I am so sorry! I know that I told some people that I would update soon and put up another one shot and then have another chapter up and I feel so bad that never happened. School got really hectic and when I was writing the one shot that was suggested by Aimee but it felt so forced and wrong that I decided to cut it. That suggestion has however spawned an idea that will be used later. As far as one-shots go, everyone reading this should check out the two I have written and posted. They are titled "She's my Hero" and "Unstoppable". I would appreciate it if you would go check those out.
I would like to take a moment to thank the wonderful people that reviewed the last few chapters. I went to a church benefit dinner after I posted the last chapter and there were only 17 reviews. I got back and there were 23! I went into review shock for a good five minutes before smiling like a fool of another ten. It made my day so I am taking the time to thank DobbysArmy (The wonderful reviewer who has been with this since the beginning),HBIC Never Again ( who I have already apologized to for leaving the cliffhanger in chapter 23), to Aimee (for reviewing for the first time, I thank you), Lauren (thank you for the small little reviews for all the chapters you liked- not just the last one), and last but not least Laveycee ( for making me laugh with #2 in your list). You are all wonderful and I thank you.
And with that out of the way, I now present to you, the fifteenth chapter of A Black and White Story.
The next morning the group of second year Gryffindors was sitting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room after breakfast. The room felt differently than how she remembered it. Professor Hesleden had multiple posters and pictures from his adventures as a younger man and he would always have the room well lit. Now it was dark and the stone walls were barren.
Ursula leaned over to Peter, her desk partner, and whispered, "Where's all of Hesle's stuff?" She questioned.
Peter gave her an incredulous look, "You don't know?"
She shook his head and Peter looked at her like she was insane, "Wow, you must have lived under a rock this summer. He was found at his house completely mauled to death. The muggle newspapers reported it as a wild animal attack but my mom told me that the ministry determined that it was a werewolf."
Ursula's eyes widened, "Sweet Merlin, he was just thirty wasn't he? Not that long of a life." She muttered the last part to herself before asking Peter, "Who's going to replace him?"
Just then the door at the top of the stairs in the front of the room flew open and hit the stone with a loud bang. A harsh looking man stood at the landing. His hair was now graying on the sides and thinning; one could tell it used to be a dark brown and quite thick. His eyes were cold and calculating as he stared down the class. He started to walk down the stairs and while doing so, he began to talk,
"Hello, students. I am Professor Avery. In this class, there will only be serious study. I expect each and every one of you to receive a passing grade on your end of the year exam, but considering the contents of this class," he paused and examined them with calculating eyes, "let's just say I am doubtful."
James gently nudged Sirius with his arm, "What an ass."
Sirius rolled his eyes as if to say, 'tell me about it.'
"I will call each of your names for roll call. I expect a clear response from everyone, no mumbling like a bunch of children." He was now at the desk and he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Let's see who's first…ah! Starting off right aren't we? Black, Sirius?"
"Currently in attendance."
Avery's face turned from one to happiness to one of extreme annoyance in less than a second. Then when he looked around the room, he suddenly looked extremely confused.
"Wait a minute, Black? I thought I had Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors this period. Are there some Slytherins in here too?" He was muttering to himself, but Ursula decided to answer,
"No sir, both my brother and I are in Gryffindor." Her voice cut through the roof, clear as crystal with no hesitation.
He froze; his hands still picking up some papers. He paused a moment and looked up at the class. His eyes immediately found Ursula's and right behind her seat, Sirius's matching eyes.
"Surely you must jest, Blacks have been in Slytherin for the last –"
"We don't really like tradition," Sirius said lazily as he leaned back in his chair.
The professor didn't seem to know what to say to him, but he looked down right angry at both of them. "Four legs on the ground Black." He snapped.
And thus began the worst DADA class in Hogwarts's history.
It was an hour later when Sirius stormed out of the classroom and punched the wall right across from the door. Ursula was right on his heels and instead of punching; she threw her book at the wall and proceeded to kick it down the hallway. Professor Avery had spent to whole class making snide comments to everyone, especially Ursula and Sirius. His favorite topic seemed to be asking where her bruises came from.
She tersely told him that it was a flying accident. He muttered softly that it was quite odd that she had no cuts or scratches from a fall; just bruises. She had half a mind to get up and clock him right in the jaw or at least throw something at him, something heavy…like a Defense book… Peter saw her anger and he put a calming hand on top of her hand while whispering, "Don't give him an excuse."
That had been the only thing that kept her in her seat in class but now that she was free from the confines of those walls, she verbally let loose. When she finished her cussing, Elyse and Remus were both blushing while James started to applaud her.
