Disclaimer:- I'm still not J.K Rowling and I bow to her genius. I own nothing here and I'm not making any money through it.

Chapter Two:

Romance and Violence

I say our sixth year, but it really began in our O.W.L year, and it started with Florence Ze Bour.

Florence Ze Bour was a stunningly attractive Hufflepuff in our year. Her waist length hair was white-blond and when the light hit it little crystals seemed to dance within. She had light-blue eyes that sat gracefully in her pale, elegant features and she grew from a pretty child to beautiful goddess over one summer between our forth and fifth years. Add this to the fact she was half Veela and you can picture the effect she had on Hogwarts male population.

Three of the marauders had also fallen under her spell. (James, for reasons I can't fathom, decided no-one but me would do. Personally I think he just thrived on rejection.) They made a pact. Each one would try to win her heart, and when one of them succeeded the other two would back off.

Peter, wisely, decided he didn't have a chance and resigned himself to unrequited love.

So that left Sirius and Remus.

The latter focused on making himself an integral part of her day. He carried her books, tutored her in potions, and became her friend. All in the hope she would one day see him in a new light, and fall into his arms.

Sirius, as you may expect, took a different tack. He treated Florence like a Princess, and he was a knight trying to gain her affections through medieval chivalry. For example. One Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. He came out on to the pitch with James and the rest of the house team. Before anyone could say a word he kicked off from the ground, flew to the Hufflepuff stands and hovered level with the object of his attention. He then bowed, pledged to win the match in her name, and begged for a favour so he might carry her colours. She blushed, but handed over her Hufflepuff scarf, along with a kiss on the cheek. He tied it tightly around his waist and landed back on the ground where a very annoyed Madam Kempion waited to start the game.

Both approaches worked very well and by Easter break it was well known Florence was torn between the two Marauders.

The morning before summer term started Mum drove me to King's Cross Station so I could catch the train back to Hogwarts. It was a warm day with a pleasant breeze that ruffled my red hair as I pushed a trolley with my school things on towards the station doors.

It was then I saw Sirius' mother walking along with Regulus, but no this Sirius. This was strange as I knew he had., in his words, been "summoned" home for Easter.

Regulus spotted me and an evil grin spread across his face. I readied myself for the insult I knew was coming.

"Oi, Mudblood!"

I walked on ignoring him. It always helped to remind myself at this point that, although Regulus was a carbon copy of his elder brother, no-one considered him hansom. Mainly because his face only had two expressions, boredom and hate, and his eyes were cold and lifeless.

It will come as no surprise that Regulus was a Slytherin.

My mother and I stopped at the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 so we could say goodbye. She pulled me into a fierce hug which I returned with equal enthusiasm.

"I'll see you in the summer," she said, tears pricking her eyes. "Have fun and write lots."

"I will," I promised.

We kissed each other on the cheek and I walked through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾.

The bright red Hogwarts Express already had steam billowing out of it's funnel. It was 10:50, I realised, with little shock, which gave me only ten minutes before the train left. I pushed the trolley to the prefects carriage at the front of the steam engine and started to haul my trunk on-board.

"Need any help?"

Looking up I saw Remus Lupin standing over me.

"Yes please."

He grabbed one side of my trunk and effortlessly pulled it in to the compartment. I marvelled for a second before recalling that his werewolf side gave him superior strength.

I climbed into the carriage and turned round to shut the door. As I did I saw Regulus and Mrs Black exchanging their farewells. I also remembered Sirius was conspicuous by his absence.

"Remus?"

"Um." He had already buried himself in a book.

"Have you seen Sirius over Easter?"

Remus' mouth tightened.

"Seen, no. But James wrote to me about him." His voice was calm but I could feel rage boiling inside him.

"What's happened?" I questioned gently.

Not trusting himself to speak he fished around in his pocket and drew out a piece of parchment. I took it from him and noticed James' flowing script. The letter was dated five days before.

Moony,

Padfoot turned up on my doorstep at 2 O'clock this morning, black and blue all over. He managed to say "Hi Prongs," before collapsing.

Apparently he was called home to "discuss his behaviour" and to receive the usual "What it means to be a Black" lecture. Sirius, being Sirius, lost his rag and ended up in a full-blown screaming match with his parents, and (The writing became almost illegible and I suspected James had been shaking with anger.) his father decided to beat the "blood-traitor" out of him. When he managed to escape he caught the Knight Bus over to mine.

