Hey guys!

I know, I know. Long time. My bad. I suck. You can use Bob to punish me, if you want.

BUT, I am trying to make it up! There are 7,518 words in this chapter! That is TWO of my normal chaps in ONE. You like?

I feel like this chapter starts off weird. No matter how I tried to write it, it wasn't coming out right. Soooo… I just wrote through it and left it. Sorry if it sucks. It gets better, I think.

Please read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I wasn't JK Rowling for the last 25 chapters. Why would I be now?

Despite what Lily's warning, I couldn't just stay downstairs. I rushed up after Rayne; wanting to do anything I could to salvage the situation. I mean, we all were friends. We're there for each other through the highs and the lows. Rayne couldn't really blame me for her rejection, could she? She'd sob and cry and moan and we'd bash Remus because we all knew it was his bloody fault, the guilty male. She wouldn't turn on me. Would she?

I cracked open our dormitory door and peered in to find Rayne huddled on the floor, sobbing like the world was going to end. Lily was sitting beside her, arms wrapped tightly around her. "It's okay. It's all right. He's an idiot. You're wonderful."

Rayne threw her head back, wailing in a broken voice. "I kn-n-new he didn't f-f-feel the same wa-a-ay! But she-e-e…!"

Kristy was kneeling on the floor a few feet away. "You can't blame Aria. She honestly thought Remus was into to you. She never dreamed he would say no!"

Rayne shook her head frantically. "Y-y-yes s-s-he did! It's all r-r-revenge f-f-for when S-S-Sirius ch-ch-cheated on her with m-m-me!"

Lily stroked Rayne's long, dark hair. "Shhh… it's all right. We'll talk to Aria tomorrow and find out what happened. Right now, you rant all you want." Kristy leaned away, made uneasy by this statement, but made no move to object.

Silently, I slid the door closed. My normally vibrant thoughts were dull and gray. I couldn't even dramatize this in my head. Which shows something was seriously wrong. My head was blank, thoughts nonexistent instead of rambling. I sank to the ground outside the door. One of my very best friends was blaming me for her misery. It was almost enough to make me run to Cissy again.

And why shouldn't I? After all, all this feeling was what caused problems in the first place. If I went back, to Cissy, to Slytherin, to home, I'd be numb once again. I sat for who knows how long, feeling homesick.

When I began to feel something besides sadness again, it was dark. I could no longer hear voices from downstairs, trying to figure out what was going on. The crackle of the fire was the only sound.

Like an old woman, I slowly pulled myself to my feet. I couldn't stay here all night. I needed to do something. I needed to help somehow. I was filled with fierce burning determination, which turned to righteous anger. Who was Remus Lupin to turn down Rayne Hale, one of the smartest girls in our year; beautiful in a small, dark way; quiet about her feelings, but so insightful? Who did he think he was? Abruptly, my feet were moving quickly, my anger fueling my steps as I raced back into the Common Room and then up into the boy's tower. I past the first year's room, the second year's, up and up and up. I ran, growing faster as new hatred burned within me, as it can only do when you are trying to find an outlet for your pain.

I didn't know much about Remus. I had never known him anywhere near as well as the rest of the Marauders. So, there was nothing to defend him from this new image I was constructing. That of a womanizer in disguise, a quiet boy who got girls' hopes up and them smashed them to the ground.

I flung open the door to the seventh year boys' dormitory. I caught only a glimpse of Sirius and James's surprised faces before I was rushing at the slight, brown haired boy who was now my bitter enemy. I threw myself at him, knocking him to the floor and preceded to punch every inch of him I could find. (You can really tell how deranged I was because I managed to forget I owned such a thing as a wand).

"YOU FILTHY, DISGUSTING BASTARD!" I began to shriek as I assaulted him. "YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE. I BET YOUR PARENTS CRY WHEN THEY SEE YOUR UGLY MUG, THEY ARE SO ASHAMED. I CAN'T BELIEVE A PERSON LIKE YOU WOULD DARE TO EXIST! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HER! HOW COULD YOU!"

This long rant only took a few seconds. Words flew out of me like bats out of hell. Vaguely, in the back of my head, I noted that Remus was doing absolutely nothing to defend himself. I was so blinded by rage that this did not even register to my consciousness.

"ARIA!" Strong arms grabbed me around my waist and yanked me off Remus. I struggled against them, kicking and clawing. "Aria, what do you think you are DOING?!"

"Getting revenge on that dirty scum-ball for my friend!" I screeched, trying desperately to resume attack. In front of me, James rushed to help his friend up, checking his injuries as he did so.

I screamed in rage. Sirius's voice yelled over mine, "ARIA, CALM DOWN!" I saw nothing but red, tinting my vision. James's voice barely made it through to me, "I think she's hysterical! Should I slap her?"

