Title: Innocent Ideas
Author: Nesma
Disclaimer: I, obviously, do not own Harry Potter or the characters, all that goes to JKRowling.
Summary: It's hard to predict the results of words and actions at such a young age. It's difficult to fathom that an idea formed without much logic or reasons at a young age will carry on through to adulthood. It's terrifying and exhilarating that the ideas and stories from childhood have such curious results in adulthood. And this could be no truer than with the case of Lily and Petunia Evans and Severus Snape.
A/N: LONGEST ONE YET! And so so sorry that this late. Life catches up with you sometimes, doesn't it?
Mrs. Potter nearly had a heart attack when Sirius Black first flooed into the Potter manor. Being part of the pure-blood community, she often had to interact politely with the House of Black and often detested it. And Sirius Black has an uncanny resemblance with his father. Mrs. Potter detested Mr. Black. Always so cold and he had a look of permanent judgment upon his face. It just so happened that an invitation for a party at the House of Black was lying on the kitchen table unanswered. For a second, Mrs. Potter assumed that Mr. Black was hunting down an answer.
She could only grimace and sneak a peek at the clock whenever she was at the House of Black for some superficial gathering. These gatherings often entailed a bunch of narcissistic, sycophants clamoring over one another to get 'in' with the pure blood families.
Horrid things were said. Mrs. Potter often heard how half-bloods were willing to degrade their friends and parents and even significant others to earn a praise and a smirk from the Black and Malfoy families.
Mrs. Potter often felt like her skin was crawling with tiny ants when Mrs. Black talked about punishments for muggle-borns. But she felt lucky, since Mr. Potter only looked green in the face when talking with Mr. Black (he told his wife that he would never repeat the ghastly punishments and horrid jokes that Mr. Black found appropriate to share).
Mrs. Potter would always remember interacting with Mrs. Black when the two were pregnant. Mrs. Black had a dreamy look in her eyes when discussing how she'd raise Sirius. How she'd raise him to hate muggleborns, have him speak perfect French (as if the kid needed to be any snobbier), and how, she hoped, that he would be part of the generation that exterminated muggle borns. When Mrs. Black asked if Mrs. Potter wished for the same things, she could only shake her head before going to the bathroom, and she swore to herself that her child would be nothing like Sirius Black.
Mrs. Potter made sure that James would never be like Sirius Black. She taught James that it was wrong to be mean to muggle-borns based on their heritage. She taught him to be inclusive. She taught him to be polite and kind and courteous. And before he went to school, she sat him down and told him to be patient. Yes, patient. For there would be students who had never heard of charms or Honeydukes or even Zonkos and it was not right for him to laugh at them for their lack of knowledge. Instead, she told him to explain to them everything, hell, give them too much detail if anything. Try to lead by example so that other purebloods won't pick on the muggle borns.
For the full first year, Mrs. Potter was unsure if James took her advice to heart. She only got the confirmation when Sirius Black had covered her living room floor with soot in the early part of the summer.
"Sirius!" James cried, knocking past his mother who stood frozen in the doorway. She vaguely remembered James asking her late last night if it was alright for a friend to come over.
"James!" Sirius replied, ignoring the dirt on his nose. They did some complicated thing with their hands before taking off to play quidditich. Mrs. Potter hoped that none of her work went undone.
She knew that Sirius Black was sorted into Gryffindor for she remembered hearing the complaint from Mrs. Black but she was very quiet about the whole thing.
Later that evening, right when she expected Sirius to disappear, James came wondering into her room.
"Mum, could Sirius stay the night?"
Mrs. Potter was just pulling out her outfit for the evening. "I don't know, his parents are throwing a party tonight and I'm sure they'd want him there.."
"But he doesn't want to be there." James said simply, as if it mattered what were the whims of a young child.
Mrs. Potter frowned down at James. "James, I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Black want him home for the party-"
"But he doesn't like the parties!" James said hotly, his eyes scrunching up like his father.
Mrs. Potter had to resist rolling her eyes. "James, we all have to do things that we don't want to do-"
Of course, James was not looking for an explanation nor would he tolerate a lecture of any sort. "They say some really awful things about muggle-borns! And Sirius doesn't like it! He tried explaining to his mum that he doesn't agree with that she said on account of Lily Evans and he got thrown out of the house for the day today!"
"Lily… Lily who?"
Now James rolled his eyes at his mother. "She's a muggleborn mum, and she's the smartest witch in our year! And Sirius mum was calling them that other m-word and saying they were stupid and then Sirius said that that was silly since Lily's really smart… and then his mum went ballistic and told him to go trotter around muggle-London if he felt like being a blood traitor!"
Mrs. Potter opened her mouth before closing it, her mind utterly blank at these words. Sirius Black, the Black child that would bring every sort of honour and dignity to the household name was a blood traitor… The most adamant family about blood lines and purity had a son that was willing to fight against it all at the age of eleven.
Mrs. Potter told James to stay put and went to discuss the matter with Mr. Potter who was even more flabbergasted. They agreed that they should contact the Black family and so, Mr. Potter flooed to the Black family stating that Sirius requested to stay at the Potters and assuring them that the boys would be looked after by the house-elf (though Mrs. Black seemed more worried about the table cloths and the napkin holders then the where-bouts of her own son).
At eight o'clock sharp (after Mrs. Potter had a small glass of wine), Mr. and Mrs. Potter apparated to the most noble house of Black. After mingling with a few families here and there, Mrs. Black finally approached Mrs. Potter.
"I must thank you for looking over Sirius today." She ushered quietly, as if Mrs. Potter dealt with an embarrassing situation.
"Oh, it was no issue, he's such delight."
"Oh dear, there is no need to lie with me." Mrs. Black said with a chuckle, her hand on the shoulder of Mrs. Potter. "Goodness knows that boy likes to talk and he likes to irk us so much." Again, another chuckle but this felt less friendly and more menacing. "He likes to talk about equality among mudbloods and pureblods! Today he was talking to me about some mudblood in his year, this, Lily Evans. Claims that she's the smartest! A mudblood! Can you believe it?"
Mrs. Potter had no words for this, but thankfully, Mrs. Black did. "I mean, she must have cheated! She must have done something. No mudblood excels this fast with magic! How could they? They are so disadvantaged… really, it's better for them to assimilate into the muggle world. Honestly, I'm hoping that this is just a phase he's going through… hopefully being in your household and with James he'll see things the right way." Mrs. Black beamed at Mrs. Potter, not realizing the look of utter surprise on Mrs. Potter's face.
Perhaps, Mrs. Potter though, perhaps she needed to follow in Sirius example instead of being polite.