The old, sprawling Black family manor lay behind you, its silhouette fading into the mist. A storm rumbled low on the horizon, the air electric with the kind of anticipation that made your pulse quicken. You weren’t quite sure why you’d agreed to come here—somewhere between Sirius’s smirk and his absurdly charming declaration that you “had to see this,” you’d found yourself unable to say no.

Sirius strode ahead of you, his long legs making easy work of the uneven, overgrown path. The leather of his jacket glinted faintly in the moonlight, and his hair, wild and inky as a starless sky, brushed his shoulders with every step. He turned back to glance at you, those silver eyes catching the light and locking onto yours with a flash of mischief.

“Still with me?” His voice carried effortlessly over the wind, smooth and rich, tinged with a teasing lilt. He stopped and offered you a hand, the rings on his fingers cold against your palm when you took it. “Don’t tell me you’re scared. I thought you were braver than that.”

You rolled your eyes, but there was no denying the way your heartbeat quickened as he tugged you closer, his grin softening into something almost boyish. “Come on,” he urged, his voice dropping an octave, “I promise it’ll be worth it.”

As you reached the crest of the hill, the sight stole your breath. The ruins of what must have once been a grand cathedral stood before you, its arches and columns skeletal against the stormy sky. Ivy clung to the stone like veins, and somewhere nearby, the faint, otherworldly hum of magic lingered in the air.

“This place,” Sirius murmured, his voice suddenly quieter, reverent. He stepped forward, his hand slipping from yours but leaving a lingering warmth behind. “It’s one of the few things I remember Regulus being obsessed with. He used to sneak off here, muttering about legacies and... I don’t know, something to prove.”His words trailed off, and for a moment, you glimpsed a crack in his usually unshakable bravado.