First Impressions

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling and I have no claim to it. Let's face it, if it were mine, it would be severely edited and I wouldn't be sitting here right now.

A Marauder looks back on happier times spent with his friends.

Whoot, my first fanfiction!

Reviews and constructive critisism would be nice... :-)

As the whistles started blowing at 11am on platform nine-and-three-quarters on September the first 1971, Sirius Black couldn't be more excited and relieved. This was the beginning of his new life. Finally he could escape from the stuffy old house he grew up in. Finally he was allowed to live the way he wanted, away from his hated parents.

He had just boarded the train which was to take him to his first year at Hogwarts, and did not bother looking back at the family he felt he didn't belong to. Even nine year old Regulus looked down on muggle borns, squibs, and "blood traitors", though Sirius doubted his brother knew why their Mother and Aunt Bellatrix in particular, told him to act like that. The poor kid just did what he was told. His own rebelliousness complicated things. His family felt like they had "failed" with him, and was even more determined than ever that they would get their way with Regulus. Personally, he couldn't understand why anybody should be hated for what they were, rather than who they were.

Snapping out of his thoughts about what Regulus would be like without his opposing views until the next Summer (because there was no way he was going back until absolutely necessary), Sirius slowly made his way down the train, looking for an empty compartment. This was a lot easier said than done. He was near the end of the second carriage, when a boy about his age with messy black hair and glasses helping hazel eyes pushed past, before turning, panting and asking "Wouldn't mind holding these for a second?" Several water filled balloons were then thrust into his arms, and the boy disappeared into a compartment slightly further on.

"Think it's funny, Black?" Sirius turned to confront the angry voice to see another boy with long, black hair, which would be greasy if it weren't so wet. "I'm sorry, I forgot we half-bloods aren't good enough for you. Although I would have thought you would prefer an almost certain Slytherin over a Gryffindor any day. Especially a muggle loving family like the Potters. You don't want to hang around with filth."

"You know what? You're right." Replied Sirius, eyeing Severus' dripping hair. The smug grin on Sirius' unwitting new opponent's face, was swiftly replaced by shock as more balloons landed on Severus' head. Sirius was going to Hogwarts to escape those sort of words, not become friends with people who said them. He most certainly wasn't going to be in Slytherin if he could help it. That would be the greatest rebellion of all, as the rest of his family had been sorted there. He wasn't sure if he could avoid it for that reason, but one could hope.

He ducked into the compartment where the Potter boy was currently rolling on the floor laughing. "Did you see his face?! I'm James by the way. You can sit here if you want." Sirius promptly accepted, introduced himself then dragged his trunk in behind him, before shutting the door. Severus was nowhere to be seen. "Old Snivellus has got something wrong with his head if you ask me. Always muttering about the dark arts and God knows what else... God probably doesn't know, come to think of it. Deserves everything he gets, that one."

Too busy chatting and planning pranks on teachers and students alike, neither boy noticed the landscapes that whizzed past the window during the journey. The further away from home he got, the more Sirius began to feel as if he was looking out from someone else's body. He couldn't believe what was happening. He had made a close friend and there was nothing his parents could do to hurt him now. This was true magic he decided.

The sun had slipped under the horizon, and the sky changed in a kaleidoscope of colours from blue to orange to pink then landed on purple, when finally the train pulled to a stop. The first years were eventually herded into the castle and were left to ponder their fates. Many were whispering theories as to how the sorting worked, each wilder than the last. At talk of exploding house elves and talking dragons, Sirius turned to James. "any idea what actually happens?"

"Well, dad once said they set a load of pixies on you and they sort you depending on the outcome... but then mum told him to stop messing around and help her de-gnome the garden."

"Errr... great. What's taking so long?"

"Apparently some kid called Peter fell in the lake on the way over." James and Sirius looked over at the boy who had spoken. He was thin and didn't look very well at all. His robes were shabby and he looked like he was recovering from an illness. Sirius assumed this was because of the boat trip across the lake. "And the sorting can't be that bad or why would so many people send their kids here? I've never actually heard of anyone being injured before."

"Duh, why would they want you to hear stuff like that?" muttered James.

Sirius carried on as if he hadn't heard anything. "Fair enough. Doesn't stop the rumours though, does it? I'm Sirius and this is James."

"Remus. You must be the 'trouble makers'. Word's gone round about what you did to Severus on the train. Everyone was talking about it-" He would have continued but a witch came through the door to explain what has about to happen, with a soaking boy trailing behind, shivering and looking distinctly awkward . He was chubby and James smirked, thinking he looked a bit of an air head.

