Bella was walking on air. She was in the process of hurriedly pulling on her black knee socks when Rudolphus entered her room without warning. Bella, startled, shot up from the corner of the freshly made bed with a quick jolt of breath. Every time she was near him Bella began to feel as if there was this terrible hollowness that was growing inside of her and every moment that she lingered with him it threatened to consume her entirely. Rudolphus smiled boldly at the surprise in her reaction as he closed the door behind him.


"Good morning Bellatrix." He said in a silky tone. Bella didn't answer she just glared at her intruder. She was wearing a solid black pleated skirt that hung a few inches above her knee and fastened along the leg with a handful of shining silver safety pins. A soft thin black angora sweater was pulled over her crisp white button up collared shirt of which only the collar and shirttail were visible. Usually Bella's hair fell freely around her shoulders but she had opted to pull her thick obsidian locks into a loose unfinished braid allowing the unfastened hair to fall in a mass of large curls down her back.

No matter what lies Rudolphus had told he was absolutely taken with Bella to the point of obsession, her aversion to him only cultivating his dangerous emotions. Her lack of response drawing him ever nearer.


"I wanted to speak with you before heading up to the Great Hall." Rudolphus said his confident grin never wavering.


"So speak." Bella replied her green eyes cutting into him, but her voice sounding relaxed and indifferent.


"Well my dear Bella, seeing as it is such a beautiful morning, and you're clearly in an agreeable mood as always, I thought that I would take the opportunity to give you a little gift." At this his smile became ominous. Bella's body turned to ice, she felt immediately sick, Oh please my Lord don't let this be what I fear! Not now! PLEASE! She silently and desperately prayed.


"Oh don't tell me you've already guessed." Rudolphus teased cruelly noting the color draining from her face. Bella bristling at Rudolphus' obvious enjoyment of her discomfort clenched her jaw in hatred causing her face to become hard and malicious.


"Well of coursed you guessed, you're not the average Black, are you?" Rudolphus said gauging his words and studying Bella's reaction.


"You're just so pretty when you're angry." chuckled Rudolphus, "I suspect that's for the best is it not?" he asked continuing to laugh casually.

"You're a sadistic bastard!" growled Bella her body tense and poised.


"Oh no Bella, you're the sadistic freak in this scenario!" screamed Rudolphus, causing Bella to flinch as he paced behind her so as not to have to meet her eyes any longer.


"Don't think I haven't noticed your dear cousins attraction to you. Disgusting!" Sneered Rudolphus. "Absolutely disgraceful, but I guess you are Blacks. Shame and disgrace should be second nature to you by now." His evil grin spreading across his strong hansom face as his voice again became calm and refined.

Bella couldn't breath, he couldn't know anything could he? Finding herself she immediately blocked him from her thoughts even though she did not believe that he was skilled enough to read her she knew better than to underestimate him. Bella said nothing she closed her eyes taking slow controlled breaths to relieve her anger. Rudolphus who had expected a reaction from her was thrown at her silence and gazing at her his emotions and desires began to burst forth. He walked forward still at her back and placed his hands upon her narrow shoulders, desperately craving her affection.

"I didn't come to fight with you." Rudolphus said in a hushed thoughtful voice. Bella could feel the firm grip of his hands on her shoulders as he unexpectedly turned her to face him. She let a little gasp escape her lips looking up into his large dark deranged eyes with more fear than she had meant to show.


"I want you to marry me Bella. I want it, our parents want it…" Rudolphus began to stroke his fingers through her hair seeming hypnotized by the light that shown there, "…your master wants it." As he said this Rudolphus grabbed Bella's hand pulling it to his lips.


"No!" Bella hissed at him, "I will never marry you." She attempted to pull her hand away from him as well as loosen herself from his grip. Rudolphus' eyes danced with delight at her rejection, as his evil smile grew full behind her hand that he was refusing to relinquish.


"Release me, immediately!" commanded Bella, fear resonating in her voice as she struggled to reclaim her hand.


"Absolutely Bella." Smiled Rudolphus brightly letting go of her hand suddenly so that she fell back against her bed.


"But…I'm afraid that your answer is unacceptable." Rudolphus was looking so smug and satisfied with himself that Bella was immediately on guard.


