The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Lily's Brothers

Lily's Brothers

Hours went by without a single movement in the reflection of the mirror and eventually James fell asleep. He didn't mean to - he'd tried very, very hard to stay awake, stammering to attention each time Sirius nudged him, murmuring incohesive sentences ("...but mum says the Giant Squid doesn't like caramel nougat..."). Finally, Sirius just let him drift off and sat on the end of James's bed, his knees holding up the mirror, staring at the darkness, whispering pleas for Remus to turn it over.

Midway through the night, when Sirius had finally begun to give up hope that Remus would be coming back that night, he pulled Lily Evans' postcard from his pocket and looked down at the elephant, holding high it's little red feather. He hadn't noticed there were words at the bottom of the card. I believe you can fly, it said.

Sirius turned it over and looked at the very tiny, very cramped handwriting that spiraled and looped and just barely fit in the space on the card.

Dear Sirius, You know I don't usually bother you with things like this but except that one time but I knew you would understand... I'm at the Happiest Place on Earth, they call it, and yet I can't truly, fully enjoy it because my sister Tuney hates me so much. Sometimes just the way she looks at me is too much to stand, as though there's something wrong with me, as though I disgust her. She refuses to speak to me; we're sharing a room! I don't mean to bring you down, but you're the only one I know who has sibling problems like I do. Do you ever have hope of possibly reuniting with Regulus? Do you ever wish that perhaps he would change and understand you? How do you push past it? How do you forget someone that you've spent all of your life as best friends with? Who am I without Tuney? Sorry to be so dramatic. Out of room. Miss you. Say hi to Remus. Lily.

Sirius stared at the words - the last several sentences so tightly packed that they were very nearly all one word.

Sirius sighed. He was very glad he hadn't shared this all with James. James would've got angry at Lily's sister all over again and it wouldn't have helped at all and probably Lily wouldn't have trusted Sirius again in the future. He sighed and leaned back against the footboard of the bed, then raised an eyebrow and looked at the mirror.

"I'm not the person to be asking advice from, Evans," Sirius whispered, shaking his head.

But if Lily Evans needed somebody -- and she'd chosen Sirius Black to talk to about it for whatever insane reason -- farbeit from him to deny her.

Sirius rolled out of the bed and he grabbed some parchment from James's desk and propped the mirror up against a globe he had sitting on the corner of the desk. He took a deep breath and took up a quill, dipping it in a bit of ink.

Oi Evans if you only knew...
First off, Regulus and Petunia both ought to meet and hang out sometime and exchange notes. Sounds like they'd be right perfect for one another. I shall start calling you Sissy in Law now in preparation... If nothing else they would bond over their mutual hatred for their siblings. (You and I, meanwhile could form an alliance against them...)
There's no getting over it, I'm afraid. It doesn't get easier to come to terms with it. At least you've got your mum and dad and they love you, yeah? And you've always got the four of us - you're the fifth Marauder, Evans, and I'm sorry to tell you that you haven't got a single choice about it. We're family, the lot of us (even you and Potter, I regret to inform you).
You see, you might've lost a sister when you came to Hogwarts, but you've gained four brothers.
Now, enough about you, let's talk about me (ha ha ... no really let's talk about me):
I've done the most daft thing in all the world, Evans. I've hurt Remus Lupin and I feel real shoddy about it right now. There isn't a bloody thing to be done. He's put the mirror down and no matter how hard I shout and cry into the reflection, he won't return. I even made Prongs try at it and Moony's still refused to come 'round to speak to me. Evans, what am I to do???
It'd be one thing if I'd just said something stupid and it wasn't a big deal and he'd just forget about it eventually and all would be well but it's not like that. I said the worst thing I possibly could've done.
I called him a Monster.
I didn't mean it.
How do I tell him I don't mean it, Evans?
Help a brother out.
Love,
Sirius