Pawns & Players - Sirius Black

-29-

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us  - J.R.R. Tolkein

"Maybe I should just go up to her and ask her out ?" Marlene was spinning in front of the mirror while practising how she was going to ask Dorcas out but at some point, the other two girls realized she was mostly talking to herself.

"Well good luck with that Marls but my advice is still, stop dating other people while you're daydreaming about Meadowes, I'm off." Retrieving her wand from her bed, she walked out of the dorm. 

Over the course of the past few months, the boys had practised the Patronus Charm nearly every night and been caught many times in the empty classrooms, their meetings now took place at the Shrieking Shack thanks to the additional passageways in the map Dorcas had returned them.

"Sirius a girl nearly followed you"

"How could I have seen her"

"Shut up, they say that a boy has died near here"

"Isn't there a new rumour like that every week ?"

"Here, we used a concealment charm but wait for it, Remus here did something super cool on it" Peter giddily handed her the blank parchment, waiting for them to explain the rest. 

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good" Accompanied by his wand, the writings revealed themselves, the precise drawings looking like her improved notebook. 

She lifted her head in amazement. "This is amazing, we can see everything" Raising her brows indicating she had more to say and gaining the intrigue of the four boys standing in front of her, she continued. "But what if it could see everyone ?"

"The Hommonculus Charm is certainly difficult but nothing we can't do, right ?"

"And I think that I got a little part of my Patronus, it might've been a wing or a horn, I'm not sure" Peter was surprisingly the first out of the four to get something.

"I simply haven't got mine yet because of its size, something like a Dragon or Hippogriff  ?" Sirius added, pushing his long black hair back.

"In your logic, Peter's must be a Dragonfly then" Remus responded knowingly, away from the other 4 to practice the spell.

"I GOT SOMETHING, I GOT SOMETHING" James had just conjured a silvery mist, forming a part of a Corporeal Patronus. 

"That was great Potter, you must've had a strong memory" Encouraging him to continue, another similar view erupted from Remus's wand.

Sirius was the only one out of the group to not have formed anything when he was exceptionally gifted at DADA without even working. He was seemingly getting annoyed by everyone around him producing something, when a fully composed Rat floated around the short boy before circling around the room and slowly disappearing.

Even Peter seemed surprised but the joy of proving to his friends that he wasn't the mediocre wizard everyone thought he was, overcame him. James and Remus were congratulating the boy while getting the motivation they needed to continue trying, Sirius was on the farthest side of the room, moving his wand aggressively. Observing the situation from far, she silently went next to him, before interrupting his wrathful wand movements.

"I think the incantation you're looking for is Avada Kedavra"

"I can't think of a memory strong enough" He was huffing exasperatedly, throwing his wand to the wall in front of him.

"When I first produced mine I didn't have it either. Try with a hope for the future instead of a memory from your past"

Taking a deep breath and recollecting his wand, he chanted.

"Expecto Patronum"  A slight mist came out of the tip and environed him. The same incantation got repeated, over and over again, each time getting more successful results, while a stag jumped around the faint room, brightening it with its steps, before the mystical animal once again disappeared into the dark. 

Peter and James did it over and over again, fascinated by them each time and everyone was in a rather cheerful spirit before a silvery wolf appeared and its owners' face fell.

"You can always do an Incorporeal Patronus if it makes you uncomfortable" She went over to him a hand on his shoulder, from his looks, he seemed even more disappointed in his animal than Peter

"But I say embrace the Moony, plus it makes you look alpha" James was trying to comfort him in his own way but had produced an unwanted effect on the boy next to him.

"THAT'S IT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED"

"What do we need Black ?" 

"Nicknames" He was smiling like he just had the most brilliant idea of the century, with James joining him.

"Like spies ?"

"Yes ! Like spies, I can be Captain S, Owlbert would be my assistant-"

"Nope"

"Okay, Captain Owlbert then ?"

"I don't think any of us will leave this place until there are five captains"

"Okay then, no captains, Moony, Owlbert, the absolute perfection that is Sirius Black and ?"

"Well, what do you want the nicknames to be about ?" Even Remus seemed to be intrigued by the idea"

"Can I get anything other than Owlbert ?"

"No" They had all answered at the same time without even looking at her.

"Then I get the right to give you all shitty nicknames"

"Do carry on lady Bertie" 

Pleased by his answer, she turned herself to Peter, investigating him for a few seconds.

"I had the perfect one if you were just a bit smaller Wormy"

"We can just cut his tail ?"

"Leave my tail alone"

Remus was watching them all bicker when he calmly threw one in the middle.

"Wormtail. Next ?"

His authoritarian voice calming them all down, they passed onto James, refusing every nickname given to him and making an even louder mess.

"SHUT UP YOU LITERALLY ARE A HORNY ANIMAL" Sirius and James were debating whether "horny deer" was the best option there was.

"THOSE AREN'T HORNS THEY ARE PRONGED ANTLERS"

"Prongs, boom. Next ?" The girl was simply bored of their screaming and had randomly found a name that pleased everyone.

All looking at the only one who hadn't discovered his form yet expectantly as he got up. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, a rarely found genuine smile placed itself across his face and for the last time, muttered the incantation.

A shaggy dog appeared in front of them all, before taking the same path the rest of the animals did and finally fading away slowly.

"Interesting dragon you have here mate" 

"Shove off James you're a horny deer"

"WE SAID PRONGS"

"I want to be Snuffles"

"Not Snuffles, it's too good compared to Owlbert"

"Mad Dog ?"

"No"

"Padfoot ?"

"How did you go from Mad Dog to Padfoot ?"

"Padfoot it is"