A/N - Sorry it has been so long in updating. I am working on three stories, all with Sirius Black who likes to be a bad boy and not do as I say, but what he wants to. All this while I am sitting at home crying that I don't own him or his gorgeous friend the werewolf Remus Lupin.

Sirius Black and the American

Chapter 4

After the Welcoming Feast, instructions were given to the first-years to follow the prefects to their common room. As they were climbing the stairs, the prefects were informing them to be wary of the moving stairs and vanishing steps. Arrive at a picture of a very fat lady, the Prefect told them that the password was Carpe Diem. The portrait swung open showing a doorway into the Gryffindor Tower's common room.

The prefect then instructed them that the boy's dorms were up to the right and the girl's to the left. He told them that no boys are allowed in the girl's rooms and that they cannot even get up the stairs to the girl's room. He asked a volunteer to try to go up to the girl's room. Sirius tries to race up the stairs and gets approximately half way up when a claxon alarm sounds and the stairs flatten out into a slide. Sliding back to the bottom laughing he exclaims that I will have to try harder next time.

"Okay time for bed everyone. Breakfast is from 7 am to 9 am," says the Prefect. "Don't be late. Professor McGonagall will be passing out your timetable tomorrow morning."

The next morning the six friends head down to breakfast together, excited to see what their schedules are like. Juliet, Sirius, and Remus are excited about DADA and Transfiguration class while Lily can't wait for Charms and Potions, James for Transfiguration and Charms and Severus for Potions and DADA. Once in the Great Hall, they are chattering away about their hopes for their favorite classes when the morning Post Owls arrives with the mail.

The Black family Eagle Owl flies down with a red envelope for Sirius. James asks if that is a howler. Sirius says yes, they are his mother's favorite way to communicate. "Well open it, otherwise it will explode," says Remus. Tentatively opening the envelope, it starts to scream at him.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, HOW DARE YOU GET SORTED INTO GRYFFINDOR. YOU BLOOD-TRAITOR DEMON SPAWN. YOU ARE NOT TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH ANY OF THOSE BLOOD-TRAITORS, ESPECIALLY THAT COUSIN OF YOUR, JAMES POTTER OR ANY MUDBL…" Juliet incinerated the rest of the howler.

Sirius asks James, "Cousins, I didn't know we were related, James."

"Me either Cuz," says James. "I'll write to mum tonight asking her about that. If it is true that would be great."

Juliet decides then and there that she is going to give that harpy of a mother tit-for-tat. For every howler she sends Sirius, she is going to send one back.

A beautiful small black owl settles down in front of Juliet. Giving the owl a sausage and a quick scratch on its head, she takes the letter with trepidation, knowing it is from her Uncle, opens it. She pales as she reads the letter her mouth pursing in anger everyone asks what's wrong. Handing over the letter to Sirius, he reads aloud; Niece, I have received word that you were sorted into Gryffindor. I warned you what would happen if that were to happen. Clothes will be given to your beloved house-elf Tipsy. If you continue to defy me, I will resort to even harsher methods of ridding you of precious possessions. Do not think that I am playing with you. Now that we are England, you will find that the law is on my side and I will have strict obedience or you will suffer the consequences. Uncle Evan. As Sirius is reading this letter, Juliet runs out of the Great Hall back up towards Gryffindor Tower.

When he had finished reading the letter Sirius and the new friends run after her catching up just as she is heading up the stairs. Sirius tells Juliet "Do not worry, we will find a way to get you out of this." To which she replied, "Thank you, but I was expecting this, just not so soon, and have contingency plans made. I just need a few minutes to think about how to set those plans in motion."

"Oh Merlin, we are going to be late for our first class, and it is Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall," said James, "and I hear she is a tough nut."

They all take off running towards where they are told the classroom is. They finally arrive and slip in at the last moment, thinking thank goodness that they arrived on time. They find seats with Juliet, Sirius, and Remus at one desk and Lily, Severus and James at the other. As the students are looking around for Professor McGonagall, a grey tabby cat with unusual face markings starts walking up the aisle. As the cat arrives at the teacher's desk, she turns into the professor. The students gasp at seeing this wonderful feat of magic especially those who were raised in the non-magical world.

Professor McGonagall asks does anyone know what that form of transfiguration is. Several hands go up including Severus and Juliet's. Calling on Juliet she answers, "That is called animagus. It is one of the hardest transfigurations. Not a lot of Witches or Wizards can perform such feats, as many things have been known to go wrong. People have been known to be stuck as an animal with no way back to human, or you can become stuck part of the way.

Very good Miss Austin, 5 points to Gryffindor. Now, everyone, I want you to read the first two chapters and then turn your matchsticks into needles.

