AN: The next chapter. This story is starting slowly because it feels more comfortable that way and it gives me time to establish Sirius' relationship with those around him. I hope you're enjoying and thanks to those few who have faved/followed this story, I would really appreciate any reviews. Thanks.

~Always Pure~

"Boys! Time to get ready for school!"

Sirius' eyes snapped open, he took a breath and grinned to himself as he threw off his blankets and climbed out of bed. He looked at his trunk which was already packed and waiting, the only thing left was the cage that normally held his black and white Little Owl. He searched his room and spotted it standing atop his wardrobe with its head tucked determinedly beneath its wing. "Oi, Squirt, it's time to go…" Squirt raised its head and sent him a glare before shuffling away from him. "You little bugger, get in the cage and be a good boy because we've got to get going soon. I don't want to leave without you." The Owl hooted at him angrily before leaping into the air and dive bombing him, Sirius yelled and ducked with his arms covering his head. He felt talons drag along his hands and swore loudly as he spun around to see Squirt settling into his cage. "Git." Sirius muttered balefully as he shut the cage door and sucked absently on the scratches on his hands. He rummaged out some muggle clothing and threw them on before checking his reflection and running a brush through his hair, he tied it back and turned to the door. "I'll see you after breakfast." He assured his owl who had already gone back to sleep.

"What happened to your hands, Sirius?" Regulus asked as he watched his brother sit beside him at the table.

"Squirt attacked me again." He said and began buttering himself some toast.

"Oh." Regulus returned to his breakfast and said nothing more.

"Good morning Regulus, dear." Walburga said as she swept gracefully into the room and sat down in a spare seat, she eyed her eldest son with scorn as he ate quickly. "Boy, slow down or you'll choke yourself." She reprimanded, Sirius sighed irritably but did as she said. "Good. Now then I want to lay down a few ground rules for this year, Regulus, you are beginning your OWLs and I am sure you will do well…" She looked up and met Sirius' eyes. "Or better than your brother at least." She said and Sirius glared furiously at his toast as he continued to eat in an attempt to ignore his mother. "I want you to do the best you can as I'm sure you will, we want to be able to show the family what a good boy you are."

"Yes mother." Regulus replied cheerily and smiled, Walburga returned the expression. The transformation in her face was astounding, when she smiled Sirius could see himself in her. She was a beautiful woman, but he only ever got to see this side of her when she was around his brother, he felt the familiar soft pang of pain and regret and suddenly lost interest in his food.

"Now, you, boy." Sirius forced his eyes up and he met his mother's glare with a carefully constructed blank expression. "If I hear one tiny rumour of you getting into trouble this year I will take you out of that school and send you to your cousin's in Bulgaria, do you understand?"

Sirius lowered his eyes, his face a careful mask of false humility. "Yes, mother."

"Good. Now then, shall we go?" She stood elegantly and swept out of the kitchen, her two sons following obediently.

~Always Pure~

Platform Nine and Three Quarters was packed with students, Sirius immediately began searching for someone he recognised as he pushed his trolley through the crowds. His brother hurried at his side and their mother trailed behind with a look on her face that spoke of disgust, Sirius ignored her continued mutters about what she thought the school should do with filthy traitors and Mudbloods. Finally, as they reached the edge of the platform he spotted one of the faces he had been dying to see. "James!" Sirius called loudly but before he could run off to greet his friend he felt his mother grip his shoulder and hold him back.

"I want you to sit with someone different." She hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously. Sirius pouted, a petulant expression that only seemed to make his mother even more angry. "I warned you this morning that if you put a single foot out of line then I will make sure you never see your friends or your school again, do you understand me?"

Sirius sighed heavily and nodded. "Fine, I'll be a good little boy." He said softly, his eyes darting to the left. Walburga clenched her jaw and reluctantly released her eldest son, she turned her back on him and began a long winded, loving good bye with Regulus. Sirius turned away from them and began making his way onto the train, he pulled his trunk after him with his cage in his free hand. He was joined by Regulus who followed him down the corridor as his brother began checking for empty compartments, he watched in amusement as Sirius was hailed repeatedly by people from different houses and years. He was surprised by how popular his brother was and more than a little envious of all of the attention he gained. Sirius was stopped often by girls, most of them extremely pretty and Regulus sighed as they exchanged flirtatious greetings. He noted that his brother was polite but his manner cold and uninterested, Regulus found this odd considering how he was always claiming he had slept with numerous girls from all over the school. Finally Sirius stopped and a bright, beautiful smile transformed his features. He straightened his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair before yanking the door open, he stepped inside without even a 'see you later' to Regulus who sighed to himself before moving on to find his own friends.

Remus stood up and helped Sirius push his trunk onto the rack above their heads, as they did so their shoulders brushed lightly and they turned to grin stupidly at each other. Sirius had never known how hard it would be to miss someone he cared about so much, he had hung around with James, Peter and Remus only once during the summer but they hadn't had any time alone to continue to explore the relationship they had started two weeks before they broke up for summer.

"Did you have a good summer?" Remus asked as they sat down together, his hand twitched longingly towards Sirius' but neither of them seemed brave enough to make the first move.

"Oh…it was…alright I suppose." Sirius replied with a casual shrug, he leaned back against the seat and looked out the window. Remus caught him casting nervous glances at him and couldn't help the soft smile that spread across his lips, slowly his hand crept towards Sirius' and their fingers entwined. Remus opened the book he had been reading and disappeared behind it to hide the flush of pleasure that stained his cheeks pink, Sirius grinned into the window, hoping Remus couldn't see the idiotic expression. They sat like that in comfortable silence for a little while, each enjoying the company of the other until the compartment door opened with a loud bang.

