Chapter 1
The Marauders
Sirius woke up, looked up at the clock, turned over, then closed his eyes again. Sleep was overtaking him….today was the day he would begin his sixth year at Hogwarts.
WAIT!
Sirius jumped up from his sad excuse of a bed on the floor of James' room. He thrust a pillow in the sleeping James' face.
"Wake up, James! We have to go! It's already 7:00!" Sirius shouted as he ran around the room, trying to pick up all his stuff. He stuffed everything he thought he would need in his trunk. Sirius was a six foot five inch young man. A handsome sixteen year old with shoulder length jet black hair that fell over his eyes and somewhat-tanned skin.
"Whefff a cwwaupp!" came the muffled existence of James' voice, somewhere from underneath the pillow on top of his face. He threw the pillow off of him, miraculously hitting Sirius in the back, which was kind of hard at the moment since he was running around James' room like a berserk maniac. "What?"
"Hogwarts! Two hours! Train! Need food!" Sirius said through all the clothes and books flying through the air and into, or near, his trunk.
"Is that all you think about? Food?" James asked, rubbing his eyes and putting on his glasses from his bedside table. He only heard "Need Food!" In Sirius' whole fragmented sentence. James was a seven inches shorter than Sirius, standing at about five foot ten inches. He had jet black hair that stuck out in all directions at various lengths never exceeding his cheeks. He had slightly tanned skin with a few spots of freckles on his nose. James was very handsome, but in his own way.
"HOGWARTS!" Sirius screamed.
"Oh! Hogwarts!" James flung himself out of bed and started gathering things from around his room, only in a more organized way than Sirius.
One hour later they, fortunately, had everything packed and ready to go. Unfortunately, however, it seemed to take forever. Sirius had a lot of stuff spread around James' room. Hey, you can't blame him; James' house was Sirius' house for the whole summer. He didn't want to go back to the Black house…
"Blueberries with your pancakes, Sirius?" Mrs. Potter, James' mother, asked.
"Mmf?" Sirius asked, his mouth full of milk.
"Do you want blueberries in your pancakes?" she asked again sweetly.
Sirius nodded vigorously. He swallowed a huge gulp. "Yes, please."
"How many pancakes?"
Sirius grinned widely, "Umm, how 'bout….."
"As much as I can?" laughed James' mother.
"Of coarse!" Sirius beamed. James rolled his eyes. "Mother, you should know by now that Sirius eats everything edible he sees…."
"Not everything-"
"Yes, I know!" James' mother said. James and Mrs. Potter laughed as it was Sirius' turn to roll his eyes.
"Fine, just be that way."
"Hurry! We're gonna miss it….again!" James panicked, running through the crowds of Platform 9 and ¾.
Sirius raised an eyebrow, "We have fifteen minutes until the train leaves."
"But what if I can't find her?"
"You'll find her."
"I have to ask her."
"Again."
"Shut up."
"Why?"
"Stop it, Sirius."
"Go find her. I'll get your trunk."
"Thanks."
Sirius took James' trunk from him and boarded the train, carrying both trunks as if it were nothing. A few passing girls stared, then giggled when he looked their way and winked. When he was on the train he rolled his eyes. This was going to be a year like every other: fun, exciting, and full of giggling girls. How wrong could he be?
Sirius walked down the trains, peaking in the cars, looking for Remus. He had one trunk hitched over his shoulder and carried the other one under his other arm. He came to the last car and the second to last compartment. There was Remus, sitting in the car, reading another book with a pile of five others sitting beside him. Remus was about the same height as James, although a fraction of an inch shorter. He had chestnut colored hair that extended to chin length. His skin looked like it had somewhat seen the sun, but he was also, like James, handsome in his own way.
"Hey Sirius." Remus said, then looked up at Sirius coming in through the door, "Show off." He nodded his head indicating the trunks.
"Hey, why not show it off if you have it? Keeps it in good use." Sirius smiled and winked. Remus rolled his eyes.
"How was summer?"
"Great, stayed at James' house. You?"
"Same old. Went on vacation, to South America this time, read billions of books."
"Figures." Sirius laughed.
"Where's James? Did you loose him?"
"No. He's asking-"
"Ahh. Again."
"Yup."
There was an exasperated sigh at the door. James lugged in, looking like he had just been hit by the Hogwarts Express three times over.
"Did she-"
"Say no?" James asked Sirius, who was sitting down next to him after hauling the trunks up onto the racks above the seats. "Coarse."
