Dear Readers, I'm really sorry it has been so terribly long since my last update, but you know how life is. I'm a thirteen year old girl with school, friends and a summer jam packed with holiday. But enough about me. Thanks to all of you for sticking with the story. Honestly, I'm wanting to wrap this one up asap as I'm just not feeling it anymore. I wont abandon it, obviously, but my updates will be fitted around anything else- so sorry for that. Anyway, Enjoy! Review! Many Thanks, Your Loyal Writer...

Sirius' POV:

I was bored. Bored, bored, bored. Moony was doing Prongs' homework in the library. Prongs was in detention with Filch for 'accidentally' pelting him with dungbombs. Foxy was…. Actually I don't know where Foxy was; probably with Moons. So here I was. Lying all alone in dorm. No one to talk to. Just me and the empty room.

Come on, you know what happens when people like me get bored, so I climbed out of the window and scrambled down the tower unseen before going to explore the depths of the forbidden forest alone.

I had been padding around for about an hour when I heard the pounding of hooves and I jumped into a bush to hide.

"Come out of there, boy." A loud commanding voice ordered.

Slowly, I crept out from the bush, pressed flat to the floor.

In front of me stood a herd of half horse-half humans; I vaguely remembered being taught about them… centaurs they were called.

"What are you doing in the forest, Boy? And for the stars sake, transform back!" the leader growled.

I obeyed immediately and stayed sitting on the floor.

"I… I just wanted something to do." I muttered in answer to the centaur's question.

"Are you ignorant to what goes on in the world, boy? Or are you just stupid?" another of the centaurs asked.

"I'm not ignorant or stupid!" I grumbled heatedly.

"Then why are you wandering along in a place forbidden to students when there is a war going on with a wizard most dark." A kinder sounding centaur enquired.

"I come here all the time. It's only against the rules if your dumb enough to let the professors see you. I know there's a war, but I also know that Dumbledore has more than enough wards up to keep him out." I retorted.

"One wizard does not create the havoc seen these past few years." The leader sneered.

"Yeah, but the death eaters cant get in either." I mumbled.

"The 'death eaters' have children here, boy. We would think that you would know that." The nasty centaur spat.

"Yeah, right, the juniors, whatever. I wont come back alone, ok?" I promised.

"Very well. We will go then." The leader snickered.

"Wait! How did you know that I was an animagi and not a dog?" I called.

"We study the stars, boy. You are named after one, Sirius- the dog star. When you study the stars as we do, you gain their respect; they tell you things." The kind centaur explained.

"So the stars told you I was a boy." I concluded, trying to keep the sarcasm from my voice.

"Correct."

"We study astronomy and no stars have ever talked to me." I complained.

The lead centaur chuckled.

"Be patient, boy. Learn from them. Now, off to the castle with you."

I couldn't sleep. The others had been asleep for an hour at least while I tossed and turned. Truth be told I was incredibly curious about the stars. So I slipped on my trainers, grabbed James' invisibility cloak, and crept out of the portrait, heading for the astronomy tower.

It didn't take me long to get there, I wondered the castle so often that I knew it like the back of my hand. Once there I headed straight for one of the telescopes. I saw that Professor Astra had left a star chart on her desk, and quickly summoned it.

I marked down many of the brightest stars and constellations and groaned seeing that a lot of them were my family's name sakes. There was Sirius for one, in my opinion the most handsome star there ever was. Then Arcturus, Regulus, Castor, Bellatrix, Narcissus (or Narcissa), Andromeda, Orion, Pollux, Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Lucretia and Alphard. The Black family definitely had a flair for star names.

Some of them, despite how much I might hate the people, were pretty names. Bellatrix was actually quite nice, so was Cassiopeia. But Lucretia and Alphard were simply hideous! If I were ever to have children, I defiantly wouldn't name them after stars.

I sat there, cross-legged, for over an hour just looking up at the stars and admiring their beauty. The centaurs were right, they could say so much. I just hadn't figured their language quite yet.

A sudden chill ran down my spine and I was reminded just how cold it was. I was hungry too. It must have been 1 am by now but I knew that there were always house elves working, no matter what the hour. So I donned the cloak again and hurried away from the cold tower, towards the warm and inviting kitchens.

"Master Sirius!" a little voice squeaked.

"Hey Adzie, do you think there are any cookies anywhere? Maybe a hot chocolate?" I asked, flashing the elf one of my famous grins.

"Of course Master Sirius. Adzie shall be doing it herself, Sir. Shall Adzie also tell Minnus of your beings here, Sir. Minnus does enjoy your visits." Adzie enquired.

"I'd love to see him, but if he's sleeping I can pop by in the afternoon to catch up with him." Sirius agreed.

"Oh, Minnus has the 24 hour shift all of this week sir. He will be awake, of course." Adzie told him.

