A/N: Thank you to Takara Matsudaira for my one and only, lonely review. You da best.

Annabelle woke up to the sound of feet shuffling about the room. Sirius was still asleep, beads of sweat dappling his forehead, which was strange because the room was chilly. She peeked through the curtains and saw Peter leaving. Remus was still in bed, and James' bed was empty.

She turned back to Sirius, checking his watch for the time. It was nearly nine o'clock. She had to move if she was going to be on time to meet her mother again. It was difficult to leave him, though. He'd had a rough night and she wanted to make sure he was better before taking off for the day.

She lay back down and smoothed his hair. His eyes blinked open and when it registered that she was there, his face brightened.

"Hello," he whispered.

Annabelle grinned and slipped her hand round his waist. "Hello."

"Let's stay here all day."

"I have to meet my mum, remember?"

"Let me come with you." His voice was scratchy from sleep. She'd missed his early morning voice.

"You are in no state to join me today." She wiped his forehead with the sleeve of her shirt. "Why are you so sweaty?"

He closed his eyes again. "Don't know, but I feel like shite. I was a mess last night, wasn't I?"

"You were."

"I punched Fairfax?"

"You did."

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. "Bloody hell. I was hoping I dreamt it."

"Do you remember anything else? Like our walk back to the castle? James falling off the sofa? Our conversation?"

Sirius cringed and lowered his eyes. "Let's just say my memory of last night is not as faulty as you might think."

Annabelle relaxed, grateful that he remembered what she'd told him.

"Fairfax said you were drunk when you showed up at The Hog's Head. Where had you been?"

"London. Sorry we didn't invite you."

"I don't mind," she replied, tempted to add I don't own you, but she didn't think right then was the time for dropping passive-aggressive bombshells about her eavesdropping on him and his smoking buddies. "But being drunk in London when Voldemort's followers are about-"

"We can't just stop living, Annie. Then he wins."

He squeezed his eyes shut again and became still for a moment.

"Are you going to be sick?" Annabelle asked.

He shook his head and exhaled. "I don't think so."

Annabelle put a hand on his forehead. "You have a fever."

Her words were an alarm causing him to open his eyes and sit up. He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled his left arm out of the sleeve. Taped across the middle of his upper arm was a large, square bandage.

"Shite, I was supposed to take this off last night."

Annabelle wrinkled her nose as she watched him pull the tape off. "I'm afraid to ask what's under there. What happened?"

"No need to ask. You're going to see for yourself in a moment."

She put her hand over her mouth as he peeled away the gauze. "Oh my god," she gasped.

Sirius examined his arm, then he shifted on the bed so Annabelle could get a better view. "It's a Celtic lion. The lion for Gryffindor, of course, and the Celtic part because of you."

Annabelle was speechless at first. There, starting a few inches below his shoulder, was the profile of a lion's head, its black mane radiating out in jagged tribal lines and swirls.

"And look, I charmed it," he said as he grabbed his wand. When he tapped it, the lion opened his mouth, giving the impression of a ferocious roar. Sirius' shoulders fell when she didn't say anything. "You hate it, don't you?"

"No, I don't." She couldn't take her eyes off it. "I love it, actually."

Sirius perked up. "Really?"

"Merlin, Sirius, it's bloody gorgeous, but did it hurt terribly to get it?"

"It was brutal. James said he could do a numbing spell, but I felt like if I was getting a tattoo, I was going to have the whole experience, not use magic to cheat the pain."

Annabelle winced as she considered whether she would use a numbing spell if she was ever in the market for a tattoo, which she didn't think she would be. Most likely, she thought, she would do whatever she could to avoid the pain.

"You did this for yourself, then? Not to prove something?"

"Of course it was for myself. I always wanted to get one. Wasn't planning on getting it last night, but we were so drunk that I said what the hell, it was as good a time as any. The chap that did it calls himself Chopper." He snorted with laughter at the name.

"He didn't care that you're underage?"

"I told him I was eighteen and he didn't question it. Don't worry, Annie. He was a professional."

"A charmed tattoo of a lion," she said as she examined it up close. "It suits you."

Sirius grinned. "I'm glad you think so. Chopper said a fever and some nausea is normal right after, but I have to watch for infection. I should probably go clean it."

"Did James get one?"

"He thought about it, but his parents would lose it if he did so he decided to wait."

Annabelle wondered if that was the real reason James decided to forgo a tattoo, but she was proud of James for not blindly following Sirius. They may have been best mates, but they were different in many ways and neither should feel compelled to be someone he's not, just to please the other.

