Chapter Ten

Sirius smirked at the girl in front of him. She was attractive; Sirius gave her that. But she should make more of an effort with her hair, which looked limp and lank. She should also wear makeup; her cheeks looked too white for Sirius' liking.

"I'm no-one's 'love', Sirius Black," Pertida whispered. Her eyes had narrowed down to slits. Sirius didn't know any girls who could resist his charms.

"How did you know my name?"

Pertida's eyes skipped nervously from him to his fellow Marauders.

"I - Sandie told me this morning."

Sirius' smirk broadened. Obviously it would be Sandie who warned her about him and his friends. She was his enemy; though Sirius knew she liked him. Every girl liked him. And soon Pertida would be one of those girls, pleading him to love and date and cherish her.

"Come on angel, I saw how flattered you were when I winked at you when you arrived."

To the contrary, she had looked less than flattered. But Sirius was like any other male: he liked to toy with girls' minds.

"As if," snorted Pertida, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "I was less than flattered, and you ruddy well know it. You're just too conceited and full of yourself to show it."

She whipped around, and headed for the other side of the Common Room. She sat down on the sofa which Sirius liked best, pointedly ignoring him.

"Well, we certainly have a feisty creature on Sirius Black's hands," James said in his ear.

He drew back, a smile full of victory on his face. Sirius fumed.

"At least I haven't been chasing around after a girl for two years who kept on rejecting me," Sirius spat, and was pleased that the smile was wiped off James' lips.

He felt that Pertida was extremely familiar. And that worried him.

000

As the next day came, Hermione was feeling a lot happier then she had felt yesterday. She had made friends with Lily and Sandie, but was afraid she now wasn't a friend of the Marauders. Or was it just one person she wasn't a friend with because she feared to commit her true feelings to him?

She had easy lessons. First was Charms, but Hermione was uncomfortable that she had to sit with Remus.

Next she had Defence Against The Dark Arts with a kind female teacher called Professor Chase. Hermione believed Professor Chase liked her, and felt confident whenever she had to do a practical. What was sad that she had to sit with Sirius, and he complained loudly to Professor Chase.

"Why do I have to sit next to her?" he moaned to the Defence teacher. "She's so obedient, we have nothing in common."

Professor Chase frowned. "You didn't complain about sitting next to Miss Hart the last few lessons, Mr Black."

Sirius gaped at her. Hermione swallowed down her fear, as Sirius shot her a sidelong glance.

"She hasn't though, Professor. She only arrived yesterday."

Professor Chase stared at him with her strange, amethyst eyes. "You shouldn't be making up lies, Mr Black."

"He's not," James piped up, followed by 'he's right' and 'damn straight' from the Gryffindor students.

Hermione's cheeks flamed as the Gryffindors looked at her. Their look told her everything – they wanted her to agree with Sirius. But Hermione kept her lips sealed; her eyes remained firmly on the Professor. Out of the side of her eye, she noticed that Sirius glared at her.

Hah, serves him right. His good looks and charm won't get him everywhere in life, Hermione thought. She imagined little needles stabbing her mind, demanding her to say poisonous, hurtful things.

Hermione longed to get out of the classroom. She hated it when the Marauders kept on shooting her deathly glares.

000

"So, why don't you speak Bulgarian?" questioned Lily, biting through her sausage sandwich. The three were in the Great Hall for lunch.

Lily and Sandie comforted Hermione after her embarrassing Defence Against The Dark Arts lesson.

Prepared when Sirius asked the question a few days ago, Hermione re-told the lie. She felt as if the devil had taken over her mouth, and as soon as she finished explaining, Hermione was dying to wash out her mouth with soap.

Sandie looked at Hermione with pity.

"What do your parents do now?"

"They're dead," Hermione snapped. At least that wasn't a lie.

"Oh." Sandie's ears turned crimson. Her gaze turned to the table. Hermione felt guilty at once.

"I didn't mean to snap at you, Sandie. It's just that my parents' death is a painful topic."

Sandie looked up, and at the same time, both Lily and she nodded.

"My father died recently," revealed Sandie, her eyes dark with painful tears. Hermione's throat tightened. "Oh Sandie, I'm so, so, sorry."

Sandie shook her head, wearing a tight smile. Hermione wondered if she had more in common with Sandie and Lily than the Marauders.

"He was killed by that scum, You-Know-Who. My Father's death changed Clover. Did you know that?"

