----------------------------------------

OOOOO

And Then There Were Two

OOOOO

----------------------------------------

Sirius Black

He was over the moon, and Sirius Orion Black had every reason to be. For once in his life, he had struck gold. He'd escaped his mother for a time, stuck it to his family by being sorted into Gryffindor, and had become fast friends with James all in the first week of school alone.

What was there not to love about his life?

"Even your soft-hearted great-aunt Dorea was a Slytherin! You are a shame upon this house!" she'd said. In fact, not only had she put all of it in writing—amongst other things that left the Great Hall completely gobsmacked— but she had also put it into a howler for the entire castle to hear.

Without a doubt in his mind, Sirius knew that the howler's contents could be heard far from the boundaries of the Great Hall. His mother just had that kind of voice: the kind that caused ear bleeding pain alongside possible, if not probable, deafness.

After all of those lessons on class and grace that he was forced to sit through and his mother sends him a howler to air out their family's dirty laundry? He had never seen something so hilarious. But it was to be expected, he supposed. There was no way his mother would ever love him. Not in the past, and certainly not now. And as far as Sirius was concerned, his mother could go bugger herself for all he cared.

He woke up that morning raring to go, a grin splitting his face the moment he opened his eyes. Today, like so many other days, was going to be amazing. Certainly not because he had been complemented by Professor Brezova on his wandwork the day before.

Definitely not.

Sirius quickly washed up before heading down to the common room. He searched over the room for a familiar face, something that he found almost immediately.

"Wotcher, Sirius!" the spectacled boy smiled from the desk nearest to the window.

"James." Sirius nodded back with a smile of his own. "What're you doing?"

"I'm…" James said, furiously scribbling away. "Getting this essay done."

"McGonagall's one?" Sirius guffawed. "That was set ages ago!"

"I know, I know," James sighed. "But I've been busy practising my flying and it's due tomorrow!"

It was no secret to Sirius that his friend wanted to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team. In fact, it was all he'd go on about from the minute he'd been sorted until now. Unfortunately, he couldn't join the house team this year, meaning Sirius was all he had to vent out his grievances to.

He strolled over to the desk, whispering his good mornings to the few students already up. There weren't really all that many awake since it was a Saturday but those who were smiled back at him.

"You know," he drawled. "If you really are as interested in flying as you say you are, maybe you should do your homework during the week so you're free on the weekends?"

James stared up at him and frowned. "But I don't want to."

Sirius huffed. "Well, you can't complain, then."

"Are you going to help me or do you want to stand there and poke fun at me for the rest of the morning?" he eventually asked.

Sirius rolled his eyes but complied. "Alright, budge up. I've got my essay written but I won't let you copy it. McGonagall is a bloodhound when it comes to homework, even if she's pretty nice. I'll still help you though."

And so Sirius spent the rest of the morning helping his friend complete his essay. It was only after they'd finished that he realised that they had unfortunately missed breakfast.

"What are we going to do?!" James fretted, quickly shoving his essay into his satchel. "If we don't have breakfast we won't have enough energy for the game later on in the afternoon!"

Sirius, whilst not as worried as James, couldn't ignore the panging of his empty stomach. Thankfully, a third-year by the name of Frank Longbottom noticed their plight and decided to help them out.

"Well, breakfast in the Great Hall might be over, but you can always head down to the kitchens, you know?" he said.

James immediately sped forwards without so much as a thank you before Sirius yanked him back by his robe. "Hold on there. Do you know where the kitchens are, James?"

James looked sheepish. "... No."

Sirius smirked. "I thought as much."

Longbottom smiled at the exchange. "You know where the Entrance Hall is? It's a little way off the Great Hall."

The two nodded.

"You'll find a set of stairs descending down into the basement," he continued. "On your left will be a set of barrels and on your right a painting of some fruit. Tickle the pear and it'll swing open to show you the kitchens."

Sirius thanked the older lion before rushing after his overeager friend. Sometimes, he thought that James would one day get himself into some deep shit with how he moved first and asked all the right questions afterwards. He eventually caught up with the bespectacled Gryffindor and was none the worse for wear.

That was the one and only time he'd thank his mother for all the tutoring he was forced to go through as a child. They'd only just walked past the Great Hall when Sirius noticed three familiar green-clad witches walking towards them.

"James…" Sirius hedged, slowing down from his brisk walk.

James stopped and turned back to his friend. "What's wrong?" he asked. Though soon, he too realised why his raven-haired friend had all but stopped walking and joined him in looking down the corridor at the approaching figures of Sirius' cousins.

The three Black sisters turned heads everywhere they walked when they were on their own— and even more so when they were together. At the centre of the group was Bellatrix Black. Since she was in her seventh year, most if not all of the student body had heard of her… reputation. Sirius, however, knew her more than the Hogwarts rumour mill ever would or ever could and he could attest to the fact that every single rumour of her was true.

He met her obsidian eyes. They were completely cold, but there were slight embers flickering within those murky depths. Embers that he quickly identified as anger.

