A/N: Welcome to Vesper and Sirius' story! This story takes place in the marauders' seventh year. It has been in my head for quite some time, I'm hoping that you will all encourage me and help me finally finish this! The first few chapters are done so hopefully those will get up pretty quick, but after that I'm not making any guarantees! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

CHAPTER 1

The blonde seventh-year sat on the Hogwarts Express with her fellow Slytherins, bored of their conversation already. The boys were talking about Lord Voldemort, of whom she was tired of hearing, and the girls were hanging on their every word, for the most part.

"What do you think about it, Vesper?" Lorin Travers asked, giving her a grin she didn't like.

"I think you all need to find something else to talk about," she said haughtily. "I'm bored of this."

The six boys gaped at her, and Rabastan Lestrange shook his head. "You shouldn't say such things, Vesper."

"Why not?" she asked, turning up her nose. "All my brother ever talks about is Lord Voldemort. Why can't we discuss something else?"

"Like what?" Kieran Montague sneered.

Vesper shrugged. "Anything else."

"I agree with Vesper," Kyler Morton nodded. "Let's talk about something else."

The compartment fell silent and Vesper rolled her eyes. "Honestly!" she exclaimed, standing. "You lot are so boring! I'm going for a walk."

"I'll come," Kyler said quickly, standing and joining her friend.

The two girls left the compartment quickly, and hurried down the corridor to find the room they were looking for.

"Well, that didn't take long at all!"

Vesper rolled her eyes at the girl already in the compartment. "They are so boring," she said quietly, her voice and demeanour losing all the haughtiness she had shown her other housemates.

Kyler laughed. "Vesper Malfoy, you should go into acting. Your performance back there was amazing!"

Vesper shrugged. "I have to pretend to be like the rest of my family, or people start to get suspicious. And if I'm seen with you, Sara Wilkes, I will be disowned."

The other girl grinned. "A little rebellion is good for the spirit, Vesper," she teased.

"Speaking of rebellion," Kyler said, giving Vesper a teasing grin, "How's Sirius?"

Vesper glared at her, then shrugged. "I wouldn't know. We don't speak."

"Have you been giving him the same crap you've been giving the rest of our lovely housemates?" Sara asked snobbishly.

Vesper shrugged again. "Sirius and I are no longer together!" Vesper snarled. "Drop it! If I give him the cold shoulder it's because we are not friends and he's a Gryffindor. Any friendliness between us ended years ago."

Kyler and Sara exchanged a look. "Vesper..."

"Drop it or I'm going back to the Slytherin compartment," Vesper snapped. "I mean it. I don't want to discuss Sirius any more."

Back with the other Slytherin seventh-years it was easier to be quiet and think than with Sara breathing down her neck, and Vesper took complete advantage of this. She spent the rest of the train ride thinking about what her friends had said and desperately hoping she could avoid Sirius Black this year more than she had in previous years. He had a knack of sneaking up on her and showing up where she expressly did not want him to be. Like in her head…

Lorin and Rabastan fought for her attention for the rest of the train ride and she gave them curt, one-word answers, hoping they would get the hint and leave her alone. They didn't, and the other girls shot her venomous looks for the entirety of the ride.

"You better watch yourself, Malfoy," Kyler's twin sister Taylyn hissed as they left the train.

Vesper rolled her eyes. "I'm not doing anything, Morton," she replied in a bored tone.

"Just stay away from Lorin," she snarled, and stalked off.

Vesper rolled her eyes at Kyler, who shrugged, smirking.

Vesper and Kyler found themselves in a carriage with two of their roommates, Alexandra Yaxley and Vesper's cousin Colby Rosier. Vesper had feigned deafness when Lorin and Rabastan called to her to join them in their carriage and hurried toward Alex and Colby's. Both girls looked surprised, but neither said anything.

Sirius sat at the Gryffindor table with his friends, not really paying attention to the Sorting Ceremony. James was on his left hissing about Lily Evans, and Peter was across the table trying to talk Remus into helping him with the homework he hadn't done over the summer. Remus was refusing outright, and Sirius was bored. He could feel his cousin Narcissa's glares on his back, but he didn't care. Let her glare. He'd always been able to take her. It was the looks he wasn't getting that worried him most. His brother Regulus had looked right past him as if he didn't exist when they'd passed each other on the train, and as much as Sirius didn't want to admit it, his brother's actions hurt. He forced himself to stop thinking about Regulus and focus on the ceremony.

