For Kaia. I hope you enjoy some Black brother interaction.

Also, for QL season two, finals round two. With the extra prompts of "The truth with set you free, but first it will piss you off" - Gloria Steinem and summer.

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Dear Mother and Father,

My apologies for the letter being so late. I got a bit side-tracked by my new friends, the ones that I met on the train. They wanted to play Exploding Snaps, and well, I felt obligated to indulge them. You always did say it was important to be a good host.

Anyways, I wanted to let you know that I made it to Hogwarts safely. The Sorting went as well as could be expected. Please don't be angry, but I was placed in Gryffindor. I swear that I asked the Hat for Slytherin, but the Hat didn't give me an option.

It's getting late, and I do have class in the morning.

Again, my apologies.

Sirius doesn't sign his name. He ties the letter to his own owl, a sleek black and grey owl he named Leonidas, and watches as it disappears into the late summer heat, hoping for the best.

When he doesn't get a letter back, he starts to worry.

Reg,

You should see Hogwarts. It's amazing. The classes are rather boring, especially History of Magic, and homework is definitely a drag. It's worth being at the castle, though.

I've made some friends. One of them insists on doing the homework. But I have a feeling that he's one of those who enjoys school too much.

I'm sure that you know, but I sent Mother and Father a letter the first night. They haven't responded. How have they taken the news?

Your brother,

Sirius

It doesn't take long before Sirius gets his reply. A letter drops into his lap during breakfast two mornings after. He notices his brother's handwriting immediately. At least someone was willing to write to him.

Siri,

My apologies for taking so long to reply. You can say that they didn't take it well. Father has shut himself in his study, you know, as he does when he's brooding. He won't even allow the House Elves in.

Mother, on the other hand, has taken every chance to inform everyone that you are a disgrace to the family. She screamed constantly for the first day. She went as far as blaming those people you met on the train. She even set that letter on fire.

She saw your letter that I foolishly left on my desk. Needless to say, she was angry. She burned that one as well. She forbade me from writing to you because she doesn't want me to follow your path.

Just give it some time before you write again. Maybe Mother and Father will come to terms with this before you come back for the holidays.

Reg

A disgrace to the family. Come to terms with this. Those words - Sirius rejects their very essence. Being a Gryffindor isn't a disgrace, and they certainly shouldn't have to take time to come to terms with his new home in red-and-gold.

He crumbles his brother's letter in his hand. He can feel the red-hot anger boiling in his stomach. This was exactly what he was afraid of - them being angry.

"Sirius," a voice snaps him back to reality.

He glances up, placing a smile on his face, as he was taught as a child. His three friend's faces are looking at him worriedly. "Yeah?" he asks.

"Bad news?" James questions. He nods towards the parchment crumbled in Sirius' fist.

Sirius shrugs noncommittally. "I've been advised not to write home for a while. My brother tells me that my parents may need some time to diffuse their anger over my House placement."

"What if they never get over it?" Peter asks.

"I don't know," he replies honestly. He never really thought about it, because he thought he would be placed in Slytherin. "I guess, I only really have to go home over the summer holidays. I can stay here during Christmas and Easter."

"If nothing else," James says, "you can come spend some time at my house during the summer."

Sirius laughs humorlessly. "I doubt my parents will like the idea of that." He picks up his bag, and stands. "We're going to be late for class if we don't leave."

For that comment he receives odd looks from his friends, but he just brushes it off.

He doesn't write home.

Sometimes, he has the urge to, but knows better. He doesn't want to make things worse than they already are.

It's the middle of November, with Christmas holidays right around the corner, when he finally receives another letter. It's his brother's handwriting again, but somehow he isn't surprised that isn't his parents writing.

Siri,

I thought that time would make it easier to accept, but I have a feeling that things will not go over smoothly when you come home. Mother is still angry, but Father seems to have stopped brooding.

As much as I would like you to come home, I feel that it's best if you stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. I hope you understand.

Best wishes,

Reg

He should feel upset, angry, but instead, he just accepts it. Because he does understand it.

The truth is that his parents may never accept him being in Gryffindor. And Sirius finds that he doesn't mind. He only has to face them for two months out of the year.

Reg,

It was odd not waking up to you jumping on my bed. Instead, I was alone in the dorm, as all of my friends have gone home for the holidays - I had to insist before they agreed. Two of the girls in my year stayed so at least I wasn't alone.

Thank you for the gloves. It's easier to hold Leonidas with them. I'm guessing that you bought it while Mother and Father weren't looking?

I hope that you enjoy your gift.

Happy Christmas,

Sirius

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A/n - So many thanks to Alina for letting me bounce ideas off her.