I entered my house, and found no one was home.

"Mike, where is everybody?"

"Work," came his answer from the kitchen.

"Oh yeah." He came into the hallway where we were standing with our trunks. He bewitched them once again and brought them up the stairs to my room. I entered after him and smiled. This was home, not my mom's house in England. The walls were my favorite color, with pictures of me and my friends, both American and British, Magic and Muggle. That was the thing that stood out most in my room, and the rest of the house. It looked completely like a Muggle house. It even had electricity and a washing machine. Here in the states the magical community was so integrated into the Muggle one that we couldn't keep to ourselves. In fact most of my American friends were Muggles. Including Megann Brennan, who lived next door and was my best friend in Connecticut. I couldn't wait to see her.

Apparently she was thinking the same about me, because just then a brown haired object hugged me from behind, tackling me to the bed.

"Kara!" she screeched, getting off of me.

"Megann!" I hugged her again.

"These are my friends, Nat and Lily." I introduced. "Guys, this is Megann."

"Hi!"

"So, you guys go to school with Kara?"

"Yes, we do."

"I don't think I'd like boarding school. But Kara loves it."

"I like it as well." Lily said.

"I know what her favorite part is…" Natalie said slyly.

"What's that?" Megann asked.

"The boys. Especially this one, who's madly in love with her. His name's James Po-" Nat was cut short as Lily had slammed her in the face with a pillow. The rest of us laughed. I was glad my friends liked each other. The 4 of us continued to talk all afternoon, me and Megann catching up and Nat and Lily throwing in their comments about the incidents I described.

Around dinner time, my dad got home from work. He entered my room, where Lily was braiding Megann's hair and I was teaching Nat poker, a Muggle card game. Megann had taught me a few years ago.

"Hey girls!" my father greeted.

"Daddy!" I ran over and gave him a hug. We were very close, and I hadn't seen him since summer.

"Hey, Kar Bear." my dad used the nickname he'd given me at birth. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, dad!" I introduced Nat and Lily to my dad. He was tall, jolly, and very friendly to everyone. Unless provoked, that is. People always said I looked like my mom but behaved like my dad.

The vacation flew by, and before we knew it, we were back at Hogwarts.
The first night at dinner, I was talking to Remus about our break, when I heard Natalie say,

"Jeez, Sirius, look at that girl staring at you. It looks like Lily staring at Kara's brother." Lily blushed. After she had giggled and blushed a little too much around my brother, me and Nat had gotten her to admit she liked him.

"Who?" James asked, angry and hurt.

"None of your business, Potter." Lily said, although without the usual venom in her voice.

"Fine." James got up and left the Great Hall, followed by Sirius and Peter. The rest of us went up to the common room a few minutes later.

~* 1 Month Later! *~

It was now the middle of May. Sirius had gone out with a handful of slu- I mean, girls. I was still dating Landon. He was, however, getting on my nerves. He was overprotective, dull now that I'd heard all of his jokes, and his kissing hadn't improved. Srius and I still weren't speaking, but the silence was no longer hostile. Neither of us wanted to be the one to break the silence. I often caught him looking at me, only to have him glance away when I looked up. I found myself doing the same thing. He hadn't had a girlfriend since Marissa Melia, over three weeks ago.

I also began to notice the adorable way his hair fell in his face as he took notes in Ancient Runes, and how nice his toned arm muscles looked during Quidditch practice. And even though my head told me to stay as far away from Sirius Black as possible, the rest of me wanted to be close to him, laugh and joke with me again, to be his friend again. Or more, eventually. I didn't think he felt the same, so I acted like nothing had changed. But I really missed ol' Snuffles. Unfortunately, Sirius was as stubborn as me.

I made an important decision. I was going to break up with Landon. Even if I had no chance with Sirius, it wasn't fair to lead him on. Plus, he was boring and made me choke on his tongue. After breakfast, I went looking for him, but he found me first.

"Kara!"

"Hey, Landon. Listen, we need to talk." I led him aside, but before I could open my mouth to speak he did.

"Kara, I need to tell you something as well. I like you and all, but it's just not working. I think we should see other people." That was the easiest time dumping a guy I'd ever had. But I pretended to be a little hurt.

"Oh. Ok." Landon gave me a sympathetic smile and walked away. I couldn't help it any longer; I pumped my fists in the air and began a rather silly looking victory dance.

"What are you doing, Kara?" James emerged from the Great Hall.

"Dancing."

"I could see that. Why?"

"Landon broke up with me." I grabbed James and dipped him.

"This makes you happy?"

"So happy!" I spun him around and began to do the tango.

"Ok. Well I'm really happy for you, but could you stop dancing with me?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Yeah. Sorry." I let go of James and skipped all the way to Care of Magical Creatures.