"What are you talking about?" demanded Bella nervously. Arrogantly Rudolphus grinned down at her glancing at the hand he had held moments before. Bella following his gaze turned to scan the area where her hand lay on the bed beside her.

Tears immediately rose in her eyes as she saw her fate locked so neatly into place, you stupid girl it's over now. Bella was glowering down at a huge emerald cut diamond mounted in platinum and beset on either side with a rubies. She immediately moved to force the ring from the ring finger of her left hand and chuck it back into Rudolphus' gloating face.


"Oh come now Bella, you're smarter than this. You know that it will never come off." He said in an exasperated tone as he headed toward her door, "You're bound to me now, the moment that you are of age you will be my bride and that is just the truth of the matter so get over it." Rudolphus said with out a care as his hand landed the doorknob. Bella shot up and turned on Rudolphus.


"You will remove it now or I will enact my revenge on you for as long as you or any person in your family draws breath!" she yelled commanding Rudolphus like a general to a soldier.


"Bella it's done, it will not be reversed." without turning to face her he said this a little more softly understanding the apparent danger in her voice.
"My Lord will reverse it you presumptuous git! And then you will pay dearly!" she screamed in rage.


"Bella your Lord willed this. Who do you think enchanted this ring to bind us? You fulfill his wishes through our engagement not mine." Rudolphus lied venomously as he closed the door to Bella's room.

*

The Great Hall was alive with movement and laughter. Unlike the day before the sun shown strong in the crisp vivid blue sky where not a single cloud lingered. Since this was a Sunday breakfast was extended so that the students were able to come and go as they pleased, giving the hall a very comfortable relaxed feeling. Even the professors leisurely enjoyed coffee and conversations with one another all the while overseeing the chaos that was aloud to ensue due to the lack of classes.

Professor Dumbledor, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Head of Gryffindor house, was sitting aside a pleasant woman with auburn hair pulled up into a neat bun. The two were speaking casually as they simultaneously bobbed their tea bags in the delicate china mugs set in front of them. The only other professor seated at the table was Professor Beltane, instructor of Astronomy and Head of Slytherin House. Beltane was at the far end of the table from Dumbledor and the newly hired Transfiguration teacher, Professor Minerva McGonagall.

Beltane was leaning back reading the Daily Profit as he sipped his black coffee paying absolutely no attention to anything going on in the Hall around him. His chestnut hair hung in long full shaggy waves about his shoulders and his attractive face was unshaven giving him a ruggedly hansom appearance. A group of girls sat at the end of the Gryffindor dinning table all gazing up at Beltane dreamily, whispering with mingled giggles to one another about the dashing young professor.

James, Remus, and Peter all sat staring in disgust and envy at the scene occurring in front of them.


"Honestly! He's a professor, and head of Slytherin House at that!" James said this with a disapproving grimace.


"Don't they know that just by focusing all of that…GIRL energy on him they are jeopardizing Gryffindor's chances of winning the Quidditch match against Slytherin next weekend?" The other boys shook there heads in disgusted agreement.

"It's absolutely embarrassing! Someone should go stop them." Grumbled Remus taking a bite of bacon and glancing over the table at Peter.

"Yeah right, you go put a stop to it O'Powerful Prefect." Said Peter smartly.

Remus shot him a scathing look and lobbed a roasted potato into Peter's glass causing orange juice to splash onto Peter's face and cloths. Remus, surprised at the efficiency of his attempt at revenge, began to laugh hysterically along with James at the sight of their friend.
Peter just sat there stunned blinking tiny orange droplets of juice away from his eyes.

"That was so not funny." He said blandly. This only caused James and Remus to laugh harder but now without sound as they watched Peter attempt to remember a spell to fix the mess.

"Was it…surgawhatsit…scuvyfritnick…ahhhh, come on what the hell is it?" Peter said in an annoyed tone but the corners of his mouth beginning to curve into a smile from watching James and Remus now both red in the face and unable to breath.

"Attempting to levitate your breakfast again Peter?" Sirius' voice came as he swiftly took the empty seat by Peter.

"Would you help please, these two are useless!" Peter said tying to sound hard and hold back his laughter. Sirius, smiling, took a long look at Peter.

