Hi people!

Sorry this took so long, my connection was down, AGAIN!

I was on the verge of killing someone(Well, more than normal, this time my fingers were around their throat...)

Anyway, at long last I can update!

AN: From now on the flashbacks(cause thats what all these are if you hadn't got that yet.)

will be more varied and less consistent, DONT BLAME ME! It's actually a rather integral part of the story!

Feuds and Friends

The gang and I were lounging in the evening sun, a warmth and laziness spread throughout the castle and it's grounds.

Sirius sighed.

I stirred a little and looked up at my friends. Friends? Had I really started to call them that? I shuddered a little and shook the bad thoughts from my head. Remus noticed the movement and looked up.

"Shad? Something the matter?" He questioned a slight frown gracing his gentle face.

No one could ever believe that, Lupin, Remus Lupin of all people was a werewolf. I had seen him at his worst, and at his fiercest, but through it all he was still, calm, quiet, maybe even, shy, Moony. Sirius sat half-way up and looked at me in concern. James grinned quietly to himself, and Wormtail, as always, looked slightly nervous and a bit edgy.

"I'm fine." I smiled. "Just thinking, that's all. But, thanks for asking, Moony."

"Don't lie." Sirius gently teased. "You know I have very sharp senses..."

"Now it's your turn not to lie Mr. Padfoot. I don't believe that such a dim- witted, idiot such as you, could possibly ever have sharp anything."

James grinned, Sirius pulled a hurt face, and Remus chuckled. Wormtail merely watched.

"Come on," Sirius said, "I'm bored."

"Nah, you just can't think of a good come-back." James taunted.

"Especially when your opponent is right." Remus prodded.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Sirius stared at Remus.

"The winning side, of course." Remus poked.

"All right Moony!" Sirius yelled and lunged at his friend, for about half an hour afterwards the four boys chased around, Sirius horribly outnumbered three to one.

Eventually I snuck up on Sirius and tapped him on the shoulder. He spun round and I signalled silence. We teamed up, turned the odds around and won the game...

First feuds...

I turned the corner and headed on my stealthy return to Gryphindor Common room.

It was fairly late and the corridors were mostly deserted.

I heard sounds of a struggle coming from up ahead. Not wanting to run into an ambush I concealed my wand within close reach and proceeded cautiously.

I arrived without anyone noticing my presence. Snape and the Marauders were standing face to face, a recipe for disaster...

"So, Snivellus, which will it be?" Sirius repeated.

"Neither, unless it's going to be you." He sneered in return.

"Don't you dare speak to my friends that way!" James yelled.

The Marauders were ready to launch an attack, four to one, not really fare odds. I stepped into the light.

"Leave him." I said quietly.

Sirius turned to stare at me, Severus took the opportunity and drew his wand to attack Sirius.

I grabbed his wrist and twisted it up behind his back.

He swore at me, the Marauders stared as I hissed something at him, and he glared at me as he slowly relaxed his arm.

"Bastard!" Sirius swore.

"Dirty little rat!" Exclaimed James.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?!" Sirius yelled at me.

"Are you questioning me?" I responded, with a slightly red glare.

"The bloody hell I am!"

I walked up to him, right in his face.

"Don't you dare." I said in a hushed and vicious voice.

He simply stared at me.

I turned and disappeared, leaving them all gaping after me...

... and bitter partings.

"God Damned Bitch!" He screamed at me.

"Fucking Stupid Prick!" I raged.

"HEY!" Remus bellowed.

"WHAT???!!!" We turned to glare at him.

"You. Are. Giving. Me. A. Fucking. Headache!" He yelled.

"And we're sick of listening to you two." James put in.

I glowered at every single one of them, Sirius last of all.

I stayed longer on him, a slight snarl forming on my face.

I stormed out. Sirius watched after me, then headed out in the opposite direction.

Peter let out a relieved sigh. James turned to look at him. Remus shook his head.

"They're always fighting now." He said. "I just wished I knew why."

"I just wish they would shut up." James moaned.

Peter watched the exchange nervously.

"They don't do anything but fight now, you can hardly tell that they can stand each other, let alone that they were best friends." He said quietly.

The three boys sat and contemplated their two friends.

I strode through the back corridors and secret passageways of Hogwarts, my knowledge of them guiding me truly away from my 'friends'.

I slipped out from behind a tapestry and found myself face to face with Snape.

He glared at me slightly at first, then seeing my mood stepped aside.

I brushed past roughly, I had little time for anyone, let alone him of all people. I scowled at the subject of most of Sirius and my arguments.

I continued on my way.

"Shadow." Called a familiar voice, but not really one I particularly wanted to speak to at that moment, but would probably be glad about doing so afterwards, I thought.

"Shadow, I need to talk to you." Dumbledore said calmly, yet I could sense something was wrong.

"Yes?" I said turning to meet my headmaster and family member. I could see his eyes glittering and sad.

"It's about Aurea." He said gently.

"Mother? What's wrong." My heart was almost deadly still.

"You might want to sit down." He stated.

"No." I breathed. "It's not- She's not- It Cant Be True!" I screamed.

"Shadow." He said quietly. Almost as a way conformation, not that I needed any, I already knew.

I turned on my heel and fled.

James, Remus and Peter had finally managed to catch Sirius, who was seething. Suddenly, they were flattened by an almost invisible blur.

They got up and dusted themselves off, then turned to see what had happened. They saw Sirius, who had been the initial victim, pulling me up off the floor.

"Shad?" Remus was the first to get over the shock, of which they were all suffering, not surprising.

I was gasping, my chest pounding, my eyes big and the deepest blue, my face was pink, really exceptional seeing as I was very pale, my hair looked windswept and my eyes stared fixedly.

"Are- are you alright?" Sirius exclaimed, both winded and stunned.

I merely stared fixedly.

"Shad?" James asked, his eyes wide.

"Nikki," I said suddenly. "I gotta tell Nikki."

The Marauders watched me anxiously.

"Oh, god!"

Then a young looking reddy-blond haired boy in year six appeared from round the corner, looking like he had just run down the whole castle, which he virtually had.

"Anna?" He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I looked up, he took one look at me, backed away and murmured negatives

"He did, he did, he did...I muttered repeatedly.

Nikki looked appalled.

"No." He said again, his eyes bored into mine, begging it not to be true.

I held his gaze.

He gasped, broke into sobs and took off.

I pulled away from Sirius.

"How could he?" Nikki asked, rocking himself slowly.

I sat beside him, my closeness as much for his comfort as for mine.

"I don't know." I said gently, "It's not the same anymore, everything's changed."

"Where do we go now?" He turned to me.

"I guess we stay here, or maybe we have to figure that out, but I don't think Dumbledore would let us starve or anything."

"Why do you call him that?"

"What?"

"Dumbledore."

"I prefer it."

"Why?"

Written by ArbDreamer Most of these characters and places belong to JK Rowling, though I'm sure I would have been nicer to them if they were mine. Well, maybe...