Yowza!!! Hunni, it's not really a flame... it's constructive critism. Which I accept. A flame maybe goes something like "Your fic sucks! My cat can write better than you!!!" Hehehehex, now that... I cannot stand. Okay, now to reply to some of your reviews.

Christella is a bitch huh?! =D Every story has bitches just like there is SURE to be someone in your life whose "something that rhymes with witch"! And nooooo, Christella and Reine are NEVER going to be friends. That's like saying Harry and Draco will become friends! Pfffffsh!

And she will have girl friends. Um... this is the first few days of school I think. (Can't remember!!!) But she has Lily and Nikki who talk to her often later. I realised Tonks just disappeared. I HAVE to add her in somewhere!!! And Sirius is not her close friend. I don't believe in guys being close friends. I have no idea how Hermione survives. I need to constantly talk about girl stuff. And crushes NEVER become close friends. How awkward is that?!

And you're in luckity luck, Remus comes to her aid later in this post. I don't really know what chummy means but errr... let's say she is kind of reserved herself. Anyway, Peter won't die any time soon. (How does he come alive again in Harry's time??) He'll be hanging around. Probably embarrass himself some more.

I'm currently just a little distance away from the posted pages trying to re-write all the stupid stuff I wrote ages ago. I'm changing it as I go on, so no new stuff are being written at the bottom. Anyway, I promise no more cliffhangers (until the next few posts or so). Blee blee!

Chapter... Post 31

Surprised, I stumbled over my feet as James Potter dragged me towards the Gryffindor table. He swung me around and then pushed me from the behind towards an empty seat next to Remus and across from Sirius and Peter.

He pressed my shoulders down, forcing me to sit and then ran over towards the other end of the table, squeezing himself next to Sirius.

"I'm not supposed to sit here..." I told him with a nervous glance at Sirius, who kept his eyes down.

"None of the Gryffindors seem to care," added James.

I looked at him questionably, feeling a little afraid I must admit.

He picked up and empty goblet and held it upside down just under his mouth and said in a very reporter-like voice.

"So we have here, young Miss Reine McKinnon who has reportedly had quite a romantic night, I must say, with Mr Sirius Black here," he said to an invisible camera. He pulled Sirius' closer to him till their shoulders banged and put the upturned goblet near his mouth.

I looked away uncomfortably, quailing in my seat. I felt my face burning and for a while, felt like running away from that table to find a small corner to cry. Nothing should have ever happened. It was all my fault. I should've been more alert. I shouldn't have fallen asleep before they left.

"Shut up! Everyone can hear you, idiot!" Sirius scolded, knocking the goblet violently away. It clattered across the table and had its base lodged into the scrambled eggs.

"James..." I pleaded quietly.

James seemed unperturbed, grabbed the goblet (that was dripping with egg) and turned to Peter instead.

"You say you're an eyewitness, sir?" He asked.

"Er..." Peter stuttered unsurely. James nodded vigorously. "Yes?"

"Excellent, could you please describe this incident to the viewers please?"

"What viewers?" I snapped grabbing the goblet with both hands. James gripped it tight and pulled it back and we had a little tug-of-war, with bits of creamy yellow egg dripping onto our hands.

"Mine!" He groaned.

"Give it!"

"No!"

"Stop it!" Cried Remus over our voices, stern and loud. I settled back down and frowned at James. He held his goblet protectively and licked a drop of scrambled egg on his finger, giving a scathing stare in return.

"So what happened?" He asked again, turning to Peter.

"Well... we were about to go back to the common room that night," said Peter. "And Sirius had fallen asleep... Reine too. And then you sorta slowly positioned them comfortably-"

James slapped a hand onto Peter's mouth.

"Well, that's just about enough, sir. Thank you very much!" said James professionally, cutting him off. Then he snapped, "Peter! Why can't you?! Ergh! Why couldn't you play along?!"

"You deliberately-" I exclaimed but he interrupted me almost immediately.

