Upon breaking through the barrier and entering platform nine and three-quarters, Sirius Black inhaled deeply, filling his nose with the comforting smell of smoke, grit, and fire; the scents that accompanied the scarlet Hogwarts express. He took in the familiar scene of students of all ages rushing to get onto the train, all the while looking for a head of jet-black hair, with hazel eyes slightly obscured by the glasses. His search of James Potter proving unsuccessful, Sirius turned slightly to face his mother. Walburga Black was glaring at her oldest son with an ill expression on her face; almost as though it pained her to lay eyes on him.

"Behave yourself." She hissed at him. Sirius nodded, then, without further ado, set off at a brisk towards the train that was rapidly becoming full.

"Mate!" A breathless voice implored. Sirius glanced behind him to find a red-faced James Potter sprinting away from the barrier as though his life depended on it. When catching up with Sirius, he slowed significantly, and kept pace with him as Sirius cut though the throng of people easily, still trying to reach the train.

"Nice one, Prongs." Sirius complimented the quidditch captains badge pinned to James's shirt.

" Thanks. Have a good summer?" James asked, his neck craned at a particularly awkward angle.

"Do you actually want an answer, or do you want me to join your search for Lily Evans?" Sirius taunted, knowing exactly what his friend was doing.

"Aw, come on, Padfoot! You can multitask!" James replied in a whining tone.

"Eh, it was alright." Sirius answered dismissively. However, James was not listening. He had just spotted the object of his affections and was making his way over to her. "Yes, I can multitask. You, however, cannot." Sirius muttered under his breath as he strode over to the red-headed supposed love of his friend.

"Oi, Evans!" James hollered, chest puffed out in order to highlight the badge.

Lily turned to look at him with excited eyes, an unusual occurrence which did not go unnoticed.

"Oh, pleased to see me are you? Well, it took you long enough, I must say."

Lily was quick to shoot James down. "In your dreams, Potter. No, wait, not even then."

"Ouch. Hurtful, Evans." James dramatically placed his hand over his heart.

"Why were you so happy?" Sirius inquired of Lily, bored already at their usual bickering.

"My friend, who lives in America, is moving back to England and is transferring to Hogwarts!" Lily said brightly. "Except I Just. Can't. Find her!" she said, punctuating each part of the sentence with a stamp of the foot.

James immediately tried to calm down Lily; he'd had all too much experience with that fiery temper of hers. "Whoa, whoa, don't go all PMS on us, Evans. Don't you think you're over-reacting a little?"

"One, I haven't seen her in over a year. We just keep in touch by writing to each other." Lily explained impatiently while looking around furiously. "Two, Alvie Greene is not the person who should be left unsupervised."

"Alvie Greene?" Sirius snorted derisively.

"Yes, Alvie Greene."Lily threw at him before disappearing into the gathering steam, prefect badge winking them goodbye.

"Ah, Padfoot, you've chased her away!" James reprimanded his friend.

"Alvie Greene?" Sirius could not get over such an absurd name.

"I guess that's her name." James reasoned before running away in Lily's direction.

"Going after her won't help, you know." Sirius observed.

"I'm not going after anyone, we're missing the train!" James called behind him. Sirius scrambled after him, both of them jumping onto the train just as it was leaving the platform.

After checking that both trunks and people were unharmed during this stunt, the two boys began to trek to their usual compartment in the back of the Hogwarts express.

_"Hello, Mr. Moony." James said as Remus Lupin opened the glass door to let them in.

"Mr. Prongs, Mr. Padfoot." Remus acknowledged them with a grin. "Have a good holiday?"

"It was alright. Dad was home for most of it, which was cool." James's father was an auror and was constantly away for weeks, leaving his wife and only child home.

"So, how was the furry little problem?" James asked innocently. "Did you miss us during your full-moon, shall we say, wanderings?" Everyone cracked up at that one, even the werewolf himself.

"Yes, I can honestly say that I enjoy your presence during my, let us say, wanderings." Remus replied, still chortling.

"Speaking of which, what are we doing this month?" Peter asked eagerly.

"Not even a hello. Really, Wormtail, where are your manners?" Sirius teased.

"Sorry." Peter said, ashamed.

"Aw, Pete, he was just kidding! Don't be such a girl about it." James said reproachfully.

"Knew you'd get that, Prongs." Remus nodded at James' captain's badge.

"Who else would it be?" Peter queried.

"So, I've found a great spell that might work for our start-of-term prank this year." Remus said.

"Great! And that would be?" James asked excitedly, for he was eager to resume pranking incessantly with his fellow Marauders.

However, Remus did not get to explain, for just then two laughing girls, one with vivid, red hair, were seen running down the corridor through the glass of the compartment door.

