Stella invited Ron and Hermione to stay with them at Grimmauld Place for the final week before they had to go back to school and the Weasleys had agreed to the offer. They flooed back to the Burrow and brought all of their belongings. Sirius noted that Harry's demeanor had definitely brightened; he was finally smiling again and seemed to have forgotten about the Aunt Marge incident. The boys went in with Sirius to Diagon Alley one morning on his way to work because they wanted to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies…for the thousandth time. Stella had to go back to St. Mungo's as well, but knew that the girls wouldn't cause trouble at home alone. In fact, when she got home from work, she was going to start dinner, only to find that Freya, Iris and Hermione had prepared it.

"You girls are great. Thank you so much," she said, as Hermione put a plate of chicken in front of her at the table. They sat down with Stella and started to eat, not bothering to wait for the boys.

"Their loss," scoffed Iris.

Sirius had come home with the boys even earlier than Stella, but helped them get their brooms in shape for Quidditch season instead of helping with dinner and Stella hadn't bothered to call them in because she knew Sirius would've been quite upset at losing the opportunity of a nice, hot meal.

"Okay, now, I know I made a promise to one day tell you girls the story of how your father and I got together. Seeing as both of you are now at Hogwarts, I think it's time, as Hogwarts, is of course, how we met. And seeing as he's outside and this story is going to embarrass him more than me. Hermione, do you want to hear this?"

"I'd love to!"

"Now, you girls know that we met on the train and that dad did end up getting into Gryffindor. This is how the rest of our first year went beyond that day…"

Stella and Lily had been most looking forward to (and most dreading) their transfiguration class, as their stern head of house, Minerva McGonagall would be their professor. They stood with the rest of the first-year Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws they were sharing the class with as they waited for her to show up. A tabby cat walked into the room instead and morphed into their teacher.

"Whoa! Can you teach us to do that?" asked Peter Pettigrew.

"I could…in about six years. Welcome to transfiguration. I will digress; this class is not one to be fooling around in and I myself will not tolerate students who do not listen to my instruction, for if you do not, you will mess up your spell work and the consequences will be dire. Transfiguration is a complex and difficult area of magic, but with the proper teaching, you will do well. Now, you all will be assigned a desk partner." She started to rattle off names.

"Yes…Lily Evans and Remus Lupin…James Potter and Fabian Prewett, Stella Martin and Sirius Black…" Stella made eye contact with the gray-eyed boy from the train ride and slowly walked over to the desk that McGonagall had pointed at. She placed her bag on top of the desk and sat down.

"Hi, Stella."

"Hi. Congratulations on getting Gryffindor."

"Thank you. Although, my mother will not be pleased. She was expecting me to be in Slytherin. All my family has been in Slytherin for centuries."

"Your mother isn't a nice woman."

"And how would you know?"

"I saw you and her in Diagon Alley when I went to get my school things. She was yelling at you and only because you talked to a half-blood. She may not like you talking to me then."

"But I want to talk to you. I'm not about pureblood status, Stella. I'm not like my family and I'm really glad I got Gryffindor because now they will know that I will never be like them. My mother's a piece of work, don't you think?" She nodded her head in agreement. McGonagall waved her wand and in an instant, a single porcupine needle was in front of Stella. Sirius had one too. McGonagall called them all to attention and told them that they were to turn the porcupine needle into a sewing needle.

"The instructions are in your spell book, but I will show you the way to make the wand movement." She simply just pointed her wand right by the needle and said the incantation, and showed the class her shiny silver needle.

"Now you try."

Lily was the first to get her needle to the desired state, but Stella and Sirius weren't far behind. James and Remus got it within their first few tries, but poor Peter had some trouble. Gideon Prewett though helped him out and he was able to do it on his own before McGonagall dismissed class.

