Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt: (feeling) Aggression

Anger Issues

Sirius was a rather aggressive boy in his early years at Hogwarts. He had walked into the school burdened by his family's expectations for his future, but being sorted into Gryffindor had probably been worse for him than if he'd just accepted his lot as a Slytherin. He'd received angry letters from his father and Howlers from his mother. Narcissa, the youngest of his three cousins and in her sixth year at Hogwarts, threw him dirty looks every time they crossed paths and encouraged the other Slytherins to start calling him "blood traitor" in place of his proper name.

The last thing Sirius wanted was to be expelled. That would mean having to go back home, to parents who didn't love him and a little brother who was now disappointed in him. He'd already started to make friends as well and didn't want to leave them behind. So instead of acting on the rage boiling up inside him, he kept his mouth shut and his fists clenched at his sides as the Slytherins harassed him mercilessly.

Sirius did a fair job of keeping his anger contained, until the day one of his new friends decided to get involved.

Marlene McKinnon was a pretty girl. Everything about her was neat and tidy, from her clothes to her handwriting and everything in between. She was quiet and reserved, always polite to others, and unwilling to be mean to someone even if they were being mean to her. For some reason, she and Sirius got along quite well, even though Sirius was her total opposite in everything. It seemed to them and everyone else who knew them that they had absolutely nothing in common.

They were walking to class together one day when Sirius heard the familiar shout of, "There he goes, Blood Traitor Black! What a disgrace you are, you filthy traitor!"

Sirius didn't recognize the voice, but he had heard this diatribe all too often. He sighed heavily, trying to keep his rage suppressed as usual. His fists were clenched so tightly that he was sure his nails were drawing blood in his palms. He was concentrating so hard on keeping himself together that it took him a few seconds to realize that Marlene had stopped dead in her tracks. Sirius stopped as well and before he could turn around, she had started speaking.

"What do you know about it?" Marlene was yelling for the first time in their short acquaintance. "Just because he's a Gryffindor doesn't mean he's a traitor! Maybe everyone shouldn't have expected so much of him! Why can't he just be who he is and still be accepted by you?"

Sirius's eyes slipped closed at her words. What in Merlin's name was she thinking? He opened his eyes and turned around. "Marlene, move," he said through gritted teeth. "Just leave it alone."

"No!" Marlene shouted at him. "I won't! I'm tired of hearing them do this to you, Sirius! It just makes me so angry!" The crowded corridor had gone silent as everyone watched the scene unfolding before them.

"Oh, is that so?" Sirius didn't know the name of the Slytherin boy who was now standing in front of Marlene. Sirius thought that maybe he was one of Narcissa's friends. He was flanked by three other boys, all of them much larger than Sirius. "Is this your little girlfriend, Blood Traitor? McKinnon, isn't it? There's Muggle blood in your family if I remember right. Daddy was a Muggleborn, wasn't he?" The boy shoved Marlene, knocking her to the ground. "I should've known you'd choose a filthy half-blood. What a disgusting girl you are, you're practically a mudblood – "

Sirius didn't let him finish the sentence. With a scream of rage, Sirius tackled him. His fists were flying, hitting any part of the boy he could find. He soon found himself overwhelmed by the other three boys kicking and punching him. He could hear Marlene screaming.

"That will be enough!" Professor McGonagall's stern voice broke through the chaos and the boys broke apart. "What is the meaning of this?" She glared them all down. "Twenty points each from Slytherin and detentions! There is no fighting in this school, as you four should be well aware by now!" She pointed at the Slytherins. "I will be discussing this with Professor Slughorn!" The four boys sauntered off, Sirius pleased to see the boy he'd attacked had a cut above his eyebrow and a livid bruise on his cheek.

"And you!" Sirius's stomach lurched. The realization of what he'd just done dawned on him. He had lost control. He had only been thinking of protecting Marlene, but still he had let his aggression take over. "I dislike taking points from my own house, but you leave me with no choice."

"Please, Professor, wait." Marlene was on her feet again, brushing dirt from her robes as she faced McGonagall."He was only helping me. I – I didn't like what they were saying to him and I confronted them. That boy shoved me and Sirius went after him. It's my fault he got into that fight in the first place. Please don't punish him."

Professor McGongall's stern gaze softened. "Is this true, Mr. Black?"

Sirius nodded. He was finding words impossible. For the second time this morning, Marlene was defending him.

"I applaud your chivalry, Mr. Black. Truly the mark of a Gryffindor. Be that as it may, fighting is still forbidden. Ten points from Gryffindor. I won't give you a detention. Consider that your reward for having your heart in the right place. Miss McKinnon, please escort Mr. Black to the Hospital Wing. Everyone else, get to your classes!" Professor McGongall turned on her heel and left, the other students who had crowded around dispersing at her words, leaving Marlene and Sirius unnoticed.

"Are you alright?" Marlene reached out her hand to him and helped him up. Sirius winced at a sharp pain in his side. "You're bleeding." She gingerly touched his lip, her fingertip coming away red. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything to him. It just – I was so mad. I couldn't take them bullying you for one more second."

Sirius chuckled. "I guess we both have anger issues." His expression sobered. "Thank you for doing that. It was stupid, but it means more to me than you'll ever know."

Marlene smiled shyly. "Thank you for defending me as well. Now, let's get you up to Madam Pomfrey." She linked her arm with his and they walked off together, their friendship strengthened now that they knew they shared a desire to defend those they cared about.