A/N: I hope you enjoy chapter 10 and 11! Sorry it took me forever to upload. I'm glad you're reading this if you are, review if you want too - reviews make me smile! Thanks to everyone who has put this as their favourite story or on story alert. If there's any mistakes please let me know. I found it hard to find inspiration for Chapter 10 so I hope it's okay. If you're wondering why Natalia and Sirius speak more maturely than the others it's because they've had to grow up faster. Lily speaks more maturely as well but that's because she's a know-it-all

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would probably sat in a really big country house writing the next generation or the marauder era book.


I woke up again, a few hours later by the light shining on my face through the curtains of my window. I glanced around, noting that everyone else was still asleep. I slowly pushed back the covers, still feeling completely knackered from waking up in the middle of the night.

I noticed my school uniform on the side of the chair, pristine and folded neatly along with my wash bag? Who did that?

"It was the house elves, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History" I heard a sleepy voice from across the room say.

"Morning Lily, sleep well?"

"I slept okay, woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep for a while, you?"

"The same really, do you want to use the bathroom first?" I said, grabbing my wash bag implying that I would be the one using it first whether she said she wanted to or not.

"No it's okay, I'm going to try and sleep for another hour – It's 6am!" She said, turning over to face the other side of the room and yawned.

I manoeuvred myself round to my trunk carefully attempting not to wake anyone. I flipped open the lid and rummaged around inside trying to find my towels.

"Towels are all in the bathroom, House elves again" I heard Lily mumble.

"Thanks Lils" I called back, heading to the bathroom.

The bathroom was a pristine white and all the surfaces looked as if they were sparkling with cleanliness. I hopped into the shower, letting the boiling warm water cascade over me. I grabbed some soap and washed and then stood there for what seemed like ages, just contemplating my thoughts.

"Natalia, hurry up in the bathroom! I need the toilet!" I heard someone banging on the door.

I jumped out, grabbing my towel and wrapping it round me. I quickly brushed the tangles out of my hair and washed my face.

"I'm coming, one second!" I called back as the banging continued.

"Natalia I will wet myself and you can clean it up!"

I yanked the door open, shivering at the air temperature.

"Go on in then Doe" I said, realising it was her who'd been banging on the door.

"Thanks!" She smiled, hurriedly rushing into the steamy room.

I headed towards my bed leaving a trail of wet foot prints behind me and dried myself off. I found some underwear and then pulled on my uniform. I smoothed down my shirt and my skirt and yanked my jumper over my head, messing up my freshly brushed hair.

The Owlery, that's where I needed to be this morning, I reminded myself. I needed my cloak and some parchment, parchment and my cloak. I repeated over and over in my head.

Where could my cloak be? Did Winkles pack it? I looked down into my trunk. I moved my other sets of uniform, my fancy set of dress robes, some cat nibbles and a large amount of school books before I finally found it, I pulled it on wrapping myself up warm.

I looked around for my wand, finding that I'd put it on my side table, I tucked it inside my robes and then I was off.

"See you all later!" I cried to the others who were awakening from their sleep.

"Where do you think you're going?" called Marlene.

"I'm going to write a letter to my parents, I'll be back later!"

"Okay, remember Natalia you need to be back by 9 am! It's a late breakfast for the first years, don't forget!" I heard Lily shout from her bed.

"I won't forget, I'll see you there!" and with that I shut the door and walked towards the stairs.

"One step, two steps, three steps" I began to count in my head looking down at the stairs as I counted.

Suddenly I was on the floor with an extremely painful bum which would definitely bruise in the morning.
"Be careful where you're going!" I heard a stressed voice from above me say. I looked up to see a girl with auburn curls staring down at me.

"Oh Natalia, It's you!"

"Morning Molly!" I said cheerfully, taking her hand that she'd offered to help me up with.

"Sorry I knocked you over, I've just been given my timetable for this year and it's going to be stressful, I was in a rush to get ready for breakfast as well" I heard her say as she listed of excuses and reasons as to why I was on the floor.

