A/N: Once again thanks to all the reviewers. I had some reviews from people I don't know (Lil Smartass dances, giving the impression that she is being electrocuted). Now on with the show.

Disclaimer: I'm third in command of an empire made out of Lego but apart from that I don't own anything. Actually, I do own Carina but seeing as I know what a bitch she'll turn out to be I don't want anything to do with her.

Chapter 9: Trust Me

Half an hour later he returned to the dining room. Fortunately they hadn't started yet, and although he had yet to talk to James, in the thirty minutes he'd been sitting listening to his father drivel on about manners and the like, he had formulated a plan.

He came in rubbing his hands together. An epitome of boyish enthusiasm. "Shall we begin?"

Lucius regarded him with a slyly interested expression. "What spell would you recommend?"

Sirius was useless at fencing with words, and he knew that they expected him to suggest a fairly painless charm so that he could be caught committing the cardinal crime of pretending to enjoy muggle torture. This question however, he was ready for, "Stinging hex," he responded instantly, "I'll hold her."

He moved behind Carina and gripped her upper arms. Ducking his head he whispered quickly into her ear, "Struggle. But go where I guide you. I'll try and shift you away from most of it."

Her only answer was to flick her heel backwards, catching him hard in the shin.

"OW!" yelped Sirius reflexively.

"You seem awfully keen Black," said Snape snidely, "for a Gryffindor."

Another question he was ready for, "I'm a Black."

Snape apparently had no answer to that and was silent.

Lucius raised his wand, Sirius tensed, ready.

As the bolt of light shot towards her, Sirius moved with her struggles to push her slightly to the left. She resisted him and the movement didn't come off as naturally as he had intended. The spell clipped his shoulder too but he was ready for that and didn't cry out. "Trust me," he hissed, "you have to do what I say if you want this to work." Straightening up he said to the others, "Sorry about that, she pulled me."

He heard Snape snort sceptically and fought to keep his uncertainty off his face. Snape knew only too well that his size and weight prevented him from being pulled around.

For the next hour Sirius did his best to prevent either Lucius or the girls landing a spell on her. She stopped resisting after the first ten minutes making his job easier.

Unfortunately, Lucius seemed to figure out what was going on. At any rate, he moved to the other end of the room to Narcissa and Bellatrix. With all of them throwing simultaneous hexes he was hard pushed to defend her from all sides. Although he found it easy enough to protect her from Lucius, the girls were behind him and Sirius got the distinct impression that Bellatrix was more interested in hitting him.

At last, Regulus announced that he was bored and Carina was dragged from the room. Sirius noticed that she refused to meet his eyes. Thoroughly fed up, sure she hated him, and wishing that he hadn't teased James quite so much about Lily, Sirius stomped to his room.