Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and events from J.K. Rowling's wonderful Harry Potter books. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully for the enjoyment of readers. Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The rest belongs to me.
Chapter 51: Four Hours of Freedom
"Get up!"
Sirius lazily rolled over and glared at the doorway. "What do you want?"
His mother stood there with a scowl and replied, "The letters from the school came for you and Regulus. We are going to collect your school supplies. Make yourself presentable and make sure you are on your best behavior."
"I will if you will," muttered Sirius as she left. He picked himself up off of the bed and strolled into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he saw how much he had changed during the summer. His cheeks were more hollow and his normally bright black eyes were rather dull. His hair, normally well-coifed, was dull and tangled. He had been locked in his room for the summer, so who was to see him if he didn't comb his hair? Besides, his unkempt appearance seemed to irritate his parents more, so that was an added bonus.
Sirius heard the sound of his bedroom door opening and walked back into the room to see who was there. It was Beeste, one of the house elves. He was carrying a tray full of food for breakfast.
"Good morning, Mister Sirius! Missus says you are to eat today before you leave for the shopping!" he bowed and placed the tray on the night table.
"Thanks Beeste," Sirius gratefully said. His mouth watered at the sight of all the food that had been kept from him for weeks.
Beeste gave Sirius a nervous smile. He understood that Sirius was not only thanking him for the breakfast. Beeste had been sneaking him food all summer. He had to be very careful, for the rest of the family would punish him severely for doing so behind their backs. They had not forbidden Beeste from bringing Sirius food. Octavius Black had told the house elves that Sirius was not to be allowed out of his room for meals. He never said anything about not bringing meals to Sirius. The scraps of food that were snuck to the teenager had been meager but had been enough to sustain Sirius. During those weeks, the Blacks could not understand how the boy had managed to remain obstinate despite his punishment.
After tackling every crumb of his breakfast, Sirius felt more like his old self. He decided that he did not want to appear defeated by his family so he cleaned himself up and found a set of his best Gryffindor school robes. He combed his hair and got dressed, noticing that his robes were a few inches shorter on him than they were the previous year. He didn't realize he had grown so much. 'No matter,' he thought. He wanted to prove to his parents that despite their treatment of him he was still a proud Gryffindor, even if he had to wear robes he had outgrown. He didn't want to look like some pampered pureblooded fool.
Just then, Regulus poked his head into the room.
"Speak of the devil…" mused Sirius.
"What?" asked Regulus.
Sirius snorted and said, "Never mind. What do you want?"
Regulus eyed Sirius' attire, sneered at him and said, "Mother says to hurry up and get downstairs. We're leaving soon."
Sirius walked out of the room and down the stairs. When he reached the drawing room he saw his mother and brother standing by the fireplace. Elphaba gave Sirius an impatient look while he approached them. She scowled when she saw what Sirius was wearing.
Sirius felt something shove past him and he looked down to see his mother's personal house elf, Kreacher. Kreacher had been with his mother since before she had married Octavius. He was disgustingly loyal to her.
Elphaba saw her house elf and asked, "Well? Did you find them?"
Kreacher nodded and bowed lowly, clutching something to his chest for dear life. "Yes, Missus. Kreacher has found them."
Elphaba impatiently said, "Hurry it up, then. I don't have all day."
Kreacher reached toward her and opened his palm, revealing her favorite pair of diamond earrings. She grabbed them and started putting them on, all the while explaining the importance of how the matriarch of the Black family presented herself to the public.
After she dismissed Kreacher he reluctantly shuffled away from his mistress and glanced up at Sirius as he left the room. Sirius could have sworn he heard the elf mutter, "Ungrateful, disloyal child - breaks the mistress' heart, such a disappointment."
Sirius was tempted to mount Kreacher's head next to the retired house elves however his mother ordered him to hurry to the fireplace so they could leave.
They arrived at their usual destination - Knockturn Alley. Elphaba nobly greeted a few people she recognized, and as they walked by they aimed curious glances toward Sirius. Elphaba noticed this and hissed, "You and your robes are bringing embarrassment to this family." She pulled out a handful of galleons and handed them to Sirius along with his Hogwarts supply list. "Go along and find what you need. Stay out of trouble and be back here in 4 hours. That should be enough time for Regulus and I to find what he needs. I don't think I need to remind you what your father will do if you disobey me."
