The Other One | Sirius Black

Chapter 52 - Child

James Potter had a surprisingly hard right hand. Everyone knew he was good at quidditch but they didn't think the rather scrawny teenage boy could pack a punch. Until he threw one at Sirius Black in the common room. Sirius could feel his eyes watering as his hand flew over to his left cheek.

"What the hell, mate?" Sirius indignantly asked.

"You know bloody well what you've done, mate," James spat before shoving his best friend to the floor.

Remus and Peter quickly scrambled to defend Sirius, but he shrugged them off.

Before he could refute James had already grabbed the collar of his shirt and punched him again.

This time, neither of the boys noticed the two girls coming in through the portrait hole.

Joanna could hear James fume, "My sister is off-bounds, Black!"

Despite their hardest attempts of prying Jo's brother away, James still had Sirius pinned to the floor, too pissed off to listen to his friends exclaim, "Stop" or "Calm down".

"It's not your decision who she gets to be with," Sirius choppily claimed with blood dripping from his nose.

Jo would not allow this blatant display of barbarism from ruining her otherwise pleasant evening. She had aced her Charms exam after weeks of studying and revisions.

"Petrificus Totalus" was heard among the flurry of curses and swears exchanged among the two Gryffindor boys, but silence ensued.

"If you two don't put your egos aside, we're going to get points deducted from McGonagall. And you're Head Boy, James. What kind of example are you setting for the rest of us? I should be writing to mum this very instant," Jo reprimanded the limp bodies on the floor.

The spell was starting to wear off because James spoke, "When were you going to tell me, Elizabeth, that you and Sirius were shagging in the Room of Requirement for who knows how long?"

Sirius began but got interrupted, "We haven't even sha--"

"You are in no position to question who I do or don't get to shag. That has nothing to do with you," she huffed, crossing both her arms over her chest. She didn't like when he used her middle name like that. It reminded her of when her father would get mad at her.

Remus, Peter, and Kate slowly took their seats on the couch next to the stairs. They wanted to listen or mediate if the need arose, but being near an exit was also preferable.

"It has everything to do with me if it involves my sister and my former best friend," James reasoned, gradually getting up from the cold floor.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Prongs. This doesn't get in the way of our friendship," Sirius grumbled.

James countered, "If it doesn't then why were you keeping it a secret from me?"

Joanna glanced over at Sirius only to find him doing the same. She couldn't rumble and admit defeat so easily. No one was going to get in the way of her happiness which now included Sirius. Not Regulus, and certainly not James.

She took a second to soak up Sirius' calming silver stare and spoke, "Because I knew you would throw a fit exactly like this one. You proved my point."

The older Potter asked, "You think this isn't warranted? I had to hear from some fourth-year gossiping about how you were snogging him in the stairwell before dinner."

Sirius stood up now. A new gush of crimson over his mouth caused him to pinch his nose. Jo quickly conjured a tissue to clean his red chin and lips. She tried not to focus too much on his swollen eye.