Summary: Andrew Knight knew that things were going to change his Sixth Year at Hogwarts. With his friends and the Marauders on his side, he knew it would be full of fun adventures and even some romance along the way. However, it seems a darker path was awaiting them as they reach their Seventh Year . . .

Pairing: Sirius Black/Male OC

Changes to Character(s): N/A

Spoilers To: Harry Potter

Type of Story: Chapter-Filled

Book(s)/Movie(s) Belongs To: JK Rowling

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A/N: Hi, y'all! If you guys are interested, I have created some character images with the help of Artbreeder website if you guys want to see how I picture the cast of my fanfic. I can create a Twitter account to post them. Let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

The Ravenclaw Tower was silent.

The night sky shone bright with stars. Gusts of air soothingly passed through the castle grounds and its tall turrets while the sound of sighs and snores emanated from the tower's dreaming occupants.

It was the perfect opportunity for an escape.

Andrew slipped out of his bed and quickly changed into a sweater and a pair of jeans. After putting on his shoes, he quickly snuck down the stairs and opened the common room door. He looked around in hope of seeing the Gryffindor waiting for him—only seeing an empty hallway.

"Sirius," he whispered, carefully closing the door. "Sirius!"

Rustling captured his attention.

The air near the stairs began to shimmer to reveal the mischievous boy pulling off an invisibility cloak, an object that never leaves the Marauders' side. James claimed it was given to him by his father as part of a family inheritance.

The Gryffindor was dressed in all black shirt covered by a dark bomber jacket—the lining covered in fur—as well as a pair ripped jeans and boots. His skin almost seemed to glow from the starlight. He looked like he stepped out of a muggle fashion magazine.

Sirius gave him a wicked smile. "Ready?"

"Of course."

They gathered under the cloak and began to descend the stairs. They tried to stay as quiet as possible as they passed Filch, Mrs. Norris, and the occasional ghost. They stopped near the corridor that led to the One-Eyed Witch statue.

The Marauders, as they explored every crevice of the school, had discovered that the founders had implemented multiple secret pathways that extended from the school to the outside grounds—Hogsmeade being one of the locations.

After discovering them, the boys became obsessed with finding them all. Many were cut off due to decades of rot and erosion, but the few that remained were useful for their troublesome actions and ideas.

They had even created a way to guide them through to the tunnels.

A magical pamphlet with an exact depiction of the grounds as well as a tracker to warn them of anyone who may walk by.

"Do you have the map?" the Veela asked.

The Gryffindor shook his head. "James has it tonight, but I'm sure you know the prefect rounds."

"You would be correct. Okay," Andrew began, leaning towards his friend. "Johnson and Alderton are patrolling this hallway, and they should be here . . . now."

As if on cue, two Hufflepuffs appeared at the end of the hallway, holding each other's hand as they did. They didn't even look up when Sirius made a noise at the sight.

"Woah," Black said, surprised. "I thought prefects couldn't date each other."

"We can't," the Ravenclaw verified, "but we don't have the heart to tell our superiors. I mean, look at them! They're adorable!"

They hurried down the hall and stood in front of the statue.

With a quick Dissendium, the witch's hump opened up to reveal a stone slide that led them to the passage. With a bit of adjustment, they traveled down with ease—leaving them with a near straight shot to the Honeydukes cellar.

The tunnel was not made for comfort. The walls were too narrow, and the ceilings were too low. Sirius had to duck down to avoid hurting the top of his head as they followed the twisting path to the shop.

The Veela shivered as a cool breeze traveled through him, adding to the freezing water at their feet. Sirius seemed to notice and whispered a warming charm for the two of them. They were both relieved to reach the end—the entrance waiting for them.

"Age before beauty," Andrew teased, gesturing at the door.

Sirius patted his back. "Sorry, Knight, but we both know who the true beauty is."

Regardless, he lifted the door an inch and peered through the crack. He waited a few minutes before speaking. "We're in the clear. Come on."

They cautiously walked through the sweets shop and attempted to blend in with the crowd of customers. Once they exited the store, they sighed a breath of relief before taking in the cool, September air.

They made their way through the cobblestone streets, looking at the shop windows as many began to decorate for the autumn season. The owners gave them a small wave as they passed by, bringing a smile to the boys' faces.

After a bit of walking, Sirius pulled him into Zonko's Joke Shop, saying the boys needed supplies for a prank.

"Who's the poor target?" the Veela asked, poking a Nose-Biting teacup—causing the rim to sprout teeth at the notion.

