Mischief Managed Year One: Mayhem of the Moon

Chapter Twenty-Five- A Black Christmas

After Christmas, things had gotten slightly better. He had been allowed to stay at his aunt's, who was as disapproving as his mother, but a great deal less vocal about it. Also, there was no dementor at his aunt's house, and Bella was off getting to know her future husband who was her age but already graduated like she was supposed to be.

Sadly, Drommie was also away. His cousin preferred to hang out with her friends rather than constantly argue with her mother. This meant Sirius only had to deal with Narcissa, who was closest to him in age. She was a mere four years older but treated him like he was a dumb toddler.

"No Sirius, you can't go into that room I know my mum told you!" she chided him when she caught him once again trying to enter his uncle's office. Sirius had a talent for sniffing out where the drama was happening and he knew if he could get in the office he could find out family secrets, that as a child he wasn't privy to yet.

"I know that Sissy, I'm not dumb! That's why it's called rule-breaking."

She wrinkled her nose in disdain and whipped out her wand in a clear threat.

"You wouldn't dare."

"There are plenty of adults here. We both know the ministry won't notice."

"That goes for me too, then," he retorted, drawing out his own wand. He knew logically that he couldn't stand up to Narcissa, but he presented himself with all the air of a true Black heir and she put her wand down.

"Just...quit being a child. You aren't allowed in there."

"Whatever. Why don't you go and snog the picture of Malfoy in your room," he teased. She flushed angrily and stormed away. For all her threats he knew Narcissa wouldn't really hurt him, not unless Bella was there to egg her on.

Actually, way back when they were both little they had actually been friends. Then Narcissa went to Hogwarts five years before he could and suddenly she was better than he was and wouldn't give him the time of day. If he was being honest, he missed the days when they would play chess together.

"Hey Cissy, you wanna play a game of chess later?" he asked out of sheer boredom. Regulus was with their mother, she only didn't want him around, and Drommie was gone for long stretches of the day. Narcissa turned around, and for a second he thought she'd agree but then she stuck up her nose.

"I'm not falling for that. You'd probably put a dung bomb under my seat again, you twat."

Yep, those days were indeed over. He resigned himself to his fate and retreated to the guest room that would be his for roughly the next week and a half.

He tried to tell himself he was safer here, away from his mother's rage. But it hurt to be so unwanted just because of a stupid Hogwarts house. His mother had never been what one would call maternal and he'd never been a real kiss ass like Regulus, but her blatant disdain of him now was...upsetting.

There, he admitted it.

Just because he admitted it to himself didn't mean he felt better. In fact, he felt worse for it. So he caused hell the next couple of days at his aunts, taking it out on the only target around, Narcissa. Drommie tried to get him to stop and he calmed down for a few days but after New Years', when he was stuck home alone with his prissy boring cousin yet again for the whole day, he was at the end of his rope and he really couldn't help himself.

In fact, he reckoned he was quite justified in his pranks after having to put up with his family's "pureblood" banter the night before, a topic Narcissa never ceased to irritate him with. So he carried out his plan then positioned himself in a good place to watch the chaos that would undoubtedly follow.