Anyone who didn't know Sirius or Shadow closely would think the smiles plastered on their faces were 100% real and if it wasn't for the hidden hurt reflecting in both their eyes, James would have thought they were genuinely happy as well. Sirius plastered a huge fake smile on his face and answered "Ah you know James here and there. Shadow and I are good again, you wanna show them your new trick pup?"

Shadow gave a small earnest smile and complied going from human to dog and back again. As expected the marauders clapped James patting him on the back "Well done Padlet! Your a real boy now!"

Remus chuckled at the muggle reference, Sirius asked quietly "I guess there's a place to pay our respects later."

Remus answered "Yeah under the marauders tree."

Sirius sighed in relief and sadness then masked his emotions smiling again, "Well Prongsy Padlet and I were just having a chat with old Dumbles and guess what? You're looking at the next addition to Gryffindor!"

Remus frowned, Peter blinked and James stated slowly as if talking to a small child "Sirius, you are already in Gryffindor you have been since you were sorted when you were eleven. Remember?"

Sirius laughed "I know you daft twit! I was talking about Shadow here!"

The marauders froze before all yelling "WHAT?"

Sirius shrugged smiling genuinely then "Well Dumbledore decided that being a Black and all that Shadow should get first year supplies, a wand, be sorted and taught at Hogwarts!"

Shadow groaned "But that means I'll have to do homework!"

Remus laughed eyes smiling excitedly "Shadow this is brilliant! You'll be able to learn and practise magic like us."

James crossed his arms in an X motion "Eh Wrong! He can't! What's he gonna do walk around as a person all day? You all know as well as I that he'll have to be his doggy self sometimes!"

Peter said "But he could sleep in our dorm couldn't he? And be a dog then?"

Sirius shook his head "No. Since he's doing this he's doing it right. I want him to join a dorm of boys his own age."

Remus smirked "Technically he's about two and bit months old."

Both Black's stuck their tongues out at him, Peter wasn't completely convinced "Are you positive Shadow's allowed into Hogwarts I mean this seems pretty unreal."

Sirius shrugged "Yeah that's what I thought to. Ask Dumbledore if you don't believe me. Shadow and I are going shopping in Diagon Alley this weekend before the break."

James sputtered waving his arms about "But that won't work! One we don't even know if he has a magical core! Two its too late in the year for him to start, he'll be a whole term behind! Three what are your relatives gonna say when another Black pops up out of the blue? Shadow's supposedly eleven! For him to be you're spawn you'd have to have been his father at five years old!"

Sirius grinned "What can I say? I work fast."

James smacked him "BE SERIOUS!"

Shadow sniggered "Dad's always Sirius."

Remus and Peter groaned the former making a note in his album saying aloud as he did "Note to self: Padfoot's genes are corrupt."

Sirius smiled straightening up swinging a surprised Shadow in a circle "My son's gonna be a Gryffindor!"

Remus cut in "Not so fast Padfoot he is fiercely loyal so he could easily be a Hufflepuff."

Peter piped up "And he's smart too I mean look he's an animagus in less time than we took! So he could be a Ravenclaw."

Sirius theatrically shielded Shadow's ears "Don't listen to their lies!"

James smirked adding teasingly "Or he could be like the other Black's and become a Slytherin."

Sirius gasped clutching his chest "BLASPHEMY! You sir have insulted our honour!"

Sirius drew his wand James copied "You had no honour to insult!" he continued grinning grabbing Remus as his second.

Sirius pulled Shadow to him as his second the latter looking just as bewildered as his uncle Moony, James laughed "What good will your puppy be without his wand?"

Sirius grinned "He's my secret weapon! Shadow use the power of your puppy eyes!"

Shadow blinked "Uncle Moony...save me please before I catch their insanity."

Peter and Remus laughed at Sirius and James scandalised expressions. Sirius sighing "Betrayed by own son, James word from the wise, don't breed."

A sharp knock rang from their doorway. Shadow cocked his head to the side "Huh. What's she doing here?"

Sirius echoed his sons thoughts "She?"

Lily Evans opened the door focussing on Shadow "I thought I'd find you here."

Shadow inched behind Sirius in a valiant attempt to escape her gaze. Unfortunately that just drew her attention to Sirius himself "Black. I suppose you could explain to me who this boy is?"

His posture went rigid and defensive, not caring if James fancied the red head like mad, he crossed his arms and glared back defiantly, "Why do you want to know?"

Lily held his gaze "Because I don't believe he's real."

Well that threw them all for a moment, Remus keeping calm asked in his best professor voice "Why would you say that Lily?"

She glanced at Remus watching Shadow intently for a moment before staring at the marauders studying them for any tell tale signs of dishonesty "Because you lot are practically famous around here for your tricks, clever and not. Adding to that, the boy looks like a exact replica of a younger Sirius, minus the hair thickness, and that I don't recall hearing anything about another Black coming to Hogwarts and I have never seen him before... well it's highly suspicious. He could easily be an extremely detailed transfiguration or illusion or anything!"

Sirius placed a hand behind him bringing out Shadow who wanted to shy away from the scary young woman, "Well I assure you Evans he's quite real."

