3 ficlets, new series on Sirius' childhood,
Title: Bright Beginnings: A strange homecoming
Summary: The summer he's 15 Sirius returns home to find someone waiting for him.
Characters/Pairings: Sirius Black and Orion Black
Genre: Gen.
Rating/Warnings: G, none
Word Count: 238
It was three in the morning. Sirius closed his eyes as he opened the door, gently and with the pressure just to the side of the hinge that prevented a loud scrape. He held his breath as he waited for the padding noise of Kreacher's feet - or worse, the loud crack that signified the house elf had been sleeping and heard the movement of the door.
He stepped into the hallway and his eyes were drawn to the stairs.
Everyone said that Regulus and Sirius had taken after their father in appearance. They might have been a series of drawings, the three of them. Created by one artist with the same tools, swayed by fair moods and foul. Orion's brow was a little lower, and his eyes a shade darker. His feelings were impossible to reach in his expression. Regulus seemed to have acquired something of the same stoicism, though he'd not yet mastered his expressions. Sirius could still see every quirk of feeling on his brother's lips, and in the light of his eyes.
His father didn't speak, and Sirius forced himself to blink in case a collection of shadows had tricked him.
For what seemed like hours Orion stood there, and Sirius unable to move up the steps and past him could only look back.
Finally his father had turned and walked back up, disappearing into the darkness of the next flight of stairs.
Title: Bright Beginnings: Muggles are killers
Summary: Whilst Sirius and his mother walk through Diagon Alley, she tells him about muggle-borns.
Characters/Pairings: Sirius Black and Walburga Black
Genre: Gen
Rating/Warnings: G/PG
Word Count: 345
“Look at them Sirius,” his mother said, gripping at his hand. He was seven and he could walk by himself - he didn't need her 'making sure he didn't get hurt'. He lifted his head from examining the new toy he'd been bought (a children's collapsible telescope promising he'd discover new stars and moons, though he was most excited to see the star that had his name) and looked up at his mother.
“Every year more of them seem to swarm into our world,” she said in a quiet voice, like she was telling him a secret “they aren't like us - they get their magic from somewhere else, steal it or kill for it.” Sirius' eyes flared wide and his head snapped towards the crowd of shoppers moving about them. They didn't look like people who'd kill you for your magic, but then he hadn't ever met anyone who'd killed someone (though Bellatrix, his older cousin claimed to have seen someone get killed. She said they'd bled everywhere and their magic had come out, so Sirius supposed you could steal someone's magic by killing them).
“They're muggles really,” she said in the same quiet tone, and Sirius looked at them with increasing curiosity. They weren't supposed to speak to muggles, he and Regulus, his mother said they were dangerous and would hurt them if they got too close. But Sirius had spoken to one - a little girl - when they'd gone with his uncle and aunt to take his cousins to the Hogwarts Express, but he'd only said hello.
“Mother,” Sirius said, turning away from the shoppers to look up at his mother “when I'm older, will I be allowed to speak to muggles?”
Walburga looked down at her son sternly, “When you're older you'll be a powerful wizard, and you won't want to speak to them.”
Sirius liked the idea that he'd be a powerful wizard - he imagined having a wand, and blasting the evil wizard killing muggles out of his way. Regulus would help him, and they'd save everyone.
Title: Bright Beginnings: Let's play Muggles and Wizards
Summary: Sirius is going to be powerful one day, and although he can protect Regulus from the killer Muggles his brother really ought to practice.
Characters/Pairings: Sirius Black and Regulus Black
Genre: Gen
Rating/Warnings: G
Word Count: 368
“What am I then?”
“You're my brother,” Sirius told Regulus in a tone reserved entirely for older siblings talking to their stupidly naïve younger brothers. They were in the garden of Grimmauld Place, swinging about the thickest tree.
“But you said-” Regulus began.
“I told you, Mother says that one day when father's dead, I'll get to be in charge. She says I'm going to be a powerful wizard, and defeat the killer muggles!”
“Did she really say that Sirius?” the younger Black asked, in awe despite the many lies his brother told. He wanted to fold his arms and tell Sirius he didn't believe him, but Sirius was very convincing.
“Of course she did!” Sirius said, climbing up onto the first branch of the tree “that's why we have to learn to be really good at magic, because the muggles want it from us. And they especially want people from our family.”
“Why?” asked Regulus, trying to get a foothold on the trunk of the tree. Sirius offered his hand down and helped his brother up onto the branch next to him.
“Because” he said in a sigh of faux-weariness at Regulus' questions, “we're pureblood aren't we? Our magic is best. Anyway, you're going to need lots of practice, because I'm older so I'll be better.”
Regulus didn't say anything at all, but looked back towards the house. Kreacher was standing out the back, using puffs of magic to beat dust out of the rugs.
“Let's play Muggles and Wizards,” Sirius said suddenly and excitedly, “I'll be the Muggle!”
“Sirius no!” Regulus said, immediately sceptical of this new game.
“Come on - you've got to stop me taking all of your blood and magic!” Sirius lunged and Regulus jerked away from him, unbalancing himself on the branch. There was a crack and suddenly Regulus was on the ground with Kreacher beside him. His arm was at a very strange angle.
Sirius jumped down from the branch, “Muggles wouldn't care if you'd hurt your arm, they'd try and bleed you anyway.”
“Shut up Sirius!” Regulus fumed, starting to cry.
Sirius began walking up the garden, supposing he'd better tell his mother that Regulus' arm was twisted the wrong way.
