Sirius sits tall in her chair at the dining room table. She isn't normally allowed to sit with Mama and Father; Walburga and Orion tend to let the house elves feed their children just Sirius , the way it's been for the past six year, since Regulus died due to a fire accident.

But today is a special day. Today ,Sirius turns eleven. The nanny elf has been reassigned to kitchen duty; Sirius is a big girl now. She's expected to eat with her parents, and pay attention to news of the adult world.

Like that 'young upstart' Voldemort, who's the so-called Dark Lord, who wants the support of the House of Black in his platform. Mama's against it, Sirius figures out as her parents argue. Father thinks it's a good idea, because Uncle Cygnus does.

Sirius stares out the window at the muggles she can see but who can't see her. She searches the sky, looking for the dark spot of an owl who will bring her Hogwarts letter to her.

And finally, when dinner is almost over, an owl appears on the horizon. Sirius sits quietly, waiting for one of the elves to bring the letter in, even though she wants to jump out of her seat and begin celebrating.

As Heggie and Tildy are clearing away the plates, Kreacher hurries into the room. "A letter for Mistress Sirius," he says, bowing next to Walburga's chair.

Sirius quivers with excitement. In a moment of kindness and love, Walburga hands her daughter her letter.

Sirius opens it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Orion and Walburga take time to say goodbye to their daughter. Walburga kisses her and says she'll love her whatever house she's in, so long it's not Gryffindor or Hufflepuff.

Sirius understands. Ravenclaw is acceptable, but Slytherin is hoped for.

Orion tucks a few galleons into Sirius ' hand. "Just in case," he mutters as he gives his daughter a hug. Then they send her off onto the train.

As he gets on,Sirius is knocked over by a Black-haired blur that rushes past her to go stand by a blonde boy saying goodbye to his mother.

As he's getting up, brushing his knees off, the blackhead returns, the boy trailing behind her.

"Did I knock you down?" he asks, her brow creased.

He's handsome, Sirius realises. Vibrant black hair, and sapphire Blue eyes. "I – I'm okay," Sirius says.

"Here." The boy extends a hand. "I'm James. This is Remus Lupin. Are you a first year?"

"Yes," Sirius says, letting him pull her up.

"Why don't you sit with us?" James invites. "We usually get a compartment on our own."

"Sure," Sirius says. "That would be nice."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Her second year starts the same way, at the train station. She sits with James and Remus, but this year, James brings some of the friends he's made in Gryffindor – Peter and Frank. They seem a little apprehensive at first, sitting with a Slytherins, but on the way toward the carriages, Sirius hears Frank tell James that she's 'perfectly charming'.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fourth year starts out fine. She and Remus share a compartment with James and his friends.

Remus becomes quite unbearable as the year goes on. Any given day could find him in the library, neck deep in papers and books.

"You don't understand, you have money," Remus says irritably one day after Sirius complains that they're no fun anymore, trying to get them to take a break. "These exams can make or break us."

"I thought those were the NEWTs," Sirius says cluelessly. James laughs and pats her hand.

"Oh, Sirius," he sighs.

She does get him to come study out on the lake. Renus sulks and moans and refuses to leave the library, but James agrees to come. Sirius spreads out a picnic blanket, and quizzes him on the different things he needs to know for the exams.

Her laughter echoes across the lake, and Sirius feels like he wants to preserve this moment forever.

Jame and Sirius write regularly over summer vacation, but when the time comes to return to school, they don't sit together. Sirius sits with her Slytherin friends.

And James slips into a compartment of Gryffindors, giving her a sad smile.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It's the second night back at Hogwarts when an owl arrives for Sirius at dinner.

It's from James.

I know we're back in school, he writes. But can we keep up our correspondence?

They write every night after that.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They keep writing, even though they hardly see each other.

She knows when he dates Lily. She knows all the little things he found hilarious, what he spends his Saturdays doing.

And when he graduates, it's her he smiles at as she gets her diploma.

They keep writing all through Sirius' year. She laughs with him about his old attitude towards OWLs and NEWTs.

But they haven't seen each other for over a year.

After graduation, James suggests they meet up for ice cream, at Fortescues.

I'd love to catch up in person, he writes.

And she agrees.

It's not as awkward as he thought it would be. They hug, and get their ice cream, then continue as if their letters were a part of a long conversation that they can now pick up when they see each other face to face.

She asks about Remus.

James says. "He's doing fine. Working as a Potions Master in France."

She nods and licks her ice long after, the ice cream's gone, and they make plans to meet again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It comes on quietly. No big revelation. Sirius just looks at him on one of their little meetups and knows.

It's in the way he smiles when she sees her, the way he understands everything she says. The way she feels like she can tell her anything, and that she can solve any problem.

That day, as they plan their next meet up, Sirius asks if he wanted it to be a date.

"I'd like that," he says. They both part with smiles on their faces.

Sirius' smile disappears as she apparates into his luxurious apartment.

I'm the sole heir. Will they – will they accept a half-blood?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sirius tells her parents ahead of time what James's heritage is. Her mother is shocked.

"I thought we raised you better than this!" she screeches.

"You raised me to know quality from yesterday's trash," he says quietly, appealing to them both, father and mother. "And James – he may be halfblood, but it doesn't hinder the understanding of this world, nor his intelligence in the many fields of magic."

It's an uphill road, but after the third time they meet with him, they are thoroughly enchanted.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

There are plenty of whispers at the wedding, but since James's parents are dead, it's quite easy to pass him off as a pureblood, which is what Walburga tries to do.

"Inbreeding, you know," she says 'confidentially'. "It's best to bring in some new blood every once in a while."

"Muggle blood?" A relative inquires snidely.

"Magic blood," Walburga replies imperiously.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Eighteen months later, Sirius is bent over the toilet, cursing James for doing this to her even as he holds her hair back and reminds her that she wanted a child.

Six months after that, she holds a tiny baby boy in her arms, as James holds her in his arms.

"Name?" he asks softly, stroking the baby's tiny tuft of black hair and perfect skin.

"Harry," Sirius says. James smiles.

"Harry James Potter-Black," Sirius says quietly as she leans down to kiss the baby on the forehead. "Welcome to the wizarding world, my son."

The baby opens his eyes, and James smiles at the shocking blue colour of them.

"Like mother, like son," he murmurs.

And that is the picture that their first family portrait is painted from. The three of them in a circle, the family resemblance between their child and his parents visible in the brilliant blue eyes and jet black hair.

Welcome to the wizarding world, Harry James Black.

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AN : Thank alot for your support, especially

Cg037 and OoAnevor