They watched her walk forward and crouch in front of him, she gently cupped his chin examining his face left and right, she then retracted the hand casting a diagnostic spell and a finite to expel any trickery the marauders may have done.

She appeared stunned and at a loss "What did you say your name was?"

Shadow smiled "Shadow Black."

Curious she continued "Are you a relation to Sirius?"

Shadow tapped the side of his nose like he'd seen his dad do a couple of time when he felt like being mischievous "It's a secret."

Lily's eyes went wide at that statement the little bugger was giving her cheek, thoroughly fed up with being in her presence this long and not saying anything James took her hand "Not to worry my Lily flower! We can discuss things of higher importance, like what would you like your Christmas present to be? And you still haven't giving me your mail address so I can send it. Oh! That must be why you came to our dorm room! You didn't want to make my adoring fan girls jealous so you came to ask in person! Lily flower you are so sweet and caring it's beautiful."

Lily slapped his hand away "Any present you give me Potter will be going to charity! And as for my mail address you'll never have it as long as you live you insufferable arrogant bully!"

With that parting blow she stormed out of their dorm room the door slamming shut with a rather large bang. James grinned "She wants me."

Peter fearing for his idols hearing patted his shoulder "I'm sure she does."

Sirius looked very thoughtful for a minute, then like an epiphany he stated "Why is it that girls can come to our dorm rooms without trouble but when we try to go theirs we end up sliding back down painfully."

The marauders paused at that statement, Shadow not really getting why it was such a big deal waited for one of them to speak first, as it was a tawny owl tapping on their window broke their trances. James approached the owl tipping the bird and scanning the address "It's from mum wanting to know if we we're going home for Christmas this year Padfoot."

Sirius bit his lip "Um I would say yes immediately but.." he indicated Shadow.

James frowned "Ah, not to worry mate I'll ask mum and dad if they mind a guest since they practically see you as son number two. I swear they spoil you rotten!"

Sirius grinned "Thanks Prongs! Whatcha mean adopted brother of mine? They do NOT spoil me!"

Remus smiled "Padfoot what do you call Mr & Mrs Potter?"

Without hesitation Sirius replied "Mum and dad."

Remus continued "Describe your room at James's house, what's it got in it?"

Sirius frowned "Well roomy stuff. You know posters, Quidditch sheets, a Potter crested rug, I prop my broom in the corner... You've seen it, you know this!"

Remus wanted to hammer his last point in, "What did they get you for your last birthday?"

Sirius gained a dreamy expression "A motorbike."

The others laughed at him and Sirius admitted defeat "OK so maybe they spoil me a little. But I assure you it's not in vain, as they say get a little give a little because in tern I fully intending on spoiling Padlet."

He placed said son on his shoulders making the pup/boy laugh. Sirius asked "Moony, Wormtail you guys joining us this for x-mas this year?"

Remus looked sour "And miss Padlets first Christmas? I think not."

Peter looked sheepish "Sorry I can't. My mum wants us to visit gran, but I'll see you guys new years for sure."

James smiled "Fair enough mate. I better write this letter to mum."

A tapping alerted them to the presence of another lighter speckled owl on the window sill this time, Sirius laughed "Mum must be psychic."

James grinned as well before scanning the letter's address he swallowed heavily handing it to Sirius "It's from your mum."

Sirius's expression went hard in a second reading the contents before scowling and crumpling the message, Shadow leaned over trying to see his dad's expression "What did it say dad?"

Sirius grit his teeth aware his small audience were watching warily "She wants me to return for Christmas."

James hard gaze bore into his and he could practically here his best friends thoughts "I thought they disowned you?"

Answering their questioning looks he scowled "Apparently they've heard rumours that I have a possible heir and wish to 'discuss' the situation. Knowing her 'discuss' probably means hex me til she feels better, find out if I knocked up some girl and murder the unborn off spring which is too bad for her cause I'm not going back, and my boys quite grown up."

Shadow blushed under the praise. Remus mused "Where did they hear that from though? As far as we know no one knows about you guys being animagi and Shadow hasn't been human until today."

Sirius snorted "Doesn't matter, I bet it's just some Slytherin, most likely Regulus, trying to get on my parents worse side. Not that I care. Anyway onto better topics it's time I told you about Diagon Alley Shadow."

The pup/boy listened attentively to his uncles as they started telling him about some of the places like Zonko's joke shop and Honeyduke's. James got rather animated once the subject of Quidditch was brought up he went through an impossibly fast rant on the greatness of Quidditch, brooms, players and at the end Shadow looked more confused than when he began making the others laugh.

Sirius watched and participated in the conversations keeping his worries stored away for the time being, the heaviest being how soon for him and Shadow to pay their respects to Daisy Chain's grave and knowing that even without responding to his parents invitation at Christmas that it wouldn't be the last he heard from them. For now though he laughed along at Shadow's groan when Remus stated he was teaching him to read and write tomorrow then jumping in to tell Shadow more about the workings of magic, the traditions of Christmas and other tidbits of information keeping the lingering darkness that had hung over them since Daisy Chain's passing at bay for the time being.