Title: What the Shadows See (2/??)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG probably
Category: General
Summary: Various scenes involving members of the Black family.
Warnings: Swearing, etc.
Spoilers: Through OotP
Notes: Welcome to the Hogwarts Express, Sirius Black.
What the Shadows See
Chapter One
First September
Remus Lupin looked up as the door to the carriage slid open. A boy, looking to be his age was standing there, looking fairly exasperated. His hair was black and looked in need of a good hair-cut and his eyes were blue.
"My mum's a nutter," was the boy's way of greeting.
"Isn't that in the clause of 'being a mum', though?" Remus suggested.
The black-haired boy grinned widely. "Oh, but my mum is probably a professional nutter. I think she hit her head on something and never recovered. Can I sit here? I ran away from my cousins and don't fancy them finding me in some empty carriage and dragging me along back to theirs, due to 'family has to sit with family'," - at that phrase, the boy adopted a falsetto voice, before returning to his normal tones - "and, quite frankly, they're all a load of nutters, too."
If Remus was surprised at the other boy's rambling on and on, he showed no sign of it. "Of course," he said. With an annoying cousin of his own (damn girl had to taunt him at every turn. "My name's Selene," she would say. "She's the goddess of the moon, Remus."), he perfectly understood the situation this boy was in.
"Sirius Black," the black-haired boy grinned, sitting on the seat beside Remus. Sitting wasn't really the word for it; he sort-of hopped up there and sat cross-legged.
"Remus Lupin," Remus introduced himself back.
Silence fell momentarily.
"So, what are you?" Sirius inquired.
Remus nearly freaked out at the insinuations the question could reveal. Instead, he forced himself to keep a neutral, if slightly confused expression. "What do you mean by that?"
"Half-blood, pureblood, Mudb - Muggleborn?" Sirius corrected himself halfway through the word. He scowled, more focused upon himself. Definetly a sign that he was being forced to spend too much time with his cousins; he was starting to subconsciously refer to Muggleborns as Mudbloods.
"Half-blood, if you want to be technical," Remus said. At Sirius's quizzical look, he elaborated. "Dad's Muggleborn."
Sirius nodded. He and Remus both looked up as the carriage door opened.
"Hallo," said the new boy. "Can I sit in here?" Without waiting for a reply, he strode into the compartment, dragging his trunk behind him.
Sirius raised an eyebrow at Remus, who merely shrugged.
"James Potter," the boy said by way of introduction, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more. Sirius cocked his head at him.
"Remus Lupin," Remus offered.
"Your dad's Llewellyn Potter, isn't he?" Sirius asked. If this was the case, then he sort-of knew this kid then. If by 'sort-of knew', one was referring to 'your dad killed my aunt and uncle, hence my cousins now have to live at MY house'.
James flopped into the seat across from Sirius and Remus. His glasses were askew as he looked quizzically at the Black child. "And you are?"
"Sirius Black," Sirius folded his arms, adopting a 'you wanna make something of it' attitude. Remus looked slightly surprised at this sudden change in the black-haired boy's attitude.
James Potter's eyebrows shot halfway up his head and he immediately shifted from lounging on the chair to sitting rigid-backed. His hand was twitching near the pocket of his jeans. "So, we're your parents Azalea and Orion Black?" His tone was blasé, completely opposite of his posture.
"They were my aunt and uncle." Sirius replied shortly.
Remus's eyebrows shot halfway up his head when he realized what the two boys were talking about.
The rest of the train ride was spent in rather uncomfortable silence, broken only when the witch with the snack trolley came by. It was interesting to note that neither James Potter nor Sirius Black bought any of the same food items.
The door to the carriage slid open one last time before they arrived at Hogwarts. In the doorway, there stood a girl already dressed in her Slytherin uniform. Remus didn't recognize her, but Sirius groaned and rolled his eyes.
"Go away, Bellatrix," he grumbled.
Bellatrix smiled sweetly. "Now, Sirius dear, is that anyway to speak to your cousin?"
"I'll speak to you however way I want," Sirius shot back. "Seeing as you've invaded my house."
James was beginning to look nervous now. He started to inch toward the window of the train, away from the doorway that Bellatrix was currently blocking.
"You have the Aurors to blame for that, don't you?" Bellatrix's sweet smile was beginning to look dangerous. "Isn't that correct, James Potter?"