"I hate to leave when you aren't feeling well," she said, taking his hand.

"It'll be rough," he replied with a smirk, "but I reckon I'll manage."

"But what if it gets infected?"

Sirius sighed. "If I'd known you were going to worry about it, I wouldn't have mentioned it to you."

"All right, just… make sure you go to Madam Pomfrey if you feel any worse. And get loads of rest."

"Stop worrying, Annie. I'll be fine."

"All right, all right." She moved to get up, but he caught her by the arm and she turned back to him.

"Thank you," he said. "For last night. And I'm sorry for thinking you and Fairfax had something going on. I feel like an idiot."

A blush rose in her cheeks. "No thanks necessary, and apology accepted. Though, you may want to have chat with Fairfax later."

"I will, definitely. Listen, Annie, I know things have been off between you and me, but I'm going to do what it takes to make it better. Whatever I can do to change things back to the way they were, I'll do it."

Annabelle felt guilty that he was taking it upon himself to fix their problems. Sure, his smoking was a bit of a disappointment, but he was mostly blameless. She wondered if she could get away with telling him about Jaeger's threat. If he could hear about it without flying off the handle and retaliating.

"Sirius, I love you. That hasn't changed in the least."

He placed his hand against her neck, and as he ran his thumb over her jawline, he said, "You want me to be open. Well, I want the same from you. You can talk to me about anything. Everything. Let me be there for you."

Upon hearing such heartfelt words, she found herself about to let the entire truth slip out. How good it would feel to just tell him everything! I caught Jaeger touching a student inappropriately. Turns out he was spying on us and if I don't keep his secret, he will tell Dumbledore all the rules we broke, and all the times you cheeked him in class. Dumbledore will never trust us again, and you will quite possibly be expelled. Oh, and he grabbed my face, and told me he was harassing you to torment me.

On second thought, maybe telling him was not the best idea just then.

To stop herself from confessing, she pressed her lips to his. With his shirt half off like that she couldn't resist planting a trail of kisses down the slope of his neck to his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair as she slid her hands around to his back, his skin smooth and warm.

"Annie," he groaned, "what are you doing to me?"

Just as he reached to pull the curtain shut again, someone else groaned – Remus was waking up. Annabelle froze, and Sirius coughed back the urge to laugh. She'd forgot Remus was there, but she was glad he'd made his presence known. Otherwise, he might have got more than he bargained for upon awakening.

She whispered to Sirius, "I'd better go. I'll see you when I get back."

"Be ready to continue where we left off."

"Only if you're feeling better." She leaned in and kissed him one more time, then reminded him, "Make sure you rest."

She was gone before Remus opened his eyes.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The second visit with Colleen was much like the first. Colleen met her at the Leaky Cauldron and they took the tube to Ladbroke Grove. Visible from the moment they stepped out of the station, Golding Tower ruled the wasteland around it like a savage dictator daring someone to tear it down as it swallowed its inhabitants one by one.

As they passed under the awning of the front entrance, a beer bottle shattered onto the pavement from above, narrowly missing Annabelle. Of course, Tommy the beggar was inside by the lift, asking for change. Annabelle wished she could give him something, but all she had was some sickles and a galleon in her coat pocket.

"This is all I've got, Tommy," Colleen said to him as she dropped some coins into his outstretched hand. "You're bleeding me dry."

Colleen didn't make a lot of money, but she gave what she could to the man. It appeared that when she was sober, her heart wasn't all that different from her father's.

Once inside the flat, they talked over tea and biscuits, avoiding anything too heavy. Annabelle didn't want to upset her by asking about anything related to her drug abuse, even though she was bursting with questions. They were the questions she'd carried with her for years- questions such as, Why did you start doing drugs? How could you move away without telling me? Do you even love me?

Instead, Annabelle talked about her teachers, her favourite subjects, and her friends while Colleen listened, asking questions now and then, and nodding and laughing graciously when Annabelle told a funny story.

"Ah, Annie, you have a good head on your shoulders. Didn't get it from me."

Annabelle looked down at her mug and smiled weakly. "Thank you."

There was an awkward silence, and Annabelle hopped up from the sofa and brought her empty mug to the kitchen sink. There were a few dishes there that needed washing, and she was tempted to use magic on them, but felt it might be rude if she did, so she turned on the tap and began washing them the muggle way.

Colleen approached her and said, "No, Annie. You're my guest."

