Chapter One

"Krysthalia," her father said, holding his daughter's shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes, "Be careful at school. If anything, and I mean anything, is wrong, owl us immediately. And, don't be afraid to go to Dumbledore."

The small family was standing on Platform 9 ¾, and the Hogwarts Express had just pulled up. The dark haired Gryffindor was entering her seventh year at the magical school, but her parents clearly still worried about her.

"Dad, I know, I know," the girl said, smiling, "Relax. I'll be fine. I've done this before, you know."

"We know, dear," her mother said, pulling her into a tight hug, "We worry because we love you." Krys was sure that every parent said that to their child at some point. She was used to her parents' constant worrying by now. Over her mother's shoulder, she saw her boyfriend Sirius Black making his way towards her. She quickly shook her long, curly hair out of its ponytail, no longer paying attention to what her parents were saying. It had been three whole weeks since she had seen him, she would definitely have to talk to him about that.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Meadows," he said politely as he reached them.

"Sirius," Mr. Meadows said, shaking the tall boy's hand, "How are you?"

"Pretty good," Sirius replied as he turned to hug Mrs. Meadows, "I can't say that I'm too excited to be starting school. All of the teachers spent the last year telling us how hard this year is going to be."

"Oh, you guys will have so much fun this year! Your final year at Hogwarts," her mother began, getting sentimental, "Oh, how you kids grow up so fast!"

"Well," Krys said, trying to prevent the awkward scene that would inevitably follow as her mother reached for her handkerchief, "We should really get on the train. Here, Sirius, will you put this in our compartment for me?" She handed him her trunk.

"Oh, sure, get me to do all of your dirty work. Is that all you think I'm good for? Manual labor?" He said, pretending to be offended.

"Um, yup, that's pretty much it," she answered, laughing. She was about to follow him onto the train, but her father held her back.

"Wait, Krysthalia," he started, obviously the safety lecture wasn't over, "If you think you're loosing control, or you start having weird dreams again, get help immediately, ok?" He looked at her intently. Her smile faded at the serious look on her dad's face. She grabbed both of his hands in hers.

"Dad, I promise I will at the first hint that anything is wrong. I'll be extremely careful." She kissed him and her mom on the cheek. And, with a quick hug, she boarded the train and was off. Ready to start her final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Months later…

Krys turned her head to look at James across the common room. By the way Peter was guffawing and Sirius was making snide remarks, it was obvious that James was making fun of Sirius. He was making little kissy faces.

"Oh, grow up," She thought. She whipped out her wand and took careful aim. She turned back to her friends to find them all staring at her.

"Wha..?" began Lily, her best friend, questioningly. Krys held up her hand to stop her and cocked her head, listening carefully.

Three, two, one…

A huge roar of laughter erupted from across the common room. The girls whipped their heads around to see Sirius rolling on the floor with laughter and James frantically feeling his frozen face. Krys chuckled and walked over.

"Wow, James. I think that's a good look for you. Then again, anything's an improvement." Laughing heartily, Sirius came and put his arm around her waist, puling her close.

"You're brilliant," he said as he kissed her.

"I know" she replied, looking pleased. James gestured wildly, his eyes darting to Lily. It was actually quite funny to see James being the frantic one for once.

"Why hello Remus" Sirius greeted the newcomer with mock formality. He bowed slightly, and she dipped in a small curtsey. Remus went along with the act.

"Good evening Sirius, Krysthalia," He said, bowing and turning to his frantic friend, "Good to see you James." Krys giggled as James hopped with frustration.

"Oh, alright, calm down." She waved her wand reluctantly. The Freezing Charm was instantly lifted, and James massaged his aching face.

"Did she see? I can't believe you did that while she was around!" He rounded on her.

"Hey mate, chill out," replied Sirius, gently pushing James back.

"Well, maybe you should pick a better time to act like an ass," she said dismissively, "She doesn't think any less of you for this, trust me."

"How do you know what she thinks," muttered James, staring at the back of Lily's head.

"I'm her best friend, you idiot," she replied scathingly.

"Oh, right, sorry," James shook his head and turned back to her, "So what does she really think of me then."

"Like I'd tell you," she said looking him up and down. She rolled her eyes and turned to Remus who was staring at Samantha Prewter, a pretty Gryffindor a year behind them.

"You should go for it, " she whispered.

"Huh? What? Sorry, I missed that," he said turning.

"Ask her out! Have some fun! You deserve it!" She said encouragingly.

"I don't think she'd want to go out with me," he said doubtfully.

"I beg to differ. You should hear her go on about you! 'Remus is so cute! And smart! Sigh!' It's kinda sick," she said nudging him playfully, "She's so into you, go for it!"

