Evie spent the rest of the journey and evening effectively avoiding Sirius, which meant avoiding James, Remus, and Peter as well. This entailed, like Lily suggested, spending the remainder of the journey with Tilly and Mar. Arriving at the platform, they made a dash towards the carriages so as not to be held up by the boys- Lily had made up the excuse that James was stalking her, which was not so farfetched. They sat further down the table from the boys and closest to the door so as to make a quick getaway when the feast was over. The only highlight of the evening was when Evie's cousin Scarlett was sorted into Gryffindor. She beamed at her from down the table as she sat with the other first years. Their grandfather would certainly be proud upon hearing he had yet another grandchild to carry on the family legacy.

She could feel Sirius watching her throughout the meal out of the corner of her eye, but absolutely refused to meet his gaze. He could stew for all she cared. After the feast they marched straight up to Gryffindor Tower without dawdling.

"I'm going to head to bed. I'm rather knackered already," said Evie to the girls once they made it through the portrait hole.

"It's barely eight o'clock, grandma," laughed Tilly.

"Yeah I know. Just need to catch up on some shut-eye," she mumbled feebly. Tilly brushed it off and took a seat by the fire, but Marlene did not look as convinced, ever the concerned mother figure of their group.

"Are you sure you're alright, Evie?" she asked with a lifted brow. Evie didn't want to lie to her, but at that particular moment she didn't want to talk about it and certainly didn't want any chance of running into him. Sleep was a tempting savior.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a long day," she said somewhat honestly, catching Lily's silent sympathetic gaze.

"Alright. You'll be missing our first night back though," tried Mar.

"I'm sure I'll live. Goodnight all," said Evie walking up to her dorm. As she walked up the stairs she heard more voices. James asking Lily why Evie was avoiding them and Lily denying she was ignoring them at all, ever a true best friend.

It's not that Lily and Evie were necessarily closer than James and Evie, or Tilly and Evie were for that matter. Evie could simply tell Lily things that she couldn't tell her two dearest and oldest friends. Tilly would feign interest at best, saying that Sirius was a prat and suggest that she have herself committed. And James would either be incredibly awkward about it or himself act like a prat and give off signals left and right. Complaining to them about her growing feelings for Sirius would accomplish nothing, and at any rate she was sure Matilda had a good idea already. Her ability to read Evie like a book and the fact that they'd known each other since diapers were a necessity to their wardrobe was a testament to how well they knew each other. Though the same could be said for James, he was not as observant. With these thoughts swimming in her head, Evie made an effort to lose herself to sleep.

Having slept early the night before, Evie was the first one up the next morning. After a quick scalding shower she got dressed, wand-dried her wavy hair, and put on what little makeup she cared to. Mary McDonald was the next one up, throwing her usual glare before marching passed into the bathroom. After waking her friends up, which she knew McDonald wouldn't do, Evie said she would meet them down at breakfast. She left her bag in the dorm as she would have spare time to retrieve it before class.

As luck would have it the only people at the Gryffindor table that early were Gideon and Fabian, odd as she knew for a fact they were certainly not morning people.

"Morning, Eve-"

"-the apple of our eye," they grinned. She observed them for a moment before sitting down with an eye roll.

"Share an eye now, do you? How very Greek tragedy of you," she smirked as she piled pancakes onto her plate.

"Ooh. Someone's feeling saucy this morning, Gid," said Fabian.

"What do you mean this morning? Evie's always saucy," he said slinging an arm around her shoulder.

"Isn't it too early for you to be demonstrating your affection for each other?" came Remus's voice. Sure enough the four boys walked in and sat down with the already seated Gryffindors. Sirius sat across from Evie, between James and Fabian, glaring at Gideon's arm. Remus sat down next to her, Peter next to him.

"I was demonstrating nothing. These tossers practically jumped me when I walked down innocently for my breakfast," she smiled shoving off Gideon's arm.

"Where were you last night?!" cried James indignantly, "You go off with Evans and ignore us for the rest of the night without so much as a word."

"Technically, Jamesie, ignoring entails there be no words from me to you," replied Evie with a slight smirk, "However, I was not ignoring you."

"That's right, she was ignoring me," muttered Sirius through a mouthful of toast.

"First of all, it's rude to speak with your mouth full. I'd have thought someone who had proper etiquette shoved down their throat would have known that. And secondly, I was not ignoring you," she said with a glare.

"Really? So you didn't get upset at me for snogging Gudgeon yesterday?" he challenged.

"You snogged Gudgeon?!" cried James, who went ignored.

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't sit around all day long contemplating how I feel about you snogging some girl I could care less than a troll's brain capacity about. What I didn't appreciate is that I had to walk in on it," she said as she cut her pancakes rather aggressively.