The color alone was enough to make James Potter jump out of his seat with suspicion that it was Lily. Indeed, when he had raced to the door, wrenched it open, and stuck his head out, one of the figures was none other than Evans herself.

The sound of the glass popping open was enough to make the other raven-haired girl pause and look back. A little further down the hallway, Lily stopped too, and looked questioningly into James's eyes. The brunette did the same. After a couple of moments where nothing was said, the two comrades looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and continued to their destination.

James, after remaining half in and half out of the compartment for a second longer, shook his head in bewilderment, and ducked back inside to his friends.

"Well, that was odd." James mumbled to himself.

"What was that?" Remus asked.

"That was Lily and this other girl."

"Since when are you and Lily on first name basis?" Sirius snorted.

"Since we fell in love." James said defensively.

"You and her are in love?" Peter asked with wide eyes.

"Of course not, you dolt. He just wishes they were." Sirius explained.

"She's in love with me; she just doesn't know it yet." James insisted; face shining brighter than the sun glinting off the ocean waves.

Remus snorted. "Sure, keep singing the same old song, Prongsie."

"Do not call me Prongsie!"

"So, back to the start-of-term prank," Sirius interrupted. "Whatcha got, Moony?"

"I found this spell." Remus reiterated.

"So we've heard." James said with a straight face.

"It makes you-"

"Where'd you find it?" Sirius asked interestedly.

"In this old book of my dad's." Remus sighed, trying to tell them his idea.

"Cool, so, what's it do?" Peter asked impatiently.

Remus nearly shouted at that. "I've been trying to tell you! It makes it so that every time a certain word is said, fireworks go off. Like, HUGE fireworks."

There was a pause. "That's it?" James asked. They had let off fireworks repeatedly over the last five years.

"We can make it so that whenever anyone curses, the fireworks spell out their name and whatever word they said."

"This spell is SHEER GENIUS! We must put this plan into action immediately! Resume talking in code now!" James was rattling off orders like an army general.

"Mate, we don't have a code." Sirius stated calmly.

"Well, we should!"

"And every phrase could be a name Evans calls you?" James immediately colored in anger and embarrassment.

"You know, that could work," Remus said thoughtfully. "'Talk in code' could be 'bullying toe-rag'…."

"Guys, shut it!"

"'Abort the mission' could be 'arrogant git'" Peter added.

"Really, shut up!"

They were really getting into it now. " 'Let's prank the Slytherins' is 'self-centered prat'!" Sirius declared happily.

"Alright, one more word…." James cautioned

"Anything for lunch, dearies?" Lena, the middle-aged woman who ran the trolley asked warmly.

James, who had raised his fist threateningly when hearing 'another word', had been forced to pretend to scratch his head so as to not offend the woman. This, of course, brought on a round of badly concealed snickers.

"Oh, can we have some of everything, please?" Remus asked, forcing the rest of his mirth down his throat. "Cough up, guys, I'm not paying for all this." He added while Lena got the sweets.

The boys obediently handed him various amounts of cash, which he then exchanged for a rather large amount of candy.

"Thanks, boys." Lena said before backing out the door.

The boys nodded at her, and proceeded to reach for the pile of sugar that Remus had just dumped onto an empty seat.

"Wait, what time is it?" Remus asked apprehensively.

"11:45, Moony. Why?" Peter answered.

"Ah, shit! I'm late for the prefects meeting!"

"Language, language." Sirius chided as Remus hurtled himself out the door.

After running at breakneck pace to the front of the train, Remus entered the prefect's compartment, panting heavily.

"I'm -gasp- sorry, I -gasp- forgot -gasp-."

"Don't worry about it, Remus," Delilah, the Head Girl assured him. "Just take a seat."

He quickly sat down next to Lily, his fellow prefect, who gave him a small smile before turning back towards Garret, the Head Boy, who was explaining patrol nights.

"….and, lastly, Hufflepuff fifth years on Fridays and Sixth on Saturdays, both on the first floor."

"When are we going?" Remus whispered to Lily.

"Tell you later." She mouthed back, glancing towards the speakers.

"Right, you sixth and seventh years, scram. The rest is something you already sat through," Garret oh-so-politely kicked them out.

"What'd I miss?" Remus asked anxiously, mentally beating himself up for his tardiness.

"Oh, not much," Lily said off-handily. "Just that we're patrolling Tuesdays and Thursdays in the seventh floor and that there's a meeting next Friday about Hogsmeade visits and the like."

"Does that include the astronomy tower?" Remus questioned.

"Unfortunately, yes." She grimaced. The pair had been forced to patrol the dreaded tower last year, so they know the astounding amount of snogging that went on in there.

"Bloody perfect," Remus grumbled to himself. Lily grinned apologetically.

"Sorry. I tried to change it, but no luck."

