Mischief Managed Y2 Part 2: The Truth of the Tournament

Chapter Twenty-Four: Truce

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A lesson in obedience...

The words kept echoing through Sirius' mind. It had been one of many threats his mum had written him about. Just another among the pile of letters she had sent when he had never replied to her first one that had chewed him out for Reg getting in trouble. It wasn't fair, it really wasn't his fault. It was making Sirius' weekly-ish meetings with his brother a chore rather than the very thing he had fought for at the beginning of the year. It didn't help that Regulus was still on about his crazy idea that the other schools were up to something and had snuck zombies or something like them onto the Hogwarts grounds. Sirius knew being dramatic ran in his family but he had really thought Reg had avoided that particular Black trait. Sirius should have known better, it was impossible to escape any part of the Black family. It was especially impossible to escape their punishments, their 'lessons in obedience.

Sirius tossed around in his bed, wondering why he couldn't have just slept the whole night. It didn't make any sense since he was still utterly exhausted from staying up all night last night. At least Remus seemed to be sleeping well. Sirius squeezed his eyes shut, feeling restless. Why was he particularly bothered about his family now? Severus' comment about Bellatrix's wedding a few weeks back had definitely caught him off guard but Sirius really was trying not to think about anyone in his family. It's not like he cared that he hadn't been invited to his evil cousin's wedding!

It's not like anything he could do or say could prevent him from meeting the dementor over the summer...

Sirius shuddered and tossed around again. Was it the fact that Professor Corbyn had brought in another visitor again that was making him think about his family? Sirius had successfully not been giving two damns about his family, more often than not. Of course, it 'helped' that he had Remus to make things right with and worry about.

Sirius sat up and stomped into the bathroom. He supposed what really was making him think about his family was stupid Gary and his idiotic question about who Sirius had seen during Corbyn's cruel spell. Sirius angrily turned on the sink and splashed water on his face hoping he had woken up James by being so loud. He didn't like being up all by himself at night since it tended to lead to him thinking about dumb shite that he could not change; like his family, Remus being a werewolf, not getting on the Quidditch team- and when he was really in a mood the war that his family was probably a part of.

Sirius slammed the door to the bathroom 'accidentally' but James was snoring away on his bed and nothing would wake up Peter. Well, Remus had to be awake now! Sirius felt a bit bad, knowing if any of them struggled with sleeping more than him it was the werewolf, but it was too late now.

"Remus," he whispered expectantly, standing next to his friend's bed. Sirius figured he had gotten all of two hours of sleep so far, if that. He couldn't even remember having a nightmare. He had just woken up thinking about that one line in that nasty letter that was all but guaranteeing what his summer would be like.

Maybe he would run away to James'? The idea certainly seemed appealing.

"Come on, Remus. Godric, you're the lightest sleeper in wizardkind. So, stop being a prick and open up," Sirius grumbled, wondering why Remus was giving him the cold shoulder. It's not like he and James had teased Remus that relentlessly about Dorcas and they had only interrupted their friend's spread of five books out on his bed for his own good!

"Look, I'm sorry we ripped one of your books. But we fixed it right away," Sirius pointed out grumpily. He was beginning to feel foolish. He was thirteen years old. He should just go down into the common room or better yet sneak out into the passages all by himself. Only...worrying about the summer was making it really hard not to see dementors everywhere out of the corner of his eye. Sirius just then thought he saw the soulless black of a dementor's cloak lurking in the shadows of the room and he let out a shriek leaping into Remus' bed.