"Is that so? Well I'm sorry you had to see it. Not that it was anticipated but I'm sorry my snogging her upset you," he said with a cheeky glint in his eyes.

"Oh please. I have no reason to be upset other than the fact that it was disgusting. Why anyone would snog you is a wonder, the way you practically mauled her," said Evie before shoveling pancakes into her mouth.

"Maybe some people like being mauled, Evie. You should give it a try sometime," he said maintaining his smirk.

She rolled her eyes at him, "The day I snog someone is the day I like someone well enough to willingly swap spit with them. Not that it's any of your concern. It's as much my business who you snog as it is your business who I snog."

His eyes narrowed, "Who are you snogging?"

It was her turn to smirk, "Like I said, none of your business."

They held their challenging gazes several long seconds before Remus cleared his throat. The five of them had just been watching, not sure what exactly was going on, not that Evie or Sirius were entirely sure themselves.

"So…" trailed Fabian.

"Quidditch tryouts next week," added Gideon awkwardly. James immediately brightened and started talking animatedly.

"Oh I know! They finally have the right positions open this year! Evie and I have been practicing all summer long. Well, more like our whole lives, right Evie? This time next week Gryffindor will have a new chaser. And chaser thy name is Potter!" he grinned, "Not to mention of course a new unquestionably capable keeper and beater."

She looked to Sirius. "You're trying out for the team?"

"James convinced me to yesterday," he mumbled before McGonagall came over and gave them their schedules.

"Ms. Bloxum, I was under the impression that it was your intention to become an auror."

"Yes, professor, it's still my intention."

"I was quite surprised that you've decided to take muggle studies rather than arithmancy. The auror office is quite a selective organization. Would arithmancy not seem better suited?" she asked.

"It would. But as I'm sure you know I've got some rather reliable inside information when it comes to the auror office. My dad said that they're looking for applicants that aren't 'blood sensitive' at this point in time, as he put it. My mother encouraged me to go for muggle studies as well as she used to work for the liaison office. And the town I live in is wizard and muggle integrated. And at any rate, if and when I manage to get an internship with them over the summer in a couple of years I should be fine," she said with a dazzling smile. McGonagall's thin lips quivered a minute fighting a small smile of her own.

"Very well then, it sounds as if you've already given it a great deal of thought. I will see you in class in an hour," she said before walking up to the head table.

"I didn't know the department had internships. Maybe I should go for one," said James.

"I thought you wanted to play Quidditch?" asked Peter through a mouthful of bacon. More people had started to file into the Great Hall for breakfast. Lily, Til, and Mar among them. Rather than take the vacant seat that James was motioning to her like a madman, Lily went and sat on Fabian's other side, Mar and Til across from her.

James, looking sullen, answered nonetheless, "Desperate times, Pete. In another day and age I would have loved to play professionally."

"Not to mention we open minded purebloods are labeled as 'blood-traitors' and you'd basically be an open target on a broomstick," Added Fabian with a chuckle.

"Well yeah, then there's that little setback," laughed James as they started to look at their schedules.

Monday:

9 AM Transfiguration

10 AM Muggle Studies

1 PM Care of Magical Creatures

Tuesday:

9 AM Potions

10 AM History of Magic

1 PM Charms

2 PM Divination

Wednesday:

9 AM Defense Against the Dark Arts

1 PM Herbology

2 PM Muggle Studies

Thursday:

9 AM Transfiguration

10 AM Potions

1 PM History of Magic

2 PM Charms

11 PM Astronomy

Friday:

9 AM Care of Magical Creatures

10 AM Herbology

1 PM Divination

2 PM Defense Against the Dark Arts

Evie knew for a fact that James, Sirius, and Peter all had the same schedule as she did. They'd all signed up for Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies. Remus had also signed up for Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, but he was taking Arithmancy instead of Divination. The girls were also taking Care of Magical Creatures but they were all alternating between Ancient Runes and Arithmancy rather than Divination and Muggle Studies. Evie would rather offer herself up to a venomous tentacula than take Ancient Runes, she thought, but to each his own.

They said goodbye to Gideon and Fabian who were off to their first OWL course. Evie told her friends to head to class ahead of her as she still needed to get her bag and books. When she came back down from her dorm, book bag slinked across her chest, Sirius was waiting for her in the commonroom with a guilty look on his face.

"I'm sorry," she heard him mutter before looking up to meet her gaze, "I shouldn't have said some of those things. And I'm sorry you had to see…well I'm sorry you saw what you saw. And it meant nothing. I made it clear that it wasn't happening again."

