When Black Met Blue (Marauder Fanfic)

chapter 37 *Edited*

‘Sirius?’ Mr Evans called, ‘I’m making a sandwich for lunch. Would you like one?’

Sirius - who had been flicking through a Charms textbook on Lily’s bed - got up and headed downstairs. ‘That would be great. Thank you,’ he said, walking into the kitchen. Mr Evans, who was rifling through a big white cupboard, jumped and dropping the lettuce he was holding.

‘Didn’t expect you to come down so quickly,’ Mr Evans said, putting a variety of vegetables on the kitchen bench. ‘Did you use magic?’

Siriuslaughed. ‘No, sir. Just quick. Do you need any help?’

‘No, no, I’m fine. Do you like pickles?’

Sirius wrinkled his nose. ‘Erm, not really,’ he said.

‘Good, me either. Lettuce?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Mr Evans set about cutting the lettuce with a long knife. iriuss watched curiously; his mother had used magic to cut vegetables, as had Noddy. Using knives seemed dangerous.

‘Tomato?’ Sirius shook his head. ‘Cucumber?’

‘Yes, please.’

‘Chicken? Mayonnaise?’ 

‘Both, please.’

Mr Evans finished their sandwiches and sat down at the kitchen table across from Sirius. They ate in a slightly awkward silence. When they were done, Mr Evans finally broke the silence. ‘Are you and Orla and the James boy in Gryffindor too?’

‘We are,’ Sirius said, relieved that Mr Evans hadn’t asked him a muggle question.

‘Good. Lils always swore she’d marry a Ravenclaw, but I know her too well to think she’d end up with anyone but a Gryffindor.’

‘You seem fairly familiar with the Houses.’

‘Lily misses Hogwarts over summer and I’m the only one she can talk to about it, especially since she had that falling-out with the Snape boy; Petunia won’t listen to her and Heather’s too awed by the whole thing. I think it makes Lily uncomfortable – having her mother in so fascinated by her and her world. To Heather, magic’s special – you heard her when Orla wanted to clean the carpet with magic -‘

‘You don’t think magic’s special?’ Sirius asked, curiously.

‘Yes and no. I don’t have it and neither do Petunia or Heather, but Lily has it and that makes her special but it also made her an outcast growing up. Things... happened. I’m sure you were the same?’

‘My parents didn't really record my history.’ Mr Evans’ face had saddened at Sirius’ past tense when he spoke about his parents but he didn’t comment.

‘Lily showed signs early too, but nothing quite that strange so we fabricated explanations and ignored the signs. When Petunia was six and Lily was four, they were playing a game – I forget what it was called – and Petunia had managed to climb up onto the refrigerator. Long story short, she slipped off. When I came inside to see what all the screaming was, I found Lily hiding under the table and Petunia hovering an inch off the ground, shaken, but completely unharmed.’

Sirius smiled. He’d have to tell James that story. ‘Sorry, sir, but what’s a “Frigegator”?’ he asked, addressing the one part of the story he couldn’t make sense of.

‘Refrigerator,’ Mr Evans said, chuckling. ‘The big white thing in the corner. It keeps food cold.’

‘Can I see?’ Sirius asked. Still laughing, Mr Evans led him over to the refrigerator and opened it. Cold air washed over Sirius. He grinned, delighted, closed the door and opened it again. ‘There’s a light in there!’