Violence raged through my mind. I wanted to tear Remus Lupin to pieces. I wanted scratch him and scream. I wanted to smash his head against the wall until he repented for all his sins and begged for mercy. I wanted to take out my wand and slash him up until-

My mind froze. Red cleared in an instant and was replaced with fright. Never, ever had I had thought this violently before. Never had I lost control like this. Never I had I ever become what I had been so frightened of. Because right now, I was sure that if I looked in the mirror, I would see my mother's face.

I had sworn, as a kid, that I would never be like her. I would always talk first; never use violence as the answer. But here I was, attacking someone else, for the sole reason of getting my self-hatred out. I looked into Remus's face, his pure, innocent face that had taken every word I said to the bottom of his heart. And I began to cry.

"I'm sorry," I gasped out in between heaving sobs, "I'm so, so sorry!"

"Aria?" James asked tentatively, sounding unsure. I simply stood there, trying to get a hold on my emotions. Suddenly, the arms that had been restraining me turned me around and enveloped me.

"It's okay Aria," came Sirius's husky voice from above. "It's okay. You aren't anything like her."

And then I cried even harder because he understood.

It was a while before I could talk rationally. Sirius held me the whole time, not speaking but simply holding me. In the back round, I could hear James fixing up Remus's bruises, which, luckily, weren't too extensive. Pettigrew scrambled around oddly like the little rat he was.

When I was calmed down, I pulled away from Sirius, sniffing. "Thank you," I muttered, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I came in here and made a scene."

"Ah…" James wrinkled his nose. "I almost said no problem, but that's not exactly right. It was a problem… in this particular case."

I nodded, head hanging with shame. "I know what you mean. Me busting in here and attempting to beat up one of your friends is an issue."

Sirius ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Why did you do it, Ari? You aren't a violent person, and as far as I know, Remus didn't do anything wrong."

I looked up at the four boys through my shield of hair. "I… He… Rayne. He told Rayne no. When he so obviously likes her."

Everyone stared at me. I ducked my head, trying to hide. Out loud, it sounded like such a crap reason. Why did my head make ridiculous things make sense? I really ought to do something about it. Go see a… what do you call them? Crazy doctors? Psyches? The people that you talk to and they reaffirm your insaneness and then make you take a lot of pills. Not that I wanted to take a whole bunch of pills. But, if it kept me from rambling in my head, I'd swallow an elephant.

"Umm…" Remus spoke up for the first time. There was a bruise on his cheek from where I hit him. I flinched away from the sight. "Is Rayne… very upset?"

"Upset would be an understatement," I told him bluntly, staring at the floor. "She was sobbing the last time I saw her."

Remus looked stricken with guilt. "Did she… ask you to come in and hit me?"

I shook my head violently, tears welling up again. Remus was trying so hard to think the best of me, and I was about to disappoint him. "No. She hasn't spoken to me." I looked up at him, begging for him to understand. I sucked in a deep breath. "You-see-I-dared-her-to-ask-you-out-and-since-you-said-no-she's-blaming-me-for-her-rejection-so-I-got-all-upset-and-needed-someone-to-blame-so-my-fucked-up-brain-told-me-it-was-your-fault-and-that's-why-I-came-in-here-and-I'm-so-sorry!"

The Marauders were gaping at me. James let out a low whistle. "I didn't know anyone could say that much without taking a breath. Do you have extraordinary breathing powers?"

I blinked at him, muddled. "No, I don't think so…" I scrunched up my eyebrows, thinking hard. "Then again, I have been known to stay underwater for minutes without taking a breath or doing any training prior." Bewildered, I stared at James. "Do you think that counts?"

James stroked his chin. "I think it may." He nodded knowledgably. "That may indeed be super-breathing-powers at work."

"I wonder where they came from?" I stared off blankly into the distance, contemplating this new discovery.

James shrugged. "Radioactive spiders? Lightning hitting you as a child? Being born during the new moon? Faerie godmothers?"

"As fascinating as this is," Sirius said dryly, "I think we'd better get back to the matter at hand."

"Oh right." I looked down at my hands, which were bruised from punching. "I hope you can forgive me Remus. I did something really cruel, for no other reason than my own guilt. I'm an awful excuse for a human being and I deserve every word I shouted at you to be turned on me ten-fold. And I-"

Arms wrapping around me cut me off. This time, it was not Sirius or James. It was Remus. Cautiously, I buried my head in his clean white shirt. It smelled like pine and lavender. It reminded me of the woods. He spoke very gently. "I completely forgive you. There is nothing to forgive. We all do things we shouldn't sometimes. And, quite honestly, I'm glad you did. You hitting me made me realize I'm not the only one suffering in this situation."

I pulled away slightly, so I could look up into his face. "But why, Remus? I know you like her. Why did you say no?"

He turned his face away, brown eyes looking out the window. "I don't deserve her."

Before I realized it, I gasped indignantly and smacked him lightly on the back of his head.

"Ow!" His hand flew to his head and he looked at me reproachfully, with owl eyes. "What was that for?"