"It's okay, I understand" I said, smiling at her as she helped me up.

"Well, I best be off – remember! Breakfast is at 9am for you today unlike the rest of the school who will be having at 8am." She reminded me.

Everyone seemed to think I was so forgetful, perhaps I should buy myself a rememberall when I visit diagon alley again.

The common room was warm and a few students were up already, reading books or chatting amongst friends but it was a boy with shaggy black hair sat on his own in an armchair by the dwindling fire that caught my eye.

"Sirius, how come you're up so early? I didn't expect you to be an early bird" I waited for his reply and realised I probably wasn't going to get one, he seemed to be in a deep thought.

"Sirius?"

"Oh err hey Nat, I didn't see you there, good night's sleep?"

"You're out of the hospital wing you oaf! Why didn't you come find me? How's your arm?" I asked, jumping on top of him smothering him.

"I'm out of the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey finally let me out earlier this morning. I didn't come find you because she let me out early and I thought you'd be sleeping, obviously not though. My arm was okay till you jumped on it" he said as he winced.

"Oh I'm sorry, does ickle Siri-pops have a booboo?"

"Nat, what did I say about calling me that!"

"Sirius, what did I just ask you?"

"You asked me if I had a booboo…"

"And do you?"

"Maybe" He said with a cheeky grin.

"So you do have a booboo?"

"Yes, yes I do Nat"

"Well then, I shall have to kiss it better!"

"Eugh to you have to? I might catch some germs!" Seeing the look in my eyes, he realised he was fighting a losing battle.

"Okay, alright! It's here" He said pointing to his arm.

"And here" He said pointing further up his arm.

"And here" He said as he pressed a finger over his lips.

"Nice try Siri-pops but I wouldn't kiss you even if I was paid, not for as long as I live!" I said laughing at his silliness. He looked slightly crestfallen and I quickly got off his lap yanking his good arm, making him get up off the armchair.

"To the owlery we go!" I called breaking into a run.

"Nat, I don't remember agreeing to going to the owlery with you!" Sirius said, holding onto my hand tightly to keep up with me.

I pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and hopped outside. We ran through endless corridors until we finally reached the middle of the grounds, an open space that was practically a mini field. Through an archway in the far corner of the square was a small set of stairs which you wouldn't notice unless you knew they were there. Thankfully due to my brother telling me about Hogwarts before I arrived, I actually knew where something was for once.

"Come on Sirius, up the stairs to the owlery" I said, dragging him along behind me up the stairs.

"Careful Nat, you're going to make me fall over and I've only just fixed one of my broken bones, I don't want to break anything else just yet" He said, stumbling a little.

"Don't worry Sirius, I bet you 2 galleons that you, James, Remus, Peter or I will be back in the hospital wing by the end of the week."

"Is that a bet for certain?"

Reaching the top of the stairs, I turned around and stuck out my hand to Sirius showing him that I meant business. He looked at me suspiciously but shook it anyway.

"But it has to be an accident or a natural cause right? No foul play?" He questioned as I looked at the hundreds of tawny school owls and decided on which would be safest to send a letter to my parents.

Sirius took a seat on a discarded box in the corner of the room, admiring all the beautiful owls with me.

"So, who are you writing a letter too?" Sirius asked, still looking around at the owls.

"Just my parents" I said quietly.

"Oh yes, I doubt they'll be too happy about you being in Gryffindor will they?"

"Something like that, something like that…"

"I should probably write one to my parents as well then."

"The Noble and Ancient House of Black right? Sirius of the Noble and Ancient House of Black. I've heard my mother talk about your family before occasionally. Walburga and Orion? They're your parents, right? Then there's your little brother Regulus."

"Parents, yeah… they're my parents. Reg is alright, he's coming to Hogwarts in two years. I don't know what it's going to be like when I tell them I've been sorted in Gryffindor. They've had their hearts set on me being the perfect child, something for them to show off at all the stupid fancy pureblood parties. I guess that's mums dreams shattered then, isn't it?"

