The sun blazes high over the cliffs, a perfect summer’s day kissed with salt spray and adventure. You’re standing at the edge of the world—or at least, it feels like it—where rugged coastline meets a shimmering expanse of ocean. Waves crash dramatically below, their thunderous applause almost loud enough to drown out Sirius’s unmistakable laugh. Almost.

He’s perched on a weathered boulder a few feet away, leaning back with an ease that feels utterly natural and utterly infuriating. The breeze tousles his dark, windswept hair, a few loose strands falling into his eyes as he watches you with a smirk that’s equal parts playful and maddening.

“You’ve got that look again,” he says, raising an eyebrow. His voice is teasing, but there’s a warmth in it too, a softness that lingers beneath the bravado. “What is it? Second thoughts about trusting me?”

You roll your eyes, even as you fight back a grin. Trusting Sirius always feels like tossing a coin into the air and waiting to see whether it’ll land heads, tails, or somehow set the coin on fire. “I wasn’t aware I trusted you in the first place,” you shoot back.

Sirius clutches his chest in mock offense, his silver eyes glinting with amusement. “Cruel. And after all the effort I’ve gone to, bringing you here to this—” He pauses, gesturing dramatically to the open sea. “—secret spot, a place of unparalleled beauty and danger. And what do I get? Sarcasm.”