I frowned at him. "I hate when anyone puts themselves down like that. Saying you don't deserve someone… Unless you give me a real reason, like 'She cares for me more than I care for her' or… I can't even think of an 'or'. Anyway, no one is more deserving of someone else. The moment you say 'I don't serve them', that is a sure sign you do, because you truly appreciate their worth. But you are deserving of her, every inch of you. So, give me a real reason."

"Aria, I…" Remus wouldn't look at me. "Rayne is the kindest, sweetest, smartest girl I've ever met. And I'm all messed up. I can't… I won't… put her through that. I've decided not to date, ever. No girl deserves dealing with my issues."

"Remus!" I stomped my foot, angry. "You are the kindest, sweetest, smartest guy I've ever met. You're so polite and considerate. Girls would kill to date you, even if it meant dealing with your 'issues', whatever those are. We all have issues, you see. You shouldn't underestimate the human capacity to cope."

A strangled sound came out of his throat, and he paced away. "You don't understand. You can't understand. I can't tell you, but you have to understand. My issues are a lot worse than you think."

Suddenly, I remembered back in fourth year, when Snape still hung out with Lily. I used to hang out with him too, because of her. I'd never really liked him, but I hadn't hated him either, even though I had issues with the way he tried to control Lily. He even tried to convince Lily that Remus was a…

I bit my lip, and categorized everything I knew about Remus. How once, every month, he would disappear. How he would seem to get sickly up until that point. How he was shy and would never go out with any girls. How he had issues… beyond my imaginings. Could it be… was Snape right?

I looked up at him, his worn, tired face, with that brown hair and brown eyes. So sweet… how could anyone this sweet looking have such an issue?

"Remus," I began delicately. "Forgive me if I offend you, but… I've heard some rumors before, about you. From Snape, actually." Remus's eyes grew wide and he took a step away from me. I mustered up the courage to continue. "I would never, ever ask you this unless all the facts fit in and I thought, maybe this was why you said no. "Remus…" I took a deep breath. "Remus, are you a werewolf?"

The look in his eyes was enough of an answer.

"Oh," I gasped. "Oh."

It was completely silent in the room. Remus stared at me with horrified eyes. He swallowed, and I watched his throat.

"Well, go on," he said in a raspy, resigned voice, "Go ahead and run. I know that you don't want to be here with me. I'm a monster. It's okay to run and pretend not to know me anymore."

.

.

.

.

.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT?!" I shrieked, and then flung a hand over my mouth. I hadn't meant to say that, and especially not so loud.

Remus was so startled that he stumbled back, tripped and fell on the floor. "Wait…" he said cautiously, "You don't want to run?"

I smacked a hand to my forehead. "Why is it," I muttered, "that you have this tendency to be so utterly INSECURE!" I glared at Remus. I had been put through far too much mental stress tonight and my mood swings didn't make sense even to me. "Listen up, Remus! I am your friend, whether you like it or not! And that may not make sense coming from someone who was trying to beat you up a half an hour ago! But, you know what? It's true! And friends help deal with other friends' issues! And therefore, I am completely, utterly, unequivocally okay with your werewolf-y-ness! So there!" I stamped my foot.

"B-b-b-but!" Remus was so shocked, he was stammering. And suddenly, I knew exactly what to do.

I grabbed his hands, yanked him to his feet, and wrapped my arms around him. I was hugging a frozen statue, but I knew that if I held on, he would defrost.

"I don't understand," he said, his voice bewildered like a child.

I looked up at him, with his sweet, innocent eyes and felt tears come to my own once again. "I'm so sorry, Remus. The things I shouted must have hurt you doubly. I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. No one should, but especially not you. And I'm sorry that I wasn't here years ago. I should have been."

Remus was looking at me like I was a walking miracle, and I looked right back.

"Awww!" James cooed in the back round, which kind of spoiled the moment. I was in a mind to shove him. "Isn't this cute? Group hug everyone!"

"Wait a moment!" But, of course, no one listened. Which meant I was smashed against Remus by James and Sirius who were hugging from behind. I felt like I was the cheese in the middle of the Marauder sandwich.

"Oi!" My shout was muffled against Remus's chest. "Back off!"

"Can't… breath…" Remus rasped. Of course, the instant he said something, they backed off.

I continued to hang on Remus, though. "Just because I hug Rem Rem doesn't mean the rest of you get to."

When I looked up at Remus's face, he was blushing. "Uh… Ari… you can let go now…"

I ignored him, addressing the rest of the Marauders. "How did you guys find out about… er…"

James grinned. "I refer to it as Remus's 'furry little problem'."

My eyes widened as once-upon-a-time mysteries suddenly made sense. "So that's what you were talking about! I always thought Remus had a rabid rabbit!"

I felt Remus's chest vibrating under my arms. He was laughing. His face looked so sweet as he quietly laughed. I couldn't help but grin.

