A/N: Hi! OMG! I'm so sorry I haven't written in a while but this week i had some school stuff to do. Damn school….grimaces and kicks something, realizes she kicked to hard and jumps up and down in pain Anyway, this chapter you all should like, I warm you now there is some mean Sirius in here. But do not fear because it shall get better! I promise! It will get even better if you guys review! Please review people those who review this chapter I will put your names up here because you guys are awesome and loyal! Please review so your name can be up here! I know you want to! Love Always! padfootqueen

P.S.- By the way I'm going to California next week and I might not be able to update till I get back. But I promise that if you guys review A LOT then I will put one or maybe two up before I leave! Love padfootqueen!

It was five days till Christmas and Cory was overly excited. Lily would be going home but she would be coming back a few days before school started to stay with Cory at Hogwarts. Cory really didn't have a death wish so she decided to stay at school. When she had left for Pengelum her foster father told her that she was to never come back to their house again. In Cory's mind she was more then happy to oblige to his request. She would never have to go back to the Vanes again. That was like a heaven sent gift that Cory had been longing to receive most of her life. No more foster care! That was awesome. She would never be told that she was worthless again. She wouldn't be hit anymore. She wouldn't feel like suicide was the best option. She was free. That was all that mattered. Cory's life had never been the ideal life. After her parents died she was sent into foster care. From house to house she went and with each house things got worse and worse for her. Each family didn't give a shit about her and would have probably had a party if she died. They all hated her. That was why she flew to and from camp with her real family's money. There was no denying it, Ash's did have money, but there wasn't really a family that the money belonged to. Cory had no family so all her parents money was hers. Many times Cory looked up in books if there were any possibilities of buying her freedom. But in the end she always found that it was impossible. Cory never thought much of her money. She was a modest person that would give her money away in a heartbeat to a friend in trouble. That was just the kind of person she was and would always be.

Despite her pasts resurfacings, Cory was in a semi-good mood There was Christmas and there was……..Okay, so maybe things weren't as great as she would have hoped. Lucius actually wasn't the problem. That was actually going quite well. Well, as well as dating a Slytherin can go. Still that wasn't the problem. The problem was very easy to define. It was Sirius' and Cory's tempers. Cory was not going to deny it anymore. She cared for Sirius. Hell, she loved him. Unfortunately. Unfortunately her heart beat still quickened at the sight of him. Unfortunately whenever he laughed she felt the need to laugh to. Unfortunately she still wanted to kiss him every time he made an odd face at his and her friends. Unfortunately she still felt scared when she saw him almost get hit by a bludger at practice. So naturally because she felt all these things and more she was on the edge as it is. She really didn't need to be forced into working on a group project with him. But she was anyway.

"Group by group, could I please see all groups to discuss their projects!" Professor McGonagual said in class one day. Shit! Cory thought. She and Sirius had been on such bad terms that they had never spoken of the project. But thank Merlin, McGonagual continued, "If you and your partner have yet to chose a topic then you can ask me for assistance I will be glad to suggest a topic. Now, may I see Ms. Ash and Mr. Black in my office first."

Then she went into her office. Cory got up and without even looking at Sirius followed her into her office. Her temper again was getting the best of her. The last time she had looked over at Sirius Ann had her arm around his waist and the other on his chest, she was practically laying on him! Cory couldn't stand to be the same room as Sirius and Ann. Ann was always hanging all over him and touching him! It drove Cory up the wall. And the thing that actually really got to her was the fact that Sirius didn't seem to care. Sirius just relaxed into her touch. But most of all, despite what she really wanted, she wished that she was the one who had her arms around him. That got to kiss him and hug him and just be with him. Because of this Cory and Lily decided to put Operation Fuck Sirius Black into overdrive. This meant that Cory took every opportunity she could get and spent it with Lucius. Also she tried to situate as moments she could where she, Lucius and Sirius were all present. Cory got a very sweet satisfaction when Sirius' eyes would fill up with rage when she started kissing Lucius. Though of course while Lucius was kissing her all she wanted was the kisser to be Sirius!