"Your dad and I became inseparable after that first day of class. Lily, though, didn't care at all for him or for Harry's dad because they, well, they were pricks. They loved to prank and were the masterminds behind every prank that the Marauders; that is, dad, James, Uncle Remus and Pettigrew, pulled off in their tenure at Hogwarts. However, your dad was very nice to me and never played a prank on me, unless we were both clowning around with each other. Their favorite target was Professor Snape and this is why that he and dad cannot get along. They were cruel, honestly, they were."

Stella stared as Professor Flitwick charmed the Christmas tree in the Great Hall and then saw a pink-haired Severus storm moodily to the Slytherin table with a victorious looking Sirius closely following behind and sat next to Stella.

"What did you do now, Siri?"

"Oh, nothing at all. He had it coming; he was leering at Evans and James got jealous, so we decided to do a harmless hair coloring spell on him. It'll wash out within a week without the counter curse."

"You're mean."

"Eh, I've heard worse. So, are you going home for the break?"

"Yes. Are you?"

"My parents do not want me home, as I have brought shame to the Black family motto."

"Which is?"

"Toujours pur. French for "always pure." I'm not in Slytherin, so I am seen as a "dirty muggle" in their eyes. James, however, invited me over to the Potters for Christmas and I accepted. Remus and Peter are going to visit over break. They have families that actually want them at home."

"I'm sure you and James will have plenty of fun."

"Do you think your mum will let you come over to see us? I want to see you over break."

"Oh please. I'm sure once you two go out and start causing trouble for the Potters, you'll forget all about me."

"Ask your mum if you can come. James said you could and that you should bring Lily too."

"Is that why he wants me there? Just because of Lily?"

"I suggested it, Ella. And he thought it was a good idea."

"So then you only want me there to make Potter happy? Wow, you sure know how to make a friend feel good."

"Ella!" She had stood up from the table and walked away from him, even though he was still calling after her.

"Needless to say, I was upset that your father suggested that I go over to the Potters just so that way Lily would come along and see James. So, I went home on the Hogwarts Express to Granny Proserpine and we had a nice time putting up our tree and receiving visitors, wizards and Muggles alike, at our house. We baked cookies, just like we did the years before I had started school. She had waited for me to get home to start our Christmas together. I tried not to think about dad at all, and it helped when Lily came over two nights before Christmas to exchange gifts and hang out.

"Thank you so much for the books, Stella!"

"You're welcome, Lily! Thank you for the 'best friends' necklace!"

"Let's just say that Tuney wasn't thrilled that I became best friends with a "freak" as she so calls us."

"If anything, she's the freak for not accepting what we are. We're not strange; we're special."

"I don't want to go back to that house! She's just going to keep being mean to me and even though my parents try to tell her something, she still won't quit teasing me!"

"She's jealous of you. That's why."

"I want to stay here with you! Your mum is so nice and you don't have to worry about stupid sisters all day. It's nice to be somewhere that you know you can be yourself in and no one will judge you for it."

"You know you're welcome to come by anytime, Lily."

"So, have you talked to Sirius?"

"No and I don't want to. He hasn't tried talking to me either."

Lily left that evening and for Christmas Eve, Stella and Proserpine went to Mass and then simply listened to records and ate Christmas cookies in front of a roaring fire. The fire eventually faded away and they both fell asleep in the living room. However, they were woken up by a loud thump in the fireplace and Stella saw a familiar head of silky black hair pop out.

"Merlin, what is this?" asked Proserpine.

"Sirius?"

"Happy Christmas, Ella. Hi, Ms. Martin. I'm Sirius Black. I'm sorry for disturbing you this early, but I have a gift for Stella, that is, if she'll even talk to me."

"You know, you could've come later instead of waking us up at seven in the morning."

"Sorry, but it was necessary. Look, I'm really sorry for what I said. It came out wrong but you are my friend, Stella, and James wants you to know you're welcome to visit with or without Lily. Here's something for you." He handed her a flat wrapped parcel and she saw that it was a book about wizarding musicians.

"You're always going on about Muggle bands. So, I thought maybe you'd want to read about wizard bands too." Stella looked at him and didn't see the sneaky, arrogant boy that most of the school already thought he was. She saw a boy who was truly sorry for what he had done and that was saying plenty, because Sirius Black was not one for apologies.

