I do not own Harry Potter. :3 Enjoy~

Prologue: Year one, Day one

I didn't talk to him, not at first, but I wanted to.

Remus Lupin was standing by the train with another kid- somewhat taller than him with sloppy black hair and glasses- and waiting patiently as the other spoke. They were already in their clean, new Hogwarts robes, as was I. From the distance that I watched the two, I could tell that Remus was the shy type, with his light brown hair and sheltered stance. This was the typed of person that said 'I don't want you to know me.'

For the sake that I was, and always will be, a rebellious person, this fact made me want to talk to him even more.

Nonetheless, at the moment I hadn't had the chance, because mum was kissing me goodbye, and dad was giving us the look that told us if we didn't live up to expectations (especially I) we'd both have him to deal with. At last, Regulus gave me a hug, and I was finally gone.

I will never be quite able to elaborate the amazingness of the feeling of freedom I got that first time of leaving my family, but I can tell you that it is to this day the third most powerful emotion that I have ever felt. I could tell you the other two, but there wouldn't be much more point to this story if I jumped ahead.

Moving on.

The first train ride had been painfully long and boring. The entire ride I was stuck with my 'dear cousin' Narcissa Black, and her crew of cronies, this involving the dreadfully self-centered Lucius Malfoy. Never had I heard a boy within four elder years of my own birth talk about his heritage so much.

Eventually, hours had passed, and the train had reached its destination.

It being my first year, I joined the others following Hagrid to the lake. I joined a few other prospective Slytherins in the journey across, and did my best to block them out of my head. As much as I hated listening to idiots as such as these, I did for the same reason I did everything else that I really didn't want to- my parents. 'I couldn't afford to embarass them.'

Before I knew it, I was approaching the stool and the sorting hat with a tentative sort of confidence. I smiled, because that's what mum and dad would've wanted to see. Pretty soon, I'd be seated at the Slytherin table, failing to exceed in social expectations.

But I was wrong.

A young Professor McGonnagal placed the hat upon my head, and my sorting began.

'So, another Black is it? Pure, pure blood..' it told me.

To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I had not been expecting the hat to start talking to me, nor had I expected it to read into my head.

'Don't be shocked boy, just allow me to do what I do best. Do you trust me to place you in the House that you belong?'

'Yes.' I thought, taking a deep breath.

'Very well then, no turning back.' "GRYFFINDOR!"

Applause crowded in from the Gryffindor table, and I happily joined what I would soon learn to call my 'real' family for the feast.

When the sorting was finished, Gryffindor had gained even more newcomers.

That's when I saw him again, sitting at the side of the messy-haired kid, trying not to draw attention. The aforemention messy-hair kid turned my way and smiled.

"Sirius Black, huh? Isn't your family one of those self-centered pureblood lines? Why aren't you in Slytherin?" he'd asked, a smile forming on his obnoxious face.

"Don't mind me, I'm a reject." I said, smiling back. "Salazar would be crying in his grave if I were in placed in Slytherin."

The boy laughed, loud just like I figured him out to be, and reached his hand toward mine.

"James Potter." He said in confidence.

I took his hand, shaking it and adding my own "You already know my name." to the conversation.

"This here is Remus, he doesn't talk much."

Remus, the shy one that I had seen at the station, raised a hand in a small wave of greeting.

"Hello there, Remus." I said. "Nice to meet you."

James continued on, introducing me to other new Gryffindors, and rambling on about how cute he thought that 'the red-haired girl, Lily' was. I was preoccupied with Remus though. Little did I know, I had just started the first of the processes that took over my life. Obsession or not forming, I had just acquainted myself with my polar opposite.

It was the beginning of an infatuation that I never noticed, and will never speak of. Like it or not, I had just began what would, in the end, be the ultimate challenge- because that's what love is, right?

I was eleven.

-S.B