He quickly realized that the Sorting was finished, and there was food on the table.

"Earth to Sirius."

He turned and smiled at Chloe Forten, a pretty, blonde seventh-year girl with whom he was pretty friendly. James always said Chloe had a crush on Sirius, but Sirius preferred not to think about it. He liked being friends with her too much to ever snog her.

"Yeah, I'm here," he said finally, helping himself to steak-and-kidney pie before passing the platter to James.

"Good to know," James muttered. "I thought you were looking a little glazed-over. McGonagall noticed, you know."

"Damn."

James chuckled. "It's a joke, Padfoot."

Sirius whacked him with the empty platter Chloe had just placed in front of him.

Vesper sat between Kyler and Neil Hayden at the feast, with Severus Snape and Rabastan Lestrange across from her. Taylyn was fighting for Lorin's attention on Severus' other side, but Lorin was too interested in what Rabastan and Vesper were talking about.

"All I'm saying is, you need to be careful what you say," Rabastan snapped.

Vesper rolled her eyes and turned up her nose. "If this Riddle is all he's cracked up to be, then maybe I'll start paying attention. As it is, you boys are boring me to tears with all your talk of war. Even Bella is talking about it, it's all I could get out of her all summer."

"Your brother says-"

"I know quite well what my brother says, Cissy," Vesper snapped, causing the younger girl to close her mouth and glare at her. "You may be his fiancée, but I'm his sister."

"You just need to watch your mouth, Vesper, that's all I'm saying," Rabastan repeated.

Vesper opened her mouth to retort but Severus stopped her.

"Stop it, Vesper Cadence," he said quietly. "You're not going to convince him to see your way, and you're not going to convince her, Rabastan, so how bout you both just stop talking."

Rabastan glared at him and turned to talk to Paul Nott on his other side. Lorin turned to give Taylyn his attention finally, and Vesper mouthed "thank you" to Sev, who gave her a curt nod and returned to his food.

The first morning of classes was always a hassle, so Vesper and Kyler escaped as soon as Professor Slughorn had given them their schedules.

"Potions first thing," Kyler commented, as if she were commenting on the weather. "Good thing Snape's in that class."

Vesper laughed. "Right. Like Sev ever helped anyone at potions."

"Anyone but you," Kyler retorted, eyes twinkling.

Vesper rolled her eyes. "Trust me, he's interested in someone else."

"Whatever you say, Vesper Cadence."

"Potions first," James moaned. "Why? What did I do to deserve that?"

"Maybe if you ask nicely one of the Slytherins will help you," Remus snapped, going over his own schedule. "They seem to be pretty good at potions."

"Only Snivellus," Sirius replied, sinking onto the bench beside James and taking the timetable Professor McGonagall handed him. "And Malfoy, when he helps her."

Remus rolled his eyes and Peter suddenly became very interested in his porridge.

"Morning, boys."

The four friends looked up to see the female half of the Gryffindor seventh-years taking seats a little further down the table.

"What's on the schedule for today?" Charlotte Reese, a small muggle-born girl who dyed her hair frequently and today had chosen purple, asked, taking the timetable Professor McGonagall handed without so much as a "thank you" to their Head. "Ugh. Potions. Then Herbology. What a brutal day."

"And a good morning to you, too, Miss Reese," Remus said cheerfully. "How was your summer?"

Charlotte flipped him off, and Chloe Forten grinned at the boys.

"Char doesn't turn seventeen until December," Chloe explained, "So she had to get a muggle job this summer."

"Where'd you work, Char?" Sirius asked, intrigued.

Charlotte glared at him before throwing her roll at his head.

"Temper, Miss Reese," James admonished. "As Head Boy, I don't think I can allow that kind of behaviour."

"Oh come off it, Char," Alice Thompson, a tall, thin girl with short black hair, snapped. "She worked at a restaurant, and hated every minute of it. She's still a little touchy about it."

"Oh, that's not so bad, Charlotte," Peter said kindly.

"Oh no?" Charlotte demanded. "So which of you boys had to work a muggle job this summer?"

"Charlotte…" Alice said warningly.

"Charlotte, if you don't keep it down, Malfoy will hear about it, and then where will you be?"

