Chaper Two: Bets, Howlers and Secrets

"So what to do tonight? Shall we explore the castle a bit?" Sirius said as the four boys left dinner and headed to Gryffindor Tower.

"Yes! I've heard there are secret passageways. We need to find them all," James said determinedly, studying a hallway they passed.

"Well we'd get in trouble, we're not allowed out of the common room after eight," Remus said, pointing at his watch.

"That still gives us two hours!" Peter said eagerly. "Let's start looking!"

"We could playing Exploding Snap?" Remus asked, hopefully as the other three began formulating their route for the night.

"I'm the best at that! I used to beat our House Elf every night for three years!" James said proudly.

Sirius laughed. "Well beating a House Elf doesn't say much."

"I'll prove it. 2 Galleons says I beat you," James protested.

"Definitely. Lupin, you in?" Sirius asked.

"Oh…well…I don't have much…." Remus trailed off and looked away, embarrassed.

"I'm in!" Peter announced.

"We could bet less if you like. How about 10 sickles?" James offered.

Remus did a quick count of his funds. He barely had 10 sickles, but he was rather good at Snap and he didn't want to opt out of spending time with his new friends.

"10 Sickles," he agreed.

"Great, race you to the Common Room!" Sirius said, before sprinting down the corridor towards the stairs. Laughing the others followed and they arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait panting.

"I win!" James said, pumping his fist. "Should've bet on that too," he said laughing at Sirius, who grinned as he leaned against the wall.

"Where's chubs?" Sirius asked Remus who was nursing a stitch in his side.

"I'm here!" Peter called, breathlessly as he arrived last.

"Butterbeer!" James said, leading the way in to the common room, with Peter behind him.

"You shouldn't call him that, you know," Remus said to Sirius as they followed.

"What? Chubs?"

"Yeah, it's not very nice."

"Well, I don't much like him," Sirius said nonchalantly.

Remus sighed. "Still."

"You're too nice Lupin, got to take a joke," Sirius said patting him on the back. Remus smiled at the friendly gesture. He'd never had friends before and even if he did think Sirius was rude and James arrogant, he liked being around them.

"Finally, the weekend!" Sirius said as they left their Potions class one Friday.

"We have so much homework!" Remus complained as he ran a hand over his tired face.

"You look pretty exhausted too, are you sure you don't need the Hospital Wing?" James asked as they headed to the Great Hall.

"Oh no, I'll be fine," Remus lied thinking about how he could use that excuse on Sunday for the full moon.

"I wonder what's for dinner," Peter said, clapping his hands. "What do you think, James?"

"Haven't a clue but I hope there's Treacle tart! It's my favourite!"

"We've noticed. You scarfed down four pieces yesterday," Sirius said, poking James' belly. "Won't be so fast if I asked you to race me again, will you?"

"I could beat you with my eyes closed Black," James said, sticking his tongue out.

"Prove it Potter!" Sirius said, before breaking into a sprint.

"He thinks a head start will help him!" James sighed to Remus and Peter before racing after his friend.

"Aren't they the coolest?" Peter sighed in envy as he and Remus walked after them.

Remus chuckled. "They're certainly characters, that's for sure. I doubt anything could upset those two."

He was proven wrong however when a smoking red envelope was dropped on top of Sirius' piece of apple pie later that evening.

"Uh-oh…who's that from?" James said, eyeing the letter nervously.

"I can guess…" Sirius replied grimly, poking the letter with his fork.

"What's that?" Lily Evans said from beside her friend Mary MacDonald.

"Just a letter?" Mary said, jumping as a spout of smoke blew in her face.

Sirius didn't answer but continued to stare at the envelope, his eyes unreadable.

"It's a Howler…just…a really….well, you'll see," James said, wincing.

"Better open it Sirius, it's going to happen anyway," Remus said, grimacing at his friend.

Sirius glanced up and nodded before tearing the envelope open. It rose in the air above them to Lily and Mary's astonishment and a high-pitched, livid voice filled the room.

"SIRIUS BLACK, YOU DISGUSTING EXCUSE FOR A SON! HOW DARE YOU ALLOW THAT HAT TO SORT YOU TO FILTH! YOU GO TO DUMBLEDORE RIGHT THIS INSTANT AND ASK TO BE IN SLYTHERIN OR YOU WILL NOT COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. DESPICABLE! UNACCEPTABLE. YOU ARE BREAKING MY HEART!"

And with that, the letter exploded and the fiery pieces landed beside everyone's plates. When they had torn their eyes away from the burning mess, they turned to Sirius who was looking grim.

"Ok mate?" James asked after a spell.

He shrugged. "Well I won't be asking Dumbledore to re-sort me if that's what you're asking." He then turned to glare at everyone who was staring at him and was inwardly pleased when they looked away. Except for the one girl, the dark purple haired loner whose name he still didn't know, despite the fact they'd been in school three weeks already. She was shaking with laughter as she looked at him.

"What the hell do you think you're laughing at?" Sirius snapped, angrily.

She rolled her eyes at him but said nothing, still laughing silently as she dug in to her dessert.

"That's Kelly Wood, she's really weird," spoke up the other Gryffindor girl, Bertha Jorkins. Since that first day where she'd been crying all the time, she'd really come out of her shell, gossiping with whoever who'd listen and trying to hear all the ins and outs of Hogwarts secrets.

"Oh stop it Bertha! No she isn't," Lily protested.

"Well she doesn't say a word to anyone! Complete opposite of her brother, Devon, who's really lovely."

"How do you know Devon?" James asked.

