(no subject)

[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]

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."

[mosthexcellent]

"That and shorts are incredibly comfortable," she says offhandedly, with a smile.

"Uh-huh. Of course you don't, you seem perfectly normal to me." Sure he does. "So what all's in this Alley place?a"

[constantprisoner]

"Well, there's shops for just about everything you could need, from potion ingredients to robes, and Gringotts, of course. The Wizard bank," Sirius replied, listing things off on his hands.

"Although I should warn you, it's not in the best shape these days what with the war going on. Florean Fortesque's gone missing and a few others too."

Still, it would be worth seeing, and Sirius would have his guard up, mostly.

[mosthexcellent]

"Is this you concerned?" she asks. Because she does, as a mater of habit, keep her wand in easy reach, and she grew up with an older brother and no prohibition on doing magic outdoors. There were plenty of harmless and not-so-harmless spells cast rapid-fire on each other, she remembers.

"Weren't you guys the ones with that 'Keep Calm and Carry On' motto back in the forties? Seems about appropriate now, too. Plus I really want to see what wizards wear in the UK. Other than you, because you seem pretty alright."

[constantprisoner]

While he's tried to keep it low, he is a little concerned. After all, the world he knows is returning to a very dark place, one that he's fought before, but really doesn't want to fight again.

"Well, I wasn't saying we shouldn't go. I just wanted to let you know that you aren't seeing it in its best state," Sirius replies, "We'll be fine, just keep your wand on you. In case something does happen."

And with that, he'll lead her across the street and into the Leaky Cauldron.

[mosthexcellent]

"As if I go anywhere without it on me," she says with a crooked smile. "Should I be paying attention for any kind of person in particular, or will I know this 'if something happens' when I see it?"

[constantprisoner]

"If they're wearing dark cloaks and a mask, then it's probably a Death Eater, but hopefully they haven't taken to hanging around Diagon Alley all that much," Sirius says, sounding reasonably confident. They should be fine, after all.

"More importantly, welcome to the Leaky Cauldron."

The bar is mostly empty, though there are a few scattered witches and wizards about, with large bags that show evidence of shopping. It's abruptly silent when Sirius and Lorelei walk in, though Sirius doesn't seem perturbed by it. In fact one might assume he owned the place.

[mosthexcellent]

"Wow," says she dryly, looking about at the few people in the room and finally over at Sirius. "Friendly lot, ain't they. You always get this sort of reception?"

She'd think having it public knowledge that he's an innocent man and had been wrongly incarcerated might up the cheer factor; evidently she was wrong, but then British wizarding customs had been throwing her for a loop ever since she'd gotten here. "Huh. Nice setup, I like it."

[constantprisoner]

"Unfortunately. I've learned to live with it."

Mostly. It's still a little disconcerting but he didn't expect a rapid turnaround. After all, the general public wasn't the student body of Hogwarts (where would could be hero one day and villain the next). The reveal of his innocence came on the heels that their worst fears had been realized and that their government had been lying to them for a year. Hopefully some of them would come around. Hopefully.

"It is rather cozy. It's a bit nicer when there's more people, but the alley's through here. There's quite a few protections on it."

[mosthexcellent]

"You're clearly more accommodating than I am," says Lorelei.

[constantprisoner]

"I have to improve my reputation somehow. Now that I'm not wanted, there's no point in continuing to act like it."

Which, had really been a stupid thing to do in retrospect but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"Anyway, let's get to the alley. The entrance is just out back."

And he'll lead her through the pub to a brick wall.

[mosthexcellent]

"That's where you and I differ," Lorelei shrugs. "I aim to be the woman men warn me about. Makes life infinitely more appealing and cuts out a good deal of the people I simply don't want bothering me."

She looks at the wall when they get there, and back to Sirius, and at the wall again.

"Either there's a hidden door, or we're going climbing," she says, as if opening a third option would be too much to ask; the thought has occurred to her that he could be leading her somewhere distinctly un-safe, and not the location agreed upon, but she's not got a whole lot of things to lose in taking the risk, and for a man who was until recently supposed to be a psychopath, he's actually pretty personable.

[constantprisoner]

"Well, the company you're currently with might help you with that a bit," Sirius says, joking of course, before turning back to the wall.

"Climbing probably wouldn't be your best bet. It's charmed so that no matter how much you climbed, you'd never reach the top or be able to get over it. Just a minute."

He stares at the wall, deep in thought, trying to remember exactly how to do this. It's been a long time, after all. He takes out his wand, tapping on bricks in a sequence.

It takes a few tries but on the fifth go, the bricks begin to move, forming an archway and revealing Diagon Alley.

The alley has seen better days, but there's still a good number of shops open and crowds in the streets. Without the wanted posters and some of the boarded up places, you wouldn't think anything was wrong.