XXXI. THE NAMING CEREMONY

     Sirene Black had always regretted not being a feelings person, she'd always pushed them down when that's the exact opposite of what she should be doing. It often got extremely frustrating as she'd be doing it without realizing and wouldn't know what she felt half of the time.

    This often caused mental breakdowns here and there but then again at least she didn't snap and kill, right? That's got to count for something.

    Right now she was standing outside Professor Mcgonagall's office, waiting for her to arrive so she could ask for the permission to use the floo powder, as she had to clear the apartment because of how many letters she'd gotten asking to do so.

     "Ms. Black?" Professor Mcgonagall asked in surprise seeing the girl standing outside her office with a bored expression, "I don't recall giving you a detention, or have I forgotten?"

    "No, Professor, I don't have detention today" Sirene said playing with the rings on her finger, "Well, I do but not with you, um, anyway"

    "Ms. Black, are you ok?" Professor Mcgonagall asked a concerned expression making it's way on her face, "Come in, have a biscuit"

    "Ok" Sirene said following Mcgonagall inside with an unsure expression.

    Professor Mcgonagall's office was every proud Gryffindor's wet dream, it had red walls with golden accents here and there and a huge portrait of her on a broom with a quaffle in her hands, smiling carelessly. Though, it wasn't very big, it was cozy and just the right amount of home-y space.

    "Have a seat" Professor said to Sirene who pulled a chair and then sat down, "What brings you here, Ms Black?"

    "Erm" Sirene started not knowing how to explain that her parents kicked her out and then she rented an apartment, but that didn't work out because her parents practically threatened the owners to kick her out of it, "I have to use the floo network to get to my apartment"

    "And have you got your guardian's permission?" Mcgonagall asked the girl who slumped in her seat at that.

   "I kind of don't have any guardians anymore" Sirene chuckled awkwardly and Mcgonagall pursed her lips.

    "I see" Mcgonagall frowned at the young girl who just shrugged, "Normally, a student wouldn't be allowed to use the floo network without their guardians' permission, but there's only so much I can do when a student sneaks into my office and uses it without permission while I'm at the Great Hall having dinner and not to mention mess with the floo powder right over the fireplace mantle in a red bowl. Shame, I wasn't there to catch them in the act"

   Sirene looked up at Mcgonagall with admiration in her eyes, if she'd never said it before she'll say it now - that woman is an absolute badass.

    "Now, now, Ms Black" Mcgonagall said getting up, "I would suggest going to the Great Hall for dinner" and with that she walked out of her office, shutting the door close as she did.

    Sirene almost let out a squeal of happiness but decided to not because if anyone found out not only would she be getting expelled but Mcgonagall could also lose her job.

   She stepped into the fireplace grabbing a fistful of flood powder and spoke very clearly, "Wizard's welcomed, room 213"

🥀

     It took Sirene a long time to shrink everything so that it would fit in her trunk, the furniture pieces were now miniature and looked like something that belonged in a doll house. Sirene thought it was adorable but she also knew she couldn't keep them in the trunk like that forever.

    Mcgonagall gave her a nod before motioning for the girl to get out of the office, she didn't waste a moment transfiguring the trunk into a bag and then making her way to the common room.

    Sirene was exhausted and only hoped she wouldn't see Filch, she rubbed her eyes groggily but while she was doing that she ran into a hard wall sending her backwards, but when she opened her eyes there was nothing there. She rolled her eyes before trying to grasp that familiar cloak that made her look like a lunatic waving her hands in the air.

    "James, I'm way too tired for this" Sirene said grumpily waiting for James to pull the cloak off of himself, "If I don't see your annoying face in two seconds I'm going to punch you"

    "Why are you always so aggressive?" James rolled his eyes taking the cloak off, Sirene was met with not only James but also Remus.

   "Oh, you poor soul" Sirene said sympathetically, "What has James dragged you into now?"

   "Hey!" James released a whisper-yell of protest, "I'll have you know I have his consent"

   "Are you sure about that, James?" Remus said with a snarky tone, "Because I vaguely remember you dragging me off my bed and telling me 'we need to have a marauders meeting'!" Remus said mimicking James.

