If In The Past

Chapter Four: Sorting, Snape ,and Sighs

Dear Remus,

Well, that was quite a tangent yesterday, wasn't it? I start off intending to talk about when I first met you and James and end up reminiscing about my crush on Lyrio Sapphirius. It just goes to show how no one event in a man's life is isolated from the others.

The following morning, Mother and I went to Peter's house to collect him and Richard. Father stayed behind with Polaris and the others, who were still asleep. He wished me good luck.

Peter's mother was the same as she always is: timid, nervous, twitching, and frantically darting her eyes about. She was wearing a flowered dress under a ruffled apron, which Peter's little sister Meredith was clinging to. Mrs. Pettigrew ushered us in quickly, probably afraid of what would happen if the door was left open for too long. Peter and Richard were standing in the kitchen with their trunks. Richard looked cheerful enough, but Peter looked as though he'd seen a particularly frightful spectre.

Marjorie Pettigrew gave them each several instructions, mostly concerning how they were to study and what vitamins they were to take at what times and what sort of dangerous activities they were to stay away from. Richard rolled his eyes, but Peter nodded fervently at every command, his eyes wide.

"They'll be fine, Marjorie," said my mother when Mrs. Pettigrew began to repeat herself. "We'd better go, or they'll miss the train."

With a final sniff, Mrs. Pettigrew said goodbye to her sons and allowed them to go. The Portkey for Hogwarts was located about a quarter of a mile away, uphill. Peter whined the entire time about how long it was and how tired he was getting. When we reached the crisps bag on the ground, my mother, myself, Peter, and Richard all grasped hold of it and momentarily found ourselves standing in Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

Richard spotted a few mates of his, and dragged Peter off to meet them. My mother seized the opportunity to talk to me in private.

"Sirius," she said, "I want you to be particularly kind to Peter, especially in the first week. I'm afraid the poor boy's inherited some of his mother's anxiety. He's going to need a little help getting used to school."

I nodded, agreeing with her about Peter's lesser qualities but not wanting him too attached to me either. Then Richard and Peter came back to where we were standing and it was time to get on the train.

"I hope I don't get sick," moaned Peter as we climbed aboard. "I always get frightfully sick on trains."

"He's exaggerating," whispered Richard. "The last time he was sick on a train he was five years old and had just eaten too much ice cream."

Once we and all our luggage were on the train, it became apparent that Richard intended to share a compartment with his friends, leaving me alone with Peter. Letting out an irritated breath, I grabbed Peter and pulled him into the nearest compartment. And that's when I first saw you.

The first thing that struck me was how pale you were, as if you had never seen the sun. Pale, and thin, with long fingers and eyelashes. Your hair was just long enough to be pulled back and it was, with a strap of brown leather. You were wearing the black Hogwarts robes already, which accentuated the pallor of your skin. As the door opened you turned, looked at us, and smiled. Your eyes surprised me; bright and lively hazel, they were welcoming fires in the snow of your skin.

"Hello," you said. "I'm Remus Lupin." And you put out your hand for me to shake. I grasped it and felt its warmth, which surprised me. You shook Peter's hand next, and I sat down next to you.

"I'm Sirius Black," I said. "We'll get along fine if you don't make any remarks about how my hair matches my surname." You grinned, flashing pearly teeth.

The door opened and another black-haired boy entered, his hair hanging in his face and his eyebrows arched.

"Hello," said Peter cheerfully (for him). The boy nodded sharply and sat down next to him.

Not a particularly cheerful fellow, but I thought I'd at least make an effort. "Are you a first-year too?" I asked him.

"Unfortunately. With my knowledge, I really ought to be at least a third-year. Father spoke to Dumbledore about it, but the man simply refused to let me move up."

You glanced at me and made a face. I tried not to laugh. "I'm Peter Pettigrew," said Peter.

The boy nodded curtly. "Severus Snape." You and I introduced ourselves again.

I can't remember very much of what we talked about on that train ride. What I do remember is the smooth line of your eyebrows, the waviness of your hair, the delicate skin of your lips as you spoke. Whatever is was we talked about, it was enough that by the time we reached school we were quite friendly and decided to share a boat across the lake.

Luckily for us, Snape, who had not said a single word the entire journey, found another boat. Peter sat next to me before you could, I remember that. A boy with spiky hair approached our boat. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" he asked.

"Go ahead," you said.

"Thanks," he said, grinning. "I only know one other person who's going to be in our year, Lily Evans, but we're not exactly friends. I'm James Potter."

We all told him our names as we pushed the boat off the shore. "Sirius!" he said. "That's the name of a star, isn't it?"

"Yeah. My parents are astronomers...my brother's name is Polaris."

"I'd rather be named either of those then James," said the boy of that name. "Too bloody common...there were three other boys called James in my year at Muggle school."

"Are you Muggle-born, then?" Peter asked.

