This is an incredibly long post! Update on my writing... I'm now into Part III (yay). This starts after they get home from Hogwarts and officially become witches and wizards... as each part to pursue their dreams and life goals... James and Lily join the Order (as you already know)... Remus tries to find a job... Peter...well, he's still living with his mum... Sirius struggles on his own... Reine's takes charge of her father's company...

Will James ever be an Auror? Will Remus ever find a job? Will Peter ever leave his mum? Will Sirius have to take up 3 jobs?! Read on to find out!

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! Hi to all the new readers!!!

Post 56

The next day, all of us were going to visit that new apartment Sirius was thinking of getting after he leaves Hogwarts. He has finally decided to not be of a burden to the Potters any longer and get his own place. It was in a muggle town, quite near to Diagon Alley, just a short walk to the Leaky Cauldron.

Sirius was pretty ecstatic about it. He was practically bouncing to get there. He had already agreed to rent the apartment as soon as he gets out from school but the owner had allowed him to take a look at it for a day since no one was renting it anyway. The place must be great.

Also today, I was to go home for part of the Christmas holidays. Not very much wanting to see father, but I missed home and Sapphire especially. He must be really lonely throughout these months. Father knew I was coming too, I had written him a letter about my arrival by Floo. But he had replied saying that he wouldn't be at home because he was overseas for some business, but told me I could come anyway.

We took a carriage to Diagon Alley and then walked towards the Muggle Street, Sirius clutching a bag with the little belongings he had. I've never been to a Muggle Street in my whole life and I'm quite excited to know how it's like.

It was morning then and we opened the door of the Leaky Cauldron and were met with a bustle of noise. People were rushing all over the place. Several grocers were pushing carts full of vegetables and fruits. Men and women in suits were walking in fast strides.

Cars were rushing left and right, and a train passing by on the overhead track caused quite a racket.

"C'mon," called Sirius to the others. "It's just down the street..."

James stopped to look at a red box where people were putting envelopes in once in a while and shook his head sadly.

"It's called a letter box," explained Remus, pulling him away as he tried sliding his hand into the slot.

"Why do they need a letter box for?" asked James.

"Do deliver their letters. They don't have owls you know..."

"So some person comes here and sends all the letters?" asked James. "Wouldn't that take a long time?"

"It's complicated... you should take Muggle Studies," suggested Remus.

We reached a small doorway. Paint was peeling off it had it had a weary look to it. Sirius opened the door and stepped inside.

I instantly caught a pungent smell as soon as I stepped in. Peter held his hand to his nose to block the smell. Right in front of the door was a wooden staircase leading upwards. A single lamp hung from the wall, swinging eerily to and fro in the absent wind.

"Up here..." said Sirius and he climbed the stairs. "It's not as bad as it looks..."

Right at the top of the staircase, there was a short corridor with a few doors, one of them saying 'Restroom' in fading letters. On the floor was a fading red carpet with little holes in them... bitten by rats no doubt. Sirius took out a key and jammed it into the knob of a door. There was a click and he opened it.

All of us stepped gingerly into the room.

I looked around. It was a one room apartment. There was a bed with fading sheets and a mattress that looked like they had been used for a long time. The floor was slightly dusty and at one end there was a small cabinet that held the sink. There was a chest of drawers that looked like it might collapse into a pile of wood anytime.

Peter had ventured to the sink and turned on the tap. There was a loud gurgle that startled everyone and then the water that flowed out had a sickening yellowish tinge to it.

"Sirius... was this the best you can get?" I asked him pitifully.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his expression unfazed. "Isn't it great?"

I felt bad destroying that happy hopeful face. But I also felt worse letting him stay in this dump.

"You know you can come to me for help..." I suggested softly.

He frowned every so slightly, but his smile lingered. "No, look, this place is perfect for me..."

He bounced joyfully over to the bed and threw himself on it. There was a small groan of bedsprings as he descended upon it.

The reason he chose this place was not because it was perfect... because it obviously isn't and it's the worse place to live in. I wonder what type of diseases he can contract from drinking from that tap! It was because this was the best place he could afford. He never really earned any money at Hogwarts... and the money he left with the time he went from home probably went into paying for this apartment.

"I'm really happy with this place..." he said.

But I knew better. The look in his eyes when he said it, it wasn't real.

"Well..." I said as I drew my hand into my pocket, withdrawing a bag of coins. "If you ever think of getting a better, more hygienic place... this should help."

"I don't want it..."

"Sirius... what are you working as to continue paying rent for this place?"

"I'll think of that later..." he added uncomfortably as he went towards the window.

He looked out of it, staring down at the busy Muggle street.

"Sirius... I know you better than this, come on," I said, holding up the bag.

"No..."

"Sirius, look at them..." I said, turning his shoulder around so that he was facing the room.

"Shoot!" squeaked Peter, trying to tug his foot out off a hole in the ground. "Help! My foot is stuck!"

"Why did you stick your feet in for?" Asked James as he went over.

Remus clutched Peter's ankle and began to tug.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" said Peter defensively. "The floor fell through!"

I turned to look back at Sirius, who gave a very large sigh.

"I don't like going to you for money..." he muttered. "I like to be independent."

"But you're not coming to me... I went to you," I said brightly. "You'll probably catch your death over here... I don't think they have proper heating, it's freezing..."

"Well... I can work that out somehow," he replied stubbornly.

I frowned at him as he walked away from the window. He went over to the other boys and said something to them as I continued staring outside. The muggle world. It all seems different. People were driving cars, there were roaring trains passing by on tracks that were above the streets.

People were dressed differently. A man was walking down the street in a smart coat, a pair of children were in the nearby park in frocks, and soon I spotted the most outrageously dressed people. There was a couple, a young man and a woman, dressed in colourful clothes. They sure knew how to accessorize and even the guy had long brown hair with a bandana tied around his forehead. Interesting.

I wanted to know more about this world that existed right beside ours, but one I never got to venture a step into.

"Sirius? Do you wanna walk outside later?" I asked excitedly. "I saw those boutiques back there... They look nice."

He turned around. "Oh? Um... maybe."

"Okay..." I replied faintly but I doubt he heard.

Feeling awfully grumpy, I just slumped into the moth-eaten couch, not knowing what to do, more like waiting. But James, Peter and Remus soon said they were going to go back now. I rose to my feet and took my purse from the table but Sirius interrupted.