Sorting
Draco, Harry, and Sirius walked over to where they could hear Hagrid calling out to the first years. Sirius kept so close to Harry that his side brushed Harry's leg with every step. They could only have four kids to a boat and Hagrid said that Sirius counted as a kid. Naturally, Draco hopped into the boat with him and Harry. A thickset, mean looking boy joined them.
Draco whispered to Harry, "That's Goyle. He's one of the people I was trying to get away from."
Harry frowned slightly and held onto Sirius a little tighter.
Thankfully, the boy didn't speak on the ride to the castle. Harry and Draco didn't really either. Sirius watched the awe on Harry's face with amusement. He'd spent his first ride here much the same. Of course, he'd had James, Remus and Peter with him. Sirius sighed. He could already tell that any free time he had would be plagued by memories while he was here.
As always, McGonagall took the first years to the Great Hall and gave the same speech Sirius remembered from his first year. He didn't pay attention.
He closed his eyes and remembered standing here in his first year. James by his side, they'd already become friends on the train though they hadn't really spoken to Remus or Peter yet. He remembered how scared he was of being put into Slytherin like the rest of his family. James had teased him and tried to get his mind off it. He'd been so relieved to be put into Gryffindor with James. Still, waiting to be let in, and then for his name to be called had been nerve-wracking.
When they were finally let in and the sorting started Sirius wondered where Harry would end up. He wouldn't really care if Harry ended up in a different house than he had. He was pretty sure that the twins would stay friends with him no matter what and he even found himself hoping that Draco would too.
When Harry's name was called the Hall broke out in whispers. Draco had already been sorted into Slytherin so Harry glanced over at the table. Draco smiled and nodded at him. Sirius nudged him gently towards the hat. He was annoyed at everyone gawking at his godson like that. Honestly, he was a child, like them. Couldn't they at least try and be subtle.
Sirius sat next to the stool while McGonagall put the hat on Harry's head. He was under there much longer than Sirius thought he would be. He noticed him start to shift nervously after a while.
Finally, the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers. Harry hurried over and the twin shifted to make room for him. The second to last person sorted was the twins' younger brother, Ron. He sat across from Harry and spent a few minutes just staring at him. Harry kept his head down and one hand in Sirius's fur.
"I thought Mum told you that it's not polite to stare Ronniekins." one twin said.
Ron blushed and mumbled an apology to Harry who nodded slightly.
"Ron here can keep an eye out for you during classes." announced the twin on the right.
"But if there's any trouble be sure to tell us as soon as possible and we can take care of it for you." the one on the left chimed in.
"Thanks for volunteering me." Ron snorted.
Both twins glared at him. He rolled his eyes, "I'll do it of course, it just would've been nice if you'd asked me."
As usual Harry slipped him food during the meal. Sirius hadn't been this well-fed since before Azkaban, and he wasn't sure Harry had ever had this much food.
Afterwards, the twins were the ones to show Harry and Ron up to the common room. Their older brother, Percy, was one of the prefects who were supposed to show them, but the twins insisted on showing Harry (and Ron since he had tagged along) themselves.
Sirius didn't pay attention to what they were saying. He kept looking around the halls. Hogwarts hadn't changed at all since he'd graduated. The only difference was the faces of the students. Still, Sirius could almost hear his friends. James cracking jokes about the new DADA teacher while Peter laughed. Remus shaking his head while reminding them that they would need to figure out how strict he was and when he left his classroom before they pranked him.
It got worse when they reached the boy's dormitory. How many pranks had they planned up here? They had worked out Remus's secret in a room exactly like this one floor up. They'd become Animagi in these dormitories, and created the Marauders' Map. He'd listened to James talk about Lily for hours in these rooms. He'd helped find the best ways to get revenge on people who bullied Peter. He'd help Remus prepare for full moons just before he left for the Shrieking Shack.
Nostalgia hit him like a wave. He could never have this again. Not just because they'd graduated. James was dead, Peter was a traitor, and Remus thought he was a the one responsible for the deaths of James, Lily, and Peter. The closest he could get to his friends now was Harry. And he had no intention of letting anything ever happen to him. And maybe, just maybe, one day he could mend his friendship with Remus.
Harry climbed into bed and Sirius jumped up next to him.
"I think we'll be happy here, Shadow." he whispered, "I just hope Draco will still be friends with me now that we're in different houses."
Sirius licked his cheek and curled against his side. Harry's arms wrapped around him like he was a teddy bear and the two were asleep in moments.