Random: Welcome to the second chapter of this story. For those of you who read the first version, you need to reread chapter 1. Not the prologue because that was kept the same. And I promise next chapter will be much longer. Now on with the chapter!

Sirius frowned looking out the window of the compartment he shared with his fellow Marauders. He then looked at the five unopened envelopes that were sticking out of his duffel bag, which he had brought on the train with him. They were all from his cousin Lyra. He doesn't hate Lyra. He really doesn't. Lyra had always been his most favorite cousin. However, after just leaving the family as he had, he was certain those letters she wrote were asking him to come back home.

Sirius always found it difficult to deny Lyra anything she wanted. Whenever she asked for even the smallest thing, Sirius was quick to see that it done. Lyra didn't ask for the moon and the stars...in fact she rarely asked for anything just for herself. However, whenever she did, Sirius had to do it for her. She's had him wrapped around her finger since the moment they met the first time when they were both still babies, and their mothers placed them side-by-side in his crib.

She just had this charm that nobody (unless you were a cold hearted Slytherin) could resist. She lit up a room the moment she walked in. She could make even the saddest person feel better with a single smile. Lyra was a special young witch...not doubt about that. Sirius just didn't want to face the letters if they really did ask him to return back to their family. Because then he would have to flat out tell her no for the first time in their entire lives.

"Mate, I highly doubt sweet little Lyra would ask you to return to that bloody hell house." James said from where he sat across from Sirius. "She knows how miserable you were there. She wouldn't ask you to go back if it meant you'd be unhappy. Wasn't she the first one to tell you to follow your heart and do what you needed to be happy?"

Sirius sighed because that was all very true. When Sirius was still a bit on the fence about things, it was Lyra's kind words that gave him that final ounce of courage. The only reason he was hesitate at all in the beginning was because he didn't want to leave her alone with that family of theirs. He's always been taking care of her like an older brother looking out for his younger sister.

"What's stopping you from seeing her?" Peter questioned.

Before Sirius could reply, Remus, who had left for the prefect meeting, returned.

"You need to go see Lyra." Were the first words to leave his mouth.

Sirius sat up straighter when seeing the look on Remus's face. It was an expression of obvious worry.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"She practically looks ill." Remus said as he sat down. "She's had to have lost ten to fifteen pounds over the summer...she was already such a tiny thing. Her skin is sickly pale with dark circles under her eyes. Her cheeks are even a bit shrunken in."

Sirius's jaw clenched knowing that her current state was most definitely his fault. James gave Sirius a pointed look. Sirius nodded mutely as he stood up.

"You might want to take James to distract Lily." Remus suggested. "She is ready to lash out at you the second she lays eyes on you. They're four compartments down on the left."

Sirius grimaced though wasn't all the surprised. Lily has been very protective of Lyra since first year due to the girl's small and delicate frame.

"I wanted to see Lily-flower anyway." James said smiling as he stood up. "Let's go, Mate. Two beautiful witches await us."

Sirius barely managed one of his usual grins as he followed James out of the compartment. James went to the compartment Remus told him the girls were in, and he opened it without knocking.

"Lily-flower." James called grinning.

He blinked though when seeing only Alice and Ellery were sitting in the compartment. Alice smiled waving at the boys as Ellery was reading a muggle book titled The Entire Works of Edgar Allan Poe.

"Lily is in the compartment behind you ready to ambush Sirius since she knew you might come along with him to distract her as he spoke with Lyra." Ellery said not even looking up from the book she was reading.

The two Marauders then were grabbed from behind to be jerked into the compartment behind them. Once let go, they turned to face the furiously redhead.

"Lily-flower," James began. "Where is Ly-"

"She's currently having to put up with Nott and Avery because her mother and Sirius's mother are already trying to find her a new suitor." Lily interrupted with her eyes burning in anger.

James's mouth dropped open in shock as Sirius stiffened. Nott and Avery? Walburga and Druella wanted to pair sweet, kind Lyra with those bastards? Lily turned her eyes directly on Sirius.

"What is your problem?!" Lily demanded. "Why have you been ignoring Lyra all summer? She has been worried sick about you! She said she sent letters to ask how you are and how the Potter's were treating you."

"I received them, Evans." Sirius said frowning.

"And?" Lily prompted. "Why didn't you reply?"

"That is something I want to discuss with Lyra not you." Sirius said with a slightly cold undertone.

