chapter six
MURPHY GLIDED DOWN the corridor with a letter clutched in her hand, it was a breezy Sunday morning and she was making her way across the quiet castle to the Gryffindor tower so that she could speak to her brother about the letter that their mother had sent, and to ask him to read a Transfiguration essay that she had written earlier on in the week - out of all of the classes that she's still taking she thinks that Transfiguration is her weakest subject.
Just before Murphy's first year at Hogwarts, Fleamont Potter made James promise her that he would help his sister whenever she needed it - whether it be with her school work or inviting her to Hogsmead with himself and his friends. (In the six years that Murphy has been at school she's only been to Hogsmead twice, so the deal worked out well for James). Much to James' surprise and glee, Murphy never asked too much of him over the years so he always felt obliged to help her whenever she did ask.
Despite it being Sunday, there was hardly anybody in the hallways — in fact, since breakfast ended Murphy hadn't seen more than ten students that were older than sixteen. She shook it off and blamed the weather for the desolate hallways. Over the past week the temperature had significantly dropped as September drew to a close and October was about to begin. Everyone would much rather enjoy the warmth and comfort of their common rooms than congregate in the draughty halls of the ancient castle. The younger students were still mesmerised by the magic of the school so they still ventured out in the corridors to make the most of their days off, a lot of the first years love to explore the castle and try to find every secret nook and cranny.
During the quiet breakfast, owls erupted through the hall and dropped letters and parcels down at the tables. A rolled up piece of parchment tied with a piece of red string landed in front of Murphy as she ate her butter drenched croissant.
The letter was from her mother, which wasn't unusual in the slightest as Euphemia and Fleamont send their children letters weekly, what was unusual was the fact that it had her mother's looped handwriting on the front instead of one of the house elves' unreadable scrawl. Murphy grinned instantly from ear to ear when she realised that her mother had written the letter herself.
Murphy ran her fingertips against the walls as she walked past, each and every portrait wished her well as she skipped past them. She greeted each one with a wave and a smile and continued down towards the Gryffindor tower until she could see the bottom of the steps edging closer. As she reached the bottom of the staircase she let her hand fall softly onto the wooden bannister, but before she could step up onto the first step someone called her name.
She spun on her heel and smiled at Sirius Black who had now caught up with her. Just as she stepped away from the bottom of the large staircase the entire thing twisted and changed direction.
Murphy glanced at it, relieved that she wasn't halfway up it when it decided to move. She didn't feel like being stuck on a rickety staircase in midair until it changed back. In her second year, she had gotten stuck on a staircase and missed two whole lessons — she never got over the embarrassment when a seventh year prefect had to get her down in front of half of the school.
"Murphy," Sirius said from where he stood next to where the adjacent bannister was only a minute ago. "Where are you going?" He asked.
"I'm going to see James," she told him, "Mum sent a letter," she held the rolled-up parchment up to show him, waving it in front of Sirius' face with a smile. "And I want him to help me with some homework."
"I can help you with your homework," Sirius suggested with a shrug. Murphy looked at him sceptically, she tapped her foot against the floor. "James is busy anyway." He added with a queasy smile.
James was in fact, very busy as Dumbledore was holding the first Order of the Phoenix meeting of the new school year, and according to their deal, it was Sirius' job to keep Murphy away from the common room during the meetings. Sirius would've much preferred to be present than have to secretly babysit an eager sixteen year old girl who's always adamant about seeing her brother at the most inconvenient times.
"No he isn't." Murphy frowned knowingly. She looked back up at where the staircase had moved to, the only other way to get to the Gryffindor common room would be by walking all of the way back around the castle so that she could go up a different set of stairs. The portrait of the fat lady was just out of sight, and come to think of it, Murphy doesn't even know the new password that is needed to get inside the common room.
"I'll only be five minutes," she said, "Then he can carry on doing whatever he's doing."
Sirius bit his bottom lip and shuffled his feet against the floor.
"Why don't you just go afterwards? I can help you with your homework," he held his arm out in hopes that she would take it and follow him. "You can tell me about the letter your mum sent as well."
Murphy looked at his extended arm and sighed.
"Fine," she soon gave in. She didn't take his arm but she did start to walk in the direction of the library.
"So, what did your mum send you?" Sirius asked as they walked alongside each other. Murphy handed him the parchment so that he could read it for himself.