Sam//Slytherin
Summary: The summer he's 15 Sirius returns home to find someone waiting for him.
Characters/Pairings: Sirius Black and Orion Black
Genre: Gen.
Rating/Warnings: G, none
Word Count: 238
It was three in the morning. Sirius closed his eyes as he opened the door, gently and with the pressure just to the side of the hinge that prevented a loud scrape. He held his breath as he waited for the padding noise of Kreacher's feet - or worse, the loud crack that signified the house elf had been sleeping and heard the movement of the door.
He stepped into the hallway and his eyes were drawn to the stairs.
Everyone said that Regulus and Sirius had taken after their father in appearance. They might have been a series of drawings, the three of them. Created by one artist with the same tools, swayed by fair moods and foul. Orion's brow was a little lower, and his eyes a shade darker. His feelings were impossible to reach in his expression. Regulus seemed to have acquired something of the same stoicism, though he'd not yet mastered his expressions. Sirius could still see every quirk of feeling on his brother's lips, and in the light of his eyes.
His father didn't speak, and Sirius forced himself to blink in case a collection of shadows had tricked him.
For what seemed like hours Orion stood there, and Sirius unable to move up the steps and past him could only look back.
Finally his father had turned and walked back up, disappearing into the darkness of the next flight of stairs.
Title: Bright Beginnings: Muggles are killers
Summary: Whilst Sirius and his mother walk through Diagon Alley, she tells him about muggle-borns.
Characters/Pairings: Sirius Black and Walburga Black
Genre: Gen
Rating/Warnings: G/PG
Word Count: 345
“Look at them Sirius,” his mother said, gripping at his hand. He was seven and he could walk by himself - he didn't need her 'making sure he didn't get hurt'. He lifted his head from examining the new toy he'd been bought (a children's collapsible telescope promising he'd discover new stars and moons, though he was most excited to see the star that had his name) and looked up at his mother.
“Every year more of them seem to swarm into our world,” she said in a quiet voice, like she was telling him a secret “they aren't like us - they get their magic from somewhere else, steal it or kill for it.” Sirius' eyes flared wide and his head snapped towards the crowd of shoppers moving about them. They didn't look like people who'd kill you for your magic, but then he hadn't ever met anyone who'd killed someone (though Bellatrix, his older cousin claimed to have seen someone get killed. She said they'd bled everywhere and their magic had come out, so Sirius supposed you could steal someone's magic by killing them).
“They're muggles really,” she said in the same quiet tone, and Sirius looked at them with increasing curiosity. They weren't supposed to speak to muggles, he and Regulus, his mother said they were dangerous and would hurt them if they got too close. But Sirius had spoken to one - a little girl - when they'd gone with his uncle and aunt to take his cousins to the Hogwarts Express, but he'd only said hello.
“Mother,” Sirius said, turning away from the shoppers to look up at his mother “when I'm older, will I be allowed to speak to muggles?”
Walburga looked down at her son sternly, “When you're older you'll be a powerful wizard, and you won't want to speak to them.”
Sirius liked the idea that he'd be a powerful wizard - he imagined having a wand, and blasting the evil wizard killing muggles out of his way. Regulus would help him, and they'd save everyone.
Title: Bright Beginnings: Let's play Muggles and Wizards
Summary: Sirius is going to be powerful one day, and although he can protect Regulus from the killer Muggles his brother really ought to practice.
Characters/Pairings: Sirius Black and Regulus Black
Genre: Gen
Rating/Warnings: G
Word Count: 368
“What am I then?”
“You're my brother,” Sirius told Regulus in a tone reserved entirely for older siblings talking to their stupidly naïve younger brothers. They were in the garden of Grimmauld Place, swinging about the thickest tree.
“But you said-” Regulus began.
“I told you, Mother says that one day when father's dead, I'll get to be in charge. She says I'm going to be a powerful wizard, and defeat the killer muggles!”
“Did she really say that Sirius?” the younger Black asked, in awe despite the many lies his brother told. He wanted to fold his arms and tell Sirius he didn't believe him, but Sirius was very convincing.
“Of course she did!” Sirius said, climbing up onto the first branch of the tree “that's why we have to learn to be really good at magic, because the muggles want it from us. And they especially want people from our family.”
“Why?” asked Regulus, trying to get a foothold on the trunk of the tree. Sirius offered his hand down and helped his brother up onto the branch next to him.
“Because” he said in a sigh of faux-weariness at Regulus' questions, “we're pureblood aren't we? Our magic is best. Anyway, you're going to need lots of practice, because I'm older so I'll be better.”
Regulus didn't say anything at all, but looked back towards the house. Kreacher was standing out the back, using puffs of magic to beat dust out of the rugs.
“Let's play Muggles and Wizards,” Sirius said suddenly and excitedly, “I'll be the Muggle!”
“Sirius no!” Regulus said, immediately sceptical of this new game.
“Come on - you've got to stop me taking all of your blood and magic!” Sirius lunged and Regulus jerked away from him, unbalancing himself on the branch. There was a crack and suddenly Regulus was on the ground with Kreacher beside him. His arm was at a very strange angle.
Sirius jumped down from the branch, “Muggles wouldn't care if you'd hurt your arm, they'd try and bleed you anyway.”
“Shut up Sirius!” Regulus fumed, starting to cry.
Sirius began walking up the garden, supposing he'd better tell his mother that Regulus' arm was twisted the wrong way.
Sam//Slytherin