Pinky Promise?
The cheers, the screams, the colours, the celebrations it was consumingly thrilling. Sirius had never felt a happiness and excitement quite so catching, it was beautiful.
He was standing besides James and Peter at the front of the quidditch stands. James and Peter had their faces painted red and gold and James went to the extreme of holding up a sign as he was brutally obsessed with both quidditch and Gryffindor pride. Sirius had refused to have his face painted, not because he didn't want to nor because he thought it was ridiculous but because he knew he couldn't be seen showing pride in his own house. Being secretly happy about it and openly not hating it was one thing but if Bellatrix saw him with a Gryffindor lion on his cheek she might just loose her shit.
The screams and cheers were deafening, the chants and songs being sung around them were unsynced yet something about it was so amazing. The quidditch match was so filled with utter joy and anticipation it made all of Sirius' problems feel like a distant memory as he was so suffocated by the happiness around him he couldn't help but consume it and take it in as his own.
"That's gunna be us one day, Sirius!" James nudged him slightly and Sirius couldn't help but wish it was. He thought that soaring through the air in a real match would be something of calming and freeing.
The three of them were utterly engrossed, never having experienced a quidditch match first hand before.
"I can't believe that Remus would pick going to the library over this," Peter shouted over the chaos
"I bet he is with Evans, again." Sirius had noticed the annoyance in James' tone, he never really liked it when Remus would hang out with Lily.
"What's wrong with him being with Evans?" Sirius questioned before booing at Hufflepuff's score that aimed them to be in the lead.
"There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't get why he chooses to be with her instead of us," he said whilst staying fixated on the match. "It's not like she's interesting or anything is it and we're meant to be his friends and yet he is there with her and we are here."
"I really think you're taking this too personally, James." Sirius couldn't help but agree with Peter "Besides, he can have other friends apart from us."
"You know he doesn't like quidditch and that's why he didn't want to come. He still prefers us over Evans don't wor-" his words were drowned out from ear rupturing screams and cheers, Sirius hadn't even realised why the were screaming and cheering until the commentator announced the snitch had been caught by the Gryffindor seeker.
Utter thrill consumed Sirius as the Gryffindor’s had won, he didn't even care that much about Gryffindor but there was something about the atmosphere that made joy be the only emotion he could feel. Despite Huffelpuff's defeat and Slytherin's annoyance the entire atmosphere was indescribable and it was at that moment that Sirius had decided he was determined to one day be on the quidditch team. It was like a type of hope and happiness that spread from person to person, even if you didn't care about quidditch it was certain for you to catch the excitement of it all and let the match fill you up.
Sirius was slowly falling more and more in love with Hogwarts as the days and weeks went by. He had been there a month and despite his mild hatred for it at the start he really was beginning to accept it and realise how much happier it had made him.
He had laughed more in a month then he had done in 11 years. He had friends something he hadn't ever thought he would be able to have with parents like his- although even now he isn't exactly allowed them.
The feeling of being untouchable allowed him to enjoy more and forget more. Walburga was always there, Orion was always there, both in the back of his mind every second of every day but he was adjusting to it, settling to the fact they were not going to talk to him until Christmas.
He kept trying and trying, continuously writing to Regulus and it felt like a cold hand was clutching his heart every single time an owl flew over his head and didn't drop him a letter but it was fine he kept telling himself.
I'll change their minds.
The great hall was filled with a feeling Sirius had never felt before. He had never been surrounded by so much joy and happiness in his life, he had never expected quidditch matches to bring quite so much enlightment into the school. The Hufflepuff table was rather quiet and they clearly weren't as happy as the Gryffindor's were but they were still supportive of their win.
Remus came in and took the seat opposite James as Lily went and sat by the girls a little down the bench. He looked up and down the table and had clearly sensed the cheer between everyone and the obnoxiously loud members of the quidditch team still celebrating loudly.
"They won then I'm assuming?" Remus questioned.
"Won?! Won is an UNDERSTATMENT Remus!" James began "It was magnificent! You should've been there it was so good."
"Bloody hell, James. If this is you now I dread to think what you'll be like if you get on the team next ye-"
"When," he corrected "When I get on the team next year. You're coming to watch every single game of mine too Remus whether you like it or not. You're not ditching us for girls. Especially not Evans."
"I hardly ditched you, I just didn't want to watch the game and went to the library inst-"
"With Evans." Remus just scoffed and rolled his eyes before beginning to fill is plate with food.
