Chapter Four

Humming happily, I slowly awoke to the sweet scent of vanilla and honey shampoo in my face, and a heavy warm weight along the length of my body. Not liking the feeling of being pinned down, I forced the weight off of me and snuggled back into my comforter, only to jump up, wand at the ready, as I heard a loud bump and a yelp.

Nova's black panther form remained curled up on the rug, but she peeked open one eye before huffing and curling in deeper on herself. Rolling my eyes, I slid out of the bed and slowly crept around the other side – only to see a very confused Draco sprawled rather indignantly on the floor, hair ruffled, still in his school uniform. It took me a long minute to understand why and how he'd even gotten into my room in East Tower, and I flushed, remembering our conversation the previous night.

"Sorry Dray, didn't mean to toss you on the floor," I said, wincing from personal experience with the hard surface.

He allowed me to grasp his hand and pull him smoothly to his feet. "Don't…" he grunted, rubbing his sore bum. "Can't think of a better way to be awakened from my sleep."

"Oh hush," I laughed, but noticed that the moment he actually looked at me, his normally pale face flushed.

Suddenly, he was looking at everything except me, shifting awkwardly until he finally took in our surroundings. His eyes popped in awe and amazement as his head swiveled in every direction. "This can't possibly be how the bloody Gryffindors are living – where are we?"

"This is my humble abode," I said grandly, "known only as East Tower."

"This is the fabled East Tower? I didn't know it was an actual place, only a myth," Draco gasped, looking around with much more interest.

"I was somewhat…led here the first night in the castle," was my calm reply as I perched on the edge of the bed and watched as Draco disappeared into the bathroom, shouting about how amazing it was. I couldn't help but smile as he returned to the bedroom proper.

"The Slytherin common room is nothing like this! No wonder everyone's tried to find this place," Draco muttered.

Reluctant to kill his high spirits, I stood and tapped him on the shoulder. "We can't avoid what we talked about, Dray. That would defeat the purpose of you asking for my help in the first place."

He didn't say anything at first, but allowed me to pull him over to the window, where we curled up on the chaise lounge.

"I know…I know. I just – I don't know what to do. You know pureblood laws as well as I do. I can't break free from him on my own, and I won't leave my mother with him even if I could," was Draco's firm and fearful reply, his eyes never breaking from the window.

I pondered this quietly for a moment.

"Well, the only person who could free you without having to take this to the Wizengamot would have to be the Head of the Black family. The Blacks are much older than the Malfoys, and you're half Black anyway. Who's head of the line?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "That's the thing though, no one knows who it is. My grandmother and grandfather both died years ago, but they were so suspicious and off their rockers, no one knows if they've left a will or not. If they didn't though, then the next in line is – is Sirius Black."

"Okay," I said slowly, my mind working quickly, "I see the problem now. He can't properly take his place as Head because he's serving a life sentence in Azkaban. But didn't he escape last year?" I asked, vaguely remembering seeing Wanted posters on a trip to Diagon Alley.

"Yes, he's practically disappeared off the face of the earth since then," Draco growled.

I stared at Draco for a long time. "Are you sure that even if you find Black, he'll help you?"

Draco shrugged, a casual action that I'd never seen him do. "You know family means everything to most pureblood families, especially the darker ones. Mother says that while Black and Aunt Bella hated each other, she got along with him rather well when they were younger. He may help her if he knew what she was going through."

"Let me see if I understand this correctly…You and your mum have been prisoners in Malfoy Manor – no one to turn to, no way of escape. And so to try and appease your father, you're trying to emulate him, to be the kind of heir he wants you to be, but secretly, you probably hate him and would do anything to get you and your mum out from under his control. And the only way to do that is to somehow find and get the help of one of the most notorious mass murderers in the last century, who has, as you said, disappeared?" I said, taking a deep breath.

Draco stared at me. "Precisely."

I couldn't help but grin. "Then I think we've got ourselves an adventure."

Draco groaned dramatically. "Now I remember that you were always the reason we got in trouble at the Manor, with your crazy games and pranks. Bloody menace…"

"Oh please," I teased, a true smile blooming, "Your childhood would've been bloody boring without me. Unless you've gone and replaced me with Pansy?"

We stared at each other, and both shuddered.

"How is the pug anyway?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Still as psycho and clingy as one might expect," Draco answered. "And probably driving everyone in the dungeons insane trying to figure out where I am."

"So…" I said slowly, unsure of why I felt a faint stab of something in my gut, "are you two…together?"

"Oh Merlin's no!" Draco said, disgusted. I laughed, ignoring the relief I felt. "I'm still holding out on the hope that I can somehow break our marriage contract before it's sealed on my seventeenth birthday."

"June 5th, right?"

"You remembered?" Draco asked, something in his eyes.

"Of course I do," I checked the time and saw that, had I remembered to set an alarm the night before, it would be shrieking right now. "Time to get ready for class."

"I must admit I'm dreading going down to the dungeons, especially after being in such a wonderful place." Draco said longingly. "Pansy's bound to drive me up the wall."

I bit my lip.

"You could prepare up here and head down to the Great Hall after. I doubt she'll make a scene in there," I suggested.

"I would take you up on your offer, as the showers in the dungeons sporadically spout icy water, but all of my things are in my dorm."

"You're such a muggle sometimes," I muttered, giggling at his mortally offended expression.

"Elf!" I called.

Immediately, a house-elf bearing the crest of Hogwarts appeared and bowed low. "Mistress Grey, what might Knoll do for you?" the small male elf asked reverently.

"I didn't know –"

"A History, Hogwarts," I said, wagging my finger at him. "Knoll, could you please, discreetly, enter the Slytherin fourth year boys' dorm and retrieve a fresh uniform for Draco, as well as any personal items he may need to prepare for the day?"

"It is being done." With a bow, Knoll popped away.

"There's like twenty other bedrooms off the common room – you can pick anyone you'd like. I haven't had a chance to properly explore, so I'm not sure exactly how they're set up."

Draco seemed to consider his options. "I'll be in the room next door," he decided.

I nodded and headed into my bathroom, closing the door behind me. Starting the shower, I began to ponder this new situation that I found myself in. Not only had I agreed to help Draco find a man as dangerous as Sirius Black, but I'd also brought someone into my secret home. I doubted Draco would tell anyone, but who knew if Dumbledore couldn't pick it out of his mind during a meal? Speaking of meals, would we even acknowledge each other once we left East Tower?

"Much too early to be thinking this much…" I muttered as I stepped under the steamy spray. About twenty minutes later, I emerged from my bathroom and headed straight into my closet. I was still pondering my precarious friendship with Draco, when I finished dressing and fixing my hair into a braid again. As I grabbed my bag, I hoped that Draco was ready.

Opening the door that led out into the common room, I spread out my senses and picked up on Draco's heartbeat in the room to my left. I knocked loudly on the door before opening it and pausing in amazement. It was nearly identical to my room, but rather than soft greys and whites, it was decorated with deep blues and greens – watery, earthy colors.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Draco said as he emerged from the walk-in closet, dressed in a crisp new uniform. He was fixing his green and silver tie, and I instantly noticed that while his hair was no longer dry from his shower, it wasn't slicked back as it had been the past two days.

"The elf forgot to bring up my hair product." Draco commented, noticing where I was looking.

"No, no," I said, walking forward and reaching up, "I like it better this way. You look much handsomer without that gunk in your beautiful hair. It takes away from its natural color and shine. It's a shame really, most girls would kill for this kind of hair."

I ran my fingers through his silky white-blond strands, it was very slightly waved as it grew and I found myself styling it as I played in it. "There," I finished, smiling.

I followed Draco into the empty walk-in closet and watched his expression as he looked into the mirror, but he obviously approved. "I find that I agree with your assessment."

I rolled my eyes. "Please kill the formal talk Dray, it's just the two of us."

He grimaced. "I know, old habits die hard and all that rot."

Suddenly, I felt somewhat shy as I tried to voice my concerns. "When we – when we leave here Draco, what's going to happen?"

Draco looked down at me and caressed my cheek with such gentleness, making me feel as though I were fine china. "I don't suppose my father would mind if we were friends again, but you run with Potter and his lot…"

"I don't have to hang out with all of you together Draco, I can split my time. And that reminds me, why is there so much animosity between you two?" I asked, as Draco picked up his bag and we headed down to the common room. He looked around as we passed through, clearly still amazed.

