The Marauder's: A History

He could feel the hot smell of alcohol overwhelm him as a heavy blow to his jaw, sent him spiraling to the floor. He hardly had time to let his hand touch his face before another blow; this time to his stomach sent him rolling across the room. Sirius had a little time to compose himself this time before he felt something grab him but his arm and yank him up, smashing him against the cold wall.

"I told you to have that work done by tonight, boy!" Another smash against the wall. "What do I have to do to get you to understand my words?"

He let Sirius go and the young boy fell to the floor automatically, now able to touch his stinging jaw. Sirius' pale blue eyes filled with tears as he forced himself to stand. This was a common thing, but still each time there was a new pain to add to the one in his heart. Things used to be different, but that was before his father had met them.

"Get out of my sight!" Martin Black snapped, his back now turned to Sirius, his hands tightly gripping the back of a chair. Sirius wasted no time and walked towards the door, one arm holding his stomach, the other wrapped around his jaw. He reached for the doorknob his the hand that's' arm was pushed against his stomach and somehow made it out into the hallway.

The dark purple, nearly black carpet the lined the hallway, and pasty gray walls covered with large expensive pictures seemed to blur in Sirius' vision, as he steadied himself against the wall outside of his father's office. Regaining some of his strength, Sirius started down the hallway again, towards his room, which was at the very end, far away from his father's.

Sirius felt sick and ashamed of the tears that nearly spilled. The first time, which was two years ago, that he had gotten a beaten like that, Sirius had completely broken down. Of course, that made him get hit even more, so he had learned to not let himself get down to that level.

"Sirius!" His sister's delicate voice rang out from the room he had just passed. Sirius stopped, not really wanting his sister to see him like this, but knew he couldn't ignore her. He backtracked and looked into his mother's room. She sat by the fire in her rocking chair, Sirius' brother and two sisters sitting near her. Sirius felt warmth run through him automatically, and stepped into the darkened room that was only lit up by the crackling fire.

It had been his sister Andromida, nicknamed Annie, who had spotted him walking by. She sat with her back to the fire, her arms wrapped around her knees, her long dark hair in a braid down her back. Next to her, kneeling by their mother, was Sirius' older brother, Orion. And in his mother's lap was the youngest of the four, Capella. Sirius walked over to them, letting go of his stomach and jaw, although he was almost positive that his jaw was disconnected and would fall from his face.

But it didn't.

"Sirius!" Annie repeated, a small smile appearing on her face, but when Sirius was lit up from standing in the way of the fireplace, her smile faltered. "Are you okay? What happened?" But she already knew.

"Is it that obvious?" Sirius asked quietly, rubbing his jaw. Orion looked up at him.

"Yeah it is," he stated, a bit harsher then really meant.

"Oh thanks," Sirius responded heatedly; he was not in the mood for Orion today. Usually, Sirius and Orion hardly got along.

"Boys!" their mother warned softly. "Sirius child come here." Capella got off her mother's lap so Sirius could take her place. He stood at her side, as her gentle hand moved up and touched his jaw. Sirius felt as if his jaw was fixed with her touch.

Selena Black was a seer and had named all four of her children from the universe above. Sirius was named after the Dog Star. Annie was named after a far away galaxy. Capella was named after a star. Orion was also named after a star. Selena was kind and gentle, not so for the barbaric husband she married. But that wasn't her fault. It had been a fixed marriage, and Selena had wanted children out of the deal, but her four kids knew that she loved them very much.

"Is he all right, Mama?" Annie asked. Selena didn't respond; her pale blue eyes that Sirius shared, shined with anger as she looked over his face. Sirius didn't want her to worry.

"I'm ok, Mama, really," Sirius told her.

"Nonsense, Sirius child." She shifted in the rocking chair and pulled out her shiny wand. She tapped his jaw and instantly the stinging pain went away. Her anger faded and she smiled. "Sit down Sirius child, hear a story."

"I'd love to Mama, but I got to write a letter to James," Sirius explained. At the sound of James, Capella and Annie brightened, and Orion scowled.

Two years ago, they had lived in Godric's Hollow right next door to James Potter, Sirius' best friend. Sirius and James had met when they were three-years-old and had been friends ever since. Nothing could stop them from being friends, not even when Sirius had to move to Wales two years ago. They were going to be going to Hogwarts together in a little less then two weeks. Orion, who was two years older then Sirius, was already at Hogwarts and was not looking forward to Sirius and James coming. Orion hated James, which was part of the reason Sirius hated Orion. Orion took after his father a little too much.

Sirius kissed his mother's cheek. "Thank you Mama." Then with a smile at his sisters, he left the room, going back down the hallway. He opened the door to his room and paused in the doorway to turn on the light.

Sirius' room was rather cozy and it was one of the things he was going to really miss about home when he went to Hogwarts. Sirius' bed sat in the center of the room against a wall. Across from it was his desk and next to his desk was his dresser. It was small; actually, it was nothing compared with James' room. But then again James' family was really, really wealthy. Sirius' family was what some called middle class. The fact that Sirius' family and James' family were very different from one another was part of the reason that Sirius and his father didn't get along.

