(A/N: Set in a slightly alternate timeline/universe. PLEASE, if you read and enjoy, and want more, please REVIEW. REVIEWS MOTIVATE ME TO UPDATE. Thank you.)

Chapter One

Adrianna Van Buren drew in a deep breath, gazing up at the steaming smokestacks of the Hogwarts Express with immense trepidation. Platform 9 and ¾ was crowded with students and parents alike, all hurrying about in their own world to prepare for the train's departure. Tucking her auburn curls behind her ear, Adrianna watched with a sad smile as parents rushed by her with their first year students, trying to ignore the fact that her own were dead. They would be proud if they could see her now. She had overcome her sheltered childhood, and had passed the placement tests for the school. Now, standing on the brink of leaving her old life behind and moving into her new future, she couldn't help but worry.

The conductor's sharp whistle jerked her from her reverie, and she handed off her trunk to the baggage handler, hiking her carry on up onto her shoulder more firmly. As the man threw her trunk into the depths of the luggage cart with an unceremonious thud, she turned, gasping sharply as she collided with a solid, warm body. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" The 16-year-old glanced up to meet a set of steely gray eyes over a roguish grin.

The young man chuckled, running a hand through his long hair with a friendly wink. "No worries, darlin'." He patted her shoulder, moving past her with his own luggage. "Better get on board before they leave without you."

Adrianna smiled gratefully, jogging away from him down the platform to haul herself on board with the help of the closest boarding assistant. "Thank you." She smiled warmly, taking stock of the train corridor with no small amount of awe. "Oh wow…"

The interior was far from what she had expected, with its polished wood framed doors to each compartment, and a lush red carpet lining the aisles. Her jaw fell open as she made her way down the aisle, squeezing past other students who were likewise gawking at the surroundings. Peering into each compartment as she passed, she noted with dismay that her delay in boarding seemed to result in a serious lack of open seating for her. She made it to the end of the first car, and had just started to slide open the door to the next car when a firm grip on her arm stopped her.

"Just where do you think you're going, miss? I've never seen you here before." A drawling voice sounded behind her, and she turned to see a young man with brilliantly blonde hair staring almost hungrily at her. Resisting the urge to cover herself from his prying gaze, which was undoubtedly undressing her bit by bit, she pulled herself free gently and swept her hair from her face.

"I don't understand where that becomes your business." She remarked coldly, shivering inwardly at his wolfish gaze.

"Oh, come now." The young man chuckled softly, reaching out to touch her long auburn curls with a smirk. "It was a simple question, no need to get so hostile."

Adrianna raised her hand to catch his wrist in a firm, almost painful grip, baring her teeth in a snarl of anger. "Don't presume that you can be so friendly with me. You've no idea who I am, or what I can do. Why don't you go back to whatever compartment you slithered out of, and leave me alone."

"Well, well, well. The kitten has claws." A deep baritone sounded from the doorway to the next car, and she let out a sharp gasp as a tall male figure moved past her, stepping between her and her unwanted suitor. "I got this darlin', why don't you just go on into the next car, yeah?" Without waiting for her response, he shunted her through the door, sliding it closed behind her.

Adrianna stood at the end of this new car, torn between feeling offended and grateful that this stranger had stepped in. Taking stock of her surroundings, she started down the aisles once more, backpedaling quickly as a compartment door was flung open and a sallow faced young man with a sharply pointed nose and very greasy hair was shoved roughly out. "Get out of here, you snot-nosed pasty-faced git!" With that exclamation, the door slid shut with a resounding bang.

Adrianna stood aside as the young man slunk past her, hiding her distaste at the sullen glare he shot her. Watching as he made his way towards the doors to the next car, she peered curiously into the compartment the young man had just vacated. Two young men were already occupying the compartment. They seemed animated in their discussion, one with sandy brown hair holding a book loosely open in his hand as he spoke. The other, dark hair an unruly mass on his head, gestured extravagantly, laughing uproariously at something in the conversation.

Adrianna gasped, ducking out of view when the dark haired young man glanced up and made eye contact, pressing her back against the side of the compartment as a brilliant flush crept across her face. The compartment door slid open and the dark haired young man poked his head into the hallway, grinning. "Why, hello there, pretty lady. Whatcha doin' out here?"

