Finding fireworks || Sirius Black

02

"I don't kiss and tell, Silverway,"

Jocelyn's POV

The first week of school was over. How that had happened, I did not know. One minute I was getting off the Express, the next it was Friday afternoon. Just like that. The bell rang and we were dismissed from our last class of the first week of sixth year. I wanted nothing more than to go to the common room with Lily and Alice but our gossiping session had to wait. I had been summoned to a quick meeting with Professor McGonagall to go over some extra Transfigurations work she wanted to give me. I swung my backpack over my shoulder and mouthed 'see you later' to my friends before dashing out of the classroom.

"Come in," she said when I knocked on her door.

"Hello professor," I sat down at her desk. She looked at me from behind her glasses.

"Miss Silverway, I trust your first week has been good?"

"It has, thanks," I said. "Professor," I added quickly. She gave me the slightest hint of a smile.

"Good. I called you here because there is a project that I would like you to take on if you are interested," she said. "Where you decide to take on this extra work or not won't affect your N.E.W.T. results, this would be separate from your normal school work."

The next words were out of my mouth before I could even think to stop myself.

"If I do it, will you stop forcing me to work with Black during your class?" I shouldn't have said it, I told everyone it didn't bother me, and I almost believed it.

But it wasn't true. I hated him. I hated him because he had made me feel so insignificant for so long. I hated him because all I ever got from him was cold indifference. No matter how hard I tried to act as if it was nothing, working with him and being civil to him every transfiguration lesson when he couldn't even remember my name took a massive toll on me, and I was tired of it.

"Who are you?"

His question on the first day back still stung, deep down. Over the years, I had got used to him forgetting my name, or getting it wrong. I was used to him not being fazed when someone else pointed it out to him as if it didn't matter to him that it was humiliating. But, it turns out, I wasn't used to it enough.

"Miss Silverway, are you still with me?" McGonagall asked. Her voice brought me out of my reverie.

"Sorry Professor, I got lost in thought," I apologized. She looked at me and I swear a small smile was playing on her lips.

"I said if you master the task I'd like to set you, you won't have to work with Mr. Black again. In fact, you won't have to work with anyone again, you'll be free to work on your Transfiguration skills on your own."

"I'm in," I breathed out, a bit too eagerly.

"I haven't told you what I have in mind yet."

"Doesn't matter. I'll do it." I sounded like a pathetic little child, but I didn't care. For my own sanity and to preserve whatever dignity I had left, I needed to be as far away from Sirius Black as possible at all times.

"Very well then. How would you like to become an animagus?"

***

"There's a party tonight in the common room," Alice informed us as she walked through the door to our room. I had only just arrived from my meeting with McGonagall and was still reeling from it.