"I suppose so. Sirius, they'll send me home you know. When they find out I've been placed in Gryffindor."

"No they won't because we won't let them, we being James, Remus, Peter and me."

"You promise me that Sirius?"

"I promise you, we won't let that happen ever."

He got up from the box he was sat on and walked over to where I was standing and opened his arms for a hug and I accepted. He was exceptionally warm, maybe he could be my own personal heater?"

"Hey Sirius, I now proclaim you my own personal heater!"

"Really Nat? Really?" He asked me, looking down because he was about a head taller than me.

"Yes of course!"

"Anyway, why did we come up here again?"

"To write a letter to my parents…"

"Well might as well get on with it then because breakfast is in about 45 minutes according to my pocket watch. I'm not missing my first Hogwarts breakfast. Cissy and Bella told me the food at Hogwarts is the best food you can get!"

"Who's Cissy and Bella?"

"Do you really want a Black family history lesson?"

"Erm… I don't mind."

"That means yes, doesn't it?"

I grinned, letting him know that it did mean I was interested. He sighed and reluctantly sat down.

"You better sit down, it's sort of complicated."

I took a seat next to him and waited for him to begin his family history. He seemed to be differentiating over whether he should tell me or not. I heard him take a deep breath in, signalling he was about to begin.

"Well the part of my family tree that I can remember and I know best begins with a man called Sirius Black like me, another called Phineas Nigellus. He married a lady called Ursula Flint. He was also once a headmaster of Hogwarts, the least popular one though. Phineas and Sirius had a sister called Elladora and another called Isla but she was taken of my family tree because she married a muggle and was consider a blood traitor. You got it so far?"

I nodded, telling him to go on.

"Sirius, Elladora and Isla didn't have children but Phineas and Ursula did. They had a child called Sirius who married a lady called Hesper Gamp. They also had another child called Phineas but he was marked a blood traitor because he supported muggle rights. They had 3 more children called Cygnus, Belvina and Arcturus. Cygnus married Violetta Bulstrode, Belvina married Herbert Burke and Arcturus married Lysandra Yaxley. Familiar names right? It's because the Blacks tend to marry between purebloods to keep the blood the purest it can be hence our motto 'Toujours Pur." He paused, making sure I understood and continued when I nodded at him again.

"Anyway, Sirius and Hesper had children called Arcturus, Lycoris and Regulus. They're my grandparents. Lycoris and Regulus didn't have any children but Arcturus married someone called Melina and had children called Lucretia and Orion. Orions my father. Cygnus and Violetta from earlier had children called Pollux, Cassiopeia, Marius who was a squib so he was also disowned and another daughter called Dorea. Pollux married a lady who I know as my grandmother, Irma. They're my grandparents on my mother's side. That's right, my parents are cousins."

I was completely shocked. I didn't know what to say… his parents were cousins. Isn't that illegal?

"It's not illegal" said Sirius, reading my thoughts.

"Please don't think of me differently because of the way my family have children, it's not my fault, I think it's awful but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't because of them." He said, bottom lip beginning to tremble slightly

"I understand Sirius, you can continue if you like." I said giving him a reassuring smile and moving closer to where he was sat.

"Okay, where did I get too?" He said, looking relieved.

"You got too your fathers and mothers parents and their grandparents" I told him, helping him to continue his family history.

"Right, Pollux and Irma are my grandparents; they had Walburga, that's my delightful mother." He said, sarcasm obvious in his voice. "They also had Uncle Alphard, he's my favourite family member and he's definitely the nicest. Well Andy's one of my favourites as well but that's all, the rest of my cousins have… changed. They aren't how they used to be before all this Dark Lord riff-raff they keep talking about, it's almost as if they're different people. I knew my parents never like muggles or 'mudbloods' but Cissy, Bella and Andy never cared. Andy still doesn't care but Bella and Cissy well to say the last, it's changed them." He said, eyes downcast as he stared at the floor.