"Hello my fellow Marauder's!" James cried loudly and before he closed the door they all heard the giggles from the corridor. "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything, you two are looking a little too cosy in here all alone." He grinned at Sirius and Remus who had released each other's hands as soon as the door had opened, Remus lifted his head out of his book and blinked up at his friend.

"Oh yes, Jamie, we were shagging like two Jack-Rabbits in here until you walked in. Please be so kind as to leave again or we may have to involve you, I mean, we could always do with a third to help us in our kinky little sex games." Sirius grinned and James returned the expression.

"Padfoot's over-exaggeration aside, yes you did interrupt something." Remus said softly, putting aside his book and smiling. "I was just reaching the good bit in my book. Hullo, Prongs."

"Moony, good to see you old pal." James threw himself down into the seat opposite his friends and casually ruffled up his hair; he lifted his leg and put his foot on the seat as he gazed intently at Sirius and Remus. "So, how was your last few weeks of the summer holiday?" He asked as he pushed his glasses further up onto his nose.

"My parents and I went down to Cornwall, we stayed in a little B&B and went to the Beach one weekend. It was nice." Remus replied contentedly.

James turned his eyes to Sirius who waved a hand dismissively. "I fought off hoards of evil trolls, I defeated an Infiri and saved a beautiful maiden from being eaten alive by a dragon…you know, the usual."

"Ah Padfoot, I wish you had bothered to include us in your ever intriguing adventures…or at least shared the bloody fair maiden, I could do with a shag." James replied with a long-suffering sigh.

"Not going well with Evan's still then?" Sirius replied.

"No. I met with her in Diagon Alley when I went to get more School robes for this year but she completely blanked me, even when I was calling her name. I know she heard me because her mum asked her if she knew me." His face was a picture of dejection, even his hair seemed to wilt with disappointment, Sirius grimaced in sympathy.

"I'm sorry, mate."

"No problem, I made an oath that I would get her one day and I am determined to fulfil it!" James stared determinedly out the window as the train began to pull away from the platform, Sirius felt a familiar lurch of excitement and smiled happily to himself. He was returning, he was finally returning to Hogwarts, his true home.

~Always Pure~

Hogwarts was it's usual glittering, magnificent self. Sirius sat in the Great Hall enjoying the excellent food and even better company as he laughed and joked with his friends. He sat beside Remus and every time their knees touched beneath the table he smirked to himself, his eyes meeting his new lovers and then flicking away as he was caught staring by the object of his affection. James was his usual rowdy self, at one point climbing on the table as he tried valiantly to declare his undying love for Lily Evan's. The only thing that marred his brave and ultimately foolish escapade was the fact that he stepped backwards into a bowl full of acidic green jelly. Lily hid her face behind a curtain of vivid red hair and put her hand to her eyes, she ignored James utterly but Sirius saw the flush of embarrassment on her cheeks. He laughed loudly with everyone else when James made a strange, strangled noise of disgust as his foot squished through the wobbly substance and laughed even harder when he fell backwards with a crash, sending plates and food everywhere. He sat there, his school robes soaking up gravy, chocolate sauce, custard and pumpkin juice with his hazel eyes wide with surprise. Sirius followed his gaze and saw Lily laughing hysterically with the rest, tears of mirth spilled down her rosy cheeks and she was unable to hide her amusement at James' antics. James grinned foolishly and ran fingers through his hair, covering it in bright yellow custard. He hardly seemed to notice as he climbed down from the table and sat back in his seat with an ominous squelch, his expression was one of dreamy happiness and Sirius patted his shoulder.

"You got custard in your hair." He whispered and James hummed absently as he took the napkin Sirius offered him. Sirius adjusted James' dirty glasses for him and heard him sigh happily.

"She laughed…" He muttered dazedly. "She laughed, Padfoot."

Sirius looked down the table and saw Lily recomposing herself with difficulty. "Mate, she was laughing at you not with you."

"Don't care…she has a beautiful laugh…" James sighed again and gazed dreamily into space, Sirius shook his head, completely confused.

Finally dinner was over and they were dismissed by Dumbledore, they left the table and Remus ran off to guide the first years up to the dormitories. Sirius stayed behind with James and they slowly made their way through the secret passages, their feet moving without thought as they walked in silence. Finally Sirius looked up with a frown. "Hang on, where's Peter? Wasn't he following us?"

James stopped in his tracks and blinked. "Oh yeah…I thought he was. Maybe he went to the loo?"

Sirius shrugged. "Maybe." He continued on without speaking for a time before it was his turn to stop, he looked at James for a long time in calculating silence. James raised an eyebrow and waited patiently. "James…there's something I have to tell you."

"You know you can tell me anything, Pads." James said and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah…I know…" Sirius turned away with a distracted frown, he licked his lips and steeled himself for what he was about to confess. He opened his mouth but before he could speak they heard someone running up behind them, Sirius shut his mouth and smiled as Peter rounded the corner puffing and panting. "Later." He assured James who nodded and frowned a little in concern.

"Guys, I thought you'd wait for me!" Peter gasped, bending over and putting both hands on his knees.

"Er…" James looked away guiltily. "Sorry, Worm."

Peter sighed as he regained his breath. "You weren't paying attention when I said I had to go talk to McGonagall did you?" He said sulkily and James and Sirius shared guilty looks.

"Um…" Sirius looked away. "Sorry about that." He said and Peter lowered his head.

"It's fine, come on, let's go back to the dorm." He muttered and walked off, scuffing his feet as he went.