"And I'm your daughter. I should be expected to do the washing up sometimes."

"If you lived here, but-"

"But nothing. There's only a few things, so please let me wash them."

"Sure, you must be mad, a sixteen-year-old clamouring to wash the dishes, but go on then. Enjoy yourself."

Annabelle giggled, happy to have won. Colleen stepped over to the window and opened it a crack. She lit a cigarette and took a drag as she looked out over West London. Annabelle finished the dishes and dried her hands on the dish towel that hung neatly from the handle on the oven. Then she kneeled on the sofa, looking out over the city alongside her bleary-eyed mother.

"For my sixteenth birthday," Colleen began. "Mam let me attend a taping of Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium."

Annabelle bit down on her smile in an effort to contain her delight. She loved that her mother was telling her another story from the past.

"I was so bloody excited. Mam curled my hair with giant rollers the night before, and I put on a new dress she'd bought for me at Selfridges. It twirled into the perfect circle when I spun round, I'll never forget it. Delighted with myself, so I was. I had such a good time that night. Course my friend Brenda had sneaked a flask of her father's whiskey inside her pocketbook, and I thought nothing of it except that it tasted like shite."

She stopped talking to take another drag on her cigarette, blew the smoke away from Annabelle, and continued. "Didn't notice how drunk I was when Da met me at the underground station. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph he had some lungs on him when he was angry. At the time I didn't understand what all the fuss was about, and I told him as much, but I think I understand better now. They sent me to London to enjoy a show, not to go against them. It was like a slap in the face to them, it was… And it only got worse from there."

Annabelle didn't know why her mother told her that particular story, nor did she know how to respond to it. All she knew was her delight was gone, replaced by a twisting in her stomach.

"I'm glad you had my father to guide you, Annie. Sometimes, I wonder if he thought he failed me in some way. As a kid, I felt he had. But now I realise that I was the one who failed him. And my mother. I failed them both so many times and in so many ways that it seemed failing was all I was good for. And then I failed you."

Colleen's voice cracked and she held her arm across her eyes, the cigarette still gripped between her bony, trembling fingers.

"They loved you anyway," Annabelle replied.

Colleen nodded and sniffled, stubbing out her cigarette in the ashtray that sat on the window sill. Annabelle wanted to hug her, but Colleen was so tense and skittish that she thought she might scare the poor woman if she touched her.

"And, I know you've had a lot of problems-"

"Of my own making."

Annabelle's throat felt tight as she replied, "That may be true, but you've struggled nonetheless, and it took me a while to accept it, but I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone. I know addiction is a sickness."

"I'm trying to get better, Annie, but it's a constant battle. I'm not going to lie. There are days that I don't think I'll make it without using. Some days I'm living minute to minute. The support group helps, but god if it isn't excruciating most of the time."

It was hard for Annabelle not to spew trite one-liners like I believe in you and Just be strong, but she really didn't know what else to say. Annabelle wasn't an addict, therefore she couldn't advise her mother on how to stop being one without sounding ignorant and smug. But she had to say something.

"I wish there was something I could do to make it easier for you."

"You're the reason I'm set on staying clean," her mother replied. "I don't want to fail you again."

At that, she gave her mother the hug she'd been holding in. Colleen stiffened and chuckled at her daughter's enthusiasm, but gave her a quick squeeze and a pat on the back.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to attack you like that," Annabelle said. She pushed her hair behind her ears, and looked around for her coat. "I reckon I should be going."

Colleen glanced at the clock and sucked in her breath. "The old man is going to throw a fit if I don't get you back in time. Let's be on our way."

Again, her mother accompanied her back to The Leaky Cauldron, and again, they agreed to meet the following Saturday.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

When Annabelle returned to the castle that evening, Sirius was waiting for her at the top of the stairs. When she reached him, his breath caught as she flew straight into his arms, drawing his lips apart with her own, pulling him in. A soft sigh escaped her as he squeezed her against him, clutching her back from under her coat.

"This is quite the hello," Sirius said against her mouth. "Not that I'm complaining."

"You told me to be ready to continue where we left off this morning," she replied, rubbing her nose against his. "Besides, I missed you today… and that sexy tattoo of yours."

Sirius laughed as he ran his hands up her back, pulling her closer and kissing her again. He didn't think she'd take his "be ready" request to heart, but the way she was melting into him just then and the warmth of her kisses - he'd never have known there'd been a distance between them if he hadn't lived it. They stopped kissing because some second-years were heading up the stairs, already giggling at the amorous pair on the landing. Once they'd passed, Sirius ran his hand up her side, still holding her with his other arm.

