Mischief managed

Chapter five ~ a letter from home

{Remus Lupin ~ age 11}

My eyes scanned the great hall to see if anyone was paying us any attention. I did, after all, have a crying boy clinging to me and two other worried Gryffindors trailing after me, uncertain of what to do, but no one seemed to be giving us the time of day. Good.

We sat down at the end of the Gryffindor table, looking solemn. Sirius' sobs had turned to quiet whimpers now but he was still clinging to me, face buried in my side. I don't think I've ever hated anyone as much as I hated his family right now. How dare they do this to him. I'd only just met the lad but even so and even with my shy nature I was already willing to fight anyone who hurt him. Same for my other two friends of course.

I rubbed my palm up and down the side of Sirius' arm, trying to soothe him. At this he looked up at me, eyes red and glistening with tears and with all the confidence a small, scared and confused first year could muster, whispered "fuck them." Before letting go of me and turning to his breakfast.

I shivered at the lack of contact that now enveloped me. Shook it off and also turned to my food. James shot me a worried glance but I just shook my head. He'd talk when he's ready, I thought.

After we'd finished breakfast, we walked out into the corridor. James and peter walked ahead, trying to catch up to the redhead Evans girl. Gosh I kinda felt bad for her already. I turned to Sirius only to be met by his small crestfallen face, eyes wide staring at me miserably. I walked over to him and gave him a quick squeeze before grabbing his wrist and pulling him after me in the direction James and Pete had walked off in. "They're not worth us being late to our first ever herbology lesson" I muttered.

{Severus Snape ~ age 11)

I rolled my eyes as I walked into the herbology greenhouse only to realize we were to be having said class with the Gryffindors. Great. Perfect. Just what I needed. Although this would mean that I'd get to see Lily. God knows how she got sorted into such a disastrous house. I missed her dearly although I mustn't let on. My new Slytherin friends and class mates were far more valuable than some childhood mud-blood friend.

I zoned out as Professor Sprout decided to drone on on and about the course for the year and all about the different plants we'd be covering. Exciting. I snapped out of my daze when I heard the words "introductions" and "everyone" muttered from her mouth in a brief, instructing sentence that was telling us to do just that. I sighed. This day was already off to a horrible start.

After listening to a bunch of stuttering Gryffindors introducing themselves and telling us about their backgrounds and a bunch of entitled Slytherins going on about their posh family names, there were only two people left. Me and a certain mr. Black who had spent most of his morning sobbing. No doubt because he had received a letter of disappointment from his parents for being sorted into the Gryffindor house.

Professor Sprout nudged her chin towards him and all heads swiveled round, eyes bearing into to him. "I'm Sirius black" he murmured. No shit Sherlock, I thought. "Glad to know you remember your own name" I said, snark lacing through my voice. "Oi! Leave him be, you'd know that Professor told us to include our names in the introductions if you'd had enough brain cells to listen to her!" Screeched the high pitched voice I'd quickly come to identify as the one and only pain in the arse, James Potter.

I rolled my eyes at him and I could see the Lupin boy reach out and comfortingly squeeze Sirius' shoulder. Disgusting really, how sensitive these Gryffindors were. No matter of their family background, apparently.

"I'm Sirius Black" the raven haired boy repeated. "And I'm in Gryffindor."Mutters went up at the news of a Black being in Gryffindor, before being hushed again by Professor Sprout. " My favorite things to do are play quidditch and sleep" this for some reason earned the imbecile some laughs. I sighed and went back to daydreaming, ignoring everyone when they tried to tell me it was my turn to introduce myself. I wasn't in the mood. The dark glares Lily was sending me, alongside confused glances, were unsettling and briefly upsetting me. Not that I'd ever admit that to anyone.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••HA betcha all thought I was dead but alas, I am not. I spent two weeks in oxford university doing a medicine summer course (absolutely incredible) and then another two weeks in the Hungarian countryside reading books, riding and watching utube. So yes I am indeed alive and more or less well I suppose and I had the sudden inspiration to write rn as I couldn't sleep. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, there's more to come as I'm on a 15 hour plane tomorrow ;) love you all, thanks for reading 💕