"Honestly my dear Ursula, I couldn't have said it better myself." He complimented her with a small tip of the head.
There was a chime from the clock tower Ben just barely heard. It took him a moment to realize that that meant that they had only four minutes to get to Transfiguration; a class on the other side of the castle. He turned on his heels and started to quickly walk towards their next class. Over his shoulder he shouted at the goofing off Gryffindors who were trying to one up each other with insults towards their new DADA teacher,
"Guys, class starts in four minutes!" He disappeared around the corner before they realized what he said. They looked at each other with wide eyes; grey meeting hazel meeting more grey meeting sky blue meeting chocolate brown meeting pastel green. All at once they began scrambling after him.
"Ben! Slow down!" Ursula shouted down the hallway.
The red-headed boy turned around and smiled and waited for her to catch up with him. Just behind her, the others that had shared a compartment on the train.
"Why the hell do you walk so fast?" Sirius asked as he practically jogged to catch to his sister.
Sirius wrapped his arm around her shoulders when he got close enough, a small limp in his step, and all seven made their way down the hallway.
They got into the classroom just before the bell rang. James pumped his fist in the air in victory and took his usual spot in the front of the room.
"Why, hello dear Minnie, how are you this wonderful morning?" James questioned the stern woman with an easy smile on his face.
She gave him a no nonsense look, "Mr. Potter, you almost show up late to my class and now you are causing distractions. Please keep your comments to yourself, if you do not remember that rule from last year." She added, giving him a look.
He smiled innocently at her, "But Minnie, I just love your class so much. How could I ever be silent?" He asked.
That was true. In most of his other classes James would take the seat farthest in the back or the one most off to the side. But in Transfiguration, even when there were empty seats, he would go straight to the front and sit down, Elyse sitting beside him to his left. At the table to his right would be Ursula and then Sirius. Remus, Peter, and Ben had taken the three seat desk next to the Blacks and claimed it as their own. They would actually pay attention in that class; other students found it odd that they actually tried in this class.
Minerva just raised an eyebrow, "I can see that Mr. Potter, considering your seat choice. And it is Professor McGonagall to you James."
"Can I call you Minnie?" Sirius piped up from his sear.
The majority of the class groaned. They had had to put up with this last year too and most of them were getting quite annoyed with it. If James and Sirius would just shut their mouths once in a while…
McGonagall was about to yell at him, at least; it appeared that way. But the second she saw him, the burn mark right underneath his chin, she froze. Her face froze for just a moment and then when her eyes quickly glanced over at Ursula, her eye twitched a tiny bit. She cleared her throat and regained her composure.
"Mr. Black, please keep your cheek to yourself. Today's lesson is going to be a quick review of everything we learned last year. If you would open your books to chapter one, read and take notes on the first four sections. If you finish, continue on."
McGonagall turned and went to sit at her desk. Soon, sounds of papers being shuffled and moved filled the air, followed by books being heavily dropped onto the tops of the desks. Within five minutes however, the room was silent. The only exception was when someone obnoxiously turned their page or someone swore under their breath when their ink blotted on the paper.
Ursula had no problem with the first four sections and went through the rest of the seven into sections and went into the second chapter. She did not just have a good memory, her only safe haven had been studying transfiguration over the summer; the only escape in her house.
She looked at the rest of her friends and she found them in a wide range of business. James was playing with a string and turning it into a bunch of different things; an apple, a quill, a book, even a shoe appeared on his desk. Sirius had decided to take a nap next to her. Remus and Ben were in a whispered debate about the affects transfiguration has on food and if it would taste the same after it was changed into something and then back. Poor Peter looked lost and Elyse was trying to explain to him what was going on. Just as Ursula looked at them, Peter had apparently given up and let his head drop to the desk with a loud thunk. She had to stifle a giggle when Sirius opened his bleary eyes and muttered something unintelligent.
Realizing that the bell was about to ring in about five minutes she shook his shoulder, still careful about his upper arms. He groaned about something along the lines of "Five more minutes" but in the end, Ursula won and Sirius was sitting up straight in his chair.
"Your homework for the night is to finish chapter one and to be prepared to go over the actual spell work from last year. I suggest brushing up on some of your wand skills," She said giving a few select students a look. She then sat back down at her desk.
The second years started packing up their stuff when McGonagall spoke again, "Black – both of you – stay after class."
