Chapter Ten

August 31st, 1973

~Sirius Black~

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was a joke.

There was nothing noble about beating your children, something Walburga and Orion were very acquainted with doing when displeased or interrupted by one of their boys. Not both of their children of course, precious Regulus never had a finger laid on him. Because he wasn't a point of shame on their enchanted family tree, unlike his Gryffindor brother.

"Sirius Orion Black! Get back down here now!" His mother's screeching voice followed him up the stairs, wrapped itself around his head and restarted the pounding headache he'd had all summer long. "Are you deaf as well as stupid, boy?! I'm speaking to you!"

Her screams were finally muffled when Sirius slammed the door to his bedroom shut, plastering his back against it as he cradled his bruised arm to his chest. Glancing down, he studied the injured hand. Two of the trembling fingers were bent awkwardly and the blossoming purple around his joints told him enough about their condition.

Sirius grimaced and tried to stretch them before his face contorted in pain as the bones moved uncomfortably against each other. However, he took it as a small consolation that the bones themselves were fully intact, if not attached properly. He really didn't need another trip to St. Mungo's with a new excuse for a broken bone, not to mention that Skele-Gro tasted like repugnant old chalk and left an aftertaste that left a lot to be desired for.

"What happened to your hand this time?" Regulus sat at the edge of his brother's bed, hands wrung on his lap as he studied Sirius. Guilt clear on his young face and Sirius felt like it was his fault for making his brother feel that way.

Even at almost twelve, Regulus was more grown up and had more life experience than most of the older boys Sirius knew. Sirius would give anything for his younger brother to be nothing more than a Second Year who wanted to play Quidditch and send pretty girls notes during boring lectures. And not carry the weight he did on his shoulders.

"Mother dropped a book," The older boy shrugged and took a seat against his headboard, if only to have a rest for his hand on the soft pillows. "Don't look at me like that."

Regulus' head drooped, hair fell over his eyes and he didn't bother to stop Sirius when he used his good hand to reach over and push the messy strands behind his ear.

"Why can't you just stay quiet when she talks?" His pleading eyes sought out his stubborn brothers. "Why can't you just let her talk about whatever she wants and not say anything that gets you into trouble?"

Sirius sighed, scratched uncomfortably at the nape of his neck and tried to avoid Regulus' eyes. "They're my friends, Reg, I'm not going to let my own mother talk that way about them." He spit her unearned title like it was a piece of rotten candy he had chewed on for too long.

"What did she say about them this time?" The younger Black worried his bottom lip and stared intently at his polished shoes.

Sirius felt himself grow angry again just thinking about the awful things she spewed on and on about his friends. The ones she knew about from pureblood Slytherin children who complained about the Black who wouldn't play his role to their parents, who told Walburga and Orion about Sirius' disgusting involvement with inferior people at school.

He lifted his nose in the air, stared down past his duvet and squared his shoulders as he mimicked her tirading tone. "How can you stomach to associate yourself with those people? James Potter is a blood traitor just like his filthy parents. Remus Lupin is nothing but an undomesticated animal that should be put down instead of being paraded around Hogwarts like a pet for that giant oaf of a gatekeeper! And that Peter Pettigrew-" Sirius huffed like their mother would before he continued in the fake pitch voice. "Nothing but a half blood coward. What of those McGonagall brats too?"

Sirius had thought it was strange that his mother knew about Remus' condition at first but he figured that if the devil woman could find out the names of all his friends, she could pull favours at the Ministry to find out information on them.

"What did you say back this time?" Regulus cut him off before Sirius really riled himself up and did something stupid that resulted in more broken bones or hospital trips. "After she finished with her speech about your responsibility and duty as a Black, I mean?"

Sirius' lips pulled into a wide cheshire grin, which visibly made his brother suspicious. "I told her where she could shove her opinions about my friends. That I wouldn't stop hanging around them and that if she knew what was good for her she would keep her mouth shut."

"If you could keep quiet," Regulus tried his feeble reasoning, eyes glued to the bruised hand as he spoke. "Then she wouldn't hurt you anymore. If you just agreed with her out loud."

A bitter laugh bubbled in his throat, "Don't be stupid, Reg. It wouldn't matter to her if I were the perfect son, if I actually believed the rubbish coming out of her prejudice mouth. She would find a reason to punish me."

Regulus drew back, continuing to chew his lip but not contradicting his brother. "Are you excited to go back to Hogwarts?" He said instead, they had been having this conversation the entire break and Sirius could tell that even his younger brother was starting to feel ashamed of how their mother treated him in comparison.

