Chapter 1

Delilah Baker walked through one of the many courtyards inside of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was a warm summer breeze in the air along with the happy chatter of students finished with exams. She sighed and sat down near a fountain and pulled out her notebook, opening it and scribbling her thoughts down. Later on she would go back to them and try and piece them together into lyrics. After all, this wasn't going to be her usual relaxing summer. No, this year it was all work. Writing new songs, recording them, finding someone to tell her she was what they were looking for. She scratched out a line in exasperation, tucking her dark brown hair behind an ear. This was going to be more difficult then she thought.

Just when Delilah thought she was void of any inspiration, he walked into the courtyard. And of course she knew who he was. He was, of course, known by everyone. A ringleader, fantastically handsome. Who wouldn't know James Potter? And along with him, were the other three he was constantly seen with, though she did not know any of them personally. Hell, she didn't know anyone personally. Delilah might as well have been invisible.

The four boys walked confidently through the courtyard, stopping directly in front of Lily Evans, a beautiful well-liked girl in their year. Lily and Delilah had never gotten along, due to Delilah's quiet, unsocial nature. Lily had tried befriending the girl, but gave up when her bubbly personality wasn't anything like Delilah's. Mostly now, Lily would give her a small glare if their eyes ever met. Delilah didn't understand, but knew she and Lily would never see eye to eye.

She looked on longingly as James ruffled his hair a little extra and spoke to Lily, flashing a smile every now and then. She could just hear snatches of the conversation, and moved closer to hear the exchange.

"Evans," James said in a deep voice, "would you do me the honor of joining me in my compartment during the train ride to King's Cross?"

Lily rolled her eyes, as if this was a common occurrence that was pushing her over the edge. And it was. Everyone knew how infatuated James Potter was with Lily Evans. And everyone knew how Lily Evans loathed James Potter.

" Potter," she said sweetly, making James grin cockily, "get the BLOODY HELL away from me and LEAVE me ALONE!!" she screamed, her face as red as her hair, before grabbing her bag, pushing James roughly into the fountain, and stalking off.

"Nice, Prongs," said a voice that belonged to Sirius Black, as he stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. James glowered at him from his sitting position in the fountain. Remus Lupin, who Delilah had spoken to a grand total of three times, shrugged.

"I thought it went rather well..." he suggested. Sirius laughed heartily and Peter Pettigrew tittered nervously. James lunged at Sirius, who was laughing the hardest, which resulted in both boys thrashing about in the fountain. Unfortunately for Delilah, who had moved closer earlier to hear the exchange between Lily and James, this resulted in her being splashed considerably. And before she knew it, the two wrestling boys were heading her way, knocking her straight into the fountain along side them.

Delilah screamed as she fell into the cold water, catching Sirius' and James' attention. The two boys stopped their scuffle and sloshed over to her.

"You alright?"
"Sorry, didn't mean to take you with us." Delilah nodded dumbly through their quick apologies and shivered slightly.
"Oh, guess we better get out of this water..." Sirius noted, sounding almost sad that the brawl was over. James nodded as the two stood up and got out quickly, shaking the water off of themselves. James turned to her and offered his hand to help her up. Delilah stared at it for a moment before grasping it tightly, trying to commit the feel of his skin to memory, and having him lift her out of the fountain.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly and stared at their hands intertwined. She dropped his quickly, a blush creeping onto her pale skin.
"No problem," he brushed it off, not even noticing the color in her cheeks.
"You're fourth year, right?" he questioned. Delilah shook her head.
"Fifth," she muttered.
"Oh...but you're in Hufflepuff though. Right?" he said, looking slightly uncomfortable.
She shook her head again. "Gryffindor," she supplied quickly, the blush creeping back into her cheeks. He didn't even know they were in the same year and house for Christ's sake. She had to get out of there before she suffered anymore humiliation at his unknowing hands.
"Thanks for helping me," she said quickly before grabbing her bag and walking quickly back to the dorms to finish packing.

