Stars and Cinnamon || Sirius Black

✯ prologue ✯

"Get your motor runnin'. Head out on the highway! Lookin' for adventure, and whatever comes our way!"
Born to be Wild -Steppenwolf

Juno Heidyn wanted to throw herself off the Astronomy Tower at the first opportunity she had.

The woman in pink had been rude enough earlier when she had interrupted their headmaster, giggled over the other staff introduction, and given a detention to a boy who spilled pumpkin juice on accident. This, on the other hand, was too much for the young Gryffindor girl to tolerate.

An eerie feeling crept into the corners of the famed castle that morning, dark clouds rolling over the muddy quidditch pitch. If this was meant to be a preview of her final year at the shit-show they call Hogwarts, things weren't looking too great for their class.

In the Great Hall, where Dolores Umbridge had gathered what seemed to be every seventh-year pureblood in the castle at seven in the morning one could hear a pin drop. From the moment they'd sat down, she started lecturing them on how prestigious their Ministry of Magic was and the "intellectuals in charge", to which George Weasley snorted and cost Gryffindor five house points.

Nothing, however, could've prepared Juno or any of the other students gathered there for what came next.

Umbridge proceeded to explain that the ministry found it in the best interest of the wizarding race to arrange marriages for the remaining purebloods. The excuse given was that it would increase the chances of magical children, but Juno was willing to call bullshit when she smelled it.

Obviously the current corrupt ministry wanted to put the pureblooded wizards in the majority once more, and Juno had no doubt the Dark Lord's followers were behind this.

Lightning struck and illuminated the hall for less then a second, before the low, rumbling thunder followed.

"In addition, you will each be individually interviewed by a council of specialists who have worked hard to create a system for matching couples. This is not optional, though only a handful of you will actually be matched this year. For those that are matched, you will have one week of living with your partner to decide whether you wish to accept these terms or be banished from the wizarding world. That's all for now!" She finished with an uptight giggle that gave many students goosebumps.

Chaos ensued as soon as the woman left the room, students immediately starting to discuss their possible matches. Some students complained about the injustice of an arranged marriage, but most in the room -being a pureblood- had already resigned themselves to such a life long ago. Other students were more interested in possibly getting matched with the new Astronomy teacher.

Sirius Black was the only teacher summoned by Umbridge, which let the students know he was also the only one being interviewed. Would it be awkward marrying your teacher? Of course. Would many complain about being matched to the attractive, tattooed man? No.

"Come on, Juniper. Didn't you say you wanted a nap before breakfast?" Fred Weasley said as he and his brother tugged the girl out of the Great Hall.

Just like that, all thoughts of marriage and Astronomy escaped Juno's mind as she thought instead about what they'd be having for breakfast.

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Sirius Black was, naturally, furious with the whole situation.

His whole childhood had been comprised of this pureblood madness until he finally escaped it with the Potters. Now a law was most likely going to force him back into that life, or at least a part of it.

Walburga had tried to set him up with many girls (mostly cousins) in order to straighten him up to be an obedient son like they'd had with Regulus. She and Sirius always argued over it until the day he left that wretched household.

She must be cackling in her grave right about now.