Author's Note (IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!): This story has mentions of near rape. If this may bother you, please DO NOT read this story. I don't want to make anyone upset. There also may be some swearing on occasion. If this will bother you, please avoid reading the story. Thank you. Now, if there's anyone left willing to read this, please leave a review and let me know what you think. The names for the characters you do not recognize come from hasani. net. phtemp celestial .html Just take the spaces out. The names are on there, along with their meanings.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any characters that you recognize. I do not own any settings you recognize, I do not own any games you recognize. If you recognize it, it belongs to J.K. Rowling, last that I knew. What I do know, is that it IS NOT MINE! I also do NOT own the names or their meanings. I do NOT own the website they came from either.

Basically, if you recognize it, it does NOT belong to me!

Ch. 11

School started back up again, making the group of friends rather glad that they had done their homework over break. The professors were piling it on, and the Marauders had stopped pulling pranks for a while in an attempt to keep up. The friends studied together every evening, meeting in the boys dorm for some quiet in which to work. Soon, spring made itself known with warm, humid air, but they never had enough energy to wander down to the lake. One evening, Lily had stayed with the boys to discuss some notes with Remus after Anila had gone to bed. She finally understood the material, and said goodnight to the boys. As she was leaving James pulled off his shirt and ran after her.

"Lily."

She turned, then immediately averted her eyes.

"What is it, Potter?"

"I was just wondering if you could tell me what Anila drew on my back? I still haven't figured it out, and I didn't want to ask the boys because Sirius might be disappointed that he didn't get a drawing..."

Lily nodded.

"She traced around your vertebra with the red marker, then drew the Gryffindor mascot in yellow on each one. Goodnight, James."

"Goodnight, Lily."

As he watched her go, James couldn't help feeling thrilled that she had actually used his first name for once.

The teachers had eased up slightly on the amount of homework that they were assigning, and both students and staff were starting to relax in the absence of a prank by the Marauders. So, the boys decided that they had to do a small one, just to let off some was wandering around the school, having finished her last class for the day. She turned a corner, and was about halfway down the hall when she heard yelling and laughter, then a series of bangs. She didn't have time to move aside as four boys with Gryffindor emblems on their robes came tearing around the corner, one with long black hair knocking her to the ground without a second thought. She felt a sharp pain in her knee, and nearly started crying. Filch came around the same corner that the boys had, stopping when he saw her. He approached and took her arm.

"Up ya get now. One, two, three..."

He helped her to her feet, then steadied her.

"Did ya see who did it?"

Anila stared into his eyes, then turned away, trying not to cry.

"I can't say."

Mr. Filch nodded.

"More of your loyalty, lass?"

Anila nodded, thinking that if she spoke, she would , most people would be surprised to learn, actually wasn't an entirely bad man. He was honest, and worked hard. If he had been a wizard, he likely would have been a Hufflepuff in school, but instead, he was a Squib. Most students didn't understand how hard it was to know about magic, to grow up around it, just to find out that you didn't have it. His older sister was a witch, but he was stuck in a world that he never truly felt accepted in.

Then, Anila had come to had visited before the term started, just so she could become acquainted with the professors and other staff members, as well as talk to them about her condition. Filch had been dreading the time when he would meet her, but was pleasantly surprised was waiting around a corner to wipe up the dirt and mud she would undoubtedly track in, along with whatever her mother tracked in. He immediately inspected the floor once they had walked through, but couldn't find any dirt at all. He was still looking by the end of their visit, scratching his head and pondering where the dirt had gone. They were just walking out the door when Anila turned to him and tapped his shoulder. He looked at her, and she held out a bottle of potion. He took it rather hesitantly, then read the note attached to it.

'Dear Mr. Filch,I saw you hiding around the corner when we first walked in, and I saw you checking the floor, so I do hope that we didn't track anything in. This potion is one I brewed, and it's particularly good at cleaning up messes of various sorts. As much as I like being outside, I don't like tracking it inside, so I figured that you might get some use out of this. Hope to see you this coming term! I'm more than willing to help clean for a bit if I get the time, it helps me clear my mind. Good day.
Anila Mandara'

He had smiled at her, then waved as she followed her mother out of the castle. The potion she had given him actually cleaned several messes that he had been fighting with for ages. She had, in fact, visited him several times once the term had started, happily chatting with him about anything and everything, except for magic. She seemed to know what he was feeling, and could easily diffuse his short temper by either talking with him, or doing a bit of magic that he could remember his sister doing when they were younger. Filch understood that Anila was loyal to those she deemed worthy of her trust, so he didn't push when she refused to tell him who the culprits of the dropped dungbombs were.

"It's alright, lass. Let's get your knees bandaged up, then I'll clean up the mess."

Anila shook her head and held up her wand.

