IMAGINE ｡ SIRIUS BLACK

02. THE RETURN OF ONYX

chapter two ; the return of onyx
1994.

TEMPEST THATCHER KNEW THE CORRIDORS OF HOGWARTS LIKE THE BACK OF HER HAND. Though it had been seventeen years since she had roamed the halls, everything looked the same -- as if no one had bothered to touch it in a long time. From the tall, sand-coloured walls to the elegant architecture she had adored in her first year, there was nothing that seemed out of place.

It was disappointing how easily she managed to slip into the castle, though no one suspected a former student in the form of a black cat to be sneaking in. Most children at the school were only familiar with one Animagus -- Professor McGonagall. But, seeing as she was unregistered, there were only three people who knew what she could do -- two of which were dead. But, even at the lack of attention she received, she still kept to the dimly lit walls. Part of her wasn't surprised, as there was no denying the staff and students focus was on keeping an eye out for Sirius Black.

Sirius Black. A name that made her shiver when she spoke it. A name that she once said in a joking, loving tone. The two words once rolled off her tongue, a title she previously had no shame in caring for, as it belonged to a man she loved with all her heart. But now saying it made her feel sick.

A group of students rushed past, chattering quietly about being out after hours, so Tempest curled further into the dark. Her dark fur disappeared in the shadows, her bright yellow eyes the only tell that she was lurking around. Her footsteps were silent as she crawled in the direction of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, dreading the few flights of stairs she'd have to climb.

"Whose cat is that? Look at the scar on its face, the poor thing," Tempest heard someone ask from the top of the stairs, and the woman looked up, seeing two prefects staring down at her with gazes of adoration. Tempest hesitated as she approached them, before meowing softly and letting them pat her on the head to sell the act. The interaction put a damper on her journey, holding her back another five minutes, but soon enough the six years let her carry on. She scampered towards the Dark Arts classroom, completely alone in the empty hallway.

Pushing her paw softly on the wooden door, she was irritated to find it locked. She looked both ways before holding her breath, quickly feeling her body change shape and grow drastically. In the place of the Bombay cat was a tall woman dressed from head to toe in black. Her dark hair hung right at her shoulders, but her defining feature was the pinkish scar that curved from above her left eyebrow to just below her bottom lip.

Tempest reached down to her boot and pulled out her wand, a gorgeous object made of Roman wood with a Dragon heartstring core, comfortable in her hand and surprisingly swishy in flexibility. She pointed the tip at the door and muttered a few words under her breath. "Alohomora."

The door clicked, signalling that it had been unlocked, and the woman standing before it put her wand away and twisted the handle so it opened a crack, before shrinking back into a black cat. She crept in and softly shut the door again with her head, before galloping through the rows of desks to the open office door at the end of the room. She was relieved to have finally made it, and looked around to see the belongings of Remus Lupin -- her best friend.