You Are What I Despise, And I Hope You Judge Your Life. To Think You Ran Away? Yes I Did From You. Why Would You Bow Down?-"…And With The Scissor Kick Is Victorious", Biffy Clyro.
The Hogwart's Express pulled into Hogsmeade station on a cold and misty morning in late December to a crowd of shivering youngsters, ready to go home for the holidays. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter were stood facing the train as it rolled to a halt, eyes staring, too cold to comprehend anything else except the warmth awaiting them inside the carriages. "Finally," James sighed as the doors opened, and they all dragged their trunks through the rush to get in. "Here." The carriage was empty, and the four threw their trunks in, Remus slamming the door to a grinning girl from their transfiguration class hoping to follow them in. She pouted and frowned before storming off. They slumped into the chairs, chucking off the masses of layers shrouding them and sighed.
"Bloody cold," Sirius mumbled, letting out a shiver. The door slid open slightly. It was Sephie and Miranda. "Do you guys mind if we join you? The rest of the carriages are full of idiots." Sirius nodded, and the two girls slid the door fully open and dragged their belongings in as the train started up again. "Thanks," Miranda said, sitting down next to Remus, who looked positively beaming. "That's no problem," he said, picking a book of a pile beside him. "Look, I managed to get a copy..."
James sighed, rolled his eyes at Sirius (who laughed) and stared out the window. Lily would be doing prefect duty, which meant there was no chance of her wanting to share their carriage. The girl from earlier passed, giving the carriage a foul look as she saw the two girls. "Hey," Sephie said, smiling at Sirius. "How's Padfoot getting on?"
"Oh, he's okay." Sirius grinned back. James smiled as well as he turned to her. "Yeah, Prongs says hi". Peter just frowned at his lack of comprehension as Sephie looked at him. She raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Okay..."
The weather outside remained windy and miserable almost the whole way to London, although the rain managed to turn to snow somewhere in the midlands. However, the mood inside the carriage was quite uplifted, apart from James' sulk. Halfway through a discussion about the rules of Quidditch (Miranda knew almost nothing, but Sirius was impressed to hear the extent of Sephie's knowledge), the lunch cart rolled up. "Bit of everything," James said before the lady had a chance to ask. She dished out six of everything, and, as usual, James footed the bill.
"Got enough there?" came a familiar voice, which caused James' ears to prick like those he usually possessed as a deer. Lily Evans was grinning in her robes from the door. "It's to share," James explained, trying to keep an air of arrogance about him. Lily nodded. "Well then," she sat down next to Miranda and grabbed a chocolate frog. "You mind me...sharing then." She opened it with a smirk on her face and took a bite.
"Not at all," James replied. It was no time before the Quidditch conversation resumed, thanks to James-eager to show off his skills. He was just explaining to a half interested Lily how tactics are key to every game, when she checked her watch, jumped and flustered something about prefect duty. As she left, the train started to pull into what everyone realised as the last few miles to Kings Cross, deciding themselves to get ready to leave. The lobby of the station came into view, and crowds of people could be heard stampeding towards the exits and, sure enough, as Remus opened the carriage door, a horde sealed off the entrance. "Excellent..."
"Well," Miranda said as she stood beside him. "If we get split up and I don't get a chance to say bye..." She kissed him curtly on the cheek, which proceeded to flush a shade of bright scarlet. Sirius elbowed him in the side as they pushed their way out. "You've pulled!"
"Shut up," Remus hissed, although he was clearly watching the blonde head of Miranda disappear into the crowd ahead. Sirius felt someone pinch his behind, and knowing Sephie was behind him, raised his eyebrows as he turned. "Handing out a bit of Christmas...cheer...oh..." his voice trailed as he came face to face his fan from Transfiguration, Sephie smiling cheekily at him over her shoulder. The girl giggled. Snorted. Fantastic.
Sephie didn't say goodbye in the same way as Miranda, much to Sirius' disappointment. Remus getting a kiss and not him? When there was so much mistletoe around? Rubbish. She did give him a hug and promise to write. But she also hugged Peter, before trotting off to her parents. (Sirius noted she got her Greek looks from her mother). Narcissa and Regulus were both heavily in conversation with Bellatrix and the rest of the Black Family. Andromeda was on the station platform, waving at Sirius. Beside her was her husband, Ted, who had always reminded Sirius of Remus' messier older brother. In his arms was a small girl of about two, her black hair in bunches on the sides of her head. "Girl trouble?" his cousin said as he walked over to greet them. "Something like that." Andromeda shook her head. "Honestly, boy. Sirius Black with girl trouble? Tut tut." She thought for a moment. "You know what? The problem is, you're too much of a slut to be taken seriously. When you were thirteen, you had all the girls you wanted. Now it's coming back to haunt you." She sighed as Sirius' jaw dropped. Andromeda ignored it. She jerked her head in the family's direction. Andromeda really was looking startlingly like a younger Bellatrix. "I don't think they've realised I'm here. Just wanted to see you before Christmas, wanted you to see Nymphadora." Sirius turned to the young girl, who's hair started to turn pink as Sirius fished out a Chocolate Frog in his pocket to give to her.
