Chapter Text
SIRIUS:
Sirius can't keep from bouncing on his toes, but he does attempt to refrain from going on his tiptoes to look for James and Peter and Remus. He knows if he does anything to hint at wanting to escape as quickly as possible, he'll receive a scathing letter from his mother before he even arrives at Hogwarts. His mother, who is currently refusing to leave a conversation with Mrs. Rosier, the mother of some Slytherin a year younger than Sirius. A foul kid, if Sirius is being totally honest. He's caught Evan Rosier hexing a fair share of younger students, and tried to step in, but the coward always runs away before a proper fight starts. Their mothers are droning on and on about those 'bloody half-breeds', which is such a ridiculous conversation that Sirius has to tune them out to keep his anger in check. The Rosier boy looks nearly as bored, scanning the station for his friends, that strange Ravenclaw girl and weird Slytherin girl who is in Sirius' year.
Suddenly Sirius catches a flash of a boy in hand me down robes being dragged by another boy towards the train. Sirius smiles as he watches James turn around and yell goodbye to his mother, causing heads to turn, just before he pulls Peter onto the train by his hand. Sirius says a quick goodbye to his mother, ignoring her annoyed threats, and runs onto the train. He quickly locates his friends, finding Peter examining a card from a chocolate frog and James hanging halfway out the window to call to Lily Evans.
"James Potter, that girl makes you a fool," Sirius winks at Peter as he says this, who snorts and nods. James immediately turns around, hitting his head on the window in the process.
"Sirius!! I thought you would never come! Oh, my love, I missed you entirely too much this summer for it to be completely appropriate. Come here!" James pulls Sirius in for a hug, grinning from ear to ear. Sirius obliges, the two of them caught in an embrace so tight Sirius can hardly breathe.
"I don't see you guys for two months and suddenly you're planning a fall wedding," Remus mutters from the doorway. Sirius turns around to see the boy in big black Doc Martens and a smirk playing on his lips. His hair has grown out quite a bit, shaggy and sun kissed from two months reading in his backyard. Sirius notices how pronounced his freckles have become, and feels his breath hitch, though he hasn't a clue why. James yanks the blond boy in a hug just as tight as the one he had pulled Sirius in for, and Peter pats Remus on the back. Sirius only stands in place grinning at him, while he nods in acknowledgement towards Sirius.
After everyone is seated and comfortable, James and Sirius immediately begin talking at the same time. Oh, yes, the new Fleetwood Mac album is fantastic, but Fame by David Bowie is just so much better, no, ABBA's new album is clearly the best, and Bruce Springsteen's was alright, but no comparison to the others. They chatter on and on, with Remus and Peter pitching in their opinions, but usually agreeing with James, most shamefully. Peter talks about how his sister has left for America, and who knows when they'll see her again?
James turns to Sirius, always the considerate and caring one to ask after people's families.
"Speaking of siblings, how is Regulus? You usually include him in your letters, but you barely mentioned him this summer."
Sirius' brother, Regulus, is a year younger than the four friends, and, Sirius thinks to himself, would probably very much enjoy the company of the Rosier git. He's a quiet boy who his parents sent to Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning. Regulus was originally supposed to attend Hogwarts with his brother, but as soon as Sirius came home after his first year talking about his brand new friends, his parents immediately decided to send Regulus to Durmstrang, where he wouldn't be susceptible to his older brother's negative influence. Not only was Sirius friends with a muggle born, but a Potter? Simply unacceptable. Sirius hangs out with him in the summers, and tries to protect him, but this summer Regulus hung out with his friend, Barty Crouch Jr., who was a right git and kept Sirius from spending any time with his younger brother.
"Oh, he's alright. Moody and an ass, but alright and happy on his way back to that prison they call Durmstrang," Sirius grumbles, recalling how excited he was in first year to have Reg at Hogwarts and introduce him to the Marauders. Now Reg has never met the Marauders, and maybe never will. Brothers who had once spent every moment together now with entirely separate lives, never to overlap except for the previously blissful (aside from his family, and his house, and everything besides Regulus) two months spent side by side.
James nods, sensing that he shouldn't press Sirius for more information than that. That probably won't stop James later though, when Sirius will inevitably climb into bed next to James. James will let Sirius talk, but eventually he will press about Regulus, never allowing Sirius to bottle up his feelings like he used to. Sometimes it's obnoxious, but Sirius truly loves James and the fact that he does those stupid and considerate things with little to no thought. Sirius wishes he could do that. That he could be effortlessly kind, and an amazing friend just naturally, and a good person. Sometimes Sirius thinks, in the quiet of darkness, with nobody awake to hear his wet sniffles, that his family has left more of a mark on him than he cares to admit. He likes to say he's nothing like them, and they haven't caused him any true damage, but he secretly thinks they might have. He'll never admit it, not even to James. It's his cross to bear, and he can't imagine unloading something like that on anybody. He wouldn't mind if someone else did it to him, but he feels guilty even imagining that. He'd be too much. Sometimes he already is too much. Too happy and loud, or too sad, or too angry. He's never just...him. Never balanced. He's always too much. Too emotional, and it shows, and he loathes himself for it. James helps. Hell, Peter and Remus help. Sometimes even Lily Evans helps. He's not them. He's not Walburga or Orion or anybody. He's Sirius fucking Black, and nobody can take that anyway. Not even his bloody family. He's got to remember that, and his friends do an excellent job of making sure he does.