"Potter is an attention-seeking spoiled brat that gets everything he wants because Dumbledore and all of the professors here think the sun shines out of his –"

"Alright, alright, I get it." I said, cutting off his sudden rant and stopping him behind Isavéla's portrait. "But maybe if you talked to him Draco, you'd see that he's nothing like that at all."

Draco snorted. "I highly doubt that."

"Who knows? Maybe the two of you are more alike than you think," I muttered, thinking of Harry's unnaturally small frame.

Rather than risk gaining unwanted attention, I shadowed-stepped Draco into a dark corner in the dungeons, making him promise not to say anything about that particular power, and returned up to East Tower, only to walk down again. A tedious process, but I was only trying to preserve my privacy and modesty. If it got out that I don't sleep in my dorm, and Draco was mysteriously out all night, the smaller minded people might put two and two together, and within a few hours, it'd be a rumor that we'd had a secret tryst in a dusty alcove.

I almost laughed at the image but pulled up my emotionless mask as I entered the Great Hall. I started for the Gryffindor Table, when I felt someone gently grab my arm and spin me around. Suddenly, I found myself hugging Draco in the middle of the Great Hall, with shocked silence, wide eyes, and dropped jaws as our audience.

"I lost you as my friend once, I won't lose you again…image be damned," Draco whispered in my ear, before pulling back. "Good morning Gia," he said a bit more loudly, even smiling, something that made quite a few girls swoon and some guys almost faint from shock.

I suppose Draco didn't smile pleasantly too often.

But his eyes showed his genuine joy at our reunion and it was impossible to stop myself from smiling back – an odd sort of tightening in my chest.

"Good morning to you too, Draco," I replied easily, almost amused at the bright, highness in my own voice.

"Mind if I walk you to your first lesson after breakfast?" he asked suddenly.

More gasps.

"Not at all, I'll wait for you by the door, okay?" I agreed. Nodding, Draco kissed my forehead and turned around to go sit at the Slytherin Table.

I practically floated to the Gryffindor Table, well aware of the stares I still received. It seemed that half the Hall was gawking at me, while the other half stared at Draco. The professors seemed to be swiveling their heads back and forth, as stunned as the students. I hummed as I piled food on my plate, and no one spoke until I began devouring my meaty breakfast.

"Gia…" Harry began, and I was surprised at the tightness in his voice and jaw, "is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Harry was seated on my left today, clenching his fork tightly. Ron, directly across from Harry, was outright glaring over my shoulder, across the Hall at Draco. While Hermione, across from me, looked to be caught between concern and curious interest.

"Nope," I said, shrugging lightly, "Why do you ask?"

"Hmm, let's see…" Harry began quietly, anger mixing with sarcasm. "You haven't been sleeping in Gryffindor Tower, and then suddenly, you walk into the Great Hall and hug Malfoy! On top of that, you agree to let him walk you to class, and he kissed your forehead. I'm surprised it didn't melt off!"

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry, as did I, only my eyebrow had risen with each sentence.

"Do you hear yourself right now?" I started calmly, leveling Harry with a cool gaze. "Though none of that is any of your business, I can practically read the thoughts off your face. So, to answer your real question, no, I am not secretly dating Draco, or anyone else for that matter." I paused and huffed, rolling my eyes. "And I highly doubt that my forehead will melt off."

Harry obviously had nothing else to say, and neither did Ron, but Hermione simply smiled at me. "Well, I'm glad someone besides me thinks inter-House unity is important. Malfoy can be a right prat sometimes, but if you're friends with him, then he must have some redeeming qualities."

I recognized Hermione's attempt to be supportive, and I was touched beyond belief. I tried to convey my thanks through my eyes, and she seemed to understand. This, however, caused Ron's foul mood to be turned on her. As he drew her into some bickering match over something unimportant, I greeted Neville and a few other Gryffindors I'd become acquainted with and my eyes scanned the table, coming to rest on the lone, beautiful figure at the far end, nearest the door.

Hermione must've noticed my glance because she leaned in and said, "She's been sitting alone since our first year. We tried to make her feel welcome but she always seemed to prefer her solitude so we let her after a while."

Elizabeth…

The mysterious girl, very reminiscent of Hermione the previous morning, had her head buried in our assigned Potions textbook and seemed to have long-since blocked out the noise around her. Heeding Hermione's forewarning, I stood abruptly and casually strolled down the length of the table, greeting fellow house mates as they called out to me.

"Elizabeth," I said calmly, not wanting to startle her…but something told me that even though she appeared focused on the words in front of her, she was still very aware of her surroundings. The more I observed her subtle behaviors, the more intriguing I found her.

"Yes?" was her simple reply, never looking up from the page she was on.

"Would you like to come and sit with us for breakfast?" I asked boldly, glancing over my shoulder to see Hermione, Ron and Harry watching me curiously.

It seemed the trio wasn't the only ones that were surprised because I caught the very quick flicker of uncertainty flash across Elizabeth's face. She paused…and then dog-eared the page and shoved the book into her backpack. "Sure, why not," she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder and rising to her feet.

"Any particular reason you've been isolating yourself since first year," I asked quietly as we slowly began to head back to where I'd been sitting. I caught Hermione's eye and my gaze flicked to Neville and back to her. Catching the hint, she whispered to Neville, who looked over and then quickly scooted down, making room for Elizabeth.

"Well, they didn't try very hard after the first week or so," Elizabeth replied calmly, no hint of accusation or bitterness in her tone. "But I suppose I'm used to mostly being on my own, and once they started leaving me to my own devices, I settled back into the habit. Hermione gravitated towards those two after a few weeks," she gestured to Harry and Ron, who were trying and failing to pretend that they were interested in their breakfast, "and Lavender and Parvati were best friends by the end of the Welcoming Feast. No offense, but I'd rather not be stuck between those two airheads anyway – sharing a dorm has been more than enough bonding time for me."

We shared a small smile.

"Guys, you all know Elizabeth," I said as I resumed my seat, and allowed her to take the place between Neville and me.

"Good morning Elizabeth," my four friends chimed, bringing a small smile to the girl's lips. I felt her physically relax beside me.

"Siblings?" I pressed as the Hermione tactfully pulled the boys into a discussion about lessons.

"Twin brothers, third year Gryffindors as well," Elizabeth said, her alert eyes quickly scanning the table.

She pointed a neatly manicured finger about fifteen spaces down, where two identical boys sat amongst their friends. They looked as much like Elizabeth as they did each other – same flawless, brown skin – same high cheekbones and dark eyes – same long, thick black hair, though theirs were pulled up into identical tight buns. They seemed to be regaling their group of friends with some hilarious tale, because all of the third years around them, Ron's little sister Ginny included, were laughing their heads off, pounding the table. They must've felt their older sister's eyes on them because they turned our way at the same time and sent her twin, mischievous smiles.

My chest froze as I noticed two pairs of slightly lengthened sharp canine teeth.

Bloody hell – there was absolutely no way…

"…parents were pretty old when they had us, they were ecstatic to get those two menaces out of the house for most of the year," she laughed fondly.

"Thai?" I said, struggling to keep my tone light as question after question flooded my mind.

Loads of people were born with slightly longer teeth – it didn't mean anything. I even attempted to stretch out my senses and get a better feel for Elizabeth's aura, and though she certainly had an impressive well of magic inside of her and that same…almost catlike, deadly aura around her, I couldn't sense the same energy that surrounded my people.

Whatever mysterious powers she and her brothers held, they weren't Lycan for sure.

"Cambodian," she smiled proudly, the first true, full smile I'd seen from her, "The twins and I were born here in wizarding Britain but our parents are from a small village in the south, close to the sea." She eyed me openly – she was bold, I liked that. "Spanish?"

The trio were now more interested in our conversation.

"Half and half," I laughed lightly, hoping it didn't sound as false as it felt as I flicked my thick braid over my shoulder. "My mother was a full-blooded English lady and my father's family has hailed from Spain since the beginning – also a small area near the sea, just outside of Barcelona."

"Don't take offense –"

"I don't offend easily," I interjected quickly.

"Are you a natural redhead?" she grinned, wagging her eyebrows playfully as her eyes roved over my curls.

Ron coughed harshly, his eyes watering as he drank deeply from his pumpkin juice.

"Believe it or not, yes," I replied, raising an eyebrow at the red-haired boy. "My father's hair is a bit of a darker shade of red – nasty shock when my mother pushed me out, thought my head was bleeding."

