Chapter 4
Sirius ignored his roommates as much as he could. He got up at different times, didn't eat with the others, sat at the other side of the classroom and stayed out of the dorm room as much as possible. He spent a lot of time in the library, trying to find a spell to sent Regulus a letter in a safe way. He studies for tests and made his homework. Sometimes Mary would join him, but he didn't feel like talking to her much, as she was still hanging out with his roommates. They had tried to apologise, but Sirius was petty and still angry with them. He wasn't just going to let this slide. Life went on like this for the rest of september. Without realising it, the entire first month of school had gone by. He had finally found a way to protect his letters from his mom and had started writing.
Dear Regulus,
I miss you and I wanna go home. I don't like my roommates, They read your letter without my permission so I got angry at them. Now I'm ignoring them while they only grow closer together. I'm so sorry for leaving you behind with mom and dad. I hope they are not physically hurting you. I won't be home with Christmas, but I hope I will be able to visit you soon. Hogwarts is great, I love the food here and the magic here is so warm. Still, I can't help but wonder what would've happened if I was sorted into Slytherin. Maybe I would've had actual friends there and you wouldn't be in danger. Since my roommates read your letter, I had to out you. I'm sorry I had to do that without your permission. I do think you will love Hogwarts though. It is very nice here.
Love, Sirius.
He enchanted the letter and sent it off with an owl. Sirius walked back to his dorm room, dreading any interaction with the others. He found James and Peter sitting on James bed playing chess. This caught Sirius off guard. Around this time, all of them would be back in the room.
"Where is Lupin?" he asked. Peter and James looked up from their game.
"So you're talking again" James said. Sirius grimaced.
"He's in the hospital wing."
"What? Why?" Sirius asked, regretting the question the moment it left his mouth. James grinned.
"So you do care about us" he said.
"Just answer the question" Sirius sighed. Peter shrugged. "Said he felt lightheaded." Sirius frowned but dropped it. He sat down on his bed with a book and said; "don't think I'll make talking to you a habit again."
He was wrong. He found himself talking to James again later that night. Lupin still hadn't come back and James said he'd probably spend the night in the hospital wing.
"Can I ask you something?" James asked. Sirius said nothing.
"It's about your brother" James said. Sirius froze in place and looked James straight in the eyes. He slowly nodded. He moved a bit in his bed, making room for James and cast a silencing spell around them.
"I was told Walburga and Orion black had a son and a daughter" James said. Sirius made a hand movement telling James to go on.
"But when we,,, well when we read your letter, you said you had a brother, Regulus."
"Regulus he is, well I forgot the word, but he was born in the wrong body, if that makes sense" Sirius began. James shook his head, of course it didn't make sense.
"He was born a girl, okay? But he wants to be a boy. Get it now?" James frowned.
"And you're okay with that?" he asked.
"Of course," Sirius said, "He's my brother."
"And your parents?" James said. Sirius looked away from the boy across him.
"They think he's crazy, pretend he doesn't really exist to other people, which of course, is easy since he is the youngest. Most families didn't even know he was born in the first place since the blacks aren't exactly proud to give birth to a girl" he explained. James nodded, but something felt off.
"You think he's crazy, don't you?" Sirius asked him. James shook his head.
"I just don't really get it," he said "you don't hear everyday of someone born a girl wanting to be a boy, especially not at this age. Maybe he is just confused."
Sirius started to lose his patience again. He shouldn't have trusted James with this information. Of course he wouldn't get it.
"I don't care if it turns out he is confused. He is my brother" Sirius hissed. James threw his hands up.
"Sorry, of course" he said.
"Okay"
"Okay"
He looked at one another in silence. James broke the silence.
"I wanted to apologise again" he said, sticking his hand out. Sirius hesitated, but then shook it.
"Apologies accepted. But you have to promise not to tell anyone else about Regulus. It's the seventies and you don't know who can be trusted, okay?" Sirius said. James nodded.
"I solemnly swear." Sirius watched James leave his bed and closed the curtains behind him. It was nice to have at least one friend back.
The next morning during breakfast, Lupin still wasn't back. Mary slid onto the bench next to Sirius.
"Good morning sunshine" she said jokingly. Sirius stuck out his tongue at her.
"Where's Remus?" Lily asked.
"I thought you'd know" James said, his mouth full with croissant.
"Why would I know?" Lily said.
"I thought you were his best friend" James shrugged. Lily turned slightly red.
"No we just study together sometimes."
"Yeah, why would Lily hang out with someone like him" a nasty voice sounded behind them.
"Good morning Severus" Lily said, her head in her hands.
"You again?" Sirius said.
"Protecting your boyfriend again?" Severus shot back.
"Oi cut it, Snape" James said, pointing his wand towards the boy. Lily reached over the table to grab it.
"James!" she hissed. She turned to Snape.
"I'll see you later, Severus. I'm having breakfast with my house right now" she said, her fave almost as bright red as her hair. Snape sniffed and left for the Slytherin table.
"I don't get why you get on with him" James said when Snape sat down at his own table.
"We grew up together" she said defensively.
"So? He is an asshole" Sirius said. Peter, who had been quiet the entire time, made an agreeing noise.
"Guys, let it be" Marlene cut in. Lily whispered a quiet 'thank you' and they all began eating their breakfast in silence.
The bell rang and Sirius quickly shoved his books in his bag. Professor Binns was still mid sentence, but no one was listening anymore, the man spoke so slow. Sirius caught James, and with James automatically came Peter, in the hallway.
"I know something about you" James said with a sly grin. Sirius felt his heart stop as he looked the dark haired boy in the eyes.
"Pardon me?" he said. Peter was now also grinning.