James sighed knowing if he didn't intervene that his best mate and the girl he fancies will start fighting.

"Sirius has his reasons, Lily." James said.

"I don't care." Lily growled. "Lyra thinks Sirius wants nothing to do with her, and even though it's hurting her, she said she would not approach Sirius if that is what he wants."

Sirius and James were both shocked. Lyra thought Sirius wanted nothing to do with her? Sirius...he wished more than anything to take his cousin away from their family. Let her have a life she deserved with a man she could love whether he be a pureblood or not...let her have children that she didn't have to worry about being exposed to their family's cruelty...and Sirius...he's a selfish guy. He can't let her completely go because Lyra was the one person to never ever judge him. The one person who's perfect in everyway.

"I ignored the letters for a stupid reason, but I don't want Lyra ignoring me." Sirius said. "I don't want to cut Lyra out of my life just as much as I don't her to cut me out of her life."

Lily seemed a bit taken back by Sirius's sincere words, but the annoyed and angered look returned.

"Then go save her from those two slimy gits and tell her that yourself!" Lily snapped. "And Potter get out of here!"

"But, Lily-flower, I've missed you." James said.

"I haven't missed you! Now leave." Lily ordered.

James just kept pestering her as Sirius ducked out of the compartment. He looked down the hallway in the train car wondering which way would take him to Lyra. As he was wondering which way to take, said Slytherin prefect stepped into the train car looking bothered. Sirius's eyes widened when he looked at Lyra. Remus was right when saying that Lyra looked ill. Lyra spotted him with her eyes widening. He was stunned when she turned around looking ready to flee, but thanks to his long legs he managed to reach her in a few strides. He grabbed her wrist gently yet firm enough to keep her from leaving.

"Lyra, we need to talk." Sirius said as he held her wrist. "I'm sorry I didn't reply to your letters over the summer."

Lyra turned to look at Sirius as he looked at her with complete sincerity in his eyes.

"I would never want to cut you out of my life, Lyra." Sirius said. "I'd go nutty without you."

He offered her the grin she loved so much, and she felt her lips turn up into a small smile that Sirius was happy to see. Lyra then hugged him with her head pressed against his chest. Sirius hugged her back with his head resting on top of hers. Lyra felt the happiest she's been in nearly over a month, and she wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as possible.

Lyra and her friends stepped off of the train once it arrived at Hogwarts.

"After this year...we'll only have one year left here." Lily said with a sigh.

"Lily, don't think of it like that." Alice said. "Be happy to be here!"

Lily nodded her head as all four girls climbed into a carriage together to ride up to the castle.

"Ladies, wait up!" James called out as he and the Marauders, minus Peter, came up to the girls' carriage.

Lily groaned in annoyance as James plopped down beside her as Ellery instinctively moved away since she knew he would have tried to wiggle in between them anyway. Lily gave her strawberry blonde friend a betrayed look, but Ellery didn't even look up from her book. Sirius sat down in between Alice and Lyra as Remus sat down on Lyra's other side across from Ellery.

"Couldn't you have gotten your own carriage?" Lily asked in annoyance.

"Now, Evans, play nice." Sirius said grinning. "You were the one telling me to spend time with Lyra."

Lily looked ready to retort, but Lyra reached over to squeeze Lily's hand in hopes she would calm down. Lily didn't necessarily calm down. However, she didn't start hexing anyone either.

"On a different note, aren't you a Marauder down?" Ellery asked actually looking up from her book. "Where be Pettigrew?"

"Don't know." James said shrugging. "He went off on his own. He's been doing that since near the middle of last year."

Ellery's brow quirked though didn't comment. Her eyes, however, turned to Remus who was across from her.

"Hello, Remus, nice summer?" She asked.

Remus smiled at Ellery as her friends tried to bite back smiles of their owns. They came up with this theory during their fourth year that Ellery had a crush on the sandy haired Marauder, and Ellery nor denied or claimed if their theory was right or not.

"I had a very nice one, thank-you, Ellery." Remus said. "And yourself?"

"It was interestin." Ellery said. "My uncle returned from his trip over in Austria. It's always interestin when he's around."

Her friends all laughed nodding in agreement, which made the boys curious. Ellery explained to the boys that her uncle Ramsey was an Auror for the Ministry though left it a few years back to travel. He was eccentric wizard that had an opinion to everything. He looked at things in ways that many wouldn't, and he isn't shy about telling people if he thinks their wrong.