"Now," McGonagual said as she sat down in the chair behind her desk and looked at Cory then to Cory's left. He had followed her in there. "Have you two decided upon a topic?"

Cory for the fortieth time probably that day looked at Sirius. There really was no denying it, she still looked at Sirius and he still looked at her. But now they turned and looked at each other differently. They made eye contact and really stared at each other long and hard. Cory glared at the guy next to her but for the first time that day she felt as though all of her body was unwinding. She didn't feel the stress of McGonagual's eye. She didn't feel the pain of Sirius' betrayal. She was just looking at him and he was relaxing her by just looking at her. How is doing this? Why is he looking at my like that? Cory pondered to herself. It seemed that Sirius was going through the same thing. But then the noise of laughter erupted in the other room. Both of the knew that laughter. It belonged to Ann. Sirius kept looking at Cory, but Cory blinked. The blink ended the feeling. The laugh continued and with every second that the laugh continued on for, Cory's pain and anger returned. She broke his gaze and turned to McGonagual. Cory didn't see but Sirius' gaze dropped to his feet and he wore a depressed expression of hurt. But then he thought of Malfoy with Cory and he straightened up and looked at McGonagual once he got flooded with a renewed anger.

"We were hoping that you could possibly give us a topic to research, Professor." Cory said in a hard tone that was driven by Cory's anger.

"That's fine." The Professor said and looked down at a list in front of her on her desk. She scanned it then looked back up at her two students. "How about Animagi?"

Sirius' mood lightened. That will be the easiest essay to write ever! He thought. Then he said without waiting for Cory's response, "That sounds great Professor! Thank you."

With that he grabbed Cory's wrist and they left the room.

Sirius soon realized that it was a mistake to touch Cory. Lightening, or something like it, shocked though Sirius. He looked down at Cory who was currently looking at his hand on her wrist, then she looked up at him. Neither of them moved. They stood outside of McGonagual's office with the whole class sitting in front of them. The once laughing classroom fell silent and everyone one of it's occupants seemed to be staring at the scene that was unfolding before them. Black eyes met blue and they couldn't break the stare. His fingers still grasped Cory's wrist. Inside Sirius did not want to let go Cory's wrist. If he let go then he would have to go back to Ann and Cory would return to Lucius' arms. He couldn't take it.

Cory's impulse was first to get out of his grasp. She always pulled out of anyone's grasp. She didn't like the idea of being held down by someone. When she was gripped in the past, it meant that she was going to get hit. But Cory got a different kind of impulse with Sirius. It was a kind off impulse that was almost telling her to stay where she was. Stay where it was safe. That was how she felt with Sirius; safe. He was gentle but at the same time made her move out of McGonagual's office. She found herself wishing that he never let go of her. In fact, her insides were begging for him not to let. Sirius' grasp wasn't threatening like Lucius' sometimes was. Sirius' made her feel safe. Protected. And something else, was it love?

But Cory never got to find out because then Ann came over to Sirius. She slid her arm around his waist and unfortunately, she spoke. "Sirius, come on, I'm on the list to go and get questioned about my topic tomorrow. Let's go. And let go of Cory. You should now, she doesn't like to be touched."

Cory felt herself swell with anger. She felt like hitting Ann so hard it was almost unbearable. She probably would have hit her and was actually planning to when Sirius then suddenly let go of Cory's wrist. Cory noticed that he had before doing this looked over her shoulder. His eyes filled with anger. Sirius turned to Ann and kissed. Just like that. Just lent down and kissed her. He wrapped her up in his arms and then smiled. Cory felt pain and anger blossom inside her. He put on smug smile and then his eyes hardened again when he looked over just behind Cory. Cory soon found out why.

Two strong, black cloaked arms wrapped themselves around Cory's waist. The body behind her pulled her to them. She inhaled, she knew that smell. It was Lucius. She looked at Sirius who was currently pretending to be listening to what Ann was telling him, but it seemed to Cory that his full attention was on her and Lucius. This was a perfect opportunity. Cory slide back into the man behind her and laughed. She and Lucius turned so they were facing each other.

