The Missing Marauder: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Chapter 19

"Oi! Padfoot! Wake up!" James called excitedly, "We have to get ready for the train!"  

Sirius groaned.  

"Get up or you're not going."  

Sirius bolted upright in bed. "I'm up."  

James laughed. "Get dressed, mate, and I'll see you downstairs in a minute."  

"Sure," Sirius muttered sleepily, "Yeah, okay..." He pulled the covers off and swung his legs around, stood up, and rubbed his eyes. "When are we leaving?"  

"After breakfast," James replied, "So hurry up."  

"Yeah, yeah, don't rush me," he moaned, yawning.  

"Wow, you really look tired," James pointed out, buttoning up the shirt he was putting on.  

"What say you make that?" Sirius stopped for a second and thought, before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "I need coffee."  

"Once you're dressed, you can go downstairs and get some." At that, James took his cloak and left.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "Once I'm dressed...that can wait five more minutes..." He collapsed back onto the bed with a groan and drifted off again.

"Padfoot!" James exclaimed, "We're going to be late!"  

"That's what you get for not waking me up," Sirius said, "Next time wake me up."  

"I thought I did," James laughed, "You fell back asleep."  

"I didn't go to bed until, what, three in the morning?"  

"Oh yeah, 'cause you were so caught up in the homework you didn't do."  

"Who's every heard of homework for the summer?"  

"You, unfortunately."  

"That was a rhetorical question."  

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed."  

The pair was racing through King's Cross Station as fast as they could, Mr. and Mrs. Potter hurrying behind them. Ahead, they could see the column to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, with the analog clock a little farther back reading three minutes to eleven.  

Correction, it read two minutes to eleven.  

Believing they wouldn't make it in time, Sirius sped up and, meters away from the barrier, jumped onto the edge of the trolley, keeping perfect balance, and let it slide on its own through it. James followed his example and showed up on the other end seconds later. Mr. and Mrs. Potter showed up only a moment after.  

"Oh dear," Mrs. Potter muttered, staring at a couple each with jet black hair, and a young, miniature version of Sirius.  

Sirius followed her gaze, and immediately went cold. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists so tight his knuckles were turning white.  

James saw them too, and watched as Regulus turned his gaze sharply towards them, succeeded by his parents.  

They saw Walburga make a motion to go after Sirius, Orion attempt to stop her, and Regulus defend his fleeing mother.  

In seconds, Mrs. Black had advanced on her son and stood in front of him. Her pale grey eyes were sad and she had premature grey hairs in her black mass which was pulled half up. She was wearing a dark blue dress that went down to above her knees and a matching suit jacket. In her hair was a comb with a small fake flower on it; a black rose, of course. And on the long ring finger of her left hand was the Black Family Crest ring.