I'm sorry it took so long to post! I leave you with a cliff-hanger and then I don't write, I'm so sorry :( I got caught up in the holidays, and (once again) all of the wonderful stories on FF. And I signed up for classes today (which I'm kinda excited about). Take this slightly longer chapter as a peace offering. But anyways, I'm hoping it will begin to get easier now, we're getting into my favorite part of the story... but you guys don't know about that yet, so I won't share too much :)

One more quick note before I let you loose, a quick note to my anonymous reviewer who thought to be so mean to poor Cricket :( I'm grateful for your review and for your thoughtfulness to give me constructive criticism, but I like the exotic names in my stories, so I'm not going to change it. :)

As always:

These characters aren't my magical doing, they're J.K. Rowling's.

Cricket and Max Mann (and their parents), Emily Steele, Charlie Ashfield, and Professors Mac, Shore, and Zinski are part of my spell :)

When Cricket woke up, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. The throbbing in her head was excruciating. She raised a hand to her head and began to open her eyes, but even the faintest light of the floating candles around her made her eyes burn and her head pound harder. She closed her eyes and the pain slowly subsided slightly.

"Thank goodness, you're awake," A male voice sounded to her right as a hand clasped hers.

Cricket opened her eyes again and squinted her eyes to block out as much light as possible. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital wing. You were found unconscious... in his room." His hand tightened painfully for a moment before he brought it to his lips.

Suddenly Cricket realized who her visitor was. "Malfoy," she spat and pulled her hand from his. "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

He leaned over the bed and looked into her eyes. He expected her to flinch, glare, something to his action, but she squinted blankly at the ceiling. He waved a hand in front of her face but she didn't respond. "What's wrong with your eyes?" his voice held something Cricket had never heard before from him.

She wasn't going to pleasure him with an answer though. She closed her eyes and put a hand to her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, this time the 'something' Cricket couldn't recognize held more dominance.

She thought for a moment it was concern. She snorted at the idea and regretted it for her head throbbed stronger. "My head hurts. The lights hurt." she answered him softly.

She heard shuffling and she smelt smoke for a second before Malfoy said, "Try opening your eyes now."

"What?"

"I doused the candles. Open your eyes."

Cricket slowly opened her eyes. Though there were lights still on around the dimness around her allowed her eyes some comfort. She looked around the room and saw a curtain around a bed to her right, closest to the door. Her attention was brought back when Malfoy gripped her hand again. She pulled it from his grasp again. "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you; isn't that reason enough?"

"Hardly," she said dryly. She rubbed her head again trying to think of what happened. She remembered Transfiguration class and saying goodbye to Remus at the Great Hall, but she couldn't remember anything after that. "What happened to me?"

"As I said: you were found unconscious. What were you doing in Lupin's room?" His voice was low and dangerous.

"What's it to you?" she asked without thinking. "Oh, never mind." She moved her hand to the back of her head where the throbbing was the worse. She felt something warm and brought her hand in front of her face. She gasped when she saw blood on her fingers. "What—?"

Malfoy looked just as shocked. He grabbed her hand and shouted, "Madam Promfrey!"

Something glass shattered on the floor behind the curtained bed and a flustered Madam Promfrey scurried out. "Mr. Malfoy, I told you I'd check her in a second—"

"She's bleeding!"

"What?" She came over quickly and looked at Cricket's head. She sighed in relief and glared at Malfoy. "Don't give me such a fright! It's barely a scrape." She took out her wand and said a quick spell to stop the bleeding before hurrying back into the curtain.

"Are you alright?" Malfoy asked.

Cricket nodded and tried to remember what had happened. Why was I in Remus' room? She remembered something more; something about an owl... She shot up in the bed ignoring the wave of dizziness. "Remus!"

"Cricket, you crazy fool," Malfoy muttered. "Lay back down."

She shoved off his arms, "Where's Remus?!"

Malfoy sighed and gave up trying to get her to lie back down. He jerked his thumb at the curtain.

"What?" She shoved Malfoy out of the way and stumbled to Remus. She was surprised he didn't try to stop or follow her, but she threw the thought out of her head. All she cared about was Remus. She stumbled into the room and gasped.

Remus thin frame was swallowed by the bed and his skin matched the immaculate white sheets. The only consolation was his chest rose and fell in slow, even, deep breaths. "What happened to him?" Cricket asked as she made her way to the side of the bed.

Madam Promfrey opened her mouth to reprimand the young lady for being out of bed but closed it after thinking. The look in Cricket's eyes was strong and loving. "He was attacked by a strong wizard. He went into the Great Hall during dinner and directed a hex at Remus." The nurse looked as if she wanted to say more, but the tears in Cricket's eyes stopped her. "He'll be fine, Miss Mann. He just needs as much rest as he can before tomorrow."

Cricket looked up suddenly. Dad... She turned and ran from the curtained room and out of the Hospital wing, ignoring the shouts to return from Madam Promfrey and Malfoy.

She ran out into the cold night air. What caught her attention first was the moon. Almost full, she thought as chills ran down her spine. She fought off the trance of the floating orb and made her way to the lake.

There was one lone tree near the edge of the lake. Cricket smiled remembering her first date with Remus there. That's when they realized how much alike they were. They both loved school; their similar childhoods; their personalities; the fact they're both suckers for chocolate. Tears sprang to her eyes.

I can't put Remus in danger like this, she thought sadly. Dad didn't even think twice before he ran into the castle. She fell to her knees at the lake's edge and looked at her reflection. I didn't think he was serious.

