"Why must it always be so dark when we're doing mischief?" asked Peter as Sirius closed the curtains and Remus conjured a small fire in an empty cauldron.

"It gives us a better chance of hiding if anyone comes up here." Remus explained, stoking the green flames.

"Everyone ready?" James asked.

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Close the door, Peter."

"I don't know...."

"Close the door!"

Peter promptly shut the door and hurried to sit around the fire with the others. James had put a piece of parchment in the air, magicking it to float in place with a quill pressed to it, ready to write.

"You've said the proper spells, Sir?" he asked.

"Last night." Sirius replied. "All we need to do is tell it what to write."

"How should we start out?" Peter asked.

"Hmm..." James furrowed his brow. "I know!" he touched his wand to the quill. "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, purveyors of aids to magical mischief-makers, are proud to present...." He thought for a moment before inspiration came. "The Marauder's Map!"

The quill flew across the paper, scribbling the words he said. The ink glistened for a few seconds after it finished before disappearing into the paper.

"Perfect." Remus cried.

"Now we've all got to put a little of ourselves in." Sirius said, taking out a small pocketknife as James removed the quill from the paper.

"What do you mean, a little of ourselves?" Peter said with a shudder. Sirius nicked his finger, drawing a droplet of blood.

"Padfoot." He murmured, pressing his finger onto the parchment. The blood scrawled out his signature in shining red letters. "Your turn." He handed the knife to James.

"Prongs." James said as he cut his finger and pushed it onto the paper.

"Moony." Remus did the same.

"Come on, Peter!" Sirius encouraged. Peter whimpered as James nicked his finger and he pushed it quickly onto the parchment before sticking it in his mouth and sucking the blood off. The four signatures glowed brightly before turning inky-black and disappearing as well.

"Now we just have to make up a password." Remus said.

"Like what?" asked Peter.

"Like...I dunno. What are some of the passwords around here?"

"Sherbet Lemon!"

"Caput Draconis!"

"Dissendium!"

"Perhaps something a little more...Marauder-ish?" Remus suggested.

"Hmmm...I think I know." James grinned and put his wand onto the blank paper. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." He murmured. Lines of ink sprawled from his wand and a series of rooms spread across the parchment. Words blossomed at the top, the same words James had said only a few minutes earlier. Best of all, tiny dots moves about the page, each with a miniscule nametag. Each room, each hall, each secret passageway was there. The ones they knew of, at least.

"Finished!" Sirius cried. "And to close it off, you just wipe it and say 'mischief managed'."

"That's it, then." Remus grinned. "Look! There's Rhia and Lily in the common room."

"And Annie in the Great Hall." Peter pointed out.

"Is she alone?" Sirius asked.

"Seems to be." He replied.

"Sirius-" Remus began, but James stopped him.

"Go on." He encouraged, ignoring a withering stare from Remus. Sirius nodded and ran out of the room. The other Marauders watched as the dot labeled Sirius Black ran through the common room, out the portal, and down the stairs towards the Great Hall.

Sirius was almost completely out of breath as he ran into the Great Hall. As he tried to fill his lungs with air, he saw Annie sitting alone at the Gryffindor table, thumbing through a charms book. He straightened his robes and went to sit next to her.

"Hi." Sirius said, starting casual conversation.

"Hello." Annie replied, not looking up from her book.

"You're still mad, aren't you?" he guessed.

"Oh gosh, what gave you that idea?" she said quizzically.

"Sarcasm." He noted and she nodded.

"Of course." She returned to her book, staying quiet for a few moments.

"So, how are you?" He twiddled his thumbs.

"Well." She flicked a page.

"That's good, then!" he smiled.

"I suppose." She nodded a little.

"Oh, come on, Annie!" he said exasperatedly. "I've told you a million times that I'm sorry!"

"Try and million and one." She gathered up her books and proceeded to make her way out of the Hall.

"Annie!" he cried, catching up with her in a deserted corridor by grabbing her shoulder.

"Sirius, I was a bet!" She said, wrestling free. "A stupid bet for you to get a new service kit for your bike! All I was to you was a bloody bet!"

"No, Annie." He assured her. "It may have started out as a bet, true, but I grew pretty fond of you, kiddo."

"Kiddo!" Annie was indignant. "You see? All you see me as is Remus' kid sister!"

"Annie, listen to me-"

"No!"

"YES! I will admit, I used to think of you as just my best friend's kid sister. But you've grown into so much more than that!" Sirius insisted. "You're smart, and radiant, and beautiful, and funny, and kind... Annie, I could go on forever about everything you are and everything you've taught me. You are more than just a Lupin. You are Annie, and I... well..."

"What? You love me?" She gave a queer sort of half-laugh. "Come off it Sirius, its not possible for you to love anyone. You jump from girl to girl more often than people go through inkwells! You don't know what it means to love someone. I loved you, for so long, and you toyed with me and broke my heart. You don't do that to someone you love, and you don't expect them to forgive you so easily, either."

