I, Sirius Black, Formally Declare War on the Poltergeist

Chapter 2 - The Unsurprisingly Dramatic Sorting of Sirius Black

Because let's be honest with ourselves, everything Sirius does is dramatic, whether he likes it or not (;

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It was that pesky bit of advice Andromeda had whispered to him right before they boarded the train. Vermin had already apparated away. Sirius had been staring warily at the group of green-clad students who reminded him too much of his own family in all the wrong ways, when the little pocket sneakoscope started going off in his trunk. Narcissa had wheeled around, mortified, and hissed at him to turn the damned thing off, but the minute Sirius hastily opened his trunk, the piercing noise only got louder.

"Turn it off, Sirius!" Narcissa commanded.

"I can't!"

"Well, figure it out, before half the platform starts to stare!"

Sirius held up the spinning orb helplessly, at a loss as to how to make it stop, when Andromeda strode over from who knows where, shut Narcissa up with a scathing look, and waved her wand deliberately over the sneakoscope to silence it.

Fortunately, over the train and the wails of a child not too far from them, a screaming sneakoscope was the least of many people's concerns. Narcissa, however, didn't seem to care, stealing apprehensive glances over in the direction of the Slytherins she commanded. A short brunette with shoulder-length curls appeared at Narcissa's side and looked amusedly over at Sirius.

"That's him, then?" she said with a playful smirk, "The honorable Sirius Black we've been hearing so much about?"

Narcissa gave a hmph of disapproval as Sirius glared at her, locking up his trunk. Andromeda gave an exasperated look at her sister.

"Not to worry, I'm only joking," the girl laughed, "I doubt anyone other than Malfoy noticed, and we know that's the only reason Cissy here has got her knickers in a twist, and let's be honest, I doubt Malfoy really cares. You're still welcome to sit with us -- if we're worthy enough of course." She winked at him. Sirius sighed in annoyance.

"Oh, no he's not," Narcissa said fiercely, "Aelia, you can't seriously expect him to sit with us! What if that stupid thing goes off again?"

"Relax, Cissy," Sirius snapped, " I didn't want to sit with you anyway."

"Oh, boo, poor me," Narcissa mocked. 'Aelia' bit her lip at the exchange between the two of them, somewhere between amusement and embarrassment.

"Cissy, enough," Andromeda said sharply, "Just take your trunk and get on the train, will you?"

Narcissa snorted, but picked up her trunk and started for the train none-the-less, her brown-haired friend in tow.

"She's just having a rough week," Andromeda mused as she and Sirius watched her leave.

"Whatever, I'm still not sitting with any of you," Sirius bitterly, steering clear of anyone in green. The last thing he needed was more snakes goading him about being the family heir and talking family politics. He didn't care, he was eleven. He didn't want the aunts and uncles and adults inspecting his merits like he was the crown prince, taking bets on the kind of success he would achieve. He thought the petty jealousies of their children were ridiculous, and the blind worship of the little ones annoyed him to no end. Did they really think he wanted to sit with a compartment full of those people? Worthiness had nothing to do with it.

To his surprise, Andromeda chuckled and agreed.

"No, that's probably best. I think you'd claw your eyes out before we left the station," she smiled fondly at him. He rolled his eyes again, only less out of irritation and more in jest.