He's in St. Mungo's at the moment with three broken ribs, but he'll be out tomorrow. Mum and Dad have said he can live here until he's old enough to get his own place. Meanwhile Padfoot's decided he's not taking this any further.

I know what your thinking Moony, and I agree, but Mum reckons part of Sirius is ashamed that he couldn't stop this, so we can't push him.

We're going to floo to Hogsmeade and walk to school. (I don't think Sirius wants to see his parents) so we'll meet you in Gryffindor Tower.

See you Sunday,

Prongs.

The compartment lurched as the train started moving. My eye's flitted to the window and I caught Mrs Black waving goodbye to her youngest son. My hands started shaking as fury and outrage coursed through me. I had, still have, a towering temper that was sure to be ignited by bullies. That was my personal vendetta, and one of the reasons I had turned James Potter down 489 times so far.

"His folks did this to him?" I spat.

Remus face was still grim as he nodded. His amber eyes were saddened and I knew he was reflecting on the Sirius he knew.

Now is not the time for an Evans Hissy Fit,' I told myself and began to quell my indignation.

"Remus," I started gently. "Has this happened before?"

My thought was simply get my fellow prefect to talk. I knew once at Hogwarts, he would listen to his friends, support them and leave his own feelings out of it. I also knew he would talk to me, as I had proven he could trust me.

Remus looked at me and sighed.

"Never like this," he said. "They ignore him mostly, banish him to his room, under-feed him. I know he's been stuck by the Cruciatus curse a couple of times, but nothing like this."

I was numb. To use an Unforgivable on your own son was something I couldn't conceive. Silently I said a prayer of thanks for my parents to every god and goddess I could think of.

"Why? What could possibly justify this?" I whispered.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a member of the Sirius Black Fan Club (Believe it or not there was one, and it met in the library every Friday evening between 6 and 7.) but nobody deserved this.

"Oh, come on Lily!" Remus exclaimed. "You've met Regulus, and you must remember the howler in our first week. It's just the way his family is."

Aah, yes, the Howler. I had forgotten that. It had arrived four days into the start of term and exploded with full wrath at the Gryffindor table. Mrs Blacks voice had filled the hall to berate her son on not getting into Slytherin, advising him he'd shamed the family by becoming a "god-awful Gryffindor", and ordering him to pick his friends from true wizarding families only. The Howler had screamed for a full five minutes and all the time Sirius had grown redder and redder while trying to slip under the table. When it finished, and had burst into flames, the house table was left in shocked silence. James had finally broken the silence with "So, Sirius, you never mentioned your mum was a banshee." There had been titters of laughter and slowly everyone returned to their conversations.

I was pulled to the present as the door to our carriage slid open and Severus Snape walked in with Narcissa Black. Both were Slytherin prefects, and therefore had every right to sit with us, but neither Remus nor I was in the mood for company.

"Hello Severus, Narcissa," I said pleasantly. "I hope you had a good Easter."

"It was quiet" said Severus indifferently.

He was a strange boy with sallow skin, shoulder length greasy black hair, and a large bulbous nose. He also possessed black eyes that contained a malicious glint at this moment.

"Unlike mine," stated the silky voice of Narcissa.

She was tall, far too skinny, with an aristocratic beauty and haughty air. She was also, unusually for a Black, blond.

"Why don't you tell them about it Narcissa. I'm sure they'd find it interesting," Severus suggested.

I knew now why they'd bothered us, they want to goad a certain werewolf about Sirius. I could feel Remus next to me, trembling with barley contained fury.

"We had a family meeting about a week ago, to confront my dear cousins treachery," Narcissa drawled. "It is felt he is becoming to much like my own beloved sister.

"The debate became quite heated and Uncle Algol had to calm' Sirius down."

Narcissa paused a moment to let her words sink in, before moistening her lips and continuing.

"My precious cousin was in a bit of a state when the discussion ended, and we left him to consider our opinions. By next morning he had gone and no-one has heard from him."

"Naturally the family is extremely worried. After all there's always a chance he's not dead in a ditch somewhere."

Remus was on her feet as before she had finished talking, his wand pointing straight at the blond Black. This was very unlike Remus. I did a quick calculation in my head and realised the full moon was the next day. He always became more impetuous at this time, so I had to end this situation before it escalated. I touched his shoulder softly to calm him.