"Let me do it?"

Filch hesitated, then helped the girl over to the hall where the dungbombs had been set off.

"Scourgify!"

The mess was cleaned up, but the smell remained. Anila pulled a spray bottle out of her robes and tapped it with her wand. A nice, flowery smell now filled the hall, the stench having finally gone away. Filch smiled at her, then helped her down to his office. He cleaned and bandaged her scraped knees, then bid her good day.

Anila had made her way back to Gryffindor tower, and up to the girls dorm, where she found Lily and Alice. They both looked up, ready to greet her cheerfully, and frowned. Anila had tears streaming down her face, and they could see the bandages on her knees.

"Anila, what happened?"

She shook her head.

"Do you want me to get Sirius?"

Another shake of her head, more certain this time.

"What can we do to help you?"

"No tell any students."

Both Alice and Lily agreed not to tell any of their schoolmates.

"Want Regulus."

Lily nodded.

"Alright, let's go see if Professor McGonagall can help."

Anila took Lily's hand and followed her from the room, both saying goodbye to Alice on their way out.

McGonagall had immediately contacted Professor Slughorn, asking him to send Regulus to her office. They sat down to wait, Anila wincing as the movement sent a pang through her knees. Regulus soon entered the room, looking rather confused.

"Professor?"

"Anila needed to see you."

Regulus turned instantly.

"What's wrong, Anila? Why are your knees bandaged up?"

Anila shook her head.

The students left, saying goodbye to McGonagall on their way out of her office. Lily made sure that Anila was okay to stay with Regulus before leaving, knowing that she only wanted to speak with him right then. The two cousins walked in silence, Regulus supporting Anila so walking would be less painful.

"It was Sirius."

Regulus immediately looked over at her. For Anila to use Sirius's full name instead of 'Siri' was rare, and showed just how hurt she truly was.

"What did he do?"

"No tell anyone."

Regulus promised.

"He, with the Marauders, dropped something in the hall...I think Mr. Filch called it a dungbomb?"

Regulus nodded, used to his cousin not knowing about stuff from Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley.

"I was taking a walk when they ran past, and Sirius...knocked me over."

Regulus tightened his grip around the girl's shoulders, but remained silent.

"He didn't even stop to see if I was alright! He just kept going, all of them did! I don't care whether they recognized me or not, they should've stopped to check if I was alright."

Regulus sighed.

"I'll talk to him at dinner. Gryffindor house isn't exactly fond of me, but you sitting with the Slytherins would be disastrous."

They slowly made their way down to dinner, both feeling more than a little angry.

The Marauders were laughing over the prank they had pulled on Filch, unaware that the mess was already cleaned up, and the smell completely gone. Anila walked into the Great Hall with Regulus, much to Sirius's surprise.

"Hey, Windy."

Both he and his friends were surprised when he received a scowl in return. Regulus sat down, pulling Anila into the seat next to him.

"We need to talk about that stunt you pulled earlier."

"I don't know what you're talking..."

"Shut up. The stunt with the dungbombs."

Regulus was whispering, knowing that Anila hadn't turned the boys in.

"What about it?"

"You, in your attempt to make a quick getaway, knocked somebody down."

"And this concerns you because...?"

"Anila, show him your knees."

Anila stood and moved her skirt slightly. Sirius gasped.

"Windy, what happened to you? Who hurt you?"

Remus shut his eyes, feeling slightly sick. Regulus caught the movement.

"Ask Lupin, he seems to know."

Sirius turned to Remus.

"Moony, who did this to her?"

Remus swallowed.

"You ran into someone, remember? We were trying to get away and turned that first corner, you shoved someone to the ground. We didn't realize who it was then..."

The blood drained from Sirius's face.

"No..."

Regulus nodded.

"Yes. You are the one at fault for her injuries. I get that you want her to be okay with you again, but I can't force her. I'll try to help you, but she's the one you have to convince, not me."

Regulus stood to return to his table.

"By the way, all four of you ought to be begging for forgiveness. You may not have recognized her, but she recognized all of you, and never told Filch who dropped the dungbombs."

He turned and walked away.

Lily was chatting quietly with Anila, a comforting arm wrapped around her shoulders. Anila was eating somewhat quietly, only talking to Lily, though she did smile when Alice and Frank each gave her a hug. Sirius kept trying to talk to Anila throughout dinner, finally giving up when she walked out of the Great Hall. Sirius moved to go after her, but James pulled him back into his seat.

"You aren't going to be able to make her listen right now, Padfoot. She's more likely to hex you than forgive you."

Sirius sighed and turned back to his food.

"I know, Prongs, but she has never been mad at me before. It feels strange."

Remus, who appeared to be calmly eating his dinner, was actually thinking about how to make Anila happy again.