"Uh…" Adrianna rose to her feet, brilliantly red, trying to stammer out a response. "I just…there are no other open compartments and I saw you throw that other kid out…so I didn't want to interrupt you guys and-"

"James, would you quit interrogating the girl and let her join us? Unless you're trying to scare her away. Or you would prefer the company of Snape." A smooth tenor voice sounded behind the dark haired young man, who chuckled and slid the compartment door open all the way to let Adrianna in. She hesitated momentarily, and James sighed, reaching out and pulling her forward into the compartment so he could close the door behind her. "Sorry for my friend, Miss…"

"Adrianna Van Buren." She supplied, holding out a hand in greeting. The brown haired young man reached out and shook her hand firmly. As his hand contacted hers she bit back a gasp as a jolt of shock ran through her body. In his touch was imminent danger. Something deadly lay beneath the calm and gentle exterior. She raised her blue eyes to his, which flashed from hazel to a brilliant gold for the briefest of moments. Withdrawing her hand quickly, she averted her eyes, hiding the intense feeling of fear that suddenly welled up in her chest. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Remus Lupin. Likewise." His greeting was clipped, lacking the warmth his initial introduction had contained.

James chuckled, oblivious to the sudden emotional change in the compartment as he slid past Adrianna to reclaim his seat. "I'm James. James Potter. " He tilted his head, eyeing her with a curious expression. "Are you a first year?"

Adrianna nodded, pointedly avoiding Remus's burning gaze. "Yes. Well, no, I'm transferring into the fourth year class. I seem to have tested well. I just moved to Britain from Russia a couple years ago. I tell you, it's much warmer here than it is in my home country."

James snorted with laughter as the compartment door slid open for the umpteenth time that night. "Somehow, that surprises me. London can be pretty bloody awful sometimes."

"Oh, now James, that's just cruel, mate." Adrianna glanced up as the dark haired young man she seemed to keep running into slid the door to the compartment shut, not bothering to hide her slack jawed gaze. "Oh, well fancy seeing you here."

James chuckled at Arianna's expression, scooting over to give the newcomer room to sit. "Looks like you've already found an admirer, eh Sirius?"

"I never-" Adrianna's protest was cut short as Sirius reached out and gently took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips in a soft kiss to rival the most courtly of gentlemen.

"I daresay that our previous collisions were less than a prime place for a proper introduction. My name is Sirius Black. For you, Sirius will do just fine."

Adrianna flushed as he released her hand, flustered at the piercing grey eyed gaze he gave her. "I...uh….Adrianna." She stammered. "Thank you. For earlier, I mean."

Sirius held up a hand, forestalling Remus and James' curious questions. "She had a run in with Malfoy, that git. Just because he has money, he seems to think that he can have his pick of the women." He grinned roguishly at Adrianna, winking playfully. "Seems to have set his standards a bit too high."

Adrianna, who was certain she couldn't go much redder without turning into a tomato, averted her gaze to her lap, suppressing a small smile. "That's nice of you to say, Sirius."

Remus chose this moment to speak up as the train gave a loud whistle. "You think maybe you'd like to sit down, Sirius? I'd rather you not be in my lap during this trip."

"Oh, you love it Remy, don't lie." Sirius mocked jokingly, indicating that Adrianna should scoot over with a wave of his hand. "If you don't mind, that is."

Adrianna shook her head in acknowledgment and he flopped down next to her as the train lurched forward. "So are you all fourth years?"

"Yeah. We've all been friends for years." Remus responded. "James and Sirius and I all got our letters at the same time. So we've been together in class since day one. "

There came a knock at the compartment door, before it slid open. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

James, Sirius, and Adrianna exchanged looks, and a mad scramble for coinage followed. Between the three of them, they managed to purchase the majority of what was left on the cart, leaving some of the more unsavory looking items to their own devices. Tipping the lot into the last empty seat of the compartment as James slid the door shut again, Adrianna flopped down beside their spoils with a satisfied sigh. Remus glanced up at her with a gentle shake of his head, returning his nose to his book. "You're all ridiculous. I hope you're aware of that."

James gave the soft spoken young man an affronted look, protesting vehemently. "It's been way too long since I've had any chance to enjoy the finer things in life, Remy. Don't judge me."

Remus snorted with mirth from behind his book. "It's not you I'm judging." He retorted softly.

"HEY!" Sirius protested, half of a hapless chocolate frog already stuffed into his mouth.