The letter itself wasn't interesting, Euphemia merely wrote an abundance of questions asking about the first few weeks of Murphy's sixth year. There was also mention about how she was going to write to James and ask him about his detention and how he should be a good influence now that he's head boy. In the letter there were also a few lines about Sirius and how his broken nose was doing, then it was signed off with well wishes and reassurance that she was going to write again soon.
Sirius gave Murphy a curious side-eye.
"It's in mum's handwriting." She took the letter from him, folded it and then placed it in her pocket. "The last few letters she sent were written by the house elves."
Sirius opened his mouth to form an 'o'. "That's good, isn't it?"
Murphy nodded as they approached the library.
It was quiet inside. Madam Pince was sitting at her desk and she turned her nose up as she noticed that Sirius Black had walked in. Although, she didn't seem as disgruntled as she usually is whenever Sirius strolls into the library with his troublesome friends, granted they usually only ever enter the library to plan or cause unruly mischief.
"What work do you need help with?" Sirius asked as they walked between the bookshelves. They all stood tall in the middle of the library, casting dark shadows as the dark oak managed to overshine the dull light coming from the candles which were lit and hanging in random corners of the library. "I'm a much better help than James is anyway."
Murphy raised her eyebrows and stopped at the end of the shelf. Her five foot nine frame leant nonchalantly against the shelf as she pointed to the bottom of the adjacent shelf at a thick, leather-bound and old book she had to read to ensure she had written everything she needed to in her essay.
Sirius knelt down to pick it up for her.
"I don't need a lot of help," she said as she took the book off of him and stood away from the shelf. She thanked him with a polite nod. "I only wanted James to read over my essay."
"Why?" Sirius asked with a laugh. "He's crap at writing essays, you should ask me or Remus."
Murphy began to walk back towards the front of the library now she had the book she needed. Sirius followed closely behind.
"I wasn't under the impression that you would read my terrifically boring essays for me, I make James do it as he hates it." She told him with a small smile as she turned around to look at him, her brown eyes wide.
"I don't mind," Sirius told her. "Plus, you told James that we're friends, didn't you?" He asked with a sly smirk.
Murphy nodded, half embarrassed as she tried to hide her flushed cheeks by looking down at the floor. To save herself from having to look at Sirius, she placed the large book down on the desk with a loud bang - loud enough to make Madam Pince sneer at her.
Sirius chuckled as he stood beside her. He turned his head to look at Murphy but was distracted by someone else walking into the library. Murphy scribbled her name down on the book sign out sheet and then looked up at Professor Mcgonagall, who walked into the library and towards the desk.
"Alright Minnie," Sirius grinned, turning around so that he could lean his back against the desk. Madam Pince huffed and waved her wand so that none of his body was touching her beloved desk. Sirius grunted as he stumbled, quickly regaining balance.
"Mr Black," Mcgonagall said, "I'm missing the three page essay that you promised would be on my desk by this morning."
Sirius' grey eyes widened. "Are you sure you looked properly?" He asked, a devilish smirk on his face.
Mcgonagall tutted, "I want it by curfew."
Sirius nodded and Murphy picked up her book and smiled at the teacher.
"Good morning Euphemia," Minerva Mcgonagall actually smiled, "How are you feeling?" She asked kindly.
Sirius quickly whipped his head around to look at Murphy, who was still smiling at the Gryffindor head of house.
"I'm feeling good thank you, Professor," she replied.
Mcgonagall nodded slightly. "That's good to hear," she said, glancing at the book that Murphy had clutched against her chest, "I look forward to reading your essay."
Murphy nodded, her cheeks glowing pink.
"Thank you, Professor," she said just as she stepped past the teacher and walked towards the door of the library. Sirius was about to follow her.
"Eight pm, Mr Black." She said sternly before turning to start a conversation with the librarian.
As soon as Sirius caught up with her he looked at her with a blank expression, before erupting in something which was practically a howl.
"What are you laughing at?" Murphy asked with a frown as she clutched the book to her chest.
"Nothing," he smirked. "Euphemia."
Murphy rolled her dark eyes and turned around so that she could continue back down the corridor. "It's no worse than Sirius, Sirius." She said simply, turning around to flash him a small smile.
"You're named after your mother." He stated as if she didn't already know. Murphy turned again for a brief second and raised an eyebrow.
"As is James, well our father not our mother," she said, "Aren't you named after your grandfather? Or is it your uncle?"