Sirius snatched the list and the money and hurried away. He had four hours of freedom! With each step he could feel his heart pound a little harder in relief. As he stepped into Diagon Alley he welcomed the warmth of the sun that somehow eluded him in Knockturn Alley.
As he strolled through the cobblestone street he eagerly took in the busy yet cheerful atmosphere. He pulled out his supply list and studied it before deciding where to go first. Looking back up he realized he was a few doors down from Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions so he opted to head there, first. After getting fitted for some larger robes he made his way down the supply list until his bags were full and pockets lighter.
As Sirius walked by the Quidditch Supply Shop he paused. The display had the latest models of the best brooms. The Nimbus 1900 was prominently displayed. Sirius smirked, realizing that James' rare prototype would now be popular amongst the people that could afford such a broom. He had to admit, it was a fantastic broom. 'It wouldn't hurt to go in and take a closer look,' he thought.
He walked into the store and his eyes swept over the dozens of different model broomsticks lining the walls. There were displays across the floor of Quaffles and Beater clubs and broomstick servicing kits. In the far corner there was a banged up cage with Bludgers inside, slamming against the bars. Not too far away was another cage with glimmering golden Snitches fluttering about.
"Can I help you?" asked the voice of the salesman. Sirius turned around to see a man in his early thirties looking at him thoughtfully.
"I'd like to look at the Nimbus 1900," replied Sirius.
The salesman looked down his nose and snorted, "You do realize that the Nimbus is our most expensive line?"
Sirius gave the salesman an arrogant smile. After all, he was a Black, and the ability to show arrogance and put people in their place was a quality he had actually enjoyed inheriting from his family. He retorted, "And do you realize that by making me wait to see it you are less likely to earn a commission from the sale of your most expensive line?"
The salesman looked taken aback for a split second before he gave Sirius a broad smile (albeit a fake one) and led him to the display with the Nimbus 1900. He led Sirius into a large adjacent room where he could take a test flight. Sirius, having practiced on James' broom, decided to test the nerve of the salesman and got a little reckless, zooming around the room at high speed and taking sharp twists and turns. When he finally landed he smiled at the pale sweaty face of the salesman.
After the salesman collected himself he said, "S-so, what do you think?"
Sirius eyed the price tag, noting the hefty number. His mum had carelessly given him quite a few galleons in Knockturn Alley, so Sirius smiled and said, "I'll take it." After all, he thought, this was a reward for all of the isolation and starvation he had had to put up with that summer.
The salesman smiled broadly and with a slight bow, said, "Very good, sir. I will wrap this so you can take it with you."
"No!" commanded Sirius. "You are to mail this to Hogwarts just after the term starts." Even though his mother was funding the purchase, Sirius didn't think she needed to know about it.
When he followed the salesman to the counter he noticed the nearby display of Beater's clubs and decided to spend a few extra Galleons on a new club as well. The club had shock absorbing charms so that with each thwack of the Bludger the club would absorb the force. That way, the Beater's arm would not tire as quickly. With the new broom and club, he was bound and determined to nab the Beater position on the Gryffindor team that year.
Once Sirius exited the shop he looked at his watch and realized his four hours of freedom was nearly up. The familiar feeling of dread resurfaced in his stomach and he tried to reason a way to slow down time and delay the necessary trip back to Knockturn Alley. He made it to the turnoff to Knockturn Alley and turned around, not ready to face his family after being free of them again.
He found a bench and slumped onto it, rubbing his hands over his face and through his dark, ebony hair. He tilted his head back and stared up at the sky, trying to focus his attention on his purchases, rather than what lay ahead during the next few weeks.
"Black?" came a familiar voice. Sirius looked in front of him and saw McKinnon standing a little to his right. "Are you alright?" she asked. Her eyes, normally annoyed or full of mischief when focused on him, were different. Sirius almost thought she looked concerned about him.
Marlene had been finishing her shopping and had seen Black from the robe shop as she exited. He looked different to her. He did not have his usual cocky, overconfident posture as he sat on the bench. Normally seeing him would make her either think of a hex to practice on him or send her walking in the opposite direction. Today, there had been something that brought her to the front of his bench. When she spoke to him and he looked at her she thought she realized why he had appeared so different. He almost looked resigned, or sad. The was completely unlike the Black who had charmed her to burp every time she said the word 'and' during her DADA presentation.