"Of course, I am," Sirius was beyond ready to go back home. He hadn't been able to talk to his friends except a few long letters exchanged between him and James via forbidden owl postage that their mother hadn't caught and destroyed. "What about you? You're about to become a Second Year. Are you going to tryout for the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

Sirius shifted in his seat, trying to hide the painful cringe from moving his hand.

Regulus nodded, face sparked back into happiness when he talked about his favourite sport. "Yes! And I'm going to make it and I'll be a Seeker." He said proudly.

"I've seen you zooming about the backyard all summer, you're fast, but not faster than me." Without their mother noticing, Walburga thought Quidditch was a waste of time and that the only thing her sons should be focusing on is their studies.

"I'm plenty fast!" Regulus defended. "I bet I could beat you if we raced!"

Sirius always enjoyed watching his brother like this because it was a rare time when Walburga wasn't trying to turn the younger boy into a hateful copy of herself. As Regulus continued to bounce around the cardinal and gold room, he passed over Sirius' gear and pointed out certain Quidditch pictures of his brothers first season.

Regulus picked up a picture of James and Sirius on the pitch, arms around each other and grinning after Gryffindor had won the year. His brother gently placed the picture back down and turned to Sirius, "I'm going to be the best Seeker."

"You got something against Chasers, kid?" Sirius jested.

"Better than being a Keeper," The boy said with a smirk that Sirius was proud to say came straight from his influence. Take that, Mother.

"You'll eat those words on day," Regulus stared at his brother in disbelief. "It won't be so easy to write them off as useless in the middle of a game."

They had wrapped Sirius' injured fingers in tight bandage and Regulus had tried to cheer him up by making bad jokes while doing so and Sirius had laughed more out of pity than anything else. That night they magically extended the bed and Regulus slept in Sirius' room, much to the anger of their mother when she found them asleep the next morning.

September 1st, 1973

It was like being wrapped in warmth and happiness to climb aboard the crowded Hogwarts Express in his Gryffindor robes. Sirius knew he technically didn't have to put on his uniform until the train was well over half way to Hogwarts but wearing the colours always made him feel untroubled, safer than in anything else. Neither of which were necessarily true but the comfort was satisfying all the same.

Sirius had separated from the rest of the Blacks the second his feet hit Platform 9 ¾, he pulled his trunk and near-psychotic owl toward the back of the train where other parents had already dropped off their children's luggage. Afterwards it had been only a few short strides to enter the stuffy train and settle into the Marauders regular compartment.

He was usually the first person in the train compartment, since he always escaped his parents as quickly as possible, but today Sirius was met with a strange sight. Remus sat on the worn leather seats against the chilled window, book in his lap and brown tattered coat blanketing his slumbering shoulders. The boy twitched as his cheek pressed uncomfortably into the glass.

"Remus," Sirius reached over when his friend's face scrunched up and a low whine rumbled in his throat. "Moony, you're okay. I'm here. Wake up, mate." he shook his shoulder.

The moment his hand fell on the werewolf's shoulder, he had tensed and a soft growl fell from his parted and chapped lips. Sirius' grip tightened instinctively on Remus' shoulder. His brown hair stuck across his forehead as he surged up from his slumped position.

The werewolf blinked his weary eyes toward his companion with a scowl that quickly turned into an apologetic look. He scooted up the seat and pulled his coat closer, trying to drive away the chill in the early morning.

"Haven't you heard that you aren't supposed to wake up someone who is having a nightmare?" Sirius shrugged noncommittally because he didn't know, he normally woke up in a cold sweat alone without anyone there to talk to about it or be responsible for waking him.

"Sorry," Remus nodded just as the door slid open and James' grinning face waltzed in.

"What's with the melancholy mood?" The messy haired boy propped his legs over the entire seat and smirked. "Did Sirius start going on about how riviting it is to have one of those no-ink quills that Mya's always using again?"

Sirius gasped, relaxing against the seat. "I was not!"

"It's called a pen, it still has ink, it's just inside the pen and not in a bottle." Peter mumbled, having trailed behind and missed his chance to sit where James' legs were, the plump boy sat next to Sirius. "And he stole it from her when she was studying with Remus."

Sirius was squished between Remus and Peter. With narrowed eyes, Sirius pushed his best mate's limbs off the padded cushion and stretched out next to James. "I did no such thing! She just doesn't know I took it."

"Do you plan on returning it?" James asked.

"Well, no," he frowned and glanced on his bag under Remus' seat, where the muggle pen sat in a side pocket.

"That's called stealing." Remus clarified, bowing down to pluck a book from where it had fallen underside of his seat.

"I'm open to interpretation," Sirius said dismissively. "I borrowed it."

