"James is staring at you again" Tora told Lily in a sing-song voice.

Lily rolled her eyes, she'd known that for the past half an hour, she could feel his gaze on the back of her neck. It was burning. She shuddered but told herself it was in repulsion.

James Potter was the most concieted, antagonistic, big-headed prat on the planet. With the exception of Sirius Black. He constantly made everyone around him feel small and picked on people.

True that some of those people deserved it but still!

Now Tora was looking at her cheekily, knowing her discomfort. Tora was a pretty girl, short spiked black hair, grey eyes and long legs saw to that. But she never really bothered with guys, they were all twats in her mind. It almost made Lily laugh through her distress about how many guys she had had to turn down on behalf of her friend. This humour was then gone suddenly at the feeling on the back of her neck however.

She huffed angrily and Tora chuckled at her misfortune.

"You are a great best friend! Laughing while I'm in pain" She moaned, pouting.

Tora looked over her shoulder

"Yes I am a great friend, and that is why I am going to do this-" And with that she grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her through the crowd, not caring that peoples drinks were flying everywhere and food was being spilled as she rammed her way through.

As they went Lily apologised repeatedly for her friend's actions only to be glared at.

Once they were clear of the hall Tora turned back to her

"Potter was on his way to talk to you, I just saved your life missy!" She scolded playfully.

Lily grinned and hugged her tightly

"Thanks!" She cried.

"Yes I'm great I know, now I need help with my potions essay missy" And without a further word Lily was yet again dragged away by her best friend.

With Miley...

When Miley made it to the common room there was only one other person in there. Regulus Arcturus Black.

When he had came into his first year when Miley was in her third he had been shy and very very predjudiced.

Miley had noticed and took him under her wing and was happy to say he had made progress.

"Hows my favourite boy. Did you hear my speech?" She asked playfully, falling onto a seat near him.

He smiled at her, he was looking more like his brother every day, same dark hair and dark eyes but he still seemed shyer than his older brother. And calmer.

"Yeah, it was really good. Do you actually think theres a werewolf at school now?" He asked, a little anxious.

"No idea. But they must be good because I've not heard of anyone being bitten have you?" She questioned, hoping to quell his fear.

He shook his head in agreement.

"So why are you in here when your mates are out there?" She asked him kindly.

"Full of question today aren't you" He replied laughing. She smiled and chuckled

"Well they all needed to do their transfiguration assignments and I finished it earlier" He answered her question.

"Well done" She complimented, rummaging in her pocket for a moment she then hid something behind her back.

He raised an eyebrow at the movement, nothing got past him.

"Did you know earlier today I was in my room and I found these-" She showed him a box of Peppermint puffs. His eyes widened, she knew they were his favourite

"-But I'm not in the mood for them, know any boys who finished their homework who might want them?" She asked innocently.

"Me! you evil woman!" He cried and grabbed them from her, she laughed as he hurriedly ripped open the box and began to eat through them.

"It's what I'm here for" She replied playfully.

She felt like an older sister to him and it felt nice, to help someone younger out. If ever he was picked on by other years you could bet that Miley was there. He was lucky, however, not to get teased for letting a girl help him, but everyone in their house knew she had taken a liking to him and didn't question it for fear of her wrath turning on them.

"I forgot to ask, hows home?" She asked. His home was far from happy. With a mother and father obssessed with pureblood mania and a brother who ignored him and shunned him.

"Fine" He answered quietly. She didn't believe him for a second.

"Reg..." She said quietly, using an old nickname.

He looked down and fiddled with the box on his lap.

"Every day I woke up wishing that home was a dream and I was here. I missed my friends, lessons, teachers. I missed you. You're my older sister here and I wish you were back home instead of Sirius." He confessed in a small voice.

She looked at him for a moment with sad eyes before holding out a hand to him, his gaze flickered to it before he tentatively took it. She pulled on his hand until he was sitting next to her. He was still wary of physical contact.

Then she pulled an arm around his shoulders and kissed his forehead.

"Even when you are at home I'm your sister. I'm always here if you need me, just owl me or floo me and I'll be there like that-" She told him honestly, clicking her fingers for effect.

She leant back and pulled him with her to relax, he slowly put his head on her shoulder and she looked into the fire. Wishing she could take him away from it.