Adrianna giggled, eyeing the pile curiously. Leaning across Sirius' lap and picking up a small box that looked like a miniature carnival tent, she read the label aloud, completely missing the look that James and Sirius exchanged. "Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. What are these?"

Sirius plucked the box from her hands, examining them himself. "James, you think we should tell her, or should she find out on her own?"

"What?" Adrianna glanced between the two of them, confusion stamped on her features. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Go on, Adrianna. Try one." James took the box from Sirius, opening it and holding it out towards her. "Worth a shot, yeah?"

Adrianna eyed the box with a newfound apprehension. "I…I have no idea what I'm about to get into, do I?"

"Nope!" Sirius and James both replied in unison, identical grins of mischief crossing their faces.

She glanced between the pair, somewhat unnerved by their cheeriness, before reaching out and plucking a bean from the box. It was a pale green color, vaguely reminiscent of a lima bean. "This looks like a bad idea."

"Go on." Sirius chuckled, silver eyes meeting her own blue ones. "You won't be poisoned, if that's what you're worried about."

"I should hope not." Adrianna frowned, popping the piece of candy into her mouth. Hardly two seconds of chewing and she blanched, spitting the offending item out as quickly as she had ingested it. "Oh, god, it tastes like vomit!" She retched, wanting nothing more than to scrub her tongue off.

Sirius gave her a sympathetic pat on the back, handing her a small bottle of water. "Here, wash it out with this. The privy is down the aisle at the end of the car, if you need it." Adrianna nodded gratefully, getting up and opening the compartment door and vanishing down the hallway.

"Well…she's an interesting girl." James quipped as the door slid closed behind her, nudging Sirius with his foot with a knowing expression on his face. "Whaddaya think, Sirius?"

Sirius merely shrugged, a slight blush rising to his face. "I dunno. Shut up, James." He shot at the other man, who was giggling behind his hands. "She's a pretty thing. Nice. Why does it matter anyway?"

"Why does what matter?" Adrianna stood framed in the doorway, looking no worse for wear from her experience with the unfortunately flavored bean. She reentered the compartment, resuming her seat. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." James piped up, rescuing Sirius swiftly from what would have been an incredibly awkward conversation. "We were just talking bout Sirius' family and how much he hates them."

"And just like that, I want to kill you again, James." Sirius grumbled under his breath, intensely aware of Adrianna's curious gaze.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Adrianna responded, rubbing Sirius' arm sympathetically. "If it makes you feel better, I don't really know my family."

"What do you mean?" Sirius, grateful for the tactful response, gave her a curious gaze. "Didn't you say you moved here from Russia recently?"

"Well, not recently." There was a pause, in which James pointedly began a conversation with Peter. With attention away from them, Adrianna lowered her voice, forcing Sirius to lean closer to hear her. "I was raised in an orphanage in Russia. When I turned 9, a family from Britain suddenly took interest in me for some reason. So they adopted me into their home. It's been…interesting."

"At least you don't have to deal with your family being all up in arms about the pureness of your blood, and being placed into the correct house. Less pressure for you, yeah?"

Adrianna started to voice a response to his statement, when the conductor's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Sorry for the inconvenience, students. We seem to have encountered a small delay, and will be reaching Hogwarts later than we had initially expected. Please stand clear of the seats so that we may bring out the beds for your comfort."

Everyone in the compartment groaned, and Adrianna stood hastily. The seat whipped up into the wall, then whipped back down, revealing a bed. She gazed at it, then ducked as another two slid out of the wall above her. "Cool." The lights dimmed as the train slowed to a halt. Adrianna left the compartment once more for the bathroom to change into something slightly more comfortable than the uniform, and when she had re-entered, Sirius was the only one left in the compartment. "Where'd everyone go?"

Sirius looked up from the bottom bed, upon which he had been reading. "To eat." He answered simply.

"Oh." Adrianna replied. As she climbed up to the second bunk to stow her uniform back, Sirius caught her ankle, nearly pulling her back down.

"Are you going to eat?"

Adrianna leapt back down to the floor, shaking her head and clutching a book. "No. I'm not that hungry." Sitting down on the bed opposite Sirius, she leaned against the wall, opening the book. Sirius watched her for a moment, before laying back down to gaze out the window, head on his arms.

There was content silence for about ten minutes, before a knock sounded on the door, and both Sirius and Adrianna spoke. "What do you want?"