"Cricket? My darling Cricket!" Arms swept her back on her feet and spun her around.

Cricket squirmed out of the arms and spun quickly. "D-Dad?!" He looked so much different from when she remembered. His blond hair was matted and chopped off at different lengths. He was skinnier than she remembered, barely even skin and bones and long scars marred his appearance. His ratty clothes hung off his frame. The one thing Cricket recognized was his dull blue-green eyes.

Cricket felt all the worry and anger over the past weeks bubble up and take over her body and she lunged at him. Radley easily grabbed her arms and held her at arms' length as she pelted his chest with her small fists. "Why do you have to come into my life?! I thought you were dead, I didn't care what happened to you! Why did you lie to us; you're no muggle! Why did you have to come back now?!"

"Quiet!" he growled and threw her to the ground. "Do you want the whole bloody castle to hear you?" He looked up at the castle for any movement. He looked down at his daughter and smiled. "It's good to see you."

Cricket stared at him incredulous. "Didn't you hear me? I hate you! You're ruining my life!"

"What life? I didn't realize being a werewolf was considered a life." He took a step towards her form on the ground and pulled her to her feet. His eyes changed as he pleaded with her. "I was a fool when I left; I didn't want to leave you! I'm trying to fix things, make sure you and Max are taken care of."

"I doubt that. You only care about your own hide. I know you're involved with Voldemort—" Radley flinched. "Why do you flinch?! You work for him!"

"Enough!" he struck her across the cheek and she flew back to the ground. "I came here to warn you one last time. In person seeing you don't seem to get the message through owl.

"Don't think I'm not powerful enough to kill that stupid mudblood-lover. What I did tonight was a mere warning. If you continue to associate yourself with him, I'll do much worse."

"Don't worry yourself there. I don't plan on putting Remus in any more danger. But if you think I'm going to go with your sick choice of Malfoy, you're crazier than I thought." She glared up at him. "Why Malfoy?"

Before Radley could answer they heard someone shouting her name from the front of the castle. "I must leave."

"What? You can't just leave! I have questions!" Cricket screamed after him as he ran for Hogsmeade. Cricket saw him turn sharply and disappear. She formed a fist and hit the ground with it. She knew it was childish, but she couldn't think of anything to let out her frustration.

"Are you alright?" Malfoy crouched next to her.

"What do you care?" she spat. Her gaze was still focused on the ground. "How could you do this to me?"

"Me?"

She looked up to him. "Yes you! And my father!"

Malfoy didn't say anything. He gently grabbed her arm and brought her to her feet. "Now's not the time to be discussing this. You should be back up in the Hospital Wing. You didn't get looked at completely."

"Don't touch me." She pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"Don't be stupid. It's dark out and you'll catch a cold." He reached for her again but she stepped back.

"I'd rather catch a cold."

Malfoy sighed. "I'm not going to do anything. I'll just walk you back to the Hospital Wing and I'll leave, okay?" He took a step towards her and grabbed her arm.

"No!" She jumped backwards to get her arm out of his grasp. Her feet never touched solid ground though. She had slowly backed up closer to the water's edge than she realized and in the next moment she was engulfed by the dark, freezing lake. Her body literally froze and couldn't move her limbs.

She slowly began to sink but didn't go far before an arm wrapped around her and pulled her towards the surface. Once at the surface Cricket took a breath through chattering teeth. Malfoy pulled her up onto the grass next to him. He too was shivering from the cold but he took his discarded robe and covered Cricket with it. She tried to push it off.

"N-No, t-t-tak-ke it-t," he managed through his own chattering teeth. He wrapped it around her again without her protests. They struggled to their feet and stumbled back to the castle. They made it to the Entrance Hall before Cricket saw a friendly face.

"Sirius," she stuttered.

"Thank goodness!" He quickly swept her in his arms. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Madam Promfrey sent us all to go find you. What happened to you? You're all wet." He noticed Malfoy's robe. "Why are you wearing a Slytherin robe?" He finally noticed Malfoy. "What's going on?"

"Oh shove it, Black," Malfoy managed without stuttering. "She fell in the lake and I got her out."

"I wouldn't have fallen in the lake if you had left me alone!"

"You were just going to sit out there if I didn't do anything." He replied calmly.

"Oh, just shove off, Malfoy!" She ripped off his robe and shoved it into his arms.

"She hasn't been looked over, Black. Make sure she gets back to the Hospital Wing." Malfoy said to Sirius, but he didn't take his eyes off of Cricket.

Sirius pulled Cricket towards him. "I know that, Malfoy; I'm not stupid."

Malfoy smirked. "You read my mind." He looked to Cricket again before walking off to the dungeons.

Sirius grabbed Cricket's arm above her elbow and gently pulled her towards the stairs leading to the Hospital Wing. "Come quickly. Remus woke up and has been frantic about you."

Cricket dug in her heels, "No. I can't."

"What?"

"I said no, I'm not going to the Hospital Wing. I can't."

Sirius turned to her. "What are you talking about? What can't you do? Remus is waiting to see you and you have to get checked out."

Cricket slipped her arm from his hand. "I'm fine. But I can't see Remus anymore."

"Why not?" Sirius asked confused. "I'll take you to see him now."

"No, listen! I can't see Remus anymore. I can't date him anymore. It's too dangerous."

Oh, blast... I left you with a semi-cliff hanger... I'll try to get another chapter out soon; I have to work the next couple days (...hurray...) and I got a relapse of this dumb cold. But I'll try to get one out to all you lovlies!

Thank you for the reviews! Love them! Give me more :)

Hope all is well :)