She couldn't find a way to do that right now, so she'd just help him forget for now.

"I learnt a new muggle card game over the summer, want to go outside and play?" She asked.

She felt him nod and they both stood up, walking arm in arm out the door.

"Oh wait, forgot something!" She suddenly remembered. She turned back into the common room, grabbed the box of peppermint puffs with a small smile and caught up to him, he grabbed them out of her hands and she laughed. He reallly did love those.

They strolled out at their own pace, dinner wasn't for another half an hour.

They were met with warm sunshine she knew it would do him good, he was a little pale from spending the holiday inside.

They went on instinct to their favourite place, under the willow tree next to the lake.

Miley conjured her cards and set them out, explaining the rules of Go Fish to him simply.

He was a fast learner and soon they had a game going.

With the boys...

Once James had come back disappointed from trying to speak to Lily he slapped Sirius upside the head as Remus tried to gently snap him out of his trance, the girl was long gone, having left with a younger girl earlier.

Peter had gone and when they couldn't find him they had decided to go outside. Remus had an ulterior motive. He knew Miley was out there...

As soon as they were out of the doors his eyes fell on her.

"Remus what is your girl doing with my brother?" Sirius asked, genuinely confused.

His brother was annoying, always trying to bother him at home. Sirius just knew he would have reported every word that passed his lips to their parents.

"No idea. Why don't we go over under the pretence of saying how good the speech was" James answered.

The other two boys mouths fell open. Never had James sounded so smart. They looked to eachother before moving past it.

"Sounds like a plan, that way Remmy can also be near to Mrs Lupin" Sirius joked. It earned him a punch on the shoulder, but it came with a smile.

They started to go over, trying to act casual by moving towards a point a few metres away from the pair.

With Miley and Regulus...

"Go fish" Miley told him smugly, he pulled his tongue out at her and she replied with ruffling his hair to annoy him. It did and in his attempts to get away from her hand he fell sideways and dropped his cards, she started to laugh and he looked at her cheekily and suddenly swept a hand out, knocking her cards from her own hand, in her shock she too fell sideways and they both glared at eachother for a second before bursting into laughter.

Miley was still chuckling when she felt Regulus stiffen, she sat up and saw Remus, Potter and older Black coming their way.

"Don't worry Reg" She told him consolingly and they both moved to pick up their cards.

"Hi Miley, great speech" She heard Remus say from above her.

She turned and smiled

"Thanks." She said simply, not wanting to hurt Remus but willing them to go away for Regulus's sake.

"Yep thats the only reason we came over, nothing else-OW!" Sirius started, too innocent until Remus clapped him upside the head

"What was your other reason?" She asked, knowing there was something else.

The three looked guiltily at each other

"We wanted to see what yuo and my little brother were doing" Sirius blurted out, Miley looked towards Regulus, who had his eyes to the floor.

"More than you've ever done with him" She spat out, angry that he could be so casual about hurting his own brother's feelings.

They seemed a little taken a back.

"You don't know what I do with him" Sirius retorted, knowing he would lose the argument because she was right.

"Yes I do actually he told-" She started but heard a small voice behind her

"Don't" Regulus pleaded.

She sighed and put her cards in her pocket before standing.

"Come on Reg, you need filling up" She told him, giving him a wink.

He smiled a little and they began to move past the three confused boys.

"Hang on. Regulus you tell her things about home?" Sirius cried.

He hung his head

"Whether he does or doesn't it's none of your business" Miley replied, trying to remain calm.

"Yes it is." Sirius retorted, taking a step towards them

Remus stayed still, judging the situation seriously, if Sirius made another step he didn't think he'd be able to stop himself from intervening to protect her.

"If he wants to tell you what I know then it's his choice, its not my choice to tell you unless he says its okay. Now if you will excuse us." She replied heatedly before turning on the spot.

"Well Regulus, going to tell me what you've been saying about me and our family?" Sirius yelled as they walked away.

They saw Miley say something to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

Then they both stopped. She looked down to him and smiled. After this they both walked quickly back. Regulus looked more confident.