Remus rolled his green eyes heavens way and replied dryly. "Borrowing means you have the intent to return it and permission to take it. Which I'm positive is not the case."

James poked Sirius' thigh with his foot and laughed as his friend tried to swat him away. "How did you get one of them anyways?"

"She left it on a table in the library." The grey eyed boy nodded to himself. "Like Peter said, she was studying with Remus and she forgot it. Was I supposed to leave it there for just anyone else to take?"

"Hermione bent down to pick up a stack of books Sirius knocked over and he swiped it from on top of her Herbology essay." Remus corrected him, his face still buried in the stained pages of his old book. "Then ran away before she could catch him." He added.

"Thanks, Moony." Sirius said into the crook of his arm, trying to avoid the onslaught of laughter from his friends. "Good to see that my blood, sweat and tears have earned me undying loyalty from my friends. So much for man's best friend."

"I'm not the dog, Padfoot."

"Have any of you talked to her about Remus?" The blond boy suddenly asked, having interrupted Sirius before he could say something no doubt all inspiring. "You know about his- uh, his-" Peter stumbled over his words.

"Furry little problem?" James provided with a serious nod. "I haven't. I'm pretty sure the only conversations I've ever had with Hermione were in the tunnel, on the way to the hospital with Remus and when she wished me happy birthday."

Peter nodded, "Same with me, although Hermione didn't really talk to me all that much in the tunnel. Just shouted at us a lot."

"Don't look at me," Remus held up his hands in the international sign of surrender. "I haven't even talked to her about the notes she's taken for me since First Year. Not to mention all the other things she's done for me since then too. We just study together at the library."

Sirius thought about meeting Mya for the first time, she had been such a sweet and innocent looking child. Now it seemed like she knew more about the four of them than they did. "What other things?"

"I wanted to tell you about it over the summer but my parents didn't want me talking about it, they're still pretty upset that you guys found out about me being a-" Remus abandoned the unread volume on his luggage and leaned forward to rest his arms over his knees. "Headmistress McGonagall told them that there's a chance of a workable wolfsbane potion that could help me stay in control during the full moons."

"That's amazing." James said, his face lighting up at the thought of his mate not suffering every month and Sirius felt his enthusiasm. "But what does that have to do with Mya?"

"Hermione came with her aunt to my house. She answered more of my parents questions and knew more about the potion than even McGonagall did. I think she was researching it for me." Remus theorized out loud, his face flushing slightly. "You remember when you questioned her about why she was reading about Aconite, Sirius?"

Sirius nodded, a feeling of unease growing in his stomach, "Yeah?"

"Aconite is one of the main ingredients of the potion," Remus watched him and Sirius dropped his eyes away. Sirius felt horrible for treating Hermione with such untrust.

"But if she was researching it for you then why wouldn't she say that?" he asked feebly.

Remus shrugged and James continued to look between them. "She didn't want to give me false hope if it didn't work."

"Why do you think she does all of this? I mean, we hardly know her and she's done all of these things to help us." James questioned. "Doesn't it strike anyone else as strange?"

"Us?" Peter squeaked.

"You remember Quidditch tryouts last year?" James nodded, urging Sirius to continue. "I was sick but I wanted to go anyway so I could make it on the team. Mya found me in the hallway. It was her birthday and she spent it taking care of me."

Hermione had a nice smile, it was the most common look he saw on her. A smile, whether or not it was always genuine. She was brilliant, if she figured out a new potion to help Remus as a newly third year, he could only imagine what she could do when she was an adult. Hermione wasn't unfortunate looking either, she had pretty eyes and a soft framed face.

Sirius thought about the curly haired witch for another moment too long before he heard Remus' voice draw him out. "Perhaps Hermione is just an intuitive and kind person."

"How come she hasn't helped me somehow?" James asked, mouth downturned in a pout. "I want Hermione McGonagall in my corner too."

Sirius grinned devilishly. "Maybe she's immune to your charms, like Evans?"

"Have any of you seen Lily?" James sighed and Sirius knew the topic of Hermione was long gone. "I saw her getting on the train and she's gotten even prettier than last year."

December 12th, 1973

"The Boggart," Professor Merrythought said as she calmly walked between the filled desks. "Is classified as a folklore creature. They're almost always malevolent and spiteful, taking the appearance of a person's worst fear. From what we know of their true looks, they're possibly human-like but with very ugly and beastly features."

"That's probably why they disguise themselves," Sirius whispered under his breath.

Frank Longbottom's hand shot up into the air, "Possibly?"

