Disclaimer: I own nothing except a few of the characters and the storyline. (pouting)

Chapter One: Regan Oidhche

Regan sits in the Great Hall after just finishing her Defense Against the Dark Arts written exam for her O.W.L.S. Instead of the usual four long House tables there were little tables everywhere, full of fifth year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All around Regan was the sound of scratching of quills. About five or six tables away from her was one of her best friends, Lily Evans. On the other side of the Great Hall was her other best friend and cousin Keegan Lake.

She had met Lily in their first year along with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew among other people. Remus wasn't as big a troublemaker as Sirius and Regan's life-long friend, James Potter. Peter was the annoying tag-along of her friends. She wouldn't necessarily call him a friend; he was more of an acquaintance. A very bothersome person.

One of those other people she had met was a meek boy named Severus Snape. James and Sirius were always teasing him. They had a sick sense of humor when it came to him. Not that what they did wasn't hilarious because it was. They used spells and hexes not taught at school.

"Five more minutes," Professor Flitwick said, moving between desks a short distance away.

Regan stretched her muscles. She was a bit stiff from sitting for so long. As she stretched she looked around, mainly back from arching her back on her chair. Severus, or Snivellus as James and Sirius called him, was seated behind her working hard on his exam.

Not wanting to look at the greasy boy a second longer, Regan straightened herself in her seat and looked around her. She looked to her right and saw James; she looked to her left and saw Peter. Lily was to her right about two seats away from James and Keegan was the farthest from her on her left. Remus was a few seats in front of her, but she couldn't seem to find the one person she hadn't seen all day, Sirius.

She looked at James again, knowing he was done and probably knew where Sirius had been seated. Sure enough, he turned slightly and grin to someone. Following his visual path, Regan saw Sirius grinning then give James the thumbs-up.

"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"

More than a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backward off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows, and lifted him onto his feet again.

"Thank you…thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

Regan was the first one of her group to leave the Great Hall as was James. They both stood waiting next to the door that led into the Great Hall, talking to one another..

"That wasn't so hard, huh James?" Regan asked, nudging him in the arm.

"No, it was quite simple," replied James, nudging her back, but slightly harder. He actually almost knocked her over.

"Hello, dearest Oidhche," said Sirius, approaching Regan and James.

"Black," Regan said, annoyed by Sirius with just those few words. Sirius knew how much it bothered her to be called by her last name. Of course he hated being called by his last name just as much as she did so it was fair ground as far as she was concerned.

"You get shorter?" he asked, looking over her head.

"No, I haven't. Ye just love making remarks about me height, remember."

"Reg!" screamed Keegan, rushing towards her.

"What is it, Kega?" she said when Keegan reached her.

"Lil and I have been looking for you," she said as Lily looked their way then turned and walked outside when she saw who else was there.

"Really? Because she doesn't seem all that thrilled ta see me," Regan stated matter-of-factly.

"It's just because of James and Sirius that she went outside," said Keegan, looking at the two guys.

"Well, what am I suppose ta do? Act as if I don't know them; as if they're not some of me best friends. I've known James since we were two. We grew up together and he was the only one I cried around when me mum died. Also, I met Sirius before I met her. She just needs ta get off her high horse and deal with the fact that I have friends ta whom she hates." Regan took a deep breath and tried her hardest to calm down. Lily always made her temper soar and that usually ended with tears and a headache.

"Regan, it'll be alright. Keegan didn't mean to upset you, did you, Ke?" Sirius said, pulling Regan into his arms and rubbing her back. He seemed to know what to do to calm Regan's temper.

"Of course not, Regan. Why in the world would I want that?" Keegan said with a confused look on her face. Sirius was holding Regan far too close and very gently. Since when was Sirius ever nice to Regan. They hated each other or at least that's what they've led people to believe.

"Regan, it's okay. Lily just doesn't understand that you've known us longer. I'm guessing she can't stand you talking to James," he said, listening to her try to muffle her sobbing. He couldn't remember any time where Regan got so upset that she was crying. Come to think of it, he had never seen a tear fall from Regan's beautiful blue-gray eyes.

"Reggie, will you be okay?" asked James, placing a hand on her left shoulder. She was on her last nerve with Lily, he could tell. She always put Regan down for whom she surrounded herself with. It wasn't Regan's fault Lily didn't like them.

"Oh, aye. I'll be fine. I promise," muttered Regan, placing her forehead against Sirius's chest.

"What's wrong, Wolf?" Remus asked as he walked towards the little group with Peter not far behind him.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Really." Regan stepped out of Sirius's embrace and wiped the tears that had fall down her cheeks.

"Are you sure?" Peter asked, looking weirded out from seeing Regan crying. It was something you didn't see, ever.

"Aye, I'm sure. Let's go, Kega."

Thanks for reading and I hope you leave a review. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Do you think I could have changed something? Any ideas on future chapters? Let me know. I'll put some serious thought into your suggestions.

Note/FYI: Regan is rom Ireland. She has an accent. That's why you read it like that. I did not make mistakes when I was writing her talking.