"No siblings then? I heard about… everything," Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "You'll learn that nothing stays a secret very long in this bloody castle and the second you got here, the stories started flowing. Sorry."

"I can't say it was unexpected," I sighed, "but I'm an only child. Always wanted a little brother though."

Elizabeth snorted. "Keep mine for a summer and I promise you'll change your mind."

As breakfast continued, Elizabeth seemed to relax a bit more in the company of my friends and me, and I was pleased to see that they each made an attempt to include her in the conversation. My mind and eyes continued to wander between her and her brothers, and I quickly learned that the boys were as perceptive as their sister as they caught me staring more than once, and finally sent twin flirtatious winks in my direction the last time. I learned that their names were Elias and Ezra.

Finally, the bell rang and signaled the end of breakfast.

"Do you guys want to walk with me and Draco?" I offered, already on my feet. "If you don't, I'll understand."

"Sure," Elizabeth said fearlessly, gathering her things again.

Ron looked ready to shout NO; Harry looked torn between not wanting to be anywhere near Draco and not wanting to leave me alone with him; but Hermione decided it for them. She grabbed Ron firmly with her right hand and smiled. "We will be walking with you, and we will be nice." She roughly shook Ron in her grip and leveled Harry with a sinister smile. "Isn't that right, boys?"

"Yes Mione," they chimed unhappily.

Neville passed.

An enormous grin bloomed on my lips, and I led them to the doors of the Great Hall, where I met Draco. He looked behind me at the trio and I saw his lips twitch, almost reaching a sneer, but he forced it back and simply nodded at them with what looked like immense effort.

"Moon," he greeted formally, but not rudely.

"Malfoy," Elizabeth replied in turn, unbothered by his cool gaze.

"Here, let me hold your bag for you, Gia," Draco offered, already gently sliding my bag from my shoulder.

"Are you sure? It's not that heavy," I said, even as I fought down a blush at the sweet gesture.

"Of course, no gentleman would let a girl carry her own bag. It's simple etiquette," he said, almost pointedly.

Glancing over my shoulder, Elizabeth had a large smirk on her beautiful face, and Hermione was eyeing both Ron and Harry with exasperation.

"That's very sweet Draco."

"So, where am I walking you to?" he asked, looking down at me.

"History of Magic," I answered, "should be interesting."

Draco snorted. "The exact opposite actually."

"What do you mean?"

Draco simply shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "You'll see."

The rest of the walk was spent with me begging Draco to let me in on the secret of History of Magic class, and my ears picking up on the rude comments Ron and Harry muttered about Draco. Hermione was acting as a sort of referee, keeping the two boys from bating Draco out loud and Elizabeth seemed to struggling to withhold laughter and offer Hermione moral support. I was pleased that she still seemed at ease with us, and found that I enjoyed her strong presence near me.

The entire trip only lasted about five minutes, but it was an incredibly entertaining five minutes. When we were at last standing outside of the classroom, Draco handed me my bag and kissed my forehead again. He started to walk away, but gritted his teeth and shortly inclined his head in the general direction of my friends. That seemed to be much more than they expected because we all watched his retreating back in varying degrees of surprised silence.

When his confident stride had finally disappeared around the corner, I led the others into the classroom and we found five seats in the back. Elizabeth and Hermione sat to my left, with Harry and Ron to my right. My hearing and mental barriers allowed me to keep up with Professor Binns's quick lecture, but I had to draw on a bit of magic to keep myself awake and alert. Ron and Harry had long since fallen asleep and were snoring loudly beside me, along with most of the class. Elizabeth and Hermione, to my pleasure, both looked as alert as I did and scribbled away quickly on their parchment. When class was over, I took pity on the boys and promised to make them copies of my notes later, but only if they promised to take their own later.

My next period was self-study and so I told the others that I'd see them at lunch and headed up to East Tower to change. Once in my room, I quickly changed into black shorts and a black sports bra, along with matching trainers. I strapped my wand back to my right thigh, and shadowed right out of Hogwarts, and reappeared at my new home in Eturn Ally. As I stepped out of my large bedroom there, I took a deep breath and flexed my control over the wards. Yes, I felt that someone had been picking at them and not with much subtly. I didn't specifically recognize the magically signature, but something about it seemed familiar.

"You nosy son of a bitch…" I muttered angrily, heading to the training room on the second floor, "If I never see his bloody face again, it'll be too soon."

Though I had purchased the house with the intention of being closer to the center of wizarding Britain, and because all of the Grey family properties were much too grand and spacious for one person, the house was still rather large. It had five bedrooms with bathrooms inside, a kitchen, living room, dining room, library, and training room spread out across three floors. On the way to the training room, I passed by the library I'd filled up with books from the main family branch. I had chosen only books that I'd never read before, and I vowed to grab some to take back with me to Hogwarts. Entering my training room, it was set up almost exactly as the one at the other Grey property I'd been living in. One entire wall was made of a long mirror, while the other three were plain white marble and covered with various weapons and equipment that I trained with. The floor was covered with spongy mats, black of course.

After about an hour of going through my usual stretches and exercises, I plopped down onto the mat and sat cross-legged on it as I caught my breath. Lying on my back and spreading out my limbs, I sank into my subconscious and started working through my most recent memories, examining and sorting them as I went along. With everything that I had going on, though, Elizabeth's beautiful dark eyes kept swimming to the forefront of my mind.

"Elizabeth, Ezra, and Elias…what a mystery you three have presented…" I muttered, absently twirling my fingers through my hair.

Bolting upright, my hand was already on my wand when a small, very familiar form popped into the training room. My heart stopped as her large, tearful green eyes peered up at me.

"MISTRESS GIA!" she shouted, and I was nearly thrown onto my back as she tackled me around the middle in a tight hug, sobbing and wailing. "Oh – oh Mistress Gia, Prim has found you! Prim searched and searched – Prim thought Mistress Gia was – was gone like Mistress A –" her voice broke.

Prim…

My favorite house-elf that had faithfully served House Wilde since before I'd been born – she'd practically raised me, especially after my mother's death. But if she could find me…

"Prim, down!" I snapped forcefully.

In an instant, Prim had removed herself from my person and stood before me, wiping away the snot and tears on the ratty uniform that she'd always taken pride in. I finally noticed the large rip at the right shoulder, where the Wilde family crest had once rested.

"How did you find me? Where is my –" I paused and took a breath. "Did my father send you after me?"

Prim looked horrified and gripped her large ears. "Oh no, Mistress Gia!" her eyes welled up again. "Master Grey d-dismissed Prim when he discovered that Prim let Mistress Gia leave and did not tell him immediately. Master Grey said Prim was a disgraced elf! He – he gave Prim clothes! And – and he took the crest."

Prim's worst nightmare, same as any house-elf, was to be given clothes and dismissed from her family. Judging from her unkempt appearance, she'd taken the dismissal pretty hard. I'd never seen the bubbly elf look so disheveled and unhealthy.

"Prim has been looking everywhere for Mistress Gia!" Prim insisted when I didn't say anything. "Mistress Gia is the only family that Prim has left… Oh please do not send Prim away, please!"

She threw herself at my feet and sobbed into the tops of my shoes.

"Prim, control yourself!" I said sternly, at a complete loss as my mind raced. Prim forced herself to her feet but seemed to be barely controlling herself from prostrating before me again. I went to rake my fingers through my hair until I remembered that it was tied back in a braid, and instead brushed the sweaty strands from my face.

"What happened when my father returned home after I left, Prim?" I said finally, dropped into a seated position in front of the little elf.

Her green eyes widened fearfully at the image. "Master Grey was – was v-very angry, Mistress Gia. He searched the entire house for Mistress Gia. He called all of the house-elves and demanded that we tell him where you were, but no one knew. Prim had lost you…"

She sucked in a shaky breath as tears splashed the front of her torn uniform.

"Master Grey was especially angry with Prim. Master Grey ordered Prim to find you immediately but no matter how hard Prim tried, Prim could not find Mistress Gia," she whispered, trembling. "Master Grey was most angry with Prim, and he – he gave Prim clothes. He said if Prim could not obey orders, Prim would live in disgrace."

"Where have you been this whole time?" I asked, struggling to remain stoic as I looked on at Prim, someone who had cared for me and loved me my entire life. "How did you find me now?"