"No one has ever seen a Boggart in its own body since it always takes on the person's fear in a split second." Merrythought looked around at the students, looking for anyone who wasn't paying attention to her lesson. "So, how do you fight one if they feed on your weakness?"

Mya raised her hand and Sirius rolled his eyes, it wasn't a rare day when she had the answers to every question a Professor asked. "The spell 'Riddikulus', it changes the image they project into a humorous version of itself, thus causing the victims vision of fear to lessen."

"Correct, Miss McGonagall. Five points to Gryffindor." A few of their fellow crimson clad housemates cheered before being hushed by the Defense professor. "What are ways of avoiding being cornered by a Boggart, Mr Black?"

James shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he glanced over to his mate. Sirius was sitting, leaning back against Peter and Remus' table. A bored and uninterested expression twisting Sirius' sharp features.

"Don't wander into Ministry conservatories?" He snickered under his breath. "Or you-"

Harry interrupted before any of Sirius' friends could. "Don't face one alone, multiple minds cause confusion and the Boggart is unable to retain a stable image."

Merrythought nodded, "Correct, Mr McGonagall. But next time let your housemates fail or succeed on their own." The high pitched ring of the class bell sounded and student rose to their feet, quickly collecting their books and heading towards their next class. "Not you, Mr Black. I'll need a minute of your time."

Sirius fell back into the wooden stool with a sigh, watching his friends disappear through the door. James clasped his shoulder good natured as he passed behind him. "Good luck, mate."

"You aren't trying enough." Merrythought said with a small wave of her hand, eyes watching the last of the students speed out of her classroom. Neither taking notice of the lingering girl behind the open door in curiosity.

Sirius scowled, crossed arms clearly showing his defiance against being questioned. "Is that your white-collar opinion, Professor Merrythought?"

"You have such potential to be an amazing and talented wizard but you're throwing it away by not taking your studies seriously." The educator continued as if she hadn't heard his spiteful words. Moving gracefully to her desk. "On the last essay you turned in, you misspelled half the words and didn't cite a single source. If you only applied yourself…"

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time you assign an essay." The dark haired boy stood from his desk, the decision to leave made before he finished his sentence. "Citing? Got it."

His feet stopped moving, turned to the door but not stepping through it when he heard her voice call out to him. "What's a Kappas?"

"You need me to teach you something? Hope McGonagall doesn't hear about it or you may be out of a job." Merrythought raised her eyebrows. "I don't know what it is." He said with teeth clenched and fingers curled into the fabric of his grey knit sweater. "Never heard of it."

"Don't take me for a fool." The wrinkles around her eyes deepening as she smiled kindly. Merrythought's white ribbon hair fell past her shoulders and yellow eyes watching his movements like a hunter stalking her prey. "What is a Kappas?"

"I don't-" Sirius turned to meet her intuitive stare. Something about the welcoming warmth settled his nerves. "It's a water demon that feeds on blood and strangles people who are stupid enough to take a dive in its territory."

Galatea nodded, "Correct. What is a Veela?"

Sirius turned on the balls of his feet. A tick in his eyebrow as he smirked. "Semi-human, beautiful women who seduce men that would do anything to get closer to them. If we're going to play this game at least make it a challenge."

The professor intertwined her hands and leaned forward on her desk with a clear provocation on her elder face. "What is an Inferius?"

"It's a-" Sirius froze, cockiness drained out of him at the sudden realization that he had only heard of the creatures in passing. "I guess I should know better than to ask a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to make something harder for me. Was there a point to this?"

"My point, Mr Black, is that you aren't as daft as you like to appear in your classes." Merrythought spoke with a twinge of unrecognition. Sirius couldn't remember the last time someone tried to tell him he had a future as more than a noble Black. She repeated, "If you would apply yourself-"

"Thank you for the lesson but I really should be going now." He interrupted again, feeling a strange knot in his stomach.

Sirius' stride widened as he left the room, shutting the door loudly behind him. A yelp sounded behind him and he spun around to meet the flushed witch. Hermione's tan skin was rose all the way up to her ears and she hid her embarrassment behind a curtain of curly caramel.

"What the bloody hell are you doing hiding behind the DADA door? Were you spying on me?" He snapped, poised to leave her in the lonely hall.

Hermione followed him closely, her hand wrapped around his wrist to stop him from walking away entirely. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spy on you! I left my potions book on my desk on accident and I was coming back to get it but didn't want to interrupt you two."

"But you listened anyways!" Sirius was seething with ire. He hated the dark arts, everything in his house was ancient and cursed in some manner and class just reminded him of that. Hermione listening in on the professor telling him off was even more embarrassing. "Why would you do that?"

