Man's Best Friend

Written By: Joon

Disclaimer: All characters and references to Harry Potter and everything involving Harry Potter belongs to and is property of JK Rowling and all her assorted people. I am just a broke writer who happens to be a Harry Potter geek.

Summary: A series of songfics, (one-shots) each exploring a different time period in the life and thoughts of Sirius Black.

A/N: I know that Sirius Black is a favorite character among many people (especially girls) but I find that a lot of the stuff written about him tends to get cliché and one-dimensional (I'm not saying there's not good stuff about Sirius Black out there, because there is, but in general) So anyway, I'm trying to be creative with the songs and explore Sirius' character and what makes him who he is, charms, flaws, slight insanity, sexiness and all!

Rated: M, mostly for safety, but there is a lot of language and some non-explicit adult situations

Chapter One: Graduation

Song: Changes by David Bowie

It was a warm summer's afternoon, not that hot, humid horrible kind where sweat drips down everyone's back and the only thing a person can get enough energy to do is sit around and wish he or she was someplace cooler, but the kind where the sun is bright in the sky, the sky is blue and the clouds are puffy, and there is a merciful breeze in the air.

'And thank God for that' Sirius thought to himself, because otherwise he didn't think he could bear to sit through this ceremony even without it being a hundred sum-odd degrees outside as it had been for days before. He grinded his teeth for about the millionth time and looked down at his watch, pointedly avoiding looking behind him, where his family sat, Mr. and Mrs. Black at the helm. Sirius had actually been quite stunned that they even showed up for the event, he had been disowned from the family about a year prior when he openly declared love for muggle-borns and Gryffindors alike and moved in with James Potter.

'In fact,' he thought to himself, 'They're probably just here for the social aspect of the whole thing.' They were Blacks after all, they had reputations to uphold.

Suddenly, the messy-haired, hazel-eyed, gangly kid to the left of him kicked him in the shin, hard, and it was all Sirius could do not to scream, or punch him right in the gut.

"Sorry, mate, McGonogall was giving us looks again."

Sirius quickly focused of the makeshift stage that had been set up and focused on Professor McGonogall, who had now gone back to making her long, rather dull, speech.

Oh yeah
Mm
Still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets and
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet

Sirius suddenly blinked, was the sun playing tricks on him, or was the notoriously strict and unemotional Professor McGonogall crying? He quickly looked down at the grass and scuffed the ground with his brand new, shiny black shoes.

And then James kicked him in the shin again.

"What now?" He hissed, rather loudly.

"Err, well, Lily says to stop scuffing the ground, you're ruining your new shoes."

This time Sirius actually did punch him.

So I turned myself to face me
but I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test

He had rather tried to put this upcoming day to the back of his mind, but it had lingered there ever since the first day of term. This was supposed to be the culmination of his school years, and somehow this day didn't really mean much of anything to him. Sure, he got a certificate that said he graduated with top grades at the most prestigious magical school in all of Europe, but to him it was just a piece of parchment. It didn't tell the half of his story. It didn't say how he was a Black, and how it took years to get most kids to drop their prejudices against him. It didn't say anything about his memories here, about his three best friends. It didn't say anything about the havoc they wreaked or the fun they had, or the fights they went through. It said he was a Beater on the Quidditch team for six years, but it didn't say that he knew the grim feeling of defeat or the elation of victory. It didn't say that he was the best looking guy on campus, and that he had slept with half the female population and broke more hearts then that. It didn't tell anything of the feeling of dread and guilt when he finally grew up and came to the realization that he had. It was just a crisp piece of official-looking parchment.

And it was the only thing that would matter to other people in his new life.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

After what seemed like an eternity of people he didn't care about rambling on about things he didn't care about, Dumbledore finally stood up and Sirius wasn't the only one to give him the heartiest applause yet. He talked for a few moments about memories of the school and how tomorrow would start a new chapter in each of their lives. Sirius rolled his eyes and mentally tried to prepare himself for another long-winded load-of-bullshit about the real world when Dumbledore paused and said,

"But all that doesn't matter now, because before tomorrow comes you still have this one last evening to spend with your friends and your family, being teenagers and not young adults. So I say, tonight is your night, take it and run with it. And as for the rest of your lives, well, as the school motto always states, be sure never to poke a sleeping dragon!"

Sirius laughed, as did those all around him. At least Dumbledore had his priorities straight.

I watch the ripples change their size
but never leave the stream
of warm impermanence
so the days float through my eyes
but still the days seem the same

Another thing Sirius realized he hadn't given any thought to was what the hell he was going to do with his life when he got out of here. James could basically do whatever he wanted, he could always just sit around like a bum and do nothing, he would, after all, eventually inherit a fortune form his parents. Sirius, however, didn't think he'd be inheriting the Black fortune any time soon, seeing as how their sole priority in life was to kill people like him.

He always just kind of assumed that he and James would live in a bachelor pad and just have chicks permanently hanging around to keep them company. But, Lily and James had been getting pretty serious lately, and he doubted Lily would appreciate her boyfriend living in such a way.

Maybe Moony could move in with him. Sirius figured he would probably need to split rent with someone anyway; his family wasn't exactly in the same "class" money wise as the Blacks and the Potters. But he would want to do work all the time, and then Sirius would have to get a job, and that was no fun. He didn't even have the slightest clue what he wanted to do.

'Maybe I should have paid attention when McGonogall had her Career Consultation with me.'

