Hey guys! So this is my first fic I've written for Sirius/Remus. I've tried to get my spelling, punctuation and grammar all up to scratch for you, and I'll remember to update! I promise! And since I'm a little out of practice, the actual writing itself isn't fabulous, but it'll hopefully get better. If you could leave some reviews that would be appreciated! xx

- Sasha

Sirius

I am running through the unfamiliar hallways of Hogwarts. I don't know why I'm running, or what I'm running to. But I know I have to keep running.

I look to see if there's something behind me, but there's nothing but the suits of armor that line the halls. There is no reason for me to be running, yet I get the feeling that if I stop, something terrible will happen.

Suddenly, as if she apparated onto the grounds, she appears in front of me - my mother. I stop in my tracks, and the sense of dread that I feel in the pit of my stomach suddenly doubles.

I turn around, trying to run back, but she drags me down another corridor, one that is smaller and darker than the others. I have never been down this hallway before, but I know where it leads without having to ask. I scream and try to leave, but I can't. She is too strong. Panic sets in, but by then we have reached the basement.

It is no less terrifying than it was the last time I visited. There is no light, and the walls seem to cave in on me. I am scared. I know what is about to happen. My breathing begins to get faster. Here come the beatings, followed by the bruises. I curl into a ball, my back to the wall, and scream. I scream and scream and scream until there's no air left in my lungs, until the basement shakes in front of my eyes. I keep screaming. I don't have enough air, I need to get out, I need to BREATHE -

Sirius jolted awake. His entire body was doused in sweat, and the sheets were wrapped too tight around his legs. He sat up, his breathing heavy.

He'd thought he was done with these nightmares! It had been three weeks since he'd arrived at Hogwarts, and it had been great. He haven't received one letter from his parents - which was just the way he liked it. He had some fantastic friends. He liked all his classes. And yet ...

And yet his nightmare. This fear, that his parents would come and take him away from this new freedom, was starting to creep into his every day - like a shadow, always following. Sirius had barely admitted it to himself, but deep down, he know that his even bigger fear was that this shadow would never leave.

His breathing had slowed, but it was still shaky. He lay back down onto his sweaty mattress, holding his pillow to his chest. It was a baby-ish thing to do, he thought to himself, but he didn't care. Besides, he had his curtains closed - no one could see him.

James and Peter always slept with the curtains of their four-posters open, but Sirius had gotten used to shutting his. It made him feel safe, like he was in his own little bubble. The other boy in their dorm shut his curtains too, and Sirius couldn't help but wonder why.

None of the other boys had really talked to him, that other boy. His name was Remus. From what Sirius could tell, he was a nice enough lad. Quiet, that's for sure. But he was smart, as well. He had helped Peter with his potions homework last week whilst James had helped Sirius. Except James wasn't really helping - he basically did everything for Sirius, because his dad was a potion maker, or something, Sirius wasn't really listening - whilst Sirius had sat staring at Remus. Which sounds ... creepy. But Sirius told himself that he only kept looking because he was curious, and there was something about that Remus that was different, and he didn't know what it was.

Sirius fell back on his bed heavily. It was sometime in the early hours of the morning, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. God. Some teacher would probably yell at him for falling asleep in their class tomorrow, Sirius thought miserably.

He spent the rest of the night in a state of sleepy confusion, thinking about matters of the world and matters of his life all whilst on the verge of going back to sleep. As light began to fall through the windows of the dorm, Sirius sat up again, and set about getting ready - but not before jumping on James's bed ("God, it's too early!") which proceeded to wake up Peter and Remus. Peter yelled at James about James being too loud, then James roared back that "Sirius jumped on my bloody bed!", and Remus stuck his head out of his still-closed curtains to see what all the commotion was about. The chaos was fabulous, in Sirius's opinion, and it resulted in a pillow fight and the three boys being ten minutes late for breakfast. But as they were heading out of the dorm, Sirius took one last look back at Remus's bed, curtains still closed. For a split second, he wondered about how late he was going to be. But his thoughts were interrupted by James proceeding to tell him to hurry up, so Sirius quickly scrambled down the staircase after him.

The day went by slowly, with Sirius's head aching from the lack of sleep he got the night before. Fortunately they had History of Magic, so he had some time to nap. Sadly, he apparently missed Evans smacking James on the head with a roll of parchment, which certainly would've been entertaining, had he been awake to see it. Whatever the events that lead up to that, it was enough to have Evans glaring in their direction during the final class of the day: Potions.

Like usual, Lily Evans was sitting with Snivellus at the desk in front of us, which pissed James off enough to actually do some work. Sirius was squished in between him and Remus, which actually was not a good thing because the only thing he could here was James complaining.

"I just don't get it," he said. "Sniv's such a git. Why does she hang out with him?"

"Apparently they're friends from home," Remus piped up from beside me. This was one of the rare times Sirius had heard him speak.

"Who told you that?" James asked.

Remus shrugged. "I hear things."

"Right. She probably feels like she has to be his friend or else -"

"Or else what, Potter?" Lily had turned around in her seat and was staring down James with hard green eyes.

James couldn't speak.

"You know what, I'm so sick of you. I'm friends with Severus because he's a nice person! Why can't you understand that?" She flicked her red hair over her shoulder and turned back to her work just as Professor Slughorn was approaching her desk.

"Ah, Miss Evans!" Slughorn cried as he peered into her cauldron. "Your potion seems to be coming along brilliantly!"

"Thank you, sir," Lily replied.

Slughorn turned to Snivellus and made a face as the putrid smell coming from his cauldron hit the professor's nose. "Erm - maybe with a bit of practice, your skills will improve, Mr Snape."

James and Sirius sniggered, whilst Remus quietly stirred his potion. Lily shot James a look with enough menace to silence him, before turning to Sirius.

"Shut up, Sirius," she spat, before turning back to her desk.

"How come you two are on a first name basis?" James asked incredulously. Sirius shrugged and looked back down at his cauldron, which was a bubbling black mess.

"Oi, can you help?" Sirius asked, nudging him. James took a look inside the cauldron and made a face.

"No way! I don't even know what the hell you've done," he replied. "You might be worse at potions than Snivellus," he added in a whisper, which made the two of them crack up laughing.

"You've added too much wolfsbane," Remus said quietly beside Sirius.

"Oh, thanks," Sirius said awkwardly. "Um - how exactly do I fix it?"

Remus thought for a moment, his amber eyes glassy. "If you add three sprigs of Fluxweed it should be fine. I think."

Remus's uncertainty made Sirius hesitate, before standing up and walking to the potions cabinet.

"Oh, Mr Black! What is it that you need?" Professor Slughorn waddled over.

"Three sprigs of Fluxweed, sir," Sirius said.

"Oh, added too much wolfsbane, have you?" Slughorn said. "Good job for knowing how to fix it, might I add - very impressive. Five points to Gryffindor!" he added. After a few moments of Slughorn fumbling around in the cabinet, he found the Fluxweed, and handed it to Sirius.

"Thank you, sir," Sirius said, glancing at Remus. But Remus was too busy staring at his own cauldron to notice.

Thats it! Like I said, leave a review. Sorry if it was a bit too long :/ - I promise to update soon! xx