12 April 1972
Regulus A. Bumhole,
Stop moaning in your letters or I’ll stop writing back. And then you will be even MORE bored.
Your favorite brother,
Sirius
Letter from Regulus Black to Sirius Black
13 April 1972
Sirius O. Buttface,
I know you told me to stop moaning about it in my letters but I can’t help it. I can’t wait to go to Hogwarts next year. Sometimes I think about it and I get so excited I feel like I could wet myself. And I’m not having those problems at night anymore and I already told you I was sorry for letting it happen in your bed. I wish I were at Hogwarts now. I hate it here all by myself. I overheard Mother telling Gran that if I don’t get sorted into Slytherin she’ll hex my head off and have Kreacher mount it on the wall next to his relatives. I don’t think I’d like that much. Do you think she really would?
Narsissa wrote me a letter and sent me some sweets called shock-pops. You never send me sweets. Remember those lollys lollies that father brought back from
Do you think Bellatrix was telling the truth at Yule? I guess there are worse cousins they could choose for you than Cissy. Sirius and Cissy sitting in a tree! I’ll probably get stuck marrying some toad-faced cousin who’s centuries older than me. I hate being the youngest. You always get all the good stuff and I get the leftovers.
I wish you were home. It’s so boring here. I know you told me to stay out but I went in your bedroom last night. I found your comics. Why didn’t you ever share them? You always hide things from me. You are such a git sometimes. Anyway I was on the floor reading them and found a photo lying under your bed. I think you look funny in it, like a bit of an idiot, (you do realize you look like a girl with your hair that shaggy) and thought James or your other mates might get a laugh and Trixie was in the photo so I didn’t want to keep it. Besides, mother would destroy it if she found it here like she did the others.
Mother reads from this book to me “Nature’s Nobility “ A Wizarding Geneology” every night after dinner. Every night, Sirius! Is it possible for someone to die of boredom? I think I might. Write me soon. Please?
R. A. Black
Regulus Arctu
Regulus A. Black, Esquire
PS “ Is Esquire only for Mudbloo Muggleborns?
Fading Into Grey
Chapter 7 - April 1972
"Oi, Red!"
The small, freckle-faced girl whipped her head around from the table she and her friend Violet were working at.
"Stop it, Black!" she yelled, her cheeks flushing a sort of tomato red.
Sirius reached behind her and tugged again at the dark red plait at the back of her head.
"Leave me alone!" she shouted.
James plopped down on the bench next to Violet and snatched up her satchel and started rummaging through it.
"So you got any more of those Goblin Gobstoppers in here?"
"Potter, give that back!"
The girl grabbed for her bag but James tossed it over across the table to Sirius and Sirius held it up out of her reach.
"C'mon Violet, didn't your mum teach you to share?" taunted Sirius.
"Black, give that back!" the red head demanded.
Sirius laughed, "Why? What you gonna do if I don’t?"
The petite red head stood up, took a moment to smooth the front of her skirt, eyebrows furrowed with determination, she swung her leg with so much force so it collided with Sirius's shin. Sirius dropped the handbag and yelped in pain.
The girls gathered their homework and stalked off, smirking as they looked back at a bruised Black and a stunned Potter.
"What a wicked little witch," James mumbled, his eyes following Lily Evans and Violet Waters.
"Wicked little Muggle," Sirius pouted, rubbing his sore shin. "Least she could have done is hex me."
He slumped down on the table bench, watching the girls leave. Lily Evans was a pretty girl. Sirius liked her dark red hair. He'd never seen anyone with hair that color. She was pretty and petite with emerald green eyes, and a cute little turned up nose covered in freckles that spread across her rosy cheeks. He felt a strange jolt in his stomach as he watched her walk up the steps. When the girls disappeared out of sight, he turned to look at James who was staring back at him with an odd look on his face.
"What's wrong with you?" James asked, his face scrunched in confusion.
"Huh?”
"You look like...well, I dunno. Like you swallowed a slug. You've got this stupid look on your face."
"Oh…nothing,” Sirius lied. “ My shin hurts is all. That was a wicked kick."
There was no way on Merlin’s green earth that Sirius would ever tell James, or anyone for that matter, that he might possibly fancy a stupid girl.
