((A *what if* of sorts. What if Sirius had fallen in love with the *right* girl in Hogwarts and history changed? Sure Voldemort still did his nasty deed...and Harry would still need his godfather's help....Azkaban is still waiting for it's most notorious inmate.....Buckbeak will still need a reprieve....and all he had was the support of one person. The only reason he survived through it all....and now he's telling the tales to his twin daughters who are growing up in a better society........

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in the HP verse. Only Alyssin - my OC - and maybe a few random creatures here and reading are urged to review. It's always good to get feedback, hm?))

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How can life change so fast?

Honestly, now. How can one's life be so….in an upheaval one moment and then completely set right….all because of a girl?

Forty-five year old Sirius Orion Black had to smile and a slight shake of his head as he stared out of the window at the millions of stars upwards, and when the tiny infant in his arms shifted and whimpered, the animagus broke out of his trance and looked down. A smile as soft and gentle as the clear night sky down at his daughter and he leaned down to press a kiss to her tiny forehead. He'd been through a lot in his life. He'd gotten away with things no one should have. And through it all was Sin.

His wife.

Through his Marauding years at Hogwarts…through the Order….through losing his two best friends and the battles that ensued trying to keep his godson safe. Through Azkaban and being hunted like an animal. It all was a crazy, topsy turvy world for him for many years….but *she* was always there. She was always waiting for him. Then when things began to quiet…..and their lives could possibly be right…..he'd bought a new house and settled in with her and now look at him. Twins. Girls nonetheless. How incredibly lucky can one man get. Especially after……………….

"Alyssin!!"

The blonde fifteen year old Slytherin stopped in her trek away from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry towards the Dark lake, and looked over her shoulder at the boy who had called her. A small smile twitched at the corners of her lips. She kept walking on her path but slowed down for a moment to let him catch up. She was slim and petite, long honey-blonde hair falling down to the middle of her back in soft curls and bangs that were in desperate need of a trim, the fringe brushing at long lashes that blinked over sea-blue eyes.

Fifteen year old Sirius Black loped up to the girl and as he caught up, one hand slid across her back and around her waist to help slow himself down, fingers digging into her sides. "Hey! You could at least stop!" he said with a laugh as he bounced along beside her. He was half a head taller than she was and had the most expressive grey eyes. Dark hair that fell in curls just to his shoulders and rather wiry.

She squealed and swatted at him, a hand hitting his chest as she jumped when he tickled her. "What do you want?"

Sirius smirked that patented grin at her that won her heart in the first place and he snickered again. "James needs your help." He said and trying to offer the puppy eyes at her.

Alyssin looked at him sideways with a frown. "What happened to Lily?"

A soft snort from the boy. "She doesn't want anything to do with him again. Apparently he went and showed off how much of a prat he can be."

"Again?" she asked as she sat down under the large ancient willow tree and leaned back against the trunk.

Sirius snickered and nodded. He looked sideways at the Slytherin blonde, wondering just how lucky he was to have found someone like her. She was everything none of the Gryffindor girls were. She was quick-thinking and definitely willing to take a chance. She wasn't afraid of much and more than willing to try something first and if it was fun…..well…..

They'd both started school the same year, but it was well-known that Slytherins and Gryffindors didn't mingle. Sirius and James were notoriously good looking and for the first four years of school, they'd had more than a fair share of females in school mooning over them. But there was something in Alyssin that Sirius noticed in their fourth year at the Christmas Ball that struck him hard and he kept in contact with her even over the summer. When fifth year started they picked up where they'd left off, and never looked back. Now though, he snorted playfully and plopped down beside her, his shoulder brushing hers as he leaned back against the old oak and dropping his head back. "Well, we can't all be me." He said with a chuckle.

"No." she agreed, opening her book bag and pulling out one her Transfiguration book and opening it. "You're right. We can't all be greedy, manipulative, skirt-chasing smart asses, now….." and when she looked over at him and he was looking back at her, grey eyes shadowed and a pout on his lips, she had to crack up. "….otherwise we'd all be like James."

The pout was replaced with a bright grin and he leaned close and kissed her cheek. "I knew I loved you for a reason." He muttered.

Snort! "You only love yourself." She swatted at him as if he were an errant insect and shook her head. "You need to be spanked, Black."

"That 'n offer?"

"Sirius Orion Black!" she said in a warning tone. "Be nice or I'm going to go back into the library where you can't come near me."

Sirius merely laughed and dropped his head back against the tree and closed his eyes.

She was right.

If they had been in the school, Sirius would have never been able to get this close to her. Talk about oil and water. Where he was Gryffindor, she was Slytherin. They both were from two of the wealthiest wizarding families in England. And two of the most powerful. Matter of fact the two families had believed in the same associate with "Pureblood only" rules and for generations, the Malfoys and the Blacks had always been sorted into Slytherin.

Sirius had broken that tradition. When he first arrived at Hogwarts, rather then be sorted into Slytherin, he was sent to Gryffindor. A major upheaval in his family and the decision by the Sorting Hat had sent Sirius' mother into fits and caused numerous complaints to the headmaster, as well as the Ministry.

Unfortunately there was nothing to be done. Once the Hat had made its decision, there was nothing anyone could do. And Sirius being sent to Gryffindor had made him not only an outcast in Hogwarts, but in his own family as well. At least according to his mother.

