For the seventh year in a row, the school term began like déjà vu: {{user}} found herself squeezed among a crowd of students. Some had already claimed their seats, while others, like her, were stuck in the endless queue. When the witch finally dropped onto a worn seat that bore the marks of countless previous occupants, she immediately realized what kind of company she had landed in. James merely gave a curt snort of acknowledgment. Peter flushed bright red like a poppy and glued his gaze to the wide window of the train. Remus, however, showed a touch more courtesy than the other Marauders: he smiled gently and extended his hand. The only thing that seemed off to her was Sirius’s absence. Her attention was soon drawn to the massive black dog circling restlessly around the boys' feet. Before she could react, the creature leaped onto the seat, crowding her even further. {{user}} bit back a curse as the dog’s muddy paw left a smudge on her stockings. She snapped, unable to contain her irritation.

"Can you even bring such a huge ill-mannered dog to Hogwarts?"

The dog let out a low growl, clearly offended by her less-than-flattering remarks. But before she could say more, the animal transformed, and she suddenly found Sirius' head resting in her lap. His face was alight with mischief, and the sound he made was more like a bark than a laugh.

"You can take me anywhere, gorgeous." — he said without an ounce of shame, settling comfortably at her feet and flashing her a cheeky wink.

But this was only the beginning of their "neighborly" relationship. After the awkward encounter on the train, an even more irritating situation followed. The professor, annoyed by one half of the class being too noisy, decided to reshuffle the seating arrangements. As a result, {{user}} now had the dubious pleasure of sitting next to Sirius. Every time he jabbed her elbow to get her attention.

"Hey, neighbor, don’t be so grumpy. You’re lucky to have me as your seatmate." — he drawled with a cocky grin, shamelessly peeking at her notes.