UNECPECTED APPEARANCES

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter :( I'm gutted.

The tunnel entrance sealed with a satisfied clunk as Sirius pulled the invisibility cloak back around his shoulders. The heavy bag weighed down against his side, the "borrowed" sweets and butterbeers it contained jangling merrily. Sirius chuckled to himself, yet another year christened with a late night excursion, he told himself.

The infamous Marauders, who usually celebrated their return to school with a night time excursion, had decided to break the habit of a lifetime and stay in. Or at least three of the marauders had decided this.

Itching for adventure and craving sugar (having eaten his supply of sweets on the train), Sirius had decided to sneak into Honeyduke's Sweet shop and stock up on the required confectionary: alone. James, who ordinarily would have accompanied him, was pouring over a piece of parchment, scribbling down notes and letters to his family. All of whom complained bitterly for his lack of communication during school time. Tedious as this seemed on the first night of term, he didn't dare risk the howler his great aunt would send him if he "forgot" about her.

Peter, who unlike James and Sirius was not a naturally talented wizard, was too busy trying to understand his charms textbook, from fourth year, to take part in such a risky mission. Remus was occupied attending yet another prefect meeting; "the goody-two-shoes" thought Sirius affectionately.

So Sirius had gone to Honeyduke's alone, following the tunnel concealed by the statue of the one-eyed witch on the first floor corridor. Nothing unusual had happened, until he climbed out of the witch's hump on the return Journey. He'd just closed the entrance to the tunnel when he heard voices drawing closer up the corridor.

Leaning against the wall so that whoever was walking up the corridor didn't bump into him, he looked from side to side trying to see who had nearly spotted him.

Professor McGonagall was walking down the corridor, accompanied by a girl of about Sirius' age. She wasn't wearing school robes but was levitating a large trunk in front of her. Instead of the usual uniform she wore a short grey school skirt and a satin blue short sleeved shirt that matched her eyes. A foreign emblem on a patch, a wand crossing a sword, was sewn to the breast of the cardigan she was pulling around her. Who was she?

Sirius frowned, curiosity etching across his face as the girl smiled politely at Professor McGonagall. "I suppose that's everything," said Professor in her usual brisk tone, "I'll arrange for one of the fifth year prefects to escort you up to the common room". And with this she turned on her heel and left leaving the girl looking puzzled, apparently unsure of what she was supposed to do now. She set the trunk down on the floor and glanced around the corridor as though searching for something that could reassure her. She caught a glimpse of Sirius's foot protruding from behind the one-eyed witch's statue. She grinned mischievously averting her gaze so that she was staring at the portrait of Borris the Brave holding a rather bedraggled kitten. "You know most people wear an invisibility cloak to be invisible" she said to nobody in particular. Pulling off the cloak Sirius looked at her indignantly and said playfully, "well sometimes that's easier said than done".

The girl span on her heel to face him, looking confused when she saw Sirius' face: she'd been expecting somebody else.

"I'm not as short as I used to be," Sirius continued not understanding why she suddenly looked taken aback by his appearance. He was, of course, used to girls fawning over him but he had never had that type of reaction before.

"I…" she stuttered; not sure whether or not to explain herself to somebody she didn't even know the name of. Regaining control of herself, her eyes surveyed Sirius' face, taking in his raven black hair; his chiselled features; his deep, grey eyes; moving down to his long slender torso and his strong lengthy legs, "I can see how that could be a problem," she said silkily. They smiled at each other for a moment, each as curious about the other. After a somewhat uncomfortable silence Sirius stepped forwards holding out a hand.

"I'm S…"

"Mr black what are you doing here?" Professor McGonagall had returned and was glaring sternly at Sirius.

"I was just heading up to the Muggle Studies room, Professor," said Sirius calmly, a look on his face that suggested butter couldn't melt in his mouth, "Professor Bulwick decided to give me detention early this year."

