Disclaimer: Everyone belongs to J.K. Rowling besides Carly…

Sorry for the delay. There is no excuse besides my own laziness. This is for Erin, Cylobaby, and Kel. Thanks you two.

Chapter 39: Return of a Long Lost Friend

Enjoy:

"Carly!" Sirius yelled running after Carly, who didn't slow down. "Carly please stop!" He yelled again. She slowed down a little and waited for him,

"What?" She snapped at him,

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.

"Have you seen the witch weekly yet?" She asked. He shook his head. She groaned and hit her head against the stone wall.

"Stop." He said pulling her away from the wall, "Now what about it?" He said his hands on her shoulders. Carly sighed and explained the whole article for him. After she was down she clenched her fists and started walking down the hall again. Sirius raised an eyebrow, "So?" He said,

"So! How could you say so!"

"Well, so you have a little press what's the big deal? It's not like any of its true." She groaned running a hand over her eyes,

"Fine. It's nothing right! I mean when you have some stupid whore say bad things about you and the people you love it means nothing. Right!" She said sarcastically. Sirius sighed and stopped walking. Carly turned towards him, "Oh, and another thing. Don't think this is going to be easy Sirius Black." She turned and stormed down the hallway leaving Sirius very confused about what she just said.

"Wait, she said don't think this is going to be easy? What the hell does that mean?" James asked later that night in their dorm. It was one of the few nights that Remus, James, and Sirius had spent alone without Sophie, Lily, or Carly. James was currently sprawled across his bed with his arm and leg hanging off looking over at Sirius. Sirius was on his back with his head draped over the foot board and Remus was on the floor leaning against James' bed.

"I don't bloody know!" Sirius said.

"Maybe she's still mad with you about Danny." Remus said flipping through the Witch Weekly that both Carly and Sirius where in.

"How could she still be mad at me about that?" Sirius whispered.

"Well have you apologized?" Remus said reading the article about Carly.

"What would he say to her?" James asked.

"Well maybe he could start off saying, 'Look Carly I am a jack ass and I can't help that. I'm sorry.' Then you ask her about the easy comment." Remus said,

"Brilliant Mooney! Someone give the man a chocolate frog!" Sirius said springing up from his bed and rushing towards the door.

"How do you know where she is?" Remus asked looking up. Sirius shrugged and flopped back down on his bed. James tossed the Marauders Map at Sirius, who grinned and quickly scanned it and rolled it up after saying,

"Of course." He grabbed his cloak and sprinted out the door. James raised an eyebrow at Remus who shrugged and turned back towards the magazine.

"So how are you going to pay back these girls for doing this?" Remus asked throwing the magazine at James. James caught it and grinned an evil gleam reignited into his eyes after being lost for two months.

Carly was doing the only thing that she could think of without really thinking… (AN: Does that make much sense?) Except today it was causing her to do more thinking then she could handle. It was because of quidditch that all this had happened. It was all because of her that caused her mum to become evil. It was all her fault. Everything was her fault. Innocent people died because of her father. She had dragged the only three people she could count on into her messed up and confused life.

Carly stopped flying and just hovered there for a minute when she suddenly realized something.

She was all alone.

She had no place to go after school.

She had no place to stay for Christmas.

She was lost.

A lone tear slid down her cheek. She heard a whisper of a familiar voice and she turned to see who it was. No one was there. You're not alone. The voice whispered again, I'm hear now. Carly let out a sigh of relief, I thought you were trapped. I was trapped in your head. There is no way your father can take me away from you without him killing you in the first place. So how where you trapped? He can though trap me inside your head. Then how did you get out? He did this weird and creepy thing that caused me to stay hidden from you until you finally realized you where alone. Then, and only then, could I resurface and do as I was instructed. …And that is…? To convince you to join your father. WHAT! Don't worry. I wont. Your father is a pretty dense man. He only thinks of things the way he wants them to be. Oh…so if I say I'm not alone will you go away again. Well obviously not. Oh shut it. Ahh, back to the usual. What happened to Sirius'? That I can't tell you, because I don't know my self. I can't talk to him, and I can't find out how to free him. Sirius has to find out all on his own. Now back to what I was saying before. You are not alone. Well besides you who else? Danny is gone, my mum is gone, Sirius is acting funny, and Lily, James, and Remus have been acting weird sense the Quidditch Match. I see your problem. Its you that has been acting funny and weird. Yes your mum is gone, yes Danny is gone, but you still have Sirius, Lily, James, and Remus. You have been hiding from your friends ever sense the match. Its you who has refused to open up to them. You know that it is okay to cry a lot in one sitting. Shut up I re-

"CARLY?" A voice yelled from the ground. Carly squinted and saw a dark huddled figure. She dived down towards the figure and landed shyly looking away from the figure. "Gods, Carly," Sirius said pulling down his hood and walking closer slowly, "Aren't you cold?" He asked her. Well it was December and she was not wearing a cloak. Sirius opened his cloak and pulled her towards him hugging the sides of the cloak around her. "What's going on?" Sirius asked forgetting about what Remus said. Carly let out a sob and began to cry into his chest. Sirius looked around wondering what to do before he pulled her closer stroking her hair.

Carly couldn't remember how she got back to the common room the next morning. She couldn't remember what day it was. All she knew was that she was until recently sleeping on the Gryffindor common room couch in Sirius' arms. She stared at his sleeping features running a finger across his cheek. He slowly opened an eye and pulled her closer to him,

"Go to James' house with me for Christmas." He mumbled closing his eyes again. Carly nodded and pulled herself closer to him. Feeling better now I see. I thought I told you to Shut it. …Just saying…

That was how Remus and James found them later that morning. Both Sirius and Carly had fallen back to sleep. Lily soon joined them. "Should we wake them?" James asked. Lily shook her head and pointed towards the door. James and Remus followed her out,

"What's going on with Carly?" Remus asked.

"I think it's the fact that everything that has happened to her in the past month or two is finally catching up to her."

"What do you mean?" James asked,

"Well, I mean, after what happened with her mother and father she didn't have much time to figure out her emotions before she was launched into the Quidditch match and Danny. Then that article comes out." Lily said. James raised a brow still not understanding. Remus though understood,

"So you mean the article sent her over the edge?" Remus asked. James let out an, 'oh…' and Lily nodded,

"That's just what I think. Plus she still thinks she has no place to stay over Christmas." Remus nodded and was soon tackled to the ground.

"Remus!" The person that tackled Remus squealed.

"Sophie!" Remus mimicked grinning at her. Remus helped her off the ground and waved good bye to James and Lily as Sophie dragged him down the hall.

"I miss you." James whispered in Lily's ear. Lily grinned and turned around,

"I see you everyday." Lily said,

"No I miss you as in we never have any time alone together." James muttered in her ear. Lily blushed as James grabbed her hand and pulled her in the opposite direction on Remus and Sophie.

Thanks for RR,

Tandemswipe