AN: Prompts will be displayed at the bottom to avoid them potentially giving away things.

AN: An AU where Sirius is in Slytherin and doesn't run away.

~0o WARNING: DRUG ADDICTION o0~

save me from the ocean and take me to the moon

AlwaysPadfoot

Sirius Black had very little time for Mr Borgin, of Borgin and Burkes. It seemed the stout, greasy-haired man never knew just when to let go.

Sirius had only intended to spend a few minutes in the dismal shop that Borgin kept, yet a few minutes turned into half an hour of laborious chit-chat.

Just drop in and collect it whilst you're there, his father had said.

It won't take two minutes, he had said.

Sirius cursed under his breath as he finally stepped out of the suffocating atmosphere of Borgin and Burkes. He was grateful that he had gotten away without agreeing to buy anything else Borgin had attempted to flog. He hurried up the grim, cobbled street, his robes pulled around him tight in the summer rain. Sirius was glad he was wearing the set of robes he'd charmed to be waterproof — it hadn't been raining when he arrived.

He automatically walked fast, his head held high as he took long, purposeful strides toward the gates between Diagon and Knockturn Alley. Sirius had never particularly liked the feel of Knockturn Alley, but that hadn't stopped him from learning all about the side streets, all the shops, every hidden gem and alcoved street vendor. He knew it all like the back of his hand, and boy, did it come in handy when he was there alone.

Sirius had just rounded the corner, gates in sight, when he spotted a fellow Hogwarts student. He instantly shrunk back against the wall and watched carefully.

The student in question was Marlene McKinnon, a Gryffindor in his year. They shared a handful of N.E.W.T classes and got on well. Quick-witted and clever, Sirius always enjoyed her company immensely. The thing was, at the moment, she looked positivity awful. Her face was drawn and she had dark circles under her eyes.

Sirius had seen her stressed about examinations but this was different; she looked like death. He watched her pull the sleeves of her robes over her hands and then slip inside of Msaw Ætare — the shop that bordered the two alleys.

The bell above the shop door tingled as the door opened and closed. If he were sensible, he wouldn't stick his nose where it didn't belong.

James regularly told him he was nosy, and yet, he never seemed so bothered when it was 'for the good of an unforgettable prank'. Despite that, Sirius was too curious for his own good — a trait his brother would deem far too Gryffindor-ish.

He waited roughly ten seconds before stepping away from the cold, brick wall his back had been pressed to, and walked towards the door of Msaw Ætare.

The shop itself seemed relatively inoffensive, both in and out. After all, it was right on the border of the two alleys — drawing attention would be reckless. The couple that owned the shop were Danish; Sirius had spent enough time in the cafe attached to the shop that he'd gotten to know Jesper and his wife, Mette. He oversaw the cafe mainly, whilst she spent the majority of her time eyeballing every person who dared to peruse the shop's shelves.

It seemed to appear as though they simply sold Muggle items, but most of them had been charmed and cursed by magic; and everyone knew the dangerous items were kept upstairs — out of the way of surprise Ministry inspections.

The cafe, although unremarkable at first glance, was renowned for two things: Knockturn Alley's best pastries, and copious amounts of imported drugs. Msaw Ætare might have seemed innocent, but to the educated eye, it was a hive of illegal activity.

So what was Marlene McKinnon doing there?

Sirius slipped between the shelves on the shop side of Msaw Ætare, nodding to Mette, who was watching him curiously from the till. Pretending to busy himself, he peered through the gaps in the shelving, his eyes fixed on the blonde-haired Gryffindor as she approached the cafe counter. She exchanged words with the girl behind it — Jesper was usually in the back — and then passed over a handful of galleons.

Sirius would bet she wasn't just buying a pastry, as Marlene claimed a seat close to the wall and ducked her head, not paying attention at all to her surroundings.

Now, having attended several Hogwarts parties, Sirius had been exposed very quickly to the world of recreational drugs. Fairydust was a particular Hogwarts classic; it filled the world with with vibrant streaks of colour and sound, lifting you off your feet into what felt like a whole new realm of existence. The amount of money that Marlene had handed over suggested she was either making a pick up of drugs, or, failing that, she was buying Msaw Ætare out of house and pastry.

Sirius hadn't pegged Marlene as the type to go hard every night, though now she looked like she did, and she wasn't a supplier.

He could feel Mette's eyes on him. Sirius was sure that the Dane thought he was stalking Marlene or something. He was about to turn to her, but when he did she was right behind him. Sirius had to stop himself from visibly flinching. "Merlin, Mette. Give a man a heart attack, why don't you."

Her frown twisted into a smirk. "You are not a man, Black. Why are you staring at this woman?"

Her accent was thick; Sirius was positive she didn't care at all for the English language and he'd learnt a plethora of Danish insults from her over the years.

"She's in my class at Hogwarts," he answered.

"That does not answer the question," she retorted.

Sirius opened his mouth to retort when he noticed Jesper had left the kitchen and approached Marlene's table, quietly gesturing for her to follow him. That, Sirius knew, was unusual.

"Does she owe you?" he asked.

Mette eye's drifted to her husband. "Jo, I would say so. Girl's been coming in every week since summer started."

