A/N hello loyal readers! Thank you for sticking with me this far, and thanks to those who reviewed, you know who you are! Anyway, there is one thing I'd like to say before we start the next chapter. In the last chapter you may have noticed James being unreasonably nasty. It may have seemed out of character and uncalled for, but to me it makes sense. If the characters in my story are anything like the kids who go to my school, sudden unexpected behaviour is normal, believe me. Keep that in mind for this chapter as well as in the rest of the story. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing yadda yadda yadda

A week passed since the Weasleys arrived at Grimmauld Place and Sirius was so busy cleaning he didn't have time to think of the past and was so tired at the end of the day that he didn't read to Buckbeak. It felt strange to be in a house full of people after so long.

Sirius came down for breakfast on a particularly hot day to hear angry voices from the kitchen. 'Those two are going to wake up the portraits'

"You are such a narrow minded git sometimes Ron!" Hermione yelled. Ron was about to retaliate when both of them realised Sirius was standing in the doorway.

"hey, don't quit on my account," he said, opening cupboards at random, looking for something to eat, "always enjoyed a good row myself, clears the air."

"uh, that's okay, we were finished anyway, and mum said to tell you to hurry up, we're starting on some of the bedrooms today and she wants everyone to help." Ron recited before both he and Hermione left the kitchen.

'Whoo hoo, goodness knows I love cleaning! Ugh. Why Molly insisted on changing everything around in here is beyond me. No one can find anything anymore, not even her. Aha! Found the bread! What a weird place to put it, next to the sink. Now for some peanut butter.'

"Is it safe to come in?" Remus asked, poking his head through the door, "have they stopped?"

"Yeah, its clear, just me. Have you seen the peanut butter?"

"I think it's in the cupboard next to the ice box. Those two fight more than Lily and James ever did."

"Yeah, well at least Lily and James had enough sense to stay out of each others way for a bit afterwards, not like you and Leanne."

"Hey, shut up! We all couldn't be as perfect as you and Ellie."

"WHAT! What are you on about, we fought plenty, just not where everyone could see it." Sirius said, sitting down at the table with his bread and peanut butter.

"Sure you did, and I'm the Minister of Magic."

"Well, minister Lupin, we did. Why do you think she wouldn't talk to me for months during fifth year?"

"Always wondered about that. Anyway, I'd better get going, my turn on duty today. See you later." and with that Remus left.

Sirius bit into his peanut butter covered bread and let his mind wander.

"Hey Ellie."

"Hi Sirius, how come you're up so early?"

"I'm usually up by now. You going home for Christmas?" Sirius said, spotting the trunk next to Ellie.

"Yeah." Ellie said flatly, looking suddenly uncomfortable.

"Sure don't sound very happy about it. Heck I'd kill to go home for Christmas."

"Not with my family you wouldn't. Anyway, why don't you go? Its not like you don't have a family, I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."

Sirius gave a short laugh. "I hate my family, and they're not exactly keen on me either. At least your parents love you. Mine are forever on my case for being in Gryffindor, it's not like I could help it."

That seemed to have touched a nerve with Ellie.

"You know what Sirius, you just go on thinking that you have it the worst out of everyone. One day you're going to realise that there is someone worse off than you! And when you do I hope I'm there to see it!"

She turned on her heel and dragged her trunk out of the common room, leaving Sirius standing alone, bewildered.

Christmas came and went and soon after students started coming back to school.

The night before term started again, Lily stopped Sirius on his way to bed.

"Have you seen Ellie?" She asked, looking worried.

"No, why?"

"Well, she said she'd be back yesterday, I'm starting to get worried."

"It's probably nothing. She probably lost track of time, or missed the train, or maybe the train that left today broke down and she won't be back until later tonight. Are you sure she's not here? She has a weird way of being unseen when she wants to."

"Well she's definitely not here now, her stuff's still gone. But maybe you're right. G'night Sirius."

"Night Lily," Sirius said and continued up the stairs to his dormitory.

But Ellie still wasn't back the next day, and Sirius was starting to run out of reasons why she wasn't there.

Sirius woke up early second day of term. He could hear voices as he descended the stairs to the common room. He paused halfway down to listen.

"That's the best I can do El, you should really see Madam Pomfrey" Sirius recognised the voice as Lily's.

"I've told you, I'm fine and I'm not going to the hospital wing. No one will notice." This voice belonged to Ellie.

Sirius continued down the stairs and reached the common room in time to see the hem of Ellie's robes disappear through the portrait hole. Lily, who was still in her pyjamas disappeared up the stairs to the girls' dormitory and Sirius went to the hall for breakfast.

The hall was nearly deserted. Ellie was sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table alone.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Go ahead," Ellie mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.

Sirius sat down and grabbed a piece of toast off the nearest plate.