"You look beautiful…." Lucius trailed off as he went close to her neck and started to leave a trail of kisses. She put her arms around his neck. Cory pulled him up from her neck and brought his lips to her mouth. She kissed him. She felt many gazes on then as they were doing this, but she didn't care. Though one gaze was just too much. He was looking at her. She could feel him boring into her. She pulled back. Lucius then spoke again, "Gets better every time." Cory smiled a fake smile up at him and he continued, "Why don't we go?"

"Good idea." Cory said even though that was the exact opposite of what Cory really wanted to do! All she wanted was to run from Lucius over to Sirius. Sirius was what she wanted. Too bad he didn't want her.

They started to make their way out when Cory yelled over to Lily that she would see her later. Cory an Lucius went out to the lake and sat there. It was pretty cold out there, but she needed the time to think. How could she get her point across to Sirius? She was completely baffled. He would look at her and she could swear that he was looking at her with love in his eyes, but then he would look away with a hard to read expression displayed across his face. She was in deep thought when she realized she would be late for Divination. Divination had to be the biggest joke of a class, but still Cory took it and did the best she could to see something in tealeaves.

When she realized she really had to go, she said to Lucius, "I really have to go. I've got Divination. Sorry. I'll see you later, okay?"

"I'll walk you." Lucius said following Cory's suit and getting up. She yet again smiled a fake smile and they made there way up to the castle. Lucius had also yet again wrapped his arm around Cory's waist and pulled her close to him. Cory put an arm around Lucius and they made their way to class. Five minutes later they were at Divination. Lucius walked in with her and Cory made her way over to where Lily, Emma and Bethany were already sitting. She put down her books and was about to sit down when Lucius pulled her back to him. He held close to his chest and she faked another smile. He leaned down to kiss her again and as she closed her eyes and felt his lips touch hers, she heard the sound of a teacup breaking.

"Now ladies and gentlemen," Professor Abbot said in his dreamy voice, "please settle down. Mr. Malfoy I believe I don't see you again till tomorrow. Please leave my classroom so I can get on with my lesson." Lucius left. Thank Merlin. "Now- Wait, Mr. Black!"

Cory turned around. She had by then sat down and was waiting for the lesson to start. When she turned around she saw a very, very peeved Sirius Black. At the table behind Cory and her friends were the Marauders. There was Sirius looking straight at Cory. On the table in front of him was a broken teacup. Quinn and Remus were looking down shaking their heads while Sirius got up to leave but James pulled him back into his seat whispered something in his ear.

"Mr. Black why have you broken one of my cups!" Abbot yelled at Sirius and he stood next to Cory's table and shouted at Sirius.

"It was just an accident, Sir." James said for Sirius, who was currently glaring at the table in front of him. Abbot started the lesson and Cory, along with her friends, turned around. James then whispered to Sirius, "What was that?"

Sirius wrote on the corner of his paper, He kissed her.

James replied on the same piece of paper, You're kidding right?

Why would kid about that? Sirius wrote not taking his eyes off the lesson that was being taught in front of him.

Okay, so you broke a teacup because Malfoy kissed Cory?

Yea.

You can't let her get to you….just try and ignore it.

WHAT! Now you have to be kidding. Imagine Lily making up with Snape, now think about how you feel and you have the equivalent feeling of what I am feeling.

GROSSSSSS! Now that i think i won't be able to eat for days! How could even write that? But still I get what you mean.

Why is she doing this?

Revenge. It's simply really.

I need to do something to get to her… what should I do?

I have no idea…..but make it happen in Herblogy after lunch. Wait, speaking of lunch…ah there we go, he'll dismiss us in a second.

Good idea. Thank Merlin this class is over.

