This little fic earned me third place (and one of the more beautiful banners I've won in this contest, in my opinion) in the CoS writing contest recently, which I appreciated all the more becuase I absolutely adore the Marauders (the topic having been the first time they meet) and recently I've been finding any excuse to worm them into my entries. Anyway

I don't own the characters in this, merely love them to death, so don't sue me.
Sirius Black wobbled uncertainly away from the top table, the stool, and that curious old hat; not across to the table second from the right, as he'd been expecting, and had resigned himself to, but the one on the far left, the one he'd never really imagined he'd sit at yet had always secretly hoped ...

He scuttled into the nearest seat, not noticing the scattered applause from purebloods who knew of his family and their traditions, instead glancing to the table beside his, which he'd correctly identified as Ravenclaw's, to catch the eye of his older cousin Andromeda, who grinned at him with a wink. He weakly returned the smile, before looking up to the enchanted ceiling of the Hall so he didn't have to look at anyone else.

It was quite comforting, actually, to see the silvery dancing stars nestled amongst the folds of the cloudless velvety-black sky. It made him feel very small to see everything that surrounded them, though not small in the way his parents has often made him feel; seeing that universe that was out there made him feel comforted, safe.

Silently, he began pointing out namesakes of the family to himself, as his father had been wont to do with him when he was younger, before he caught himself. He was a Gryffindor now, a disgrace to the family no doubt; an outcast, like Andy. The thought made him feel a little better. I'm not like those nutters after all.

He glanced back down the line of unsorted first years before him; a pretty girl with red hair had just hurried over to his table, and he belatedly joined in with the applause before wondering if he was to be the only male Gryffindor that year.

He wasn't. A pale, thin boy pulled the hat off his head after it declared him a 'GRYFFINDOR!' and sat in the seat opposite the clapping Sirius. He flashed him a quick, tired sort of smile and Sirius thought how ill he looked. He tried hard to remember what this boy's name was as 'McKinnon, Marlene!' joined his cousin Andy at Ravenclaw.

Lupin. Remus Lupin, that was it. Funny sort of name, not that Sirius could talk; he was named after a billions-of-years old star, for goodness' sake.

He had just made the decision to say something to this sickly-looking new Gryffindor when the table around him burst into applause; a very nervous 'Pettigrew, Peter!' had finally been told to join Gryffindor table after a few minutes under the Hat. Sirius joined his housemates' clapping, but Peter scurried further down the table, despite the fact that the seat beside Sirius was empty.

No doubt he's heard of the Blacks, he thought dully, abandoning his resolve to say hello to his other fellow first year, instead raising his eyes to the slowly dwindling line again.

A girl whose name he didn't quite catch was sorted into Slytherin, where he noticed that one of his other cousins, Bellatrix, was watching him with a nasty expression on her face. Their eyes met for a moment; Sirius shivered and pulled his gaze away just as 'Potter, James!' was called up to the Hat.

As had happened with Bellatrix, Sirius and James caught each other's eye for an instant as the other boy sat on the stool; but instead of a feeling of dread filing him, Sirius suddenly felt inexplicably cheerful. James, too, wore the slightest smirk as the Hat was lowered onto his head.

It only took a few seconds for the Hat to announce 'GRYFFINDOR!' and then the next thing he knew, James Potter was sat beside him, the little smirk still on his face.

'Hullo,' he said, sticking out his hand. 'James Potter.'

The Potters were a old pureblood family, Sirius remembered as he shook James' hand, and he vaguely recalled seeing the name crop up a couple of times on that dratted family tree back at home. But they'd never been invited to one of those stupid dinners his parents insisted on having every couple of months; blood traitors, it seemed they were, and Muggle- and Mudblood-lovers to boot. Sirius felt a distinct lack of contempt for the boy in front of him, and a total derision towards his parents. He was a Gryffindor now, and consorting with blood traitors as well! His mother would be so proud ...

'Sirius Black,' he replied, with a little disgust, as 'Shacklebolt, Kingsley!' sat down at Ravenclaw and 'Snape, Severus!' was immediately declared a Slytherin. 'White sheep of the family, apparently.'

James guffawed, and Sirius quickly added, 'And this is Remus Lupin,' pointing opposite him. The boy looked a little startled, and Sirius belatedly remembered that he hadn't actually spoken to him yet, but James happily leaned over to heartily shake his hand too.

After the Sorting finally ended with a Hufflepuff, Sirius and James tucked into the food, talking animatedly with full mouths and trying to persuade Remus to come out of his quiet shell a little.

Pulling a few dishes of pudding closer to him, Sirius suddenly remembered the Sorting Hat's final words whispered into his ear before it broke his family's sacred tradition once again and proclaimed him to be a Gryffindor – 'Good luck.' He grinned widely, manically, as he pulled a bit of everything onto his plate, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he'd already found it.

The ending ... is fairly sucky, I'm afraid. I've decided recently that I've become bad at writing endings; indicative, I think, of the fact that I just never want to stop. Reviews are love!