A/N: I'm really sorry for the long wait! > I've been pretty busy lately... I've also decided to cut my chapter lengths in half, so future updates won't be so far apart! I'm really very sorry! I hope you guys like it!
--
---Chapter Fourteen: The Perfect Summer---
--
---Sirius's POV---
--
I don't know exactly when I woke up. Suddenly, I was just aware that I was aware of things like James's and Peter's snores coupled along with Remus's soft, quiet breathing.
This was not a situation I was used to. Usually I woke up to cold water in my face, a hard thunk to my head, a Stinger spell to my ass, or something along those lines. And usually I was the last one up. But today was different.
Was I broken? Waking up first was so foreign to me that I didn't know what to do.
What was wrong with me these days? Lately I hadn't been able to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and I had woken up countless times during the night. There was always something nagging at my mind—and that something just had to be Faye Prewitt.
My thoughts wandered back to the most recent argument we had had.
Why did Faye always make me so angry that I wanted to wring her neck? How did she get under my skin so easily? Merlin knows how much more crap I had endured at the hands of my family… so why did I crack so easily under Faye?
I didn't like this. I didn't like being in such a vulnerable situation. It was as if Faye's opinion was everything, and when she had accused me of being "a comic relief" and a "dorky, pigheaded guy who's always there for a corny joke," I had completely gone insane. I didn't want to believe that she thought so… so horribly of me….
I was staring at the roof of my bed. However, I wasn't seeing that at all. In my mind's eye, I could practically make out a tall, slender girl with dark, tangled curls spilling down her back, her cheeks flushed and amber eyes narrowed in anger….
Damn it! I had to get her out of my mind! I turned over in my bed grumpily, burying my head under my pillow. But her image persisted, and flashes of her words kept on replaying in my head.
"You show off left and right; you love having bloody girls throwing themselves at your feet to inflate your ego even more! You love playing pranks and grabbing the spotlight!"
"I like hurting others just for the heck of it? What about you? What about how you treat Severus and all Slytherins in general? If that's not sadism, than I don't know what is! And what about when you asked me out just so you could dump me and make a fool out of me in front of the entire school! And what about going out with Fiona just because you thought it would annoy me! Black, you'd better take a better look at yourself, and tell me where your bloody conscience ran off! You're the sodding lowlife here, not me!"
"And next I suppose you'll be claiming that you wanted to help me."
The sarcasm in the last memory that flashed up my mind made me cringe. She really did think that I was the bad guy. And she really did choose Snivellus over me.
But why?
My thoughts were in an anguished turmoil. What had I done to make her hate me this much? It seemed as if everything she did affected me, while nothing I did affected her. It just wasn't fair! How come no matter how much she snubbed me, spat crap about me, I couldn't just let her go! Why did I love her so much?
I immediately shied away from the thought.
I, Sirius Black, did not love anyone. Well, except for my friends, James especially. But that sort of love was different. That was love for friends. I wasn't ever supposed to fall in love.
No… you didn't fall in love. Yet. You just have—no, had— a little crush on Prewitt, a voice in my mind argued. Remember: girls are not attachable.
I wasn't supposed to become attached to girls. I had learned that most girls were so fake, eager to get together with me just because of my looks, or my money, or for my "great" family name, or the recognition and fame they'd get for being "a Marauder's girl."
When James had gotten obsessed over Lily all the way back in fifth year, I watched him waste over her and be snubbed so many times that I couldn't keep count (though I knew James had probably kept a tally). I didn't want that to happen to me. So girls became items, objects, and trophies, anything that kept me from getting attached.
So when did Faye change from just another female to the girl who haunted my dreams and constantly invaded my thoughts?
An even better question is: why Faye?
I had the whole school population to choose from (I wasn't being arrogant; it was the truth), and I chose to crush on a girl that not only didn't want to go out with me, but also thought I was the lowest form of scum on earth.
No matter. Once school let out—in two day's time—I'd be free of her.
The thought didn't comfort me as much as it should have.