"Have a good holiday?"

Ellie shook her head and took another spoonful of cereal.

"Must have had at least a little fun, even I can have fun with my parents on occasion."

"No, it was horrible and I don't really want to talk about it. How was your Christmas?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows at Ellie and took another bite of toast.

"Not bad" he said, spewing crumbs all over the place, "sorry"

Ellie laughed and brushed the crumbs away before wincing slightly.

"You okay Ellie?" Sirius asked. Close-to Ellie looked rather pale and thinner than usual.

"I'm fine." Ellie said, getting up rather gingerly and picking up her bag, "see you later."

A couple minutes later James, Remus and Peter entered the hall; it was starting to fill now. James and the others sat down around Sirius and started to eat.

"I see Ellie's back. Doesn't look too happy though does she?" James said, taking a piece of toast.

"She didn't have a good holiday." Sirius replied.

"Neither did I, but I'm not all sad and whatnot, am I?" Peter said while loading his plate.

"Well you wouldn't would you, because you're a guy." said James, causing Remus to roll his eyes.

"No, I mean it. Girls blow stuff way out of proportion for no reason. Take Evans here for an example."

"What obnoxious, horribly wrong theory are you trying to prove this time Potter?" said Lily, who had stopped on the mention of her name on her way past the boys.

"Well like I was saying, Evans here is a perfect example. I play some pranks on people who truly deserve it and Evans won't go out with me. It's not like I just do it because I can. In fact, 56% of people deserved what they got. But Lily has gone and blown it out of proportion. It's the same with Ellie. She had a sort of bad holiday, but she's just angling for sympathy by exaggerating. Simple eh?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about Potter!" Lily said and stalked off.

"Don't worry Padfoot old buddy." James said, putting his arm around Sirius' shoulder, "it'll pass soon enough once she figures out she's not getting any sympathy. You just have to be cruel to be kind."

"Uh, I don't think I like that idea much Prongs,"

"Trust me Sirius, next time the subject comes up, tell her off. In fact I'll do it for you if you want."

"Uh James, ooh mut nut wunt to do thut, it'll just muk it wurse."

"What Remus? I can't understand you with your mouth full of banana."

Remus swallowed and repeated. "You might not want to do that, it'll just make things worse. I think Lily's right, just leave it."

"It'll be fine, trust me." James said, letting go of Sirius. Once he'd let go Sirius left the hall. He didn't like the sound of James's plan either. He hoped he would just forget about it. James had a habit of making plans and then forgetting about them later.

Unfortunately, James hadn't forgotten. This became apparent as they trudged back to the castle after Herbology that day.

"Hey Ellie! Have a good holiday?" James said as he and Sirius caught up with her.

"Not great, how 'bout you James? Did you have a good holiday?"

James didn't answer, but dropped back behind Ellie and said in an audible whisper, "and Lily says I'm conceited."

Ellie whipped around, looking angry. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you can't seem to see beyond your own nose. You got to go home for the holidays, not all of us are so lucky."

The whole thing had taken Sirius by surprise. This was not how he had pictured it at all.

"You think I wanted to go home?"

"Then why didn't you just stay here?" Sirius said quietly.

"Well if you must know, my mom threw me out when I got my Hogwarts letter. She beat me unconscious and threw me out of the house with nothing. The Knight Bus picked me up. Mr. Prewett was driving and took me home with him; I've been living in the Prewett's attic since. Last month my mom sent me a letter telling me that if I didn't come home for Christmas she was going to burn all my stuff. There were some things I still wanted so I went back. Turns out her new fiancé is a nasty bastard who hates magic more than she does." Ellie had tears in her eyes and her voice cracked on the last few words.

"Yeah, okay, so there's tension in your family," James said as if he hadn't heard a word she'd said, "who doesn't?"

"Yeah well your parents don't beat you for something you have no control over do they?"

She turned around and ploughed through the snow back to the castle. Lily passed by and seeing their dumbstruck expressions guessed what had happened.

"Gee James, that sure went well. Your theory is foolproof." she said sarcastically and walked off shaking her head.

Sirius felt awful as he trudged back to the castle for dinner. He intended to apologise the next time he saw Ellie, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Over the next months he tried to corner her, to apologise, but she was avoiding him. Finally he let himself believe it was over. He went out with other girls and tried to forget Ellie. But as whoever he was out with drabbled on about who was going out with whom, Sirius found himself missing Ellie. He couldn't explain it; all he knew was that he'd never felt the same way about any other girl.

"Sirius" Molly said, bringing Sirius out of his thoughts, "do you know what happened to that soap I bought?"

"In the cupboard under the sink"

A/N okie dokie, that's another chapter done! GIANT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED!!! To those who haven't reviewed, please do. Thanks!