"Of course," muttered Professor McGonagall cynically, "as you well know Mr Black students are not allowed to roam the corridors at night, kindly make your way to his office and return to the common room immediately afterwards- I do not expect you to make any de-tours"

"Yes miss," he replied shortly, nodding at the girl who seemed to be half amused by his acting, half sympathetic; after all she wouldn't want to be found by professor McGonagall late at night. Grabbing his bag, concealing James' invisibility cloak as he did so, Sirius walked past the two women and did not look back. That was close; he thought to himself; James would have killed me if I'd got the cloak confiscated. He paused at the end of the corridor, straining his ears to hear what was being said between the girl and his Head of House. He couldn't deny that the new girl intrigued him.

She was beautiful, her eyes twinkled mischievously behind the strands of hair that had escaped from her messy ponytail, her mouth formed a warm almost rebellious smile and yet she had this air of intelligence about her. Of all these features, something about her expressions, especially when he had been found by McGonagall, her mischievous grin, had seemed strangely familiar. But where from?

"All of the prefects appear to be in an extra meeting with Professor Dumbledore, so I'll have to escort you to Gryffindor tower. If you'll be so kind as to follow me," Professor McGonagall said curtly. The girl gave a small nod, still trying to take in as much of her surroundings as possible.

"I can't believe I'm finally here" she said softly, smiling to herself as she and the professor walked briskly through the corridors and up the moving stair cases until they reached the 7th floor entrance to Gryffindor tower.

From the moment the pair had started moving, Sirius' inquisitive nature had gotten the better of him. What was the harm in following them? He asked himself I was going in that direction eventually anyway. Donning the invisibility cloak, making sure that all his limbs were concealed this time, he set of at a jog to catch up.

When Sirius finally arrived, the mysterious girl had reached the common room and was nodding as Professor McGonagall talked her through the portrait hole system.

"You understand?" asked McGonagall in a far more patient tone than usual.

"Yes thank you professor," the girl replied, "Dumbledore made sure I knew the password before I left his office"

"Well then, I'll leave you to meet your classmates," concluded McGonagall, "good luck Miss Potter."

Sirius dived behind a suit of armour as McGonagall whipped past him. "Potter?" Sirius muttered to himself, "maybe she's related to James?"

The potter girl seemed to wait until Professor McGonagall was out of sight before allowing her true emotions to show. The fear that suddenly infected her eyes was pushed down by a sudden determination to succeed.

"Ok, I can do this", she whispered to herself turning towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. From his hiding place behind the statue he could see her fill her chest with air and open her mouth to speak "hip…"

"I'm sorry dear, I didn't quite catch that" said the fat lady in a suspicious voice, "I don't recognise you, are you sure this is your common room?"

Colour rose in her cheeks as she embarrassedly swept a stray lock of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear. "Yes I'm sure," she muttered looking up into the fat lady's face, "I'm new that's all".

"New?" the fat lady's face

"Yes," she said, "my parents just transferred me from Beauxbatons, now can I go in please?"

"Password?" inquired the Fat lady, her usual haughty air replacing the snide curiosity.

"Hippogriff"

"Welcome to Gryffindor"

"Thanks" replied Potter uncertainly, her voice surprised by the welcome.

Sirius jumped out from behind the suit of armour, knocking the sword out of its hand as he dashed towards the portrait hole. He made it just in time.

Flying through the gap he fell straight into the girl he had followed. The both collapsed in a heap on the floor, the invisibility falling off Sirius' head and arms leaving him as a floating torso. They looked at each other, mutual surprise n each others faces and burst into laughter at each other's expressions.

"Now Padfoot you really should take more care" chanted Remus and James standing over the pair grinning.

"But where's the fun in that?" laughed Sirius slowly rising to his feet and pushing the invisibility cloak into James hand.

Then he leaned down to offer a hand to the girl he'd managed to knock over but she'd already stood herself up, and was looking pointedly at James, who returned her look with a flabbergasted expression.

"Hello James"

A/N: So…. what do you think? Should I continue?

It'll get better I promise does her best brownie salute and smiles sweetly

Review if you have a comment. Anything you have to say is welcome!