It was silent at the dinner table. The oak wood was stained with dark cherry and its shiny surface seemed to stretch on into miles of goblin crafted carpentry. Over the table loomed a Victorian looking chandelier, which the glass baubles and diamonds glittered when the light hit them. The light came from small candles that rested on it and cast an eerie gloom across the large dining room.
This eerie gloom was common in The Black Family's household, mostly because it reflected the personalities of the four people living in the manor. All but one.
These four sat at the dinner table on a quaint Sunday evening, in early June. It was a nice time to be outside; the weather was comfortably warm, with a soft breeze. The sky was a dark mauve- the colour it turns around twilight. Instead of enjoying the blessed weather with a walk, these four sat at the table with no sound being heard from either one of them.
There names were Orion Black, Walburga Black, Regulus Black and Sirius Black.
The silence clung to them like an ominous cloud; however this was normal behavior for the family.
Not bothering to feel awkward or uncomfortable, a sixteen year old Sirius Black dug his fork into the inadequate amount of mashed potatoes on his plate.
Noticing this, Walburga broke the silence.
"Regulus dear, I must offer my full congratulations to you for receiving outstanding grades this year," she said, and Sirius couldn't help to notice the smug look she cast him as she said this.
Sirius scoffed. "He didn't even get Outstanding on anything! The best he got was Acceptable. Or perhaps maybe you didn't notice I scored Outstanding on many of my subjects including Defense Against The Dark Arts, which he failed, mind you."
Both Walburga and Orion grimaced. "Let's not forget that you earned a Dreadful grade on your Divination O.W.L," Orion said, looking distastefully at his son. "I was about the remind you that those grades are not the way to represent The Black Family, let alone Slytherin house, then I remembered that you happen to be in that Gryffindor house, which are filled with brainless scumbags."
Sirius had no choice but to laugh. "I guess I'm just a brainless scumbag then. Maybe I should use my brainless scumbaggery to go and give a bad name to your precious Black family, huh?" He said snidely to his father.
Orion's eyes blazed with anger. He was famous for his temper and Sirius always entertained himself toying with it.
"Don't you dare. If I could disown you this minute I would, you worthless little pig."
Sirius leaned back in his chair grinning. "I don't know why you get your knickers up in a knot so fast," he said.
"If only you were a daughter instead of a son," Walburga started, "We could simply marry you off to someone else."
"Well you keep dreamin' Mum," Sirius said, getting up and pushing in his chair.
Regulus, who was silent the entire time, finally spoke:
"There's new letters for you Sirius, I found them in the mail today."
Sirius, delighted by the new information smiled. Letters from his friends were a short and sweet escape from this permanent hell he lived in.
"Who were they from?" He asked smiling.
"James, Remus, Peter, Autumn, Thomas, Mary and that Lily girl," Regulus responded.
"Mudbloods eh?" said Orion. "All those filthy mudbloods that deserve there own personal spot in hell," He chided, making a disgusted face.
Sirius, who had remained calm this whole time, could feel blood rushing to his face. How dare he say that! Sirius thought about Mary, Autumn, Thomas and Lily, who were all Muggle-born and some of his closest friends and allies. And his father just told them they deserve to be in hell.
That's when he blew.
"Shut up!" Sirius screamed, whipping his wand out. Orion reacted quicker then Sirius thought and pulled out his as well.
"Expelliarmus!" screeched Orion, and Sirius' wand flew out of his sweaty hand. "How dare you pull that thing out on me boy!"
"Then don't talk about my friends like that!" Sirius yelled, and could feel the anger rushing out of him. He clenched his teeth and his fists, getting ready to swing the man he called Father.
"HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT US!" shrieked his mother, pulling out her wand as well. "We raise a futile, talentless and distrusting child like you all out of the goodness of our hearts, and this is how you repay us?"
"Oh shut up Mum!" Sirius howled.
Walburga's face turned deep red, and she became to scream the loudest Sirius ever heard her scream before. "YOU DISGRACE THE BLACK NAME, YOU FOUL BLOOD-TRAITOR!"
Sirius stopped paying attention to the rest when Orion looked him in the eye with his black and ice cold ones.
"I don't even know why I call you my son," he spat.
For a moment Sirius felt as if an icicle had pierced his chest. He knew this feeling; he had felt it many times before. It was the feeling of being abandoned and unwanted, by something that you were supposed to depend on, lean on and love. Something that wasn't present in his life that should be: family.
Sirius stared at him for a moment, and then finally said coldly, "You shouldn't."
With that, he retrieved his wand, spun around and marched up to his bedroom.
"I demand to know where you are going!" He could hear his mother scream from downstairs. Sirius did not stop or answer, nor say a single word. He knew what he wanted to do now, needed to do now.
Run.
Run far away from here. Where he would never hear his mother's vulgar shrieks again or his father's icy voice. The insults from them, the harsh words they spoke, he would never have to hear them again if he ran.
That's what he was going to do.
Upon entering his bedroom, he grabbed his trunk from his bedroom and began to mumble "Accio" here and there. Using an enchantment Remus taught him, he was able to fit all the clothes in his dresser, all his prized possessions and all his school supplies in his trunk. While he was packing, he didn't know why but a lump began to grow in his throat and his eyes began to sting. Why are you doing this? He thought to himself. He knew the answer and maybe that's why he felt this way.
He locked his trunk up and wheeled it to the door of his bedroom. He was about to open the door when he took one last look at his room. It had been a haven for him, one place he could not be disturbed in. Emblazoned in Gryffindor flags and banners, as well as muggle girls in bikinis and motorcycles, it didn't seem like much, but he knew it was special.
From that moment on, he knew he would not come back. Maybe someday, but that day was far from then.
He opened the door, slipped out and closed it. He wheeled his Hogwarts trunk down the stairs, it making a 'thump thump' noise as it hit every step.
He could see his parents and Regulus had returned to the dinner table and were calmly eating as though nothing had happened. Stepping into the parlor, he locked eyes with his mother for a moment. "What are you doing?" She asked coldly yet curiously.
Sirius did not speak. Instead he cast her a defiant look before stepping out and slamming the door.
Walking down the front steps he felt a wave of relief wash over him. So this is what it felt like to be free?
The sun had set completely and the sky was now a shade of dark blue. The many stars were visible in the sky, which could be compared to the diamonds in his Sirius' mother's chandelier.
Pulling his trunk along he began to pick up speed. It started as a brisk walk, then jog, then broke out into a run. With his sneakers slapping the damp pavement and his breath starting to get heavier, he never felt so free in his life. He was running, running away from the terrible people who had tortured him his whole life.
Soon enough, he had ran so far he didn't know where he was. It appeared to be a shoddy street, one he didn't recognize. Feeling his stomach start to churn like butter, he slowly pulled his wand out from his sweater and slowed to a walk. That walk turned to a dead stop when Sirius saw a bright purple triple-decker bus come speeding his way.
To his surprise, it didn't slow down. It was coming right in his direction, faster and faster.
Oh god, Sirius thought, after all that I'm going to die by being hit by a bus.
It was speeding up to him, nearly a foot away now, and Sirius froze in fear. Oh no, oh no...
The bus screeched to a halt. It pulled up around him and the doors swung open. Inside the drivers seat sat a middle aged man with round glasses, sort of like James' but thicker.
"Ello son," he said with a thick cockney accent. "The names Ernie."
Sirius nodded. "I'm Sirius."
"Where will we be takin' ya' this evening?"
Sirius paused for a moment, then said, "Is there any chance you can drive that thing to Godric's Hollow?"