Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing that you would recognize as the fantastic work of J.K. Rowling. I only take credit for those OC characters that appear here.

When Sirius got back to the common room ten minutes later his friends were clustered around the table but looked up at him as he walked in.

James motioned to the map spread open in front of him. 'Thought you'd got caught mate.'

'No, Grey was in the kitchens when I got there.' He said, slumping down next to Remus and passing him the food the house elves had given him.

'We noticed. We were going to send Peter down to rescue you but you came back before that.' Said Lily, taking a cake from Remus.

'Yeah, listen there's something she said to me you all ought to hear.' Sirius leaned in and lowered his voice, telling them what had been said in the kitchens.

When he finished he looked around at them waiting to see what they would say. James looked like he was trying to recall something while Remus and Lily starred at each other with similar looks of understanding on their faces. Peter was the first to speak. 'Why did she ask about you leaving home? You think she's trying to do the same thing?'

'Actually Peter it does sound like that.' Said Remus, frowning slighty. 'What do you know of her family?' he asked looked around at Sirius.

'Well Prongs mentioned she was related to the Malfoys but I'm not sure how. I'm not sure the Greys are an old pure-blood family because there isn't any on my family tree.' Sirius shrugged, not really wanting to discuss his family. 'Either way she's a bit of an odd one if you ask me. Remus, pass me a cake mate.'

'If she wants to leave her family why doesn't she just do it?' asked James. He pushed his glasses up with his finger and said, 'I'd stay away from her Padfoot, Hogwarts is changing too and taking someone on their word these days is dangerous and stupid.'

'You really think a war is coming James?' asked Lily sadly.

'I know it's coming Lily, but we've got each other.'

'I'm not scared really but I worry. You can't open the paper anymore without reading a list of people who have disappeared.' She said, her small frame sinking into her chair.

'You don't think we will just sit by do you?' Said Sirius, 'I'm not going to just move over and let Voldemort destroy things we care about. I plan on fighting back, and we've got Dumbledore on our side.' He said in a determined voice that made James smile.

'Padfoot is right. What's more important than fighting for what is right and for what we care about most in this world? Nothing. I'll be with you Padfoot.' Said James, leaning in and grasping Sirius's hand.

'Me too.' Said Remus firmly as Lily and Peter nodded.

It had been the dampest and coldest week Sirius could ever remember. An unrelenting mist seemed to be determined to sap the spirit out of anyone who stepped outside and so the common room was annoyingly full most evenings after dinner. Having promised to meet James and Peter in the library to work on transfiguration homework, Sirius pulled the sweater James's mum had given him for his birthday over her head and grabbed his bag, heading out of the dorm and into the common room. A gaggle of fifth year girls stopped talking abruptly and watched him walk across the common room and pull open the door. Stepping out and letting it close behind him he heard them giggling. A year ago it might have meant something to him but Sirius had matured quickly over the summer as much as the other Marauders had. It was nothing to causally break a few school rules during the year and receive a slap on the wrist or detention but something over the summer had sobered them all to the fact that petty school offenses and the trifles of ordinary things no longer mattered. The profit had reported missing people all summer and James's father had taken them aside and impressed upon them both the importance of taking things seriously, that the world was changing and hard times were coming.

'If you take nothing else from this today boys, take this with you. I want to impress the importance upon you both of friendship, that there will be a time when your mother and I will no longer be here and you will have to rely on your friends.' James's father looked at them both, a hand on each of their shoulders. He looked rather sad but also determined. 'Trust is a slippery creature. Do not give it lightly, but when you do, do not falter in it. I know you may not grasp today what I tell you but there is a war coming, it could be tomorrow, or a year from now but it is.' Mr. Potter stopped and looked wearily at the sky, then back at them. 'There is a time to grow up James, Sirius -and that time is now.'

After that James and Sirius had paid much more attention and had taken it upon themselves to gather whatever knowledge they could. Mrs. Potter had been reluctant to tell them as much as they had but James's father was adamant that they understand what they would be facing. They had gone back to school in September and told Remus and Peter everything they had learned over the summer and they had agreed among themselves then to make it their business to stay informed.