"Don't worry about it, Lily," He pacified her.

"Well, see you later," She said, before turning into a compartment and shutting the door behind her.

"Bye," Remus called through the door. Lily gave a small wave before sitting in a chair next to a girl with black hair and, what looked like, brown eyes.

"How was the meeting, Moony?" Sirius asked while stretched out on an entire row of seats.

"Well, the five minutes that I heard weren't too bad," Remus replied sourly. He loathed being late.

"Ah, cheer up. I'm sure Evans filled you in on everything you missed."

"Well, yeah, but still…"

"You talked to Evans?" James attacked Remus eagerly.

"And here we go…" Peter murmured under his breath.

"Yes…" Remus said slowly.

"Well, what'd she say?" James pestered.

"She said we're patrolling the astronomy tower." He offered.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Real helpful, Moony."

"The astronomy tower?" James mused. "I could get her up there while you guys are patrolling and then-"

"Get hexed for trying to get into her pants." Peter pointed out, amid much laughter.

"I would not!" James argued hotly. "We would snog for a while, and then I could-"

"Get hexed for trying to get into her pants." Peter repeated.

"Nice one, Wormtail." Sirius grinned appreciatively.

"Oh, shut up the lot of you."

"So, back to that prank you were talking about." Peter abruptly changed the subject. "What's the incantation?"

"Maledictum Ignis" Remus recited.

"Awesome. Wand movement?" Sirius pushed for more information.

"A sharp jab, then after its cast, explain what you want it to spell out."

"Well," James said in a superior tone. "I do believe we have some practicing to do. Gentlemen, let us get to work."

They then spent the remainder of the train ride tweaking the spell to bring to to Marauder-prank perfection.

"Missed this place all summer." James smiled fondly at the castle.

"We can finally finish that map we've been making." Peter said gleefully.

"Yeah….what's left to do again?" Sirius asked, frowning.

"We need to add in the passages to Hogsmeade, finish up the grounds, and get the map to show where every single occupant of Hogwarts is." Remus groaned slightly at the amount of wand work that would take.

"Not to worry, men. We shall complete our creation." James said bracingly as they walked off the platform.

"Eventually." Peter mumbled under his breath. "Hello, Hagrid!" He called in a much more decipherable tone.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" cried the part-giant. "'Lo boys!"

"Hi, Hagrid!" They shouted back, they had missed their friend.

"See you a' the feast, yeah?" Hagrid roared.

"Definitely." James answered, before turning and climbing into the carriage after Peter.

"Alright, what are we writing this time?" Sirius asked, quill poised in hand, ready to inscribe something on the walls of the carriage

"I don't understand why you insist on doing this." Remus shook his head.

"Come on, Moony! Its Marauder tradition!" James wheedled.

"True enough. Besides, how could you come up with something to write without me?"

"That's the spirit!" James clapped him on the back.

"What about 'furry little problem…..damn that rabbit!" Remus joked.

James flashed a grin at the mention of his choice of words for Remus's condition.

"Brilliant, Mr. Moony." Sirius poked his tongue through his teeth as he concentrated on vandalizing the carriage, something they had done since second year. "Done." He finished the exclamation point with a flourish.

"Nice job," James commented. "Speaking of the 'problem', when's full moon?"

" Two and a half weeks." Remus answered automatically, having committed the lunar cycle to memory.

"Crap, that soon?" Peter fretted. "We'll never have enough time!"

The carriages stopped, having arrived at the school. "Chill out, Wormtail." James calmed. "We'll get it done. We always do."

They ambled into the familiar entrance hall, looking over the anxious first years with interest.

"Seems like it was only yesterday when we were standing in that line, d'you remember?" James reminisced.

"How could I forget, you and Sirius died my hair bright pink!" Peter retorted.

"Our first ever Marauder prank," Sirius stated proudly. "Sorry, Pete."

A little ways away from them, Lily Evans was chatting amicably to the girl that Remus saw her sit next to in the compartment. The girl was standing in line with the first years, not looking half as worried as they did.

"Who's Evans talking to?" Sirius pointed out the duo to the rest of the Marauders.

"Oh, it's that chick I saw her run down the hall with." James supplied. Evans said her goodbyes to the girl and walked over to the Gryffindor table, the boys following behind at a much more leisurely pace.

"I saw her too, in their compartment on the way back from the prefects meeting." Remus frowned. "Wonder why she's standing with the first years."

"I guess she's new. Probably needs to be sorted." Peter concluded.

"That'll be it." James agreed as they sat down at the table, he, of course, situating himself next to Lily.

"Hello again, Evans. My, we seem to be running into each other a lot, don't we?"

"That, of course, has nothing to do with the fact that your favorite pastime is stalking me." She easily explained his behavior.