"Back to the family tree" He said quickly changing the subject back to his family history before I could say anything to him. "Along with Walburga and Alphard they had Cygnus who married Druella and they have my cousins Bella, Cissy and Andy – the one I was talking about earlier. Back to the previous family members, Belvina and Herbert had two sons and a daughter between them as well as Archturus and Lysandra who had Callidora who married Harfang Longbottom then there was Cedrella who married a blood traitor called Septimus Weasley so she was taken off the family tree as well. Along with Callidora and Cedrella they also had Charis who married Caspar Crouch and they have three children. It's complicated and difficult to remember so that's all I know but really we're just some kind of inbred clan."

"But if I'm pureblood too, how come I'm not related to you?"

"I don't know Nats, we're not related to everyone as such – we're related to the pureblood families that we've been closest to for the longest time, mainly the Rosiers, Malfoys, Lestranges, Bulstrodes and the Yaxleys."

"Well, it's a big family history all the same – isn't it?"

"Yeah, they have a lot of strange traditions as well. Pretty much everyone in the family is named after a star. I'm Sirius the Dog Star."

"The brightest star in the sky." I remember my mum telling me about the stars in the sky when I was little. We have a big balcony in our manor and she used to sit outside in the summer with me, pointing out various different stars in the black night sky.

"That's me!" He said grinning a little.

"What're they like Sirius? You've told me their names but you never mentioned what they're like. I'm guessing you don't like many of them though." I said, wondering if he really did hate his family as much as he seemed he did.

"Are you kidding? They're completely mad! All of them, they're all caught up in being purebloods and supporting this Dark Lord guy, they don't care about anyone but themselves and they're dark. They… the things they do are wrong. They're wrong yet to them I'm the one who's wrong. It's almost as if I'm the one who's been born backwards in the family. I don't know what I'm going to do Nat, they're going to disown me if they find out I'm not in Slytherin."

"Least you're not the 'Slytherin Princess'!" I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well I'm not a girl but I'm sure if my parents could name me that, they would. I'm the heir to the Black fortune you know? I doubt it'll be mine now. They'll probably give it to Reg. He's always been the better son out of him and me."

"You're the odd one out Sirius, aren't you?" I said.

"Yeah, that's me – the odd ball. Way to make me feel better Nat." He said, smiling a little.

"I didn't mean it like that Sirius, you know I didn't. I mean it in a good way. You're better than then."

"Well thanks; I guess I'll take it as a compliment then." He chuckled.

"So what about you then Nat, you've heard all my family history but I don't know yours so you might as well tell me, it can't get any worse than mine."

"Okay well… my family have been in Slytherin for centuries. I was dubbed the Slytherin Princess by my parents but I don't know why. I've had talking hats telling me I have Salazar Slytherin's as well as Godric Gryffindors blood inside me-"

"You mean the founders of Hogwarts? That's not bad Nat, that's plain brilliant!"

"It's not though because my whole life I've had Slytherin forced into my head. Slytherin for centuries but there's got to be a mistake somewhere. Maybe the hat was wrong? But that hat's never wrong is it? Anyway, erm back to my family... There's my mother and father. There's my eldest brother Alexander and my youngest brother Edward. Alexander is already at Hogwarts. Edward will be in the same year as Regulus. I don't have grandparents because they died before I was born so I never met them. I don't have any cousins nor do I have any uncle or aunts. We're a small family, there's some relatives that I'm distantly related to somewhere but they don't live close enough for my parents to care. My parents aren't the nicest people."

Sirius scoffed, interrupting me from speaking.

"What?" I demanded.

"I bet your parents are fine Natalia."