Alyssin was the cousin to one of the most evil of Slytherins attending Hogwarts. Lucius Malfoy. He was a 6th year when she started her first, Slytherin Prefect and dominating and pushy and rather sneaky in how to get what he wanted. He was the golden boy in his family, being the only son of Abraxus Malfoy who was notorious for handling things "his" way. Alyssin's father, Abraxus' brother, hadn't been married to her mother and to keep everything quiet (Merlin knows we wouldn't want the name of Malfoy to be sullied, eh?) her mother had 'disappeared' and the baby girl was sent to live with her uncle's family

Alyssin was the complete opposite of her cousin, Lucius. And really of her entire family. Blood shouldn't make a difference in your friends or who you fall in love with. She and Sirius shared the same view on a lot of things. That being the major. Where both of their families were dark and rather dangerous, Sirius and Alyssin were the only two bright spots of sunlight for either. It was only natural they found each other and for the last year and a half they'd had to hide their friendship and how close they were growing to each other. Not necessarily from James and the other Marauders…but from Lucius and the Slytherins.

If Lucius found out that she was fraternizing with the Gryffindors let ALONE which ones, he'd immediately owl his father who would take her out of Hogwarts and send her most likely to that stupid all-girl French school. No way. She'd rather die.

So the sneaking around started. It really wasn't too difficult. Lucius barely left the school except for weekends in Hogsmeade and rarely ventured outside, preferring to stay locked away in the Slytherin common room with his minions. The other Slytherins could tell him what they saw all they wanted. Unless Lucius saw it with his own eyes he wouldn't go mouthing off to Abraxus and she would be safe.

"So're you gonna do it for me, Sin?" he asked, eyes still closed and head still back against the tree.

"Hmm?" she said sounding a bit absent, turning the page of the textbook. In all her years she'd never gotten a nickname. It was rather cute at first. Sirius more than obliged that little part of her by naming her his "real only Sin."

Sirius cracked one eye open and looked at her sideways. "Will. You. Help. James. For. Me?"

She snorted softly but didn't look at him. "And why would I do something like that?"

Pause. Thought. And suddenly in a flurry of activity, Sirius launched from where he sat to on top of her, and Alyssin squealed and tossed the book away, falling onto her back. Sirius grabbed her wrists, holding them in the grass on either side of her head and looked down at her with a wicked grin. "Because you like hi—"

Another snort. "Guess again."

"Because you're a good pers—"

"Once more, Black."

Evil grin and he leaned down to brush his lips against hers and softly mumbled against them. "Because you love me?"

She smiled up at him and returned the lip brushing and nodded. "That's all you had to say." She said softly.

"Good, then." And he started to get up, when he let her go, she grabbed him by the robes and tugged him back down.

"BUT…did I say you could stop?" Wicked little grin herself. "His…'degree of help' might entirely depend on how well you can persuade me he needs said tutelage."

Sirius yelped softly having been dragged down again, and fell over her, onto his elbows so he wouldn't crush her and a playful grin as he kissed her gently. "Is that so….well I wouldn't want him as….say….smart as I am. Then where would be the fun trying to find him a tutor later?"

She looked up at him, a small smile as she lost herself in his grey eyes and one hand rose to brush back a lock of his raven curly hair behind one ear. "You are….incorrigible."

"Not really…" he muttered softly, offering Eskimo kisses. "Just…not wanting him to have to 'convince' you to help him is all."

Arms slid around his neck, fingers toying with the curls at the back of his collar and the smile faded for just a moment. "You'd never have to worry about that, Siri." She said quietly.

"Siri?" he said with a grin. "I like that…." And he leaned down to start another kiss, but then an alarm went off and they both groaned as he pulled back and dropped his forehead onto her shoulder. "But that…" and a low growl with a frown. "I hate that."

"Well if….you….wouldn't take….so damn long to….." she said, amidst soft grunts as she wriggled under him as he hadn't made any moves to get off of her yet, and dragged her book bag over to them and reached in for her watch, "Got it!" and hit the little button to stop the alarm and then looked back up at him. "We have to go back. One more class....and we're done for the weekend." A kiss to the tip of his nose.

He tried to catch her into another kiss but he knew better and he sat up, dragging her up as well and helping her put the books back and then to stand up and they both straightened their robes. "You're coming with me to Hogsmeade this weekend, yeah?" he asked.

"I thought you and the others were going to—"

"James is going to try and woo Lily back. And Remus said he's going to work with Peter on helping for the Potions test we have on Monday. Leaves me alone all weekend!" he said with a pout.

She shouldered her book bag and when she looked at him, she had to snicker and nodded. "Then yes…I'll spend the weekend with you in Hogsmeade. Maybe we can explore some of the area arou-"she suddenly squealed sharply as Sirius poked her in the ribs again and dashed off ahead of her towards the school. She watched him disappear into a crowd of kids and sighed softly. They couldn't risk being seen together anywhere close to Hogwarts. There would be that one occasion that Lucius had gone outside and they'd be nailed to the wall. Rather than risk it, they always meet well away from the school and never associated during it.

She sifted fingers through blonde bangs and headed for the school again and last class. Transfiguration. One of the four classes she had with Sirius. Well at least James was in it too and they'd keep each other occupied so temptation wouldn't be as great as if they were the only two.

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