November 3, 1972

It would be years before Minerva McGonagall forgot his birthday again. James Potter would spend those years theatrically claiming it was his doing that their Head of House remembered Sirius Black's birthday. But in fact, it was one of the only moments Minerva McGonagall could ever recall of Black alone.

He should have been writing lines but he wasn't.

The boy sat in his usual seat, in the last row to the left, even in an empty classroom. His dark head was bent over his parchment, giving off a perfect air of a told off second year, but he wasn't fooling her. The quill scratched furiously along near his elbow and Minerva tried not to be impressed with his impertinence. Most Hogwarts students didn't master that particular charm until the end of their third year, but Sirius Black was hardly most students.

"Mr. Black." Professor McGonagall sighed dropping her own quill and fixing the miscreant with a stern glare.

Sirius tossed his head back in what even McGonagall recognized as his signature move to remove the stray hairs not yet long enough to tuck behind his ear.

"Professor?" He quirked an apologetic grin that lack any repentance.

"Would you like a spot of tea?" Professor McGonagall strove to keep her expression stern.

"Tea?" Sirius gapped at her as if she has gone mental. Minerva immediately bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the boy's bewildered expression.

"Yes, Mr. Black. Tea." Professor McGonagall repeated exasperated. She tapped her wand at the hourglass on her desk. In an instant, a plush sitting chair was stationed in front of her large desk. McGonagall pointed at the chair with her wand giving Sirius a curt nod to further direct him before she swept back into her private office.

Sirius quickly shoved his stuff into his book bag and sauntered up to his indicated place of honor. The plush chair reminded him of his mother which made him uncomfortable; though he couldn't be sure that wasn't McGonagall's intent. The Transfiguration Professor settles a tea tray in front of him.

"Mr. Potter tells me it is your birthday." She states as she pours his cup of tea.

"Yes, I reckon he couldn't help himself." Sirius grumbles in frustration.

"He thought it would change my mind about your detention." McGonagall frowned. She pushed a cup of tea towards the boy and settles down in her seat once again.

"It didn't." Sirius shrugs and seems to push himself further into the chair.

Minerva had never known Sirius Black to make himself smaller. She had always noticed how he stood his ground, obstinately she had noted. Not even just three days before, when he had been standing in her office at three in the morning drenched in pumpkin guts and black cat hairs protecting his mates from her wrath over their Halloween Prank.

"No, I don't suppose it did." McGonagall sighed. "Why didn't you tell me? I suspect you had plans to celebrate with Misters Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew?"

"James had plans." He grumbled into his chest as he nervously reached out to grab his teacup.

"Mr. Black." Minerva tapped impatiently at her desk. "Speak up or don't speak at all."

"Sorry, professor." Sirius looked up at her anxiously before taking a sip of his tea.

McGonagall frowned at the boy. In all her years at Hogwarts, the Transfiguration professor had never met a child not excited by their birthday. But Sirius Black was hardly like most students.

Black was just a child until she really studied him. The short-cropped hair of his first year was almost completely grown out and the roundness of his once boyish cheeks had long since disappeared. The young Black was growing into his family's features, dark and elegant, mature before his time. His intense gray eyes gazed at her with only a glint of their usual mischief and suddenly Sirius Black appeared fully-grown.

"Sirius, how old are you today? She demanded sterner than she intended.

"13." Sirius replied morosely.

"Aren't you excited? I'm sure Mr. Potter has something extravagant planned, even after your detention." McGonagall shot a sharp glance towards the closed classroom door. She knew, without a doubt, the others were sitting in the corridor impatiently waiting for their partner in crime. She had threatened the rambunctious Potter with a ban from the first match if he so much as knocked on the door during Black's detention.

"He railed for hours about how I ruined his plans because I got caught, but James, he's quick…" Sirius trailed off taking another sip of his tea.

"To adapt, yes. Mr. Potter is adept at adapting to any mischievous endeavor you boys take interest in. But aren't you excited?" Minerva nodded.

"I have only celebrated my birthday once. I may not be use to it." Sirius explained uncomfortably.

"Once?"

"Last term. You remember professor, you told us off because we got lost looking for cakes." Sirius smiled.

"I have told you lot off far too many times to recall a specific time Mr. Black. But before, you must have celebrated with your family?" Minerva replied.

"My birthday was about honoring my parents, for bringing me into the Ancient and most Noble House of Black. Oh sure, there was gifts but I haven't met anyone else who got a Spanish Inquisition torture device for their tenth birthday." Sirius laughed as he set down his teacup and swung his legs over his armrest. He comfortably settled into having one arm around the back of the chair while using his other arm to balance off her desk.

"And what did your parents send as their gift this year?" McGonagall asked wearily.

"Oh nothing. I don't know if you've noticed Professor, but I'm a Gryffindor… I'm an even bigger disgrace than they could have imagined." Sirius laughed again and Minerva shuddered. It wasn't the boy's usual laughter the kind that rolled around the room and infected everyone in his presence this was a maniac and hallow bark.

"Sirius, don't you want to celebrate?" Minerva leaned forward pushing towards the boy a tin of opened ginger snaps.

"James wants to." Sirius replied casually taking one of the snacks. He tilted his head back and glanced at the closed door. There was a thump and muffled conversation, clearly an argument.

"Forget about Mr. Potter," McGonagall sighed. "What about you?"

"I can't forget James," Sirius frowned at her. "He believes it's important to celebrate. To him birthdays are a way to rejoice in a person. He made me promise, to always celebrate because I'm important to him."

"So because you are important to Mr. Potter…" McGonagall began.

"No. Because James is important to me." Sirius replied impatiently.

McGonagall studied the twitching boy, again. Sirius was a handsome, clever boy from an ancient and noble wizarding family that despite his upbringing didn't believe he was most important person in the world. Even second years not raised to believe they were royalty were self-centered at the times, especially on their birthdays. But Sirius Black was hardly like other students.

"Mr. Black," McGonagall sighed. "Did you have any help with the prank?"

"No." Sirius snapped his attention back to her. Not even willing to suggest through body language that his mates, who were now arguing quite loudly at the door, were involved.

"Mr. Potter is going to get himself banned from the first match if he keeps this up!" McGonagall all but shouted towards the door. The shouting died down.

"Professor?" Sirius sat up straighter.

"What is it?"

"Could I ask for a birthday present?" Sirius leaned forward. He smiled, a wide grin that reached his eyes, and his gray irises sparkled with what could only be described as calculated success.

"Sirius…" She began to shake her head.

"Could you not ban James from the first match? I know you haven't because we're playing Slytherin and he's a brilliant chaser..."

"PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, PLEASE?" James hollered through the crack in the doors.

"He can't help himself." Sirius sighed.

"Sirius Black," Professor McGonagall sighed. She knew she would regret this moment for years to come. "I will give you a present, I will turn a blind eye to any activities which you and that lot outside my door get into for today. As long as no one is maimed, nothing is destroyed and no laws are broken. And only until midnight, do I make myself clear?"

Sirius laughed, his normal infectious roar, as he threw out a hand.

"You have got yourself a deal."

"Now get Potter away from my door before he makes me give him a week of detentions." McGonagall rolled her eyes. Sirius Black sprung up and towards the door. As he threw open the doors the boy looked back over his shoulder smiling.

"Thanks, Minnie." He winked before tumbling straight into James Potter.

Minerva McGonagall would always remember that November afternoon as the moment when she lost the weapon of severity with the marauders.