I'm a little late with this chapter but at least I updated before months passed. Anyways on with the show!

I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER but I do own the Blackwood family, the Caw family, and the Beckett family.

ENJOY

10

Sirius wouldn't talk to anyone for the week following Christmas. He would just stared at the necklace he was going to give Arena. The necklace was a simple silver chain and hanging from it was a silver heart. The heart had three diamonds embedded in it. If he was alive and well they would stay the same, but if he would to die they would change a solid black.

"I'm sorry," he would whisper to himself over and over again. James would watch his friend every once in a while, hoping to catch an emotion that wasn't grief.

Soon the holidays were over, not that Sirius cared. Even if he was going to see the girl he had fallen in love with, she didn't want to see him.

"Come on Sirius," James called from the doorway, "It's time to go." "Alright," Sirius whispered before burying the necklace deep in his trunk. Slowly he shrunk it and followed James out the door, the thought of Arena never leaving his mind.

Lily walked into the compartment her, Mandy, and Arena usually shared. Arena was already there and the first thing she noticed was that the scar was gone. Of course she already knew that her family had gotten rid of it, but the shock of seeing her with out it was amazing. The second thing she noticed was that her friend had tears coming out of her eyes and that she was staring at something on her left hand.

"Arena…," Lily whispered. Arena looked up at her for a second before holding up the hand she was looking at. On her finger was a diamond ring, a symbol of her engagement to Reeve Beckett.

"Oh Arena," Lily whispered before rushing to hug her friend.

"It was a bet Lily," Arena told her, "Sirius bet James that he could make me pretty and dateable," she added when she saw the confusion spread across Lily's face.

"That bastard," the two girls turned to see Mandy entering the compartment. Arena stayed silent as she just went back to staring at the ring on her finger in sadness. Lily stared at her friend for what could have only been seconds before abruptly standing up and walking quickly over to Mandy.

"Watch Arena," she whispered, "I'll be back soon." Lily then quickly left the compartment and went to find a certain glasses wearing Gryffindor.

"James Potter!" Lily screamed lloud enough for James to hear her two minutes before she actually stormed through his compartment door. He thanked Merlin he was alone when she came in.

"Of all the loathsome irresponsible things you've done in the past!" she screamed at him before she raised her hand and delivered him a harmful slap to his face.

"Lily…," he started, a hand going to his cheek. Unfortunaltly he was interrupted.

"Arena is heart broken! She's been crying her eyes out ever since Christmas because of you and Black!"

"Lily…," still she wouldn't let him speak.

"How could you do such a thing! I thought you were finally acting your age, but no!" she screamed at him, "You just had to prove me wrong, you had to…," she was cut off when James caught her lips with his.

"Lily," James whispered when they parted, "I'm sorry, when we made that bet we didn't know Arena." Lily made to say something - most likely something about the kiss - but James cut her off this time.

"I gave Sirius a chance to cancel the bet but he didn't want to. He didn't want to admit that he was actually falling for someone," he told her, "But he loves her, he does. It killed him to see her heartbroken over something he did. He was going to murder Beckett when he saw Arena hanging onto his arm."

"James," Lily whispered, her eyes starting to water causing James pulled her close to him.." I hate seeing my friend crying over someone." she mumbled into his chest.

"I know Lily, I know."

When Sirius came back to the compartment he didn't enter. Instead he left the new couple alone and ventured around the train, alone.

Remus was patrolling the train like the prefect he was. He had witnessed the touching scene between the two head students with a small smile. He was only half way through patrolling when he came across Arena and Mandy. He saw tears in Arena's eyes and saw what could only be insults coming out of Mandy's mouth. He knew that he should just keep going. He knew what had happened over break and he knew that Arena was most likely mad at him. But still his feet brought him straight into the lion's den.

"Get out!" Mandy sneered.

"Arena…," he started, ignoring Mandy's order. Arena only turned away from him as Mandy interrupted him.

"NO! You knew the entire time and you knew how much she was risking just by seeing him but still you let her think that he actually cared about her," tears fell faster down Arena's cheeks as Mandy screamed at him.

"You knowingly let her get hurt," Mandy finished.

"I know, and I'm so, so sorry," Remus apologized but it seemed like Arena almost didn't hear it.

"Don't try to apologize Lupin, get out," Mandy commanded and Remus let out a sad sigh.

"I really am sorry, Arena," he said before he left. "I was against the bet in the first place and I would have told you if it meant me not betraying my friends," he whispered and than left. Arena turned back around and stared at where Remus had once stood. Within only a minute Mandy went back to insulting Sirius and the rest of the Marauders.

Remus continued to patrol only to come about another shocking sight. Nervous little Peter was talking to Javen, Desmond and another boy who looked like a smaller version of Javen. Peter had a sadistic look upon his face, a look that no one would normally see on the pudgy Gryffindor boy. He pressed his eyes against the compartment door and listened.

"Any more information you blithering idiot?" Javen's deep voice asked.

"Yes yes, Blackwood and Black broke up over the holidays, both are crying their eyes out," Peter's squeaky voice told him. Remus thought he almost sounded happy.

"Good, by next year my sister should be out of the house and living with her new family," the child-like voice of Desmond said.

"Very true cousin, she smears the name of Blackwood's everywhere," this voice was new, "She's a disgrace!"

