The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

The Reverend's Manse

The Reverend's Manse

The air was cold, the snow pelting them, but the motorbike made it's way across Scotland, over the forests and moors and following the coastline, the thick clouds wrapping around them. "It's as far north as you can go on the mainland," Minnie told him. And so he drove and he drove, feeling her clutching onto him. In all of his life, in all of the things that Sirius Black did - or would do - he never felt as important as he did carrying her away to Faere Dhu. He didn't know why she needed to go to this funny sounding place, or what she would do there, but he would bring her there, hell or high water, whatever it took.

It was afternoon before they arrived, a strange sort of misty fog coating the world as they landed, the sun already going down... Sirius thought fleetingly of Remus and wondered if he was angry with him for not coming back from detention, and he realized he should've told somebody to tell Remus, but it was too late now. The motorbike rolled through the streets of a small village, past houses and businesses, past snow banks, people staring as the motorbike struggled to stay balanced on slippery snow. McGonagall's teeth chattered and Sirius asked, "Where do we go?"

"Up this lane," she replied, pointing.

Sirius drove, and the motorbike left the village, heading west along a little lane that was lined with woods and moors and then McGonagall had a sharp inhale of breath and her voice shook as she commanded, "Here. Turn here."

Sirius turned and they rumbled up a long drive and they broke through a cluster of trees to find a farmhouse - old and poor in appearance, the walkway shoveled out neatly, and childrens' prints in the snow - a tall snowman in the yard with an old Hufflepuff scarf tied about it's neck, coal for eyes, and a pipe. There was a tall barn with a weathervane on top and Sirius saw an owl on the roof of the porch, fluffing his feathers against the cold.

The motorbike came to a stop behind an old olive-coloured car and Minerva sat silently behind him a moment as Sirius took off his helmet and shook out his hair, staring up at the house and wondering what this place was. He slid off the bike, kicking the stand down and offered a hand to Minnie, who allowed him to help her off the motorbike. She looked so surprisingly natural climbing off the bike that Sirius raised an eyebrow in awe at her and remembered the photos of her and Charlus Potter together in the alcove off the Trophy Room Passageway, where she'd been wearing Quidditch gear and holding a broomstick and for the first time in six years he could actually imagine Minerva McGonagall being the star of the pitch, being a queen of the Quidditch matches she played in.

She unclipped her helmet and waved her wand to fix her braid atop her head in a bun and she stared up at the house with wide, watery eyes.

"What is this place, Min?" Sirius asked.

"This is the Reverend's manse of Faere Dhu." She paused, then, "It's where I grew up, Mr. Black."

Sirius looked around, the whole scene suddenly a bit more interesting, the creaky weathervane swaying in the breeze that ruffled his hair. He tugged his leather jacket closer to himself.

The door of the house opened then and a tall, thick man with a dark red beard and long red hair to match came from inside. He wore black trousers and a black oxford and a small square of white on the collar and Sirius realized this was the Reverend whose manse it was. The Reverend walked across the porch, his eyes watering up as he saw Minerva and he hurried down the walkway. "Minnie!" he said "Minnie!"

"Malcolm!" she replied, and the two collided and Sirius realized this was the man who had sent the owl, by what Minnie had said back in her office, and he watched as they embraced, as Minerva McGonagall hugged him tightly and kissed his rough, hairy cheek.