"I forgave dad, of course. And I still have that book. It's upstairs in my bedroom. Iris, you've probably read through it before."

"Maybe."

"The rest of our first year was spent just trying to get through our classes. The Marauders pulled a decent prank at least twice a week and dozens of smaller ones within a week, mostly to Professor Snape or to the Slytherins as a whole. Lily was getting tired of them always pranking and then getting away with detention. As the year got closer to the end, well, things got pretty bad…"

"Oh Merlin! Lily, are you okay?"

Lily had stormed into the dormitory and her nose had grown to at least three times its normal size.

"Stupid Potter and his idiotic friends were, once again, hexing Severus. I told them to stop, but Potter the Rotter wouldn't hear of it and kept throwing curses and Severus could barely even utter one! Ah! And that incorrigible Black! This-" she said, gesturing to her nose, "is HIS fault! He said, "Snape, let's see if we can make your nose any bigger than it is!" So, he yelled the curse, but IT HIT ME!"

"Oh, Lily…"

"I really wish you weren't friends with him! He's such a bad influence, Stella. Him and Potter…I suppose Lupin isn't too bad and Pettigrew is just, well, there for show."

"He's my friend, Lily. He's not mean to me."

"Well, if he's your friend, can't you tell him to lay off Severus? I'm sure he'll listen to you if you both are as good friends as you claim you are."

"I can try, Lily. But it's Sirius. He's as stubborn as they get." She offered the counter curse for Lily's enlarged nose and then went off to find Sirius.

"Hey, Ella."

She didn't say anything.

"I suppose you saw Evans, huh?"

"Sirius, she's really upset. Most of the time, Severus doesn't even provoke you and yet, you and James bother him. Can't you just leave him alone? I mean, honestly, let him do what he wants."

"He's into dark magic, Stella!"

"I know that, but it's none of your concern! All the Slytherins are into dark magic, but you only bother him!"

"We just…we don't like him, Stella."

"If you don't lay off him, you're going to ruin my friendship with Lily because I'm friends with you."

"Well, if I lay off him, I'm going to ruin my friendship with James. No way, Stella. Here, I'll make it easier for you and end our friendship now."

"Sirius, wait—"

"Daddy, you're a jerk!" exclaimed Freya as the boys walked in the dining room.

"What did I do?"He glanced at Stella.

"Is your mother trying to pit you against me? Stella, what are you telling these girls?"

"Oh…the story of us. You know how it goes. You pretty much lose most of the time, but you're lucky that I love you or else we wouldn't be married right now."

"Hermione, Iris, Frey…I'll have you know that Stella is telling you lies."

"Really, daddy? So, she's lying about the time that you ended your friendship because you wouldn't stop pranking Professor Snape at her request?" asked Freya. Sirius looked at Stella again.

"Uh…okay, maybe not all of it is lies."

"Dear, I'm always right. Do not doubt me. This is our story and I'm sticking to it. Now, all of you, sit down and I'll reheat the dinner that the girls made for you while you all just ran outside and played with your broomsticks. Girls, that was pretty much our first year. Your daddy, at this point, hates my guts."

"Stella!"

"We can't wait for the next part!" exclaimed Hermione. Sirius buried his face in his hands and Stella comforted him with a peck on his cheek.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to try to not make you look so heartless and cruel to me, Sirius."

"Thanks, Ella," he grumbled.

Speak slowly
I can't hear you
My mind keeps spinning
Closer and closer
To the rain on the roof
And the rain in my head
And the things that you said
Keep on sinking further ahead
And it just gets
So foggy
It's nowhere in here
And it's everywhere else
That I don't want to be
But I'm stuck here
Getting misty over you
I'm alone on a bicycle for two

-She & Him, "Black Hole"

Well, that was chapter three. As always, review or, don't. Harry Potter isn't mine. The lyrics aren't mine.. All that is original is. Enjoy. Peace and love, peace and love.