"Sounds like you, Snodgrass." Sirius said. "Minus the eccentric part."

Ellery just shrugged her shoulders because she was used to people, who knew her uncle, comparing her to him.

"How is Cailean?" Lily asked Ellery about her brother, who graduated last year, suddenly.

Alice giggled as Lily wiggled her eyebrows. James frowned at this, and Sirius glanced at Lyra who was also smiling. He felt himself frown.

"He's doin well." Ellery replied. "He's now the Seeker for the Scotland Quidditch team. He's says he'd be happy to see you lot again."

"We'd be happy to see him too." Lily said winking.

Alice let out a laugh as Lyra smiled in amusement. Ellery just returned to her book.

"Lily, how could you like Cailean Snodgrass over me?" James asked then looked at Ellery. "No offense."

She just shrugged her shoulders because she didn't care what James said about her brother.

"Cailean is much better than you, Potter." Lily said in a 'duh' tone. "Handsome-"

"I'm handsome." James pointed out.

"Charming." Lily said smiling almost dreamily.

"I'm charming." James retorted.

"He was the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team." Lily continued as if James hadn't spoken.

"I'm captain of our house team!" James reminded her.

Sirius let out a barking laugh as Lily kept pointing out how 'wonderful' Cailean Snodgrass is while James tried to convince her he had all Cailean had and more. Lyra and Alice giggled together in amusement as Remus chuckled, and even Ellery's lips twitched up a fraction.

"And the best thing about Cailean is that he's not a toerag like you." Lily said frowning at James.

"Lovely Lily, you won't be able to say no to me forever." James said confidentially.

Lily looked at him annoyance though didn't grace him with a reply or retort. The rest of the trip to the castle was going smoothly until James hit one of those triggers on Lily that sent her into a rage.

"She's up to high doh (she's all worked up)." Ellery said. "...again..."

Alice and Sirius watched in amusement as Lyra pushed Lily and James apart, so no one lost an eye or limb before the feast. Remus felt bad for his fellow prefect as she pushed James away from Lily while speaking calmly to Lily.

"Lily, you know James is only trying to rile you up." Lyra said soothingly. "He doesn't mean half the things he says."

Lily took a few deep breaths as Lyra looked at her with those eyes that could calm a raging horntail dragon. Lily sighed then nodded her head, and Lyra smiled at her. They reached the castle without further incident. They walked up the steps to Hogwarts then went into the Great Hall where all the other students second-seventh year were filing in as well. Lyra and Ellery had to break away from their friends to go sit with their respected houses. Ellery went to sit with Sybil Trelawney, Xenophilius Lovegood, and his girlfriend Pandora Winston. Sybil was in Regulus Black's year, and Xenophilius is the year above Ellery and Pandora. She wasn't extremely close friends with them since she wasn't one to have many friends. She thought the three she had were just fine, so she doesn't really call anyone else friend. However, they were sort of the oddballs in Ravenclaw, and sitting with them kept the Ravenclaws, who had sticks up their arses, away.

Lyra immediately went to sit with Regulus who was near the end of the table with Nott, Avery, and Atticus Erikson. Regulus nodded to his cousin in greeting. He then scooted over, so she could sit on the end, and not between him and Nott who was eyeing her. Lyra gave him a subtle look of gratitude. He pat her knee under the table to acknowledge her gratitude. Lyra didn't really have any friends in her house. The only time Lyra is hanging out with a fellow Slytherin is when that Slytherin is Regulus.

Soon all the upper year students were seated and settled. They didn't have to wait long for McGonagall to come in with the first years. The ceremony went on fairly quick. Slytherin gained eight, Ravenclaw gained seven, Gryffindor gained nine, and Hufflepuff gained five. Once all the first years were seated, McGonagall got everyone's attention as Dumbledore stood up from behind the table.

"Welcome, welcome." He said. "Now before we tuck in to our mesmerizing feast, I would like to say a few words."

He went through a few of the more important rules of Hogwarts, and most of the older students didn't listen. They've heard them all before after all. Once he was done, he told everyone to tuck in, and so another year at Hogwarts began.

Random: Hope you liked the new chapter, and I hope you like my OCs Lyra and Ellery. I'm going to try to use Scottish phrases and such for Ellery since she is Scottish, but I'm not sure if I'll use them all right. If I'm not let me known. Now all reviews are welcomed except for harsh flames. Rudeness is not welcomed. And if your interested check out Not Defined by the Blood.