Hi everyone, here's this weeks chapter. A quick notice for next week: as the next two chapters are going to be short once again, I plan on updating TWICE on WEDNESDAY, as usual, and on SATURDAY. I would love to hear what you think about this story, as any feedback is much appreciated. Also if you have any questions about ANYTHING to do with this story then feel free to leave a review or message me. With that said, sit back, and enjoy.

The walk to the Hospital Wing was notably scarier in the dark when every step was accompanied by the fear of running into Filch, Mrs Norris (Filch's horrible cat), Peeves or a patrolling teacher. Then again, maybe running into a teacher wouldn't have been too bad. Unless it was Professor Snape. I had no doubts that he would drag me to his office, lecture me, then drag me to Professor McGonagall's office, lecture me again, and only then accompany me to the Hospital Wing as an afterthought.

For the first time, I skipped knocking and went straight into the Hospital Wing. The Fat Friar, Hufflepuff's House Ghost, looked up at me as I stopped in the doorway.

"Is everything alright, little one?" he asked, gently.

"Madam Pomfrey said to come if I ever feel ill and –" I stumbled slightly as I stepped forward.

The room wobbled dangerously.

The Fat Friar reached out as if to catch me. "Take a bed. I'll fetch Madam Pomfrey."

He disappeared up the spiral stairs before I could respond. I fell backwards onto the nearest bed and shut my eyes. Sweat felt like it was pouring off me and bile rose in my throat. I took deep breaths, willing myself not to be sick and for the dizziness to stop.

"Miss Black?"

I jumped slightly as a light hand rested itself on my forehead. It took more effort than I expected to open my eyes. Madam Pomfrey was stood over me, checking my temperature.

"Do you feel sick? Shaky? Weak?"

I nodded yes to each one.

"I need you to sit up," said Madam Pomfrey.

She helped me sit up and prop myself against the headboard. It was then that I saw what was on the bedside table. I almost groaned. This was going to sting.

Madam Pomfrey picked up a small scalpel and gently took my right hand. I braced myself for the sting as she made a small cut across my middle finger. Years ago, I had asked a Healer why they didn't just use magic so it wouldn't hurt. He had laughed and smiled before telling me that cuts using magic were more likely to scar as it could sometimes be difficult to get all the foreign magic out of the wound. His laughing stopped when Uncle Lucius snapped at him to just get on with it. I hadn't really understood what the Healer had meant and still didn't when Madam Pomfrey let a few drops of my blood mix with the potion.

I watched as Madam Pomfrey left the potion on the bedside table to mix and applied a small amount of paste to my finger. The bleeding had already stopped and the paste would help the cut to heal instantly without leaving a mark.

"What did you have for breakfast?" asked Madam Pomfrey as she opened a folder with my name on it.

"Porridge and a slice of toast."

She wrote that down before asking about my lunch.

I froze as I remembered. "I didn't."

Madam Pomfrey looked up at me, sharply. "Miss Black –"

"I know. I'm sorry. But we had our first flying lesson after lunch and I was nervous and couldn't eat."

"Dinner?"

I had expected a scolding but, unwilling to push my luck, I answered.

A few more notes were written down and the potion checked. Low blood sugar. Madam Pomfrey and I already knew that but it still felt shameful to see the proof.

I should have been able to look after myself, I thought miserably as I drunk the potion which had been shoved into my hands.

Once the potion was gone, Madam Pomfrey cleared the bedside table with a flick of her wand and ordered me to sleep before drawing the curtains around my bed. Exhausted, I kicked off my slippers and crawled under the covers, dressing gown still on. I shivered and burrowed deeper, willing my body to warm up.

My last few thoughts before I drifted off were whether Granger, Potter and Weasley had been caught and what Granger would think when she got back and I wasn't there. Would she notice straight away or would it be morning when she realised?

Madam Pomfrey deemed me unfit for lessons the next morning and insisted that I stay in the Hospital Wing another night so she could check my blood sugar levels throughout the day. I started to argue that I would be fine but she walked away, leaving me to gape after her. Being yelled at and occasionally threatened when I argued back, I was used to. Being ignored felt strange. It worked and I grumpily answered Madam Pomfrey's questions about my diet and sleeping. She wasn't happy when I revealed how badly I had been sleeping and promised some potions to help.

