disclaimer: i do not own Harry Potter, but I'm so glad J.K. is so clever.

hey so, I was talking with my dad about the stars last night and he told me about this star and so I decided to look it up, and hence, the inspiration for this story. It's not too long because it was only a quick thing but I hope you enjoy it.

side note: I'm starting to brainstorm and research characters for a new story I'm going to write after I finish a Ron/Hermione one. It's a Marauders/Trio mix, so if you like my other stories then please favorite me so you can be on the lookout for that!

on with the story : )

Sirius Black sat in his lonely, jail cell in Azkaban. He had been thrown in the wizard prison nearly a week ago. Nearly a week since James and Lily's deaths, Sirius thought miserably. That's just what the dementors wanted though, to create misery amongst their prisoners. How could he not think of it? He had been framed by one of his Marauders, and his best friends had paid the price. A sneaky tear ran down the dirty, lifeless face of Sirius and he wiped it away hastily. He was the biggest mass murderer in Wizarding England, his best friends were dead, and his godson had been taken from him. What did he have to live for?

"James..." Sirius mumbled, his voice hoarse due to his sobs and lack of company to talk with. He wished so desperately he hadn't suggested to switch the Fidelus Charm to Wormtail. Voldemort even used Peter's nickname to summon him. The same nickname James and Sirius had given him.

Sirius was drowning in his sorrow more so than usual and he looked to the filthy dementors outside of his cell. He could feel their presence around him, and he could never think of something to make him feel alive again. He already wanted to die. You cannot die here! A voice echoed in his head. He recognized the voice as James' from the time in sixth year when they had been attacked in Hogsmeade.

It was James that had gotten him through his recovery. James wouldn't want this.

No, he would escape one day and clear his name. He would find Harry and they'd live as the family James and Lily would have wanted. Sirius felt the tiniest flicker of hope, and he didn't see the dementors approaching. His small happiness was paused as he felt the light begin to fade as they sucked the life from him. It was as if everything he ever loved was being erased from his memory. He saw flashes of he, Prongs, and Moony sitting at the Gryffindor Table at breakfast at Hogwarts, their shared laughs over pranks, the only girl he ever had feelings for, he saw Lily's bright emerald eyes threatening to throw him in detention, her and James' wedding, Harry's birth...

And then it stopped. He gasped for air and the dementors let him be, and the depressing thoughts continued.

Sirius wanted to scream, and they hadn't even let himself explain. Even old Dumbledore didn't believe him. Sirius put his head in his hands, but not before a light flashed outside his cell. He stood shakily and stumbled over to the one window in the cellar. Of course, it was protected and smashing it would not set him free. He had tried. He looked into the sky, and one star was bright and clear to him; Sirius.

"Sirius why don't you take that outside, son?" Orion Black suggested to his eight year old son. Sirius hopped off of his broom, and looked at his father through his mop of black, curly hair. The young boy smiled brightly and grabbed his father's hand.

"Look! Father, come watch me!" Sirius pleaded and tugged his father along through the hallways of their home, 12 Grimmauld Place. Orion laughed and followed his son outside into their small backyard. Sirius immediately hopped onto his broom as Orion lit his wand to illuminate some light in the night's darkness.

"Aren't I good, Father?" Sirius asked as he flew above his father's head.

"Very good Sirius." He praised, "You will be the best Slytherin seeker Hogwarts has ever seen!" Sirius beamed and looked into the distance to where he imagined Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry lay. The stars caught his attention for they were not out normally, and he nearly fell off of his broom. Orion flicked his wand and Sirius sat upright again.

Orion waited for a thank you from his eldest son, but instead Sirius came down to the ground and looked at his father curiously.

"Tell me about the stars, Father?" Sirius asked, more of a statement though. Orion smiled and sat slowly on the dirty grass. He patted the spot next to him and Sirius took a seat.

"Those stars over there, they're called the dippers." Orion smiled at his son and pointed to the Big and Little Dipper. "The Big Dipper is upright, and the smaller version is upside down."

"What about that one?" Sirius asked and pointed to a semi-bright star in the distance.

"That's a planet, Jupiter in fact." Orion stated.

"And those three over there?"

"Orion's belt." Sirius' father said with a large smile. Sirius whipped his small head towards his smile and grinned mischievously.

"But that's your name!" Sirius replied eagerly, "Grandpa Black named you after those stars?"

"Yes he did, we all did."

