Challenge Block
Stacked With: Hogwarts; BAON; FPC; SF; SN
Individual Challenges: In a Flash; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; Bow Before the Blacks
Representations: Sirius Black; Lily Potter; Squib Sirius; Bringing Sirius back to the (good) family
Bonus Challenges: Second Verse (Not a Lamp)
Tertiary Bonus Challenges: Negate
Prompts: Squib AU (auction); Attractive (365 words); Excited (Insane Prompts)
Word count: 589


Sirius Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black scanned items that customers handed him and wished them a good day as he worked as a cashier in one of the smaller grocery store chains. It had taken him a while to get used to all the technology in the store, but he had gotten quite good at using it in the last few years. It helped that there was no magic to make it go wonky.

That was the whole reason he was working in the store in the first place. No magic, no home. It was the way of the Black Family. He had stayed with his Great-Aunt Dorea's family for a bit before feeling too much like a freeloader and moving out to struggle through life on his own.

He hadn't told James—Dorea's son—despite the fact the two of them had become good friends during his stay. The other boy had been at Hogwarts and it wasn't something he wanted to say in a letter. He also hadn't wanted to postpone his departure, so he had just left. He was in the Muggle world now, where he belonged, he would never see James again.

He smiled at the red-head who had just plonked her basket of groceries down at his station. She smiled back at him and started unloading the basket as Sirius moved each item over the scanner. While he scanned and after she was done, he noticed that she was watching him with a strange look on her face. He shrugged it off, assuming she fancied him or something; Black genes often lent themselves to an overall attractive appearance.

He startled when she asked, "You wouldn't happen to be Sirius Black, would you?"

Sirius wondered for a second how she knew his first name before remembering the tag on his shirt. Then he had the momentary panic of being recognised by someone who was presumably from the wizarding world. He stared warily at her and she smiled calmly, still clearly wanting her question answered but happy to let it drop if he asked.

"Yes?" he answered, unsure of why that fact mattered to the woman.

She looked startled, as though she hadn't expected the positive answer. "Oh my! We've found you!"

"Uh, what?" Someone was looking for him? Why? He was just a Squib, a blemish on the Black family tree.

"James has been looking for you ever since you left his home. He's shown me all of the pictures he has of you so I could help him look. I can't believe I found you, and while I'm doing my shopping too!"

James was looking for him?

"James Potter?" he asked, just to be sure.

She nodded in confirmation. "He wants you to be in his life, Sirius. He's missed you. Would it be okay if we all met up soon?"

Still stunned at the sudden reconnection to the wizarding world and James, Sirius nodded dumbly. "Sure."

"Great! I'm Lily, by the way. Lily Potter."

She continued speaking, planning the meet-up and Sirius just went along with it, occasionally offering input. There were no customers after her, so he was free to chat and plan. When she left, he let out a great gust of air and leant against the counter. He was going back to the wizarding world, back to the Potter's who had been his family when he was younger. This was not what he had expected to happen when he got ready for work that morning.