Disclaimer: I own nothing familiar from the HP Universe.

As those who've read this before might notice up until now the chapters are pretty well the same but starting here, they will be longer and a bit more organised. For those of you new to the story please continue and enjoy! ~Vivi

Chapter Five

"I'm just telling you to be careful."

"And I'm telling you to get your ass off my bed."

"Arse."

"Ass, arse, either way, get!"

"If I was to agree to play your boyfriend…"

"Then you can stay."

"You're evil."

"Hello, look who I'm related to." She replied with a laugh. She tapped her wand to her head and watched with satisfaction as her hair grew out to fall to her waist. The long dark hair without the streaks that she charmed into it was a little too much like Lara Croft for her liking, not that her charmed face was anything like Angelina Jolie or the video game vixen herself. Making a face in the mirror, she brought it back to her shoulders and arranged it into a French twist. She secured it with a comb encrusted with rubies that she had found in

her vault and then held out a bracelet made with the same gems as the comb. "Help."

Sirius fixed the clasp of the bracelet and took up the matching necklace and motioned her to turn. "Red and gold, the colours of Gryffindor." He smiled over her shoulder and met her eyes in the mirror. "You're going to make a stir."

Cece smoothed the gold cloth and grinned. "It looks nice though doesn't it?"

"You look exquisite."

"Are you gay?" Sirius swung her around and ravished her lips before letting her go. Cece gasped for breath for a moment before grinning. "That doesn't answer my question."

"No, I am not gay."

"Just asking." She said with a smirk as she headed out the door with him following behind her.

"Oh," Molly was the first in the kitchen to see Cece as she entered.

"Well, what do you think?" She gave a spin. She was quite certain that the dressrobes would have been better on her body which had more curves than that of Iliana Prince. Of course, that was due partial to the seven year old that she thought the world of.

Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist surprising those gathered for dinner, with the exception of Remus. "Beautiful." He pressed a quick kiss on her cheek.

Cece rolled her eyes at the wizard. "We've already talked in my room. I was asking for someone else's opinion."

"He's right. You look beautiful." George said from where he and Fred sat. Cece figured that he was George because she'd gotten rather good at telling them apart and the fact that she didn't see George shooting dirty looks at Sirius.

"If I agree to this, you just might get me killed." Sirius whispered into her ear, causing her to burst into laughter.

"All ready, Iliana?" Severus asked as he glided into the room. One of his brows raised on seeing Sirius's arm still wrapped about his cousin's waist. Even though she wasn't related to him, he had come to view her as at least a friend.

"Of course." Cece moved away from Sirius. "Wish me luck."

"See you later." Sirius winked and she wondered what it would be like if she didn't know that a relationship with him could be no more than a fling.

Cece didn't know what she had expected but she hadn't expected to find anyone who she might like as a friend. Then among the partygoers she found a person who seemed just as out of place as she did. During the gathering that proceeded sitting down to dinner, Cece found herself surrounded by people who seemed to want to judge her based on her bloodlines and found them far from lacking. It was just by chance that when she got away from Narcissa Malfoy that she found herself face to face with the only person in the room that she felt she could talk to other than Severus.

Cece smiled at the girl. "Hello, I'm Iliana Prince."

"So, I've heard." She countered. "I'm Peony Parkinson."

In the moments before dinner, Cece learned that she was nineteen and having finished school two years earlier was a disappointment in that she had been sorted to Ravenclaw. She also learned which of those present were the easiest to deal with and took the brunette's words to heart. Peony was the youngest person present but seemed the least pompous of those gathered.

Dinner which had Cece seated on Lucius's left with a man whose name she didn't exactly remember on her left was a torturous affair as far as she was concerned with the two men talking over her as if she wasn't really there. What she heard was quite surprising to her because she didn't think that they would be so open about certain things. They had practically shouted their involvement with Voldemort.

After dinner, she sought out Peony and the brunette kept her amused with stories and annotations about those present and a few pureblood families who were not present to gawk at Severus's cousin. Of course, Peony called him by his last name and had much to say about him.

Severus joined the pair only to gather Cece and take her back to the Order's Headquarters. They arrived and she had the man looking highly amused by something that Peony had said in regards to Gibbons as they entered the kitchen.

He shook his head at her as she finished her story. "Well, you're back in the same condition as when you left. See you tomorrow, cousin." He announced before giving her a brotherly kiss on the cheek before leaving those in the kitchen staring at his retreating figure, except for Cece who smiled serenely before turning to greet the kitchen's occupants.

"Did you have a nice time?" Remus asked.

She rolled her eyes. "What a question? It was terrible except for Peony Parkinson. She was halfway decent. The food was terrible." She looked towards Molly. "Please say you have something I can eat."

"I saved you a plate." She said with a smile.

"You are the best." Cece sat down as redhead produced a plate full of food. "Are you really going to show me how to cook?" She had never mentioned that she could cook like a muggle. She simply had asked the older woman if she would show her how to cook like she did.

The next day dawned and Cece was up bright and earlier or more correctly, she got up at a disrespectfully early hour because she couldn't sleep. The result had her in the rather desolate kitchen that seemed eerie when she was in it alone. She warmed a cup of milk with a spell that she had picked up from watching Molly reheat plates and sat down. Her mind settled on what she had heard at the dinner party and how to give out this information to the Order.

If the hand hadn't come over her mouth, she would have screamed bloody murder waking the house and the portrait. As it was she only managed to spill her drink everywhere.

"Shh, it's just me." A voice whispered into her ear before the hand was removed.

"Freddy, you idiot." She smacked his arm as he cleaned up the mess that she had made with her warm milk.

"I couldn't sleep either." Cece opened her mouth, stood up to leave, and was unceremoniously pushed back into her chair. "I won't bite, Illy."

