The Prettiest Star

The Potters were lovely. 

They were exactly what he imagined a family should be, with Fleamont’s twinkling eyes and mischievous nature, and Euphemia’s warm smiles and enveloping hugs. 

Sirius had never met them before that summer. His own parents had never let him. The Potters were off limits, bringing shame to the wizarding world and all that pureblood nonsense. Peter lived just down the road (in a much smaller house), so of course he knew the family well, and Remus had stayed the summer a few times over the years, but not Sirius.

Euphemia Potter was of average height, with the same golden brown skin as James, and thick wavy black hair streaked with grey, that she often pulled into a tidy bun at the nape of her neck. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled, and there wasn’t a bad bone in her body. She was a wonderful cook, a wonderful healer, and a wonderful mother. 

Fleamont Potter had the same messy hair as James (with the same grey streaks as Euphemia), though he often tamed it with Sleekeazy when he was going into the office at the Ministry. He was paler, though not quite as pale as Sirius, and he looked at his wife as if she were the most amazing woman in the world (which Sirius couldn’t exactly disagree with). He was cheeky, and easygoing, and his smile was just as kind. 

“I’m so glad you came,” Mrs Potter had told him when he first arrived, placing a steaming mug of tea before him, her eyes crinkling at the corners. 

“Happy to have you, son,” Mr Potter had said a few days afterwards. Sirius had grinned at that. He didn’t even remember Orion ever calling him son. Not like that, at least. 

It had been uncomfortable at first, to be in someone else’s house. Someone else’s space. But James was great, and his parents were even better. Sirius even managed to be on his very best behaviour for the whole of the first two weeks. Then he’d gotten even more comfortable, and his true colours had shone through. He and James had had hours of fun playing tricks on the gnomes in the garden. 

Peter had come round many times, and his easy, funny manner had put Sirius even more at ease. It was as if nothing had changed, not with Peter. It was the best summer he’d ever had. The best time outside of school he’d ever had. 

“We’d love for you to come back for Christmas,” Euphemia had told him towards the end of August, “And for next summer, if you’d like.”

Seeing as he was basically homeless without them, Sirius liked the idea of coming back the next summer very much. 

Throughout his stay, he found himself saying thank you more than he had in his whole life. He’d always had a house, a horrible one, a dangerous one, but a big one. He’d almost always had three meals a day (unless he was in trouble) and he’d always had fine clothes and fine things. He’d taken all he could to the Potter’s, but without them, he wouldn’t have had much at all. 

It had been a strange thing to realise, that he, Sirius Black, heir (or former heir, now) to the Black family fortune, had been briefly homeless. Without food, without shelter and without a family, really, even if it had only been during his short trip on the Knight Bus. He had felt… untethered, that night when he ran away. As if he were in between, drifting this way and that. But one summer at the Potter’s and suddenly he was more grounded than he’d ever felt before. And he knew, when he thought about it, that it was because of what Euphemia liked to call ‘the best kind of magic’; love. He was more loved than he’d ever been in his whole life. 

***

Sirius waited impatiently with James in their usual compartment. His knee bounced up and down with nervous energy, but James was kind enough not to say anything. It wasn’t as if he was much better anyway. Outside the carriage window, platform nine and three quarters was bursting with parents, families and children, all pouring in and out from the wall that connected them to King’s Cross. Sirius scanned the crowds, to no avail. He couldn’t spot Reg, not with all those people. 

Instead, he waited for the rest of the marauders. 

Pete came first, and he slumped into the place next to James. 

“Alright Wormtail?”

“Mum barely let me go,” he huffed, and they laughed, “Thought I was gonna miss the train for sure.”

“Come on,” reasoned James, “We’ve got ages, still.”

Sirius continued to scan the crowds for Regulus, but now his mind had turned suddenly to something else; Remus Lupin. He hadn’t seen Moony all summer. That was usual, he never did, but this time he felt strangely nervous. 

It already felt different. Sirius himself felt different. Things had changed, for the better of course, but they had still changed. He wanted to know what Remus thought of it all, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe he just wanted to see Moony. He’d seen lots of the other two Marauders after all. 

After what must have been ten minutes since Peter’s arrival, Remus Lupin appeared in the doorway to their compartment. Sirius’ face split into a grin at the sight of him. 

“Moony!” he exclaimed, rushing up to wrap him in a hug. This caught Remus off guard, and he stumbled backwards at the force of Sirius’ embrace, though he reciprocated the gesture easily. “Merlin’s beard you’re tall,” gasped Sirius, holding him at arm's length and looking him over. Remus made a face. 

