Starman

3rd of November 1971

Sirius woke up that morning before the rest of the boys. The dormitory was still and quiet, filled with the soft sounds of his friends' breathing. He silently got dressed, pulling on his robes and lacing his shoes with practiced quiet. Slipping out of the room, he was careful not to wake anyone. It was his birthday, a day he never really looked forward to. Birthdays had always been tense occasions, full of expectations that never seemed to be met. He needed to clear his head, and a walk seemed like the best way to start.

He had tea with his cousins later that day, and he was dreading it. The tea would take place in the Slytherin common room, a place he never wanted to be. He sighed to himself as the Fat Lady’s portrait swung open, and he clambered out, heading up to the Astronomy Tower. The tower was his sanctuary, a place where he could find peace and solitude. When he got there, he leaned against the railing, looking out onto the grounds. The sun was rising, casting a warm glow over the landscape, and the birds were beginning to chirp. He stood there for a while, taking deep breaths, closing his eyes, and trying to center himself.

Sirius got back to the dormitory before the others woke up. James was snoring loudly, sprawled out across his bed. Peter was curled up into a little ball, his blanket pulled tightly around him. Remus seemed to be having some sort of dream, his brow furrowed slightly. Sirius grabbed a few of his books and walked down to the common room to do some homework. It was still early, and he had some time before his dreaded tea.

James, Remus, and Peter came down a little while later, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

“Doing homework on your birthday?! Nutter,” James teased, shaking his head with a grin.

Sirius chuckled, but his mind was still on the upcoming tea. The four of them walked down to breakfast together. The girls, mainly Lily, were still angry at them for a recent prank, so they didn’t sit with them. Breakfast was the usual mix of chatter and clatter, but Sirius was distracted, his thoughts drifting to the upcoming tea. He knew it was pointless to worry about it, but he couldn’t help it. They had their usual classes, and Sirius thought it was particularly rotten luck to have History of Magic on his birthday. He hadn't expected the day to go particularly well anyway.

“Amalia, did you know it’s Sirius’s birthday?” James asked with a wide smile during a lull in the lecture.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “No, happy birthday!”

“Thanks,” Sirius replied with a small, almost shy smile.

“Yeah, we thought we would do something fun. Wanna join?” James asked.

Amalia looked surprised but pleased. “Really? Um, yeah, sure, that would be great. If Sirius wants me there, of course?” she said, looking at Sirius nervously.

“Uh, yeah, of course I do,” he said with an awkward smile. Despite being friendly, he and Amalia didn’t really talk much. They both just kind of hung around with James, which meant they ended up hanging around each other by default. Amalia seemed surprised at his answer, but she smiled warmly.

“Okay, great. Amalia, I’ll come find you when Sirius is done with his tea. We thought we’d skive off,” James said with a wide grin, not sensing the awkwardness at all.

“Tea?” asked Amalia curiously.

“Yeah, with my cousins. My mother says I have to,” he said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. Amalia found it strange that he called his mum “mother,” but she shrugged it off. Maybe it’s just some pure-blood thing, she thought to herself.

Sirius headed down to the dungeons at break. Narcissa had given him the password. He took a deep breath as he approached the Slytherin common room. Just as he was about to knock, the door swung open.

“There you are! You’re late,” Bellatrix said, grabbing his arm and pulling him in. Her long nails dug into his skin, but he didn’t flinch. They sat down at a table close to the big windows that took up one side of the common room. These windows weren’t normal windows, though; instead of looking out onto the grounds of Hogwarts, they looked into the murky waters of the lake, casting a strange cold greeny-blue light into the common room. Sirius snapped out of his reverie when Bellatrix broke the silence.

“So how’s Gryffindor?” she asked, disgust dripping from her voice.

“It’s fine,” Sirius replied dryly.

The room was dimly lit, the greenish hue from the lake giving everything an eerie glow. The Slytherin common room was decorated with dark, rich fabrics and elaborate furniture, creating a stark contrast to the more casual and cozy atmosphere of the Gryffindor tower. Sirius felt a pang of homesickness for his own common room but pushed it aside.

