A/N: I've been reading through my chapter again, and I've noticed the chapters tend to get longer as the story goes on. I'm not quite sure if this is a good thing or not, but I'll stick with it. A special thanks to KailyKiss for your reviews and encouragement. Thanks again to all who are reviewing, you guys rock!
July - September, 1971
Back to the Castle
Sirius was in a state of misery the whole summer. It turns out the only reason his parents wanted him back was to put some "Slytherin influence" on him. He ignored his family and shut himself in his room, waiting for owls from Remus, James or Peter. They did not disappoint him. Sensing Sirius's utmost misery, they took the liberty to write out every detail of their summer lives.
Sirius:
Wow, summer is quite dull without you! Wish you could be here. I know your parents forbid you to leave the house, but I wish you could floo here anyway. My mum and dad keep asking how you are doing, and I keep telling them that you are dying slowly.
Remus and Peter came to visit a couple of days ago. We ran around the house for a while, yelling random things. Remus said Heda makes the best cake ever. My mom also made us some weird root plants that was supposed to make us grow or something. We threw it away as soon as she turned around.
So how's your summer been? Now, don't hex me! I know, rhetorical question. Hey, don't let the family get you down. You'll always have Remus Peter and me as family. We would never abandon our friend.
See you in September! Can't wait!
James
Sirius folded the letter up and stuck it back in the envelope in which it had came. He felt himself smile a bit. It felt good knowing he had friends to count on. He pulled out a new piece of parchment.
James,
Yes, summer's been horrible. My parents are being stupid, stupider than they usually are. Actually, the whole Black family's been horrible. This summer reeks. I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts.
How are Remus and his mum? Now don't give me that look, I was just wondering if he said anything. By the way, thanks for sending over the emergency food and the book of curses. I'm thinking I should try and practice it on my parents, but I don't feel like getting expelled. Heda makes the best chocolate fudge, tell her that for me.
I'll see you out of the rat hole.
Sirius
"Sirius?" someone said, knocking on the door. Sirius walked to the door and pulled it open. In his face was the smiling face of his favorite cousin Andromeda, who was already out of Hogwarts.
Sirius smiled back. "Want to play some Gobstones?" He held out the handsome gold set he had gotten from the Potters at Christmas.
As they played, Sirius felt that maybe there was some hope for the Black family after all, starting with Andromeda.
September came. Sirius and his brother, Regulus, were sent to the train station together. Sirius's parents gave a farewell hug and some presents to Regulus. Sirius didn't even bother sticking around. Like his parents would give him something.
He clambered onto the Hogwarts Express, which was pretty much just as empty as it had been last year. As usual, the train to Hogwarts meant escape. This time, though the Hogwarts express was empty, his heart wasn't. He knew he would be seeing his old friends again.
Regulus passed his compartment near the back of the train after a while. Sirius shot him a dark look while Regulus ignored him. Sirius narrowed his eyes. Stupid kid. There are better things to do than become dark arts infested.
Peter arrived next. "Sirius!" he squeaked upon entrance. Sirius's face broke into the first true smile all summer long. He helped Peter put up his luggage.
"How's your summer been?" Sirius asked Peter.
"Pretty good, pretty good," Peter said. "We went on a little vacation to France. It was a really nice place." His face darkened a bit.
"My dad didn't talk to me much. My mum was my comfort through the trip."
Sirius looked sympathetic. "Well at least you have one parent out of two. Everyone I looked at in my house gave me horrible looks every time I came into the room, except my uncle Alphard and my cousin Andromeda. I keep telling the rest of them that if they keep doing that, their face might get stuck that way forever."
Peter laughed. The compartment door suddenly opened. In the doorway stood James, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"James!" squeaked Peter.
James stowed his trunk in the luggage rack. "Hey, Peter." He sat down. No sooner had he sat down than Remus walked in the door, looking tired but happy to see them again.
"Remus!" squeaked Peter, sounding more and more like a mouse. Remus also stored his luggage in the rack, the turned and sat down next to James.
