If anyone's wondering why I skipped a huge part in the beginning, here's my reasoning: you know it. You all know that they come from extremely different families and that Lily and Snape have an instant dislike for them. You know that they're sorted into Gryffindor. I have nothing new to add to that part, and honestly, I find it a bit boring. I'm starting here because I feel I can make the story my own that way.

This story won't be updated regularly. I sometimes write half a chapter, get bored, and desert whatever it is I'm writing for ages. This first chapter was originally going to be one of the many, many oneshots I've posted here, but I wrote something after this (second chapter already written? Gasp!) and decided I could work on my attention span and writing ability with this.

I hope you enjoy reading this cobbled-together mess of a story.

The room was spectacularly red. Remus had forgotten most of what his mother had mentioned about how colours made you feel, but if he remembered right, he was going to have some very angry dorm mates. There were only a few gold things around the room, minor things like picture frames and curtain linings, and the red theme seemed to be very much in keeping with the common room below.

The bed closest to the window had been taken by a tall boy with blonde hair and bluish-grey eyes. His facial features were alright on their own, but together, made him look rather ratlike. He had tripped on his robes on the way past Remus's compartment on the train.

The next bed had already been claimed by a boy who'd been bragging about having all his family in Gryffindor. Remus hadn't paid him much attention, merely noting his unusually messy hair, arrogance, and loud laughter.

The boy in the next bed had stood next to him during the sorting and had stuck in his memory simply for how ill he had looked. At the moment, he seemed fine, with black hair and a face that could be called handsome a few years from now.

Remus had taken the last bed, the one furthest from the window. He was fairly average-looking, with sandy brown hair and a quiet voice, but there was a conspicuous series of scars running from his left cheekbone to his right jawbone. He wondered what the other boys were thinking about him.

After the seven seconds it took to take in everything, including the slightly awkward pause between them all looking at each other and starting a conversation, the arrogant boy spoke.

"So who're my new dorm mates, and what're you lot like?"

"I'm Peter Pettigrew, and I'm pretty fine," said the blonde boy, blushing a bit. "I'm also not as full of myself as that sounded, sorry."

"I'm Sirius Black, and I hate both my first and last name. I'm also nothing like the rest of my family, so if any of you know anything about them, relax. I'm not plotting to kill you in your sleep," the black-haired boy assured them.

Remus supposed it was his turn. "I'm Remus Lupin, and I probably have the most boring life of anyone here."

"I'm James Potter, and I plan to be the youngest Seeker in a century for Gryffindor's Quidditch team," the arrogant boy finished.

"So we've got one who's full of himself, one who doesn't think enough of himself, one who isn't as full of himself as he seems, and one who won't murder the lot," Sirius observed. "This is going to be an interesting year."

Remus let out a startled laugh, James bit back a grin, and Peter sniggered. Apparently pleased by the reaction, he continued. "So, Remus, what makes you say you're boring?"

"I was named after someone who didn't found Rome, and I read theory for fun. I didn't say I wanted to be boring, it's just the hand life dealt me," Remus replied with a slightly sarcastic undertone. "How about you, Starboy?"

It was Sirius's turn to laugh, and the short bark was unexpected. "Starboy?"

"I could call you something else, if you'd like. Would mutt be appropriate?" After a moment, he asked, "You're probably going to get tired of hearing this, but how'd a Black end up in Gryffindor?"

"White sheep," he replied laconically. "Ask Godric Potter over there if you want a chat about houses."

"Oi!" James said half-heartedly.

Sirius ignored him. "So did everyone get into the house they wanted? Anyone have Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw families?"

"I thought I'd be in Hufflepuff," Peter admitted. "I'm stupid enough to be. Apparently I'm brave now, although I don't see that in me either."

"I'm sure you're at least a little clever," Remus assured him. "Don't worry, I'm not sure if I'm glad about my house yet either. I thought I'd be in Ravenclaw like my dad."

James's mouth dropped open. "Not sure if you're glad? How can you not be sure if you're glad? This is Gryffindor we're talking about here, not Slytherin!"

"Lay off, Potter, not everyone spent their childhood worshipping at the altar of all that's brave and good," Sirius said, a little harsher than he'd meant it to sound. "If we're all sorted by family, you'd be alone here, and if that's what you stand by, that might be the case anyways."

There was a tense silence for a moment before James smiled reluctantly. "You, I like."

"You, I don't," he replied coolly. "Peter, give us a short summary of your life."

"Um," Peter said eloquently. "Born in April, my dad's a Muggle, I was about nine when my parents told me about magic because I locked a boy in a cupboard by accident, and I got my Hogwarts letter and came here. I have a little sister named Penelope. That's about it."

Sirius nodded. "Excellent. Lupin?"

"Small Welsh town no one's ever heard of, my dad wrote a Defense Against the Dark Arts book that sold pretty well about two years before I was born, and my favourite band is the Beatles with the Who in close second. How about you?"

"Raised by pure-blood maniacs, little brother who I hate, am now a Gryffindor. Not much else to tell." Sirius shrugged with unusually tense shoulders, which didn't escape Remus's notice. "And what did you do with your life when you weren't trying to get into this house?"

James's mouth twitched. "Well, I wore lots of red, tried my hardest to be chivalrous, and proved my bravery by experimenting with my dad's line of hair products. Didn't everyone?"

Remus and Peter sniggered. James offered an apologetic smile, and after a moment, Sirius grinned. "You are funny, Godric, I'll give you that."

"Quit it with the Godric, and we could probably friends, Black," he said, and laughed.

Sirius's grin faded just a tiny bit. "Quit it with the Black, and you're probably right."

"Alright, then," James agreed amiably. "Sirius it is. Anyone else got any preferences for names? Rem instead of Remus, or Pete instead of Peter, or any objections to being called by your last name?"

"Don't nickname me, just Remus. Or Lupin. Either way, no nicknames," he said.

Peter shrugged. "First name, I guess? I don't mind nicknames."

"Now that's sorted out," James said cheerfully, flopping himself from a sitting position to lying down on his bed. "In the morning we all go down to breakfast together, alright? We won't get lost alone that way. Actually, with my keen navigating skills, we won't get lost at all!"

Remus didn't quite trust the glint in his eye, but said nothing. Objections could wait until morning.