Chapter 01

I looked up from the papers in front of me, my eyes capturing that of the person who had occupied the once empty chair across from me at the table. My eyes returned to the paper that was in front of me, my thorough research on the proverbial herb of-

"Miss Snow."

His voice crossed through my thoughts. I knew he was present, and I was going to ignore him 'til he left. Unfortunate for me, I knew he would not.

Setting my quill down with a rather snap onto the table, my gaze took heed to his, "What is it, Mister Black?"

"I was wondering how you were doing on this sunny afternoon, and why you were staying inside?" he offered to me.

"If that is all that you wish to ask, my answer can surely be found by what is occupying my time. Which- might I add- would not take so long if you had the consideration to give me the time I need to finish the report from which you have obscured my attention," I told him in a rather annoyed huff. "Now, if you would so kindly leave me to my work, it would be most appreciated, Mister Black."

He gradually pulled himself out of the seat and lulled away, much to my pleasure. Sirius Black was a rather optimistic fellow. I had known him for the majority of my life, starting when we were young. I was four at the time and he was six. My fifth birthday was nearing, but my parents insisted on getting me around other pure bloods more so that I would not resolute to having bad blood within me as I achieved my letter to Hogwarts.

Sirius was a rather outspoken boy, and much more open with who he was than his brother Regulus. Sirius was light hearted, and easily persuaded at the sound of words if put in a good manner. When he had arrived at Hogwarts a year before me, he had been placed in Gryffindor, and his ravenous behaviors continued extensively.

I was much more keen to intellect to be placed in such a rowdy house, although I was not in Slytherin, my parents were pleased non-the-less at my acceptance into the house of Ravenclaw. Regulus, on the other hand, was placed where he belonged, in Slytherin. Of course, I was not allowed to see the Blacks while on Holiday, and Regulus surely did not want to associate outside of Slytherin, and thus, my friendship with him had ended on a rather plain term.

Sirius, however, pursued to stay friends, and I have gathered that with the times he has annoyed me to my wits' end, I still considered him someone I could turn to in one case or another. Although, as of current, his friends have put him up to a bet to see if he could 'get with me', which he told them he'd rather not, and which I had faced James Potter to tell him my assertions to that Sirius Orion Black was merely a confidant to me, and nothing more than a friend. He has thus put the bet on with even higher stakes, and one that Sirius cannot give up so easily.

Gryffindors are rather annoying. That part of my mind had never left. I would die before I let a Gryffindor be anything more to me than a friend, and even then, Sirius was the only exception.

I sighed, distracted now from my work. Figuring that the Ravenclaw tower would be more quiet, I gathered my things and left before anyone else could extend my failure at finishing Professor Slughorn's extensive paper that was due in the next couple days.

"I'm so sorry!" I yelped out as I had pushed the door to the library open with my hip as to not let anything from my hands fall as I had left my bag in my dorm. I quickly made a mad scramble to set my things down to help up the one person I had knocked down, who had blood gushing from his nose and onto his green and silver embedded crest. I cursed silently to myself at the sight of a Slytherin. Pureblood as I was, Slytherins were still not fond of me.

Helping him sit up, I realized who it was. I cursed even more to myself to having a run in with both Blacks within the same ten minutes, "Mister Black, forgive me for my unsavory timing of open the large wooden door which happens to be the entrance to the library!" I scrambled out, not realizing how jotted and formal my speech appeared.

He pushed himself onto his feet, and I realized he was alone, no other Slytherin had accompanied him- which was a great relief on my part, for I surely would have been hexed. He pinched his nose, a few unholy words coming from his lips as he attempted to stop the bleeding.

"Mister Black, let me fix that for you, fixing broken noses has come to my forte over the years," I told him pulling my wand out of my boot.

He looked at me warily for a moment before he lowered his hand to allow me to do my works. With a flick of my wand and a simple spell, his nose was now unbroken and unbleeding, although the blood still lied across his face. I cringed inwardly at the sight of him, his company will surely go after who had caused it once they got it out of him who it had been.

"A rather pleasure to have it broken and fixed within five minutes time," Regulus Black spoke as he blink a couple of times, obviously liking the feeling of having a non-broken nose. "Thank you, Miss Snow."