"Professor Merrythought is right, you do have potential. If you want I can help, teach you things that you don't know or aren't the best in so you can be better in class." Mya offered kindly but in his agitation he couldn't see it as anything more than taunting. Because Hermione McGonagall was better than him at something and she was offering him help.

He yelled, more angry with himself than her. "I don't need you!"

"I was just-" Mya tried.

"Leave me alone, Hermione! We aren't friends! I've talked to you a handful of times a year! Don't presume to know anything about me." Sirius stormed away from her, missing the flash of hurt on her face.

December 15th, 1973

Your father and I are having a special holiday away from London with the rest of the Black family. A family friend is throwing quite a spectacular party for our arrival. Regulus has already been informed of the change in plans. I wish you an adequate Christmas. I have given you an extra amount of galleons for your allowance this month- acquire yourself something of taste.

Mother

Sirius stared, open-mouthed at the slip of parchment in his hands. It wasn't even a full letter, just one of the scraps of extra paper his father had in the corner of his desk so he wouldn't forget anything when it crossed his mind. Glancing up to Regulus as his younger brother unrolled a full parchment. Not for the first time, Sirius realized he was a second thought when it came to his family.

A jolt went through him as his friends shoulder rammed into his jokingly. Instinctively, he left the note face-down on the table. "Sirius, tell Moony I'm right."

"James is right." Sirius said mindlessly, running his fingernails along the rough material of the only letter from his mother in years. Well, a letter that wasn't about how disappointed she was in him and how he should do better to represent the Black family.

"Ha! See, Sirius thinks-" James' face contorted in confusion as he turned abruptly to his best mate in accusation. "You never think I'm right. What's bothering you, Pads?"

Sirius honestly considered telling his friends about his family life constantly, about the bruises, shattered bones, the Unforgivables and the nights spent screaming because he had somehow upset his mother. Especially now that he knew about Remus' monthly condition, it didn't seem fair to keep his jacked up family a secret. Yet there he was, sitting at the Gryffindor table at dinner, with his three best friends none the wiser.

"Just thinking about Mya," He said convincingly, like a trained liar. He glanced down the table where Hermione was sitting next to her brother and Marlene. The three of them were talking between themselves and Sirius couldn't help but wonder if he had come up.

James' eyebrows wiggled suggestively, "Does someone have a little crush on the Headmistress' pretty niece who knows all?"

"I yelled at her the other day after DADA and she hasn't so much as looked at me angrily. It's like she's filled with rainbows and unicorns and it's disturbing the hell out of me." Sirius chugged what was left of his pumpkin juice. "Who does that?"

"It's called being nice, ever heard the term before?" Remus asked.

"It's not just niceness. There's something about her, I can't put my finger on it but Hermione McGonagall is- she's-" Sirius groans loudly and digs his hands into his thick hair. "I don't know how to explain it, but there's just something about her that makes me say stupid things when I'm around her."

His three friends exchanged a loaded look before they began to coo and bat their eyelashes like lovesick idiots, "It's love."

"Do you dream about her hair?" Remus added when Sirius looked like he couldn't take anymore. "Do you sleep with her pen tucked under your pillow?"

James practically cackled with glee, "Moony, do you suppose he lays awake at night-"

"Alright, you losers enjoy yourselves," Sirius jolted out of his seat. Flinging his grey sweater off of his lap. "I've got to McGonago."

James snorted, spewing pumpkin juice out of his nose. Remus dove away from the splatter and the student next to him got a shoulder covered in juice.

"See you in the morning!" Peter said before Sirius could flee all the way up to their dorm and hide there until they had left for the holiday. "You're boarding with us early, yeah?"

Sirius nodded vaguely and slipped out of the Great Hall. By the time he had tucked himself into bed, his thoughts were plagued with thoughts of how he hurt Hermione. In his defense he had only turned to look back at Hermione once before the door had closed.

Looking back at it the next morning while sitting trapped between Remus and James, he couldn't determine exactly why he didn't say no the night before. It would have been a lot less dehumanizing if he had just stayed home during the holiday break. Sirius could have stayed wrapped around the warmth of Gryffindor Tower for two weeks, between the plump pillows and heavy crimson blankets.

Instead he would spend it alone in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, with only the house elves to keep him company in the bleak pieces of whatever his holidays would be this year. At least he wouldn't be able to upset his mother this year and without her there he wouldn't make his annual holiday visit to the hospital.

"What's got you looking like someone killed a puppy in front of you?" James questioned next to him, eyebrows raised. "So help me if you say anything about Mya again."

"It's nothing, Jamesie," He taunted. "And I haven't been talking about her that much."

"Sure," Remus uttered. "And I only like reading the sports section in the Prophet."

