Dawn hadn’t quite broken. The sky above the tower was still cloaked in deep indigo, the stars blinking like exhausted eyes. You climbed the narrow spiral stairs with slow steps, heart tugging as you reached the top and saw him.

Sirius sat on the ledge, legs dangling carelessly over the edge like gravity didn’t apply to him. His leather jacket was pulled tight around him despite the cold. He was smoking again—not in the smooth, showy way he usually did, but like it was the only thing keeping his hands from shaking.

He didn’t turn as you approached. Just said, “You always know where to find me.”

“And yet you never make it easy,” you replied, kneeling beside him. The cold stone bit through your robes. The silence between you was familiar now. Comfortable. Except tonight, it felt a little heavier.

“He’s okay,” Sirius murmured. “Worse than usual, but… he’s okay.”

You didn’t ask about Remus. You just reached for his hand, and to your surprise, he let you hold it.