A/N: I have no idea what this is about at this point. Simply that it is WMPP era. I kid you not I am simply going to trust my fingers, even if they just made me type "oto rust me fingers". :D (added later) I know nothing about chess. Hope it sounds realistic…
'Hmmm' Remus thought gazing over at the boy called Sirius. 'He does NOT seem happy in Gryffindor… I wonder why…' He figured that the hat had sorted him into this house for a good reason so he simply stood up from the common room couch, and sat opposite the dark haired boy. With a flick of his wand, Remus made the wizard chess people line up.
"You seem upset." he says moving the middle right pawn up two squares. "Your turn." Sirius just glanced down at the game with a look of disgust.
"I don't belong here. I was meant to be a Slytherin." He says shortly. Turning back to the window, but just before, sliding a pawn forward one. He was a Black, and a Black never turned down a challenge. Ever.
"Well, it seems as though the sorting hat thought otherwise." Remus says simply, moving another piece into the starts of a arrow formation.
"The sorting hat was wrong. I am a Black, and Blacks are Slytherin's. Anyone with a brain knows that." He says with a hint of hurt beneath his words.
"Hate to burst your bubble," Remus says contemplating Sirius last move, "but it's a hat. It doesn't have a brain, nor is it limited to the narrow thinking of the population." He finally decides to stick with his arrow-defensive position.
"Limited thinking of the population?" Sirius says with a small smirk, knowing his offense was highly effective against Remus' beginner play. Or at least, so he thought.
"Of course. Who is to say that a Black cannot be truthful, brave, and strong? Does that really seem so horrible? I mean to Black -Remus sneers teasingly- making an honest living must seem downright cowardly." He says with a laugh, using a bishop to shift his formation.
"My mum is going to slaughter me, it hardly matters whether Gryffindor is full of okay guys, or even raving lunatics! I won't be around long enough to see it!" Sirius says slumping into his seat, not bothering to move a chess piece.
"Perhaps not. You never know. My mum says when she was younger she swore that she'd never marry a muggle, have children, live in a suburban neighbor, or do anything aside from being the most famous Healer at St. Mungo's. I grew up in a Suburban neighborhood, and spent my afternoons walking with my muggle father to the preschool that my mum teaches at to pick her up." Remus shrugs, glad he was able to share part of himself with his dorm mates. "People change."
"Not Mum. Not a Black." He says, but Remus can tell, this time he wishes that maybe his family wasn't 'The Mighty and Noble House of Black.'
"Maybe she just needs some space and time?" Remus suggests.
"In a few weeks we are going to be forced together again for a long week, Remus. I won't be coming back, it will be to shameful to the family. I will probably be gone the second they find out." An owl tap at the window startles Sirius, and he turns slightly green at the red envelope clutched in the owls claws.
"Howler…You- You already sent a letter to your Mum didn't you." Remus asks quietly, dreading the answer. Sirius only nods, the green faded from his face, leaving no color at all in its absence. With a gulp he opens the letter.
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK. YOU ARE A FAILURE. YOU WILL BE SEVERLY PUNISHED. YOU HAVE DISGRACED THE ENTIRE BLACK FAMILY. BY THE TIME YOU RECEIVE THIS YOU WILL HAVE BEEN WRITTEN OUT OF YOU FATHER'S WILL. YOU ARE UNFIT TO HOLD THE BLACK NAME. YOU WILL NOT BE STAYING AT THE BLACK HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS VACATION. THAT IS FINAL. DO NOT EVEN BOTHER WRITING US WITH PETTY PLEAS AND APPOLOGIES, NONE WILL BE ACCEPTED." The letter exploded into a ball of fire before its ashes fell like snow onto the chessboard.
Silence resonated in the common room. People stared over at the chess table for a moment, before quickly looking away. Older students quietly padded up to their dorms, while others filtered out through the door. In a few moments, the common room had cleared, as the Gryffindors gave the young first years space.
"Come to my house for Christmas." Remus says quietly, knowing what will happen if he does, but not caring. "My mum said to invite my new friends, that they'd be welcome." He lies.
"I-I…" Sirius falters before stuttering off into silence, staring at the ash covered chess pieces. Remus realized the boy never realized how true his words were.
"It'll get better." Remus says. He knew from personal experience the sting of rejection from parents. The people who should love you most. "When they realize that you haven't changed much because of it, that you are still Sirius."
"How could you possibly know what it feels like? You still HAVE parents, who love and care for you." he says bitterly.
"I didn't for awhile." Remus says, throwing caution to the wind. "I went through a really hard time when I was little, and my parents weren't always there for me at first. They flinched at my touch, and were disgusted by any contact I had with them. It was a lonely year. Slowly, they realized the error of their way."
"What- What happened?" Sirius asked, desperate to get his situation off his mind, if only for a moment. Remus, however had been dreading that very question, but planned to answer it honestly.
"Sirius- Maybe another day, I am not quite ready to tell anyone. But, I assure you, if all that you told me about your parents is true, my story is similar." Remus says standing up uncertainly.
"Can-Where are you going?" Sirius says looking very lost.
"Too the library. I need a little space. I think, however, James is signed up for flying lessons this afternoon, I think he is allowed to bring a friend." Sirius is grateful that his dorm mate is so kind, providing him the distraction he needs. He stands, and slowly knocks down his king.
Maybe, just maybe Blacks aren't the 'Mightiest and Most Noble'.
A/N: Um… wow? I…. What the freak? I thought that it would have turned into a slash-fest, party, or something involving volleyball. A heartfelt discussion over a game of chess was nowhere near the top of the 'high possibility that the fanfic will become…' list. As a side note- I think the knocking over the king counts as symbolism! I finally did something my English teachers said all authors do! Yay.
Well review! I think I will write like this more often!