The messy haired boy laughed at the ridiculous nickname Sirius used when he wanted to annoy him. "Well, I've been thinking-"

"Don't hurt yourself." Remus smiled, still a bit weary from the full moon a few days prior. The werewolf pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Have there been no news of the wolfsbane potion?" Peter said between bites of holiday peppermint bark. "It's been a few months since she came to your house, right?"

"Apparently a few advancements in potency and ingredients used have been made." Remus offered up hopefully. His eyes glinted in the morning light. "Nothing substantial but anything is better than nothing."

"It's progress, mate." The train jerked to a halt. Cheering and awaiting parents waving to their disembarking children. Together they left the confined space, jumping and happily weaving through the groups of reuniting families.

"See you all in 1974!" Remus spotted his mother in the far end of the station. Her boney hands waving to her son and his friends.

One by one the other boys disappeared with their families, leaving Sirius in the draining room with a trunk of his things in his grip. Walking through the brick portal that led to the muggle world, Sirius tried to keep his head down as to not draw unwanted attention. Despite his attempts, several people turned to gawk at the lonely boy moving aimlessly around the columns.

He didn't know how long he wandered, sidestepping clumsy muggles and dragging the luggage with a jammed wheel close behind him- occasionally catching the heel of his shoe. When he caught the same ticketbooth for the third time, Sirius dropped into a nearby bench with an angry groan. His eyes watching the wall of 9 ¾ with growing desperation.

What had he been thinking? Getting on the train when he knew there would be no one waiting for him to go home when he got off. All because he was too ashamed of his family and how they treated him to tell his friends why he would be staying in their dorm.

He could go to 12 Grimmauld Place and spend his vacation reading Quidditch magazines in his bedroom, but then he realized that Kreacher would tell his parents as soon as Sirius' feet hit Black property. Then he would have to deal with Walburga and Orion's anger and that would be the perfect way to end his one man trip.

Sirius felt a shadow fall over him, his eyes flipping up in surprise at the person looming over him and matching his confusing stare.

~James Potter~

He knew something was wrong the moment they all began to board the Hogwarts Express. Sirius had been acting skittish all night and Regulus was nowhere to be found in the sea of green and silver uniforms boarding the Express.

At first James had considered that maybe Regulus chose to stay at school during the break with his friends rather than his parents, but then wouldn't Sirius do the same given the choice? James didn't want to assume anything about the Black's homelife but there was always something off about the way his friend talked about his family, the way he would flinched lightly away from their play fights.

He had asked Emma Vanity if she knew anything about Regulus' plans for the holidays, despite the odd look Emma had given him, she had answered. Apparently his parents had told him to find different accommodations for the holiday break since they would be somewhere in France with extended Black family members. Before he could ask her anything else, Emmeline had pulled her away for something.

Which had all only left more questions about where Sirius was spending his holiday.

"Are you alright, son?" His father's heavy hand landed on his shoulder and James jumped, startled out of his thoughts. "What's the matter?"

His parents pulled James away from the continued foot traffic, despite the glares sent their way by a group of women who looked to be in a hurry. Skirts of shockingly bright color winding around other, slower pedestrians.

"I was just worried about my friend, is all." The Third Year explained with a flourish of his hands. "Sirius got off the train with us but I don't remember seeing his parents anywhere before we left the platform and his brother stayed at Hogwarts for the break."

"Maybe they were simply late?" Euphemia asked, her lovely face flickered with motherly concern for a boy she had met a handful of times at best. "Perhaps we should go check on him just to be certain. And I'm concerned that his brother stayed at school and he didn't."

James and his parents rounded the magical section of the platform twice with no luck, but the young Gryffindor refused to listen to either of his parents when they suggested that Sirius' parents had shown up and taken him home without him seeing. There was a deep feeling of unease building in the pit of his stomach that told him something wasn't right and James listened to his inner voice more often than not when it came to his friends.

He ventured outside into the muggle King's Cross. Sitting there, across from the train lift, on a little curb was Sirius. His normally smug face turned down as he kicked against his trunk. A frown painted over his features like a ripped canvas.

Seeing his friend in such a pitiful state tore at James' heart.

"Come on," He said when he was near enough for his voice to carry.

Sirius' head snapped up towards him and the look of defeat cracked something in James. "Where are you taking me?"

"We're going home." James said, easily maneuvering his mate's trunk away from Sirius' feet and pulling it back towards the exit of the station.

"We're going back to Hogwarts?" James tried not to look too surprised that his friend considered Hogwarts home rather than his family's estate. "You think the express will be able to go back to Hogwarts? I thought there needed to be a special charm cast for the train to run."

