If there's one thing that Sirius Black is good at, it's complaining.
My food is too hot. This chair is too low. Regulus, stop talking so loud, you're annoying me.
Sirius Black, by nature, is a massive whiner. But somehow, when he stepped foot into the crappy muggle train station with bright lights and the lingering smell of rainwater, he had nothing to complain about. In fact, Sirius may have never been happier in his life.
When he had first heard of Hogwarts, he was skeptical. There was no school in the world that could be fun; that much he was sure of. Especially not a school that his parents would've gone to, two of the most rigid people he'd ever met. But when Andromeda, his big cousin that was much cooler than he could ever be, came home from her year with the biggest smile on her face and stories of the fun she had, Sirius changed his mind.
"Sirius," his mother said, effectively stopping him from running straight into the brick wall that read 'Platform 9 ¾.' He turned around and looked at her. She was a very beautiful woman; tall, and sturdy. Long, black hair that was a parallel to her last name. Sirius was incredibly frightened of her.
"Yes, Mother?" Sirius replied, rather hoping she'd keep it short. Could she not see how excited he was to leave?
"Your family is reflected in how you behave at school. You will not disappoint me." Sirius knew what this meant. Get sorted into Slytherin. Don't befriend any mudbloods or blood-traitors. Get good marks.
"I wouldn't dream of it," the young boy said with a cheeky grin. He quickly amended himself at the look in her eye. "Yes, Mother," he said instead. His mother gave him a stern nod and Sirius took this as permission to leave. He grabbed his cart, waved goodbye to his Mum and little brother, and took off in a run towards the barrier.
Though he knew he wouldn't hit the wall, Sirius winced as he ran. When he didn't run into anything, he opened his eyes to a massive platform with dozens of young witches and wizards. It was much warmer on the platform than it had been in the station. He watched as sons and daughters hugged their parents, but didn't give it much mind. How could he, when a large crimson train sat unmoving with beautiful gold lettering that read 'The Hogwarts Express' in front of him.
When Sirius found an empty carriage, he lifted his bags over his head into the compartment with some effort. With a sigh, he took his seat easily, taking precaution to remove his wand from his back pocket first. It seemed a pity that kids weren't allowed a wand until they were enrolled in school. Think of all the magic he'd already know had he been allowed one.
Though Sirius was excited for a trip in silence, his paradise didn't last long. A bustling outside of his carriage and the scraping of the metal door caused Sirius to look up.
"Hello," a messy haired boy with too much luggage said. He looked a wreck, but he had a grin on his face that didn't make Sirius lift his nose.
"Hello," Sirius replied coolly, just looking at the boy. He did not move, nor say anything, and Sirius ticked an eyebrow.
"Oh, right, yes, sorry, I'm James. Can I sit here?" Sirius tried not to laugh at the frazzled boy, deciding to just nod with a smile and watch as he lugged his bags over his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"Sirius Black," he said, and did not waiver when James' eyes went big. "You're James...?"
"Potter," James replied quickly, as though he would get in trouble if he didn't answer quickly. This was not new to Sirius. People tended to have this reaction when they heard his surname. Not just kids either, which raised a few questions in his mind about what his parents did in their free time.
"Potter," he said, trying the name out for himself. Of course, he's heard of the Potter's. Nasty blood-traitors, them. His mother would kill him if she knew who he found as company. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her. "Well it's nice to meet you, James Potter."
"And you, Sirius Black," James replied with a smile that Sirius matched. James had an energy about him, like he had so much goodness inside him that he had to share, and Sirius liked the shift away from his family. "So, what house are you hoping for?" That made him laugh.
"Slytherin." He doesn't need to think about it. It's not a want, it's a necessity.
"Who would hope for Slytherin?" James asked, a bit incredulous.
"My whole family has been in Slytherin," he replied. "Wouldn't want to disappoint the relatives, would we?" The messy haired boy did not seem content with this answer.
"Well, let's just forget about that for a minute. If you could be in any house you wanted, which would you hope for?" Sirius almost wants to tell him that there's no point in pretending. However, he looks a bit like a puppy, so Sirius appeases him.
"Mmm, maybe Gryffindor. If I'm switching over to the dark side I might as well go all the way." This makes James laugh, and Sirius decides it's his new favorite sound.
"Well maybe we can switch to the dark side together. I'd rather like to be in Gryffindor as well." Big shocker there, the loud kid decked out in crimson wants to be in Gryffindor. Sirius doesn't doubt that he'll get in. "You got any siblings?"