James turned to his three friends, two of which were snickering, one who was looking at him disapprovingly.
"What?" he asked Remus defensively.
"Delilah Baker? She's in our year and house?" he asked incredulously.
"Yeah. I knew that." he replied quickly. Remus rolled his eyes while Sirius and Peter continued to laugh.
"How do you know her name, Moony? The rest of us have never even seen her before." Sirius teased. Remus turned to him in exasperation.
"You've all seen her before. We've only been in classes with her for the past five years of our life. And if you must know, we studied together once this year." The boys howled with laughter and poked their friend.
"Moony! Never knew you had it in you! You, ah, really made her potion boil, eh? Showed her some dark arts? Read her tea leaves? Really charmed her didn't you, you old scoundrel? You must have-"
"Alright, that's enough," Remus snapped, "we studied together. We didn't copulate," he said, spitting out the word. This only caused his friends to laugh harder all the way back to the Gryffindor tower.
"Copulate. Do you hear him?"
"Honestly."

Delilah threw the last of her belongings in her trunk and slammed it shut in anger. She had made an utter fool of herself today. James Potter made her feel strange, like nothing she had felt before. She couldn't place what it was. She just knew she was incredibly nervous around him and her stomach was clenching itself into knots. Before heading down to the carriages taking the students to the Hogsmeade Station, she grabbed her notebook and started scribbling furiously.

Delilah pulled her trunk onto the train and searched for an empty compartment. When she was finally situated in one, it was time to get back to work. She felt a little silly, sitting in an empty compartment, messing with her wavy hair, trying to make it look better as she opened her notebook with her other hand.

"Oy, this ones empty!" yelled a voice that made Delilah's ears perk up. She could hear the marauders' coming from farther up the train. She panicked, realizing there was nowhere she could go without her trunk, which was secured tightly in the racks above her head.

"Bugger," she muttered, looking around for a place to hide. But of course there wasn't one, so she opted for burying her nose into her notebook and not looking up when four boys entered the compartment and stowed their trunks in the racks next to hers.

"Oh, hey," Sirius said, finally spotting her, "didn't see you there. You mind if we sit?" Delilah nodded and gave a small smile before going back to her notebook. The boys chatted loudly for the first few hours of the trip and she had to resist the urge to place her hands over her ears and yell at them. She had serious work to do and they were making it difficult to concentrate. Her muggle father was insistent upon making her a career, not believing she could do anything of value in the wizarding world.

Flashback to Christmas Vacation

"What are you going to do once you leave that school of yours?" Delilah's father asked casually one night at dinner. Her mother looked on with quiet interest.

"Well, I thought I'd be an Auror." she answered tentatively, not entirely sure of her career choice. Her father looked at her in obvious confusion.

"Auror?" her mother repeated, picking at her potatoes in agitation, and her father raised his eyebrows.

"Um, Yes. It's someone who trains to catch Dark Wizards. What you would call a policeman of sorts..." she said slowly, explaining to her father. He looked up at her in alarm.

"What?" she asked them in agitation.

"We, meaning you're father and I, rather hoped, that after all of this...schooling, you'd be through with all of that. Maybe come home and go to University...start a career." her mother replied quietly.

"Leave the Wizarding World?" Delilah asked, abashed. Her father looked at her sternly and nodded his head.

"But there's nothing for me here! I'm not skilled in your world, but in mine. I'm a witch. It's what I'm good at." she tried to explain.

"You need to make a life here, Delilah. It's what's best. It's what I did." her mother reasoned.

"But I have a life there." she countered.

"Really? Why is it that you've never talked about any of your friends? Never had any of them over during summer holidays? It doesn't seem like there is anything keeping you there." Her father asked matter of factly.

"I have friends..." she said quietly.

"There isn't anything for you in their world..." her mother added.

"It's my world and it's what I am, which is all that matters. It used to be your world too, Mum." she shot back. Her parents nodded their heads.

"Well, just start thinking about it. What is something completely non magical related that you love to do?" her mother prodded gently. Delilah pouted and thought. She really, really thought. She pondered career choices in her mind, and the academics required for each field. But the truth was, she wasn't any good at muggle schooling. Getting desperate to come up with something, anything, she thought about hobbies. Anything she had liked to do ever.

She looked her mother and father straight in the eye and told them what she loved best. What she was truly good at without magic.