"Oh I don't know Peter, I think it's a slight improvement." He said as he pulled forth his wand and poked Peter hard in the arm. "Scourgify." As if sucked into thin air by an unseen vacuum the splatters and droplets of juice instantaneously disappeared. Peter, now clean and rubbing his arm grinned at Sirius.

"Where have you been, I could have used your help five minutes ago?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, what the hell happened to you last night? We were going to go searching for you…uh…just as soon as we finished breakfast. James grinned pulling his hand through his dark hair and pushing his silver framed glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"Truly noble James." Smirked Sirius beginning to serve food onto his plate and feeling terribly thankful to be back amongst his friends.

"I'm glad your back, I've had to avoid Dumbledor all morning. Do you have any idea how hard that is? He just kept popping up at every turn!" said Remus through a mouth full of toast and jam.

"Yeah, actually I do." Said Sirius glancing up at Professor Dumbledor who was gazing intently back at him from across the Great Hall. Sirius quickly looked back at his friends seeming slightly shaken.

"So did I miss anything this morning?" Sirius inquired.

"The classic Sirius Black avoidance technique, ha! Whatever he's hiding it must be good!" Smiled Remus.

A brilliant smile crept slyly on to Sirius' face, he was practically bursting to tell them the events that had occurred since parting from them to work on the map. At the same time he felt he would be breaking some unspoken law if he were to divulge all of what had happened the night before.


"Alright out with it? What have you been up to?" James asked curiously. Sirius looked between his friends.

"I can't talk about it here." He said in a mumbled whisper glancing around as if looking for someplace to go.

"Come on then, let's get outta here." Insisted James making no haste to get up from the table. Sirius met Remus' eyes.

"You know you're making this place frightfully interesting this year, we're getting a confession a day. Your gonna set a record soon!" said Remus getting up from his seat.

"Sorry Moony, I can't tell you…now that you're the long arm of the law and everything." Sirius said heading out of the hall from the opposite side of the table. Peter looked back smiling at Sirius, knowing that he was getting back at Moony for the orange juice incident.

"Are you serious?" Remus asked looking stricken.

As the boys all came to the gigantic arched doorway of the Great Hall Sirius, James, and Peter all stopped and turned having just noticed what Remus had said. Remus began to snicker uncontrollably with Peter and James chiming in.

"I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean that, it just came out!" Tears of laughter began to rim Remus' eyes as Sirius made and annoyed grimace and turned to head out of the Great Hall leaving James, Remus, and Peter collapsing against one another in stifled hilarity trying to make it out of the Hall and down the stairs after Sirius.

The boys made their way steadily towards Gryffindor Tower. James had been doing his flawless impersonation of the new Transfiguration teacher Professor McGonagall, whom they had all found to be stuffy and rather boring in their first week's lessons.

"Mr. Black, would you please share with us where you were last evening, I'm sure everyone present is interested in knowing your whereabouts." Sirius, who had been preoccupied in his thoughts and not uttered a word during their walk, grinned back at James.

The boys gathered around the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room guarded by a large ominous woman clad in pink taffeta who gazed down at them in a superior manner. She had just opened her mouth to request the pass word when Peter interrupting her barked "Vivarium", causing the portrait of the woman to swing forward allowing them to pass. They all barreled noisily through the opening with the fat lady angrily shushing them from the hall as they entered.

Remus, joining in James' conversation as an unmistakable Dumbledor, turned to walk backwards speaking to his group of friends with his eyebrows raised and holding one finger in the air as if making a crucial point.


"Minerva, Minerva. You will soon find that there are certain students here at Hogwarts that have an absolute aversion to following the rules, our young Mr. Black here being a prime example." Remus had been looking directly at James to say this and noticed that he, along with the rest of the group, had stopped in their tracks and were focusing on something just behind him. James met eyes with Remus and shook his head ever so slightly to imply for him to not say another word.

Remus turned around slowly all the while having a good idea of what he would find. Standing just at the entrance to the common room was Professor Dumbledor. He bent his head to gaze at Remus over his spectacles but there was an amused twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

"Good morning Professor Dumbledor…sir." Said Remus while turning several shades of red and fighting the urge to turn and walk out of the common room never to return. Dumbledor allowed the corners of his mouth to turn slightly upwards knowing that Remus was absolutely tortured at the moment and not really wanting him to be to upset by the situation.