Girls were not on. Girls were at school for one purpose, for the boys to annoy. Sirius and his three friends were forming an alliance, a Boy’s Club if you will, and girls were not included. Liking a girl or even getting caught talking to a girl when in the Boy’s Club could and most likely would result in heckling, random hexes, itching powder in your bed, or even beetles in your soup at dinner, or something of the like. Sirius knows all this because he and James created the Boy’s Club rules.
No. Sirius would not be the first to fall victim to the Boy’s Club consequences.
"Oh," James said, and left it at that.
It was getting late, the sun had almost completely set, and there were only a few students left littering the Gryffindor common room, but enough that the more comfortable seats were taken. Some seventh years were sitting in the over stuffed chairs by the fireplace, leaving the boys sitting at the homework table the girls had vacated.
"Stupid gits," Sirius grumbled, glaring over at them. "They always hog those chairs."
"Yeah," James agreed.
"Can't wait until we're in 7th Year," Sirius said.
"Yeah," James agreed.
"We'll rule this school!" Sirius added.
"Yeah!" James agreed, pumping his fist in the air with enthusiasm.
Sirius, out of boredom, took out his wand and started levitating an empty ink well the girls had left behind on the table.
"Let's take our broomsticks out for a race?" James suggested.
"Nah," Sirius sighed, holding his head in his hand as he lazily let the ink well
drift back and forth across the table.
"Because you know I'll beat you again," James taunted.
"Shove it, Potter," Sirius rolled his eyes.
“C’mon, I’m bored,” James whined. “We can sneak out under my cloak.”
"You know Hooch said she’d boot us out of Flying Class if we got caught out of bounds again."
"I don’t care if we get booted, I already know how to fly,” James boasted.
Sirius had to smile as he was reminded of his brother saying almost the same exact thing. He wondered for a minute how Regulus was and if he was enduring another long winded reading from “Nature’s Nobility “ A Wizarding Genealogy”.
Poor Sod.
“True, but mum’s already angry with me. I don’t fancy another Howler anytime soon.”
James sighed, “Whatever you say, Black. I know you’re just afraid I'll win again."
Sirius snorted a laugh and directed the ink well to collide with the side of James’ head.
"Git!" James batted it away then started in on his never ending ramble of Quidditch statistics while Sirius mimicked someone who was actually listening. James had just hit his stride when Peter walked into the common room.
“What in the name of Merlin!” James exclaimed.
“Bloody hell! What happened to you?” Sirius asked waving a hand in front of his nose as a putrid stench hit him.
“I was walking!” Peter grumbled, reaching the table as inconspicuously as is possible when squelching in sludge covered shoes. A few of the other students turned to see what the commotion was.
“And…?” James inquired.
“Walking and minding my own business when his cousin hexed me,” Peter answered, pointing at Sirius.
“Let me guess…” Sirius tapped his chin in mock thought. “Bellatrix perhaps?”
“Yes!” Peter huffed.
“Why this time?” James asked.
Sirius stage whispered, “Because she’s a nasty hag who gets off torturing first years.”
James shrugged nonchalantly in agreement.
“What spell did she use? You stink!” James pulled a face.
“More so than usual,” Sirius added good-naturedly with a bright smile.
Peter’s face fell into a frown, “I don’t know. All I heard was this group of Slytherin girls laughing and then bam! I’m covered in brown goo.”
James scrunched his nose, “You need to wash up.”
“I’m going,” Peter sighed, turning to head toward the boy’s staircase. He stopped mid turn and asked, “Where’s Remus? I was hoping he’d help me with my Defense Against the Dark Arts essay.”
“He went to see Madam Pomfrey,” James answered.
“He said he was feeling ill,” Sirius added. He was still making the ink well hover dangerously close to James’ head as James swatted at it like an annoying fly.
“Again?” Peter asked.
“Yeah. Weird, innit?” James added.
“His family is full of sick people,” Sirius said, frowning as James swiped the ink well out of the air then took control with his own wand, making it whiz across the room.
“Seems that way. Who’s it all been now, his mother, his father,” Peter ticked them off on his fingers. “Didn’t his auntie have something last month?”
“Yeah, and just weeks before that Remus had that weird bout of pox again,” James said.
“I still say it’s because he’s a Muggleborn,” Sirius muttered. “Ouch!” James directed the ink well to conk Sirius in the forehead.
Sirius leaped up and pounded James on the arm.
“Ow! Sirius!”
“Oh, sorry, my hand slipped,” Sirius explained, adopting the most innocent of faces.