"Prim has been searching far and wide for Mistress Gia!" she insisted again, imploring me to believe her. "Sometimes Prim could feel Mistress Gia's powers but when Prim travels to find Mistress Gia, Mistress Gia is already gone. Prim knows a lot of elves – and finally, Prim's friend Knoll tells Prim that he served Mistress Gia at Hogwarts! Prim went to Hogwarts today! But Mistress Gia was not in the castle – Prim had found Mistress Gia's magical trail though! A strong one – fresh, and Prim was able to track Mistress Gia here."

I couldn't pretend to know how house-elf magic worked, and though it worried me that Prim had been tracking me for a while and had been able to find me through the castle elves, I knew that Prim would never do anything to hurt me. In fact… it was probably better that I kept Prim close. She knew more about me than probably any living person and I'd rather have her on my side than with strangers. She was family after all. She was staring at me fearfully, awaiting my final judgement.

"Are you ready to come home, Prim?" I asked finally.

Prim looked as though all of her wildest dreams had come true. "Oh yes, Mistress Gia! Prim wants nothing more than to serve her family like a good elf!"

"Very well," I said, coming to kneel on one knee before her. Prim placed her palm on my forehead. "Do you, Prim the elf, solemnly swear to look after, care for, protect, be loyal to, and keep the secrets of the Grey family?"

Her hand and my forehead where she touched it began to glow. "Prim swears, Mistress Gia."

"Then I, Giavana Aria Grey, do solemnly swear to look after, care for and protect Prim as I would my own blood. So mote it be."

"So mote it be."

There was a flash of blue light and when it disappeared, Prim looked properly restored and happier than I'd ever seen her. The ratty remains of her old uniform had vanished, replaced with a small black dress uniform, complete with the two-faced crest of the Grey family on her chest. She fingered the fine cloth reverently.

"Mistress Gia is Lady of Mistress Ava's family…" she muttered admirably. "Prim is very happy for Mistress Gia. Forgive Prim, but Master Grey was not a nice master. Mistress Gia was always very good to Prim."

I patted Prim's head affectionately. "I've missed you too, Prim. You're the only family I have left," I said quietly, before looking around the training room. "While I'm at Hogwarts, I probably won't have too much work for you to do right now. If you'd like, you can clean up the training room here and go to work in the castle with the other elves. If I need anything else, I will call you."

"Thank you, Mistress Gia! Prim will make Mistress Gia very proud!" she gushed, before bowing and popping away, probably to gather her supplies.

I knew that I wouldn't have to give Prim any strict or specific orders. Prim had been serving my family for decades and she knew the rules and laws that came with serving a powerful family. I had no worries about her revealing any information about me or my location to anyone.

"I suppose I should be happy," I muttered to myself, as I prepared to head back to school, "If it took Prim this long to find me, maybe I did have more time before I'd have to face him…"

Heading for the small library down the hall, I quickly browsed through the titles, many of which made me wonder about my family members and their interests. I was now pressed for time and simply grabbed an obscure history book, as well as a tome on the history of the Grey family. Checking the time, I saw that I had at least fifteen minutes to get back to Hogwarts and shower in time for lunch. I shadow-stepped directly into my bedroom in East Tower and gently tucked the two books by my pillow before hurrying into the bathroom. As I showered, I remembered that I was supposed to report back to Madam Pomfrey this morning before breakfast for a follow-up.

"Damn," I muttered, speeding up.

I used a spell to dry off as I darted into my closet, wiggling into a pair of black skinny jeans, black trainers, and a loose, black Weird Sisters crop-top. After strapping my wand to my right thigh, I shadow-stepped to a dark alcove on the first floor and ran to the Hospital Wing from there. I burst into the ward and saw that Madam Pomfrey's door was closed.

I heard muffled talking and assumed that a privacy spell had been used, and so I decided to wait on one of the vacant beds. As I idly swung my legs, I wondered if my friends would wonder where I'd been and why I'd missed the first half of lunch. After about five minutes, I was pulled from my calming thoughts as two small boys, possibly first years, entered the Hospital Wing. The slightly taller boy had strawberry blonde hair and cream skin, while the smaller had mousy brown hair and paler skin that was covered in sweat. The taller boy was supporting the other and I quickly noticed that the smaller boy was limping. The scent of pain, though milder than the scent of anger, was no less unappealing as it reached my nostrils.

"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey, Dennis's been burned in Charm's class! He needs help!" the taller boy called desperately. As I quickly slid off the bed, I gently scooped the smaller boy into my arms and placed him on the bed I had just vacated. Smoothing back his hair, which was plastered to his sweaty face, I recognized him as Dennis Creevey, Colin Creevey's littler brother.

"Madam Pomfrey's in a meeting sweetie, do you think –?"

My question broke off as Dennis stared at me pleadingly with wide brown eyes that glistened. "Please…" he whispered, and my heart damn near broke, "it…h-hurts…"

"Ah shit…" I muttered, raking my fingers through my hair.

Reaching out with my hearing, it didn't sound as though Madam Pomfrey would be out soon and I couldn't leave Dennis in pain. With a sigh, I examined his burn more closely. It covered his entire left leg from the knee down, and even the tops of his trainers had been singed. It wasn't too serious that he'd have to be sent to St. Mungo's but it was bad enough that it had to be unbearably painful at the moment. Pulling out my wand, I muttered soothing words to Dennis as I cast a numbing charm over his leg. He relaxed slightly, but the charm would only last a few minutes until I could find some burn-healing paste.

"W-what can I do?" the other boy asked. I had almost forgotten that he was here. I kneeled down and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You were really brave to bring Dennis up here by yourself, you know that? And a darn good friend, as well," I said softly.

The boy's eyes widened and he stared up at me. "R-really? You mean it?"

"Of course I do, but you know what real friends do?" I asked. The boy shook his head. "They'd sit next to their friend's bed and tell them everything will be okay."

The boy nodded in understanding.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked.

"Nigel Wolpert." He said, before hurrying over to Dennis's bed and clambering into one of the chairs beside it. I heard him whispering to Dennis as I walked over to the large cupboard that contained the healing potions. Mentally groaning as I felt the wards around it, which were much stronger than any seventh year could break through, I said a mental apology to Madam Pomfrey before using a family spell to create a hole in them.

"Magnis Posticum!" I muttered quickly.

I didn't put too much power into the spell, so the hole I'd punched into the wards would close after a few moments. My eyes rapidly scanned through the cupboard and fell on the large jar of light green burn-heal paste. I grabbed it before returning to Dennis's side.

"Dennis, I have to warn you that this will feel really cold but the sensation will lesson after a few minutes. Stay very still, okay?" I instructed calmly.

Dennis and Nigel watched me with wide eyes as I applied the minty-scented paste with a feather-light touch. It took a few minutes to completely coat his burn with it, and when I was done, the jar was half-empty.

"Wow that is really cold," breathed Dennis, a bright smile blooming on his face. "Wait till the others see this!"

"Dennis, I'm afraid that this burn will leave a bit of a scar, but it should fade after a few months," I informed him slowly, hoping beyond hope that the boy wouldn't burst into tears.

To my utter relief, Dennis said, "It's okay, scars are cool!" with plenty of enthusiasm. He didn't seem to be in pain anymore, so the paste must've been doing its job properly.

"Do you mind telling me what happened, Dennis?" I said, picking up the clipboard and quill attached to the foot of the bedframe.

"Oh, we were in Charm's class and Professor Flitwick was trying to teach us the fire spell. He said I put too much magic into mine, and it got out of control," Dennis confessed. He looked down, almost ashamed. I scribbled down the correct information, asking for personal questions about himself to fill in on the chart, before running standard spells over him.

"No fever or other injuries, you should be perfectly fine. Now listen to me," I said, cupping Dennis's chin and lifted it until he met my eyes, "there is absolutely nothing wrong with overpowering a spell, I've done it hundreds of times. It just means that you have more power and magical potential, but you'll have to work on your control harder than your friends. That's something to be proud of Dennis, not ashamed of, okay?"

Dennis's somber mood disappeared as quickly as it had come and he nodded quickly.

"That's really cool, Dennis!" Nigel exclaimed excitedly. "Think of all the powerful spells you could learn in the future!"

At that moment, the Hospital Wing doors burst open and Colin Creevey ran into the room, his face betraying his panic. "Where's Dennis? Someone told me my little brother was burned! Where –" His frantic words failed as his eyes fell on Dennis, Nigel, and me. The relief nearly bowled him over, and he hurried over to Dennis and pulled the small boy into a tight hug.

