AN: My first one-shot in a series of one-shots, written for the ten-to-one challenge by Lost In The Lies on HPFC. I chose the Marauder era and my first character was Sirius Black with the prompt "choice". Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters. Title taken from idiom turned song.

One-shot: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

"Boy, I'll give you the chance to choose one last time, so which will it be Slytherin? Or Gryffindor?"

Sirius Black couldn't believe that he would be going to Hogwarts in less than a month. He was ecstatic; he could finally get away from his horrible family. Unfortunately, he was also scared of totally breaking the ties between himself and his whole family. Every day he would complain about his family and insist that he would do anything to not be in Slytherin, the house where all Blacks were sorted, but he wasn't incredibly sure if he could actually follow through with his words.

Most of the month passed uneventfully but, a week before Sirius was set to leave, all chaos broke out. It all started with the arrival of his cousins; Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa.

"Oh little Sirius is going to Hogwarts soon!" Bellatrix teased.

"Actually, I am and I'm also happy so I don't see why you're teasing me, Bella." Sirius said as he glared at his cousin.

Both Bellatrix and Andromeda were done with school and had jobs and boys that they were supposed to marry. Narcissa was in her seventh year; she was currently courting Lucius Malfoy. Sirius could only stand Andromeda; he valued her as his only cousin with any sense and he was the only one who knew about her secret relationship with muggle-born; Ted Tonks. Bellatrix teased him all of the time while Narcissa was too engrossed in herself to notice anything that was going on but Andromeda actually cared so every time Sirius' cousins came around he always found time to sneak off and talk to her.

"Sirius" a woman, who looked just like Bellatrix but with softer features and slightly lighter hair and eyes, whispered as she drew near to the boy.

"Andy" he said, his eyes gleaming, "what's going on?"

"We need to go somewhere private to speak; I have something important to tell you," she said with worry evident on her face.

"We can sneak up to my room" Sirius offered.

"You're sure they won't find us?" she asked.

"I'm never sure, but if they do we leave and we live on the run; just you and I," Sirius told her with a lovely grin gracing his face.

"No, if they do find us I will leave and you will stay. After all, you're too young to be without a family." Andromeda insisted.

Sirius shook his head but began leading his cousin up the stairs anyway, both shrinking into the wall each time someone approached. Soon the two were at his room and Sirius opened the door; making sure to avoid making too much noise. As soon as the door was opened he slipped inside and motioned for Andromeda to follow him. He sat on his bed and patted the space next to him, nonverbally telling his cousin to take a seat. Both sat in silence for a while until Andromeda let out quite a large sigh.

"So, Andy, what was it that you needed to tell me?" Sirius asked still grinning at his ability to disappear without notice.

"Ted asked me to marry him!" she exclaimed a worried look now taking over her face.

"What?" Sirius clarified, shaking his head.

"He asked me to marry him. I have no idea what to do, please help me!" she said looking even more worried.

"Say yes," Sirius grinned, now feeling confident in his advice, "I mean you love him, yes?"

"Of course I love him," she said still looking worried.

"See, you didn't need me to help you; it's easy. You love him, so say yes." Sirius said seeming pleased with himself.

"Sirius, it's not so simple. You always make leaving this family sound so simple but you never do it. If it was that simple then don't you think I would've done it already? Or at least you would've actually left? I wish it was that simple but it's not, because if it was I'd be long gone."

"Andy…." Sirius started with a sigh "were you given the chance to get out of Slytherin?"

"What made you ask that?" she asked her eyebrows moving inward.

"It's just; I've heard that sometimes the hat can't decide which of two houses you'll fit the best in so he gives you a choice." Sirius sighed, only wishing that he'd be given that choice.

"Who told you that?"

"Believe it or not Cissy did," he laughed.

"How would she know?" Andromeda asked; confusion evident in her voice.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone but the hat asked Malfoy. It was Hufflepuff or Slytherin according to what I overheard Cissy telling Bella. She only told me that the Hat lets some people choose because I overheard that conversation." Sirius told his cousin, a bold and mischievous look on his face.

"Oh I see."

"So did you get to choose? Did you choose Slytherin?" he again asked his cousin.

This time she answered with a simple, "yes".

"You chose Slytherin?" he again asked this time with shock lacing his voice.

"Stop patronizing me, I was scared!" she exclaimed. "That's why I never told you, I knew that you'd do this. I was given the choice between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I was afraid of being an outcast, of what the family would do to me and obviously I still am. I had seriously considered telling the hat Ravenclaw but I couldn't push myself to think it. I hope, should you be given the choice, you'll do better than I."

"Is it really that hard?"

"Yes, I know that it doesn't seem like it is but it is. Ted's proposal is even worse. I think I'm going to tell him yes though. I imagine this may be the last public meeting between us" she said sadness etched in her voice.

"I'll write you when I'm sorted, I promise."

"Just write to Ted's house. You know where that is?"

"Yes, I will. I love you, Andy. I promise that one day we'll both be off that blasted tapestry."

"If you say so, Sirius. I love you too" she said as she got up and left the room.

Later that week, August thirty-first, Andromeda's mother had come over to tell Sirius' parents that her middle daughter had eloped with a mudblood and that she was no longer a part of their family. Sirius' mother blasted her name off of the family tree only an hour later.

"Hi, I'm Sirius Black, may I sit here?" he asked the three boys already sitting in the compartment.

"Only if you promise that you don't want to be in Slytherin" a boy with messy, jet-black hair said, a devious smile playing his lips.

"I'd never want to be in Slytherin," Sirius said, only truth in his voice.

"Black, Sirius" the professor in emerald called from in front of the head table.

Sirius walked slowly up to the stool, sighing as he sat down and the hat was placed on his head.

"A Black? It's been a long time since I've gotten a Black. I suppose you'd want to be in Slytherin then; like all Blacks. I see that part in your head, you can be extremely cunning but you're not entirely power-thristy. You're rather loyal and brave. I'd have to think that Gryffindor would be an even better fit. So which will it be, Mr. Black, Slytherin or Gryffindor?"

Sirius suddenly found himself stuck. He no longer knew what he wanted. It was true that he despised most of his family but he still definitely cared for Regulus, his younger brother, and he still wanted to watch out for him; if sorted into Gryffindor he would lose any chance of doing so. It was also true that he had told the messy-haired boy, James, on the train that he would never even think of being in Slytherin and here he was doing the opposite. He wanted to be in Gryffindor, but still he didn't. As he thought of the pros and cons the hat interrupted him.

"Boy, I'll give you the chance to choose one last time, so which will it be Slytherin? Or Gryffindor?"

"Gryffindor, I choose Gryffindor." Sirius thought, now knowing that it was the right, and only real, choice.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled for the whole hall to hear.

Sirius jumped off of the stool and ran to the Gryffindor table, happy to finally join a real family.

The next day he wrote to Andromeda with only a few words; "Congratulations on your marriage. PS I'm a Gryffindor!"