Disclaimer: I'm not JKR

Yay for all my reviewers! You all are AWESOME!! About the fight scene thing, I left that open for everyone to make their own conclusions about, whether they thought the fight was still in progress or whether it was ended. Its ended in this chapter though.

"Noel, get up, come on" Lily whispered, shaking my shoulder more and more violently as I refused to move.

"Come on, Lil..." I grumbled, turning onto my side.

"Sorry No', but I've got to do this." Lily muttered under her breath before yanking the sheets off the bed before I could react.

"LILY!" I screeched, suddenly jumping to life as the cold air sent chills up my spine. The dorms weren't especially warm at any time, but in November, the temperature of the rooms were unbearable.

"Noel Finnigan, you get your arse out of bed and get dressed. We're meeting Dumbledore in five minutes." Lily commanded, placing her hands on her hips as if to dare me to contradict her.

"Why the bloody hell are we meeting Dumbledore?" I asked her, confused. My head pounded and my vision was blurred slightly as I spoke, groaning as I massaged my temples.

"Because he owled early this morning and asked to meet us in the Transfiguration classroom. And its your own bloody fault that you've got a hangover, considering the acts of you and the boys last night." She scolded, tossing me a black shirt and plaid skirt.

"Well its not my fault you're pissy because you missed out on the fun." I muttered, pulling the clothes on after removing the ones I had slept in. I figured the Marauders had already gone down into the Common Room and left Lil to deal with me.

"Whatever. If you're late its your fault, not mine." She shot at me, banging the door behind her as she pounded down the boy's staircase.

"Glad to see you're not suffering too badly" Sirius taunted in my ear as we headed toward the meeting place.

"Shut up, Black." I spat, pulling the door open as we reached the classroom. Dumbledore was seated at his desk at the front of the room, hands folded and the usual glint in his eyes absent.

My insides went cold as I saw that my father was also in the room, sitting a few places away from Dumbledore but sharing the worried, sadened look that was spread on their face.

"Daddy...what happened?" I inquired shakily, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer. As I aproached him I noticed that the lines that had been appearing slowly were darkened and completely visible now.

"Noel, honey, sit first." He told me, avoiding my eyes and ignoring the others in the room.

I bit my lip as I felt my lungs constrict as I drew in a quick breath.. I knew exactly what he was going to tell me and didn't want him to say it.

"Dad, no. You don't need to say it." I told him, before turning and leaving the room as fast as my legs could take me. Running down the stairs leading to the grounds, I received more than my fair share of strange looks. I pulled the door open and tore down the grassy path to Hagrids hut.

Collapsing against the left wall of his cozy but tiny house, I took a long, deep breath as I let the tears flow freely. I was probably sitting in a pile of leaves, dirt, and Merlin knows what else, but that was the very least of my worries.

"Noel?" Hagrid asked, coming around the corner. Fang was trailing behind him shortly, sniffing along the ground, but leapt towards me at the sound of Hagrid saying my name.

"Down Fang, down." He commanded as Fang coated me in slobber, but I didn't mind at all. I had been there when Hagrid found him years before and even got to name him.

"'S alright, Hagrid. The feeling is basically mutual with a bit more spit on his end."

"Noel, wha' happened?" He asked of me, crouching down to get a better look at me. "You've been cryin'! Come 'n fer some tea"

"Thanks" I responded, grabbing his arm and pulling myself to my feet.

"She's...dead, Hagrid, dead..." I drifted off, finishing my story to Hagrid as I hovered over my steaming mug of tea.

"Oh Noel...you'll be goin' back home then?"

"I hadn't even thought of that...most likely, I mean...I'm their only daughter."

"'ll be alright, in time. You can't keep running from everythin' though No', no matter how good of excirsise it is."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." I agreed, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.

"NOEL!" Sirius yelled, barging in the doorway, not bothering to knock. He rushed towards me, pulling me into the tightest hug I'd had since I ran away when I was 7.

"Sirius—can't—breathe" I gasped after he didn't loosen his grip.

"We've been looking for you everywhere" He informed me, looking at me with worried eyes.

"Well now you've found me." I stated lightly, getting up from my chair and thanking Hagrid.

"You two lovebirds get out of here" Hagrid grinning, playfully pushing us out the doorway.

"Wanna ride?" Sirius asked innocently, pulling a puppy dog face.

"Okay, if I must" I sighed jokingly, pulling my arms around his neck and wrapping my legs around his waist, in a backwards "piggy-back" way.

"This is nice..." He told me after a few minutes of walking, sighing into my hair.

"Mmm hmm"

"But we need to talk"

"About?"

"You know what I mean, Noel."

"Sirius...I can't go back, especially after the whole ditching Malfoy thing and this war and..."

"Noel, you've got to go back. Its your family...and your duty."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about? My duty?"

"Yes, your duty. You're like queen now, since your mom is..."

"My fucking duty...this is bull. I'm not some queen, hell I'm not even a princess! I've got the mouth of muggle truck driver, actually like to date boys and get hangovers more than I do homework."

"Well...you're the new generation of queens I suppose" He laughed as we finally reached the dorm.

"Thank Merlin you found her" Lily thanked Sirius as we entered the boy's dormitory. I think we were spending way too much time there and my dad would have a heart attack if he knew that I slept here too.

"Yes, I'm good" Sirius joked as he set me down on his bed, stretching his arms.

"Lily, I have a question" James announced, sounding serious.

"Really, Potter? What this time?" Lily responded, pretending to be annoyed by the attention but I knew she was simply loving every minute of it.

"I'm serious!"

"No, I am!" Sirius yelled back, pouting.

"Sod off, Padfoot. Now, Lily..."

"Yes?"

"Let us look over at exhibit A. Look at how happy Noel and Padfoot are! They're glowing!"

"Thanks, mate. Would you like us to stand and pose for you? Being your exhibits and all" I asked sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"You know, that wouldn't be so bad" James played along, stroking his chin.

"I'm going to bed...still suffering from the firewhiskey." I told them, getting up and beginning to search through Sirius' drawers. Even though it was probably only about lunch time I wasn't in the mood to do anything else but rest.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked, coming up behind me and supervising over my shoulder.

"Looking for something to sleep in." I responded, not bothering to look up.

"How 'bout you go in the nude?" He suggested, winking.

"That wouldn't be bad..." James put in, grinning.

"Oh yes I'm sure we'd all enjoy, wouldn't we? I think I'll stick with a shirt." I said, choosing a dark blue one and heading into their bathroom. I found that I looked awful as I studied myself in the mirror. My hair was hanging strangley around my face, and my eyes were sad and puffy. "Soon I'll be heading back home and won't even be allowed to look like this" I thought sadly, pulling off my own clothes and tugging on Sirius' shirt.

"And James, what was your question?" Lily asked James as I exited the room seconds later, still holding my record for fastest "changer".

"Will you go out with me?"

"Yes, I suppose." She told him in a pretend bored voice.

"What? Really?" He asked her, looking shocked.

"Yes."

"Will—not—jump for joy." He commanded himself through gritted teeth, pulling Lily onto his bed suggestivley.

"I'm not going to go Noel on you and start taking over your bed." Lily reminded him, but stayed on his bed.

"Are you sure?"

"Actually, no."

"Lily just get in his bed and be done with it." I told her, pulling Sirius' covers over my head to block out their stupid antics.

Okay, yes, bad way to end a chapter but it had to end somewhere...And I'm bad at making Hagrid talk right, lol. I don't like this chapter either ï