"How did it go with your mum today?"

"Great," she replied, her arms draped round his shoulders, fingers lacing through the thick hair at the nape of his neck. "She told me some pretty heavy stuff. I was surprised, but I'm glad she was brave enough to talk to me about it."

"And she's still doing well?"

"Seems to be. We drank tea again, and she was sober."

"Good to hear."

"How are you feeling?" she asked, closing her eyes as he brushed his lips against her cheekbone. "Still queasy?"

"Eh. The nausea comes and goes. I think the fever's gone though."

She kissed his neck above his shirt collar, and his skin tingled at the sensation.

"You smell like cigarette smoke," he teased.

"Can't help it. You know my mum smokes."

"Yes, but you're supposed to notice that I don't smell like smoke."

Annabelle pulled back to look at him. "So... you showered? Well done! I'm so proud of you!"

Sirius laughed. "Of course I showered, after you left this morning."

She was sceptical. "I can't believe you haven't smoked since I left."

"Come, sit down," he said, leading her to the steps. When they were seated, he took the cigarette pack out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"I quit."

She looked at him in disbelief. "Uh… em… Really?"

"Really."

"You know I want you to quit, but you're not doing it because I pestered you or anything, right? Because if that's the case, you'll only resent me for-"

"No. It wasn't that," he stopped her, putting a hand on her knee. "Besides, you didn't pester me that much. Anyway, I thought about what you said last night. And I wasn't smoking for myself, I was doing it to hurt people who have already erased me from their lives. What was I thinking? They don't even have it in them to be hurt."

He paused, and she put her hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze. He steadied himself, and continued. "Of course, I did find it entertaining for a while, like pretending to be a rock star or some beatnik poet, but it's not fun anymore. I feel kind of sleazy when I do it now, like the barflies at The Hog's Head who light one fag after another, dying every minute in a cloud of their own smoke."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Sure, I'm sure. James quit as well. He told me this morning he wasn't going to be checking the perimeter with me anymore. So I went out alone for one last fag, and that was that."

Annabelle fought the urge to cheer. Even though he'd listened to her and considered her words, she knew that his best friend quitting was likely the tipping point that led him to give it up for good. Lily would be pleased that James had been the one to influence Sirius for once, instead of the other way around.

Annabelle looked down at the pack in her hand and asked, "So, what shall we do with these?"

Sirius produced his wand from inside his sock. "How about… target practice?"

They both grinned, and Sirius motioned for her to toss the pack into the air as he took aim. She did as instructed, flinging it high above their heads. One heartfelt "Evanesco!" later, the pack vanished, never to be seen again.

Just then, the portrait opened and Johnny B. stepped out. He was dressed in his most fashionable muggle attire, his shocks of black hair sculpted and glossy.

Annabelle whistled and said, "Going somewhere, hot stuff?"

"Jeez, Johnny B., you're making the rest of us lads look bad," teased Sirius.

Despite their remarks, Johnny B. remained collected. "When you got it, you flaunt it," he said as he straightened his shirt collar. "Besides, when your boyfriend looks like Matthew, you have to step up your game a bit."

Annabelle's eyes widened. "Did I hear you correctly? Boyfriend?"

Johnny B. nodded, his coolness giving way to a bashful grin. "Yes, you did. I'm officially off the market."

"Congratulations!" Annabelle squealed as she jumped up to hug him. "Merlin, I'm happy for you, and Matthew as well. Hearts are breaking all over the world tonight!"

"Yeah, congrats, mate," Sirius said. "Now don't muck it up by telling him you're a wizard."

"I may be in love, but I'm not stupid," Johnny B. retorted. "I'll tell him someday, once I see where this is going."

"Good idea," said Annabelle. "What time will you be back, so we don't have to worry Voldemort got you?"

"Late," he replied, his eyebrows moving up and down. "Don't wait up."

Annabelle's heart sank. "Well, now I have to wait up."

"Annie, you drive me crazy. Fine. I'll be back no later than half past midnight. Sound good, mummy?"

She smiled and replied in her most motherly affectation, "Yes, dear. Now remember to be a proper gentleman. And give Matthew my love."

"Will do," he replied and set off towards the fireplace.

Sirius stood up and pulled Annabelle into his arms again. He had to meet Remus in the Shrieking Shack along with James and Peter later, and was glad he could use the after-effects of his tattoo as an excuse for why he couldn't spend the entire evening with her. He wanted to, though, more than anything else, but he had a prior commitment to the Marauders that Annabelle would one day understand.

