Sirius hated having breakfast here. The toast wasn't cooked enough, and had grey-looking lumps all over it. They had funny tasting orange juice, a bright orange rather than the sweet tasting yellow concoction from home.
He chose porridge rather than toast - at least porridge was supposed to have lumps in it. This request earned him a sharp glance from his mother but nothing more was said. His father gave him a smile over the top of his newspaper. For a while Sirius stared into his bowl, trying to imagine that the porridge looked good enough to eat. Why were all breakfast foods stodgy and disgusting?
Sirius glanced about, and when he was certain that at least half of table weren't looking, caught Regulus' eye. He made vomiting motions into his bowl and gave the china a prod, eliciting a slurp from the porridge.
"Sirius." His father's tone was warning, low. Enough to make him push his bowl to one side.
"May I be excused?" He watched his father's eyes, a grey that matched his own. After a moment his father nodded, and stood himself. Sirius supposed he was about to be reprimanded for his behaviour at the table.
"Only a few days to go now, Sirius," his father said once they'd left the room.
Sirius nodded and wiped porridge from the cuff of his sleeve, "I know - I made a calender," he said.
"Good boy. And remember what we talked about," his father said lightly, looking down at the mess of nodding black hair, "and have your mother trim your hair before you leave."
Sirius pulled the wisps of dark hair back form his face and smiled, "Yes father."
They parted ways in the corridor. Sirius glanced towards the left, the direction that his father had not taken. His older cousin, Bellatrix hadn't been at breakfast. His mother had mentioned something about work - though Sirius didn't think Bellatrix had a job - though Regulus had speculated something about make-up and girl's, though he was only 10 and knew nothing about it.
He wandered down the corridor, wondering what was behind each of the doors. Bellatrix' room would be upstairs of course. He poked at one door and found himself looking into a wide room, full of books. It was similar to the library at home, only much larger.
Sirius closed the door and moved along. As he walked he began to hear a faint noise; a low hiss, something bubbling. It seemed rather an odd place for the kitchen to be. He pushed the door open. Across the room Bella stood at a desk, quill pressed to her lips. For a minute he stared - she was supposed to be sprawled in bed, black hair sticking up every which way, and girly make up smudged across her face.