"Not all sources are reliable," he added pointedly.

"James!" said Sirius.

"Well okay fine... you guys just can't take a joke," he sighed frustrated and rolled his eyes. "Well, you were like all strewn over the couch and decided it'll be more comfortable if-"

"Yeah right, as if that was your real intention," I interjected sarcastically.

"It was really!"

"I see your nose growing..." added Sirius.

James' hands jumped to his nose and he furrowed his brows at Sirius. "Fine!"

"James, it wasn't funny... You didn't know that Christella saw," I said.

"So?"

"I managed to bribe her not to say anything."

"Well, thank heavens you can afford to bribe," smirked James.

I frowned furiously at him.

"So was it cozy?" He asked.

That was it. I was sick and tired of James' insensitiveness, especially since he didn't know what I've been through. Had absolutely no idea of the pain I went through. Just playing as though it was just some silly prank.

I got furiously to my feet, and with a swipe of my arm knocked the stupid goblet from his hands where it landed right smack into the scrambled eggs. I cast an icy glare at his stunned face as I swung my legs out. Then I just took off towards the large double doors.

As soon as my feet crossed the doors, my anger started ebbing away and tears sprung to my eyes. I headed towards the first empty unused classroom I came across along the corridor on the left and entered it. The door was quite hard to open and bits of crust from the space in between the doors drifted to the floor.

It was very dusty inside and everything looked grey. Even the sunlight couldn't permit through the thick layer of dust and grime that stuck to the windows. I walked sullenly towards the pile of upturned tables and chairs and settled behind them, clearly hidden behind the furniture.

Stupid James... already 17 and still so immature. Just couldn't think his age for once. And he doesn't even know when to quit joking around. Not caring to think how it's going to affect others. I sighed deeply, sniffing. That place... that time... it keeps jumping into my mind... no matter how hard I try to shake it away. I could still remember.

Suddenly I heard very soft footsteps coming into the room.

I jumped and hastily wiped my face to rid any evidence of crying. I had only turned around on the spot when I saw Remus Lupin standing at the space in between a pile of broken chairs.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I heard crying..."

"I was NOT crying," I insisted, looking furiously away.

Remus kept quiet and walked closer. He squatted next to me and just didn't move for a long time.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"Well... You didn't close the door..."

Right. Nice going, Reine. Trying to find some alone time and you forgot to close the door. I stayed quiet again.

"Don't listen to James..." said Remus warmly. "He sometimes let slips that other people have feelings too."

"That was just a silly joke gone wrong," he added. "He didn't and probably doesn't realize what he did was stupid. I tried to talk it out of him, but he got Peter to hold me back. He doesn't think of consequences, James... Sirius too actually. I hope this year they would act more their age. There's still time yet." He sighed deeply.

There was just eerie silence in that room. "I promise I'll make them never mention it again... if that will cheer you up."

I remained quiet and Remus nodded absentmindedly to himself.

"Well... our first class is almost going to start, we better go," he said softly.

It was then did I realize the warm and understanding person that was Remus. I looked up at his honest eyes that always held a certain dolefulness in them and just couldn't help trusting him. He held out his hand and I placed mine in his. He gripped it and pulled me to my feet, smiling a smile that seemed bittersweet. Remus had always seemed happy yet sad almost all the time. Never overexcited like James, Sirius and Peter sometimes are. Constantly quiet and reserved.

I wondered what goes on behind the tired eyes that seemed to understand everything.

"Potions with the Slytherins now isn't it?" He asked with a soft smile as we walked out of the room. As soon as my foot stepped out onto the bright cheerful corridor once more, the door closed by itself in a cloud of dust.

I nodded and he said with a tiny nod, "Well, see you later."

He turned to the Moving Staircases while I descended the large marble steps towards the Entrance Hall... towards the cold, grey dungeons.

