Though he sometimes hated himself for it, Sirius had no time to write to Orion. All of his time was spent studying for exams and the Quidditch Finals. At present, he hadn't slept in about four days because he had tried to write a letter to Orion, but had gotten sidetracked every time. Remus, Sirius had noticed had grown stronger since becoming Beater for the team. Remus insisted that he was only doing this until Orion came back to school. It kept Sirius hopeful that someone else firmly believed she would return -
Eventually.

"So you think we're gonna do okay at the finals?" James asked over eggs and bacon one morning, about a week from the final game.
"I think we've got as good a chance at the other side" Remus said.
"Oh Remus Remus, always thinking of others." James said with a sarcastic look on his face.
"Well there's no point in getting cocky about it, thats how people lose." Callie mumbled from across the table next to Sirius.
"Yeah, that or they just suck and get squashed." Sirius pointed out rather matter of factly. Callie smacked him in the head. He glared at her, rubbing his head.
"Sirius were you going to open that?" Peter mumbled.
"What?"
Peter nodded towards Sirius' plate. When He looked down, there was an envelope with his name on it.
Sirius just stared.
"Sirius?" Callie said, shaking his arm.
"Maybe you hit his head too hard." James said, turning to look at him, then stopping when he saw the look upon his friend's face. Remus, who was sitting next to James leaned forward.
"Sirius. Sirius whats wrong?"
James started to panic.
"Sirius what rhe hell is the matter?"
Remus remained calm.
"Callie. Callie."
Callie, who was still vigourously shaking Sirius' arm looked over.
"Who's the letter from?"
"I dont know its not Elizabeth!"
"fa-"
"what?"
"Father"
James and Callie as well were now both paniced and alarmed.
"Sirius what the hell are you talking about?" James questioned, leaning across the table.
Sirius gulped, having trouble finding his voice.
"Its... its from my father."
James leaned back, looking agitated.
"Then what are you freaking out about?"
Sirius wrenched his eyes away from the letter and looked at James with an eyebrow raised
"James when was the last time my father wrote me?"
James was silent, thinking.
"He's never written me." Sirius said.
"Well Congratulations." James mumbled.

Sirius opened the letter slowly, the envelope was old, weather beated and dried. It had taken far longer than it was supposed to to get there, as if it had gotten lost or something.
He pulled out the parchment and was utterly confused.
Dont let her survive.

Sirius sat in his seat for a few minutes, dumbfounded. He didn't know exactly who "her" was, but if it was from his father, he probably didn't want to hear it anyways. But why would his father contact him? Sirius got up and marched straight to the Owlery. It was after all broad daylight, his phantom would have no reason to be there. He put the letter back in the envelope and charmed it shut again before sending it home. Surely the letter was meant for his mother about something else.

When he turned around however, he found he had a whole troop of people waiting for him. Callie, James, Remus, and Peter all stood waiting. He took a deep sigh of relief, still wonder vaguely who "her was. He started to give them a relieved smile when he blood ran cold.
Just behind them, there she was, his phantom walked straight by behind them. He had never seen much of her face, not how tall she was on his level. He knew that she was not real, but as she walked by, her black robes billowing behind the legs of his friends, and her hair flowing back as well, she clearly turned her head and saw him before passing behind a shelf.

"Sirius!"
Callie stepped forward unexpectedly.
"huh?"
"what were you looking at?"

Sirius shrugged and stepped past them into the corridor. They followed behind at a close distance. He had a lot on his mind, but to convice them otherwise he pulled a stink pellet out of his pocket and threw it at them. It hit the ground at Callie's feet, she looked down curiously, and was only saved by Remus, who quickly grabbed her around the waist and heaved her out of the way.

Sirius felt instantly better and run off down the hall, positively howling with laughter.

Sirius' teammates found him on the field with Jacob, Adam, and Sophie, waiting with his broom.
"Ugh, what stinks?" Jacob said loudly with disgust.
"Well, we dont stink quite as badly as them." Callie said pointing at James and Peter, who hadn't jumped out of the way quite as fast as Remus and Callie. James and Peter themselves were looking grouchy and mad.