"What am I named after then?" Sirius asked curiously. Orion pointed behind their heads, and Sirius craned his neck to see. His father pointed at the brightest star in the night sky.

"That one, is Sirius." Orion said, "The brightest star."

Sirius smiled, and turned his body to face his star. He gazed at the brightness, and his father put an arm around him.

"It's also called the Dog Star." Orion stated, "Not sure why, but you got the long hair don't you?" His father ruffled his hair and Sirius laughed.

"Mother wants me to cut it off." Sirius pouted.

"Never!" His father teased, and Sirius laughed. That's how they spent the rest of their night; gazing at the stars, yet Sirius never took his eyes off of his star.

Sirius' memory faded of that night, and instead a new one reappeared.

"Prongs get a look at this dude." A teenage Sirius mumbled to his best friend. James didn't seem to hear him and he followed his best friend's gaze. Sirius groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Prongsie, you gonna be staring at Evans in every class?" Sirius tried but to no avail. He grunted and slowly slid his wand from his back pocket. With a quick flick and a poke to James' side the sparks brought his mate's attention back to him.

"What, Pads?" James exclaimed quietly. Sirius grinned and nudged his head in the direction of their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Doesn't this guy look like the biggest bloke you've ever set your eyes on?" Sirius joked but James frowned.

"Something wrong, boys?" Their professor's voice suddenly spoke over them. Sirius turned his head, and smiled at the man.

"No, professor." Sirius said. A few girls giggled next to him, and Sirius winked quickly.

"Fantastic Mr. Black, then care to demonstrate the Patronus Charm?"

Sirius looked back at his professor and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure."

"It's just Expecto Patronum." Their professor said, and nodded towards Sirius. "Think of a very happy experience."

Sirius scoffed obnoxiously.

"That won't be hard." He remarked sarcastically. For most of his life he'd been a disgrace to his family, and his only happiness was at Hogwarts. And that's exactly what Sirius thought of as he cast the Patronus Charm.

No one had expected Sirius to perform the spell so accurately his first time, but he was learning to become a teenage animagus wasn't he? A light blue mist escaped his wand and a dog appeared in front of him. The dog had shaggy hair; the same shaggy hair Sirius grew when he was transforming.

"My-well, very good Sirius!" His professor exclaimed. But Sirius wasn't paying attention, and instead, his mind had drifted elsewhere.

Sirius awoke from his thoughts with a shake of his head. He looked intently at the star in all of its glory; free out their in space while this Sirius was locked in Azkaban. Sirius looked back up at his star, and Orion's belt not far. 'It's also called the Dog Star.' His father's voice repeated in his mind.

With a jolt Sirius understood why he had remembered those memories from his past. He looked towards the dementors who were roaming around outside. Making sure they weren't paying attention, Sirius slipped back into the darkest corner of his cell.

"Focus... focus." Sirius encouraged, but he tried and tried, yet the transformation wasn't coming. He was too weak to turn into his animagus form, and the path to getting stronger was slim.

"For Lily..." Sirius mumbled and closed his eyes. His breathing steadied and he could feel warmth enclose his insides. "For Harry... for James." And after another second, a black shaggy dog stood on all fours where a previous Sirius Black had stood.

Sirius still hid in the shadows, yet the dementors didn't seem to notice his change. Okay Sirius, think happy thoughts. He told himself. Sirius thought of the time James had welcomed him into the Potter mansion. Although not for delightful reasons, Sirius had realized then how much James had meant to him. The happy thoughts kept coming, next with Moony's prefect celebration party, being Quidditch Co Captain with James, when he was named Harry's godfather...

The thoughts didn't stop. Sirius looked at the dementors through the black and white of his dog eyes and grinned. They couldn't feel his happiness when he was an animagus; they only fed on human emotions.

Sirius knew he couldn't stay in this form forever, and he would have to switch on and off. But as long as they couldn't suck his soul, he would live. Sirius curled his legs underneath him and laid on the cold ground. He looked out the window, and saw his star shining bright. Sirius closed his eyes and he thought of his loved ones in peace.

He thought of Harry's survival. He thought about what James would be saying if he were present right now. His furry chest grumbled with laughter as he pictured James admiring his brilliant idea with his glasses sliding off of his nose. Lily would still be scolding him about never becoming a legal animagus. Just like that time in sixth year, he thought and the good flashbacks started all over again.

Tonight, Sirius Black could finally dream of his happiness, finally.