Remus rolls his eyes, never a fan of moody Sirius Black. Sirius grins at him and throws his feet across Remus' lap, who's sitting next to him reading something that Sirius is 100 percent sure was not assigned and is purely for the poor nerd's enjoyment.
"Sorry Moony, we'll keep it light, just for you. How was your summer, aside from dreadful due to my absence from your life?" Sirius leans closer to the taller boy, his grey eyes flashing with mischief.
"Mm, it was peaceful. Mam and I went to the beach, which was nice, and Dad was at work, mostly. It was quiet, probably because you weren't there, thank Merlin," Remus winks as he says this, but his cheeks are flushed a quite pretty and noticeable pink, though Sirius, once again, can't fathom why. He likes it, though. It's endearing, in a way he doesn't linger to think about deeper.
In what feels like no time at all, the train slows to a stop, and the boys suddenly find themselves once more in Hogwarts, and Sirius finds only one thought running through his head.
Home. He's finally home with his family.
"Oi, Evans! Evans, hey, Evans, wait up!" James has spotted Lily and her best friend, Mary Macdonald. He sprints to catch up, no doubt to attempt to woo the former yet again. It hasn't worked yet, but who knows? Impossible things have happened before, and James still has three more years to woo her. If anyone can do it, it sure as hell is James bloody Potter.
The other three boys exchange looks, rolling their eyes in tandem before heading towards the Great Hall to watch the sorting and enjoy the feast. As Sirius considers what will be for dinner tonight, he watches Remus practically drooling, and he knows Moony is thinking the exact same thing.
"Hungry, are we?"
Remus looks sharply at Sirius and once again rolls his eyes.
"Isn't he always? Merlin, can't think of a time when Moony wasn't practically starving," Peter jokes, elbowing Remus playfully before continuing, "though it seems as we get older, you aren't only hungry for food, eh, Moons?"
Remus immediately turns bright red, and Sirius glances at the two of them, confused. Does Remus like someone? Why didn't he tell Sirius? Is Sirius untrustworthy or something? Sirius feels himself growing upset at the revelation that Remus must not trust him, but grins anyway.
"What do you mean by that, Wormy? Moony here got a lover I don't know about?" He means to say this playfully, but his tone comes out a little clipped and forced. He watches as Remus stares straight ahead, where Lily, James, and Mary are walking together. Remus would never like Lily, he wouldn't do it to James, but Mary...does Remus like Mary? Sirius feels a tug in his gut at the thought, and wonders why. Does Sirius like Mary? Oh, Merlin, Sirius likes the girl that Remus likes! He wants to kick himself, he didn't even know, but why else would he be so annoyed?
"Nah, nah, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just making a joke, you know, meaningless. Moons here would tell you first if he liked anyone, I'm sure. Isn't that right, Moons?" Peter stumbles over his words, clearly sensing his mistake and backtracking before he can cause further damage.
"Yeah-yeah, I would tell you Pads, don't worry about it," Remus gives Sirius a weak smile before pushing ahead to get to the Great Hall. Sirius shakes his head, confused.
"Is he mad at me?" Sirius looks at Peter, worried he did something wrong.
"Nah, he's just hungry, I'm sure. Don't worry about it. Now come on, I'm hungry, and don't want to miss the food," Peter hurries ahead, leaving Sirius with the stupidest thought of that the food doesn't run out, so Peter can't miss the food.
After the sorting ends, the Great Hall is still noisy and chaotic, with James somehow ending up with his face shoved in his plate. Everyone is excited to be back with their friends, many people glad to be back home after an endless break. Others, like the first years, are weepy, missing their families. Sometimes Sirius wishes he had such a family to miss, but then realizes he does. James, Peter, Remus, even Minnie. They're his family, and they're all he needs, all he could ever want.
Dumbledore steps up to speak to the hall, and a hush falls over the students, with even the first years' sniffles going silent.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. I am so glad to see you all back. A couple announcements, however boring, must be made. Number one: the Forbidden Forest, as the name states, is strictly forbidden to all students. Next," Dumbledore continues to drone on, and Sirius tunes him out. It's nothing he hasn't heard before, anyway. He continues eating, examining Remus, who has been avoiding eye contact all dinner.
"-hosting the Triwizard Tournament!" Sirius suddenly tunes in once more to hear the sound of cheers across the large room, as Dumbledore continues, "One student from each school will be chosen, but you must be older than third year to put your name in the Goblet of Fire. Durmstrangs and Beauxbatons will arrive tomorrow, and the Goblet of Fire will be available after that for a week. After said week, the names will be chosen and the competition will commence. However, some safety precautions will be-"
Sirius once more tunes the headmaster out, turning to James. They exchange grins, and Sirius knows they're both thinking the same exact thing:
I'm going to be the one to win it.