"What are we doing this weekend then?" Peter mumbled through his mouthfull "I've get a load of homework to get through again."
"Petey boy," James sighed "Why must you always leave it till the last minute?"
"Right James!" Peter sighed "Some of us aren't naturally talented and didn't have caring parents that home taught us so well so be quiet and accept that i'm a little behind on my homework." James looked across to him and smiled sympathetically, Sirius had never seen him look at him like that before.
Peter's parents aren't caring either?
"You can copy my homework, I've done it all. Then we can have a homework free weekend to do something fun yeah?" Peter nodded and thanked him and Sirius couldn't help but notice that Remus had been oddly quieter than usual.
Sirius, Peter and James had finished eating and were waiting for Remus yet he was indulging himself into a 3rd course. Remus always seemed to be hungry and yet today he was weirdly so.
"You hungry mate?" Peter laughed and he looked up awkwardly, not realising the others were watching him. He put his fork down and shook his head.
“No i'm done no-"
"No no," Sirius said "We will wait for you to finish we don't mind."
"I'm done," Remus repeated and stood up to leave, the others following behind him. As they reached the corridor Sirius stopped and turned round, noticing that Peter hadn't left the great hall yet.
"Where's Pete-"
"I'm here!" he shouted, turning round the corner of the hall and meeting them with a grin and Sirius noticed he was awkwardly holding something in his robes and walking awkwardly.
"Pete-" James went to say but burst into laugher as Peter pulled a whole plate of deserts out of his robe and passing it to Remus who looked at him questionably with a grin of concern on his face.
"We would've waited you to finish your dinner, we didn't mind." Remus' grin slowly turned into a genuine smile that he'd never shown before "You didn't even have pudding so I bought some to you." Remus looked as if that was the first ever time somebody had ever done anything nice for him and it was purely heart warming to see.
"Thank you, Peter," he said softly whilst hesitantly taking the plate from his hands.
"He even bought a fork!" James laughed "You're a good friend Pet-" James, Sirius and Remus burst into hysterics before his words were finished as Peter reached behind his robe and pulled out a full length of baguette.
"I thought he might want a baguette too!" Peter began to laugh too as he brandished the baguette in the air. Sirius tried to catch his breath, his own laughter suffocating him and aching his ribs as each time they managed to stop laughing all it took was once glance at Peter and his baguette to start them off again.
Sirius leant back on what he thought was the wall until it swung open and he fell backwards hitting his head on the floor. Whilst gripping his head he laughed even more as the other three burst into laughter and pointed at him mockingly.
"Come on!" James laughed whilst giving Sirius a hand up and closing the small cupboard behind them.
Remus and Peter were still in hysterics the other side of them, falling backwards mockingly imitating Sirius' fall.
"Sod off you tossers!" Sirius laughed and the four of them finally came to stop laughing, breathing heavily.
Remus was now stood opposite Sirius, a plate of pudding in one hand and a baguette half the size of him in the other and his eyes rimmed with tears of laughter before he looked at the room behind Sirius and looked as if he had hit a realisation.
Remus walked forwards handing Sirius the baguette and deserts before pulling out a large piece of parchment from his pocket, leaning it against the wall and jotting something down with one of his pens. The other boys shared a glance, trying not to laugh at Sirius holding a baguette before walking to Remus and looking over his shoulder.
"What's that?" Peter asked.
"Is that a map?" James questioned, tilting his head and investigating it.
“No," Remus mocked "It's a goat!"
"What's a goat?" Sirius asked, genuinely curious until Remus leant his head forwards smacking it on the hard wall in disbelief before shoving the parchment in his pocket.
"It's a map i've been working on, I am trying to get down every room in the school and every moving staircase."
"We already have maps."
"Well done James, thanks for pointing out the obvious but in case you haven't realised those maps are awfully shit and have sent us in the wrong direction countless times and plus it only has our classrooms in it. This school is never ending." Remus grabbed the baguette and deserts and took a large bite of the bread before smiling his stupid smirk that always turned into a beaming smile.
They walked their way up to the tower questioning Remus on his map. "I have nothing interesting on it yet i've only just started it!"
"We can go on an adventure tomorrow!" James insisted "Go all round the castle and see what we can find." Remus turned to James and nodded before turning round to all of them and offering them a profiterole that Peter had taken for him.
They decided to spend the night in their dorm as the common room was filled with celebrating Gryffindors. Peter had insisted on teaching Remus what exploding snap was-although Remus had told them he had played snap many of times- yet they all found them sat around their small table playing an intense game.