"How was summer?" he asked Sirius.
Sirius rolled his eyes and went on a rampage about just how horrible his family was. James, Remus and Peter listened patiently.
"Well, very interesting," Remus commented when Sirius had finally shut up. "How about yours, Peter?"
Peter told them all about the romantic little France with the cute cafes and the nice bright lights. "It was nice," he breathed when he finished.
"Right," Remus said, smiling. No sooner had he opened his mouth than James went into a long, winding story about flying through the air on his broomstick and feeling the wind in his face.
"Honestly we wanted to come and save you, but my mum and dad thought it would be rather inappropriate," James explained to Sirius.
"Right," Sirius said, imitating Remus. "So tell me, Remus, how was your vacation?"
Remus laughed. "Same old, same old. My mother is getting better, I think. She doesn't look that pale anymore."
"That's great news, mate," James said, patting him on the back.
Just then, the food trolley stopped by. The boys pooled their money and got a humongous stack of licorice wands, Bertie Bott's every flavor beans and chocolate frogs. As Remus reached out to give his coins to the cart lady, his robes pulled out over his arms and revealed a large, deep gash.
"Ouch! What happened to you arm?" Peter asked, trying to take a closer look.
Remus withdrew his arm and hid it back under his robes. "Uh, I tripped over the stairs."
Once more Sirius's eyes narrowed. All this time he'd known Remus, he had never known him to trip over anything whatsoever. He opened his mouth to require Remus more, but just then the compartment doors were thrown wide open. In the doorway stood Severus Snape, Bellatrix Black and Regulus.
Sirius stood up hastily and drew out his wand. Snape, Bellatrix and Regulus laughed.
"You, my dear cousin, dare challenge us? Oh look, it is indeed your traitorous brother, Regulus. You were right about him and his weak little friends. My, looks like your time in Gryffindor has severely addled your brains," Bellatrix sneered.
Sirius launched at her, but Remus held him back. "Let me go," he said in a dangerously low voice to Remus. Remus stared him straight in the eye but did not let go.
James stood up angrily, pulling out his wand.
"I don't remember inviting huge amounts of grease into our compartment," he sneered at Snape.
Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You watch what you say, Potter."
"Are you giving me commands, Snivellus?" James asked in a mocking voice.
"You're not worthy to give the lint on your shoes command, you slimeball," Sirius snarled at Snape.
Peter whimpered near the back. No one noticed.
"Let's go, Bellatrix, Severus. These blood traitors and muggle lovers aren't worth our time," Regulus spat.
Remus had to use all his strength to keep Sirius from strangling Regulus. With one last vindinctive look, Bellatrix, Snape and Regulus walked out of the compartment. Once they had left, Sirius rounded on Remus.
"WHY DID YOU HOLD ME BACK?" Sirius exploded. "I COULD HAVE KILLED THOSE DAMN LITTLEā¦" A string of very unpleasant words came out of Sirius's mouth.
"Sirius, stop," Remus said calmly.
"DON'T TELL ME TO STOP," Sirius yelled.
"Calm down. We need to talk about this is a rational manner," Remus said quietly.
Peter let out a whimper.
"Sirius, calm down, mate. They're not worth it," James said quietly, jumping to Remus's defense.
"YOU DON'T TELL ME WHEN MY OWN COUSIN AND BROTHER ARE WORTH IT OR NOT!" Sirius roared.
"Sirius," Remus began, realization sinking in.
Sirius glared one last time a the three of them, then loudly stormed angrily out of the room.
Peter sat, stunned. Remus was looking at his feet, obviously feeling a bit guilty.
James sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. "Remus, it's not your fault. When Sirius gets like this, there's no controlling his emotions."
"I feel like it's my fault," Remus whispered.
"It's partly my fault too, then," James said decidedly.
Remus looked up at James. "Have you ever seen him in a temper like this?"