"How much?" Sirius' eyes were fixed on Merlene, Jesper had his arm on her shoulder and that wasn't a good sign. "How much does she owe?"

"Jesper, hvor meget?" Mette yelled across to the cafe causing the only customers to look in her direction — Sirius ducked out of sight.

"Et hundrede og femogtyve. Hvorfor?" Sirius heard him call and he did his utmost to try and guess what they were saying.

Another splurge of Danish passed between them and Sirius lost his concentration quickly then. He wasn't sure whether Marlene owed 152 galleons or 125, but he wasn't comfortable leaving Marlene here knowing that she owed the two Danes a lot of money.

"I'll pay it off," he found himself saying.

Mette laughed. "Come now, Black. That's a lot of money."

Sirius noticed Jesper had guided Marlene away and a sense of urgency shot through him. "I'm serious, Mette."

She muttered something in Danish which Sirius had come to learn meant you crazy bastard. Beckoning him to the till, she called to staff member behind the counter in English.

"Tell my husband that Miss McKinnon's debt has been paid." Mette turned to Sirius. "You, crazy boy, come make a payment."

He just watched to make sure that the staff member had followed the woman's order before following her into the office behind the till. Sirius could tell she thought he was ridiculous and reckless, spending so much money on bailing someone out. He was past the point of caring now; he paid Mette with the coins in his purse and left the back room just in time to hear the bell above the door ring.

Marlene had stumbled out into the street, looking dazed even through the grimy windows of Msaw Ætare.

"She took one last hit with the the remaining coins in her robe pocket," Jesper said, leaning against the shelves as Sirius made a beeline for the door. "That cut of Fairydust is imported directly from Ribe; it's potent, Black, and that girl's lost herself."

Sirius made eye contact as the man folded his arms and flicked his blonde hair to one side. "She's stronger than that."

Jesper shrugged. "The strongest ones have the furthest to fall, and they hit the ground harder."

"Gee, tak for dit, Jesper."

It was all sarcasm and no real gratitude. Mette called goodbye and Sirius left without another word, bell ringing in his ears as he stepped into the fresh air.

The rain had stopped.

Panic filtering into his mind, Sirius couldn't see Marlene anywhere. He hoped that she had stumbled through the gates to Diagon Alley, but he knew she was high and Sirius wasn't that lucky. No doubt Marlene had probably stumbled halfway down Knockturn Alley. Following his instinct, he turned left, heading back down the cobbled street in search of his classmate.

It took him substantially less time than imagined.

Sirius found Marlene stood in a deep puddle, muddy water around her ankles. She was staring up at the sky, her eyes fixed and unmoving.

What was she looking at?

He stepped up behind her. Marlene's skin was cold when he touched her exposed shoulder where her robes had slipped away. "Marlene. It's Sirius Black."

"The sky is purple. I'm in the ocean."

Sirius exhaled; he wouldn't call a puddle the sea. He stepped alongside her, noticing that her pupils were blown wide, and her eyelids were fluttering. The freckles were more prominent on her pale skin than usual. It was safe to say she didn't know he was there at all.

"Marlene, I'm going to take you home, okay?" Sirius rubbed his temples and then took her hand. "C'mon."

He only gave her hand a slight tug and her feet moved with him. Marlene's voice was slurred when she met his gaze with large blue eyes. "We going on an adventure?"

"No—" Sirius stopped when he saw how dejected she had begun to look and then inhaled deeply. "Of course, of course we're going on an adventure."

She released the cutest 'yay' and her smile was so wide it made Sirius smile too. He couldn't believe that this was how they'd ended up spending time together outside of Hogwarts. Marlene was a good person, one of the best; this wasn't fair.

He had to get her home — before she crashed. "I'm going to get you home safe."

"Noooooo!" Marlene extended out the syllable, shaking her head so violently, that Sirius wasn't convinced it hadn't hurt her. When she swung round, gripping onto his sleeves, he noticed a large bruise on her neck.

"Marlene! What's that mark?" he demanded.

"Silly, silly, Sirius," she mumbled, "I can't go home; the purples and blues are why I can't go home. That's why we're gonna go on an adventure."

Sirius found himself lost for words; he wasn't sure what to do or say as she twirled in the small slither of sunlight from above. He watched her. His thoughts were coming and going so fast that he couldn't seem to grasp a single one. Marlene tripped over her own feet and fell into Sirius's arms. He couldn't take her home — not to his house, or to hers.

"Take me on an adventure, Sirius Black," she said. "Take me far, far away from this place, all the way to the moon."

Sirius sighed — the moon would be a tad difficult, but James' house was a different story.

Competition: QLFC Finals Round 1 / Hogwarts [Ship Battles] / Decorating the Christmas Tree

Prompt: Write about Msaw Ætare. / Write an addict!AU / Vibrant

Word Count: 1910 — not inc. notes, titles, or ANs.

Translations: Jo - Yeah/Yup / Jesper, hvor meget? - Jesper, how much? / Et hundrede og femogtyve. Hvorfor? - One Hundred and twenty-five. Why? / Tak for dit - Thanks for that