I shifted around my bed restlessly again. But I just couldn't find a comfortable place. So I was just turning around quite violently in my frustration that I knocked—very hard—against my bedpost.
"Bloody hell!" I swore, recoiling and putting my hands over my abused head. My eyes were already watering from the pain.
"Wha—?" I heard Remus snort. He was too light a sleeper for his own good.
"Go back to sleep, Remus," I muttered quietly, wanting to spend more time alone in my sorrow. I knew he could hear me; Remus's werewolf side enhanced his senses.
"Sirius?" I heard Remus say in a strangled, surprised voice.
"What?" I snapped irritably.
"Holy Merlin. What are you doing up?" Remus sounded wide-awake by now.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I grumbled. "Can't I wake up early for once and not be sued for it?"
"No!" he cried forcefully. "James! James! James!" To my satisfaction, he only received a grunt from James's bed.
"You won't believe it, James! Sirius is awake! And it's… six o'clock in the morning!" Remus exclaimed in an awed voice.
A muffled shout sounded from behind James's drapes, and those drapes were pulled aside a second later. "WHAT?" James bellowed, sticking his even-more-than-usual messy head out. "Sirius is UP? Before me?"
"What's all the commotion?" Peter whined sleepily.
"Sirius—!"
"He's up—!"
"Unbelievable!"
"—at six o'clock!"
"He's finally growing to be a big boy!"
"…He's a big kid now!" James sang.
"Whoo! One more time, James!" Remus whooped.
"He's a big kid now!"
Well… there goes my private thinking time.
---Faye's POV---
"Hey, Faye, I'll see you on September 1st, alright?" Grace called over the chattering and clatter of the crowd at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
"Yeah," I replied over the noise, and I reached across the distance between us to hug her warmly. Ever since that day by the lake… I'd looked at Grace differently. I had noticed that she never had the same bright smile anymore, or the usual glitter in her eyes…. I hated myself. Even after I realized that she was unhappy, I couldn't confront her about it. I just took the coward's way out—I began paying more attention and giving her more comfort…. But to hell with it—I knew none of it was enough. I had to do something about this….
Grace hugged me back before pulling away. She smiled, a faded, dull smile, and waved one last time, before heading through the crowd. Her parents were inside the platform, both of them being magical. Wrenching my eyes away from her retreating back—for some reason the sight of a retreating back now always filled me with a sense of foreboding—I wheeled my trolley with my trunk in it towards the barrier.
The first thing I heard once I passed through the barrier was an excited scream, and something came barreling into my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I still hadn't recovered from when Sev—Snape—had hexed me, and it made Melanie'e frightfully strong hug more painful by a hundredfold.
"Hi, Melanie," I gasped out, wincing a bit. "Nice to see you, too."
"How was your school year?" Melanie asked excitedly. "Oh, you have to tell me everything about it! What about you and Sirius? Is Grace okay? Have you learned how to remove noses? And teeth? How about rotten teeth? And you haven't written often enough!" She added the last sentence a bit reproachfully.
"Er… sorry about that," I shifted uncomfortably. "Everything was getting really messed up at school."
Melanie shrugged, probably sensing that I didn't want to talk about it. "Does it have anything to do with Sirius?"
Damn. If only she was an intuitive person who respected the fact that I didn't want to talk about it. "Why would you say that?" I asked innocently.
"Well, because in your last letter, the pressure of your quill ripped several holes into that thick paper while you were talking about what stupid things Sirius had done to you."
Damn again. How come Melanie was so observing? And why was she calling Black "Sirius?" He didn't deserve it… gr….
"Um… Faye? Are you growling?" Melanie's voice floated into my brain and registered.
"Haha, no! Why would you say that?" I laughed.
"Because your hair could practically be standing on end, and I'm sure that your growl sounded just like one from a wildcat," she replied blandly while I scowled at her.
"I wasn't growling," I muttered. "It's not as if I was upset over Black… no, not at all. After all, he's too insignificant to get upset over!"
