The World, Biscuits And Sirius Black According To Nellie O'Neill

Talks, Detention, Marauders And Me

If life can be described by using any word, then right now that word would be weird.

I mean today, I woke up with one sock on. One umbrella-decorated sock. Where is the missing one? I haven't found it yet because it's probably lost in the dumping ground I call my corner. It's really an organized mess. Nobody else sees it that way.

Izzie is a neat freak. She'll spend an hour straightening out every crease on her skirt or shirt, where I think it's cool to be crinkly. Izzie thinks I'm mad, but Izzie is the mad one around here. Who labels their underwear? Izzie does!

So, I've lost a sock. It's been happening quite a lot lately. It explains why now I'm wearing an electro blue one and a red one with ladybugs. I would have taken a pair of Izzie's but who knows how many pairs of socks she has labeled? It would be impossible to parade around wearing her socks without her noticing.

And then I spilled gravy all over myself this morning because Nearly Headless Nick appeared in the middle of the chicken platter and almost frightened me to death. Well, not literally to death. I too could pop up from the chicken.

That would be cool...but sort of creepy.

I walked to my wonderful detention with Binns. It should be fabulous if he doesn't talk. That's why I'm dragging my feet. A snail would beat me in a race hands down.

I'm really excited as you can probably tell.

I got there to find four surprises were already sitting there.

It just gets better doesn't it?

Yes, you guessed right. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter were already sitting in Professor Binns' classroom. They gave a little wave, but I ignored it and glared before sitting as far as I could away from them. They always seem to get me in trouble, you see.

"We don't have any kind of contagious disease, you know." Sirius remarked when I sat down.

"I'm not too sure..." I mumbled, looking around the classroom and everywhere a Marauder wasn't. In a flash, four boys were sitting next to me. Sirius and James sat either side of me with Remus and Peter sitting on the desk in front but they were sitting backwards so they could talk to me.

If only I was Clarissa McKowans. She would have loved this since she fancies them. She is known for throwing herself all over people... especially the Marauders. I think it's because she's so insecure and self-loathing that she needs the extra love. She has this friend called Sarah...but I refuse to talk about her.

That is just my theory anyway. I've never talked to her. Besides, I don't think she likes me. She gave me a dirty look yesterday just because I walked into her. It's a common mistake I make with everyone.

"What are you doing here?" I tried to ask coldly but it came out too cheerful. Damn. I should learn to sound cold and indifferent. It might come in handy one day. I must put that on my never-ending list of things to do.

"We have detention with Binns." James answered.

"You actually go to them?" I asked. "However do you fit them all in?"

Sirius laughed, but his laugh seemed odd, like it was hiding the very thing that made him who he was; a Black. The curse of the Blacks had tainted him. It had turned his soul into a murky grey colour, his laugh disguised him like some kind of Muggle magic show. The real person hid in the hat and the person putting on the show was this aloof, charming, carefree boy but what I remember from my talks with Regulus Black, Sirius was anything but.

"We don't usually." Sirius shrugged it off lightly.

I looked at him before shaking my head; I hoped Binns was coming soon.