A/N As said before, I make a huge leap backwards to Sirius' first year at school. Not much, but probably enjoyable nevertheless.


ʻOh no!ʼ

ʻWhat is it, Sirius?ʼ asked James as they descended the stairs into the Entrance Hall, Remus and Peter following.

ʻShhh,ʼ hissed Sirius, jumping behind James and ducking. ʻIʼm not here! Remus, Peter, stand before me.ʼ

ʻWhat?ʼ asked Remus perplexed but complied with his friendʼs order.

ʻDo you think she saw me?ʼ Sirius whispered, peeking over Peterʼs shoulder.

ʻSirius,ʼ said James with slight annoyance, ʻwho has or has not seen you and why are you avoiding her?ʼ

ʻShe saw me sneezing when I entered the Charms classroom,ʼ hissed Sirius, bending his legs so that he would be as short as James. ʻShe! The worst baby-sitter the world has ever seen! Donʼt sell me to her, protect me.ʼ

ʻDonʼt you think,ʼ said Remus patiently, ʻthat you are far more likely to attract her attention by making us block the stairs than by simply going down and enter the Great Hall?ʼ

ʻLetʼs go back to the common room. Pleaaaase!ʼ

ʻAre you mad!ʼ retorted James. ʻThe whole morning these boring classes and when once something good, lunch, is to happen, you want to deprive us of it. Youʼre a Gryffindor. Be brave! For our stomachs!ʼ

ʻWe could get you something if you donʼt want to go inside the Hall,ʼ suggested Remus.

ʻIʼm not a house-elf,ʼ protested James. ʻEither you eat in the Great Hall, or you starve.ʼ

He continued to march down the steps. Peter gave Sirius one curious glance and followed. Remus watched Sirius whimper and clutch the banister. He made one step downstairs and looked back at his friendʼs tortured expression.

ʻShould I get you something?ʼ

Sirius ducked to such an extent that he almost sat on the stair. ʻAt least hide me when we enter the Hall,ʼ he whispered and started to creep down the stairs, careful to have Remus as a shield between himself and the door to the Great Hall.

ʻCome on,ʼ shouted James up to them. ʻIʼm dying of hunger, get going!ʼ

Sirius remained crouched all the way down and then placed himself in the middle of their little group. All the while he tried to appear as small as possible which was anything but an easy task as he was easily the tallest of the four friends. He kept his eyes fixed on the floor in a desperate attempt at invisibility. All the heavier was the blow when a soft voice sounded as soon as he passed the doors to the Great Hall.

ʻSirius, sweetheart, I thought that was you going downstairs. Have you been in the hospital wing?ʼ

Like a hare that a huntsman had frightened out of its hiding place in the meadow, Sirius jumped several feet into the air and instead of continuing to pretend to be invisible, he ran for it. For the Gryffindor table, that is.

His friends stared after him, then they turned to the owner of the voice that had caused such panic in Sirius.

The sixth-year girl, blond, tall and slim, had her eyes on Siriusʼ fleeing back and wore the same perplexed expression as his friends. Slowly, she turned towards the other boys and her features turned from baffled to haughty.

ʻCome on, letʼs join Sirius,ʼ muttered James and wanted to lead the way towards him.

ʻWait a moment, little one,ʼ interrupted the girl, pointedly addressing James and ignoring the other two. ʻDo you know what is bothering my cousin?ʼ

James only shrugged. ʻNope. He suddenly went weird just when we were going down the staircase. Heʼll come around.ʼ

The others quickly following in his steps, James turned and hastened over to the Gryffindor table to join Sirius.

ʻMate, what in the name of Merlinʼs favourite teapot is the matter with you?ʼ he huffed as he dropped down on the bench opposite his best friend.

ʻYouʼve no idea,ʼ Sirius responded darkly.

ʻNo, I havenʼt,ʼ said James. ʻAnd if you canʼt answer normally, I donʼt care. But Iʼve thought that we are friends, the four of us. No secrets.ʼ

ʻNo secrets,ʼ repeated Sirius bitterly. ʻNo secrets. No lies. No stupid, disgusting, idiotic, stupid relatives!ʼ

ʻYouʼve said stupid twice,ʼ remarked Remus, causing Sirius to open his mouth angrily when-

ʻHave you been in the hospital wing, sweetie?ʼ

Siriusʼs face fell on his plate, and he protectively put his hands over his head.

ʻWhatʼs the matter, dear?ʼ fluted the same girl as before who had obviously decided to follow the boys to the Gryffindor table. She put her hands on Siriusʼs shoulders and softly squeezed them.

ʻLeave me alone,ʼ came Siriusʼs muffled voice from the pile of mashed potatoes in which his face was buried.