"Yeah, maybe, we'll see," he said quietly. She knew he needed to get out more, and she was determined to get Samantha and him together. She'd talk some sense into him.

" Well, I have to finish Charms homework. Catch up with you at dinner," waved Remus, walking up the stairs.

"So, you give him advice, but for me you have nothing," James stalked away huffily. She giggled and watched him walk away. He was really going to have to work on that attitude if he was to have a shot with Lily. Maybe she'd give him some pointers later. Now, she turned her attention her much improved Sirius. Okay, just a little improved, but she liked the whole bad boy thing. It added to his charm.

"Finally, alone," he said pulling her closer. She smiled slowly, gazing up into his gorgeous eyes. They sank into a huge armchair at the back of the room, ignoring the giggles and the stares of the people around them and the exasperated looks on their friends' faces. She couldn't remember being happier. He was just so perfect for her. She sighed happily, then shook herself mentally. Since when did she become so sentimental? Before she knew it, it was time to go down to dinner. She and Sirius pulled apart, and, holding hands, walked towards their friends. She grinned sheepishly to Lily who just shook her head, smiling.

"Did you finish the Potions homework?" She inquired.

"Oh, ages ago. I didn't feel like lunch."

"How about Transfiguration?"

"I'll do it after dinner."

"I just hope you have time to finish it," Lily said, accusingly.

"Hey Evans, what did you think of McGonagall's last lesson? How easy were those Conjuring spells?" James lept at the chance to strike up conversation with Lily.

"I'm glad you're doing so well in class, Potter." Lily replied coldly, not even bothering to look at him. Krys and Sirius tried hard not to laugh at the crestfallen look on James's face as his obvious attempt to impress Lily failed miserably. They turned to look at Lupin who had caught Samantha's eye, both were blushing furiously.

"Hey, Krys, why don't we get Samantha and her friends to eat dinner with us?" Sirius said impishly, watching the bashful look on his friend's face.

"Good idea," she agreed, skipping away. He watched her go, taking in the sway of her hips and the flip of her long, dark hair. He shook his head and smiled to himself. Tonight he'd give James some pointers on how to stop being such a pompous ass. It would be hard. He knew, he had undergone the transformation himself for Krys. Sure, he was still a little bit of an ass but otherwise life would be boring. She came up behind him and slipped her arm through his.

"Okay, just let me take care of seating tonight. Hey Lils, come here," she motioned to her friend. She leaned in to whisper.

"We need to get Samantha and Remus together so I'm thinking we should sit Pettigrew, Remus, Samantha, you. That way they can have some alone time," she whispered, underlining alone.

"Prewter and Lupin!" Lily squealed, "Oh, that's so perfect! He really needs someone."

"I know! So just stick to the plan and we might find one more couple in the Gryffindor house!" Krys the turned to Sirius and said in an even lower whisper,

"Let James sit next to Lily, I feel like being nice. But don't tell Lily! She'll kill me!" They smiled at each other. Lily's disapproval of James was widely known, but, between friends, it was questioned often. She felt that Lily's feelings for James could go either way, and she was going to try and make it favorable. She thought James was a good kid, deep down, and, he was right for Lily, if he learned to deflate his head a little. They'd just have work on that later.

The group of friends burst into the Great Hall, her and Sirius leading the way. Many heads turned. All in all, their large entourage contained the pretty and talented of Gryffindor, with the exception of Pettigrew, who just knew the right people. Among those turned heads were Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. Two of the most loathsome people she had ever laid eyes on. Their being in Slytherin was no mistake. Their eyes followed her until she sat down. Sirius noticed Malfoy's lingering star and scowled.

"If he even comes near you, I'll kill him," he muttered threateningly.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't come within 10 feet of him. I might get slime on me." She said, soothingly.

They laughed and she maneuvered her friends into the seating arrangement she wanted. She noticed that some of Samantha's cute friends had immediately sat on the other side of James. They couldn't believe their luck when Sirius sat on their other side. She laughed when she saw this. Her friends found it odd that she never got jealous, even after practically every girl in the school threw herself at Sirius. Only Lily understood that she knew Sirius cared deeply about her and didn't even consider the other girls a possibility. Lily looked horrified at the thought of spending dinner next to James and some giggling little girls. He surprised them all by ignoring the girls and turning instead to Lily, asking her about her family and what Muggles were like. They even caught her laughing at James's confusion over escalators.

"Well, it looks like they're having a nice time doesn't it?" Sirius said laughingly, "Good work, Ms. Matchmaker."