James thought for a moment. "Not really," he admitted. "But I've seen him get in a bad mood. All you have to do is wait for the storm to pass."
Remus looked back down at his hands. "I didn't know that was his brother and cousin."
"You wouldn't since Sirius never talks about his family. He's only mentioned having a brother once to me." James sighed again.
"I guess we just wait," Peter said quietly, sinking back into his seat.
Sirius did not turn up again the rest of the train ride there. Remus suspected he was sulking in the bathroom. He showed up when the train stopped to collect his book that he had been reading, then stormed away before Remus could say a word. Peter, James and Remus glanced warily at each other. This year was not turning out well.
They found Sirius sitting alone in a horseless carriage, and clambered up to join him. Sirius didn't look happy, but he didn't insist on kicking then out either. The ride to the castle was quiet and tense. Nobody talked at all, but Remus and James kept exchanging glances at each other.
During the Sorting Sirius sat moodily beside James. During the feast, he stabbed at his food with his spoon and refused to eat more than a couple of bites. James took this situation as serious. Sirius was usually craving food. Sirius asked Emmeline for the password, and headed up to the common room as soon as the feast ended.
Remus and James stayed behind as Peter went to the library to check out books before term starts.
"You should go talk to him," James said to Remus. "You're better at calming people down and talking."
Remus sighed. "James, you're his best friend. He won't listen to me."
"Yes he will!" James argued.
"James, I pretty much made him mad in the first place. You can take his mood. I'm more easily offended and hurt. Please?"
James sighed this time, giving in. He nodded. He and Remus headed back up to the common room.
"Sirius?" James knocked on the dormitory door. He heard a grunt behind it. James sighed, remembering the first day on the Hogwarts train.
"Sirius, open up, or I'll be forced to open it for you." There was no answer behind the doors.
James raised his wand resignedly. "Alohomora!" The lock sprang open. He couldn't push the door open, no matter how hard he tried. He had a shrewd suspicion that either Sirius himself was blocking the door or he had moved some furniture to form a blockade.
James raised his wand again. He had to get inside. "Reducto!" The door was blasted inward and dust rose up everywhere. When the dust cleared, Sirius was sitting on his bed, eyes wide in shock. A part of their dresser drawer was blasted back.
"Reparo," James muttered, pointing his wand at the dresser. He then raised the door back up and put it on its hinges. He turned to look at Sirius, who was now facing him with a dangerous look in his eye.
"I don't remember asking you to blow the door off my dorm, Potter."
James looked at him squarely in the eye. "It's my dormitory as much as yours."
"Don't be stupid. I can hex you right now and here if you don't get out."
"Shut up," said James bluntly.
Sirius's eyes widened in surprise. James had never told him to shut up before.
James decided to go on, now that Sirius wasn't speaking. "Sirius, you're being rather stupid about this whole thing. Look, Remus is sorry he interfered, but we were just trying to keep you out of trouble. Now you're biting everyone's heads off. You're losing the people who care about you, people who are on your side."
Sirius stood up. This time, there was no anger in his eyes. They were full of sorrow.
"My younger brother!" he yelled. "All set to follow in the footsteps of Snivellus and Bellatrix!"
He picked up his journal and threw it across the room. "DOESN'T HE SEE THAT HE'S GOING TO BECOME SO DEEPLY INFESTED IN THE DARK ARTS IT WILL MUTILATE HIS BRAIN? I'M TRYING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT, JAMES, NOT WHAT'S EASY! It's not easy," he said weakly, slumping back on his bed, defeated.
James sat beside him. "You care, don't you."
Sirius looked saddened. "I do care. And yet I don't know why. I hoped, always hoped he would be smart enough to be different from the rest of them, like me..." his voice trailed off.
"He's your brother."
"No, he's not." Sirius straightened up and gave James a weak smile. "You, Remus and Peter are."
James smiled back.
"James?" said Sirius, calming down.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry. And thank you."
James walked across the room and gave Sirius back his journal.
"Always."
