Chapter two: Getting used to it

Harry tossed and turned all night that night, trying to not think of Sirius, his Sirius, the older one, with haunted eyes and a bark like laugh.

Harry sat up and leaned against his backboard after a half an hour of counting sheep. Opening his curtains, he looked out into the unknown darkness and grabbed his book ("The Warrior Heir" by Cinda Williams Chima. One of Dudley's books for Christmas and he had thrown into Harry's room the minute Aunt Marge had left.)

Opening to his page he tried to concentrate:

"Why aren't you dead?" Will demanded. "It should have killed out, so I don't understand why you aren't head. You're sure you're not hurt?"

"No,' Jack said slowly." A little bruised maybe" There was a painful area between his shoulder blades, like he'd been hit in the back by a fast pitch."

"Turn that light off!" demanded a voice from outside his curtains. Harry looked up from his book only to be face to facer with an irritated James Potter. Harry started slightly and whispered, "Sorry." He went to close the gap from his curtains but James caught his wrist.

James stared at him for a minute and twisted his arm up and looked at the exposed wrist for a moment before nodding sleepily and mumbling as he stumbled back to his bed, "Not a death eater…"

Harry almost laughed aloud but knew if he did he may have suffered a bloody nose for his mocking. James was weird when he was woken up from his sleep.

Harry felt sleep itch at his eyes and he sighed. He ended his luminous spell and put his book back and shut his curtains so he was enclosed in warmth. Settling in his warm blankets, he situated until he didn't hit a bruise.

Perfect, Harry thought as he closed his eyes and sleep embraced his, for once, without nightmares.


"WAKE UP!" Water was dumped on him and he jolted awake, dripping wet. He found himself cold, damp and if he knew the time was correct, almost late for breakfast.

Remus and Sirius held two buckets, empty, was Harry quickly changed (he bruises hid under the glamour) and dried himself wordlessly.

"Thanks," he said as they walked down the stairs to the common room.

Remus and Sirius stared at him before laughing. Sirius's bark like laughter, Harry decided, was different. More care free and love for life.

"You- thanked- us- for dumping –water –on-on you!" Remus chocked out.

"How else were you going to wake me?" Harry cocked an eyebrow at him. "I sleep like a log when I'm out." In reality, when he was out (which hadn't been often) it never took him but a few second to wake up. It was a daily routine with the Dursleys. If he wasn't up them he would get a lash every second he was late.

Sirius nodded. "So does Remus." He then stuck his hand out and said, "Sirius Black by the way." Harry shook it.

"Alexander Williams."

"Remus Lupin," Remus said, also shaking his hand. Harry noticed no one stared at him in fright or admiration. He was merely the new kid.

How he liked this, being ignored.


Harry scooped up eggs and read the Daily Prophet's headline with interest:

NEW DARK LORD!

Harry raised his eyebrows in thought as he gulped down his pumpkin juice. Interesting, Harry thought, very interesting.

Laughter erupted around the Great Hall and Harry raised his head in interest. What was so funny?

"Alex?" Harry looked towards Sirius, who was looking as his hair. Harry tugged on his locks until he found the source of laughter.

His hair was bright yellow. Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Not my color though," he said to Sirius, who was watching him incredibly.

"You're not mad?" Harry flashed him a grin of his own.

"Just means I have the next move." Sirius blinked and decided he was going to like this kid.

After breakfast, Harry gathered his schedule and read through it. He had Defense first.

"Shit," he muttered. Sirius glanced at Harry schedule and said, "I have that too!"

Later that day, as Harry managed to find a few good books for his Defense essay ("How to kill a werewolf."), Harry placed them on the first table he could find before sitting down, ignoring the person who was sitting there.

"You do know I am sitting here," said a dry voice. Harry looked up from his first leather blinded book to find Severus Snape, the younger one, sitting there, his eye brows raised.

"Oh," Harry said sarcastically, "I didn't know there was a sign that said maximum occupancy one." Harry pointed above the table to prove his point. No sign what so ever.

Snape blinked his blacks eyes began to light up with amusement. Harry decided he had intrigued Snape with his use of sarcasm.

"Severus Snape," he said holding his hand out after a few moments.

"Alex Williams." He shook it and said, "What do you think of the defense essay?"

"Well," Severus began, "I think it's good to know such a thing in case you came across one."

Harry frowned slightly. "Even though they have no control over their actions?"

Severus seemed to think about it for a moment before saying cautiously, "I think there may be a way to cure that.."

Harry decided to change to subject, for risk of him blabbing something out that might change the time line.

"You play Quidditch?" Snape, surprisingly, nodded.

"Chaser."

"I play Seeker," Harry said, looking out the window longingly to the sky.

"Well, Potter plays the position," he said scornfully. Harry opened his mouth the say something when a voice, female, called, "Hey Severus, Alex!"

Harry and Severus looked over to Lily, who was carrying her bag and a few books. She grabbed a chair and plopped down in it.

"Glad to see my two friends in the same place, "she said, laughing. Harry decided there were nothing more beautiful then her laugh. Severus looked hesitantly around and said, "You sure it's safe Lily?"

Safe? Harry thought. What was unsafe for Lily?

"I'm just as safe as Alex here!" She patted Severus's hand reassuringly.

Severus nodded hesitantly and Harry decided to cut it, "What's unsafe?"

Severus's eyes darkened. "There was been attacks on Muggleborns and Lily has been a target for years now. She's powerful and she -,"

Lily cut in, her voice in a whisper, "Just because I don't care about house, neither should anyone else."