James was competitive- overly competitive and it was the most entertaining thing to witness until Remus started to grow frustrated at James for his attempts to distract them all so he could win.
"SNAP!" Remus and James yelled in sync incredibly loudly.
"THAT WAS ME! I WON THAT!" James shouted
"WHAT?!" Remus yelled back "I WON THAT!"
"James..." Peter sighed.
"I SAID IT FIRST!"
"I GRABBED IT FIRST!"
"Sorry Remus but i'm with James on this one." Remus death stared Sirius and stuck his middle finger up at him.
"Betrayal, Black. Absolute betrayal and it will not be forgotten." Sirius shrugged and grinned before looking over to James who was holding the cards up right to his face and poking his tongue out at the others.
BANG
The card closest to his face exploded, the three jumped at the unexpected loud noise and James dropped his cards, jumping backwards and tripping over his chair. Sirius, Remus and Peter all laughed at James who was on his back on the floor.
"Haha!" Remus pointed. James shook his head and went to sit up when the other boys noticed it. Their mouths fell agape and eyes bulged at the sight. Half of James' left eyebrow had been singed off, leaving him with a bald patch where the end of his eyebrow should have been.
Sirius held his breath and slammed a hand over his mouth, trying his best not to laugh as he looked at James' face of confusion. He saw the others staring at him and didn't know why.
"What?!" he question "What is it?!" he reached up to his face until he felt the smooth spot where his eyebrow was meant to lay. The look of realisation on his face was priceless, causing the three of them to combust and explode into a laughter like no other. Sirius' head was on the table as he gripped his side that hurt from laughing. Remus was up on his feet, crouching to the ground trying to suppress his laughter and Peter was laughing as he watched James run his hand back and forth over where his eyebrow should be as if it would magically grow back.
A knock at the door pulled them into realisation and they all sat up and looked at each other in complexity. Even James stopped gripping his eyebrow and looked from the door to the others.
"Was that a knock?"
"Who would knock on our door?" Sirius whispered.
"I'll go look," Peter stepped up, walking over to the door as the others watched silently and eagerly. "Oh... hello."
"Hey, Peter. Is Sirius in here?" a familiar voice came from behind the door. Sirius and Remus looked at each other in question before Sirius stood up.
"Oh yeah he's here," he said whilst opening the door fully and pointing towards Sirius who still had tears falling down his cheeks from the immense laughter.
"Hallett?" James questioned and the second Bonnie's eyes met his her jaw fell open and she quickly shut it, trying not to draw attention to her shock. It was clear she was attempting to hold her laughter in by the smile that was creeping up her face. James realised what she was laughing at and slapped a hand over his eyebrows- or eyebrow.
"Uh Potter, may I ask why you have lost majority of your eyebrow?" she almost laughed.
"No... you may not ask." She nodded repetitively without saying anything before looking over to Sirius. "Can I talk to you?"
"Uh... sure?" Sirius answered, curious on what it could be about. Bonnie's eyes awkwardly looked round to the other boys in the room "Not in front of them."
"Well that's just rude," James scoffed but Sirius just told them he'd be back in a second before stepping out of the door and closing it behind him. Sirius looked at Bonnie awkwardly.
"Your Mother sent me a letter."
That was not what I had expected.
Bonnie noticed his clear confusion and continued "My father told your parents that we were in the same house and year and so your mother contacted me asking for me to give her information on you."
"You what?" Sirius questioned "Information? What do you mean by information?"
"Well like... she said she wants me to tell her who you're friends with, who I see you hang around with, how you act and behave, what trouble you get in and she specifically said for me to not tell you."
"Then why are you telling me?" he questioned.
"Because I think it's a bit weird that she would contact me when I don't even know her hardly or you for that face and ask for me to give her information on her own son. Also she specifically said she wants to know if you're friends with any muggleborns yet i'm sure you can guess she didn't say it quite so kindly."
Sirius was utterly embarrassed and ashamed that his parents would go to the extreme to send a letter to someone from his house that he barely even knew to get information on him and yet they couldn't even send him a letter.
"I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, brushing his hands through his hair "I never would've thought she'd send you a letter. Just uh- ignore it and don't answer."
"Well I have to reply," she explained "My Father knows about the letter and will expect me to reply and will be unhappy with me if I don't."
"Oh okay," he nodded "I understand, it's fine." There was a moment of silence.