"Maybe I don't care anymore," Charlotte muttered, but she shut up, moving her porridge around in her bowl without eating any of it.

"Why is Charlotte so worried about Malfoy finding out about her job?" Sirius whispered to Chloe.

Chloe gave him a look like he had three heads. "Honestly, Sirius, what part of arch-enemies do you not get?"

"Who's arch-enemies?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Char and Malfoy are, of course."

"Really? I thought it was more a collective hatred, all of them against all of us."

"It is," Chloe replied, as though explaining to a toddler. "But surely even you can't have been completely blind to Char's relationship with Vesper Malfoy over the past seven years?"

Sirius wasn't blind; he'd just pointedly ignored the fights between the two. And the hexes. And the detentions served…

Thankfully, Chloe's attention was attracted away from Sirius, so he was saved from answering. Lily Evans had sat down on the other side of Charlotte, and James instantly sat up straighter.

"Morning, Evans," he said cheerily.

Lily made a noise in her throat and studied her timetable while the rest of their year-mates groaned.

"Don't start, Prongs," Remus begged. "Not yet."

"How about not ever?" Chloe muttered. "Lily's really not into you, Potter, just accept it and move on."

"This year," James countered, "She's going to realize that she really does like me."

"You finally decided to stick a pin in your head, then?" Alice asked mockingly. "Deflate it a bit?"

James glared at her while their friends sniggered, and Sirius was shocked. Alice was usually very sweet and not at all inclined to say nasty things. That was the kind of thing he expected from Charlotte, not Alice.

"Miss Thompson," Remus said, shocked as well. "Mind your tongue!"

Alice rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her food.

Potions passed without incident. Vesper, Kyler, Sara, Neil and Severus were the only five Slytherins in the NEWT level class, which posed something of a problem. All but Sara found a table near the back of the class, getting ready for whatever Slughorn could throw at them. Sara sat by herself. Vesper was very glad that Severus had this class with her, since he was the best potioneer she knew.

Slughorn didn't actually have anything for them to do for this first class; he just talked to them about their NEWTs, and Vesper was able to tune out most of it. She figured she'd probably get the same spiel from all her other teachers as well, so it wouldn't hurt her to miss this one.

"Cady?"

If anyone besides Sev or Neil ever called her anything other than Vesper she hexed them, or at least threatened to. It was to her advantage in these situations that her family features were so strong; people were used to taking her father and older brother seriously, and tended to take her seriously when she got in their faces. Severus had always called her Vesper Cadence, or Cady if he didn't want to spit out the whole mouthful and Neil called her Ves. She would tolerate no more nicknames, and not from anyone but her two best guy friends. Even Kyler and Sara couldn't get away with calling her by a nickname. Those who had grown up with her called her Vessie no matter how many times she told them not to, but she'd stopped responding to everyone but Bellatrix and Sirius when she was 12.

"What?"

Severus raised his eyebrows and looked around the classroom, which was quickly emptying. "Class is over."

Vesper jumped to her feet and hurried out of the room with Kyler and Severus. Neil had disappeared. Severus bade them farewell and headed to his arithmancy class, and Kyler, Sara and Vesper headed outside for herbology, which was much of the same. Professor Sprout, a new teacher this year, gave them the same lecture as Professor Slughorn (at least, Vesper assumed it was the same; she didn't actually listen to either one, so she wouldn't know). Kyler, thankfully, did pay attention, and was able to tell Vesper what the homework was when they reached the common room for their spare period before lunch. Sara settled herself at the table beside Kyler and Vesper's, so they could still talk without making it look like they were interacting.

"A roll of parchment on the advantages of correctly chopped mandrake roots, as opposed to incorrectly chopped ones," Vesper repeated her friend's statement in shock. "Does he think we're first years?"

Kyler shrugged. "He said it's going to show up on our NEWT, so I suggest you study it. It's due Wednesday."

Vesper rolled her eyes. "What'd Sprout assign?"

"We're to read up on mimbulus mimbletonia for Wednesday's class."

Vesper groaned. "I'm going to hit someone."

"Transfiguration right after lunch is not a fun prospect," Charlotte groaned, as the Gryffindor seventh-years all made their way to the class.

