little miss black

-43-

Sirius tightened his grip on his fork so hard his knuckles went white. There had just been another joke about muggleborns and the whole table had rocked with laughter. Sirius and Cass remained silent and stony faced. Every so often, Avery would give Cass a sharp look and she would immediately smile or laugh at whatever was being said. Sirius was almost at breaking point.

"You know who I was talking to the other day?" Bellatrix said. She had the whole tables attention. "Fenrir Greyback." Sirius almost snapped his fork in half. Greyback was the one who had bitten Remus as a boy. "He was just saying how he had bitten three mudbloods in one night, three!" Bellatrix cackled. Cass shot her a look of pure disgust. Sirius was practically shaking next to her. She put a hand on his arm. The whole table was roaring with laughter at yet another joke.

"Stay calm." Cass whispered out of the side of her mouth.

"You're in first year right?" Cassiopeia asked Averys sister, Allegra, very loudly. She nodded. "Slytherin?" She nodded again.

"The best house!" Mr Avery said with pride. The table murmured in agreement.

"To Slytherin!" Orion said, raising his glass. Cass and Sirius did not touch their glasses. Cass knocked her fork to the floor and Sirius appeared to be having a bad coughing fit. They were not drinking to a house that had caused them this much trouble. It eventually got late enough for everyone to leave. Sirius was just holding himself together, struggling to keep his temper after the endless muggleborn, blood traitor and Gryffindor jokes. There had been a point where he would have happily jinxed them all but remembered he didn't have his wand. The Black family sat in the sitting room.

"Sirius you really ought to sit up straight." Walburga said. Sirius straightened up. He couldn't calm down. His palms were almost bleeding at the strength he was digging his nails into them. Cass watched him anxiously. Walburga whisked her away to help her pick out some new robes.

"Sirius you are not to speak to that filthy Potter boy anymore. His whole family are blood traitors and I don't want it rubbing off on you." Orion said, from over his paper. "This says that Mr Fleamont Potter saved a bunch of muggles from a burning house. Disgusting."

"What was he meant to do? Let them die?!" Sirius snapped. His limit has been reached, no one would insult the Potters if he could help it.

"Yes, it would have gotten rid of some scum, improved the world." Orion sneered. "I expect Potter was too scared to-" They never found out what Orion was going to say.

"Fleamont Potter is ten times the man you'll ever be!" Sirius yelled, jumping to his feet. Orion had his wand drawn in seconds but Sirius was so fuelled by his anger that he didn't care. He tackled Regulas to the ground and snatched his wand out of the pocket of his robes.

"Crucio!" Orion yelled. Sirius fell to the floor in agony. Walburga burst into the room and Orion was distracted, giving Sirius the chance to stand up.

"Expelliarmus!" Sirius said. Orion wand flew neatly in his hand.

"How dare you!" Walburga shrieked. "You filthy blood traitor!" Sirius blocked the spells she was shooting at him. He disarmed her quick as a flash. Cass reentered the room and everyone froze. She stared at Sirius, who had a wild look in his eye.

"Sirius what are you-"

"Accio wand!" His own wand flew neatly into his hand. He dropped his parents wands onto the floor and ran for it. Cass ran after him.