“Don’t start,” he groaned, as Sirius dragged him over to sit by him. 

He wasn’t exactly sure why he’d reacted so intensely to Remus’ arrival. He certainly hadn’t planned it, it had just sort of happened. He wasn’t exactly sure why he’d been anticipating his arrival so much, he certainly hadn’t felt this way about Pete or James when they’d reunited for the first time over the summer.

“Nice summer?” asked James, also grinning. 

“Alright,” conceded Remus, “Got a job.” 

“A muggle one?” wondered Pete. Remus nodded. 

“What kind of muggle job?” asked  Sirius, remembering to let go of his arm now that they were sitting down. 

“Record shop,” grinned Remus, and Sirius grinned right back. 

“Go on then,” urged Pete, “How was it?” 

“Tell us everything,” added Sirius. Tell me everything, he wanted to say. 

And so Remus regaled them with tales of the record shop. He knew all the trending music now, he was practically an expert. That’s how it seemed to Sirius, anyway, whose knowledge did not extend very far beyond Bowie and Abba. 

“Have you got any new records, then?” asked James when he was done. 

“Loads,” confirmed Remus, “And posters. They sold those too, and I got an ‘employee discount', so it was dead cheap.”

“Which records?” Sirius demanded to know. Remus began to list them off, counting them on his long, tanned fingers as he went. He had a few new scars there, Sirius noted. 

“Sounds like you spent half your paycheck at your workplace,” teased Peter, and Remus huffed a laugh. 

“You’re not far off from the truth,” he admitted. 

Just then, Lily Evans poked her flaming red head round the door. 

“Heya Remus,” she smiled, “Hey Pete.” Peter and Remus were the only two Marauders she tolerated. 

“Hey, Lily,” they both chimed back. 

“Hi, Lily,” added James with a stupidly crooked grin. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up, and Sirius and Peter shared an eye roll. 

“Potter,” she greeted stiffly, then turned back to Remus with another smile. “Ready for the prefect meeting?” she asked. 

“What prefect meeting?” laughed Sirius. Peter laughed a bit too, though James was too busy trying (and failing) to catch Lily’s attention. Sirius looked at Remus, but he wasn’t laughing. He stopped abruptly. “Moony, you’re not a prefect are you?”

Remus dug into his pocket and retrieved the shiny Gryffindor prefect badge, holding it humorlessly aloft. 

“What?” was all Pete said. 

“Came in my school letter,” he replied. Sirius gaped at the little pin, before bursting into laughter again. 

“Our Moony, a prefect!” he chuckled. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” asked James, who had stopped staring at Lily like a lost puppy. 

“Why'd you think?” Remus groaned, looking pointedly at Sirius. He stood up to join Lily, and Sirius reached out for his arm again, clutching onto it. 

“Don’t leave!” he begged, only smiling now, “I’ve barely just gotten to see you! Bunk off the prefect meeting and stay with me.” He looked endearingly up at Remus, and Sirius saw his resolve falter, if only for a moment. 

“Shove off, Black,” said Lily, and she dragged Remus off down the train. Sirius stuck his tongue out at her receding frame. 

“She’s gorgeous,” breathed James once she was gone. 

“Oh, shut up,” snapped Sirius, slumping back into his seat. 

“Missing him already?” teased James, and Sirius stuck his tongue out at him, too. “What do you want him for, anyway? Me and Pete are still here!”

“It’s not the same,” sighed Sirius dramatically, only half joking. 

“Oi!” said James indignantly, “Thought I was your best mate?”

“Course you are,” he replied easily, “But I’ve seen you all summer.”

James held a mocking hand to his heart, pretending to look wounded. Peter snickered. 

“Big year, eh?” prompted James. 

“You say that every year,” pointed out Peter. 

“Yeah, well, they get bigger every year.”

“Bigger year, bigger pranks,” winked Sirius. That was all it took to send them into a planning frenzy. By the time Remus returned to the carriage (much to Sirius’ excitement), they had already come up with five different ideas. 

“Reckon we could manage something during the feast?” wondered James conspiratorially. 

“What, tonight?” gaped Peter. 

Sirius eyed Remus, looking at his reaction. Remus caught on and scowled at him. 

“Just because I’m a prefect,” he grumbled. 

“Knew you wouldn’t really join them,” replied Sirius and he lightly punched his arm. 

They set to work, now with Remus’ genius to aid them, but didn’t get far before they got distracted. They talked and laughed for the whole ride, but still, in his chest, Sirius could feel that something had changed. Perhaps something more than running away, he didn’t know. All he could be sure of was that things would never be the same again.