"Bellatrix, go away," Sirius ordered. James's hand was gripped his wand now, ready to point it at the Slytherin girl.
Bellatrix did not go away, but she was shoved into the side of the doorway by someone much smaller than her. She shrieked and pulled out her wand, pointing it at the throat of the red-haired child who had just shoved her out of the way.
"Idiot child, do you have any idea who you are dealing with?" Bellatrix's words were soft. The red-haired girl looked questioningly over at the boys. Remus shrugged.
"Nope," the girl replied.
"Whoever you are, I present Bellatrix Black, self-stylized princess of Slytherin house," Sirius informed the new-comer.
"So you're in the house with that creep?" The red-haired girl tilted her head and winced as Bellatrix dug her wand into the girl's neck.
"Bellatrix, get out of here now, or I'm getting Andromeda." Sirius snapped, thoroughly fed up with his cousin's antics. Bellatrix sneered at him. She turned her head to the side, looking at James Potter.
"You are going to regret what your father did, boy," she said before swiftly exiting the compartment.
The red-haired girl rubbed her neck, looking angry. Remus glanced questioningly at Sirius.
"Stupid bint," Sirius scowled. "Sorry 'bout that," he said to the red-haired girl.
"What kind of drugs is she on?" The red-haired girl enquired.
"She's just a Black," James said. He was watching the carriage doorway with an angry expression.
"Hey!" Sirius snapped. "Not all of us are like that. She's just one of the really loony ones."
"Are all the people in Slytherin like that?" The red-haired sad down on the seat next to James.
"Why do you ask that?" Remus enquired.
"Because I'm fairly sure that one of them made rather lewd remarks to me," the red-haired girl said.
"Oh?" Sirius looked interested. "What did he look like?"
"Blonde hair. A bit girly really."
Sirius snickered. "That would've been Lucius Malfoy."
James scowled before adding, "git."
"So, how do you, er, know her? The crazy bint, as you called her?"
"She's my cousin," Sirius said bitterly. "How I wish we could choose our family members."
"Agreed," the red-haired girl said. "Then I wouldn't have an annoying sister."
"I don't have any siblings," James interjected.
"Me neither."
"So, what is your name anyway?" James asked the red-haired girl.
"Lily Evans."
"James Potter," James held out his hand for her to shake. Giving him a weird look, Lily took it and shook it shortly.
"He's Sirius Black," Remus pointed at the other boy, who had fallen silent and gone into a funk. "And I'm Remus Lupin."
"Are a lot of witches and wizards like that?" Lily asked, drawing her knees up underneath her.
"Only the real idiotic ones," James said.
"Sirius?" The carriage door opened again. James had his wand out in an instant and was standing, firm-footed, pointing said wand at the door.
Whoever was at the door was faster than him.
"Expelliarmus," Andromeda Black said, catching James's wand swiftly. Sirius brightened up, seeing the tolerable cousin of his there.
"Hey, 'Meda," Sirius said. "Did you give Bellatrix a good beating up?"
"What did she do this time?" Andromeda sighed.
"Harassed Lily over there," Sirius jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "And James."
"Which one is James?" Andromeda looked from Remus to James.
"The one who tried to hex you," Remus replied. He gave a half-wave. "I'm Remus Lupin."
"Andromeda Black."
"So, why're you visiting, 'Meda?" Sirius inquired.
"To see if Bellatrix was being an utter bitch again," Andromeda replied promptly. "Of course, she already has. Pity school hasn't started yet, or I'd take points off of her."
"That's abusing your prefect-ly powers, 'Meda," Sirius pointed out, matter-of-fact.
"As if you wouldn't do it," Andromeda laughed slightly. "And I also came to tell you that we'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes."
"I better get back to my compartment, then," Lily jumped to her feet.
Sirius looked out the window. "If I'm in Slytherin, I'm going to hex something very, very badly."
"All Slytherins aren't bad, Sirius," Andromeda chided, stepping aside so that Lily could make her way back to her compartment.
Sirius snorted. "You're the exception, 'Meda. Now get out so that we can get changed."
"I love you too, Sirius," Andromeda sarcasmed at him before leaving and shutting the carriage door.
Sirius turned to Remus. "See, that's why I said my family is all nutters."