"Haven't you been listening? They're Slytherins! They'll take me away from here when they find out I'm in Gryffindor! You promised me you wouldn't let them take me! They're crazy. The Dark Lord guy you mentioned? My parents are practically his main supporters. My brothers going to be a death eater when he leaves Hogwarts! Can't you see Sirius, they aren't fine! They're mental. They're deluded. Things are happening fast Sirius, people are going to die because of Voldemort. Hell, they might even die at the hands of my brother! And do you know what's worse? They expect me to join him too! They expect me to be the Slytherin Princess! But I'm not; I'm none of those things! I don't want to be those things." I could feel the tears falling from my eyes.

Sirius moved closer to me and put his arm round my shoulder.

"Ssh, I'm no good at this comforting business but I'll tell you something Nat. We're going to fight. You and me, we'll be nothing like our damned parents. We'll fight and if we die from fighting, it'll be okay because we died for something worth dying for. James will fight too so will Remus and maybe even Peter. We'll fight because we're Gryffindors. We'll fight because we're brave. We'll always have each other because we're going to be family now. We'll be family for the next few years of our lives. They'll be the best few years of our lives. Okay?"

I gave him a small smile and he relaxed, realising he didn't have to comfort me for any longer. He moved away from our embrace and took out some parchment.

"Better start now, shouldn't we?"

"Okay, we'll be brave. We'll be brave together right? We're in this together?"

"Of course we are! Remember what I said, I won't let you leave Hogwarts Nat. Do you have any parchment or do you want to borrow some of mine?"

"Bugger, I forgot mine when I was leaving the dorm in a hurry. Please may I borrow some of yours Sirius?"

"Of course Nat, only because you were ever so polite though" He said mocking me and doing impressions of my voice. He passed me some parchment and a spare quill he had in his pocket.

Might as well write my letter now, I thought to myself. What can I say…? Dear mother and father, I'm sorry – I've become a disappointment, I'm not the Slytherin princess you wanted me to be.

I put that quill to the paper noticing that next to me Sirius was scribbling away in a messy scrawl. In my neatest hand writing I wrote my message carefully, not mentioning what standard of blood my friends were. I did mention Sirius though because I thought that might be in my favour. When I finished my letter, it looked like this.

Dear mother and father,

I've arrived at Hogwarts safely. I was sorted into Gryffindor. I've made some new friends. Sirius Black is one of them. He's in Gryffindor with me.

Your daughter,

Natalia Vega.

I folded the parchment, writing the words 'Vega Manor' on the front. I quickly found the owl that I had spotted earlier. I motioned for it to come closer to me and held out the letter. It snatched the letter in its beak.

"Vega Manor" I told the bird, hoping the letter would find its way to my home.

"You finished now Nat?"

"Yeah, sent my fate to my parents" I said, joking around.

"Have you ever wished for a nice set of parents?" said Sirius seriously.

"What do you mean?"

"Parents like James?"

"You've met James parents?"

"No, I saw his mother say goodbye to him on the platform. I was with my mother and I got the impression she thought she was better than his mum but she thinks that about everyone."

"Why do you want James parents?"

"I don't want them in particular, just people like them. Nice people. His mum was practically crying over her child leaving her. My mother looked like she had something foul under her nose when she said goodbye to me but then, some would say she always looks like that."

"I do. I want that more than anything. I want nice parents, people I can look up too." I said underneath my breath with my eyes closed.

"Nat, we're going to be late for breakfast!"

"But, it was …we had an hour!"

"We're going to be late! I said I didn't want to miss breakfast and look what's going to happen! We're going to make an embarrassment out of ourselves when we turn up after everyone else! We were meant to be early!"

"Wait – is this Sirius Black the extraordinaire panicking over making an embarrassment out of himself?"

"No, this is Sirius Black panicking about not getting the food he wants! What if it all runs out before we get there?" Sirius really did look like he was going to have a panic attack over this.

"What's the time then?"

"10 to 9!"

"We have ten minutes then!"

And hardly before those words were out of my mouth, he had grabbed my hand and pulled me down the stairs, desperately trying to find the Great hall by following the rich smell of food which was wafting through the castle.