"Remus." he said nodding his good morning then looking to each of the boys in turn, "James, Peter."

"Morning Professor Dumbledor." they answered nervously in unison.

Then Dumbledor's eyes falling on Sirius and his expression shifting slightly to a look of mild disappointment said in a calm yet stern voice.


"Would you come with me Mr. Black? I think there are a few things that we need to discuss."
Sirius' heart sank, he felt as if he had just been pushed off a cliff to see the disappointment etched on Dumbledor's face. How could he have been so careless, so self-centered, such an idiot as to let this great wizard who he looked to as a mentor, down. he was the last person in the world that Sirius had ever wanted to disappoint.

Sirius stepped forward calmly seeming steady, meeting Dumbledor's gaze openly but with a look of remorse apparent on his face.


"Of course Professor." Sirius answered glancing over at his friends. The group looked absolutely bewildered, still unsure of where Sirius had been the night before or what he had been up to. James looked back at Sirius mournfully positive that it would be the last time he would see his very best friend. As if sensing the boys fear for Sirius Dumbledor broke into a warm smile at James, Peter, and Remus.

"Don't worry gentlemen I will send Sirius back to you in one piece, provided that Remus works on perfecting my inflection." With this Dumbledor raised his eyebrows chuckling slightly at the stunned expression on Remus' face and headed out of the portrait hole glancing back for Sirius to follow him. The boys remained stationary shifting their attention to Sirius as he followed Dumbledor out of the tower.

"What did you do?" whispered James still looking worried for Sirius.


"Don't worry about it, I'll be back later." Sirius answered without looking at the group of his friends as he passed through the portrait hole.


Sirius walked along the corridors just a few paces behind and to the side of Professor Dumbledor with his hands in his pockets and his eyes lowered watching Dumbledor's steady footfall. His mind was racing what could he possibly tell Dumbledor besides the truth, but how in the world was he supposed to do that. Sirius began to feel sick, he could swear that there wasn't an ounce of blood pumping through his veins due to the ice cold feeling of his body around him. They turned into the chamber where the Defense Against the Dark Arts courses were taught, Sirius' heavy heart lightened immediately upon entering this beloved space once more.

The room was colossal, a huge open space completely devoid of furniture aside from long simple stone benches set between the room's thick wooden columns. The tall square columns lined the two long sides of the chamber supporting the high domed ceiling made completely of multi-colored stained glass that dappled the floor and walls in a mixture of brilliant hues. On the opposite wall from the main door to the classroom was a line of high thin floor length windows decorated with intricate stained glass work as if flowers were bursting forth from the stone walls.

Along the walls hung all manner of different weapons muggle and magical alike mounted in cases all with the names of their wielder engraved on a silver plaque at the bottom of the piece. Most magnificent of these weapons being the swords of Godric Gryffindor and Salazaar Slytherin mounted directly across from one another as if in eternal stand off. Godric's sword was a large and heavy piece of brightly polished gold and silver with rubies inset into the handle and finite engravings running down the length of the blade, but the truly intriguing weapon belonged to Salazaar.

His was a Katana sword, a fairly simple weapon in appearance but the same used by ancient samurai warriors. The only intricacies to the sword were the silk fibers in green and silver that wound around ending in the two long tassels that hung from the hilt and faint etching along the blade. In the lower corner of the mahogany case that held Salazaar's sword was a small dagger all black including the cris blade, the handle in the shape of a basilisk with emeralds for eyes.

Lost upon reentry into the practicing arena Sirius casually walked over to Salazaar's sword as he had done a multitude of times before. Crouching down slightly so that the light hit the blade just right. Sirius smiled, from this point of view the etchings came to life blood red, hundreds of snakes intertwined amongst ivy. Dumbledor grinned to himself upon realizing that he had lost his young troublemaker to the empty Defense Against the Dark Arts room.

"It is also my favorite piece displayed here." Dumbledor said, his voice echoing slightly from across the room.