The door opened, and the blonde young man that Adrianna had first seen walked in. Adrianna stood up, shutting her book with a snap. "What the hell are you doing here?" Sprang unbidden to her lips, and Sirius smirked behind her.

The blonde took her hand and kissed it lightly. "My name is Lucius Malfoy. I am yours to command."

Adrianna ground her teeth together, extracting her hand from his grip with minor difficulty. "Adrianna. What do you want? Didn't we already have this conversation?"

"You don't have to sit here. You can sit with me, if you'd like. I wouldn't want a pure blood associating with scum like him."

Sirius bristled, and Adrianna snapped. "Sirius is pureblood, for your information, and I think I can tell whom I want to sit with for my own, thanks." With that, she shut the sliding door smoothly in his face. Sirius got up, walking up behind her as she turned to put her book back on her own bed.

"A little firecracker, aren't you? I guess I didn't really need to defend you earlier."

Adrianna turned and took a step back after realizing how close they were. "Well, I definitely appreciated it. I won't lie, I was a bit offended that you stepped in."

"I couldn't leave a damsel in distress, now could I?"

Adrianna nodded, then walked over to the window. Sirius followed her, standing behind her. "I don't know about distress. I had it well under control. Bu thank you, anyway." She paused, acutely aware of his proximity to her, trying to calm her suddenly racing heartbeat. "What do you suppose the delay is?"

Sirius shrugged. "Could be anything, really. Technical issues, something on the tracks. Inspections. Lord only knows."

Adrianna turned suddenly, whipping him in the face with her back length hair. "Sorry, Sirius." For Sirius had just backpedaled, cursing furiously. "Well, I suppose it's a mercy I'm in a compartment with someone who…well…you know." She bit her lip in embarrassment, glancing away from his burning gaze.

Sirius, not noticing her expression change, sat down on his bed with a 'fwump'. Patting the spot next to him, he spoke. "Sit." Adrianna complied. "I'd prefer being with you than being alone, I suppose." Crossing his legs on the bed, he scooted over so that he was behind her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not bothering you, am I?" When she shook her head, he continued. "But then, if James heard that…" Here he paused to sweep her hair over one of her shoulders, "…he's say I'd say that about any girl."

Adrianna tensed slightly as he began massaging her shoulders, then relaxed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He paused, hands resting gently on her shoulders, but not moving. "Let me think about that answer. I'll take your question and raise you one. How do you feel bout the four of us?"

Adrianna turned to face him. "As in you, James, Remus…"

"Yeah." Adrianna turned back to the opposite wall.

"The four of you…seem like good friends. You and James especially." Adrianna's shoulders shrugged under his hands. "You seem like a good bunch of people." She paused, and he continued to massage her shoulders.

"To answer your question…James says that I have a way with girls. He seems to be under the delusion that I'm attractive and irresistible to girls." Sirius snorted, then stopped as Adrianna turned and gave him a scandalized look. "What?"

"Are you kidding me?" Adrianna said, fighting to keep her voice under control. "If you don't believe that, you must have rocks for brains to balance out the good looks."

Sirius struggled not to smile, but failed extravagantly. "Thanks. I think."

Glancing out the window, Adrianna frowned enormously as the light flickered, before going out completely. "What the bloody…" She paused as Sirius hefted her up and dumped her unceremoniously on the bed, then flopped down next to her.

"What? The power just went out. It's probably a minor circuit shortage or something. Nothing to be alarmed about."

"It's not that." Adrianna shook her head furiously. "The temperature's dropping." She glanced at Sirius, and gave a yelp of terror, scrambling away from him. "I can see your breath already." She gasped as the room became unbearably cold, and the door slid open.

Sirius grabbed her shoulders, pulling her towards him. "W-what is that?"

Adrianna shook her head, blinking rapidly. "I can't tell…it's too cold." A cold rattling sound was heard, before Adrianna let out a low moan, huddling against Sirius in fear. Every fear, every emotion that she had ever felt when she was alone in the dark came welling up from within her, threatening to overtake her consciousness. Voices sounded in her head, screaming, laughter, one pleading for their life. Something cold and slimy grasped her throat, and it lifted her against the wall, slamming her into her bed frame. She managed to choke out two words before passing out. "S-Sirius…help."