Sirius laughed and climbed on his broom.
With half the team trying to unseat him, Beater or not, the practice definetely put Sirius on his toes, and he knew that if they kept this up, setting off another stink pellet before the final in the locker room would definetely ensure their victory over Slytherin.

Sirius master plan to set off another Stink Pellet didn't go over too well, as he somehow ended up at the receiving end of an acid Lollipop. After being discharged from the Hospital Wing only two days before the Quidditch Finals, he decided they were riled up enough.
He found that he didn't have as much time to think about Orion. He was too busy, but then, he reasoned, he would have time to bother he later.

The night before Quidditch Finals, Sirius found Remus much more calm than he would have expected. After attempting to get him excited about something, he gave up and turned the floor over to Callie, whom had jut walked into the Common Room.
She paused when she saw him.

"Hey I got a letter for you."
Sirius stood up and took the letter, ripping it open. He pulled out a card wishing them good luck at the Quidditch Finals. He smiled and stuck the card in his pocket. James climbed through the portrait hole from who knows where.

"Game of chess?" Sirius offered.
"Not now im tired." James said starting towards the dormitory.
"Your just don't wanna play because you know I'll beat you." Sirius muttered, grinning as his friend stopped just short of the door. He turned around and marched over to the table ready to play.
Unfortunately, Adam marched over looking unapproving.
"Bed. Now."
Sirius started to retort. Then he remembered that punch he'd landed on the man who'd attacked Orion. HE got up without a word.
"Why? Its only 9 o'clock." James said, not moving. Sirius started to tell him to just drop it and go to bed. Adam leaned close to James.
"I said Bed, Now." came his menacing baritone.
James nodded and got up.
Sirius laughed all the way up to the dormitory until James offered him another lollipop. Sirius ceased his laugher begrudgingly and got into bed.

Orion sat in her large window, which had been newly replaced. Ace sat on the ledge as well, his large head resting on her leg. She scratched behind his ear absentmindedly, looking up at the crescent moon far above her. Wayne Manor was across the harbor from Gotham City, but from the angle she sat at, she could just see the lights of the Metropolis across the water. She turned her head back and rested it against the side of the window, gazing out across the water. She sighed and slowly extricated her legs from underneath Ace's head and walked back to her bed. She pulled back the sheets and slid in between then laying her head back on the pillow, closing her eyes.


Sirius looked around her room. It was much the same as it was before, her sleek satin red point shoes hung on the wall. Her viola and her cello lay safely in their cases in the corner. He knelt at the foot of her bed, running his fingers over the gouge on the floor where she had dropped the knife on its end earlier that year.


Ace trotted across the room and leapt what would have been lightly upon her bed and flopped over onto his side. Of course this took up the remaining three quarters of the bed. Orion smiled and rolled on her side kissing the top of Ace's head. Pero leapt lightly onto the bed and curled upon the pillow next to her. Looking contented, Orion went to sleep.
The sun was bright, the day pleasant. Orion walked down an alleyway slowly. She wore a long trench coat tied close around her small waist. Her long brown hair reached almost to her legs. She wore sunglasses despite the shade she was not walking in. Alfred waited at the end of the alley watching her protectively. She carried a bouquet of dark red roses she carried carefully, as though she thought she might break them. She walked to particular point in the alley, and stopped, staring at the pavement. She knelt gracefully by the spot, running her hand across the concrete.


"I miss you," she whispered to no one in particular. She pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head, pulling her hair out of her face. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. One ran down her cheek and fell onto the pavement, revealing the faded bloodstains on the ground.


"Keep an good eye on Bruce Mom." She paused, whipping a tear away.
"I miss you so much daddy." She sniffled and set the roses upon the spot as if it were a baby. She pulled her sunglasses over eyes again and stood up. She backed away, as though afraid to take her eyes away from the spot. She stopped and stared for a moment longer, then turned her back and walked away towards Alfred.