"What'd he do?" Melanie sighed. "Paint your nails fuchsia pink while you were asleep?"
It was time for sarcasm. I have an innate sense for the moment to use it.
"Exactly! Can you believe the nerve of him? Fuchsia pink!" I cried with fake anger. Lately, everything I've been doing felt fake.
"Oh, the horror," Melanie responded dryly.
Twelve-year-olds. They're just getting to that time period when they'll start smart-assing like there's no tomorrow.
"Where are Tracy and David?" I changed the subject, not wanting to pursue the touchy ground of Black. At each thought of him, I felt a confusing mixture of feelings all mashed with each other into my poor brain, the strongest of which were anger and shame. Those emotions alone always made me freak, and the two of them combined….
"Oh, right over there. Fiona's here already," Melanie replied, making a face.
I grimaced a face of my own.
Oh, joy. Summer with Fiona. Eating dinner with Fiona. Riding in the same car as Fiona. Living in the same bloody house as Fiona. The perfect summer indeed.
"Faye!" Tracy's voice came floating through the crowd. "Over here!"
Melanie and I both headed over to where Tracy, David, and Fiona (urgh!) were standing with Fiona's numerous trunks.
"Hey!" I greeted Tracy and David, receiving a hug from both as my reward. They both smiled at me, welcoming me back…. A warm bubbly feeling frothed up inside me, and I smiled back at them sincerely. I never thought that I'd feel this way about any adult…
And then I made the mistake of looking past Tracy and David and right at Fiona. The bubbly feeling disappeared in a flash—it was amazing how fast my emotions could change. I stared hard at Fiona, trying to convey how much hate I felt for her. Her expression changed for a moment from smirking and smug into a faltering sort of…apology.
Ah, screw that. She wouldn't be sorry. It was probably just my imagination, anyway. I raised one eyebrow up contemptuously before turning away from her and focusing on Tracy and David again. David was laughing at something Melanie had said again, and Tracy was clucking Melanie affectionately on the head. I smiled softly at the sight.
"Let's get going then," David finally said, pushing on one of the two trolleys that contained Fiona's trunks. Fiona was happily bounding ahead, waving to several people here and there.
As we all proceeded to exit Kings Cross Station, I took one last glance around. My year at Hogwarts had been great… excepting certain things, of course. Just as I was looking back, I saw an all-too-familiar figure that unconsciously drew all eyes towards him. Leaning against a pillar was Sirius Black, staring at me with such intensity that I was surprised I hadn't noticed before. His dark eyes were full of an unreadable, inscrutable emotion. I stared back for a moment, and our gazes locked. Time seemed to slow down as I looked at him. Something happened. It was as if electricity was charging up inside me, and for that one second, I wanted nothing more than to just throw myself at his feet and beg for forgiveness and just be his sort-of friend again. And I was so sorry the school year was over; I wouldn't see him until summer was over…
Then the moment passed. Horrified at myself for even thinking of that, I wrenched my eyes away and firmly turned towards the front, following Melanie out of the station. But I couldn't block out this voice in my mind, whispering over and over again, He's right about you… you are a horrible person….
"So, how was school, you two?" Tracy's warm voice broke into my thoughts. "Faye, you did take care of Fiona, didn't you?"
I smiled coldly. Take care of Fiona? Not a chance, at least not in the way that Tracy meant. I wasn't going to lie and tell Tracy that I did take care of Fiona. I had too much respect for Tracy to do that. "Fiona can take care of herself. She doesn't need me mothering her." And I wouldn't bother either, I added silently.
All Fiona needed was someone willing to teach her a proper lesson in being a passable human being. Obviously, that was an area in which she needed serious help.
Tracy must have sensed the tension in my words, because she didn't pursue the subject. We all walked in silence back to the car. I knew that this wasn't how it should be for a real family… but I didn't do anything about it. Again. Because I was such a coward.
ll----ll
"Hey, Faye, do you want to come shopping with us?" Melanie asked excitedly, bursting into my room. Caught by surprise, I slammed my diary shut.
