Lorelei looked around her with a sense of slight awe. A castle an honest to freaking gods castle. She stood with her two friends Peyton Brook out side the great hall. The three girls where just three of a large group that had come from a smaller school in the states but when the Salem institute was essentially eradicated the School of Hogwarts welcomed them to their hallowed halls. Rory's attention was snapped back to her friends as Peyton her tall leggy blonde friend, babbled about the enchanted ceiling.

" I read all about it in the copy of Hogwarts a History." the blonde was saying causing her two companions to giggle.

" Geez Pey lay off the coffee girly." Rory said with a laugh sipping her own cup of it, Rory with out coffee was a very dangerous thing….. Very dangerous.

" Cant you quote that thing from cover to cover by now?" Brook the tall dark brunette with chocolate brown eyes, asked stealing Rory's coffee and taking a sip. Peyton responded with a laugh but it died into a grin making her hazel eyes dance. Brook wrapped around her arms around the other two's shoulder. Rory swept her long red hair out of her midnight blue eyes as she looked around oblivious to the stares her and her friends where getting even though they where in a large group of ' sixth years' to be sorted into a ' sister house'. the three girls waited semi patiently.

" Brook Mason… Gryffindor!" finally they where rolling. " Peyton Nixon….. Gryffindor." " Lorelei Warren…." The great hall except the Americans fell silent. Rory just rolled her eyes.

" Actually its Rory Mercer." She said before sitting in the stool and placed the ratty hat on her head.

Yes you have a sharp mind but are way to out spoken and gutsy for Gryffindor, Hufflepuff is definitely out, Slytherin would suit the need to prove your self, but Gryffindor would best match your out spoken personality and undying loyalty to those you consider your family blood or not, hmmmm where to put you…. " Gryffindor!"

" Thank you mister hat." Rory said as she half skipped over to the Gryffindor table. Her comment caused the Headmaster of Hogwarts to chuckle as did several of the staff from both schools. She sat next to Brook and across from Peyton which put her next to her favorite person in the world, her biological cousin James Potter, aka Jamie. She had looked into her family when she turned thirteen and found that her biological mother had a sister, Eve and well She had a son named James. It had taken some time but Rory was close to the Potters and Jamie and his pal Remus had become like two more brothers to her, even if she already had four brothers. Evelyn had offered to adopt her but Rory would never leave the boys or her pseudo mother, Beatrice aka Beau Mercer. James wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could after hugging him back Rory gasped for air. " Oxygen is becoming an issue Jamie."

" Sorry Rory." He said grinning.

" What no love for me pet?" A voice asked with a fake pout and Rory popped up and hugged the tall sandy haired boy.

" Of course Remy." She said hugging as tight as she did James before plopping down back in her spot across from Peyton. " You two remember my girls yeah?"

" Yep never forget pretty faces." James said with a grin in their direction. " You already know Remus, the little guy is our mate Peter, and this handsome devil is Sirius Black." Rory and the other two shot the boys smiles. " This my dear Marauders is my baby cousin and little sister Rory, and her two best mates Peyton and Brook."

" Enchanted my lovelies, welcome to our fair school." Sirius said unable to take his eyes off James little sister. Normally he would have been paying extra special attention to the two leggy girls, but there was just something about Rory that drew him in. She had a heart shaped face and impossibly large midnight blue eyes not to mention a plump delicious looking mouth. Sure she was a tiny little thing, slender but delicately muscled like dancer and short with his six foot three frame she would coupe to his chest since she did James and they where the same height.

" Thank you Mr. Black." Rory said with a smile that gave her small dimples. The other two greeted him but Peyton was already babbling excitedly to Remus about the uses for Boom slang skin. Brook was talking to another girl by the name of Dorcas and Rory noticed another redhead and smiled at her when she looked up, the other girl returned her smile. " Hi I'm Rory Mercer."

" Lily Evans. Your Potters cousin but you seem so….. Normal and nice." She said taking the girl in, she was a major step up from Potter ok…. So he wasn't that bad anymore since he had stopped asking her out every five minutes and humiliating her. " Potters not that bad but…"

" I know believe me." She said with a laugh and James nudged her. " So what is there to do around here?" The two girls where suddenly talking excitedly about various things. Sirius couldn't focus on the girl next to him, Marlene this week, He was mesmerized by the little redhead and her melodic laugh, her cute dimples and her openness.

" Ok there Pad foot?" James asked looking a bit worried, then noticed where his stare was. " Rory is a sweetheart, tough sometimes but she's had to be. If your going to go after her she better not be just another conquest. You have to be upfront and honest with her, and I swear if you hurt her I will make your life miserable for a bit. You may be my best mate but she is my little sister, I would eventually forgive you but she has four brothers that would beat you to a pulp and truth be told id help. Believe me those Mercer boys are not the type you want to meet in a dark alley." Sirius gulped but nodded. Little did James know the other redhead had heard every word and was very impressed.