Sirius was chuckling too. He pushed back his hair with his left hand and I watched, entranced, as dark hair cascaded back around his face. It really was getting a bit long. It made me want so badly to touch it and comb it into place. Around Remus's neck, my hands twitched. Luckily, he didn't get the wrong impression.

"We found out in… third year, was it?" Sirius looked to James for confirmation. "We'd been suspicious for a while, and we ended up putting things together…"

James picked up the thread. "We confronted him about it. He… he was so shocked that he didn't even bother denying it." James grinned at me. "Just like about two minutes ago, he expected us to go running away. But, as you can tell, we stuck around."

Sirius slung an arm over Remus's shoulder. His hand hung just beside my head. "Best thing that ever happened to the guy!"

"Or worse, depending on how you look at it," Remus muttered under his breath. I buried my head in his chest to muffle my laughter.

"Eventually, we decided we didn't want Moony to be alone when he changed… but we couldn't be there are humans."

"So… we decided…"

"To become…"

"ANIMAGUS!" Sirius and James shouted in sync, right in my face. I jumped about fifty feet in the air, then toppled over, bring Rem down with me.

"YOU GUYS ARE ANIMAGUS?" I screeched from my not-so-dignified position on the ground.

James nodded smugly. "It took us 'til fifth year, but we did it."

"Me too!" Pettigrew had been blissfully silent until then. I glared at him and he receded into submission.

I sat up, fascinated. "But… what animals?"

James knelt down beside me and put his lips to my ear. "You have to promise to keep all this quiet," he whispered, "Even from Lily and Kristy and Rayne."

I widened my eyes innocently at him. "But of course! This is your secret, not mine!"

"Alright then!" Sirius rubbed his palms together. "Well, Peter is a rat-"

I suddenly recalled the Marauder's stupid nicknames. "Wormtail!" I gasped.

James clapped his hands. "Good job! You got it in one. We made up our nicknames to match our animals." He beamed at me. I could see how happy he was to no longer have to keep this secret from me. "Guess what I turn into!"

It took a second to remember James's nickname, Prongs. Prongs… Prongs were points. Prongs as in… "Antlers!" I realized out loud. "Are you a moose?"

James looked offended. "No!" He frowned at me. "How'd you come up with that one?"

Bewildered, I looked blankly at him. "Moose have very nice antlers."

His eyebrows furrowed together. "My nickname reminds you of a moose?"

"What else is it supposed to remind me of?"

"I dunno, maybe… A STAG!"

"Why would it remind me of a stag? That is the absolute LAST thing I would thing of after hearing 'Prongs'. Is a stag even an animal anyways?"

"It's a male deer, Ari, a male deer. You know, A STAG."

"Nope. Stag and Prongs just don't go together."

"You wound me. Really."

"Don't tell me you are a stag."

"No, I just brought that up to make conversation. Duh, Ari."

"Hey, how am I supposed to know?"

"Logic."

"I don't use logic. Illogic is much more my style."

"As is evident."

"Hey. Watch it mister."

"Or what? You gonna tried to sissy punch me too."

"You do not want to go there, Mr. Prongs. 'Cause believe me, you do not want to get me started."

"Oh really? 'Cause I think I do."

"Bring it on, wimp, bring it on."

"Sorry, I don't fight girls."

"Well, you do now!"

I was just about to give him a really good Jelly-Legs Jinx when Remus put his hand on my arm. "Aria? Don't you want to know what Sirius is?"

I have to admit, I'm easily distracted. I glanced up briefly at Sirius. "Your nickname is Padfoot, right?"

Sirius gave a swift nod. "You betcha."

Well, there were any number of animals with pads on their feet. I stared at Sirius, analyzing his face, from his large hands and feet to his grinning face. It seemed to me that there could be only one answer. "No…" I said, shaking my head. "No way. After all those jokes I've made… You can't be…"

Sirius gave a barking laugh. "Now you see why we all found that just so funny."

"A dog. Seriously?" I deadpanned.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. "I do everything Siriusly, love."

Four people groaned simultaneously. "Not the Sirius/serious jokes. Please. Spare us."

James turned to me, annoyance evident on his face. "How come you can get 'dog' out of Padfoot, but you can't get 'stag' out of Prongs?"

I sniffed. "There is the slight problem of me not knowing what a 'stag' was."

"How, after seventeen years on this earth, can you not know what a 'stag' is?" James despaired.

"My parents' focus wasn't exactly teaching me animal names. I didn't know what a bloody hippogriff was until I came to Hogwarts."

"What exactly DID your parents teach you?"

"I can talk about the weather in exactly twenty different languages."

"The weather? Why the weather?"

"James, you do not have ANY sophistication. The weather and your health is the basis of ALL polite conversation."

"Thank Merlin my parents hate society."

"Thank Merlin I got out of polite society as soon as I possibly could." Sirius plopped down on his bed.

James jumped onto his own bed. "So… uh… It's getting pretty late."