Always the formalities within our society. Only, amongst the boys they simply called each other by their last names, and for girls they called each other by their first names, but the interaction of two Purebloods from two noble houses as ours, we could not be so informal with each other, not like we were when we were children and we were close. That closeness long gone.

"I feel rather more than uncomfortable to send you on your way to your Slytherin companions when you are well dressed in your own blood, Mister Black," I told him as I placed my wand back into my boot pocket as I gathered my book, quill and ink from the ground where I had set them in my panicked rush.

"Don't worry yourself, Miss Snow," he assured me, "I will merely say I got into a row with some gaudy Gryffindor and they will simply believe it."

"You act as if Slytherins are all dull as a candle without a wick, Mister Black," I told him, "Are you so sure that they will know that it was not I that have harmed you so?"

"I will ensure that they do not know, Miss Snow," he told me, "Where are you headed to now?"

"The tower," I answered immediately, "I was too distracted with the noise of the unusually alive library this afternoon."

"And no bag?" he asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

"I felt no need for it," I told him softly, "Carrying what I needed seems so much easier than to carry everything."

"A right sight indeed," he nodded, "A very Ravenclaw move."

I smiled softly, taking my eyes off of him, "I do feel rather terrible at how you look at this moment, Mister Black."

He let out a soft chuckle, "Do you wish for me to clean it up?"

"It would be most appreciated," I told him, "I would hate for you to be seen as such."

He gave me a small smile, but it quickly slipped away as his eyes shot past me. My own eyes narrowed, it could be one of two forms of people, a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. If it were a Gryffindor, he would most likely pick a fight, as to say this was the Gryffindor that had given him the blood that shameless stained his robe. If it were a Slytherin, he would quickly have to calculate an excusable reason as to why the two of us were talking and why he had blood on him. I was hoping for the former, but as his face went neutral, I knew for a fact that it was the latter.

"What happened to you NOW, Black?" came the most awful sneer of Rabastan LeStrange, a sixth year Slytherin, cousin to the Blacks, and another Pureblood. "You seem to be losing most battles as of late."

"Losing battles?" Regulus' eyebrows raised near his hairline, "If I recall, LeStrange, it was not I who challenged the two of us against four seventh year Gryffindors who you very well know are more experienced than us in attack AND defense."

I regarded Regulus Blacks' comment, before finally turning my attention to Rabastan LeStrange who I had never been personally introduced too. I had merely seen him at the Malfoy's annual Christmas Eve Ball, and at Miss Bellatrix's wedding to his brother. He took me in for a glance, his eyes lingering slightly on me, "She didn't do this to you, did she, Black? Not some traitor in Ravenclaw?"

"She's not a traitor, LeStrange, merely more intellectually recognized than us, but her heart is still as pure as ours," Regulus Black defended me in front of one of his closest friends. He then regarded the first question, "And you honesty think that I would allow myself to be bloodied up by a Ravenclaw? Oh no, Rabastan, merely a Gryffindor that was trying to get his way with Miss Snow."

I blushed lightly at the thought that he placed in both Rabastan's and my own mind. Rabastan looked at me, mostly an amused look on his face. "It was most generous of Mister Black," I told Rabastan LeStrange, "I was not sure if he would allow it to continue or if he would take action like his Prefect status would recommend."

My voice feigned innocence in the regard of the incident that did not take place. I was rather amused with Regulus Black's quick thinking, but I was unsure if I were playing the part he wished me to play. Slytherin's were not known to be noble, but Rabastan seemed to find that to no use. It was a Gryffindor after all, and he was a Slytherin, it was merely a reason to start something with them.

"Miss Snow, was it?" Rabastan said stepping forward, a change in his poise. He appeared now to be more of the gentleman that a pureblood should be.

"You are correct, Mister LeStrange," I said with an incline of my head.

"I don't believe we were ever properly introduced," he told me as I put out my hand, knowing the customary ways. He took it, bowed over it and placed a small kiss on the back of my hand before becoming erectly up right in his posture, "I am surprised that Black hasn't introduced us before."

"We have had little time to really discuss anything," I told Rabastan, "But now we have met formally, and now I feel that I should leave to go finish my work before time is up."

I nodded to each in turn before turning to leave to the Ravenclaw tower. I didn't get more than five steps away when Rabastan stepped in front of me once more, "Now, it wouldn't be proper for us two gentlemen to leave you unaccompanied back to the Ravenclaw tower. What if that unruly Gryffindor is to show up again?"

