Chapter 14

Saturday Surprise

The rest of the morning was spent at Hogsmead, seeing as it was a Hogsmead weekend. But, while they sat around and had some ButterBeer, while mocking James and Lily about there little spat earlier that morning. Which they really did hate.

"You know Lily, weather you like it or not, you two act like an old married couple! My Mum and Mark don't fight as loud as you too," she said, shaking her head. The boys noticed that she avoided the name Shade, and that might of been because Lily.

Nia looked at the time, and it was 5 minutes to 12:00. Almost lunch time, and so the plan began.

"What you looking at Nia?" James asked. His role was to keep Lily occupied, which didn't bother him one bit. "Just the time," she got up. "I need to head back and retrieve a gift from Mark. He said that at 12:00 I was to be at school so that he wouldn't have to wait forever for me to answer."

"Do you want me to come?" Lily asked. "No, it's alright, Remus and Sirius offered while you two were fighting earlier," she answered snickering under her breath. "You mean I'm stuck with... that?" She finished sticking her finger toward James in disgust. "It's your fault," Nia shrugged. The boys watched amused. "You have to learn to get along with him, eventually. But I was hoping it would be sometime soon," Lily gave her new friend "The Look" as she walked out of the room, Remus and Sirius not far behind.

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"That was to close!" Remus mumbled. "That was too funny," Sirius said grinning. "I wish I had gotten a picture of that look on her face."

"I have to agree, you're just not used to improvising. I absolutely love the whole concept. It's so much fun and at the same time sort of risky. I mean, we really have to get you used to it," she looked at Remus.

"So, how are we getting to the school? I am not going to walk all that way. It's Saturday, and I'm not about to start exercising now!" she looked at the boys for answers.

"Didn't even think about that," Remus admitted. "Well, why don't we race then?" she responded by muttering a speed spell and the boys fallowed example.

"Ready... Set… GO!" Nia yelled, and they raced to the school.

In the end, Remus beat the both of them, but Nia just barley beat Sirius. She couldn't help but smile, really. He was doing so good right until the end. Nia took no notice to it, because she had work to do.

The three of them headed into the castle and headed straight for the Room Of Requirements. As Nia and Sirius watched Remus pace three times over, in front of its door, they realized how well there prank was going to be.

They entered, seeing everything that they not only needed but wanted, and then they quickly grabbed all the vials and left. As they headed toward the entrance once more, Nia stopped dead in her tracks and pulled her and the boys against the walls.

"What?" Remus asked. "It's some Slytherins. Be quiet will you."

As they stood, hoping that they wouldn't come down that very hallway, Sirius became curious as to how she was able to hear them. As he thought about that, the other two decided to listen in to the conversation.

"Those bloody muggle lovers are getting on my last nerve! What are we going to do about them! They keep getting in my way when I try and do something worth while!" a girl hissed in an annoyed fashion. "We could always get them in the darkness of the night," a boy said it this time. Nia stiffened, Remus fallowing suit. Looking franticly in her bag, as quietly as possible, Nia found her book.

Her hand on the book, she quickly thought 'invisibility' and opened it. Looking in the book, she found a quick and easy spell and then cast it. Just in time too, the Slytherins had arrived only a few seconds after she cast it.

"Well, why don't we go plan something. Shall we?" some guy said, holding his arm out to a girl walking with them. She took it and they left; though they waited some time before actually saying a word.

"Stay still, I'll take the spell off," Nia quickly removed it and then fell to the floor. "Merlin! That was to close," she mumbled. "Well then put that spell back on. It will at least keep us safe for a little while, no one will see us, and trust me, no one will see us," Sirius stated. Nia nodded and did as he asked, and they left, being careful not to hit into each other.

Once they got outside, they did there job, and headed back inside, to go see what it was that Mark had sent. As she went up to the girl's dorm, the boys sat down and waited. It was approximately 12:00 right then.

Just as she lay on her bed, a phoenix, yes, it was a phoenix, flew into the room. "On Merlin's name..." she gasped. She noticed that it held a note on its leg. She gazed at the bird in utter awe. "Come with me?" she held her arm out to the bird.

It willingly jumped onto her arm and they set off down stairs. She slowly but reassuringly went downstairs and sat down next to the boys.

"Like?" he asked him.