Trying to look reassuring, he pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled. "No, my house."

"James, I can't just overstep like that. It's your house and your family and it's the holidays," Sirius shook his head vehemently. "You're my best friend but I don't think I can-"

"Yes, you can and you are. So stop arguing before I get my mother and she stuffs you into her purse." He walked back towards his parents, Sirius following uncertainty behind him.

~Sirius Black~

At first Sirius thought it would be mortifying, facing James' parents as a glorified stray with luggage. Then James had extinguished the uncomfortable feeling, declaring that his "best mate Sirius would be spending the holiday with them and if they didn't like it then too bad". Sirius couldn't imagine what his mother would have done to him if he had ever said anything of the sort to her, probably skinned him alive and hung him out to bleed out in the front yard as a warning to the neighborhood children.

Euphoria had only laughed and tugged Sirius and James into her sides as she walked to their muggle car. James' father dragging both of the boys trunks. The car was a contraption that Sirius had never been in before and was quite shocked to see another pureblood family carting around in the four-wheeled metal machine.

Mr Potter loaded the boys bags into the trunk and rounded to the driver's seat as the two Gryffindors settled into the back seat. Sirius pulled on the reclining armrest and stared intently at the circular holes in the fabric. He remembered seeing the same cup holders on the armrests in the Hogwarts Express too.

The drive was peaceful, Mrs Potter hummed to the radio as Christmas music drifted around the lemon scented seats. Mr Potter's head lulled against his headrest as he dozed away half way through the ride. Sirius was thankful that the car was magical enough to drive itself.

James leaned over to whisper, taking care not to wake his father, "We'll be there shortly. You can take a nap if you want. I'll wake you up when we get home."

Sirius relaxed as the word home echoed in his head. He didn't think he ever really had one of those before Hogwarts but even that was more temporary. He knew he was expected to live in the Black house with whoever his parents decided to marry him off to as the heir, but Sirius didn't want that. His whole life it felt like nothing was his choice- until today. The day he would always remember as being the stray James took home to his parents.

When they arrived, Sirius was amazed. The Potter manor was larger than the Black house by far, with a large plot of land surrounding it, plenty of room for growing boys to run around and play. Sirius wished he had been born a Potter.

James rushed up the stairs to the front door, pulling Sirius behind him. The doors opened and Sirius expected dark and dreary decoration, like his own house, but that's not what the Potter's home was like. There were windows lining the walls, letting in bright light. The furniture was creamy colours and glass end tables. Sirius tried to picture his mother in the living room but the image was laughable.

Walburga would sneer down on the tasteful room as being too bland for such a rich and pureblood family.

"Our rooms are upstairs, come on!" James yanked his wrist as he runs up the winding staircase and Sirius has no choice but to follow.

"James Potter! Sirius Black! Take your shoes off!" Euphemia shouted up from the door. "I don't want dirty footprints all over my carpets!"

James stopped at the top of the stairs, kicking off his feet and urging Sirius to do the same as he leaned over the railing, "They're off, Mum!"

"Dinner is in an hour!" Fleamont's voice yelled up, muffled through the floor. "Don't make your mother wait on the two of you!"

James pushed Sirius into the bedroom with the bright red door. Sirius could tell it was because of the Gryffindor Quidditch banners and random stacks of folded clothing. James had a habit of folding his jumpers and then leaving them wherever he had. Despite it obviously being James' room, Sirius thought there was a much more homey feel to it than at Hogwarts.

And of course there was, this was James' home.

"You can stay next door, I'm sure dad already popped your trunk in there and the house elves would have already started unfolding your things." James jumped onto the bed, collapsing happily onto the blankets. "It feels good to be home."

"Jamie?" James looked up from where he was ready to fall asleep. "Why did you invite me here, to your home?"

"You're family," he shrugged, like he hadn't just adopted Sirius into his family. "And it didn't seem like you had anywhere to go. Why couldn't you go back to Grimmauld Place or stay in Hogwarts with your brother? Don't you want to see your family?"

"No," he muttered. "I was planning on popping into Grimmauld Place as soon as I figured out how to convince Krecher not to tell my parents that I was alone in Grimmauld Place. Mother doesn't like me being in the house unsupervised."

"Why didn't you stay with your brother?" James asked again, sitting up and crossing his legs. A part of him wondered if James regretted inviting Sirius to stay with them for the holidays but the insecurities quickly went away. He knew and trusted James.

"I was going to but Peter was asking about what I was doing for the holidays. And you and Remus talked about what you were doing over the break with your family." He moved to sit on the desk chair. "I didn't want to tell you guys why I wasn't going home."