James pushed Sirius back down and massaged his own arm, “You know, if Remus ends up staying in the hospital wing tonight, we could visit him after hours.”
“Brilliant idea,” Sirius nodded, lunging forward suddenly to snatch the floating ink well out of the air.
“Yea…ok,” Peter agreed with a shrug.
“Just…ok?” James asked Peter with raised eyebrows.
“It’s just sneaking out of the dorms, after hours, if we got caught…”
“We won’t get caught,” Sirius answered, laying a confident hand on Peter’s shoulder.
“I remember you saying something similar at Halloween,” Peter added reluctantly.
“Pish,” Sirius shrugged as he fell back onto his seat.
“C’mon, Pete,” James begged. “It’s not the same if we don’t all go. Besides, we could sneak Remus some chocolate frogs again, they always seem to help his mood.”
“C’mon, Petey,” Sirius cooed, his face breaking out in a wicked smile.
Peter pulled a reluctant face at Sirius’s but gave in, “Alright, but I’m going to go bathe first.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Sirius grinned.
*~*~*~*
The path from Gryffindor tower to the hospital wing was a long one by day. At night, when one was not to be out of bed it was laden with many obstacles: ghosts, older students, prefects roaming the halls, professors, or even the headmaster, or worst of all, the caretaker and his mangy old cat. Put three eleven year olds huddled under one invisibility cloak sneaking their way through the corridors, and it was a nearly impossible maneuver.
“Ouch, that’s my foot!” James croaked.
“Sorry,” Peter said.
“Just keep walking, Pete!” James prodded Peter in the back before letting out a gigantic sneeze.
“Ah-ah-ah-choo!”
“Ugh, Potter!” Sirius said.
“Sorry! Your hair is ticklish.”
“Ugh. That’s sick,” Sirius complained wiping snot off the back of his head.
“Shh!” Peter hissed. “We’re going to get caught!”
“We’re fine, Peter,” Sirius said. “We’re almost there anyway.”
“We still have to get in though,” Peter adds.
Sirius stops abruptly causing James to bump unceremoniously into him.
“Ouch! Sirius!”
“Shh! How are we going to know if Madam Pomfrey is in there with Remus when we walk through the door?” Sirius pondered.
“We can’t very well just open the door, can we? If she’s in there she’ll wonder how it opened on it’s own accord,” James added.
“Why didn’t you two think of this before we left?” Peter asked incredulously and a tad frantic.
“It’s to late, she won’t be up,” Sirius offered.
“True. Just go!”
James nudged Peter and once again he led the way. Once in place, all three of them pressed their ears to large wooden doors, they stood there for a moment, looked down each end of the corridor. Peter reached out to the door.
“Open it!” Sirius hissed.
“It’s locked,” Peter moaned.
“Merlin’s sake, Peter, are you a wizard or not?” James said as he shoved the smaller boy aside, tapped the door with his wand and whispered, “Alohamora.”
The door creaked open and the boys stepped inside the giant room. Luckily there was no sign of Madam Pomfrey and any students who might be occupying a bed, would most likely be fast asleep at this late hour. They cautiously pulled off the invisibility cloak.
“Lumos,” James and Sirius whispered almost simultaneously.
“We should scare him if he’s sleeping,” Sirius giggled.
“He wasn’t feeling well, you git,” James reminded him.
The boys quietly crept around the large hospital room. There were dozens of beds lined up on opposite walls.
“I don’t think he’s here,” Peter said with one quick look around the room.
“We haven’t checked all the beds. C’mon!” Sirius pulled Peter by the sleeve.
“Remus,” James whispered.
“Remus,” Sirius called quietly.
The boys checked every bed in the infirmary but there was no sign of their mate. There was no sign of anyone.
“What the hell?” Sirius asked.
“He’s not here,” James said as he scratched his head and pushed the bridge of his glasses up the nose.
“I don’t like this, let’s go back,” Peter started towards the door.
“Just hold up, Peter.”
“Well why isn’t he here? This is where he said he was going.”
“Maybe he felt better and Pomfrey let him go back to the dorm?” James suggested.
“True,” Sirius said.
“I don’t know,” Peter said. “Wouldn’t we have seen him if he went back?”
“He might have walked back while we were sneaking out, and we could have missed him. The castle’s big enough.” Sirius answered.
“Ok men,” James sighed. “Mission unsuccessful but complete. Let’s head back.”
With a combined “Nox” both wands went out and the boys climbed back underneath the cloak to head back to the dorms.
