Ok, I know I've been neglecting this... a lot. X.X College is hard. Get over it. Anyho... 2 chapters in one day... mostly cuase I thought I put up chapter 5 a long time ago... anyho... to the story.
For two years, Caith goes through classes, never having a partner, always fearing attack, though never fighting back.

The Mirror of Erised glitters with a new image. A man, a woman, and a young girl stare out of it to a young boy, all smiling. Caith's eyes glitter with tears. He looks into his father's gentle eyes and knows that it could never be true. His mother, Katrina, will never return, her life was stolen long ago. His father's face is inhuman and cold, never gentle or kind like the fake eyes of the man in the mirror. Zaira will never be strong as the girl in the mirror, at least not while his father is still living.

As the man in the mirror begins to reach out for a loving pat on the back, Caith hears the door swing open; the hinges sqeek loudly. Caith turns around, his eyes flash red as his anger fills his mind. Who interupted? Why? I just wanna be alone!

A girl walks in and blinks. "I'm sorry... I didn't think anyone would be here..." She bows her head.

Caith quickly clentches his eyes shut and fights to regain control of his emotions. "R-right... it's alright..."

She bites her lip. "You're him.. right? You're His son?"

He flinches and nods, wondering why she wants him... so many have hunted him down, wanting nothing more then to yell, rant, cry, or any number of other things to make him regret everything he did, not that he didn't already.

"It's alright... I'm not here to hurt you..." She sighs. "I just... I wanted to apologise..."

He blinks. "Huh?"

"My brother... he hurt you... he had no right..."

He gives her a confused look.

"Your first year... Conner... He shouldn't've..."

He looks down. "It's alright... he obveously had some reason..."

"No! Nothing can give anyone the right to hurt anybudy else..."

Caith shudders. "I've hurt so many people..."

"That doesn't make any difference. You're sorry for it, aren't you? And it's not like you haven't already paid for it..."

Why is she so trusting? Is this some kinda joke?

"I know it's kinda hard to trust me... since so many people've tried to hurt you... but I promise you... that's not what I'm here for. I want you to be happy... it's not fair, everybudy being so mean to you. You never even defend yourself..."

"How could I? They've got good reason to hate me... they all do."

She sighs. "I'm not gonna convince you, am I?"

He shakes his head. "I deserve worse..."

"You don't... but... well... anyway, I just wanna be your friend."

"You... you sure? I mean... there might be people who aren't too happy about it..."

She smiles. "I know. Maybe if you've gotta reason, you'll at least try to defend yourself."

"If you say so..." He blinks. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Oh, right." She giggles. "I'm such a space case, sometimes. My name's Tara." She walks over and kneels by him. "You ok? You seemed kinda... pained when I came in..."

"I'm fine... just having a hard day."

"You have a lotta those, don't you?"

He smiles and nods. "Just a bit, yea."

"Maybe I can fix that. What do you think?"

"Maybe." I doubt it. "Just don't get your hopes up."

She rolls her eyes. "I'll try not to."

The room falls into silence for a few minutes, then Caith speaks again. "Hey... can I ask you something?"

She nods. "Of course."

"What did I do? How did I make Conner so mad?"

She looks down.

"You don't have to answer..."

"Our mom... she was a muggle... and you used Crucio on her... now she's in Snt Mungo's... has been since then..."

"Oh..."

"I know you didn't know what you were doing... I'm not sure how, but I know... I was there... Conner and Dad were on a camping trip or something, I was too young to go, so Momma stayed behind with me. I don't think you or your father ever saw me, 'cuase I stayed hidden..."

He blinks. I might've... she whimpered when her mother passed out...