Alright friends, I think it's time I claimed some faces. A lot of these are pretty much canon by now, but here's my take on the characters in this story. If you don't like it, ignore it, but I thought you might want to share my vision of them!

James Potter – Aaron Taylor Johnson, Sirius Black – Ben Barnes, Remus Lupin – Andrew Garfield, Peter Pettigrew – Jamie Bell, Marlene McKinnon – Freya Mavor, Lily Evans – Karen Gillian, Rabastan Lestrange – Dylan Ó Brien, Lucius Malfoy – Lucky Blue Smith.

As you can see, I still haven't been able to settle on a perfect Aurelia just yet (nor her brother), and while I will keep trying to do that, it would be amazing to have your help!

So, if you have the perfect Aurelia Fawley in mind, PLEASE leave me the suggestion as a review, and perhaps for next chapter, I will have settled on one! Also open for suggestions on Augustus or any other character that I've missed! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Never in her entire life had Aurelia lived through a longer summer. Time had passed so slowly, and on top of that, it had been lonely and insufferably silent. Silence had never bothered her before, not the way it did now. But now, it was as though it was haunting her; the lack of noise, laughter, sarcasm and mocking. During the few months she had spent with James and his friends, she hadn't only gotten used to the loudness, she had started to love it. In fact, she was finding it terribly difficult to live without.

She hadn't seen James any more that summer. But they had sent letters to one another; lots of letters, nearly every day. Well, besides from the last two weeks, after her mother had paid notice to all the owls being sent away daily, and made sure of it that Aurelia neither received nor sent any letters. Needless to say, the sixteen-year-old couldn't wait to go back to school. It was a calming thought, knowing that the next time she would be in that bloody manor she would be seventeen, and a legal adult. Well, unless her mother forced her to come home for Christmas, that was. Although Aurelia was certain she would find a way to get out of that, too.

While seventeen was one step closer to twenty-one, and the marriage deadline she did not want to be reminded of, it would also simplify her life significantly. She could write to James during breaks, she could see him, and her mother would have no right to interfere. Hell, she could even move out of the manor if she wanted to. Seventeen, she thought, would not be so bad, and she would count the days these five months remaining before her birthday.

She had looked for him at King's Cross Station, quite desperately so, although he was nowhere to be seen in the crowds; and neither were his friends. Usually, she would try to find an empty compartment on the Hogwarts express, and eventually be joined by some people she didn't know, some fellow Hufflepuffs, or some Slytherin boys eager to impress her. This year, however, she wasn't looking for an empty compartment. She was looking for James.

Eventually, she ended up finding Sirius and Peter alone in a compartment at the very front of the train, her messy-haired Gryffindor chaser nowhere to be seen.

"Fawley! Thank Godric you're alright!" Sirius exclaimed as she entered the compartment, and soon had her wrapped in a tight hug, whereas Peter awkwardly stayed in his seat curiously eyeing them.

"It's good to see you, Sirius," she responded with a slight smile, relaxing for the first time in weeks into his embrace.

"And you, too, Peter," she added with a smile as Sirius let go of her and they took their seats in the compartment.

"Where is he?" she asked, glancing back at the window on the compartment door, but the corridor was empty. Usually, it was an unspoken rule that wherever you found his friends, you would also find James, but too often now, Aurelia seemed to be asking his friends of his whereabouts.

"In the prefects' compartment," Peter responded casually, as he threw another Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean at his mouth, but missed, and sighed as the bean landed on the compartment floor.

"Please don't tell me this is another one of your pranks! We haven't even arrived at Hogwarts yet," the witch complained, although her real issue wasn't with their pranks, but with the fact that whatever prank he was up to seemed more important than seeing her after six weeks apart.

"Oh, you don't know? Now that's what I call a surprise," Sirius teased, not seeming nearly as worried as Aurelia.

"What surprise? What's going on?"

"Our dear Prongs has been elected Head Boy."

"Not funny, Sirius. Just tell me the truth already."

"I know it's shocking, Fawley, but it's the truth, alright."

Not only was it shocking, but it was so improbable that she still considered it to be a prank. Now, if it were Remus Lupin who had been made Head Boy, Aurelia wouldn't have been shocked at all. Where Remus was responsible and studious, and a prefect at that, James was unpredictable, impulsive and cared much more about quidditch tournaments than he did grades. And while Aurelia loved all those things about him, they were not qualities which generally improved someone's chances of becoming Head Boy.