"I'll tell you what I've been saying. I've told her how you ignore me all summer, test out your latest pranks on me and leave me to fight our parents alone. She listens to me, she helps me. I wish she was my sister and you weren't my brother. I hate you!" He told his older brother who stood stonily but flinched at his last words.

"You've poisoned him against me!" Sirius yelled, Remus took a step closer, ready to protect if his friend got violent.

Miley shook her head sadly

"You did that yourself, from years of leaving him to fend for himself against your parents. You can lock yourself in your room away from it all but they keep a closer eye on him. And you left hm to face the taunts, hide the beatings and you let him hold the shame of both your regretful exsitances alone." She explained, rubbing a hand on Regulus's back to try and calm him shallow breaths at his outburst.

"You don't know our family!" Sirius roared. He was angry that she was saying these things, angry that his brother had told her things. But most of all her was angry because he now realised that it was true.

They both turned again and made their way back to the castle.

"Sorry mate" James told him.

"He hates me...I always thought our parents loved him. I had no idea they beat him!" Sirius cried, angry at himself for not seeing it himself all these years.

"Then its not your fault" Remus explained

"Thats not how he sees it though, he thinks I knew and left him to it." Sirius yelled, not angry with his friends, just the situation.

"Come on mate lets get some food. We'll think of a way you can make it up to him later if you want" James consoled him, putting a hand to his friend's arm and slowly moving him towards the castle.

Later with Isobel...

She smiled to herself, but it soon faded. Mother had been so happy she'd cried. It was only for a minute that Isobel had been able to actually talk to her brother. And in that moment she'd never seen him so happy. The only one in their family who had not been happy was father, when he had appeared in the room Isobel had told Emily (her little sister) to go to her dorm as it was getting late. She knew the danger signals.

Her father was holding an empty glass, was swaying slightly and his face was red.

"Wass goin' on 'ere then?" He had slurred.

She had turned to her mother with a wary glance and her brother had already ran from the room.

"Well love, today Isobel was at a speech and they have found something that will help Will's condition" Her mother had tried, talking slowly and lovingly to make sure he heard.

"Really then...It'll kill 'im will it" Her father had joked, swaying on his feet. He then stood laughing at his own joke.

"No but it will make him know what he's doing when he's transformed so he won't ever bite anyone" Her poor desperate mother had explained.

"Ow much will it cost me" He had yelled, swinging the bottle wildly. Isobel, once more in her life, felt truly scared for her mother.

Her father was, short, but very well built, strong and with sharp features that made you instantly wary of him.

"Nothing, the creator is doing it for charity." Isobel had cut in.

"Bollocks, mus' be somethin' in it for 'im" He had retorted, having trouble focusing on her head in the fire.

"Actually it was a girl from my school and an older french gentleman who is a werewolf himself" Isobel had told him with fake politeness, he had never believed girls could do anything.

"Sound iffy to me. Don't lie to me girl!" He had roared before storming towards the fireplace.

Her mother had ran from the room and Isobel ducked her head out of the fire and had quickly ran from her Head of house's room.

She was now in bed and it was past midnight. She couldn't sleep.

Isobel had always had a good imagination but it was now becoming a curse. She could feel every blow her father brought to her mother's body, she shook from the sobs she could practically taste her mother crying and then when it would be over her would go back down to the pub and leave her brother to clean up.

She could see him shaking at he wiped the blood from her face. He was very talented as a wizard and he instantly healed her mother any time father had beaten her. Without a wand or any knowledge towards the healing spells needed. He would do well in Hogwarts.

But once he came here there would be no one to heal the broken bones and torn flesh of their poor poor broken mother.

Isobel was no Gryffindor, she wasn't brave. She shuddered at remembering the first time he had hit her, slapped her round the face, her lip had bled and her head had felt like it was about to explode.

That had been when she was ten. Her mother had pleaded with him, begged him not to hurt their little girl and for the first time he had listened. He had stormed out and her mother instantly had her wand out and healed her.

She curled up and wished that night for something...anything...anyone...to come to stop him hurting them.

A/N well theres another chapter, it won't all be dark, also bad guys in my fics get whats coming to them if you get my drift!

And i'm hoping you're all getting the hints abot isobel and a certain Marauder, hehe

PLEASE REVIEW-it would be nice to have a few suggestions to plot points