"Dennis, don't you dare scare me like that again, you hear me? Do you know how worried I was? And you know mum would skin me alive if anything serious happened to you during your first week here!" Colin muttered rapidly as he damn near smothered Dennis to his chest. When he let him go, Dennis's face was pink but he obviously adored his older brother, and he smiled brilliantly up at him.

"It's okay Colin, this nice lady healed it for me and she said I was powerful too!" he said excitedly.

Colin finally really looked at me, and blushed. "Oh, t-thank you G-Gia, for healing Colin – I mean – Creevey – err – Dennis."

I smiled at Colin, and the poor boy's pulse accelerated. It was rather adorable. "Don't worry about it Colin. Dennis was a good patient and a brave soldier, as was his friend Nigel. You might want to talk to your parents about Dennis's power levels though. They're a bit above normal for a boy his size and age. You could take him to St. Mungo's to be officially tested."

"Is that bad?" Colin asked, becoming serious.

I immediately approved of Colin's concern over his younger brother's well-being. To my people, one's pack or family was the most important thing in the world.

"Not at all, but it's better to be aware so that he can work on his control more carefully. Also, kids with higher power levels are prone to more bouts of accidental magic, even after starting school," I informed him professionally.

Colin breathed a sigh of relief, and ruffled Dennis's hair affectionately. "That's my little man; mum and dad'll be proud, no doubt," He murmured. "Thank you for everything Gia, really. I don't know how I can ever repay you for healing Dennis and telling us about his powers."

"Don't worry about it, really Colin. But I would leave the paste on for at least another couple hours. By then, he can wash it off and his leg should be fine, with just a faint scar, but that'll heal eventually."

I was almost surprised at the strong feeling of accomplishment that I felt in that moment. It felt good to help and heal for once, rather than harm.

"Thanks Gia," Dennis and Nigel chimed shyly, waving as Colin led both boys out of the Hospital Wing.

"That was quite amazing, Miss Grey," said Madam Pomfrey from behind me.

Behind her was the black-haired professor that I'd seen at the Sorting a few nights ago. I recognized him as the Severus Snape, the youngest Potions Master in the last century, and shifted as he stared emotionlessly at me.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, absently cleaning and straightening the bed I had put Dennis on.

"Since the silent alarm around my potions cupboard went off," She said wryly.

"I apologize, ma'am, but Dennis was in a lot of pain and I didn't want to interrupt you," I replied respectfully, meeting the kind but stern matron's eye.

"Oh think nothing of it, dear, but… I am curious as to how you handled the situation. It was almost as if you were a professionally trained Healer," Madam Pomfrey said inquiringly.

"My mother worked as a Healer in Spain before she passed, ma'am," I stated calmly, ignoring the twist in my chest. "I learned a lot from watching her, and I asked a lot of questions."

"Well, you did an excellent job, so much so that I was wondering if you'd be interested in coming to help me out every so often in here?" she asked suddenly.

Though my eyes popped disbelievingly, Professor Snape seemed to mutely agree with her.

"Seriously, Madam Pomfrey? You'd really like my help?" I breathed, completely floored but incredibly honored.

"Yes, of course, Miss Grey. Some days are busier than others, and I find that on those days, my job would be much less stressful if I had a reliable helping hand. You wouldn't have to come in everyday, but perhaps in your free time, you may come in to help. Or, in case of an emergency, I would send a castle elf to retrieve you," Madam Pomfrey explained. She seemed to ponder something. "You seem to know a great deal, but there's always room for more knowledge, if you'd allow me to impart some?"

"I would be truly honored for the opportunity, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you," I said gratefully, bowing my head. "And I'd like to apologize for not returning here this morning as you requested. I had a bit of a family emergency I had to attend to."

A small, harmless lie.

"Think nothing of it dear, do you mind Severus being here for this conversation?" She asked calmly, gesturing for me to sit on the edge of the nearest bed.

"No ma'am, I don't mind."

"Very well. When running standard tests over you yesterday, I found two very distinct oddities in your blood and magic. I was wondering if you'd noticed." Madam Pomfrey began.

Oddities? Why – I should be offended.

Outwardly, however, I slowly nodded my head in response to her question. "You're referring to the golden aura and the swirling black one, correct?"

"Yes. Now, do you know what those colors mean?" she prompted.

"I am aware of the golden aura, Madam Pomfrey, but the black aura is currently a mystery to me," I admitted carefully.

Of course, I had assumed that it was tied to the source of my shadow powers, but even my father had been clueless as to how that particular power had manifested. No one in my family had ever demonstrated powers like mine, and I had yet to come across them in a book.

Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape stared at me.

"Very well, Miss Grey, I will not intrude on your privacy unless you request my help in determining the source of the black aura. However, I am now aware that you have Lycan blood in your veins, am I correct?"

"Yes ma'am," I said calmly, "I am half-Lycan, half-witch."

"How long have you known?"

"Since birth," I said promptly, unashamed, "It has been passed down through my father's bloodline since the beginning."

"Not much is known about Lycans, Miss Grey, as they generally keep to themselves. We've had one werewolf student attend Hogwarts before," Madam Pomfrey revealed.

I immediately picked up the harsh scent of anger and disgust coming off Professor Snape in waves, even though his facial expression never changed in the slightest.

Interesting…

"We had to take precautions during a full moon. I would like to know if that will be necessary with you as well?"

"No ma'am, Lycan can transform at will, and even in our other form, we are able to keep our human minds. We are admittedly stronger and more powerful during the full moon, but it doesn't affect us the same way it does werewolves."

"Have you transformed before, Miss Grey?" Madam Pomfrey continued.

"No." I said shortly.

"And why is that?" Professor Snape asked, speaking for the first time.

"I haven't come into my full powers yet, sir," I explained slowly, quickly trying to decide what information I was comfortable divulging. "All Lycan must reach a certain state of maturity and control before coming into their full powers – it's a different time and age for each one of us. After that coming of age, we are able to change between forms at will. However, if you don't mind, I'm not comfortable answering anymore questions about my people."

"Of course, Miss Grey, as is your right to refuse. Are you certain that you would not like my or Professor Snape's assistance in determining the meaning of the black aura?" She asked again.

"Not at this time, ma'am, however, if I should change my mind, I will inform you both immediately," I promised.

"Very well Miss Grey, you may return to lunch."

"Good day Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape," I said respectfully, curtsying before them before starting for the door. As I slipped out of the ward, I heard Madam Pomfrey's worried tone.

"I've never seen anything like it, Severus – it felt like…like death…"

"Death?" I repeated, nearly turning back around. The loud and ferocious roar of hunger in my stomach, however, had me hurrying down to the Great Hall before lunch ended.

When I entered the Hall, I was able to ignore the usual stares I received and I plopped down into my customary seat at the Gryffindor Table. I immediately piled various bits of meat and an enormous salad onto my plate and had decimated half of it before finally coming up for air.

"You eat like a troll," said Elizabeth amusedly, picking at her own meaty salad.

I couldn't help but notice that she liked her meat rare – just as I did.

"Bugger off," I grunted, chewing through a cube of beef.

"Colin's telling the entire House how you healed his little brother, Gia," said Harry, smiling softly.

"Err – yeah. I was the only person in the Hospital wing at the time and Madam Pomfrey was in a serious meeting with Professor Snape. I thought it would be rude to interrupt but I couldn't just leave the kid in pain," was my nonchalant reply, before I downed another gulp of pumpkin juice. "I didn't think much of it, but now Madam Pomfrey's invited me to come and help her out in the Hospital Wing – in between some classes and in case of emergencies."

"Wow, really?" Hermione breathed, impressed. "I've always been interested in Healer work, I bet that'll be a great experience."

"My mum was a Healer," I said proudly, able to smile through the slight pain I felt, "Maybe I can talk to Madam Pomfrey and see if you can join me in helping out. I'm sure she could use all the help she can get, and who better than the Great Hermione Granger?"

She giggled, but her face had flushed pleasantly. "That would be very sweet of you, Gia. Thanks."

"What can I expect from Professor Snape in Potions? He seemed a bit cold," I asked, changing the subject.

Another one of those three-way loaded glances passed between the trio, and the rest of lunch was spent with them recounting tales of class with Snape. By the time they were done, I was feeling a fair bit of worry and wariness.

As the bell rang, I blew out a deep breath. "Well, I guess I'm about to get some firsthand experience, then? But I have to wonder what always has Snape in such a foul mood…" I threw my bag over my shoulder. "Hmm… maybe he just needs to get laid."

