Chapter Text
The Blacks had taken a great deal of care with the education of their sons. Family trees, wizarding history, social etiquettes, anything that could possibly come up during a formal dinner really. It wasn’t until the elder of the Black sons was sixteen that his education truly branched outside of the approved Pureblood topics.
“You mean he just decided to be called Alexander “The Great”?” Sirius balked, sitting on the floor of Lily Evans’ living room in Cokeworth.
“Well, I don’t know that it was quite that-“ Lily started before Sirius jumped up from the couch and started marching about the room. She sighed as she realized her words were falling on deaf ears.
Lily, for her part, took on the role of Sirius’ makeshift muggle studies professor with a surprising amount of patience. After learning more about the Black family and just why Sirius had appeared on the Potter’s doorstep that summer, she had a newfound empathy for her housemate. It’s not exactly like she was suddenly immune to Sirius’ more ridiculous moments, she just felt less inclined to roll her eyes or poke holes in his facade these days.
This is how she found herself showing him her father’s collection of muggle history books. Her father, a professor at a nearby university, was thrilled about Lily’s tutorship and happily provided ample resources for Sirius’ review.
“Sirius Orion Black.. it doesn’t seem grand enough now that I know that I have options.”
Taking the bait, Lily supplied “Sirius the Celebrated?”
Clearly pleased she was playing along, he clapped his hands together and replied “Too alliterative.. Sirius the Esteemed?”
Lily nodded in agreement and they went back and forth as such for a few more rounds before Sirius suggested “Sirius the Well-Endowed” and the pair succumbed to laughter. If it hadn’t been for the sound of the door slamming, Lily wasn’t sure she would’ve heard Petunia enter at all.
She watched her sister take in the scene. Sirius and Lily were now splayed out on the living room floor surrounded by open books, both wizard and muggle. Both were red in the face from laughter and the summer sun. The record player was coming to a stop as the last notes of Seaside Rendezvous played out.
Petunia had met Sirius only once before and once was enough for her to decide that they were not going to be friends. Lily could see on her face that her impression had not changed.
Perhaps sensing the tension in the room, Sirius’ eyes darted to Lily before he spoke “Wotcher Petunia, did you miss me?” he winked lavishly at the other Evans girl.
Lily was momentarily struck by the odd sound of slang in Sirius’ neat aristocratic voice but was soon brought back by the noise of disapproval coming from Petunia.
Petunia pointedly looked past Sirius and met eyes with her sister. “Lily, must you bring these people into my home? Its one thing for you to be here for the holiday, but your friends-“
Lily was once again distracted by the way Petunia had sounded out the word ‘friends’. As if she was gagging around the letters and saying them one at a time might make them more tolerable.
“-and clean up before dinner! Vernon is coming over and it reeks of dog in here.”
Lily cut her off, “Sure thing, Tuney.”
Sirius barely contained a howled laugh as Petunia nodded and hurried down the hallway. He quieted and looked back over at Lily. She watched the smile reach his eyes for the first time in days as he reached over and squeezed her hand.
In the stillness of that moment, Lily really looked at Sirius. She looked at his thinned frame and the bags under his eyes. She considered him for a moment and then spoke.
“Sirius the Humble then?”
Sirius cackled again and they were right back at it.
~•~
The conversation picked up a few weeks later aboard the Hogwarts Express. As she popped into their compartment, Lily heard Sirius excitedly addressing the group.
“No that’s the best part Wormtail, he just gave himself the name!”
Remus, the only other wizard in the compartment with knowledge of the relevant history, eyed Lily.
She shrugged and chimed in “You know, for as much as wizarding culture pulls from the Greeks and Romans, you’d think you lot would at least be basically aware of some of the major players.”
Sirius and Peter ignored her, instead carrying on with the discussion of Sirius’ newly learned muggle history.
James looked at Lily from across the compartment and grinned. They hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks, not since just after Sirius’ visit to Cokeworth. Summer had treated him well, he was well tanned and seemed broader than he had been at the end of last term.
Lily grinned back at James, “Potter.”
“Evans.”
Lily felt her cheeks warm but turned back to the conversation, letting the excitement in Sirius’ voice wash over her. She took this moment as an opportunity to look at the other two boys before Mary, Marlene, and Dorcas came to pull her away into their own compartment.
Remus looked well, still a bit gaunt, but the summer sun had leant him some warmth. He had, in the last year, really started to grow into himself. She watched as he listened to Sirius’ monologue and appraised him. There would always be something of the quiet boy she had befriended in first year in those eyes, but he had begun to fill out more now. His hair had grown long and now framed his face in a way that reminded her of the musicians featured in Witch Weekly. Based on the way Sirius’ eyes kept catching on Remus, she didn’t think she was the only one to notice.
Lastly, Lily looked over at Peter. She was ashamed to say she knew Peter the least out of the group. They had occasionally chatted over homework or quidditch games but she had never spoken to him about much beyond pleasantries. He too had grown up somewhat over the summer, he was a bit taller and his face a bit more mannish. Though she was not particularly close to him, she had noticed Peter becoming more confident during their previous term. He had spoken up more in classes and had even begun talking more to their female classmates. Perhaps this would be the year that she might befriend him.
“-coming, Evans?”
Lily was startled out of her reflection by Mary’s voice entering the compartment. She turned and grinned, finding all three of her roommates piling into the doorway. Mary, looking at Lily expectantly, stuck out her hand for Lily to grab onto.
“Well, it looks like I’m being summoned then,” Lily laughed, grabbing onto Mary’s outstretched hand, “See you-!”
Lily yelped the last bit, as she was pulled out of the compartment and into her friends’ arms. She grinned and waved quickly at the boys- twice at James- as she hurried after her friends to find their own seating.