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Sorry this chapter's so short… I couldn't think of anything else to write in this chapter so I figured it was better just to post this than to wait another week just to have it a little longer. Hope you like it!
Chapter 13
Dejection
James,
Why don't you just stay at my house? I mean, not that your Aunt Gertrude doesn't sound like a blast and a half, but I'm sure we'd both have more fun with someone else to share in the boredom.
Anyway, ask your mum and let me know.
Sirius
Sirius finished his note to James, and tied it onto the leg of his father's owl, Atrum, who didn't look too happy with having to be sent to James again, but nevertheless took the letter and flew out the window.
"Who's the letter for?" said a voice behind him. It was his father. He looked tired-like he hadn't slept in days.
"Friend from school," Sirius said briefly, turning his back on his father. "I'm asking him to come and stay."
He heard his father sit down on his bed, but didn't turn to look at him. He didn't know why he was feeling so angry towards him, but it was taking over, like he was drowning in a feeling that wouldn't go away. Sirius knew his father didn't deserve his anger, but he couldn't help feeling tragically misunderstood.
"You know I'm not angry with you, don't you?" his father asked quietly. Sirius turned to look at him slowly. "I do know what you're going through, with your mother. She's just disappointed. But she'll get over it soon enough."
Sirius' face turned sour. "You know she won't! She'll be calling me a traitor until the day she dies!" he spat.
His father sighed. "Yes, possibly. But only if you don't do something about it."
"Like what?" Sirius asked slowly.
"Your mother and I have decided to pull you out of Hogwarts."
"WHAT?" Sirius yelled, hardly believing what he was hearing. "You can't do that!"
"Of course we can," his father said coolly. "We're sending you to Durmstrang. You'll like it much better there. They only let the purebloods in, so you'll be with your own kind."
Sirius could feel his face growing red, but he didn't care. "My own kind? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You know perfectly well what I mean, Sirius. Your mother and I are only concerned for you. Goodness knows the people you prance about with at that school. I mean, the Slytherins are all respectable, but the Gryffindors… You never know the type of people that could be in a house like that. I'm sure at least one of your little friends is a Mudblood, or a halfbreed. You never know with a place like that. But at Durmstrang, you'll never have to worry about what your friends are."
Sirius grew very quiet, and stared at his father for a few minutes, feeling as if he was seeing him for the first time. "But I don't worry," he said softly. "Because they're my friends. If you could see the things they've done for me. I've changed."
Never losing the cool stare, his father rose, and silently walked from the room. A few minutes later, Sirius could hear his mother's quiet sobs, but he realized that he didn't much care.
*
At breakfast, Lily was shocking and amazing her parents and Petunia with her description of the incredible world she had found herself in. She left out the affair with the gods and the orb, of course, but there was still plenty to tell about moving staircases, disappearing doors, ghosts, and, of course, her new friends. Although, when she had reached that part, Petunia became strangely quiet and began pushing the eggs around on her plate with her spoon. But Lily didn't take any notice of her sister's strange behavior-she was too busy telling stories, and attempting to help them understand the types of things she was learning.
"Well, Lily, your friends sound delightful!" her mother interrupted. "You should have them stay over sometime during the break!"
"Could I really?" Lily said excitedly. "I'll go send them all an owl right now!"
As Lily rushed up the stairs happily, Petunia slid quietly out of the room, murmuring, "Not hungry, going out."
*
Lily woke early the next morning to a very impatient-looking owl scratching at her window. She leapt out of bed as quickly as she could and let it in, relieving it of its letter and giving it something to drink.
Lily,
I'd love to come stay with you over Christmas. As if I don't spend enough time with you during the year! Only joking! Dorcas and Emmeline are staying with family, though, so it'll be just us!
So I guess I'll see you on the 23rd!
Marlene
Lily did a little dance around her room, and then, regaining her maturity, walked casually down the stairs where her parents were already up and eating breakfast.
"Marlene owled me back, and she'll be here the 23rd," she told them excitedly.
"Owled?" asked Petunia, who had just walked in behind her. "You mean she sent a letter with an actual bird?" Lily nodded. "Why can't she just use the telephone like a normal person?" she asked snottily.
"Well, she isn't a normal person, if you define normal that way," Lily replied cautiously.
Petunia sat down at the table and mumbled, "Well, if you ask me, she's a freak."
Lily gasped. "You don't even know her! How can you judge her like that? She's just a witch, but so am I, so if you want to call her a freak then you'll have to call me one too!"
Petunia drew herself up to Lily's height and said slowly and deliberately, "Fine. Then I guess you're a freak, too," and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving a distraught Lily behind her.
*
"Peter?" came a voice out of the darkness. He slowly opened his eyes to see his mother standing over him. He sat up slowly, and his family gave a relieved laugh.
His father held out his hand, pulling Peter to his feet. "Well?" he said, an expectant look on his face. At Peter's confused expression, he added, "Don't you want to tell us about Hogwarts?"
Peter immediately launched into a detailed account of everything the had been going on for the past three months, leaving out, of course, the obviously secret bits.
"And then there's some really great guys in my dorm room, James, Sirius, and Remus, and they're fantastic! Sirius was a little bit weird for a while, because he's from a pureblood family, and so he was weird toward Muggleborns, and wasn't even supposed to be sorted into Gryffindor, but he's really nice now, so it's ok."
His parents looked worried. "Your friend is a blood fanatic?" his mother asked, clearly concerned.
Peter gasped, realizing that he had said too much, and his parents were obviously getting the wrong idea. "Oh, no, it's alright! He was only like that for a while, but he changed after we all found out that Remus is a werewolf." Peter gasped again, and clamped his hand over his mouth, knowing that this time he had definitely said too much.
"Your other friend is a w-werewolf?" his mother stammered.
Peter just stared at her, not knowing what to say. Somehow he didn't think "Just kidding!" was quite going to cut it. And they stood there for what felt like hours, Peter staring silently at his family, and his family staring silently back at him.
***
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