"Well, I'd love to see him. Perhaps I'll pop by later as well." Sirius smiled.

"Yes Sir!" Adzie squealed rushing off to fetch the other.

I came down to the kitchens at night a lot. It was because I could scarcely ever sleep these days. Ever since term began two months ago, I'd been thinking about my family a lot. Not my soul bound family, my blood family. The Black family, with whom I had severed ties.

Honestly, I did miss them. Of course I did. My Mother, however stony and cold she'd been, had once loved me and smiled proudly at me. My Father, had once taught me with patience and joy. My brother had once been my playmate and confident. We used to tell each other everything. Once we had lived perfectly.

Then one day I had snuck out of his room when I was supposed to studying the family tree and had hung about outside my Father's study listening in. I had heard Orion shouting at a man. The man retorted something frightful causing me to wince. I wouldn't have dared speak to Father like that. Then I heard it. Crucio.

At almost-9-years-old I had no idea what that spell meant, the ear-piercing screams gave the traumatised me a good idea. I had sprinted back to my bedroom and dived under my covers breathing heavily. That was the first time that I had realised that Father wasn't quite the perfect hero that I had thought him to be.

Memories and thoughts kept me awake night after night. So at least thrice a week I found myself sitting in the kitchen with the two elves that had taken pity on me when they had found me crying in a corridor seeking refuge. They had brought me to the kitchen and given me cookies and hot chocolate. Now it was such a common occurrence that I knew many of the elves in the kitchen.

"Master Sirius!" Minnus beamed rushing over to the boy.

"Hello Minnus. You're well I trust?" I greeted.

"Oh Master Sirius! You are so kind to Minnus! Yes, Minnus is most well. A little weary perhaps, but happy to see his favourite master again." Minnus smiled.

"Sit with me, wont you?" I suggested, pulling out the chair beside me, which the elf promptly settled himself onto.

"Master Sirius? Adzie had to go and clean the Ravenclaw common room, Sir. She asked me to give these to you." A young, timid elf murmured.

"Thank you Lisbey. And pass my thanks onto Adzie also." I told her, taking the tray she was holding.

"Yes Master Sirius, Sir. Thank you." Lisbey squeaked and she rushed off.

"You is having nasty thoughts of family again, Master Sirius?" Minnus questioned.

"Yes. Well, not nasty exactly. Just… regretful." I sighed. "I wish it could have been different. That they were different."

"We cannot choose are family, Sir. But our friends are the family that we do choose. Minnus knows of Master Sirius' good friends. I is believing that you chose well, Sir." Minnus preached.

"Thank you Minnus, and you're right." I mumbled. "Well, thanks again. I'll see you soon." I Stood and bid the elf goodbye.

James' POV

I had been more than a little worried about Sirius for a while now. He had dark circles forming under his eyes and would be more than happy to sleep through every class, if I'd let him; not that he'd ever sleep at night like a normal wizard.

We were getting dressed when Sirius rushed into the room with a grin on his face.

"Hey guys! Moony, you're going to be so proud of me!" Sirius declared.

"Why? What did you do?" Remus asked cautiously.

"I finished all of my essays!" Sirius announced.

"Last night? I'd rather you'd slept properly." Remus muttered. The smile dropped of Sirius' face and he slouched against his bed post.

"Yeah, well, that wasn't an option so I did something productive. I thought you'd be pleased." He pouted.

"You could try a sleeping potion." Katie suggested.

"Or we could smash you over the head with pan!" I joked.

"Shut up Potter!" Sirius smirked and then yawned.

Katie through him a fresh jumper and he pulled it over his head roughly.

"What's first period?"

"History of Magic." Remus informed him, whilst knotting his tie.

"Good, maybe I'll be able to fit in a nap." Sirius grinned.

"You can use my notes." Katie smiled fondly.

Remus looked like he wanted to make a comment so I quickly interrupted.

"Let's get breakfast. I'm starving!"

Remus' POV:

I pulled Katie over before we left the common room.

"You shouldn't let him use your notes. You're encouraging him you know." I scolded.

"I know that, Remus, but any sleep is better than no sleep." Katie muttered.

"He needs real sleep, Kate, not a half hour nap in a lesson." I scowled.

"Why do you think I suggested sleeping potion? The muggles have pills. I'm going to speak with Madam Pomfrey and put one in his hot chocolate." Katie told me sharply.

"Forgive me. It's not you I'm mad with." I sighed.

"Don't be mad with him, Remus. it's not his fault either." Katie snapped.

"I know. I'm cross with his parents. His family has done this, not him, not us." I assured her.

She leant into my chest and I squeezed her arm gently.

Then James stuck his head around the door. "Are you two coming or what?" he laughed.

I blushed and let Katie tug me out of the portrait and down to breakfast