James stood, followed by Remus. As they approached their compartment, the lights flickered, then went out. Something glided past James on its way to their compartment, and Remus broke into a run, stopping at the door. "Expecto Patronum." He intoned, and a silvery bird shot out from the wand, illuminating the scene before him. Something tall and hooded was standing before Adrianna, tilting her head back and leaning its head over her mouth. Sirius was standing, wand poised, looking shaky, but alright. The hooded figure looked quickly towards Remus, before vanishing on the spot. The lights flickered on, and Adrianna, who was no longer being held up, slid down to wall to land in a heap at the foot of the bed.

Sirius leapt off the bed, running towards her and scooping her into his arms. "What was that?"

Remus spoke, while reaching into the pocket of his robe. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."

Sirius glanced up, still cradling an unconscious Adrianna in his arms. "Why was it here?" He snapped, turning back to Adrianna as she stirred.

"I don't know." Remus replied, glancing out the window, and withdrawing a large bar of chocolate. Breaking it in half, he handed one half to Sirius, and the other half to the now conscious Adrianna. "It doesn't make the slightest bit of sense to me."

"Thanks." She muttered, taking it. With a rumble, the train started up again, cruising slowly.

James walked over to Sirius, leaning down. "Could I have a word?" Sirius nodded, making sure Adrianna was okay before getting up and following James over to the window. "What happened while we were gone?"

Sirius gave James a puzzled look. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Neither of you came down to eat. We notice these things, Sirius. What went on between you two?" James leaned against the window, a sly smile gracing his features.

Sirius sputtered indignantly, seemingly torn between punching James in the face for suggesting something or telling the truth. The latter won. "Nothing really happened. Really."

James snickered, before clapping Sirius on the shoulder. "You never were a good liar."

As he turned to walk off, Sirius grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back. "And what was that supposed to mean?"

James winked. "You'll see. Girls will be all over you. Take her while you've got the chance."

Adrianna interrupted them by clambering to her feet and climbing up to her bed to get her uniform. Jumping down once more, she slid open the door to the compartment, before exiting. The driver came over the PA, announcing that the delay was shorter than expected, and they would be arriving shortly.

James and Remus exited to find Peter, and Sirius was left alone to change. As he pulled his robes on over his half-buttoned shirt, the door re-opened, and Adrianna walked back in. Sirius's jaw dropped. She was wearing a loose, flowing red top, with black jeans. In her hand, she was holding what was unmistakably a corset. She slipped this on, buckling the front. Sirius noticed, however, that it was still too loose. She glanced up, catching his eye. A brief smile flashed across her face, and she walked over to him. "Do you mind?"

Sirius stared stupidly at her for a moment, before what she was asking hit him. "Sure. Turn around."

She obliged, and gasped at how tight he pulled the strings. When he was done, she unbuckled one of the straps, loosening it slightly before re-buckling it. "How did you get so good at that?" Adrianna bent down, this time to retrieve her robes from her bag, which was now under the bed-turned-chair.

"Wha-oh! My mother wears those all the time. You learn how to tie them after a while, especially with a less-than-capable house elf." He ran a hand through his hair, absentmindedly playing with his wand.

Adrianna stood, pulled her robes on over her outfit, and then walked over to Sirius. Yanking him towards her by his unbuttoned collar, she shoved him into the seat nearest to her, and began to button his shirt, talking all the while. "You have a house elf? I always wondered if they really are forced to obey your every command. I mean, what if the owner was really ugly, and then she, or he, asked the house elf how they looked. Would it be down in the elf's contract to lie through its teeth, and say that the owner looked great?"

Sirius, somewhat preoccupied by the fact that she was in such close proximity to him, merely nodded. "I think so." She smiled, and flopped into the seat next to him. It was at that timely moment that the rest of the group walked in.

Remus gave Sirius a knowing look, before turning to Adrianna. "A moment, if you will?"

Adrianna glanced curiously at Sirius, who was determined not to meet her eye, before getting up and following Remus out to the corridor. "What is it?" She asked, leaning against the door and crossing her arms.

Remus's eyes followed another girl going down the corridor, before flicking back to Adrianna. "Why didn't you come down to eat?"

Adrianna stiffened at his question, and she shrugged. "I wasn't hungry."

Remus gave a short laugh that didn't quite seem human. "More accurately, you can't eat."

Adrianna's head shot up, and her blue eyes scanned Remus's hazel ones. In the instant their eyes met, Remus's flashed a momentary gold. "You're a werewolf…aren't you?"