Sirius walked lazily down towards the library, not particularly looking forward to writing the essay. He turned down the corridor to head down the stairs and groaned inwardly as he rounded on a group of people. Severus Snape's head popped up at the sound of Sirius walking towards them and he narrowed his eyes. Hoping, but knowing he wouldn't get past them, Sirius put a hand inside he robes and clutched his wand. Snape was in the middle of a group of four other Slytherin and looked delighted to find Sirius alone. Mulciber stood next to him, wand held ready. Regulus was there also, looking apprehensive yet entertained. Eileen Grey was the last of the party. She stood away from the group a bit but seeing Sirius watching her, Regulus stepped neatly in front of her, blocking her from view.

'What do you want Regulus? he asked coolly, deciding to address his brother and not Snape.

Before Regulus could answer, Snape flicked his wand and Sirius's was yanked out of his hand. It flew behind him and landed neatly in the crook of a suit of armor's arm. Not particularly inclined to stand there without his wand, Sirius dove after it. Snape made a jabbing motion with his wand and Sirius flew backwards into the air and landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him.

'What are you playing at Severus?' Eileen Grey stepped out from behind Regulus and moved towards Snape. Regulus took hold of her hand and she stopped, looking annoyed.

Having Snape distracted for a moment gave Sirius time to get back to his feet. Wand or no wand, he wasn't going to stand there and let Snape abuse him. Launching himself at Snape and looking murderous, Sirius ran at Snape again landing a solid punch in Snape's stomach, making him double over in pain. Sirius wasted no time kicking away Snape's wand and aiming another punch, which collided with the side of Mulcibers face. Snatching his wand out of the armour, he pointed it at Regulus.

'Get out of here, and take your pathetic friends with you.' He snarled, flicking his wand at Snape who was crawling towards his wand. He went rigid and lay silent on the ground. Regulus, deciding against a fight, heaved Mulciber to his feet. Sirius dodged around them and took off through a hidden door way before Snape could regain his feet. Breathing deeply and still slightly shaking with anger Sirius stopped behind a tapestry to catch his breath.

He hadn't been standing there more than a minute when someone launched themselves through it. He raised his wand instinctively, his heart pounding. Eileen Grey was standing in front of him, panting and holding her side. Sirius raised his eyebrows at her in question but didn't lower his wand.

'Sorry,' she panted, 'that was…uncalled for…back there…Snape.' She straightened up and focused her eyes on the wand pointed at her chest. 'Mind lowering your wand Black? Unless you plan on hexing me too.'

Sirius lowered his wand but didn't put it away but at that moment Mrs. Norris pushed her way through the tapestry and gave them her yellow eyed look. Sirius and Eileen looked up at each other and in understanding they both took off down the corridor, Sirius on Eileen's heels. 'Here, in here.' She said, pulling open a classroom door as they both scrabbled into it.

'Think we've put enough distance between us and that hateful cat?' He asked, slightly out of breath and becoming increasingly annoyed by how his morning was shaping out.

'Yea I think so.' She said, looking slightly amused. 'Now, I was saying…' but Sirius cut her off.

'You've got a strange way of picking friends Grey.' He shot at her, still feeling angry about Snape's attack.

She shrugged, 'They have their moments, but I'm not excusing his behaviour.' She added seeing the deadly look on Sirius's face.

'Oh yea I'm sure your Death Eater buddies all have some great qualities. I'm sure Voldemort can't wait to have the lot of you joining up.'

Eileen's smile was whipped cleanly off her face at his words. 'You don't think much of me do you? Think everyone in Slytherin is just sitting tight waiting to get out of here so they can give their service to Lord Voldemort?'

'Yes, I do and with good reason.' He said, eyeing her suspiciously.

She walked to the windows of the classroom and looked out over the grounds. 'I'm not interested in the world Lord Voldemort wishes to create, nor do I want to become some servant of his, kissing his robes and calling him master.' She turned to look at Sirius glowering. 'I thought you of all people might understand that, that you understood me the last time we spoke.'

He looked back at her, not quite sure what to say. He simply frowned.

'Black, I understand you don't trust me. But I'm going to ask you to try, because believe it or not we have more in common than you'd think.'

'How do you figure that?' he asked, more curious than angry now.

'I have an older brother, did you know?"

Sirius shook his head, confused at the change in topic. 'No. Did he come to Hogwarts?'

'Oh yes. He finished when we were in first year.' She said, jumping to sit on the windows ledge.

'What's his name?' asked Sirius, moving to look in the window next to her.

'Hector Grey. Do you remember him?'