"It's your birthday next month" they said in unison. Sirius eyes widened.
"How do you guys know that" he asked. James shrugged.
"I found a list of all the first year's birthdays in Filch's office" he said casually.
"What? When were you in his office?" Sirius asked.
"When I was in detention" James answered.
"When were you- ugh never mind. Yes it's my birthday next month. What about it?" Sirius said. James and Peter grinned even wider.
"Oh you'll see."
"I don't like your tone."
"Sucks to suck."
"Did somebody say birthday?" Mary's voice sounded from behind him.
"God, look what you've done" Sirius said to James, who just kept stupidly grinning.
"Oh yes, the famous Sirius Black celebrates his twelfth birthday next month" he said.
"I'm not celebrating anything!" Sirius cried out.
"Oh you so are! Twelve! You'll be a man" Mary said with a wink.
"Mary, you are so right" James said. Mary twirled her hair around her finger.
"I know" she said.
"Boy's dorm, this Saturday, midnight, bring the other girls, we have to start planning" James said and Sirius mouth fell open. They were actually serious about this?
"Glad to know I also get a say in this" Sirius said, rolling his eyes. James shrugged and they all walked off to lunch together.
"Remus!" James yelled as they entered the great hall and found Lupin sitting at the Gryffindor table. He grinned and waved at them. Well, not at Sirius probably.
"You're back" Peter grinned.
"Sure am" Lupin replied. Sirius nodded at him and Lupin nodded back.
"You're talking again" Lupin said.
"Sure am" Sirius replied mockingly.
"You have a scar on your face" Sirius noticed. Lupin felt his face with his finger.
"Oh, yeah. That's why I was in the hospital wing" he said. Sirius frowned.
"Peter said you felt lightheaded."
"I did. And then I fainted and hit my face" Lupin said casually.
"You look badass now, we can go around telling everyone you fought a gang of drugs dealers" James said, nudging Lupins shoulder.
"Drugs dealers? At Hogwarts?" Peter said.
"Oh my dearest Peter, you have so much to learn and discover" James said. With a small poof lunch appeared on their plates.
"God, who eats porridge for lunch" Mary said, stirring her dish with a spoon.
"The elves must have gotten the time wrong" Lupin said. They all nodded in agreement as they silently scooped away the brown mush.
They had a free period after lunch, so Sirius decided to spend it in the library. He had just gotten his books from his bag when someone coughed to get his attention. It was Lupin.
"I eh, I wanted to apologise for reading your letter" he said.
"James put you up to this, didn't he?" Sirius said, looking up at the tall boy.
"Well, yes but I mean it. And I also think I owe you an explanation for my behaviour the last month" Lupin said. Sirius nodded.
"I have realised you are not your father, so it's not fair to take my emotions out on you."
"Congrats on realising that, but I still don't know what you are talking about" Sirius said.
"Your father fired my father, so now we barely have enough money to get around. The last months have been really hard for us and since you're the closest person to your father I know, I took out my frustrations on you" Lupin said. Sirius didn't really know what to say.
"Sorry, I guess?"
"I know it is not your fault, really" Lupin said.
"Your dad will find a new job, with someone better than my father" Sirius said.
"Oh he doesn't really deserve someone better than your father. He's kind of an asshole really, my father" Lupin said and smiled sadly.
"Bad fathers, am I right" Sirius said awkwardly. He was kind of scared Lupin was going to cry and he had no idea how to deal with crying people. Lupin just kind of stood there in silence, Sirius still looking up at him.
"You can have a seat if you want" Sirius said, waving at the other chairs around the table. Remus quickly sat down.
"What are you working on?" he asked.
"I was going to start on the history essay" Sirius said. Lupin nodded and got out his own history book.
"We can work on it together, if you'd like?"
"Sure" Sirius said.
"Has anyone ever told you you talk like an old man trapped in an eleven year olds body?"
"I do not!" Lupin cried out.
"Yes you do" Sirius grinned. The librarian shot them an angry look and pressed her finger to her lips, ordering them to be quiet. The two of them giggled and went to work on their essay.
"Sorry for snapping at you all those times" Sirius whispered.
"No it's okay, I get it" Lupin said. He grabbed Sirius parchment and began reading it.
"This sentence doesn't make sense" he said, pointing at one of the lines Sirius had written.
"This whole book doesn't make sense" Sirius shot back.
"Yes it does? It's a literal history book, everything in here has happened. This is the most sense any of our books will ever make" Lupin said.
"Yup, definitely an old man trapped in a boys body" Sirius joked. Lupin rolled his eyes and fixed some parts of Sirius' essay.
"Don't do too much, it has to be believable I actually wrote it" Sirius said. Lupin looked up from his work.
"It's professor Binns, I doubt he'll notice anything. I'm surprised if he reads any of the essays at all to be honest" he said.
"Fair point."
The mood while they waited for dinner to be served was a lot better with the tension between the boys resolved. Peter hadn't really apologised, but Sirius didn't really care about an apology from him. He was always just kind of there, but Sirius hadn't formed any special bond with him yet, so he let it slide for now. When the dinner appeared, laughter arose from the great hall. It was, once again, porridge being served, they we're definitely being pranked. Sirius watched McGonagall leave the teachers table, probably going to the kitchen to fix this prank. While everyone just kind of waited to see if anything else would be served, an idea popped into Sirius' head.
"We should do a prank of our own" he said to the others.
"What kind of prank?" James asked. Sirius shrugged.
"I don't know yet, but something better than this" je said, waving at the porridge in front of them. At that very moment, it disappeared and the real dinner appeared on big, golden plates all across the table.
"Let us know when you think of something" James said and they all began filling their plates.