Hi fanfiction readers! I really shouldn't be starting another project when I'm so woefully behind on my other stories, but this came to me and I couldn't help myself...the second chapter is already written though, so update will be quick on that at least :) For those reading my other stories never fear, I should be updating today and hope to keep the updates coming these next few weeks. I make no promises once dead week hits and finals come, but the summer should be open enough for more writing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor do I profit from this story, I've made up my OFC and the story line, so any resemblance it may bear to anything else is purely coincidental.

Enjoy!

She had always been more observant than her peers, and to be frankly honest usually more so than the elders in her life. Minute details that could be easily ignored were remembered, labeled, cataloged, and then stored in her memory to accumulate until she learned something interesting from these tiny facts. It could get annoying at times, as people gave her funny looks or tended to ignore her opinions, dismissing her theory's as they couldn't remember the evidence of it that she would speak of. However, it was this skill that, while alienating her socially, greatly furthered other aspects of her life. She would soak up obscure and normal facts like a sponge, there seeming to be no limit of what her mind could accumulate. She learned not only facts, but how a teacher taught, what they deemed important to know, and this was almost as important as she could answer questions and demonstrate from their perspective, always achieving the best grades in her classes. Because of this ability she had soaked up French as a child, her mother's native tongue, and was allowed to attend Beauxbatons even though she lived technically in England. It was more of a challenge this way though as they taught more language and culture than any other magical school.

She was she was oft ignored, bullied, or even had to escape manipulation or blackmail attempts as she grew up because she did so well in school, but she grew to not be bitter about this and accept her lot because even though she had no one with which to share her discoveries, she still had her knowledge. She saw different cultures and ideals in action around her, saw how they interacted or avoided interaction. It was this skill, this thirst to know more, that led her to obtain a Sociology degree after graduating from Beauxbatons a year early. She had the support of her parents and co-operation from the government in regards to muggle relations to thank for this opportunity, and she was even able to do it in America! She managed to finish in 3 years (lack of a social life really frees up your time) although she did let herself explore the integrated mix of muggle and magic that permeated the streets in the U.S. because of how they managed to intertwine the two without giving up either of their respective values.

After she graduated she was recruited to work as an analyst for the American government via CIA, and when the American Wizarding Government (AWG) got wind of this they followed up with an offer to put her in a special division of the AWG that coordinated with this job. She happily accepted, and worked at this for a year before news of the Triwizard Tournament rocked the world. Her father had gotten wind of it first, being a Ministry official, and when she heard she immediately began searching for the truth through all the propaganda reported. It was after a summer of the backlash from the event that she began to see activity grow in both the muggle and magical worlds. Disappearances, missing memory in an agent or two, it was all subtle but, like she said, she remembered these things. To a believer that anything is possible it spelled to only one conclusion, Voldemort was back, and the Ministry of Magic was in denial.

It took her months to track down all the relevant information but when she did, she knew that the only force opposing Voldemort that had any hope at the moment was Dumbledore's secret group; Order of the Phoenix she believed it was called unless that was a code name, which she had only been able to discover because of her mother's help. So, on her 21st birthday she made a decision and transferred to London, England in both worlds, relocating so she could begin her induction to this group.

It took months of course, to slowly gain their interest, for the dance to begin. Once they finally approached her about joining she played the reluctant, unsure of whether or not she believed them, then had to spend a week "contemplating her options". However, eventually she gave in just as she (and possibly they) knew she would.

It was only once she had begun to spend time in the headquarters that she noticed him. It was hard not to see him of course; the Azkaban escapee was hard to miss, always stuck in the house always around when she was in the buildings gloomy yet anciently beautiful walls. However once she began to notice him is when she began to fall. This aristocratically beautiful man, beaten and bent but not broken, lounging around in timeworn clothing of the finest silks and cloths. So wonderfully morose a picture he made, never inelegant even in the most casual of motions. Innate grace and mannerisms most likely pounded into his being by long dead parents and other family members.

He had such a quick wit, eyes alight with conclusions long before others at the meetings would set upon them, always watchful and yet…there was a bit of madness in those eyes. Not in the way that sanity is lost, but in a way where humanity is being regained, if it could ever fully be regained that is. She'd heard the stories, whispered by the other young members as he left rooms, of how he'd remained sane with only an animegus form and the knowledge he was innocent. She didn't believe that he took comfort in his innocence however, from the tale of how things went down and the haunted look in his eyes when his godson was brought up she fully believed (and to her this was close to knowing) that he felt the guilt of the betrayal and his friends death as keenly as if he had been the cause if not more so. He felt the survivor's guilt, something that the other man, Lupin, didn't seem to suffer from though he did oft have sadness in his gaze as well.

No no, his appearance of madness was all in relearning how to interact. For someone who knew what almost every sign in the language of the body meant but had never had the ability to easily interact in society she could easily see the strain it caused him. Memories had been distorted in that prison by dementors, by the loneliness of isolation with only screams and criminals you loathed for company, by guilt and by prolonged exposure to an animal mind. It was a miracle he functioned as well as he did, even more of a miracle that each day he grew a little more confident in his interactions. The resilience he possessed was breathtaking, like the aged youthfulness in his eyes. Stuck between knowing too much and too little, being too involved and not enough.

Yes, she fell. She saw all this, how he sometimes couldn't help but sniff the air like a dog, eyes immediately darting around to see if anyone had seen while acting unaffected. How his eyes shone with passion behind a veil of control she knew she would never possess. How every disparaging comment to himself he could ignore, while any insult directed at loved ones was met with a fiery spark others passed off as madness, while she simply saw it as the fire of the man he was meant to be escaping.

She also saw how their dismissal of him and their lack of ability to distinguish between normal and the boundaries he struggled against made him less likely to show his true self, made him hide.

It was Molly Weasley that finally broke her sustained silence on the matter, damn the consequences and even if he hated her for the intervention, she could sit back no longer as he was belittled and didn't even blink an eyelid in response.

This chapters slightly short, averaging about 3 pages on word, but it seemed the best place to cut it off for the moment, sorry ^^;

I hope my OC isn't coming off too mary sue-ish...she's no where near perfect and has plenty of flaws that you'll get to enjoy as time goes on as, even though this isn't crack, I'm feeling this story will definately include some humor :).

Review please and let me know if this is worth continuing! I want you to enjoy what I write lol.