Child's Play
Ch. 3 A Hard Day's Night
REMUS POV
"Stop whispering like a bunch of mudbloods!"
Dear Merlin, please tell me Sirius did not just scream the word 'Mudblood' in the middle of the Gryffindor common room. In fact, tell me that Sirius and Lily were not turned into 4 year olds. Tell me that this is just some elaborate hallucination I'm having from inhaling the fumes in the Potions room.
"It's obvious that what you're whispering is about me," Sirius continued. "So, whatever it is, say it to my face instead of carrying on like a bunch of filthy mudblo……" " Sirius!" James interrupted, worried that someone might hear. "Don't say that! It's a very bad thing to say!"
"A very bad thing to say!" Sirius said, incredulously. " It's a very bad thing to BE!" "No it's not, Sirius." I stated, as patiently as I could, even though on the inside I felt like screaming. I don't know how I'm going to survive the night if Sirius keeps this up.
"What's a 'mudblood'." Lily asked. James looked stricken. " A mudblood," Sirius began. "….is someone who has no magic blood at all in their family, but has magical powers. They insist on disgracing the wizarding name, and what's worse is that some go around….." He pulled a look of complete disgust. "Some go around breeding with pure-bloods! As if they have a right to! Then they give birth to half-bloods, which are just as bad as mudbloods, and act as if they've done nothing wrong!"
James and I couldn't speak from shock.
"Oh." Lily said looking as they she didn't understand a word of what he'd said. "I don't think my family knows any magic, but once I set my aunt's cat on fire just by looking at it. So who knows." she said gleefully. "Maybe I'm a witch!"
Sirius looked as though Lily had just slapped him. "You…you…you what?" He whispered, looking horrified. "Did you just say you have no magic blood AT ALL in your family? And you think that… that… that you know magic?" "Yep!" Lily said brightly.
Complete silence. Well, for a few seconds that is….
"YOU FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOOD!" Sirius screeched. "DIRTYING THE NAME OF WIZARDS EVERYWHERE!WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TALKING TO ME?! YOU DISGUSTING…." "Sirius that is enough!" James shouts. "Lily is a wonderful little girl, you're just repeating all the revolting things your mother's told you!"
"I think we all need to calm down." I said slowly, still in shock over what just happened. I surveyed the scene. Sirius looked horrified, stunned, and disgusted. He kept glancing between James and Lily, appalled that either of them was within ten miles of him. James looked furious that someone, Sirius in particular, had spoken to Lily like that. And Lily was crying into James' leg.
"I think we've all had a long day, and a good night's sleep is going to put everyone in a much better mood." I said hopefully. "So, how about we all go to bed and we'll discuss things in the morning?" Everyone just stared at me. "Alright, who's sleeping where? We have two beds between us so either you and I can share one bed while Lily and Sirius share the second, or Sirius and I can share my bed while Lily shares yours."
"I'll sleep with you." Sirius said immediately, casting a repulsed look towards Lily. Lily simply sniffed and held James' hand as we went up to our room. James tucked Lily in and Sirius crawled into my bed, kicking me in the process. Stupid brat.
" Remus?" James asked tiredly
"Yes?"
"What are we going to do about Peter?"
"Eh, leave him downstairs. He'll wake up eventually." I said as sleep overtook me.
I woke up smiling. 'It was all a dream. Just a horrible dream…' "It's about time you woke up, you lazy sympathizer." I looked blearily at the figure on my left. ' Oh crap, it was real.' "What did you call me?" I asked, processing what he'd said. "I called you a lazy sympathizer." Sirius said, as though I was an idiot. "I meant why did you call me that." "Oh." He said. "Well, I called you lazy because your fat ass has been in bed for too long. It's 10 o'clock, and I've been up since six. Do you know what that means?" I glared at him, displeased with the 'fat ass' comment. This kid is four, for Mordred's sake! Why is he so mouthy? "It means," He continued. "…that I have been all by myself for the past four hours! And I called you a sympathizer because you sympathize with that." He pointed at Lily. " Now get your fat ass up and fetch me breakfast."