My morning was peaceful, if a little dull. Madam Pomfrey brought me a few books from her shelves upstairs that I flicked through. Lunch was a relief. I was halfway through a bowl of tomato soup when Granger peeked her head around the door. She visibly relaxed when she noticed me and silently entered when I waved her forward.

"Hi," she said, nervously.

"What happened last night?" I demanded. "Did you get caught?"

"Um –"

I indicated for Granger to sit on the bed. "Madam Pomfrey is upstairs in her office. Besides she won't tell you off for being here."

"Right, well, I followed Harry and Ron outside where we found Neville – he had been shut out of the common room, forgotten the password again – and I was going to go back into the common room but the Fat Lady wasn't there so I went with the boys to the trophy room but Malfoy never showed – we were there for ages – so we were going to head back to the Common Room thinking surely the Fat Lady would have returned but Mrs Norris was there so we had to run from her and Filch and we didn't realise where we were until it was too late, but we were in the third floor corridor – the one we aren't meant to go into – and we found a locked door but we were desperate – I couldn't bear to be caught breaking the rules – so I cast alohamora and unlocked the door so we went in and hid but Merlin's beard, Sage, you won't believe it but there was a massive three-headed dog and we only just got away from it. I mean honestly, that creature could have killed us and if it had it would have been entirely Harry and Ron's fault! Being so reckless like that!"

Granger spoke so fast I had to stop eating so I could concentrate enough to keep up. "I'm sure the dog wouldn't have killed you. Maimed you beyond recognition, maybe, but people do survive that sort thing. Occasionally."

"Sage, this is serious," Granger huffed.

I grinned at her. "You're all alive though, right?"

Granger nodded.

"Then don't worry. Think of it as a story to tell when you get back home."

"I doubt my parents would let me come back if they knew."

"Maybe change the over-sized three-headed dog into something a little less scary. Like a rabbit?" I said, trying not to giggle.

Granger laughed.

"What are you two laughing at?" asked a familiar, unexpected voice.

"Rabbits," I replied, gathering the last of my soup on the spoon.

Caleb gave me a look before turning on Granger.

"Would you mind leaving my sister and I alone to talk?" He smiled politely but I could see the disgust in his eyes. Caleb hated Muggle-Borns just as much as Draco, he was just a lot better at hiding it and subtler in his rudeness.

"S-sure," stuttered Granger. "I'll leave your homework here and stop by later?"

"Sure, see you later." I smiled a real smile, unlike Caleb.

Neither of us said anything until after the doors had closed behind Granger.

"This came for you today." Caleb held out a letter addressed to me as he sat on the bed. "I assume Madam Pomfrey wrote a letter to Aunt Cissa and Uncle Lucius last night. They also sent me one to remind me that I'm meant to be looking out for you."

I opened my letter. "Well you are seven minutes older than me. It's all part of the big brother duties," I teased, lightly.

The letter was nothing more than a get well soon message and a brief scolding for not being more careful. I tossed it aside after reading it.

"How are your classes going?" asked Caleb.

It was my turn to give him a look.

Caleb grinned at me, showing his teeth. "What? Not in the mood for small talk?"

"Did you hear what Draco did last night?"

"No."

I told him.

Caleb's face darkened. "Little weasel. Ratting someone out like that." He shook his head. "He'll never get any respect acting like that."

"He has Crabbe and Goyle," I reminded him.

He snorted. "They only follow him around because no-one else is dumb enough to stand him."

"Parkinson."

"So you think she's smart, now?"

"No, not really."

Caleb chuckled. "I already scolded Draco for what he did in your flying lesson yesterday. Honestly, does he want to get expelled?"

I shrugged. "He wants to go to Durmstrung."

"Idiot."

"That's what I told him."

"So why was a Muggle-Born sat at your bedside?"

I'd been waiting for that. "She's my friend."

"You need better friends."

"Cay –"

"I'm not trying to be mean but she doesn't know our ways, Sage. She doesn't know how the Wizarding World works let alone how Pureblood society does. Merlin knows it's hard enough to be friends with purebloods outside of our social circle let alone Half-Bloods and Muggle-Borns."

