Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter. Duuuuh. I DO, however, own Amara. I also do NOT own the song. Kelly Clarkson does. Duuuuh.

To all my lovely reviewers – check out my new stories. In the Rough, and Black Roses Red. Adios. I will TRY to update soon.

Thanks to

Spider (hugs and kudos to you, my friend)

JBT (first reviewer) awwwww

Within me blue (gracias) so sweet!

And everyone else THANK YOU!

Because Of You

I will not make/ the same mistakes that you did/ I will not let myself/ cause my heart so much misery/ I will not break/ the way you did, you fell so hard/ I've learned the hard way/ to never let it get that far/ because of you/ I never stray to far from the sidewalk/ because of you / I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt

Amara, wearing faded jeans and a purple tank-top, sat as far away from her father as possible. In this case, it was only across the table.

"I do not want to use my father's last name," she said abruptly, "I don't want people to know who I am. It will only make trouble for me."

Dumbledore looked mildly surprised. "Fine, then. You can use the name… the name Smith. Is that alright?"

Amara nodded in sober consent, and the brief meeting in Dumbledore's office was over.

It was Amara's first year at Hogwarts, but she was starting as a sixth year. She had been in a boarding school for the previous five years, in the United States. Then her mother had died. Amara had been taken to her father, Severus Snape, to live with him and to go to Hogwarts, the school at which he worked. Needless to say, they had a rocky relationship.

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Amara had always been brave. Bold. Unafraid. But she was. Afraid. She just didn't show it.

Amara walked across the Great Hall shyly on her first day of school at Hogwarts, glancing at her schedule. Double Potions, Herbology, and Transfiguration. Great. She was in Griffindor, much to the disgust of her father, but had no idea where the dormitories were.

A girl chattered loudly with a boy with bright red hair and load's of freckles and another boy with dark hair and glasses. Those three looked about Amara's age. The girl, who had dirty blond hair and a bunch of text books tucked under her arm, extricated herself from her conversation when she noticed Amara's lost expression.

"Do you need help?" she asked catiously.

"Ummm. I'm… new here. I'm trying to find the Griffindor dormitories," Amara answered quietly.

"That's where we're going," said the girl brightly. She turned, and caught the immediate attention of her two friends. "This is Ron," she pointed to the red haired boy. A large hand grasped hers and shook exuberantly. "And this is Harry. Harry Potter." The girl gestured to the other boy. Amara nodded slightly to make it clear she knew who Harry Potter was. Harry smiled at her. "And I am Hermione."

"I'm Amara. I just transferred here." She followed Hermione, Ron, and Harry to the dormitories, just catching a curious look Harry sent her.