"Well…I don't, but I hear…"

"Shut up. Just shut up, like I care about her or her bloody brother," Sirius cut in slamming his knife down. "I don't feel much like dessert anymore," and with that left the table, making a beeline for the exit.

James sighed longingly at his treacle before getting up and walking to Kelly.

"I'd watch who you're laughing at next time Wood," he said, glaring down at her.

She looked up at him and laughed again. "Sorry did I offend your boyfriend?"

James glared at her. "You'll regret talking to us like that," before walking away.

"I'm shaking," she said nonchalantly as she turned back to her meal.

"Who does he think he is? Threatening people like that," Lily said, shaking her head.

"Well she was quite rude to laugh at Sirius," Remus said reasonably.

"Still, he has no right! He's always picking on my friend Severus, too" Lily said, sticking out her lower lip.

"Isn't he in Slytherin?" Bertha asked, wrinkling her nose.

"So?" Lily challenged, glaring at her.

"Let's go see if Sirius is ok, Remus," Peter said getting up.

"Ok, see you all later," Remus said, waving to the girls who were locked in what looked like a staring competition.

Sirius stayed in a rut all weekend. Though the other three boys did not know him well, the change surprised them. Sirius had always seemed playful and carefree but for the first time they saw a troubled boy with things going on in his life that they weren't sure they'd ever find out about.

Sunday afternoon, they were sitting in the common room doing homework by the fire as the older students were in Hogsmeade and had vacated the treasured spot. Sirius had long since finished his Potions essay and was now staring at the flickering fire, his unreadable expression on his face.

"Well, all done! What should we do now chaps?" James said, leaning back in his armchair and stretching. Peter looked up eagerly, though his homework was not finished.

"How about Snap?"

"I don't fancy losing all my money to Lupin again," James said sending Remus a grin. It was returned, but weakly as the latter rubbed his face in exhaustion. He was pale and a little sweaty and James saw what he could only describe as worry written all over his face.

"Are you ok mate?"

Remus nodded. "Not feeling 100% today, I have to say."

"You've been off colour all week!" Peter commented.

"Well, we should do something to put us all in good spirits for next week! Prank some Slytherins maybe? I've been meaning to get that Snivellus kid off my radar. Did you know he followed me all the way to the Astronomy tower on Wednesday because he heard I had a supply of dungbombs and wanted to set them off? Tattletale!" James said, his face contorting in irritation.

"Did you?" Peter asked.

James laughed. "Of course! So I suppose I got the git back after all."

James, Remus and Peter laughed together, though Sirius' expression barely moved. Used to making his friend laugh, James studied his face for a while.

"Or we could get Wood back. For laughing at you Sirius."

Sirius face perked up and a slow smile crept on to his face.

"That is a brilliant idea! Put her in her place."

"I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it Sirius," Remus protested weakly.

"Are you joking? She laughed in my face when…." Sirius trailed off and glared at the fire again. Seeing this, Remus suddenly felt sorry for his friend.

"As long as its nothing too mean," he said quietly.

"Right! I just want people to laugh at her the way she did me."

"But Sirius, don't you have a detention now?" Peter asked.

Sirius swore. "You're right. Bloody Filch. Will you lot plan while I'm gone?"

"Course we will mate, we'll be ready with a plan of action as soon as you get back!" James said, saluting.

"Er…I'm actually feeling a bit off. I think I may go to the Hospital Wing," Remus said, adjusting his collar and looking at his friends in fright. What if they figured it out? Would they still want to be his friend, if they knew?

"Probably a wise decision mate," Sirius said patting him on the back. "Come on, I'll walk with you for a bit. And I'll see you guys later."

As Remus and Sirius rounded the corner to the corridor leading to the Trophy Room, they heard voices yelling.

"Shhh," Sirius said, pulling Remus against the wall and motioning for them to look inside one of the classrooms. They peered around the edge to see Devon and Kelly Wood standing there talking in raised voices.

"I don't know why you won't try to make friends, Kel!"

"Because, what do I need them for? All the girls in my year are mindless idiots and the boys are just showoffs."

"Still, you don't have to be mean to them! I heard you teasing Bertha Jorkins."

"She was spreading lies about me!"

"All the same, its not nice! And I saw you laugh at Black when he got that Howler."

Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Oh Sirius Black thinks he has it so hard!"

Sirius stiffened but Remus lay a firm hand on his shoulder and they kept their hiding spot.

"Well, it sounds like he has a piece of work for a mum. And I'm sure his dad is just as bad. He's alright though. He must be, he's the only Black to ever be sorted in to Gryffindor!" Devon replied.

"Well at least his parents are around!" Kelly snapped.

"Kel, we've got mum."

"Oh Mum, who likes her firewhisky more than she likes us? Or how about dear old dad, who I can't even remember?" Kelly snapped back at him.

"Kel…come on, you're too young to be this angry all the time."

"Why aren't you more angry? He abandoned you too, you know? And what about when Mum goes on her crazy rants about how you're exactly like him just because you play Quidditch?"

"Kel, I know it's been rough…but there's no reason to shut everyone out. You've still got me, anyway."

"Why'd you think you're the only one I talk to at this school?" she said sadly, as tears streamed down her face. Devon sighed and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly.

"We don't mess with Kelly Wood," Remus said roughly as they passed on to the next corridor.

Sirius stared at the ground for a bit and then nodded.

"No, we don't mess with Wood."

"Forget the plan chaps," Sirius said when he returned to the common room.

"Really?" James said, looking up in confusion.

"Kelly Wood is more trouble than she's worth. Let's just ignore her."

James and Peter exchanged looks but shrugged.

"If you say so mate."

A/N: Thanks to my two reviewers for their kind words. Hope you all enjoyed, review please!