The next three weeks were some of the happiest of Sirius's life. He
finally felt like he belonged somewhere. He finally felt like part of a
family.
"I just got an owl off Moony!" James ran into the garden where Sirius was playing the only muggle sport he enjoyed, basketball. "He wants to meet up in Diagon Alley tomorrow!"
"Cool," Sirius scored a slam dunk and followed James inside for diner.
"What's that?" James grabbed Sirius's arm as they stepped into the kitchen and heard shouts from the front door.
"Dad!" Sirius hissed.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Mr Black's voice was raised and angry.
"I think I'm someone who cares about Sirius more than his own family does." Mr Potter said coldly.
"He is my son and I want to see him!"
"Well he doesn't want to see you!"
"Mr Potter," Sirius placed his hand on the kind man's shoulder. "It's ok." He looked his father directly in the eyes and felt sixteen years worth of anger and hatred bubbling up inside him. "What do you want?"
"Sirius! That is no way to speak to your father."
"I have no father." Sirius stood defiantly, his hands firmly on his hips.
"Stop this nonsense and go get your bags."
"No."
"No? No?!" Mr Black grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt. "You will do as you are told!"
Mr Potter started forward but Sirius shouted "No! No, Harry. I can handle it!" He grabbed his father's wrist and pushed him off. Sirius was just as tall as his father, but looked taller as he pushed him roughly against the wall and held him there. "Father, leave me be." He searched his eyes for any trace of love, not daring to hope. "If you ever loved me, at all, you'll see that I'm so much happier here. Please father."
"So be it," Mr Black smoothed down his robes and looked his son up and down. "You say you have no father, well you are no longer my son. I never want to see you or hear from you again." And with a loud pop, he was gone.
Sirius felt his knees weaken and he slid down the wall into a heap on the floor.
"Padfoot?" James put his trembling hand onto his friends head. Sirius rested his head on James's leg and they stayed like that, silently, until Mrs Potter called them for supper.
Sirius was happier in the morning as they got ready to go to London. In fact, James thought he was slightly too happy. Something about the way he laughed so loud and long at James's jokes, as if he didn't dare stop.
"James! Sirius!" Remus Lupin cried as he saw his friends enter the Leaky Cauldron.
"Hi Moony!" Sirius hugged his friend tightly. Remus glanced at James. Sirius never showed affection. He said hugging was for girls. James gave Remus a look, letting him know they could talk later.
"Where's Wormtail?" James asked the tall, skinny boy as they walked towards the magical entrance to Diagon Alley. Remus shrugged and tapped the brick wall with his wand. The archway opened in front of them.
"Gringotts?" Sirius suggested as they looked where to go first. Sirius's uncle, Alphard, had given him some money as soon as he had found out about him running away. They all needed dress robes this year, and they didn't come cheap.
Remus emerged from the bank thirty minutes later to find James sat on the white marble steps.
"So, what's up with Padfoot?" he asked.
"His dad turned up at ours last night." James explained the whole story to his friend who listened carefully.
"Shit," he shook his head as he heard of Sirius finally standing up for himself. "What should we do?"
"I don't think there's anything we can do," James sighed. "He definitely doesn't want to see his dad again, and I think it's for the best. Mum reckons once we're back at Hogwarts he'll cheer up."
"She's probably right," Remus nodded thoughtfully.
"Hey guys," Sirius's pockets jingled as he ran to meet them. "Where to now?"
The boys walked down the street until they reached Madam Malkins. Sirius and Remus sat on stools while James got measured for his dress robes. Sirius was just telling Remus about the Quidditch match he and James had been to see, when the door creaked open behind them.
"Hello Black," Severus Snape smiled cruelly at Sirius.
"Snivellus," Sirius glared back at him. "If you don't mind we're having a private conversation."
"I heard about your unfortunate family troubles." Severus spoke barely above a whisper. "So sad to hear you've been disowned by your own parents. What's it like, knowing that they don't love you. How does it feel waking up every day knowing your own flesh and blood despise you?"
Sirius looked stunned. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"Piss off Snivellus," Remus hissed. "At least Sirius has got friends. That's more than you'll ever have." Severus scowled at Remus and looked as though he would curse him, but at that moment Madam Malkin came out and asked who was next. Snape glared at the three boys and stormed out of the shop.
