there. But it's a beautiful castle and grounds. I remember it more fondly because of the friendships I made though, rather than the location itself."

Though he does have fond memories of that as well. Especially since he and his friends had been pushing just about every boundary there was exploring them.

He stands up with a grin.

"Diagon Alley, however, is doable. C'mon, I'll show you."

[mosthexcellent]

"Maybe someday I'll get the tour," she says lightly. "You know, when there's not a war brewing."

She'd had many second thoughts about staying, and had gone so far as buying a plane ticket home (yeah, she liked riding a broom as much as the next girl, but the ocean was a bit much) before rethinking. And that phone call to her parents had been fun in so many ways she couldn't even begin to cover.

"...For real?" Lorelei asks at his offer, looking up at him with eyebrows raised. "Ain't that gonna get some looks from folks who know you?"

[constantprisoner]

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Doesn't matter because I'm a free man and there's nothing anyone can do about that," Sirius replies with a wide grin. It is an excellent feeling.

"We can start with Diagon Alley, and then get you to Hogwarts somehow. All things considered, it's probably the safest place in Britain, so we'll sort something out. For now, let's go."

And he holds out his hand.

[mosthexcellent]

This was not exactly what she anticipated doing, really. Certainly not today, maybe not ever, but still.

But what the hell? How many chances is she going to get for this? Lorelei stares at Sirius for a minute, eyebrows raised, and then reaches out to take his had. "Sure," she says. "Why not."

She could totally be heading into a mess here, but it'll be fun. Loads of fun, she thinks, as Sirius grins like that. This man could have been dangerous for girls like her when he was her age. Not that she's thinking that's diminished any with age. "Show me the way, then."

[constantprisoner]

He certainly had that reputation at Hogwarts, but sadly it stopped following him when he left and picked up another one. Being framed for murder really made your life difficult.

Still, if his grin could get any wider, it did when she took his hand.

"Well, depends on how you want to do it. We can walk through London or just apparate to the Leaky Cauldron. Whatever you prefer."

[mosthexcellent]

"I'll take the walk," she says. "I've never gotten used to the whole disappearing act. And it shouldn't be far, is it?"

[constantprisoner]

"From here, shouldn't think so. Granted I rarely walked from here. My parents would insist that we floo," Sirius says with a roll of his eyes as he starts heading out of the park.

"I should be able to remember the way though."

[mosthexcellent]

"Never done that either," she says. "The fireplace in my house didn't work, so I usually avoided it. Apartment I had before didn't have one."

[constantprisoner]

"Well, you're not really missing out," Sirius says with a shrug. He'd never been overly fond of floo powder, preferring apparation though it had its own dangers. "Makes you kind of dizzy, really."

They head out onto the street, Sirius pausing only to orient himself.

"How do you get around, though? Just walking?"

[mosthexcellent]

"I have a car at home," she says, as if this might have been obvious. "1968 Shelby Mustang. Mine's blue with a white racing stripe."

Mainly she has this car because she likes working on cars, honestly. "How do you get around?"

[constantprisoner]

Sirius nods appreciatively. He doesn't know cars as much as he knows motorcycles but he recognizes the brand.

"Walking mostly, apparating. Used to have a motorcycle but it's been years since I saw it. Couldn't tell you where it is now?"

He wonders if it's safe to ask about it. And sincerely hopes that Mundungus Fletcher hasn't gotten his hands on it.

[mosthexcellent]

"You guys really go out of your way to not act like Muggles, don't you?" she asks, looking sideways at him and tucking her hands in her pockets while they walk.

"Crotch rocket or cruiser? Your bike I mean."

[constantprisoner]

"Cruiser," Sirius says, fondly remembering the old bike. He'd given it to Hagrid that fateful night. He really should ask about it. "It was a good old thing. I had to give it a lot of work though, bought it used. Also charmed it to fly. Which probably proves your first point."

