The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Shaped a Bit Like a Freak

Shaped a Bit Like a Freak

Sirius Black had never studied so hard in his life.

He sat pouring over those old yearbooks like he should've done with his homework - in fact, when he missed turning in a paper for Transfiguration and McGonagall asked him about it, Sirius said, "Oi, Minnie love, you have no idea how hard I've been studying this week."

"Studying what?" McGonagall demanded, eyeing him, "Apparently not Transfiguration."

Sirius said, "Yearbooks, darling - yearbooks."

"Yearbooks?"

"Yeah, yearbooks." Sirius bent over to dig into his bag to fetch one and pulled it out, holding it up for McGonagall to see. Beside him, Remus covered his face as McGonagall stepped forward and looked at the book. Her eyes flitted over the cover, then up to Sirius. "Might I say, Minnie, darling, you were adorable when you were an ickle firstie. Were you as wild as you appeared?"

McGonagall's mouth formed a tight line. "Mr. Black," she said sternly, "I have warned you against looking into Mia Black, have I not?"

"Actually, Professor, you have not," Sirius answered, shrugging. "And honestly, I have a right to know my family, haven't I?" he stared up at her. "It's really important, Minnie... I wanna know I'm not the only one that's escaped them. I wanna know I have a chance."

McGonagall sighed loudly and turned back to the front of the room. "You won't find anything of Mia Black in those books anyway, search as you might."

Sirius's jaw set with determination. "Oh?" he asked.

By now, Lily and James were looking just as uncomfortable as Remus was over this exchange.

"No," McGonagall replied stiffly. "You will not."

"Erased her, did you?"

"Mr. Black," McGonagall said sternly, "You will let this matter drop. Mia Black is not any of your concern and -- and honestly it's a very... dangerous topic... for you to be investigating. Let it go."

Sirius stared at her.

But he did not let it go, whatever Minnie had told him, he was still sitting about in the common room, pouring over old photos in the pages of the yearbooks. One night, he was sitting on the couch, the book from Minerva McGonagall's seventh year open, balanced on Remus's back as he lay across Sirius's lap on his belly, a textbook on the cushion next to Sirius's leg that Remus was flicking through. James was sitting on the floor with the Snitch in his hand, drawing up plays for the Quidditch try-outs on Saturday and Peter sat attempting to roast marshmallows in the hearth.

"Oi James," Sirius said, waving the book, "Found a picture of your mum and dad in here. Looks like they went to the Yule Ball together in seventh year."

"Let me see," James said, reaching for the book.

Sure enough, there was a photo in the bottom corner showing the pretty-faced Dora Potter in a plain-looking dress. Charlus stood beside her, wearing dress robes that were probably in high fashion in the early 50's but now, twenty-some-odd years later, looked quite outdated. "Bloody hell, he looks like a right git!" James said, shaking his head but smirking down at them. Charlus Potter had been so bloody in love with Dora - and you could see it in his face as he held her in his arms and spun her about, staring down at her as though it was the whole universe he held. James pictured a long and romantic relationship had led up to this photograph - something not unlike Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewitt. He ran his hand over the photograph. He wished so much that he had that, too.