"Why didn't you want to go home?" he asked softly.

Sirius shrugged, staring at his feet.

"Mother said to make other arrangements for the holidays and I didn't want to make her angry." James raised his eyebrows, subconsciously nudging him to elaborate. "Mother gets angry a lot. About me being a Gryffindor, about who my friends are, about not being a vile little cockroach like Malfoy or Rosier." he scratched at his pant leg. "About not practicing or showing an initiative in the dark arts."

"Does she hurt you?" Sirius nodded, white hot shame running through him. "That stops now." James bit out harshly. "You aren't just a Black anymore, you're a Potter now too." He stood up from his bed and headed towards the door. "Come along, brother."

That's how Sirius found himself still at the Potters, more than a week later and two days before Christmas, as they frantically tried to finish decorating the Christmas tree. Something that was supposed to be done already but with Fleamont and James pointedly ignoring the work to eat chocolate biscuits all week, it was taking more time than Euphemia could accept.

"Can you hand me the red one, darling?" Mrs Potter pointed at a handcrafted glass ornament, golden paint glazing its sides in a spectacularly Gryffindor-way.

Delicately plucking it from its box, Sirius tried not to drop it as he turned towards her, "Sure, Mum." The bulb almost tumbled fully out of his hands before the flushed boy safely placed it in her hands.

Sirius didn't know what he was expecting as a reaction to his little outburst. The worst part of his mind conjured images of a laughing Potter family or an angry Mrs Potter pushing him through the floo and back into his own grim house. But nothing happened.

She continued hanging the decorations without pause, her husband flicking his fingers through the Daily Prophet as he muttered something about poor scores from the Irish League. James licked the icing off of a sugar biscuit, smearing the blue over his chin.

"James stop acting like a neanderthal and go help your brother hang garland." James grumbled incoherently as he grabbed a handful of soft cookies and headed towards the tree.

"You've only been here a week and you're already the favourite child." Sirius flicked a stray leaf at James, laughing hysterically as it stuck to the icing on the other boys face. James didn't bother pulling it off as he stared at his mate. "You're a monster."

"Are you two going to help me or stand there looking daft?"

James yanked the fake leaf and wiped his chin with his jumper sleeve. "Sorry, Mum."

"Sorry, Mrs-" Sirius began before a stern glare had him correct himself. "Mum."

That night, buried deep underneath a heavy duvet in bed across from James' Sirius chewed on his nails. Fleamont had magically moved the bed from the room next door so the boys wouldn't have to be separated during the night. Something in the gesture provided a much needed comfort to Sirius.

James' room, much like his back in the Black house, was covered in Quidditch gear and torn magazine covers that were glued to the powder walls. A few scattered articles of clothing littered the ground now, a chair against the desk covered in discarded trousers and jumpers. Neither boy really knowing what belonged to who anymore.

"My parents hit me a lot more than I let on," Sirius blurted. His fingers dug into the fabric of the blanket for support. He had never talked about it before with anyone besides the occasional reassurance to Regulus that a bone was healing alright or that a series of bruises had disappeared. He knew that James was aware about his home life since Sirius had come to the Potter house but he hadn't told him anything else. "I get breaks and scars and I'm on a first name basis with the receptionist and healers at St Mungo's."

James didn't say anything and the deafening silence made Sirius that much more uncomfortable. A part of him wondered if he went to sleep, could he pretend like nothing was said tonight in the morning? Would James?

Suddenly there was an added weight next to him on the bed, James shuffled over and relaxed into the sheets, eyes already closed. "They don't know what they were missing out on."

"I don't understand." The dark haired boy whispered, voice shaking and unclear.

"I'm afraid that if you keep talking about what tossers your ingrate biological donors are, I may floo over there and break everything that looks expensive in their rubbish house." James rearranged the pillow under his head to make himself more comfortable. Although, Sirius noticed, the plumping looked more aggressive than necessary. "You're a Potter now, legally or not. They can go bugger themselves."

Sirius grinned up at the ceiling, feeling warm and safe for the first time in what felt like forever. He didn't know when he drifted off to sleep but sometime in the night, his brother's legs had untangled from the blankets and flattened him against the mattress. Despite the crushing sensation on his ribs and scent of sweaty feet- Sirius woke up with the same wide and unflinching beam.

to be continued...

Alright, I'll be the first to admit that I go overboard when I write Sirius... this is the longest chapter so far. I just love my baby boy so much. And I give him the 'screen' time his inner drama queen demands. Because, as we all know, his inner drama queen is just Sirius. I hope the development is coming along great and the older they get, the more I can involve the war plot, death, and relationships.

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