I hesitated for a moment before thinking. If I walked around with two Slytherin's around me, rumor was sure to spread, even if I kept it to minimal viewing. I knew that had the incident with a Gryffindor actually occurred, that it would be rather suiting, but as nothing did happen, it would feel rather unneeded. I bit my lower lip in thought before looking up at him, concealing my annoyance completely, "It would be most appreciated, Mister LeStrange, but hardly needed. The Gryffindor was sent to the hospital wing, there is no way that he would be able to return so quickly."

Logical reasoning. I could see Rabastan LeStrange's mind at work. Behind him, Regulus gave a rather half amused look at my own quick thinking, and the puzzlement that crossed his friends face. Rabastan composed himself rather quickly after a moment's work, "That is in all truthfulness, Miss Snow, but it is still rather safer for you if we travel with you. What if another unruly Gryffindor happens to come your way?"

"I'm sure I'll be able to manage, Mister LeStrange," I assured him, "I am a very capable witch, that Gryffindor merely caught me by surprise."

Rabastan let a small frown etch onto his face as he glanced back to Regulus. I knew it wasn't the most lady like gesture, to deny someone to walk me to my safety, but a Slytherin of all people was not one considered good company for walking. If anything, it was worse than myself being spotted with Sirius over the years. After finally being able to leave on my own, I bid each a farewell and left on my way to the Ravenclaw tower.

It was a smashing day outside, the sun was bright, and it was in mid April. The snow had melted, and the rains still came, but the sun was hitting just right. It was almost a shame that I was forced to stay inside, but unlike the others, I was determined to finish my work in the hope that I would later have time to do such activities.

The time quickened as dinner soon approached and I was finished with my research paper, and my Herbology biological life watch book of the week. All I had left to complete would be my Defense Against the Dark Arts paper on fire of a Dragon and how to protect yourself against it, and then the Divination work of predicting the weather for the next week. I knew soon enough that I would be successful with my works and I set off towards dinner, my stomach eagerly telling me that it needed food if I planned on finishing my work tonight.

Walking by myself down from the Ravenclaw tower, I went into the Great Hall, alone as usual, as I sat down. Friends were not a great deal important to me, and having them only caused a distraction. I merely kept acquaintances, and track of the people around me. I knew who they were and didn't much care if they knew who I was. There were only a handful of Ravenclaws I actually accepted to come near anything close to a friendship.

One was the girl sitting down the other end of the table, engaged with others about their afternoon. That was Helen Fox, a Pureblood but not of nobility. Second was that of Riley O'Rani, an Irish fellow who was our Quidditch Team Captain. He was rather full of himself, but proved to be rather level headed when he was on the stick. Third was Nova Smith, a rather intelligent girl who liked to go on about her father as he reigned as the Minister of Magic at the time. The final of the four in Ravenclaw was Corvis Clearwater, a seventh year Prefect with a mind in his own. He was exceptionally more bright than any other member of our house, and most of the girls in, and out of the house, had fallen for his rather gentlemanly charm, beating out Sirius Black at some points in their careers.

All of which were sitting amongst themselves with a group of their own friends at the table. Leaving me to sit quietly, as to eat quickly and then return to my studious ways of homework on the weekend. At the end of this week would come Easter Holiday and then after that, we would return to studies and the end of the year gathered closer than I would like to believe.

I spent the majority of my evening finishing my papers and once finished, I put them away in my bag for classes this week. I returned down to the common room to have Helen Fox making her way towards the dorm, "Oh! Athena, there you are!" she mused lightly, "I didn't see you at dinner! Are you feeling well?"

"I am doing fine," I nodded slightly, "And I was at dinner, but I didn't stay long."

"Have you finished your Herbology life watch book for the week?" she asked as she looked past me.

"Yes, but you are not allowed to take a look," I said flatly, "You know how I feel about those things."

"Of course, of course," Helen Fox said laughing a bit, "You're too kind at times, Athena."

That, of course, made me know she was going to go and look at my watch book. "Helen, you are to not go through my things. They are heavily charmed and you will be sent to the Hospital Wing immediately if you attempt otherwise," I warned her. I wasn't so sure if she was really paying any attention to what I said. I inwardly rolled my eyes as I moved past her, "Forgive me for any future mistakes that you may make this evening if they are- by any chance- among my things."