I turned the bend towards the Potions Corridor which I had always found frightening, especially when one is alone, day or night, it doesn't matter because you couldn't tell from down here. It was constantly lit by torches that flickered ominously as though something had just past by...

But there was already a group of students there, some Gryffindors but mostly Slytherins. A sudden surge of high-pitched giggles caught my attention and my eyes found Christella flicking her blonde locks standing with... Sirius, who seemed to be in a middle of telling her something stupid someone did that was funny.

"That was hilarious," she crooned slipping an arm seductively around his shoulder.

I felt my eye twitch...

Sirius smiled impishly. Something told me he liked this attention. I saw James shoot an envious look from the other side of the corridor, with Remus and Peter, as Christella moved sickeningly close to Sirius.

Watching her, I wanted to wring her little neck, chop her up into little pieces and ship her off to Africa to feed the hungry. Must. Resist. Temptation.

I looked away to save my eyes but my ears still strained for their words.

"Um... Sirius? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," replied Sirius.

"Well... you see, Reine told me that you weren't really writing all those letters..." she said. And I gave a tiny jump when she mentioned my name. "But you have haven't you?"

"What letters?"

"Y'know..." she withdrew a stack of letters from her robe pocket tied up in a pink ribbon. I breathed in a strong scent of perfume, even from way over here. I glanced back for a second. "These letters..."

"No."

"You haven't?" She asked worriedly.

"No...no, I don't think so..."

Christella looked as if she was about to cry. "Okay then..."

She drew an unsteady breath and I turned around just in time to see her cerulean eyes narrow in fury. Without a word she dashed off. Probably looking for the twins, who weren't here yet. I saw Remus call me over and I did. James didn't say anything or made eye contact so I just hid behind Remus.

"Why did she run off like that?" Asked Sirius bemusedly as he walked towards us. But soon he smirked. "She looks pretty good doesn't she?"

"Hell yeah," agreed James enthusiastically. "But nobody beats my lovely, lovely angel..." He drifted off into space.

I stared disgustedly. "You guys don't go past looks, do you?" I asked. "You don't know who she is inside."

"So?" said Sirius inquiringly.

"But that's what matters..."

Sirius suddenly perked up as if he just understood something. "Oh yes... that. Of course."

"She's a sly, sneaky little thing... she only wants your money out of you," I added. "She uses you to buy her stuff."

"Isn't that what any girl wants from a guy?" Asked James with a shrug.

"No," I said incredulously.

"Well, you can't really say when you can buy anything you want yourself," said James.

"Well," sighed Sirius. "Pity she's a Slytherin..."

"So what?" I asked sharply. He clearly forgot that thing I said about quality of character. I frowned at him, eyeing him closely as he nervously thought of an answer.

"Nothing!"

"Sirius doesn't go out with Slytherins..." piped Peter.

"Peter!" Scolded Sirius harshly.

"Oh! Really?" I asked. "Why?"

"Of course I do..." he said with a grin. "And I was just wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade tonight?"

I choked. I could hardly believe my ears. I could almost laugh. Sirius was just faking it. Just proving to Peter that he does ask Slytherin girls out. That's it...

"You're kidding right?"

"No," he said incredulously, shaking his head. "Why would I kid about that?"

"I dunno," I said, starting to feel a bit stupid now. "Because you're just proving to Peter you date Slytherin girls?"

"No, I'm serious," he said. Then he laughed. "Haha, get it? I'm Sirius... serious... haha..." He looked around and the rest and silenced.

"Um... I dunno..." I said, starting to have second thoughts. Sirius' reputation of having hundreds of girl friends didn't amuse me much. The last thing I wanted was to get hurt.

"C'mon Reine," urged James. "You'd get all those girls jealous at you!"

"And all the girls Sirius goes out with always have a grand time," piped Peter.

All the girls.

"Um... I'll tell you later," I said hastily. I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder just as Professor Valentina called us in. "Potions is going to start."

Look, that was NOT a cliffhanger.