A/N: So, the inevitable author's note. Hi, dear readers! I won't bug you too much, but I was wondering how many of you actually read author's notes. Leave me a review telling me what you thought of the chapter and whether or not you read author's now, I'll let you get to the story below.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is NOT MINE. (But a girl can wish…)

Chapter 1: The Station

Sirius stepped off the Hogwarts express with his trunk in hand. His eyes scanned the station looking for the forms of Orion and Walburga Black so he could know what he was in for this summer.

He hoisted his trunk and looked for James Potter his best friend. The only friend who knew about what went on every summer at Sirius's house.

Instead he saw Remus being hugged and fussed over by his windswept and scattered mum. There was Lily Evans, her eyes shining and also hugging her parents. Even Peter was being hugged and loved by someone.

His parents were behind all this, all this love. They glared at him with hard faces. His Mother and Father. Absolute supporters of Voldemort. Now that he was 16 and had just finished fifth year life would be worse if you could even call it a life. His parents would try to recruit him to Voldemort's Death Eaters.

James came up from behind him and whispered, "Padfoot, I promise I'll come to visit this summer. Screw your mum." He clapped him on the shoulder and hesitantly turned away, "Plus, you can come see me. My mum is having a gala thing in a couple of weeks and everyone is invited. Okay?"

"Fine. I'm fine Prongs. Really."

"Okay, just make sure to owl both of us" Remus said, coming up from behind James and Sirius and slung an arm around both of their shoulders.

"You lot are getting entirely too mushy. We're macho men, remember?"

"Right, Sirius, we're macho men. At least Jamsie and I are last time I checked. But you? You, my dear Snuffly-Wuffly are a cute wittle puppy." Remus said with sarcasm dripping from his every word.

"Remus John Lupin, do not make me hex you."

"Boys, boys. We shouldn't be fighting. We should be happy about being one great big happy family. Er, scratch that. That sounded a tad bit gay..."
Amused, Sirius replied with a retort, "James, you are gay. Lily knows it and that's why she hasn't gone out with you. She doesn't want to disappoint you with her unmanliness. Even though she is a damn sexy one..."

"SIRIUS BLACK! Might I remind you that I still have your teddy bear to use as blackmail! Oh, and no pun intended."

Sirius shook his head mournfully, "You're in deep, mate. You've just turned 16, finished you're fifth year, and probably passed your O.W.L.S. with all Os. Live a little!"

"Sirius, I am living."

"James, as much as it pains me to say this, but I'm going to have to agree with Sirius on this one. You need to relax this summer."

"Sure, sure you two. I'll relax. Relax by fantasizing about Lily the whole summer."

Both of the other Marauders groaned.

Remus gave both of them the manly hug back thump thing that macho men do. "See ya at the galathingamajiger!" he said as he walked away. They both yelled back farewells.

"Really Sirius. Come stay with us for the after the gala. It'll be mid-July so we'll have half the summer left!"

"I'll try to convince them somehow that that would be a good thing, me staying with you."

"Good luck with that, mate. I know how much of a bitch your mum can be. But even if she does say no, I'm still going to come and kidnap you."

James clapped him once more on the shoulder and walked back to ward his parents. Sirius stalled as long as possible, even if it would get him into trouble later. He leaned up against a bit of wall and watched people; being happy and loving.

"So, Sirius. Going to have a great summer?" asked a feminine voice as it came closer. Sirius turned and saw now it was Lily who was approaching him.

"Lily, lily-bily, of course I will! How could I not? I'm going 'home' aren't I?"

"Well I won't. Just thought you might want to know."

"Why would I want to know that, Evans?" Sirius inquired rather sharply even though he hadn't ment to.

"Dunno, just felt like telling someone and you were the closest. D'you want to know why my summer's going to be horrid?"

"Shoot."

"Well, there's the ever present Petunia Evans, my dreadful sister. And there's James's mother's gala thing that his mum totally just blabbed about to my mum so now I have to go."

"Wait, did you just call James 'James'? This calls for a Guinness World Records moment! I don't think I've ever heard you call him that!"

"Slip of the tongue. Don't count on it happening again."

"Lily-Billy, You know you like James. Just admit it for once and go snog him senseless as a good-bye-for-now type thing. He'd love you forever if you did that….," Sirius trailed off, "Actually, as pathetic as it is, he already loves you forever."