"I won't tell her though, that's why I came here. If i was going to tell her everything you did I wouldn't of told you first would I?" A little hope flamed in Sirius' chest wondering if she would cover for him slightly as he would've hated to have to be constantly worrying what she saw him do or act like.
"You won't?" he questioned, his voice a little bit too desperate and he noticed her look sympathetic for him. He hated it.
"No, I won't. What do you want me to tell her though? How much does she know? Also can you pretend that you don't know that she sent me a letter please because she told me not to tell you and I don-"
"You don't have to worry about that, she's not even speaking to me at the moment," he laughed although it wasn't actually funny. "She knows that i'm friends with those three but that's about it."
"Okay... yeah alright that's fine." Bonnie smiled and nodded slightly "I'll tell her that you don't get in trouble in class and do well and that I don't really know who you're friends with so she can't question it too much."
"Thank you." Sirius genuinely meant it, he had never been quite so grateful before. She had no reason to lie, no reason to back him up and yet she was doing it. She could've told her everything Sirius did at school and got him in trouble but she didn't and Sirius was beyond thankful.
"It's fine don't worry but uh-"
"Yeah?" Sirius questioned after she paused and looked down to the ground.
"Can you do the same for me?" she asked "I mean my parents won't write to you or anything but like when you go home if you ever see them or your parents ask can you cover for me too? Our parents are really close now apparently and see each other all the time and I-"
"Yeah i'll cover for you, of course." Bonnie nodded and smiled back to him at their mutual agreement "Did she say anything else? My mother I mean?" Bonnie just shook her head.
"Not really, just asked me to snitch on you every so often and told me that I could write to her if I needed anything because she's friends with my Mother of course."
Oh. So she can write and be there for someone else's child but not her own?
"I see... right yeah."
"I'm sorry she's not talking to you," she said, noticing the difference in his voice but Sirius just shook his head and laughed.
"Oh I don't care," he lied "Doesn't bother me at all. Now i'm sorry to cut this short but I have a friend in there who is most definitely having a breakdown about his missing eyebrow so i'm going to have to go if that's everything?" She laughed and nodded as Sirius opened the door. "Word of advice, don't put exploding cards near your eyebrows."
"I'm rather certain I have enough sense to not do that without a word of advice but thanks," Bonnie laughed as she made her way back down the stairs. As he shut the door the three boys stopped arguing and looked at Sirius.
"How's the eyebrow James?" he laughed.
"How's the girlfriend, Sirius?" he replied. Sirius gave him an offended look as Peter laughed.
"I do not have a girlfriend!" James raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.
"What was all that about then?"
"That's not your business."
"So she i-"
"I said it's NOT your business now drop it!" James fell silent at his sharp words and looked at him in concern rather than annoyance "Sorry, shouldn't of snapped. Anyways, what are we going to do about that eyebrow of yours?"
"Or rather the lack of the eyebrow," Remus corrected. James was nearing tears as he frantically stared at himself in the mirror.
After hours of reading through books, attempting to find a solution the boys had decided their best bet was to take James to the hospital wing in the morning and see if Madam Pomfrey had a way of making it grow back before lessons on Monday.
The other boys were soundly sleeping yet Sirius, once again, found himself being the last awake. He did what he did most times when he was at a loss of what to do. Wrote.
October 1st 1971
It's getting better and better here in Hogwarts. My family are still refusing to write back but I don't think it's bothering me as much anymore but it does bother me slightly that Mother can write to Bonnie and not to me but oh well, right?
James is missing most of his left eyebrow and it is absolutely hilarious. I told him it doesn't look that bad (I lied. It looks ridiculous) and we're going to attempt to fix it tomorrow.
I'm hoping Regulus is well, i'm really worried about him but he tends to be well behaved so i'm wishing him the best and still writing to him although I expect he isn't allowed to read them.
I've come to the complete conclusion that I don't regret it, not one bit. They're so funny. Peter is such a good friend, he stuck deserts in his robes and a baguette down his trousers for Remus today and it was nice of him. James is brilliant (an idiot but brilliant nonetheless) and Remus is growing on me. I like him, he's cool but I still don't understand him. He's odd (in a good way I think).
The diary was slipped back into his pillow case where it stayed all the time and he climbed back out of bed, lit a dim candle and sat at the windowsill at a loss of what to do.
