Always

Honestly, I'm not too good with summing things up, so just give it a chance!

Description: Sirius black isn't the type of guy who falls in love. It's not because he's heartless, he just doesn't see the point of commitment, and fights it at any cost. Elli, after being abandoned by both her parents and her foster family, can't seem to really open up and trust anyone. Why should she, after everything she's been through? And Lupin may be open to love, long for it, even, but it's not something he can allow himself to do. Being a werewolf isn't exactly a quality most women look for in a man. Melissa knows Remus likes her, and she's liked him for a long time. Yet he just won't let her be there for him, no matter how much she wants to be.

Yet despite these problems, you can't fight falling in love, which these helpless Hogwarts students learn during their seventh year. Sometimes love just happens.

Elli's Point Of View

I stared up at the red steam engine in front of me. The platform was crowded, as it had been every one of the seven years I'd been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

There were tearful students saying goodbye to their parents and younger siblings. Clutching each other and saying final goodbyes.

There was the old students who were used to parting for school by now and were instead rushing to embrace their friends.

And then there was me, standing alone and clutching my bags tightly in my hand. The only welcoming embrace I got was from the steam that came out of the train. The only thing to say goodbye to was the platform itself.

I was used to that by now, though. The only time I'd had anyone to say goodbye to was my first year, when the Corwell's came to see me off. The Corwell's were the family that had adopted me. I didn't know where my parents were, nor did I know if they were even alive. All I knew was that they weren't there.

But the Corwell's had been there. At least, at first. They took me in at age six, after finding me in an old orphanage. They took care of me for five wonderful years, treating my like their own daughter. They were the closest I'd ever had to a real family. To real parents.

But when I got my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, they were scared. Scared of me, and what they thought I could do. But they loved me, and fought against their own problems to keep me happy. They accompanied me to Platform 9 and 3/4, smiling and hugging me goodbye.

But when I returned to the platform months later, it wasn't the Corwell's who greeted me. Instead it was an older man, one who ran an group home for older children. He wasn't told what I was, of course. All he knew was that the Corwell's said that they couldn't deal with me anymore.

From that year on, I went to the platform myself and returned to no one.

With a sigh, I hoisted my bags onto the train in the compartment where all our luggage was to go, leaving only my small carry on bag with me. I entered the part of the train that held the students' compartments, knowing that searching for a place to sit during the long ride would be hard.

After seven years you'd think that everyone would already have a set place to sit each ride, but I didn't. Every year I just placed myself in what ever compartment was free enough.

It's not that I didn't have friends. I just didn't have close friends. I was nice to people, and they were kind in turn, but there was not a single person I could turn to and tell all my secrets to, or expect to save me a seat in the Great Hall.

And I preferred it that way.

I walked past the Prefect compartment, which wasn't really an option, given I wasn't a Prefect. After that, I passed a few compartments filled with Slytherins. Being not only a Gryffindor, but one who didn't have proof of their magical ancestry, those weren't exactly options either.

I passed by a few more compartments, but they were all full. Finally, I caught a break when I walked by one that only had two people in it.

I knew who they were, of course. Sirius Black was famous at Hogwarts, along with his three best friends. But only one of those friends was with him now. James Potter and Remus Lupin had both been in the Prefects compartment.

Petigrew looked asleep, his large, round head leaning on the window. Sirius, on the other hand, was sprawled out, taking up one whole bench seat to himself.

I knocked lightly on the door to the compartment. Peter didn't move at all, and Sirius just raised his eyebrows at me.

I opened the door, feeling a little nervous. They'd probably just tell me to go away. Usually the only people the Marauders, that's what Sirius and his friends called their little group,sit with them was each other, with the exception of Lily Evans, who was currently dating James.

"Do you mind if I ride with you?" I asked quietly, not wanting to wake up the sleeping Peter.

Sirius looked at me for a few moments, seeming to take my question into extreme consideration.

"I suppose you'd be better company than that." He said, gesturing to Peter who, at Sirius's words, let out a loud snore.

"Thank you." I said, and gingerly sat myself down on the bench seat that Peter was on, careful to sit close to the door so that I didn't disturb him.