"Freddy, honey, you're going to have to understand that I can't do this." His face seemed to darken under her gaze. "I mean you're a great guy."

"Don't start that." He practically snarled.

"If it was another time and place, I might jump at the chance, but I'm just not at a place where getting involved with anyone is an option."

"Why not? Is there someone else? Sirius?"

"Maybe."

He shot to his feet and pulled her to hers. The kiss was unexpected and Cece reacted before she could stop herself. Her arms wrapped about his waist as she leaned into the kiss. His hand fisted into the hair that she had yet to return to its shortened state.

They broke apart and Cece latched onto the table for support for she was certain that her legs alone couldn't do it. She closed her eyes and drew in a ragged breath. She didn't know what was going on but she had a feeling that this shouldn't have happened.

"Illy?" Fred's voice was husky. "You can't say that was nothing."

"Please, leave me alone."

"Illy…"

She opened her eyes. "Please."

"Seems that there's more to the story than you told me." Sirius said coming out of the shadows after Fred had left her. "That is if that kiss I just walked into is anything to judge by."

"Sirius, you've got to help me." Cece said pushing away from the table.

"Iliana…"

"Please, I'm begging you."

"I'll think about it." He said before moving towards the doorway.

"Sirius!"

"Shh! You'll wake my mother and the whole house."

"I need an answer now." She frowned. "Maybe it would be better if I went and stayed with Severus for a while..." she thought aloud.

"There's no way in hell." Sirius announced suddenly. The look on his face was a priceless mix of shock and worry. "If you stay with him, you'd be surrounded by Death Eaters and..."

"Does this mean you'll help?"

"You...you...oh, okay."

Cece made an excited sound and propelled herself at him. He caught her with a bark of laughter. "You are the most wonderful man in existence."

"Don't you forget that when he sees us together." He told her pulling away. "He's going to be hurt and you are going to be his main target, well, other than me."

"How are you so wise?"

"Let's just say that I've been there a time or two myself."

"Who was she?"

"None of your business, Prince." He said as he left her standing in the kitchen. "Just be ready for everyone to have some kind of reaction."

The next morning, Cece entered the kitchen to receive a wink from Fred, which as far as she was concerned made her feel very wrong and a smile from the rest of the people assembled. Sirius was in rare form in direct result of the fact that Harry would be joining them that evening. Throughout breakfast he could barely sit still and was in no condition to save Cece from Fred's covert flirting. It didn't help that Molly had pushed her into a seat between Fred and Sirius after she'd burnt part of breakfast. When the latter's hand landed on her leg, she jumped into Sirius, causing him to suddenly become aware of the dark-haired witch. He gave her a heart-stopping smile that she was certain she hadn't received before and leaned forwards startling her. She was relieved that it was only to kiss her cheek but the hand on her leg stilled and the room went dreadfully silent. Cece tried to ignore it and simply eat the eggs upon her plate after moving Fred's hand that seemed to have stopped working on its

own.

Sirius saw the movement and snickered, while suddenly the room picked up noise again. He leaned close the witch and whispered. "I saw that. You're right you most certainly do need my help."

She flushed and looked darkly at him. "That isn't funny, Black."

"Sure it is." He grinned. "If you could see what I see. The poor boy almost has smoke rolling out of his ears." He kissed her on the nose before turning back to his plate.

After breakfast, Cece went into the library and settled down with a book. Sirius was helping Molly and her crew clean a room and she didn't want to clean or anything else as she thought over her predicament. The most obvious change that she could make was Sirius.

Of course, there was Mr. Weasley's leg. She frowned and wondered at what exact time that took place. She knew it was only a day or two before the Winter holiday. If she could find out when that was it might change something, but she wasn't sure what.

"How can you be with him?" Disgust rang on that one word. Fred glared darkly at her.

"Freddy, I'm not going through this with you."

"Why not? Don't I deserve to know why you chose him?"

"No, you don't. There is nothing and will be nothing between us." Cece snapped. "Just get that through your head. I'm too old for you and I am just not interested."

"The hell you aren't." He snarled as he grabbed her arm in a punishing grip.

"Problem?" George asked from the doorway. He took in the situation and pulled Fred's hand away. "Damn it, Fred." He murmured as Cece's hand covered the area that was quickly bruising before quickly exiting the room. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, something, I don't know. There's just something about her that won't let me leave her alone. I know that I should but I just can't bring myself to do it."

While the twins talked, Cece gathered up her bag and most of her things. She needed some time and couldn't do anything while she had to fight off Fred. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she moved through the house to the place were Molly and the rest were cleaning. She stood in the doorway for a moment before anyone took notice of her.

"Come to help, Iliana?" Ginny asked the woman.

"I'm going to stay at my cousin's for a bit." She said, her hand unconsciously going to her arm.

The youngest of the redheads took noticed. "What happened to your arm?"

"I must have bumped into something. I don't know who's more clumsy Tonks or me." She gave a weak smile that was accepted. "Well, I better get going."

Sirius followed her out into the hall. "Fred did that?"

"Sirius, please, I don't want any trouble."

"You shouldn't feel like you have to leave."

"I don't. I just need to think."

"What the hell do you have to think about all the time?"

"I can't tell you. I wish that I could but I just don't know if I can."

"So, you're going to let Fred's behaviour chase you off."

"Sirius, please, just say bye and smile."

To her surprise, he swept her into his arms and kissed her methodically before letting her go. "Bye, Iliana. I'll see you before September first?"

"That is if Sev lets me stay." She said with a laugh and turned to find a very shocked Remus with the twins behind him. "Bye, guys. I'll see you at the next meeting, Remus."

"Good-bye?" Remus said before watching the dark-hair witch saunter away.