"Whatcha writing in?" Melanie peered at the slim blue book that I was trying to cover up.
"Nothing," I said quickly. At her give-me-a-break look, I sighed. Somehow, I could never refuse her anything. "Oh, all right. It's my diary. I'm allowed to keep one."
"Not without my permission you aren't," Melanie planted her fists on her hips in an effort to look intimidating. I burst out laughing at her domineering expression.
"Hey, come on. I don't look that bad, do I?" she asked.
"I'm not going to answer that," I chortled. "So, what were you saying?"
"Oh, right!" Melanie remembered. "Do you want to come shopping with us? Mum promised to get us both some new clothes."
"Is Fiona coming?" I asked first and foremost.
"No. She's at her friend's house, um… Mariana."
"In that case…sure," I agreed readily. I don't know why I placed so much importance on whether or not Fiona went… but I just couldn't help it. "Wait, let me get my jacket." I hurried to my closet that was full of several scanty articles of clothing, pulled out the first one my hand grabbed, threw it on, and followed Melanie out the door.
"Mum decided that you needed to get a whole new wardrobe," Melanie confirmed as I groaned. That meant a full day of trying on clothes.
"Maybe I'll just head back up to the room," I suggested.
"Nope," Melanie chuckled cheerfully. "Mum's been through your room yesterday and was totally appalled at your clothes. She said she's going to take you if she has to drag you by the hair."
"What?" I gasped. "She went through my room?"
"Why so concerned? Did she take anything? Are you missing something?" she asked, concerned.
"No…" I trailed off. I just wasn't comfortable with the notion of someone going through my things, even if it was Tracy.
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing…" I lied. Melanie gave me a look but didn't say anything, thankfully. Tracy was downstairs rounding up David, who was protesting mightily.
"But I don't want to go shopping!" David whined like a kid for all that he was forty-three.
"David," Tracy started threateningly, placing her fists on her hips and giving him the evil eye.
"Yes?" he faltered.
"Get in the car. You're setting a bad example for the kids."
"Alright," he said meekly while Melanie and I sniggered. The four of us all trooped outside in the sultry heat and piled inside the car. Tracy was heading straight for the mall where I'd taken Black. Damn, how did he sneak back into my mind? I thought I had kicked him out for good.
"…And another pair of shoes, alright, Faye?" Tracy's voice penetrated my mind.
"Huh?" I asked stupidly.
"Is it that much okay?" Tracy repeated herself.
"Uh…"
"What's wrong, Faye?" David asked. "You seem to be very distracted."
"Yeah…" I muttered.
"Does it have anything to do with a boy?" Tracy looked at me using her rear-view mirror and winking confidentially.
"No!" I denied hotly, though she was right….
"Good, because if it was… well, let's just say I have a shotgun ready," David said conversationally. Suddenly, he sat up, and his head hit the car ceiling quite hard. We all winced.
"Are you okay, Dad?" Melanie asked with sympathy while I openly cackled.
"Yes," he said. "Anyways, I was going to ask… did that shift boy, Sirius Bag or something, break Fiona's heart?"
"Oh, that was old news," I nodded. "A long time ago."
"WHAT?" David bellowed. Tracy jerked the steering wheel in surprise, and for a frightening second I thought we were going to veer off the road. But then Tracy got the car back under control, Melanie smacked David on the head really hard, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"What did you say!" David asked again while I rolled my eyes.
"Sirius broke up with Fiona a long time ago," I affirmed once again. "Right after we got back to school after Winter Break."
"I've got to bloody go break his neck!" David bellowed. A sharp cuff from Tracy silenced him.
"Do control yourself," she ordered imperiously. "Sirius is a nice young man, though. Did they have some sort of fight?" she addressed me.
"Fight would be the nice way for Fiona. She had a nervous breakdown. And Black is as nice as a dementor," I muttered rebelliously. Melanie elbowed me, grinning furiously.
"Ouch," I grumbled. "What was that for?" Tracy parked the car in front of the sprawling mall and we got out of the car.
