A/N: This is a longer chapter, and it was really fun to write. Reviews are much appreciated!

February 1978

"Mail's here!" James chirped. It was breakfast time; and as usual, the Marauders sat together. "Mum said she'd send me an early birthday present."

Remus and Peter followed James's gaze. Sirius smiled for his friends, but did not share their expectant look towards the delivery owls. His own mother hated her rebel of a son. And if she ever did send any mail, it was for Regulus, he thought, glancing darkly toward the Slytherin table where his brother sat. To his great surprise, a bright red envelope was dropped in front of him. Oh no. He was not in the mood for public humiliation. But he knew from experience that howlers got worse the longer you didn't open them. He braced himself before tearing it open, but Walburga's shrill yell still made him wince. "YOU BLOOD-TRAITOR EXCUSE FOR A SON! YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING DUNCE." Surely every ear in the great hall was being acquainted with Mrs. Black's singular vocal chords. "YOU DARE TAINT MY HOME WITH FILTHY MUGGLE SCUM! THE ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK WILL NOT BE POLLUTED WITH POSTERS OF MUDBLOOD WHORES!" Sirius's grimace steadily turned to a smirk. "YOU WILL COME HOME AND REMOVE THEM AT ONCE!" And with that, the howler burst into flames, leaving no trace of Walburga's wrath except a small pile of ashes on Sirius's bacon.

"I guess she found your poster of Tennis Girl," James whispered, and Sirius's smirk turned into full-fledged laughter. Moony and Wormtail joined in, as the rest of the students nervously resumed their chatter, some discussing the latest grim news of the wizarding war from The Daily Prophet.

His latest attempt to defy his family and their values had consisted of using a permanent sticking charm to affix a few poster girls from muggle magazines on his already red-and-gold bedroom walls during the Christmas holidays. It looked like his mother had finally seen them, and his rebellion had been on the mark. She knew as well as he did that he wasn't going to take them down. But when he next went home, he would roll out the next stage of mutiny. A mischievous glint lit his grey eyes. James caught the look and grinned at the familiar sight.

June 1978

The Marauders and Lily got off the Hogwarts express together, for the last time. They looked around the platform. Peter and Remus spotted their parents and trotted off in different directions, bidding the others goodbye. Lily gave James a quick kiss before rushing off toward her parents. James and Sirius pushed their luggage as they searched the faces on the platform for the Potters.

A bit away from the humans stood a hideous lone house elf, gazing expectantly toward the train. A scowl materialized on Sirius's face; and when their eyes met, the look was returned. Oh, how he hated that elf. Kreacher was just as prejudiced as - if not more than - the Blacks he served. His loyalty went beyond the magic that bound him to his masters; Kreacher delighted in listening to pureblood fanatics. He was pure evil. He glared at Sirius now with undisguised hatred. Sirius had half a mind to order him to go home, just to deprive him the pleasure of seeing his beloved master Reg. But he stopped himself. Regulus didn't deserve that. As if on cue, Regulus's voice rang out in joy. "Kreach!"

Rolling his eyes, Sirius turned back to James, who had found his parents and was waving at them frantically. "C'mon," said James; and the two made their way to Fleamont and Euphemia. They immediately pulled their son into an affectionate embrace. James patted their shoulders sheepishly. "Alright, alright. I'm happy to see you too." When they didn't let go, James added, "Mum! Dad! You're embarrassing me." Chuckling, they finally released him, turning their attention to Sirius, who was sniggering but whose eyes betrayed a mixture of happiness and envy.

Once they had sufficiently fussed over the boys, Mr. and Mrs. Potter lead the way off the platform, Sirius grabbed James's arm as soon as his parents jogged through the wall. "Think we'll get a chance to visit your basement?" he whispered conspiratorially, punching James in the shoulder.

"I'm way ahead of you, mate. Your bike is ready and waiting."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "How'd you manage that?"

"I wrote ahead to my neighbor's son. The one who left Hogwarts last year. I asked him to retrieve it from the basement and hide it in the garage. He's really good at stealthy magic, you know. Did it all from outside the house."

Sirius nodded, impressed. "The minute I can get it to fly, I am apparating with that baby straight home, to rub in my mother's face."

" I hope you don't mean that literally," teased James. "That would probably cause her some serious injury."

Smiling, Sirius shoved James through the wall, and followed a moment later.

"There you are," said Fleamont. "Come along, boys."

Once home, and fully fed (courtesy Mrs. Potter), the two friends retreated to the outhouse, which doubled as a garage. At the back, under a once-white cloth that didn't quite cover it, sat Sirius's Triumph Bonneville. "You call that hidden?" he demanded, incredulous. "Your mum or dad step one foot in here, and it's the first thing they'd see!"

But James assured him they never came in here. "And even if they found it, they'd think it was pretty cool."

"I appreciate the support, mate; but I'm pretty sure what I'm doing with Bonnie is illegal."

"Bonnie?"

Sirius barked out a laugh. "My Triumph Bonneville, my Bonnie. She's the only one I've ever had eyes for." He gazed at the motorcycle fondly as James laughed. "The flight features I'm adding can't possibly be ministry-approved. And why'd you cover her with this filthy rag of a cloth?" He yanked it away, and knelt beside the bike. "Don't worry, Bonnie. He doesn't value you, but I do."