"She has a point, Prongs." Sirius ragged, at which James glared at him before turning to Lily.

"You only stalk the ones you love. Go out with me, Evans?" He entreated.

"When hell freezes over." She replied without missing a beat.

"That can be arranged."

"Oh, of course, I forgot you lot have special say with the devil. I'm sure you could put in a word with him to get hell to polar temperatures."

"Ooh, Evans, don't insult us. Just Prongs is okay." Peter admonished her.

"Sod off, Wormtail."

Peter opened his mouth to reply, but got cut off by Professor McGonagall.

"Students! The sorting is about to begin!" She hushed the crowd as she placed a stool in the middle of the hall with an old, patched, hat on top.

"Perfect timing, Minnie." James grinned in Peter's direction.

After waiting a few seconds, the hat opened its mouth wide and began to sing, much to the shock of the first years.

When I was a young hat,

Just barely sewn

I could not imagine

The position I now uphold.

For I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,

And it's my job, you see

To separate you into houses

Based on what I read

So open up your brains, young ones,

So I can decide,

Which house you should be placed in,

No need to run and hide

So where are you to make new friends?

Will it be Ravenclaw, the smart and sagacious?

Or Slytherin, which houses

The shrewd and perspicacious?

Will it be Gryffindor, the noble and the brave?

Or Hufflepuff, who can do much work,

Without looking grave.

Don't be afraid, just come sit down,

Try me on for size.

For I can do all these wonders

Without asking for a prize.

The hat bowed modestly while the school clapped before slumping back down on top of the stool.

"Arvine, Michael!" Professor McGonagall read off a very long piece of parchment.

A small boy with an overlarge nose shivered over to the stool and sat on it, pulling the hat down over his eyes.

"Reminds me of Snivellus." James muttered into Peter's ear, who then dissolved into a fit of not entirely silent titters while Lily turned up her nose disdainfully.

"Berne, Emma!"

And so the sorting continued while Sirius played moodily with his cutlery, hungrily waiting for the sorting to begin.

"Greene, Alvie!" That made Sirius snap to attention. Aahh, so here was the elusive Miss Alvie Greene. Yes, he can see Evans waving encouragingly at her as she strolled calmly over to the stool.

The girl, or Alvie, sat down, placed the hat on her head, pulled her right foot up to place it on her knee, and proceeded to take this opportunity to observe the rest of the school, who in turn, took this opportunity to observe her.

"Wow, pretty." James whistled under his breath. Sirius agreed silently. With that jet-black, pin straight hair; those long, luxurious legs, that clear, pale complexion; and her warm brown eyes that seemed to contain a spark of fire and rebellion in them, Alvie Greene was certainly not ugly.

"You going to go after her?" James asked. Sirius nodded, still staring at the girl, whose full lips were stretched taunt in a wide grin.

Sirius never had a problem with girls, they never looked past the silky hair and compelling grey eyes, and most never wanted to. They were content with being his fling, his one-night-stand, fucked and tossed aside, maybe used again later.

Very rarely, he dated them. It was always short-term, though, and he made sure they knew that from the start. Each girl took what little he gave them anyway, for each wanted to be the girl to tame Sirius Black.

Sirius never had a problem with girls, and he expected this one to be just as easy as the others.

So, he winked in the girl's direction, hoping to get laid in the near future, but the girl didn't respond, odd she seemed to be looking his direction. He frowned, and it seems he wasn't the only one doing so, for everyone in the entire school either wore confusion, pity, or ridicule on their face.

Professor McGonagall slowly walked over to the girl to whisper in her ear. Lily immediately performed a spell allowing her to eavesdrop on her conversation

James stared awestruck. Lily Evans, prefect extraordinaire was listening in on private talk? The apocalypse must be coming.

"What?" She haughtily asked him. "She's my friend I want to know what's going on."

The Marauders all shook their heads, as if to clear away any confusion, and leaned in to listen to what McGonagall had to say.

"…..something wrong with the hat, dear?" She said kindly.

"Oh, no not at all." Alvie said in a clear carrying voice. "We were just having a lovely conversation on the true meaning of bravery. And muffins." She added after thinking a moment. A smile began to stretch itself along Lily's face, reaching each ear.

McGonagall, along with the rest of the school, simply stared. They had no idea what to make of the girl.

"Well, go on." Alvie lightly nudged the hat.

"GRYFFINDOR" It shouted without hesitation. Evidently, this had been decided by the hat long ago.

The hall was dead silent while the girl strode over to the red and gold table. Then, a single pair of hands began clapping enthusiastically. Evans, of course, began to clap excitedly for her friend. The rest of the table soon joined in, albeit after a moment's pause.

"Merlin, I've missed that chick." Lily breathed as Alvie circled the table to sit next to her.