The boys immediately began choking and gagging behind me, and Elizabeth and Hermione seemed as amused as I did as we headed for the door along with the rest of the students. As we journeyed down into the dungeons, there was most certainly a noticeable decrease in temperature and I wrapped my cloak tightly around me. I was not a usually cold-natured person, but for some odd reason, I found myself getting the chills more often now.

Professor Snape was already waiting for us inside the classroom and as we filed in, I dragged my four companions to the front, left row. Snape gave the trio cold looks, but his eyes seemed to glide right past Elizabeth and me, and we shared a long, amused look.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Elizabeth leaned over and whispered in my ear, sending a quick shiver down my spine. I turned and looked at her, our faces rather close – it was only then that I noticed that her eyes weren't so dark after all. Up close, I finally realized that they were actually a deep purple. She smiled wickedly, licking her lips and my eyes unwittingly tracked the action, noting that her four canines were certainly longer now than they had been the past few days.

"See something you like, Grey?" she whispered flirtatiously, her breath smelled pleasantly fruity.

My knees clenched together automatically and it was all I could do not to squirm under her playful…and knowing gaze.

Bloody temptress…

I was saved the humiliation of answering as Snape swept to the front of the class and launched into an interesting little speech about the wonders of potion making. He made it very clear that he didn't expect most of us to pass the class.

"Miss Grey," drawled Professor Snape slowly.

It seemed that the entire class sat up straight with rapt attention, but I gazed calmly up at the man. "Yes, sir?" I asked politely.

"Would you care to tell me what Golpalott's Third Law states?"

Easily a sixth year topic – the outrage on Hermione's face said she knew that much as well.

"Golpalott's Third Law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components," I recited carefully, "sir."

Professor Snape's eyebrow twitched, but his face showed no sign of pleasure or displeasure. "Correct. Can you tell me what Amortentia is and describe the three main characteristics of a properly brew cauldron of said potion?"

Definitely a NEWTs level topic…

"Amortentia is the most powerful love potion known to the wizarding world and if consumed, causes a powerful infatuation or obsession in the drinker. The three main characteristics are a distinct mother-of-pearl sheen, spiraling steam, and a multi-faceted scent which varies depending on what the person smelling the potion likes or is attracted to," I stated clearly.

There was utter silence.

Professor Snape's expression melted just a tad, almost imperceptibly. "Also correct, one final question. What is fluxweed and in order to correctly brew a cauldron of Polyjuice Potion, when does it need to be picked?"

What was Snape playing at? Was he hoping that I'd slip up and give him an opportunity to embarrass me in front of the class? Or was he truly interested in seeing how far my knowledge extended?

"Fluxweed, sir, is a plant in the mustard family that is well known for its healing properties. In order for it to be successfully used in Polyjuice Potion it has to be picked under the full moon."

"Correct," Snape said curtly. "Perhaps I have finally gained a competent student."

"Badass…" Elizabeth whistled softly beside me. She nudged my leg with hers underneath the table and I swear I felt a jolt of energy shoot up my thighs.

"You haven't seen anything yet," I murmured back, flashing a wicked grin. Her eyes widened slightly but she seemed please and we both fought to keep our expressions even as Snape explained the day's assignment.

He wanted us to get used to the process of potion-making again after a full summer of nothingness, and had us practicing with a third year potion, the Confusing Concoction. It was horrifyingly easy to brew, even with Professor Snape literally hovering over my shoulder, watching every move I made, a fact he certainly did not try to conceal. I managed to block him out, but it was hard to ignore the warmth his body radiated into my cold one as he stood inches away from my back.

By the time I'd finished my potion and reduced the heat, my body was desperately struggling to reach for the warmth it felt nearby. My vision had begun to fade in…and out… I felt that I was floating through a peaceful abyss… I sought out the source of the warmth…

"Gia, what are you doing?" hissed Hermione.

Such wonderful, wonderful warmth this was…

"Grey, what the hell…" Elizabeth's sardonic voice drifted towards me.

I frowned.

Why were they ruining this peaceful warmth for me?

Shaking my head, I burrowed deeper into the warmth – even enjoying the clean, natural scent of it. I hummed softly…happily as I felt a strong, deep thumping coming from within the warmth and I pressed myself closer to it.

Closer…closer…

My body demanded and I complied, pressing more and more until my body was molding with it. I wanted to become thoroughly enveloped in it… such wonderful warmth…

I hissed as I felt sharp fingernails dig into my bare leg, and nearly snarled as my eyes snapped open.

"What the…" I murmured, utterly confused as I wondered just what I had my face and chest pressed against – it felt like a firm, warm wall.

Looking up slowly, my face flooded and if I had died right then, I would've been perfectly fine with that. What I'd had my face and bosom rubbing against – what I'd been snuggling rather intimately into – was in fact, Snape's torso. My hands were tightly wound in his cloak and I was halfway burrowed into it.

Merlin, if you could just strike me down right now – I'd be eternally grateful.

When it became clear that Merlin would not save me from this humiliation, I snatched myself away from Snape as if my skin had been flayed by the contact. I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes and I felt the flush spreading through my face, down my neck – my entire body seemed to be shaking and sweating.

Rather than look at Snape, I quickly glanced around – thank the gods, the entire class was too busy trying not to blow up their cauldrons. No one had noticed the unexpected sexual assault of our professor, other than Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Elizabeth – each staring at me with varying degrees of shock and horror.

Was that…humor... I saw glinting in Elizabeth's eyes?

"Professor I – I –" I stammered, completely mortified. "I'm so incredibly sorry, Professor. I swear I don't know what came over me! I – I didn't mean to –"

"Please," Professor Snape interrupted, his voice incredibly strained, his normally pale skin rather pink, "bottle and label your potion, Miss Grey."

Without another word or glance in my direction, he swept away and began his circuits around the room, checking on the other students' progress.

I leaned on my elbows and hid my scarlet face in my hands.

"Are you okay, Gia? I'm sure he's not mad," whispered Hermione, as she soothingly rubbed my back.

"I've never seen him look so shaken," Ron breathed, amazed but also disgusted.

"You didn't have to jump the poor man, Gia, geez," Elizabeth teased, nearly falling off her stool with the force of her laughs as I leveled her with a glare.

"Are you feeling okay, Gia? One minute, you were finishing up your potion and the next – well you know…" Harry muttered.

"Drop it, all of you," I hissed quietly as I finally forced down my blush.

Shame and humiliation forced me to keep my head down and my mouth shut for the rest of the class period, even as I helped Harry and Ron salvage their potions enough for a passing grade. When the bell rang, I was the first person to run from the classroom. I didn't stop running until I'd raced through the entrance hall and out the front doors. Once outside, I embraced the fresh air and strong wind.

Tucking my bag in a small corner beside the stairs, I took a deep breath and released the constant death grip I held over my magic, to keep myself under control. The second I relinquished that control, the power that I kept repressed flowed freely, nearly lifting me off the ground in its exuberance to expand.

"Time for a little run," I said to myself, grinning and I kicked off my boots and tossed them beside my bag. I stepped back a few paces, braced myself, and then took a running leap right off the top of the staircase.

My jump took me far and high, and I somersaulted with a delighted hoot before literally hitting the ground running. As I felt the wind pick up around me and the cool grass beneath my bare feet, I finally felt free. My magic was no longer restricted to my core, it had merged fully within me. I knew my eyes had to be glowing bright – I knew my fangs and claws were out…

But I didn't care.

No one was out there to see or judge me.

I flew down the grounds with so much speed that I became less than a blur, and I laughed freely as my robe flew out behind me. I heard water and headed in that direction, coming in view of the Black Lake. Fully emerging myself in my strength and speed, I had just begun to zip along the right side when I felt four heavy, powerful paws bounding behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, Nova's black panther form closed the distance between us in seconds and she flew gracefully beside me.

Feeling a bit silly, I began doing flips as I ran; I turned cartwheels and backflips as I pleased, swinging from the branches as we raced through the trees and leaping over great boulders as we crossed rocky cliffs. We had zipped around the entire lake twice before I sensed another large, powerful presence quickly closing in. Nova suddenly stopped running beside me and turned back the way we'd come, snarling viciously and leaning low on her paws, preparing to pounce. The hairs on the back of my neck stood high and I slid along the edge of a cliff as I switched directions and blasted back toward my familiar, the open black depths of the lake stretching out to my right. I was about ten feet behind Nova when something even bigger than she leapt from the trees to our left.