"Do you like Sirius?" Melanie asked, her eyes shining.
"No," I blustered, panicking. "No, I don't."
"Well, if you do," Melanie continued, her eyes still glowing with knowing, "just know that you have my approval. He might be a little off, but he's so nice! And really cute!"
I snorted. "First everybody at school, now you. For the last time, I don't like Sirius-bloody-Black!"
Melanie merely smiled at my words as we entered the mall, where the cool air of air conditioning met my face. I fumed silently to myself as Tracy jovially led the way to the first clothing store we came upon. David was actually cringing. He quickly made an excuse ("I hear my mum calling!) that was highly unlikely, and ran off.
After the first few minutes, I was asking why in the world hadn't David taken me with him. I tried on an incredibly large array of clothes, including shirts, jeans, belts, jackets, and even underwear! I hated those changing stalls. Hate, hate, hate! I didn't understand how Melanie and Tracy could like this sort of thing! Well, Melanie not so much as Tracy, who seemed to be enjoying handing me everything on the rack and sending me into the changing rooms over and over again.
Torture was the only word to describe it.
After I had begged Tracy for half an hour to just buy the clothes and get out the store, she finally agreed. Thank God! Laden with bags full of my new clothes, I followed Tracy and Melanie into yet another store, this time for shoes!
Shopping really, really, really wasn't my thing. Really. After we were finally done, we lugged all the things to the food court, where David was waiting for us. He was eating an ice cream cone happily, waving us over to his table.
"Saving your own skin," I muttered to him as I sat down with a relieved sigh. "Thanks a lot."
"I couldn't risk myself!" David cried, for all the world just like a child. "Besides, it looks like you guy did some heavy-duty stuff." He eyed the numerous shopping bags lying around our table.
"We did," I moaned.
"It was great!" Tracy said cheerfully. David and I exchanged a glance, and we both burst out laughing.
"If you consider smelling a pig fart great," David snorted.
"You just don't have any sense of style," Tracy sniffed. "No wonder you always look like that."
"Like what?" David panicked. "Do I have a stain on my shirt? Is my belt unbuckled?"
"And your hair is atrocious," Tracy added in.
"This is exactly why I married you," he grumbled. "You always bring out the best in me."
"Of course," she sniffed. Melanie and I exchanged glances, and then we laughed.
For once… I truly felt as if I were a part of something.
ll----ll
"Tracy! David!" Fiona's bright voice echoed through the house. "Can I talk to you guys?"
"What's wrong, dear?" Tracy poked her head out of the kitchen, where she was currently making dinner. I was watching Melanie do her amazing ballet stretches. How could someone be so… bendy?
"Well, I just got off the phone with Mum and Dad," Fiona said cheerily. My own cheerful mood immediately evaporated, and the living room was tension-filled and strained right away. "They asked if we can go over to California for a little visit."
I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands in my lap, refusing to cry out an instant rejection to that plan.
"What?" David asked, emerging from behind his newspaper with a furrow etched on his brow. "You still want to go back there?"
There was an awkward silence where I sank lower and lower into the couch.
"Yes," came Fiona's answer.
"Why?" Tracy asked.
"Because I haven't seen my parents in a long time," Fiona said.
There was another silence. I wanted to strangle Fiona. How could she bring this up? How could she even ask this of Tracy and David? How could she… how could she? She had no right… Henry and Diana had no right….
"Well…" Tracy's voice seemed very forced. "I guess you could go…"
"Great!" Fiona cried, seeming oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the room. "Oh, and they asked if Faye wanted to come, too."
I squeezed my eyes shut and told myself to count to ten.
One…
Henry and Diana didn't want me back there. I didn't want to go back there.
"Faye?" David questioned softly.
"I…"
Two…
I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave this warm place, this place where I was loved and cared for, this place where I wanted to give as much as I received.