The twins gave each other a terrified look, their eyes telling the story that only they, their parents, and their little brother knew…
It was a gorgeous day on August 30th, 1972. The sky was blue and there was a cool breeze that saved everyone from the burning sun. Small children flocked to the park across the way of Number 12 Grimmauld Place; their laughter wafting up to Ursula's closed windows. She sighed and wished that her parents would let her out, but she was now a blood traitor, a shame to the family, a black sheep if you would. All because she got sorted into Gryffindor.
"URSULA! DINNER!" Her mother's voice barked from the kitchen. Ursula groaned and buttoned up her robes before making her way down for family dinner.
Sirius met her right outside his door, grumbling all the same. He had been having a bad day. James's owl had almost gotten into the house, a letter tied to its leg, but Kreacher saw it and warned his mistress about it right away and she shot a hex at the poor, defenseless animal. For Sirius his friends and his sanity were so close, yet so far.
"Ready for some hell?" Sirius asked her.
She looked at him confused. He smirked and lifted the hem of his robes. Instantly Ursula realized the reason for his mischievous smile; he was wearing the muggle close he got for his birthday under his robes.
Ursula rolled her eyes, "Hate to break it to you, brother, but you're still just chasing after me." She lifted the hem of her robes a bit and showed him the muggle jeans that Elyse gave her.
He laughed and ruffled her hair as he walked past, "Oh Sissy, must you always upstage me?" He questioned in a joking manner.
She ran after him with a laugh and messed up his hair, "Sirius, you aren't even on the stage."
He rolled his eyes as he tried to fix his hair, "Where am I then?" he countered.
"The audience," she quipped.
He laughed and gently pushed her. They continued this behavior until they got to the kitchen. Walburga was already sitting at the head of the table, Orion sitting across from her. She gave them a sharp look and then at their chairs.
The twins began walking, not wanting to anger her. They had made it through the summer so far, the only pain they experienced was not being able to see their friends. They weren't going to mess it up so close to the end.
But in the way that it always seems to work out for the twins, Sirius tripped on the hem of his too long robes and tumbled to the ground, failing his arms to grab onto anything. He grabbed Ursula's arm and since she wasn't expecting it, she too lost balance and they both fell. They landed in a tangled mass on the ground.
They heard chairs scraping the floor and Ursula saw her father help Sirius stand. Her dad was brushing some of the dirt off of Sirius's robes when suddenly her mother's cold voice cut through the kitchen.
"What. Is. Under. Your. Robes?" She asked in a deadly and clipped tone.
Ursula closed her eyes in realization and defeat; of course her mother would get there just in time to see her muggle clothes.
"They are clothes, mother." She said softly, trying to pacify her mom as she stood up.
"Don't you lie to me! You got those clothes from your little mudblood friend," she practically hissed.
Ursula opened her eyes and glared at her, "Don't talk about Elyse like that!"
Out of seemingly nowhere, a cane appeared in Walburga's hand. It disappeared in the air as it sung towards her and she yelped in pain when it hit her side. She fell to the ground in shock, grabbing her side in pain.
"You talk as if your filthy muggle friend is equal to you! You want to be equal to THAT then you'll b e treated like one!" The cane that Ursula now recognized as her father's cane swung towards her again. She tried to scoot back on the ground, but her legs didn't get out of the way fast enough and the heavy cane hit the side of her knee.
Sirius was livid. He had promised himself to not let Ursula get hurt for anything he did again and he was NOT going to let her be beaten like a dog in front of him. He charged at his mother but his father grabbed his upper arms.
"LET ME GO!" Sirius shouted over his twin's shouts and cries. He twisted and turned every way to try to get out of his father's surprisingly tight grasp. He kicked and tried to elbow him, but Orion held firm and incapacitated his oldest son.
Ursula had been trying to avoid the swings of the cane, but her mother had backed her into a corner of the kitchen. She realized that she was trapped so she folded her knees up to her chest and covered her face with her forearms; basically in the fetal position. Every time the cane came down, there was a loud sound that Ursula would never be able to describe. Her mother's shouts and Sirius's shouts and her cries mixed together, making each one indistinguishable.
"STOP IT! STOP!" She begged her mom.
Her pleas fell on deaf ears and she knew that.
Sirius had also realized that he was stuck and that there was nothing he could do to get out of his father's grip so he started screaming at his little brother,
"REGULUS HELP HER! DAMN IT, GET UP AND HELP YOUR BLOODY SISTER!"
Regulus, the youngest in the room, was still sitting in his chair. His eyes were wide and terrified as he took in the scene before him. Sirius was red in the face yelling at him to help Ursula. His father was fighting with Sirius to keep him still. His mother would swing the cane back and send it soaring towards his sister in a deadly accurate path.