"I'll believe that when I see it," she mumbled at the somewhat smug boy sitting next to her, before turning to the blonde boy whose undivided attention was aimed at the Bertie Bott's beans in his hands.

"How was your summer, Peter?"

"It was good. My parents brought me to France. You should see the doxies over there, it's a bloody infestation if you ask me! How about you?"

"That sounds brilliant, Pete. Let's just say I'm glad that summer is over, I just wish that James would-"

The young witch was interrupted as the compartment door flung open, and another witch rushed through it, wrapping her arms around the petite blonde in a bone crushing embrace.

"Lia! I haven't heard from you in weeks, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine, Marlene! It's good to see you too," she replied, unable to conceal a smile at the positive, beaming energy that was Marlene McKinnon; an energy that slightly decreased at the sight of Sirius Black.

"Sirius. Peter," she greeted stiffly at the pair, before turning her gaze back at her friend.

"Did you know James got Head Boy? Plain insanity if you ask me! Poor Lily will have to do twice the work any Head Girl has ever had to do, if not more!"

"Lily?"

"Lily Evans, our Lily. I mean it's no surprise she got Head Girl, she's a walking dictionary, that one," joked a short brunette from behind Marlene.

"I'm Mary, by the way," the brunette added with a small wave, causing Peter to drop his entire box of Bertie Bott's on the compartment floor, without so much as a sigh at the incident.

"It's nice to meet you Mary, I'm Aurelia."

"Well, Mary and I should be on our way before Dorcas starts to really wonder. Would you like to join us, Lia? I know it's not for many hours, but men can be such dogs," Marlene grunted, locking her eyes onto Sirius, and Aurelia had to force down a laugh.

"I vividly recall that's how you like your men, Marley," Sirius teased before the younger witch had the chance to respond, and although Aurelia had no idea what had happened between the pair, she could barely keep herself from laughing at Sirius' remark.

"Thanks, Marlene, but I'm fine here. I'll see you at Hogwarts, alright?"

"Suit yourself."

"Bye Aurelia, Peter," Mary beamed at them, before following her friend out of the compartment.

It wasn't long before Peter had gotten up to his feet, looking awkwardly between Sirius and the compartment door. It was silent for a while, as he stood, looking positively torn and anguished.

"I should prob-" he finally begun, but was quickly cut off by his friend.

"Go ahead, Wormtail."

Peter left in a rush, presumably chasing after Mary, who had caught his attention so swiftly. Aurelia realized that although she had spent a lot of time with these boys last term, and considered them some of her best (and only) friends, there was so much she didn't know about them. There was obviously something going on between Peter and Mary, yet she had never heard the boy mention the brunette witch before. And while Sirius seemed to know most the details of Aurelia's quite chaotic life, she had no idea what had happened between him and Marlene, that had made the otherwise positive girl so contemptuous.

"You never told me what happened between you and Marlene," she mumbled, after quite a long-lasting silence had filled the compartment which suddenly only held two passengers. It wasn't exactly awkward, the silence between them, although Aurelia had a strange feeling that perhaps it should be.

"That's because there's nothing to tell," he muttered in response, fidgeting with the muggle device he had in his hands.

"Well, it's obvious that something happened. But I suppose you don't have to tell me. You don't have to be friends with me just because I'm with James… I just thought we were," she mumbled, somewhat incoherently. Surely, he had already told the boys what went down between him and Marlene, and on some level, it hurt her to be left out.

Perhaps she was being greedy, because while she had James now, and while she had friends, it wasn't really enough. They were only friends with her because of James, and she wasn't really one of them. She was the odd one out, the one who never knew anyone's secrets, and who still sat alone in the Great Hall for dinner.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Fawley. We're friends. As are Marley and I."

"She doesn't seem too convinced of that."

"Don't worry about it, she'll come around."

"But you were more than friends before, weren't you?"

"Merlin, Fawley, you're insufferable, do you know that?"

Sirius let out a deep sigh as he ran a hand through his ridiculously perfect hair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I broke things off with her," he stated bluntly, his grey eyes meeting hers hesitantly, as though he was expecting a scolding like no other.

"Why?"

"It just wasn't fair to her. She… I just didn't feel… what she felt."