'Yeah actually. Tall bloke, Blonde hair, played on the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

She laughed, 'Yes that's him. Anyway my parents adored him. They love me too, but Hector was always their favourite. My parents had gone to school with Voldemort. They were in his inner circle you might say. They would be happy to tell you that they were some of his first supporters. They still are. I've met him you know.' She looked disgusted but glanced at Sirius to see what his reaction was.

Sirius gaped at her. 'When?'

'Oh. I was too young to remember, only a baby. You see, like your family my parents are also very proud of their blood-status. Though they let on that it's more pure than it actually is.' She added, rolling her eyes. 'When my brother left Hogwarts my parents had assumed he would join them in supporting Voldemort. He had different plans though.' She looked up and smiled at Sirius.

'He didn't come home at first and my parents weren't concerned, Hector had always been very independent. But when he didn't show up after a month my mother made my father search for him. He found him, three months later in Germany. He had met a muggle girl named Anna, and married her.' she looked at him grimly but with a certain amount of pride in her voice. 'My parents were outraged. Mother nearly blew up the house when she found out. My father, I think, took it as the most personal, filthiness, and lowest, of betrayals and tried to kill Hector and Anna. They escaped, but barely. My parents never speak of my brother, to them he was never born. What they don't know is that Hector still writes to me. I have two nieces.' She blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek. Turning her face away from Sirius she wiped it away.

'I love my parents and they have always loved me, and provided for me. I have never been without because of them. But I love my brother more. They are evil people and they have no respect for life. It makes me sick to have to agree with them when they talk of wizard rule. I have lived up to their expectations and they believe, like they did before, that I will bring honour back to our family by becoming a faithful servant of the Dark Lord. My parents are fools, and they know nothing about me. They are blinded by their devotion and their obsession with blood.' She finished and her face was full of anger.

Sirius didn't know how to respond to her confession and simply stared at her. Though he was saved from responding when two people came barging into the classroom. A dark-haired girl was giggling as she dragged Remus by the hand into the class and started snogging him. Sirius and Eileen shared a wide-eyed look of amusement before Sirius cleared his throat and then started laughing. Remus broke away from the girl as quickly as if she was on fire, his face turning an awful shade of red as they looked to see the source of the laughter. The girl gave a squeak and ran back out of the room.

'Um…' Remus starred defiantly at Sirius who was grinning hugely. When his eyes moved to Eileen standing next to Sirius a bit of the colour drained from Remus's face. The two friends passed a knowing look between them that they both understood to mean that they would discuss things later. Remus backed out of the room, said 'sorry,' and closed the door behind him.

Sirius turned back to Eileen. 'So why tell me all this?' he asked.

'Who else is there to tell? Hector will help me leave when the time comes, I play my part well now and with luck I don't get murdered in the process.'

Sirius gave her a searching look. 'I don't know what I can do for you Grey, and I'll be damned if I understand why you hang out with garbage like Snape and my brother if this is how you feel.'

'You may not understand them but I do. Besides that isn't the point.' She looked irritated but continued, 'I want to know you honestly Black and I'd like to be able to call you a friend. I want to end up on the right side of this when the time comes.'

Sirius had to admit to himself that he did believe her and he couldn't see a reason why she would lie but he also wasn't sure why she was telling him. 'Okay.' He said finally.

She smiled at him. 'It might still be better if people didn't see us talking. Your blood-traitor status was rather a big to do when you left your family and it would be dangerous for both of us.'

Sirius nodded.

'My parents tried to kill my brother Black, they wouldn't hesitate to kill me or you if they thought for even a second I would bring down more dishonour unto our family. This is the way Lord Voldemort and his followers think. They do not pity and they do not ask questions. I've learned that and seen it. The only good thing to come from standing so close to the flames is that I've learned rather quickly how easy it is to get burnt.' She gave him a sad smile, 'See you later Black, and be careful.' And with that she was gone, her wavy blond hair disappearing as the door clicked shut behind her.

Again Sirius found himself standing rather stunned as she left. She had this way of saying cryptic and shocking things and then leaving him behind to piece it together. He scratched his head in thought and remembering that James and Peter were waiting for him he headed towards the library. He wondered whether to tell them what she had said to him and decided as he walked towards them at the back table that for now maybe it would be better to keep it to himself.

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading! Hope you are enjoying it so far. Please feel free to leave a review or ask any questions!