She gave a small smile before going over to hug him. As they held each other briefly she stopped fighting the wonderful feeling that overtook her at being in his arms. But it was over as quickly as it had started as he pulled away, feeling nearly as lightheaded as she did.

"Don't worry about it. I said some things too. Most of it I meant and I'm sticking by. But well, I was being a tad difficult I daresay," she said sheepishly.

"It's from spending your summer with Til," he laughed as they walked out the portrait hole.

"Well it's not like you were around to keep me entertained."

"Yeah, well if you knew my mother you wouldn't be all that surprised that she kept me locked up all summer," he muttered bitterly as they came to the first staircase. True, she had never formally met Sirius's mother. But from what she had seen of her at King's Cross and what Dorea had told her and James, Madam Black was beyond unpleasant and unkind.

"She kept you locked up? Why?" Evie asked baffled.

He gave a bark like laugh, but it was hollow, lacking its usual genuine nature and happiness, "So that I wouldn't see my blood traitorous friends and embarrass the family name of course. I spent ten bloody weeks cooped up in my room so that I wouldn't have to deal with them. But of course, there are consequences for being a disrespectful shut-in."

"Is that why you looked so worn on the train?" he didn't say anything, "Sirius, what did they do to you?"

"They call it 'displaying order'. Most people call it beating though," he answered darkly.

She gaped at him, touching his forearm to stop him from proceeding. "She beat you?"

"Well, I'm starting to get too big for her. And with my growing…'temperament' I need to be displayed order more often. So it alternates between the both of them now," he said looking everywhere but her gaze.

"They…I can't believe it. Sirius, you need to tell someone. A teacher or Dumbledore-"

"What could they do, Evie?" he laughed mirthlessly, "My parents are powerful and it's my word against theirs'. And it's not like anyone can tell. They make it a point of not hitting my pretty face."

"But it's wrong! Sirius, my dad could help you, so could James's parents! Dorea knows what they're like. We can protect you. I'm sure we can," she said pleadingly. The thought of Sirius in pain at the hands of anyone, let alone his own parents, made her sick.

"I could never let you risk that. You mean too much to me to let you risk that," he said firmly. He fought back the urges that tempted at him when he realized just how honest his words were.

"And you mean too much to me to let you risk staying there," she said with fierce watery eyes. It took him a second to collect himself, reluctantly pulling his gray gaze from her jewel-like chocolate eyes.

"No, Evie. Please. Just drop it," he said looking at the ground, "Forget I said anything."

"Forget you said anything?!" briefly silent before speaking again, "Does Regulus know? Does he do nothing?"

"What can he do? He's in their good books and wants to keep it that way. And at any rate I'd rather it be me than him. He doesn't need another reason to hate life."

"And you do?!" she asked teary-eyed. He surveyed her for a minute before taking a shuddering breath.

"He's my brother. Even if he does hang around slimy gits it's my job to make sure he's alright."

Evie took a deep calming breath. She couldn't be the one falling apart when he needed her. Not now. Not ever. She looked into his gray eyes, trying to hide the sorrow she knew he could see in them, before hugging him tightly.

"You're amazing. They don't deserve a son like you and Regulus is lucky to have you for a brother watching out for him," she said softly, "Just promise me something."

"Anything," he mumbled into her hair.

"Promise me that if it gets too bad that you'll leave. Promise me, Sirius, that if things get too dangerous that you'll pack up and come to me or James. Or at least let us know somehow that you're in trouble," she pleaded looking up at him as they held each others' gaze.

He was quiet before giving a quick nod. "I promise," he said before kissing her forehead, sending the most pleasant tingles through both their bodies from the point his soft lips touched her skin. "Only if you promise me something." He said snapping them out of mutual dazes.

"Depends. It doesn't involve nudity or puffskeins does it?" she asked.

He smirked rather attractively, "Well would you be open to making a nude promise?" he laughed, "Wait-puffskeins?"

"My worst fear. A story for another time I'm afraid." she laughed as his face brightened.

"Alright, I'll hold you to that. Just promise me that you won't ignore me like that again. And don't bother trying to deny it," he said as she began to protest, "I know you were. Just promise me that you won't ignore me like that again unless I do something so awful that warrants it."

"I promise," she sighed rolling her eyes. He broke the hug, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Good, now let's head off to class before we get detention. McGonagall will certainly be seating us in alphabetical order as per usual. So you're stuck with me as your partner for a whole 'nother year. I'm sure you don't mind because I certainly don't mind being stuck with you, oh brilliant transfigurator!" he laughed heartily with a cheeky grin as the two walked to class.

He didn't know how right he was. She was indeed, by this point, stuck.