"Yeah, my little brother Regulus." James nodded and asked how he liked him. "He's alright. My parents are kind of uptight," understatement of the year, "but I love my brother a lot. He's pretty quiet, though."
"Not into the quiet type?"
"I don't mind them. But I prefer those looking for a bit of mischief," he replied with a glint in his eye that James seemed to share. "What about you, got any family?"
"Nah, just my parents. Only child," he said, pointing his thumbs at himself, and Sirius laughed out loud at that because yeah, no kidding. "You gonna try out for the quidditch team?" Sirius shakes his head.
"Not that into quidditch. Also I'm pretty sure you have to be a Second Year before you can try out." James' eyes go big again.
"Not that into quidditch? How could you not be into quidditch!" Sirius laughed. "I'm going to be the first to get on the quidditch team as a First Year, I swear it. I'm good enough to get on the team."
"I'm sure that's true, James." He rolled his eyes, but honestly? Part of him believed it. James seemed the type that people would bend to his will on a whim.
"And don't change the topic, how could you not like quidditch!" Sirius doesn't doubt that had he been exposed to the sport throughout his childhood he would definitely enjoy it. But there wasn't much room for games in his house, what with his harboring mother who deemed most things as wastes of time. He told James as much, who seemed put out at the information.
"Bloody awful, that. Everyone should get to see a game at least once." He was huffy and it made Sirius smile.
"Tell me about it. Go on, who's your favorite team?" And oh, Sirius should not have asked that, because then James begins an incredibly long conversation about why the Montrose Magpies are the best team in the league, and why the Chudley Cannons will never hold a candle to their excellence. He honestly never thought that anyone could ever be as passionate about something as James is about quidditch, to the point where Sirius was beginning to get interested as well.
By the time that the sky was dark and the train had slowed to a stop, Sirius had never felt more awake. The two boys left their luggage on the train, standing and exiting into the cool night air.
"Bit mad making us ride across a lake in September, isn't it?" His new friend asked when they were instructed to sit in little boats to reach the castle.
"I heard it's only First Years who have to do it as well." That made James huff a laugh as they set off toward land in a small boat with a mousy looking girl.
And then, as though no time had passed at all, they were inside of the Great Hall, a long room with four rows of tables and a magnificent skylight above them. An older witch with long brown hair stood on the platform they were led to at the front of the room. She held a stale old hat in front of her, and Sirius recognized it at once. The sorting hat. Sirius felt a little saddened that he wouldn't be in the same house as his new-found friend. There was no point in delaying the inevitable, though, and when the witch named McGonagall called the name 'Black, Sirius!' he sat on the stool and watched his world go dark as the hat was placed over his head.
"Another Black," a deep voice rang in his head that he could only assume was the sorting hat. "Hoping for Slytherin, are we?"
Not so much hoping, Sirius replied, thinking of James. Expecting, more like.
"Expecting? Why's that?"
My whole family's been in Slytherin. Wouldn't want to disappoint them, he said, reciting back what he told his friend on the train.
"Not your whole family," the hat replied, making Sirius pause. Not his whole family? Then... who? "Besides, it would be a pity to place you in Slytherin. When you're so clearly...
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat rang out, and Sirius blinked at the bright lights and loud applause when it was removed. He stood shakily and took his seat at the Gryffindor table, making sure his eyes didn't drift over to his family members in Slytherin. When he was firmly seated, he promptly began to freak out. Merlin his mother was going to kill him, and not in a joking way this time. She wasn't really the understanding type, and he didn't think that trying to convince her he desperately wanted Slytherin would work. His father probably wouldn't be too thrilled either, but he never seemed to care about anything else Sirius did, so hopefully he could get away with just one family member hexxing his bollocks off.
Sirius tried to watch the rest of the sorting ceremony, but found it a little hard when he was having trouble breathing. He caught a few names before a boy named Remus Lupin was called, and oh, Sirius was intrigued by him. He seemed wobbly on his feet, clad in bright striped socks and a tie that was poorly done. The boy was sorted into Sirius' house.
When James was called, he was able to slightly calm down at the word "GRYFFINDOR!" leaving the hat's mouth almost immediately.
"You did it!" James said when he sat down. "You got into Gryffindor!"
"Hooray," Sirius deadpanned, and James rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Oh, don't do that, you dramatic git. I'm sure your family won't care that you got into a different house than them. Actually, they might be happy about it!" Oh to be James Potter, so blissfully ignorant, so loved by his parents.
"Yeah, maybe."