"Look what the cat... or Kneazle... dragged in." He sniggered. The witch- Professor McGonagall- gave him a stern look before leading them into the Great Hall. All the nervous first years gave sighs of relief when they heard all they had to do was put a hat on. Sirius became worried again soon after. What if he ended up in Slytherin with "Snivellus"? Would his friendship with James last?

He hopped from foot to foot impatiently and James gave him a funny look. "Who taught you to dance?! What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He mumbled, as Nancy Benton was sorted into Hufflepuff. His name was called. This was it. The moment of truth. He could hear the hat talking to its self from its position on his head. It was about to call out the dreaded word 'Slytherin'. 'No! Anything but that.' He thought. "Oh really?" Asked the hat. It was talking to its self again, arguing with its self. Eventually it cried out "Gryffindor!"

Sirius jumped up. "Yes!" Giggles came from round the hall, but he didn't care. He want to sit down and watched the rest of the sorting, while various people at his table patted him on the back and congratulated him.

One by one, he watched others getting sorted to Gryffindor: a pretty girl called Lily Evans; Remus Lupin, who talked to him in the hall; Peter Pettigrew who fell in the lake; and James Potter who now sat grinning beside him. Severus Snape went, as predicted, to Slytherin with a few cheers from the direction of his table.

Everybody started digging into the feast that appeared before their eyes. James nudged Sirius in the ribs, gave his trademark grin and dived for a plate of sausages. Sirius looked round. Chatter had erupted in the room, so it almost seemed impossible to have a conversation. Remus was sitting opposite him, quietly eating and nobody else seemed to have noticed him. Peter was having a conversation with some second years, but appeared to be bored. He also kept glancing his and James' way every now and then.

Sirius gave his own grin and nudged James back. He then picked up a forkful of peas and flicked them at the Hufflepuff table opposite, much to the frustration of the Hufflepuff prefects sitting nearby. This had once again gained Peter's attention. Remus looked up and gave a 'he's going to get into trouble very soon' look.

"Mr Black, do you have something against the peas? I'm sure you can control yourself in the presence of other vegetables. Perhaps they insulted you?"

"Actually Professor McGonagall, they told me they wanted to learn how to fly and I agreed to give them lessons." Sirius looked up with a small smile which he hoped said 'I'm cute and innocent'. Apparently it didn't.

"Well perhaps you should refer them on to the flying teacher here." She indicated the table where the teachers sat, a couple of whom were taking careful note of what was going on. "She is in a better position to do so than you are, I'm sure. In the mean time, it would be a shame to give you a detention on your first day. More caution when thinking over your actions might go a long way." She gave a final look at Sirius, then James- who was having a hard time breathing he was laughing so much- before sweeping away back to her seat.

Many students were laughing and pointing over at him, impressed by the performance. Sirius felt a strange swell of pride at the attention. The Slytherins and most of the Hufflepuffs didn't look happy with the lack of punishment. Peter was now swapping seats to get closer and practically started worshipping him. "You need to be more careful." Remus tried sounding serious and disapproving, but the acting was ruined by the smile on his face.

"What are you talking about? That was great! Listen mate, we shouldn't have many problems from McGonagall- she seems like a bit of a softie. These are going to be some of the best years of my life!" James was now on the verge of his own little world of tricks and pranks.

Years later, in number 12, Grimmauld Place, a 35 year old Sirius, trapped in his own home, looked at a picture of his friends. He and James had their arms round each other, wearing identical mischievous grins. Everyone down stairs in the kitchen said he was a reckless godfather to Harry. Maybe they were right, he mused, but he vowed to protect Harry after his father's death, and he would do that as best he could, even if there wasn't much else he could do for the Order.

Remus. He was always the cautious one. He still was too. They hadn't talked much over the past few weeks, but he knew his friend disapproved of they way he acted towards Harry and the information about the Order he trusted him with- 'as if James was back'. Sirius snorted. He knew who Harry was and didn't need reminding of that, no matter how much he looked like his father.

Peter. Ever since that first day at Hogwarts he was uncertain of his trustworthiness. It was disconcerting that he only hung around them because they were the 'it crowd'. James never minded as it meant he had his own personal fan where ever he went. Peter had always tried to gain attention and power by making friends with people in positions of greater power. That's what ultimately killed his best friend.

There in the background, sitting barely visible by the lake, was Snape. He had never forgiven him for the 'incident' on the train, or a few years later when Sirius tricked him into going to the shrieking shack on the night of the full moon, or for any of the other things they had done over the years for that matter. He wasn't exactly innocent either though. Even now he was making comments about his usefulness sitting around the house.

Sirius clung to the memories of his school days. He didn't have much else any more. He sighed. First impressions are the most lasting, and are sometimes-not all the time- quite true, he reflected. Then he picked himself up to go find what Molly and the kids where tiding today.