Um... I don't exactly know how many chapters this story is going to have. As some of you may have noticed, I changed the word Chapter to Post. I have a hundred over pages of it and every time I keep getting new ideas, I simply add it into my fic. I don't know if this fic will ever end (?!) or end short in the middle due to some circumstances. Hmmm... I know how I want it to end though, but if I have to end it that way... I have to go through Voldemort war, Potters married, Harry born, Peter betrayed, Potters died and other stuff... Bit too long yeah? I think this fic will double in size and come up to 200 pages!!! And I'll be writing till I'm 18! Um, anyway, these improves my English, so it's sorta studying too! Guess who got highest for English Composition Final Exam last year, winkwink.

As for Reine... hmmmz... well, let's say she isn't very daring eh? Which probably is why the ever-so-clever Sorting hat didn't place her in Gryffindor. Anyway, she's just nervous (Personally I've never been through this before but I know I would be if I were her). Maybe over here, people are more reserved. Yeah well, you don't catch many people snogging in public because they get scorned at. Terribly. Also take her past into account too.

And about prison-of-hell... Well, actually, I am on the Northern Atmosphere! Just a teensy bit away from the Equator? Which means I don't have seasons. It's not summer here... My country's Summer all year, just without holidays everyday. Hahaha, tanning regularly. I hate getting tanned. Because I get dark, not tanned. And when I get dark, I never get fair again. Oh yes, I've always found it fascinating. The people in the East want to be fair... which the people in the West want to get tanned. chuckle (Saying that, yes I'm Asian) Also, I don't find pleasure by lying immobile in the sun. It's too hot and I'm wasting daylight.

Well, y'know, it's Winter in Australia and NZ. But anyway, as for countries with no seasons... our holidays are sorta different.

I get a month off during June after Mid Years.

Then school holiday starts again after the finals during November. (But this year I have to do extended study, so extra 2 weeks for me. Wheehee.) So we get 2 months during November and December.

And the new school year starts again on 2nd January! Of course, because it's New Year on the first, if not they'll gladly start then. So throughout the school year, we get 3 months off not including Public and School holidays. Same as you, I presume?

Thanks, they say I'm having my Oral Exam next 2 weeks. A Geography presentation to present, a Physics one at the end of next month (thank god it's still far away). Anyway, on to the story...

Post 35

The next week passed with a lot of hectic work. Homework and more importantly surprise tests. The teachers are giving us these tests out of the blue to make sure we're revising regularly to ready ourselves for the NEWTs. Seventh years hardly received enough sleep these days, or even enough time to rewind. Those who couldn't handle it were currently taking Calming Draughts from Madam Pomfrey, the nurse at the Hospital Wing.

Sirius and I have come closer. We study together... well, I'm the one doing most of the studying really, he's just looking up books that didn't have anything to do with schoolwork in the library.

It was until that day, just a week before the first Quidditch match of the year.

It was winter by then. With the chilly winds and freezing weather came lots of sick students. Well, on a fine winter's day, one of the Quidditch team members came up to me, something they've avoided doing in all the time I've been there.

"You're dad's awesome man!" Said Anthony Ridges, the Chaser that didn't have enough brains to fill a teaspoon. "Wow, I don't believe it myself! But it's like...awesome!"

"What's like... awesome?" I asked imitating him.

"Oh didn't you hear dude?" He said as he stared blissfully into the distance. "Your dad just gave like... seven top-of-the-range brooms to the team man! Rock on!"

"What? Really?"

"Ya like... the best of the best. The newest models man! I mean, like, they must've cost about..." he paused and started counting his fingers. "Uh...a LOT!"

This was surely a surprise.

As the sandy haired boy bounced away cheerfully, I sat thinking. Well, donating brooms to my house would surely make me more likable... I hope. But what would Sirius and James say to that? And they've wanted the brooms so badly. I feel that I've betrayed them, especially James who plays the position of Chaser, by giving my house a great advantage at Quidditch.

The thought of father brought me to the reality that he wanted me with James... and nobody else. I doubt he cares whether we married out of love or not. I know I have to tell him sometime... about me and Sirius. He'll probably know sooner or later, he has his ways of knowing things.

But this was not the end of my surprises yet.

I had just taken a step out of the trap door to get some fresh air when I bumped into something big. I stumbled backwards almost tripping back into the hole in the floor, when I looked up and stared right into the face of my father.

"I heard this was the way to the common room?"

"Father?!" I gasped. "How come you're in school?"

"Nice to see you too, Reine," he said. I backed off slightly disappointed but smiled anyway.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was here for the Quidditch game!"

"Father, that's tomorrow..." I reminded him.

"Well, I had a tiny chat with Professor Dumbledore just now... he agreed to let me stay here for a night."

"Oh yeah, about those brooms, father-"

"No need to thank me, anything I could do to help your house, just ask," he said, putting a hand on my back and nudging me towards the corridor.

We strolled down the corridors, with me quite unsure of where we were heading.

"I was a Slytherin too, you know," he added.

"Well... what about you give two of my friends one too? They love Quidditch too," I said hopefully.

"Who? James?"

"Um, yeah..."

"The other?"

"Er..." I hesitated. "Sirius?"

"That Black kid?"

He's not 'That Black kid', I scolded him in my heart. I hated how he never uses Sirius' real name... instead he's 'That Black kid'.

"Sirius Black, yes..." I nodded. My father shook his head to himself and sighed deeply.

"So, I hope you and James are getting along fine?"

"Why, yes!" I replied. "He's a great friend." I added, emphasizing on the friend.

"Excellent, excellent... you have till the end of the school year to erm... establish close bonds," he said, completely missing my point!

"What does that mean?!" I shot suddenly.

"You know what I mean!"

"Father, I don't. Just tell me," I snapped staring right into his eyes. "If you want me to... to marry him, I won't!"

"And why not?" I could see he the anger was already building up inside of him.

"Because I don't love him, father, don't you care about that at all?"

He paused. And there was an awkward silence as we walked along the dungeon and up the spiral stairs that led to the Entrance Hall.

"It's the Black kid isn't it...?" He said suddenly quiet and his voice had turned somewhat sepulchral.

I didn't know what to say. Should I admit? Or should I just lie... The latter seemed to be preferable.

"It's not him... it's no one," I replied.

Father grunted. I don't know what it meant but I had a feeling he didn't believe me.

"James Potter loves another, father," I told him, hoping that he would somehow miraculously change his mind about everything.

"Does the other love him back?"

I looked down. "I don't know... I don't bother messing with other people's love lives..."

He glared at me dangerously and I immediately regretted what I just said.

"I don't love him," I said quietly.

"It's not about love."

"Of course it is!" I cried suddenly, my voice reverberating around the deserted dungeon corridor. I turned to face him angrily. "How can it not be? Are you saying you didn't love Mother when you married her?!"

"We're talking about the future of a whole company here Reine."

"That's all you care about? You're willing to sacrifice my whole life so that your company will stay alive? Why don't you just give the stupid company to James, I don't want it anyway!"

"I can't do that, it's always been passed down, you know that."

"Well, flout the rules, break the tradition, because I don't care!"

"This was the reason why I wanted a man to-"

"You see? That's all you care about... you don't care about how I feel!" I screamed.

I turned, tears streaming out of my eyes, and sprinted down the corridor. My head was spinning with angry and confused thoughts. I ran up the steps, not knowing where I was heading, I just wanted to get as far away from my father as possible. Why can't we ever get along? Why do all our conversations turn to arguments? Why can't we be like other families...