CHAPTER 16: Letters
Dear Sirius,
How is life at the residence of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black? I hope your family isn't being horrible to you! It's strange not having you here, not being at Hogwarts. There's no one to rudely awaken in the mornings!
I really miss you and Peter and Remus. My parents just don't understand my humour like you all do!
How was Christmas? Thanks for the dungbombs by the way, they were fantastic! I may or may not have had a bit for fun with them down in the Muggle park by my house. I hope my present didn't get you in any trouble with your family, I don't think I really thought it through… Still, I'm sure you would have appreciated the meaning behind it!
I'm working on getting you out of your house and over to mine, but I'm not sure on the details yet so I'll let you know more about it once I know more about it.
Don't let your family get you down, mate!
James.
Dear James,
Life at the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black is horrible as always. I've spent most of my time shut up in my room so I don't have to see my family. I've actually gotten so bored; I've done all of my homework already! I'm turning into Remus here! Since I have well and truly disgraced the family name by becoming a Gryffindor my parents have decided to either ignore me or shout and scream at me. They seem to have completely thrown away any attempt to be civil, but really, it's better that way. Kreacher is still being a prat, but other than that, life here is actually slightly more bearable.
Christmas was awful. My lovely other members of my family came around and I was forced to sit next to Bellatrix and Rodolphus and directly opposite from Narcissa and that Lucius Malfoy guy that she's still dating. He's good for her, I suppose. Obsessed with blood purity, the whole lot of them. If looks could kill, I would have died so many times that day. Still, I don't care. I hate them even more than they hate me.
Don't worry; I had the sense to keep the presents from you, Pete and Remus in my room so my family didn't know I had them. I think it pleased them to think that my friends didn't care enough to send me a present. But thank you for the Gryffindor posters, they were amazing! I've redecorated my room in the time I've spent shut up in it alone. I think you would like it; it has a certain lion, red and gold theme. My mother absolutely hates it, which makes it even more delightful! I have to have you over to see it sometime! In fact, no, it's probably best you don't come within a twenty-mile radius of my mother. The woman is a hag.
No rush or anything mate, but I hate it here. Although, when I do go to yours, your parents will surely fall in love with my sheer charm and just invite me to stay with you permanently!
Sirius.
Dear Sirius,
It's strange being able to wake up whenever I want without you or James jumping on my bed and Peter yelling in my ear, but I've found that I strangely miss it. We've only been at Hogwarts for one term and it already feels odd to be away from it, almost as if my home is not my home anymore, Hogwarts is.
I wish I could invite you over to my house to get away from your family but my parents are always away so I can't ask them. My father works even more now, and my mother is always away at her new job so I'm always home alone. The rare times they come home they are always too tired to do anything with me so just disappear off to bed and leave me to it again. They've only ever been home at the same time once and I heard them arguing. It was horrible. Although I'm not always alone in the house, I suppose. I found an old forest trail down in the woods outside my house and it leads to a lovely little Muggle village with a park and Muggle shops and a library. I don't ever stay for long and I don't think my parents know that I go there, but it's nice to be able to get away and the currently snow capped mountains make up such a picturesque landscape, it's beautiful! Hopefully I can show you one day. I can't wait to get back to school. I've missed you and James and Peter so much.
Christmas was quite good here. My mother got time off work and my dad switched about his hours so he only had to work later at night, so he even got to stay for Christmas dinner! Thank you so much for the chocolate! It was perfect! How did you know that extra-dark was my favourite? I don't know how you could stand sitting next to Bellatrix after what she and her friends did to you a while ago. I don't usually wish such things upon people, but I hope she got food poisoning that day! Don't tell her I said that though, I would quite like it if my limbs stayed attached to my body.
It's hardly a bad thing that you have done your homework, Sirius. Honestly, you and James seem to think that doing what you are told is a punishable offence!
