"What are you doing up here?"

Sirius looked up at the sound of James' voice. He just shrugged, looking around the top of the astronomy tower. It was always peaceful here.

"Just thinking."

"That doesn't seem like you." James quipped, settling next to him. Sirius didn't bother responding, which was a little concerning. "What's wrong?" He asked in a more serious tone.

"I just don't really want to go home."

"Well it's only the end of first year and…oh."

"Yeah."

"I know that they're pretty bad but-"

"They're going to hate me."

"Sirius…"

"They are, you don't understand. They'll hear that I got sorted into Gryffinfor and go absolutely ballistic."

"Then don't-"

"My cousins probably already did."

There was silence for a few minutes as both boys considered that point. Sirius continued brooding while James furiously searched for a solution.

"Stay with me."

"I - what?"

"Just spend the summer at my place, my parents won't mind."

"Mine will." James just rolled his eyes.

"Your parents can't be harder to escape than Filch." Sirius smirked a little at that.

"I'll think about it."

"Just come, Marlene's coming too and I haven't spoken to her since I was nine."

"Who's that?"

"The blonde one who hangs out with Lily Evans."

"I don't think I've ever spoken to her either."

"Potter? Black?" James' eyebrows raised at the voice and Sirius saw why a few seconds later.

A tall (for a 12-year old) blonde girl with messy curls moved into the light with a confused expression on her face.

"What are you two doing up here?"

"Thinking." James answered promptly.

"That doesn't sound like you."

"Oi, you don't even know Sirius!" "Yeah, I meant you." James scowled a little before changing the subject.

"Say, will I see you this summer? I was just trying to get Sirius to come over." Marlene didn't bother responding directly.

"Oh please come." She pleaded, turning to Sirius. "You can't leave me all alone with him."

"Hey!" The corners of Sirius' mouth twitched a little.

"That would be criminal. I'll do my best to save you from such a fate."

"Hey!"

o-O-o

Sirius couldn't believe it. He was actually going, he was going to the Potter house and he was going to spend a week there - a whole week! He felt a lightness that he hadn't spent ever since he returned to Black Manor - the house always dampened his spirits, and his parents' less than savoury reactions to his return had just made things worse… But that didn't matter because he was going to the Potter mansion - for a week!

Perhaps he was more enthusiastic than one would expect from someone flooing into the Potter house, which is probably why he dove straight into the living room when he arrived, colliding with Marlene who was peacefully reading on the carpet in front of the fireplace.

"Oomph."

"Who - Marlene, is that you?"

"Yes." She replied in a weak voice.

"Merlin, I'm sorry." He said, rolling off her quickly.

When his vision wasn't obscured with yellow (she had a lot of hair), he noticed James sitting on the sofa and grinning at them.

"Hullo." He said, getting up and flopping down next to him.

"Thank God you're here, I've been so bored. All Marlene does is read."

"I picked up this book five minutes ago so I wouldn't have to listen to anymore of your whining! 'He said he'd be here, why isn't he here yet, do you think his parents changed their mind? Why isn't he here yet?'" James had never looked more affronted.

"I do not talk like that." He said petulantly. "And that's not how it happened." Marlene gave Sirius a knowing look.

"Who do you believe?" She asked in a confident tone.

"Well considering how I'm universally adored…" (not even close to the truth, his own family didn't love him).

"Please, you both are visiting me." James said, crossing his arms. "You clearly couldn't stand the thought of waiting a whole summer to see me again." Marlene caught Sirius' eye.

"Shut it Potter." They said simultaneously.

"Hey!"

o-O-o

That was the first of many summers the three of them spent together. Things changed over time, of course - Sirius moved in, they became closer friends with the other 'Marauders' (a group not fully formed yet), other people (like Lily) visited too, but one thing was certain. Every summer, James Sirius and Marlene would spend at least a week at Potter Mansion. This entailed many things over the years - teasing James, wiling time away, Quidditch, planning pranks, trying to settle the question of James and Lily (Marlene was outnumbered with that one), and one time, it even involved James walking in on a sight he swore he wished he'd never seen.

But that, of course, comes much later.