A deep, ferocious roar echoed through the trees, sending flocks and flocks of birds scurrying out into the sky, and all I could see were orange stripes and black claws before I had the air knocked out of me.

Down…down…

I was freefalling.

The chilly wind rushed around me, ripping at my hair and robes as I tried to gain my bearings. The black surface of the lake closed in and just before I crashed into the icy depths, an absolutely monstrous tiger splashed with me.

Cold…

Darkness…

Breathe…wait! Hold your breath!

Growing up near large bodies of water had introduced me to both the pleasures and terrors of deep water, but nothing had ever felt as awful as being dragged down into the murky, freezing depths of the Black Lake. The golden glow of my eyes finally cut through the immediate darkness around me and my hair flared around me like bloody trails waving in the water. Turning my head every which way, I finally spotted the weak stream of sunlight above me and kicked as hard as possible.

"Ugh!" I gasped, choking and coughing as I broke the surface and sucked in a deep breath. My teeth chattered and my head whipped around as Nova howled from the beach she'd leapt down onto from the cliff. Just as I began kicking and swimming in her direction, something strong grabbed my ankle and suddenly, all was dark again.

Panic swelled inside of me.

My magic ballooned within me…swelling and growing until the very water around me grew hot and bubbly in response. I nearly released the blast of pure power that burned to fry and tear apart any threat, when bright purple eyes glinted at me through the murky depths.

I knew those eyes.

Sure enough, Elizabeth's highly amused face came into clear view as she swam towards me, her black hair flowing all around her. She seemed to be struggling to hold her breath and not laugh, and as angry as I was, the moment she reached out and grabbed my hand, it all dissipated – the anger, the swell of magic, the heat…all gone, as quickly as it had come.

Bubbles floated from Elizabeth's mouth as she gurgled to catch my attention, and she pointed up towards the surface. Twenty seconds later…

"Are you completely mental?" I shouted, the moment we'd broken the surface and I sucked in another deep, blessedly clean breath of air.

Her raucous, wild laugh echoed off the trees in the silence around us. Nova whined and paced back and forth along the beach. She was quite capable of transforming into an aquatic animal, but Nova had never been fond of water, especially water that she couldn't see through. These dark, strange waters of the Black Lake were vastly different from the crystal clear waters that surrounded our homes.

"Oh come on, you aren't scared of a little water are you?" she teased, her eyes glinting before she abruptly splashed cold water in my face.

I sputtered, wiping the water from my eyes, before leveling her with a golden, glowing glare. The realization that my wolfish features were still prominent froze me on the spot. Elizabeth seemed to notice this and she snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh please, I'd have to be completely blind to not notice that you're Lycan," she said calmly, her head bobbing as she kept herself afloat.

"Wait – what? How'd you know?" I demanded, before images of the tiger that had tackled me flashed through my mind. "Wait – were you – the – the –"

"The tiger? Yes," said Elizabeth simply, calmly.

"You're awfully young to be an Animagus," I replied dryly, finally finding the sense to swim back to shore. The moment I reached the beach and found my footing, Nova pounced on me, knocking me on my ass and licking my face worriedly, as if checking for injuries. "Oh – move – MOVE, you big pussy! I didn't see you diving to help," I groaned, trying and failing to mush her giant head away from me.

"I'm not an Animagus," Elizabeth said finally, coming out the water.

She seemed to have tossed her robe, or perhaps lost it in the water and her uniform clung to her shapely form – so much so that I was having trouble dragging my eyes away. Her white blouse was now completely transparent…her bra black and lacy…

"That was some powerful transfiguration then," I said, finally tearing my gaze away, forcing down the flush I felt rising in my cheeks.

"It wasn't transfiguration either," was her nonchalant reply as she grasped my hand and pulled me to my feet with one powerful tug.

She didn't seem at all bothered as Nova growled low and glared balefully at her.

"Nova, down!" I snapped firmly, and Nova immediately lowered herself to the ground, never taking her yellow eyes off of Elizabeth.

"So your kitten – your familiar – she's a changeling then? A shapeshifter?" Elizabeth asked curiously, walking a full circle around Nova, examining her. "How the hell did you manage that? They're impossible to find and even harder to catch."

"I didn't find or catch her – she found me," I said defensively, watching Elizabeth carefully. She still moved with that deadly grace – that catlike fluidity and precision, and I was getting frustrated trying to get a read on her. "What do you know about changelings?"

"Nothing more than the stories my parents told us as children," she shrugged, seemingly satisfied in her examination of my familiar.

"How did you –"

"The same way that your people can shift from human to Lycan form at will," said Elizabeth, cutting off my incoming question.

"But you're not a Lycan…"

"No…but you didn't think that your people were the only ones endowed with gifts from the Great Mother, did you?"

My eyebrows nearly shot into my hairline.

I most certainly had thought so.

Elizabeth laughed at my expression, an almost patronizing laugh that sent bristles through me. I was usually the one that set people on edge – that made them nervous while I felt powerful – and I found that I didn't like being on the other end of this little game.

"Tigris ex sole…" Elizabeth said fluently.

"Tiger of the sun?" I asked, mentally translating the Latin. Comprehension struck. "I thought the Tigress people were a myth…"

"As most people think of the Lycan," Elizabeth countered smoothly, absently waving her hand and drying us both of the dripping water.

"And your brothers? Ezra and Elias –"

"All of us," she confirmed. "I must say I'm disappointed," she continued, after a few minutes of silence had passed, "I thought you'd be happy that there were others like you at Hogwarts."

She was right.

What was I freaking out about?

I had known that there was more to Elizabeth from the moment I'd met her, but I never thought that it would be something this amazing. I liked Elizabeth…she was funny, she was cool and calculating…strong and sure of herself…

She was like me.

"I suppose I didn't expect to get tackled into a bloody lake by a tiger, forgive me for taking a minute to collect myself," I drawled sarcastically, blowing out a breath and allowing myself to relax. I had never felt threatened by Elizabeth – she'd never given me the impression that she was a danger to me or my friends.

"Well, I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to reveal myself to you," Elizabeth replied, more subdued. She walked past me and sat on a large, water-bleached boulder, close enough that the water lapped at her bare feet. I plopped down next to her and finally, after sniffing around cautiously, Nova curled into a big ball at my feet, keeping out of reach of the water and keeping one eye on Elizabeth.

"So what decided it for you?" I asked, looking out over the Black Lake, calm and still in this secluded corner.

"I saw how happy and free you looked, running wild and free, at one with your powers," said Elizabeth, her gaze far away. "I had never felt that – not here at Hogwarts at least. Can you imagine how these close-minded idiots would react knowing that one of the students could transform into a tiger at will?"

"Tigress don't carry the same stigma as Lycan –"

"Because most, like you did, think we're a myth," Elizabeth interjected. "And though Lycan aren't seen in as bad a light as werewolves…"

"Yeah I can't imagine that going over well either…" I admitted sourly, thoughts of Harry, Ron, and Hermione flitting through my head.

Would they still feel the same about me if they knew?

"I hope that I can trust you with this…" Elizabeth said, the first hints of worry leaking into her voice. I found that I didn't like the thought of this beautiful girl worrying about anything, and before I could stop myself, I reached over and slipped my fingers between hers. I felt her staring at the side of my face but I kept my eyes on the water.

"I'll keep your secret if you keep mine," I said decisively, "About me and Nova."

Her fingers closed firmly around mine and I took that as my answer.

We must've sat there staring at the Lake for a long while because the silence was only broken as my wand began shrieking its alarm, signaling the end of my self-study period.

"Didn't you have class?" I finally asked, rising and stretching, reluctantly releasing my hold on Elizabeth's hand.

"Well, I wasn't going to leave you alone after Potions… You seemed pretty upset," she said as we finally started the long trek back to the castle. I could've shadow-stepped us back much faster, but I wanted to savor this rare moment of privacy with Elizabeth.

Thoughts of Potions class succeeded in subduing my rising spirits, and Elizabeth must've noticed because she suddenly shoved my shoulder and took off running. "You're it!" she yelled over her shoulder, her laugh tinkling in the wind.

"Completely mental," I muttered, shaking my head before that familiar sense of competition flooded my senses.