Lily didn't deign to reply to this and just stared at his face. She suddenly scoffed, "Right. This is James Bloody Potter we're talking about here. He- he just doesn't love anyone except himself, that narcissistic prat."

Sirius grew wide eyed at her every word and turned purple at the last one. "Lily Anamarie Evans, do you really believe that bullshit? If you actually bothered to pay the least bit attention to him, you would know that James is the most selfless person I've ever met."

She looked at him in silence and said quite abruptly, "Well, we're not going to agree on this so have a great summer. Good-bye."

Sirius ended up staring after her and muttering about stupid, mulish people.

That is, until his good old mum's voice rang out: "Sirius Orion Black! Where are you?" He sighed and kept his voice light hearted for everyone else standing around them, "Mother, I'm right here."

Her voice so sugary sweet that it had to be fake, "Well, Darling, we've got to get home. We have that wonderful dinner you were so excited about at the Malfoys!"

He mumbled under his breath, "Excited? Since when? And who in the right mind would be bloody excited about going to a dinner at the Malfoys? I'd rather be hung, drawn, and quartered."

A sudden pop in front of him and there appeared Kreacher. He bowed low and said with a nasty grin on his face, "Mistress wants me to tell Master that if you do not come right now, that muggle torture could be devised and changed to fit the pure way." He bowed once more and appeared by his Mother.

Trembling with anger, he slowly walked toward her. He knew his mum. She wouldn't risk losing her wonderful reputation just because of 'him'. No, any disciplining would be done in private.

"Mother, you asked for me?" he said politely.

She raised her voice so that half the station could hear them, "We're leaving now, Siri, dear. We've got to get ready for that dinner at the Malfoys. Then we must drop by the Minister's party; it is only for the elite of society."

Sirius hissed, "Mother..."

"Oh, Sirius dear, it's perfectly fine. We know how sorry you feel for those who will not be coming. But remember, Pure above all else!" She gave a tinkling laugh, her performance laugh.

A yard or so away, Mrs. Potter stood there watching on with narrowing eyes. The Potters had been invited as one of the pure blood families, but she had thought they were going to opt out. Now, though... she grinned. They were going to that blasted Malfoy party and the Minister's dinner party even if it was only to keep Sirius entertained. She should probably tell James. He could come up with some wonderful surprises for the party guests. After all, according to the constant reports of James and Sirius's entertainment habit, this would be quite simple.

Mrs. Potter cleared her voice and made it fluttery and breathless sounding but all the while quite audible to everyone, "James darling! Did I forget to tell you! We are also going to the Malfoys! And the Minister's party! It will be wonderful; you can show all your extraordinary talents to the Minister. This is exactly what you needed to become an Auror, my dear boy!" Graciously, Mrs. Potter turned and started walking towards the nearest fireplace.

James's and Sirius's eyes met when they heard this drivel that Mrs. Potter had spouted. They shrugged simultaneously.

"James! We must get ready, come!" As he caught up with his mum, she winked at him. "I've got something planed." she mouthed. He shook his head. His mum could be much worse than him, much worse.

"Now I know where I got my 'extraordinary talents' from, Mum. That was brilliant!"

"James, who did you think you got your pranking skills from?" she snorted, "Your father?"

He laughed. "No, I got my quidditch skills from him. I remember hearing that you couldn't even ride a broom till third year?"

"Where ever did you hear such a thing! Such lies, lies!" She giggled.

Back at the station, Sirius watched as the forms of James and Mrs. Potter rapidly disappeared as they were lost in the throngs of people. They were laughing, like family does. Except his.

His mother grabbed his arm with force without making it seem so. Her teeth were clenched and with a slightly crazed look on her face she towed him to the fireplace. Walburga savagely threw a clump of floo power in the flames and intoned, "The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black!"

Sirius just shook his head imperceptibly and shortened it out to, "Black House."

The whirl of the floo always made him rather sick, and when he stepped, no- fell out of the fire place and threw up all over something black. What Sirius didn't realize that he threw up on his mother's shoes. At least, not until a cane struck his back as he heaved. Again and again it struck till his vision was swimming and was knocked unconscious.

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