"Want to sneak away for a bit?" he asked, pressing his forehead against hers. He figured they might as well take full advantage of the time they did have.

Annabelle loved when he looked at her like that – with such urgency in his eyes. His love felt so palpable, and the world around them seemed to fade away. But where could they go? The secret tower was out of the question, and she couldn't exactly tell him the reason.

"Sure, but I want to shower as well. It's no fun being the only one that smells like smoke." Plus, it would give her time to think of a story about the tower and why it was no longer an option.

"I understand, truly."

They gazed at each other for a moment, then kissed again, not wanting to part. It had been a long few weeks and they missed each other. Eventually, they tore themselves apart and headed inside the common room.

After Annabelle showered and got ready, she grabbed her invisibility cloak and tucked it under her arm. Phyllis was the only one in the room. She was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, a stuffed kitten in her lap and one of Lorelei's trashy romance novels in hand.

"Be careful, Lorelei will chew your head off if she catches you with that," Annabelle warned.

Phyllis raised her eyebrows and replied, "I'm not afraid of her."

Annabelle was impressed. "Good for you. Oh, and please, if you see Lily and Alice, tell them I'll be back in a bit."

"I will," Phyllis replied, and went back to her reading.

Sirius was waiting for her in the common room with the folded Marauder's map in hand. They headed out the portrait hole to the landing and Annabelle felt her insides warm as he kissed her again.

"I hate to tell you this," she whispered. "I think some kids discovered the secret tower. I thought I saw them coming from there the other day."

Lying to him made her feel sick, but she hoped her shaky voice didn't betray her.

"You're joking. How did they figure it out?"

"Maybe we forgot to charm the entrance last time we were there?"

"I could've sworn we did. Merlin, that's a let-down."

"Well, we could always slum it in a broom cupboard… or maybe take our chances in the hidden chamber," she suggested, sliding a hand into the back pocket of his jeans. She had to distract him from analysing the secret tower situation any further, or from thinking she was rejecting him again. And she really wanted to touch his bum.

A wide grin spread across his handsome face. "There's an idea."

"Let's go or I might have to rip this shirt off you right here," she breathed into his ear.

Sirius smiled. "It's the tattoo, isn't it?"

"It's you. Every part of you."

Wasting no more time, he took her hand and led her away.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

On Tuesday, Annabelle sat in Defence against the Dark Arts, scratching her quill across a corner of her parchment, and waiting for Jaeger to begin class. Despite the professor's experience in defence, no one felt like they were learning much. He mainly just talked and threw notes on the board for them to copy, as though he didn't really care about teaching as a profession. Annabelle would have thought he was in it solely for the money if professors actually made a decent wage, but since they didn't, she could only assume he took the job because Dumbledore trusted him enough not to question his techniques, allowing him to skate by on a minimal amount of effort. It was easy money, for him anyway. And he got to flirt with young women, even copping a feel when he found a receptive one. Annabelle bristled, her loathing for the man growing every time she had to attend his "class."

Whatever the case, they all felt ill-prepared to defend themselves against an advanced threat. Caradoc had told them all the night before that he was going to speak up about it, and sure enough, he raised his hand.

Jaeger regarded him with irritation. "A question, Mr. Dearborn?"

"Actually, yeah. You see, I thought this class was more hands-on. Like we're supposed to practise this stuff instead of just hearing and reading about it."

"Ahhh. What you're saying, Mr. Dearborn, is that you wouldn't be able to translate what you've learned in this class to a real life situation?"

"Um…sure. That's what I'm saying."

"I have news for you, Mr. Dearborn. I learned everything I know, not inside a classroom, but from getting out there and into the fray. You will too."

Sirius couldn't believe the man's twisted logic. "So what's the bloody point of being here if we're not meant to learn anything until our lives are on the line?" he asked in earnest.

Jaeger flashed his patented smirk. Annabelle had witnessed it enough times to know that it was his way of disarming someone. It might make the person feel stupid, therefore he or she may not want to argue with him any further. It was a trick that never worked with Sirius.

Before Jaeger could respond, though, Phyllis piped up in her babyish voice, "I agree. What's the point if we aren't going to practise? Not to offend, but I have rather a large amount of school work I could be doing right now."

Jaeger's face turned red and sensing a tantrum, Alice tried to be the voice of reason. She seemed aware that the guy lived for ego-stroking. "What we're saying, sir, is that we'd like to take advantage of your expertise. Someone with so much familiarity in the field could really help us to hone our skills."