I left the common room, the curfew not activated until the next hour, giving me the pleasurable sixty minutes to roam as I pleased. I was very fortunate as to not have received the badge that signified being a Prefect. That would have been rather annoying and time consuming for me, and would draw me away from my studies.

I exhaled softly as I made my way down the staircase and soon found myself in the front of the Grand Staircase, jumping over the trick stair, and onto the ground. The doors should be locked, but usually towards the end of the year, they were left unlocked for the thoughts that every other students by now figured it was locked.

Pushing the door open to allow myself access to the outside chill, I slipped the door shut behind me, the doors only making a small clicking noise due to my lack of logical thinking of a silencing charm on the said door. I sighed lightly, feeling rather ashamed of my stupidity in that moment, but pressed on to take an evening stroll around the black lake. I was not as near to the castle as I probably should have been, my wandering had brought me rather close to the Forbidden Forest, but it had never taken to scare me at all.

A noise and small movement caught from the corner of my eye as I stopped near the still lake and gazed into the forest. The moon was near the new moon mark, as my mother called it, God's Thumb, was in the sky. I gazed back from the sky to the forest where the movement had come from, slowly reaching for my wand in case of any sudden movements. If I was caught outside by a Professor, I could get detention. I did third year when I had been caught outside past curfew though.

And fifth year I had fallen asleep near the Green Houses and when I awoke it was about two in the morning. They sent a search party for me, unknowing where I was at, and I was found, without a detention.

The shuffle of feet on grass brought my attention back to the present, and I realized that it was in fact a person that was coming out of the forest. The shoes they wore were heavy- boots. The person itself was rather large and round, more abnormally huge for any student. It led me to believe it was a Professor, but none were as large and round and heavy as this one appeared.

I quickly grabbed my wand, maybe it wasn't a Professor but an intruder? A Death Eater- one of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named's followers. I had heard about them, and their ways of trying to get into Hogwarts. What if it wasn't but a Ministry Official? Why would an official be walking through the forest this late at night? Obviously a Death Eater. Unless of course, it was a Death Eater disguised as a Ministry Official, then I wouldn't know if I should attack or not.

There was only one, I reminded myself, only one. Even if it was a Death Eater, I could handle myself, I was Athena Snow after all. They should know me if they have any consideration for the Pure Blood lineage, unless of course, it was some rueful half blood. I was Nobility though, no one, even a Death Eater, should be allowed to hurt me. My parents wouldn't stand for it at all.

Emerging from the forest in the dark came the man, tall, haired, and cluttered with many objects of randomness. My eyes adjusted quickly as I saw it was no Death Eater or Ministry Official. It was Rubeus Hagrid, the oaf of a Games Keeper. If I stayed silent and still, he would more than likely not notice me. His beady black eyes never focused downward unless Potter and his group were around. Sirius Black claims he's a good fellow, Hagrid, but I beg to differ. He favors the Gryffindors more than anything, one group in particular.

I stepped back, to avoid being noticed or even grazed by his touch as he walked past me. The oaf didn't even notice me as his bag swung past me, nearly knocking me back into the water. What a moronic oaf, never was fond of him, not even Lucius was. I snorted silently as he left before turning and looking out at the lake once more. It was rather calming.

Wait- why was Hagrid in the forest at all? If he was walking away from it, that means he's heading to the castle because his hut would have caused him to turn rather than go straight. Grounds Keeper...

I silently cursed to myself at the thought. I had been outside longer than intended and he was going to go lock the doors to Hogwarts!

Scurrying quickly behind the tree as I gazed over, Hagrid was humming to himself as he marched up towards the doors. He was distracted if he was humming, so he would hear me go past him, and his pin-sized brain wouldn't register me run past him in order to get to the castle before him. In most times, I would hate the brain of stupidity, in this case, I was merely bemused that I hadn't thought of it sooner.

Moving around the tree silently, I made my foots as light as I could as I quickly sprinted to pass him, keeping at level with the lake. I slipped behind a tree as I noticed him stop, looked around for a moment before continuing on is way. I let out a small sigh of relief as I moved back around and as he looked the other way, sprinted past him. It was most unlike me to run, sprint even, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I was most pleased with my success of getting back to the castle and slipping in before the oaf could notice. I was also glad that by this time, all the students would be in their dormitories asleep, or getting there, so no one would see me looking all wind swept and unlady like. I exhaled in relief as I turned around and took not just three steps when I noticed the student sitting at the bottom of the staircase watching me.