Sirius filled his arms with dungbombs. "That is classified, mon ami."

"What? You always tell me about your escapades."

The Gryffindor stayed silent, looking away as he gathered more supplies from the shelves. Andrew was incredibly confused at his reaction. It was one thing to not tell him, but not explaining was another.

"Sirius, who is it?"

Nothing.

He looked at his friend with a meticulous eye.

The boy's jaw was set and his eyebrows were furrowed in deep thought. His body was stiff as he continued inspecting the items on the shelves, appearing to not care for its contents.

It didn't take long for Andrew to figure out what was going on. Fear coursed through him as a million thoughts raced through his mind.

"No!" the Veela shouted, stepping in his path. "You can't go after Avery."

"He threatened you," the other boy growled, looking intensely into his eyes. "This is way more generous than what I had planned."

"You're only going to make it worse," Andrew stated, an almost pleading tone in his voice. "If you go ahead with it, he'll know who did it."

He groaned in frustration. "Drew . . ."

"Sirius, I can handle myself. Please, trust me on this."

This was the opposite of what the Ravenclaw had wanted. This escape was supposed to comfort his friend. They were supposed to be at the inn, drinking butterbeers and not having a care in the world.

"We've been working on this for weeks," the Gryffindor continued, hoping to get through to the Veela. "He needs to know that—"

"I just want to be with a friend right now!"

He became silent.

"I-I," the Veela stuttered. "The Slytherins have been after me since the beginning of the year, and it's all I can think about. I pass them in the hallways, I have them in class. They call me cruel words and threaten me no matter what I do. It's gotten worse since Voldemort began to rise."

"That's why—"

"No!" he continued, anxious tears threatening to fall. "I am trying my best to keep everything like it was. Then, you and the boys changed. You became more of a caretaker than my friends. You're treating me like a dog. Keeping me caged l-like a beast."

The Gryffindor winced at the word.

Sirius knew how hurtful and grotesque the word was for the young Veela. For his entire life, Andrew had heard the way people like him were treated, how both the government and purebloods would consider Beings less than humans.

Even if he tried to escape the wizarding world, muggles had found their own way of discrimination. Just like being a Veela, his skin—a part of himself he never chose—was enough reason for them to hate him.

He didn't like how that part of his life had affected his friends.

Sirius placed his free hand on the Ravenclaw's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing."

"I just want to get a butterbeer with you," Andrew muttered with an exhausted tone. "I don't want you to be afraid for me anymore."

"Okay."

"Okay."

They perused for a little longer before purchasing the items and heading over to the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta, the young owner of the inn, greeted them from behind the bar as she attended to a line of customers.

"Shouldn't you blokes be in bed?"

"We didn't want you to forget our sweet faces, Rosie," Sirius chimed.

The Gryffindor went to place their orders while Andrew found them a place to sit. After settling into one of the corner booths, the Veela looked up to see the other boy leaning across the bar counter—speaking to one of the girls in line.

A small twinge of annoyance went through him as their chatter turned into flirtatious laughter.

Throughout the years, the Gryffindor had gained a reputation among the student body as a big flirt, a bad boy that could capture the heart of anyone he wanted. However, the girls who had managed to gain a snog or even a date with him never stayed for too long.

Sirius would say that he never felt right being with them. The affair may be long, but the fun was too short. They weren't worth it.

Andrew bit his lip as he waited for Sirius, seeing him give the girl a wink before walking towards their booth. "Took you long enough."

"I was a bit distracted," he said charmingly, setting the butterbeer on the table.

The Veela smiled. "I see the Heartbreak Prince has struck again. Are you flaking out on me on our first date?"

"I could never," Sirius teased, placing his hand over Andrew's. "You're quite a catch."

"You're just saying that," he laughed, pulling his hand back. "Plus, I may not want to deal with you afterwards."

"Trust me. You'll want to do a lot more with me by the end of the night."

"You would like that, wouldn't you, Black?"

They chuckled as they settled in, taking a sip of their drinks. They sat in silence for a moment before they spoke once more.

"I forgot to ask," Sirius started. "How was Mexico?"

Andrew looked away, staring at the bottles behind the bar. "I wouldn't know. My mother wanted us to stay home for the summer."

"Again? Didn't she promise to take you this time?"

"My mother promises a lot of things."

Sirius shook his head. "She wouldn't even let you go on your own? What about your family over there?"

"She has full control of my vault, so I wouldn't have been able to afford it on my own," the Veela explained. "I had to tell my tío Beto that we came down with something and was recommended to rest by a Healer."