"Ta, Siwis," she said, her chubby little hands gripping the frog from him.
"You looking forward to Christmas?" He asked her, her grinning face nodding enthusiastically. "Have you been good?" She nodded again, giggling.
"SIRIUS! WHERE ARE YOU?" came Walburga Black's strangled voice over the smoke. Sirius rolled his eyes and picked up his things. "It was nice to see you," he said as the three disapparated. Walburga's tall, egg-shaped form came through the smoke. "LEAVING! NOW!" She shouted, jabbing her son in the chest.
For a favourite cousin, Andromeda's words weren't too much help. How did she expect telling him he was "too much of a slut to be taken seriously" help? Anyway, he thought, Seph's more of a friend now. This convincing thought kept his arrogancy levels high enough to bring him above his family, who's idea of Christmas Spirit was commenting on Sirius' 'disgusting' decor over dinner. "Yeah, bet Voldemort's bedroom is gorgeous," he muttered as he stormed up to his own, locking the door and throwing himself on the bed. There was a tapping on his window-it was a big barn owl. He smiled, rushed to thrust open the window and let the bird in, before realising as it fluttered onto his bed that it didn't have a letter. Before he had a chance to think, the owl had turned into a short girl with long, dark red hair and big green eyes. Persephone's face had the usual grin, and she danced her shoulders as she looked around the bedroom. "So," she said. "This is the bedroom of Sirius Black..." her eyes fixed on a Muggle Page 3 girl. "Definitely a boob man, then?"
Sirius dashed to stand in front of another naughty poster, laughing nervously. "So..when you said write, you meant...". Persephone's eyes darted back to his. "Turn up as an owl, yes."
"SIRIUS! SIRIUS BLACK!" came a strangled voice from below. Sirius' eyes widened and darted to his door. His beautiful mother was storming up the stairs, taking them two at a time, determined to get him in trouble. The door thrust open, her eyes falling on the bed and narrowing...Sirius closed his eyes. A girl. In his bedroom. Fabulous. "Where did you get that owl?" She demanded. His eyed followed hers, to Persephone the Owl. "Oh," he said, trying to stifle a smile. Persephone strutted across the bed, picking at parchment like any normal owl. "It's from Lupin..I...left something. Some work. He sent it to me." His mother didn't seem too convinced, her eyes still narrowed at the bird. But, finding no reason to doubt his excuse, turned and stormed back down stairs, mumbling something about "bloody muggle motorbikes". Sirius closed the door, wiping his brow. "That was close."
"Yeah," said the now human girl, reading the bit of parchment she'd been picking at as an owl before turning to him. "So, up for some walkies?" she asked, answering Sirius' questioning look by transforming into a big white husky. He took one look at the door, before deciding he had nothing to lose, turning into Padfoot and leading his companion out of his window, onto the shed roof and off into freedom.
The night was cold, but both being particularly fluffy, the pair of dogs didn't feel the chill. Sirius led them down to the river, where as dogs they could enjoy a paddle. A group of teenagers saw the pair frolicking in the wake, pointing them out and laughing, trying to call them over. Sirius barked to Sephie as the group started to approach them, and the two shook themselves dry and trotted off. At about ten o'clock, both canines were panting hard form all the walking, and made a turn into a park to take a drink from the duck pond and terrifying a few creatures. Sirius looked at his reflection in the water, rippling slightly from where Sephie's pink tongue was lapping the surface. He looked quite good as a dog...He sat and watched Sephie drink, obviously more exhausted being the furrier of the two, her thick white fur around her ears blowing in the wind. She stopped drinking as she realised Sirius was looking, turning her head to look at him and blinking her dark almond shaped eyes. Embarrassed, Sirius turned his head to the sky where a silver orb caught his eye...full moon. His companion followed his gaze and both stared at it for a while. Sephie knew of Remus' condition, always had, just as he had known about hers. Both wondered what he was up to. Whether he was locked up in his basement, slashing at his own face, howling as his parents sat in their living room trying to drown it all out. Sirius suddenly felt a wave of guilt. He was so lucky. Here he was, strolling about in the night with a mate, splashing in the Thames and play fighting, while his best friend was locked up, fighting himself. He let out a remorseful howl and lay down. Sephie plodded over, nuzzling his ear, knowing exactly what he was thinking just as he knew of her thoughts-There's Nothing You Can Do. He grunted in sad agreement.