"Annie-"

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet Lucius." She nodded curtly. "We're discussing costumes for the Hallowe'en Ball."

Sirius stood stone still as he watched her leave.

~*~

"Fasten my headdress, will you?" Rhia asked Lily as they prepared for the Hallowe'en ball on a cold October night.

"You look lovely." Arabella Figg, their roommate commented as she dressed in her 'Muggle' costume.

"Mother sent it." Rhia blushed, touching the delicately beaded Cleopatra costume her parents had shipped from Egypt.

"Well, she certainly cares about you." Susan Reginald, their other roommate said with a smile. Rhia tried to hold back a laugh and Lily smiled sympathetically.

"Lily looks like a dream, if I do say so myself." Rhia said, adjusting the princess costume she had helped Lily to make.

"You may say so." Lily replied. "Now, are you ready? I want to see the boys."

"Yes, yes." Rhia rolled her eyes and let Lily drag her down to the common room where the four boys were waiting. But instead of being clad in their usual Hogwarts robes, they were dressed in something very different. Sirius was a knight-in-shining-armor, Remus was Hermes, the messenger of the Gods (complete with winged sandals and helmet), Peter was a giant teddy bear, and James, the piece de resistance, was wearing a purple robe, tall purple hat, and long white beard.Albus Dumbledore.

"Oh my!" Lily cried, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"Shall we go then?" James said, with a twinkle behind his tiny spectacles.

The party was in full swing when Lucius Malfoy, dressed as a devil, and his cronies appeared, along with Annie, who came as an angel. They sat around and stared as the others ate and danced, having a fun time until Annie began to grow bored.

"Can't we do something instead of sitting around?" she asked, sitting her hands in her chin, her white feathered wings rustling.

"I have an idea." Lucius winked to his comrades and led her out of the Hall.

"Where are we going?" she looked around curiously. It was strangely dark on this Halloween night and she didn't like the look of things.

"You'll see." He replied, leading her down a corridor and into an empty classroom.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Shhh." He put a finger to her lips. "Now, take off your dress."

"What?" She cried.

"Take off your dress." He repeated. "Then get on your knees."

"I will not!" She cried.

"You will do as I say!" He ordered, his voice rising to a shout as he grabbed her shoulder, ripping a strap of her dress. Annie froze and he gave a malicious laugh. "Now you only have one more to remove."

"No!" She shouted, shoving him off. He swiftly slapped her cheek, leaving a stinging, red handprint on the side of her face.

"You little whore." He muttered, spitting in her face before shoving her into a desk and leaving. She trembled in that spot for a few moments before walking out the door and slumping into a heap in the hall. She lay there for ten minutes, crying softly to herself before,

"Annie?"

She looked up, her wings crooked, her dress ripped, and her hair a mess.

"Sirius, go away, please." She pleaded, hiding her face in her hands.

"What happened?" he asked, kneeling by her side, his armor clinking softly. "What's wrong?"

"I said go away, Sirius!" Annie shouted and turned away from him. When she did, he could clearly see her dress strap and reddened cheek. He reached out a hand, but she shrunk away from him.

"Annie... did he do this to you?"

Annie sniffled. "He who?" she mumbled.

"You know who. Lucius." When he mentioned the name, Annie shivered. "Oh, Annie!" Sirius made a move to stand up, to chase after Lucius, to beat him to a bloody pulp and make sure he never saw the sun again, but the sight of Annie crumpled on the floor made him put his revenge aside to help her first.

"Come on," he said, reaching out a hand. "I'll bring you back to the dorm. You can stay in bed, and if you want to talk about it tomorrow, you can feel free to." He held his hand out for her, but she just stared at it.

"You hurt me... all you all do is hurt me... You'll hurt me again..." she muttered, dragging herself away from Sirius a bit. His face fell. How could this happen to such an innocent girl? When he got his hands on Malfoy...

"Annie, I promise I won't hurt you. I'll take you to Remus, if you'd rather that... your brother won't hurt you."

"No! No, Remus can't see me! He'll tell Mother, he'll tell Mum... he'll tell..."

"Well, what do you want to do, Annie? I'll take you wherever you want, I'll do whatever I can." It took all of Sirius' restraint to stop himself from kneeling down, scooping her up, and whisking her away where she could be happy and carefree again. In the back of his mind, Sirius vaguely wondered if this was how James felt about Lily.

Annie tried to stand up, but her knees gave way. She felt herself falling to the ground, but it didn't come up to met her. She looked up into the smiling face of Sirius.

"Good reflexes," he admitted.

"Good catch," she smiled weakly back. Sirius picked her up and carried her all the way to the Gryffindor common room. She promptly fell asleep in his arms.