"Nice look, Miss Snow," he smirked as I rolled my eyes inwardly.

"Mister Black it is past curfew, shouldn't you be up in the tower?" I asked, hoping anything that no one else was around.

"The same question for you," he said with a proud smile. I arched an eyebrow at him and he merely laughed. "I merely wanted to make sure you got back into the castle safely is all."

"No one was outside but me, Mister Black, so I don't see how you even knew I was outside in the first place," I told him with narrowed eyes as I noticed the parchment hanging slightly out of his jacket pocket as if he had just stuffed it in there before I had turned around. "That parchment- what is it?"

"Just as it appears, Miss Snow, a parchment," he said off handily as he stood up, "Now, as I was saying before."

I made my way towards the stairs as to go up to reach the Ravenclaw tower. I reached over and grabbed the parchment from Sirius' pocket and continued up the stairs, looking at it. "It's enchanted, isn't it?" I offered him as he rose quickly and followed me up the stairs.

"We are magical, aren't we?" Sirius told me with a smirk, "What's wrong with me carrying around a parchment?"

"It's rather unusual," I told him, "For someone who doesn't like to be seen in the intelligent manner."

"You caught me," he said putting his hands up in defense, "That's the parchment for my homework."

"Lies," I told him as I opened it, "It's blank. Magic."

"So anything blank has to have magic in it?" he jested.

"Not funny, Sirius," I told him before catching that I used his first name. I silently cursed to myself as I caught the amused look on his face. "Mister Black, I am sure you are aware that the Ravenclaw tower is much closer that the Gryffindor tower, and thus you should part ways with me so that you may return safely and without unjust harm."

"Spring Holiday is coming up, are you returning home?" Sirius asked me as we rounded down to another corridor.

"Yes, I am, and my mother has planned to celebrate my birth for the seventeenth time in my life," I sighed, "Which also means that every Pureblood that has not been deemed a blood traitor is going to be there."

I paused and looked up at him, "You plan on staying here though, right?"

"I was planning on going staying at the Potter's during the week," he shrugged, "Remus says something about hard core studying before N.E.W.T.'s."

"That would be recommended," I frowned, "I've been doing the same."

"But you're a sixth year," he pointed out, "You don't have N.E.W.T.'s till next year."

"My point, it's a year away. I need to start studying early so that I don't feel so rushed in the end," I frowned, "It's rather frustrating."

"No it's not, you're just making it frustrating," he shrugged, "Better than having your life planned out for you."

"You escaped that one," I stated, knowing exactly what he meant. Selling the soul to He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

"So did you," he told me. I flashed him a small smile in consideration, "Lucky me being placed in Ravenclaw," I said with a small laugh, "Well, here is the common room, and I am going to go and talk to you later."

"If you say so," he shrugged.

He took my hand that had the parchment still in it, placing it back into his pocket before bending over and kissing the back of my hand, "Good evening, Miss Snow," he said as he rose back and flashed me one of his Black Charm smiles. I gave him a small smile back before turning and giving the answer to the riddle that was given to me. I entered the common room and fled to bed with thoughts of my coming birthday fresh in mind.

It was not bound to be the most pleasant of years.

Disclaimer: I am not JKR

Author's Note: Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you are wondering why I haven't updated my other stories, forgive me. I have been going through a lot of stuff, and writers block hit me. As a result, this story came to mind, and I wanted to write it. Any reviews are welcomed, flames can knock, but don't expect entrance with open arms. I have to thank my brother, VegetaHimura, for being my BETA for this story. Now, the next chapter is almost completed, and will be going this evening to my brother, so it will be out by the end of the week, hopefully.
Also, if you can suggest a title for this chapter, you will be credited, and it will be up. Thanks again!
Next chapter will contain palm readings and the Quittich pitch. All else is left a secret. :)
EDIT: Seth O'Rani is now Riley O'Rani in case you were wondering. Seth was another character in an old story that I wish to rewrite and return up here, and I don't want to get the two confused for people, and Seth was a dear character to my brother and his girlfriend. I loved Seth too, he was one of my favorites. SO, just in case you noticed the change, that's what happened.