Author: Mosh
Fandom: Harry Potter

Title: The Long Fall
Pairing: James/Sirius
Rating: G
Summary: Set during The Really Bad Incident in OotP. The long fall begins, and Sirius sees someone he isn't expecting.
Disclaimer: These boys belong to J.K Rowling. No money being made, no copyright or trademark infringement intended.
A/N: Written as a gift ficlet for my dear DF. Also part of fanfic100 on lj. :) This ficlet won an award at one of those writing contests on livejournal - the banner can be found here. Bwee! 350 words.

Note: You may not archive, re-post, or alter any of my stories without my permission. Please contact me first. Thanks!

The force of the hex hitting Sirius's chest could've probably grounded a troll. But it seemed like the longest, most surreal moments of his life, dragging on in slow motion, a deep sinking feeling.

A cold blackness crept up from behind to embrace him; he could see it materialising out of the corners of his eyes, ragged and billowing silently, growing larger by the millisecond.

He noticed Harry across the room, jumping down the stone steps two at a time, and Remus - God, Remus - staring in horror on the floor a few feet away.

Sirius kept falling, falling, the red sparks of the hex still crackling over his shirt, miniature explosions in front of his face. As the room spun with his movement, he then noticed something that made no sense standing at the very top of the circular staircase by the door to the room.

It was Harry.

No, wait, his brain reasoned, it can't be Harry - Harry's over there, rushing toward you.

The 'Harry' at the top of the steps was grinning at him, boyishly, seeming to pay no heed to the chaos around him. Something about his appearance made him look out of place, made something old and almost forgotten reawaken in Sirius's mind.

In a confusion of final flickering images, Sirius's eyes darted left and right, to where the real Harry had reached the floor and Remus's arm shot out and caught him around the chest. Then to the other Harry, who was now descending the steps at an incredible speed; it was as if his feet weren't even touching them, and he was moving double-time while the rest of the world trundled on sluggishly.

As Harry's mouth opened, the other Harry rushed past him and Remus, heading straight for Sirius. Suddenly, he was there; the sensation of a cold hand slipped into Sirius's palm and curled tightly around it as the darkness pulled them both in with a final, dizzying swoop.

"I've got you, Padfoot," was whispered into Sirius's ear, as he closed his eyes and held on.

~Fin~