"Do you think that the stories are true? That the engravings are colored with the blood of Salazaar's fallen victims?" Sirius asked absently now completely wrapped up in this place that he had been away from for so long.

"I believe that if we are to follow the legends that we have been taught through out our lives that yes it is a very likely story. But if I am to hold true to my own theorem it would be terribly hard to make such statements of a man whom I never knew and still know so very little about." Replied Dumbledor. "Come now Sirius, I must speak with you." He said turning to head through a tall thin door which looked as if were built specifically for Dumbledor alone to enter through.

Sirius suddenly remembering his purpose for being there headed over to follow Dumbledor into his office. Sirius was rather familiar with this walk, it wasn't the first time he had been caught for some kind of mischief even though he usually had a much better time of talking his way out of it because he was not often apprehended by Dumbledor himself. Besides, he was hardly ever alone on these ventures and always had one of the Marauders, if not all of them to back him up or share in his punishments.

Once through the tall thin opening Sirius stepped up a short narrow rounding staircase opening into a small round chamber. Dumbledor's office had just enough room for three large high-back dark brown leather chairs two of which sat in front of the small fireplace and another set behind a monster of a mahogany desk. What the office was lacking in floor space it made up for completely in headroom, with a stained glass ceiling which matched the adjacent chamber looming more than fifty feet above. The circumference of the walls in the chamber were coated in continuous shelves from the floor to the ceiling which held every manner of book and magical device known to the Wizarding World, and came equipped with one long rolling ladder that was attached to the very top shelf.

To Sirius' surprise Dumbledor took the seat in front of the small dying fire and held his hand out for Sirius to take the seat next to him. Sirius did as he was asked, once again feeling his heart rate kick into overdrive. They sat in silence as Dumbledor conjured his delicate tea cup which he began siring lightly about twenty seconds before it had fully and unobtrusively appeared in his hand. Finally unable to handle the silence any longer Sirius began to speak hurriedly.

"Professor Dumbledor, I'm really sorry about this morning…I won't lie to you sir I was in the Slytherin common room, and I understand that breaking house codes especially breaching the sanctity of the other common rooms is strictly forbidden. But it was just a beginning of term prank and I swear to you that no one was hurt…" Sirius trailed off feeling a little lost in what he had just blurted out. Dumbledor continued to stare at the swirling tea, making Sirius feel uneasy.

"Well, thank you for not lying. I'm glad to know that you've heard about these things called rules, but I'm not so sure that you fully grasp the reality of how your pranks effect those around you. I'm also not convinced that they are meant to be harmless." Dumbledor raised his eyes to look at Sirius, his expression absolutely unreadable. Sirius held his breath hoping that his sentencing would come swiftly and without mention of Bella.


"I believe your joke this morning was on Severus Snape was it not?" Dumbledor asked raising his eyebrows as he took a long sip from his teacup. Sirius' heart slowed from its rampant rate for the first time since entering the office.

"Yes Professor." Sirius said solemnly.

"Well I feel that it is only fitting that you and he should serve your detentions together. I have already agreed with Professor Beltane to oversee a fitting detention for Severus' miss treatment of his Astronomy tools. Maybe during this time you two can find some common ground between you." Dumbledor said gazing sternly at Sirius who was fighting not to look away. "I will also be forced to confiscate James' invisibility cloak." At this Sirius grimaced closing his eyes, James was going to be livid with him.

"Yes professor." Sirius said miserably, dreading having to face all of his friends after the loss of the cloak.

"Maybe detention does not have the right effect on you Sirius, even though it's frightfully helpful to me as I have been wanting to polish all of the weapons as well as there cases for some time but have been much to busy to do the task myself. I leave it to you and Severus to complete…by hand…using no magic." Sirius brightened immediately at the prospect of handling the ancient weapons, then not wanting to seem so eager regained his composure.

"Gladly Professor Dumbledor sir, when should I report to you?"

"We'll begin here tomorrow evening directly after supper. Agreed?" Dumbledor asked his face softening to a warm smile, he hated having to be so stern with Sirius but at times it was absolutely necessary. Sirius was feeling so relieved that he almost laughed as stood to step out of Dumbledor's office.

"Sirius just one more thing before you go." Sirius turned back too look at Dumbledor who was still seated in his chair by the fire.


