Authors note: Some of the best things in life are created when we feel the most dissatisfied. After clicking around on a few Sirius Black fics I found myself disappointed at how young Sirius is portrayed as a womaniser, obscenely arrogant and sometimes densely obtuse. It's understandable, since there's very little published about teenage Sirius and many authors fills those gaps with their own experiences. In 'East of my Heart' I wanted to explore his character arch, how he developed from 'an arrogant little berk' to the deeply flawed but very magnetic man he became in books three through five. This is a coming of age fic, there are romances, mistakes, fears, failures, desires, friendships and difficult family ties abound.
It was on a brisk November evening in 1960 that two men sealed the fate of their first born children. At just under a year old, both Sirius Black and Williamina Fawley had no inkling that their fathers had arranged their eventual marriage. A match of the century, their families declared - one celebrated as an exemplary joining of two historical pure-blooded families. Hands were shook, drinks were chinked and magically binding contract with excessive fine print was signed by both parties with a flourish.
Minnie detested her birth name. Williamina is a name that summons thoughts of spinsterhood and batty aunts - of sad old ladies who owned so many cats, they were never quite sure how many cats they actually owned. If Minnie could choose her own name, she'd pick one that sings of romance, like Rosie or Sofia. A soft name that would fit her like the heroines in her favourite novels.
Never one for secrets, her parents had told her of her eventual marriage to a pure blood wizard her own age, but had never felt the need to introduce the two of them officially, since they believed their children understood their duties to their families. Minnie believed in love at first sight and had initially trusted her parents' choice, until all attempts to get to know Sirius Black during their first few years at Hogwarts were met with disdain. He refused to even acknowledge her existence.
This hurt and rejection that Minnie felt was taken home to her parents after each school year, which lead her mother and father to take up their issues with Sirius' parents in the hope of reining him in, but which had Sirius sneering at her all the more.
It was a shame, Minnie thought, while in the library on an unseasonably cold October evening, he was rather fetching. She'd come to the library to study for her OWLs, (not due for several more months but still!) and had instead spent a pleasurable few hours rereading her favourite Laverne de Montmorency novel. Sighing, she'd glanced up and noticed Sirius had fallen asleep in one of the libraries plush armchairs. He was accompanied just by Remus (unusual, to see just two of the four boys) and Minnie allowed herself to watch Sirius undisturbed. Head back, with the long column of his throat exposed, it was the first time she'd seen him look so vulnerable. Yes, Minnie quietly agreed, what a shame! He'd have made quite the dashing hero in a good romance novel; handsome beyond doubt with willowy grace not often seen in men, loyal and witty, a brave Gryffindor with a good smattering of...
Her eyes snapped back to her book as he awoke without warning and fixed her with a knowing look. Cheeks warm and unable to endure his scrutiny any longer, Minnie stood with a louder scrape of her chair than intended in the hush of the library. Not caring about crumpling her essays, she unceremoniously dumped them in her backpack, threw it over her shoulder and left without a backwards glance.