A.N. I can't believe it's already past midnight – Ahh where did the evening go? Anyway enjoy. This one-shot takes place after "Serious Sorting". The Christmas break is approaching, which can cause some second thoughts, if you come from the Black family and have been sorted to Gryffindor.
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Lake night conversationsThere was a noise of someone sniffing. Andromeda turned round to find Sirius crouched against a rock. He was staring at the lake, his arms slung around his legs, chin resting on his knees.
"Hey – what's up?" Andromeda asked softly. No reaction.
"Sirius?" She came closer. The fact that Sirius was found so far from the castle, where he as a first year, was supposed to be right now at any rate, was not unusual. The fact that he was sitting all on his own was, at least since he had come to Hogwarts. James Potter and Sirius Black had become almost inseperable, since their arrival, keeping them all busy with their pranks.
She squatted down next to him.
"What are you doing here?"
He tried desperately to focus some distant point on the lake. They did not speak for some time.
"Come on" Andromeda said, glancing sideways at him. "This must be a serious problem. You're not lingering on your own in Hogwarts usually." She added.
The pun had the desired effect. A faint smile glid over the boys face.
"Sort of." He replied calmly.
"You want to talk about it?" Andromeda said simply. Sirius nodded.
They remained silent staring on the lake.
"I'm afraid. " he whispered
"Father – he ordered me home for Christmas. Why?" He turned round and looked at his cousin "They were so – after the Sorting – I thought... why? Bellatrix said I'm dead." He choked.
"You're not gonna listen to what Bellatrix is saying." Andromeda said decidedly. "Come on, whenever did you listen to her?"
"Sure" Sirius mumbled.
They sat in silence again.
"But I can't help it. What are they gonna do? What if..?" he started again
"Shh. " Andromeda put her arm around him, holding him tight. "I won't say that they won't yell at you a bit – mine did quite excessively – " she felt Sirius stiffen "but that's it" she assured him quickly "Just let it wash over you."
Though she had to admit that her father was more restrained in his temper than her uncle and her aunt had other methods … .
Apart from that, it had just been Ravenclaw and she was just the second daughter…
"I don't want to go there – " Sirius never referred to Grimmault Place as home, he had stopped doing that a long time ago. The both knew, that he had not really a choice, not if he didn't want his father to come and drag him home.
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