"Oh…"

Truthfully, Aurelia had never really considered that, but having seen them together, it was quite obvious how Marlene had felt about him. And well, before Aurelia had gotten to know Sirius, she wouldn't have guessed that he'd be anything but casual with any girl. Seeing him with Marlene though, and getting to know him, had changed that perception. But now, she couldn't quite make sense of it. They had seemed happy together, him and Marlene, and Aurelia could definitely see what good someone as bright and positive as Marlene could do for someone like him; someone with such a dark background. She seemed much like what James was to her; a sun, of sorts, lighting up just about everything in his surroundings. But then again, James was that to Sirius, too.

"Don't you think that perhaps you could?" She finally asked, deep in thought.

"Could what?"

"Feel the same way about her? In time?"

"No."

His answer was simple, and came way too soon. He was certain, as though there wasn't a doubt in his mind. It made her wonder why he had been with Marlene for so long in the first place, as the witch's feelings had seemed so obvious. Perhaps she had been right in what she said before leaving the compartment, that men are dogs. But then again, Aurelia knew Sirius. And whilst, to some degree, he actually wasa dog, Sirius Black had held her as she cried. He had listened to her troubles, and he had told her it was going to be alright. She couldn't possibly believe that the same boy had completely played Marlene, well-aware of how it would hurt her. That didn't seem like the Sirius Black she knew.

"Why?" she inquired under her breath, after yet again giving in to her thoughts and speculations, unable to resist her curiosity. Unable to leave the conversation stuck wondering about his motives.

"For fuck's sake, Fawley! It wouldn't be bloody fair to stay with her if I was in love with someone else, now would it? Now, are you going to keep buggering me about or do I get to have some privacy?"

"Of course, I'm sorry."

The silence that followed their conversation was most definitely awkward. She knew better than to keep asking, seeing how he had snapped at her, yet she couldn't help but to wonder about who he might be in love with. The memory of his argument with James while she was staying at the Potter house lingered at the back of her mind. It was a thought she didn't dare, nor want to entertain, and so she forced herself into other ones.

"So… Peter and Mary?"

"Yeah. That's been waiting to happen for too long," he grinned, and Aurelia could finally relax again as he didn't seem to hold a grudge against her for asking all those questions.

She didn't see James until the train reached Hogsmeade, and all the students were getting off the Hogwarts Express. He looked happy, as he was boarding a carriage with Remus, some other prefects, and Lily Evans; the head girl to his head boy.

Truthfully, Aurelia had just about forgotten about Lily Evans over the last couple of months. She had been spending so much time together with James, and gotten so close with him, that the intrusion that was Lily Evans had completely passed her by. And yet, there she was again. Worrying about Lily was inevitable, seeing that she was pretty much going to be living with James now. Her James.

Her James, who prior to meeting Aurelia had publically pronounced his undying love for the redhead countless times. Who had asked her out time and time again, in front of the entire school, only to be turned down each time. Her James, who had yet to so much as hold Aurelia's hand in public after nearly five months together.

The blonde had never been so scared of losing him before. Yet, it wasn't that she didn't trust James, because despite the fact that they weren't exactly a couple, she did. She trusted him with all her heart. The issue was that whatever relationship they had, her and James, it had been too good to be true from the very beginning. Because Aurelia was nothing special, and Lily Evans most certainly was. It was as though somewhere, deep down, she had known all along that she wasn't good enough for him. That she couldn't possibly be.

Seeing him just then, as he followed the radiant redhead onto the carriage, only confirmed that. He hadn't even looked for her. Six weeks apart, out of which two weeks without any contact, and he didn't seem to have a worry in the world. In fact, he seemed more concerned with holding doors open for the muggleborn who seemed to have everyone under her charm.

"You'll see him soon enough, Fawley. No worries," said Sirius encouragingly as he put his arm around her shoulder, as she had seen him do so many times with the boys, and walked her to a carriage. And while a small, yet terrifying thought at the back of her mind made her wonder if she still had James, it seemed as though she did have real friends after all.

A/N: There it is, the start of their 6th/7th year at Hogwarts! What do you make of it? Why isn't James looking for her? Who is Sirius in love with? And how are the Head Boy and Head Girl going to get along? Please let me know if you liked this chapter by following, favoriting and reviewing (please do review if you liked it, it means the world to me)!

Also, here's a reminder to let me know if you have a dreamcast for Aurelia (or another character), that you think I should know of! I could really use some suggestions, and love to hear what you guys think!