"All right! Practice with your tables." Professor
Flitwick squeaked standing on his desk to watch the room.
James grinned and almost lazily Vanished the mouse in a box
for that very purpose. Sirius, then Remus followed suit, and
joined James who was watching Peter try to do the same. Soon
the three were so deeply engrossed in a discussion about the
latest Quidditch game they didn't notice Professor McGonagall
slip into the room and talk to Flitwick.
"Sirius Black," McGonagall called, "A word in the hall, please." Sirius glanced back at his table as he left. To their knowledge he hadn't done anything wrong lately.
Remus shrugged as Sirius turned back around and stared as the latter followed McGonagall out. Those in the classroom could only hear a shocked "No!" a half a minute later, then low murmurings and McGonagall edged back into the room beckoning for Remus. He got up and followed the path that Sirius had traveled not five minutes ago. McGonagall gestured for him to continue into the hall, though she stayed in the classroom. He hesitated in the doorway for an instant, then continued into the hall.
"Hey Sir." Remus whispered, moving towards Sirius. "What happened?"
Sirius turned haunted eyes to his love. "My brother... Regulus-"his voice failed, and he took a moment to begin again. "My brother is dead."
Tears did not quite fall as Sirius walked down the corridor a ways and sank to the floor, leaning against the stone wall.
""Sirius.... I'm sorry." Remus sat down next to Sirius and drew the other near.
"He was everything in my family that I thought I had." Tears now fell, but Sirius brushed them away angrily and muttered "Boys don't cry."
"Why not?" Remus asked, grateful for a momentary distraction to get his thoughts together.
"My father taught me that. Me and Regulus." At the mention of his father, Sirius' voice took on a bitter tone. "Regulus was everything to my father. I might as well have existed for all the care that they spent on me. They worshipped everything that Reg did, but he was my little brother. I should have helped him more, kept him from believing my parents. I couldn't."
Remus sighed and looked at Sirius. "I never quite know what to say in these situations, but I do know this: if you ever need to talk I'm here, and what your father said isn't true. Boys do cry, over sorrows, over family, over whatever is important enough. Your father cannot control your emotions. Why are you letting him?"
The boys moved out of the corridor when the bell rang, but Remus knew that Sirius had listened when he woke that night and heard muffled sobs from the common room, and after a quick check saw that Sirius' bed was empty.
Boys do cry....
"Sirius Black," McGonagall called, "A word in the hall, please." Sirius glanced back at his table as he left. To their knowledge he hadn't done anything wrong lately.
Remus shrugged as Sirius turned back around and stared as the latter followed McGonagall out. Those in the classroom could only hear a shocked "No!" a half a minute later, then low murmurings and McGonagall edged back into the room beckoning for Remus. He got up and followed the path that Sirius had traveled not five minutes ago. McGonagall gestured for him to continue into the hall, though she stayed in the classroom. He hesitated in the doorway for an instant, then continued into the hall.
"Hey Sir." Remus whispered, moving towards Sirius. "What happened?"
Sirius turned haunted eyes to his love. "My brother... Regulus-"his voice failed, and he took a moment to begin again. "My brother is dead."
Tears did not quite fall as Sirius walked down the corridor a ways and sank to the floor, leaning against the stone wall.
""Sirius.... I'm sorry." Remus sat down next to Sirius and drew the other near.
"He was everything in my family that I thought I had." Tears now fell, but Sirius brushed them away angrily and muttered "Boys don't cry."
"Why not?" Remus asked, grateful for a momentary distraction to get his thoughts together.
"My father taught me that. Me and Regulus." At the mention of his father, Sirius' voice took on a bitter tone. "Regulus was everything to my father. I might as well have existed for all the care that they spent on me. They worshipped everything that Reg did, but he was my little brother. I should have helped him more, kept him from believing my parents. I couldn't."
Remus sighed and looked at Sirius. "I never quite know what to say in these situations, but I do know this: if you ever need to talk I'm here, and what your father said isn't true. Boys do cry, over sorrows, over family, over whatever is important enough. Your father cannot control your emotions. Why are you letting him?"
The boys moved out of the corridor when the bell rang, but Remus knew that Sirius had listened when he woke that night and heard muffled sobs from the common room, and after a quick check saw that Sirius' bed was empty.
Boys do cry....