"Let me take this on from an outsider's perspective," Harry said, "there had been attacks on Muggleborns and Lily is as much of a target cause she doesn't care who her friends are?

"I think the houses are stupid really. They are actually intertwined from what I see. Slytherins are loyal to their families, Ravenclaws are cunning, Hufflepuffs are brave and Gryffindors can be smart. It just seems some of more of one quality then the other."

Severus and Lily stared at him for a moment. Harry just flashed them a mysterious smile before going back to his work.

A couple of minutes went by, silent but interrupted by the occasional rustle of parchment or turning of the page when Harry said, "You want to go flying tomorrow? Say at eight?"

The two nodded and got back to their essays.


Harry flew around the pitch, with Lily sitting in the benches, cheering them on. Severus laughed when Harry took a dive steep enough to be almost straight down and Lily had screamed like a worried mother.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Harry looked up from his book (they had only two brooms so Harry had to lend his to Lily).

It was the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Harry frowned and thought back to the Quidditch sheets in the common room. The pitch wasn't supposed the reserved today.

Lily and Severus (reluctantly) landed and Harry got up, seeing a confrontation coming on and stood next to Severus, eyeing the group. Harry drew himself up when he saw they were weaker then him.

Harry blinked. What was that about? Weaker then him? Harry cursed his Slytherin side.

"We," Lily said icily, "are flying. Shouldn't you know that?" Severus stifled a snicker, which James saw and said, "Shut up Snivellus." Snape's eyes darkened and Harry decided to intervene.

"Hey," he said, holding his hands up, "we'll leave." Even though Harry wanted to say some few choice words to them, he decided to take the better route.

The Quidditch captain eyed him with surprise.

"You play?" James scowled. He wanted them to leave (well except Lily.)

Harry shrugged modestly, "Yeah. I was on my team back in my old school."

Lily decided to not be so modest, "He's brilliant." Severus couldn't deny it and he nodded also.

Harry flushed slightly. So, Harry thought, this was what it felt like to get a complement from your mother.

The Quidditch captain nodded, "Let's talk later, okay?" Harry took one slit second to glance at James's rending face before nodding to him.


The days blurred together as he became popular by many students by becoming a reserve seeker (apparently they never had a use for one before since James Potter played it.) It was very embarrassing and oddly nice to here Lily brag to her Ravenclaw friends about him.

Severus, however, kept quiet but was always there when he wanted to fly. Harry discovered he liked Severus (the past one of course) he was quiet, sarcastic and quiet (dare he say it) nice once you earned his trust and respect.

"No," muttered a voice. Harry looked up from Hogwarts: A history and realized it was Sirius. He hesitantly got up and shook him awake. Sirius jolted awake, his breath coming out in short gasped. He looked Harry solidly in the eye before the panic slowly faded from his blue eyes.

"You alright?" Sirius nodded softly. Harry sat down, with hesitancy, and said, "You wanna talk about it." Harry, in reality, hadn't been expecting an answer.

But, like an overloaded damn, it all flooded out. It turned out Sirius's parents had been 'disappointed' in him and had 'talked' various times with him over the summer before he had run away.

Harry caught on to the code and nodded along. Harry didn't want to tell Sirius anything about his home life but, like Sirius's, it slipped out.

"And…" Harry said finally, still looking down at the red sheets, "my friends no nothing about it neither did my old godfather… I haven't told John yet and nor do I intend to." Sirius placed a hand on his thin shoulder. Harry looked up.

"Wait until the time is right." Harry smiled and said, "Thanks." Sirius shook his head, "No, thank you."


Later the next day, I stumbled into the common room. It was almost empty, except Alex.

Alex examined his parchment; cast a drying spell on it before rubbing his eyes tiredly. He looked paler than usual; his gray eyes darker and smudges under his eyes from lack of sleep.

He looked up at my arrival and smiled shyly at me.

"Hey, Sirius," he said. I sat down next to him in the common room. It was midnight, with James and Peter in detention, I was alone. Remus had gone to sleep long before and Alex had been finishing up his essay for defense.

Yawning, I leaned against the couches back. Alex sighed. He rubbed his temples saying quietly, "You have any more nightmares lately?"

Alex had learned of my reoccurring nightmares about my family just last night. I shook my head and asked him, "You?"

A flitter of a smile went across his face, "Not lately, but there was this one with a clown…"

We both laughed tiredly and Alex pulled out two vials.

"Here's dreamless sleep potion," he said handing me one. "We have a test tomorrow and I really don't want to fail it." I smiled my thanks and we both made our ways up to the boy's dormitory.

I fell asleep quickly, happy to have sweet relief from my nightmares.


Hey reviewers,

This note if for you. I thank you so much for the reviews and your advice. It really helps me write and I will list you to show you my appreciation.

PadyandMoony: OMG! I love your stories and I was so shocked when you reviewed! I love Marauder's read Midnight Guardian. Thank you for the advice!

GoddessGirl1372: Thank you for the review!

Faxness-Fan48: Well the other took it up.

MoonyPadfoot: Too true. There are so many of those stories… WBYL being one

Beth5572: Thanks for reviewing!

PreciousLily: Love your name! Thanks!

Lola: That's what I was going to do. Are you a mind reader. Lol. Thanks for the review!

Vellouette:In this chapter I did him talking about werewolves. I'm going to do the Patronus Charm in Charms cause it is a charm.. I think.. Anyway, thank you for the review!

Nightwing509:Thank you! Well here is the second chapter!

I would like to thank to reviewers and I hope to hear from more of you about this chapter. The third one will be up soon.

Bookworm622