Chapter 1
Welcome Home

Sirius Black was not only one of the most handsome boys at Hogwarts during my years, but he was also the most foul, dim-witted, mischievous, monstrosity to walk the castle halls - and, well, that explains a lot.

Josephine stormed though the castle, soaked head to foot in a vibrant blue dye, which could not mask the fire in her eyes.
"You little gits!" She yelled, marching into the Gryffindor Common Room, nearly toppling over a small first year. "Every damn year!" She stared down at four boys, who were innocently watching her fit of rage.

"But whatever are you talking about? Every darn year? We didn't get you last year..." James Potter raised a smirk.
"Yeah," squeaked in Peter Pettigrew, "You out-smarted us, but we learn quick! Padfoot still had a scar and, well-" He was suddenly cut off by a sharp elbow in his side.
"We knew you'd try again," Sirius Black flashed a grin of the devil, "So we had a backup plan." He nodded towards a small bucket next to Remus Lupin's chair, where he was reading innocently. Josephine's eyes darted towards the mousey brunette, who had his Prefects badge messily pinned to the front of his sweater.

"I'm sure that your new Prefect power over your friends is working well, Remus," Josephine accused.
"Don't make me a part of this, Jo. You and I both know they wouldn't listen." Remus added, still intent in his book.
"Not even to our ickle Prefect," James added to Remus' disapproving glare.

Josephine crossed her arms, making her way towards the girls dorm. Every year since her first year at Hogwarts, the Marauders had found some way to get under her skin on the first Saturday of the new school year. They had done everything from jinxing her in the back to spiking her pumpkin juice at breakfast. During her fourth year, she decided to fight back, which had landed all of them in the Hospital Wing for a night. Feuds like this don't just happen, one witty argument between two first years after Sorting was enough to make a life-time battle.

"See you later, Josephine," Sirius winked his goodbye, which was returned with daggers.
"Don't call me Josephine." Jo made her way up the stairs, and into her dorm to be rid herself of the blue dye.
"Would you prefer Miss Roberts, then?" Sirius' call and the following chuckle amongst the Marauders was muffled by the slamming of the girl's dorm door.

"I would call that a mission accomplished, wouldn't you, mates?" Sirius leaned back in his armchair to James' laughing response.
"You really should be nicer to her." Remus interjected from behind his book.
James let out a snort, "And why is that, Moony?"
"You're siding with the enemy!" Peter squealed.
"No, I'm just saying she doesn't have any friends as it is, the three of you are just making it worse."
"It's not our bloody faults that she doesn't have any friends! She's completely mental!" Sirius barked.

Remus closed his book, "Really, do you honestly think that you've never done anything to her that scared off any potential friends? And you can't blame it solely on her, she's really not that bad if you would just stop and be nice to her for three seconds of your life, in fact, I personally find her to be quite an interesting person to talk to." Remus' words were met with wide-eyed stares from his fellows.
"What?" Remus rolled his eyes and buried his nose in his book.
"I think she brainwashed him to say that," James said, eyeing Moony.
"She has one friend, that Hufflepuff girl, Cygnus I think..." Peter added quietly.

Sirius stared at Remus the longest, mulling over his words with an almost horrified expression that soon turned to a look of amusement, "I think we need to be keeping a better watch on Moons over there. He's got a whole life we don't know about."
James chortled, "Got any info about Evans that you want to share?"

Josephine appeared at breakfast the next morning with streaks of blue still stained into her raven black locks. She sat at the end of the Gryffindor table, avoiding the giggles of two Slytherins in her year who were making their way to their own table.

"Ahh, Roberts," Sirius slid down the bench into an empty spot across from her, "I see we're doing well today."
"Save it, Black," Jo stabbed a piece of French toast and plopped it onto her plate with such ferocity that one would worry about the fork's well-being.
James and Peter took a seat next to their counter-part, and Remus slid down next to Jo, looking quite exhausted.
"Bickering like an old married couple," James mumbled as he took a large gulp of pumpkin juice.

Just then, a petite Hufflepuff with short blond curls framing her face tapped James on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, James, but Lily is out in the Entrance Hall, apparently she wanted to talk to you..."
James sprang forth from his seat, "What?!" The girl nodded with a hopeful smile as James sped out of the Great Hall. Before anyone could react, she slid in between Peter and Sirius.

"She's not out there, you know," Remus said, looking up from his meal.
"Oh, I know." The girl smiled.
"Yes, Cygnus?" Josephine cracked a grin at her friend.
"You know, you've got a little... Something.." She said, pointing to her own hair.
Josephine frowned, "Yeah, I know. Lily tried to help get it out, but it didn't work as you can see."
"We can ask Madam Pomfrey if she has anything for it..." Cygnus said, hopefully.
"It'll go out eventually," She frowned, as Cygnus got up quickly while an unsettled James burst into the Hall after a stomping Lilly.
"I'll see ya' later, Jo." With that, Cygnus disappeared back to the Huffelpuff table, and James returned to his spot.

"So, how'd it go, mate?" Sirius leaned in with a grin.
"Eh, just as well as ever," James let out a chuckle.
Remus smirked as Peter let out a snort, and Sirius chimed in with a laugh. Josephine rolled her eyes and got up from the table, she grabbed a thickly bound book, and made her way to the library. Sirius' eyes slid after Jo as she headed out the heavy doors of the Great Hall.

Time soon found the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins brewing away at a Muffling Draught. Professor Slughorn wandered through the room, checking in on students as their time neared an end.

"Alright students, time to bring forward your brews! Bottle them very carefully, we don't want a repeat of Miss Roberts' incident last week." He chuckled kindly, but Jo's cheeks still twinged red. Josephine's skills were never in potion making, but having Lily Evan's as a table mate did have it's perks. The class filed up to Slughorn's desk and each student placed a small bottle. Severus Snape and Lily always had the best potions, and this time was no exception. Their brews both shined with a silver tint, whereas nearly every other potion only managed a dull bronze color.

Next up was the dull routine of History of Magic. The class was as quiet as ever, and the only thing that could be heard was the soft snoring emanating from Sirius, and the occasional, quiet scratch of Remus' quill. Josephine boredly doodled on her notes, nearly nodding off, until a quiet crinkle caught her attention. A small paper swan flew gently onto her desk, and unfolded itself.

You going to the quidditch tryouts later?

Jo picked up her pen and scribbled.

I might as well, I don't have anything else to do.

The note folded itself into a square and disappeared with a quiet swish, returning to Cygnus's desk. Cygnus gave her a quiet nod as Professor Binns turned about and assigned a foot and a half of parchment on the effects of the Goblin Right's movement of 1832, then dismissed the class.