Winterstar

The bell rang, startling Sirius, who let out an oath. Katie frowned. "Sirius!"

"Bloody...can't help it, it's Potions first. What a way to start the year," he grumbled.

"Well, at least you don't have Divination." She rolled her eyes. Sirius glared at her. "I would switch in a minute!" he declared hotly.

"As long as I'm in it, eh, Padfoot?" James grinned at Katie, who stuck out her tongue and finished gathering her books. "You two are impossible," she said, shaking her head good-naturedly. "Have fun in class, Siri." She leaned up for a quick kiss, and he obliged before she hurried off to class, small form quickly lost in the crowd.

"C'mon, lover boys," Remus said, smiling as he steered Sirius and James toward the side exit. "Potions awaits."

"Oh, joy," James said wryly, straining over his shoulder for one last wave to Lily. She shot a death glare at him, and he just grinned even more.

"Hey! Wait!" The Marauders turned as one to see Sabrina Godfrey hurrying after them, book bags--two?--hastily thrown over one shoulder and chestnut hair tossed over the other. They stopped and stood waiting, looking at her expectantly.

Her cheeks were tinged a faint pink. "Can I--that is, did you say you were going to Potions?"

"Yeah," said Remus, with James adding, "With great enthusiasm."

A smile flickered over her face. "Can I join you? I don't really know my way around Hogwarts yet, and I thought--"

"Right this way," Sirius interrupted, bowing deeply as he gestured before him. He and James proceeded to relieve her of her book bags, which turned out to be books in one and schedule information in the other, and attach themselves to either of her arms, Sirius on the left, James on the right. Thus outfitted, they marched her down the corridor with as exaggerated of steps as possible.

"Are you this...helpful...to all new students?" Sabrina asked, laughing.

"Of course," said Sirius smoothly. "We are, after all, the Marauders."

"And as such," James added, grinning, "we have dedicated our lives to helping those in need."

"Really?" She didn't sound convinced.

"Well, no," Sirius admitted, "but since you are a fellow Gryffindor, we'll make sure that you know who to avoid," Sirius said, glaring at a pair of Slytherins as they walked past.

After a few steps in silence, Sabrina remarked, "Lily said you lot were...what was it?...'to be avoided at all costs', but I don't know. You seem quite like my old friends," Sirius glanced at her, surprised. She still seemed a bit unsure of herself, but he could see the smile underneath the uncertainty.

They reached the Potions dungeons, and the "honor guard" stepped aside to let Sabrina pass. Class had already begun--the bell had rung without her noticing--and the whole class watched them enter, some of the Slytherins laughing. Sabrina slipped into the desk directly in front of Sirius and James's, and her face reddened as the aforementioned made an exaggerated ceremony out of depositing the book bags on her desk. She smiled weakly at them as they bowed to the class, who by now had joined the Slytherins in (albeit more good-natured) laughter.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black. Five points from Gryffindor for...disturbance of the peace." The Potions professor, a sour-looking woman with an imposing plaque on her desk that read "Madame Horchinberry", frowned at the pair, who looked back at her with wide-eyed innocence. Ignoring their antics, she turned pale eyes on Sabrina. "Miss Godfrey, I presume?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You have purchased this year's Potions text?"

"Yes..."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Let me see it."

Sabrina obeyed, pulling out a dark green book with gold foil letters. Madame Horchinberry sniffed, then nodded. "Very good." She turned to the class. "Before we begin--ah, Miss Black. So kind of you to join us."

A pretty, blond seventh-year had just entered the dungeon. She was dressed in Slytherin robes. "I'm sorry I'm late, Professor."

Horchinberry managed a sickly smile. "That's quite all right, dear, but sit down."

To Sirius's horror, the only empty seat was directly in front of James, to Sabrina's left. "Miss Black" smiled at the teacher before slipping into the seat, glaring daggers at the two Marauders. She turned to Sabrina and put on her best smile, ignoring the girls' Gryffindor robes. "My name is Narcissa. And you are?"

"Sabrina."

"Well, I suppose we'll be partners for this year, so I'll have you know that I'm only working with you because you're new and not really a Gryffindor yet." Somehow, she managed to sound as if she were bestowing some kind of gift on Sabrina. The latter smiled, and for a moment Sirius thought that she didn't notice the insult. However, a second later, when Narcissa was putting her book bag on the floor, Sabrina glanced back at the two boys. James grinned at the annoyance on her features, which quickly vanished as Narcissa straightened in her seat.

"As I was saying," Horchinberry continued, seemingly unaware--as she often was with Slytherins--that a conversation was going on underneath her very nose, "we have something special this term. Do any of you remember Lucius Malfoy?"

Several hands shot into the air, most of them Slytherins. James groaned under his breath.

"He has graciously agreed to be my assistant while on a break from his studies. He is allowed to give or take House points, as the case may be, so it would be wise to do as he asks while in class; however, any questions on homework will still be addressed directly to me. Is that clear?"

The class nodded. She turned to the doorway and called, "Lucius, please come in."