Celestial | Sirius Black Love Story

Platform 9 3/4

I woke up early as ever the next morning and decided to perform the Routine particularly slow rather than go for a jog through Diagon Alley. By the end, all my muscles were shaking and my skin was coated with sweat. I left the deeper part of my mind and took several deep breaths before stepping into the bathroom, stripping down, and turning on the shower. As I shampooed my long hair, I realised I had forgotten to have my hair cut when I was here, and as we were leaving early this morning, I wouldn't have time today. I sighed, and decided to ask one of the girls in my dormitory to do it for me when we got to Hogwarts.

I got dressed in a light blue pair of bell bottoms and a large grey jumper: the sky had grown overcast that day, and the dark clouds threatened rain. I pulled on my boots and packed the last of my stuff in my trunk. I dried my hair with a towel, and decided to let it air-dry. As always. I had almost given up on brushing it nowadays, so I let it fall down my back in damp knots.

I checked my watch to see that it was now half past eight, and thought most of the others should be up so I walked I took my wand from the night stand, stuffed it down my boot and closed the door behind me. Just as I walked off the last step, the room filled with cheers, and I looked around to see the whole group sitting at a table.

"And sleeping beauty has awoken!" Sirius exclaimed. Panicking, I checked my watch again, but saw that I had not read it wrong

"Wha-"

They all roared with laughter at the look of confusion that was no doubt on my face.

"Don't worry, dear, the boys convinced us to get up a bit earlier as a joke." Hope said, moving over on the bench by the long table so I could go and sit down, which I did.

"Now that the person we have all been waiting for has arrived," Sirius said, and I scowled at him. He winked at me, then continued, "She should know that we have all bought her a start of term gift!"

I looked up, "Oh no, you shouldn't have! I really don't need anything."

"Hush now, little one." James - who was sitting on my other side - said, and put his hand on my head. Even sitting down, I was much shorter than him.

Remus cleared his throat and brought something out of his previously suspiciously bulky jumper.

I gasped, my hands over my mouth, "Oh, she's beautiful!"

It was a small, bengal kitten. Its fur was a warm orange spotted and striped with black. I reached over the table to take her from Remus, who beamed at me. The young cat climbed up my jumper and started to lick and nibble at my chin, then continued to venture around my shoulder, sniffing at my hair and playing with it with her paw. I giggled and brought her back down to my lap, where she eventually settled and started to pur.

"Thank you all so, so much, she's absolutely perfect!" They all smiled at me, and I felt a small tear leak out of the corner of my eye, and I looked away embarrassed, hoping no one had noticed.

Whilst I practically inhaled my breakfast, partly because I was starving after the tough training session, partly because I was excited to play with the cat, James and Sirius played with her, having already eaten.

"So what've you got to do as a prefect?" I asked Lily and Remus through a mouthful of food, to which Hope attempted to look reprovingly at me, but ended up just smiling.

"Well, first off, we need to meet up in the prefect's carriage on the train and do some duties there, so you'll have to be on your own with those duffers." Remus told me as he looked over at Sirius and Remus who were now walking around on all four meowing at a confused looking kitten.

"Or," Lily said, looking smug, "I bet Oliver wouldn't mind you sitting with him, he was looking you all over when you weren't looking at the Quidditch shop yesterday."