Jaeger smirked again, but at the ceiling that time. "All right, since I see that the majority of you have a hard time learning from the experience of another, we can do a practical lesson. What would you like to practise?"

Sirius huffed in exasperation. "Are you for real? How about you decide the lesson, Professor. Or do we have to teach the class as well?"

"Really," James remarked. "Why are you here?"

Jaeger's smirk faded to a grimace, but he maintained his arrogant posture. "Fine. We'll start with a basic lesson. Because I'm not sure if some of you could handle anything too complex, am I right ladies?"

He flashed his pearly whites to the front row, and was rewarded with giggles and nodding heads. Except for Annabelle, who found it hard to look at him without feeling ill.

Sirius and James exchanged impish grins across the room, communicating the same thing: This is going to be good. They were confident they could handle anything Jaeger threw their way, and awaited the topic of the lesson like two hawks about to swoop in for the kill.

"Hypnotism," Jaeger bellowed, swinging his arms out with a flourish.

Sirius' face went slack, his mouth open slightly. James started giggling uncontrollably, putting his head down on his desk and yanking on the back of Annabelle's chair in response. Annabelle felt herself being jerked back and forth, and had to swallow her own laughter.

"Is something humorous?" Jaeger inquired.

James popped his head back up. "Not really. It just sounds a bit… easy. Even muggles can do it."

"And it's a bloody waste of time," Sirius added. "I highly doubt Voldemort's henchmen are going to attempt to hypnotise their victims when there are powerful curses available."

"Death Eaters, you mean," Jaeger corrected. "Voldemort's henchmen are called Death Eaters. You should probably know that much if you plan to get into the ring with them."

"I don't plan to, but I'd like to be prepared if I have to, and hypnotism isn't going to do it."

"It's a beginning, Mr. Black, does that make sense? Mind control is the basis for many advanced spells, such as the Imperius Curse, for example. One should know how these curses build upon each other to fully understand how to employ them when necessary."

Sirius rolled his eyes at the professor's weak reasoning, but didn't argue any further. It was a lost cause as far as he was concerned and he knew they would just have to teach themselves if they were ever going to be truly prepared to take on dark wizards.

"Since you're so sceptical, Mr. Black, and in such want of a practical lesson, why don't you come up here and be my subject? For demonstration purposes, of course."

Annabelle's head shot up and she looked from Jaeger to Sirius. Sirius glanced back at her, and she shook her head, willing him to say no. Jaeger was shrewd, and she reckoned he'd already calculated a plan to humiliate Sirius. Jaeger must have known, presumably from experience that pride was often the downfall of a teenaged boy. Sirius wouldn't back down even though he should, and Jaeger took full advantage of that stubbornness.

Sirius pushed his chair back; the scraping sound uncharacteristically loud in the tense silence that ensued. The entire class was poised on the edge of their seats, either hoping for a good show, or dreading one. Annabelle glanced at Lily, whose countenance reflected everything Annabelle was feeling. This was bad. Very bad. James leaned forward in his seat, resting his chin in his hand, watching the scene unfold without revealing his thoughts on the matter. Annabelle wanted to put a stop to it, but what could she do? She'd end up getting kicked out, and they would carry on with the experiment anyway.

"Good to see you're willing to sacrifice yourself for your fellow students, Mr. Black," Jaeger said. There was laughter in his voice, as though Sirius himself was a joke.

Sirius blinked slowly, shooting the professor a dry, tight-lipped smirk that indicated he should get on with it.

"Your sense of humour's run out for the day I see," Jaeger quipped. "All right, let's get started."

The professor pulled his desk chair round to the front, and indicated to Esmeralda to grab a surplus chair from the corner and place it by Sirius. She did as directed, grinning all the while.

"Have a seat, Mr. Black."

Sirius sat down, and raised his eyebrows impatiently. He wanted Jaeger to know he was bored. Jaeger pulled an antique pendant on a golden chain from a desk drawer and sat down opposite Sirius. There was about two feet between them, and by the way Sirius was leaning back in his chair, Annabelle could tell it was too close for comfort.

"Watch the pendent."

Sirius snorted with laughter, as did several other students including James.

"Your derision makes me think you're afraid," Jaeger said. "Just relax, and trust me."

Sirius pulled in his lips in an attempt to stop laughing. He just wanted to get the farce over with so he could go on with his life. He was almost embarrassed for Jaeger- that he considered this an acceptable lesson for sixth-years.