"Music," she said simply, "I love to sing." Her parents raised their eyebrows. They had never known their daughter possessed such a desire.

"Well...are you any good?" her father asked carefully.

"I don't know." Delilah answered truthfully, never having had the courage to sing in front of anyone before.

"Well then, sing." her father commanded. And she did. Delilah didn't think about what she was going to sing, but simply opened her mouth and let the sound come out. Her voice was full with a wide range and a raw edge to it. She stopped singing when she saw the looks of shock on her parent's faces.

"Wh-what? Was I really that bad? I guess I'll just-" she started to walk back upstairs but her parents stopped her.

"No, honey that was...nothing short of amazing. Why didn't you ever show any ambition for singing?"

"I did...I just didn't show that ambition to anyone else." Delilah's parents actually chuckled.

"You should really pursue this Lilah," her mother said, running a hand through her daughters dark hair. Delilah nodded.

"This is what I love, mum, dad. And I would like to take into consideration that music could be a career for me. You know, there are famous musicians and singers in the Wizarding World. I don't have to-" she started but was interrupted by her father.

"No, sweetie. You're mother and I want you to have a normal career away from magic. If this is what you are passionate about, we want you to do it this way." Delilah hung her head. She needed the Wizarding World. It was who she was.

"Father, I can't be away from my own world. My own people that are like me. It would be unbearable..." Delilah's father considered what his daughter had said.

"Alright, Delilah. We can make a deal. As long as you pursue your career in music the normal way, the right way, your mother and I will allow you to not only return to Hogwarts for the next two years, but also continue living as a witch." He looked at his daughter sternly, who was thinking quietly.

"I'm in."

End Flashback


Delilah was brought back into reality by a series of whoops and hollers coming from the four boys she grimly shared her compartment with. There was nothing of consequence going on, only James leaning against the open compartment door, talking to Lily Evans. Delilah scowled as she watched their exchange.

It was always the same. James' open flirtation. Lily's loud rejection. Delilah rolled her eyes in protest. Lily was an idiot if she couldn't tell that James really did care about her. Delilah ignored pressure in her chest as she watched them. Finally, after a brief shouting match on Lily's end, James returned to the compartment looking no worse for wear.

"How'd it go?" asked Remus knowingly. James grunted. The boys chuckled briefly before a comfortable silence filled the compartment.

"So...Baker...any plans for summer hols?" James asked, turning to Delilah. She looked up at him in surprise. It was only a matter of hours ago he hadn't known her year or house and now, He was calling her by name? It took her a moment to register and thus another moment to reply.

"Um...No. Not really." She replied quickly. As soon as it was out of her mouth, she regretted it. If only she had said something to make the conversation continue. Even a simple 'Oh, nothing much, what about you?' would have sufficed. Delilah gritted her teeth and spoke up for once in her life.

"Well, I'm recording music on a demo, running around London to all the major record companies and music execs, trying to score a deal and secure my place in rock history. Nothing much." Delilah let out a breath as the boys around her laughed. She had been funny. She, quiet Delilah Baker, was making the infamous Marauders laugh. She grinned and joined in on the laughter. So what if they thought she was kidding?

By the end of the train ride, Delilah Baker felt like, for the first time in a long time, that she had friends. True, she and the Marauders had only spoken for an hour, maybe two, of the entire trip, but it was a start. Their farewell cries and promises to write made Delilah happy, especially when she saw her parents' ecstatic expressions due to the fact she might have friends.

Delilah greeted her parents warmly and handed her trunk off to her father. The Baker family sped away through the streets of London to their house in a posh neighborhood.

"Are you ready for tomorrow, sweetie?" her father asked. Delilah cocked her head to one side in question. Her mother smiled.

"Tomorrow, you begin your hunt for the perfect agent and record deal." her mother beamed and clapped her hands excitedly. But Delilah was deeply worried. She had only just had a break through on one of her songs, but it was far from finished. She nodded and smiled anyways.

"Mum!" Delilah yelled from her room that night. Her mother walked quickly up the stairs and stuck her head inside her daughter's room.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, sitting down and looking at Delilah in concern. Delilah looked up at her mother.