The tea arrived, brought by a house-elf who trembled under Bellatrix’s harsh gaze. She barely acknowledged the elf’s presence as it set the tray down, spilling some of the tea in its haste. Bellatrix sneered, and the elf vanished with a crack.

“So, what did you do to deserve this wonderful birthday treat?” Bellatrix asked with a saccharine smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Sirius knew better than to show any emotion. “Just family tradition, I suppose,” he said, taking a sip of the tea. It was too strong, almost bitter, but he drank it anyway.

Narcissa, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. “You know, Mother and Father are very disappointed in you, Sirius. They had such high hopes.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m just full of disappointments,” Sirius replied, unable to keep the edge out of his voice.

Bellatrix leaned forward, her eyes glinting with malice. “You should be ashamed of yourself. Gryffindor. Associating with mudbloods and blood traitors. You’ve brought nothing but disgrace to our family name.”

Sirius clenched his jaw, gripping his teacup tightly. “I’m quite happy where I am, thanks.”

The conversation continued in this vein, filled with disdain and passive-aggressive remarks about what a disgrace it was that he was in Gryffindor and how he had brought shame on the family. Bellatrix relished in her verbal attacks, each word designed to wound, while Narcissa’s disapproval was quieter but no less hurtful. She didn’t defend him either, simply sitting there, occasionally nodding in agreement with Bellatrix’s cutting remarks.

“You know, Regulus never causes this much trouble,” Bellatrix said with a smirk. “He understands the importance of family, of loyalty.”

Sirius bristled at the mention of his younger brother. “Regulus can do whatever he wants. I’m not going to live my life according to your twisted ideals.”

Narcissa’s expression softened for a moment. “We’re just worried about you, Sirius. You’re isolating yourself from your own blood.”

Sirius snorted. “Worried about me? That’s a laugh. You’re more worried about what your friends think than about me.”

The tea dragged on, filled with not-so-thinly veiled insults and uncomfortable silences which Bellatrix always broke with a degrading remark. The room felt colder as the minutes ticked by, the oppressive atmosphere weighing heavily on Sirius. He couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Eventually, the tea ended, and Sirius excused himself as politely as he could manage. “Thank you for the lovely tea,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm that Bellatrix either didn’t notice or chose to ignore.

As he left the Slytherin common room, he felt a surge of relief wash over him. The air in the dungeons was damp and chilly, but it felt freeing compared to the stifling tension of the common room. He quickened his pace, eager to get back to the warmth and comfort of Gryffindor tower.

When he finally got back to the common room, it was empty. Everyone was at their usual classes. He walked up to the dormitory, feeling drained. To his surprise, he found Remus, James, Peter, and Amalia sitting there, waiting for him. The boys had bought him some gifts, small but thoughtful things. Amalia didn’t have anything, having only just found out it was his birthday earlier that day.

“Sorry,” she said with an awkward smile, feeling out of place.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting anything,” Sirius replied, genuinely not bothered. He was just glad to be back with his friends.

The rest of the day turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable. They played card games, laughed, and shared some cauldron cakes and other assorted snacks James had smuggled from the kitchens.

“The elves practically beg you to take the food, it’s great,” James said with a grin.

As the day wore on, they moved outside, enjoying the fresh air and unusually warm weather. They found a quiet spot by the lake and spent the afternoon lounging on the grass, talking about everything and nothing. Peter tried to catch a few frogs, making everyone laugh with his antics. Even Amalia, usually quiet and reserved, seemed to relax and join in the fun.

When evening fell, they headed to dinner and then back to the common room. The fire was crackling in the hearth, casting a warm glow. They settled in, still buzzing from the day. James suggested a game of Exploding Snap, and they played until their sides hurt from laughing.

That night, as Sirius lay in bed, he thought back over the day. Despite the tea and History of Magic, it had been a good day. Maybe even his best birthday yet. He fell asleep feeling content, surrounded by friends who truly cared for him.