"I try," she said smiling. Sirius tried to brush off the girls on his other side, but they were not to be deterred, having been denied one of their prey. Finally, frustrated, he got her to switch places with him. The girls were still thrilled. She sighed and resigned herself to answering their endless questions about makeup, hair, and boys. After dinner, she thankfully got up and smiled when she saw Lily and James still talking on their way back to the common room. She poked Sirius and pointed it out.

"Ah, new love," he said, draping his arm around her shoulders, "Oh, Krys, you're a miracle worker," he exclaimed, as they exited the Great Hall. Directly in front of them Lucius Malfoy held open the door.

"Oh, thank you," she said, without looking at who was there.

"You're welcome…Krys," he said in what he hoped was a charming manner. Sirius's head whipped around, his hand already reaching for his wand, She looked at him warningly and put her hand over his.

"That's Krysthalia to you," she said coldly.

"Or, better yet, don't talk to her at all," Sirius growled. They walked out of the Great Hall in a more somber mood than they had entered. They saw Lily and James standing there waiting for them. They had witnessed the whole scene.

"You handled that well," Lily said approvingly. She meant Sirius, of course. He was known for his wild temper.

"Yeah, well, if Krys hadn't stopped me, I would have cursed the slimy git into the next country!" He grumbled menacingly. Lily patted his arm soothingly. Krys pecked him on the cheek and linked her arms through his and Lily's.

"Grab on, Potter," she said, motioning for him to put his arm through Lily's. To their amazement, she held out her arm invitingly, possibly not realizing what she was doing. The quartet trooped through the halls, following Lupin and Samantha, and faithfully followed by their loyal supporters. They drew stares and waves from those around them. Krys noticed some 3rd year girls pointing to Sirius and James. She smiled when she heard their whispered remarks about how handsome Sirius looked and how tan James was. She even heard comments about how lucky she was, better yet, was Lily really going out with James? This last question prompted a whole new batch of whispering. They had reached the portrait whole and all of them clambered through. The boys and girls split to enter their separate dormitories. She told lily she'd be there in a bit, and went with the boys to their dormitory. She wanted to talk to James about Lily, and to Sirius about that sleaze Malfoy. She followed Sirius into the room he shared with James, Remus, Pettigrew, and Frank Longbottom. She plopped onto Sirius's bed and indicated for James to join her.

"So that went surprisingly well," she said.

"I know!" Replied James enthusiastically, "I think we really clicked!"

"Yeah and you didn't act like an idiot all evening," noted Sirius, settling down next to her.

"I though I'd try a new approach," James said sheepishly.

"Well, keep it up, it's really working," she encouraged. It wasn't until Remus walked into the room that she noticed he had been missing.

"So, mate, how'd it go?" asked Sirius, watching his friend carefully. Remus blushed and asked if it was ok if Samantha joined them for breakfast the following day.

"Ha! Good work! I knew she wouldn't be able to resist your charm!" Sirius said, clapping his friend on the back. Remus grinned and shook his head.

"I guess I must have picked up a few tips from being around you lot all the time," he said, underestimating his own appeal as usual.

"Well, if she's going to be hanging out with us more, I hope her friends learn to chill out a little. They almost kept me from talking to Lily with their high pitched chatter," James said peevishly. Sirius and Krys exchanged glances. It seemed that their little James was getting quite serious about Lily.

"Well, I'm glad tonight went well for you, too," Krys said, getting up, "I'm off to bed. Walk me out?" She reached out her hand to Sirius.

"Sure," he said, getting up and grabbing her hand.

"Goodnight," said Remus, "and you were right, thanks."

"Yeah, thanks a lot," echoed James, " 'Night."

She waved to Frank and walked back to the common room with Sirius. At the bottom of the stairs to her dormitory, just out view of a group of curious Gryffindors, she turned to him.

"I'm really proud of you for controlling your temper after dinner," she began.

"Thanks, but it took all I had not to pound in his smug little face," Sirius said, frowning at the memory.

"I know. But, I'm just not sure what he was doing. I thought it was his goal in life to have nothing to do with Gryffindors." She said, puzzled. She looked at Sirius, who was shaking his head, slightly smiling.

"Krys," he said, pulling her to him, "you underestimate yourself. But, he better forget whatever ideas he has. Or else I'll beat them out of him."

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she said, playfully.

"Oh, I know. But, you can't think I'd stand by and watch that sleazeball make a move on my girl," he said, hugging her.

"I know. I just don't want you to do anything stupid. You won't, will you?" She looked up at him, worried.

"It depends on what he does," he said, then, seeing the look on her face, added, "I'll try and be sensible. Don't worry about me." He kissed her forehead, holding her close.

