The One That Got Away| Sirius Black

024| A Not So Happy Birthday

March 8, 1975

Sirius woke up the next morning feeling sore and freezing. He reached for his blanket but couldn't feel it on his bed. He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by trees with a faint blue light peeking through the branches. His next realization was that he didn't have any clothes on. He quickly reached to cover himself and sat up. Peter and James's limp bodies were a few feet away, curled up.

The events from last night come rushing back to Sirius's head. They had done their first transformation last night. Sirius remembered the feeling of his bones elongating and shrinking to become his animal form. He had been a shaggy black dog, chasing a rat and a stag. A small smile appears on Sirius's face as he stands up to look for his clothes. Last night was exhilarating. He remembers running through the woods, the wind weaving through his fur.

Sirius stops in his tracks as a thought comes to mind. He closes his eyes and pictures himself in dog form. He thinks of last night as he focuses on transforming. Sirius feels the faintest drum of a second heartbeat in his chest. He focuses on it. Just as soon as it came, it vanished. Sirius opens his eyes and looks down to see that he is still completely human. Feeling defeated, he locates his clothes and quickly gets dressed. He needs to wake the others and return to the dorm so they can do damage control with Remus. Hopefully, Elliot and Barty held up their end of the deal.

When the boys returned to the dorm, Remus was fast asleep in bed. Sirius took that as a sign that Elliot and Barty had asked Remus for so much homework help that he returned to the dorm and passed out. They just had to hope he bought the story of them practicing Quidditch and Peter meeting with the toad enthusiast club.

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"Sirius Black!" an ice-cold voice rings through the nearly empty corridor. The hairs on the back of Sirius's neck stand up at the sound of his name. He slowly turns around to see Isabella Wright storming towards him. She was wearing all black, her robes nowhere to be seen. She looked like a ninja with the way the fabric clung to her body. Her brown eyes were furiously narrowed, and her nostrils flared with anger. "Do you want to tell me why the hell you thought it was okay to use my brother as some chess piece in your little game?"

Sirius's face grows warm as he realizes he had been caught. He pastes on a smirk and tries to play it cool, even though his heart is about to burst through his chest like a cuckoo clock when it strikes noon. "What do you mean, Izzy?"

"Don't-" Isabella spats, then stops and takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and clenching her fist tightly. She jabs her pointer finger into his chest, her long nails boring into his skin. His heart rate picks up from their proximity and her deathly gaze. "Never use my brother to get off on your immature pranks again. Do you hear me?"

Sirius nods slowly. "It wasn't a prank, though. We were...  well- we..." Sirius trails off. He realizes nothing he says will placate Isabella because he surely can't tell her the truth.

Isabella crosses her arms over her chest, "I'm waiting."

"Nothing, look, I'm sorry!" Sirius offers. "You know how it is. We're older now, the kings of the school and all. The younger kids like to earn their status... kiss up to us and all."

Sirius hoped this would make Isabella feel better, but she only seemed to grow angrier. Her dark eyes were nearly black with rage. She laughs humorously. "I can't believe you. You're no better than them."

Sirius felt like the wind got knocked out of him at those words. He knew exactly who Isabella was talking about. She was talking about their parents, and even worse, she was right. Sirius used his status as an older student and Elliot and Barty's fear to get what he wanted. He was no better than his parents. Isabella shoulder-checks him as she goes to continue down the hall. She stops when she's parallel to him and leans in close to his ear.