Three…
"Fiona, are you sure you want to go back there?" Melanie piped up. "I mean, I thought Henry and Diana…" I flinched. Melanie only knew part of the story… she assumed that what Henry and Diana did they did to both Fiona and me… that's what everybody believed… and it tore at me how Fiona had never bothered to correct, how she made it seem like she was such a great person to have survived and testified against our parents… it disgusted me.
"Yeah,"—I wanted to smack Fiona for saying that; she had never had to endure what Melanie was implying—"but they're my parents. I care about them."
I clenched my fists even tighter in my lap. So what if they were my parents…? What was the friggin' deal? I could hate them if I wanted to—I could and I would and I did.
Four…
Care about them, my ass. All Fiona cared about was how spoiled she was back then, when Henry and Diana got her anything she freaking wanted.
"I want to see my old friends," Fiona said with a tint of wistfulness.
Five…
Old friends. Memories of Andrew came crashing down into my mind. I would see him again…. We laugh together again. We would joke and talk again. I would be able to see his face, and try to convey with all my heart that I was sorry that I had kept this from him, that I hadn't ever trusted him….
Six…
"Faye?" Melanie inquired. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…" I managed. "I'm fine."
"You don't have to go, Faye," Fiona said breezily.
Seven…
But Andrew was there. I hadn't seen him in so long. I needed to talk to him face-to-face. I wanted the friendship that we had shared. I wanted all of that back.
"Faye," David said gently. "If you do go back, you still won't be staying in the same house as Henry and Diana. It's not allowed. You'll be safe. You won't even have to meet them."
Eight…
I wrapped my arms around myself. If I didn't have to see Henry and Diana…
"It's all right," Melanie whispered from right beside me. "You can go back to see your friends. I know I'd miss mine if I ever left."
Nine…
I lifted my head and looked around at Tracy's concerned face, Melanie's anxious one, David's furrowed one, and Fiona's… fake, smiling one.
I imagined sitting with Andrew again, talking to him, laughing with him, just feeling like I had a friend. I missed him… and I knew he missed me. He only said so every time in every one of his letters.
Ten.
I took a deep breath, feeling calmer, almost as if Andrew were right beside me, lending me strength. "I'd like to go back."
David only nodded solemnly before disappearing behind his newspaper, and Tracy gave me a worried glance before heading back to the kitchen. Fiona departed the room happily, humming happily to herself along the way. Melanie glanced at me reassuringly and then went back to doing her ballet stretches. I pulled my feet up and rested my head against my knees, contemplating what on earth I had just gotten myself into.
"Faye?" I heard Tracy call from the kitchen. "Could you come here and give me a hand?"
Without questioning or complaining, I rose from my seat and padded over to the kitchen.
"Yeah?" I said to announce my presence. Tracy was busy kneading bread, and her hands were all powdery with flour. Even though she was a witch, she had completely reverted to being a muggle…which was why I was here working.
"Could you please help me knead this?" Tracy asked, flicking a strand of hair out of her face with her powdery hands.
"Sure," I shrugged, still thinking about California as I walked over to the sink to wash my hands.
After we had been working in silence for a couple of minutes, Tracy spoke up in a soft voice.
"Faye, do you really want to go back?"
I stiffened. I should have known that she wanted to talk about all the things that I didn't want to talk about.
"I don't want to pressure you to do anything," Tracy said gently. "I just don't think you're ready to go back. After all your father has done to you… well, I don't think anyone who has gone through what you've gone through should face it so soon."
"Tracy…" I trailed off.
"Faye, just hear me out. I care about you despite the fact that we haven't been very close. I don't want to see you hurt any more than you already are."
"What about Fiona?" I said. I couldn't help the bitter edge in my voice.
"Faye, you know that I know that Fiona has never had a hand laid on her," Tracy replied seriously. I remained silent while Tracy sighed.
"Faye, I respect your wish to go back. Just know—I care. Melanie cares, and David cares. I wish you'd trust us enough to tell us about whatever is bothering you. Especially your people problems at school."
I started. "Wait, how do you know—!"
Tracy smiled faintly. "I think it has something to do with that sweet boy, Sirius Black."