To her immediate left was Narcissa— or Cissa to Sirius. Narcissa was only a year older than him, but still managed to lord it over him almost every chance she got. She was alright, he supposed, if a little too prim and proper. But just as Sirius did, she was likely so because her parents made her that way. Under all of the upper-class mannerisms and behaviours, Narcissa was blunt to a fault. There was nothing wrong with bluntness per se, only that it often coupled well with humour. Though his blonde-haired cousin, unfortunately, sorely lacked the latter.

And on Bellatrix's right was Andromeda, who was one year younger than her older sister. She stood out to Sirius. Where the other two Black sisters were unreadable, Andromeda was not. He liked that about her. Though she could pass as Bellatrix's twin, there was something undeniably different about Andromeda. Perhaps it was the way everything about her just felt warmer. Either way, Sirius didn't care. She was his favourite cousin, and that was that.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Her eyes warmed with affection the minute he met her gaze and she shot him a small smile behind the shoulders of her two stoic sisters.

He stood still, lost in his thoughts for long enough that the three sisters had already reached the two Gryffindor first-years by the time he'd broken free of them. James stood off to the side, his dark eyes flitting between the two parties nervously. Sirius sighed and turned to the boy who could only be described as his best friend.

"James," he roused his friend out of his shock. "Head on to the kitchens without me."

"But Sirius…" James tried, looking pointedly at the three Slytherin girls before him.

"Don't worry, James." Sirius smiled. "This won't take long."

He watched the indecision flash across James' face before his friend scuttled away, his eyes following him until he turned the corner and disappeared from his sight.

Despite his outward confidence, Sirius' mind was swimming with all sorts of what-ifs and maybes. True to himself though, he put on a brave front and turned to three sisters with as wide a grin as he could manage.

"Hello there my dear cousins!" he smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "What can little old me do for you three ladies today?"

Andromeda giggled and ruffled his hair. "Aww look at you, Siri!" she smiled. "You've grown heaps!" she said. "But you're still a little cutie to me, unfortunately."

For once, he let his smile reach his eyes. "Thanks, Andi." he said.

He frowned as Bellatrix shot her sister a scathing look that swiftly vanished all happiness from Andromeda's face.

Bellatrix turned back to him, her brow furrowed. "We, dear cousin," she parroted his early words, spitting them with such vitriol that it made even Narcissa flinch. "Are here to talk about you."

She gave him a sickly sweet smile and led the remaining three Blacks through the corridor and into an empty classroom. One lazy wave of her wand and it was slammed shut and with another, the lock clicked into place, leaving the four members of House Black completely alone.

Just his luck, he almost groaned. To be locked in a classroom with Bellatrix, what joy.

She traced her fingers over the wooden table, unearthing layers of dust as she inspected the tip of her ashen finger for a moment before blowing it away. "What I would like to know," she said, her voice dangerously calm. "Is what on earth you were thinking by being sorted into Gryffindor."

Sirius shrugged. "Well you know me, Bella," he drawled. "Always one for defying expectations. Wouldn't you agree? Cissa? Andi?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes, her face slightly amused, but mostly resigned. "We all knew it was coming, Siri, or at least I did. You're too brash and loud to be either a Slytherin or a Ravenclaw, and you definitely are not Hufflepuff material."

Andromeda looked affronted. "What do you mean he's not "Hufflepuff material", Cissa? Hufflepuff is a perfectly acceptable house. Might I add that Grandma Mellie was a Hufflepuff. "

She narrowed her eyes on the blonde-haired girl. When she got no reply, she turned back to Sirius. "Don't listen to Bella, Siri. I'd be proud of you no matter where you'd be sorted. Be that Hufflepuff," she stared pointedly at Narcissa. "Or Gryffindor." before turning her eyes onto an irate Bellatrix.

He smiled at the two girls, grateful now, more than ever, that they were willing to stand up for him— against Bellatrix of all people. Merlin, he couldn't imagine what living with her day in, day out, was like. Sirius found himself respecting the two girls more than he had ever done so before.

"Nothing wrong?!" Bellatrix's voice rose a little. "Nothing wrong? Us Blacks are not the common, oafish sort to be herded into Gryffindor or any of the other houses for that matter! Members of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black are only fit for one place: and that is the illustrious house of our ancestor: Salazar Slytherin."

Andromeda huffed. "Come on Bella…"

But the eldest Black continued on. "And what this…" she stared at Sirius, half-angry half-exasperated. "... imbecile has done completely besmirched all of it. And what's worse is that it's him: the Heir Apparent."

"Nothing mother hasn't told me before…" Sirius sighed.

He thought that this conversation would be different. That perhaps Bellatrix would see reason, but he was quickly disillusioned of that. Honestly, he didn't know what he was thinking. Bellatrix of all people? Liking him being in Gryffindor? He had a better chance at making his grandfather smile.

Sirius shook his head and drew his wand. "If you've got nothing else to say to me, Bella, I'll be on my merry way. I've missed breakfast, after all." he gripped the handle of his wand and coiled it in a tight swirl. "Alohomora."