"Celia isn't in our social circle and she and I get on fine," I pointed out.

Caleb nodded. "For now. But what about when something happens? She's not going to be there for you. Not in the way someone like Parkinson or Greengrass could be."

"I thought we'd already agreed that Parkinson is an idiot."

"We did, now stop avoiding the point," Caleb scolded, lightly. "This Muggle-Born and Carrow don't understand or know enough about us to make good friends."

"Then I'll teach them," I argued. "That's what Muggles do. They don't know a thing about one another when they first meet, not even a mutual person, and they can still be lifelong friends!"

Caleb narrowed his eyes at me.

I glared back.

An angry tick started in Caleb's jaw as he fought not to yell at me. It wasn't worth the trouble he would get into should Madam Pomfrey hear.

"Maybe you are too oblivious to notice, Sage, but we are not Muggles." He spat the last word, like it had a bad taste to it.

I rolled my eyes at his over-reaction. "Really? Well that throws me, then. Do tell me. Maybe we're unicorns?"

"You're impossible."

"And you're being mean."

"I'm just keeping my promise by looking out for you. I would hate to have to write home with my concerns." Caleb's smile turned mocking.

"Don't. You. Dare."

"I'm your big brother, therefore I know what is best for you." Caleb stood to leave. "You should listen to me more often; I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"No, you are trying to control me. Which, by the way, is not going to happen."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm looking out for you. Draco has been talking about writing home about your Muggle-Born friend. I'm just prewarning you so you can make the right choice, dump the Muggle-Born and stay out of trouble with Uncle Lucius."

"Thank you for the advice, but I can look after myself."

My glare intensified as Caleb looked me over. I was still in my night gown, the duvet pulled up to my waist and I didn't even what to think about the state of my hair.

"You sure about that?"

I threw a pillow at him. "Don't you have a lesson to go to?"

"Not until half two. Maybe I could stay a little longer?"

"Please don't."

Caleb faked a look of hurt. "We've barely spoken since we got here and now you're kicking me out? I'm hurt."

"Well, I suppose if you were to get the chess set from Madam Pomfrey's office then I could be willing to put up with you for a little while longer," I said, smiling sweetly.

He nodded and headed up the stairs. I listened to the voices upstairs. Caleb had spent about three weeks in the Hospital Wing last year with the flu. Normally, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have kept a student that long but Caleb was known for having a weak immune system and it had seemed safer to keep him under quarantine for a while. Apparently, Caleb had wormed his way into Madam Pomfrey's good books.

Despite having the chess board set up, Caleb and I spent more time catching up than we did actually playing. I was surprised to learn that Caleb also disliked Professor Snape. When I asked why, he shrugged saying that Snape was cruel to those who couldn't take it.

There was a lot about Caleb that I disliked but his strong hatred to those who targeted anyone weaker than themselves wasn't one of them. More than once, my brother had been in trouble for defending the younger children at Solstice parties when the older ones had starting picking on them. I'd asked him why it annoyed him so much and he just looked at me as if I should already know the answer.

"I don't like people like that because it isn't fair. Where is the achievement in hitting someone who's already down? Or kicking someone when a flick will cause them to topple on its own? If you're going to target someone they should either be your equal or at least strong enough to take the blows. If not then you're just being needlessly cruel. Surely you understand that?"

I did understand. People didn't like Caleb and I. Wizarding twins weren't much of a rarity. The Weasley and Patil twins were evidence of that. Nearly everyone knew a set of identical twins. Non-identical, not so much. They were impossible. That's what everyone always said. It was impossible for a mother to carry fraternal twins to full term. Most mothers would miscarriage one or both babies. The rest would die during an early childbirth, alongside at least one of the babies. And the worst part? No-one understood why. Muggles could have non-identical twins so why couldn't Witches? It didn't matter what happened, it was impossible for fraternal twins to be carried to full term.

Unless you were Caleb and I.

No-one really knew how we were still alive. There had been mutterings that maybe our father had done something. Forced our mother to take so many potions they affected her mental state.

Others said that our father had used forbidden and ancient magic to call on demons to bargain that we both survive and that demons had claimed Caleb and I as their own. That was one of the sillier theories and yet it seemed to be the one I heard most often.

