"Now, I want a nice and fair game from all of you." Madam Hooch's piercing eyes darted from James Potter to Angus Parkinson, the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch captains respectively. "You all know the rules and I expect nothing less than you to abide by them." Her voice carried to every corner of the pitch.
She raised the whistle to her lips and with a jolt, the game had begun.
"How's your little faggot boyfriend, Black?" Snickered Valerie Goyle under her breath as she zipped past Sirius's ear.
Sirius went tense with anger, how dare Goyle say that. She didn't know Sirius or Remus and the fact that she couldn't see past her own nose didn't give her any right to call Sirius that, let alone Remus. In fact, it wasn't that Goyle had just insulted Sirius, he could take it, he was tough and used to his barbaric mother, it was that she had insulted Remus, poor fragile Remus. He already had to deal with transforming into a bloody werewolf once a month, and Hogwarts was meant to be a haven for Remus, a blessing, he didn't need this. Not at all. And it just made Sirius feel even worse, worse than any arrogant Slytherin could make him, because he secretly felt that he had brought this onto Remus, that it was his fault.
But it wasn't Sirius's fault and it wasn't Remus's either.
A white hot anger was building in Sirius' chest, it clogged his veins and laced the fire to every limb.
"Oi! Dumb bitch!" Called Sirius cheerily to the Slytherin keeper. "Fuck. Off."
And then he punched little Valerie Goyle in the jaw, sending her off her broom and onto the muddy earth beneath Sirius.
"BLACK!" Crowed Madam Hooch. "OFF THIS INSTANT!"
That punch was sort of Sirius' fault though. The fact that he was in love was not and the fact that he was bullied because of it was not his fault at all.
Fucking bitch.