A/N: Finally, an update! It's a bit of a slow burn, but I hope that there's enough implied that you can see where this is going. I apologize for the formatting being a little rough; I'm experimenting with word processing on my iPad. My laptop's been getting a heck of a work out this summer (learned three new robot programming languages!) and I'm trying to give it a break. Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Sirius was in Prossor McGonagall's office...again. He'd made an awful mess in Herbology. The greenhouse certainly looked like a wild dog had run through it, though Sirius knew better than to shift in front of anyone. It was simply in his nature to make a mess of what he didn't understand.

"Honestly, Sirius, what were you thinking?" the old witch asked him, exasperatedly. Even though the boy had been in he office over a dozen times since his first year, she knew that they continued to have only the one conversation.

"It was just a bit of messing about, McGonagall," he scoffed as he played with the arm of the chair.

"Professor," she corrected stiffly. His lounging in the leather chair, pronouncing his lackadaisical attitude, was annoying her but she knew the effort to change his posture would only annoy her further.

"Professor," he dramatically verbalized, "Nobody got hurt-"

"Ginnifer Abbot is in the infirmary half blind from the poisoned soil you whipped about the greenhouse!"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "She'll heal just fine."

"She should not need to heal in the first place! Your lack of empathy and respect is despicable, Sirius Black! As a member of one of the most respected wizarding families, you should be setting a good example for the rest of the school. Not turning it on its head!"

Sirius stared at the floor with his teeth clenched. He hated having his family status dragged into these things.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall said sharply.

"Fifty!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his arms out.

"Get out before I make it more and add grounds work to your punishment, Mr. black."

Sirius stormed out of the office, slamming the door as he left. He honestly didn't believe his little stunt in the green house has warranted a fifty point deduction.

Yes, it did, a little voice nagged at him. He quickly dismissed it and slumped himself over a balcony. Below in the garden he saw the same girl from earlier that day. Again, she looked familiar but new all at once.

She sat alone, again, but no deck of cards. Instead, she delicately toyed with a small wooden sphere. It glided over the tops of her hands from one hand to the other. The sphere seemed to float across her skin and he waited for her to levitate it. But the girl didn't levitate the sphere. Instead, she tossed it in the air and caught it behind her back, then resumed the gliding.

Sirius spirited himself away from the balcony, determined to find out who she was and what she was doing. He certainly wouldn't be missed back in Herbology.

The girl continued to play with her sphere. She twirled it across her arms and tossed it in the air and behind her back. She stood and danced around and within it, enjoying her quiet alone time. She tossed the sphere from behind her and caught it on the back of her hand before tossing it high once again. She was confused when she didn't feel its familiar weight in her back hand and she turn around with a furrowed brow.

There stood a tall, pale boy with long black hair, one hand holding her sphere and the other tucked neatly behind his back.

Sirius smiled wickedly and looked from the sphere to her. The girl straightened her back and shoulders and held out her own hand.

"May I have my ball back, please?" she asked firmly, politely, and in an American accent. Sirius was more determined than ever to know who she was; there weren't many foreign students at Hogwarts to begin with.

"Only if you tell me your name," he asked cautiously. She obviously didn't know who he was and he didn't want to give himself away too quickly.

"Fair enough," she replied, thoroughly uninterested, " Miranda Lewis."

"Not a relation of Ariana Lewis, are you?" Sirius asked as he gently dropped the ball into her hand. He wasn't always a sneaky little git.

Miranda began her gliding exercises again. "My twin sister," she said flatly as she turned away from Sirius.

Ah, yes! he thought as he rummaged around in his memory. Ariana was American, but he never recalled he having a sister, let alone a twin. He snaked back in from of Miranda and snatched the ball from her again.

"Hey!" she cried and reached out for her trinket. Sirius held it high above his head and well beyond her reach.

"If you're Ariana's sister, then why haven't I seen you before?" he probed. Miranda leaped for the ball, but Sirius moved deftly away from her.
She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "I don't go here," she admitted, "I'm only here until my parents can sort out another school for me." She held out her hand for the ball.

"And what's so special about you that you can't attend Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, a touch of indignity to his voice.

"Nothing, now give it back!" Miranda spat. She leaped for the ball again, taking a firm grasp on Sirius's shoulder this time. This move took him by surprise and he actually had to shake here off. He still retained the ball though.

"Fiery little thing!" he laughed. "Here," he said and as he handed her the ball he transfigured it into a paper flower. Miranda stared at it angrily and then at Sirius. He laughed again and began to leave the courtyard.
"I'm sure the magic of a mere Hogwarts boy is easily reversed by one such as yourself," he chortled as he disappeared back into the castle.
Miranda glared at the paper flower and crushed it in her hand.