James,

Think you can find it in your heart to take me in to your humble home? I heartily hope so, because if I stay here longer, I believe I'll go mad.

Sirius

Sirius,

Take the Knight Bus tonight, I'll be up waiting for you.

James

Sirius sighed happily after he read the letter, and started quickly throwing all of his possessions into his school truck. He was in the middle of folding a set of robes when he heard someone quietly say his name.

"Hmm?" Sirius answered, not bothering to look up as he picked up another set of robes to fold.

"Where are you going?"

Sirius looked up. Regulus was standing in the doorway to Sirius's room, his eyes wide.

"I'm leaving, Reg. Can't stay in this fucking place anymore. Off to James's."

"Oh."

"Don't tell Mum, I'd like to tell her myself," Sirius said, a hint of malice in his voice.

Regulus bit his lip nervously and turned away, leaving Sirius to finish packing alone. Once he was finished, he double-checked the locks on his trunk, slid his wand into the inside pocket of his jacket, and set off down the hall and down the stairs, floating his trunk behind him. He opened the front door, set his trunk down, and screamed, "Mum! I'm leaving! Don't expect me back!"

He later regretted this, as she had sent many a hex flying past him, as she screamed back at him, before burning him out of the tapestry.

Sirius, panting and halfway laughing, held his wand arm up, and the Knight Bus appeared immediately. He even enjoyed the ride on the bus, knowing he wasn't going to set foot in that wretched house again. Of course, he could've done without smacking his head against the window a few times, but that was to be expected.

Sirius arrived at the Potter's house at half past twelve that night, and was welcomed warmly into their home. He immediately fell asleep on the sofa, only waking up to James yelling, "Sirius! You've got an owl waiting for you!"

Sirius groaned and sat up, as the owl gracefully soared through the kitchen and living room to sit happily on his knee.

"Morning, Spentsgave. It's a bit early, isn't it?" Sirius said, and the owl, Spentsgave, hooted softly as Sirius untied the parchment tied to his leg, reading it quickly. He wrote his reply under the current message, sending Spentsgave off with a pat on his head.

James walked in, with a plate of eggs and toast, chuckling. "It's a quarter past eleven, Seer. It's not that early."

Sirius tucked into the meal, heavily wanting to avoid questions from James. Spentsgave happened to belong to the Lupin family.

"Oh, good morning, Sirius," James's mother said, walking through the room, tidying things up with her wand. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, very well. I can't thank you Mrs. Potter, for letting me stay here."

"It's no trouble, stay as long as you like," Mrs. Potter said, leaving the room. Sirius was very grateful for her interruption, for it seemed to distract James.

"Well," Sirius said, "Only two weeks until we go back."

"Yeah. Got all your book and stuff?" James asked. "I'm sure Mum wouldn't mind taking us to Diagon Alley if you don't."

"I have everything, we went a few days ago," Sirius said, finishing up the rest of his breakfast, before heading out to play one on one Quidditch with James, helping him practice, even if James certainly didn't need it.

The next two days went by fairly the same, until finally, the day came when they left the house for Platform 9 ¾, dragging their trunks and James's owl cage along with them, getting a many a few strange looks from Muggle bystanders.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter said their good-byes to the boys, Mrs. Potter attempting to force James's hair to lie flat for once, to no avail. Annoyed, James called out a good-bye, as did Sirius, finding a seat on the train as it started to move. It was just them in the apartment, as Remus had to do his prefect duties.

"Sirius," James began after the train got going at a constant speed. "I've got a question."