Corinne lies in the back of the car with her arms crossed and an angry face, waiting for her mother and brother to come out of the house. Her trunk is already in the back and her kneazle is curled up on her lap.

Her mother opens the door and holds out a large bag. "Put that next to you, please."

Corinne ignores her. Her brother enters in the passenger side, takes the bag from their mother, and tosses it on her legs. She kicks the bag to the floor and glares out the window, not bothering to turn her head to acknowledge him.

"What's your problem? You've had this attitude of yours all week," her brother admonishes.

The comment angers her, but she chooses to remain silent. Any response would make the situation worse. It's her way of controlling herself.

"Corinne, sit down right and put on your seat belt," her mother tells her sternly.

She puts on her seat belt in a noose like fashion, now angry at the world. She stares out the window, wondering why she has such terrible luck. All she wanted was to go with Jenna today. It isn't as if she were asking for the world on a silver platter, but she was begrudged even that small request. It doesn't help that her idiot brother is telling her mother that a good punishment for her attitude would be to forbid her to see her friends when she returns for the holidays. She considers telling him to shut his fat mouth, but thinks better of it. Arguments with her brother always escalate into shouting matches. That and she doesn't want to waste her breath. Her hand automatically goes to her wand as she considers how perfectly a Tongue-Tying curse would work right about now, but getting in trouble with the Ministry wouldn't exactly be the icing on the cake. She contents herself with petting her kneazle, Spartacus.

"Honey, I know you wanted to go with Jenna today, but I wanted to take you. You're going to see her everyday at school, but I won't see you for months and I wanted to be there when you leave."

She continues to ignore her mother. It isn't as if it'll be the last time she sees her. She goes home for the holidays, what's the big deal about letting her go with Jenna?

They ride in silence until they reach the train station. As soon as the car stops, Corinne hides Spartacus in her bag and goes around to grab her trunk. It's heavy, but she manages to drag it to the floor and onto a trolley. She struggles, but she refuses to ask her mother or brother for help. She walks to the barrier and crosses it, only to collide with something very solid on the other side.

"Oi, watch where you're going!"

Corinne looks up to see Sirius Black. Her eyes narrow. "If you don't want people to run into you then don't stand in front of the barrier." She brushes herself off and makes sure she didn't drop anything. It's a good thing their bodies are what collided instead of their trunks, she thinks, glad to have avoided any serious pain. Though, really, she wouldn't have minded if her trunk had rammed Black.

"Corinne, don't be rude to this nice gentleman," she hears her mother say coming up behind her.

"He's no gentleman, mum," she mutters before pushing past him and going to find her friends.

"I apologize. She's had a bad day," Mrs. Johnson says on her daughter's behalf before hurrying after her.

"It's fine," he says to her retreating back. "It isn't your fault you have a boorish daughter."

"I see you've had a run in with my sister."

Sirius turns to see a blonde boy who looks to be only a couple of years older than himself. "Literally," he answers, rubbing his hurt shoulder.

"Cody Johnson," he says, sticking out his hand.

Sirius shakes it. "Sirius Black. I must say, I feel sorry for you, having her for a sister."

"Thank you, someone finally understands my pain."

"Unfortunately, I do. So did you graduate from Hogwarts already or-"

"No, I'm not magical. I believe the term is 'muggle'."

"A muggle eh?" Sirius didn't know Johnson was a muggle born. He actually didn't know much about her other than the fact that they didn't like each other. "Well if you ever want me to hex her for you, just owl me."

"I might just take you up on that offer."

"I'd be more than happy to do it, believe me. Anyway, I should get going before the train leaves, but great meeting you."

"You too."

"See ya Cody!" Sirius says loud enough for Corinne to hear.

Corinne looks out the window, half-heartedly waving at her mum. She sees Spartacus sticking his head out of the bag her mum is holding, and blows a kiss to him. She wished Hogwarts allowed kneazles; she's really going to miss her pet.

She turns to follow her friends, but that's when she hears Black, and glares. "My brother has been here no more than five minutes and Black has already befriended him. Why does he keep finding ways of making my life miserable?"

Jenna laughs. "Come on Corinne, Sirius doesn't spend his time plotting against you. Stop being so dramatic."

"You're right," she laughs. "Tell me about your summers."

