A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 1

"Alright there, snakey?"

Liza rolled her eyes as Gideon shoved into her shoulder, slightly too hard to be considered teasing. It nearly caused her to stumble into the family in front of them.

"She's just contemplating switching houses." Fabian's call trailed from where he walked several paces in front of them. The oldest twin was always eager to be the center of attention. "Being a right git does get old, after all."

Letting out a low grumble, Liza adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and wondered once more why in Merlin's beard Molly had decided the twins were old enough to go to the platform by themselves. At this rate, she wouldn't make it on to the train. She checked the worn wristwatch for good measure. The longer hand was five marks from reaching eleven.

She settled for another glare at the back of her seventh-year brothers, who exchanged a high-five with gleeful expressions. King's Cross was busier than usual this late in the summer. The unpleasant odors of petrol and sweat stung her nostrils as she narrowly dodged a small cluster of muggle children. She allowed herself a brief stab of jealousy. Their school had to be far more stable than Hogwarts.

It wasn't that she hated the castle. Liza reflected on her reluctance while she pressed her way through the crowd between platforms nine and ten. Her tall frame parted the swarm of bodies easily, although she winced as a rogue elbow grazed her hip. But she wasn't exactly thrilled to return.

"You ready?" Gideon grinned as he positioned their trolley in front of the brick wall, his stance balanced and eager to spring into a run. His trunks and personal items had been haphazardly stacked onto the bottom level. It would be a miracle if everything made it to Hogwarts. "Don't be nervous, Lizzie."

Liza bit her tongue at the nickname. If she made any mention of her hatred for it, her brothers would never refer to her by anything else. It was one of the many tactics she had learned over the years while sharing a room with resident pranksters.

"This is my sixth year, you know," she admonished curtly, tilting her head to look up at the sign hanging from its iron post. "I've learned not to follow you pair by now."

Sure enough, a jet black "11" was emblazoned across the thick plastic instead of a "10." If Liza had followed Gideon's direction, she would be sprawled on the pavement. Just as she had been in first year, although at least Molly had been there to scold the twins. Their older sister was the only one terrifying enough to make them behave.

Fabian sighed, running his hand through his ginger locks with a disappointed shake. The ginger strands were just long enough to brush the tops of his ears. "I hoped the snake pit would have numbed your senses a bit."

Snorting, Gideon angled himself away from the eleventh platform. "There's certainly a severe lack of brains."

"One, Severus is at the top of my class," Liza retorted, annoyance tightening her stomach as the Slytherin insults began to pile up once more. During summer, her brothers normally left her alone (outside of a few dungbombs), but Hogwarts always seemed to bring their prejudice back in full force. "Two," she wrenched the trolley back from Gideon. The maneuver was no easy task considering his muscled biceps. She silently cursed Quidditch and its bloody workouts. "I have crashed face first into those bricks one too many times. Not happening again."

"Aw, sis," Fabian swung a lazy arm over her shoulders while Liza planted herself towards the proper barrier. "We just got to get a bit of practice in. Can't lose our title as Hogwarts's most infamous pranksters, you know."

A small grin tugged at the corners of Liza's lips. Finally, an opportunity had presented itself. "Thought that was already taken by.. what do they call themselves again?" she tapped her chin in mock contemplation. "The Marauders?"