I knew what this meant. This was James's polite way of saying, 'Ari, I love you and all that, but I really love sleeping as well. It's about twelve at night and I need my rest. Which I can't exactly get with you in here.'

"Yeah. You're right." I nodded, but stayed firmly where I was. Which was my way of saying, 'Look, I totally get what you mean James, but I've been thrown out of my dorm and I don't really fancy sleeping in the Common Room…'

Unfortunately, my message did not get through to James. Fortunately, it did get through to Sirius. "Hey! Wait! You said you got kicked out of your dorm! Where are you going to sleep?"

Well, it partially got through to Sirius.

I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I'll find a comfy sofa in the Common Room of something." I frowned, as if I was actually considering this. "I just hope some perverted fifth year won't find me there in the morning. That could be embarrassing."

James and Sirius exchanged a look over my head. Remus, who was still standing beside me, turned his lips down gently. "This is quite the predicament. We don't want you sleeping in the Common Room."

The boys were all frowning and contemplating my situation, but I could tell none of them were coming to the conclusion I wanted them too. I sighed. I would have to do this myself. "Ummm…" I started hesitantly. "Could I sleep in here, tonight?"

I wish I could have photographed the looks on their faces. I swear, they looked like strangled giraffes. Although where I got that comparison from, I really can't say. I've never actually seen a strangled giraffe before… Maybe I read about it somewhere? Such a mystery… But any how…

There were as many wrinkles on James's forehead as there are on your ninety year old grandma's bulldogs. "But… what about your reputation? If you stay in here, people might get the wrong idea about you and Sirius!"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. They all think I'm the soul of innocence. Anything I tell them, they'll believe."

"Soul of innocence… they wish…" Sirius muttered under his breath. I turned my absolutely most blinding smile on him.

"Sirius, dear? Did you say something?"

He got the message. This time, complete.

He slid discretely away. "N-no. I didn't say anything. Nothing. In fact, I didn't say anything so much that you must of heard me not saying anything."

In corner, I saw Pettigrew mouthing the words to himself, trying to figure it out. At least it would keep him occupied for the next month.

James opened his mouth, as if he was going to object again, but Remus cut him off. "James, Sirius, we can't just kick her out. She has nowhere else to go. And I'm sure she'll be able to leave in the morning without anyone noticing. Aria is good at being sneaky, I'm sure." The look he gave me knowing. I winced slightly. It would appear Remus knew more about my 5th and 6th years than I would like. "We wouldn't be good friends if we didn't help her out in her time of need. Besides, Aria is just like one of us. James didn't even realize she was a girl until about a week ago."

Sirius sighed. "Normally, I wouldn't object. But, Aria, you must realize that if you spend a night in the same room as ME, my beloved fan girls are sure to have something to say about."

I put my hands on my hips. "I honestly don't care. And I can take care of myself."

James put his hands in the air. "I give up. I'm fine with it, if the rest of you guys are."

Sirius shrugged. "I don't mind. I was just concerned about Ari."

Pettigrew gave some creepy little smile thing. "I'd love to have Ari stay." I made a mental note to sleep as far away from him as possible.

Remus smiled, in a non-creepy way. Pettigrew should take notes. Get pro smiling lessons. I wonder if there are such things, smiling lessons. Oh! I bet those people how dress up in costumes at Wizardland get them. I mean, they have to take smiley pictures with annoying, sweaty little kids all day. That smiling must take serious stamina. I bet they have super buff mouths. I wonder what kissing one of them would feel like. Would they be smiling while we kissed? I'm not sure I've ever kissed someone who is smiling before. Is that odd? Does that mean I'm kissing people that aren't happy? Maybe depression turns me on, or something. I mean, even Sirius… Sirius was ANGRY when we kissed. Maybe it's the whole anger thing. I do find that hot. Anger equals passion right? And I like passionate kissing… What was I talking about.

"So!" Remus clapped his hands. "Aria, you can have my bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"Oh no!" I held out my hands to stop him. "I couldn't! Especially after how mean I've been to you today. I'll just sleep on the floor."

"No, you can have MY bed," James offered gallantly.

I gave him A Look. "Please. If Lily found out I was sleeping in your bed, she'd freak. I don't need her even more jealous than she already is."

James frowned. "What? Lily's jealous?"

I rolled my eyes. "Did you really think we were arguing about Bob earlier in the Common Room?"

Sirius smacked him on the back of the head. "It was pretty obvious, mate."

Understanding dawned on James's face. "Wait… Lily is jealous of you and me."

I nodded. "Yep. She thinks my feelings for you aren't entirely platonic."

James squinted at me. "They are, though, right?"

I tilted my head, studying him. "Well, I believe so. But I can never be entirely sure about platonic feelings without kissing someone. And I've never kissed you. But I am 99.999% sure that I feel nothing but friendship for you. Honestly, I've got better things to do than try to find out."

James looked relieved. "Good. 'Cause, no offense, but I just don't feel that way for you."

I shrugged. "None taken."