Once out in the corridor it seemed pretty simple from here. All they had to do was make it back to the dorm. Things were going fairly smooth and they had gotten nearly half way back when out of the blue, Mrs. Norris, the caretaker’s cat, who could appear out of nowhere, turned the corner towards them and they were forced to duck quickly into the library.
They clumsily weaved thru the many walls and piles of books and settled themselves, although scrunched together, in a well-hidden corner. All three boys were out of breath.
“Shh!”
“Ouch!”
”Shh!”
“I hear someone,” James said.
“Me too. Is it Filch?” Peter asked.
“Shh! I’m trying to listen!” Sirius mumbled.
“Be quiet!”
There were odd noises coming from the opposite side of the giant bookshelf, then two muffled voices, one girl, one boy…
…
“I heard something…”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, there’s no one, just kiss me.”
…
There was a moment of silence then the odd noises started up again.
“Who is that?” Peter asked.
Sirius and James both shrugged, fish mouthed and surprised by what they had stumbled upon. The silliness of the situation impacted them within seconds as they found the humor in their predicament; unexpectedly stumbling upon an as of yet unidentified male and female upperclassmen snogging fiercely.
“Stop laughing,” Peter giggled.
“I can’t help it,” James whispered, his breathe hot on the back of Sirius’ neck. “I hear slurping.”
Sirius covered his mouth to muffle his own laughter.
“Who is it?” James asked Sirius. “I can’t see a thing past your great bloody head.”
Sirius elbowed James in the gut, “They’re on the other side you idiot. I can’t see anything either, but they’re really going at it.”
“Helena Roberts would love to do that with you, Sirius,” Peter snickered.
“Shut ya gob,” Sirius blushed.
“How many Valentine’s did she send you?” James teased. “I thought the flying hearts were brilliant.”
“They didn’t impress me at all,” Sirius added haughtily. “She’s in third year, hovering charms are easy for first years…”
“Shh!”
“You shh!
“Both of you be quiet!”
More snogging and slurping noises, becoming much more defined and audible, were coming from the opposite side of the bookcase, which happened to be part of the library’s Restricted Section. Mumbled words could barely be heard, the young lover’s voices low and raspy.
“Shh, they’re talking…”
…
“But, I love you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“But my family…they’d never accept it.”
“I don’t care, I love you.”
…
“Ugh! It’s like an episode of Madeline the Merry Muggle.” James whispered.
“What?” Sirius asked.
“Wizarding wireless, barmy program my mum listens to,” James answered. It’s a drama about a Muggle woman who...”
“Shh,” Sirius interrupted, lifting his finger to his mouth to once again silence James.
…
“Andy, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
…
“Do you know any blokes called Andy?” James whispered.
“No,” Sirius shook his head.
Odd noises, more strange than before came from the other side of the bookcase. Moaning, the girl let out a breathy sigh, the boy was whispering sweet words and then a zip and soon it sounded almost as if the table was wobbling…
“James…” Sirius said slowly, turning to look at his friend. “Do you…uh…suppose they are…?”
James nodded mechanically, a horrified realization washing over both boys.
“In the…library?” Sirius asked, eyebrows shooting up under his fringe.
James shrugged, wide eyed as saucers.
“What’s going on?” Peter asked stupidly.
“Shh!”
A deep male voice called out loudly from the other side of the bookcase. They’d been heard. He commanded,
…
“Who’s there?”
…
There was an almost comical pause before Sirius suggested ever so lightly, “Perhaps we should…go?”
The boys whipped off the cloak and in a flash of black robes, all three of them bolted out of the library doors, banging them open unceremoniously. They came rushing out and his haste, Sirius ran head first into someone. Conking heads with the poor unsuspecting student and the two fell to the ground.
“Ugh,” The boy moaned, a heap of black robes on the stone floor.
“Oh, sorry!” James said quickly. “You alright, mate?”
“Watch where you’re bloody well going.” Sirius grumbled as he sat up putting a hand to his temple, he could feel a welt growing beneath his hand. He gingerly stood up and dusted off his trousers then looked down at the other boy then said with disgust. “Ugh, a Slytherin. Now I’m contaminated.”
The other boy rolled over, slowly returning to his feet and swept a lock of dark, greasy hair from his pale face.
“It’s you!” James pointed. “I know you; you’re the creepy little Slytherin with all the dark spells!”