"Ahh. Same every year. I wonder when she'll give in….." Sirius stared out the window. A girl, about five foot five inches with shoulder-length black, red, blonde, brown, and orange all-mixed-in-one-colored hair. She had khaki pants on with many various pockets, searching in every one of them for something. Her pale skin seemed to glow a bit in the shadows. She was having a hard time moving her trunk. Sirius stood up, "I'll be back guys." He breezed out of the room and down the car.
"Where's he going?" James asked, attention focused off of his unsuccessful beginning of the year.
"Look out the window." Remus said. James turned his head to look. Sure enough, Mr. Ladies Man, Sirius was outside helping the girl he saw take her trunk. He hoisted it up over his shoulder and walked off with her.
"Thank you for helping me." The girl with khaki pants said.
"No problem." Sirius responded with a charming smile. "My name's Sirius. Sirius Black."
"Estelle Avery." The girl said. "I haven't met you before. Were you in any of my classes?"
"What?" Sirius nearly choked on his words. "You haven't? What year are you?"
"Fifth year."
Sirius nearly ran into someone. Amazing. Someone in the school hadn't met him. That was new…..usually all the girls of the school worshipped the very ground he walked upon. He was used to it by now, but secretly he found it annoying. He was glad to hear that at least one girl didn't idolize his existence. But still, it was a shock. He was beginning to like this Estelle.
"I'm fifth year."
"Really? Well, I've probably had some classes with you." Estelle smiled.
"Yeah."
There was a silence for a moment, but Sirius soon broke that. "So, you don't know me?"
"Only by reputation…." Estelle said.
"Oh."
"Don't get me wrong, I've seen you around." Estelle said as she walked casually in the train.
"Oh. Yeah?" Sirius' hopes rose.
"Yup! Oh! Here it is!" Estelle stopped suddenly and pointed to a car. She opened the door.
"Estelle!" A shriek came from inside. "We were looking-"
Sirius looked in the car and saw Lilly Evans. The girl James had had a crush on for forever. The one he had just asked out. The one that hated his guts. Not to mention James', too.
"And who is this?"
"Sirius Black. I'm sure you know him." Estelle answered Lilly. "Oh! Sirius, Lilly's my best friend." Estelle smiled.
"Yes…." Lilly answered, glaring at Sirius.
"What's wrong?" Estelle asked, obviously noticing the grim face on Lilly.
"Nothing." Lilly huffed and returned to the car. Sirius casually put Estelle's trunk above the seat across from Lilly and quickly noted the girl in the other corner of the car reading a book.
"This is Sammy." Estelle motioned towards the girl reading, "I hope there's no hard feelings between you and her." Estelle blushed and sighed. "Sammy, this is Sirius."
"Nice to meet you." Sammy said without looking up from her book.
"Same here." Sirius replied. He started to walk out of the car. Estelle followed, confused by the saddened look on Sirius' face.
Estelle closed the car door behind them. "Thanks a bunches, Sirius." She smiled.
"Anytime." He said.
"Listen, just because you and Lilly don't get along so well doesn't mean we can't be friends." Estelle smiled.
"Really?" Sirius' hopes rose again. "Great! Thanks!"
"Uh huh! Once again, thanks." She smiled again.
"Coarse!"
Sirius returned to his car in a good mood. He sat down next to James, not even noticing the stares he was getting from his friends. He stared out the window, just as the train was starting. An unusual silence fell across the car. Sirius looked around at his friends, who were all staring at him. He hadn't noticed that Peter, the last of the Marauders, had joined them.
"Oh, hi Peter!" Sirius grinned and looked stared out the window again, humming a tune unknown even to himself.
"What was that all about?" James asked, nudging Sirius, smiling devilishly.
"What was what about?" Sirius grinned.
"What did I miss?" Peter squeaked. Peter was a short, skinny guy about five foot six, with messy brown hair. His facial features resembled a rat's, with his nose a little too skinny and his teeth protruding a little from his mouth. He had pale skin, and a lot of freckles.
"Nothing, just another girl Sirius has helped." Remus said, his nose returning back to his book.
"Oh." Peter looked at his feet.
James smiled. "So, Sirius, does she worship you like all the other girls?"
"Nope!" Sirius grinned wider. James looked confused. Remus sighed. Peter was lost in his spaced-out thoughts. Sirius continued to look out the window cheerfully. James was still confused.
Sirius all of a sudden spoke up, "Where's the trolley cart? I'm hungry."