His sister.
She was cowering on the ground, curled up in the fetal position as she begged her mother to stop beating her. Ursula had protected him (and Sirius too, thinking about it) from so much; never asking for anything back. But now she was the one in need and he didn't know what to do. Tears streaked down his face as her screams got louder. The pounding in his head increased as the shouting blended together.
"YOU LITTLE UNGRATEFUL LITTLE MUDBLOOD LOVER!"
"STOP IT! STOP IT MOM! MOM, PLEASE STOP!"
"DO SOMETHING!"
So Regulus did something.
He ran.
Sirius's angry shouts at him carried all the way up to his room where we went to hide. He jumped into his bed and pulled all the pillows over his head, trying to get the screaming to stop.
Back downstairs at that time, Ursula realized that there was only one person that could help her.
"DAD! DADDY, PLEASE! MAKE HER STOP DADDY!"
She snuck a look through her arms and looked into his eyes. Something in his snapped and he threw Sirius to the side, sending him soaring towards the cooking area of the kitchen. The way he was shoved, his shoulder hit painfully against the front of the oven bottom stove and his ankle twisted in an odd, unnatural way. But that wasn't the worst of it. There was a still hot sauce pan, whose edge just hit Sirius's neck. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground, holding his neck. The pain was indescribable as he lay practically convulsing on the floor.
"SIRIUS!" Ursula shouted in fear.
The last thing she saw was the cane flying towards her; right towards her face.
Then everything went black.
"Black, please come up to my desk," McGonagall's voice broke them out of the memory. They shared one last look with each other before they stood and stiffly walked towards the head of their house.
She looked at the pair with appraising eyes. The twins were sure that they were going to get lectured but they were shocked when McGonagall lead them towards her office and even offered them a cookie before she began talking to them.
McGonagall looked at the two twelve year old children in front of her, who both were munching on the sweets she had given them. The bruise on Ursula's face had faded because of Lily's cream, but since she was so pale from spending the summer in side, it was still visible. The same was said for Sirius's burn marks.
"Would either of you like to explain why you showed up to school with those injuries?"
They were silent until Ursula spoke up, "It was a flying accident."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Excuse me, Miss Black, but I was not aware broom accidents left burn marks on students nowadays."
They were silent.
Minerva sighed and regarded the twins for a moment. She pushed away from her desk and walked around to be right in front of them.
"I must admit that I was just as shocked as you were when I got not one but two Blacks in my house. I will not claim to understand your home situation, but I will say this," her tone was gentle and very motherly, "what I said at the beginning of last year is true; all the Houses are families with Gryffindor being one of the closest ones. If you two need anything at all, something as simple as a snack and someone to talk to, I am here for all my students. I want you both to be aware of that."
It was enough to say that the Blacks were shocked silent. McGonagall had always seemed so strict and here she was basically offering them anything they needed. The twins, not used to this behavior, sat awkwardly for a couple of moments.
Minerva sighed sadly; they looked so confused at being offered help and support. It was almost like they didn't know what it was. Deciding to save them from the awkward moment, she released them,
"I think your friends have been waiting for you for a sufficient amount of time," she trailed off.
Her intentions were clear as Sirius bade a hasty farewell and ran from the room to the safety of his friends' care. Ursula was more hesitant as she stood up from the plush chair. McGonagall looked at her, wondering why the girl was still standing there.
"Professor? Can I ask you something?" Ursula asked softly.
"What is it child?" McGonagall asked, going to the girl's side and rested a hand gently on her shoulder.
Ursula cleared her throat and looked at the door her brother just ran out of, "Am I being stupid?"
No explanation was needed. McGonagall didn't even know that she could completely understood the situation or the event that resulted in the Blacks' injuries, but Minerva thought to her two younger brothers and everything she had done for them.
"No, no you're not."
Ursula looked up at her with a slightly watery smile, "Thank you professor."
With that the small girl walked out of the room, leaving her favorite teacher behind. When the door closed, McGonagall was still standing in the same spot looking at the door she just exited through. A stab of pity hit her in the heart when she saw Ursula limping slightly, favoring her left leg, but then she swelled with pride thinking about having such true and pure person to claim as one of her own; a true Gryffindor.
So there you have it; what happened to Sirius and Ursula. This was going to be in the next chapter but I decided that you all deserved it after I practically abandoned you all this week.
Did you catch the vision? I wasn't planning on using it, but I rereading the story and I thought it fit perfectly right there.
Please tell me what you think of this chapter! A lot of stuff happened/was revealed in this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts about them.