I choked. "H-him? No! He's nothing but a—!"
"Faye, don't say it," she ordered, looking amused. "Anyways, when you're ready, I'll be here, okay? I hope you'll learn to see beyond what meets your eyes, and I hope you'll stop drawing the wrong conclusions about people. I want you to open up and stop thinking that the entire world is against you and only you understand yourself. Let people into your life."
Clenching my jaw, I kneaded the bread with more force than needed. Tracy was asking me to do the impossible. Trust people? How could I trust anybody? I hadn't trusted Andrew… and Grace… well, I wanted to trust her completely and all the way, and yet something was holding me back.
"Tracy…" I couldn't go on to tell her that I thought I was beyond hope. Her face just looked so peaceful and confident in the fact that I would get better. It tore at my heart. I didn't want to disappoint her. "Okay," I whispered instead.
"Oh, and Faye? Do try to let go of those grudges you hold so dear."
I looked back at her and managed a weak smile. "Yeah. Sure. I'll try."
Fat chance I'll have at succeeding in that particular area.
"Are you set on going back?" Tracy asked.
I considered for a moment.
"Yes. There's someone I need to see."
His face was getting hard to remember. I needed to fix that.
A/N: Now it's time for the review responses that I've neglected for so long!
Selenes Song: I don't blame you for being impatient... I know, it's a really long wait. Sorry about that! And Andrew's going to come very, very soon!
watapon13: Thanks! Hm... like each other a bit... haha, I'm just really into love/hate stuff. Actually, in this one, it's more like hate/hate. XD
puffskein: Thanks! No pressure on me. Haha, I just love anger violence, but in the sequel they'll start to grow up and out of that.
Liliana: I aim to be entertaining.
blondie: 5"10? I envy you!
Gwyn Crow: I'm pretty sure book 5 says he ran away at sixteen. Don't worry, though, I'm going to stay canon. I'm planning for him to run away during the summer or sometime around there. You're right, I didn't specify why Snape was being mean to Faye, but I thought it would be pretty obvious. He did join the Death Eaters, after all.
Joy: Maybe... hm... haha I'm glad you like it! And of course, you know what to do for this chapter! Haha, you see how you-know-who (it's Voldie! XDD) influenced me... in a bad way... haha.
BlessedTorture: Thanks for your vote of... how do I say it? Lol, no pressure! It really makes me feel better. I hope you enjoy this one, even though it's shorter than the others.
fuinggood: Thank you!
I love CHEESECAKE: Thanks for saying (typing) that. Haha, my chapter isn't so long this time, though. I'm hoping that if I cut it in half, then my updates won't be so infrequent. Thank you!
jasmin-rose: No internet for two weeks? Lol, I can't imagine. XD
SexySuitcase: I'm glad the last chapter made you sad! No... that didn't come out right... XD I mean, I'm glad my writing can affect you like that. Hm... this story will probably have two to four more chapters. I could technically squash everything into one story, but I really don't want to, so I'm cutting the plot in half.
warrior of tortall: Hehe, I haven't read Tamora Pierce in ages. XD Hope you liked the update!
pyro-2389: Thanks so much! You're very encouraging! I'm really glad you like my story. I wasn't sure how the chapter portrayed Faye's feelings, but you made me feel better about it.
LothirielofRohan: AHH! I'm sorry, I've never written mushy, fluffy stuff before, and it feels really awkward for me! I'm really sorry to keep you frustrated.
anonymous: Thank you!
Chocalate-Chipps: I'm glad you like it I wasn't really sure of my transitions though. I'm not sure if anyone else will see them; I haven't made up my mind. If someone else is, it won't be for some time.
blossomlite:sighs: I'm sorry, the sunburns won't be revealed until the sequel. Thank you for your review!
rcqua: Hope you enjoyed it!