"Sterling a Blackwood never shouts," Javen said in a big brother tone and Remus remembered that Sterling was a second year Slytherin and Javen's brother. After hearing this Remus was about to escape down the hall to find his friends when the compartment door slid open.

Javen felt a body fall into his and he looked down to see the shaggy head of Remus Lupin. He sneered as he dragged the struggling body back into his compartment.

"Look who was outside listening," he smirked as threw the body onto the ground between the two seats.

"R-R-Remus," Peter stuttered as he saw his friend hit the floor. Remus stared at his friend with a look of betrayal before it morphed into a fierce glare.

"We can't have you spilling our secrets, now can we?"

"And how are you going to keep me from telling Arena and Sirius about your stupid plans?" Remus spat before turning his gaze to his traitorous friend. "And you, there is nothing that you can do to stop me from telling James and Sirius. You're a backstabbing bastard who is going to burn in hell!" Desmond gave him a swift kick in the side making Remus clutch his side in pain.

"Believe me," Javen said before lowering his face close to Remus's "You won't be remembering anything." Javen raised his fist and in a moment Remus saw nothing but darkness.

Arena walked down the hallway, her hand brushing against the compartment doors. She needed to get away from Mandy's insulting words. She needed to be alone for she didn't want to hear anyone saying anything - good or bad - about Sirius Black.

"W-what are you g-going to do now?" a small stuttering voice asked and Arena recognized it to belong to Peter Pettigrew. She turned her head slightly and saw that he was in a compartment, along with Javen, Desmond, and Sterling. It took her a moment but she also saw Remus, laying on the floor, bleeding.

"Remus," she whispered to no one.

"We can't get rid of him, it would cause to much suspicion," Sterling voiced.

"We are wizards Sterling," Javen told him before taking out his wand and pointing it at the unconscious Gryffindor. "Obliviate," a white light shot out of his want and towards Remus's head and in a moment it disappeared, along with some of Remus's memories.

Arena stared with fear for only a moment longer before turning around and running back to her compartment. The whole way she promised herself she wouldn't breath a word to this to anyone, she couldn't for fear of what her cousin might do if she did.

After Arena had told her she wanted to be alone, Mandy set off to find Lily. She had been gone longer that Mandy had expected. Making her way to the compartment she knew belonged to the Marauders she couldn't belive what she saw. James was holding Lily tight against his chest and Lily wasn't struggling to break free. In fact it seemed as if she was leaning closer - if possible - to him.

"Lily!" Mandy shouted. At the sound of her voice Lily and James jumped apart and Lily's guilty green eyes landed on her friend.

"Mandy, I…"

"Don't even try to explain! Arena is in the other compartment crying her eyes out and your in here getting all cozy with the idiotic prat who started it all!"

"But Mandy…"

"No! I don't want to hear anything that comes out of your traitorous mouth!"

"Stop it!" all three pairs of eyes shifted to see Arena standing at the door, her eyes dry as the desert. "I don't want anyone to suffer because of what Sirius did to me. If Lily wants to date James then she has my support."

"Arena…," Mandy started but was interrupted by Arena this time.

"Mandy, stop fighting my battles for me. If I want to yell at Remus I will. If I want to yell at Lily I will. If I want to scream and shout and cry and fight, I will!" Mandy took a small step back.

"I don't need or want you to fight people for me. It wasn't Remus who made the bet and it wasn't him who carried it out. All he did was not betray his friends." All Mandy could do was nod.

"Arena, I'm sorry," James said after a minute or so, "I told Sirius that he could just forget the stupid bet but he you know how he is."

"Yeah, sadly I do. Thanks James, and take care of Lily," Arena said before walking out with a sad smile decorating her lips.

While Arena was roaming the corridors alone she came upon Sirius. Not the smiling Sirius she knew, but a Sirius who was crying.

"Arena," Sirius whispered when his tearful eyes met hers. Arena made to get away but Sirius stopped her and pulled her against him.

"Arena, please, I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "Let me explain."

"I already know," she told him, "You and James made the bet. Remus was against and Peter just went along with it. James gave you a chance to brake the bet but you didn't because you too damn prideful." Sirius looked at her with shock.

"Arena…," he was interrupted.

"It wasn't the bet that hurt me the most though," tears again started to fall, "If you would have told me it would have been fine, I would have excepted it. What hurts the most is that I had to hear it form my cousin!"

"Arena, I'm so, so, so sorry," Sirius whispered, "I never meant to hurt you and I certainly didn't mean to fall in love with you." Arena jerked away from him to look up into his gray eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"You heard me, I love you Arena Blackwood," Sirius repeated, a smile firmly place on his face.

"I," Arena let a smile grace her lips as well, "I love you too," she whispered before the two locked their lips in a soft, loving kiss. After what could have only been seconds, but felt like a life time, Arena pulled back. The smiled left her face and she stepped back from the boy she loved.

"I do love you Sirius, with all my heart, but," she held up her hand, more tear rolling down her cheeks. "It's already too late." She took off running and Sirius could only stand there. Her words echoing in his head, it's already too late.

XOXOX

How did you like it? I'm going to try to finish it up in the next two chapters. I haven't started the next chapter yet but I'm about to after I upload this. So sadly this time I don't have a preview. Until next time!

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