"Again," Jaeger continued in a soothing voice. "Watch the pendant, and as you do, I want you to concentrate. Clear your mind of everything else but the pendent. Imagine an open safe, and put all your worries, distractions, and any other intrusive thoughts into the safe. Then lock it up tight and push it aside. It is just you and the pendant. Back and forth… back and forth."

Sirius' eyes ticked side to side, watching the pendent. Jaeger repeated himself several times and eventually Sirius' tight-lipped smirk started to relax and his eyes began to take on a glazed look. Annabelle felt her heart lurch in her chest. It was working.

"I'd like you to close your eyes, Mr. Black. Close your eyes, and follow the sound of my voice." Sirius did as he was told. Jaeger stopped swinging the pendant and held it out to Dominica who quietly retrieved it from him. Annabelle sneaked a peek about the room again. Lily had her forehead in her hand, looking down at her parchment. Remus and Johnny B. had pained looks on their faces, Caradoc, a disbelieving gape, and Alice's expression showed a combination of curiosity and disgust. Even Severus was watching with a cynical sneer.

"Now, I want you to imagine yourself on a beach, the warm breeze tickling your skin, the sound of the waves rolling to shore, the sand sparkling in the bright sunlight… You feel weightless, like you might float into the sky and drift lazily along with the fluffy white clouds… You are in a state of total peace and relaxation.

Annabelle's heart beat wildly. She watched in horror as Sirius' shoulders slumped. His head nodded slightly as though in a trance, and Jaeger went on. "You are mesmerised by my voice. Every word that I utter is taking you faster into a deep, peaceful daydream. The deeper you go, the deeper you want to go…"

It was too much to take. Annabelle gave a pleading look to James, hoping that he would speak up, or that anyone would for that matter. They were probably all thinking that she would be the one to stop it, and wondering why she hadn't yet. James gave the faintest shake of his head, which confused and angered Annabelle. She turned forward in her seat, holding her fists over her mouth as she watched her boyfriend participate in his own degradation.

"Feel your body relaxing, starting from deep inside the core of your being… and extending like a ripple radiating out from your essence. Your shoulders… to the tips of your fingers… to the tips of your toes… and up your neck… to the top of your head… you are hearing only my voice as you and breathe in… and out… in… and out… you are following my voice deeper..."

Jaeger wagged his eyebrows to the class and gave a thumbs up. Arrogant prick, Annabelle thought.

"Mr. Black, you are open to my suggestions and will trust that what I ask of you will bring you no harm. You are safe… and open… and completely trusting of my voice. I'd like you to nod your head in affirmation."

Sirius nodded. Annabelle's muscles were taut as rope as she waited for the punchline, the thing that would ultimately humiliate Sirius. If only his foolish pride hadn't gotten in the way, he could have saved himself from all this nonsense.

"Clap your hands once."

Sirius clapped.

"Clap your hands twice."

Sirius clapped twice. The class was rapt with attention, some clearly not sure if they believed what they were seeing, but fascinated just the same.

"Bend over and touch your toes."

Sirius bent over and touched his toes. Jaeger smiled and winked at the class.

"Now, Mr. Black, will you please stand up?"

Sirius eased himself out of his chair. Jaeger stood as well.

"I'm going to ask you to do something that's safe… and innocent…You are in not in any danger… only peace surrounds you."

Gulping painfully, Annabelle slid further down in her chair. It was about to happen.

"Please, Mr. Black, I'd like to ask that you get down on your hands and knees, and when you do, I ask that you become a dog, barking, wagging your tail, sniffing the ground, and panting with your tongue out."

Annabelle stopped breathing as her eyes widened. Some kids snickered and others watched with bated breath to see their very popular classmate make an unprecedented arse out of himself. She began to push her chair back, but James grabbed her shoulder. She turned to him in horror, and he shook his head again.

"Don't," he urged her.

Sirius started to bend over, and Jaeger watched, an evil glint in his eyes and his upper lip curled in a snarl. Sirius' fingers closed in on the floor in what seemed like slow motion.

Just as Annabelle was about to scream for him to stop, Sirius popped back up again.

"You can add sucker to your credentials, professor," he sneered, "but at least I know I'm safe if Voldemort tries to hypnotise me."

The class burst out into riotous laughter and applause. Sirius casually slipped his hands into his pockets and sauntered towards his seat. Annabelle felt like she'd just run ten laps of the stairs she was so fatigued from the whole experience. James leaned in and said, "Told you."