Saxifrage: Haha, I'lll have to take the llama! XDD I'm glad you found it funny and sad and yeah... lol. Yes, the whole reason why Snape becomes Snivellus is because he's going to the dark side... (haha, that sound a little corny: dark side) OHH I didn't realize some people would think there's some chemistry between Faye and Fabian XD But no, there isn't going to be. Hehe, Faye is going to do something about Sirius's statement, but don't worry, it's not anything related to self-mutilation.
justx4xfun04: Thank you!
Shena: Thanks for understanding.
MyPOV: Yeah, the limbo thing is horrible. Though I think I'm becoming trusted, because my chapter there got put up really quick!
Lana: BWAHAHA! Things are going to be different... a lot different! I can't wait to write about it! Hehe, my parents think I'm weird, too, whenever I'm just a little bit loud. XD
bored-reject: Ne... I didn't make Faye cry! It's a really big thing in this story. I wrote she felt like crying. Hehe, maybe I should go back and make it clearer. Sorry about that!
Damn You: Okay...
Lachwen: Thanks!
assassin's dreamer: Thanks so much! You really made me feel better. But maybe I'm just overreacting... > HAHA yes Faye needs some comfort... do you need a cough drop? lol! I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Sirius won't be the one comforting her... until sometime later... hehehe. She's going to do something drastic--but it's not what you'd expect (I hope) and it's going to come in the next chapter!
trinity: Thank you! I hope you liked this one.
Silent Storm 2000: Thank you... even though this chapter's shorter and is probably disappointing. Sorry!
XxInsanityxX: gobbles down cookie and licks chops> Yum! Thank you!
Ciardra: Oh, wow, I didn't even think of his friends slipping a dreamless sleep potion into his food! AHH! Haha, oh well, what's done is done. Thanks for pointing that out, though. Gr, I'm so stupid! Yes! I do remember that line! Hehe. Yes... there's going to be a way that Sirius gets very, very jealous, but it's not over Fabian Prewitt. Hehe, my sister reads on my computer, too. XD
Lady Irony: Ha you've figured Faye out! Yeah, I didn't notice at first, and when I found out, I tried really hard to emphasize her flaws. XD
amanda-gurl: Well, ideas jist spring into my mind... plus my sister helps out a lot.
Lauren321: Yep, very harsh words. Argh, the fluff part again! I'm sorry there's been basically none of that for a few chapters... maybe I should change the genre. XD
Lauraine: Thank you!
Rueneko: Haha, Prissy WILL make a reappearance... someday. Heh, Fabian is really nice... too bad he dies :sniff sniff: Oh, I already replied about the picture, right? And... you have a beating stick...? Lol violent violent.
Vanessa-Black and Zabini: Hehe, thank you for understanding. I hope this shorter chapter wasn't really a disappointment. At least the next one will be pretty soon, right? Well, I'd give it about two to three weeks.
Cassieopia Black: Yup. She needs a very good outlet for her anger. XD Maybe she'll get a punching bag... hm... WHAT? I'm the author here! Lol.
Aka Yuki-Hime: Sorry the update's took so long.
Amfmchic: Hehe, are you wondering who will be doing the hugging?
Under-the-Moonlight: Oh, no, Snape is just turning to the dark side (lol doesn't that sound funny?). Argh... yes, A Fossil in the Mud. I've written about four pages of the next chapter... just six more to go! Sorry to keep you waiting.
hunnydukes-chocolate: Heheh, I love this drama thing. Yeah, both Sirius and Faye are in pain. I LOVE IT! Heh, I'm not a sadist... XD
Con: Lol, I know how you feel about cats. Cats have staff, and dogs have owners.
Shadowed Child of Flames: I will have to leave you to think about what Grace is going through. I'm pretty sure everyone's felt what she's feeling at one point or another.
Goldfish682: Thank you! I hope you liked it.
The REAL cheese monkey: Haha, Sirius is deepening the whole for her and shoveling in dirt on top of her.
stephanie: Thank you! There might be about two to four chapters more, which depends on how long each chapter is.
That took a long time. If I missed anyone... well, I'm sorry! Got to go do other stuff (mainly homework) now. Please leave a review!