September 1971
Sirius was pacing around his room. It was bittersweet really, well, more 1% bitter and 99% sweet. He was so desperate to get out of his wretched house and away from his mother and father but at the same time he was sad about leaving Regulus. They had always been together, and this was the first time they would be apart.
Regulus would be fine, Sirius told himself, after all, Walburga and Orion loved Regulus. Sirius learnt at a young age that his parents didn’t love him, not in the way parents were supposed to love their children.
Sirius had always been too loud, too impulsive, too distracted, too hyper, to be the perfect Black heir that his parents expected. So, naturally, he got punished. But Sirius was also smart. He took the blame when his brother messed up too, why should they both be punished?
That way Regulus could remain their perfect little boy and Sirius could remain reassured that his brother would be safe.
So, Sirius was looking forward to Hogwarts albeit, a little apprehensive of a year apart from his brother.
“Time to go Sirius,” Walburga said harshly, “Get downstairs now.”
“Yes mother!” he replied, running down the stairs.
“Sirius! What have we discussed about behaving appropriately,” his mother hissed.
Sirius slowed down on the stairs to avoid an altercation. Maybe on another day he would have stomped harder, but not today. Today, he was minutes away from freedom and he wouldn’t risk his mother wrath.
But first he needed to stay goodbye to Regulus. He turned around and hugged his teary eyed brother “Reg I-“
“Stop blabbering and man up both of you,” Walburga yanked Sirius from the hug and apparated them to Kings Cross Station.
“You didn’t let me say goodbye!” Sirius croaked, tears running down his cheeks. He knew his mother couldn’t slap him in public which comforted him a little.
“How dare you shame me in front of all these people. Stop crying this instant.” She whispered severely, “Now I expect you to set an example, make the right friends, I know that one of the Avery’s will be in your year and will be most likely sharing a room with you. You will behave like a Black heir is supposed to, do you understand me, Sirius? Toujours Pur.”
“Yes mother,” Sirius muttered as he felt his mother’s ever tightening grip on his wrist.
“Good, now get on the train.”
Sirius didn’t wait and practically ran to the train doors and hopped on. He felt the excitement bubbling up inside him and got in the first empty carriage he found. His mother insisted on being early but he wouldn't complain.
Now all he had to do was wait. Hopefully someone nice would join him, someone fun, someone not Slytherin. He knew that in theory that he shouldn't judge people by their house but at the end of the day, that's his family are all Slytherins and he wants nothing to do with them. You can't blame him for that.
And so he sat their and waited. Dreaming about his future and anticipating the best years of his life.