The Hidden Marauder (Harry Potter FanFiction)

A Broken Judiciary

-CHAPTER THREE-

A Broken Judiciary

It hadn't taken long in the previous evening to convince Katherine to stay at 12 Grimmauld place, as opposed to travelling and seeing her own family once again. The Mercer family was an old, prejudice group of people – much like Sirius' own family, in fact. The vast majority of people who were born into the Mercer family were sorted into Slytherin; immediately after her house announcement, Katherine found herself distanced from the group. Particularly from her father, in fact. She couldn't say that she really knew her mother – as Katherine's mother had died when she was very young, of causes she did not know, but she thought that it was highly unlikely that her mother would have cared. If anything, her mother would have been proud of Katherine being sorted into Gryffindor. It was the outcast feeling that both Sirius and Katherine shared that brought Katherine to be friends with the marauders, so she actually felt thankful towards her father for out-casting her. Without him, she wouldn't have been as happy as she had been whilst at school – that was ascertained.

Katherine adopted the room nearest to Mrs. Black's portrait, as it was unlikely any other person could have occupied it. Mrs. Black was actually quite fond of Katherine – seeing as she was pure of blood and from an old family, Mrs. Black often found herself voicing views of approval towards Katherine's being, repeatedly telling her that she would be very much a befitting wife for her son; exclaiming that he would regain some dignity. She was unaware of the fact that Katherine had been a part of the marauders, so did not even know about the fact that she was now, in the eyes of the old, a blood-traitor.

The screeching of Mrs. Black and Sirius woke Katherine from her sleep at only six o'clock the next morning. Rolling over so that her head was well and truly nestled in her pile of pillows, she frowned. Not even that could drown out the insistent cries of both Black's.

"But she'd be a befitting bride!"

"MOTHER! You're dead! You don't have a say any more!"

"You will do as I say, Sirius Orion Black!"

"The full name thing doesn't work anymore! YOU'RE A PAINTING, WOMAN!"

"Of course, because of that I cannot do anything to make the Black family respected once again! By marrying Miss. Mercer, you can!"

"But mother-"

"Is she really so bad, Sirius?"

"Yeah, Sirius." Katherine stood in the door way, fully dressed now, her face now devoid of tiredness and her eyes glinting with amusement – a sly grin edging across her lips, "Am I really so bad?"

Sirius swallowed, his eyes wide as he shook his head, "N-no, but-"

"Then why not, imbecile? Honestly, what has happened to youth these days... Back when I was younger, men would have been more than happy to marry such a beautiful young woman – especially to restore some kind of pride to their family name, and especially if their mother approved of such a choice! Really Sirius, you're such a disappointment! At least Regulus did something we can be proud of; not letting such blood-traitors, half-breeds and children of filth into our family hom-"

At this point, Sirius' fists were clenched by his side, his teeth gritted and his eyes flashing with anger. In order to save Mrs. Black, and the ears of the Order from her imminent screeching, Katherine grabbed Sirius' arm and pulled him from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Only a moment later, Katherine was bent over, and laughing so hard that tears threatened to escape from her eyes.

"Crikey, Sirius. I would have just told her we were engaged!"