Sirius sat there nodding periodically to Dorcas chatter. He had heard all about Rory and knew that his two best mates would kill him if he screwed up. She was apparently very accepting of people no matter their walk of life. Of course he knew how tough the Mercer boys where, Bobby was his idol minus the prison time. He would wait and see what happened, first he needed to break it off with Dorcas and stop dating and flirting with everything in a skirt. Soon dinner was over and the three americans walked with Lily and Marlene up to the Gryffindor common room. Even though Lily and James where head boy and girl they had opted to stay in the tower, they didn't know it yet but it was going to be one hell of a year.

The next morning was chaos as the three made their way to join their new friends for breakfast. Brook was her usual calm pulled together self, Peyton was as bubbly as ever and Rory was still half asleep. The three plopped down in the same spot as last night.

" Coffee." Was the only thing Rory mumbled causing her friends to laugh and James to chuckle.

" I'm sorry what was that Ace?" James asked amused. " Was that even English it sounded more like a strangled toad." Rory sent him a death glare that made him stop laughing. Remus finally joined them from early reading in the library and took one look at Rory and smirked.

" No coffee in someone's system yet?" He asked sitting down which caused the death glare to be turned to him.

" Damn britts and your stupid tea." Rory said just as a coffee pot appeared on the table with all the possible fixings. Rory scrambled for it making her tea cup into a huge thermos and then sat sipping it listening to the conversations around her. Sirius grinned to himself as Rory slowly perked up having the highly caffeinated beverage in her system.

" Memo to self no messing with Rory till she has coffee in her system." He said still grinning.

" Damn Skippy if you value your manly parts." Rory responded.

" Evil…. Pure evil threatening my favorite part of my anatomy." Sirius said in a fake offended voice.

" Yep mwahahahahahaha." She said sticking her tongue out.

" Yep evil."

" Snot rag."

" Git."

" SOB."

" I know she is…. Bitch."

" Man whore."

" Twerp."

" He bitch."

" Devil."

" Satan incarnate, bad seed." By this point they where both laughing as was everyone around them. It was very funny to watch them casually fling insults at each other. For the next two weeks their mornings progressed like that. Rory would drink her coffee and she and Sirius would insult each other than everyone would go to class. The Americans where more advanced so Rory and the girls had classes with the Marauders and lily.

It was a Monday in potions class when they all saw Rory's temper for the first time. She sat with Lily as her partner as always everything started normal.

" Hey Warren." LeStrange called out but Rory ignored him still chatting with Lily as they had their potion done already. " Warren! Mercer!" Rory turned around and arched a brow. " I heard that your father would agree to re inherit you if you would give up your blood traitor ways and leave those criminals and hoods you call brothers in the dust along with the scum of a blood traitor you claim as cousin." Rory gripped her wand and turned around to face him her eyes flashing dangerously she didn't notice Lily standing with her guarding her back, she was to far beyond pissed.

" Listen and listen good so you can deliver this message to your stupid arrogant blood supremacy Nazi wanna be friends. Firstly Derek Warren can kiss my lily white ass he had his chance when my mother died leaving me alone at the age of five. Secondly my cousin is twice the man you'll ever hope to be. Thirdly no one and I mean no one insults my brothers…. Ok so we didn't have the luxury you've had growing up and my brothers have gotten into some pretty bad shit. Unlike you my brothers have more survival skills than you ever will. We grew up on the streets of LA but it made us tough. If it wasn't for that woman as you call her I would probably either be dead or id have my head so far up my ass like you that I couldn't smell the roses." Rory ranted.

" Your mother was a piece of shit blood traitor." Rabastan replied smirking. Rory had enough and Brook and Peyton couldn't move fast enough to stop her, she wordlessly cast a spell and suddenly Rabastan had bat wings coming out of his head and was covered in bright red and gold snot. " Mercer!" Then in an act the natives never saw coming Rory hit him, no she punched him, not a girly punch either but a full swing left hook that connected beautifully with Rabastan face. With that she stalked off as the class ended, thank Merlin Slughorn had beeen called away. James followed but Rory had taken off at a full speed run and she'd had plenty of practice and James knew he would never catch up to her, especially if she took her animagus form. He thought for a second and headed toward the Black lake with Brook and Peyton in toe with the rest following behind. She was there on a big rock crying and the look she sent them was enough to make Peyton and Brook back off, understandingly. Remus and Lily left dragging Peter with them.

" Take care of her Potter." Lily said worried about her new and best friend. " We need to talk later." James nodded and gave a small smile. Sirius was already climbing up next to Rory she just looked at him tears falling. Sirius wrapped his arms around her and she leaned into him and cried harder, As much as James hated to admit it, it wasn't him she needed it was him. Normally Sirius would run the other way from a crying female but he was actually comforting his sister. After a moment he approached the pair.

" You ok Ace?" He asked climbing up on the other side of her. She shrugged and went back to watching the water move. " Anything I can do?" She shook her head.