Remus nodded. "Indeed I am, miss Adrianna. But please do not disclose it to those that are not in that compartment." He jerked his head towards the compartment that they were sitting in. "You don't tell about me, and I won't tell about you."

Adrianna nodded, before asking one last question. "Don't your kind kill…"

Remus turned back to her. "Yes…but only during the full moon." With this parting phrase, he slipped back into the compartment, leaving Adrianna standing there in shock.

Sirius poked his head out. "Adrianna? Are you alright?"

Adrianna nodded absently. "Yes…yes, I'm alright." She turned, walking into the compartment, with Sirius's concerned gaze on her. Walking over to Remus, she sat down in front of him, hugging her knees. "How did you know?"

Remus glanced down at her, then sank to the floor beside her. "The signs were obvious, Adrianna. At least…they are to werewolves." When she continued to gaze at him in evident confusion, he elaborated. "When you shook my hand. You are…very cold. To me, at least. You may be able to hide it from others, but it's unnatural. I am alive. And you are dead. That is simply what it is."

"Oh." Was all she said, and she glanced in Sirius's direction. He gave her a wan smile, before flopping into his chair. Adrianna got up from the floor, stepping over Remus and sliding into her own chair. Sirius glanced at Remus questioningly, but the werewolf shook his head, shooting a furtive look in Adrianna's direction.

The train jerked suddenly, and Adrianna gasped, falling out of her chair at the sudden movement. Sirius stood up, wand out. "What the…"

Remus threw an arm out, catching Sirius in the chest as he made to leave the compartment. "Get your stuff, Sirius. We're here."

Adrianna gave an overjoyed laugh from her position on the floor, giggling further as Sirius bent down, sweeping her into his arms and depositing her back on her feet. The compartment door slid open of its own accord, and the group left, joining the throng of people on the way to the door. As the crowd moved forward, a loud voice was heard booming over the crowd. "Firs' years this way. Over here!" Adrianna turned, automatically following the voice. Once all the first years had gathered, they piled into boats, which took them across a vast, moonlit lake, under the shadows of a great castle.

Climbing up a flight of large stone stairs, Adrianna stopped in front of a tall, forbidding looking witch. She led them all, without a word, into the Great Hall. When the first years had all assembled before her, the witch reached into a rather unassuming box beside her, pulling forth a tattered brown hat. "Welcome, first years. I am Professor McGonagall. When I call your name, you will come forward and sit, here." She indicated a small stool sitting opposite the box. "I shall place the Sorting Hat upon your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." She paused again, clearing her throat and retrieving a scroll from the depths of her robe. Reading off the list, she began to call students up one by one. Adrianna, as a transfer, was among the oldest, and last to be called.

"Van Buren, Adrianna." The young woman hesitated, stomach twisting itself into knots as the thought of which house she would be in crossed her mind. Being a vampire put her in the category of all things evil, which naturally would make Slytherin the house for her. However, the last thing she wanted was to be in the same house as Malfoy and Snape. Two unsavory types, she didn't think she quite fit the description for the House. She approached the stool and slowly lowered herself onto it, closing her eyes as the hat was placed ever so lightly upon her head. Acutely aware of the deafening silence that filled the Great Hall, she waited.

"AH!" She jumped as a little voice sounded in her head, and she opened her eyes, looking around for the source. "What have we here? A vampire, come to join the ranks of Hogwarts' finest witches and wizards? I daresay, this is most unusual, most unusual indeed." It took Adrianna a split second to realize the hat was the one speaking to her and as though sensing her thoughts, it responded in kind. "Of course I can hear you, you ninny. My, for a vampire, you are quite the dull one. Not very in touch with your true nature either, I see. Hmmm….you are a most interesting student to place, I must say. Hmmm…I think…GRYFFINDOR!"

With a relieved sigh, Adrianna rose as McGonagall removed the hat, jogging over to the Gryffindor table to join Sirius, James and Remus. Sirius gave her a warm hug as she sat next to him, much to her surprise, which she returned after a moment of hesitation. "Good show, Anna." She blinked at this new nickname, before deciding it was not so bad.

Silence settled over the hall a McGonagall gathered up the stool and the Sorting Hat and retreated out of sight with them, whilst another wizard, tall, grey, and with an incredible beard, stood to address the group. "Many smiling new faces have joined us this night. To you newcomers, I say, Welcome." His blue eyes twinkled cheerfully over half-moon spectacles. "I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School. May your next seven years here be fruitful and full of wonderful friends. Alas, there is a time for speeches and introductions, but now is not it. So I say, tuck in." He gave a small flourish of his arms and sank back into his chair.