"Aria can have MY bed." Now, Sirius offered.

I gave him a revolted look. "Please. No way."

"You aren't going to even come up with an excuse?" Sirius looked hurt.

I gave a deep sigh. "Do you really want one?"

Sirius scratched his head. "You gave excuses to everyone else. I feel excluded."

I laughed shortly. "Alright. One, fan girls would kill me. Two, that could be taken completely the wrong way. Three, I'm actually somewhat interested in you and that would just be weird. Four-"

Sirius cut me off, laughing good-naturedly. "Okay, okay, I got it." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You're 'somewhat interested' in me?"

"Deflate the ego, Black." I arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm merely attracted to your body. That's all."

"Sure, sure. You keep saying that." He winked at me, roguishly.

Pettigrew gave another creepy smile. "You can have my bed then."

I gave a forced smile back. "Thanks, but I think it would be better if I slept on the floor. Less potential for rumors."

"That makes sense," Remus agreed, unwillingly. "I just feel bad about making you sleep on the floor."

I patted his arm. "Don't. Just get me a few blankets and a pillow and I'll be fine."

Sirius ran his eyes over my body. I was just about to make some comment about 'hands AND eyes off' but then he said, "What are you going to sleep in Ari? You're still in your uniform."

I glanced down. It was true. I was still in my tight white, button down shirt and my equally tight, short, plaid skirt. It was not really the most comfy thing to sleep in. I pursed my lips. "Could I borrow PJs from one of you guys?"

The four exchanged looks. James wrinkled his forehead. "Wormtail is too short, but all the rest of us are way too tall." He smiled sweetly at me. "You are ridiculously tiny, Rs."

I glared. "If you think the cute smile made me forget about the jab to my height, you were wrong. And I don't care if they're oversized. Anything is better than THIS." I gestured to my uniform.

Sirius grinned mischievously. "I'll lend you my PJs. In fact, if you like them, you can keep 'em."

I stuck my finger in my mouth and made a gagging sound. "Please. Any PJs but his."

James grinned and shook his head. "No. I think I kind of want to see you in Padfoot's PJs. It's sure to be a funny sight." I glared at him once again. Between this and the short joke, I was going to kill him.

Remus grimaced at me. "Sorry Ari. He'd kill me if I even tried."

I groaned and put my head in my hands. "Fine. Fine. Fine. Just give me the damn PJs, Black."

Sirius grinned widely at me and tossed some clothing over. I grabbed them just before they landed on my head. It was a lot of cloth. Straightening it out, I realized it was just a plain white t-shirt and long, plaid PJ pants. But they were huge. I gave a groan of despair.

"Alright. Where's your damn bathroom?" I asked wearily. Four fingers pointed towards a door directly to my left that I somehow didn't notice before. Stuffing the PJs under my arm, I stomped into the bathroom.

I quickly stripped off my button up and skirt. Underneath my shirt, I was wearing a cami, which I opted to leave on. I tugged on Sirius's pants first. The waist was so huge that it didn't stay on until I rolled the waistband about ten times. Then, I rolled up the bottom of the pants because they were still, incredibly, too long. I pulled on the shirt afterwards. It came down to my knees. It was completely absurd. I used the scrunchie around my wrist to pull my hair up into a high, sloppy bun. I glanced in the mirror. I looked ridiculous.

Shyly, I opened the door. "Don't laugh, okay?" I called out to the Marauders, pleadingly.

James snickered. "No guarantees, Ari. Just come out."

I ducked my head and shuffled out, trying not to trip over the long pants. It was dead silent for a few seconds and then raucous laughter erupted.

I turned bright red. "Shut up! Sirius, you are fuckin' huge, okay!"

He laughed even harder and winked at me. "I know, love." I got the innuendo a little bit too late and proceeded to turn the color of a tomato.

"That is disgusting!" All four boys were practically rolling on the ground.

Sirius wiped tears out of his eyes. "Oh… sorry, love. That was too good to pass up." He smiled genuinely at me. "You do look amazingly sexy in my PJs, though."

I couldn't come up with a retort, so I did the mature thing. I stuck out my tongue at him.

After recovering from their giggling fit, James and Remus pointed out a nest of blankets and pillows they had made on floor. Remus smiled slightly, apologetic. "We tried to make it as comfy as possible. Sorry we don't have an extra bed."

I jumped onto my nest. "No problem. This feels great." I snuggled in, pulling the top blanket over me. My little haven was nestled between James and Sirius's beds. I looked up at all of them. "Thank you." My voice was soft as the pillow I was laying on. "I really am incredibly grateful. To all of you."

James reached down from his bed to pat my head. "No problem." He yawned. "Ready to turn out the lights, guys?" A chorus of yeses answered him. He nonchalantly waved his wand and the lights went out. " 'Night Ari!"

"Night James. Night Rem Rem. Night Pettigrew. Night sexist pig."

"Love you too, Aria."

