Wincing in pain, Sirius lifted his head slightly off the cold stone floor. He squinted through the darkness, praying that he was alone, and silently berating himself for his hot headedness. Why did he not learn? Why could he not just keep his mouth shut and his head down? He knew she was wrong, the batty old cow. So why argue back? Why provoke her?
Cos I'm not like her, and I have to make sure she knows it, he thought to himself, slowly lifting his stiff, aching body off the kitchen floor, and making his way, slowly and silently, to his bedroom. With his bedroom door locked behind him, Sirius slumped onto the bed, looking around the room for his wand. Locating it on his bedside table, he reached over to grab it, but stopped in shock when he saw his arm - reaching for the wand had caused his sleeve to fall down his arm, exposing a deeply lacerated and blood soaked arm. Sirius winced at the sight of it. There was now no way for him to ignore it any longer; his mother was definitely becoming more vicious in her punishments. "Fuck", Sirius sighed. "Please, just let me make it to the first" he quietly pleaded to the empty room. His calendar said he had fifteen days to go.