ʻSweetheart, itʼs important that you go to the hospital wing. A cold is a serious matter and the matron can really help you.ʼ

ʻBugger off!ʼ

ʻSirius!ʼ exclaimed the girl. ʻYour language!ʼ

ʻI hate you.ʼ

The ensuing silence was so long that Sirius finally lifted his face an inch from his lunch and whispered, ʻHas she gone?ʼ

ʻYeah,ʼ answered James while chewing a sausage. ʻAnd youʼre behaving like a real idiot. Thatʼs just your cousin, no need to behave like the worldʼs going to crash down.ʼ

ʻSheʼs trying to help you,ʼ added Remus.

ʻSheʼs stupid!ʼ

ʻReally?ʼ asked Peter. ʻBut youʼre clever.ʼ

ʻSheʼs not stupid like stupid stupid,ʼ complained Sirius as he sat properly up again. ʻSheʼs just-ʼ

There didnʼt seem to be a term that allowed Sirius to say what he wanted to, and he reduced himself to express his feelings by waving his handkerchief wildly around before trying to clean his face from remains of potatoes and gravy. He was so immersed in his attempts to get rid of the food that he took no notice of James whose eyes soon darted to some point behind his friend.

ʻSirius?ʼ

Sirius flinched, but the horror mostly disappeared from his face when he turned to the newcomer. It was a girl again, slightly older than the first. Despite her brown hair and eyes, she bore a definite resemblance not only to the other girl, but also to Sirius who was in the vivid progress of rolling his eyes. ʻWhat is it now?ʼ he complained.

ʻDo you have cold?ʼ

ʻNO!ʼ

ʻI heard you sneeze,ʼ said the blond girl who had kept behind the darker one but now stepped forwards, making Sirius groan. ʻAnd you clearly speak through your nose. Doesnʼt he, Drommy?ʼ

ʻWhy donʼt you want to go to the hospital wing, Sirius?ʼ asked Drommy. ʻThe matronʼs nice and sheʼll just give you some Pepper-up Potion. Thatʼs not bad, really.ʼ

ʻI donʼt need any potions. Iʼm fine.ʼ

ʻYou honestly expect us to think that somebodyʼs fine whoʼs got his lunch everywhere in his face but in his mouth,ʼ stated Drommy dryly.

ʻJust leave me alone! Youʼre as bad as Cissy.ʼ

ʻAnd what are Cissy and I supposed to have done to you to deserve such a qualifier?ʼ asked Drommy with her hands on her hips and a stern expression though she couldnʼt keep the corners of her mouth from twitching.

ʻJust leave me alone,ʼ grumbled Sirius. ʻWhy do you take Cissyʼs side, Dromeda? Thatʼs not fair.ʼ

ʻThe point is not whether I take anybodyʼs side, but whether you need to go to the hospital wing or not. Donʼt you try to lure the conversation away from there, Dog Star.ʼ

James let out a laugh that made him sprinkle Sirius opposite him with pumpkin juice. ʻDog Star?ʼ he snorted.

ʻThanks Dromeda,ʼ pouted Sirius. ʻAnd youʼre asking why I donʼt want you anywhere near me.ʼ

Dromeda kept a straight face for about five seconds, then she cracked up. Laying an arm around her sister who looked scandalized at her behaviour, she hardly managed to stay upright. ʻOh, Sirius,ʼ she finally managed to wheeze, ʻhow I wish youʼll never grow up.ʼ

ʻDrommy!ʼ exclaimed her sister. ʻHeʼs got to learn to behave himself.ʼ

ʻThatʼll be a sad day,ʼ rasped Dromeda. ʻBut Iʼd nevertheless be glad if you went to get yourself checked by the matron. Will you do this for me, Sirius?ʼ

Sirius heaved a sigh and gave James, who was busy cleaning his plate from the pumpkin juice he had spat on, a scathing look. Pretending to ignore Remusʼ encouraging nods and Peterʼs timid expression, he made a face.

ʻWeʼre waiting,ʼ said Dromeda, clapping her hands together in a demonstratively cheerful way.

ʻAll right,ʼ growled Sirius at long last, keeping his eyes on the potato remains on his plate. ʻIʼll go after class. Happy?ʼ

ʻOverjoyed!ʼ exclaimed Dromeda and bent down. Sirius shied away, but she brought her lips close to his ear and whispered so that nobody else could hear, ʻTell Cissy youʼre sorry for how you talked to her, will you?

ʻNice that this is settled,ʼ she added loudly as she straightened up. ʻHave a good lunch. Come Cissy, letʼs return to our table.ʼ

Her arm around her sisterʼs waist, Dromeda left with a broad grin. Sirius looked up and watched them go, muttering, ʻI wonʼt.ʼ

ʻBut you promised,ʼ said Remus. ʻItʼs not right to break promises.ʼ

ʻI havenʼt promised anything!ʼ exclaimed Sirius while James had a new outburst of hilarity.

ʻBut you said youʼd go after class?ʼ objected Peter with a quivery voice.

ʻWhat?ʼ snapped Sirius. ʻOh, the hospital wing. Yeah, yeah, Iʼll go there. Shut up, James.ʼ

At this point, just as Sirius emptied his goblet over his friendʼs head, a Gryffindor prefect intervened. The food fight was prevented on this day.