Greetings, all! This idea for a story just kind of came to me one day, born from my previous romances with the Slytherin Bad Boys, Tom Riddle and Draco Malfoy. I was reading over reviews and I stumbled over a suggestion from fellow writer EmmaLemon, who requested that I write somethine for Sirius. Being a fellow Sirius lover (though maybe not quite so intensely as same Lemon), I though I'd give it a try. I'm still planning the plot, so don't be surprised if the second chapter takes a while. Tell me your thoughts, and I hope you enjoy!

P.S. I, sadly, do not own anything in any relation to the Harry Potter series that belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Sirius Black sat lounging outside the school near the lake at lunch time, munching on an apple. James, Remus and Wormtail were inside, eating in the Great Hall. Right now he knew that James was probably stealing glances at his heartthrob, Lily. Remus was most likely enjoying some relaxation and reading, since otherwise he spent his time trying to restrain Sirius himself from doing anything too unruly. Sirius scoffed to himself.

Fat chance, that.

Wormtail was no doubt staring at his plate awkwardly as he too stole glances at the beautiful and willful Lily Evans. What had gotten into the heads of those two, Sirius would never know.

After seeing many of his mates fall prey to infatuation with the minx-like other sex, Sirius had vowed to himself that he would never allow himself to get trapped into the same thing. To be reduced to a pile of blushing goo, completely vulnerable to a female's wiles? No thank you. Not for this Black, mate.

Sirius looked back down at his Granny Smith, taking a healthy bite from the middle. He savored the tart sweetness. He had forgotten how much he liked Granny Smiths.

Not too tart and not too sweet. If the color green had a taste, it would be Granny Smith. He though as he chewed.

Hmm… perhaps if Granny Smith were a real person, I could fall in love with her, alright.

Sirius barked a laugh at the thought. Fall in love with Granny Smith. How ludicrous!

A light breeze blew its way across the courtyard, ruffling his black mane of hair with its careless fingers. Sirius looked at the Granny Smith thoughtfully. The bitten apple seemed to challenge him with the most outrageous idea ever to be thought. His handsome face broke out into a grin.

Alright Granny Smith, you're on. If I ever find a girl who's like a Granny Smith, maybe I'll chance to fall in love with her.

Sirius laughed again.

A girl not too sweet, and not too tart. Like that's ever going to happen. Damned fickle creatures, they are.

Thus chuckling to himself, he took another bit of the crazy apple. Any other time he would question himself about his sanity, taking bets and challenges from an apple. But today Sirius didn't really care. A strange sense of calm had come over him lately, and he wasn't quite sure what had caused it.

The Gryffindor shifted his seated position against his tree, leaning to put one arm behind his head.

Perhaps… perhaps it was Remus. The last shifting the poor chap had to go through had probably been the smoothest one yet. Nothing had gone wrong. Not even that nosy Malfoy had gotten in the way. Sirius himself was finding more and more ways to become comfortable in his wolf form. James was improving daily as a seeker. Bloody hell, Sirius had never seen anyone move that skillfully on a broom, except for in the professional leagues. Of course, James had the slight habit of getting too cocky and wrecking himself up. Then he would have to start all over again. Sirius shrugged and took another bit of his apple. Who could blame the boy? He was bloody gifted.

Many people envied and admired the young James Potter. Sirius was neither of these. The first day he had met James, they had both been unlearned Firsts Years, positive of what house they would get into. In James' case, he had been sure of himself and of the fact that he would get into the much sought-after House of Gryffindor.

Sirius, bite of apple in his mouth, smiled at the memory. He didn't think he'd ever seen such a cocky First Year since.

The First Year version of Sirius, however, had been miserable and moody. Everyone in his family had always gotten into the House of Slytherin. There had been no, or very little (and very well hidden) exception. He had not wanted to be a Slytherin, nor had he ever. Every person in his family was dishonorable in some way, shape, or form, save perhaps for his brother Regulus. Regulus was still alright in a few ways, but it was possible that he still had yet to grow into his Slytherin skin.

Sirius was sick of the Slytherins, and how the Slytherins acted in trend. Maybe – just maybe – there had been a handful Slytherins who had done things for good after their stay at Hogwarts. Sirius didn't know of any, but there had to be some.

Of course, he thought while taking the last bite of his apple. I've never been much the type to research anyone's House history. That's Remus' job.