"I feel that I need to mention to you that there are some…let's just say questionable circumstances surrounding your cousins. You would tell me if there were anything going on that I should know about, would you not?" Dumbledor's face was soft and expressionless but Sirius could see concern glinting in his eyes.

"Yes Sir." Sirius answered sounding shaken at the question, his heart had stopped beating and he was no longer breathing.

"Right." Answered Dumbledor his expression unwavering but now slightly more calculating than a moment before. "Well I guess that will be all then. I will see you tomorrow in class." Dumbledor gave a reassuring smile as Sirius again turned to go.

As Sirius headed back to Gryffindor Tower looking forward to finally being able to wash up he smiled to himself.


"I've never been so thankful in all my life for giving old Snivelus hell! I'll be sure to thank him when I see him." Sirius chucked to himself.

*

It was nearing ten o'clock in the evening as Sirius lay on his back gazing up at the stained glass ceiling of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He had been there for hours after having successfully avoiding contact with any of his housemates while on his mission in the Gryffindor dorms. Fortunately for him it had been a beautiful day and hardly anyone had stayed inside the school allowing Sirius the freedom and much needed solace that he so desired at the moment.

Since his talk with Dumbledor he had felt extremely nervous both for himself and for Bella whom he could not stop thinking about. It was taking every ounce of his strength not to jump up a head directly down to his privet passage to her dorm room. But remembering the words that Dumbledor had spoken and the concern in the great wizard's eyes Sirius felt immediately shamed for so quickly wanting to repeat the incident. Sirius sighed heavily and brought his hands up to cover his eyes.


"Why do you always get yourself into these situations." he asked himself aloud hearing his own voice echoing back at him as if the immense room was asking him the question.

"Because you're a fiend obsessed with being the center of attention!" Answered a grumpy sounding voice from the door of the chamber. Sirius grinned broadly immediately recognizing James' voice. James stepped on to the huge padded canvas mat that was built into the floor of the arena, where Sirius was laying. James dropped to his knees before flopping down on his stomach and coming to rest on his elbows so that he was gazing out of the tall windows on the far wall.

"I wasn't asking why you get into situations, but I do agree you are an attention craving fiend." Sirius smiled over at his friend. James repressed a smile turning it to a scowl.

"Don't smile! I'm here to beat you senseless on behalf of all of your former partners in crime." James said shooting Sirius a harsh look.

"Ah, so that's why you're here. Dumbledor has taken the cloak has he?" Sirius let out another loud sigh. "Well best get on with it then." Sirius said feeling miserable. He had so much on his mind and he had been really happy that he might have the chance to talk to James about everything that was going on. Sirius was sure that he was going to explode at any second if he wasn't able to tell someone about his current situation, and James was the only person in the world that Sirius would trust with this information.

Turning to his side James rested his head on his hand and looked at Sirius who was focused on the ceiling. James wore an annoyed expression but his eyes only reflected concern for his friend.

"Now can you tell me what you did? Dumbledor said that it was a prank pulled on Severus, and while I'm sure that's true I have a feeling that he didn't know that you never came in last night." Sirius switched his focus to James.

"I've done something really stupid." He said, worry and shame mingled on his face. James looked immediately stressed only having seen that look on Sirius' face in the worst of situations.

"Oh Sirius," James said slowly, "What is it, what have you done?" James was now sitting up leaning on his fully extended arm and looking tense.

"Dumbledor doesn't know, I couldn't tell him, in fact no one knows and I don't want them to so you have to swear to me that you won't tell a soul not even Remus. I just know that he wouldn't understand, I'm not even sure if I understand." Sirius saying the last part more to himself than James.

Sirius sat up mirroring James; they both wore thick perfectly white socks and large roomy sweatpants only James was dressed completely in navy blue with a longsleeved v-necked t-shirt baring the Gryffindor crest on the left side of his chest. Sirius wore light gray sweatpants which had a silhouette of a griffin with it's wings flared embroidered in burgundy at the ankle of the left leg. His navy blue shirt which had once been long sleeved now curled up exposing his tanned shoulders and well defined arms where the sleeves had been cut away, its only distinguishing mark being a small burgundy "G" written in old English script on the back just under the collar.