I told Nat and Lily what had happened just as the professor began the lesson.

"Miss, O'Connell, will you kindly stay after class for a moment? I'd like a word." he said as I was packing up my books.

"I'll see you guys at lunch." Lily and Nat headed back towards the castle with the Marauders and the rest of the class.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I just wanted to compliment you on your outstanding performance on your last test. Your essay on hinkypunks was quite insightful."

"Thank you, sir."

"I also wanted to inquire whether you'd ever thought of a career in the area of magical creatures?"

"Well, not really, sir. I'm not quite sure what I'd like to do yet, but I would like being an Auror."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, there are many options available to a student as bright as

you are."

"Thank you, professor." I smiled as I walked away.

I was almost to the Great Hall when I felt a pair of strong arms grab me, around the waist and mouth, preventing me from screaming.

"Silencio" the person muttered, and took his hand away. I still couldn't make a sound.
My abductor pushed me behind a tapestry, and I came face to face with Regulus Black.

"Hello, Kara. We haven't spoken for quite some time." He began to run his hands up and down my legs. "I've noticed you've stopped talking to that dirty blood traitor." His hands wandered up to my butt, and he squeezed it. I squirmed but he was strong, and I was once again forced into the wall. "I know you've always wanted this." His hands slipped up my shirt and I gasped silently. "I have, too. You're a very attractive girl, you know…" He massaged my boobs. "for a Mudblood lover." He pressed his mouth against mine, and I turned my head. "That wasn't very nice, O'Connell. Let's try again." His hands pushed into my boobs harder, and he pushed against my lips again, this time so hard I had nowhere to move. "Now, let's have a little more fun…" his fingers traced their way down to the top of my uniform skirt.

I couldn't move. No matter how hard I tried to get away, he was always ready for me, pulling me back into his poisonous touch. He was playing with the button of my skirt and kissing my neck. I had begun to cry a few tears. He slipped one hand up my skirt…

"Get the hell away from her, Regulus." said a voice shaking with hatred and rage. Regulus turned around to face his older brother.

"Or what, you nasty little blood traitor? You'll set that git Potter after me?" He laughed and turned back around to face me. Sirius put an arm on his shoulder and yanked him away from me.

"No. I'll do this." He punched Regulus in the face, and then again in the stomach. I watched, shaking slightly, trying to take deep breaths. Regulus took out his wand and was about to mouth a spell, but Sirius kicked his wand out of his hand. He pointed his wand at Regulus.

"Get away from here now, you fucking pervert. And don't you ever come near her again, or I will hex you so bad you'll need a new hairstyle by the time you wake up." Regulus glared at Sirius. Then he turned and winked at me. I gave him the finger and he scowled and walked away.

"On my God, Kara are you okay?" Sirius rushed over to me. I nodded, still unable to talk.

"You should get to the Hospital Wing." I shook my head, and then pointed at my voice box. "What? Oh." Sirius said the countercurse and I immediately flung my arms around him. He tensed for a quick moment, but then he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Thanks, Sirius."

"No, it was nothing. Are you sure you're alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. At least not permanently." I gave a small smile.

"I'm going to kill that little-"

"No."

"Why not? I can't believe him. No, the worst part is I can."

"I don't want you to get in trouble for me."

"What?"

"I want you to get in trouble with me."

"Huh?"

"If you're going to get him back I'm going to help." Sirius looked at me, puzzled, and then
smiled.

"Alright." I stood in the hallway for a moment, silent, and then he brought up his hand and gently wiped away the tears that had fallen from my eyes.

"Sirius-"

"I'm so sorry, Kara. For the whole Hospital Wing thing. It was so stupid of me."

"It's ok. I forgive you."

"Good." He looked relieved. "I've missed talking with you, O'Connell." He punched my arm playfully.

"Same here, Snuffles." I gave him another hug. He tensed again before reacting. "Is there something wrong with my hugging you?" I asked.

"No, no. It's just, no one's ever hugged me before. Unless they were trying to get in my pants."

"Sorry to disappoint, Sirius, but I have no desire to get in your pants."

"No. It was just different. Not bad. And I wouldn't want you in my pants." I giggled, and then asked,

"So, can I hug you again?"

"I would like that." I did, and this time he wrapped his strong arms around me immediately, pulling me off the ground and spinning me around. I laughed. He put me down, and I had a sudden, overwhelming urge to kiss him. But I didn't. We had just worked things out. Sirius and I were about to enter the Great Hall when I stopped him.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you not tell anyone about this? I mean, the Regulus thing."

"Of course I won't say anything if you don't want me to."

"Thanks."

"Any time, my friend." We smiled at each other, and entered the Great Hall.