The door lock clicked, and Sirius grasped its handle and opened it wide.

"Andi, Cissa." he nodded to the other two girls and gave them small but grateful smiles before making his way towards the kitchen.

That talk may not have gone the way he wanted it to, but it could've been far, far worse.

OOOO

James Potter

He'd heard of Hogwarts from both his parents. A place that couldn't really be described by mere words, they'd said. James never really understood what they'd meant by that. Not until he'd gone to the castle for himself. The castle was everything he'd imagined and more. For someone who'd grown up amongst magic his whole life, Hogwarts was another thing entirely.

He'd taken to the place like a fish in water thanks to the invisibility cloak gifted to him by his father. It was an heirloom passed from father to son in the Potter family since time immemorial, he'd been told. With it, James explored every part of the castle that he could, and with months to do so, he thought that there wasn't a single room in the castle that he hadn't been in. Of course, he couldn't say that in full confidence since he discovered new things in the castle practically all the time.

Like the other day, where a loose brick in an unused classroom led to an entire underground duelling arena. James didn't have long to look around though, thanks to the abundance of mice and a single Doxy that had made its home there.

Hogwarts was a dream come true for James Potter. He could do all the exploring he wanted and even join a Quidditch team whilst learning under some of the most powerful witches and wizards that the United Kingdom had to offer. Not to mention that he was free to explore the centuries old castle. If he wasn't training his flight out on the Quidditch pitch, that's what he would be doing on most days. Today, though, James Potter prowled the halls of the castle with a different goal in mind: revenge.

"We've been tailing him for an hour, James!" Sirius hissed from beside him, clasping his shoulder. "I know you're pissed, but this can wait until tomorrow, can't it?!"

James stiffened, and threw more of the cloak over the two of them before he turned to his friend. "Tomorrow?! You heard what Mulciber said to Macdonald in Flying Class today!"

Sirius was silent. It took a lot to anger James Potter. That something he'd found out over the last few months they'd spent in each other's company. There were very few things that could enrage him like this.

"He called her a Mudblood, Sirius." James said quietly, his chin jutting outwards defiantly. "She didn't do anything to him. 'cept Macdonald the Muggleborn was right and Lord Mulciber was wrong so he called her a Mudblood. That isn't right! And you know what's worse? I know everyone else heard him say it and did nothing. Nothing at all!"

"Azar didn't…" Sirius tried, but was swiftly cut off by his friend.

"I know, I saw Azar smack the idiot with a Stinging Hex too, but he's a Muggleborn! Now Mulciber and his goons are going to come for him because none of us said or did anything." James said, his usually playful brown eyes grim. "So we're going to make him pay for what he said to Macdonald, and give him a little extra in advance."

Sirius sighed and removed his hand from James' arm. "... Fine. But if we're going to do this, we're doing it right."

James grunted, his hold over his wand tightening. As furious as he was, he couldn't help but notice the fear seeping into him as they neared the lone Slytherin. What if this went wrong? What if they were caught by a professor? What if he had backup?

His mind was plagued by such questions until they'd left the staircase and walked onto the ground floor. Mulciber was just ahead, his gait completely relaxed as if he hadn't a care in the world.

James' fury resurfaced with a vengeance. It bubbled in his stomach and his blood roared in his ears. Wasting not even a second more, he sped forward, keeping his noise to a minimum and dragged Sirius along with him. A small part of him felt horrible for bringing Sirius into this, but he forged onwards anyway.

Slowly sliding his hand out of the protection of the cloak, James pointed his wand at the boy's back, feeling neither pity nor guilt at what he was about to do. Only a blasé sort of acceptance. "Depulso."

James watched as the bright light surged forwards, drawing closer to the unaware Slytherin. It washed over him and sent Mulciber tumbling to the floor in an instant. He smiled slightly and he felt Sirius tremoring against his shoulder, doing his best to hold in his laughter.

Mulciber shot up at once, wand in hand and his anger etched across his face. The side of his face was beginning to swell thanks to his enthusiastic embrace with the stone floor. James stifled a snort. Now Mulciber had a matching welt on the other side of his face thanks to them.

"Who are you?!" Mulciber stumbled around, his eyes flashing. "Show yourself, coward!"

Slowly, James backed away under the cover of the cloak, watching as Mulciber whirled around with his eyes widened in fear. But he wouldn't find them, though.

Once they were far enough to not have to hide anymore, James ripped off the cloak, stuffing it into his satchel, his face flushed with excitement.

"Merlin!" Sirius gasped, his face as elated as James'. "You actually did it!" he shook James by the shoulders.

"I know!" James laughed. His smile slowly fell, giving way to a frown. "The git deserved it, though."

Sirius nodded, his grey eyes stormy. All humour had vanished from his face and he looked at James appreciatively before turning his gaze back down the way they'd come. "That and more, mate."

The two Gryffindor exchanged a solemn nod and returned to the common room, satisfied with what they'd achieved, leaving behind a confused and enraged Slytherin to lick his wounds.

All in a good day's work, James Potter would say.