Hi!!!! I'm finally back home! Just got back a few hours ago from the airport! Italy was great! But I missed food at home... the pasta, spaghetti and pizza wasn't very nice after the first 5 days. Here's what I have for you now! Enjoy!

Chapter 27

My heart jumped suddenly, I spun around and... there was Sirius Black standing behind with his hands in his pockets, his robe rippling in the wind behind him. He smiled a small bittersweet smile but didn't say anything.

I turned back to stare at the sunset. I wasn't sure if I wanted to forgive him or not. So what if he was handsome and popular... so what if I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. He didn't feel the same way. My heart suddenly turned cold when I thought back on his words at Potions class.

"I thought we were different..." I muttered frostily.

There was a pause between us, and the only sound heard was the howling of the wind and the rustling of the grass. Sirius stepped forward and settled next to me like he had done before. He breathed in the cool air deeply and sighed.

"I'm sorry..."

I stared determinedly out at the horizon, not wanting to forgive him that easily. Other girls might have, but I didn't want to be the one who went weak in the knees every time he looks at me... I wanted to be strong. I didn't want him to have his own way every time... as he must have did with who knows how many others.

"It hurt..." I admitted. My voice was shaking.

"I realize that now... Remus managed to knock some sense into me," he muttered. "Believe me, if I could do it all over again... I would. I was so wrong... we were fine before you got sorted. I guess, it was my hatred for the Slytherins..."

He paused and stared out into the open.

"It's okay if you won't forgive me though... just so you know I'm sorry," he concluded.

There was another pause longer than before. Sirius sighed heavily and got to his feet, ready to leave. He walked dejectedly away, his head bent low and his hands in his pockets again. And suddenly, as though by reflex, I got to my feet. Deep down, I knew I didn't want him to walk out of my life forever... not now, not when we had just met.

"Wait..." I said softly.

He stopped and turned expectantly.

I didn't know whether to forgive him or not. Half of me wanted to. To let us be friends again, to return to the good old times. But the nastier half objected... he was so mean, so irrational, he shouldn't be forgiven that easily. I was so confused... a million thoughts were rushing through my head. I had to make up my mind.

"It's okay..." I whispered.

Ever since he had arrived there, not once have our eyes locked for even a split second. His eyes gazed deeply into mine, opening a window to his soul. He walked slowly closer towards me. My heart leapt and my breath was caught in my chest. He got closer and closer...

I wanted to back away. Fear took over. I stepped back and spotting this, he stopped dead in his tracks. I looked away and he stuffed his hands into his pockets once more.

"Well, I hope we're friends again..." he muttered.

I paused. "Friends..." I replied softly.

"Hey Romeo!" Called a voice from afar. It was James and behind him were Remus and Peter, all looking up at us from the foot of the hill.

"Hurry up or the food's all gonna be eaten up, yeah?" Called James again, putting a hand over his eyes to shield them from the last rays of sunlight.

"C'mon," Sirius said and walked over to the rough stone steps that led down the hill.

When we reached the other boys, James greeted Sirius with one arm and brought him a few steps ahead of us, his head bent low. Remus, Peter and I followed behind towards the large double doors, which lead to the Entrance Hall.

"Hey, you have a thing for Padfoot or what?" muttered Remus under his breath, grinning.

"Padfoot?"

"Our nickname for Sirius," piped Peter.

"Oh," I blushed. "No."

"Yeah right... let's just say I can sense these things."

I turned to look at him. "We were just talking."

"Yeah, sure..." said Remus with a sly smirk.

"It's true... you made us friends again."

"You're welcome... Sirius can be a jerk sometimes..."

"What's that you said?" Demanded Sirius, turning his head back. "I heard my name."

"Nothing," laughed Remus.

"No, I know you said something about me!"

"I said nothing really!"

We went into the Entrance Hall and the up the marble staircase towards the Great Hall. It was in its usual splendour, the candles were floating eerily with a beautiful backdrop of orange red hues in the sky. I waved goodbye to the Marauders before we split up to go to our own respective house tables.