"REGULUS!!!" came the sing-song voice of his mother through Sirius' dreams. Once again, he was in a sweat. "Coming, mother!" replied his younger brother, before the sounds of his footsteps trotting down the staircase. Sirius had got used to this favouritism. He didn't mind. He wiped his face on his bed sheets, trying to shake the image of Remus' parents nursing their son's self-inflicted wounds for the hundredth time. "SIRIUS BLACK! NOW!" his mother's voice boomed. Plodding down the stairs to the kitchen, he tried to shake his thoughts onto the previous week's little adventures. He'd had a few night-time wanderings with Sephie now, and each time they were spending more and more time out.
"Post," his mother said bluntly, throwing a letter in Sirius' breakfast bowl as he filled it with milk. The familiar curls of Andromeda's script started to run into his breakfast. "Fucksake," he mumbled, fishing it out and wiping it on his mother's clean table cloth for good measure. His cousin asked the usual questions, mostly about whether he'd heard from Sephie, what James, Remus and Peter were up to, if they were behaving, and how his family were. He smiled as he read of Andromeda's secret jinxing of various of her sister's possessions, just to annoy them. He couldn't wait to be seventeen. He glanced at his mother, ideas swimming through his mind.
"We're spending Christmas with your Uncle Cygnus," she said, settling down to her own gigantic breakfast. "So your beautiful cousins can spend time with you."
Sirius grimaced. It was enough knowing his mother married her cousin, without her trying to force them to do likewise. Although, he did think he and Andromeda would have a good laugh if push came to shove.
"Bellatrix has some fascinating ideas, she really thinks all wizard's will be pure-blooded in the next five years." Regulus said, mulling over the Daily Prophet. He didn't seem to flinch at the death of muggles reported on page one. Sirius blocked it out. This kind of conversation sickened him. He knew he had nothing to worry about, the only muggle-born he knew well being Lily Potter. But the idea of her being killed made his insides twist in knots. Although, he supposed, losing Snivellus wouldn't be such a problem. He was a half-blood. He smiled...how ironic it would be, for him to be killed by his idol? But with a jolt, Remus' face floated back into his mind...his mother was muggle-born. Sirius shovelled down his cereal, despite his sudden loss of appetite. His munching managed to drown out Regulus and his mother's chatter, but he still heard 'mudbloods' ring through a few times. It was all he could do to stop himself shouting at the two. He felt a sear of anger. They were so close minded...The front door clicked open, and Sirius looked round through the kitchen door, down the hall, to see the tall, lanky shape of his father, who looked the spitting image of Regulus and himself. Sirius looked back at his mother- he was so thankful he didn't take after her in the looks department. But apparently she was a looker back in her day, the Potter's had told him. Sirius hoped it was his own birth which caused her to put on so much weight. He didn't doubt for a second that it was him who'd given her the premature wrinkles. He smiled to himself and finished off his breakfast, before standing up to get showered. "We're leaving in an hour," his mother called after him as he reached the door, his father pushing past him, not saying a word. "What?" Sirius snapped, turning round. His mother's face hardened. "TO GET TO CYGNUS'S!" she yelled, throwing a fork at him. He ducked in time, the fork hitting the door frame and bouncing into the hall. "AND WATCH YOUR TONE WITH YOUR MOTHER!" Sirius rolled his eyes, walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs as Kreacher came hurrying out of the kitchen to fetch the fork. He looked up and gave the oldest Black boy a smirk.
"Little wanker," Sirius mumbled, pushing the bathroom door open and looking for a towel. The only one left was a white one with fresh stains on it. Sirius mind floated back to Kreacher. He slammed the door.
"Regulus, my boy! How you've grown!" Cygnus booming voice came from the large oak doors, echoing around the circular drive with it's giant fountain in the center. He stood at the doorway with his arms outstretched, the rings on his fingers glistening. Sirius noticed that every time he saw his Uncle Cygnus, the more he looked like a pimp. "How's school? The whiz at potions, I should imagine..." His voice trailed off as he caught sight of Sirius. The oldest Black child could feel exactly what his Uncle was feeling. When he was younger, Cygnus had the idea that Sirius was destined for great things. He could never deny that his oldest nephew, no matter how much of a 'blood-traitor', was still the best in the family at magic, equal to his Bellatrix. Sirius knew what was coming later that day-Cygnus' eyes never left him as he hugged his sister and his brother-in-law and ushered them into the grand house. It was Christmas Eve and there was an enormous Pine Tree in the hall between the two grand staircases decorated with silver tinsel, beads and ornaments. His family really needed to get a new colour scheme, Sirius thought.