"Don't make me puke."

"Quit it, you love birds. I wanna sleep."

Yawn. "Yeah, yeah. Night, all."

Within minutes, I was asleep.

"OH MY GOD! WHERE IS ARIA?!"

I sat bolt upright, shaken from my sleep by a shrill voice screaming my name. I looked around frantically, trying to orient myself. I was… on the floor. I looked up at the bed beside me and saw Sirius sitting up and yawning. Oh yeah. I was in the Marauder's bedroom. On the floor. In Sirius's PJs.

…

Damn.

"OH NO! WHAT IF SHE'S RUN BACK TO THE SLYTHERIN DORMS AND BECOME ALL HAPPY-SMILEY AGAIN! IT WOULD ALL BE MY FAULT! NOOOOO!" I finally placed the voice. It was Rayne. Freaking out. About me. Because… they had no idea where I was. Because I was in the Marauder's bedroom. On the floor. In Sirius's PJs.

…

Damn.

"Shit!" I jumped out of my floor nest. "I've got to get down there and tell them where I am!"

James groaned, still lying on his bed, arm over his eyes. His hair was horribly mussed. "So loud…"

"ARIA!" Now Lily was calling me. That got James out of bed.

"Fuck!" Sirius swore. "I was hoping we could get you out of here without them noticing."

"Obviously, we can't," Remus muttered grumpily, running a hand through his hair.

I waved my arms frantically. "Where's my uniform?"

"WHY?" James shouted, also waving his arms.

I waved my arms harder. "I can't go down there in this."

"Oh. Right."

Thus ensued the massive search for my uniform. Which had mysteriously disappeared. I thought I had left it in the bathroom, but we turned the bathroom upside down and couldn't find anything. I grew more and more stressed as the freaking out downstairs got louder.

We all went stiff when a new voice added to the cacophony. "Miss Evans, Miss Hale, what is this?" McGonagall asked moodily.

Lily anxiously explained. "Rayne, Ari and I had this huge fight last night and we locked her out of the dorm. Now she's gone and we can't find her and we're scared."

McGonagall sighed. Loudly. "Have you thought of checking the boys' dorms?"

There was beat of silence. "No."

McGonagall sighed even louder then raised her voice. "Miss Colette, if you are up there, please come down."

I shot an alarmed look at the Marauders. "Coming Professor!" I called down the stairs. I heard relieved sounds from downstairs. At the last moment, I spotted my uniform. It had been kicked under Sirius's bed. I snatched it and ran down the boy's dormitory stairs, sliding past many astonished guys. Breathless, I ran into the Common Room.

"Yes Professor?" I panted. There were gasps of shock and surprise from the other Gryffs gathered in the Common Room, directed at my appearance, I was sure.

McGonagall simply raised her eyebrows. "Miss Colette, would you like to explain why you spent the night in the boy's dormitory."

I gave her the widest smile I could. "I'm afraid that Lily, Rayne and I had a little tiff and they felt it necessary to lock me out of my dorm. At the point I stopped waiting at the door, hoping they would open it, no one else in the girl's dormitories was awake."

McGonagall clicked her tongue. "And why did you know the Marauders were awake?" I winced. She obviously suspected something was up. And she looked grumpy.

"I didn't, ma'am. Until I barged in on them." It was hard to keep smiling. I was worried.

"Oh? And why did you barge in on them?" McGonagall's tone was frosty as the snowman.

I gave her a rueful half smile. "It's a rather long story, Professor."

She sighed, patting her ever-perfect bun. "Miss Colette, whatever are you wearing?"

I blushed slightly. "Sirius's pajamas, Professor. I didn't have any of my own." There were even more noises of shock from around me. I cringed slightly at the attention.

McGonagall frowned sternly. "I do hope no… inappropriate activities occurred last night."

My eyes went as wide as saucers. "Oh, no ma'am!"

Lily came to my defense. "Professor, how could you even think that? Aria isn't the type!"

McGonagall gave her a disbelieving look. "Miss Evans. Out of all the students in your year, if I found out Aria had stayed in a boy's room and exited wearing boys bed clothes, I would suspect her more than any of the others of engaging in such inappropriate activities."

Rayne gasped indignantly. "Professor!" I didn't bother commenting. From the look in her eyes, McGonagall knew about my not-so-squeaky-clean past as well.

McGonagall rubbed her forehead. "Detention, Miss Colette."

Now, I spoke, upset. "For what exactly?"

"A girl sleeping in a boy's dormitory is strictly forbidden. And vice versa." McGonagall told me primly.

"Professor," I complained. "You must be aware that that sort of thing happens all the time."

McGonagall smiled wryly. "That may be so, Miss Colette, but most of your peers are wise enough not to get caught."

"I wouldn't have gotten caught if my friends over here hadn't freaked out." I told her stubbornly, crossing my arms.

I swear, it seemed like McGonagall was about to snicker. "Does that make you any less guilty, Miss Colette?"