Sirius hummed in response, not looking pleased. "Is she still drinking?"

"What do you think?" Andrew said, deciding to switch topics. "How are you doing? With everything going on . . ."

"What do you think?" he mumbled. "They're still persistent in their blood purity ideals. They've begun discussing forming alliances with the Death Eaters."

"Bloody hell. Have you thought about James' offer?"

Sirius' home situation was something the Marauders and Andrew were fully aware of. The Noble House of Black, both in its structural and familiar form, was a prison disguised as a home. They couldn't even send a letter to their friend without risking the wrath of his parents.

Over the years, James had grown so close with his fellow troublemaker that they had practically become brothers; and after seeing the effects the Black family had, he had asked him to move in with the Potters.

"I can't burden them," Sirius said, the longing in his words betraying him. "They've already done enough for me as it is."

"You won't," Andrew assured him. "They love you, and they would love to take you in. Euphemia and Monty always speak so highly of you."

There were a few times where Sirius was allowed to leave the house. Orion and Walburga Black would sometimes allow their eldest son to join the Potters for the summer. They were never sure if it was because James' family were purebloods or if the Black family just wanted to get rid of their son, but it didn't matter to Sirius as long as he could escape.

James' parents were more than welcoming to the boy. They offered him a room, hot meals, and enormous amounts of love.

They had never seen him happier than with the Potters.

"You know I can't," Sirius said, defeat in his voice.

Andrew nodded in understanding.

Regardless of who they were, they were family. The Veela understood that feeling more than most. It was a natural bond that would always be with you, yet you'd wish it never existed. Who wouldn't want a parents' love?

"Our parents are awful, aren't they?" the Ravenclaw uttered.

"Oh, definitely," the Gryffindor laughed sharply. "We wouldn't be us without them though."

"Sadly, true."

Andrew looked at his watch and saw they had an hour left before the inn closes. They finished their drinks and headed back to the sweets shop. Sirius—the ever clever and mischievous teen—managed to snatch a few pieces of candy under the cloak's guise before entering the tunnel.

Once they entered Hogwarts' halls, they quickly sped through the school as time ticked closer to the inevitable sunrise. They stopped at the top of the Ravenclaw Tower stairs, slipping out of the cloaks to give each other a proper goodbye.

"Well, Knight," Black said with a teasing tone, "I hope I'll be getting a second date. Perhaps a goodnight kiss?"

Andrew rolled his eyes, trying to hold back a smile from forming on his face. "I'm a gentleman. I don't kiss on the first date, Mr. Black. You're going to have to work a little harder than that if you desire one."

"What will it take?"

"Chocolates, flowers, the works."

"A hopeless romantic, I see," Sirius said, leaning down closer to him. "I'll have you wrapped around my finger before you know it."

The Veela raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "I'd like to see you try."

"I do love a challenge."

With that said, he disappeared with a wink.

Andrew turned around to answer the doorknob's riddle to ignore the feelings his words left. Sirius was right when he said he was a hopeless romantic. He was easy to sway when it came to romantic acts—even if the intentions weren't serious.

Worried someone might be awake, he looked around the common room. The room was empty except for a figure sitting on the big sofa near the tower's walls. On closer examination, he saw Lily staring out the arched windows, causing a bit of concern to bloom in him.

"Hey, Lils. Why aren't you asleep?"

The redheaded girl gave him a small glance before returning her view to the window. "It's nothing. Just a nightmare."

"Want to talk about it?"

Lily once told him that she had been suffering terrible nightmares that became worse the closer they got to the inevitable war the Daily Prophet would write about. She was vague about the details, but he gained enough clues to figure out what they were.

"Not tonight," Evans uttered, rubbing her eyes. She finally turned towards him, a teasing smile on her face. "How was your date with Black?"

"It wasn't a date," Andrew groaned, taking a seat in one of the room's chairs. "We just got some drinks at the Three Broomsticks."

"Yeah, totally not a date," she said, moving to take the spot next to him. "Is there a reason why you two came back so late?"

"We were just talking."

"Sure."

Andrew leaned his head back in frustration at the implication. "Aren't you going to chastise me for sneaking out, Ms. Prefect-of-the-Year?"

"I'm off duty, remember?" Lily said, a giggle escaping her. She dramatically placed her chin onto her hand, giving him a teasing look. "Plus, I want to know all the details of your—"

"I'm going to bed. Night, Evans!"

She laughed as he climbed the stairs.