The midwife had suggested that it was just luck. We were lucky. Lucky to be born. Lucky to be alive. Lucky to still be alive.

To begin with, the Healers had warned that one of us wouldn't survive a month. That one being Caleb. Surprisingly, I had been the strong one, the bigger newborn, and therefore, the one that the nursemaids forgot. During the first few months, so much attention was put on Caleb to ensure his survival that I was often neglected.

It was Lyam who remembered me. It was Lyam who bottle fed me and burped me and gave me a bath every night. It was Lyam who had fought to take me home when we lost our parents. It was Lyam who lost me when the Ministry declared I would live with the Malfoys as they were my family by blood. It was Lyam who always remembered my birthdays and complimented my drawings and taught me to read and write.

Lyam couldn't do everything though.

Nothing could have protected Caleb and I from the whispers which followed us since the first time we left our family home. The insults people would mutter in our direction. The reluctance parents showed when their children wanted to talk to us. The hateful looks people would throw our way. The blame they put on us for something we didn't do.

So, I did understand why Caleb hated people who preyed on those who couldn't fight back. Because, for years, that was us. We were lucky. We had each other. We fought for each other just as much as we fought against each other. If you insulted one of us, you insulted both of us. We learnt to fight back because we had to.

We shouldn't have had to. That's what Caleb believes.

I understand why he thinks what he does but I disagree. Why shouldn't everyone else have to go through a fraction of the hatred we went through? I rarely pulled my punches or softened my tongue. If I could survive worse, then so could everyone else and if not then that wasn't my problem.

Celia visited briefly after her Herbology lesson, having been excused early by Professor Sprout, her Head of House. We chatted for a few minutes before she was shooed away by Madam Pomfrey for not being in lesson.

As promised Granger visited at the start of dinner, a plate of food in hand. She told me how Professor McGonagall had approached her and told her to take a plate to the Hospital Wing so we could eat together. I smiled. Despite having skipped her first lesson, I liked Professor McGonagall. She was strict but fair and seemed to genuinely care about her students. Every Gyffindor had been told her office hours but according to the older students Professor McGonagall's office was always open, even during lessons, which I found difficult to believe.

Having heard Granger arrive, Madam Pomfrey gave me my dinner a little early, telling me sternly that I was not, under any circumstances, to share a crumb with Granger.

After we had both finished Granger insisted on helping me catch up with my missed work. I tried to tell her I was too ill to work but she didn't believe me. It wasn't too bad, I mainly helped her with the Magical Theory stuff and then she explained the potion Professor Snape had them make.

Granger had just pulled out a stack of books to help with homework (apparently if I couldn't go to the library, Granger was willing to bring the library to me) when Caleb walked in holding a covered plate.

"Don't tell me you got permission to eat with me too?" I said.

Caleb scrunched his nose. "I have to eat with you at home, why in the world would I want to do that at Hogwarts too?"

I wanted to throw a book at him but I had a feeling Granger or Madam Pomfrey would disapprove.

"Then what's on the plate?"

"I went down to the kitchens after dinner and asked them to make you a little something." Caleb sat on the other side of me, away from Granger who was trying to disappear inside a potions book.

"What's on the plate?" I repeated.

Caleb removed the cloth with a dramatic swoosh. "Jam on toast."

"Strawberry?"

"Only because you're ill."

I grabbed for the plate and happily took a bite, savouring the sweet taste of strawberry jam.

"Did I ever mention that you are my favourite brother?"

Caleb laughed. "Not really much of a competition though, is it?"

"Not his fault," I mumble through my toast.

"You have another brother?" asked Granger.

I jumped, having forgotten she was there. Caleb glared at the younger girl before abruptly standing up.

"Sleep well, Sage, and I'll see you tomorrow." Caleb gently placed his left hand on my right and briefly pressed his forehead to mine.

"See you tomorrow, Cay."

Granger waited until he had left before repeating her question.

"He doesn't talk to us. Hasn't for years," I said.

"I'm sorry."

I nodded, stiffly. I didn't want to talk about him. "So, Potions homework?"

That got Granger going again as she read a passage from her book which she thought could be useful in the essay. Although how a fact about unicorn blood would help us in an essay about the properties of various cauldron types was beyond even my intelligence.