I started pulling a book out of my bag wanting something to do other than stare at the wall. Or Sirius. Not that staring at Sirius would be terrible. He was obviously handsome. Any girl at Hogwarts would tell you so. It was something about him... maybe the smoldering grey eyes, or the dark hair that fell just right...

But no, I wasn't the type of girl to obsess over a boy, especially one who'd never given me the time of day before.

"You're actually going to read?" Sirius asked after a minute or so of silence.

I looked up at him over my book. He looked annoyed.

"Yes." I said simply, and went back to reading.

Sirius's Point of View

I stared at the girl, I believe her name was Elli, who had just entered my compartment. I knew of her, of course. She was a fellow seventh year Gryffindor, but we hadn't actually spoken before, really. I let her sit with us, though, because without James, things were rather boring.

Yet she didn't talk, or smile at me, or hit on me or any of the things that a normal girl would have done. She just sat there and read, as if she was oblivious to my presence. I wasn't used to that, when it came to girls.

Not that I was overly cocky, but I'd be lying if I said the girls didn't adore me.

"What are you reading?" I asked her after a few minutes silence.

"What?" She asked, peeking her head over the book. "Oh," She said, turning it over and glancing at the front of it. For some reason she blushed. "It's nothing, really."

I sat up, curious. "If it's nothing then why won't you tell me what it is?" I asked her.

She bit her lip, looking nervous and embarrassed. "It's not really important, that's all." She said quietly.

I leaned over and quickly snatched the book out of her hands. It wasn't exactly polite, but I was too curious to care.

I stared at it for a few moments, reading from the part that she was at. When I'd read all I needed to, I let out a laugh.

"Is this an erotic novel?" I asked her, making her blush even more.

She stood up and grabbed the book, looking angry. "It's not!" She protested. "It just has erotic parts." She corrected. "There's a completely solid plot behind it."

"It's always the ones who look innocent." I laughed. If I hadn't had proof that she was actually reading book-porn, I wouldn't have believed it. She looked so innocent, with her long blonde hair and blue eyes and kind, heart-shaped face.

"It's not book porn!" She shouted, waking Wormtail.

"What about porn?" He asked sleepily. He rubbed at his eyes for a second before yawning. "I thought Moony told you to keep your magazines put away until we got to school."

Elli raised her eyebrows at me. "And you accused me of being a pervert!" She said, laughing.

"Having a healthy sexual appetite isn't perverted, it's normal." I told her. "And I don't have any dirty magazines, Wormtail."

Peter rubbed his eyes again, finally awake. "Moony's not here, you don't have to lie."

I threw my hands up in frustration. "Does everyone think I'm a pervert?"

Elli gave a small laugh, but when I glared at her, she quickly hid behind her book.

I narrowed my eyes at her, annoyed. At that moment, Remus opened the compartment door.

"Sit up, Sirius." He said, closing the door behind him. "Lily and James will be here in a minute. You can't have the whole seat to yourself."

"There's room over there." I muttered, gesturing to the spot between Wormtail and the blonde girl.

"Oh, hello Elli." Moony said, giving the girl a smile.

"Hello, Remus." She replied with a small smile.

"You two know each other?" I asked, stifling a yawn. Elli nodded. "Did you know she enjoys book porn?"

"I do not!" She shouted, standing up.

Remus looked annoyed, but also a little embarrassed. "Don't listen to Sirius. When things get bored he makes things up."

Elli narrowed her eyes at me. "I'd appreciate it if you'd let me continue reading without interrupting me again." She said coldly, and after that she was silent.

For some reason, this, coupled with the haughty expression on her face, annoyed me. Most girls would have laughed, or something. But she just sat there, annoyed with me. It took me completely off guard.

Melissa's Point of View

"What do you mean there's no room left?" I asked my friend, Angela. I narrowed my eyes at her. "You promised that you'd save me a seat after my Prefects meeting!"

"I'm sorry, Melissa." Angela said. She looked guilty. "I forgot."

"Great!" I huffed. "I guess I'll find somewhere else to sit."

And with that I stormed off. I was annoyed, of course. Friends were supposed to save seats for each other. But now I had no where to go.