It was the only class all 8 of them had together. Unfortunately, only the high number of Slytherins in the course matched their large number. There had been more than one near incident the previous year, and Sirius, James, Charlotte, Chloe, Rabastan Lestrange, Lorin Travers and Vesper Malfoy had all served more than one detention from Professor McGonagall. All 16 students were tensed for another confrontation as they met in front of her classroom.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Slytherin herself," Sirius said snidely, as Vesper and Kyler arrived at the door, unusually alone.

Vesper's face turned to ice as she glared at him. "No need to be rude, Black," she said politely. "I know you're jealous you weren't sorted into Slytherin, but even a magic hat can make mistakes." She gave him a sweet smile.

Sirius reached for his wand, as did James and Charlotte, but the door opened just then, and the others dragged them into the classroom. Sirius only had time to see Vesper's smirk, and note that the other Slytherins had arrived, before Chloe dumped him in his chair, facing the front.

"Ignore her," Chloe hissed. "She's not worth it."

As Remus and Alice unceremoniously dumped James and Charlotte on either side of him, Sirius couldn't help but thinking how wrong Chloe was. He made a general effort to ignore the tugging at his heart whenever he looked at Vesper Malfoy, but sometimes it just wouldn't do.

Sitting at the back of the classroom with Kyler and Severus on either side of her, Vesper was feeling quite smug. She'd managed to rile up three of the five Gryffindors she most liked to harass (unfortunately Chloe and Remus had not pulled their wands), and thought it well worth the effort. Her fellow Slytherins agreed, and were still talking about it when Professor McGonagall called for order.

"That will quite do, thank you," she said quietly from the front. The room fell immediately silent. "As I'm sure you're all aware, your NEWT exams will be happening at the end of this coming June…"

Vesper groaned and pulled out her herbology text.

"Not going to pay attention today?" Severus hissed in her ear.

"I've heard it twice already."

Severus gave her a small grin before returning his attention to Professor McGonagall, his quill poised. Vesper snorted.

The bell rang before she was done her assigned reading, and she hurried to put her text away before she was left behind.

"I'd like to see all the Gryffindors and Slytherins for a moment, please," Professor McGonagall called over the noise.

The two houses (4/5 of the class) made their way to the front and stood in two perfectly straight rows, separated by a small space down the middle. The Gryffindors stood on the right, girls in front, boys behind, with the Slytherins on the left split the same way. Professor McGonagall gave them all piercing looks.

"I do not want a repeat of last year, do you understand?" she snapped. "Anyone who does anything stupid in my class will be kicked out. No more detentions and point deductions. No second chances. I want order in my classroom, and if you cannot see past your superficial disagreements to complete this course, that is your problem, not mine. Do you understand?"

All 16 students nodded.

"Good. You are dismissed then."

Sirius was in a foul mood. "She's got some nerve."

"Hm."

"Where does she think she gets off saying crap like that?"

"Dunno."

"I mean honestly! There's a reason I'm not in Slytherin."

"Yup."

Sirius glared at James. "You're not being very helpful, you know."

James looked up from his potions homework. "I'm not actually sure what you're trying to do, Sirius. You know you don't have to prove anything to me. I'm your best mate, remember?"

Sirius stood and stalked out of the common room, scattering a group of first-years that were in front of the portrait hole. He stalked his way through the rest of the school, barely noticing when classes started again and the halls were empty. There were days he was glad to be an upper year student with free periods.

Unfortunately, there were other upper year students who also had free periods.

"-believe you said that to him!"

A pause. "Yeah, well, he was asking for it."

"Vesper Malfoy, I am shocked!"

Sirius rounded a corner and saw the two Slytherin girls walking toward him. All three stopped dead, and Sirius smirked.

"Does your family know you're still spending time with Wilkes, Malfoy?" he asked snidely.

Vesper's face paled more than usual in her anger. "What's it to you, Black?"

Sirius shrugged. "Only that if they don't, I've got some pretty nice blackmail material on you."

Luckily for both Vesper and Sirius, Sara stepped in, spun Vesper around, and frog-marched her back the way they'd come, shooting death glares at her cousin over her shoulder the whole time.

Sirius couldn't even feel gleeful about catching Vesper with Sara. He was still feeling slightly ill about what she'd said before Transfiguration. "Even a magic hat can make a mistake". The Sorting Hat would not make a mistake as big as that, Sirius felt sure. Would it?