"Come, Come!" Cygnus ushered the family into his living room, where Sirius' Aunt Druella was lighting a few decorative candles. "Walburga! Orion!" She squealed as she caught sight of the visitors, before dropping the match onto her daughter's lap as she hurried to greet them. Narcissa screeched like an owl, Bellatrix casually flicking her wand to put the flame out as she rose up to follow her mother. Sirius grimaced as he kissed each of Bellatrix's cheeks, Narcissa so stupid she almost gave him a full frontal snog. It was times like these that he missed Andromeda, and slightly resented her for being booted out of the Black family.
"Will Rodolphus be joining the festivities?" his father asked as he greeted his oldest Niece.
"For dinner," Bellatrix replied. "His family are having a large celebration tomorrow, what with the arrival of his own nephew."
"Oh, of course, of course..." Orion moved on to greet the blonde of the Black girls. "And what about the beautiful Narcissa, any courtiers on the agenda?"
Narcissa frowned. Evidently she did not understand the word 'Courtier' "Um, no?"
"Don't be so shy, Narcissa!" Cygnus' voice cried as he gripped his daughters shoulder. "Why, our Cissy has only caught the eye of Lucius Malfoy, hasn't she?"
Walburga Black gasped. "Oh, really? How wonderful Cissy!" She grasped her niece in her arms. "The Malfoy's are such an...integral family!"
"And what about young Regulus," Druella asked, her permed blonde hair solid as she moved her head to the fourteen year old. He shook his head firmly. Sirius wondered whether Cygnus would bother asking about his love life, imagining his expression as he told of his last girlfriend being muggle-born, and what they got up to in free periods. But he wasn't given that pleasure, instead being forced to sit on the three person sofa next to Narcissa, Bellatrix and his brother as his Aunt handed out cups of tea, the discussion turning to the usual-politics of pureblood. Sirius switched off.
Sirius woke to a frantic pecking noise on his window. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the owl. It wasn't Sephie, but a tiny real-life owl with a large package, at least twice it's side hanging from it's leg. He rushed to the window to let it in, and as it dragged itself into the room, three more birds came zooming through, knocking the poor thing off the windowsill.
"Bloody hell," Sirius sighed, the birds fluttering around impatiently on his bed. He picked up the small bundle off his floor and untied the package before setting it down on his bed with the others. The package was from Peter. Only he would forget the basic laws of physics. Sirius sat on his bed, and untied three more parcels as another owl flew onto his bed. One from James, Remus and Andromeda each. He went to untie the last package, but the owl grinned at him as it changed into a girl.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" she cheered, seizing Sirius into a massive hug, sending the birds flying off in all directions. She released him and grabbed the parcel beside her, thrusting it into his hands. "I got you this. Open it. Open it."
Sirius smiled at the girl. "How did you find-"
"OPEN IT!" She whined loudly, pushing his hands and urging him on. "Okay, okay..." Sirius pulled off the string and paper. It was a book with golden animals engraved into its black leather cover. He opened the cover to the title page- "A History Of Animagi and Their Amazing Adventures." His eyes grew wide, he'd never heard of this book before, but it seemed like the kind of book he'd want to be in.
"Look, look," Sephie said impatiently, grabbing the book from him and turning the pages. She thrust it back to him, jabbing her finger on the page she'd chosen. "It's my great great grandfather!" And sure enough, there was Newton Scamander- an Animagus.
"So that's how he found all those animals," Sirius said, his brain ticking. But Sephie was preoccupied by the other parcels, an owl sitting in her lap. "Oooh," she said, seizing one brown package. "What did James get you? Open it!" She thrust it into Sirius' hands, her eyes wide.
Click.
Sephie and Sirius' eyes darted to the door. "Shit," Sephie breathed.
"Who are you sending that to?" Regulus asked, narrowing his eyes at the package Sirius was tying to the mahogany bird's leg. "Oh, Remus," Sirius replied. "Is breakfast ready?" He winked at the bird.
"Mmm," his brother replied, his eyes growing narrower before he turned to leave. Sirius stroked the birds head, ruffled it's feathers. "This is your present. Sorry I couldn't watch you open it." The bird winked and took off through the window. Sirius watched her fly away. His one bit of joy through an otherwise rough holiday.