I walked up the corridor of the train, looking in all the compartments until I found one with an empty seat. It wasn't until I came to the one where Remus Lupin sat with his friends that I had any luck.

Without knocking, I opened the door, a smile on my face.

"Can I sit with you guys? Angela forgot to save me a seat." I said, giving Remus a hopeful smile.

"It'll be a tight fit once Lily and James get here, but it's fine." Remus said, returning the smile.

"And if it comes down to it, my lap is always free." Sirius said with a wink.

"I know where you've been, Sirius, so no thank you." I replied with a laugh, settling in between Lupin and Sirius. "Can you believe this is our last year?" I asked them.

"Not at all. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself when it's all over." Sirius said. "But I think the most pressing issue is what everyone at Hogwarts is going to do when I'm not there to entertain them anymore."

Remus and I rolled our eyes, but Peter laughed. A snort of disbelief came from behind a book in the corner.

"Who's that?" I asked, gesturing at the barely visible blonde head.

"Eleanor Mason." Remus told me. "She's in our year, and –,"

"I know who she is." I said, cutting him off. "How are you, Elli? Did you have a good summer?"

"Not really, no." She replied.

Most people would have said yes, even if it wasn't true. Yet, from what I've gathered from the years, Elli didn't really care if what she said wasn't expected.

"That's unfortunate." Sirius said, laughing.

"And apparently funny." Elli put in, not looking up from her books.

"So," I said, wanting to quickly put out any fight that could spring up. "Who would have thought James would be Head Boy!"

"No one." Peter said, earning himself a laugh from Sirius.

"Honestly, I thought you would get it Remus." I said, turning all my attention to him.

He shrugged. "I wouldn't want that much responsibility anyways."

"I still think you would have done a good job." I said with a smile.

"Remus has got a girlfriend!" Sirius mock-whispered to Peter.

"Just because I'm nice doesn't mean I like him." I said, annoyed.

I expected Lupin to laugh, or look annoyed too, but instead he just looked upset.

"Not that I don't like you, Lupin!" I said quickly.

God, I was an idiot. That's exactly what you do when you like a boy: Tell them you most certainly don't. That'll get you places for sure.

I mentally slapped myself but, since I couldn't think of anything to take back what I'd said, I just sat there quietly, which was really out of character for me.

Lupin's Point of View

I tried to give Melissa a quick smile, to know that it wasn't her that had upset me, but I was too late and she'd already turned away from me, looking distraught.

I hadn't been upset about her saying she didn't like it. It was the fact that, even if she did, nothing could come of it. It wasn't like a werewolf could just date.

No, I couldn't have it that easy.

If she even knew what I was she probably wouldn't even be sitting in the same compartment with me, let alone sitting next to me.

I watched Melissa tuck a piece of her black hair behind her ear as she engaged Elli in conversation. Elli must have said something funny because Melissa's unusual blue-grey eyes sparkled and she let out a laugh that I couldn't help but smile at.

Maybe if I hadn't been infected. Maybe then I could have asked Melissa out on a date. I'd been crushing on her for long enough.

There was something about her care-free attitude that I like. She was bold, unlike myself. If she thought something, more often then not she would voice it. Or the fact that she was always with her friends laughing at something.

She wasn't moody, like most girls. And for some reason she seemed to like me most of all out of all of the Marauders, which was uncommon. Most girls preferred Sirius, because of his good looks, or James, who was definitely charming.

But she seemed to like my company better.

Which was unfortunate for her, and me. The more time she spent around me, the more I found myself enjoying spending time with her. Last year we'd spent a lot of time together during the Prefects meetings.

But nothing more could ever come of it. Because then I'd have to tell her the truth, and the truth would ruin what little friendship we have going.

"Stop looking so depressed, Moony." Sirius said, looking annoyed. "We're almost to Hogwarts."

"Because sharing a room with you for an entire year is definitely something I should be cheerful about." I joked, hiding the fact that I was still upset.

I'd been dealing with this for years. You'd think I'd get used to the fact that I couldn't live a normal life, but I couldn't. Watching Melissa smile, I couldn't help but think how unfair that was.

Any reviews are greatly appreciated! Tell me what you think! - C