Sirius awoke to James' arms thrown around his thin frame, their legs tangled together. Mrs. Potter stood in the doorway with a nostalgic smile on her wrinkled features.

"He missed you terribly Sirius, ever since you stopped writing back to him he'd just sit in his room and mop. Every morning he'd wake up and run downstairs to see if the owl had brought a letter from you back, and if it didn't, he'd become...bland...and walk outside to the tree and just sit there for days. I hate it for him, that you two aren't close enough to visit...that your family refuses to let him see you in their home." She finished with a simple sigh, her gaze focused on the body of James, who's back was rising and falling steadily, still asleep.

"I'm sorry I don't get to visit more, Mrs. Potter. I love seeing James. And you said he writes to me? I've not received letter from him since last summer when I came to visit." Sirius' voice was deep, laced with sleepiness. Mrs. Potter frowned and shook her head slowly, lowering her gaze.

"Well, no matter that now. Come down for breakfast whenever you please, I've made another apple pie, fresh bacon, and I'll start some omelettes if you would like one." She said sweetly, before walking back down the stairs, the creaking of the floorboards the only noise. Sirius nodded and laid back down, smiling at James' sleeping figure.

"James? Wake up, it's morning." He whispered, placing a bony hand on his friend's shoulder. James stirred and groaned quietly, rolling over. He batted Sirius' hand away tiredly, burying up under the covers. Sirius chuckled and sighed. This called for extreme measures. He carefully slid from James' grasp, and walked to the side of the bed James was currently sleeping. He smirked down at the figure below before jumping onto him, Laughing loudly.

"DOG PILE!" He yelled tickling James excitedly. He giggled as James groaned and began to wiggle, sleepy laughter bubbling in his throat.

"WAKEY WAKEY!" Sirius laughed, his fingers sliding around James' sides. Jame began to wiggle and laugh loudly, trying to push the trying male off of his pelvis area.

By now Sirius was straddling James, a gleeful look on his face while below him James cringed and kicked at the air, his lungs filling with air as he laughed loudly.

"I-I-I give! SIRI I GIVE!" He laughed loudly, smiling as Sirius sat down on his thighs, smirking at him.

"Breakfast is ready." He whispered, lowering his body onto James' his face against James' ear. James blushed, causing Sirius to laugh, before he jumped off of James and onto the hard wooden floors, sprinting down the stairs.

They all sat around the kitchen table, Mrs and Mr. Potter chatting quietly while James and Sirius ate in silence.

"So, boys. Would you boys like to play some Quidditch this afternoon? Some of James' cousins are coming over for a visit and they're bringing their brooms and Quidditch balls." James vigorously nodded, his face breaking out into a smile.

"Lizzy and Luna?!" James squealed, causing Sirius to giggle.

"Yup." Mr. Potter replied, taking a bite of his omelette.

"Who?" Sirius asked, looking at Mrs. and Mr. Potter with a confused expression on his face. If they were related to James, they were in some form or fashion related to him as well.

"Lizzy Thomas Potter and Luna Thomas Potter. You wouldn't know them, the branch started from the Black family but were blasted off as their great-great-great-great grandmother married a half-blood that married a Potter...it's very confusing. All you gotta know is Lizzy is in her 5th year at Hogwarts and Luna is in her 6th year at Ilvermorny."

"Where's that?" He asked, suddenly intrigued. Mrs. Potter smiled, placing her knife on her plate.

"It's basically Hogwarts but for American folk." She laughed, her sweet brown eyes glowing. Sirius nodded and sighed, pushing his plate away from him.

"Are you full sweetheart? You barely even touched your omelette!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed, placing a hand on Sirius' arm.

"Y-yes Mrs. Potter. I'm finished. May I be excused?" He was so used to being polite after meals that it stuck with Mrs. Potter, even if he knew she wouldn't beat him if he didn't use proper manners.

"Of course My Dear, but come back down if a few minutes if you would, the cherry pie is almost done!"

Sirius stood at the sink, his hands pressed firmly against the counter, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The dim lights shone of Sirius' pale, sunken in face, highlighting the heavy purple-black bags that rested under his eyes from his lack of sleep. His cheeks were dotted with light freckles, ones that set him away from his parents and younger brother. He bent over, bending at the hip, his head ducked between his arms and he sighed.

His fingers made their way to his mouth and to the back of his throat, where he began to heave, tears stinging his stormy grey eyes. Chucks of his breakfast appeared in front of him, making him want to throw up more; the sight was sickening.

He was taught to do this from a young child, around the age of 6 or 7. His aunt was boasting about how beautiful and "sexy" Bellatrix was, how she was a respectable "Black" and how Sirius, even if he was severely underweight for a 6 year old, his aunt and father agreed that he was too "un-fit" and "needed to diet". It was at the age his father began making him throw up after dinner, that way he got rid of any food from the whole day. At the age of 8, he began to force him to throw up after every meal, sometimes "forgetting" to feed him, but still making him vomit whatever was in his stomach.

Though he knew his father was not around to yell and beat him, the habit continued, and he kept following the dangerous path at he was treading down.

He heaved a few more times until nothing but acid that burned his throat and tongue were coming up and he raised his head, his eyes seeing the pitiful state he was in. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and sighed, wincing at the pain in his throat.

"Siri? Mum just got an owl saying Lizzy and Luna are about an hour away, are you okay? You've been in there awhile." James' voice startled Sirius for a moment before he shook it off and nodded, though he knew James couldn't see him.

"I'm fine James, I'll be out In a moment." He croaked, his voice hoarse. James nodded, though Sirius couldn't see him.

"Okay, come down whenever Siri."

Sirius walked downstairs, pausing as he heard hushed whispers coming from below him.

"-I don't know Mum. He seemed a little off...I'm worried about him. I don't wanna lose him." James. Of course. Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes. He was fine, there was anything wrong with him.

"James sweetie, he's fine. He probably had an upset stomach, I think the eggs were a little too runny, I'll run out and get a potion to help later on in the evening. How about you run along upstairs or outside to wait for Lizzy and Luna?" He heard Mrs. Potter say, her voice overly-sweet.

"...Okay..." James replied, followed by the sound of footsteps coming closer to the stairwell. He acted like he was about to start going down the stairs, which startled James.

"Oh! Siri! Hey! You feeling okay? You were in there for like 10 minutes." James frowned lightly, his brown eyes searching Sirius' stormy grey ones.

"Yeah I'm fine, my stomach hurts a bit, think I ate too much." He forced a laugh, giving his friend a smile.

"Okay! Well what do ya wanna do?" James asked, his eyes twinkling. Sirius loved James, brotherly love of course, but love nonetheless. James was always smiling, he was never down, he never seemed to be sad. James deserved to be happy, to be blissfully gleeful. He deserved everything the world couldn't give him.

"-Hello? Siri? You listening? What's wrong mate?" James snapped Sirius out of his thoughts. He blushed and lowered his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I-I'm fine. Just zoned out I guess. Do you wanna play some Exploding Snaps?" He asked, hoping the was distract James from his odd behaviour.

It did.

James' face lit up with a grin and he nodded, running into his room to give the game before running back out, the smile still present on his features.

"Prepare to get beat!" He smirked at Sirius.

"We'll see about that."