Adrianna leapt in shock as the empty platters, basins and pitchers before her filled with all manner of food and drink, nearly falling from her seat. Grabbing hold of Remus's arm in order to steady herself, she let out a yelp as a ghostly head poked itself from the soup tureen in front of her. "Holy-"

The head spoke up in a somber, echoing tone. "Hello. I am Sir Nicholas. How do you do?" Adrianna gazed at him in a shocked sort of way, a gaze which he caught. "Oh, I'm sorry. Please, allow me." The ghost leaned through Sirius, who winced visibly, and held a translucent hand to Adrianna. She stared at it, somewhat nonplussed. "What?"

Adrianna hesitated, and, watched by Sirius and Remus, made a grab for Sir Nicholas's hand. Needless to say, all in the vicinity were shocked when she actually grabbed it. As Adrianna pulled herself up, Nicholas himself seemed shocked, and promptly let go of her. Sirius leaned over, catching her before she hit stone again. "Who are you?" Nicholas asked wonderingly, gazing at her with an almost fearful expression on his face.

Adrianna stood, smoothing her robes and giving the ghost a slight curtsey. "My name is Adrianna Van Buren. Pleased to meet you."

Nicholas inclined his head in greeting, before turning abruptly and floating away from the Gryffindor table. As Adrianna reclaimed her seat, Remus touched her shoulder gently, a mixture of awe and disbelief written on his features. "How is it that you can touch a ghost?"

Adrianna shrugged, feeling just as confused as Remus looked. "I suppose it's logical, considering…well…you know." She trailed off, lowering her eyes and trailing off quietly. Sirius eyed the pair of them curiously with the briefest flash of jealousy, before turning and settling down to his plate. They sat that way for the next half hour or so, Adrianna staring quietly down at her plate whilst everyone dug into their meals.

Sirius shot Adrianna a quick glance, noting she wasn't eating with a frown and a gentle nudge. "Hey. Anna. Aren't you gonna eat something? You didn't eat a thing on the train, I figured you would be starving by now."

Adrianna started slightly, jerking out of her reverie. "No. I'm not hungry." She grimaced, rubbing her stomach as it gave an angry growl. She was definitely hungry. But not so much for food.

Sirius pushed his plate of food towards her, the smell almost making her retch. "Come on, you gotta eat something."

"I don't-" Adrianna started to protest, when a hand grabbed her elbow and dragged her unceremoniously towards the other end of the vast tabletop. "What in blazes-"

"Hush." Remus sat next to her, hazel eyes filled with unmistakable concern. "How do you eat, Adrianna?"

She averted her eyes from his, unable to fully get past the feeling of danger that she got from him. She knew he meant well, but she also knew that he was a werewolf. And his kind and her kind were ancient enemies. It was near impossible for her to overlook something like that. "I…I usually don't. Unless I get lucky and find an animal or something."

Remus gave her an incredulous look. "Are you serious? Are you telling me you just starve?" Adrianna nodded sheepishly, gasping when Remus grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the group and her seat. "After the feast, we need to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

Sirius glanced up as she rejoined him, a worried expression crossing his handsome features. "Is everything okay?"

Adrianna noted Remus's pointed gaze, before nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Everything's fine." She smiled, patting Sirius' shoulder. "I've got to talk to Dumbledore, that's all."

Dumbledore took that timely moment to rise to his feet. "There will be announcements tomorrow during breakfast for all of the new students. In the meantime, Prefects, would you please lead your houses to their dormitories?"

As the students rose to follow their prefects, Sirius glanced down at Adrianna, who had remained sitting. "Are you coming?" He asked quietly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Adrianna smiled warmly, touching his hand lightly. "Not right this second. I'm sure Dumbledore can tell me where to go."

"I'll wait with you, if you want…"

"She'll be just fine, Sirius, don't worry." Remus cut in somewhat sharply, rising and starting for the head table. "Adrianna, come on."

Adrianna shot Sirius an apologetic look, feeling bad at his hurt expression. "I'll see you later, okay?" She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, before turning and hurrying after Remus. Sirius simply stood for a moment and watched her go, before following the throng of people making their way to the dormitories.