You hated it. Just another day of you running away, but this time it felt different. You were 18, graduated from Hog warts just a month ago. And no Aurors would be sent after you, looking through the streets of muggle London. Your family never even bothered to look - only sending Aurors to do the job for them.

You apparated through the streets, until you found yourself on a familiar highway. Slowly you began strolling along the shoulder of the highway, watching as muggle cars passed by.

The night was cloudy, not even the moonlight was able to illuminate London below. It was quiet and peaceful.

You forearms burned as the wind cascaded around you, the untreated wounds itching and stinging in protest. No one would come looking for you.

Disgrace to the family - or whatever was even left of the Gaunts.

Your hands shook as you pulled out a Marlboro pack out of the back pocket of your jeans, blood from your forearms straining everything. The pack was squished, some cigarettes missing from the week of use before.

Chipped and cheap nail polish that Marlene painted on, two days before graduation that she claimed look good on you; fingers stained with dried and new blood alongside old and slightly moist bandaids around your fingers.

Everything hurt, and you felt empty. Or maybe overwhelmed with everything that the familiar false sense of calm forced its way into you.

Your hands never stopped shaking as another muggle car passed by, and you took a drag of the cigarette, nicotine filling your lungs with its sweet and venomous taste.

The familiar roar of the enchanted motorcycle, brought your eyes to the road.

"How'd you find me?" You watched the bike stop next to you, the black paint job blending into the night.

How did you even know I left? How did you even know I needed help?

Sirius pushed the black curls out of his face, eyes searching for yours. His gaze moved over to looking at your form, like he knew.

Sirius' gaze lingered on the blood, and you swore you saw something flash in his face as he saw your arms, before it went back to having that lazy smirk - that looked so forced now - on his face.