The Blacks, Sirius' father's family, had been rich at one time. But bad investments got them into trouble and Sirius' grandfather began to look for a girl for his only son that would but the Black's into the money market again. The Blacks weren't exactly popular during those times. They were a Slytherin family that was really close with other Slytherin dark magic families such as the Malfoy's and the Snape's, both rich families. Sirius' grandfather finally found the Astrones'. Using their craft, Martin and his father got the Astrones to get their only daughter Selena to marry Martin for business reasons. Although it was against all her wishes, Selena was going to get one thing that she most dearly wanted and that was kids. But Martin had been appalled to find out after Capella was born that Selena was a Gryffindor. Automatically, Sirius' grandfather and uncles on his father's side disowned Martin. They, just like the Malfoy's and Snapes´, hated Gryffindors. Since then, Martin had turned into a drunk, doing anything in his power to be a rich, powerful Slytherin.

He didn't have to wait long, four years later; he got into involved with a group of wizards that were working for a dark wizard. But to do this, he had to move the family as far away from the Potters' as possible. The Potters were the most respected, pure, rich and powerful wizards in the entire world. James' grandfather was minister of magic and would soon be passing the title on to James' father. Martin and his new friends were no doubt ready to break the law or he wouldn't have moved away from the Potters. Martin even went as far as threatening Sirius to stay away from James. Which Sirius refused to do, and that was why Sirius was hated by his father and got beat a lot. Orion, on the other hand, hated James and was praised for that by their father.

Now, two years later, nothing had really changed except for the fact that this dark wizard Sirius' father was working for was becoming powerful and was no doubt behind the series of muggle and wizard disappearances and murderers. Sirius knew it was only a matter of time before this dark wizard made himself known.

Sirius sat at his desk, and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. Sometimes Sirius had to fight himself to keep from telling James that his father beat the crap out of him all the time. Since the beatings had started after they had moved, James knew nothing. But Sirius knew that if he told, James would be forced to tell his father. And then Sirius would really be into trouble.

Dear James,

Sirius began. I can't wait for Hogwarts! Two more weeks and then we'll be together again. How'd your birthday go? I really wish I could have gone with you to that Quidditch match. Your father brought you all the way to Germany to see it. That's really cool. My father would have never done that. Ella and Annie say hi. When I said I was going to write you a letter they got all happy. I really can't wait for Hogwarts. It´s going to be so much fun being together again. Sirius paused, not sure how to continue. We'll have to deal with your cousin Arabella and my brother Orion but imagine playing tricks on them like the old days. I think Orion is secretly writing her letters. Wouldn't it be funny if my father caught him? Sirius wondered if he should have written that. James was well aware that Sirius' father hated James' family and James also knew that Orion took after his father. It was the small details that he didn't know, and Sirius was sure that James' would ask. If they really are corresponding, and really do like each other, isn't that just disgusting? I can't even believe I'm thinking about it. Well I better finish up this letter. I can't wait to see you. I really miss the old days. But chin up right? See you soon James. You´re best friend, Sirius. Sirius re-reads the letter and then nodded in its approval. He got up and went to his window, opening it and looked up at the cloudy sky. At once his barn owl, Streamer fluttered to Sirius' shoulder.

"I need you to deliver this to James," Sirius explained to him as he tied it to his leg. Stroking his owl one last time, Streamer took off towards Godric's Hollow. Sirius watched him until he was out of sight and then he closed the window back up and turned away from it. A soft meow caught his attention. Looking around, Sirius spotted his mother's cat, Turquoise poking her head out from under his bed.

"Hey T," Sirius said, kneeling down to her. He reached his hand out to stroke her and she hissed. "Hey what's wrong?" Sirius asked. He leaned down more to take a better look under the bed. Turquoise backed up giving Sirius an angry stare. "What are you hiding T?" Sirius asked, holding her back with one hand he pulled out an owl T-shirt.... And got a nasty surprise.

On top of the shirt, quietly sleeping were four baby cats.

"Oh my goodness! T...you're a mother! But with whom?" Sirius teased giving her a look. The cat meowed softly. Sirius got up off the floor and started towards the door. "Hang on a sec, I got to tell Mama this." Turquoise meowed in response. Sirius left his room and bolted down the hallway, nearly going past his mother's room. Orion was elsewhere, but Annie and Capella were still in there, listening to one of his mothers' stories.

"Mama!" Sirius exclaimed. "Turquoise had babies." Annie and Capella looked up at him. Selena turned her head giving Sirius a quizzed stare.

"Kittens!" Capella squealed. "Mama Kittens!" The four-year-old's eyes lit up with excitement. Annie laughed.

"How many Sirius?"

"From what I saw, four. They were hiding under my bed. T was protecting them and they were sleeping on one of my old shirts." Selena stood up, brushing her long silky gown off.

"Well then, we have some kittens to name, don't we?" She smiled down at Capella who jumped up and sprinted from the room. Sirius grinned.

"We sure do!" he exclaimed, his beating from earlier, all but been lost from his mind.

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