"It's just...there are muggle born kids at school. And if this all works out, they're going to know who I am. I still want to be able to lead a normal school life...I think it would be best to have a stage name. I've been thinking about it and I've come up with one" she said, playing with one of the pillows on her bed.

"Oh? What is it?" her mother asked.

"Caelyn Storm. But I don't think its going to be enough to just change my name. I think I'll need to be someone completely different..."

"I see. You could just change your hair color. Maybe wear some different clothes. Oh and makeup!" her mother said, sounding excited.

"But Mum, I don't really like all that stuff..." she whined. Her mother shot her a look

"Do you want this to work in your favor or not?" she answered sternly.

"Oh alright," Delilah pouted before letting her mother tuck her into bed.

"It's good to have you home, honey." her mother said before kissing her on the forehead and leaving the room. Delilah went to sleep, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

"Lilah, honey! Wake up!" Delilah opened her eyes to see her mother hovering over her bed, wand in hand. Delilah groaned inwardly.

"Okay Mum, work your magic," she consented. Her mother smiled widely and started muttering and waving her wand. Delilah cringed inwardly.

"Alright, take a look in the mirror," her mother said, beaming with joy. Delilah rolled her eyes and stepped in front of the mirror. She gasped at what she saw.

Her wavy brown hair was straight and very blonde. She had makeup on her face and she had to admit she looked, dare she say, pretty. Her blue eyes remained the same color and for that she was grateful. She found them to be her one saving grace. And her clothes. Her pajamas were gone and she wore what could only be described as very fashionable clothes. She looked in the mirror and saw someone else. Someone beautiful and deserving of being a true rock star.

"Mum," she breathed, "I...I'm, I mean...thanks." Delilah's mother smiled at her.

"You look beautiful. Now, lets go downstairs. You're father said he would meet us in the car." Delilah nodded and grabbed her notebook, following her mother down the stairs.

The day had been long, traipsing around London to one talent agency after another. It was nearing five in the evening before the Bakers reached their last stop and seemingly last chance.

"Now, Lilah, don't be discouraged," her mother insisted and Delilah smiled, but on the inside she was concerned. If she couldn't do this, what did it mean for her life in the Wizarding World? This was, in her mind, the last shot. Delilah squared her shoulders, got out of the car, and walked confidently into the building.

"Storm,Caelyn" the receptionist said coolly after the Bakers had been sitting in the reception room for ten minutes. Delilah stood up and walked into a large office with her parents. A tall looking man was sitting behind the desk, dressed smartly in a black suit and tie.

"Caelyn Storm?" he questioned and she nodded and gave him a bright smile that he returned.

"What is it that you've come here to do today?" he said, looking over some of her pictures in a portfolio.

"I love to sing, sir. I'm good at it. I'm great at it. It's what I want to do with my life." she replied in a confident tone, making sure to smile again. The man looked her up and down and nodded. He seemed to be thinking.

"Sing." he said bluntly. Delilah could tell he doubted her and any abilities she might possess. She smirked at him, to which he raised his eyebrows at, and opened her mouth to sing. By the time she had finished the man looked as if he had completely changed his mind.

"Caelyn, I'm Mr. Alan Walker, welcome to Virgin Records," he said, smiling at her. Delilah grinned and bounced up and down on her feet excitedly.

"We'd like to begin you're recording as soon as possible. I hope you have original work for an album or we'll have to get writers in here. We can make the music for you lyrics if you have them," Alan informed her. Delilah nodded and handed him her notebook that she had finally filled late last night, early this morning.

"Lyrics, check." she said, smiling. Alan looked relieved.

"Finally, someone agreeable to work with. But keep writing, in case you come up with anything brilliant" he added. The next hour was spent going over contracts and mostly Mr. and Mrs. Baker did the talking. Her summer would be busy, starting with recording her album and getting radio play. Delilah was informed that the second half of her summer would be spent on an exclusive tour that, they hoped, people would sell their arms to get tickets to.

She felt a little overwhelmed by it all, even when her mother patted her back reassuringly. Alan was talking to her again.

"You'll be as famous as the Beatles by the time you turn 16, Caelyn Storm. Kid, you're going to be a rock star."