Chapter Thirty-Two
Gasping
You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground"
(Roar - Katy Perry)March 27th, 1974Sirius did not take another girl to Hogsmeade for the rest of the year. He also did
not take Mia. Despite not dating another girl after Marlene McKinnon, the fact that Sirius
had gone to Hogsmeade with the girl—only to ignore her the next morning—had earned
him a reputation. Regardless of the fact that he spent his nights in the Gryffindor common
room playing wizard's chess and Exploding Snap with James, rumours began to circulate
the school about the young playboy who was often "seen" snogging behind tapestries, in
empty classrooms, and even, apparently, in Professor McGonagall's office.
It annoyed Mia more than it did Sirius, and she began to really understand why
the older Sirius did not have much concern when it came to being in the Daily Prophet so
often. His infamous reputation had been filling the gossip mill since he was only fourteen
years old.
While the year started out stressfully, by the time spring rolled around, the
Marauders and Mia were back to normal. She had taken to reading Remus's letter again
before bed every night and sometimes in the morning; it was necessary to remind herself
over and over of her number one rule: Live your life. Enjoy your life.
And so she did.
Once, during the middle of March, to celebrate James's—and technically her—
fourteenth birthday, Mia slipped into the laundry room of the castle late the night before
and grinned when she spotted a fresh stack of newly laundered Slytherin robes. She was
suddenly very grateful for the sewing charms that Molly Weasley had taught her years
earlier.