When Somers Turned to Black

Chapter 3: Unfortunate News From Unfortunate Family

Disclaimer: We do not own the Harry Potter works. Fortunately, we do not own the Movies either.

A/N: This is a longer chapter finally! Yay! Promise that the PG13 rating will come into play. But that is much later. Also, thanks for the reviews from Rinaula, tecknocat, Nyx Nyght, Magical Muggle, Star of the Muses, Naoko-san, and Aerandir. Keep on reviewing! By the way, if ya didn't figure it out "Let's blow this pop stand!" is one of our fav. quotes in our bio! Check it out! Remember to RR (read and review)!

"Good Morning Sunshine!" yelled Sirius into James' ear.

James groggily sat up and attempted to clobber Sirius with his pillow.

"What was that for?" His voice was slightly gruff, seeing as he had just woken up.

"I... just wanted you to wake up," replied Sirius unconvincingly, as he shook his arm.

"What do you really want?" James demanded, as he stretched. His menacing demeanor was greatly contrasted by his appearance. Black hair stuck up in every direction and his expression was that of a drunken sailor.

"Well..." Sirius started, staring down at the floor. He shuffled his feet a bit, and James swore he saw a faint blush appear on his cheeks.

"Oh get on with it," said James.

Sirius looked up at his friend and gulped.

"I love you."

James swung the pillow again, this time it collided with his target.

"Get out of here you twisted git," James yelled.

"But James, how can you deny my love?" Sirius pleaded as a derisive grin crept across his face.

"I'm as straight as a wand," replied James, now in giddy hysterics. "You'll get nothing from me!"

"Are you sure?" Sirius chuckled, lifting his wand to James' face, making it curl like a corkscrew with a few choice words. James rolled his eyes. Still laughing, he quickly vaulted out of the bed, throwing on a pair of trousers and his robes.

"You know what I want Jamesy," Sirius panted heavily, grinning as he watched James trying to slip his foot quickly into his shoe.

"Sod off!" James laughed, throwing his other shoe at Sirius' head and looking over at the other four-poster beds occupied by Pettigrew and Remus. "Should we wake the others?" he asked, once he was fully clothed.

Sirius glanced at Peter's sprawled figure.

"Just Lupin," he said sighing disgustedly.

"We can probably grab some breakfast before Transfiguration," said James, as his stomach growled loudly.

Wiping remnants of crumbs and butter from their faces, the Gryffindors made their way to Professor McGonagall's classroom.

"Oh man," groaned James.

"What?" asked Sirius apprehensively, frowning at his schedule.

"We're paired with Slytherins for this class."

"Oh bugger," Sirius said angrily. "Why do we have to put up with their crap this early in the morning?"

"Because that's life," drawled a tall, blonde-haired boy as he plowed roughly through James and Sirius.

"Oh," said Sirius sarcastically. "Another splendid year back with Lucius Malfoy! How I missed you this summer."

"Don't get cheeky Black," sneered Lucius.

"Cheeky? The only cheeks you're going to hear from are..."

But Sirius was cut off when McGonagall began to herd them into the classroom.

"Okay class. Quiet down, take out your wands and face the front." Lucius sneered at Sirius from across the room.

"Today we are going to attempt to transfigure a kitten into a lion," McGonagall stated.

"I'd like to set a lion on Malfoy," growled Sirius out of the side of his mouth towards James.

"Shhhhh! We're going to get a detention the first day again, just like we did last year."

Sure enough...

"Potter, Black! See me after class."

Sirius looked around to see Raven and Lilly grinning mockingly at them from across the room.

They plodded up to Professor McGonagall's desk after the bell rang and the room had emptied.

"Mr. Potter, and Mr. Black," McGonagall started slowly. "I can not deal with chit chat in my classroom, this year especially. You know very well that you have O.W.L.'s to take and it's my duty to see that you are capable of passing them. You will both receive detentions after school."

"But...I..."

"Save it, Potter," McGonagall said harshly. "Eight o'clock, I want to see you both down here promptly. Understood?"

"Yes Professor," they replied through clenched teeth.

"I can't believe we got detention ten minutes into our first class," said Sirius angrily, as they walked briskly out of McGonagall's classroom.

"Yeah. They must really be serious about those O.W.L.'s. I mean, she didn't even give us a warning or anything," said James.

Later on that evening Sirius trampled into Gryffindor common room, looking angry.

"James better get here or we're going to be late and McGonagall is gonna have another reason to bite our bloody heads off."

Sirius dropped down into a scarlet armchair as a large, tawny owl came through the window. He recognized it as his father's. The bird dropped a letter, marked with the Black crest, into his lap.

Sirius tore open the envelope and unfolded the crisp piece of parchment.

Sirius,
I hope you are not getting into any trouble. You know how I tolerate misbehavior. A Black keeps under good self-control. I also fear that you are still conversing with mudbloods. It will result in serious punishment if you proceed to involve yourself with the filthy half-breeds. Your mother wishes you well, and says to make and keep friends of only the best background.

Your Father

Sirius angrily crumpled up the letter and threw it into the bright, crackling orange flames of the fireplace. His hands were clammy and he could feel his face heating up rapidly. James walked in just at that moment.

"C'mon Sirius, we've got a detention to serve," he said nonchalantly, grabbing his robes from a nearby chair and heading towards the portrait.