I sighed, giving in. "I suppose not. And please don't call me by my surname. It bugs the crap out of me."

McGonagall didn't not dignify my request with a response. "You will have detention every Friday night at seven for the next three weeks. Also, please come to my office at lunch today. I have something I would like to discuss with you."

"Yes, Professor," I muttered sarcastically, giving a mocking bow.

"Watch your attitude, Miss Colette," McGonagall instructed before sweeping out of the Gryffindor tower. I glared at her retreating back, hands fisting in my uniform.

"Aria," Lily started, but I cut her off.

"Later Lils. I need to go get changed and ready." I gave her a smile to let her know it was all okay. "I'll talk to you at breakfast, okay? Head down without me."

Reluctantly, Lily nodded. I rushed up the stairs to the girls' dorms, ignoring the hushed whispers behind me. I had definitely made a statement.

I flung on my clothing quickly and tied my hair up in a high ponytail. I didn't normally wear my hair up, but I didn't have enough time to properly style it. After shoving gold flats on my feet, I hurried down to the Great Hall. Just before I left, I slid Sirius's pajamas into my book bag. I'll give it to him later.

I actually made it to the Great Hall with about twenty minutes left for breakfast. I immediately spotted my group; Lily, Rayne and Kristy sitting separately from the Marauders, but close enough that Lily and James could talk. I headed quickly over, eager to make up, but Amelia and Maxie, who looked completely ticked off, blocked my path.

"Ahem." Maxie cleared her throat. "You have a lot to answer for, Aria."

"Yeah!" Amelia agreed. "Sleeping in the same room as Sirius and wearing his PJs is completely unacceptable!"

"The Sirius Fan Club will not allow such an infraction!" Maxie declared. Girls all over the Great Hall nodded in agreement. My eyes darted frantically as I tried to think of a way out. Then, a brilliant idea struck me.

"Hey! Sirius!" I waved and grinned, standing on my tiptoes so he could see me over Maxie and Amelia. "You said I could keep the PJs if I wanted, right?" Girls around me gasped.

Sirius looked astonished, and then grinned seductively. "Yeah. I knew you'd want to keep them."

"Good." I smiled as sweetly as I could at him, feeling a little bad for what I was about to do. I turned to Amelia and Maxie who were completely enraged at this point. "Guys, I would like to make a donation to the Sirius Fan Club."

Amelia gaped. Maxie looked dumbfounded. "You would?"

I nodded, trying to look innocent and meek. "Yeah. To, you know, make up for my 'infractions'."

"Oh." These girls were really quite dumb. I could see Sirius's eyes narrowing as he guessed where this was going. I threw a cheeky grin at him as I pulled his pajamas out of my bag and thrust them into Maxie's hands.

"Here," I said, trying hard not to laugh. "An official pair of Sirius's PJs. All for the club."

"OH MY GOD!" Maxie started hyperventilating as she buried her head in Sirius's PJs and breathed in deeply. Fan girls shrieked and started running to feel the PJs. In the midst of the chaos, I slipped through them to jog over to my friends.

Sirius looked dismayed. "OI!" he called, running over to grab his pajamas. "Hands off! I disallow such a donation!" Disappointed sighs came from about half the girls in the room. Looking vaguely freaked out, Sirius carried his PJs back to his seat. Once there, he shoved them at me. "They're yours."

I pushed them back. "I don't want them."

He forced them back into my hands. "Neither do I," he said stubbornly.

I decided it was time to use my wits. "Sirius, you don't want a pair of PJs that I spent all night sleeping in?" I watched as the gears clicked in his brain and he understood exactly what I was saying. I couldn't help giggling as he stole them back, carefully stuffing them in his book bag.

"Cuuute," Kristy commented sarcastically. "Now he's going to spend every night curling up with your sweaty pajamas, Ari. Are you sure you want that."

I snorted, helping myself to some eggs. "It's better than keeping those things myself."

Rayne, who was sitting beside me, placed a tentative hand on my arm. "Aria?" She said timidly.

I looked at her, waiting. I wasn't about to apologize unless she seemed ready to make up. She looked down as she spoke. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. It wasn't your fault. I was just really upset… and I needed to blame it on someone. I'm… really sorry."

I couldn't help it; I threw my arms around her. "Me too, Rayne. I'm sorry that it didn't work out. I honestly thought it would. Swear on Merlin. I wanted you to be happy."

Rayne sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Thanks Ari. And… on the way here, James told me what you did for me. I was really… that was really… thank you."

I felt myself tearing up, and I squeezed her tighter. "It was an awful thing to do, but…" I smiled at her. "Thank you for forgiving me."

She laughed stuffily. "There was nothing to forgive."

I grinned. Everything was perfect.

And it was the day of the Halloween dance.

I hope you liked it! Even if the beginning WAS weird. Tell me what you think. Review, review, REVIEW!

I'll have the next chap up as soon as possible!

Love you all!