"No," said Hermione, fear circling around her heart. She already dreaded what Sandie would say next.

"She used to be popular, you know. Clover always had a gang of giggly girls with her. Boys used to fall on her feet. Girls wanted to be her. Boys wanted to date her. Did you know she dated all the Marauders, minus Peter? Sirius Black used to be in love with her. But everything changed when we received the awful letter."

Sandie stopped, and she took in a deep, shuddery breath. Lily had her palms pressed against her cheeks, and Hermione knew Lily was crying. It was obvious it was the first time she had heard this tale.

"You don't have to continue," Hermione whispered. If she had heard this story before she had called Sandie 'insensitive', she would've told Sandie she couldn't accept the plan, but to ask her if she could be her friend, instead.

"No, I must," Sandie argued, in a teary voice. "Though Clover or I may say we 'dislike' each other because we have nothing in common, that isn't the reason. The reason is because Clover teased me and taunted me throughout the years at Hogwarts. She played so many mean pranks on me that in the end I gave up, which caused me a near death; Lily, don't you remember in third year when you found me in the Girls toilets, my wrists cut? That's when we became friends, wasn't it?"

Her face still covered by her hands, Lily made a small noice that resembled a 'yes'. Sandie's words sent Hermione's feelings reeling. She had befriended Clover before the Gryffindors had had their memory of her erased. Would Clover have ever told her the truth? Or would she just paint herself in the good light, while Sandie in the bad?

"My suicide attempt didn't affect Clover. In fact, her friends encouraged her more to be nastier and meaner to me. When Lily found me, she cleaned me up herself. I begged her not to tell Madame Pomfrey. Especially Dumbledore. I didn't even tell my parents.

"Near the end of the Sixth year, that's when we receieved the letter, telling us about our Father's death. It affected Clover the most: she was Daddy's Special Girl. She had a breakdown. She never recovered. And guess what Sirius Black did? He pulled a prank on Clover pretending to be her Father. I never forgave him after that."

Lily lifted her hands from her face. Everyone would guess she'd been crying; her red eyes, and her wet cheeks.

"Your story seems to be a lot worse than mine," remarked Hermione, and she wasn't kidding, either. Both Sandie and Hermione shared nearly the same horrors of their past.

"I hope you'll be a lot more worthy then her," Sandie spoke. "As I truly hope we'll become great friends."

Hermione smiled at her. "So do I. So do I."

000

Clover had always dreamt about going back to her popular self. She would have friends, be invited to parties, and especially have all the boys drooling over her. She missed the gossip, and what disturbed her was that she even missed people egging her on to torture Sandie.

I just wanted to be loved. Tears stung her eyes as she lifted up the knife. She closed them, and muttered a soft prayer. Then she knew no more.

A/N: Muahhh! (SORRY, I like being evil :) HAH, you will have to wait for the next instalment… more about Clover/Sandie, and Hermione/Sirius…

Feel free to give me any: tips/ ideas/ praise, in a….REVIEW!

Thanks to (sorry if I leave anyone out):

Little mimi: yes, only the Gryffies. It shows you that P.Chase was confused ;) The Gryffindor Drummer: yeah, it was sad. But you'll just have to embrace yourself for they'll be a lot sadder chappies coming your way! ForgottenIceTea: yeah, poor Mione. Sure wouldn't like to be in her position. CrystalShard: this chapter has come earlier then expected, so I hope you're satisfied! Lennexa: lol, thanks. hogwartsgirl52: yeah, I guess. She's actually friends with them in this chappie! Enchantedlight: thanks Skadesake: lol, I didn't think it was a cliffie, but anyway. Thanks Padfootsvampirehuntress: I love Sirius too! Definitely one of the best characters ;) chattypandagurl: yeah, That was sad. But I just had to ruin it! Grins ;0 BexyLou: hope it explains in this chappie! Padfoot's Sidekick: lol, ack, hope you aren't! OnerousOrangutang: I don't think anyone in their right mind would! Sigh. Thanks. Serendipity-England-1922: well, if your sure! But I bet you can! ;) Kates Master: Nope, Marauders don't. Same as, I find all Lupin/Hermione pairings BOR-ing! (no offence to people out there who write them and read them!) And a tad bit obvious. Ghilliekitten: heh, when you suddenly give up a friendship you had with another person just like that… it's hard. Rinnya: here it is! (and thanks) sIn1987: yes, it did work on them. Holla-BOO: thanks!