After a few tries, all six friends turn their matchsticks into needles around the same time. As Professor McGonagall moves around the room correcting students, she sees that the friends have, all transfigured their matchsticks and tells them "5 points for Gryffindor." You can see from her expression that she is proud to have such a bright group of students in her house.

The rest of the day goes similarly. All six friends are equally intelligent. Sirius is outgoing, loyal, flirtatious and just a touch crazy. James is gregarious, flamboyant and a bit arrogant. Lily is studious, quick-tempered and a bit flighty. Remus is a quiet, studious, shy boy. Severus is a darker version of Juliet. He tends to be morose, secretive, and somewhat harsh at times, quick to anger, tending to hold grudges and loyal.

Then there is Juliet. She knows what she wants and is most generous with her time and affections, but woes betide any who cross her, for her temper would put Satan to shame. She is highly protective of those she loves and she is quick to read people and give them her trust. She thinks in the long term while someone like Sirius lives for the moment.

Her plans are first to get her out of the greedy grasp of her scheming Uncle. Once she met Sirius and Severus, she knew she needed to include them in getting them away from their families as well. While she does not know the exact circumstances behind their pain, she just knows that if she does not help them that it will only increase exponentially. She knows she needs to find adult allies, but as she has not been in English society before is not sure how to find them. She is hopeful that James' parents might be of help.

To do this she must carefully cultivate the boys and help work on their self-esteem. She can see that they have been beaten down for years, where she has only been so for the last year and a half. Once she has them seeing that they deserve better, she plans to start her own family with them. She is looking to find a place for them to hide out during the holidays so that none of them has to go back to their abusive families. This is going to take years and she is going to need help. For this help, she will need to cultivate some adults.

The first chance that Juliet was able to be alone; she called on the Hogwarts house elves. She needed to question them. After calling one, an elf asked what they could do for Missy Austin. She asked them how far away a bonded house elf could hear their master and pop to aid them. When she was told from anywhere in the world she asked if she called her elf from America if they could find her work here in Hogwarts without her bonding to the school or to the Headmaster. Again, the elf answered yes. Thanking the elf, Juliet wanders back Gryffindor Tower. Heading to her dorm and to her bed, she pulls the curtains and taking a deep breath, calls for Tipsy.

A few minutes later Tipsy arrives. Happy to see her Juliet gives her a big hug, while Tipsy is crying tears of joy at seeing her beloved Missy Juliet. After the tearful reunion, Juliet starts to explain to Tipsy how bad the situation had gotten. She tells her that it is still manageable at this time but the end game has to accelerate or they could all die. Giving Tipsy orders to go see the head elf and get a job here at Hogwarts without a bond to the school and they will talk later.

Thankfully, today was Saturday and she had the weekend to work on her plans. Asking Sirius and Severus, the two she thinks will be her strongest allies asking them if they could talk. They all walk down towards the lake finding a nice secluded spot to talk in private.

Juliet tells the two boys that she needs their help and that helping her can help themselves. She explains what she believes to know about her Uncle. How he supports this upstart Lord Moldyshorts, how he is trying to find her a match to betroth her to a low-level Death Eater, where she will end up as the plaything of the Dark Wanker. This way the creepazoid will get her money and her body. Shuddering, she tells them how her Uncle looks at her and how she is afraid to be alone with him. Since he took guardianship of me, he has beaten me, hexed me and cursed me. He has made sure not to leave a permanent mark on me when beating me.

When Sirius hears this, he tells her that his mother has started cursing him in the past year. She keeps telling me that when I turn 16 that I will be taking the Dark Mark. I keep telling her that I refuse to take the mark and that she cannot force me. I know if I don't get away from that house before I am 16 I will most likely be dead.

Severus then tells them about his father. How he beats him and his mother and how he is afraid he is going beat his mother to death. Juliet asks him is there no other family that can help? He tells her that his mother's family has disowned her and his father was an orphan.

Maybe you can appeal to your mother's family. Write the head of house a letter explaining what is happening and beg for his intervention.

When Juliet hears a small part of their stories, she knows that there is more there, she tells them some of her plans. How she is slowly building up a muggle bank account, how she is going to try and get a house somewhere in the country that she can hide out in with her house elf and how she wants them to come with her. She tells them it may be a couple of years but it should happen before the end of 5th year. If it were any later than that, it would be too late for her.

She asks Sirius if he knows any adults that they could trust to help them all get away from these abusive situations. It must be someone who can be fully trusted and maybe be powerful enough to take guardianship of them away from their hateful families. It must be someone powerful enough to take on her Uncle.

Juliet tells them that wherever they are, they need to be protected not only from their parents or guardians but also Voldy and Dumbledore. She knows that Dumbledore would not hesitate to use them for his vision of the "Greater Good."

Juliet remembers her mother telling her that Gellert Grindelwald motto was the same "For the Greater Good." That is something to keep in mind. Why is Dumbledore thinking the same way? This will take some careful research.