"No, we're all magic in my family, but my parents figure that because there are more Muggles then wizards, we'd better understand them. School with Muggles was all right, mostly...except one time I had to take a letter home because Lily Evan's hair had turned green."

"Do you know her well, then?" I asked.

"Unfortunately. She's a bit annoying."

"My family's all-magic too," said Peter. "Except my mum doesn't do a whole lot anymore."

"Opposite of my mum," you said. "She's a witch and my dad's a Muggle."

By that time we had reached the castle. We were all ushered in and told about the Sorting Ceremony.

My stomach was in knots. Polaris had written me a letter a few weeks previous telling me about all the pros and cons of the different houses. He'd been a Ravenclaw. I was petrified that I'd be in Slytherin.

"Aaron, Sylvia!" read McGonagall from the list. A short and curly-haired girl placed the hat on her head. After a few seconds, it declared her a Hufflepuff.

"Abner, Mark" was a Ravenclaw; "Adder, Fae" was a Slytherin. "Amina, Todd" and "Attanagos, Maria" were both Hufflepuffs. "Baker, Terpsichore" was the first new Gryffindor.

Bamner...Bennock...Bhavra...and then, "Black, Sirius!"

I stepped forward tentatively and placed the hat on my head. "Ah, Sirius Black," it said. "Quite nervy, aren't you. Headstrong and driven...oh, this is difficult. I could easily place you anywhere. You're bright enough for Ravenclaw, brave enough for Gryffindor, ambitious enough for Slytherin, loyal enough for Hufflepuff...I may have to...yes, I think I will. Haven't had to do this in a quarter of a century..."

"Do what?" I asked.

"I'm going to look into your future," said the hat, "and determine which skill you're going to need the most. Give me a minute here. Ah...oh, I see...hmm...oh...oh no...oh good...interesting...bravery, you'll need bravery in spades. GRYFFINDOR!"

Relieved but wonder what my future would hold (oh, if only I knew), I proceeded to the Gryffindor table and took a seat. About twenty minutes later, you came and sat next to me. Your face was even whiter and your hands were shaking. "What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"That hat...it really can see everything in your head, can't it."

"Yeah," I said, shuddering to myself. It occurred to me that I should have asked the hat whether I liked boys or girls, but it was too late now.

Peter sat down next to us, and I had to stop myself from groaning. "I say," you said, "there's that other boy who was on the boat with us. James, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," said Peter.

"Gryffindor!" cried the hat, and James took a place at the table next to Peter.

"So," he said, "we'll all be in a dormitory together, then."

"Peter snores, I'll warn you," said Richard from the Hufflepuff table.

"I do not!"

"Yes you do. Hey, look at that kid! Probably never saw a bottle of shampoo in his life."

Severus Snape was putting on the Sorting Hat, which immediately declared him a Slytherin.

"Yeah, I met him on the train, he's called Snape," I said. "Nasty little git, couldn't be bothered to smile or anything."

"With my knowledge," you mimicked, arching your eyebrows exactly as he had done. Before you could finish, we all started laughing.

"Do that again, that was funny!"

"You sounded just like him!"

Even James, who hadn't met Snape yet, was in convulsions.

"With my superior knowledge," you began again, "I should be -" Then you stopped abruptly. Snape was standing directly behind you.

~~*~~

"What a creep," said James later that night as we were unpacking our suitcases in the dormitory.

"The remark he made about how the collective brains of the Gryffindor first-years could fit in a teacup was highly unnecessary," you said, a hint of a smile on your face. "Oh well, just proves we bothered him. If we didn't, he wouldn't have said anything."

"We still haven't decided who's taking what bed," said Peter, changing the subject.

"I call the one by the window," you said.

"I'll take the one next to it," I said immediately. James took the one after that, leaving Peter the bed closest to the door. As I was getting under the covers, I heard a cackle and a series of loud pops.

"PEEVES!" you yelled. Grinning madly, the poltergeist danced around in a sort of mad jig about your bed. All of the mattress spring had been popped through the covers and the bed was in ruins.

"Loony loopy Lupin, loony loopy Lupin..."

"Say, how does he know your name?" Peter asked.

"He and his mother came over the summer to talk to Dumbledore," said Peeves smugly. "About some very secret things..."

"Out!" I yelled. He zoomed out of the open window.

"Now what am I going to do?" you asked impatiently. "Damn him...now I've got to get a new mattress. Dumbledore ought to throw him out."

"These beds fit two people," said James. "You can bunk with one of us until it gets fixed."

"Yeah, you can take mine," said Peter.

"Sorry, you snore," you said with devilishly dancing eyes. Then you turned to me. "Can I share yours?"

Four words. Just four little words, and I was yours. I nodded, and your long, warm, thin body slind into bed next to me.

I rolled over and turned off the light, secretly glad that Peeves had wrecked the mattress.

Love, Sirius