"I'm so sorry to hear that Narcissa," I said opening the carriage door. "But I'm sure Sirius will be just fine.

"Now, Remus and I were just going over passwords for the coming term. So, if you wouldn't mind."

I held the door open for them and indicated they should leave. All the time I was praying they'd take the hint.

"Of course," Severus agreed, with a nod of his head. "We were just leaving anyway. The smell was getting to much."

I couldn't stop Remus then. The spell hit Severus legs and they began to jerk around out of his control. This resulted in him tripping through the open door and smacking his oversized nose on the gangway window. Large amounts of blood started to pour down his face.

Narcissa looked at him disdainfully and stalked off to her carriage, after stepping over Severus' still spasming legs.

"You'll pay for this Lupin," he spat through the blood still gushing from his nose.

Remus sheathed his wand, having satisfied his inner wolf. He look ferociously at the other boy and said "I look forward to it Snivellus."

We watched Severus crawl up the gangway, his lower limbs still twitching violently, and closed the door.

Remus flung himself into his seat, cold fury still preserved in his amber eyes.

"This is what he's going to have to put up with, isn't it?" he ranted helplessly. "It isn't enough he's been battered half to death by his own flesh and blood? He has to be taunted about it as well?"

I sat opposite and looked him straight in the eye.

"It's not fair and it's not right," I assented. "But Sirius will cope. As long as you three stand by him he can survive much more than this."

Remus seemed mollified and bent down to pick up James' letter.

"So what's your answer?" he asked.

"What?"

He handed me the letter and I suddenly noticed more writing under the signature…

P.S. If you sit with Evans on the train, ask her if she'll go out with me.

I rolled my eyes.

"No," I answered. "He is an arrogant toe-rag who couldn't have a healthy relationship anymore than stop deliberately messing up his hair. He is vain, self-centred and conceited.

"You can tell Potter this is the 490th time I've turned him down and that I suggest he takes the hint."

"At least he's committed," Remus laughed, finding great humour in my reaction.

Committed to driving me crazy is not a positive, Remus."

The rest of the journey was fairly subdued, although I did put Regulus in detention for terrorising a muggle-born first year, and soon enough we were back at Hogwarts.

Dinner that evening was not fun for Sirius. He still had several vivid bruises on his face, including a black eye that made it difficult to see out of his left socket. (It has always amazed me magic can mend broken bones in seconds, but bruises still have to heal naturally.)

From the Slytherin table taunts came thick and fast, and with each one Sirius seemed to shrink before our eyes. By the end of the meal everyone in Hogwarts knew how Sirius had received his injuries.

Once they had eaten the marauders stood up and started to make their way to the Entrance Hall. The other three seemed fiercely protective of Sirius, who looked the exact opposite of the usually confident and boisterous boy we all knew.

I had started to wonder if I had been right on the train, if he really would cope with this, when Florence Ze Bour stood up and called to him.

"Yeah," Sirius said, tiredness flooding his voice as he turned to her.

She tossed her sublime head so her hair caught the light, and walked towards him. Everybody's eyes were on her. Hogwarts collectively held it's breath.

"Would you like to go out with me?" she said. I could almost hear Slytherin jaws hitting the table.

"I would be honoured," he replied with a sweeping bow.

As he straightened she took his face gently in her hands and kissed him deeply. I imagine this was quite painful for him, but he never flinched. The other Marauders suddenly became very interested in the enchanted ceiling.

Eventually she pulled away.

"I'll meet you for breakfast at eight then," she said and left the hall.

Sirius stood there is blissful shock until James cleared his throat.

They started to leave the Great Hall again, and as they passed me I caught a bit of their conversation.

"Mr Moony congratulates Mr Padfoot on a successful campaign and gracefully concedes his defeat."

"Mr Padfoot thanks Mr Moony for his eloquent withdrawal and offers his condolences losing Miss Ze Bour."

"Mr Prongs would like to register his loss of words."

"Mr Wormtail would like to congratulate Mr Padfoot for being the first person to render Mr Prongs speechless."

"Mr Moony would like to….."

With that they were out of earshot.

I smiled to myself, everything had turned out better than expected. Little did I know that I had just witnessed the beginning. The start of something that would test these for friends to the limit.

A/N: Thank-you to Crystal for reviewing the first chapter. If anyone else is reading this story please review as you guys make my day when you do and my writing can only improve with feed back. Thanks in advance, Gem