Sirius stared at her for several moments, contemplating whether she was for real or not. Her eyes…they looked so concerned…and kind. Sirius found himself smiling at her and replying, "I'm fine…thanks."
She looked doubtful for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and smiling back. Before she could say anything more she felt someone touch her arm.
Sirius curiously looked at the boy who had approached McKinnon. He looked a few years older than them and had dark blond hair, gray-blue eyes, and a tan complexion. He studied Sirius for a moment before turning to McKinnon and saying, "Are you ready?"
She nodded and the boy grabbed her hand and led her away. She briefly glanced over her shoulder at Sirius before walking down Diagon Alley. The boy let go of her hand only to bring it across her back and draped over her shoulders. Sirius watched in surprise as she brought her arm around his waist, hugging herself to him as they strolled away.
'McKinnon's got a boyfriend?!' he thought. He felt his mood worsen again as he realized that while his life that summer had been on hold, others had enjoyed their lives and met people. He wondered what else he would discover when he met his friends on the Hogwarts Express in a few weeks. 'Two weeks,' he thought. 'I can certainly survive two more weeks with…them.'
When Sirius' thoughts returned to his family he jumped, realizing how late he was. He grabbed his bags and sprinted out of Diagon Alley and into Knocturn Alley, finally reaching the store where they had Flooed in. His mother was waiting outside the shop rather impatiently, and when she saw him Sirius realized he would be in for it later.
"Why are you late?" she hissed. "What trouble did you get into?"
"Nothing," he muttered.
"Did you get everything?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"Where is the change?" she asked.
Sirius pulled out a few Silver Sickles and a handful of Bronze Knuts. He placed them in her outstretched hand and she eyed him suspiciously.
"Where is the rest of it?" she asked.
Sirius shrugged and said, "Spent it all."
"ALL of it? How is that possible?" she probed.
"Things are more expensive, I guess," he replied.
After searching through his bags she shook her head and motioned for him and Regulus to follow her into the shop, where they Flooed back to Grimmauld Place. Sirius reluctantly walked inside and went to his room, throwing his bundles on the bed. He opened his trunk and carefully packed his new purchases amongst his things. Even though he'd been home for the summer he had never unpacked. Throughout his incarceration he had fantasized about grabbing his things and taking off, never to see his family again. Having his trunk packed allowed him to continue that fantasy. Unpacking would have been a sign of resignation.
After locking his trunk, Sirius crept up to the attic. It was a place where his family hated to go. They thought it beneath them to wander amongst the dust and cobwebs when they could just as easily send a house elf up there to get what they needed. It was one of Sirius' favorite hideouts. He often escaped there to avoid the wrath of his father.
Sirius walked over to the tiny round window and climbed on top of some rickety trunks to peer out onto the street. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky. There were a few kids in the square across the street chasing each other and laughing.
'Two more weeks,' he thought. 'Two more weeks and I'll be at Hogwarts, far away from here. I'll be with Prongs, Moony, and Wormtail, figuring out new ways of tormenting Snivellus.'
Sirius pulled out his mirror, wondering if he should call James. His conversations with his best mate had been one of the things that had helped him survive the summer home. James knew about his feelings toward his family but Sirius had never expressed the depth of his anger and hurt. He knew he could trust James but he also felt a steel in his spine, not wanting to become an object of pity or admit that his family could get to him the way they did. Besides, what could James do about it anyway? Sirius would still be forced to return home every summer.
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A/N: Not perfectly pleasant, but at least Sirius took advantage of the money his mum shelled out to buy the broom and club.
FYI - I had asked if anyone knew how Gregory Maguire came up with the name of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. He got it from the author of the Wizard of Oz - Lyman Frank Baum = L-F-B = Elphaba. I'll go ahead and award the point to delpheena, even though she had to 'google' the answer. (smiles)
Thanks to my latest reviewers: Anu, nanopy, Nyscat, Remus'sweetie, delpheena, PottersPrincess, Golden Phoenix, Mani12191, Alicia, Jo Bob, and sista7. Special thanks to everyone now that I have passed the 400 review mark!
Don't forget to check out Music of the Night, if you haven't yet. To those who have - thanks for the reviews!
Next chapter: The students leave for their fourth year at Hogwarts. Will definitely have some lighter moments (and hopefully amusing).