" Go talk to Lily. She likes you you know, even defended you back there…. Just go James, go get her." She gave him a small smile. " Don't screw it up, that would make me feel better." James hugged her and kissed her head before bounding back to the castle. She shook her head watching the wter again, completely at ease with the boy beside her. Truth be told she had a huge thing for him ever since their second day here three months ago. She would make a move but didn't want to end up a notch on his bedpost and with her heart broken.

" You actually slugged Lestrange, you my lady are my new hero." Sirius said grinning then turned serious. " I know what its like to be so at odds with your family…"

" Derek Warren is not my family. It just bugs me that that he's lived in the lap of luxury while ive struggled just to get out of the streets alive. Don't get me wrong I love my family, but a little money or support from that bastard and my mother might still be alive. She did everything she could to keep us going, unfortunately it killed her. And to insult her and my brothers like that. If it wasn't for my brothers and mom…" Rory trailed off not wanting to think about it. " I'm sorry… you know about your family, but the way I see it family is the friends and the people around you that you choose to let in."

" Yeah I guess your right." Sirius said after a minute. " The potters, the Marauders, Lily, Brook, Peyton, … you. You guys are the family I choose. Unfortunately My mother still has a lot of control on me. She's forcing me to marry before I graduate you know, that's why I date like I do. The girl they have picked isn't a ray of sunshine…. Missy Balustrade." Rory shuddered and felt her heart deflate.

" That's terrible, isn't there a way out of it? I got lucky getting totally cut off or id be married to that rat bastard LeStrange" Rory said finally saying what as really bothering her about that encounter. " Cause if there is id love to hear it."

" LeStrange? Damn Ace I'm sorry." Sirius said hugging her tight trying to ease the wrenching in his gut at the thought of her being that snakes wife. Another man holding her, kissing her, loving her while he was miserable with that cow… he had to just once and it seemed to be now or never. He tilted her chin up and gently put his lips to hers, she was stiff for a second but relaxed and kissed him back a little shy. When they pulled away she had an adorable blush and her eyes where dark. " I'm sorry I had to do that just once. I haven't told anyone else yet, you're the first, I was hoping there was away out but.." Rory thought for a second then looked at him her problems forgotten.

" There is, is it a blood bond contract?" She asked holding his steely grey gaze that made her knees mush.

" No just through or fathers blood." He responded and she grinned.

" Then Regulus could marry the cow. You would still have to be married by graduation but you could choose." She said grinning.

" You are brilliant Ace!" He said hugging her again. " It would have to be a pureblood to work though and the only girl I can think of that wouldn't be completely dreadful is you and Marlene. Marlene is dating Amos Diggory though, and I couldn't ask you to throw your life away on someone like me let me think ill come up with something. Damn its almost Christmas break, she'll make me marry the cow then… fuck." He was mumbling as Rory thought. It would kill James to loose his best mate and Rory couldn't let that happen. If Sirius was miserable Jamie would be to, she didn't even want Sirius miserable.

" Sirius, feel free to say oh hell no, but I may have an idea. Your attracted to me yeah?" She asked and he nodded. " I'm a pureblood like you said. My mom being gone and all I'm a minor but if I was married I wouldn't have to worry about my father taking an interest at all. James would be heart broken if you where made miserable for life by marrying the cow. I don't want you miserable I rather quite like our insult fights. I'm not saying it'll be easy, hell we've only known each other three months have never dated and only kissed once not five minutes ago. And lord knows I'm not perfect, I'm a coffee addict that can have a bad temper especially in the morning, I don't know jack about quid ditch, I read classic novels for fun, I'm your best mates little sister, and my brothers will probably beat the tar out of you at some point… and I babble like an idiot." She babbled out causing Sirius to smirk. " What I'm getting at with my amazing talent for babbling like a moron without breathing….. Marry me." Sirius was shocked.

" Wizarding vows are binding for fidelity, you would be stuck with me. I'm not complaining I would get to be married to the best girl in the world. Though your brothers beating the tar out of me would be rough and James punching me I can handle but can you handle being a tied even if only by name to my family and tied to me in every way possible?" He asked still stunned at her selflessness.

" Yes I can handle it. I know im not your usual type and we'll have to really work at being happy but…." She started to babble again.

" Then we will do this the right way instead of ass back wards. Lorelei Warren-Mercer will you marry me?" He asked getting down from the rock and helping her down before dropping to one knee. She smiled and giggled

"yes Sirius Black I will marry you." He grinned and stood up taking her in his arms placing a gentle kiss on her nose before taking her hand and walking with her back to the castle. The whole way up they talked about various things until they reached the common room where there was a very passionate James and Lily. Rory made fake gagging noises and Sirius cleared his throat. The pair blushed and pulled a part, looking at Rory and Sirius hands clasped together they both arched a brow but Lily was smiling and James looked confused.

" You two are dating now?" He asked.

" We need to talk Jamie." Rory said giving the portrait the password.

" Your What!" Was the general response out of their friends when Rory and Sirius dropped the bomb.