"I just got an owl off Moony!" James ran into the garden where Sirius was playing the only muggle sport he enjoyed, basketball. "He wants to meet up in Diagon Alley tomorrow!"
"Cool," Sirius scored a slam dunk and followed James inside for diner.
"What's that?" James grabbed Sirius's arm as they stepped into the kitchen and heard shouts from the front door.
"Dad!" Sirius hissed.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Mr Black's voice was raised and angry.
"I think I'm someone who cares about Sirius more than his own family does." Mr Potter said coldly.
"He is my son and I want to see him!"
"Well he doesn't want to see you!"
"Mr Potter," Sirius placed his hand on the kind man's shoulder. "It's ok." He looked his father directly in the eyes and felt sixteen years worth of anger and hatred bubbling up inside him. "What do you want?"
"Sirius! That is no way to speak to your father."
"I have no father." Sirius stood defiantly, his hands firmly on his hips.
"Stop this nonsense and go get your bags."
"No."
"No? No?!" Mr Black grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt. "You will do as you are told!"
Mr Potter started forward but Sirius shouted "No! No, Harry. I can handle it!" He grabbed his father's wrist and pushed him off. Sirius was just as tall as his father, but looked taller as he pushed him roughly against the wall and held him there. "Father, leave me be." He searched his eyes for any trace of love, not daring to hope. "If you ever loved me, at all, you'll see that I'm so much happier here. Please father."
"So be it," Mr Black smoothed down his robes and looked his son up and down. "You say you have no father, well you are no longer my son. I never want to see you or hear from you again." And with a loud pop, he was gone.
Sirius felt his knees weaken and he slid down the wall into a heap on the floor.
"Padfoot?" James put his trembling hand onto his friends head. Sirius rested his head on James's leg and they stayed like that, silently, until Mrs Potter called them for supper.
Sirius was happier in the morning as they got ready to go to London. In fact, James thought he was slightly too happy. Something about the way he laughed so loud and long at James's jokes, as if he didn't dare stop.
"James! Sirius!" Remus Lupin cried as he saw his friends enter the Leaky Cauldron.
"Hi Moony!" Sirius hugged his friend tightly. Remus glanced at James. Sirius never showed affection. He said hugging was for girls. James gave Remus a look, letting him know they could talk later.
"Where's Wormtail?" James asked the tall, skinny boy as they walked towards the magical entrance to Diagon Alley. Remus shrugged and tapped the brick wall with his wand. The archway opened in front of them.
"Gringotts?" Sirius suggested as they looked where to go first. Sirius's uncle, Alphard, had given him some money as soon as he had found out about him running away. They all needed dress robes this year, and they didn't come cheap.
Remus emerged from the bank thirty minutes later to find James sat on the white marble steps.
"So, what's up with Padfoot?" he asked.
"His dad turned up at ours last night." James explained the whole story to his friend who listened carefully.
"Shit," he shook his head as he heard of Sirius finally standing up for himself. "What should we do?"
"I don't think there's anything we can do," James sighed. "He definitely doesn't want to see his dad again, and I think it's for the best. Mum reckons once we're back at Hogwarts he'll cheer up."
"She's probably right," Remus nodded thoughtfully.
"Hey guys," Sirius's pockets jingled as he ran to meet them. "Where to now?"
The boys walked down the street until they reached Madam Malkins. Sirius and Remus sat on stools while James got measured for his dress robes. Sirius was just telling Remus about the Quidditch match he and James had been to see, when the door creaked open behind them.
"Hello Black," Severus Snape smiled cruelly at Sirius.
"Snivellus," Sirius glared back at him. "If you don't mind we're having a private conversation."
"I heard about your unfortunate family troubles." Severus spoke barely above a whisper. "So sad to hear you've been disowned by your own parents. What's it like, knowing that they don't love you. How does it feel waking up every day knowing your own flesh and blood despise you?"
Sirius looked stunned. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"Piss off Snivellus," Remus hissed. "At least Sirius has got friends. That's more than you'll ever have." Severus scowled at Remus and looked as though he would curse him, but at that moment Madam Malkin came out and asked who was next. Snape glared at the three boys and stormed out of the shop.