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The Results


Sirius had a case of extreme anxiety for the next week. He was constantly wringing his hands and every conversation wrapped back around to the Transfiguration O.W.L., and even Remus couldn’t distract him in any of the ways he usually could (though he did a good deal of trying, and the attempts were in no way thwarted by Sirius, who was never one to turn down a perfectly good snog session with his Moony, no matter how stressed he was).

Peter hung about at the Lupin house quite a lot now that he knew where to find his mates and Mrs. Potter cooked a good deal of food since she was still worrying about Charlus, even though he was steadily getting stronger and was very nearly back to normal already - the miraculous healing having been so complete that it completely dumbfounded every Healer who looked at him… which were many, for they were coming far and wide, trying to figure out how Charlus Potter had gone from the doorstep of death to a picture of health.

Dorcas Meadowes attempted to calm Sirius down by teaching him the art of yoga and breathing exercises. She brought funny soft mats up to the rooftop of St. Mungo’s, where she assured him that nobody could see them (“Even muggles on aeroplanes?” he asked nervously, and she laughed, “I promise, nobody can see you Sirius!”) and they practiced at standing in funny poses and breathing from deep in the very bottom of their lungs. Sirius had to admit that as goofy as the act of yoga looked, he certainly felt better by the time it was over and he thanks Dorcas, who gave him a muggle book called Breathe Your Stress Away and told him to utilize it when he felt anxiety coming on.

Sirius did an awful lot of breathing that week.

Remus did a lot of sitting on the bed and watching while Sirius folded himself into various yoga positions.

“What’re you doing?” James asked one day when he noticed Remus had been sitting in the chair on the porch with the same page open on his book for over twenty minutes - staring off across the lawn.

“Huh?” Remus looked up.

“I asked what you’re doing,” James laughed at the confused expression on Remus’s face.

“Nothing.” Remus answered. “Reading.” His face turned scarlet.

James looked across the lawn, where Sirius, wearing joggers and a tight tank top, his hair twisted into a knot on the top of his head, had bent forward and held onto his knees, his rump high up in the air as he breathed deeply and serenely, practicing his yoga.

James smirked. “Are we doing a bit of star gazing, Moony?”

If it was possible, Remus flushed even harder than he had been before.

It was Wednesday - nine days after the examination in Dolores Umbridge’s office when four owls arrived at the Lupin house while the Marauders were sitting in the kitchen together eating stacks of buttered toast and hash that Mrs. Potter had made for them. Siris leaped from his seat, “THE RESULTS!” he shouted, “THE RESULTS!” He shook as he opened the window and the owls flew in, each dropping their letter before the respective boy.

Mrs. Potter wiped her hands on her apron in excitement to see their results and she stood between James and Sirius, leaning down to see.

The first to get the envelope open when Remus.

Lupin, Remus J. - Ordinary Wizarding Level Results
Care of Magical Creatures - Outstanding
Charms - Exceeds Expectations
Defense Against the Dark Arts - Outstanding
Divination - Acceptable
History of Magic - Exceeds Expectations
Muggle Studies - Outstanding
Potions - Exceeds Expectations
Transfiguration - Exceeds Expectations

“How’d you do?” Sirius asked, hesitating to open his.

“Did alright,” Remus answered. “Three Os, four E’s and an A. The A was in Divination.”

Sirius smiled, “Three O’s! -- Blimey. You got nearly every O.W.L., you bloody genius. And fuck Divination! It doesn’t even count.”

“Sirius Black! Language!” Mrs. Potter scolded him, but she was smiling, “Excellent job, Remus.”

James was next. He beamed. “Well I’m not as good as Moony, but I’d say I’ve done well.”

Mrs. Potter turned to look.

Potter, James C. - Ordinary Wizarding Level Results
Care of Magical Creatures - Acceptable
Charms - Exceeds Expectations
Defense Against the Dark Arts - Outstanding
Divination - Poor
History of Magic - Acceptable
Potions - Exceeds Expectations
Transfiguration - Outstanding

“I got what I need to become an Auror at any rate!” James announced, pumping his fist with excitement.

Mrs. Potter kissed his forehead, “Excellent job, James!”

Peter looked sick. “I didn’t do so well.”

“Let me see, Pete.” Remus took the parchment from him and looked it over. “You didn’t do terrible... Look, you got an outstanding…”

Pettigrew, Peter C. - Ordinary Wizarding Level Results
Care of Magical Creatures - Acceptable
Charms - Exceeds Expectations
Defense Against the Dark Arts - Poor
Divination - Outstanding
History of Magic - Dreadful
Potions - Acceptable
Transfiguration - Acceptable

“Yeah,” Peter said, “But it’s in Divination, which Sirius’s just said doesn’t count.”

“Don’t listen to Sirius. It counts.” James said.

“Yeah don’t listen to me, I’m an arsehole,” Sirius said and Peter laughed even though his eyes were damp with tears.

Remus added, “You got five O.W.Ls total, Pete, that’s very good.” He patted Peter’s back reassuringly.

“Thanks guys,” Peter said. But he was glad his parents were very good at ignoring him - perhaps they wouldn’t have to see his results at all.

They all turned to Sirius next and Sirius took a deep breath and opened the parchment up. He stared at it for a long moment.

“You’re killing me with the suspense, Padfoot,” Remus whined. “Read it.”

Sirius cleared his throat.

Black, Sirius O. - Ordinary Wizarding Level Results
Care of Magical Creatures - Exceeds Expectations
Charms - Exceeds Expectations
Defense Against the Dark Arts - Exceeds Expectations
Divination - Troll
History of Magic - Dreadful
Muggle Studies - Troll
Potions - Exceeds Expectations....

He paused.

“BLOODY HELL MATE,” James yelled, “READ THE FUCKING TRANSFIGURATION SCORE!”

Mrs. Potter smacked his head, “Language young man!”

“MUM. He’s torturing us,” James complained.

Sirius looked up from the parchment. His voice shook, “Transfiguration - Exceeds Expectations.”

“Hey!!! You got the O.W.L.!!!” yelled Peter excitedly, “Good job, Sirius!”

“Yeah!! You did it mate!” James said and Remus got up and ran about to hug Sirius tight with excitement.

But Sirius stared at the parchment. “Guys, no. I needed Outstanding in order to keep studying in Minnie’s class.” He looked up. “I… I still failed.”

“You didn’t!” James said, “Exceeds Expectations is very good!”

Sirius stared at the parchment.

“She’s just very picky about her N.E.W.T. level,” Remus said, “It’s not that you’ve done bad, it’s that McGonagall has high bars to reach.” He stroked Sirius’s hair.

“I’m very proud of you, sweetie,” Mrs. Potter said, kissing Sirius’s forehead, just as she had done James’s.

Sirius forced himself to smile, to cheer and celebrate like the others were, but there was a sinking feeling in his stomach - he was the only one who had gotten a troll at all. And not just one but two. Granted one of those had been in Muggle Studies which he had spent the last whole term staring at Remus Lupin in agony, pining for him, rather than doing any of his work… but still…

Honestly, the trolls weren’t what was bothering him.

It was the E in Transfiguration.

The fact that he was no longer a student under Minerva McGonagall… that he’d never again sit in a class with his tie around his head, being scolded for not wearing his proper uniform… or lounge about with his legs up on the desk and he yelled at for leaning back his chair… that he couldn’t ask her stupid questions like if she knew how to juggle or who her favourite Beatle was (which she never did answer, but he suspected it was because she knew he was a John and she was a Paul)...

She was his favorite professor… and he’d wasted his last term with her by being a little twatwaffle when all she’d ever done was care.