To Have A Home

Chapter 6

Even though Sirius had gone back to the dormitory with James, he was still not in the mood to be around anybody. He shut the curtains on his bed and refused to leave. Each morning that week, his friends tried to get him down to the Great Hall for breakfast and then to lessons, but they knew they were fighting a losing battle.
By the middle of the week, they had worked out a perfect system: Peter brought Sirius food, Remus took extra notes, and James tried to get Sirius to leave the dormitory, or at least to talk to him.
On Friday, as James, Lupin, and Peter left Transfiguration, their last class of the day, McGonagall stopped them and asked for a word.
"What is it, Professor?" asked Peter.
"I have a note for you to deliver to Mr. Black" she said, handing him a folded piece of paper. "That will be all." The three boys exchanged curious looks with each other, all wondering what the note said — McGonagall couldn't be pleased that Sirius had missed an entire week of class. James, however, remembered the talk that he had had with the professor at the beginning of term, and how she, too, worried about Sirius.
"Sirius" called Peter as they walked into the dormitory, "we've got a note for you. It's from McGonagall," he added quickly so that Sirius knew it wasn't another note from home. Even so, Sirius felt panic bubbling inside him as he wondered what the note might say. Was he expelled? We're his parents going to pull him out of Hogwarts and homeschool him? He shuddered at the thought of spending all his time at 12 Grimmauld Place, shut in with Kreacher and his awful parents.
He tore open the note, and read it as fast as he could:

Dear Mr. Black,
See me in my office tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock. If you fail to attend this meeting, as you have every class this week, I do have the power to come into the Gryffindor dormitories, and I assure you I will use it. Professor Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

Sirius gulped. He was in for it. A meeting with McGonagall could not mean anything good.
He lay awake, tossing and turning, all night. He knew he'd have to go to the meeting — she had said it herself, him not showing up would not stop it from happening. So the next morning, he changed out of pajamas and left the dormitory for the first time since the day of the howler. He felt and looked terrible when he showed up outside McGonagall's office at exactly eleven and knocked on the large wooden door.
"Come in," she said, and then, "have a seat, Mr. Black," with a gesture towards a rigid chair across from her desk.
Sirius sat down, his eyes fixed on the floor, nervously wringing his hands.
"Do you want any tea?" asked McGonagall. Sirius looked up, confused.
"Tea?"
"Yes. And biscuits," she pushed a metal tin towards him. "Would you like any?"
"Um... sure, Professor," replied Sirius, still confused. It didn't feel like he was in trouble, but he must be...
"Now, we need to talk," said McGonagall as she poured Sirius a cup of tea. 'Here it comes' thought Sirius. "I have contacted your family and ensured they will not send any more howlers. I can't stop them from sending you any mail at all, but you don't need to worry about another incident like on Monday. I also would like to remind you that you do have the option to stay at Hogwarts over winter break if you so desire. Unfortunately, you cannot stay over the summer, although I'm sure the Potters would be happy to let you visit."
"I — I—" stammered Sirius, at a loss for words. "Thank you, Professor," he finally managed to say. McGonagall smiled slightly at him, before saying sternly,
"Now I expect you in class Monday with your homework. No excuses. You may leave now." A wide smile spread across Sirius' face.
"You've got it, Professor!" he said as he turned the doorknob, his robes sweeping behind him.

Author's note: I've been really busy with school, but I'm trying to get at least one update up per week. Thanks for reading, please comment and vote!