The boy instantly pulled out his wand and pointed it at James; which resulted in all three of the Gryffindor boys doing the same.
“Don’t even try it,” James warned.
“What is that?” Severus Snape instantly noticed James holding the cloak.
“What is what?” James asked.
“You’re holding,” Severus pointed. “You’re arm has disappeared!”
James flipped the cloak inside out and tucked the cloak behind his back.
“It’s nothing, Slytherin and none of your business at that,” James retorted.
“You’ve got an invisibility cloak,” Severus said his eyes going wide.
“What of it?” Sirius stepped forward so his face was in the other boy’s.
“I’m going to tell the Headmaster, that’s what of it,” Severus pushed at Sirius’s chest.
“Get your filthy hands off me, Slytherin!” Sirius yelled.
Severus Snape’s eyes darted from each boy, fully aware that he was outnumbered.
“What are you going to do?” Sirius taunted. “Hex all three of us at the same time?”
The Slytherin took one last time to look at each boy then with determination he turned his full attention on Sirius and before Sirius could react there was a loud meow that echoed down the long corridor then a scathing voice that growled out.
“I caught you!”
~*~*~*~
The boys trudged up the staircase to their dorm after returning from the headmaster’s office.
“Oh noooo, Peter, we won’t get caught,” Peter mimicked Sirius’s earlier declarations.
“Shut up,” Sirius grumbled.
“Detention,” Peter whined. “My mum’s gonna kill me.”
“Old Phineus took no time at all vanishing back home from his portrait on the headmaster’s wall. I hate that he can do that,” Sirius grumbled. “I’m sure my mum’s conjuring the howler as we speak.”
“Cleaning Slytherin toilets, again,” James moaned. “Couldn’t old Dumbledore think of anything more original?”
“I think Filch wanted to feed us to a troll. Thank Merlin for the headmaster, eh?” Sirius tried.
“I hate going down to the dungeons, it’s creepy down there,” Peter added.
“I say we go pile up on Remus, as it’s his fault we went out in the first place,” Sirius suggested.
“Well the git must be feeling better since he’s back, so he’s game,” James answered with a start of a grin.
“Race you?” Sirius asked, quirking an eyebrow at James.
The two raced up the remaining stairs. Sirius reached the door first and swung it open quickly so it banged against the wall, hoping to wake Remus from his cozy, silent slumber.
“Alright, Lupin, wake up!” Sirius hollered rushing Remus’s bed.
“Remus Lupin you limp todger!” James yelled.
The boys rushed the room stopping almost comically in front of Remus’s empty bed.
Empty.
Bed.
Out of breath, Sirius turned his confused face to James and said exactly what James was thinking…
“What the hell?”
Letter from Sirius Black to Regulus Black
20 April 1972
Regulus A. Black, E-stupid
Yes, it’s very possible for one to die of boredom. In fact, we had two students keel over in Professor Binn’s History of Magic class. It’s like risking your life entering that classroom. I’ve tried to tell Professor McGonagall that we should be excused due to the risk, but she won’t hear of it. She’s funny like that. I like the old bat tho, she seems to like me and James even though we tend to cause her gray hairs…or so she says we do.
James asked me, Remus, and Peter to come to Devonshire for a few days this summer. I haven’t gotten permission from mother or father yet, because I haven’t asked. Maybe you could come too, only if you promise not to act like an idiot.
Oh wait, can you even do that?
I’ve got some new spells for us to try on Kreacher. That mangy old house elf will be sorry he ever crossed either of us when I get home.
Eight more weeks until end of term. I can’t believe my first year is nearly over already. It’s gone by so fast. I dunno if I’ve even learned anything really…except that Mrs. Norris, that’s the caretaker’s cat, throws up when you feed her too much cream, and if you sneak up and run steadfast straight thru a ghost it feels completely wicked, but be ready to run like hell because they don’t like it much.
Next year will be ace tho, especially if you get sorted into Gryffindor with me. Wouldn’t that be something? Honestly I don’t think mother could handle it…your head may just end up on that wall if so. You’ll probably be sorted into Hufflepuff though, because that’s where all the duffers go.
Just kidding.
Maybe.
I’ll try to write again before summer holiday, but things are getting busy.
Your older and smarter brother,
Sirius O. Black
PS “ Thanks for the photo of Trixie. James laughed at your face in the photo, you look like you swallowed a Shock Pop. I lied tho and told them Trixie ran off instead of…well you know.