The Slytherin Transfer

38: "I can handle a little crazy."

Dinner with the Black extended family was stiff and short. Sirius and I snarfed our food down in seconds so that we didn't have to listen to their terrible discrimination or answer any taunting questions. We left the house after the shouting in the basement got too loud, not even caring what the argument was about. The night is cold, and Sirius takes me to a children's playground, where we find seats on the swings and stare at the stars.

"I know that my family is crazy, Cass," he mumbles after a moment, looking away from the night sky to me, "If you want to leave, I completely understand."

"Oh, come off it," I dismiss, rolling my eyes, "I can handle a little crazy, Sirius."

"Well, you handle me," he points out, and I lean forward, using my feet to stop my slight swinging.

"Barely," I say softly, and he lets out his same barking laugh. I grin, swinging forwards once more and leaning back with my hands wrapped around the cold chain. I suddenly have a thought.

"Hey, when's your birthday. It must be pretty soon, right?"

"It already passed," he responds easily, and my head snaps to him.

"What?"

"November the third."

"November the third?" I sit up with my eyes narrowed, trying to think back to the day. That would've been around when I was stressing about my first Quidditch match, "But that was ages ago!"

He smiles, then shrugs, "I don't like to celebrate it much."

"You don't — Sirius!" I groan, "It's your birthday. It's the one day when your inflated ego is allowed."

He grins, "Never have made a big deal about it. But don't worry, you made it better."

"I did?" I frown, again wracking my brain for November the third.

"Yeah," he says softly as I stop in front of him, "you probably won't remember it. You came down all exhausted from James's practices and just put your head in my lap. It was the first time I really saw a chance."

I vaguely remember Sirius continuously pulling my head back down as Mary spoke about breaking into the Slytherin common room. It all seems so far away.

"You were such a prick," I mumble halfheartedly, and he laughs again.

"Don't I know it."

"And I really made your birthday better?" I ask, and he nods.

"Yeah, I mean any attention you gave me was like a gift from god."

I break into a fit of laughter, and he joins in, our voices echoing through the silent air and filling it with joy.

This joy is short-lived, however, when there's a loud crash followed by a gust of wind and a scream. I immediately stand, and so does Sirius, both of us pulling out our wands and looking around. The street lamps all go out, and there's a distant laughter, a cynical, chilling laughter. I spin around as it echos left and right, a whooshing reaching my ears. Everything is dark, and I back into Sirius, who grabs my wrist and pulls me to him.

"Sirius?" I whisper tensely, and he looks at me before his eyes scan the pitch black.

"Come out!" He calls loudly, "Come out and face us if you aren't cowards!"

More laughter. I glance to my left, narrowing my eyes down a dark alleyway.

"Last time I saw you you were writhing on the bathroom floor!" Cackles a male, nasally voice, "I suppose I didn't do enough damage."

Sirius looks confused, but realization hits me right away.

"Carrow," I say, and I hear a shuffling from the alley. I grab Sirius's hand and duck down, pulling him with me just as a spark of red light hurdles over our heads.