Maybe Memories

The summer after they found out about Remus' "furry little problem", Sirius spent more time reading than he ever dreamed he would. He spent most of the time reading about werewolves and animagus. He was pleased to have something to keep busy with though.

An owl arrived from Remus, informing Sirius he was invited to stay there for a few weeks, and that James, Peter, and Estelle were invited as well. As he was finishing the last bit of the letter, Bellatrix burst into the room. She grabbed the letter out of his hands, nearly ripping it.

"Oh Aunt Burga," Bellatrix exclaimed skipping out of the room, "guess who Sirius got a letter from!"

"Bellatrix, shut up!" Sirius exclaimed chasing her down the hallway. She pulled out her wand and waved it in his face. "Have you nothing better to do but run around trying to get me into trouble? Aren't you a little old for this?"

"What are you two screaming about?" Sirius' mother, Walburga Black, said entering the hallway with her arms crossed.

"Sirius got a letter from his half-blood friend," Bellatrix grinned, "he's been invited to stay there."

"No," was all that Sirius' mother said.

Sirius sighed, "I'm going."

His mother laughed. "No, you're not."

"Fine, I'll go to James'..." Sirius muttered.

"You won't go anywhere," his mother said.

Bellatrix giggled as Sirius passed her, skulking back to his room. The day proceeded with no further discussion of it.

Dear Remus,

I'm able to come, as long at it's after dark. I'll explain why later.

Sirius

The plan was, while the rest of his family was sleeping, he would take some floo powder and go anyway. The plan actually worked.

He stepped out of the fireplace and into a house, much smaller than his, which of course most houses were smaller than 12 Grimmauld Place. Still, this one was nice and fairly quaint.

Remus was sitting on a chair facing the fireplace with his arms crossed.

Coughing, Sirius managed, "Hello."

"Nice to see you at this late hour," Lupin said flatly.

"I had to sneak out of my house so there was really no alternative," Sirius said.

Lupin's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Heh, yeah," Sirius grinned sheepishly.

Lupin shook his head, "No...no...you can't just--"

"It's fine."

Sighing heavily, Lupin stood up. "We'll see what happens in the morning."

"You aren't going to tell your parents that, are you?"

"No..." Lupin said quietly.

--

Days came and went, until all three of the others had joined them at Lupin's. Sirius eventually got a letter from his parents telling him how he better have room to stay there for the rest of the summer, because they really didn't want to 'see his face'.

A clear, starry sky hung over the young wizards, getting ready to enter their third year. They were talking about their families, lying in the grass, looking up at the night sky. Sirius kept his hands folded on his chest. "The whole lot of them were sorted into Slytherine. I'm guessing that has to do with their hate for all non-pure-bloods."

"My family, as far back as I know are pure-bloods," James said quietly. "It's not that they are necessarily prejudice against other wizards, I don't think..."

"My grandparents, on my fathers side of course, were pure-bloods," Remus began. "I don't think they thought very highly of anyone else but pure-bloods. Though, my father married a muggle, and they seem to like her just fine."

Sirius snorted. "Lucky for you. My cousin is being threatened with her name being burned off my family tree just because she's dating a muggleborn."

"That's a little harsh..." Peter said.

"It's really ridiculous," Lupin said sitting up. "Who cares?"

"The Noble House of Black," Sirius said snickering.

"It really doesn't matter much, obviously," James said. "I mean Estelle's like best in most classes, except potions, but who can blame her. Only Evans can put up with Slughorn."

Estelle rolled her eyes. "Well, I happen to study every once and a while. Unlike you, James."

"Yeah, but it's really impressive," Sirius said. "You didn't even know our world existed."

Estelle blushed, "I was fine being out of this conversation..."

"I mean, of course there are other muggle-borns, like Evans," Sirius began. "She had Snivillus to help her discover things."

"Must we talk about that?" James growled.

Estelle seemed to be the only one who realized James had a crush on Lily. She giggled under her breath at the though.

"I don't understand why you guys have to pick on him," Lupin interjected. "He's not as bad as you all say." James and Sirius laughed at the same time. "I'm not saying he isn't a little sneak, always trying to get the two of you in trouble, but he's...I don't know, not that bad," Remus said.

Estelle made a face. "I don't know Remus, he's pretty rude."

"Yes, but the only reason he's rude to you is because you're friends with these two," Remus said.

"True," Estelle said. "Guilty by association."

Peter nodded, "He's always leaning over our shoulder in potions."

"Yeah, it's really odd," James added.

"He's probably changing your herbs around when you turn your backs or something," Sirius said.

"That's why I do so badly in there!" James exclaimed.

"Maybe you're just bad at potions," Estelle shrugged.

"Oh, shut up," James said.

"You know, the only reason that Lily doesn't like you two is because you're mean to Severus," Estelle added.

"Oh, Merlin," Sirius sighed, "first names, Estelle? We're not close enough with them for that."

Estelle rolled her eyes, "Well, it's true."

"Honestly, how does she expect us to like someone like him?" James questioned.

Estelle shrugged, "I don't know."

"Please, Miss expert, let us in on your superior knowledge of how to get along with Evans," Sirius said sarcastically. "Like it matters! She's a stick in the mud anyway."

James furrowed his eyebrows, "Well, maybe we should try getting along with her better. She is our fellow Gryffindor..."

Sirius looked at him like he'd gone mad. "James, I think you need to sleep on it."

--

Though, as they entered their third year, James did not stick to that statement. It was hard for him to face the facts that Lily was just about the only person who didn't like him.

Sirius was pretty upset that his younger brother, Regulus, was sorted into Slytherine. He seemed to be the only member of his family that didn't hate him. It was really hard to tell now. Regulus hadn't spoken to him since August, when he left for Lupin's.