"But, I do," she said, too quietly for him to hear. She knew he had a tendency to let his temper get the better of him. When they first started dating, it was all she could do to stop him from hexing every guy that looked at her.

"I should go. Lily will be up waiting for me. I have a feeling she'll want to talk about tonight." She smiled at him and kissed him goodnight.

"I love you," he whispered, looking into her eyes. She felt her insides melt, it was amazing the effect he had on her.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, "Goodnight." With a final kiss, they parted. She could feel his eyes still on her. Before disappearing up the stairs, she turned and blew him a kiss, which he pocketed with a wink. She climbed the rest of the stairs smiling. She opened the door to her room and was greeted by a very wide awake Lily.

"There you are! What took you so long? I was waiting for you!" Lily said, pulling Krys into the room.

"She was probably saying a nice long goodnight to Sirius," said a sleepy Sara.

"I know that's what I'd do if I was dating him. Or James." Said an equally sleepy Tiffany.

"You two are so lucky," Sara said before murmuring her goodnights. And, with that, both of them promptly fell asleep. Krys looked to the last bed and saw Alice laughing at the blush on Lily's face. She was a cute blonde girl, a close friend of Krys and Lily, who was dating Frank Longbottom.

"So what did happen today at dinner?" Alice asked, coming to sit on Krys's bed, "I thought you couldn't stand James Potter."

"Yeah, well, I'm not really sure what happened," Lily said, blushing furiously, " He wasn't acting like a jerk at all. He was so sweet and funny. He was asking me about Muggles, he's not into all that pureblood nonsense."

"Well, of course he's not. He's not a little bitch, or a Slytherin," Krys said darkly, thinking of Malfoy.

"So, do you like him?" Alice asked, looking at her friend inquiringly.

"I don't know about that, but I certainly don't dislike him anymore," Lily said, looking unsure of her feelings. Alice smiled, content with the response. Then, stifling a yawn, she said goodnight to the other two girls and returned to her bed. Before settling into her own bed, Lily turned to Krys.

"You know, the thing that impressed me most was when he turned away from those other girls to talk to me. I mean, he actually turned down an opportunity to show off," she confided, "I think he's changing."

"Would you like him then?" Krys asked. Lily just smiled at her friend, knowing that Krys understood.

"Goodnight, Lily," Krys said, smiling.

" 'Night, Krys," Lily responded. And, feeling satisfied with how the day had turned out, Krys fell asleep.

Red sparks danced over ting, infant hands. Instead of falling, the baby hovered, suspended in mid air. The nanny was still screaming without the slightest concern for the baby she had just dropped. She was scared and confused. Moments before, she had been trying to rock the restless baby to sleep when it had started, for lack of a better word, vibrating. The baby giggled, forming a glowing red ball between its small palms. The giggles turned into a shriek of laughter as the ball exploded with force. The baby's laughter rand out as the nanny was thrown backwards, crashing against the wall and sinking to the floor. The baby continued to smile gleefully as the nanny slumped unconscious on the floor, a trickle of blood running down her temple.

Krys woke up abruptly, glancing around her wildly, unsure of her surroundings or what had awoken her. She took several deep breaths, remembering she was safe in her bed at school. The fragments of her dream were still floating around in her head. She could remember a baby laughing. It had seemed familiar, like a dream she had had before. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a sound coming from one of the other beds. Someone was crying. Krys slipped out from under her thick comforter and pulled back the hangings around the bed from which she heard the soft sniffles.

"Lils?" She whispered her best friend's name, "Lils? Are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh, Krys, it's you." Lily replied, sighing sadly. Krys climbed onto the bed, putting her arms around her crying friend.

"Lils, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She said, concerned. Lily wasn't one for emotional outbursts.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just had a bad dream. That's all. I know, it's silly." Lily said, giving Krys a weak smile while wiping away her tears.

"No, that's not silly at all," Krys said, smoothing her friend's hair and thinking how weird her dream had left her feeling, even if she couldn't remember it, "What was it about?"

"It was one of those dreams that just seems so real," Lily began, " Me and you were standing outside my house, but the door was open. Someone had broken in. My family was inside so we ran inside to warn them. We found them and tried to get them out. I kept telling them that there were people inside the house, but they wouldn't believe me. Then, you wouldn't believe me, either. And, the Death Eaters were behind them the whole time, hiding with their masks on. God, it was so scary. I've never had a dream like that before." She had started tearing up as she recounted the dream. Krys hugged her friend tightly.

"It's ok," she whispered, "it was just a dream." But, despite those reassurances, it was a while before either of them could fall asleep.