Did you get a new owl? I've not seen this one before, and it doesn't look like one of the ones used in the ordinary postal service. If it is yours, I assume somebody from your family got it for you, since it seems only fitting that a member of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black should have a jet-black owl. Or am I just over thinking things?
Remus.
Dear Remus,
Are you saying that you actually miss being rudely awoken in the mornings?! Well then, I shall be sure to oblige as soon as I can and have you up at all hours of the morning.
I don't like that you are alone all of the time, Remmy! It's not fair. I know you have your Muggle town to escape to, but still, I just don't like the thought of you sitting by yourself all holidays. I repeat; it's not fair.
I'm glad you weren't alone on Christmas, nonetheless. I would have had to have done something about it if I found out that that was the case!
I actually have a proposition for you! Every year my parents hold a New Year's Eve party and you, along with Peter and Sirius, are invited! I've written to them both already but for whatever reason Pete STILL hasn't replied to any of my letters and Sirius is up for going, it just depends on whether or not his parents will let him, so I'm not sure whether to be hopeful or not. It would be really great if you could all come! And my mother has suggested that [assuming it is alright with your parents] you can just stay here and go to Diagon Alley with us and then we'll all go back to school together. We'll hopefully be reunited soon, Remmy!
I really hope you can come. I think you'll like my house, Remus. It has a lot of books in it.
James.
Dear Remus,
I am going to go insane if I don't get out of this house soon enough! We already have a house elf, why the hell does she insist on treating me like one?! It's times like this when I miss you and James and Pete all that much more. I will hopefully get to go to James' for New Year's though. If 'I behave and do exactly what I'm told' the hag will let me go. It's like a form of torture, to just accept all of the crap they throw at me without being able to do or say anything about it but it will be worth it to see you guys again. That's if you are allowed to go? I really hope so, I'm with James on this one Remus, I don't like that you're alone all the time. I can't wait to see you again, it's been too long since I've had someone to annoy!
Yes, I did get a new owl. My Uncle Alphard got me it, since he's the only person in my family who does not apparently hate me to my very core. I think it's coincidental that the owl is black but you never know, it could be a little subtlety that will make my parents let me keep him. Or you could, of course, just be over thinking things. He's called Gryff, a fact that my parents are oblivious to so far. I'm seeing how long it takes them to figure it out the blatantly obvious meaning behind the name. If they are as smart as they are kind then I don't think I have anything to worry about.
If I can keep up this perfectly respectable Slytherin pure blood family act then I'll hopefully see you at James'!
Sirius
Dear James,
From what I hear, Sirius is actually managing to hold his tongue at home so hopefully he will be able to come to yours at New Years. My mother is allowing me to go but she told me to ask my father first but I don't see him having a problem with me going. He's never at home anyway; it's not as if he would notice my absence. Mother also told me to thank your parents for offering to keep me until we return to Hogwarts. She said that I am allowed to stay but, again, I have to ask father first but my previous statement stands so I can't see him having a problem with it.
Also, I'm sure your house is lovely no matter how many books it has! Although, it is a bonus!
Peter has not yet replied to any of my letters either. I am beginning to worry. Surely if he had something planned that was so big and important and would keep him so busy he would have told us before we left Hogwarts? But, on the other hand, I'm sure if something had happened to him we would have found out about it either through the Daily Prophet or someone else getting in touch with us or something. Either way, I'm sure he is alright, I just wish that he would write just to confirm it. It's strange not hearing from him. I don't like it.
I'll get back in touch when my father has decided to grace my house with his presence and I can ask him about the party, but until then just put me down as going anyway. He doesn't really have any right to say no.
Hopefully see you and Sirius and Peter soon!
Remus.
Dear James, Sirius and Remus,
I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch. I've been very busy. I can't really talk much right now. I just wanted to say thanks but I won't be able to go to the New Year's party but I hope you all have fun. Everything is alright, don't worry, I've just got a lot of things to do.
I'll see you all when we go back to school.
Peter.