I scowled. "I don't think so." I snapped as I got out of bed and changed clothes. Sirius looked affronted. "You'd better. I'm the Black heir." "….So?" I asked. He rolled his eyes. "Blacks are always at their best. So, as the heir, I need to be at my best. Which I'm not if I'm not fed."
"Well, your highness," I said sarcastically. " We have to wait for James and Lily to wake up before we go to breakfast."
"I'm not eating with them." He sneered.
"You eat with them, or you don't eat at all." I retorted. "And, by the way, when we're around other people keep your 'pureblood beliefs' to yourself. Not many people agree with them, except for your brother and the rest of the Slytherins." "My brother? You mean Regulus?" Sirius asked. "Yes, Regulus. As I was saying…" "Take me to see him." Sirius ordered. "You're forgetting the magic word."I hinted. "You're right. Take me to see him, now."
I sighed. It didn't look like James or Lily would be up for a while. "Alright. But remember what I said." "Yeah yeah, whatever." He said as he ran out the door with me on his heels.
We made it to the Great Hall without any problems. Which meant something was going to go very wrong, very fast.
"That's him, right over there.""Regulus!" Sirius screamed, running towards his brother. Regulus looked up and, spotting Sirius, began to choke on his food. "So you are here! That thing told me you'd be here, but he and his friend are a bunch of dirty blood-traitors, so you can't really trust what they say!" Sirius exclaimed. "What….you….Sirius?" Regulus asked, stunned at the sight of his older brother as a child. "But…you're little!" "I am not little!" Sirius huffed. "I'm just younger because of some potion thing. It was horrible! I woke up and he and the scruffy one with glasses were there. And the worst part was that they forced me to interact with a mudblood"
"Mudblood?" Regulus looked confused. "Do you mean you believe in the things Mum tells us?" He asked hopefully. "Why wouldn't I? Mum's right about everything!" Regulus looked beside himself with joy. " You know what Sirius? I am going to write to Mother, and tell her about what you said and ask her to come down here. I'm sure she'd be overjoyed to see you!" "Really?" Sirius asked. "Do you think she'd take me away from that?" He pointed at me. "Of course she would!" Regulus laughed.
"Sirius, I think it's time we go see Professor Dumbledore." I began. "But I haven't had any breakfast yet!" Sirius complained. "You'll get some later, let's go." "Can Regulus come ?" Sirius asked. "No. But you'll see him later, okay?" "Fine." Sirius pouted. "Bye, Reggie!" He screamed as we walked towards Dumbledore's office.
This was not good.
Walburga Black coming down here was the last thing we needed.
Sirius and I ran up to our room. James and Lily were still asleep. "Lazy, no-good…" I heard Sirius mutter. "James!" I shouted as I tried to shake him awake. "JAMES!"
"Grandma, I don't want eat to eat jello when I'm in the shower." He muttered.
What the hell was he dreaming about?!
"James Harold Potter, you wake up this instant!" I yelled, hitting him. "Remus? What's going on?" He asked. "You and Lily over-slept. We have to get to Dumbledore's office now." I said urgently. "What's the rush?" "The rush is that Regulus is writing Mrs. Black a letter all about Sirius' behavior and she's going to be down here as soon as she reads it!"I cried.
"What?! Regulus knows?!" He screeched. "Yes, it's a very long story that I will explain to you on the way, now get ready!" "Why is everyone yelling?" Lily asked blearily.
"Well, Mudblood, they're yelling because…" "Sirius shut up! I am not putting up with this today!" I yelled, frustrated to the point of tears. "I'm ready, let's go." James said, glaring at Sirius as we walked down there.
'Merlin,' I thought I we reached his office. 'How will we ever explain this?'
I opened the door. "Professor, we have a bit of a…" I stopped. "Ah, Remus!" Dumbledore chirped. "I was just having a lovely conversation with Mrs. Black about your situation!"
Oh crap.