(A/N): Hey guys! So, teachers are writing our reports next week, and on Wednesday, I get to go to the Adelaide Zoo! I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail Metalwork, Skills, maybe Humanities, and possibly English. I know I'll probably get an A in science and Drama, and a pretty good mark in maths. Have you ever been in love with a fanfic so much, that you start putting songs into a folder dedicated to it? No? Just me then.

I'll probably upload a few chapters since the weekend starts tomorrow, and I uploaded two chapters yesterday, and three the day before.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leo, Elaine, Shari and Nicholai.

Leo

Son,

Shari and I have decided it would we be best if you came home for Christmas. More training and such. If you have no serious objections, great, but if you do, please reply with them and we can discuss.

By the way, how's your year been so far? I know I don't send letters very often, but I recently received one from your Professor, some woman named McGonagall, I think it was. She said you and another boy helped her out with something important...?

Lots of love,

Take care of yourself,

Your father,

Nicholai Ellwood

I smiled at the letter I held in my hands, sighing lightly.

"What is it?" I glanced up at the sound of Sirius's voice, and he tried to lean over my shoulder to read the letter, but I pulled it away before he could.

"Nothing. It's a letter from my dad." Sirius nodded understandingly before scratching his head.

"He was the one with you in that Quidditch store before first year, right?" I nodded cautiously, worried that he would realise just what my father was.

"Yes." I told him quietly, and I felt James glance at me from where he lounged on his bed, reading a Quidditch Magazine.

"Oh. Cool." I held back a sigh of relief as he turned around. That is, until he turned back around. "Hey, when we were in the wand shop, why did Ollivander ask you if the 'strange middle names' were being continued in your family?" I winced, rubbing the back of my neck with my fingertips.

"Because we all had really, strange, screwed up middle names." James raised an eyebrow at me from over his magazine.

"How so?" I rolled my eyes at him, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"My middle names Judas, that should tell you enough." He looked somewhat embarrassed, and I shrugged. "My stepfathers middle name was Constance, and my mother's full maiden name was Cipicia Scarlett Meliflua." James looked like he was trying to hold back laughter, and Sirius's eyes widened.

"Meliflua? Like, Araminta Meliflua?" I nodded, knowing exactly who he was talking about. During my first seven years of living with them, my mother and 'father' had told me plenty about their relatives. Araminta Meliflua also just so happened to be Sirius' mothers' cousin.

"Distantly related, I think." He nodded, staring down at the covers, and James threw the Quidditch magazine onto his nightstand.

"Come on gents, let's go stir up some mischief!" He exclaimed, and Sirius stood up to follow him, but I rolled my eyes.

"Leo, are you coming?" I whipped my head up staring at them in surprise.

"What?" I asked, probably sounding comically confused.

"Aw, bless him, he's so cute when he's confused." Sirius said, reaching to pinch my cheek, before I slapped his hands away.

"I'll come with you if you never do that again." I told him firmly and he grinned at me while James fist-pumped in the background.

"Deal."

We roamed the halls, just Sirius, James and I. Remus and Peter were in the Library, Remus trying to help Peter with the most recent transfiguration essay, and Elaine and Lily were off doing what girls do on a Friday night.

"We should pull a prank." I glanced at Sirius warily as he announced this, but James only grinned.

"That's a great idea!" I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

"And that is why Lily thinks you're a half-wit." He pouted at me, his eyebrows lowered, trying to look sad.

"He's so mean!" He wailed, and Sirius patted him on the back before mock-glaring at me from over his shoulder.

"Now look what you've done, he-" I cut them off by pulling them both into the alcove behind a tapestry, hearing the distinctive pair of footsteps coming towards us.

"What-?" James asked, before I clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Shhh." It was quiet, almost silent, but they got the message, and I released James's mouth in case he thought about licking me. A few seconds later, Filch hobbled down the hallway, his old cat, Mrs Norris, strutting in front of him. She was getting on in years, but she'd had kittens recently, so rest assured, there would be plenty Mrs. Norris's to come.

"Anyone there, my sweet?" He asked her, and I rolled my eyes. He talks to that thing like it's his lover, not his pet! I'd never talk to Vex like that. Mrs Norris moved closer to the tapestry we were behind, and I felt the boys hold their breath, but she turned and trotted back the way she came, as if she had smelt something horrible.

Smelt something...it was probably me. I don't know if cats can smell Vampires, but it almost certainly wasn't the curry Sirius had for lunch making an appearance.

"Where are you going?!" Filch cried after his beloved cat, and he quickly limped after her, soon disappearing from even my hearing.

"That...was strange." Sirius muttered, and James ran a hand through his hair as if trying to concentrate.

"How did you know they were coming?" He asked me, and I shrugged, quickly thinking of an excuse.

"What, you didn't hear them?" I stared at them in disbelief that was totally fake. "They were making such a racket! You two should get your ears checked." They shrugged, and seemed to accept it.

"Whatever. But hey, Leo, maybe you should become a permanent addition to our team. We call ourselves the Marauders, and your ears could be really useful." I chuckled, raising an eyebrow before shaking my head.

"Nah, I need to behave, so at least one person in our dorm will stay out of detention." They laughed with me, James a contagious chuckle, Sirius a bark-like laugh.

Marauders, eh? I guess the school is in trouble now.

(A/N): So, what did you think?

The Marauders don't have nicknames yet, that happens later.

Please review and/or check out my other stories!

Speaking of reviews, what, did you all die? I haven't got a review since the forty-eighth chapter, and the last time that happened, my reviewer was cat-sitting, but you can never be too sure! Never!

This chapter has had small edits made to it on 29/12/22 - I know I elaborated on the fact that Araminta Meliflua is Araminta Meliflua Black, meaning that Leo and Sirius are distantly related. In the original chapter I just mentioned her name without context, and considering that when I came back to this I had to look her up to figure out why I mentioned her, I suppose it wasn't exactly obvious.

This chapter has had further small edits made to it on 2/02/23 - the strange middle names is supposed to be a Joannis family thing, meaning Leo's stepfathers family, but I originally just said that Cipicia's middle name was Scarlett as an explanation, which doesn't mean anything, because she was born a Meliflua. So, I added the context that Sebastien (Leo's stepfather) has the middle name Constance.