Jaeger waited with a stony face for the class to settle. Annabelle glanced at Sirius as he sat down, and he flashed her a hint of a smile.

You're amazing, she mouthed to him.

Sirius fought the grin that was forcing its way across his lips. Caradoc got up and patted his back and Lily turned round and gave his forearm a congratulatory squeeze. The class was still in an uproar, mainly because Jaeger wasn't stopping them. He was too busy pondering where he went wrong. Paper aeroplanes started flying, Evan Rosier hopped on his chair and shook his hips in a little dance before hopping down again, and Amycus Carrow let out a burp that sounded like it came from a hippogriff, not a human. It was chaos, and all Annabelle could think was that Jaeger deserved it. His jaw was set and his nostrils flared as he stood with his arms crossed over himself, watching his class fall to pieces.

"That will be enough!" he thundered, and it earned the class's attention, but not their respect. Just when it seemed everyone had settled down, Peter let out tremendous snore, which only incited more laughter. Alice reached across the aisle and shoved him. He woke up with a jolt, causing his chair to tip over. More laughter ensued.

"I said enough, you imbeciles!" Jaeger charged down an aisle, glaring at the students around him. They instantly quieted down. Severus Snape flinched every time the man yelled, like he was afraid Jaeger would lash out with a fist or something equally violent.

Jaeger turned his attention to Sirius. "You think you resisted me? You think you have the wherewithal to withstand mind control?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Pretty sure I just proved it to you, actually."

"HA! You did no such thing. You purposely sabotaged the lesson. That is not resisting mind control. It's being an arrogant little shit."

Sirius chuckled. "Call it whatever you want. But the fact remains, you couldn't hypnotise me."

"You failed, sir," James chimed in, "and now your pride is wounded."

In a blind rage, Jaeger swiped the book and parchments off Sirius' desk. Sirius instinctively jumped up and stepped toward Jaeger, who had taken a step back in fear. Annabelle and James were instantly on their feet.

"You want to hit me? Come on," Sirius taunted, but Remus and Caradoc were already pulling him back, away from the seething professor. "Fuckwit!" he exclaimed, settling for name-calling since his mates were preventing him from pummelling the man. The boys got him to the door and shoved him into the corridor. They didn't come back. As usual, James walked out in solidarity. Annabelle attempted to follow, but Jaeger shot her a malicious, threatening look. He had her where he wanted her, and she sat back down.

"Copy the notes off the board," Jaeger growled to the remaining students before disappearing into the textbook cupboard for the remainder of class.

When the bell rang, Annabelle noticed that Dominica didn't move from her seat. She was twisting a lock of dark hair around her finger, watching the door to the cupboard.

"Why aren't you leaving?" Annabelle asked, not caring that they weren't speaking to each other anymore.

Dominica met her stare, and there was a lifelessness in the young witch's face, like she'd given up somehow.

"Why do you care, slag?"

Annabelle cocked her head. "How creative," she tutted.

As she stalked away, she expected Dominica to respond with another weak insult, but she didn't. Pausing at the door to look back at the wretched girl, Annabelle felt compelled to march back in and drag her out of the room, and then slap some sense into her. But the desire to escape the wickedness of the man who was biding his time in the textbook cupboard was far more compelling, and when she saw the door opening, she fled to the stairs. About halfway up, she stopped, her legs shaking. She decided to go back, just to see if her suspicions were warranted. Maybe Jaeger had a thing with Florence Parkinson, but that didn't mean he was stupid enough to involve himself with another student, especially when he'd been caught once already.

Treading on tip toes, she inched her way to the door. She could hear Jaeger's deep voice, and she pressed her back against the wall to listen, but couldn't decipher a word of their conversation. Carefully, with her breath held, she peeked round the door frame. Dominica was still seated at her desk, hunched forward with her hands folded in her lap. She was smiling, sort of. Jaeger was squatting next to her, gazing up at her as he spoke in a hushed tone. It was odd, but harmless enough, Annabelle thought, and her muscles relaxed a bit. She was about to turn away when she froze, rooted to the spot where she stood, as Jaeger ran his hand from the crown of Dominica's head all the way to her tail bone. He kept his hand there while he chatted on, about what, Annabelle still couldn't make out. Slowly, he began to rub circles into the small of Dominica's back, and the urge to vomit welled up in Annabelle's throat. She turned and ran.

A/N: For Sirius' tattoo, google Celtic tribal lion tattoo and take your pick. Please review!