"Both, probably." He shrugged. He started speed walking for a second so that he was walking beside Murphy instead of behind her. "And I'm pretty sure your father's name isn't James. Or am I just a really bad adoptive son?"
Murphy chuckled. "You're a bad best friend it seems, James' middle name is Fleamont."
Sirius howled for a second time, stopping in the hallway and scaring the living daylights of a first year girl who wasn't expecting the seventh year boy to let off a mighty roar of laughter.
"He told me he didn't have a middle name." He practically screeched, pausing between each word to laugh. "That is definitely going to be brought up at the next mee- " He suddenly stopped himself.
"The next?" Murphy asked, curiously.
"Time I see him," he said quickly.
Murphy raised her eyebrows again but didn't say anything, instead, she carried on walking with a childish skip. She noticed that they were walking towards the Hufflepuff common room instead of the Gryffindor Tower, which is where she had originally intended to go after visiting the library.
As they passed the kitchens, Sirius insisted on entering as he had 'nothing else to do.' Murphy didn't believe him, not even slightly but she nodded and followed him inside after he tickled the pear and the door swung open.
As soon as they entered a tiny House Elf approached them, her large eyes wide as she smiled at Sirius.
"Hullo Mr Black," she said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the centre of the large, hot room. "I see you've brought another pretty girl with you."
Sirius squeezed his eyes shut for a brief second as Murphy smiled with her eyebrows raised, a small chuckle escaped her mouth before she bit her bottom lip shut.
"I do not bring girls in here, Pippy." He told the house elf assertively. She held her tiny hand against her mouth and muttered about a dozen quiet apologies.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry Mr Black," Pippy repeated. "I had forgotten about that boy," she added with her squeaky voice before waving at her friend. Once again, Sirius squeezed his eyes shut. This time, Murphy couldn't help but let a small laugh escape her as she watched Sirius' cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Sirius coughed, awkwardly.
"Sorry," the elf repeated for a final time. "What can I get you Mr Black?"
"I'll have a sandwich please," he smiled, his cheeks still tinted pink. He turned to Murphy. "And you?"
Murphy paused as she thought. "Do you have any of last night's casserole left?" She asked, lowering herself so that she was closer to the elf's height. She nodded frantically and disappeared off into the deep kitchen.
Sirius sat down on a tiny bench, Murphy sat beside him.
"She has me confused with somebody else," he told her as he looked into her dark, doe-like eyes.
"House elves are very forgetful," Murphy replied. Sirius couldn't ignore the sarcasm that was laced in her kind voice. "Like that one time that Binky told mum that you and James had snuck out that one night, or when she caught you stealing dad's whiskey."
Sirius rolled his silver eyes.
"You can't take Binky's word for anything," he said in reference to one of the Potter's many house elves. Binky had been Murphy's favourite ever since she was born, at one point the poor elf was Murphy's only friend. "Like when she told your father you had smoked a cigarette out of your bedroom window," Sirius smirked.
Murphy gasped. "I told her not to say anything!"
Pippy soon returned with Sirius' sandwich was a disgusting combination of all kinds of meat and an unhealthy (or is it a healthy?) amount of tomato. Murphy's vegetable casserole was on a plate, and she took it from the elf's tiny hand with a thank you and a smile.
After they finished their food they thanked the elf again and left the kitchen. Sirius stood outside the door as Murphy followed him.
"You must go down to the kitchens often if she knows what sandwich you have," Murphy said with a devilish smile.
Sirius shook his hair, strands of dark hair grazed against his cheeks. "With my friends," he told her as a matter-of-factly, "You know, your brother and Peter. Ooo! I can't forget Remus." Sirius wriggled his eyebrows, "I bet you can't forget him either."
Murphy frowned, a crease forming in the centre between her eyebrows.
"I'm going to kill James," she grumbled and folded her arms across her chest.
Sirius laughed, and the pair walked further down the hallway until they reached the end where a pile of barrels sat. Sirius looked sceptical, but Murphy knocked the barrels in an extremely unrhythmic fashion.
"I've never been in the Hufflepuff common room, you know," he said as the barrels moved to reveal the entrance.
"You'll have to find somebody who likes you enough to invite you in then," Murphy replied as her mouth turned up. "Goodbye Sirius," she said before ducking into the common room and letting the barrels close behind her.