James sat starring at Sirius feeling a little nervous about what he was about to hear.


"You know I won't tell, but I'll swear it anyway. Now what is it Sirius?" he asked impatiently, wanting desperately to know what his friend had done and tired of being put off from finding out. Sirius averted his eyes from James, now not sure if he should tell anyone, but it was to late, if he were to back out now James would certainly be angry with him for putting him through so much.

"I was mapping one of the old corridors that I had never really delved to deeply in before. Well, I must have been in there for few hours cause I started to worry about where it was leading me, when I found this weird opening. I slipped through it but realized when it was to late that I couldn't get back into the passage." Said Sirius not looking up at James while he spoke.

"So where did you end up?" James asked now sounding much more patient with his friend.

"The Slytherin dorms." Sirius said now glancing up to meet James' eyes and gauge his reaction. James looked stunned.

"You're kidding me!" James said in an excited whisper.

"I wish I was." Replied Sirius gloomily.

"So what was the big problem there, why didn't you just use the invisibility cloak to sneak back out through their common room?" James asked with a quizzical look.

"That would have been the logical thing to do." Sirius said scolding himself, " But while I was trying to figure out where exactly I was…I was caught." James' eyes grew large trying to guess who had discovered Sirius lurking about the Slytherin dorms.

"Soooo? Who was it, who caught you?" James asked barley able to hold back the tension in his voice.

"Well I actually ended up in one of the dorm rooms…" continued Sirius his chest feeling tight around his apprehension.

"Honestly Sirius if you don't just spit it out, I swear I will beat it out of you!" James said in comic frustration punching Sirius in the arm.

"Okay, okay! It was Bella's room…and that's where I stayed until this morning." Sirius blurted out finally. James went quiet and eyed Sirius for a moment, he began to speak and than stopped himself. Sirius sat gazing uneasily watching James put things together in his head.

"So are you saying…you and she…" James broke off shaking his head.
"What are you saying cause I don't think I'm following." Said James starting to smile in disbelief.

"If you don't get it then your following just fine." Said Sirius flopping back against the cool padded canvas of the floor.

"You spent the night with your cousin! In the Slytherin dorms! All the while having the means to leave! And then you still had the bolocks to pull some stupid prank on Snape before making your escape?!" James said in disbelief more loudly than he meant to. Sirius sat up swiftly with venom in his eyes.

"Why don't you just tell the whole school!" James was grinning completely for the first time since entering the chamber.

"You are so going to end up in Askaban before you can even apparate." Laughed James teasingly. Sirius looked at James coolly, not feeling at all humorous about his sticky situation.

"Don't laugh yet James, I haven't finished."

"There could not possibly be more to tell." James said in amazement.

"James please this is really important. She's all mixed up in some really dark stuff, but she's been kind of thrust into it by our…by her family." James' smile faded.

"Is that everything?" he asked his voice again ringing with concern.

"Yeah, that's it…except that I'm…I'm in love with her." He expelled these last words as if it pained him to say it aloud in front of James.
"I know. You can say it. I've lost my mind." Sirius said hopelessly. James just sat looking at his best friend still attempting to digest everything that he had been told. He had known Sirius since their first year at Hogwarts and although Sirius had always had some sort of girl troubles he had never spoken those words before.

"Well that is a…situation Sirius." James said rubbing his hand through his hair not really knowing what to say. "Are you sur…" James broke off and thought better of his line of questioning, then clapping his hand to Sirius' shoulder asked, "Are you alright?"

"I don't know really." Sirius answered sounding confused and upset.
"I have a hundred other things too be focused on and all I can think of is her. Do you know what I mean?"

"Are you kidding? That's only been my life since starting Hogwarts." James smirked, his thoughts transferring to the beautiful red haired Gryffindor fifth year Lily Evans, whom he had been in awe of since he first set eyes on her.

"Ah yes, Lily. I guess my situation could be worse…I mean at least Bella doesn't pretend that I don't exist." Sirius said with a lighthearted grin at James, who immediately snapped out of his dream state.

"Well it's easy picking from the family tree, isn't it?" James shot back with a devilish grin forming on his face. Sirius' smile faltered for a second and then grew strong.

"Point taken."