The year ended with a hilarious end of the term feast. The Marauders had a great journey back to the station, playing and eating. But as the station drew closer, James noticed Sirius becoming more and more quiet, which was quite unlike him, because he was generally the noisiest of the lot.

"Are you sad about going home?" he asked his best friend quietly.

"No," said Sirius. "Well...maybe a little," he admitted.

"You're welcome to come to my place anytime, you know. Goodness knows why, but my mother already seems to love you. I think it was the letter you sent her after Christmas."

Sirius grinned cheekily.

"Hypocrite," muttered James.

They had reached the station. James hugged Sirius.

"I won't miss you at all," said Sirius.

"Neither will I," assured James.

"But I'll miss you, Remus," said both of them at exactly the same time.

After saying goodbye to all of them, Sirius looked around for his dear sweet family. He saw his parents. They were talking over-affectionately to Bellatrix, who was standing with her parents.

"There you are," was how his father greeted him. Sirius ignored both of them. There was only one reason he wanted to go home for.

"Reg!" he shouted as he entered the house. "Reg, where are you?" He threw open the door of his brother's room. Regulus was bending over some book, as usual.

"How are you?" asked Sirius.

"Fine, thank you," said Regulus politely.

"Why, Reg—aren't you happy to see me after so long?" asked Sirius, rather hurt.

"Yes, but," Regulus lowered his voice. "We can't be close as we used to be. You are a Gryffindor."

"How does that change anything between you and me?"

"Mother and Father told me not to mingle with you anymore, Sirius," said Regulus, looking upset. "And if I don't listen to them—"

"They'll treat you like they treat me now," finished Sirius."Yes, I understand."

He turned and returned to his own room without a word and closed the door. He stayed there till his mother called him for dinner.

That night Sirius took out his fragment of the two way mirror. "James Potter," he said.

James' face appeared, with its unruly black hair sticking out in all directions, his glasses slipping down his nose, his hazel eyes twinkling. "What's up?" he asked cheerfully. It was clear that he was glad to be back at home.

"Nothing," said Sirius. "Just wanted to tell you goodnight."

James took in his eyes which were stormier than usual, and the absence of the grin on his face.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" he asked gently.

After a moment's hesitation, Sirius grinned suddenly. "Nothing's wrong actually—anymore."

While going to sleep, Sirius realized that he had been right in thinking earlier this day that he had only one family member—except that it wasn't Regulus.