And these children that you spit on
as they try to change their worlds
are immune to your consultations
they're quite aware of what they're going through

This time, the kick-in-the-shin came from the right, and he turned to see Remus anxiously motioning for him to stand up.

Oh. Dumbledore had called his name. He quickly stood up and accepted his degree, shook the Professors hand and smiled. Dumbledore smiled back, and Sirius could've sworn he saw tears in the old man's eyes. He quickly averted his gaze and hurried off the stage and back to his seat.

There were far too many people crying today.

Sirius didn't deal too well with emotion, growing up in a family that thought emotions for the weak. In Hogwarts, he was the school's most gorgeous badass, and badasses were not keen on emotion either.

He supposed what complicated matters was the whole Voldemort deal. People were more prone to crying in general these days, and with all the attacks lately, he supposed it was harder to say good-bye to people you've lived with for the past seven years not knowing if you'll ever see them alive again.

Well. 'If this is what adults have to think about all the time, then I'd rather just stay seventeen forever.'


Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Where's your shame
you've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time

Sirius was once again drawn out of his thoughts, but this time it was because the ceremony had ended. People were standing up, stretching out, and going to meet their families. Sirius stood there rather awkwardly as the rest of the Marauder's and Lily and her friends made their way over to their excited and proud relatives. He tried to look haughty and sexy and pretend like he knew exactly what he was doing and wanted to stand there all by himself, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw his family walk determinedly away towards some other pure-blood maniac family and congratulate that family's graduating son or daughter.

It was as if Sirius didn't exist. He was used to such treatment, but in such an obvious moment that was supposed to be shared with the family, he felt more then a little stupid. He knew James' family would never turn him away, but really, he deserved undivided attention from his parents on his graduation day.

"Sirius, you prat, what are you doing standing over there like a moron?" James asked gesturing him impatiently for him to come over. Sirius just stood there, dumbly.

"C'mon, you know perfectly well you're just as much a part of this family as I am."

Seeing that Sirius wasn't moving any time soon, James came over to retrieve him.

"For such a smart kid, you can be a really idiotic git sometimes, you know that? Now listen, we go back to my house for a few hours and do the family thing, and then we head to The Three Broomsticks for the Marauder's hosted Graduation Party, and make sure to flirt lots with Madame Rosemerta, you know if she thinks you're going to marry her she'll give us all the alcohol we'll ever need."

Sirius nodded stupidly, a giddy grin on his face that he wouldn't be caught dead with, with anyone other then James.

Strange fascination, fascinating me
Ah changes is taking the pace I'm going through

It was close to midnight and James and Sirius were sitting in a booth in a small corner of the bar, both on their seventh Fire whiskey each. Sirius had already made out with about five girls, they had already convinced Rosemerta it was alright to go to bed and leave the party to it's own devices, they had already danced with a bunch of girls and made the obligatory congratulatory toast and they had mingled about, as good charming hosts should. Now the few sober people were beginning to take their leave, and those that were not so sober were still partying on their own or passed out on the floor of the bar and James and Sirius had their arms around each other and making ridiculous toasts to each other,

"To Padfoot, the best damn dog around"

"To Prongsie, the vale-fucking-dictorian"

"Padfoot, you throw the best parties"

"Mr. Prongs, I daresay it is all you."

"Let's just say we are both amazing."

"Lily is amazing."

"All hot chicks are amazing, Jamsie."

"You can't seriously be that shallow still"

"I am Siriusly Sirius"

"To Hogwarts!"

"To Dumbledore!"

"Hello boys. Or shall I say 'young men' as everyone who made a speech called you today. Would you like a lemon-drop?" Both boys just stared, completely dumbfounded.

"You should close your mouths. As Professor McGonogall would say, it is very unprofessional to give off the impression of being a fish."

"How'd you…err…why are you…?"

"Well as to how I knew you were here, Mr. Black, I picked up a flyer off the ground after the ceremony that said the infamous Marauders would be holding one last infamous party for all the graduating students."

"Oh." James said, looking rather sheepish at his lack of subtlety.

"And, as to the other question Mr. Black asked, I am here to offer you two, as well as the other two 'Marauders' as you call yourselves, and a few select others, job opportunities."

"Jobs?" Asked Sirius, who now seemed completely distraught.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now you're gonna get a little older

"Yes, Mr. Black, jobs. I know you might not yet have come to this realization, but you cannot get through life with as little effort as you did school." Sirius looked up, deeply offended, but he soon realized there was a twinkle in the old man's eye. He was just teasing.

"Now, I cannot discuss the details here, but as you may imagine, it does involve the current terrorism of the wizarding world." The pair nodded gravely and he continued on,

"I'm sorry to rush you, and given your current...err…state of mind, I wouldn't normally ask you for an answer right away, but this is really a matter that cannot wait."

"I accept," They both said in unison.

"I expected as much, thank you very much, Mr. Black and Mr. Potter, for your courage. You will both be notified of your first meeting shortly, where you will be informed of all that you need to know." They nodded again and Dumbledore turned to go through the door.

"Oh and boys?" Sirius and James, who had been staring into their separate tankards, looked up at the Professor again, "Congratulations."

Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me

But I can't trace time

((A/N There is, as of right now, approximately fourteen more of these songfics or "chapters" to this series/story. They are in a completely random order, basically in the order I chose the songs, so there is no timeline here. R&R please! Thanks!))