All the Griffindors went to lunch and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Well except for some equally distributed evil glares that were shared between one Sirius Black and one Cordelia Ash. But besides that, lunch was uneventful. Well, at least it was until the end. Somehow at lunch Cory wound up sitting directly across from Sirius. But that wasn't even the problem. It all happened right as lunch was ending and they were all getting ready to go to Herblogy. They were all sitting still and were actually having a civil conversation when Cory's least favorite person came to the table; Ann. Fire blazed inside Cory. She tightened her grip on her goblet. Ann started walking over and as soon as Sirius saw her he stopped mid-sentence and got up. Cory's knuckled turned white she was gripping the goblet so hard. He intercepted her into his arms and kissed her passionately on the mouth. The goblet cracked and was left in pieces in Cory's hands. Everyone at the Griffindor table seemed to be equally as revolted at the sight that was playing in front of them. Cory felt like she was going to explode! She got up. Lily followed along with Bethany and Emma. They quickly left. Cory seemed to be in daze. What was she doing? What was she thinking? Why had she wanted to play him? She had been such an idiot! It was all becoming clear. She knew what she wanted and had to do. First thing was get rid of Lucius. That wouldn't be a problem. Next she would have to get Sirius back. That was going to be the BIG problem. The anger that had corrupted her for so long now was replaces with pain, sorrow and need. She needed to be with him. The girls eventually the girls caught with Cory though.

Emma was the first to speak, "Are you okay, Cory?"

"Yea, that was fowl…..You okay?" Bethany said next.

"I think you know what you have to do, Cor. Really as I look back on it, we should have stopped this a while ago. It's getting to you, isn't it?" Lily said, putting a hand on Cory's shoulder.

"I need him." Cory said.

The girls all nodded and understood what Cory meant. She had finally had enough of Operation Fuck Sirius Black. It was time to try and get him back. Slowly they all made there way out to the greenhouses. Professor Sprout was there ready and waiting to teach as always. Cory felt miserable all class, but did a very good job of covering it up. Considering this class was with the Hufflepuffs, Ann's house, Cory was hiding her emotions very well. The class was finally getting to the end. Cory had devised a plan in her head all class. She would after class go and break it off with Lucius then somehow she would talk to Sirius. How she would talk to him was something she had yet to figure out how to do. Class, even though it was still so close to ending had still a lot in store for Cory, but she didn't know it.

"Now, please of everyone could place there pots up of the windowsill so they can get proper sunlight? Thank you, let's have this half of the room," Professor Sprout gestured to Cory's half of the room, "go first and then this half." She finished gesturing to Sirius' half.

This was something she didn't want to do. In order to get to the windowsill she would have to go right next to Sirius' table. Shhhhhiiitttttttttt! Cory thought. Gathering her confidence, she wasn't a Griffindor for nothing, made her way over to the ledge. As she was making her ay over Ann slithered her way into Sirius' arms.

Then within ten seconds Cory felt her world crumble. Ann said four words, "Sirius, I love you."

Cory froze in her spot. Actually Cory wasn't the only one who froze. Lily who was to her right froze. Also so did Bethany and Emma who were to Cory's left. Cory had her head down and her pot in her hands. But what she didn't know was that her and her friends weren't the only ones listening. Quinn, Remus and James were all listening intently. They all wanted to see just how far he would go to hurt Cory and get his revenge. Inside all the Marauders wished that he would just brush it off.

But he didn't. He said, "I love you too, Ann."

Then he kissed her.

Cory's pot fell from her hands. It cascaded down to ground along with her cool façade. Everything was collapsing before her. No one moved. Cory felt her throat close. For the fifth time in her life she was going to cry. He had made her cry. Hot, hot tears threatened Cory's eyes. Sirius looked over at the girl he really loved while Ann hugged him. This wasn't the reaction he wanted. He wanted her to get mad. Hit something, anything. Not cry. Is she crying? Sirius thought. Oh no, what have I done? Sirius continued in his mind.

One crystal drop surged and fell to the ground of the greenhouse. Then another. And then another. Cory was still frozen. The Marauders immediately knew that their best friend had gone way to far this time. Cory's friends were all thinking of ways to kill the jerk that was causing Cory to cry. In the middle though still stood a very still Cordelia Ash. Then before anyone could blink an eye, Cory had sprinted out of the greenhouses. At the same time, someone started running after her.