Feeling a tingle start in my toes and rise through my legs, I bolted after Elizabeth and she squealed upon realizing how fast I closed the distance. It was a pleasure, I must admit, to run wild with someone that I didn't have to hold back with – Elizabeth was surely as fast as I was, and clearly as strong as we kicked up sand, dust, and rocks in our race. After tagging each other several times, we simply raced beside each other, putting every ounce of power and speed until we were blurs, invisible to the human eye. Nova raced beside us, her great form slinking between the trees and leapt nimbly from branch to branch. All too soon, however, the main grounds came into view and we slowed into a human jog; Nova shifted effortlessly into her kitten form and leapt onto my shoulder, her small claws gently gripping my robes as we jogged the last few yards back to the front steps.

"Thank you…for trusting me," I said after a quiet, amicable walk up to the seventh floor.

When we'd reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Elizabeth stared into my eyes – gold to purple. I held my breath, utterly still, as she reached out with her strong, small hand and brushed a few sweaty strands from my face. My skin tingled everywhere she touched as she caressed my cheek, and then let her fingers trail down my arm. She grasped my hand and squeezed it once.

"I'll see you at dinner?" she asked quietly.

"Wouldn't miss it."

She didn't ask any questions as she climbed through the portrait hole alone and I turned back the other way. When I was sure that I was alone in the corridor, I quickly made my way to East Tower, greeting Isavéla as I passed through her. I showered in a hurry, pulling on black sweatpants, trainers, and a plain t-shirt, deciding to leave my hair out for the moment.

Even the stares couldn't dampen my chipper mood as I plopped down at the Gryffindor Table a little later, jammed between Harry and Elizabeth. I didn't react outwardly as I felt her hand slide down my thigh and squeeze my knee, but as I automatically scanned the Head Table, my eyes landed on the dark-haired professor at the end. Professor Snape seemed to feel my eyes on him because he turned his head and our eyes. Thoroughly mortified all over again, I dutifully kept my eyes away from his general direction for the remainder of the meal. As I ate with more reservation than usual, my thoughts cycled through another eventful day.

Draco and the heartbreaking tale he'd told me the night before – our renewed friendship and the trouble it might cause.

Sirius Black…and our uncertain plans to find him and beg for his help.

Prim…my father…and the mysterious intruder near my home in Eturn Ally.

Madam Pomfrey and her offer to take me under her wing in the Hospital Wing.

My unexplainable sexual assault of Professor Snape – in the middle of class, no less!

And now…Elizabeth, Ezra, and Elisa…living proof that the legends of the Tigress were very much real…

It felt like I was forgetting something…something very important…when that something poked me in the side and stared at me with worried, green eyes.

"Are you okay, Gia?" Harry asked softly, leaning in close. "You stopped eating and you were starting to get pale again."

I stared at Harry's still innocent face, and wondered how much he hid behind those bright emerald eyes. I remembered that I'd agreed to help him get his schedule fixed to join me in self-study, and I realized that I hadn't been a very good friend, especially after how warmly he and the others had welcomed me.

I smiled reassuringly at the sweet boy and touched his hand briefly, hearing his pulse spike for a moment. "I'm fine Harry, thank you for asking. Do you have any homework you need help with after dinner?" I offered kindly.

Harry smiled brilliantly, a true genuine smile, and I found that it did something strange to me on the inside. "Actually, I could use a bit of help with Potions. You seem to just get it, and it just doesn't click for me. Think you could help me out?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course."

And when dinner concluded, all six of us rose and headed up to Gryffindor Tower together: the trio, Elizabeth, Neville, and me. Hermione buried her head in a book, Ron asked around for a chess opponent, and Elizabeth had Neville helping her out with the Herbology assignment. Harry and I curled up on one of the squishy loveseats with the first year Potions textbook on both of our legs. When Harry had complained, I told him that the best way to understand was to start from the basics. And so I had started from the very beginning, taking the time to explain in ways the book didn't, in order to help Harry understand why certain ingredients combined to make specific things happen. He asked a lot of questions, and we'd gotten through the first half of the book when Harry began yawning sporadically.

Grinning, I folded down the page we were on, closed the book, and stood up.

"Oi, I was –" Harry's words broke off with another forceful yawn, and he reached high over his head to stretch, his shirt coming up slightly to reveal a hard, toned stomach that immediately caught my attention, "reading that."

Laughing, I shook my head to clear away my confusing thoughts. "No way Harry, you look dead on your feet. We can finish tomorrow, I promise," I compromised.

"Fine," he grumbled.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I don't seem to remember you being this insistent on learning when I was trying to tutor you," the corners of her lips slightly upturned.

Harry poked his tongue out at her. "I don't know what you're talking about, Hermione," He said firmly, only to yawn again.

Giggling, I pushed him towards the boys' staircase until he abruptly turned around, causing me to bump into to his chest. Looking up at him, I saw something pass through Harry's eyes.

"You need sleep," I said slowly, feeling my own exhaustion catching up to me.

He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, and I found that I liked Harry's particular warmth much more than Snape's, or even Draco's. I hugged him back before letting go and slipping out of his arms. "Sleep, now," I said seriously, trying and failing to stop smiling.

Seemingly satisfied, Harry bid us all goodnight, and he and Ron headed up to the boy's dorm. Neville had long since escaped Elizabeth's intent stare as they studied and retired to bed, and she lounged across the couch Harry and I had vacated.

"Gia…" said Hermione quietly. She had stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the girls' dorm. She bit her lip, something I realized she did when she was nervous, thinking hard, or trying to decide if she wanted to ask a particular question. Finally, she shook her head. "Nevermind, it's nothing. Goodnight."

"Are you sure you're alright, Mione?" I offered, casually using the nickname I'd heard Ron and Harry use for her. She definitely noticed, but didn't seem to mind. "We could talk for a while if you need to?"

Hermione hesitated, clearly considering my offer, but shook her head again. "It's getting late anyway; I'll see you at breakfast."

"Only if you're sure…" I said, my words trailing. After confirming that she was fine, Hermione disappeared up the stairs.

"How odd…" I said, coming around the couch and plopping down on the opposite end from Elizabeth. She set my feet in her lap and began to absently caress my legs, tucking her own dainty feet under my bum to keep warm.

"You don't think Hermione's jealous, do you?" Elizabeth asked, breaking the silence.

I snorted and shook my head. "Hermione's never struck me as the jealous type," I said firmly. "Besides, what would she have to be jealous about?"

Elizabeth looked from where she'd been staring at the fire and met my eyes. "I mean…Harry and Ron are always going to have their male bond – they were friends with each other before they were friends with Hermione. And then you arrive, and nearly everyone here already knows you or wants to know you. We've even been getting closer – maybe she feels isolated."

My mouth opened to argue but then snapped shut as I really thought about what Elizabeth was saying. Hermione seemed to be the kind of female friend anyone would want – she was beautiful, bloody brilliant, loyal…

An idea began to form in my head.

"Am I going to hate whatever's causing that loony look on your face?" said Elizabeth, eyeing me warily.

"How good are you with girly stuff?" I asked suddenly, smiling wide.

"Well, I grew up with brothers and I'm not exactly the friendly sort," she replied sardonically.

"Then this can be for you, as much as Hermione," I was very excited at that point, "I was just thinking that Hermione could do with a good, old-fashioned girl's day – just the three of us. What do you think?"

"A girl's day?" Elizabeth repeated, as if just the thought was enough to make her skin crawl.

"Yes! Shopping, makeovers, lunch – the whole nine! Oh come on, please? It'll be fun, I promise!" I pleaded, unleashing the full weight of my puppy eyes on her.

"Fine, fine, fine – put your bottom lip away before I bite it."

Suddenly, the air around us felt rather thick…charged even.

"Err – I should – umm…"

"Sneak off to wherever it is you sleep?" Elizabeth finished, raising a neat eyebrow.

"I –"

"You don't have to tell me, not until you're ready," she said firmly, gently removing my legs from her lap and climbing to her feet, stretching high overhead.

Rising to my own feet, I abruptly pulled the slightly taller girl into a tight embrace, feeling her arms instantly go around me. Her hair smelled sweet…fruity even – like coconuts and I buried my face in the side of her neck. We must've stood there, holding each other, for at least a solid five minutes.

"Go on then, you look dead on your feet too," said Elizabeth finally, pulling away. She brushed my wild hair away from my face again, caressing my cheek as she had earlier, and I leaned into the warm touch. "Goodnight Gia…"

"Goodnight Liz…" I murmured, highly disappointed as she finally pulled away fully, taking a step away.

"Liz?" she snorted.

"Well, Elizabeth is a bit of a mouthful," I complained playfully, gathering up my school books and things.

"Liz it is, then."

When I looked up, she had already gone.