𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍.
chapter one; Oh Brother
" Don't go near my sister. "

  JAMES AND MADELINE Potter were staring at each other. The circular dining table was cloaked in silence, only the occasional tap of silverware against porcelain plates.

  And the twins had been holding eye contact for six minutes.

  "Good morning—"

  "Shh!" The twins hushed their father quickly, not daring to break eye contact.

  Fleamont nodded once, walking past his children into the kitchen. Euphemia raised her eyebrows at the interaction, wandering towards her husband.

  "They're strange this morning."

  "They've been strange every morning for 15 years," Fleamont noted, pouring steaming water into a mug.

  "James, Maddie," Euphemia called, making James turn around instinctively.

  The second he did, his sister pumped her fists in the air and he crumpled in defeat. Madeline hopped out of her chair, letting out cheers that only slightly scared her father.

  "Take that, Jameson!"

  "I would've won if Mum hadn't—"

  "You hear that?" Madeline questioned, cupping a hand around her ear, "The excuses rolling in?"

  James whacked Madeline's leg with a rolled up newspaper, making the girl glare angrily. She then proceeded to hit James' head, which launched them into yet another fight.

  "Usually happens after breakfast," Fleamont mumbled, lifting his mug to his lips only to realize Euphemia was staring at him expectantly. "Maddie, stop pulling your brother's hair— James put that butter back on the table!"

  "This year will be interesting," Euphemia mumbled to herself, swiping her husband's untouched tea and leaving him to pull the teenagers apart. 

ϟ

  Madeline searched Platform 9 3/4 frantically, not paying any mind to whatever nonsense her brother was going on about. James noticed about half-way through his rant that Madeline wasn't actually listening, which seemed to re-spark his annoyance.

  "Maddie, I'm trying to talk to you," James whined, nudging the girl and nearly knocking her off of her luggage cart she was standing upon, "It's important."

  "It's about Lily, not important," Madeline brushed off.

  "Says the pathetic one looking for her boyfriend."

  "Keeler's not my boyfriend," She snapped, face turning red slightly, "You're just chasing after a girl who hates you!"

  "Evans does not—!"

  "Potters!"

  The siblings stopped their argument briefly to catch sight of Sirius Black sauntering over. Sirius had been James's best friend since first year, along with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. This, naturally, made them off-limits for any kind of relationship, platonic or otherwise, to Madeline.

  Not that she minded, in her opinion the four of them were not only obnoxious but quite rude.

  "Sirius!"

  The girl rolled her eyes, watching the boys embrace like long-lost brothers. She began pushing her cart again, ignoring James's attempts to call her back.

  "What's with her?" Sirius questioned, leaning against the brick wall to allow the traffic to continue around them.

  "She fancies Keeler."

  Sirius made a disgusted face, earning a sympathetic nod from James.

  Madeline had already put the thought of her brother long behind her, a smile gracing her lips when she saw a puff of blonde hair.

  "Blue!"

  Bluebelle turned at the sound of her name, smiling warmly as Madeline shoved through the crowd like a determined bludger. The brunette eventually made it to her best friend, not hesitating to yank Bluebelle into a tight hug.

  "Hi," The blonde laughed, squeezing her arms around Madeline, "I take it James has been horrible."

  "I almost stabbed myself in the ears with a fork every night at dinner just so I didn't have to hear his voice," Madeline sighed, not letting Bluebelle go quite yet, "He's the worst."

  "Hey, Maddie."

  The Potter girl then noticed Bluebelle had been engaged in a conversation prior to her pulse of excitement. And, naturally, the blonde was talking with Nico Keeler.

  Oh, how perfect Nico Keeler was. His gravity-defying blond hair, striking blue eyes that resembled a clear summer sky, not to mention his athletic build thanks to years of quidditch.

  "Hi," Madeline squeaked after Bluebelle released her from a hug.

  The corner of Nico's lips twitched up, grabbing his luggage, "I'll see you two later."

  "Bye, Nico," Bluebelle smiled, the boy ruffling her thick locks as he passed. "Breathe, Maddie, he's gone."

  The girl let out a loud breath, leaning on her luggage cart for support.

  "Bloody hell, he's fit."

  "He's basically my brother, that's gross."

  "Yeah, it's payback for you drooling over my actual brother last year."

  "I was in a phase!"

  "Not even looking for me, shame."

  Madeline rolled her eyes as Kai hurried over, his hair having grown shockingly similar to that of Sirius Black's over the summer. 

  "Hi," Bluebelle caved, hugging Kai tightly. "How was your summer?"

  "Well, we went to Egypt, so fun I suppose," Kai shrugged, looking to Madeline, "You're in a mood."

  "My brother's a git!"

  "What's new?"

ϟ

  "Maddie?"

  The girl was in a rare state of shock. She, Kai, and Bluebelle had taken residence in an otherwise empty train compartment, sitting on the ground playing exploding snap and reminiscing about the time Madeline had lost half an eyebrow to the game when Peter Pettigrew poked his head in and meekly called her name.

  Not once had Peter mustered up the courage to speak to her. Remus had given her casual greetings, trading notes, and 'Happy Christmas'', Sirius seemed to enjoy annoying the girl as much as her brother, but Peter had remained silent.

  During Christmas and summer visits, in corridors of Hogwarts, quidditch matches, Peter Pettigrew had not once done anything besides stare at her.

  "Yes?"

  "We need to ask you a question."

  "And why've they sent you?" She didn't mean for it to sound snippy, but seeing Peter involuntarily wince, she knew it did.

  "So you wouldn't yell."

  Madeline was rather unimpressed, standing in the doorway of the Marauders' compartment. She'd never seen it before, but oh it was a mess. It seemed the boys had instantly made themselves at home, a pillow was on the ground, wrappers of miscellaneous food littering the seats, and playing cards had seemingly rained down.

  "Let me get this right, you want me to tell you how to become anamagi?"

  "We're just curious," Sirius seemed too. . . kind. "You know how that feels, right?"

  "I'm not daft," Madeline scoffed, "I won't help you do something stupid." She crossed her arms, "Where's Lupin, anyway?"

  "Oh, hi, Mads," Remus appeared behind her with a small smile, "I didn't know you were sitting with us."

  "I'm not."

  "She's not."

  The Potters spoke at the same time, resulting in a short-lived glaring contest.

  "Okay," Remus awkwardly mumbled.

  "Oh, sorry," Madeline scooted into the compartment, allowing Remus to enter and claim a seat, "Anyways, my answer is no."

  "To what?"

  "If she'd come to Hogsmeade with me." Everyone gave a very frantic Sirius odd looks, "She said no to. . . Hogsmeade. With me."

  "Uh. . . " Remus' eyes drifted to James, who was transparently uncomfortable.

  "Right," Madeline cleared her throat, "I'm leaving now."

  The Marauders sat in a thick silence long after Madeline had returned to her friends, who seemed to inhale the experience and share in her irritation and confusion.

  "So. . ." Remus was the one who spoke up, "You asked Maddie on a . . . date. . . in front of James. . . her brother. . .?"

  "Yup," Sirius chuckled awkwardly, "No wonder I'm not a Ravenclaw, right?"

  "Sirius?"

  "Yeah, James?"

  "Don't go near my sister."

( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
Okay hi I'm finally here with my 
Sirius Black story! I've written it out
quite a bit and I love it??
Hopefully, this doesn't fall apart, yay!