The night was dark yet slightly glowed with the blanket of stars that covered the sky for what looked like infinity. The bright silver light shinning from the nearly full moon reflected onto the black lake in the distance, it's light appearing on the ripples of dark waters. Sirius always found himself loving the moon, the way it was constantly changing yet always there every night although it couldn't always be seen. The way it was never ever the same, some parts dimmer than others. One night it could shine brightly and whole and the next it could be weak and wan, fighting to be seen from far behind the grey clouds. It was mesmerising.
Sirius head turned sharply as one of the bed curtains opened, only to see Remus climbing out of bed and stopping as he saw Sirius sitting in the window resting his chin on his knees. Neither of them said a word yet Remus walked and took the seat opposite him.
"Can't sleep," was all Remus said.
"Me neither." Sirius liked how Remus never asked questioned and never pried. They had shared a dorm for a month and Remus had never asked him a personal question, not once. James questioned Sirius a lot and Peter often asked personal question but Remus had never and Sirius appreciated that and out of respect Sirius done the same in return- not asking him questions. "You think Pomfrey can fix his eyebrow?"
"I expect so," Remus laughed quietly. "Can I ask you something?"
Well there goes that. Thought he would never ask me anything personal.
"Sure."
"Do you really not know what a goat is?" Sirius could've laughed but he just scoffed slightly.
I take it back, that's not personal.
"I don't think so... what is it?"
"An animal?" Remus said but he didn't laugh at Sirius for not knowing and instead looked at him curiously "Do wizards and that not know anything about normal anima- well not normal but like non magical animals?"
"Well I don't really unless i've read about them or seen them. I don't know," he shrugged "I guess learning all the animals aren't really important for us? It's like me expecting a muggleborn to know dragons exist without them being to-" Sirius saw the shock on Remus' face "No way! You didn't know?" Sirius laughed "You didnt know that dra-"
"I didn't laugh at you for not knowing goats exist!"
"Sorry..." he quickly apologised "I wasn't really laughing at you I just think it's crazy that purebloods and muggles or muggleborns have lived completely different lives."
"Yeah I suppose they have. I'm glad my Mums a muggle though because I get to live in two different worlds and I think it's cool." Sirius considered it for a moment and he found himself thinking about all the stuff muggles must have that he is unaware of "But really? You have dragons? As i’m like big wings, fire breathing huge bloody dragons?!”
"Not in this country anymore but yeah they're real."
"They're a myth in the muggle world. Like just stories that people have made up and think are fake. Then again... magic is a myth in the muggle world. I mean I used to get told bedtime stories about dragons," Remus laughed "Wasn't told they actually exist."
My parents never told me stories.
"It must be so weird without magic though, I can't even imagine it."
"You know considering the wizarding world literally have magic they're really unadvanced in a way. Like you don't have electric or cars or tvs, you don't even have pens. What about telephones? Oh my god you are missing out on so much stuff I swear."
"Remus... I have no idea what any of that is." He felt stupid and uneducated but knew it was hardly his fault.
"I'll teach them to you one day but not tonight, that is not a conversation for this type of time." Sirius laughed slightly.
"I want to go to the muggle world one day, like properly." Remus listened to him "I've always wanted to go to the beach too but i've never been able to."
"You've never- you know what? When we're in an older year I'll take you to a proper muggle beach and James and Peter can come as well." Sirius' face lit up.
"Can we actually go?"
"Yeah of course, when we're a bit older we will all go together."
"Really?" Remus laughed at his disbelief, as if going to the beach was as absurd as going to the moon.
"Pinky promise," Remus said and held out his pinky finger but Sirius just looked at him oddly.
"Pinky promise?"
"You don't know a pinky promise? Is that a muggle thing? I didn't even know."
"Must be."
"Do this," Sirius copied his hand movement "No with the other hand." As he did Remus linked his pinky finger with Sirius' and shook it gently. "There you go, i've pinky promised that the four of us will go the then beach one day."
"Couldn't you have just normally promised?" Sirius asked but Remus just shrugged.
"Yeah but pinky promises are just like... more trustworthy. If i break that promise you get to chop my pinky finger off." Sirius nearly chocked on the air.
"I'm not chopping your finger off!" he whispered loudly as Remus stood up and made his way towards his own bed. "That's like a less serious version of an unforgivable v-"
"Well you won't need to chop my finger off because I don't break promises. Night Sirius."
"Night..." he whispered a few minutes later after sitting, thinking about everything Remus had just said.
Yeah he is definitely odd but it is definitely the good kind.