Sirius and Remus just sat there and stared. She handed the phoenix to Sirius and then took the note and read it.

Vixen,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our dearest family is coming to visit as soon as you get back home. And that unfortunately includes our dearest and most dreaded Aunt Mary... kiss, kiss Yuck!

Mother, Father and I really don't want to have to do this to you, but it is unfortunately not our idea. You see, the Malfoys found out about your move, and we have Derek to thank for the whole thing.

All of the high class purebloods are coming by on Saturday July 5th. We didn't want it to happen and we tried to get out of it, tried everything, but nothing worked. Sorry…

Besides that, I should tell you about the phoenix. I found him on in Italy and took a couple pictures. I didn't bring him home; actually, he arrived last night. I still can't believe he fallowed me home…

His name? I have no clue, you can name him. You've always been better at that anyway.

I hope you love him,

Shade

Nia looked up from the letter to see Remus and Sirius enjoying the birds company. It was funny to see this beautiful fire filled phoenix, and know that he was hers. She smiled. He looked like Fox in so many ways, but he was more, bold.

"Riki. I'm going to name him Riki, its strength in Japanese. What do you think?" she asked, still staring at the bird.

"Where did you learn that?" Remus asked. "I have a friend that's Japanese, her name's Hay Lin," she responded with a smile. "Interesting…" was all Sirius could come up with.

"Well, I need to put a perch in my room and then we can go back," Nia stated while heading upstairs. She quickly transformed a quill into a perch and Riki appeared behind her, than sat down. "Quick too, then," she smiled again and headed back downstairs.

Three Broomsticks

"So, Sirius, do you know that fascinating plan all the pureblood high classes have?" she looked at him. "No, why?" even Remus' interest was perked. "Well, you're all coming to my house this summer," they looked at her for more information. "Sorry, all I know is that you're coming on July 5th. Other then that, I know as much as you do,"

Sirius had this contemplating look on his face and Nia had to snigger. "Since when do you concentrate that much?"

"Oh, funny," he stated sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. She had to laugh, and it seemed that Remus thought that she was funny, because he started laughing.

"So, what you're saying is that the Blacks, Lestrange, and all of them,"

"Don't forget the Malfoys," Nias' nose cringed in distaste.

"Them too. But what you're saying is they're all going to your house on that very day?" James asked.

"Yeah, and the worst part is that I think that's our family portrait day. We all get one together and then do them separately. I hate what that woman gives me to wear! My grandmother is given the honor of dressing me," she replied to the questioning looks they gave her.

"So, you're going to be all dressed up, uncomfortable and then before, during or after this all happens, you'll be stuck with all of them?" Lily asked, staring at all three boys.

"Nah, just Sirius, and he'll probably be the only good thing about the day," she replied.

Out of no where, Nia let her head smack against the table, scaring Lily and surprising the boys. "I'm going to die this summer!" she cried.

"But, didn't you say you were going to that friend of yours house. And then you get to go to Rome with your family?" Lily asked politely.

"Well, yeah, but, I've got the portraits, a dreaded family reunion, pureblood day, in MY house of all the bloody places! Then there are all my cousins! There's maybe more then 14 of them by now, and they're all going to stay a night, my Aunt Marie-Mai and her horrible makeup. She wears purple and pink eye shadow; she MIXES them for Merlin's sake! And her kisses! I swear on Merlin's name, it took me more then two weeks to get the lipstick off of my face!

It goes on and on…" she finished, trying to smack her head once more, but Sirius stopping her. His hand was now on the table, and Nia wasn't about to move her head; it wasn't her fault he stopped her!

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They all talked, Nia eventually, emphasis on eventually, raised her head off the table. Or, in other words, Sirius' hand.

Sirius and Nia were plotting, with the help of Remus, James and, surprising, Lily. Then, it finally struck Nia; where was Pettigrew?

"So, I think you two should start at each other! That would make a good number of those girls jealous. Ha! Maybe they'll leave you alone if you do that!" of course, that was James's idea, and he got severely punched for it too. But Nia didn't do anything, she just kept looking around, curious as ever.

That's when the others took notice to her curiosity. Lily looked around the table and instantly caught on, but the others, being boys, had no clue. Nia answered their question before they even asked.

"Where the hell did Pettigrew go?"

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