"Knock off your theatrics for two minutes," said James, flinging a broomstick at him.

Assuring Bonnie he'd be back soon, and imploring her not to be jealous of the broomstick, which was the lesser mode of transport by a long shot, Sirius picked up the broom and followed James outside.

In the air, they tossed a quaffle back and forth. A few moments of comfortable silence passed before James broke it. "She's coming over to meet my parents next week."

Sirius nodded sagely. "Don't worry. They'll love Lily. Everyone does."

James grinned proudly.

"What about you meeting her folks?"

James turned thoughtful. "She hasn't asked me to yet. I think she's nervous about her sister. She hasn't given up on Petunia accepting her. From what Lily's told me about her though, I don't see it happening. But I don't have the heart to tell her that."

"I've started looking for a flat," Sirius said after a few moments.

James was caught off guard. "What? Are you having any problems living here?"

"No, no. You should know better than to think that. I feel welcome here, Prongs." Sirius gave him a genuine smile, the kind that lit his eyes. "But I can't keep imposing on you. And you and Lily will probably get married soon. As much as I love it here, staying back with your parents after you move out might get a bit weird."

"Hang on just a minute there. What did you say?"

Sirius shot James an all-knowing look that seemed to peer right through him. "Are you going to deny it?"

"Well no, but how the hell did you know? I only decided to ask her yesterday."

"It's been written all over your face for weeks. Maybe even months."

James just shook his head, smiling slightly, and threw the quaffle at Sirius's head. Naturally, he didn't miss.

November 1978

Sirius apparated in front of 12 Grimmauld Place, seated on his Triumph Bonneville. If Remus were here, he would have chided him on secrecy from muggles. But Remus wasn't here, and this situation called for a healthy dose of Signature Sirius Dramatic Flair. Still he took a quick look around, and seeing no one in the immediate vicinity, launched into the air, settling into a low hover.

"Mo-therr, I'm ho-oome!" he called

Walburga stuck her head out a front window, and took in the ridiculous sight of her older son sitting astride a flying motorcycle. Her jaw slackened for a few moments, her face registering nothing but shock.

Sirius grinned impishly. In that moment, his mother, devoid of her perpetually sour expression, didn't resemble a banshee all that much. "Well don't just stand there. Open the door."

Hearing his voice again brought her back to her senses, and her features twisted into that unique mix of anger and disappointment. "Oh, you devil child." She spoke in a low menacing tone instead of her regular shrill cry. "You torture your poor mother so. You are no son of mine. Look at you. Flying that muggle contraption. Sitting on it like it were some throne. You will pay for how you ill-treat the great name Black."

"Do you mean I blacken it, mum?" Sirius couldn't help himself.

Walburga's shrill cry might have erupted after all, but just then, Regulus threw open the door, giving Sirius his own brand of disappointed look. This version Sirius was less-equipped to take in stride. Ignoring his brother, he flew the bike inside.

"WHERE ARE YOU BRINGING THAT ABOMINATION? I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW IT IS NOT WELCOME IN MY HOUSE!"

Sirius sighed, feeling quite at home. Not that that was necessarily a good thing in this case. He parked the motorcycle by the stairs and turned back to his sputtering mother and gaping brother. "Touch this bike and I will destroy everything in this house. And I mean everything." With that, he proceeded to his room on the topmost landing.

Once inside, he felt a lot of sheer stress just drip away. This room, every inch covered in red and gold, and muggle swimsuit models and motorcycles, had been his refuge from his unbearable household until about two years ago, when he left for good to live with the Potters at age 16. That was when a one-room refuge was no longer enough. It had started to feel like the house was closing in on him.

Shaking the unpleasant thoughts away, he turned his attention to his wardrobe. Opening it, he found that many of his Gryffindor-pride clothes were gone. That was to be expected. His mother would throw away anything that soiled this her great House of Black. He scanned the room one last time, before deciding there was nothing here worth taking with him. At least nothing that wasn't permanently affixed to the walls, and those things better served their spiteful purpose here, right above his mother's head. And besides, his primary purpose in coming here today was to get one last act of mutiny under his belt. He turned around and made his way back down the stairs. He had failed to spot a picture lying under his bed of him and the other Marauders, standing together grinning at the wizard camera.

Downstairs, his mother was scowling at the motorcycle, and Regulus was doing his best to comfort her. "You really don't show the least bit of concern for mum's nerves, do you big brother?" he hissed.

"Nope." Sirius gave a shrug of practiced nonchalance, skillfully hiding his grimace at his brother's tone.. "And I've given up trying to convince you that it's no use, so carry on Reg." He mounted the bike again.

"You will NOT be welcomed back here again, boy," said Walburga.

"Oh don't worry, dear mother. I came only to pick up some things I could take to my new flat." He relished the fleeting surprise on her face when she learned he was further distancing himself from his identity as a Black. "I have no desire, whatsoever, to live in this great house of a most despicable family." He finally allowed some of the venom he was feeling to leak into his voice. Regulus blanched, but Walburga's eyes only hardened further, something Sirius had not thought possible. Gripping the handlebars tightly, Sirius disapparated, this time sure that he was leaving his past behind for good.