Chapter One - The Potters
The bike hummed beneath him, puttering only slightly in the cool night air as he reached his destination. The small cottage in the little village just outside of London sat snugly nestled between the towering oaks. The garden was well-kept, with each shrub and flower only just starting to burnish as the end of summer approached.
Sirius Black pulled the bike into the front lawn, parking squarely in the back garden. He only brushed the wisteria slightly as he passed.
In the house the lights were lit. The windows were awash with glow and as Sirius positioned himself behind the screen back door he heard the hum of voices.
'Has your father given you your letter yet, James?' a woman said, her voice warm and comfortable. Mrs Potter was the complete opposite of Mrs Black. Where Sirius's mother was harsh and cold, burning his name off the family tree in front of his eyes when he told her he was running away, Mrs Potter was warm and loving, replying almost instantly to his owl asking if he could stay with them until the end of the summer holidays.
Sirius heard his best friend, James, reply from within the house. 'Yes, mum. Looks like the cost'll be pretty hefty. Slughorn's requesting twice the usual amount of ingredients for the sixth years. I wonder what that's about?'
The hand at the door knocked once, twice, and Sirius heard a band and a heavy footsteps as his best friend ran to get the door.
'Padfoot!' James exclaimed, throwing his arms around Sirius and patting him heartily on the back. 'Glad you're here mate. Did you bring it?' This, he whispered conspiratorially, leaning close to the shaggy haired boy's ear.
'It's in the seat compartment,' Sirius replied and James grinned, dashing across to the motorbike. He lifted the seat, reaching into the space below it, and gingerly pulling out a sheet of crisp parchment. It was covered in lines and descriptions, drawn in a black ink.
'James, are you going to bring Sirius inside? It must be cold out there, and he's flown all this way.'
'Coming, mum!' James called back to his mother and he slipped the piece of parchment into the pocket of his jumper. Then he grabbed Sirius by the shoulder and shoved him into the house.
Sitting in James' room two hours and five helpings of pecan pie later, Sirius leaned against the end of the spare bed they had dragged in, and spread the piece of parchment between his legs.
'So I managed to draw in the sliding wall behind Gregory the Smarmy, and so I think all that's left is the passage to Honeyduke's and Moony's tunnel. You found the humped witch, so I thought you should have the honours,' Sirius said, pushing the parchment which, now it was fully open, closely resembled a map, towards James.
The dark haired boy took it and reached above his head to grab his ink and quill. Then, biting his lip, he drew a few quick lines onto the map. To Honeyduke's, he labelled it, and sat back, admiring his handywork.
'I do like the Honeyduke's tunnel,' he said. 'I must remember to nab us some sugar quills before classes start.' He folded up the parchment into a neat square and stood up, sliding it under an old pair of pajamas that were the only things in his trunk.
He glanced at the clock hanging from his wall. It read eleven o'clock. 'Oh, Merlin's beard,' he grumbled under his breath. 'Mum'll be up in a minute to check on us and we're supposed to be asleep.' He pulled his jumper over his head and climbed under the covers of his bed, pulling the blankets up to his chin.
On the other side of the room, Sirius pulled off his leather jacket and slung it over the bedpost, curling into a comfortable ball beneath his own covers.
'Hey, Sirius?' James asked.
'Yeah?'
'I'm glad you're here, mate. Better than having you holed up with your mum and old Regulus, eh?'
Sirius smiled to himself, just as glad to be with the Potters. 'Definitely.'