Sirius looked at Tera as if she was crazy. Then a look of understanding dawned on him.

"Elf eh? So that's what you were doing to Lily!"

"Whoa Sirius wait a minute....your girlfriend is an elf?" said James bewildered

"I'm not exactly his girlfriend." Said Tera blushing like crazy.

James just raised his eyebrows. He had seen how Sirius had looked at Tera. It was a look that he know was on his face whenever he saw Lily...wait, LILY!

"What happened to Lily?" asked James yet again

"Aww she just collapsed and fainted, no big." Said Sirius

"What? She collapsed? How? When?"

Tera jumped in at that moment. "Yes Pot—I mean James she collapsed at lunch break for uh..," Tera glanced at Sirius before continuing, "becuase ah...she ate something bad."

Tera knew that that had been a very bad lie. 1. Because it was a lie. 2. because for her to lie. And if she did... there could be a consequence. But only who would ever fall for that? She was an elf, and due to that and a curse from her brother it was almost impossible sometimes.

"So students, first we shall start off with the tea leaves, we must review you!" said Professor Trelawny. She handed out the tea cups to everyone and everyone went through the process just like they had their first time.

"You're not supposed to drink the dregs Sirius," Tera mumbled as he started to drink them as well as the tea.

"Give your cup to the person on your left..." Tera gave her cup to Sirius and got James'. All that she could see was a sun... and a cloud. Meaning that he would be happy, yet something would happen to the person he loved... something dire. She looked up with a pale face not wanting to share what she'd read.

"Tera? Are you ok?" asked James (a/n he was actually being nice?!)

"Ah yeah yours ah means that you will he happy but....ah you will suffer some disappointment." Said Tera. It wasn't a complete lie so the curse couldn't do anything.

"Really?? Does it say who will be my wife?" asked James excitedly

"No Po—I mean James it only shows.....stuff."

"Hey stop interrogating my girl!" said Sirius indignantly

"Ok ok Paddy."

Sirius peered into Tera's cup and twisted it. Then in an uncanny impression of Prof. Trewalney he said

"Oh my dear....it is the grim!"

Tera grabbed the cup while playfully punching Sirius. But when she looked into the cup the grim was indeed there.

She leaned back slightly in her chair but then shook her head. Even if it was the grim she'd already faced many grim experiances so one more couldn't hurt, could it?

"Class, palm-reading!" Professor Trelawny was just shouting out what activity was next, "Read the palm of the person to your left," she finished. Tera thought for a quick second, she'd be reading Sirius' palm, Sirius would read James', and James would read hers.

"Give me your palm Sirius," Tera said so that she could read it.

Lily woke up groggily and yawned. She looked around. She was in the Hospital Wing. How she got there, she had no clue. Madam Pomphrey bustled in.

"Oh good you're awake. Now take this and eat this. You should get your strength back soon."

"Uh...Madam why am I here?" asked Lily

"Mr. Black didn't tell me. He's the one who brought you in."

"Sirius?"

Sirius willingly gave his palm to Tera. She started tracing lines on his palm and muttered to herself. She looked up at him her face paler than before and choked. She cleared her throat and said

Tera was scared at all of the things she was seeing today. Were they all true? Or were they simple dilusions? She retraced two lines which crossed eachother and traced them again. She hadn't made a mistake. Death. War. Pain. It was so clearly written. She couldn't help but wonder if indeed she was seeing right. But wait- there was something else. In more faded lines she could read love, happiness, and courage. Well, it wasn't all that bad then. She was relieved that his life would not be entirely hopeless. Her mind flickered back to Lily. She put down Sirius' hand again so that he could do the same procedure with James.

"You have... six different words," she told Sirius. Normally people only had two to four. (I'm making this up, I actually have no clue) "Just look at the palm and see which lines connect," she instructed. "The connecting lines are the only ones you actually need to pay attention to, and their symbols are easy enough. Wait a second..." she said. This could all go by so much faster if they actually knew what to do without her telling them. Quickly she touched both of their foreheads, giving them her knowledge. She smiled as she removed her hands, now they knew what to do.

James gasped. He knew what to do. It was amazing. He never like Divination becuase he could never do it but now....he knew it. He glanced down at his palm. Immediately he saw the lines that interconnected. He tryed to see symbols but eventually he gave up.

"Uh Tera a little help here please." Said James

"Guess your glad I'm here eh James?" teased Tera

"Yeah...yeah now help?"

Tera showed James how to read it. He started to get excited when she told him how he could find out how old he would live to be. He looked into the book but he looked crestfallen. He was supposed—according to the book—to die when he was 35. He asked Tera to check it over again. It was confirmed. He was supposed to die when he was 35. Sirius cleared his throat. He was getting a little annoyed. His date (he wasn't sure if he wanted to call her his girlfriend yet) was paying a bit tooo much attention to James. Just when Tera turned to Sirius the bell rang. The class hurried to gather their books and get out of the classroom. James hurried past then whispering that he was going to see Lily. Sirius and Tera walked down together completely unaware of the shadow....waiting for the right moment.

"Uhg, potions! I hate that class..." Tera mumbled as she was departing Sirius' company-seeing as they had different classes. "See you Sirius!" she said to his retreating form. Clutching her textbooks in her arms she headed down for the dungeons. Professor Sthay was as evil as ever and gave them assigned seats.

"I find that this class talks far too much for my likeing," he reasoned. Tera sat at her assigned table and was unpleasantly joined by three other people: Lucious, Severous, and Narcissa. Tera glumly got out her nessasary equipment then waited for further instructions. Already she could tell that this would be a boring day.