He'd had to race James somehow after all.

[mosthexcellent]

"Oh, just a bit," she says, with a little chuckle. "Didn't attract a lot of attention, did you? With a flying motorcycle?"

[constantprisoner]

"Surprisingly no," Sirius replied, "At least, if you knew when to fly it and where. It's not like I'm going to take off in the middle of the highway."

He won't say that the thought had definitely crossed his mind on more than one occasion.

"And at the same time, muggles go to great lengths to not notice us sometimes."

[mosthexcellent]

"They're happier that way. Wouldn't you be, not knowing you're living next door to someone who can curse you in all kinds of inventive ways?" she asks.

"So from what I gather most of y'all don't know how to blend in with the other half. At all."

[constantprisoner]

"I suppose. It might be helpful in some cases though, if it's the right sort of wizard."

Unfortunately, he was all to familiar with the wrong sort.

"It's rare, yes. Some can manage it, most haven't a clue, and the rest absolutely refuse. Kind of sums up how things work here."

[mosthexcellent]

"That is so weird to me," she says, shaking her head and pulling her hair down from the ponytail it's been swinging against her neck in. It gives her a convenient excuse to look at Sirius and how he's dressed.

"Well, you managed to look alright. Mostly," Lorelei adds with a quick little smile. But then:

"You say the right sort of wizard. Short of being either a serial killer or just a plain ass, is there a wrong sort?"

[constantprisoner]

"I've had some practice, and I actually find some muggle clothes to be a bit more serviceable than robes. They just get in the way when you're trying to drive, 'specially on a bike," Sirius reflects. As well as being another way to prove he's different from his family.

"I'd say so, if they're going out of their way to curse muggles. Kind of what this whole war is about really. But then, I suppose that's also really general."

And he had told Harry that the world wasn't split into good people and Death Eaters after all.

[mosthexcellent]

"You know women manage it in dresses all the time," Lorelei says, brow piqued. "You just hitch it up." And try not to worry about flashing someone.

Unfortunate--or very fortunate, depending on your view--side effect.

"Well, yeah, but cursing people sort of falls into that 'ass' category," she chuckles. In her mind, the most effective weapon in a war designed to induce fear is not simply not be afraid. To laugh, to go about normal routines, to be cautious but not terrorized. "Still haven't gotten 'round to jeans yet, have you?" Not that she minds his clothes currently; she, however, was extremely casual in jeans and a cutoff tee shirt with comic book characters printed all over.

"Think I'm too casual for this place?"

[constantprisoner]

"Still strikes me as a bad idea. I'd rather not have to worry about clothes flapping in the wind. Not yet on the jeans, but that's more to do with not venturing out into muggle London enough. Surprisingly they don't sell them in Diagon Alley."

Although the idea of Madame Malkin's starting stock jeans was one that would likely scandalize the whole street. It was a tad traditional. He looks her over once.

"You should be fine. Might get a few odd looks, but who's to say it's your clothes or your company?"

He offers another roguish smile, as if pleased with his own joke.

"It would also depend on the curse, to get back to your earlier point. Bat Bogey hex is a bit different from an Unforgivable."

[mosthexcellent]

"Seriously, they don't? What, does everyone here wear academic robes?" Because that is sure as hell not something she's doing.

Ever.

"Not like I can't handle someone staring at me. I get that enough from people whether or not they're magical." Hey, breasts and red hair, she is sort of attention-getting for most of the male population back home.

"You've got a gift for hyperbole, anybody ever tell you that?"

[constantprisoner]

"No, there's casual robes, and dress robes, but they all sort of look the same really. Aesthetic hasn't changed a whole lot, unfortunately. Small wonder my godson and his friends prefer to dress like muggles."

He grins.

"Moony's probably mentioned it once or twice. Along with having a flair for the dramatic. I've no idea what he's talking about."

He glances around, taking a quick note of where they are before turning a corner.

"Not too far away now."