2When Sirius is sorted into Gryffindor his family immediately disowns him. Forced out of his home he has to find another solution. Enter Andromeda Black.
This is just a little one-shot of an idea that popped in my head that I couldn't shake. I may return and add more one day, but for now this is complete. Hope you like this little one-shot! Let me know your thoughts, favourites and reviews are so greatly appreciated!
"Gryffindor!" The hat shouts, and though a part of Sirius is elated, a larger part sinks in utter horror. He's wanted it for so long; to get away from his family and everything that makes the Blacks who they are, but now he has it, the idea is terrifying. The silence in the Great Hall is deafening, until a tall red-headed boy at Gryffindor table starts cheering and clapping loudly, an identical boy joining in until the whole table is cheering for him.
Sirius stands on shaky legs and lets Professor McGonagall take the hat from his numb fingers. He slowly makes his way over to his new home for the next seven years. He sends one look back at the Slytherin table - the place he thought he'd end up whether he wanted to or not. His cousin Narcissa is looking back at him, her eyes piercing and pitying. Sirius flinches and looks away from her, catching eyes briefly with James Potter waiting to be sorted, the boy he'd sat with on the train ride. He gives Sirius a large thumbs up, a naive grin on his face. Sirius smiles back, raising a mask over any of his uncertain and scared feelings.
He takes a seat, the first Gryffindor to be sorted in 1971, at the long table, turning his attention back to the sorting which is going on again now that the shocked silence has passed. He unintentionally zones out through most of the rest of the sorting, cheering when the Gryffindors around him do, and smiling and conversing with the new first years that soon surround him. Dinner passes and he knows that everyone thinks he's interacting, but his every thought, his every single brain cell is focused on how much he's let down his family and the possible coming fall out from it.
The first few days of his first year pass in terrified excitement. The classes are amazing, and he's making new friends, but every spare moment is focused on the coming reaction from his parents. He hasn't written to them to let them know the outcome of his sorting yet, but he knows that Narcissa will have written to her father Cygnus, and he will have in turn told his sister Walburga - Sirius' mum.
He's right; at breakfast a week into his first year the howler arrives with the morning post. Sirius pales as he watches his father's owl fly towards him carrying the bright red envelope. The hall falls quiet around them and James leans over with wide eyes.
"Is that coming for you?" He asks with horror in his voice.
Sirius swallows, and when he talks his voice is hoarse, "I think so."
He's right of course, he'd recognise that owl anywhere. Said vicious eagle owl lands in front of him, and drops the howler with a hoot and a harsh nip to Sirius' finger.
Lily Evans, the redhead James and Sirius had pissed off on the train, frowns at the envelope. "What's that?" She asks loudly.
Anyone's eyes that weren't already focused on Sirius turn towards him. Sirius winces, and doesn't answer her question, just rips the envelope open and leans away from it in preparation. There is a moment of silence where you can hear a pin drop, before - surprisingly because Sirius was expecting Walburga - his father's voice fills the hall.
SIRIUS ORION BLACK. YOU ARE DISOWNED FROM THE ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME BACK IN OUR HOME EVER AGAIN, YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE NAME OF BLACK.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY WE ARE MAKING REGULUS THE HEIR. YOU WILL NOT GET ANYTHING FROM THE FAMILY YOU HAVE SO WILLINGLY BETRAYED.
The letter rips itself into small pieces in front of him, taking his dignity with it. He stares in silence. For some reason he hadn't actually expected his family to disown him. Through the silence he hears footsteps approaching from behind him, and braces himself for some horrible Slytherin students to come taunt him.
"Mr Black." Professor McGonagall rests her hand gently on his shoulder. "Come with me." Her Scottish brogue is comforting and he finds himself following her up four flights of stairs to her office. "Take a seat, Black." She waves to the chair in front of her desk, and takes her own seat as he sits down. "Now, what would you like to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"We all heard the howler from your father, Mr Black. I am not in the business of leaving my students to deal with everything by themselves. Do you have any family members you can contact who can help you? Do you think your parents were serious?" Her voice is firm and serious and grounds Sirius a little, as he's still reeling from the letter and the things his father had said. She watches him in silence for a long moment, and then sighs a little - though he knows it's not directed at him. "Take some time to think about it, Black. Then come to me if you need help."
Sirius does take time to think about it, and finds himself panicking. He could write to his uncle Alphard, but his grandfather Arcturus may ban the whole family from contacting him. The decision on who to try writing to is taken away from him when a letter from his cousin Andromeda arrives at breakfast one morning halfway through September.
He hasn't stopped worrying about what is going to happen when the year ends and he has nowhere to go, but he has been pushing the thought to the back of his mind with all the other bad ones. He rips into the letter and skims it quickly, relief flooding through him as he reads the kind words from one disowned cousin to another. Andromeda had graduated a year ago, and almost immediately been disowned when her parents had discovered her relationship with Ted Tonks - a muggleborn.
Sirius blinks back the tears threatening and swallows down the intense relief choking him. He's not homeless and destitute. He knows logically that the Professors would have worked something out if need be, but to have one of his family members still want him means a lot.
Christmas break approaches quickly, Sirius and his new friends causing havoc in the school with their pranks and shenanigans, and for the first time in his life Sirius is looking forward to seeing his family. Andy is picking him up at Kings Cross when the train comes in and will be taking him to what will become his new home.
He steps off the train, filled with anticipation and nerves and she's standing there, looking scarily alike her elder sister and Walburga with her hooded eyes and dark, thick curls. But she has a warmth about her that no other Black save Alphard has, and her eyes are sparkling when they rest on Sirius.
"Sirius!" She calls loudly, pulling him into a hug that soothes the sore feelings that have been dogging him for too long. "I'm so glad to see you. You wonderful rebellious Lion." She ruffles his hair in a way that makes him feel a lot younger than her, even though she only has seven years on him. He ducks away from her hand with a grumble, but there is a large grin on his face that belies any complaints he could try to make. "Who're your friends?" She asks, nodding behind him where he hadn't realised his friends had followed him.
"James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew." He says with a grin, gesturing at them all.
"Potter?" Andy says consideringly, "Dorea's son?" She asks after a moment. James nods with a grin, gesturing further down the platform where a man nearly identical to him, and a woman that looks like a redheaded version of Andy are standing. Andy grins when she notices the looks on Sirius and James' faces as they look between her and Dorea Potter. "Oh come now, Sirius, I know you didn't pay attention in lessons, but surely you can remember our own family tree."
Sirius looks up at her, "What?" He asks, confused.
"Grandfather Pollux, his younger sister was-" She trails off and gestures at him to continue.
Sirius blinks, "Cassiopeia?"
Andy rolls her eyes, "And Dorea. And who did Dorea marry?"
"Err. Charlus Potter?" He asks uncertainly, and then lights up when he realises. "James! Your mum is a Black? And a Slytherin?"
James looks a little sheepish, but nods eventually. Andy grins, "Well, we'll definitely come see you during the holidays then. I always liked great aunt Dorea. Come on Sirius, Ted was trying to find a parking spot, but it's mayhem around here at this time of day."
Sirius' eyes widen, "You have a car?" He asks eagerly as he follows his older cousin off the platform and into Muggle London. The echo of their joint laughs reverberates up and down the platform, and his friends all smile widely, happy to see Sirius Black so happy.