Sirius walked, more like ran to Transfiguration. He was strangely happy. Not like a everyday happy but a happy that can come only when you are in love. Sirius made it in just as the bell rang. James wasn't there. The class was easy, as usual. It was his besty subject. He spent the rest of his time wrting down ideas to prank the Slytherins except Tera of course. If he didn't do that he was thinking of what Tera had done. She was an elf. How....wait then he remembered something. Her brother had hurt her? Wait she hadn't told him that. He racked his brain. It was when he remembered that she had touched his forehead. He had gotten some of her memories. He instantly got mad at the person who would do this to Tera. Class was over. He had promised Tera to meet her at the Great Hall entrance. She was supposed to come from Potions. He waited and waited but she didn't come.

"Something has to be wrong." He muttered and set off toward the dungeons.

As the bell rang Tera shot out of her seat and started to make her way to the door. At least- she tried to. A cold hand was on her shoulder and kept her back a moment longer. She turned to see Lucious Malfoy. Revolted she staticed him, hopeing he wouldn't notice that it wasn't natural. If anything, his grip intensified. He led her out of the door and when they were outside and everyone else had gone he put his arms around her waist.

"Hello Tera my dearest," he said to her.

"Back off-" she then swore violently at him. His eyes danced with laugher, he only smirked.

"Is that any way to treat me Tera?" he asked her. Her eyes burned with fury and hatred but his grip was surprisingly like iron. To her great dismay his face drew closer until he was finally kissing her. Still having one arm free, she punched him in the side of the face, hopeing to permanently leave a bruise. She swore violently again before her eyes went black and a wind wipped around her head. With magic she forcefully pushed him away and for a few moments the wind remained and her eyes were black. Her hair was momentarily silver and then she collapsed to her knees on the floor, wondering what she'd just done.

Sirius strided down the hallway. He rounded a corner and saw Tera with Malfoy. He was about to run away when he heard her say "Backoff—and a whole stream of swears. Malfoy started talking and Sirius saw him kiss Tera. He ran out. He was so mad that he overdid the disarming spell and a strong wind whipped around. Malfoy fell but so did Tera. He sprinted toward her and grabbed her. He picked her up hoping that somehow she would wake up. His prayers were answered and Tera's eyelashes fluttered. He set her down gently and watched her.

Tera felt tense and immediately felt like punching the first person that she saw. But then she saw Sirius instead of Lucious as she'd expected. She became less tense knowing that Sirius was there. Then she turned her head to see Malfoy on the ground apparently unconsious. That calmed her too. She smiled brightly, ignoring the fact she'd just had a terrible experiance, and said,

"Hello Sirius," her smile broadened and she was staring right into his eyes, "How'd Transfiguration go?" Inwardly she was not quite so cheerful and felt scared of Malfoy. But she was a person who only showed that she was afraid under force of some kind.

"What happened Tera?" demanded Sirius

"He...just did....that" said Tera not wanting to say what happened

Sirius looked doubtful but then he smiled too. He reached into his pocket and grabbed something. It was a spare piece of parchment. He muttered a couple of words and lines appeared on the parchment. Tera leaned in to see what it was.

"Aw crap." He said, "Mcgonagall's coming!" He quickly made Malfoy conscious and told him "If you ever mess with Tera you will have me to answer to." He grabbed Tera's hand and pulled her to the Great Hall. Since Sirius didn't trust Malfoy he took Tera to the Gryffindor table. At first everyone was timid or more like not very happy to have her there but soon she had made friends. Sirius grinned and went to talk to Remus. Tera was having fun for the first time. She talked and smiled more than she did in a lifetime. She finally felt like she belonged. It was then that the idea came to her. She would get resorted....if it was ok with Dumbledore.

Tera could feel something in her stomach, and it rose and filled her entire body. At first she wasn't sure what it was and she was almost afraid. Then a memory from a long time ago came back and this was the feeling then, too. It was the feeling of being happy she realized. Would Dumbledore allow her to be resorted though? The thought that he wouldn't stayed with her and she hoped with all her hope that she could be. After lunch they had ten minutes before class and Tera took this oportunity to quickly say good-bye and speak to Professor Dumbledore. He had left the staff table a moment before and she met him in the hallway.

"Professor," she began nervously, "I was wondering if,"

"You were wondering if," he looked at her through his halfmoon spectacles, "If you could be resorted," he finished for her. She nodded her head,

"Yes Professor."

"I'm sorry to say that it is not my decision but that of the Sorting Hat. I would gladly tell you yes my dear, but it is the Hat's choice to make, however, if you would like we could go check on the matter right away," his eyes sparkled as he led the way.

"Thank you Professor, I really appreciate it!" Tera said. After a minute or two Tera found herself in the Headmaster's Office. On a wall sat the sorting hat, who seemed to stand up straighter as Tera entered. Dumbledore whispered something to the hat and then placed it, quite unexpectedly, on Tera's head.

"Well then," came the voice in her head, "You again? Well I would find it very hard to resort you, considering where you come from. Indeed, a pureblood such as yourself, but I assume that you do not know. Very well then, you are an heir of Salazar Slytherin himself, making it nearly impossible to place you elsewhere. Hmmm but you do not belong there do you? Well now that I think about it Gryffindor might suit you... perhaps. Very well, very well! I can clearly read your thoughts and feelings and it indeed does make me sad. Gryffindor it is then..." then the voice was gone.

"You had best get off to class my dear," Dumbledore said. "I will tell Professor McGonagall of the change as well as Slytherin's head of house," he smiled and waved as she left the door. Tera ran to her next class not wanting to be late, but also not wanting to run into anyone else.