Disclaimer: I don't own anything HP related, that all belongs to JK Rowling. This is an idea I've been playing around with, it's an AU taking place sometime after GoF. Sirius has been cleared and is still alive.

"And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our souls
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying a stairway to heaven"
-Led Zeppelin, "Stairway to Heaven"

Chapter One

Sirius Black disapparated outside a rather dilapidated warehouse, type building and immediately wished he hadn't worn his robes. Death Valley, California, Sirius guessed it must've been at least 110 degrees as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He thought this trip would be a great opportunity for him to get out since he'd never seen the States before. As a request directly from Albus Dumbledore himself, Sirius was to travel to the States and retrieve a one, Layla Gibbs. Sirius wasn't sure as to why this woman was so important, but he wasn't worried. He may have been in prison for a number of years, but he hadn't lost his touch with women, this would be a snap.

He was wrong.

Dusting the sand from his robes, Sirius pushed open the heavy metal doors and entered the building. He was hit immediately with a number of smells, alcohol, marijuana, b.o; and the very loud wailing of a guitar solo. The room was very large and very empty. Everything was concrete and there were two light bulbs swinging from the rafters in the ceiling. A woman was standing not too far from him, a sleek black guitar in her hands. She was the source of the music, he assumed. On a half-eaten couch next to her lay a muscular young man with long black curly hair. He had a slowly burning joint hanging from his pale lips. Sitting on a stack of milk cartons were two other men. One had short, light brown hair and pale blue eyes; a bass hung from a strap around his shoulder. The other reminded Sirius of himself, chin-length raven black hair, good looks, lean body; his left hand clutched a bottle of Jack Daniels. They were all lazily watching the guitarist in front of them.

Sirius walked in a bit further, unnoticed, and watched the woman play. Her long dark hair had fallen over her face, and her hands, though moving very quickly, had a very graceful way about them. Still playing, she flipped her hair and looked up, but as soon as her green eyes met Sirius's the music stopped. Sirius watched, slightly amused as her eyes narrowed and her body stiffened up. She let the guitar hang from the strap as she put her hands on her hips.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked rather rudely, glaring at Sirius. The big man on the couch took a long drag of his joint and lazily looked over at Sirius, the other two men following suit.

"Hello Layla, I'm Sirius Black." He told her confidently, moving a bit closer.

"Oh, Jane I didn't know you gave your customers different names." The shorthaired guy laughed. "Or maybe he's just special because of that accent?"

"Shut up Raphael." She retorted, walking within a few feet's difference of Sirius. "I don't know who you are Mr. Black, but the name's Jane. She shook his hand and motioned towards the door. "Now, this isn't public property Mr. Black, so if you'd kindly get the hell out."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow, 'Who does this girl think she is?' he thought.

"Aww, Janie doesn't mean to be so rude." The man that resembled Sirius said, standing up. "I'm Brian and that there is Jeff." He nodded over to the longhaired man on the couch. "You come here to listen to us or something?" He lit up a cigarette and offered it to Sirius. Sirius shook his head no, so Brian shrugged and put it in his mouth.

"Well, no, I'm here to talk to her." Sirius fidgeted, a bit uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

"Well that there is Janie Doe, who'd you say you were looking for? Layla something?"

"Yes, Layla Gibbs."

The woman looked up sharply and took off her guitar, setting it on a stand nearby. "Guys, Mr. Black and I are going to have a quick chat, outside." She grabbed Sirius's arm and led him outside. The other guys just shrugged and continued to chill out.

"Are you a wizard?" She asked, the expression on her face very serious.

"Yes, and I have to say I'm rather surprised you haven't heard of me seeing as I was the most wanted wizard in London a short while ago." Sirius grinned.

"I've been a little out of the loop seeing as this isn't exactly wizard central." She sneered.

"Well, does the name Albus Dumbledore ring a bell?"

"Of course it does you idiot," She spat, "why?"

"He wants to see you."

"Listen here, Mr. Black—"

"Would you call me Sirius please?"

"Mr. Black," she continued, "all I know about Layla Gibbs is that is supposedly my birth name. I was raised by alcoholic, compulsive gambling muggles in Las Vegas as Jane Terwilliger. So you can go back on your little broom or however the hell you got here, and you can tell Dumbledore to kiss my ass." And with that she spun around and stormed back into the warehouse, slamming the doors behind her.

Sirius frowned and sighed, already disliking the woman. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.