Well anyways, Sirius had felt doomed to be cast into the dreaded House of Slytherin. He had reasoned as a young lad that it must change you somehow, even if you were a good person at heart. It was as if the House slithered around you like the giant snake that was their symbol, and choked all of the goodness from you until there was only evil left. Imagine his utter surprise and ecstasy when, instead of the dreaded House of Snakes, the Hat proclaimed 'GRIFFINDOR'!

Sirius smiled broader still at the recollection. Now here he was, just as arrogant and comfortable as James. The dames of all Houses had taken a liking to his rogue-like looks. He had gained his own share of admiration for his adeptness at Defense Against the Dark Arts (though in truth, Remus was just as well if not better in that department). To tell the truth, he also wasn't too shabby on a broom himself.

Going to take another bite from his Granny Smith, Sirius noticed that he had only the core left. Sighing in disappointment, he stood up from his comfortable spot to have a better shot. Levering his arm back, he hurled the apple core as far and fast as it would go. Smiling proudly, he realized that this one had outshot his others. Only when it landed just behind a sitting rock did Sirius' proud smile turn into confusion.

"Ow!" A shrill female voice pierced the air. Immediately he saw a girl sprout up from where his apple had fallen. Furiously she looked around her.

"Who threw that!"

Sirius smiled nervously and raked a hand through his hair. Looking around as well. He confirmed the fact that there was no one else but him. In fact, he had thought he had been alone, until his Granny Smith had decided to enlighten him.

Bugger. I'm really in trouble now. I hope she doesn't know her jinxes all too well…

"You!" She yelled, eyes directed at Sirius. She stood a good, long distance away, of which he was thankful for. He was even more thankful when she didn't start closing the distance with righteously violent steps. She seemed to be too flustered to think about it.

"Is it really too much to ask to be unbothered by anyone for at least an hour! Why can't you people give it up, for Merlin's sake!"

Sirius blinked in confused surprise. What was she talking about? It had been an honest mistake.

"Oi!" he yelled back defensively. He began walking toward her himself, wanting to straighten this out. "I haven't done anything wrong! I just threw my apple and - "

"Yes, I know what you threw. I also know what you were aiming for! I also know all of the lame ass excuses that you are throwing at me, because I've heard them all before!" Lurching forward herself a few feet, Sirius was taken aback when she met him head on with all her fury.

Poking him in the chest with a book she had been reading, she continued her tirade.

"Now you listen to me, and listen well. I'm usually an accepting person but I have had enough. I don't care what you people think about me, and it shouldn't matter. I don't care if it's just that you don't like Americans, or don't like muggle born, or don't like anything else that I am, I want you to knock it the hell off! So you can tell all your little Slytherin cronies to stay the hell away from me or suffer the consequences!"

Having said (or rather, screamed) her part, the girl cast him one more contemptuous glare then turned heel and stalked back to the castle. Sirius simple stood there, stunned. The first coherent thought that came to his mind was:

She thinks I'm a Slytherin!

He sputtered at the insult and made a note to talk to her Head Boy or Girl about it. A moment later he realized that, in all the uproar, he hadn't taken note of the colors she was wearing any more than she had done the same for him. For some reason, she had simply assumed that he had been a Slytherin bent on antagonizing her.

The second thought that occurred to him was that she had said she was American. It made sense enough, now that he realized that she had indeed had that looser, more blunt accent as compared to her British counterparts. He hadn't even noticed it, what with all the screaming. A woman screaming at him was a woman screaming at him, not matter what her origin.

Funny. I don't think I've ever met an American exchange student before.

Sirius shrugged once more and shook the encounter from his thoughts.

She'll figure it all out sooner or later.

Still… he wondered what those Slytherins must have been doing to make her blow her top so completely and utterly.

Sirius shook his head at himself. Trying to play the hero, was he? Well it was none of his business, so he would just stay out of it. Unfortunately, something she had said kept cropping up again in his mind to haunt him.

"So you can just tell all your Slytherin cronies to stay away…"

Well, Sirius didn't have any 'Slytherin cronies' so he didn't have any obligation to do so.

On the other hand, it would be a perfect opportunity to confront that leering Malfoy and put some more combat into his life. Things had been calm lately, and it had been nice while it lasted.

Yet, when a golden chance to pick a fight with a notorious Slytherin was laid in front of him, who was he to turn it down?