Jeremy speaks up first. "Well, seeing as how I spend most of it with you lot . . ."

"You know what I mean!" she laughs again as they get on the train.

"Eh, well I drew a lot. Oh look, here's an empty compartment," Benjamin says, opening the door and dragging his trunk in.

"Nice find," Steven says. "I spent most of my summer taking care of my little brother while my parents were at work," he grimaces.

"But your brother is so cute!" Jenna and Corinne say at the same time.

"Doesn't stop him from being a little monster."

"He's what? Six?" Jeremy smirks.

"Yes, but he can't control his magic and I'm not allowed to use mine."

"The ministry would never know-"

"No, but my brother would tell my parents and then I'd be grounded."

"Bugger," Jeremy laughs, "my summer was great. I mostly ate and slept. I wanted to fly but my parents wouldn't let me. My mum is really paranoid now, she says she doesn't want me going out anywhere alone."

"My mum too. She' worried about everything that's been in the Prophet. She didn't want to let me come back to school but I told her she was off her rocker if she thought I was staying home. She was more reasonable after Dad talked to her."

"D'you reckon it'll get worse?"

"Oh yeah, my dad said that if this Voldemort bloke isn't stopped soon, the Wizarding world will be in a state of open warfare. No one will be safe then, wizards and muggles alike."

"And here I thought our biggest worry this year would be starting our lives, not losing them."

"We're going to have to face this once we're out. We won't be able to hide in school anymore."

"Then we'll have to make this last year the best ever. Don't worry about it yet."

oooooo

"Let me see your badge," Remus tells James.

"It's real Moony, I already checked," Sirius says, making the others laugh.

James unpins it and hands it over.

"What Dumbledore was thinking, I'll never know," Remus comments, examining the badge and handing it back.

"He was thinking that I'm the best man for the job, of course!" James grins.

"Picture Evan's face when she finds out you're Head Boy. Especially if she got Head Girl."

"That would be great! Then she'd have to spend time with me!"

"She's warmed up to you a little already; this might just be your year, Prongs. Which reminds me, I saw you talking to Corinne Johnson earlier, Padfoot. What was that about?"

"You saw us arguing," he corrects, "and it was because she mauled me at the barrier."

"I saw that," Peter chortles, "it looked painful."

"It was, and she didn't even apologize!"

"She doesn't seem to like you mate."

"The feeling is completely mutual. I don't think much of stuck up Ravenclaws."

"And she doesn't think much of arrogant Gryffindors."

"You talk to her?"

"She's quite pleasant to talk to unless your name is James Potter or Sirius Black."

"She doesn't like either of us?" James asks as Sirius rolls his eyes and mutters, "what a tragedy".

"She's okay with you now, mostly because she reckons that if Lily is able to stand you, you really have changed. But she still hates you Padfoot."

"I would care if she meant anything to me," he shrugs.

James and Peter snicker. "You're a prick mate, but at least you're honest."

"So this is our last year at Hogwarts."

"We have to go out with a bang, something to make ourselves more of a legend than we are."

"We have to make it the best year ever."

"You never know, maybe this'll be the year you finally get some, eh Worm?"

"Lay off him," Remus says calmly.

"What about you, Moony? Are you finally gonna 'unleash the monster within'?" James chortles.

"You can't talk, you're 'saving yourself' for Lily."

"At least I've set my sights on someone," James grins.

"You know, I've never heard you talk about any girl," Sirius muses. "You have to have fancied someone."

"Or at least, there has to be someone you've wanted to shag."

"It's Johnson, that's why you were asking about her, because you're jealous," Peter teases.

The others latch on to that. "Johnson? Not my cup of tea, but hey, if she does it for you-"

"I do not fancy, or lust after, Corinne, or any other female."

"Are you saying you're a poof?"

"I think he is. I mean, if he doesn't want females . . ."

"What I meant is that there's no one I'm interested in."

"Come off it. Johnson's not that bad."

"Oh yes she is," Sirius mutters.

"I'm not-"

"Moony, there has to be someone."

"Absolutely no one."

"Rubbish. We'll find someone for you, Moons, don't worry about it."

Remus rolls his eyes. He'll never be able to change their minds. He hopes that they don't insist on trying to set him up with Corinne Johnson though.

I love Sirius Black, I can't stay away from writing stories starring him :)