Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created sorely to satisfy my imagination. Harry Potter and anything/everything related to the novels belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing in this fanfic that might be recognizable as belonging to the canon of HP.

Chapter 4: In the dorm

My dorm mates were still sleeping when I snuck back in our room. They would soon be up and would be expecting to see me hiding under my covers. That's how they liked me to be and that's how I wanted to be found the morning after a full moon. I had no desire for my secret to be known, even less by the 16 year-old girls I shared a dorm with.

I tiptoed in, careful not to make a sound.

My feet were caked with mud and leaves, but that was a problem I knew no one would notice. Not when I hid them under my blankets until the girls left for breakfast. Then I could take a relaxing shower and get ready for class in peace.

Gemma Carrow stirred in the bed next to mine, making me duck a fraction. My peace in the following week would be greatly diminished if she caught me.

A second passed, but the bedcovers were not pushed away, so I took it as my cue to move. I tried hard to not jump in bed. The screeching of the four poster bed would be enough to wake up the whole House in the silence of the morning. That's an exaggeration of course, but I've managed to do stranger things.

Safe under the covers, I let their warmth engulf me.

It was hard to not let myself fall into the land of dreams. The last time I slept was the night before and my comfortable bed was meant to be step in. I thought things though, as I waited for the girls around me to start waking up. My day was full with classes, and I was sure that I was going to pass hard times trying to not fall asleep. Maybe it was best to cut all day; play the sick card and sleep all day.

Definitely it was a brilliant idea, but I couldn't do that. I had worked till I dropped during the summer to catch up to my school age year, it was best if I didn't fall behind when the choice was mine to take.

A grandfather clock began to chime, announcing the beginning of the day.

There was a groan in the room and rustling of bed covers, followed shortly by dazed footsteps. I stayed completely still, as the dorm buzzed with teenage girl life.

"Is it double Herbology or Transfiguration today? I can't find my schedule in this mess." There was a movement of books and papers, making me figure that Mafalda was moving around her working pile. Every night when doing homework, Mafalda Bole constructed a pile parchment and text books next to her bed. It was her best working routine to getting things done, and it annoyed everyone, myself included. Even more when she made me look for her notes in there.

"Should I let my hair down today? What do you think Gemma?" Gertrude Goyle asked. I could just imagine her in front of the mirror, pushing up her dark waves with uncertaincy. It didn't really matter what hairstyle she chose, she would still look like one of those Puffskein to me.

"Suits you better up."

Gertrude made an annoyed sound, dropping something, probably her brush. "I didn't ask you, Hestia!"

"It's Transfiguration." Gemma said, closer to my bed than I would like. Her bed was next to mine, so it wasn't her fault as far as I knew, but that didn't mean that I had to like it. "And Gertrude, you should wear it down."

"Why you listen to her and not me?" Hestia demanded.

"Because you spilled my Infusion of Wormwood and I got a low mark in Potions! How am I going to get into the Slug Club like that?"

"Mafalda did that!" Hestia defended herself.

Shoes were placed on the floor, as someone to my other side sat on the next bed. "Leave me out of this. Gertrude, where did you put my Defence essay?"

"I have it." Gemma said making a sound that strictly made me imagine parchment being rolled up as she stomped around. I swear for someone as skinny as she was, she did walk very loudly. "Would you guys hurry up? I don't want to be late for breakfast."

"More like you don't want to be late to start gazing at Sirius Black." Hestia threw out there, submerging herself in laughter that Lillian shared.

"Ugh, I can't stand him." Mafalda said. "I can't believe my mother is trying to arrange me with him." She 'ughed' again.

"All our mothers want to arrange us with him. He's a Black." Gemma sounded a bit hostile while she said that. She was obvious. It made me roll my eyes in my hiding place. Everybody knew she was set in having Sirius Black as a husband. "Though, I think you're so disgusted with him because you like Potter, instead." Her voice got farther as she spoke, and I perked up at the fact that they were finally going to leave.

"I don't!"

"Can't hide it from us. You fancy the smelly Gryffindor."

"Hestia Bletchley, please shut it!"

There was more talk as they moved away, but I stopped eavesdropping. There was no point to make an effort.

"Wake up, Far-a-way!" One yelled, I think it was Hestia, just before she shut the door to the dorm.

I let a couple minutes go by, to make sure they wouldn't return for something forgotten. Last thing I desired was to actually have to talk to one of them. Pulling myself out of bed was easy, as exhausted as I felt, I was more determined to get cleaned up. I didn't like getting too much attention from my fellow students, and smelling like forest and sweat was sure to catch it.

Once in the bathroom, I pulled the nightgown off, the sorry white fabric fell in a heap around my filthy feet. Not much of me was dirty. I checked myself in the mirror, looking for stains or bug bites, but I found none. My hair held all the leaves and twigs of the Forbidden Forest, and with a sigh I figured I had to wash that too.

It was best that way though. I had to rid my body of the smell of nature, hence I risk being discovered. Hogwarts professors, especially Dumbledore, were extremely perceptive about those kinds of things. Some of them, at least.

After the shower, I put on my school robes which were two sizes too big on me. Like the nightgown, they were donated, but I didn't mind them. Their tent-like size made me feel comfortable, unlike the sleeping wear that allowed me to slip into the drunken persona Lady Moon provoked in me. Pulling my long hair up into a tight knot, I stole less than a dab of Gertrude's hair solution to press my bangs and loose hairs back. It was my preferred hairdo, and it made my daily academic life so much easier.

I gathered all the books I needed for the day. I thought about taking an extra one, fifth-year Transfiguration book so I could clarify some terms that were still unknown to me in class, but I decided against it. Better to do that before bed, in case I got headaches again.

The thought of searching in the Library for something relating to werewolf and the kind of friends they keep crossed my mind, however I tucked it away immediately. I had enough in my plate with N.E.W.T classes. Instead I made a mental list of all the things I was obligated to do during the day.

First thing: apologize to the portrait.

I sighed.

…

AN: I have great plans for this fanfiction and I figured it's time for me to say something. Thank you for reading; I'm glad that this has spiked your interest so far. As to the story, I'll announce that I'm planning for it to be really really long. I'm not sure how long, but I'm plotting chapters and I'm already up to 75, and that only reaches barely to the end of summer before 7th year. In my head, I want to get to October 1981. My mind's gone crazy, I know.

Anyway, I don't want to frighten anyone with the promise of a long fanfiction. So far, my chapters have been short, and some along the line are the same. I have long and short chapters planned, and I also think I'm gonna be looking things over to take some out.

Also, the first 20 chapters are gonna be more about establishing Faraday as a character. This is a Sirius Black/ OC getting together fanfic, but it will be a loooooooooooong time before that even starts to happen. I hope I don't disinterest anyone; it's just the way my mind worked this story out. There will be lots of fluff and fun stuff along the way, no worries.

Please, if you are interested in this story, let me know. I know that it's a pain in the butt to review or comment, but you'll be giving me inspiration to keep going.

That's all. Thank you very much for reading! ^.^