The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

May I Call You Minnie?

May I Call You Minnie?

Sirius knocked on Professor McGonagall's office door and waited - but no answer came. He knocked again. "Minnnnnnnieeeee," he called, leaning his ear against the door and jiggling the handle. "Minnie, darling, there's a draft in the corridor. Please let me in." He paused then, and he looked at his feet, remembering how he'd wasted his time with her before - how he wouldn't be having classes with her anymore because he hadn't gotten a good enough grade to move on in Minnie's class - and how this meeting was probably to talk about how much he'd let her down. He cleared his throat, and said, in a much more serious tone. "I'm sorry. Professor McGonagall." He knocked again... a bit less playfully this time... and stared down at his toes. "I really did study as hard as I could, Professor," he told the door, hoping she could hear him through the wood. "I did, it's just that a lot happened over the summer - what with the Prongs house being burnt up and Mr. Prongs being in the hospital with the Pox and... yeah, I probably could've skipped driving the flying motorbike and all but Gideon wasn't too sore about it, and --"

"Mr. Black, what are yeh doing to my door?" Minerva McGonagall's voice came from behind him and Sirius turned about, letting his palm drop from the door knob he'd been jangling while talking.

"Sorry Professor," Sirius said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring of keys.

Her eyes swept across the wood, appraising it, and glanced at him, "So long as you aren't scraping your initials in it like every other wooden surface you can get your wand on..." she pushed the door open. "In you go."

Sirius stepped inside and McGonagall followed, waving her wand to light the lanterns about the office, illuminating it with a soft glow. Sirius spotted the tea cups gleaming on the shelves - and he was pleased to see his was still there among them.

She doesn't completely hate me, he thrilled.

He looked at her as she sat down and pulled an ivory, knitted shawl over her shoulders and adjusted her glasses so she was looking over the top of the lenses at him as he lowered himself into the chair opposite her. "I suppose, Mr. Black, that you've guessed why it is I wanted you to come to see me today?"

Sirius sat down, "Because of my O.W.L.," he said, his voice low.

"Yes," she said, nodding curtly, "Precisely." She drew a breath, intending to go on but he cut her off.

"Professor, wait. Before you lace into me --"

"Lace into you? Mr. Black, I --"

Sirius held up his palm, stopping her, and he continued, "I want you to know that I really did try my very best. I studied the textbook really hard and I - I tried very hard at the test. And it's not an excuse but that old toad Umbridge leaned over me the whole bloody time, so I'm honestly amazed I didn't get more wrong - and I dunno who graded the test but I know she didn't like me. But that's not really here or there of course, I mean, I'm me and I pulled off an Exceed Expectations, that's not too bad for me. Highest grade I got. I didn't get a single Outstanding. I mean I'm not Outstanding so of course I didn't. But I want you to know I really wanted one for you. I really did. I owed it to you. And I let you down and I'm sorry, but I really did try. I didn't shirk it off like I do. I wasn't a slacker. I read the book. I did. Everyday." He cleared his throat, "And... look... I've put my tie on today. For you." He gestured to the tie about his neck, which was strung on crooked, but there, and that was more than could've been said for most of his school career prior.

McGonagall waited until several moments of silence had passed following this long winded spiel and when he didn't seem to have anything else to say, she cleared her throat and asked, "Are you finished? May I speak now?"