    "The fuck is a 'marauders meeting'?" Sirene said with a confused expression on her face, "You know what, don't answer, I have feeling my brain will not be able to comprehend your stupidity this late at night"

   "Try spending the night with him in the dorm" Remus said grumpily leaning on to the wall, "You know what I could've been doing right now? Nothing, because I'd be sound asleep"

   "One day, you're all going to regret not loving me" James said putting his arms around Remus and Sirene's shoulders, "But for now I can manage with a few salty comments here and there"

   "I can't help it" Sirene said looking at James, "It's almost like I look at you and boom - I'm annoyed"

   "He seems to have that kind of effect on most people" Remus said nodding his head at Sirene.

   "I hate it when you two gang up on me" James said frustrated at the two teenagers who passed each other a grin.

    "Only because you can't win" Sirene said simply, turning to Remus.

   "It's true" Remus shrugged, "Your brain can't form a comeback fast enough to compete with us"

   "Now are you going to tell us why you were at Minnie's office?" James said turning his focus to Sirene, "We looked all over the castle for you"

   "I was stuck in detention" Sirene said trying to find an excuse, "It was to rearrange all of the test scores for first years in an alphabetical order"

   "That sucks" Remus said bluntly trying to save Sirene. Come on, she's really trying to convince them that Sirene Black skipped meals and was out during sleeping hours for detention? As if.

   "Let's go back to our dorms now" James said throwing the cloak over everyone, "Moony, our feet are showing"

   "If only he wasn't so goddamn tall" Sirene rolled her eyes as Remus pulled an offended face.

   "Hey, I'm not that tall"

   "Sure you aren't"

   "Am not!"

   "Sure"

     With that they made their way to the common room, telling the password to the Fat Lady who gave them a nasty glare for waking her up reminding them that - I need my beauty sleep - to which Sirene responded with a - well you're not wrong about that - Remus and James snickered at that while the Fat Lady just poked her tongue out at Sirene.

    "Finally" Peter got up with an exasperated look on his face, "We've been waiting here forever"

    "Aw, boo-hoo" Remus said sitting next to Sirius who gave him a small smile, "At least you weren't walking around the whole fucking castle"

   "Hmm" Sirene said smiling and then sitting right next to Remus, "I like cranky sleep-deprived Remus"

   "Well, I don't" Remus rolled his eyes, "So, I suggest James get on with whatever you wanted to call a meeting for"

   "Right" James said with an excited grin before summoning a easel with a canvas that said 'The Marauders' on it.

   "This dramatic ass bitch-"

   "So, chaps and chapette, we've gathered here today at this fine-" he paused as if trying to remember what he was supposed to say now, "Midnight for our official naming ceremony" he finished and then clapped his hand ecstatically.

    "I'm going to kill him" Remus said in an awfully calm voice, "I swear to Merlin I am, I'm going to reach over there and choke him"

    "Kinky" Sirene and Sirius said with a grin at the same time.

    "And then I'll kill you" Remus finished giving both of them a glare.

    "Wait a second" Peter said with a done expression on his face, "You made us stay awake for this? What the fuck, James?"

    "Why does no one ever appreciate me?" James said pouting childishly and crossing his arms.

   "Because you suck balls"

   "You're stupid"

   "You're insufferable"

   "I do, just not right now"

    "Thank you, Peter" James said to Peter before flipping the canvas page that had columns and rows with the name 'Marauders' on top, "Now as I said before-"

    "Can I go, now?" Sirene said with a bored expression.

    "No, I'm not done yet"

    "But I don't want to be a part of your super secret boyband"

    "Too bad, you transform with us, you become one of us"

    Sirene rolled her eyes before slumping down on the couch. Sirius and Remus shook their head in perfect synchronization and Peter just rubbed the bridge of his nose. After much debate over the nicknames - mainly Sirene saying she didn't want to be called kitty and Sirius saying he didn't want to be called snuffles - were finally chosen and James let them go to bed, but not before making them sign on the canvas. He looked at it proudly before going to bed himself.

    It was only in the morning that James realized with his signature Sirius had written (p.s. fuck you, James).

    Hey lol this is a long one, um. (That's what she said) anyways there u go!!! Cranky Remus is a mood.