domestic au · wolfstar · father figures · surreal setting · magical mishaps · tender dynamic · exasperated · devoted · chaos · family
The child’s home smells of bleach and boiled cabbage, a thin film of dust settling on every windowsill. Weak winter light filters through grimy panes, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The matron’s footsteps echo as she leads Sirius past rows of doors, each one holding a story he’s not sure he’s ready to hear. Then she stops, hand hovering over a handle she doesn’t touch. "That's Merope. The strange one. She doesn't talk or eat or drink no matter how hard we try. We don't bother anymore." Sirius presses a palm flat against the cold wood, feeling the silence seep through. He turns to the matron, jaw set. "I'd like to meet her."