Sighing, Sirius stood and slowly walked after him, dragging his feet.

As Sirius and James climbed the stairs to McGonagall's classroom, James noticed the anxious look that clouded his pal's face.

"Hey mate, what's wrong?" he asked Sirius, as he threw a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"Oh, nothing," Sirius said, not wanting to reveal the letter his father had sent him yet. "Just mad we got detention on the first day again. I wonder why this always happens to us."

"Well, we're just so bloody brilliant, that's all," replied James sarcastically, as they opened the familiar door to their Transfiguration room.

"Raven?" asked Siruis with a dumbfounded look on his face. She sat towards the back of the classroom, looking extremely bored. "What's Miss Perfect doing in detention?"

"Got caught hexing another twit like yourself in between classes," she said matter-of-factly. "What is it to you anyway?"

"Oh...so now I'm a twit?"

"You always were," she said, glaring into Sirius's increasingly reddening face.

"Oh really. And I suppose I'm also still half a gentleman as well?"

"Why...yes you are..."

"It seems to be..." at that moment McGonagall walked into the classroom, interrupting Sirius's retort.

"Ah, you're here. And on time, I might add. Although I must say I didn't expect it. Let me get my books and then I'll take Mr. Potter with me to my office. I have a separate punishment for him. I observed from class today that I cannot keep you two in the same room."

Sirius began to argue, but James gave him a shut-your-bloody-mouth look. While McGonagall searched her desk and shelves for her texts, James sneakily pulled out two, identical square mirrors. He handed one to Sirius.

"Remember to say my name clearly this time," Sirius whispered, understanding instantly why James had given him a look. "Last time I only got a blur of your face, and your voice was all choppy."

McGonagall turned towards James just as Sirius slipped the mirror into his robes.

"Come with me Potter. You shall be alphabetizing my bookshelves. You two stay here," she said looking from Sirius to Raven. "I want no trouble. Keep in your seats and study your Transfiguration notes. I will be back before the end of the hour is up."

McGonagall left her classroom and Sirius slouched in his seat, waiting for his mirror to reveal James's face. He and Raven sat in silence for about five minutes before she asked,

"Well, why are you here?"

"Why are you still talking to me?" Sirius asked disgustedly. "I'm a twit, remember? I'm probably not fully capable of answering that question. I'm not only half a man, I have half a brain as well."

"I'm not the one who asked first," replied Raven calmly. "Plus, I already know why you're here. I am in your Transfiguration class, you know. Probably got in trouble for talking."

"If you already knew, why would you ask? It seems I'm not the only one with half a brain here," shot back Sirius angrily.

"No, you're right. I don't think that fish over there is very smart either," she said pointing to a large aquarium on McGonagall's desk that held a vibrant, blue fish.

"Well, go stick you're head in it's tank then. I'm sure he would be smart enough to bite it off."

Silence fell over the room once more and it seemed like an eternity before James's face came into the shiny surface of the mirror.

"Pssst. Sirius," James voice came clearly through the mirror.

"Hey mate. How's it going in McGonagall's office?" Sirius asked, relieved that he had something better to do than stare at the wall.

"I can't talk long," James replied quickly. "McGonagall's gone to the loo. She'll be back soon. I just wanted to let you know, cause I'm probably gonna be alphabetizing books all night."

Sirius's hopes sank as he thought of the remainder of his detention stuck with Raven.

"All right you dolt," Sirius said reluctantly. "Get going before we get into more trouble."

As soon as James's face left the handheld mirror, Raven turned and looked at him curiously.

"What are you doing with that?" she asked, indicating the mirror with a glance.

"Why is it any of your business?"

"Because I can get you another weeks worth of detentions with McGonagall if I wanted," she replied nastily.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I dare," she said ruthlessly.

They glared into each other's eyes. Sirius turned angrily away from her and they spent the next quarter of an hour in dead silence.

"Well, I see you managed to sit still," said McGonagall as she entered the quiet classroom.

"Professor McGonagall," said Raven slyly, as she sent a piercing glance at Sirius.

"Now what have you done?" McGonagall asked suspiciously.

"Well..." started Raven, she looked over at Sirius and he gave her an angry but almost pleading look. She turned back to McGonagall, but took a fleeting look at Sirius and hesitated.

"Get on with it," McGonagall said briskly.

"Oh... never mind," replied Raven, quickly tearing her eyes from Sirius's surprised gaze.

"All right," sighed McGonagall. "Off to your house common room then." And remember, I want a little less talking and a lot more studying out of you, Black."

McGonagall walked to her desk, as Raven tried to hide a grin.

"That goes for you too. There is absolutely no use of magic outside of class."

"Raven, wait up," called Sirius, as he met James and they started to make their way back to the Fat Lady's portrait. She had stormed quickly out of the classroom, and was already descending the staircase when she stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"Why?"she asked hurriedly.

"I... just wanted to say... thanks, I guess," said Sirius rather difficultly.

"Oh, don't bother. I just don't want to be a snitch, and tell on every little thing. What do I care that you've got some ridiculous mirrors?" Raven said, rushing the rest of the way down the stairs without turning back.

A/N: Hoped everyone liked it! It's longer! Yay! Pleeeeeeeeeease don't forget to review!