I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

It was two weeks into the school year. Sirius Black was sitting alone at the northern most point of the lake. His head was down and he appeared to be deep in thought. But in truth, he was crying. It was official now; he was the Black family white sheep. And it was all because he was a Gryffindor.

The only person he could trust right now was James Potter. He was the first person to accept Sirius for who he was. He was the only person who saw how sensitive Sirius really was. He was someone Sirius really needed to talk to right now.

But James was at the flying lessons Sirius should have been at. However, Sirius didn't think he could face them. He probably couldn't fly in his condition as it was.

The new flying instructor, Madam Hooch, wasn't about to let a Gryffindor wanna be skip her class. So she sent the one person everyone knew Sirius would listen to, James Potter.

It took James a long time to find Sirius but he did find him. He let out a gasp when he saw his new best friend. No one deserved to be treated like that.

He had a black eye and tears were falling from the one that wasn't hurt. It was obvious to anyone who passed by that Sirius was in a lot of pain. It was both physical and emotional. As an eleven-year-old, James had no idea what to say to make Sirius feel better.

"We have to get you to the Hospital Wing." James said after just staring at Sirius for a long minute.

"Don't you want to know what happened to me?"

"I do but not until you are ready to talk."

There was another pause before Sirius spoke again.

"It was Narcissa, my older cousin. She wrote to my mum to tell her I was a Gryffindor. Mum gave her the order to punish me in any way she deemed necessary. It's funny really, I do what I think is right and I get punished for it. I should have been put in Slytherin like the rest of my filthy family. Then maybe I would have accepted. I always was a disappointment. I don't want to be a disappointment anymore. I don't think I'll be able to handle it."

"Why do you call them that?"

"What?"

"Family, why do you call them family?"

"Because that's what they are. No one can live without a family."

"Then you just have to find a new one."

They continued their way to the Hospital Wing in silence until Sirius spoke again.

"Thanks brother."

James just smiled and said, "No problem, we're family."