I settled at the farthest corner where no one else was seated. I didn't want to hear of Christella's gloats or bragging, neither did I want to be near the obnoxious Florencia twins. And just when I was blessing my luck, that jerk Avery strutted in as though he owns the place with his two friends behind him.

And what a surprise, they chose to seat around me. Avery took a seat on my right, the blonde haired one on my left and the dark greasy haired one across from me.

"Can't you sit somewhere else?" I asked irritably.

"Why would we sit anywhere else?" Asked Avery as he piled potatoes, chicken and basically almost every thing in sight onto his plate.

I growled frustratingly and tried to block out their sneers and laughs.

"We haven't been properly introduced," said the blonde haired one. "My name is Lucius Malfoy."

I kept quiet and looked down at my food. Thinking of changing to another seat, I looked down the whole table but all of it was already occupied in that short space of time.

"I'm Severus Snape...Prefect," said the other, emphasizing on the word 'prefect'. "of Slytherin house."

"What do you say me and you take a tour around the castle tonight eh?" said Avery. "And we can go up the North Tower and have some fun..." He guffawed loudly while his buddies patted his back encouragingly.

"I wouldn't go anywhere with you without a ten-foot broomstick," I snapped.

"Ouch! That hurt!" He mocked, clutching his chest.

"C'mon, you know you wanna," urged Lucius, snickering.

"Shut up, and I do not!" I said sharply. "Can all of you just... just leave me alone!"

"We have all the right to be here, last time I checked," said Severus coolly. "And we have all the right to associate with fellow house members."

They were really getting on my nerves. I felt like giving all of them tight slaps in their faces... or maybe a jinx or two would be more painful. I wished Sirius and James were there to tell them off, but they were two tables away, enjoying their dinner with all their friends. Well, I'll just get my dinner over with and head straight into the common room.

I ate my fill quickly and got up from the bench. Just as I was about to walk away, Avery caught my wrist and held me back. I tried to pull my arm away but he was too strong. I grimaced in fear watching his fingers gripped around my wrist.

"You don't to hear me scream..." I said darkly.

"Come on, doll," he begged. "Are you going off already?"

"I'm going back to the common room, and let go of my hand you worm! And don't call me doll!"

"Oh right," he said as though he had thought of something brilliant. "I see! You want to go back early so that we'll be alone right? I like the way you think."

"Can't you just find another girl to bother huh?" I asked, walking off.

He quickly slipped out of the bench and jogged to my side. "What do you mean... bother?"

"Like annoy, disturb, harass?" I said sarcastically. "Why don't you go back to your friends and eat some more?"

"Don't tell me what to do," he said, his tone suddenly different. "Hey come on, I was serious about the tour just now."

I scoffed. "Uh, and I was serious when I said no."

He followed me all the way back to the common room. When I reached there, there wasn't anyone in sight except for a toad that was croaking silently in the corner at the desk. Oh great, the last thing I wanted was to be at the same place alone with the large oaf.

My first thought was to dash as quickly as possible to the girls' dormitories. I feel safe there, in my bed, under the comfort of my sheets and the silence allowed me to think of everything that happened during my day.

I wanted to run across the common room but before I could take another step, Avery took hold of my wrist again.

"What is wrong with you, let me go!" I growled in ire.

Somehow he managed to spin me around into his arms, facing his face where he stared at me with mischievous dark brown eyes, not anywhere close to Sirius's warm gaze, full of selfishness and unbridled desire. I tried to struggle away from his arms, but he was ten times stronger than I'll ever be and much larger.

I felt really frightened now.

"Let me go!" I screamed, trying to squirm away.

"Why would I want to do that?" He sneered maliciously.

I gritted my teeth, summoned all of my strength and kicked him hard. He let go of me immediately and I seized the opportunity and ran towards the stairs.

"And don't you ever come near me again, you [expletive deleted]," I shouted as venomously as I could.

I dashed down the stairs, barged into the girls' dormitories and threw myself on the bed, my eyes burning in furious tears. I buried my head in the pillow and took deep breaths, hoping to calm my nerves. I had no regrets coming to Hogwarts... really, I don't... but there wasn't a single second of the day when I felt proud to be a Slytherin.